Chicago Bears Year in Review

2011 was a good year for the Bears and was much better than 2010 was for the Bears. It started with some bad news, though.

In the NFC Championship game against their hated rivals, the Packers, the Bears lost the game and Jay Cutler. Cutler injured his knee in the first half and the Bears couldn't win the game with or without him. It brought up a lot of doubt, but also showed who the real fans were. It was a test to see if anyone would stay faithful.

Then there was the lockout, which seems small now that we have seen how long the NBA lockout went on. The truth is that many fans were worried if there would be a season. The offseason was rushed and most teams didn't get a chance to fully prepare. I think this is a big reason for the failure on the Bears this year. Cutler needed that time to get better. He also lost one of his favorite targets, Greg Olsen.

The Bears didn't make any big moves in the offseason like fans had hoped. Roy Williams, Marion Barber, and Kellen Davis were added to the team, but didn't have a big effect on the season.

The first few games of the season were shaky, but the Bears hit their stride after a loss to the Detroit Lions. Jay Cutler caught fire and played extremely well. His best game was the one when he finished his season by breaking his thumb. He broke his thumb because an interception was thrown because Johnny Knox couldn't run the right route.

The Bears haven't won a game since Cutler's injury and look hopeless without him. Losing him has exposed all of the Bears problems. They will need a good draft and offseason in order to get back in the race for the NFC North. 2011 wasn't bad for the Bears, but two injuries to the most important player on the team hurts. Here's to hoping that 2012 will be better than 2011.

Another loss, Bears officially out of the playoffs

The Bears lost yet another game, but this time it was different. In the last few games that the Bears have lost they were playing teams that aren't very good and losing badly. The Bears didn't lose terribly today. McCown was fantastic, running and throwing the ball wall. He exceeded all expectations I had for him. He did throw two interceptions, but neither was complete error like Caleb Hanie's interceptions have been. He led the team well and ran the offense that he probably barely knows. Both Bell and Allen were good today as the Bears rushed the ball almost ten times more than they did in the last game against the Packers. There was some positive that came out of this game, but the most negative thing was thinking about the future of the Bears and what will happen for them next year.

At first, I was positive about the future because Cutler is still young and has improved every year. The offensive line is getting better and we have seen that the Bears have a deep run game and could have a high powered offense. The only problem is that in order to have a successful season next year, they have to have a good draft and Jerry Angelo has shown that he is not capable of doing that.

What positives are there for the Bears right now? I can only think of one. The only positive that I can think of is that the Bears have a lot of good running backs in the system from the guy who just came off the practice squad to Matt Forte who had a fantastic season. The Bears need to change a lot of things if they want to be good next year and I don't see that happening.

Bears vs. Packers Preview

I'm not sure how much I can say about this game. The Packers are the best team in the NFC and probably in the NFL. The Bears have completely lost everything since Cutler got injured. It's obviously a lopsided game. The Bears can't compete with the Packers without Cutler, Forte, and two offensive linemen. With all those players, this game is probably the game of the year, but that's not how it is. Cutler isn't coming back and won't be back until next year. The man in charge this week against the Packers is Josh McCown. Caleb Hanie will no longer be the starter after not winning a single game and playing terrible football. This is not a surprise to me and probably not to any other Bears fan. I'm glad that the Bears get to see what McCown can do in order to figure out if they will resign Hanie or if they'll keep McCown instead. I'm not sure if McCown will be good, but it's nice to see the Bears give someone else a chance, but why not the new quarterback that they drafted this year? The season is basically over so why not see how he does in a real in-game situatiion? I know that he was drafted to be a quarterback that would be developed over many years by sitting on the bench, by why not give him a chance? I want to see what he can do in a real NFL game. He showed promise in the preseason and I think he should get a chance against the Vikings next week. Why turn to a quarterback that barely knows the system, when there is a guy who is capable of doing something that has been learning the system all year? I know that nothing is going to change this week's quarterback, but I think Enderle should get a chance next week against the Vikings.

So, do the Bears have a chance this week against the Packers? I don't think they do. Yes, the Packers just lost to the Chiefs, but they'll bounce back. The Packers defense is their one weak point and the Bears offense isn't strong enough to take advantage of that. I'm not saying it'll be a blowout, but the Packers will most definitely win this one.

Bears lose again

The Bears lost yet again without Cutler. The game wasn't all bad, though. The first half wasn't bad at all. In fact, the Bears looked pretty good in the first half. They gave up the first touchdown, but looked good after that. They got a touchdown by forcing a fumble in the end zone and then Caleb Hanie threw for a touchdown to Kahlil Bell. Hanie was fired up after the TD, but the momentum didn't carry into the second half. In the second half, the Bears gave up 31 unanswered points. Yes, you read that right. Nothing was good in the second half and it led to the 4th straight loss for the Bears. They have not won a game since Jay Cutler's injury. The Bears are mathematically still in the hunt for the playoffs, but is it worth it?

