Sun-Times Bears beat writer Mark Potash breaks down the Bears’ biggest questions after Week 1:
The rest of Mitch Trubisky’s season will be…
Ok, then great, then bad, then great again, then OK, then bad and on and on. Trubisky appears to be the same player he was a year ago — capable of throwing six touchdowns against the Buccaneers, but still dependent on every piece being in place to excel against any kind of resistance. And after Week 1, he actually has to progress just to get to that point.
Which of the top performers from the opener is headed for a huge season?
Linebacker Roquan Smith only had five tackles (four solo) and also had a 38-yard pass interference penalty, but he still looks like he’s due to blossom as a play-maker in Chuck Pagano’s defense. When Smith’s football instincts kick in as the season progresses, he’ll be a double-digit-tackles defender on a weekly basis — with the potential for big plays.
How’s the kicker situation?
Shaky. Eddy Piñeiro still is likely to settle down the kicking situation, but Matt Nagy’s and Chris Tabor’s babying of Piñeiro is only complicating matters and stunting Piñeiro’s development into becoming a dependable guy. He’s an NFL kicker. The Bears should treat him like one.
What’s the Bears’ biggest non-Trubisky concern?
The offensive line. For a group that has a lot of experience together — and supposedly was even stronger with center James Daniels and guard Cody Whitehair at their best spots — the opening-game performance was the second-biggest disappointment of the night, and had a huge hand in Trubisky being the biggest.
Do you still think of the Bears as a Super Bowl contender?
If the Bears respond and beat the Broncos, yes. If not, no.
