Here we are, Bears fans. It’s Football Eve in an unprecedented year in which we wondered if we’d even have a season. On one hand, I’m ecstatic and thankful we have football, shouting “DA BEARS!!!!” to everyone I talk to and counting down the hours and minutes until kickoff. On the other hand, I’m stressed out, anxious, even a little scared to see how tomorrow and the rest of the season will play out.
Last year on this day, I was a very confident fan who was predicting another NFC North title and potentially a shot at the Super Bowl in Miami, the city I live in. This year I find myself saying, “I’m just glad we have Bears football,” and when people ask me if the Bears are going to be a winning team, I respond with, “I have no idea” or “I hope so.”
What a difference a year makes, am I right?
We all know how much of a disappointment the Bears’ 2019 season was, and I’m constantly trying to figure out if that was a fluke year, or was it 2018 that was the fluke? There are so many questions we all have about this team.
- Does Trubisky really have what it takes to be “our guy”?
- Will the O-line be healthy and strong enough to allow him to be?
- Are Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks and Robert Quinn going to stay healthy and give the Bears potentially the NFL’s most dominant pass rush? (What the hell is going on with Quinn, by the way?)
- Do they have a reliable replacement at kicker in Cairo Santos?
There are several concerns with this team heading into tomorrow. The Bears haven’t won a season opener since 2013, and this year, they head into Week 1 without playing a single preseason game. However, if the answers to the above questions are “yes,” Chicago has a real shot at being contenders again.
I’m doing my best to be optimistic.
Regardless of all this uncertainty, we have Bears football tomorrow. That in itself is something to celebrate and be excited about. An NFC North matchup vs. the Lions, nonetheless. And let’s face it, even if they do suck again, we’re still going to dedicate each gameday to our boys and hope for the best. It’s just what we do.
So tonight, let’s embrace the feeling of not knowing and pray that Matt Nagy and the Bears have put in the work this offseason and made the necessary adjustments to put this team in the best position to win.
Bear Down.
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