Bleacher Report - Articles by James

Replacing Lovie Smith Easier Than You'd Think

James — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:02:50 -0500

After Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Bears head coach Lovie Smith faced an angry Chicago media and said that his team had some "soul-searching" to do before the team's matchup with the San Francisco 49ers this Thursday.

That's fine. The team can search for soul all they want. They might also see if they can locate some heart and find a little identity while they're at it.

I myself took the Bears' second blowout loss in three weeks as my cue to search for a possible new head coach for the 2010 season, and it didn't take long before I found just the man who might be up to the task of restoring this once-proud franchise to a position of prominence in the NFL: Vikings Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier.

Frazier's rapid ascent up the NFL coaching ladder is largely due to his reputation as a defensive specialist who gets the best out of his players, which is the main reason I think he would make a good head coach.

His tenure as the defensive coordinator with division rival Minnesota has helped the Vikings establish and maintain one of the league's best defenses for the past three seasons.

But that's not the only reason why Frazier would be a good fit with the Bears. Frazier knows what it means to win in Chicago, and how important it is to uphold a winning attitude in that city. After all, Frazier was a starting cornerback for the 1985 Bears team that won Super Bowl XX.

His coaching pedigree began first and foremost as a player for the Bears under the tutelage of Buddy Ryan and Mike Ditka.

When "Iron Mike" took over the franchise in 1983, the Bears were a team without an identity, much like they are now. George Halas realized this and wisely decided to give the coaching reins to a man who had proven himself with the Bears as a player by helping the Bears win an NFL Championship before accomplishing the same feat in Dallas.

Ditka was not the perfect coach by any means, and some have criticized him for not winning more with the ultra-talented Bears teams of the 1980's. But at the time, he was perfect for the Bears, and is the only man to bring a Lombardi Trophy to Chicago.

We are now more than two decades removed from that magical day in the Superdome when Ditka and Ryan were carried off the field as champions, and the Bears are mired in mediocrity.

Other losing teams are trying to get better, but the Bears can't improve unless they admit they are in trouble, and they're in trouble with Lovie Smith.

Later this year, as the 2009 season comes to an unsatisfying close in Chicago, Frazier's contract with the Vikings will also end. The stars are all aligned for the Bears front office to pass the torch along and for history to repeat itself.

But if the Bears organization decides to allow the Lovie Smith era to continue, then another team will surely hire Frazier as their new head coach and the Bears will remain a middle-to-bottom of the pack franchise.

Poor Offensive Line Play Threatening Bears' Postseason and Beyond

James — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:41:58 -0500

If Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo aren't careful, Jay Cutler could be demanding a trade by the end of this season.

Sure, the Bears have just paid their new quarterback handsomely with a generous contract extension, and unlike Pat Bowlen and Josh McDaniels, Smith and Angelo haven't said so much as a word about trading him for someone else.

But the truth is that if Cutler continues to get bulldozed by opposing defenders at the rate he has been this season, he might just ask the Bears to show him to the door so he doesn't have to spend his glory years eating and breathing through tubes in Cook County Hospital's Intensive Care Unit.

The ineptitude of the Bears offensive line is shocking and downright dangerous considering that this franchise has placed all of its eggs in Cutler's basket.

Protecting the most important player on the team should have been a priority in the draft, yet the Bears didn't take a single offensive linemen until drafting tight end gone guard Lance Louis in the seventh round.

Angelo even traded away the 49th overall pick despite the availability of solid prospects like Max Unger and Phil Loadholt (both of whom have started and played well as rookies), and passed on any number of solid interior line prospects in the third round when they instead took a shot on pool-jumping defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert.

When asked if the pounding Cutler was taking was a concern, Lovie Smith answered saying that "you need big, strong, tough guys playing quarterback for you."

Apparently these same gridiron virtues are no longer required for Chicago Bears offensive linemen. Since Smith and Angelo rolled into town, the Bears have been unable or unwilling to develop any players who can block with the consistency and mean streak necessary to help win championships.

It's no secret folks. When you refuse to draft big, strong, tough players in the meat of several consecutive drafts and instead choose to start washed up veterans and journeymen who couldn't cut it on other teams, you lose football games and your skilled position players end up getting leveled and ultimately injured with painful regularity.

You can't expect any better production when that's how your organization does business. Garbage in, garbage out.

While Cutler's numbers haven't been stellar this year, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because I saw what he did in Denver with solid protection and an offensive system suited to his skills.

Watching the Bears' offense get turned away four times in the red zone by the pitiful Cleveland defense was bad, but praying for Jay Cutler to get up after being repeatedly laid out was much worse.

The Bears' offensive line simply cannot protect Cutler, and if their play doesn't improve soon, missing the playoffs this year could end up being a minor setback relative to a possible season/career-ending injury to their star quarterback.

Simple Guide to De-Clawing the Bengals' Defense

James — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:53:43 -0400

Putting last Sunday's loss to Atlanta behind them, the Bears face off against the Bengals this Sunday in Cincinnati. The "Cardiac Cats" are, arguably, the Bears' toughest opponent so far this season.

The Bengals present a challenge to the Bears on both sides of the ball. Their stout offensive line has paved the way for ex-Bears running back, Cedric Benson. Benson is seeing success behind this line like he never saw in Chicago.

The Bears' defense has done well against the run this season, and their improved pass rush should give them a chance to keep the Bengals' playmakers off the field.

Despite success on defense, the Bears' offense has had to play catchup in nearly every game this season. Things won't be any easier this week against Mike Zimmer's Bengal defense. They are big, physical, and allow only 19.7 points per game (14th in the NFL).

There is room for hope for the Bears, who played well coming off of their embarrassing loss in the season-opener. They look to do the same this week.

Anyone who caught this season's edition of HBO's Hard Knocks or has watched the Bengals play this year will tell you that Cinci has a greatly improved squad.

They have already matched their win total from last season, and impressive wins over the Steelers and Ravens have given them a solid foothold in their division. Last week's loss to the Texans figures to have them feeling ornery and ready for another statement game against a respectable opponent.

Mike Zimmer's defense hopes to put on a clinic Sunday, even without their sack leader Antwan Odom. If the Bears' offensive line can't make space for Matt Forte, Jay Cutler could spend most of Sunday evening either on his back or on the sideline.

My hope is that Ron Turner decides to swallow his pride and let the Bears' passing offense open up the running this game, not the other way around.

By utilizing short screen passes and getting Matt Forte, Devin Hester, and Greg Olsen open in space, they can tire out the Bengals' defense early on by forcing them to pursue. Cincinnati will be keying in on shutting down the Bears' inside running game and getting to Cutler on 3rd-and-long situations because that's been the blueprint for beating the Bears this year.

Looking back at last season, the Bears put up some of their best numbers when operating out of a no-huddle offense. Considering Jay Cutler's prowess in two-minute situations, the Bears have an opportunity to catch Zimmer's defense offguard early.

That could cause mental mistakes in coverage, which could open up running lanes for Forte. It could also allow speedster Jonny Knox to find seems in a shaky Cincinnati secondary. The Bengals d-backs give up 254.8 yards through the air per game, ranking them No. 28 in the league.

If the Bears are able to exploit an aggressive but flawed Cinci defense early in the game, they can string together long drives. Thus, keeping Chad Ochocinco off the field where he'll be free to tweet to his heart's content.

Should Ron Turner decide to utilize the same tired game plan of run, run, pass, punt, it could be a long night and a longer plane ride home. This is a Bears team that can't afford to drop to 3-3 if they hope to keep pace with the undefeated Vikings in the NFC North.

Bears-Falcons: Familiar Problem Plagues Chicago in Loss to Atlanta

James — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 06:33:48 -0400

As Ron Turner, Jay Cutler, and the Bears' offense go back to the drawing board to figure out how to get the giant Red-Zone monkey off of their collective backs, the entire team has to sit back and wonder how they managed to utterly collapse at the most crucial point in the game.

Despite outplaying the Falcons in almost every major statistical category, the Bears fell to Atlanta in a heartbreaking loss for the second consecutive year.

With five games in the books, the defense seems to have held up its end of the bargain, and the special teams unit has been good much more than they've been bad this season. The wide receivers have answered most of their preseason critics and Jay Cutler is on pace to set a franchise record for passing yards in a single season. So what's missing?

I'll give you one guess.

It might be that the offensive linemen thought that by signing Jay Cutler last April, the coaches had let them off the hook a little bit. After all, who needs a running game when you've got a quarterback can throw the ball a country mile?

Hopefully the loss to Atlanta will serve as a huge wake-up call to the Bears' front five. In the next few weeks they'll face some very good defensive fronts, and if this team is going to have any prayer of making the playoffs, they're going to have to dig down and win games the hard way.

