After a couple of days away from the computer due to Fox responsibilities, I'm back.

Over the next couple of days, I'll drop some extra posts on the blog to give you thoughts on some of the teams that I have seen but haven't been able to post about. Be sure to check it out more frequently, if you can.

Starting today, with the Jacksonville Jaguars:

I'm on the field at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. I see Jags QB Byron Leftwich coming towards me. I reach out to shake hands with him when Leftwich pulls back his right hand and extends his left. He's superstitious about anyone - or anything, other than a football - touching his throwing hand before a game.

If there's anyone that needs some good luck, it's Leftwich and the Jaguars.

Injuries have kept Leftwich out of 15 of the last 21 games that Jacksonville has played. Sure, David Garrard won 10 of those games, but there have been no playoff victories, and last season a very talented team was only able to finish 8-8 and out of the postseason.

In the final year of his contract, Leftwich not only hopes to stay healthy, but head coach Jack Del Rio, on the hot seat himself, needs him to stay healthy, and more importantly be effective.

Both men are in must-win situations. Both men feel that this year is their best chance to succeed. Why? The hiring of Dirk Koetter as the new offensive coordinator.

Koetter, whom Del Rio has known for seven years, was the immediate choice to replace the fired Carl Smith as soon as he himself was fired as the head coach at Arizona State University.

"I loved Carl," Leftwich said, "but things are already much better with Dirk."

Del Rio says that his quarterback and offensive coordinator have been inseparable. That's part of the reason Leftwich is so enamored. Another reason is that Koetter will allow him more freedom than he had at any time in his first four years in the league to change plays at the line of scrimmage.  The freedom to actually make decisions as a quarterback, not just do what he is told.

"I love it! Love it," Leftwich enthusiastically told me. "It's what I did in high school...in college. I can get out of bad plays at the line when I see it. What people don't understand is that there were sometimes when I'd get to the line and all I could do was do the best I could with the call that was made. I wasn't allowed to change it (no matter what the defense dictated)."

With that new found freedom comes even more responsibility for the performance of an offense that has traditionally been a far cry from the excellence on the other side of the ball in North Florida. I think that Leftwich is up to it.

I have always found him to be an engaging guy who actually loves football, and loves to talk football. You'd be surprised at how many players in the NFL don't really love the game. Leftwich does.

I also think that Byron's a better quarterback than he's given credit for. Is he a top-5 talent, no, but in a 32-team league, he's in the top half of starting QBs, and that's good enough to win.

His problem, other than the fact that he's never played a full 16-game season, is that as good as he is, every now and then he does things that just leave you scratching your head. Sometimes it's throwing at the feet of wide-open receivers, or holding on to a ball too long and taking a sack when he should have thrown it away. Those things can be corrected.

Some of it will be corrected simply by the new plan to let him have more control at the line of scrimmage. The hope of Koetter and Del Rio to throw more deep balls also should help him be better since that threat really hasn't been there for the Jags.

"People assume that because I'm a defensive guy that I want to play tight defense and run the ball," said Del Rio, the former linebacker. "I've always wanted to push it downfield and pressure a defense because I know how hard that is to defend. Ask Tony Dungy. He's a defensive guy, but knows what a big offense can do for you."

The problem is that the threat can only exist if you can actually accomplish it, and I'm still not convinced that the other pieces are there to turn the Jags offense into the Colts South.

As I've stated, I think that Leftwich is fine. The running combo of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew was second in the league only to San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson and Michael Turner last season, so no issue there. Tight End Marcedes Lewis, last year's first-round pick, is fully healthy. He never truly recovered from injuring his ankle in the preseason as a rookie, so a check in the plus column there as well.

What has to worry Jacksonville is that it has an offensive line that is just ... OK. Particularly when it comes to pass protection. They'd be happy if their wide receivers could rise to the level of "OK".

While in Jacksonville, folks kept telling me how impressive rookie receivers Mike Walker (third round) and John Broussard (seventh round) have been. Then I remember how this time last year they were telling me about the resurrections of Matt Jones and Reggie Williams. Now one of them may not make the team, and the other might be a third guy at best.

