The Bears are being led by their defense, which comes as no surprise to the coach, Walter Payton.  When asked about it, he expounded, "We may be giving up points, and we may be giving up yards at the moment, but we put both teams behind, so they are being forced to throw more often, which leads to more overall yards against us.  We weren't happy with the amount of rushing yards to the Seahawks, especially behind their offensive line, which we felt we had a major advantage over.  The team has showed up both weeks and made big turnovers when needed to give us the edge."

Khalil Mack made a couple of big plays, a sack on Russell Wilson, and then the huge fumble and recovery after destroying the line and hitting the running back in the backfield.  "These are the types of plays we expect to see from Mack on a regular basis, you can only hope to contain him," says Coach Payton. 

This team has shown signs of greatness, but then sloppy play, especially from the running game.    The Bears tried to get the running game going, and ran it 24 times, but only gained 24 yards.  The 2 touchdowns were big, especially given the red zone woes of the Bears to start, with multiple turnovers within that side of the field.  

Trubisky played well again, a couple of mental mistakes, not reading the defense, led to two interceptions that will look to be addressed during the week of training.  

Who knows if the Bears can keep up this level of play throughout the season, but they are creating opportunities, they have 12 turnovers in their first two games, with a +6 to the turnover ratio in two games.  

First and foremost, Mitchel Trubisky showed up to play in the opening game of the year.  He made some big plays when needed.  There was one bad call from the coordinator that led to an untimely interception that should have been avoided.  

When talking to coach Payton after week 1, he addressed his main three areas of focus.

"First thing is first, it felt like Oprah was out there giving away free fumbles to everyone, YOU GET A FUMBLE, AND YOU GET A FUMBLE, we had 4 fumbles this game, and lost 3.  That is not acceptable, and that need to be addressed straight away, turnover battles are the cog in our engine at the moment.  Number 2, we did not generate a consistent pass rush, look we know we played against Aaron Rodgers, and he can scramble out of the pocket at will, but unless we find a way to get to the QB, we will be forcing ourselves into situations that we do not want, not everygame can be a shoot out, we need some consistent pressure to help alleviate some scope of the offense.  Third, coverage, I know we had 6 picks, and that is exceptional, but we also gave up over 400 yards.  Given there was 55 throws, against 14 rushes, 4 of those coming from the QB, so we can call it 59 to 10, we are bound to give up more yards passing, but when the play breaks down, we have to be able to maintain our lanes on zone and man, stay true to the formula and come up with the batted balls as well as the ints.  Overall, we have plenty of work to do, but there is always a silver lining when starting the year 1-0 against a division foe."

The player of the game was Roquan Smith.  In his first NFL game, he made 2 interceptions to go along with his 9 tackles, but none bigger than his pick 6, which was the deciding score of the game.  Roquan won NFC defensive player of the week, and if this is any precursor, he is set up to have a good year if he can keep consistent.  

Only time will tell for this team, but at the start, the pros outweigh the cons, and there will be a solid test against the Seahawks in week 2.

There are discussions as camp draws to a close, and pre season is coming to an end.  Are these Bears legitimate contenders?  Will they field a team that can strike fear in the hearts of those they play, on offense and on defense?  Can they live up to the lofty expectations their fans have for them?

This question is not easily answered, and it will take time to really see where they stand, but the answer from the team and coaches is yes, they feel confident in their ability and want to show case what they can do.  They all sung the praises of the team first mentality, and that no one is greater than the team, and it seems they are believing, and practicing what they preach.  

The team has plenty of new additions to showcase their talents, whether on offense with Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller and Trey Burton, or defense with Roquan Smith as the leader of the defense.  The returning stars are hoping to keep a huge impact going on, especially guys like Cohen and Howard on offense, Amos, Trevathan, and Fuller.  There are also the guys who still have a chip on their shoulder with something to prove, can Trubisky put it all together and do what he was brought here to do, be the franchise quarterback, the Bears haven't been to the superbowl since Rex Grossman was there, and haven't won since Jim McMahon was at the helm of the offense.  That is a long draught, and its too early to say.  On the defensive side, Leonard Floyd feels he has plenty to prove, he has everyone singing praises, but he hasn't stayed healthy enough to make memorable impacts that are expected of the high draft pick.