The Bears can't do anything about the difficulty of their schedule. All they can do is turn on the game film, fix the mistakes, strap up their helmets and hope for the best. But as anyone who watched Sunday night's game or the Packers, Seahawks, and Steelers' games can surely tell you, the biggest problem with this team is their complete inability to effectively and consistently move the football on the ground.

Unfortunately for the Bears, at this stage in the season, that's a problem that no amount of film study can correct.

Make no mistake, the offensive collapses we've seen from the Bears in the Red Zone so far this season are merely a microcosm of a much bigger problem with the offensive line, and unfortunately there is no simple solution; no miracle medicine or free agent they can sign to come in and make things all better.

Despite Lovie Smith's commitment to the philosophy of running the football, Matt Forte has had nowhere to run throughout this season, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the reason why is the lack of room afforded him by the big guys paid to move people out of his way.

Heading into the Week Three game in Seattle, the Bears were optimistic that Forte and the offensive line would enjoy a breakout performance against an injury-plagued Seattle defense that let Frank Gore rush for over 200 yards a week earlier.

Forte finished that game with 66 yards on 21 carries.

Jumping ahead to last night's matchup with the Falcons, the Bears should have been happy to be facing a team whose defense was allowing over five yards per rushing attempt.

Once again, the Bears' offensive line made a fairly ordinary front seven look like Chuck Noll's Steel Curtain defense.

For fans, perhaps the most frustrating truth about the Bears' inability to get the running game going so far is that by rights, this season's offensive line should have been vastly upgraded from last year's, with Chris Williams, Frank Omiyale and Orlando Pace replacing John Tait, Josh Beekman, and John St. Clair respectively.

But six weeks in, I can't help but think that if this is Jerry Angelo's idea of an upgrade, it's a wonder the Bears didn't open their season sporting throwback leather helmets from the 1950's.

Call me a cynic, but I'm guessing the Bears will dismiss these concerns by either internally blaming Matt Forte himself for his lack of productivity, or possibly tell the Chicago media that the offensive line just needs more time to "jell" and come together as a group. Maybe, just maybe, they'll place some of the blame on the shoulders of offensive line coach Harry Hiestand.

After all, it's much easier to cop out and do any of those things than to admit that your offensive linemen just simply aren't any good, despite how well they might have played in years past. If you want evidence, just turn on the tape.

The truth is that Orlando Pace and Frank Omiyale have been getting blown off the ball on nearly every running play, Olin Kreutz hasn't looked like his old self at all this season, and first round pick Chris Williams certainly hasn't played up to the lofty expectations the Bears had for him when they drafted him in 2008.

I can break down your average 2009 Bears possession as follows:

First down: Forte off left guard for no gain.

Second down: Garza's trap block gets blown up as a mediocre defensive tackle pushes Kreutz back into his path and the handoff to Forte is stuffed in the hole. Forte manages to bounce it outside for a gain of two.

Third Down: Shotgun formation. The defense pins their ears back, sends pressure and Cutler either completes shy of the first down marker and takes a huge hit from a blitzing linebacker, or throws it out of bounds because he had a 325-lb. defensive tackle in his face.

Fourth Down: Punt.

Even when the Bears do convert on third downs, their line continues to ask Cutler and the receivers to carry the load again two plays later.

Last season, Forte could sometimes wait patiently in the backfield for a sliver of space to open somewhere along his line, which often paid dividends with big gains for the rookie running back.

This season the same patience has been rewarded only by swarms of angry opponents slamming him to the ground. No running back can last long in this league under those circumstances.

With the Vikings (6-0) and Packers (3-2) both winning Sunday, the Bears are now tied for second place in the NFC North. Worse still is the fact that they are staring down a gauntlet of tough games starting with a second consecutive road game against a stingy Bengals squad, and ending with murderous November with games against the Cardinals, 49ers, Eagles and Vikings.

If the Bears take this loss for what it is and learn from it, then at some point in the future, they might be able to look back on this game and see it as a turning point in the season like the Giants did after they fell short but went the distance with the undefeated Patriots in Week 17 of the 2007 season.

But if they're going to learn from this loss and fix it, they're going to have to first admit to the problem. Hopefully they'll manage to do both before next Sunday.

Should the Chicago Bears Take the Plunge into the Fountain of Youth?

James — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:26:42 -0400

Any fan of American pro football knows that Brian Urlacher is one of the Chicago Bears' marquee players; the kind of stalwart middle linebacker that might someday have his name enshrined in the Hall-of-Fame, alongside other Bears greats like Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus, and Bill George.

Losing Urlacher for the season hurts, there's no question about it. Not only are the Bears losing a captain and leader on and off of the field, but more importantly, you can bet that the Bears' remaining 2009 opponents are going to look to capitalize on his absence any way they can.

The extent of the negative impact of losing Urlacher for the season is like a dark, bottomless pit; it's uncharted territory since he has been a fixture on the Bears' defense for a decade.

But at the same time, even Urlacher's most staunch supporters must admit that his career is approaching its end. The next time Urlacher suits up to play, he will be 32-years-old.

Pro football can be a cruel game to aging veterans, and it's hard to think of a position more unforgiving of a player's age than middle linebacker. While placekickers, punters, quarterbacks, and even some offensive linemen can get away with playing at a high level well into their 30's, the physical punishment delivered to and by linebackers on a weekly basis takes a huge toll on their bodies, especially in a defensive system built around the "Mike" position like the Bears' scheme is.

It might hurt us to admit it, but at some point, a player like Urlacher inevitably will reach a point where his on-field production no longer warrants the huge investment in cap space dedicated to him. Tough decisions like that simply have to be made, and while the Bears are probably one of the more loyal organizations, when it comes to rewarding star players regardless of their long-term potential for future success, at some point, money talks and loyalty walks...along with veterans on the wrong side of 30.

So maybe it's time for Jerry Angelo and the coaches to start trimming the Bears roster and build a solid foundation of younger players who will be the future of the franchise.

On defense, this might mean cutting ties with players like Nate Vasher, Adawale Ogunleye, and even Tommie Harris to clear the way for guys like Zachary Bowman, Mark Anderson, and Marcus Harrison who have all shown tremendous potential and have at times surpassed their older and higher-paid counterparts, when given the chance to play.

If the thought of doing this seems scary to coaches or fans, they should first ask themselves if they truly noticed Mike Brown's absence in Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers. Personally, I didn't, because while Brown remains one of my favorite Bears of all-time, Al Afalava and Danieal Manning played more than well enough to make up for the loss of the injury-plagued Brown at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

Finding someone to fill Urlacher's shoes might only happen in one of the next couple of drafts, but make no mistake, it needs to happen.

If they opt to stick with the players they currently have on their roster, then perhaps Jamar Williams' contract with the team should be extended so that he could be eased into the "Mike" role for the long-term. After all, Williams performed very well throughout the last couple of offseasons and has been a solid contributor on special teams since his arrival in Chicago.

Offensively, the infusion of youth seems to be underway already.

Younger players like Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Chris Williams, Greg Olsen, and Devin Hester should comprise the backbone of the Bears' offense in coming years. But an offense is usually only as good as its line. Olin Kreutz is approaching his final year under contract with the Bears, Orlando Pace is on his way out, and probably on his way to Canton as well, while Roberto Garza has certainly seen younger and more productive days.

As for addressing the interior offensive line, the Bears' coaches would have us believe that Josh Beekman will eventually step in as Kreutz's replacement when his number is called. However, seeing as how they replaced him with Frank Omiyale at the starting left guard position this season, they haven't exactly shown fans or Beekman himself that they realistically see him as anything more than a decent backup. After watching him struggle with the likes of Pat Williams and Albert Haynesworth last season, I'd tend to agree.

Since the Bears have very little young depth on the offensive line, addressing this in the draft becomes a priority. To some analysts, the prospect of having too many young players on the offensive line is a frightening proposition.

But anyone who watched the performance of the Buffalo Bills' offensive line against Bill Belechick's vaunted defense, on Monday Night Football, will tell you that young offensive linemen can indeed make an immediate impact. Dick Jauron had three rookies starting up front who were downright dominant at times against the Patriots' front seven.

The time for the new era is rapidly approaching, if it isn't already upon us.

Clinging to the past and the last vestiges of the 2006 squad that went all the way to the big dance can do nothing, but hurt this team. Some of the pieces are in place already, and the organization seems to have learned its lesson. After all, this time around, the Bears have a franchise-caliber quarterback, the lack of which proved to be the Bears' undoing in the damp and dreadful waning minutes of Super Bowl XLI.

But the team's metamorphosis shouldn't stop there. Sure, there will be growing pains along the way as young players adjust to their new roles and to the spotlight. That's inevitable, but it's also a necessary rite of passage for any team that wants to be a consistent playoff contender.

