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The NFL season is upon us, and training camps are in full swing. I’ll be taking a look at the Midwest teams, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts. Sorry Cincy and Cleveland, you’re just out of range. Every teams expectations are high before the season kicks-off and injuries hit, so let’s take a look at the biggest questions facing our NFL Midwest teams.
CHICAGO BEARS:
WILL THE OFFENSIVE LINE HOLD UP:
Spirits are running high at Halas Hall. The offense has been completely revamped, out with the old, in with the new. Speaking of new, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has one of the most highly touted QB’s to enter the league at his disposal in Caleb Williams. Along with Williams, comes rookie sensation Rome Odunze at wide receiver, along with star veteran Keenan Allen from Los Angeles Chargers. Add to that returning starters like superstar receiver D.J. Moore and Cole Kmet. Big free agent signing D’Andre Swift also should open up the offense.
One thing that’s missing from all the flashy names is the mention of the offensive line. That’s where the problems could arise for the Bears. Darnell Wright was a hit, but there are plenty of questions on that line. Wright aside, here are the question marks:
- Ryan Bates/Shelton Coleman – do we have a center here? Coleman started all the games under center for Matthew Stafford in LA, but isn’t considered elite in any way, therefore he was expendable and ended on the Bears. Bates has been long admired by Bears GM Ryan Poles who finally got his man, but is he a guard or center? Will he thrive in a full time role? They tried a similar experiment recently with Lucas Patrick, and Bears fans want to forget about that one.
- Braxton Jones – the solid but unspectacular left tackle faced injuries last season that caused him to miss extended time. Whenever you hear about Jones you hear of him being solid, but is solid enough to protect the blind side of the franchise quarterback. Is this the position that needs a better upgrade?
- Teven Jenkins – former second round steal, has transformed into a very good guard, but his skills aren’t the question, it’s his availability. Jenkins has been hurt in each of his professional seasons. Best ability is availability and Jenkins is rarely a full-go.
- Nate Davis – arguably the biggest question mark for the Bears offensive line. Davis has been in-and-out of the lineup since he signed with the Bears last offseason. Last season he played in 11 games after missing the preseason and camp. He was dealing with a personal matter. It’s time for Davis to step up and be available or else they will have to look to fill that spot.
As the Bears head into their first preseason game against Buffalo, the offensive line is in flux. Injuries have hit them all over the line and it might be time for someone to step up and earn playing time. Seems like Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is of the same mindset when it comes to that as evidenced by his recent comments on Davis. “If a person’s out for an extended period of time and the player that’s in that position is playing very well, at a starter level, and doing a good job there, then you create the competition,” Eberflus said when asked if there was a date Davis needed to return by to maintain his starting spot. “You say, hey, there’s a competition. People say you can’t lose a job because of injury. I don’t think that’s true. I think if the guy that’s playing there gives our team a good look and a good benefit for him being in that position, then it’s a competition. Or the other guy could take it over.”
With the defense looking set, aside from a pass-rusher opposite Montez Sweat, the square concern turns to the offensive line. Can they stay on the field? Can they perform? The Bears have seen too much instability on the line in recent years and can’t afford a promising rookie quarterback to be behind such unrest.
GREEN BAY PACKERS:
CAN JORDAN LOVE, BE JORDAN LOVE AGAIN?
Jordan Love just signed a massive $200 million plus deal. The Aaron Rodgers drama is well behind the team. The Packers are coming off a playoff win against Dallas and a near upset of the 49ers, things are good in cheesehead land, right? Maybe not.
Jordan Love had a breakout year last year that netted him the contract. He took his opportunity and ran with it, but like anything new that shocks the NFL world, this league is really good at figuring things out and making adjustments. For the first half of last season Love wasn’t anywhere near 200 million, in fact there was a legitimate concern if he indeed was the guy to replace Rodgers.
Lets not forget how much Love struggled in the first half of the season. The team was nowhere near the playoff standings either. It took the Packers a late season heater and wins over the Lions on Thanksgiving to give them life and allow them to sneak into the playoff picture. They ended up sneaking into the playoffs also. If fair evaluations are made, then Love is a half season wonder at this point, he did pick the right time to heat up and play stellar, had it been reversed, Packers might be looking for a new quarterback right now.
The question still remains, can Love replicate the success of his late season run? He has the talent, but is prone to some bad interceptions. Has the league gotten enough sample size on him to slow him down? Was the hot streak tied to playing out of his mind to secure the bag? Many legitimate questions remain about Love. We have seen one-year wonders in this league before. Even Vince Young looked like a franchise QB at one point.
That doesn’t mean Love still can’t be a star, but it could also mean he will hit the very real sophomore slump that’s hit many young quarterbacks. We will get some answers this season if Love is the long-term real-deal that his contract suggests.