Even if the Bears win both of their remaining games and the Lions lose, the Bears are only the #6 seed. They will probably one and done and why risk trying to get Cutler ready in time for the playoffs if they don't have a real chance to win the Super Bowl? The Bears have so many injuries that making the playoffs would be useless. Just going to the playoffs means nothing.

The ideal thing for the Bears is losing out and getting a good first round draft pick. Use that pick to draft either an offensive lineman or a receiver and move from there. If the Bears remain healthy next year, they have a chance to do big things. Why waste the energy on this year?

Bears Playoff Picture

Cutler is healing well and should be back for the playoffs, if not earlier, but will the Bears even make the playoffs? When Cutler went out, the expectation was that Hanie would lead the Bears to at least a win or two in the weeks after the injury, but so far the Bears haven't won a single game. The Bears made a bad situation for themselves, but they still have a slight chance to make it into the playoffs.

Thanks to the ESPN NFL Playoff Machine, I have been able to figure how the Bears can make it into the playoffs without having to figure out the ins and outs of the tiebreaker system.

In every possible situation, the Bears have to win 2 out of the 3 games they play to finish out the season. This shouldn't be a problem because the Bears play the Seahawks, Packers, and Vikings in the final three weeks. The only team that shows a serious threat is the Packers and the Bears don't have to win that game. So, let's go through the scenarios.

If the Bears win two of the three games and the Lions lose all three of their games, the Bears would be in the playoffs as the number 6 seed.

If the Bears win out and the Lions and Falcons both lose two games, the Bears are in as the number 5 seed.

If the Bears beat the Seahawks and the Vikings, the Lions lose all three, and the Falcons lose their final two. The Bears are in as the number 5 seed.

If the Bears beat the Seahawks and the Vikings, the Lions lose all three of their games, and the Falcons lose against the Saints, but beat the Bucaneers, the Bears are in as the number 6 seed.

If the Bears win all three of their remaining games, the Lions lose two, and the Falcons lose one, the Bears are the number five seed.

Those are just a few of the possible scenarios, but as you can see, they aren't the most likely things to happen. The most likely situation is that the Bears win two out of three and the Lions lose all three of their remaining games. The most important part of this all working out is the Bears actually winning a football game, so they need to go out there today and win.

Bears vs. Seahawks Preview

This game is a must win game for the Bears if they want to make the playoffs. The good thing is that the Bears don't face too tough of an opponent in this must win game. They will play the Seattle Seahawks who have a 6-7 record. The most dangerous thing about the Seahawks is that they run the ball very well. This shouldn't be a problem for the Bears, though, because they are pretty good at shutting down top running backs. When playing the Vikings and Adrian Peterson they kept him to 39 yards on 12 attempts. Last week when playing the Broncos they kept their powerful run attack to a total of 114 yards, and that includes Tim Tebow. The Bears shouldn't be too worried about the Seahawks run game.

If the Bears run game can get close to what the Seahawks run game does in this game, the Bears have a good chance to win. If the two runs games cancel out, it will be a battle between who has the better defense and who has the better QB. The Bears definitely have a better defense compared to the Seahawks difference, but the battle between the two quarterbacks could get interesting. Neither Tarvaris Jackson or Caleb Hanie are great NFL quarterbacks. Hanie has struggled since he got replaced Cutler as the starter when Cutler got injured and doesn't look like he will improve. Jackson has never been a great quarterback and is average at best. If Hanie can limit the turnovers, this is a very winable game for the Bears. If Hanie throws interceptions, the Bears will probably lose.

The best way for the Bears to win this game is to get at least one touchdown from defense or special teams. The Bears offense is struggling and in order to beat the Seahawks today, the Bears will need a touchdown. If the offense can't provide it, someone has to.

Can the Bears beat the Broncos?

The Bears have been very shaky in the two games without Jay Cutler. The big question is whether or not they can beat the Broncos who seem to be unbeatable thanks to Tim Tebow's late-game comebacks. The Bears do have the defense to stop Tebow, because he isn't that great, he just gets lucky. The problem is whether or not the offense will be able to muster more than a mere field goal.

Earlier in the week, Jay Cutler was on the Waddle & Silvy show on ESPN Radio Chicago and talked about a lot of things including his rehab and sitting on the sideline. The thing that he said that stuck out most to me was that he talked about Hanie. He said that Hanie needs to relax more and not put a ton of pressure on himself. He was forcing things and just needed to let things happen. Cutler also said that Hanie has been putting in a ton of work. He says that Caleb has been watching extra film and practicing hard. Don't get the wrong impression, Hanie wants this to work out. He wants to know that he helped deliver the team into the playoffs and then Jay Cutler took over. It's a contract year for Hanie and he is probably worried about doing something big so he can get resigned and get his money, but he's over-thinking things and that's forcing him to make mistakes. If Hanie just relaxes and plays the game on Sunday, that will definitely help the Bears chances of winning.