Recapping the Chicago Bears' First 2009 Loss

James — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 02:39:17 -0400

If you're reading this, you may be wondering why I went with such a pessimistic title. Well, frankly I'm not sure what else to call it.

For many Bears fans, all of the optimism and hope for this season seemed to vanish in one fell swoop as the Bears lost in a heartbreaking fashion in the waning moments of a nationally-televised game to their most-hated rivals. Really it doesn't get much worse than that.

It's hard to look at this game objectively when it feels like the entire NFL (especially your old quarterback and his new head coach) is laughing at you as your brand spanking new franchise quarterback who was oh-so-hyped just laid a massive egg in his first real game in a Bears uniform. But objectivity is the only way to keep hope alive for Bears fans.

The team can't afford to lose their heads and despair either. After all, there were some things to be glad about in this game.

First and foremost, the Chicago pass rush seems to be on the way back as the defense delivered four sacks and added multiple quarterback hits and hurries.

Most of the Bears' naysayers figured Aaron Rodgers would pick apart the Bears' suspect secondary all night long, but for the majority of the game, he never had a chance to do so because of the constant pressure he was getting from Chicago's previously non-existent pass rush. Thank you Rod Marinelli.

However, on the downside, Tommie Harris showed us all once again that he is not the same player he once was. Harris came no closer to sacking Rodgers Sunday night than Al Michaels did.

However, on the upside, rookie safety Al Afalava delivered a strong performance including one sack in his NFL debut. As I expected before OTAs evan began, Afalava has found his place on this team by playing with a kind of physicality and awareness that is reminiscent of a young Mike Brown.

However, the secondary was also a major problem for the Bears. Personally I was furious at the outset of the game when I realized that Nate Vasher, and not Zachary Bowman, was starting at cornerback opposite Charles Tillman. And just as I anticipated, Vasher delivered for the Packers, blowing his coverage on what turned out to be the game's deciding play.

As far as injuries go, I don't think we can say for sure how great of an impact any of the nicks and bumps will have for the Bears until we know how much time each player will miss. All we can do is hope that the God of X-Rays and MRIs is smiling down on the Bears this week.

I won't knock anyone involved in the fake punt foul-up for two reasons. First, all Bears fans must realize that Dave Taub and his special teams units have delivered so many huge plays to keep this team in games, and that sooner or later, there had to be a mistake of some kind. Nobody's perfect after all, but Chicago's Third Phase comes a lot closer than most teams'.

Secondly, the mistake only cost the Bears three points, and if you consider the fact that the Bears really lucked out on Mason Crosby's missed field goal early in the game, you have to come away with the understanding that the Bears broke even on special teams Sunday night.

Now that I've covered the Bears' defense and special teams, I guess I've procrastinated long enough and I'll get down to the nitty-gritty of addressing their pitiful offensive performance.

Much will be made of Jay Cutler's four interceptions and his inability to capitalize twice in the red zone at key moments of the game. But to me, the blame for the offensive struggles needs to be placed squarely on the shoulders of the Bears' offensive line and their offensive coordinator Ron Turner.

I don't think I'm overstating when I say that the Bears have enough offensive weapons to win without asking Cutler to throw the ball deep more than a handful of times each game.

The offensive line was supposed to have been upgraded from last year's squad, with three new faces starting, including a first round draft pick from 2008 and a future Hall of Famer in Orlando Pace. Sure sounds like an upgrade to me over John Tait and John St. Clair, but where's the beef?

The key statistic from this game that should be at the forefront of everyone's mind this week in practice is that Matt Forte averaged a measley 2.2 yards on 25 carries. Make no mistake, the Bears' inability to dominate the line of scrimmage on offense throughout the night is the most telling issue in this loss.

With a better running game, Cutler's night would have gone much smoother and you can be sure that the Bears would have had some more success in the red zone. There's just no denying that.

Chicago needed to win up front, and they couldn't get it done, plain and simple. It won't get any easier for them either, as they must now face the vaunted Steelers defense, face Minnesota's Williams brothers twice, and lest we forget, the next time the Bears face Green Bay, their first round draft pick B.J. Raji will probably be in the middle of Capers' defense, not watching in street clothes. Ouch.

Lastly, I've come to the Bears franchise quarterback. Simply put, Jay Cutler needs to regain his focus and put this performance behind him. Maybe he needs to chalk it up to having no film of Green Bay running Dom Capers' new defense.

I don't think there's a valid excuse for throwing four interceptions in a game, but I don't think Cutler should dwell on this game either so if that means making excuses for Sunday night's debacle, then so be it.

Leading the Bears to victory against the Steel Curtain next week would go a long way to regaining the trust of Chicago's faithful.

Locked in on Lambeau: One Bear To Watch Sunday Night

James — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:22:22 -0400

It's been a long time coming Bears fans.

All the analysis, combine statistics, OTAs, and anticipation for this season has finally come to fruition and the new season is upon us. For Chicago, it's a season rife with optimism and verve.

But don't worry. I won't bore you with another article highlighting the importance of Sunday night's showdown in Green Bay. I'm not going to compare Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers and predict which signal-caller will perform better.

I won't even talk about which defense needs to make more of a statement either. At this point, those tired, worn-out stories and debates yield only a hearty yawn from me.

I expect Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Robbie Gould, and Brad Maynard to deliver solid performances this week and throughout the season, so they aren't really of great concern to me.

No, when I sit down to watch our beloved Monsters of the Midway on Sunday night, I'll be watching one more than any other: Orlando Pace.

Pace's signing with the Bears got somewhat lost in all of the hoopla surrounding the Cutler trade, but after the dust settled, most people both inside and outside of the organization seemed to believe Pace would upgrade the offensive line and be able to protect Cutler's blind side, while also providing veteran leadership to the younger players.

Additionally, much was made of his probable future-Hall of Fame status.

Yawn.

As cute as this sentiment is, watching the former St. Louis star get manhandled by Denver's Elvis Dumervil in the third preseason game did nothing to quell my suspicions that Pace may be too far past his prime to be considered a viable left tackle for a quarterback of Cutler's caliber.

At least not if Ron Turner wants to keep the star quarterback out of Chicago-area intensive care units.

Dumervil's dominance of Pace exposed a major flaw in the Bears' offensive metamorphosis this offseason: If Pace can't take care of business against the likes of Dumervil, how will he fare against James Harrison and the rest of the Steelers defense?

How can he possibly come out on top against Jared Allen twice this year?

Sunday Night figures to be a coming out party of sorts for Dom Capers' blitz-happy defense. The Packers have no reason to hold back at all when it comes to pressuring Cutler, but the silver lining seems to be that besides Aaron Kampman, Pace shouldn't have to line up across from any elite pass-rushers.

The Packers defense should be a good litmus test for how the Bears will perform against some of the potent 3-4 defenses they will face later on this season.

For Pace, it may be just another game in the twilight years of an illustrious career, but for long-suffering Bears fans, it's more than just another season-opener.

It's the first time most Bears fans have seen a star quarterback under center for their team, and to have his first game end in a loss to the Packers on national television is about as bad as it can get for us Bears fans.

If the Bears win, hardly anyone in the media will make note of how well Pace blocked. If they lose, he may be asked to shoulder the blame.

That's the nature of being an offensive lineman, and Pace is no stranger to it. But he will need to play better than anything he has shown us since coming to Chicago in order to keep Cutler on his feet and off his back.

Will the NFC North Be the NFL's Most Competitive Division?

James — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:10:00 -0400

For quite some time now, the NFL's Black and Blue division has been viewed by many as one of the league's least consistent and competitive. It seems that in any given season in recent memory, the NFC North has been characterized by a clear division leader with the remaining three teams straggling at the middle or toward the bottom of the pack in the league. The last time two NFC North teams made the playoffs in the same season was five years ago, when Minnesota stumbled their way into the playoffs after ending the 2004 season losing seven of their last ten games during the regular season. What’s even more amazing seems to be that despite the lack of division parity during the season, in the last three years, the NFC North crown has changed hands three times. That means from one year to the next, no team has been able to establish a foothold the way teams like the Patriots or Colts have in their respective divisions. But this division’s overall mediocrity could be coming to a end. With t 2009 season is fast approaching, the general consensus among NFL experts and analysts seems to be that all four NFC North teams have made serious improvements this offseason. The main reason for this would have to be the turnover at the quarterback position in three of the teams in the Black and Blue. Teams with the NFC North on their schedule this season will have to contend with potentially having three new faces starting under center, with all three new quarterbacks widely projected to be vast improvements over their predecessors. Unless Brett Favre’s recovery doesn’t go as swimmingly as Brad Childress has been indicating, it would appear that the Bears, Lions and Vikings are all going to see a changing of the guard at the all-important position. Meanwhile, the Packers are undergoing an arguably bigger transformation to a 3-4 defensive scheme. This unprecedented level of projected improvement has left fans scratching their collective heads to determine who the clear frontrunner is to win the division crown in 2009.

