Thursday night, the NFL exhibition/pre-season schedule kicks off in full. My favorite team hosts the Seahawks. What am I looking for in this first glorified scrimmage?
1) More cohesive offensive line play. Of course Rivers will only get a handful of snaps. Whether it's Whitehurst or some other quarterback, will plays have a chance to develop? Not if the O-line struggles with protecting the QB. Furthermore, will a nascent run game show glimmers of hope?
2) The defensive line has to show more "get after 'em". Better pressure on Seattle's QBs. Closing running lanes. In addition, will D-line depth become a team strength this year? In the present day NFL, it's not enough to have 3 or 4 good-to-great linemen. Backups have to provide enough quality to minimize performance drop-off.
3) Placekicker needs to be a team strength this year. Nick Novak needs to show he can be an asset in a close game. His predecessor (Kaeding) was good, but injury-prone. Novak needs to be better than good and durable.
I am fairly excited about the start of this season. Things admittedly don't look great for San Diego's team. Unlike previous years, many are skeptical of the team's potential as a serious championship contender. That's alright, as long as the team executes consistently on both sides of the ball. Isn't this why we watch?
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