If (capital "I", capital "F") Jacksonville can just get respectable play from the o-line and wide receivers, look out! The defense suffered a myriad of injuries in '06, and all it did was show them how deep they really were. They finished the season with #2 overall ranking behind Baltimore, and fourth in points allowed.

Free safety could be a question mark, as #1 pick Reggie Nelson, whom the coaches have been raving about, suffered what could be a serious ankle injury in the second preseason game. It can be difficult for a rookie to miss a significant amount of time in the preseason, and then - at that position - come back on a leg that may not be 100% at any time this season. Since Deon Grant was let go in the offseason, for now the Jags have to rely on veteran pickup Sammy Knight (who's been a strong safety most of his career), and Jamaal Fudge (a free agent who spent most of last year on the practice squad).

However, I think that this defense is so good, and that Del Rio along with defensive coordinator Mike Smith are so adept, that even if it's an issue, it won't be a major one.

Look, the pressure is on Del Rio and this team to win, and win now. I think it's possible, because despite all that went wrong last year, they weren't that far away.

Were all of their problems taken care of? No. But I do believe that they addressed enough of them to have a serious chance of becoming the team that ends the Colts' reign of  four straight division championships, if it all comes close to coming together.

No, I haven't shut down the "Curt at Camp" tour just yet.

The reason there haven't been any blog entries lately is because all of us involved in NFL coverage here at Fox Sports have been in New York since monday for our annual seminar. Hopefully, many of you got to see some of it wednesday here on FOXSports.com. If not, you can catch it here.

I have had a chance to see and talk with both New York teams just before our meetings began. I will get you my impressions soon.

Let's just say that one team's fans won't be too excited, the other's ... :-)

Talk to you again soon.

Curt

I could easily start this blog entry with a rant on how messed up the nation's air travel system is, but I won't. Let me just say that because of a day of rain on the East Coast, I got stuck in St. Louis for 30 hours. In the process,  I was switched back and forth between five different flights on two different airlines and scheduled to fly into three different airports. Eventually I made it to the Meadowlands.

I was walking through the lobby of the Sheraton Meadowlands hotel wondering just how one storm could cause this much trouble when I ran into Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox. Fox told me how his team's charter flight from Charlotte had been delayed several hours due to the same storm. That's when we joked that maybe he should be used to stormy weather by now.

After taking over a 1-15 Panther team in 2002, Fox proceeded to immediately turn Carolina around, going 7-9. The next year it was 11-5 and a trip to the Super Bowl. In '04, the thunder clouds rolled in, injuries hit and the Panthers went 7-9 again. Lightning struck again the following year with another 11-5 mark, and a trip to the NFC Championship game. Then last year, more injuries and 8-8.

I bring this up to point out that in the seasons when he's had a healthy team, Fox has taken the Panthers a long way. As of today, they are healthy. Then again, this time last year, they were too.

But then on opening day against Atlanta, they lost starting middle linebacker Dan Morgan, starting left tackle Travelle Wharton and starting center Justin Hartwig. Outside of the quarterback, those may be the three most vital positions on a football team. The Panthers never recovered.

"I don't talk about injuries because it just sounds like an excuse, and no one cares", Fox said.

What it pointed out to Fox, however, was that some changes needed to be made.

FIrst, he's trying to keep players healthy as long as he can. WIth Morgan having suffered multiple concussions in his career, don't be surprised if he doesn't play a single down this entire preseason in an effort to make sure that he's ready to go week one.

Secondly, Fox and GM Marty Hurney wanted to ensure that if/when injuries happen they'd have better depth. So, Carolina went out and drafted LB Jon Beason in the first round (even though he's an outside guy, it gives them more flexibility in case of injury), second rounder Ryan Kalil, who was a stud center at USC, and signed David Carr to backup Delhomme, who also missed three starts due to a bad thumb.

Of course, there have been those who think that Carr may have been brought in to challenge Delhomme, but that's not even on the Panthers radar. Fox, and just as importantly, the Carolina players LOVE  Jake Delhomme and what he brings to the team.