They look to shine in multiple ways around the field, bring a combination of speed and power, focus on their gameplan and not get complacent in their jobs, and then put the pedal down to the floor and see what happens.

One thing is for sure, the fanbase is excited, and they have every right to be.

Bears season schedule:

Week 1:  Bears start the year against the Packers.  This could very well be the division rival for the upcoming few seasons, unless their owner disappears and decides he doesn't want to play anymore.  This game should be a defensive battle, whoever makes the most mistakes will lose.  Bears come out on top to start the season.

1-0.

Week 2:  Seattle, this game is another battle of strong defense.  The Seahawks are getting older, but they added some nice young talent, with speed, and still have Wagner as a monster in the middle.  The Bears hit a snag in the road during this game.

1-1.

Week 3:  The Cardinals.  These two owners have played each other more times than can be counted on two hands.  The Bears feel confident in this game, and take this game.

2-1.

Week 4:  The Bucs.  Never having played this owner, I don't even remember what he brings to the table, with that said, he won't know what the Bears bring either, and I do my homework before I play.  I feel confident I can handle this game.

3-1.

Week 6:  Dolphins.  No user yet, won't matter if they did, Bears will win this.

4-1.

Week 7:  Patriots.  No more Cooks, where does this deep pass get to now, key the defense on Dorsett?  Pats offense is working on finding itself, Bears will stifle them.  Bears take this game.

5-1

Week 8:  Jets.  Haven't played Steps in a while, but the games are always great, he is a top 3 user when it comes to balancing his offense and defense.  The Bears may struggle here and snap their winning streak.

5-2.

Week 9:  Bills.  I consider LB to be the most able owner in terms of changing up the gameplan on the fly, hitting those adjustments when needed, and just being overall a great challenge to play against.  With this said, back to back losses are not a thing the Bears plan on having happen, win.

6-2.

Week 10:  Lions.  No owner yet, feel bad for whoever gets them.  Bears win.

7-2.

Week 11:  Vikings.  I think the defense will be deadly to play against, they run automatic, and they could give some difficulty, probably end up losing this one.

7-3.

Week 12:  Lions.  Same as before.

8-3.

Week 13:  Giants.  Max has a goal in mind, get the ball to ODB, Barkley could be a problem if they get ahead, and he has some other weapons.  Overall Max has a sound skillset, but the Bears remind him real quick what they can do as well.  

9-3.

Week 14:  Rams.  Weapons everywhere, Bears will give their best effort, but this will be a war of attrition, and Crim is good at the slow, monotonous offense that grinds his opponent down.

9-4.

Week 15:  Packers.  Round 2, this will end up as a true rivalry, we will go 1 and 1 for the season.  

9-5.

Week 16:  49ers.  Bears win, no explanation needed.

10-5.

Week 17:  Vikings.  Bears don't believe in losing this one again.  Bears will have to pull out the ghosts of the past and use that 85' defense mindset and put the hammer down on that offense.  The Bears offense will be rolling at this point.

11-5.

This year has had its trials and tribulations.  There has been positive aspects, there has been some negative aspects.  The AFC is full of talent, it is in every division, and it manifests itself in multiple ways.  Much like has been discussed, there are a myriad of ways to look at each team, and break down what they do well, what they need to work on and the Colts try and keep it in the organization to maintain the levels of success that will lead them to the next step.

The Colts have a tendency to lose to teams that they shouldn't, as well as beat teams that many deem above them.  The Colts organization don't put stock into all of that, each game manifests its own way.  They know the work is cut out for them, they know what they must do, and they know what their gameplan is going into every game.

Other teams feel they have the blueprint to beat the Colts, and that is fine with them, as they feel they have the depth to perform at the highest level, each week.  Over the past 3 seasons, the Colts have beat all of the top teams in the league, and they will continue to grow as a group, learning more as they go.  

The Colts owner has a list of his own, based on who he feels are the most dynamic teams, as well as the most one trick teams around.

Most talented AFC teams - Bills, Browns, and Texans.

Bills - LB is by far the best user at changing up his offense and defense on the fly, reacting to what is happening in the game, leading him to be the scariest owner in the AFC.