DETROIT LIONS:
MEETING EXPECTATIONS:
Good vibes and excitement are flying for a second consecutive season in the Motorcity. America’s team (they really are) is coming off an NFC championship appearance, so the expectations are sky-high for the Lions.
On paper the Lions are stacked. Got their QB set and with a new contract, Jared Goff earned it. Big things are expected from third year wideout Jameson Williams to be the stud they expected when they drafted him in the first round. They have a deep running back tandem with David Montgomery and the electric Jahmyr Gibbs. Superstar pass-catchers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. One of the best offensive lines in the league. A much improved defense and a secondary that has been a sore spot, fixed this offseason. There are very few holes on this roster. The coach is a spectacular motivator.
What am I missing here? Ahh, expectations. The Lions faced big expectations last season and exceeded them, but those were playoff expectations, this time it’s Super Bowl or bust. Now that’s a term that hasn’t been heard or talked about in Detroit, ever. Anything besides taking next step and getting to a Super Bowl will be a disappointment for the Lions.
What if they get off to a rough start? Will the walls start caving in? Will Jared Goff continue his magic run? Or could we see a bit of the Goff from LA return, that Sean McVey didn’t want any part of. Will the Lions be as healthy as they were last season with all the key players? Dan Campbell reiterated this sentiment when the Lions were eliminated from the postseason, that he realizes how hard it is to get back to that point (NFC Championship) and they might not get back there again. Finally, a coach that’s willing to be realistic and truthful, but he’s right. Nothing is guaranteed, especially in a parody league like the NFL.
The Lions might be facing their biggest obstacle this season, which has much less to do what happens on the field, it’s the weight of expectations that is closing in on them.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS:
WHO IS YOUR QUARTERBACK AND WHERE YOU GOING:
You miss stability when it’s gone. Kirk Cousins was that safe haven for the Vikings for half a decade, now he’s gone. You knew what you were getting with Cousins, above average play, good numbers, leadership, just maybe missing that “it” factor to take you to the next level. But now that you don’t have any of that, it seems like the floodgates have opened. Now, Minnesota is a team in semi-transition. Added some youth, through free agency and draft, but still not bottoming out. You can’t with guys like Justin Jefferson and veterans like Harrison Smith on your roster.
Now the offensive line is anything but stable, the defensive line went through changes along with the secondary, but the biggest issue facing the Vikings is who is your quarterback and what direction are you going? Seems like the Vikings are trying to somewhat compete? But can you with J.J. McCarthy, who seems behind the other rookies in terms of experience and reps. Speaking of reps, those are all going to Sam Darnold. The former top pick turned journeyman QB. Do you have faith in Darnold to lead you to the playoffs? I don’t. He just hasn’t proven it anywhere.
Back to McCarthy. Do you allow the kid to learn on the job, or is he too much of a project to throw him on the field in a regular season game? Are you gonna delay the inevitable rebuild for this year and start all over next season? Darnold is a temporary stop gap either way. He’s not here to be the long-term answer, plus you just drafted McCarthy in the first round to see if he’s your guy for the future. Delaying him getting on the field might do more damage long term instead of going for potential short-term gains that might not be worth it.
After all this isn’t the NFC North of old, Lions are expected Super Bowl contenders, Packers are expected to go further in the playoffs and the Bears are coming. Either way you are fourth in your division whether you start the rebuild or try for the unlikely route of contention. Minnesota needs to pick a lane real quick.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS:
DOES ANTHONY RICHARDSON HAVE THE HELP HE WILL NEED:
Anthony Richardson’s 2023 rookie season was a big tease. He showed flashes of stardom and potential of being the franchise quarterback. On the contrary, he didn’t last long enough to show he can sustain it. Injuries got to the young QB and in big part due to his violent style of play. He needs to chillax to last in this league and stop running around so aggressively.
Assuming he tones down the style of play and can avoid injury (big if), he needs all the help he can get around him. The offensive line of the Colts has been shaky like an earthquake. Aside from stalwart guard Quenton Nelson and veteran center Ryan Kelly, this line has all sorts of holes. Not a good sign for any QB, much less young inexperienced one who likes to run and be overly active. Let’s hope they shored things up enough so he isn’t running for his life.
Skill talent is solid, but not spectacular. Michael Pittman is the clear number one, he earned a big contract due to his consistent play, but he does lack the explosiveness and home-run hitting ability. They are hoping rookie receiver Adonai Mitchell can deliver that juice. Alec Pierce is a reliable piece of the receiving core, but there are question marks there with a solid, but unspectacular pass catching group, especially since you don’t have a tight end that scares anyone.
The key will be Jonathan Taylor. Injuries and contract issues now in the rearview mirror, can he catch up to speed (no pun intended) and return to the dominant 1,800 yard and near 20 TD rusher he was in 2021, that’s three seasons ago. If he isn’t close to that, they might be in trouble having to overly rely on Richardson to do it in the air and on the ground. If pieces don’t fall into place, we can see those factors significantly impact Richardson’s development.
