Season Preview: Chicago Bears

[What]

http://www.realgmfootball.com/src_wiretap_archives/17712/20100714/2010_season_preview_chicago_bears/

Their logic seemed to make sense. The only thing i didn't agree with was when they talked about the Safties.

The other starting safety figures to be Al Afalava, who handled himself reasonably well as a rookie last year.

I just don't see it happening

[Cliff Levingston]

It's Risdon, and he's well connected, so there may be something to that. Hopefully Wright grabs the starting FS alongside SS Chris Harris.

Cliff Levingston doesn't think that after adding Peppers, Taylor and getting rid of a horrible offensive coordinator that we'll be one win worse than last year like he does. Cliff Levingston also doesn't expect us to be a whole hell of a lot better though either.

[ChronicKerr]

Is Harris going to be playing Strong or Free this year because I've heard mixed things regarding that. He's been a SS his entire career and from what I've read I hear he may be the starting FS with Manning at SS.

[emperorjones]

While I admit its early, I've seen nothing to make me stray from my annual 11-5 prediction.

[ChronicKerr]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/training ... id=5401740

- David Fleming

I'd be surprised if ...


1. Bears QB Jay Cutler and new offensive coordinator Mike Martz don't end up doing more damage in Chicago than those dorky robot grocery cart thingies from Transformers 3 will. How long is the NFL off-season? Just long enough, I suppose, for people to forget enough of the facts in order to think this odd couple will actually flourish.



Never mind that it's been ages since Martz coached an offense that ranked in the top 10, or, that the 1999 Rams had four future Hall of Famers on offense, or that last year, based on a complicated value formula I've come up with (cost of acquiring player versus performance) Cutler and his 26 picks and seven wins has to rank as one of the all-time worst free agent quarterback deals. I used to think that Cutler, who is 24-29 as a starter (or 35-64 if you include college), probably hated the growing comparisons to Jeff George, but if he doesn't start turning things around, and quick, I bet it's George who will start objecting to the link.




For starters Martz's offense works when an accurate quarterback humbles himself before the system and gets the ball into the hands of his playmakers just as they are reaching full speed in order to maximize Yards After Catch. Of course, this is all predicated on the quarterback having enough discipline and time to make the right read in the pocket. So here's the hitch: the Bears shaky offensive line can't give Cutler enough time without using Max Protect but Martz loathes that blocking scheme because it limits the number of targets he can criss-cross downfield to confuse defensive backs. So I'd be shocked if tempers and egos aren't flaring before Halloween in an offense the Bears might rename the Greatest Show without Mirth.

[Cliff Levingston]

The Bears are getting a lot of pre-season hate. ESPN has them ranked 21 in the preseason power rankings. Mike and Mike on ESPN1000 this morning had nothing but bad things to say, predicting 6-10 and 5-11. They focused almost exclusively on the lack of talent at the WR position as the reasoning while basically making it sound like Jay Cutler is no better than Rex Grossman.

Cliff Levingston isn't expecting anything more than 9-7, but 5-11? Really? Cliff Levingston supposes it's good to be under the radar going in though.

[ChronicKerr]

Yeah when I heard Golic predict 5-11 I laughed. They didn't really have anything good to say about the Bears at all. They said adding Peppers was nice but it won't affect the win/loss column much. They focused on us not adding any playmakers which I agree with but I'm looking forward to see whatt Knox/Aroma/Hester can do this year. The only receiver they even mentioned was Hester. I don't know if they really even knew we were expecting big thinkgs from Aroma this year. Everyone is throwing Cutler under the bus for leading the NFL is intereceptions last year and are only focusing on that aspect.

I'm not predicting a playoff season but when Greeny said "the bears will be competing with detroit for last place", I was not happy. Being the underdog is always fun.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

IMHO they are selling us short. I can see our Defense rebounding this year. Unfortunately, I think that it will take time for our guys to get accustomed to Martz's Offense. The thing about the NFL is an injury or two can knock pre-season favorites out & a another team can sneek into the playoffs. The faster the Offense gets clicking the better our chances are.

[ChronicKerr]

Yea, I don't think they took Favre retiring into account either

[WEFFPIM]

I really have no handle on this team. Either things will go very right or everything will collapse in on itself. I don't see a middle ground.

[Cliff Levingston]

Cliff Levingston doesn't really understand how we could lose significantly more games than we did last year. C'mon!

Defensive additions: (of consequence)
- Julius Peppers
- Chris Harris
- Brian Urlacher
- Major Wright
- Pisa Tinoisamoa (only played maybe 2 full games last year)
- Corey Wootton (maybe)

Defensive losses: (of consequence)
- Alex Brown
- Adewale Ogunleye
- Jamar Williams

Offensive additions: (of consequence)
- Chester Taylor
- Brandon Manumaleuna
- Chris Williams (to LT)
- NFL level offensive coordinator and offensive line coach

Offensive losses: (of consequence)
- None, unless you consider losing Orlando Pace a loss.

The offensive scheme is complicated and won't run at 100% efficiency until the end of the season at best, but it still fits our QB a whole lot better than our offense last year. In addition, it'll take advantage of our running backs as well who both excel in the passing game, and Forte is supposed to be healthy. Cliff Levingston expects plenty of sacks and a fair share of INTs but Cliff Levingston only expects Cutler to perform better in an offense that suits him better and having a full year a familiarity with his receivers.

Defensively, we pick up massive improvements with Urlacher and Peppers over Hillenmeyer/Roach and Alex Brown. Cliff Levingston expects Harris to be substantial improvement to the safety position as well. If everything else remains constant from last year and those are our only improvements, then that's still a big improvement over last year.