The first question I have to ask is, “What did the Bears give up?” First, Kyle Orton. I really like Kyle Orton and I think he has a long future in the NFL. But, I’m not sure he’ll ever be a Pro Bowl quarterback. Second, their first round pick (18th) and one of their third round picks (either 84th or 99th) this year and their first round pick next year. That’s a lot of picks, plus their starting quarterback. So I’m on the fence.

Then I ask, “What did the Bears get?” A 25 year old Pro Bowl quarterback. Sounds really good to me. That’s really all I need to hear.

So then my thoughts turn to the supporting cast. What do the Bears have in place to help Cutler return to the Pro Bowl with a Bears helmet on? They have shored up their offensive line lately. Hopefully Chris Williams will turn out to be a good tackle and they can keep building around him. Last season saw the emergence of rookie running back Matt Forte. That will help Cutler because he lacks a bona fide top tier receiver. Hopefully the Bears will address this in the draft. They do have tight end Greg Olsen who was a dependable target last year for Orton.

I love this move. This helps convince me that the Bears brass is wanting to win a Super Bowl. They’re definitely a lot closer today than they were yesterday.

This creates an opportunity for the NFL to showcase it’s best and brightest as a appetizer for the Super Bowl. Of course there are potential issues with the plan. The injury issue will always be there. Also the question of what will players who are playing in the Super Bowl do? Will they not have the opportunity to play in the Pro Bowl? Seems like kind of a rip off. Especially considering the best teams usually send the most players to the Pro Bowl. It won’t be an accurate representation of the best players in the league, but it will be a more competitive game than after the Super Bowl.

That wasn’t the end though. The Bears offense still needed to put together a mini drive themselves to burn the rest of the time on the clock. Enter Matt Forte. The rookie carried the load and got the Bears the first down they needed to bleed the clock and secure the victory.

There was a lot of talk about the Bears being soft and not being able to close a game. I don’t know if this win takes away all of those fears, but they did look good in the fourth quarter. I think the Bears biggest problem is stringing together 4 quarters of their best football. If they can do that consistently they might be able to win the NFC North.

Michigan only notched 1 first half first down. But even worse than that were the turnovers. Michigan turned the ball over 5 times in the first half (3 fumbles and 2 interceptions) so it’s amazing that the score was only 19-0. Michigan’s defense held the Badgers to field goals on all but one of their scoring drives. In the second half it was the 25 yard interception return for a touchdown by John Thompson that really sparked Michigan. It came shortly after Brandon Minor scored on a 34 yard touchdown run. Michigan took the lead when Sam McGuffie punched it in the end zone after being set up by Steven Threet’s 58 yard run.

Wisconsin had a chance to tie it up with a 2 point conversion, but were called for an ineligible man downfield penalty. Their second effort was unsuccessful and Michigan locked up their victory.

Once again, Michigan showed it’s youth and infamiliarity with this new offensive scheme. They looked lost for the first 3 quarters. They were able to score enough points to get back in it and eventually win, but early turnovers put them in a hole again. If they could limit (or ideally eliminate) these turnovers, the Wolverine would have a lot better shot at winning games. I think that the defense would probably appreciate it too. When a team turns the ball over that much it consistently puts pressure on the defense. There can only be harmony in the locker room for so long if that keeps happening. Let’s hope that they continue to  grasp the system and learn how to hold onto the ball. They have Illinois up next which will not be an easy game.

Other problems for Michigan

They did not pressure the quarterback. Notre Dame gave up a record number of sacks last year. Michigan sacked Jimmy Clausen 8 times last year and zero this year.

Defensive back play. Morgan Trent got worked multiple times. Donovan Warren continues to be overrated. Warren actually played pretty well today but he also made some bone-headed plays.

There were a couple of high points to the game. When Michigan was able to hold onto the ball, they actually moved the ball effectively against the Irish defense. Steven Threet played really well. His passes were crisp (take notes Nick Sheridan) and well placed.

Another highlight was the play of true freshman Sam McGuffie. McGuffie was the most effective ball carrier and also was a major factor in the passing game. Sam McGuffie will continue to grow as a running back. As soon as he learns how to pick up a blitz there is no reason he shouldn’t be on the field.

