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The NFC is certainly a mixed bag heading into the 2023 NFL season. There are few Super Bowl contenders in the mix (, , ), but the rest of the conference is a wild card.Plenty of playoff spots are up for grabs in a conference that isn't as deep as the AFC. The NFC South is wide open without , ditto with the NFC North without . Meanwhile, the NFC East hasn't had a repeat champion in in 18 seasons.In what should be an intriguing year for the NFC, what is the biggest challenge for each team heading into 2023? These obstacles could be the difference between being a little competitive, a legit playoff contender or challenging for a Super Bowl title (depending on the team and the situation).Is coming back anytime soon?Murray is still recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season, electing to have surgery in January. The Cardinals quarterback admitted Saturday he doesn't have a definitive timeline for his return to the practice field or how long he'll need to practice before he'll return to game action. Until Murray comes back, it's at James McCann Jersey quarterback. Murray is learning Drew Petzing's offense and gathering all the information he can before actually returning to the field -- whenever that may be. In a season where the Cardinals are patiently punting, they'll be taking their time with their $160 million (guaranteed) investment.Is the pa s rush any better?The Falcons defense have just 68 sacks over the last three seasons. To put this in perspective, the Philadelphia Eagles had 70 sacks season.What did the Falcons do to bolster the pa s rush? New defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen has new pa s rushers in , , , and (from free agency) along with incumbents and . The pa s rush is better on paper, but is it enough to create consistent pre sure on opposing quarterbacks? The bar is low after Atlanta had just 21 sacks last year.Will Frank Reich limit ?Young is going to be the Panthers' starting quarterback come Week 1, yet how much of the playbook will Reich acclimate into the offense? This isn't an indictment of Young's knowledge of the offense, but will Reich pull the reins back on Young to get him used to life in the ?Is Reich going to have Young throw 30- Omar Infante Jersey 40 times a game or will he be conservative and base the offense around and the running game in the first few weeks? Young is a tremendous talent and is the franchise quarterback in Carolina, yet the Panthers have to monitor how much command of the offense they want him to have. Fortunately, Reich had this experience with in 2016.Who's going after the quarterback?Like the Falcons, the Bears' pa s rush was not good in 2022. The team leader in sacks was -- a safety.The Bears have , , and as their top four edge rushers. Walker was the only significant upgrade on the edge after Green had a poor season with the (Chicago only got him for $2.5 million).Is this group good enough to improve upon the 20 sacks from last season (the fewest in the NFL)? Probably, but this pa s rush needs some work -- especially in a winnable NFC North. Does this team have enough depth on the offensive line?Dallas has a very good starting offensive line on paper:,,,and Terrence Steele, in that order. If the Cowboys can go three-quarters of the season with that starting offensive line group intact, that's a major win.Here's the problem. Tyron Smith has played just 15 of the 34 eligible games over the last two seasons while Steele is coming off a torn ACL that required surgery. Will Steele be ready for the start of the regular season? The Cowboys could be down both their starting tackles if Dixon Machado Jersey Smith can't get through camp.Tyler Smith would have to be moved from left guard if any of the tackles are out, leading to some major reshuffling on the interior. One of,, or will have to step up in camp. The starting offensive line is great on the field. This group never does seem to stay healthy.How's the new-look running game going to look?The Lions certainly upgraded on paper with and this offseason, but can they match the production of and ? Williams had the most rushing touchdowns ever in a season for the franchise last year while Swift was a productive pa s catcher out of the backfield.Gibbs should provide the same burst Swift had the past three years for Detroit, yet he'll have to be an immediate contributor with mi sing the first six games. Can Montgomery be the bell-cow back to carry the run game while Gibbs figures things out in the NFL? The running back situation is better, but Detroit will have to be patient with both Montgomery and Gibbs.Will this team let cook?The Week 12 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on "Sunday Night Football" was enough to showcase Love's talent, as he made some impre sive throws against one of the best defenses in football. Love got the short extension as a result of the front office's faith in him, but will Matt LaFleur let him take command of the offense?Love has been the Packers backup for three years now. He knows the offense inside and out and has enough pa s catchers to thrive in Green Bay. He has a good rapport with , but there's young pa s catchers (, , ) who need to get targets. Love throwing the ball significantly would be a good thing for the Packers.Is there anyone who can play on this defense besides ?The Rams have clearly decided to leave Donald on an island to make an impact on their defense. Donald can certainly make an impact, but he needs help if the Rams are going to be competitive. Outside of rookie , the Rams really didn't do anything to significantly improve the defensive line.Los Angeles moved on from and , so the defense significantly lacked playmakers heading into the year. and are good in the secondary, but they appear to be the only quality starters on this defense. The Rams let a lot of quality players walk on that side of the ball this offseason (including and ).This year is finding out who can play on this defense, at Brandon Dixon Jersey the expense of Donald. How will Brian Flores put his stamp on the defense?Hiring Flores was a major move for the Vikings. Flores turned the' defense around in two seasons and helped the' defense to top 10 rankings in opponent points per game, opponent rushing yards per game, pa ses defensed and interceptions. The run defense also were tied for the fewest rushing touchdowns allowed in 2022.The fix won't be a quick one, as the Vikings have some personnel questions at each unit of the defense to figure out. The secondary does have and and the pa s rush has a happy and free-agent addition to start. A foundation has to be built on this defense before it can thrive.This defense is projected to have seven new starters in 2023. If the younger players (, Andrew Booth Jr., ) can step up in the secondary, the turnaround may come sooner than expected. Will Michael Thomas be again?Injuries have ruined Thomas' path to greatne s, as the wide receiver has just 56 catches for 609 yards and three touchdowns over the last three seasons -- playing in just 10 games. This was after Thomas won the 2019 offensive player of the year honors.Thomas will have the opportunity to be the No. 2 wide receiver to , who looked very good in his rookie season. If the Saints can not only get a healthy version of Thomas, but 75% of the player he once was -- life could be very easy in the NFC South.The Saints have , but he fits better in the slot. This offense is better if Thomas can play closer to his 2016-2019 levels again -- which involves staying on the field.Are the wide receivers good enough?The Giants have back in the fold and acquired this offseason. Both players are valuable for this season Mikie Mahtook Jersey and make the offense better, but what about the wideouts?The Giants don't have a difference-maker at the position. and are soli
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发表于 2023-11-5 12:55:23