Andrew Luck makes regular season debut as Indianapolis Colts face Chicago Bears – NFL Preview
All eyes will be on the first overall draft pick Andrew Luck as Chicago Bears host Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, September 09, 2012, at Soldier Field.
It will be an interesting game to see as both teams are coming into the 2012 season after a miserable 2011 season, but both have lots of surprises and lots of rookies.
The most important rookie on the field will be Luck, who is regarded as the most polished rookie quarterback after former Colts elite quarterback Peyton Manning.
No matter how much league-ready Luck is, he is still a rookie and will be playing his first-ever game against a top-notch defence, leaving a possibility that he might underperform.
Luck gave mature performances during the preseason, but that was against relatively weaker opponents as regular starters generally do not spend all the playing time on the field during preseason.
Colts season will depend on how much pressure Luck is able to absorb as he does not have strong support around him. The players on their roster are young, providing a lot uncertainty about their productivity.
Colts new head coach of Chuck Pagano had a big responsibility to put up a side at a time when most of their veterans were close to retirement.
Pagano believes that he can organise his young team to provide good performances no matter who they will face. The Associated Press quoted Pagano as saying:
“All we’re doing is thinking about us and how to get better. What I just left them with is, ‘I’m not worried about our opponent right now, all I’m worried about is us.’ ”
Colts will also have a chance to show off their new 3-4 defensive system. The new additions, safety Tom Zbikowski and defensive end Cory Redding will lead the defence in the new formation; both have experience of working with Pagano in such system.
Bears, on the other hand, have a rejuvenated Jay Cutler back into the team. The player spent a long time away from the game due to an injury. The quarterback missed all the games after week 11 of the last season.
Bears were miserable in his absence. Cutler will start this season with the addition of wide receiver Brandon Marshall on the offensive line.
Cutler and Marshall produced havoc for the opposing defences during their time together at Denver Broncos and hope to do the same for Bears.
New Offensive coordinator is upbeat about challenging Colts defence. He said:
"I think everyone is pretty comfortable where we are at offensively; it's just a matter of us going out and executing. Defensively, they are not going to surprise us at all, so hopefully we should have a clean game."
When it comes to Bears defence, star linebacker Brian Urlacher is their backbone.
Urlacher missed most of the offseason due to an injury and returned to practice on Monday, September 03. The eight-time Pro Bowler looks to be in good shape and hopefully be ready for the game against Colts.
However, there are some doubts as to whether Urlacher will be able to give his best after being rushed right back into the regular season game without getting the due practice.
Comparing the current situation of both the teams, the final result will depend on how the Colts rookies play in their first game while Bears will be able to have a comfortable day out if their prominent defensive players play up to their mark.
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