If the Bears do everything right, they can win this game. The defense is going to have to play well and stop the run as well as stopping Tebow. They can do that and as long as the offense stays on the field for a little more time than they have in the past two games, the defense should be able to do that. If the defense makes stops and maybe gets a turnover or two, the offense will still need to perform. Hanie has to play well and the run game needs to be good even without Forte being there. It's a tall order to ask, but the Bears can win this game and they can still make the playoffs with a little faith and hard work.

Post-game Thoughts

Without Cutler, the Bears suffered again. Caleb Hanie and the offensive line both struggled in this game. Hanie hasn't been good in his two starts with the Bears. Despite playing pretty well last year in the NFC Championship game, he has not shown that same level of play this year in his two starts. Granted, his chance for a touchdown in the 4th quarter was turned into an interception because Roy Williams couldn't catch a pass that hit his hands. This, however, was not the worst of the news following the game.

Matt Forte left the game early and it is now confirmed that he has a grade 2 MCL sprain. It usually takes about 3 weeks for this sprain to heal, so he'll probably be back for the Minnesota game. In my opinion, it won't matter by then.

Immediately after the Cutler injury, I wasn't worried. I figured that Hanie would be able to beat the Chiefs, Broncos, and Vikings and that some luck would help the Bears get into the playoffs. After losing two in a row and heading up against Tebow who doesn't look like he can lose, I don't think the Bears can make the playoffs. Hanie can't produce like I expected him to and now the Bears have basically lost their running game. Bell and Barber can't perform like Forte can perform. Also, the offensive line is much less confident when Hanie is behind them compared to when Cutler is behind them.

Nothing is going right for the Bears this season. Injuries have killed them. Gabe Carimi, Chris Williams, Jay Cutler, and now Matt Forte. There's no way the Bears can win with those players gone.

I think that next year is the final year the Bears can try to win the Super Bowl. Cutler should be back and hopefully he can be even better than he was this year. Forte should be back too and hopefully has a good season. Chris Williams and Gabe Carimi will be back and a year older and Tice should be able to help them become even better than they already were this season. The defense won't be too old and maybe the Bears can help themselves in the draft. In my opinion, the Bears have a pretty good chance next year.

Finally, the last thing I want to comment on is that this will be Mike Martz's last season with the Bears. According to Adam Schefter, he won't be back next year. First, this kills the Bears because they have spent so much time trying to fit in with his system and now he's leaving. Second, this makes the Olsen trade pretty pointless. Third, Jay Cutler now needs to talk to Lovie and help build an offense that is designed around him so that Cutler can be even better than he already has been.

Bears vs. Raiders Preview

Today is the day the Bears play their first game this season without Jay Cutler as the starting quarterback. After injuring his thumb last week, Cutler had successful surgery and hopes to be back by the end of the regular season. Until that happens, it's Caleb Hanie time. Caleb Hanie is no stranger to being forced into games after a Jay Cutler injury, as he had to take over after Todd Collins took over for Cutler after he hurt his knee in the NFC Championship game. In that game, he threw for two touchdowns and threw two interceptions.

That seems to be the problem with Hanie. He likes to turn the ball over. This was a problem in the NFC Championship game and will be a problem for the rest of the season if Hanie continues to have trouble with turnovers. Mike Martz believes that Hanie will be able to lead the Bears to the playoffs saying that "He's a starting QB in the NFL" and that "He is capable of running the Bears offense."

Hanie is going to be filling in for the most important position in the offense, but he won't be the only player that needs to have a good game in order to get a win. Matt Forte has to have a good game and help carry the offense so that Hanie doesn't have to do as much as Cutler does. It will be important to establish the run so that the Bears can run play action and give Hanie some time. If Forte has a good game, I can almost guarantee that the Bears will win. The Raiders know that the Bears are going to try to run the ball a lot, but Forte has to have a good game regardless.

Devin Hester did not practice all week, but Lovie Smith said that he only held him out of practice so that he would be ready to play the game. If he plays, he could be a game-changer. With Cutler gone, the special teams has to be even better than it has been in the previous games this season. A Devin Hester return for a touchdown would definitely help the Bears win this game.

The final part of the team that has to play really well is the defense. Ever since the first Lions game, the defense has become much better. They studied film and realized what they were doing wrong. They're back to being a dominate defense like they were last year, but in order to finish out this season really well without Cutler they have to be even better than the defense was last year. Every player has to be on top of his game and the safeties need to make sure that they don't give up any big plays like they did against the Lions. The Raiders' speediest receivers are injured, which should help the Bears, but the defense still needs to step it up.

The Raiders are one of the two most challenging teams that the Bears will face to finish out this season. The problem is that this is the first game the Bears have without Cutler and nobody has a clue how well Hanie will play. Hanie could be amazing and the Bears could blow out the Raiders, or Hanie could be terrible and the Bears either lose or barely win only because the rest of the team plays so well. If the Bears could postpone this game for later in the season, that would be a lot better. I have no idea whether or not the Bears will win this game. I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

Jay Cutler's Broken Thumb

Jay Cutler injured his right thumb during the game against the San Diego Chargers. He continued to play in the game and actually had one of the best games of the season. The injury happened in the fourth quarter, according to sources and he went on to be 2/2 with the injury. Sources also say that he will have to have surgery and will be out 6-8 weeks meaning he will be back for the playoffs if Hanie can continue to win football games against a relatively easy schedule.

