The problem is that there just isn’t a lot of talent on offense. As bad as it was last year, it will be worse in 2008. That starts with the quarterbacks.

Grossman is very inconsistent and Orton is consistently poor. Neither has shown that they are capable of leading a team to sustained playoff success, even though Orton won 10 games as a rookie and Grossman was the quarterback for the Bears in their ‘06 Super-Bowl run. 

They need one of them to emerge, but there is no reason to believe either will.  The Bears did nothing to sign a quarterback in free agency or draft a young one to develop. I believe that was a huge mistake.

Then we get to the receivers: Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, Devin Hester, Mark Bradley, and Rashied Davis. None of those players are acceptable No. 3 receivers on average passing teams at this point. It is either possession receivers or home-run hitters. 

There is no receiver that is a complete package in that group. The fact that two of them must start is not good news for the passing game. Clark and Olson are quality tight ends, and are the best targets this team has in the passing game.

Then there is the offensive line. Fred Miller was released this summer at tackle.  They hope Chris Williams will be able to step in and contribute immediately. Tait, Metcallf, Kreutz, and Clair are all 30 or older. Garza is the youngster at 29.

The line is starting to get old, and the Bears could use an infusion of youth at those positions. Fred Miller was not the only thing holding that line back.

Finally, there is the running-back spot. Cedric Benson has been waived after two arrests in five weeks. Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe, and Matt Forte round out a below average backfield.

As a whole, the Bears offense is among the most unproven in the NFL. There is not one unit that is worthy of being considered a team strength. It should finish among the worst in the NFL in terms of yards gained and points scored.

Prediction

I know Bears fans will point to the fact that they went to a Super Bowl in 2006 with an average offense. That they went 11-5 and won the division with the 26th ranked scoring offense. The feeling in Chicago is that defense wins championships, and the Bears have the defense.

I’m just not seeing it. Some of those key Bears players have started to get older. Brian Urlacher is starting to have health issues, and Mike Brown can never stay healthy. Without those two, this defense becomes average very quickly.

Last season, the Bears defense couldn’t carry this team, and they really struggled as a team to consistently win. The Bears first winning streak was in Week 16 and 17, after they had been eliminated from playoff contention.

This year, the offense is even worse. Benson, Berrian, and Muhammad were nothing extraordinary, but they were better than what the Bears have now. Brian Griese is no longer around if Rex Grossman struggles. There are a lot of questions on offense and not enough answers on defense. The Bears are not the same defense they were in 2005 and 2006.

The Bears get a very tough schedule. The Colts, Jaguars, and Titans all have tremendous defenses. The Packers have a young and upcoming defense. The Vikings have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and the Bucs are traditionally tough on defense.

That is half their schedule, where they may not score more than 10-14 points per game. The defense will keep the Bears in those games, but I’m not sure the defense will be able to carry them to many victories.

The Bears window has closed in my opinion, and it is time to look toward overhauling the offense and adding some younger pieces on defense. Only time will tell how long it takes the Bears to do that.

Chicago Bears’ Record: 5-11—NFC North fourth place; No Playoffs

This is how I see the NFC North playing out in 2008. Next week I will turn my focus to the AFC West. I look forward to reading your comments about what you expect from your favorite team.

Derek Lofland is the NFL director at Fantasy Football Maniaxs.com

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