Chicago Bears: 5 Things the Bears Showed Us Against the Oakland Raiders

This weekend's loss to the the Raiders revealed how the rest of the Chicago Bears season is going to look: great defense and an offense with talent that can't quite put it together. 

Whether we like it or not, it will be the Caleb Hanie era for the next five to six games. The Bears wanted Kyle Orton, and put a claim in for him, but the Kansas City Chiefs decided to waste their time and money in snatching Orton off waivers. 

The Bears fought hard in their loss in Oakland, and could have pulled out a huge win if it was not for some sloppy play and mistakes by Caleb Hanie. 

The remainder of the Bears season is going to be a roller coaster ride, and hopefully Bears fans are buckled in tight. 

Matt Forte Needs the Ball

Matt Forte is the Bears best offensive weapon, even when Jay Cutler is healthy. The last few weeks Forte has been slowed down because defenses are keying in on him and putting more men in the box.

Week 12 was another story; if you give your superstar only 12 carries, he is not going to be able to get into the flow of the game or give you big plays. Now, more than ever, the Bears need to be a run-first team.

The Bears had 22 designed run plays to 36 passes, which does not equate to a winning formula. 

Forte did have six cathces, but there were all on screens with little opportunity for Forte to do anything. 

If the Bears want to win they need to give Forte the rock 20 times a game. 

Mike Martz Is as Crazy as We Thought

Mike Martz is a legitimate mad scientist.

Sometimes he looks like a genius we can't get enough of, but most of the time he looks like a stubborn old man who wants to play his way regardless of the pieces.

Martz does not like to run the ball and pass to his tight ends, but that is literally the exact formula for helping out a young inexperienced quarterback. 

Caleb Hanie is the Bears quarterback, and Martz needs to game-plan to help him succeed—not make him pass 35-plus times while the Bears are producing at 5.5 YPC in the game.  

It is getting cold in Chicago, and they have a bad quarterback. The easy solution is to run the ball and play small ball with the tight ends. This is not time for Martz to get fancy. 

The Defense Is Going to Pave the Path to the Postseason

The Chicago Bears defense is no doubt elite, which is something I took a lot of flak for declaring earlier this season. 

The real question is, are they are the best defense in the NFL? Honestly the answer to this question really doesnt matter, but what does matter is the Bears defense is stopping everybody. 

In the Bears' last seven games they are giving up only 17.5 PPG, and have only allowed more than 20 points two times in that stretch. 

Holding the Raiders to just 25 points and one late touchdown is a perfect example of how strong this defense really is.

They will need to continue this elite play to allow Caleb Hanie to relax, while giving Forte plenty of chances to run the ball. 

Defense wins championships. 

Caleb Hanie Is Rex Grossman 2.0 Combined with Jay Cutler Light

Caleb Hanie is similar to Rex Grossman because he has already shown he can be "good Caleb" or "bad Caleb." 

Hanie showed his talents when he hit Johnny Knox for an 81-yard bomb, but showed just how much he has to learn in floating two different passes for interceptions. 

Hanie is Jay Cutler-light. Hanie's style of play is like Cutler's, only not as good. Hanie and Cutler also both have the legs and speed, though Cutler uses his arm more than his legs while Hanie get flustered and runs. 

Hanie and Cutler are also both very confident players. They can both throw a costly interception but turn right back around and lead their team downfield for a score.

If Hanie is able to cut back on the interceptions, complete more passes, and just manage the offense, then the Bears will make the playoffs. 

The Bears Made a Mistake by Benching Johnny Knox

This is probably the understatement of the year for the Bears: Chicago is destroying Johnny Knox's career. 

Knox finished just shy of 1,000 yards last year and would have easily eclipsed this total had he been given a chance this season.

He is leading the Bears with 622 yards on just 28 receptions despite being the third or fourth on the depth chart for most of the season. 

Knox has the best yards-per-reception of anyone in the league with more than 20 catches at 22.2 YPC. 

The issue with the Bears receiving corps is they have no true No. 1 receiver. Earl Bennett looked like he could be that guy, but apparently he only has a rapport with Jay Cutler, as he had just one reception for five yards against the Raiders. 

Hopefully Knox will remain on the field and aid in the development of Caleb Hanie. 

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