So the big question is whether or not the Bears can actually make it to the playoffs without Jay Cutler playing for the rest of the regular season. Hanie played well in the NFC Championship game last year when Cutler got hurt, but can he play that well for game after game during a season? He's very competent and knows the Bears offense well and has the talent to win games. If Forte can have some big games and the defense can stay strong the Bears can win.

The biggest key to the Bears continuing to win is that Devin Hester will have to return a few kicks for touchdowns. They need some special teams scores to cover for Cutler not being there. Points are going to have to come by creative ways like the defense scoring a touchdown so that the Bears can score enough points to win games.

The Bears gameplan is going to be a lot different, but they can win a lot of games with Hanie because their schedule is very easy for the rest of the season. The only relatively challenging teams are the Raiders and the Packers. The other teams are the Cheifs, Broncos, Seahawks, and Vikings. The Bears can easily beat 3, if not 4, of those teams. That would give them a 10-6 or 11-5 record. That's good enough to get the wild card spot and go to the playoffs.

Getting to the playoffs and making a run is possible without Cutler, but it will be tough. They'll have to change their game a little and fight for every game. When they get to the playoffs, Cutler will have to come back and play his best football if they want to win it all.

Bears beat Chargers 31-20

The Bears got off to a slow and ugly start against the Chargers, but actually played one of their best games this season.

Before the game, I said that all three phases of the Bears' game had to be at their best. They accomplished that today and that's how they won the game. The defense played great as they have done for most of the season. The special teams were good as always, especially Corey Graham who has been fantastic this year. The offense was extremely better compared to last week and Cutler was on the top of his game. Barber had a good game to counter the fact that Forte did not have a very good game.

The second half was the biggest part of the game. Jay Cutler did not throw an incomplete pass until the third drive of the half. He was on top of his game especially immediately after he got kneed in the head by one of the Chargers players. He was scrambling and escaping pressure and throwing great passes along with his receivers making great catches. They were driving down the field until there was an interception. It wasn't Cutlers fault, but it gave the Chargers a small chance to do something. Luckily, they did not and Rivers ended up throwing two interceptions late in the game and the Bears got a win.

Bears vs. Chargers Preview

The Bears go against the Chargers later today in hopes of winning their 5th game in a row. The Bears have been playing much better football lately by focusing on their strengths. They are playing better defense and running the ball better. Great play by Charles Tillman, Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, and Matt Forte has helped the Bears turn their season around. Last week in Detroit, the Bears played good defense by forcing turnovers and had good help from the special teams, especially Devin Hester. The one thing that was missing in the Bears' game was offense. They did run the ball well, but didn't have a very productive offense. If they want to win against the Chargers, Jay Cutler is going to have to be good.

All three phases of the game are going to be important this week against the Chargers. The Bears defense needs to limit the big plays and keep Rivers from getting lots of yards and leading the team down the field. They need to take advantage of Rivers' mistakes, especially his inaccuracy. The Bears can force the Chargers to turn the ball over a lot and need to take advantage of how much the Chargers turn the ball over.

If the Bears can force turnovers like they did last week, they should be able to win the game. The offense still needs to improve and turn those turnovers into seven points, though. Last week, they could have won by a larger margin if they had converted the many turnovers into touchdowns.

Getting a good lead to start with will help the Bears, so they need to go out just like last week and force a turnover to start the game. The Bears never lost momentum last week and should do the same this week.

The Impact of Earl Bennett

It's obvious that the weakest part of the Bears is their offense. They play good defense and they have great special teams. They can be a very good team if their offense can start producing. Matt Forte is a good helper on the offense. He has gotten much better this year and is putting up MVP-like numbers. Jay Cutler can be a great quarterback if he gets protected. One of the biggest things is that Cutler needs some reliable receivers to throw to. Last year, many good passes were intercepted because the receiver didn't fight for the ball. Then, all the blame was given to Cutler and he lost a little confidence. Good receivers is one of the most important things this offense needs. 

Is this where Earl Bennett comes in? He is a great receiver and played well for the Bears pre-Cutler, but when Jay Cutler came to the Bears he became a much bigger threat. Cutler and Bennett played together at Vanderbilt and have natural chemistry. It's easy to see that they work together greatly on the field. When Bennett was gone, the Bears struggled. Sanzenbacher did a great job, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't the same without Bennett there.

Now that Bennett is back, Jay Cutler has his favorite target back. On Sunday, Bennett had a great game and it was easy to see that Cutler really likes throwing to Bennett. The Bears are a different team on offense when Bennett is playing. 

It's obvious that Earl Bennett makes a huge difference. He is probable the Bears number one receiver right now. There's something about his presence on the field that helps the Bears win. It could be argued that he's one of the Bears most valuable players. If the Bears want to improve offensively, they have to keep Bennett and improve the o-line. The offense is getting better and Bennett is one of the reasons that they are better.

