4 questions beg for answers as NFL season begins
As the NFL season gets going, these four storylines figure to receive a lot of attention:
Can Urban Meyer and Trevor Lawrence turn around the Jaguars?
Escaping the rat race for the sake of his health was one of the primary reasons Urban Meyer stepped away from Ohio State four years ago.
The offer of full autonomy and a contract reflective of that power convinced Meyer to leave his broadcasting career to return to the sideline, only this time at the NFL level.
The offer was extended by the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were in need of a franchise reset after the roof fell in on them after building a promising core of players from 2013 to 2016 and reaching the AFC championship game in 2017.
Meyer’s decision was made slightly easier by a fortuitous last-place finish to the 2020 season that secured for the Jaguars the top pick in the 2021 draft. It meant Meyer would begin the Jacksonville rebuild with a key piece in place in Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, one of the most promising prospects in recent memory.
It won’t happen overnight for the Jaguars, if at all under a coach whose demanding style was a perfect fit in college but could be overbearing in the NFL.
Past health issues, though, seem to have settled down Meyer. The resulting new demeanor, while still demanding, might end up being a fit at this level. Patience will be needed as it will take time for Meyer to create the right mix around Lawrence.
Is Tom Brady about to claim a seventh Super Bowl championship?
Lost in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl triumph last year is the fact they had to earn it the hard way as an NFC wild-card team. They weren’t the best team in their division, so the road they took to the Super Bowl made them the visiting team in three NFC playoff games.
Clearly, the uphill climb in the postseason added to Brady and the Buccaneers’ accomplishment, but it also points to potential problems this season. In a crowded, talented NFC, will the Bucs have the wherewithal to navigate what could be another treacherous road to success?
Working in their favor is what appears to be a watered-down NFC South now that Drew Brees has retired from the New Orleans Saints. It means the Bucs have a clear path to a division title, which means at least one home playoff game.
Nevertheless, the Rams, Seahawks, Packers and perhaps even the 49ers and Cowboys could be waiting to take Brady’s crown. Of course, betting against Brady, even at age 44, remains fool’s play.
What kind of impact will playing in front of a full house at Allegiant Stadium have on the Raiders?
It’s hard to overlook the negative effect playing in an empty home stadium had on the Raiders last year. What was supposed to be an explosion of passion and noise ended up being softer than a whisper.
It was like playing in a library. The damage it did was pronounced, specifically in the three losses over the closing minutes of games in which the Raiders handed their defense the lead late and couldn’t finish the job.
In retrospect, it is valid to wonder how a sold-out Allegiant Stadium and all the bedlam it would have created could have changed things. At the very least, it would have made life much more difficult on opposing quarterbacks as they oversaw game-winning drives.
Those three late-game defensive failures denied the Raiders an 11-win season and the probable playoff berth that would have resulted.
Fast-forward one season and the Raiders expect to have a full house, finally, on game days and are hoping their fans will have the desired effect on such close games. Allegiant Stadium, with its closed roof and new-age acoustics, could end up being one of the most difficult road venues in the NFL.
What’s next for Texans QB DeShaun Watson?
It almost seems certain that Watson has played his last game for the Houston Texans. For a number of reasons.
Watson and his people made it clear he wanted out of Houston after a series of head-scratching personnel moves tore apart a once-promising young team. The pressure he put on the club to trade him dominated the headlines and was pushing the matter into something akin to a high-stakes poker game.
Just as that staredown was heating up, a slew of women accused Watson of sexual misconduct. The result is 22 civil lawsuits against him and open investigations by the Houston Police Department and the Harris County prosecutor’s office.
The NFL has yet to open its own investigation, a process that typically means players going on the commissioner’s exempt list, which results in a paid leave of absence while things get sorted out.
As a result, Watson is in limbo as a paid member of the Texans. During Texans training camp, he has worked off to the side but isn’t an active participant in team drills.
The question becomes, at what point will the NFL step in and declare Watson eligible or ineligible pending an investigation? And will any team trade for Watson while still unsure of his short-term or long-term status?
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.