The Bears preseason is officially over, and every time something ends something else begins.
It is time to begin the long-awaited regular season.
The Bears had what I thought was a positive preseason, and it only made me more excited for this year. It could be a big year for the Bears, and it will be exciting to see how things end up playing out.
Will Jay Cutler fit the role of franchise QB in Chicago?
Will Devin Hester ever be a true receiver?
Will the defense return to being the “Monsters of the Midway?”
All these questions will be answered over the next few months.
In the meantime some pretty breaking news was released, and it’s not positive for the Bears: oft-injured Kevin Jones, the Bears’ back-up running back, will miss the entire season with an ankle injury. This makes Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe very happy, as now they have a chance to get a lot of playing time and carries this season.
Two guys that have never gotten the attention they deserve now have a chance to finally get into the spotlight somewhat spelling Matt Forte.
Adrian Peterson is one of those running backs that is great for those 3rd and 1 plays. Powerfully built yet speedy, Peterson is very underrated as a straight-up-the-gut runner. He surprises players and fans alike when he just seems to go untouched running up the middle. He was fighting for some playing time this preseason, but with the Jones’ injury, I see Peterson benefiting the most.
Garrett Wolfe, who played his college ball at Northern Illinois, has become somewhat of a fan favorite over the years. His small stature might seem to be a disadvantage for his position, but it doesn’t seem to affect Wolfe at all. He still has very good runs and shows that his size won’t hold him down. Maybe that’s the reason many fans like him. Everybody likes an underdog, or someone that doesn’t seem to fit the “prototype” description, yet still succeeds. Fans have found that in Wolfe, who is a very versatile player. It will be interesting and fun to watch his progression as a player, especially if he gets more carries this year with Jones’ injury.
It’s obvious though that the most watched and covered player this year will be Jay Cutler.
I have faith in Cutler. I know that there is a lot of hype around him, but it seems warranted. Chicago fans are just so crazy about their QB, mainly because they have never had a really great QB. Now that we have one that can fit that role, Bears fans are understandably expecting big things.
What I am afraid of is the fans wanting Cutler to put up insane numbers like he did last year. All I want is for him to spark something in the offense and play consistently well. With his great passing ability, our running game should excel also. I want the wealth distributed throughout the whole team.
The best part about having Cutler is that he can directly impact every aspect of the offense in a way that makes each of its elements better.
Overall, I have high expectations for the Bears this year, and I would hate to see all this talent go to waste should the team end up falling below expectations.
It should be a fun football season, and I can’t wait!
About Tyler Juranovich