Eight Bears Players with a Chance for the Pro Bowl

There are eight Bears players that have a chance to go to the Pro Bowl. They are in the top five in voting in their position and have been playing very well. The eight players are Devin Hester, Matt Forte, Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Corey Graham, Charles Tillman, and Tyler Clutts.

Devin Hester

He has played extremely well this season returning punts. He is fighting through injuries, but still finds a way to return punts all the way to the end zone. There’s no doubt that he deserves to go to the pro bowl. 

Matt Forte

Forte has improved a lot this year and is among the best running backs in the league this year. It’s only his fourth year in the league and he is already among the best. The past two seasons he has struggled with injuries, but is much better this year and has shown his enormous potential. 

Julius Peppers

He has been a dominant force on defense. He makes the big plays when they count. He brings double teams which help inside linemen have a better chance. He makes the entire defensive line better and deserves to be in the pro bowl because he is one of the best if not the best at his position. 

Brian Urlacher

Year after year, he plays with intensity and is one of the top defenders in the league. This year is no different as he has been dominating again. He is part of the reason that the Bears’ defense is almost back to top shape. 

Lance Briggs

He is one of the most underrated players in the league, but has gotten more attention from voters recently. He is among the best linebackers in the league, but is overshadowed by the popularity of Urlacher. He is a vital part of the Bears defense. 

Corey Graham

He has been a huge part of the success of the special teams this year. He also has some good defensive plays, but is known mostly for his outstanding play on special teams. 

Charles Tillman

He has struggled a little in the past year and a half, but has improved a lot this year. He showed how good he can be on Sunday when he was playing against Calvin Johnson, one of the best receivers in the league. He can play with the big guys and is the best cornerback on the Bears. 

Tyler Clutts

He goes relatively unnoticed on the Bears, but is a big part of the running game. He is a great blocker and plays the fullback position well. He might not get to the pro bowl, but he has done a great job this season.

Lions, Turnovers, and Bears. Oh my!

From the start of the game, the Bears controlled the Lions. The Lions got the ball first, but turned it over. Julius Peppers used his long arms to strip the ball and Brian Urlacher picked up the ball. The Bears scored a touchdown on that drive thanks to Cutler, Bennett, and Forte. The next drive, the Lions fumbled the ball again and the Bears had to settle for a field goal on the ensuing drive. Then, the Bears got a stop and Hester had a great return, but was tackled by the punter. The Bears got another field goal. The next Lions drive also ended with a punt and Hester returned this one all the way for a touchdown. Yet again, the Lions were forced to punt. Hester had another good return, but it was brought back by penalties. During that drive, Cutler fumbled his hand off to Forte and the Lions recovered and scored a field goal. Things started to get a little shaky as the Bears had to punt for the first time during their next drive. It got better because the Bears got a stop and the Lions finally did the smart thing and punted out of bounds away from Devin Hester.  The next Bears possession ended in a punt after a big hit and dirty play by Suh on Cutler. During the ensuing drive, the Lions drove all the way to the red zone, but Peppers came up with a big sack on Stafford and the Lions had to settle for a field goal. The Bears got the ball back and marched down the field, but Robbie Gould missed the last second field goal. 

To start off the second half, the Bears went three and out, but Major Wright got a pick 6 on the next drive for the Lions. The Lions got the ball back and then threw another pick 6 to Charles Tillman. Then the Bears got a stop and had to settle on the next drive. The Lions got the ball back and drove all the way into the end zone, but the Bears forced a turnover on downs and got the ball back. The Bears couldn’t do anything with the ball and were forced to punt. Then, when the Lions had the ball Lance Briggs hit Calvin Johnson very hard and will probably be fined later this week. The next play was an interception and Matthew Stafford grabbed the helmet of DJ Moore and pulled him down by the helmet. This caused Moore to go after Stafford which started a fight between the two teams. Moore was kicked out of the game, but after the game said, “When you are going after my livelihood, my neck and you trying to hurt me, I just can’t let that go.” After the fight, the Bears were forced to punt. The Lions got the ball and then Stafford threw another interception to Corey Graham. The Bears had to punt and that lead to a Lions touchdown. After that, the Bears just ran the clock down and the game was over. 

Overall, this was a pretty good game by the Bears. They forced turnovers against a team that usually does not turn the ball over. They played good defense and ran the ball. When the Bears dominate in those phases of the game, they tend to win the game. Jay Cutler was good in this game, aside from one mistake that almost lead to a turnover. The defense stayed strong despite the Lions playing very dirty. Stafford played dirty, the offensive line played dirty, and Suh and the defensive line played dirty. The Bears fought through all of that and still won the game.

Bears vs. Panthers Preview

The key to the Bears winning this game is the same thing that has been missing in the last two games. The Bears need to run the ball. Martz continues to call seven-step drops for Cutler and he continues to get pummeled.