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Post-OTA Thoughts: Three Questions The Bears Need To Answer

James — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:15:55 -0400

Much has been said about the Chicago Bears' 2009 offseason so far. It would seem that no other team in the league has gone through such a radical transformation, and the consensus seems to be that the Bears' new additions to the roster and coaching staff should put them over the double-digit win mark this coming season.

But fans and Bears personnel alike need to take a step back and look at what their goals are for 2009.

Of course, every year, every player and every coach on every team says that their goal is to win the Super Bowl.

Likewise, every year, millions of Americans make the New Years Resolution to "get back in shape". But everyone knows these kinds of goals are more realistic for some than they are for others.

If you went 0-16 one year earlier/weigh 400 pounds, I think it's pretty safe to say you won't be holding up the Lombardi Trophy/showing off your six pack abs the following February.

But the Bears were a team on the cusp of the playoffs in 2008 and their offseason moves should put them into the playoff-caliber category without needing to change much else. But there are three issues that need to be addressed if they want to be a team that can win in the playoffs and realistically compete for a Super Bowl.

After all, over a third of the league will see playoff action, and when we think of this season's expectations in those terms, it gives us some perspective into what makes a playoff team versus what makes a great team.

1. Defensive Line

The Bears' pass rush was all but nonexistent throughout much of the 2008 season. The front four does not appear to change much in terms of position. The company line seems to be that the addition of Rod Marinelli to the coaching staff will suffice in re-establishing consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

But most fans understand that the success of the defensive line, and the entire defense by extension, walks hand in hand with the performance of Tommie Harris. If Harris cannot revert to Pro-Bowl form, expect the Ghosts of 2008 to continue to haunt this once-stellar defense.

2. Wide Receivers

The addition of Jay Cutler figures to improve the Bears passing game, but questions surround the largely-unproven receiving corps. Many NFL analysts are predicting that the lack of a viable No. 1 downfield threat on the roster will be the team's Achilles' Heel.

Yet the GM, coaches and even Cutler himself have all been steadfast in their answers to questions from the press that have begun to circulate since news of star wideouts Plaxico Burress and Brandon Marshall's possible availability this season first surfaced.

It's fairly safe to say that Marshall, while probably the better of the two options given his age and existing rapport with Cutler, will not be on the Bears' roster come September.

The organization already gave up so much to acquire Jay Cutler from Denver, it appears that they lack the ammunition needed to snag a star player who's still under contract with another team. If the Bears had enough left to sacrifice by way of draft picks, they probably would have already made a play for Arizona wideout Anquan Boldin.

But Burress is a free-agent and the team should seriously consider bringing Burress in for a workout. His impact on the Giants was massive, best evidenced by their fall from grace last season when he was no longer playing.

3. Free Safety

With the departure of veteran Mike Brown, the Bears are left with a massive whole right in the middle of their beloved Tampa-2 defense. Not only do they lack a consensus starter at the position, but they're also missing an emotional leader who can take command of the secondary.

Since Brown was released, the discussion over who will play where in Bears' secondary has been like a game of musical chairs. Charles Tillman, Josh Bullocks, Corey Graham, Zack Bowman, and Craig Steltz have all been seriously considered for the starting free safety position, but none of them has much, if any, NFL experience at the position.

One player who may emerge in training camp as the Mike Brown of the future is rookie Al Afalava. Clearly Afalava has a checkered past, and his sixth-round draft status, and sub-BCS collegiate competition may raise a few eyebrows. But his workout was as good as any safety in the draft, and lest we forget, four years ago the Bears drafted another safety in the sixth round who went on to make an interception in the Super Bowl.

Clearly the Bears have vastly improved on paper. But as Lovie Smith said following their last OTA, they still need to come together as a team.

If they can answer these questions before or during training camp, the sky could be the limit for this team, and Bears fans could be rejoicing next February. While Lions fans make up their minds to "get back in shape".

A Friendly Warning to All Jay Cutler-Crazed Chicago Bear Fans

James — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 09:46:01 -0400

As the Bears take their offseason program into the summer months, Chicago fans young and old are celebrating the acquisition of the franchise’s first franchise-caliber quarterback since the advent of the league’s modern era.

And they have good reason to rejoice. After all, long suffering Bears fans have had to endure the heartache that comes with watching their proud, storied franchise be regularly humbled by teams with star quarterbacks.

Maybe it’s the wind in Chicago, or the fact that the team has always made having a stout defense and solid running game the chief priority, or just the reputation that the city has grown for chewing up promising quarterback talent and spitting it out a few injury and interception-plagued seasons later.

For whatever reason, Bears fans have seen more than their fair share of signal-callers come and go without ever developing into the kind of players who can lead the Bears to the postseason Promised Land.

But I want to offer a warning to the Bears’ faithful who still celebrate Jay Cutler’s coming after so many years enduring the Krenzels and McNowns.

While Cutler’s talent and performance has been on another tier entirely from that of Kyle Orton, to say that Orton was the reason why the Bears didn’t make the playoffs shows a startling lack of awareness or denial about some more serious problems with the Bears’ roster.

Let’s be honest folks. The team’s biggest problem a year ago was not the quarterback or even the offense. No, the reason the Bears failed to make the playoffs last season was the decline in production and/or desire on defense.

Few Bears fans want to admit to it, but the defense may be just too old to cut it anymore. It was apparent in their inability to hold onto cushy leads late in games and get off the field on third downs.

The team’s lack of quality depth on defense is of equal concern, because it spells big trouble in the future. Whether you choose to admit it or not, there will come a time when Brian Urlacher's and Tommie Harris’ performance will no longer warrant their massive paychecks, and the front office will act accordingly.

But even more frightening is the team’s refusal to acquire defensive stalwarts early in recent drafts. This more than anything will almost certainly come back to bite them down the road. After all, how can you neglect an entire side of the ball during the meat of several consecutive drafts and hope for success later on?

To be fair, the Bears have made some solid late round picks in recent years. But the fact that the youngest starter on defense who was also a first-day draft pick joined the team in 2004 speaks to the potentially painful future that may lie in store for a team that has always prided itself on its defense.

I just want to go on the record saying that I’m truly glad Jay Cutler has joined the Bears, and I think that he will prove to be a successful quarterback for years to come. But apart from working against them in practice, Cutler can do very little to help shore up the holes on a once-proud defense.

Even if his play can keep the defense off the field longer than Orton ever could have, sooner or later the problems there will be exposed by opposing offenses. There’s just no place to hide in this league.

So my advice is to cheer for Cutler, and expect solid play from him. If what you want to see is more touchdown passes, keep celebrating. But if you want to see your team consistently make the playoffs and win championships, you should be hoping against hope that the defense will revert to the form it showed two years ago.

History has already shown us that without a solid defense to help him, Jay Cutler spends his Januarys watching the playoffs on TV, no matter how many touchdowns he throws.

Questions Surrounding the Chicago Bears' Offensive Line

James — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:47:20 -0500

The Chicago Bears' front office has already told the media that this offseason will be more about "tweaking" than "rebuilding." But sometimes, circumstances intervene and even the best laid offseason plans of NFL teams go for naught.

With John Tait's surprise retirement, the Bears find themselves in an awkward position. While veteran John St. Clair was serviceable at best playing left tackle for injured rookie left tackle Chris Williams during the 2008 season, he left much to be desired in a few key games and he is already on the wrong side of 30.

St. Clair is now a free agent, and many believe that signing him to a long-term deal now is the best available option for dealing with Tait's unexpected retirement. But questions are circulating through the Chicago media about the likelihood of the Bears drafting a rookie offensive tackle who could be Chris Williams' counterpart and fellow "bookend" for years to come.

It's hard to gauge which option is more likely with this franchise. They have developed a track record for being conservative in free agency and seem to insist upon building their team almost exclusively through the draft.

With Tait, you get a decent veteran who knows the offense and could probably easily make the transition from left to right tackle. But by drafting a solid rookie, you potentially solidify your entire line for several more seasons.

But perhaps the Bears can have their cake and eat it too.

If the Bears decide to place the franchise tag on St. Clair for the 2009 season, they will have him for one overpaid season, but they can draft his replacement in one of the middle rounds of the coming draft.

Prototype right tackle prospects like Fenuki Tupuo project to go later in the draft. This is most likely because right tackles traditionally lack the agility and athleticism to protect the blind side of most quarterbacks from the league's most skilled pass rushers.

This also makes financial sense since drafting another tackle in the first round this year would mean they'd have two players earning left tackle money and only one actually playing left tackle.

