1. Does Jimmy Garoppolo have what it takes to fill in admirably for Tom Brady?
With Future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady set to serve a four-game suspension for his role in deflategate, the New England Patriots will turn to Jimmy Garoppolo, a former second round pick out of Eastern Illinois. In his third year, Garoppolo will make his first regular season start in the NFL and attempt to spell for an all-time great. This preseason has been up and down for Garroppolo. In his three appearances he completed 36-54 passes for just one touchdown. At times he looked as if he would keep the Patriot offense firing on all cylinders, but at other times looked overwhelmed and ill-equipped for the big stage. If he can play just slightly above average and keep the team's head above water (ideally lead the team to 2-2 at worst), the Patriots could be in prime position to have the best record in the AFC and possibly fulfill the expectations of winning yet another Super Bowl.
2. Is the Trevor Siemian era here to stay?
When the defending Super Bowl champions let quarterback Brock Osweiler walk via free agency to the Houston Texans, most football aficionados counted the Denver Broncos out of contention to repeat. Early on in training camp it looked as though Mark Sanchez would be the team's starter come week 1. Enter Trevor Siemian. Siemian, a second year quarterback out of Northwestern, had not thrown a pass in the NFL until this preseason. However, Siemian has looked quite impressive this preseason completing 27-43 passes to go along with two touchdowns. His performance against a stingy Los Angeles Ram defense--one that played its starters for a good majority of the game--in the third preseason game is what ultimately won Siemian the job. With one of the league's top defenses to work with, Siemian will not be asked to do too much, but will still have to make key plays at key moments in order for the Broncos to have success similar to last year. It will be interesting to see if he is the quarterback of the future or just a one year fill-in the Broncos need until they find their guy.
3. Can Houston's receiving corps reach its full potential?
Now that the Houston Texan's finally have what they believe to be their guy at quarterback in Brock Osweiler, the focus will turn to a highly talented receiving corps that could be the best in the league by season's end. Deandre Hopkins is already considered a stud, but when you look at the rookie speedster from Notre Dame, as well as rookie Braxton Miller and second year man Jalen Strong, the Texans have four legit threats on the outside. What it will come down to is how well the rookies play when the lights get bright and the chemistry between all the receivers and Osweiler. If they all reach full potential, with the addition of Lamar Miller in the backfield and a defense that should be very good once again, the Texans are a dark horse to host Super Bowl LI on their home field.
4. Is Dak for real?
When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Dak Prescott in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, most considered him a project that would sit on the bench and learn behind not only Tony Romo, but also Kellen Moore, who was listed as the Cowboys' backup before suffering an season ending injury in the beginning of training camp. Now, with Tony Romo also going down with a back injury that will keep him out for 6-10 weeks, Prescott will take over the reigns as the starting quarterback. This job wasn't just handed to Prescott, however. Prescott looked very much worthy in the preseason completing 39-50 for 454 yards and five touchdowns in just 3 games. Some would argue that he played against vanilla schemes and mostly second and third stringers, but he did play early in the game against Seattle when Romo got hurt and looked very capable against the Seahawks' defensive starters. He definitely looks the part thus far and might prove to be the steal of the draft. Once the real games start we will find out a lot about him and the Dallas Cowboys' future.
5. Can the Oakland Raiders take the next step?
Last season, the Oakland Raiders finally started to show signs that they've turned the corner from being a team that is irrelevant, to a team we should all start to take serious. Now with higher expectations placed upon them, the question is whether or not they can take the next step to being a team that is regularly in the playoffs and contends for Super Bowls. They have the offensive pieces in place with third year quarterback Derek Carr throwing to a stud receiver in Amari Cooper, as well as the defensive pieces in guys like linebackers Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack, who could be considered the best in the game within the next couple of years. It is put up or shut up time for the Raiders who haven't made the playoffs since 2002. All the pieces are in place and now it's time to execute.
6. Did we get a little carried away with the Jaguars?
The Jacksonville Jaguars certainly won the offseason with all the pieces they added via the draft and free agency (particularly on defense). DL Malik Jackson, DB Jalen Ramsey, LB Myles Jack, RB Chris Ivory, and the list goes on and on. Many analysts, fans, and writers like myself thought the Jags were poised to break out this year and possibly even win their division. Fast forward to the preseason and the Jags looked anything but ready to be a playoff contender this season. The defense, while talented, looked discombobulated at times and offenses moved the ball on them with relative ease. Again it is hard to judge solely off of what we see in preseason, but as of now it certainly looks like many of us have anointed the Jags prematurely. This team might be one more year away from being a true playoff contending team on a consistent basis.
7. How will Seattle move on from the Beast Mode era?
Marshawn Lynch's career numbers of over 9,000 rushing yards and 74 touchdowns are alone impressive. When you add in the fact that he was the "tone setter" and considered the heart and soul of a team that went to back-to-back Super Bowls, it is definitely fair to question how the Seahawks will fair emotionally as they are forced to move on. Thomas Rawls is more than capable of producing at a level that is close to Lynch, but who will this team look to when things get tough. I believe that with a quarterback like Russell Wilson at the helm they will be fine, but it will be something to watch closely as the season gets underway. The defense should still be great as the "Legion of Boom" is still in tack, but Lynch was the driving force that led this version of the Seahawks in many different ways.
8. Can Carolina keep pace?
One can't expect the Carolina Panthers to go 15-1 this regular season as they did last year. However, it is fair to question whether the Panthers can live up to expectations and be one of the best teams in the league once again. Reigning MVP Cam Newton should be even better this season and will have his best big-play threat back in Kelvin Benjamin. With a defense, led by all-pro linebacker Luke Kuechly, returning the majority of its starters, there is no reason why the Panthers shouldn't win the division once again and be right there with the rest of the Super Bowl contenders.
9. How will the Vikings fair without Teddy Bridgewater?
Just when Teddy Bridgewater was starting to expand his game and the coaching staff was letting the offense open it up down the field, Bridgewater suffered a gruesome knee injury that nearly caused him to lose his leg. Now, with Bridgewater out for the entire 2016 season, 15-year veteran Shaun Hill is now listed as the starter. Don't be surprised if the Vikings add another quarterback to the roster within the next few days. For the meantime, it is fair to question if Shaun Hill can utilize the offensive weapons he will have at his disposal to the level of success that the defending NFC North champions expected prior to this season. With 31 year-old Adrian Peterson expected to have another stellar year, the Viking franchise can only hope Shaun Hill can produce enough to compliment the all-time great.
10. Which young quarterback will take the biggest step in 2016?
Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Blake Bortles, Derek Carr, Marcus Mariota, or Brock Osweiler. Which of these young quarterbacks will take the biggest step forward in 2016. All have shown potential and have been put in better positions to succeed when compared to last season. If I had to guess I would say Derek Carr, but it will certainly be intriguing to watch these young quarterbacks navigate through this football season and see which one improves the most by week 17.
