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Let me tell you, nobody is more excited about the NFL being back than the city of Chicago. And that's even despite the loss to the Packers last night. Yes, there's real questions about Mitch Trubisky and the Bears offense, which we'll get into, but the vibe of the city has been unreal for the NFL's official Kickoff for the league's 100th year. The game itself was probably the exact opposite of what people expected going into it, with the Packers defense completely shutting down the Bears offense.
Of course, the Bears defense also showed up in a big way, but Aaron Rodgers and company were able to do enough to pull out the victory on the road to start the season. I sort of even felt bad for Bears fans last night.
The atmosphere in Chicago was pretty special. This was my first time here in over five years and my first ever Bears game at Soldier Field. This city has very real Super Bowl aspirations and hype around this team. The lead up to the game was pretty intense, and I'm not going to lie, there were way more Packers fans at the official NFL experience event in Grant Park than I expected. They showed out for their team in a big way. They were loud, and got even louder once Trubisky threw that final INT to essentially end the game last night.
The anticipation around this NFL season feels special. Maybe it's because I'm a Browns fan, but the hype feels real, and I honestly can't wait for the season to unfold. With that said, we spent the last three days in Chicago for the official NFL 100th season Kickoff and learned a whole lot. Here are all of our takeaways from the Windy City. Might want to look away, Bears fans.
We Still Don't Know If Mitch Trubisky Is a Franchise QB
Where else could I start this? I was at the game. I saw Mitch live. The Bears have an insane defense that will surely keep them in every game this season, but do we really know how good Mitch Trubisky is? I wasn't really sold on Trubsiky going into this season, and seeing him live didn't help sway me onto #TeamMitch. Maybe it was just first game rust, but last season the Bears offense seemed to really thrive on Matt Nagy's system more than Trubisky's talent level. Could this be team's catching up to Nagy's system? It's obviously way too early to make real judgement, but Trubisky's play will be the biggest factor for the Bears going forward because that defense is at a Super Bowl level already.
Harold's Is the Truth
Y'all didn't lie once about how good Harold's in Chicago is. Lord, I'd probably drink mild sauce if it were an option. And unlike the Bears offense, Harold's did not disappoint during my trip to Chicago.
The New Madden 20 'Superstar KO' Mode Is Awesome
Madden really, really knocked it out of the park with this new Superstar KO feature, which just rolled out this week. I was able to see a bunch of the gameplay during the Madden activation at the Kickoff experience, and I believe it's going to be a big hit. Lil Yachty, Juice Wrld, Mike Vick, and more were all on hand to test out the new feature and play with fans. It looks sick and is a great addition to an already awesome version of Madden. Even better, you can play with Vick in this mode, which is a dream come true for any Madden fan.
The Saints, Chargers, and Chiefs Are the Most Popular Super Bowl Picks
Being in Chicago for the last three days meant that I was able to talk to a number of former players about this upcoming season. In talking to a few, I quickly found out that the Saints, Chargers, and Chiefs are the most popular Super Bowl picks at the start of the season. This isn't surprising at all, but it is interesting that a good number of people think the Chargers would be able to get past the Chiefs in the playoffs. I also find the Saints love a bit interesting due to the fact that Drew Brees slowed down a bit during the later part of last season. He's getting older and that offense depends on him in a major way. I haven't really come to my own conclusion on a Super Bowl pick yet, but the Chiefs make a lot of sense. The NFC is pretty loaded and I can't lie, I like both the Eagles and the Cowboys this season.
Deep Dish Pizza Isn't Bad
Yes, I had deep dish pizza while in Chicago. No, it isn't bad. Let's end that narrative right now. I know the New York City vs Chicago pizza debate will never end, but I'd like to throw my two cents in and state that deep dish gets too much hate. It's legit. End of story.
Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees Seem to Be MVP Favorites
This isn't a surprise, but from a lot of people I spoke to on the ground in Chicago, they expect Mahomes and Brees to lead the MVP race once again this season. The Chiefs offense is poised to be really good and Mahomes is surely going to put up insane numbers yet again this year. The question will be if Brees is good enough where voters decide he's earned the first MVP award of his career. It's sort of wild he's never won it, but this could be the year. Some other names I heard floating around in the MVP predictions were Carson Wentz and Baker Mayfield. Both could definitely have huge years, that's for sure.
Meek Mill's 'Dreams & Nightmares' Intro Will Never Get Old
This is something we all already know, but seeing it live really never gets old.
