Chicago Bears: Playoff-Bound

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the 2008-09 NFC Wild card winner, the Chicago Bears!

While watching Kyle Orton lead the Bears "pitiful" offense to a solid 20-point first half against the 49ers this past week, I couldn't help but think what solid quarterback play may bring to Chicago.  Granted, Kyle Orton will not be able to bring a team that scratched out 7 wins last year to the playoffs without some help.  Starting wide receivers Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian left the team for greener pastures and respectable QBs.  Starting runningback Cedric Benson was arrested over the summer and promptly released.

General Manager Jerry Angelo was forced to spend his available cap space to resign veterans rather than go out and sign big name free-agents.  Angelo settled on bringing back fan-favorite Marty Booker (the only WR in Bears history with triple-digit catches in a season), and a widely regarded mediocre Brandon Lloyd.  Rookie runningback Matt Forte has impressed coaches during training camp and earned the starting role to begin the season.

On paper, the Bears don't seem to stand a chance against a solid, young Minnesota Vikings team.  However the Detroit Lions are far from scary, and while the Green Bay Packers have some impressive young stars, Aaron Rodgers has not looked comfortable as the new starting quarterback.

While taking into account that preseason games mean next to nothing for the roster locks, it is nearly impossible to determine how good a team is before the regular season begins.  For example, the Indianapolis Colts went a combined 2-11 in the 2005-07 preseason's.  During those same three years, they went a combined 39-9 during the regular season, with a Super Bowl win.  Last year, the New England Patriots went 2-2 in the preseason, then rapped off 18 straight wins to reach the Super Bowl.  This is not a recent trend either; the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears went 1-3 in the preseason before putting up the best season since the '72 Dolphins.

However, despite this, I have seen more than a few aspects of the team that look quite impressive:

• Kyle Orton - When given any amount of time in the pocket, Kyle has found the open receiver and thrown the ball where only his own man can catch it.
• Matt Forte - In addition to hitting the holes hard and putting up a solid yards per rush average, Matt has proved that he is the best blocking back on the team.  He has also shown soft hands as a receiver.
• Brandon Lloyd and Rashied Davis - Lloyd has had some very nice catches and seems primed for a good season with his new team.  Davis has finally won over his coaches and looks to be the go-to receiver for Orton.  He has had some nice catches, been able to get consistently open for yards after the catch.
• Special Teams - Robbie Gould has kept up his accuracy this preseason, while showing off some power that he hasn't shown in past years.  Meanwhile Danieal Manning has burst onto the return scene, giving a dangerous compliment to Devin Hester and a tough decision for opposing coaches.

One thing that I have noticed very few people remember is that when Kyle Orton was a rookie, he led an offense that was worse than this year's to an 11-5 record.  While the Bears relied on a stingy defense and Orton to merely not make mistakes, Orton did his job well.  Three years later, Orton has shown the skills that made his a Heisman candidate in college.  He is a smart quarterback that doesn't make stupid mistakes, and has a very accurate arm.

On the other side of the ball, the defense is nearly the same defense that led the 2006 team to the Super Bowl.  Urlacher and Briggs are still playmakers at linebacker; the defensive line remains anchored by Tommie Harris, Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown; and the defensive backfield is still led by Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher.  Mike Brown is back, healthy, and ready to become the feared safety that he was in years past.

If the offensive line can keep Orton off the ground and the defense can stay healthy, the Bears can be a good team in a very weak NFC.