And lest we forget, there are also problems on the interior line that should be addressed in the draft, especially given the fact that Olin Kreutz's contract is up after the 2009 season. With Kreutz's age and declining productivity, the Bears are unlikely to re-sign him for 2010.

Now combine that harsh reality with the fact that this draft year boasts some of the strongest center prospects in recent memory, and Jerry Angelo would have to be a fool not to snag a guy like Alex Mack, Eric Wood or Max Unger somewhere in the draft. A rookie center could then learn under Kreutz for a year and step into his shoes the following season.

If the Bears were to do this, they'd potentially be looking at some very good years ahead powered by a running game featuring a young offensive line and a hopefully-healthy Matt Forte.

The Bears don't have to take an offensive tackle in the first round of this year's draft, but keeping John St. Clair doesn't completely let them off the hook, either. Help is still needed, and while some of the positions in the draft may be shaky, one thing seems clear: this is a good year to get some big boys up front on offense.

Chicago Bears: Are They Growing or Dying?

James — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:18:54 -0500

With all the free agent moves happening around the league recently, and with the 2009 Draft coming in April, NFL general managers everywhere have to decide if their teams are on the way up, or on the way down.

Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith have already made some fairly significant changes to the coaching staff, but they do not appear to be making any major roster changes. It appears that the most they've been able to do is wait for underperforming veterans like John Tait and Mike Brown to either quit or run out their contracts.

If I were an NFL player, Jerry Angelo would be my first choice if I had my pick of any GM to play for. His loyalty is one of his best attributes, and the NFL is a rough business at times for a lot of players who are past their prime.

Just ask Warrick Dunn, Fred Taylor, or Marvin Harrison. If Angelo has shown us anything in recent years, it's that he doesn't know how to say goodbye—unless you're a raging alcoholic and your name rhymes with Tedric Henson.

But Angelo's refusal to make major roster moves may prove to be his biggest flaw, and the undoing of the Bears franchise.

By not releasing underperforming vets, he has boxed himself into a corner. He has to succeed with the talent he has because of all the money he has tied up. If players like Nate Vasher and John St. Clair are retained, yet fail to perform up to expectations, Angelo will have to silence his critics, again.

Those critics? They get louder with each major free agent he decides not to pursue.

The Bears truly did not play up to expectations in 2008. Let's face it, in most cases they're just getting a little too old. Certainly youth is needed on the offensive line, but the same could be said about the receiving and linebacking corps.

The pieces are all in place for the Bears to start winning again. But they aren't winning enough. They aren't a great team, and it's unclear if they are closer to going 16-0 or 0-16 in 2009.

But perhaps it's time for Angelo to start building tomorrow's team instead of trying to patch up the holes of yesterday.

2008 Chicago Bears Season: Applying What We Learned

James — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:49:06 -0500

Things are pretty busy around Halas Hall these days. Even though the Bears don't start meeting as a team for a few more weeks, their scouts, coaches, and personnel evaluators are doing their best to figure out what needs to get done this offseason.

But there are questions Bears fans have this offseason that won't be answered in the draft or in minicamps or during the first few weeks of free agency. The most prominent question can only be answered one year or longer from now.

Are the Bears on their way up or on their way down?

In the two seasons following their Super Bowl run, the Bears have teetered around a .500 mark, failing to make the playoffs both years.

Some fans point to the quarterback position as the chief concern heading into the 2009 season. Others think the problem lies in the receiving corps, pointing to the departure of free agents Muhsin Muhammad and Bernard Berrian as the reason for the Bears' woeful passing game.

But if there is one thing that this past NFL season taught us, it's that you cannot underestimate the value of an airtight defense.

This past season, four of the five top-ranked defenses went to the playoffs, while only one of the top five offenses saw postseason action this year.

This statistic is somewhat baffling when you consider the emphasis the league places on offensive football, with rules being changed or installed to protect and favor offensive players. It may sound cynical, but this trend shouldn't come as a surprise, considering that offensive players sell more jerseys and tickets for their teams and make far more money for the NFL at large than defensive players ever could.

Let's face it: money talks, defense walks.

But it says something when high-octane offenses like the Saints' and the Broncos' are cooling their heels in January, while modest, conservative offenses like that of the Ravens make the playoffs on the shoulders of outstanding defensive play.

So what implications does this trend have for the Bears?

Clearly, the defense needs fixing, but it's hard to determine what the biggest area of concern is. While their front seven were tough to run against, they routinely failed to get to opposing quarterbacks. And although the secondary had many games with multiple takeaways, they also allowed some mediocre quarterbacks to shred them through the air in third-and-sometimes-very-long situations.

For the time being, the Bears seem to be heading in the right direction. All indications point to them taking a defensive player in the first round of the 2009 Draft, and they're going to start the year's minicamp two months earlier than they have in previous offseasons. Most media outlets believe this move was made to give new defensive coaches Rod Marinelli and John Hoke a jump start on working with the Bears' players.

But what if it's not enough? Where will the Bears stand if the defense fails to deliver once again in the 2009 season? With so much money tied up on defensive veterans, the impact of another year of mediocrity on that side of the ball could be devastating for all parties involved.

Perhaps the Bears need to get back to doing what they've always done best, and stop trying to win games on offense. After all, defense has been the backbone of this franchise for decades.

Chicago has a unique fanbase in that they never expect all that much from their offense. If there was one group of fans that appreciates defense, it's Bears fans. They're the only team whose top-selling replica jersey is a linebacker's.

Chicago's faithful might be the only people who would be happy to win every game by shutting out opponents and scoring solely off turnovers and safeties without their own offense ever converting a third down. There were many years where Chicago's offense seemed to exist solely to give the defense a chance to catch their breath and sip some Gatorade on the sidelines.

So maybe the Bears need to learn from some of the teams that won it with their defense all year long in 2008, and get back to what they've always been at heart: a defensive football team.

Three Things Winning NFL Teams Must Do

James — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:39:50 -0500

If you’re a professional football fan and your team can’t seem to win games, there is no simple solution to your plight, but I’d like to shed some light on three of the things that make the NFL's consistent playoff contenders good and make the perpetual bottom-feeders bad. You may be surprised to learn that most of them have little to do with how the teams actually play on Sundays.

Begin Slideshow

Should the Chicago Bears Trade Down in the 2009 Draft?

James — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 07:13:24 -0500

In my last article and subsequent comment section, I discussed some of the problems facing teams that go into the NFL draft thinking that they're going to fix today's problems with rookie players.

The parity in the NFL has made it very difficult for teams to make the playoffs every single year, and few teams have accomplished that feat in a long time. Most teams who miss the playoffs cannot enter the draft with the philosophy that all they need to do is pick up a couple of players at key positions and they will win the Super Bowl the following year.

Teams that routinely make the playoffs year in and year out are the teams that end up winning Super Bowls, it's that simple (I guess now you know my pick for who will win this Sunday).

At the end of the day, the Bears are just another team that sat at home and watched the playoffs this past month, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Many of you may find this idea radical, moronic, or maybe just crazy enough to work.

I believe that the best thing the Bears can do with their 18th overall pick is trade it away to a bottom feeder franchise who will give up just about anything to get first round talent on their roster.

The Bears have plenty of talent, albeit overpaid talent, but talent just the same. What they lack is depth at several positions where former Pro-Bowlers currently play, but which will be wide open holes in the next couple of years if the Bears don't play smart in the draft.

The most pressing need for depth is not on defense but on the offensive line. Former Pro-Bowlers John Tait and Olin Kreutz are both going to be leaving soon enough. So the Bears should count their blessings that this draft is chock full of talented centers, guards and right tackles that will be drafted in the second round or later.

Another reason is that I don't think there will be many players available by the 18th pick who have the kind of potential the Bears claim to be in the market for, particularly at defensive end or wide receiver.

The way I see it, if the player's name is not Orakpo or Crabtree, you're essentially taking a huge shot in the dark and you're not likely to have a future hall of fame receiver or defensive end on your hands.

That doesn't mean I think Crabtree and Orakpo will make it to Canton someday, but I think they outstrip any of the other first round prospects at those two positions.

Additionally, the Bears have not had much success in the first round in recent years. Maybe to some of you I'm just beating a dead horse here, but it's important to look back on some of Jerry Angelo's decisions and see where he's struggled.

2004: Tommie Harris had a couple of stellar seasons, but as far as I'm concerned, this coming year will prove to be his make-or-break season as far as his legacy goes. Injuries and off-field incidents have taken away from his production.

2005: I think we all remember how Cedric Benson worked out. I won't say any more here.

2006: This year, the Bears traded down with fairly good results (another reason they should consider doing it again), taking Devin Hester and Danieal Manning in the second round, as well as Dvoracek and Jamar Williams, all of whom have been solid contributors, despite not being taken in the first round.

