With the regular season over, here are the answers to my three burning questions from before the season.
San Francisco 49ers
How will the newly-added pieces gel on defense? Rookie Nick Bosa was better than advertised. He had a major impact in disrupting the quarterback and was also effective against the run.
Will opposing defenses slow down Kittle? Tight end George Kittle had a better season this year than last. He had a major impact on offense in every game he played in.
Brady 2.0 or 2.oh no? Jimmy Garappolo showed he is a top-10 quarterback in the league. Even when they weren’t blowing a team out and his team trailed late in the game, he remained calm, cool and collected, and made the play every time to give his kicker a chance at a game-winning field goal.
Seattle Seahawks
How much will Earl Thomas be missed? The defense was a solid unit for this team. The addition of Jadeveon Clowney right before the start of the season made a big impact.
A better-protected Wilson? Russell Wilson played at his MVP-caliber self, as usual. The line gave him more time in the pocket more often than not.
Did they draft the next big-time NFL receiver? DK Metcalf made a bigger impact with each game. Wilson trusts him as a reliable target at crucial points in the game. I expect more impactful plays for Metcalf in the playoffs and into next season.
Los Angeles Rams
Can this defense be one of the best in the league again? At the beginning of the season, the defense seemed like a fraction of the dominating one of a season ago. As the season wore on, and after the addition of Jalen Ramsey, they got back to where they wanted this defense to be.
Will the receiving core light it up again? For the greater part of the season, the receivers had far less success than a season ago. It’s unclear if it was a detriment to them or Jared Goff, or if teams simply figured out how to stop the offense.
Will Gurley continue to run amuck? He showed flashes, but not anything like in seasons past. He’s dropped to the middle of the league’s running backs just a year after being in the top few.
Arizona Cardinals
Is Kyler Murray their QB? Murray’s rookie season contained some growing pains. But he had more good than bad, which the Cardinals will definitely be able to build on next season.
Which Johnson will they get? Similar to Todd Gurley, Johnson was very ineffective this season both before and after his injury. The team brought in Kenyan Drake who exploded for 643 yards and eight touchdowns.
Veteran defensive leadership? The defense was more often than not susceptible to giving up big plays, especially against their division opponents.
The 49ers were better than expected while the Rams seemed to suffer a hangover all season from their Super Bowl loss. While the 49ers are the better team, as their record shows, you can’t count out playoff Russell Wilson.