"Jake is Jake. Nothing affects him. You know what he's gonna give you, and that's all that he's got no matter what. He's been no different with Carr here behind him. We've just always liked Carr's intangibles. We liked him coming out of the draft. People forget that we had the No. 2 pick that year (2002) he came out. Houston took Carr, we took (Julius) Peppers."

Thirdly, Fox realized that a change was needed with his offense. That meant getting rid of Dan Henning, the only offensive coordinator he'd ever had.

It was a tough decision for Fox to let Henning go, but an easy choice to hire Jeff Davidson as his replacement.

Davidson comes to Carolina from Cleveland where he  took over the offensive coordinator duties once Maurice Carthon was demoted last season. He came highly recommended by Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis, who told Fox that Davidson was "the best offensive mind I've ever been around".

Crazy-high praise considering that some of the '"offensive minds" that Weis has been around are Josh McDaniel (current Patriot O/C), Tom Coughlin, and Chris Palmer. Weis and Davidson were Belichick assistants on all 3 Super Bowl Teams.

What Davidson has already brought to the mix is a new zone blocking scheme to try to take better advantage of what they have in the running game.  The offensive linemen will work as blockers taking care of certain zones up front, and it's up to the running back to choose the right hole.

"That's what this team is set to do", Fox said. "We have athletic offensive linemen, not the big mauling kind---nor do we want that---that you use in a power running game. We have smaller, athletic guys who can move".

I do think this offense is better suited to run this way, not onlty because of their linemen, but also because of the running styles of backs DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo WIlliams.

Don't think for a minute that this means the passing game will be ignored. Not with a force like Steve Smith, arguably the game's most lethal wide receiver. The depth with second round pick Dwayne Jarrett, Keary Colbert and Drew Carter may be the best that Carolina has had as a unit. The tight end still doesn't threaten, but use of that position as a pass receiver is yet to be seen under Davidson's system.

Defensively the Panthers still are solid in their front seven, if not as dominant as their Super Bowl season. That said, there's not a better defensive end in the game than Peppers, and he has plenty of help up front. The added depth at linebacker makes this unit solid as well. However, I think there should be concern in the secondary.

Chris Gamble and Ken Lucas would appear to be fine at the corners---if they play like they played two seasons ago and prove that last year's mediocrity was not an indication of where they are currently. 2nd year man Richard Marshall was their most consistent corner last season.

Right now, the Panthers are a bit lost at safety. The retirement of the franchise's all time leading tackler, Mike Minter leaves a big hole. They traded for Chris Harris from the Bears after the start of training camp, and we'll see how he adapts. Nate Salley, another second year guy, will get a shot, as will journeyman Deke Cooper.

As with every team in the league, a lot depends on how healthy Carolina remains this season. If they can stay away from big injuries, they've shown the ability to provide big results. The question with this group is "how big?"

I don't believe that this team is as good as either team that went to the NFC Championship game this decade, but they are playing in the NFC, which means anything can happen.

The window hasn't closed just yet, but the opening is getting smaller. If a Super Bowl championship is going to happen, it has to happen now.

I was somewhere around Effingham when the drugs began to take hold.

You know, Claritin, the allergy medicine.

Outside Effingham, Illinois.

That's when I noticed the strong scent of manure coming through the rental car's a/c vents, the plethora of "squashed bug juice" on the windshield, and the 326 billionth cornstalk  along Interstate 57 that I was passing.

Anyone who's ever driven through the Midwest on a summer evening knows what I'm talking about.

Now that my head was clear, it suddenly occured to me that "this is it." This scent, this aura, is middle America. Tough and productive.

It also dawned on me that this gritty, smelly, down-in-the-dirt attitude is not only what has made this "America's Heartland" for nearly two centuries, but it's also what the Chicago Bears have represented for more than 80 years. That hard-nosed, grind-it-out, midwest work ethic.

Well, the Midwest isn't about to change anytime soon, but the Bears will be totally different.

Oh, the defense that has always been there will still be there, but get ready to talk about the Chicago Bears offense. Or should I say, get ready to talk about the Chicago Bears offense -- in a good way.

In the minds of many, the Bears made it to the Super Bowl last season in spite of their offense. They have a good chance to get back there this season, in part because of it...or at least what it has the potential to be.