Browns - B can throw the ball, even after mistakes, he is not going to let him, he is going to find his moments, and he is going to strike.  If you can't score, you won't beat B.

Texans - Chan has a basic idea on offense, but it works.  Everyone can say what they want, but he isn't stopped regularly, and his ability to user the defense is top 3 yearly.  Chan reacts better than most users, and can make you pay quickly for any mistake you make, which is why he is dangerous.

Teams that have good records that aren't as impressive.  Pats, Jets, and Raiders.

The other top teams in the AFC aren't trash, they have their skills, but they aren't nearly on the level of the top teams.

Pats - We all know what Austin will fall back on, when he is backed against the wall, but can it be stopped, that is the key question.  He runs almost 100% suggestion offense and defense, which leads to a much less open playbook, keeping what could be a much more potent team held back.

Jets - Though we have only played once, I have seen stats and gameplay footage.  He does a basic Chan offense, with much less willingness to take the gamble.  He has to have skill to continue being a good team in the league, but has it cut out for him having to play consistently with LB.

Raiders - To be fair, Mike came out of no where this Madden.  He still relies on the one button quite a bit, but it isn't as much as last Madden.  He has opened up his playbook more, but it still isn't where it should be to consistently beat the top level teams.  His defense is greatly improved, and honestly, he is the most improved owner in the whole league over the span of last year to this year, I don't think that is even a question.

These are the consistent owners in the playoffs, along with the Colts, and it most likely, won't change this season, or even this Madden.  There will be some spurts of success from other teams, but these teams are clawing their way to the playoffs week by week.

Colts had a few solid positions for the draft, and almost all picks were spent on area of need, to try and fill the gaps.

1st round:  24 year old RE Audre Turner.  After looking at his dynamics, Turner is going to fit in well as the future DT of this team, 80 overall, massive size, and dominate power moves coming out of college.  The question is how much impact can he have on the inside, whether stopping the run, or rushing the pass.  

2nd round:  21 year old RB Douglas Russell.  The Colts knew they needed help at RB, and the draft board took a hit on the RB's they were looking for early.  They took a chance on Russell, it could pay off, but its too early to tell.  Though not as fast or quick as Sayers, this kid has elusiveness to spare, with a 94.

2nd round:  24 year old Branch Rheem.  This guy may be a backup, or may not make it to next season, signs point to not having a place on this roster in the next year or 2.  He isn't bad, but doesn't add much to the table, other than speed, with his current age.

3rd round:  22 year old Steven Talioferro.  Another speed end, but this guy has more upside than Branch.  He is younger, and his finesse moves are currently at an 88.  He is going to be a project, and the experiment may last 2 seasons at least.

The rest of the draft is a bust, as most have been cut from the roster before the first pre season game.  Hopefully one or two of these guys can pan out for the Colts, as they know their main areas of weakness, and are working diligently to fill those areas of concern, and quick, time is running out on the future of the Colts.

The Colts fell just short of their goal, the Lombardi.  They felt good going into the post season, and knew their passing game was on par with the higher echelon of talent.  There was a buzz around the facility about the Superbowl, and all the players felt they had a chance to redeem the ghosts of the past, and reclaim the prize as their own.  

Once the game started, Coach Beastwood realized that his matchups were not as favorable as he felt they could be, the press defense by the Falcons proved to be difficult to beat at the beginning, and they did not capitalize on the early turnovers that they created at the start of the game.  This proved to be detrimental to the outcome of the game, and the game was a tale of two halves.  It looked to be a great defensive game, but the Falcons turned it up in the second half, hitting some passes that took the wind out of the sails, so to speak, of the underdog Colts.  The effort fell short, not sure if it could be called valiant, as the Colts never felt fully in control, and the last touchdown came with little time remaining.

The Colts will hold their heads up high, they will make as many moves as they can this off season to bolster the areas that the coaching staff has deemed, "In high demand."  Asked after the game, the boisterous voice of WR Ender Wiggins shed some light on the situation, "I hoped for a good year, it was a great experience for me, and the Superbowl was icing on the cake.  We curbstomped our way through the competition, making some great teams look like child's play in the process.  The problem was, the Falcons were no Chucky, and came out swinging, looking more like we were in a Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger showed up in that second half.  We aren't deterred, we will refocus, realign, reimagine, and reinvent, anything less than a Superbowl is not my goal, not the teams goal, and we owe it to the fans to show them that this team can go all the way."