Overall a very disappointing performance by Michigan. I’m afraid Michigan fans will have to endure a lot more of those before it gets better.

Cleveland Browns – The pieces are in place for them to make a run. Their defense will need to step up to make them contenders for the Super Bowl.

NFC

North

Green Bay Packers – They’re the best of the worst. Aaron Rodgers has huge shoes to fill, but he has a solid offense around him and a defense that is poised to win now.

South

New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees has a go to receiver in Jeremy Shockey. They still have Marques Colston, and Reggie Bush. They look good this year.

East

New York Giants – Hard to pick against the reigning Super Bowl Champs. I think this will be the tightest division in football this year. The Redskins are really the only team that doesn’t have a chance at this division.

West

Seattle Seahawks – Another case of the best of the worst. Julius Jones in at running back will help the offense, the big question mark is still the offensive line.

Wildcards

Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears – I think that Dallas is a train wreck waiting to happen but they have a ton of talent. If they can all keep their heads on straight they’ll be a force in the playoffs. The Bears truly are a wildcard. Their defense is still among the best in the league. If Kyle Orton can work some magic (without any real threats at receiver) or Matt Forte can come in and be a dependable back they might climb into the playoffs. A weak NFC North schedule helps.

The 2008 NFL Season kicks off tonight with Washington Redskins facing the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. If you have payed attention in the pre-season you will have noticed the new NFL logo. The letters “NFL” are sharper than the previous letters, the image of the football has been updated to resemble the Vince Lombardi trophy and the 23 visible stars have been replaced by 8 stars representing the 8 divisions (4 in each conference). The blue in the logo is now a little darker.

I think this update is a really smart and sharp update of the logo. It shows me that the NFL really cares about the image that it is sending out there to the public. I know that the public perception of the NFL has taken a hit in recent years. Maybe this is an effort to refresh that image.

Here is a recap of the action in Week 1.

East

Florida dominates. This team is well coached and will be a contender.

Georgia dominates. This is my team, and what a year we have in front of us. I am looking forward to our watching Richt coach this talented team.

Kentucky beats Louisville. Kentucky loved playing outside the SEC to open, this will definitely be a rebuilding year for the Wildcats after losing play makers to the NFL this year.

South Carolina beats up on NC State. Spurrier finds himself with a question mark at QB heading into next week at Vanderbilt. The starter Beecher did not play well and his replacement, Smelley, did an excellent job- I’d like to see the Smelley get the start.

Tennessee loses to UCLA. I love watching Tennessee come across the country to start their season. I really enjoyed this game. Tennessee should have blown out UCLA after 4 first half interceptions, but UCLA hung around and won a thriller in overtime. I am excited to see Neuheisel coach the Bruins; watch out USC. Fulmer got beat again in the state of California to start the season. Don’t think this isn’t a tough Vol team, winning in Neyland Stadium is not going to be an easy thing to do.

Vanderbilt beats Miami of Ohio. QB Nickson runs for 2 TD’s and 166 yards; it will be fun to see if he can run on the defenses of Vanderbilt’s SEC opponents starting with the visiting Gamecocks next week.

West

Alabama surprises Clemson- winning 34-10. Everyone had Clemson in this one, but I knew the Tide would roll. Saban’s turnaround of Alabama is realized and senior QB John Parker Wilson has apparently found himself. An impressive but inconsistent performer last year, Wilson, was solid against the Tigers.

Arkansas sneaks by Western Illinois. A close call for the Razorback’s new coach Bobby Petrino. I expect Arkansas to be one of the weaker teams in the west this year.

Auburn blanks Louisiana-Monroe 34-0. Tuberville’s team is looking good this year, as always, and I think their game with LSU should be an early highlight considering what happened last year.

LSU destroys Appalachian State. The Tigers are strong again this year. This despite some serious issues with the QB position as former star-to-be Ryan Perrilloux was dismissed by Coach Miles in May. LSU RB Charles Scott will be the center of a strong rushing attack this year and the defense will be a force to be reckoned with.

Ole Miss beats Memphis. The Houston Nutt era begins with a win. I am excited to see what effect Nutt has on a team that went 3-9 last year.

Mississippi State loses to Louisiana Tech. Three 3rd quarter turnovers kill the Bulldogs-tough start for Coach Croomer.