Prediction, Three things to watch: Bears-Texans |
The NFL is officially back, well, at least the Preseason portion of the Schedule, as the first official game of the 2024 NFL season kicks off tonight at 7 pm CT.
Unlike the past few seasons where the Chicago Bears have had three preseason games, they will have the privilege of playing four this season as they take on the Houston Texans in the Annual Hall of Fame Game tonight. While this may not excite most fans, especially with Matt Eberflus announcing that all of his starters won't play, this is the most anticipated offseason in quite some time, as the Bears have gotten plenty of attention since the start of free agency. Despite this being the first preseason game and the first opportunity for teams to hit someone other than themselves, it's still early in the training camp process, meaning the overall body of work isn't going to look great right now. Win or lose, this is an essential step for the Bears to take as they get ready for what hopes to be an exciting NFL season. Here are three things to look for in Preseason game one.
When the NFL elected to move the kickoff up five yards several years ago, it basically took away the most exciting part of an NFL game. Look at Devin Hester, for example. People paid to see him return kicks because he had the potential to take it the distance every time he touched the ball. However, as exciting as it was, there were always safety concerns, which is the main reason why they moved it up five yards. By taking away more kick returns, you ultimately helped prevent some of those big-time collisions, as player safety was on the mind of the NFL when they made this rule. With player safety in mind and trying to bring back the return aspect of the game, the NFL will adopt a new kickoff format and the same model the UFL used the past two seasons. This may be challenging for some teams to adjust to at first, but it is the best of both worlds for the goodness of the game. Eliminating major collisions still involves player safety, but it also allows guys to return more kicks, leading to exciting plays. With Velus Jones as the Bears' potential return man this season, he may be a lock for this roster based on his speed to take the distance if he has a seam.
Although the starters may not be suiting up this week and most likely not next week either, you do have the rest of your roster ready to go, as this is their first chance to leave a lasting impression. Whether it be the rookies or the reserve-level guys trying to earn a spot, the preseason is a massive opportunity for them to show the coaching staff what they can do on the field. Tyler Scott, Roschon Johnson, Jones Jr., and Dante Pettis are some of the offensive players battling for a spot, as is starting QB Tyson Bagent. This is their chance to prove they belong on this team. With three more games after this on their preseason schedule, the ones who make an impression now could be on the way out if someone steps up late in camp.
Along with plenty of personnel changes from the top down, the Bears also have a ton of coaching changes, including a new OC in Shane Waldron and the DC Ed Washington. While the defensive scheme will still be run by Eberflus, this will be an entirely different-looking offense and one they hope will take massive strides this season. While the defense will be the key to this team's great start this season, the offense will need to pick up the slack, as their play alone could determine how far this team actually goes this season. Look for a bit of rust in this game, but there should still be plenty of explosive plays to go around.
No one typically cares about a preseason prediction, but why not, given that both Chicago baseball teams are struggling right now? With neither team expected to play any of its starters in this one, the outcome will depend on each team's overall depth and who has the better roster. You could argue that the Bears have more depth at certain positions, but the Texans have the better roster, which was evident last season. Still, this is either team's first game, so there will be plenty of rust to go around as the Texans fend off the Bears 21-17 this week. The new kickoff rules
How will the new-look staff fare
Prediction: Texans win 21-17