Can the team live up to the hightened expectations?  Will they recover from the Superbowl and get back to the dance?  How will the offseason and the draft play out for them?  Only time will tell, and they are hoping that time is on their side.

This has been a great season for the Colts.  They were lead by their dynamic rookie WR, Ender Wiggins.

He went above and beyond expectations this season, almost to being an issue for the rest of this offense.  This was something the coaches have been looking at, going into these playoffs.  In the Colts eyes, it's never about just one man, but more about the next man up mentality.  There have been some head scratches about certain areas of this team, where the coaches were heard discussing where they could spend their draft picks in the off season, but one thing at a time, this team is hoping for a playoff run.  

There is no doubt that the Colts want to build a younger group, a more quick group, and a group that can gel together, be cohesive, and play whistle to whistle.  The penalties and turnovers have plagued this team for multiple seasons, and it is something that must be continously worked on.  There is a long road ahead of these Colts, but they are hoping to put it all together when needed, and make the efforts necessary to reach the pinnacle of their goal, winning that Lombardi.  Coach Beastwood has even said, we love this group of guys, and we are building a core group of young talent, but we play to win it all, and to acheive less is not what we set out to do, just as all other teams have the same outcome when we start out 0-0.  We can't get down on ourselves for bad games, but only gameplan better, make necessary adjustments in game, and stop hurting ourselves when we need to make the plays.  

Sure enough, the Colts are living above expectations, there is even talks about it in the locker room, the coach was quoted expounding on this idea, "We have been going out there doing our best, though I'd be remiss not to say that we were looking at this year as a building block to future success."  The success has hit earlier than expected, will the win it all?  Will they make it past their first playoff game?  Will they even make the playoffs?  Only time can really be the telling sign of this growing team.  They haven't stopped putting effort into all practice sessions, continuously putting everything they have out there on the field, and so far it is paying off.  They have built a resume of beating some top teams over the last 2 seasons, and this season the odds stacked against them, they have finally had plays bounce their way.  

There is no one player standing out on the team, though they work as a unit to be successful on a much more regular basis, the defensive captain, Mingo, was asked just this, he brought light on the situation, "You know, we are quietly going about our business.  Have others noticed, sure, but we don't play for them, we don't play for glory, we play for the man on either side of us, in these trenches.  The same question was asked of the offense, where the new rookie, Wiggins, brash and unfazed by the lime light answered with this, "We are a unit, we go out and we have one goal, take the heart from the opponents chest while its still beating, then we aim to stomp it, plain and simple."  Brash indeed, this rookie could be a trove of interesting takes during his playing career.

There is nothing more exciting then a team being successful, just as there is nothing more disappointing that a team that is struggling to reach any level they feel they are capable of.  The Colts only want one thing, something that they have not really been able to reach on a regular basis, they have said, not only do they want to win, they want to dominate all areas of the ball, at all times, anything else is falling short of their own expectations.

The verdict is still out on the Colts, even after a great first quarter of the season start.  They have gone 5-1, with some big wins over some playoff caliber opponents along the way.  This season schedule is not full of any guaranteed wins, so the more they get early, the better their chances to get to the playoffs.  Coach Beastwood expounded on this, "We have been good, with some great sprinkled in, but that doesn't mean it can't go the other direction just as quick.  We have work to do weekly, and never overlook a single opponent."  

Their first round draft pick, Ender Wiggins, was named AFC player of the week, and has put up some big numbers to start off this season, and is slowly emerging as Luck's favorite target.  This doesn't mean that Moncrief and Hilton aren't a big piece of the puzzle, as they are all match up problems across the board.  

Defensively, the team doesn't have much of a pass rush, but is lead by the overall scheme putting players in position to make plays whenever it is needed.  There is no stand out star in this defensive unit, and they have been doing just enough to survive lately, which says plenty about their resolve.  

The team is excited with where they are right now, and even more excited with where they are headed.