2007: While Greg Olsen was a solid pickup in the first round of the 2007 Draft, let's face it: At No. 31, he came much closer to being picked in the second round than he came to being picked 18th.

Last year, Chris Williams got hurt on the second day of training camp, due in part to a lingering back problem that should have been investigated more by the Bears before deciding to pull the trigger on him.

The point is that when there isn't going to be a player in the draft available to you who can step in as a rookie and single-handedly correct a pressing team need, and you're a team that's on the cusp of being playoff material with a lot of aging veterans.

You're better off stabilizing your team with a few second round picks than deciding you have to take the best defensive end or wide receiver available in the first round, no matter how good they truly are.

Trading down would enable the Bears to acquire a solid center, a guard, a right tackle, and possibly a change of pace running back.

Let's see what Marinelli can do for the pass rush. Let's see what John Hoke can do for the secondary, and let's see what happens now that Bob Babich has been demoted and Lovie is calling the plays.

Those changes should yield greater improvements than any first round draft pick this season could ever be expected to, no matter what the position.

But as we learned this year, a franchise quarterback is a rare and valuable thing. Luckily for the Bears and their fans they have Kyle Orton for another year and a huge crop of college quarterbacks who will be entering the draft in 2010. The timing could not be more perfect.

So let's stop all this talk about which defensive end they should take, or which second round quarterback will have the best chance to start next year for the Bears. It's foolish and impractical.

The Bears don't need to rebuild this offseason as much as they need to stabilize their roster and put the franchise in position to make the playoffs, not just in 2010, but for years to come. It's what all of the most successful franchises do.

The best way to guarantee that? A solid running game powered by a young, physical offensive line and a stout defense.

It isn't rocket science. The Bears can't afford another draft bust. To me, the best way to avoid that is to trade down and look to lower rounds to start molding tomorrow's Bears.

The 2009 NFL Draft: What Should the Bears Do about the Safety Position?

James — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:02:16 -0500

Let's face it, people. We have no real idea who the Bears will take in any round of the draft, but the emphasis from the media has been placed, as always, on their first and second round selections.

After all, that's where you draft the best players to fill your team's most gaping holes. And that's exactly what the Bears' secondary is for this team. What used to be a paper cut three years ago has grown into a massive oozing, festering, infected ulcer in 2009.

But there is a silver lining. The coming draft is full of great prospects that could be of great help to a secondary in dire need of young, healthy talent, particularly at the safety position.

Still, the Bears need to be careful about drafting safeties. Safety is one of several positions where the drop off in the talent level from a first round prospect to a fourth round prospect is negligible.

The best example I can give to show this is that prior to the 2004 Draft where division rivals Giants and Redskins were both in the market for some help at the safety position. Washington addressed this need with their first round pick, selecting Sean Taylor. New York on the other hand, didn't get around to it until the fourth round, when they selected Gibril Wilson.

For their first couple of seasons in the league, the two put up very similar numbers.

The difference in the long run is that New York got the better deal because they were able to use their first round pick to acquire a franchise quarterback in Eli Manning.

Of course there are freak safeties like Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu who not only warrant first round looks, but mandate them. If Taylor Mays continues to improve, he will most likely fall under the same category. But these guys are definitely in the minority, and I haven't heard anyone saying that William Moore will be anywhere near that good in the NFL.

Statistically, you actually have a better chance of making the Pro-Bowl as a safety if you're drafted in later rounds than if you are drafted in the first. What do Bob Sanders, Mike Brown, Rodney Harrison, Brian Dawkins, Darren Sharper, and John Lynch have in common besides their position and the fact that they've all been to the Pro-Bowl?

Not one of them was taken in the first round of their respective drafts.

With all that being said, the Bears are in a position where they need to bolster their secondary in the draft, since it seems Mike Brown will not be back for 2009.

As the roster currently stands, they will start Kevin Payne at strong safety, and possibly move Danieal Manning into the free safety spot. There is also a remote possibility of moving Charles Tillman into that role next year, given his penchant for causing turnovers.

But the Bears do need help there, and there are plenty of good safeties getting serious looks who will probably not be drafted until the second round or later. Players like Notre Dame's David Brutton, Alabama's Rashad Johnson, and Louis Delmas from Western Michigan are all smart prototype free safeties with excellent coverage abilities. They have little if any injury concerns and are good leaders on and off the field.

That's exactly what the Bears will need to help fill the void left by Mike Brown.

The Bears don't need to go after William Moore to greatly improve their secondary. It would be hard to pass up a mega-talent like Taylor Mays if he were on the board, but ultimately the Bears should count themselves lucky that they can use their first and possibly second round picks on other areas of concern for the team.

Chicago Bears' 2009 Draft: What Not to Do

James — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:54:49 -0500

With the 2009 NFL Draft rapidly approaching, Chicago fans look to the draft to help fill some of the holes that were so apparent in the way the Bears played throughout the 2008 season.

With the vast number of mock drafts available on the Internet, even before the Combine or the Senior Bowl, fans everywhere are trying to weigh in on their teams' needs and the players they think will be most able to step in and make an impact right away.

For the Bears, however, the urge to correct what is being seen as their greatest positions of weakness might prove to be an unfortunate exercise in futility.

Most bloggers and NFL analysts believe that the Bears will take a wide receiver in the first round with the 18th overall pick. The thinking here is that it will give the Bears' present and future quarterbacks a solid option to throw to.

With the disappointment the Devin Hester Experiment yielded, it would not seem to be a bad idea to draft a player who could change that aspect of the Bears offense.

Still, there are so many good reasons not to draft a wide receiver with the first-round pick, choosing to instead draft other positions that might not get the recognition of a wide receiver but are of great need and importance for the Bears' future.

Some of the receivers that are most often mentioned include Jeremy Maclin, Darius Heyward-Bey, and Percy Hardin. All three were solid performers in college and will probably be drafted in the first or second rounds of this year's draft. However, there are too many ifs associated with drafting a No. 1 receiver.

For one thing, wide receivers taken in the first round historically have the highest "bust rate" of all positions. Combine this statistic with the unsteady quarterback situation that continues to plague the Bears, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a receiver that could realistically be expected to transform the Bears' offense.

Other issues surrounding this choice include the lack of height among this year's crop of receivers. The truth is that the Bears' defense was equally mediocre in 2008 as their offense, and they can't turn a blind eye to that when establishing their draft board.

Whether the talent on defense that might have been available at No. 18 is questionable as well, there are some positions that the Bears can realistically address this year that are as close to being "can't misses" as you could hope for.

One thing that Bears can do for the team's future is to draft a center and a right offensive tackle who would both be ready to step in and take over for the aging veterans who currently fill those spots on the depth chart.

Tait and Kreutz are only signed through 2009 and 2010 respectively. If they draft two players as their backups in the first two rounds, they give them both at least two training camps and two seasons to contribute on special teams and learn from the veterans they would eventually replace.

This year's offensive line crop is much stronger than most other positions, and if the Bears are the conservative and stubborn franchise they've been in the past, they will not invest any more serious money on defense—maintaining that coaching changes and shifting responsibilities will suffice in working out the kinks that were so apparent to fans this year.

With a few exceptions, teams cannot go into the draft planning to solve all of their problems. It makes far more sense to draft in the hopes of building a strong franchise in the future.

I'd love to think that there would be one or two players that the Bears could take in the offseason that would make them Super Bowl contenders once again right away, but that very rarely happens.

So my question to Bears fans is: Would you rather remain mediocre—routinely going 9-7 and missing the playoffs like we did this season for the next few years—or suffer through a 5-11 season once, clean house in terms of coaches, lose a few underperforming and overpaid veterans, and go back to the Super Bowl?

To me, the answer is simple.

Today's Chicago Bears Biology Lesson: The Unusual Parasite, Bob Babich

James — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:34:48 -0500

In biology, organisms that survive through a long-term attachment to a stronger host organism, at the expense of that host's well-being, are referred to as parasites. Depending on biological context, the term parasite can refer to any number of species, ranging from ticks to weeds to tapeworms.

But in today's lesson, we will discuss one lesser-known parasite that is truly a marvel of nature. Name: Bob Babich. Host Organism/Organization: The Chicago Bears.

When strong and aggressive enough, some parasites can completely sap the life from some of nature's strongest organisms. With enough time, vines, weeds and molds can bring down huge oak trees, while microscopic intestinal parasites can quickly lead to the demise of otherwise healthy mammals.

But never before has any parasite caused the kind of rapid devastation to an entire professional organization as Babich has for the Chicago Bears.