Matt Forte is a very good running back and hasn't been giving much of a chance all season. He needs to get some more attempts and help the offense out. The offensive line is getting better as the weeks go on and the blocking is there. He needs to function in the Mike Martz offense like Faulk did. More runs means more wins for the Bears.

The other key for the Bears is for Cutler to regain his confidence. The line is getting better, and probably will be better against the Panthers. Cutler needs to start getting more receptions and needs to have trust in his line again.

If the Bears can do that and the defense can stay tough, the Bears should win.

Week 2 Recap, Week 3 Preview

Week 2

The Bears started off playing well and quickly decreased as the game went on. One of the big problems was the same problem that haunted the Bears all of last year. The offensive line was yet again inadequate. A big reason that the Bears offensive line couldn’t do it’s job was because Gabe Carimi, the player drafted to “save” the offensive line from its woes, got injured. Earl Bennett also got injured which just added to the offensive failure of the Bears.

 

The Bears defense looked flat. Both safeties play terrible games and helped Drew Brees get a lot of yards. Briggs didn’t play very well, but both of the cornerbacks actually had good games.

 

Overall, I think the Bears played a terrible game. They are capable of playing a lot better against a team like the Saints. The key was playing good defense and they didn’t do that. It didn’t help that the offense couldn’t put together a drive at all and the defense never got to rest. Hopefully the Bears can battle through injuries and win in week 3.

 

Week 3

This game is going to be tough because the Bears are playing a very good team in the Packers. The Bears are going to be angry over the NFC Championship loss and maybe put a little more effort, but I still don’t see the Bears winning this game.

 

Carimi and Bennett are both still out, which will hurt the offense a lot. If Martz can actually run the ball, maybe the Bears will have a chance. During the few run chances he had, Forte showed that he can run. Martz is still not trusting him and makes Cutler throw a lot and get hit a lot. If Martz keeps play-calling like that, Cutler won’t make it through the season. Cutler said so himself.

 

The defense will need to step it up because they are playing another good quarterback. The safeties have to be a lot better this week and prevent Aaron Rodgers from doing what Drew Brees did. The rest of the defense also has to step up. The defensive line that is supposed to be very good didn’t do much damage last week and I’d like to see that group get to the quarterback a little more than they did against the Saints.

Season Preview

After winning the NFC North and having an 11-5 record, improvement is going to be a tough goal to achieve. That goal is even harder to achieve when you have the Super Bowl Champions in your division along with two teams that are young and could start playing very well very soon.

In the past two offseasons, Jerry Angelo has made big moves to help the Bears become a better team. Two years ago it was to get Jay Cutler and last year it was to get Juilius Peppers. Both have proved to be very helpful to the team. Fans were hoping that Angelo would make another big move this summer and get a big name receiver, instead they got Roy Williams who has some attitude issues.

Other players were added, most recently including Brandon Meriweather. I thought that signing was a good one. I think there are some very good young players on the team and that the Bears will be a good team and contender in the next few years as long as they can keep the defense going.

This year is going to be interesting. I think the Bears will be a good team, but they play in a tough division. The Packers are going to have less injuries and be better than they were last year during the regular season.

The key to the Bears being a good team and going to the playoffs and possibly going to the Super Bowl is whether Jay Cutler has improved as much as Martz and other people claimed he has. They say that his footwork is way better and he has a reason to fight and want to win. He likes it when people don't believe in him and this is his year to prove all the haters wrong.

I think this is the year that the Bears can do something. They caught a lot of breaks last year to get them to where they went last year. This year, they won't need all those breaks because they are actually a good team with a lot of talent.

Record prediction: 10-6

The Wide Receiver Battle

During the offseason, the Bears brought in a receiver just like they needed to do. The problem is that they might have brought in the wrong guy. Williams was good with the Lions, but when he went to the Cowboys he wasn't good at all. Some say that it was because of the system and now that he is back with Martz, he will be better. I don't know if that's true or not. So far, Williams has shown that he has a bad attitude and that he just isn't good enough to be the number one receiver.

Meanwhile, Johnny Knox has been replaced and he wants his job back. Just recently Knox was listed as the third receiver behind Hester and Williams. He has shown during practice that he wants to change that. He wants his job back. Maybe this is a good thing and now he will realize that he has to work on some things and get better. I like Knox and he had a great season last year. There was one thing he needed to improve. If he can fight for the ball a little more, he should be fine as the number one receiver. He almost had 1,000 yards last season, he should get a little respect for doing that.

Other receivers to mention that probably won't be in the battle for the number one receiver include Sanzenbacher, Hester, and possibly Hurd. They are all good receivers and have shown promise at that position. Hester has the potential to be a good receiver, but he needs to work on some things. The signing of Sanzenbacher is huge. He has been very good and shows that he has lots of potential. I think that in 3-5 years he will be the Bears number one guy. Of course, injuries and other factors could change this, but that is my prediction at the moment.