This season has started strong for the Colts.  The offense has showed up and Andrew Luck has played well, limiting his turn overs this season.  They have some work to do, but they feel much better after a few key wins, when they were not seen as a long term threat this season.  The eye is on the prize for this team, and they are only looking at one week at a time to get there.  Coach Beastwood has said, "The prize is a W each week, everything that happens to get there is icing on the cake." 

Again, offensively, the Colts are spreading the wealth, they have a good young group of talent with their second year RB, Sayers and their incoming rookie Wiggins, as well as return ace/4th receiver, McPhearson.  They are anchored by a young oline, and led by Luck, Hilton, Moncrief, and Burton to round out this offense.

Defense is where they have shined.  The Colts knew that they were better defensively than they have led on.  They picked off the Jags 5 times, and 3 of those came back for a touchdown.  The second year LB, Wise, has stepped up to play a pivotal role in their success with TJ Green going out for 4 more weeks.  Their young corners are playing huge, Arnold started as an undrafted rookie last season, and is playing amazing ball since he was picked up.  

There is no telling where the future will lead this team, but the one game at a time mentality is consistent, and they hope that they continue this current trend of turnover margin, right now with 13 picks, leading the league.

The Colts start off the year where they left off last year, putting some rumors to rest.  This team can fire on all cylinders when tested.  The fire power on offense is there, led by the man dubbed by his teammates, Bane, Andrew Luck, he was quoted, "Your defense betrays you, as it belongs to me!" as he torched the vaunted Broncos defense for over 400 yards and 3 touchdowns, with no turnovers.  He saw the whole field, and leading the way was the rookie sensation, Ender Wiggins.  Hilton and Moncrief did what they always do, as well as Burton at TE.  The biggest surprise this season will be the RB, Sayers, what will he be able to bring to the table in the long term, as an undrafted free agent rookie signing last year, and barely missing the pro bowl, he started strong in the passing game week 1, but didn't get too much going on the ground.

Defensively, the Colts gave up 2 big pass plays when they went for the big hit and they came up short.  TJ Green has settled into his role of MLB, coming up with 2 INT's, while leading this defense with his speed and leadership.  Second round pick, Pierce Lattimore came through with 2 late game sacks as well, helping bolster a defensive line that was lacking in terms of production last year, and taking plenty of snaps away from veteran Sheard in the process.  

The team is young and hungry, and going against an NFC juggernaught next week in the Falcons, and they hope to continue their string of successful play calling, regardless of the win or loss, to help build confidence as the season progresses.

This has turned out to be a huge draft for the Colts.  The goal was to get a starter caliber WR to help lesson the load on TY and Moncrief, and that was accomplished with the #18 pick in the draft.  Defense was another area of concern, the previous free agent season was spent on nothing but defense, and to help fill the void with younger talent, the draft was aimed in that direction.

Round by Round Review:

First Round, pick 18:  WR, 22 years old, Ender Wiggins - 80 Overall  Grade:  A+

Second Round, pick 50:  RE, 23 years old, Pierce Larrimore - 74 overall  Grade:  B

Third Round, pick 82:  ROLB, 22 years old, Luis Wrotto - 73 overall  Grade:  B-

Fourth Round, pick 114:  DT, 21 years old, Ellis Lamb - 72 overall  Grade:  C+

Fifth Round, pick 146:  LE, 21 years old, Malcome Tanico - 72 overall  Grade:  B-

Sixth Round, pick 178:  WR, 22 years old, Christian McPhearson - 76 overall  Grade:  A+

Seventh Round, pick 210:  LT, 22 years old, Zachery Ridgeway - 73 overall  Grade:  A

This was a huge draft for the Colts, they got pieces to their huge puzzle, and are slowly filling the gaps necessary to contend with the big time players.  If they draft like this again next year, the sky is the limit.

Predictions of the upcoming season:

AFC East:

Jets:  11-5

Bills: 10-6

Patriots:  9-7

Dolphins:  4-12

Jets win this division, the Jets, Patriots and Bills beat on each other, taking one a piece, and they beat the Dolphins every game they play him.  Having played all three, I see it being a crap shoot for who wins the division, as they are all three skillful, but I think that Jets and Bills have the most lasting talent in the division.  