Babich became the defensive coordinator for the Bears after Ron Rivera left town after helping lead the team to Super Bowl XLI. Most Bears fans, media outlets, and even players were mystified by Rivera's firing, but the opportunistic Babich was promoted by his best buddy and symbiont, Lovie Smith.

Previously, Babich lay dormant in his seemingly unnecessary role as the linebackers coach, overseeing and "mentoring" hugely talented players like Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs both of whom had already established themselves as perennial Pro-Bowlers.

But even then, the parasite Babich was perfectly willing to take credit for their success in his first two two seasons with the Bears.

Latching onto his sole defender and Head Coach Lovie Smith for protection from the perplexed media, Babich settled into his new habitat as defensive coordinator, which came with a more impressive title, a nicer office and a bigger paycheck.

However unqualified Babich was, his unique ability to leach off of the success, kindness and talent of the rest of the people comprising the Bears organism/organization meant that his promotion was practically guaranteed following Rivera's dismissal.

What followed in Babich's first two seasons in his new habitat was quite unprecedented. The Bears defense plummeted from third and fifth in the league in 2005 and 2006, respectively, to 28th and 21st in just his first two seasons as defensive coordinator, without any major roster changes.

No parasite has ever succeeded in causing such profound destruction to its host. Not even the world-record-setting 37-foot tapeworm extracted from a Mississippi woman in 1991.

The Bears have always lived and died by their defense, and for a franchise with so much talent and money invested on that side of the ball, their inability to free themselves from this pathogen may prove to be the undoing of not only the talented players currently on the roster, but also the the previously successful head coach, and an otherwise proud tradition.

So you might be asking yourself, how can this be stopped or prevented? Unfortunately, because of Babich's parasitic nature, the answer is not as simple as you might have hoped.

The Bears' organization has apparently decided to take out their frustrations with Babich by stomping out younger and weaker organisms like their linebackers, defensive line, and defensive backs coaches. Yet Babich still remains intact and healthy as ever in his habitat as the D.C.

Due to his unusual attachment to his host Lovie Smith, perhaps the best the Bears as an organism/organization could hope to do is to demote Babich to a lesser role where he would still be able to survive off the good graces and talent of others, but would be essentially dormant again and not in a position to further compromise the well being of the team as a whole.

But if you were to ask me, I'd still say the best way to get rid of a weed is to pull it out by the roots and be gone of it forever.

And that concludes today's lesson.

Realistic Predictions and Hopes For The Chicago Bears' 2009 Offseason

James — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 09:40:41 -0500

The 2009 NFL draft and the upcoming free agent market hold many possibilities for the Chicago Bears franchise. There are so many directions that they could go in, and so many players that could help them improve as a team.

(Disclaimer for Kyle Orton Haters: Let me save you the trouble of reading any further if you think I'm about to suggest that the Bears draft a quarterback in the first round. Not to say that I love what Orton has done but please stop talking about Grossman like he was a god.)

Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo recently led many in the media to believe that bolstering the quarterback position will be a top priority in the offseason. Many Bears fans welcomed Angelo's comments, responding with cries for New England's Matt Cassel or Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb. Others are hoping the Bears will draft a quarterback with the No. 18 overall pick.

But I don't see the Bears aggressively pursuing a veteran quarterback of McNabb's caliber, or even a young promising one like Cassel, and I don't see them taking a quarterback in the first round of the draft either, because when I think back to this past season, what stands out in my mind as the team's biggest problem wasn't the quarterback, but the defense, particularly against the pass.

Surely, the powers that be in Chicago will see this too as the 2009 Draft approaches. Don't believe me? Look back at last year. Our biggest problems going into the draft were the lack of a consistent running game and the fact that our quarterbacks were being sacked, pressured and hit more than just about anyone. They responded by drafting a left offensive tackle and a running back in the first two rounds.

A season later, the Bears' running game has vastly improved and the quarterback was not constantly on the ground and looking out his ear hole. But, sadly we find the Bears once again on the outside looking in for the playoffs, and when they ask themselves why they failed to win their division, it won't be Kyle Orton that they blame, but a pass defense that made mediocre opposing quarterbacks look like Joe Montana all season long.

Although Orton had a few bad outings after his ankle injury, but I believe the Bears will give him another season at the helm, whether he deserves it or not. We would all love the Bears to draft their very own Matt Ryan this year, or grab a Chad Pennington in free agency so that all would be right in the world, but the Bears are not the Falcons or the Dolphins of a year ago, and they will still have Orton under center next season, mark my words.

With all that being said, there are some very promising players coming into the draft and others entering free agency who could help on the defensive side of the ball next season. Here's a look at three of the more enticing defensive players they might decide to target this offseason.

1. Nnamdi Asomugha

This Raiders' cornerback is probably the best pass defender in the league. His exploits are becoming so well-known throughout the league that opposing quarterbacks are opting not to throw anywhere near him, resulting in deceptively few interceptions. But this is a cornerback who can be assigned to cover any receiver in the league and shut them down completely for the game.

For the Bears, his experience at the position would be invaluable, since it would save them from having to draft and train a rookie cornerback, allowing them to go after someone else in the first few rounds. He could be plugged into Lovie Smith's scheme and master it in no time.

2. Taylor Mays

This USC safety is a sure-fire Top-20 draft pick. There is a good chance he will be off the board well before the eighteenth pick, but I think that if he is still available, the Bears will want to consider pulling the trigger on this absolute beast who hails from the same school that produced stalwart safeties like Troy Polamalu and Ronnie Lott.

Mays is of similar stock, in that he is a fearless, devastating hitter with a knack for creating big plays and causing turnovers. In the Bears' defensive scheme, Mays could use his unique blend of athletic ability and size to cover the middle of the Tampa-2 defense on one play and blitz off the edge the next.

3. Vontae Davis

This Illinois cornerback will most likely still be on the board by No. 18, and I think he might be the type of cornerback the Bears need. He's a tremendous athlete, like his older brother Vernon, but he does have some character issues like his brother as well.

Either way, he could be an excellent option in the first round if Malcolm Jenkins is already gone. He is a good tackler with excellent speed and vision, but some are predicting that he will drop down into the second round because of his age and potential attitude problems.

If this proves to be true, and if by some miracle he's still on the board by pick No. 48, the Bears would be fools not to grab him.

Not surprisingly, all three players I've listed would primarily serve to help Chicago's porous pass defense. Some Bears fans have said that the problem this season was the defensive line.

Players like Julius Peppers and Terrelll Suggs will certainly be tempting as they step into the free agent market, but I can't imagine any of the major game-changing free agent defensive ends not renewing their contracts.

In recent years, the Bears have been fairly predictable in their drafting and in finding free agents to meet their greatest needs, and I wouldn't expect this year to be much different.

The worst thing the Bears can do this year is look at the talent on the roster and be satisfied with the players they currently have on defense. They can't be afraid to sever ties with some of the veteran players that were once dominant but who have not performed up to expectations.

They've already parted with their defensive backs coach, but more help is still needed. Many have predicted that Rod Marinelli will take over for Bob Babich as the defensive coordinator.

The biggest disappointment for the Bears this past season was the defense, and with all the talent and money invested on that side of the ball, Bears fans should hope that they will do their best to shore that up in the coming months.

Bears' 2008 Achilles' Heel Proves to be Consistency

James — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 10:05:08 -0500

The Chicago Bears' postseason hopes were eradicated Sunday with their disappointing loss to the Houston Texans. Although the loss was upsetting to Chicago's players and fans, it is hardly surprising. For the Bears, it was a season of could-have, would-have, and should-have.

It's so easy to point to the big plays and penalties that hurt them in crucial situations as the reason the Bears missed the playoffs. After all, how can we forget the first three meltdown losses that would have made the difference in the end?

But if we think objectively, we see that the Bears got lucky as well at times, with other teams falling apart late and allowing Chicago to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

This is why the Bears don't have the luxury of pointing to any one play or even one game as the reason why they will be watching from home this January. They will instead have to look themselves in the mirror and start to dissect the season, play by play: the dropped balls, the blown coverages, the sloppy tackling, and the senseless penalties that plagued them all year.

They also don't have the luxury of blaming injuries for this season's woes like they seemed to do for the duration of the 2007 season.

In an article I wrote following the loss to Minnesota, I voiced my skepticism that the Bears could win four in a row, and I was right. But I didn't feel that way because I thought they were a lousy team after getting blown out for the second time in three weeks by a division opponent, or that years of watching them lose had me feeling jaded.

It was the lack of consistency they'd shown all season which ultimately proved to be their downfall. There were times when Kyle Orton played phenomenally, only to have the defense shredded on subsequent drives. Likewise, there were times when the defense was stellar and the offense would come out and lay an egg, handing the other team the ball with a short field.

To be totally honest, I sat down to write this article with the intent of making it a discussion of the Bears' needs during the offseason, and possibly taking a look back on what they could have done better this year to improve their chances of making the playoffs.