In the end, I think Knox will win the number one job back and the Bears will have a pretty good receiving corps. Knox, Bennett, Hester, and Sanzenbacher is a pretty good group. Roy Williams can be included in that too. Even though Greg Olsen is gone, Cutler has some good options this year.

Olin Kreutz Era is Over

A few days ago, Olin Kreutz was not re-signed by the Bears. He was a veteran presence on the offensive line. He will be missed.

Supposedly this whole not signing him was over a measly 500K. I'm sure the Bears could have squeezed space for that salary if they really wanted Kreutz. That is why I think they wanted him to leave anyway.

I don't understand why the Bears would want to let him leave, but Jerry Angelo has a plan and I still trust him. The season hasn't started. No games have been played yet and until that happens, I won't try to make a huge deal out of the moves that are being made. The Bears did sign another center that is just as good if not better. He is younger and maybe this was all part of their plan.

If the Bears lose their first 5 games of the regular season, then I will judge these moves that were made. Right now, I have no idea what the plan is and I'm going to watch it all unfold before I freak out about every little thing.

Crazy offseason

The first big news of the offseason was that Brad Maynard would not be returning to the Bears. He was a great punter for the Bears, but both him and the Bears agreed that it was time for a change.

The second big news was the Greg Olsen trade. He was traded to Carolina for a third round draft pick. Olsen is a good tight end, but he didn't fit in with Martz' system. Jay Cutler lost one of his favorite targets, but in the long run this should help make the offense more productive.

The Bears also managed to sign Roy Williams to a one-year deal. He thrived in the Martz system in Detroit. That is probably one of the reasons that he was the guy the Bears pursued. I look forward to seeing him play for the Bears and hopefully he becomes a big target for Cutler.

They also signed DT Anthony Adams, DL Vernon Gholston, WR Sam Hurd, P Adam Podlesh, LB Nick Roach, TE Matt Spaeth, and FB Will Ta’ufo’ou.

All of the Bears' draft picks were signed after Gabe Carimi finally agreed to a deal. 

The Lockout is Over!

Day 136 of the NFL Lockout is the final day of the lockout. The players ratified the new CBA that extends through the 2021 season. If you don't know what ratify means you should probably go back to high school and take a government class. Anyway, the lockout is over and now the normal moves of the NFL offseason are going to all take place in a week or less. This week is going to be crazy with NFL news. 

The Bears news will be overwhelming. They have 13 Unrestricted free agents and two restricted free agents to sign. They also have five rookies to sign and they need to sign some other free agents out on the market. 

In my opinion, the first thing the Bears need to do is sign the rookies so they can start learning the system. Then, they need to sign their free agents. 

The unrestricted free agents are Garret Wolfe, Rashied Davis, Desmond Clark, Brad Maynard, Olin Kreutz, Anthony Adams, Brian Iwuh, Nick Roach, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Rod Wilson, Corey Graham, Josh Bullocks, and Danieal Manning. Not all of these players will be back next year, but the guys that will be signed need to be signed quickly. I think Davis, Maynard, Kreutz, Adams, Roach, and Manning will be back this year. The restricted free agents are Caleb Hanie and Eddie Williams. I think both of them will be signed. 

After all those signings, the Bears need to sign a wide receiver. They have been looking at Sidney Rice, Plaxico Burress, and Brad Smith. Any one of those guys would be a good addition to the team. I look forward to seeing what Jerry Angelo does. I hope he gets a receiver that actually plays well this season and will work well in the offense and with Jay Cutler. 

When all the signings are done, the Bears have to head to camp and try to get everyone on the same page for the season. The Hall of Fame game was already cancelled, so they don't have to worry about getting the players ready that quickly. They still need to get a lot done in a short time period. This season will be a mess. There will be a lot of pulled hamstrings and other muscle injuries because players aren't fully conditioned and that will make a lot of teams hurt. Hopefully most of the Bears players go to camp in shape and the Bears don't have to worry about that. 

This season will be a mess, but from what Greg Olsen has said on twitter him and other receivers/running backs have been working with Jay Cutler daily and hopefully are going to be better this coming season. I look forward to seeing how the lockout effects the Bears.

Top 10 Current Bears

In honor of the Top 100 NFL Players on NFL Network, I decided to make my own mini version. I put together a list of my top 10 current Bears. This is not my top 10 favorite list though, it is who I think are the best players.

10. Robbie Gould
Ever since Robbie Gould kicked his first field goal, I knew he would be an important player for the Bears. The great special teams is what makes the Bears great and Gould is an important part of that. Last year he had an 83.3% field goal percentage and made every single extra point he kicked last year. He has shown that he can kick it from beyond 50 yards and has pinpoint accuracy. His consistency has been the best part. He continues to show year after year that he can kick long field goals and short ones. The Bears offense needs a lot of help, so being able to have Gould kick a 50 yard field goal helps out with scoring. Every time Gould kicks, it's "Good as Gould"

9. Earl Bennett 
Earl has taken a backseat to Johnny Knox, but he doesn't seem to care. He continues to be a great receiver and weapon for Jay Cutler. He had 561 yards last year and 12.2 yards per catch. He wasn't as dangerous or as good as Knox was last year, but he was still effective and a good second option for Cutler. He has worth ethic and I like the way he plays football. He isn't a great receiver, but he is good enough for the Bears and is a big contributor to the offense.