AFC West

Chargers:  10-6

Chiefs: 9-7

Broncos:  9-7

Raiders:  6-10

I don't see the Raiders repeating.  Cooper can only get you so far.  The Chargers offense is really good once it gets rolling.  AC is back, so the Chiefs could be a contender, but only time will tell how much Zeke will help out.  Broncos talks big game, but the bark may not be backed up by the bite, only time will tell.

AFC North:

Browns:  11-5

Bengals:  10-6

Ravens:  7-9

Steelers:  2-14

Steelers are what they are, a waste land for talent.  B will have those Browns firing on all cylinders this season, and won't take a backseat to anyone in that division.  Having never played the Bengals, I can only speculate, but I have seen enough to know, he isn't consistently better than B, and it will take more than a season or two to prove otherwise.  Goins will be middle of the road, as always.

AFC South:

Texans:  12-4

Colts: 11-5

Titans:  9-7

Jags:  1-15

Jags are like the Steelers, talent isn't getting its due dilligence.  Texans are returning champs, to say that he won't win this division would be a travesty to what he did in the playoffs.  Colts will make playoffs this year, there is no doubt.  Titans are a continuously pesky team to play, they have so much talent, and can just continue to play well enough to beat good teams.  

NFC East:

Cowboys:  10-6

Eagles:  10-6

Giants:  9-7

Redskins:  3-13

Probaby one of the best divisions in terms of players.  Zach is always just a small bit away from being near the top, and I think this season leads him to that level.  The Eagles and Giants will have to decide who is more MUTastic in the division and battle it out for second, but Eagles have proved he is the primo MUT skill user, so he will win that battle.  Redskins doesn't have a user, so who knows.

NFC West:

Seahawks:  11-5

Cards:  9-7

Rams:  9-7

49ers: 3-13

Seahawks will win this division again, there just isn't that much talent after him.  Cards and Rams are up for grabs for second.  49ers, Spawn can either kick your ass or be one of the bottom feeders, in the span of a quarter.

NFC North:

Packers:  10-6

Vikings:  10-6

Bears:  8-8

Lions:  5-11

Packers will win the division, the team has pieces, though old, that can lead them to the playoffs.  Vikings coming back and actually playing will add some intrigue, otherwise Packers run away with this division.

NFC South:

Falcons:  14-2

Bucs:  11-5

Saints: 8-8

Panthers:  6-10

Falcons win the division again, conference championship at least, as well.  Bucs will make playoffs as well, could bring some upsets along the way, with Kwon leading that defense.  Saints are sporadic as well, have the talent to do well, but in a difficult division.  Panthers haven't done anything in a while, let's see if that can change this season.

Playoffs:

AFC:  Chargers, Texans, Colts, Browns, Patriots, Jets.  AFC Champ:  Browns

NFC:  Falcons, Bucs, Packers, Cowboys, Eagles, Seahawks.  NFC Champ:  Eagles

Superbowl champ:  Browns.

The Colts season had a few highs, and plenty of lows.  The overall attitude around the organization is, "We can do better."

This shouldn't be the motto coming into this new season.  The defense started to show up near the end of the season, and the offense got it together against some of the more difficult opponents they played.  

The highs - The Colts beat the Texans, Patriots, and Jets.  All Patriots won the superbowl last season, the Texans this season, and the Jets were a favorite to go all of the way.  The only thing holding the Colts back is themselves.  The coach was quoted, "We shot ourselves in the foot too often to be successful for the long run."   T.J. Green showed out near  the end of the season and proved that he can be a high tier MLB, and was snubbed on the pro bowl.   

The Lows - Some of the losses they faced were just not acceptable, to teams that should have been beat.  Andrew Luck was extremely sporadic in his efficiency, often forcing passes that weren't there, and leading the league in interceptions.  Luck has expounded on this fact, "Too many throws weren't there, too many times I tried to make it happen.  Guaranteed that next season will not be a repeat of this.  We have some weapons out there, and I am going to start engaging this offense in a way that is going to bring positive outcomes to the games, starting with limiting turnovers."  

With the aging talents of T.Y. Hilton as WR, Moncrief should start seeing more action as a main threat, but Hilton will still be seeing plenty of the ball his way, as he is an extremely important piece to this puzzle.  No more rubix cube football, this will be solved this season, and it will start week 1, strong defense and an offense that will be productive are the ways to start.