The NFL season has arrived. Training camps will begin opening next week, and all 32 teams will be preparing for the 2023 season by July 25.
Every team enters the season with one compelling storyline and several subplots. Sportsnaut opted to look at the 10 most intriguing storylines in the NFC:
1. For Dak Prescott, the fix is on
Dak Prescott had one of the worst seasons of his career, tying for the league lead with 15 interceptions in just 12 games. Play-caller Kellen Moore became the scapegoat, and the Cowboys essentially fired him.
Coach Mike McCarthy’s task is to make Prescott a more efficient quarterback. He’s incorporating some of the West Coast offense principles, and he wants to run the ball more effectively and lean on defense.
That’s an odd approach in today’s pass-happy NFL. But the Cowboys haven’t been to the NFC Championship game since 1995. If that streak doesn’t end, McCarthy might not get another crack to maximize Prescott’s talent.
Related: Who to draft in your Fantasy team, Dak Prescott Or Joe Burrow?
2. Philadelphia Eagles hoping they don’t have coordination issues
Coaching matters in the NFL, so it’s a big deal that Philadelphia lost both of its coordinators — Shane Steichen (Colts) and Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals) — in the offseason. That’s a big deal.
Brian Johnson replaced Steichen, and Sean Desai replaced Gannon. Johnson is a first-time coordinator, but the Eagles don’t have time for him to spend a season learning on the job. They need him to excel from the jump.
Desai, the Bears’ defensive coordinator in 2021, has abundant talent to work with. The Eagles need the transition to be smooth to get back to the Super Bowl.
3. The wait for Brock Purdy’s return
The game is about the quarterback. Now more than ever. So San Francisco is banking on Brock Purdy being ready at the start of the season. He tore the ulnar collateral ligament during the NFC Championship game, which prevented him from throwing the ball more than 10 yards.
Trey Lance, the third pick of the 2021 draft, and Sam Darnold, the third pick of the 2018 draft, will compete for the starting job until Purdy is ready. Their job is to keep San Francisco in the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs until Purdy returns.
We all know early losses can affect end-of-the-season playoff sites.
4. Is this the year the drought ends for Detroit Lions?
Detroit hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2016. They haven’t had double-digit wins since 2014.
But the Lions won eight of their final ten games last season and are expected to compete for the NFC North title. How well Detroit handles expectations will key their season.
It’s one thing to play the underdog card, but coach Dan Campbell has to warn his players that they will get the full attention of opponents this season. If they handle the pressure, the playoff drought will need.
5. Jordan Love steps into shoes of Green Bay legend
In his first two NFL seasons, Jordan Love has thrown 83 NFL passes. He has three touchdowns and three interceptions.
How effectively he replaces legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers will determine whether the Packers will quickly reclaim their spot among the top teams in the NFC or whether they’re about to start a long rebuilding process.
As expected, the Packers coaching staff and front office are high on Love. He needs all the support and encouragement they can muster, considering he’s replacing a legend.
The truth about the former 2020 first-round pick will come during the games. The good thing is he’ll get the entire season to prove what he can do. This season is about his growth and development.
At the end of the year, the Packers need to know if he’s in the future.
6. How big can Bryce Young play?
At 5-10 and 205 pounds, Bryce Young is not close to a prototypical quarterback’s size. The Panthers took him because they believed he had the intangibles to be a star.
They love his leadership. They love his play-making ability. They love his mind.
It’s a matter of how long it takes to adjust to the league. They acquired Adam Thielen and Laviska Shenault to go with D.J. Chark and Hayden Hurst to give him weapons from the start.
7. Aaron Donald’s monumental task: Returning Rams to glory
Aaron Donald said he contemplated retirement before opting to play for the Rams another year.
The question is whether Donald can make the defense — without Jalen Ramsey — elite again because that’s the fastest way for the Rams to reclaim their spot as one of the best teams in the NFC. Two years ago, the Rams sacrificed their salary cap and long-term future for a championship.
It worked, and now they must deal it’s the fallout. Donald helps, but he must uplift the entire team for the Rams to be a factor, which is a lot to ask from a 32-year-old defensive tackle.
8. Will Giants big investment in Daniel Jones pay dividends?
There’s nothing about Daniel Jones’ resume that suggests he’s a $160 million player, but that’s what the four-year deal he signed in the offseason is scheduled to play him.
Jones passed for 3,205 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Giants, who missed the playoffs. The Giants are betting that coach Brian Daboll can extract greatness from Jones and make him one of the league’s most dangerous players.
He has been turnover prone, and the Giants have used him as a runner. He’s being paid to be an elite passer and take the Giants to the playoffs.
9. Game-changing passer is what Bears need from Justin Fields
Justin Fields is a game-changing runner; the Bears need him to be a game-changing passer.
Fields rushed for 1,143 yards last season and eight touchdowns. He passed for just 2,242 with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Bears tried to improve their receivers in the offseason by adding D.J. Moore.
Fields surpassed more than 200 yards twice last season, which is not nearly good enough.
10. Falcons have a lot riding on Bijan Robinson
Running backs have been devalued in today’s NFL, but the Atlanta Falcons still took Bijan Robinson with the eighth pick in the draft.
To justify that pick, the Falcons need him to be a dynamic do-it-all player who’s a factor as a rusher and receiver. He can do that, but the Falcons must ensure they give him the opportunity.
Running backs don’t have a long NFL shelf life. They need to use him to the max.