 8. Greg Olsen
Olsen has been a big part of the Bears offense since his rookie season. He has become an effective tight end for the Bears and taken over what Desmond Clark used to do. He had to fight to play his rookie season, and now he is one of Cutler's top targets. He had 404 yards last year and 9.9 yards per catch. Those are pretty impressive numbers for a tight end in an offense that isn't very good. As he gets older and becomes a better route runner and gets better hands, Cutler will start to throw to him more often. In the next few years he will probably be Cutler's second favorite target. I like the promise that he shows and he has a lot of years ahead of him.

7. Johnny Knox
Knox has quickly become Jay Cutler's favorite target. He has speed and he can catch the ball. Sometimes he doesn't fight for the ball as much as he should, but he is still a very good receiver and his numbers show that. He was just shy of a 1,000 yard season last year with 960 and had 18.8 yards per catch. It's easy to see that he is the Bears number one receiver. As long as there is a season this year, I think he will prove that last season wasn't a fluke and I think he will get to 1,000 yards this year. Cutler will be better, and he will be better. Cutler to Knox is probably a very underrated combination, but I think that it could potentially be one of the best one's in the NFL next year. Knox is still young and has a lot of time to improve. He will start to be more in sync with Cutler and they will become a stronger combination than they already are.

6. Jay Cutler
Jay gets a lot of criticism about his game, but I personally think he is a great quarterback. Yes, he throws a lot of interceptions but some of those aren't his fault and that's just how he plays. He makes bad throws sometimes, but he also makes great throws. The only thing he needs to do is improve his footwork and his timing. He can do that this off season if he has the motivation to do so. I hope that he does. As long as he doesn't get over confident, but also doesn't lose his confidence he will be fine. He needs to stay steady throughout a whole game. Bears fans saw that Cutler could be very good when he out-played Vick in the game against the Eagles. He ran the ball, and he made some good passes. That is what we need from him every game. If he can play like that, but maybe not have as good numbers because that's a lot to ask he can be a great quarterback. Cutler will always have his ups and downs, but hopefully he starts to improve his game and has more ups than downs.

5. Matt Forte
Forte had a great rookie season, but the next year after that was not impressive at all. Fans found out last year that the bad year was due to Forte being injured for most of the season, but playing through the injury. After hearing that I expected him to have another season like he did his rookie season. He didn't quite get that high with his numbers, but he got close. He had 1,069 yards this season and averaged 4.5 yards per carry. I liked the way he played this season, but I think he can be a lot better next year. If he continues to get better, he can be one of the best backs in the league.

4. Lance Briggs
For years Briggs has been overshadowed by Urlacher and not given the credit he deserves. He proved that he was just as good as Urlacher two seasons ago when Urlacher got hurt. Briggs has proved that he can play just as well as some of the best in the game. I still put him just a notch below Urlacher, but he is still a very good linebacker. He deserves every bit of credit that he gets. I still think he could improve his game, but right now I'm happy with the way he plays and how much he helps out the defense.



3. Devin Hester
It is obvious to every Bears fan and every NFL fan that Devin Hester is one of the best in the game at punt returns. He also proved that he can still be a threat when returning kick offs when Lovie Smith put him back into that roll a few times last season. To me, the big thing that makes Devin Hester one of the best Bears players is that he can also be a good receiver. So far he hasn't shown that so far, but he does show a lot of potential. He needs to have more experience practicing with Jay Cutler and getting timing right. He has the speed and the hands to be a great receiver as long as he can learn to run routes better and get his timing down with Cutler. I can't wait to see him playing receiver in a couple years. I have a feeling that by then Hester will be a much better receiver and will be extremely dangerous. I think he has the potential to become what DeSean Jackson is right now. A great receiver that can also be a major threat when returning punts.

2. Brian Urlacher
Urlacher is probably one of the most popular Bears players, but that's not why I put him so high on this list. I think he deserves it. Year after year he gets a lot of tackles and if anything, makes the defense seem scary. As he gets older he will become what Ray Lewis has become in my opinion. Ray Lewis doesn't hit as hard and isn't as fast as he once was, but players are still scared to run his direction. Urlacher already has that effect and can still hit and run. Urlacher will be dangerous for another few years, but his scare-factor will continue for a couple years after that. That is why he is so high on this list.

1. Julius Peppers
Julius Peppers was the highest ranked Bears player on the NFL Top 100 Players list, but that's not the only reason that I chose him as the best current Bears player. I chose him because he has made our defense a lot stronger. If we hadn't picked him up, our defense would've been weak last year and that isn't good because our offense is weak. He kept the defense strong and took a lot of attention from the offensive linemen which gave Israel Idonije a chance to shine, and he did. Peppers just helps the defense as a whole and makes the line a lot tougher.