Head coach Lovie Smith, and QB Rex Grossman were barely able to contain their genuine enthusiasm for the weapons the Bears now possess on the "forgotten" side of the ball in Chicago.

Of course, it all starts with Grossman.

There seems to be real reason to be excited about where he is today, compared to the end of last season when he appeared to be a shell-shocked young QB overwhelmed by his severely up and down play and the legtimate questions that brought to a team that had a chance to win it all. Smith likes to remind you that it was Grossman's first full season as a starter. That he had 7 games where his passer rating topped 100. That despite his ups and downs, he still lead the team to the No. 2 scoring offense in the league. Now, he feels with that experience, he will only get better.

My sense in watching Grossman, and talking with him in training camp, is that he is a bit different this time around. He still has the arm that shows you why coaches fall in love with him, and he still has that care-free spirit, which is why teammates love him. But he does seem to be a little more cautious of what he's saying to the media, while at the same time he seems to have found a comfort zone in who he is as a person, and how he needs to run this offense.

"I definitely think that's a good assessment, a good way to put it", Smith said. "He went through all that outside stuff last year and knows that the team was solidly behind him -- and still is. There's NO controversy at quarterback. That's why I think he's just more comfortable. Plus, (from a football standpoint) he knows the system."

"Oh, I'm much more comfortable", Grossman emphasized."Being that way, I see things better (on the field) and I can make quicker decisions."

That quicker decision-making should lead to fewer mistakes. It was the hesitancy and lack of recognition that often got him into trouble last year. Poor mechanics at times didn't help.

New QBs coach Pep Hamilton is set to work on that part. "As soon as he got here, he took Rex and said, 'let's get to work on those mechanics,'" Smith added when talking about Hamilton. "He got it going right away." And you can see the difference.

Now, Grossman has yet to face an opposing pass rush, or a defense designed to exploit his weaknesses. But the new Chicago Hope is that this offense will now be the one doing the exploiting.

Other than the hopefully improved Grossman, Pro Bowl KR Devin Hester has been added to the offense, and looks impressive every time he touches the ball. Following the cue from the Saints' use of Reggie Bush, the idea is to get the ball in Hester's hands and let him go.

Hester will line up at WR, but don't look for him to just take off down the field looking for a deep pass. Whether it's a quick WR screen, a "hot read" quick pass over to his side, a reverse, a quick slant route, whatever it takes to give him a chance to use the speed and moves that allowed him to take back an NFL-record six returns (plus one on the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl) for touchdowns in his rookie season.

And Hester may not be the biggest difference maker on the Bears offense.

Rookie first round pick TE Greg Olson has caught everything thrown his way. He's got the speed of a receiver and the body of a blocking TE. He's Jeremy Shockey without the attitude.  Don't forget, they already had a fairly good TE in Desmond Clark.

Throw in deep threat Bernard Berrian having "taken his game to another level," according to Smith, along with the return of WR Mark Bradley to full health for the first time in two years and the always-reliable Muhsin Muhammad, and this passing game is suddenly pretty potent.

As one Bears official put it, "we had the 2nd-ranked (scoring) offense last year, and now we've added a Todd Heap-type at tight end, and a Reggie Bush-type at wideout".

The only question I have about the Bears O will be the play of Cedric Benson now that he will be "the man" with Thomas Jones taking his 1,200 rushing yards to the Jets. I'm not sure that either backup -- Adrian Peterson (the one from Georgia Southern) or 5-foot-7 rookie Garrett Wolfe -- is ready to be the second half of a dynamic duo in the backfield.

But you know what? If the Chicago's other weapons play like they're expected to, opposing defenses will be so spread out trying to cover everybody that Benson and company will easily be able to run at will.

So it's easy to see why the Bears finally feel that their O is now Grade A. It's also easy to see why they are probably still the class of the NFC.

All this and not a word about how that defense may be even better than it was in '06.

Yes, indeed, it looks like a new day is dawning in the heartland. The Chicago Bears could be a frightening team on both sides of the ball.

Next Stop: St. Louis Rams