But I can't write about that anymore, because it's just not true. Chicago has all the ingridients they need to be great next year, and they had them all this year. The Bears have good players in all three phases, as well as coaches with experience who know how to win games. They simply have not executed and played consistently as a team this season.

And no number of draft picks or free agent acquisitions can make Chicago consistently play like a team.

The Bears came into the season with many NFL analysts predicting that they'd be among the worst teams in the league. But even with a tough schedule, they were in the playoff hunt until the end.

This offseason will bring new players and possibly new coaches, and if Chicago can continue to grow at the rate it did following the 2007 season, the Bears have an excellent chance of turning the ship around next year. After all, there were many improvements from last year to this year. But the one missing ingredient for this team is consistency.

As the Bears once again retreat into hibernation for the rest of the winter, the Chicago faithful will once again begin counting down the days to Bourbonnais, where the promise of a new and better year surely awaits.

"The season had ended, but another one had begun. People everywhere, young and old, were already dreaming of heroes" -H.G. Bissinger

Giving Holiday Thanks to the Unsung Heroes of the Chicago Bears

James — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:19:18 -0500

After Monday's improbable overtime win over the Green Bay Packers, the Bears find themselves one win away from a possible division title and a playoff berth.

All season long, the talk has been about Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Daniel Manning, and at times, Kyle Orton. While these players have helped put the Bears in a position to make the playoffs, I thought that in the spirit of the holidays, it would be nice to acknowledge some of the guys who don't necessarily get a lot of talk on SportsCenter on Mondays, but who have been major contributors nonetheless.

1. Brad Maynard

I've always wondered if the league at large underestimates the value of having an exceptional punter because—lets face it—punting is something most coaches hope they'll never have to do. With that being said, I've never seen a punter perform so well with the consistency of Brad Maynard this season.

Maynard's ability to pin opposing offenses inside their own 20-yard line is unmatched throughout the league, and with Chicago's defense giving up so much ground through the air this year, Maynard's expertise has simply kept the Bears in games, giving opponents terrible field position and putting the Chicago defense in favorable positions to create takeaways.

It's so easy to overlook Maynard's performance and roll your eyes in disgust at the offense every time No. 4 comes onto the field, but his contribution to the team this year cannot be taken for granted by the Bears' front office or its fans.

2. Roberto Garza & Josh Beekman

The Bears offensive line as a whole has made a lot of Matt Forte's success possible, but their starting guards in particular have been close to stalwart this season.

When you look back at the Bears' game films and study most of Matt Forte's best and longest runs, you notice that Garza and Beekman are usually the ones leading him through a tight hole and picking up linebackers and defensive backs. They've both played tremendously and Matt Forte owes most of his success in running up the middle this season to them.

Offensive linemen as a group are generally considered to be the unsung heroes of the NFL, but Beekman and Garza have both been overlooked. While they didn't fare particularly well at times when they were asked to drive block the likes of Pat and Kevin Williams, Minnesota's mammoth defensive tackles, their ability to pull and lead block at the second level has been unstoppable at times this season.

3. Israel Idonije, Marcus Harrison & Anthony Adams

These three defensive tackles have played well enough this season to warrant being given starting positions just about anywhere in the league. It's been said many times that if your team could only have depth at one position, it should be on the defensive line.

These three have been outstanding all year. Idonije is one of the best in the league at getting his hands up and blocking passes and field goals. Marcus Harrison is proving to be a workhorse in the middle and a steal in this year's draft. Anthony Adams has replaced the injured Dusty Dvoracek and has been outstanding in stopping the run.

Early in the season, most people were saying that Tommie Harris was struggling, mainly because he was so often double-teamed by offensive linemen keen on shutting him down. But with these three playing the way they have, opponents are being forced to give them equal notice, which has improved Harris' play.

It could be argued that both Tommie Harris and Lance Briggs owe these three guys a lot of the credit for their Pro-Bowl status, since offensive linemen have been held up so much at the line of scrimmage, enabling others free to make plays.

This season has certainly had its share of ups and downs. Perhaps the most satisfying part of this season for fans is that nobody gave the Bears a chance, with some like Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z predicting that the Bears would be the worst team in the league.

To be fair, the naysayers have a point—Chicago's raw statistics in several major categories, including total offense and total defense, have not been exemplary.

But the Bears do what they do best very well; playing to their own strengths and to opponents' weaknesses much better than they did last year. They've also done it with a very tough schedule.

Even if the Bears miss the playoffs this season, the team and its fans have a lot to be thankful for this Christmas because this franchise has a lot to look forward to.

Many young players came in and performed at a high level this season. Gone are the whispers throughout the media that Jerry Angelo doesn't know how to draft, as young players like Matt Forte, Greg Olsen, Daniel Manning, and Josh Beekman have stepped in and been major contributors. Next season will essentially be the first time fans get a real look at the 2008 first round pick Chris Williams, who was injured for most of his rookie year.

No matter how this season ends, the Bears will have a lot of work to do to improve as a franchise, but they will have a lot of players to build around in the offseason who have exceeded expectations for the Bears this year.

Even if you don't see them much on SportsCenter.

Pat Williams' Injury: A Chicago Bears Fan's Take

James — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:48:36 -0500

Last Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings' win over the Arizona Cardinals all-but ended the Chicago Bears' season. A four-game win-streak, after being embarrassed in the Metrodome, is a lot to ask for. As is hoping that the Vikings drop two-in-a-row at home in the last weeks of the season.

But the Vikings' own chances of succeeding in the playoffs were slightly mired on Sunday as well.

Pat Williams, the Vikings' All-Pro defensive tackle was injured in the waning moments of the game against the Cardinals, even though Minnesota was winning handily at the time. As a Bears fan who has watched the Chicago offensive line struggle to contain Williams, I have to admit I found the news of Williams' injury particularly satisfying.

While I don't like seeing any player injured, I couldn't help thinking that maybe his injury was cosmic justice for Williams not taking responsibility for his alleged "weight loss diuretic" use that he allegedly took to mask the effects of steroid use.

Williams appealed the sentence doled out to him by the league for taking steroids and related substances. He, and several other players, including teammate Kevin Williams, clearly did this so that they wouldn't be sidelined for some of the most pivotal games of the Vikings' season.

It seems only fitting that while playing in one of the games he was originally supposed to miss during his suspension, he was injured for the rest of the season and the postseason.

Whether it will prove to be good karma for the Bears remains to be seen.

But it seems clear that, in losing half of the "Williams Wall," Minnesota's defense has been dealt a major blow.

Against the run-heavy Falcons and Giants, the Vikings may have their work cut out for them to end the season.

The Falcons still have a playoff spot to play for, and they have been playing well at home in the Georgia Dome. I wouldn't expect them to struggle in the Metrodome like some teams traditionally do.

Likewise, if the Giants lose to the Panthers this week, they may decide against resting their starters in Week 17 in the hopes of building some momentum heading into the playoffs. In both contests, it's safe to say that without Pat Williams in the middle, it just won't be the same run-stuffing Minnesota defense.

The Bears haven't had a lot of things go their way this season. The three fourth-quarter-meltdown losses early in the season hurt to watch. So did the shellacking the Bears took at the hands of Ryan Grant and Aaron Rogers in Green Bay.

But I think that listening to John Madden blubber on about how great a father Pat Williams was as he manhandled Josh Beekman and Olin Kreutz on Sunday Night Football was like rubbing salt in a gaping wound.

While Madden and Michaels testified to Williams fatherly merits, somewhere, his team of lawyers were looking for ways to keep him and his team in the playoffs.

What message does that send to Williams' children and all children watching football that night?

"Don't follow the rules, don't tell the truth, and most importantly, don't take responsibility for your actions, because if someone tries to hold you in check for your behavior, you can always hire someone to get you off the hook?"

Forget the Pro-Bowl, how about getting this guy the Father of the Year Award?

Early in the season, the Bears' backup guard Terrence Metcalf was suspended for four games for similar reasons. There were no hearings or court appeals.

It was a swift four-game hit, and hardly anyone noticed.

But when it's a big-time player with big-time playoff aspirations, suddenly everything changes.

What a truly shameful commentary.

It seems like poetic justice that Pat Williams' refusal to shoulder responsibility for his actions ultimately led to a shoulder injury. Had he taken his punishment, he might have been healthy for the playoffs, but then again, had he missed those four games, maybe Minnesota wouldn't be in the playoff race at all.

I guess we'll never know.

Lessons Learned: Looking to the Future of the Chicago Bears

James — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:59:56 -0500

Barring a pending four-game win streak, the Chicago Bears' 2008 season is coming to a disappointing and anti-climactic close. I think it's safe to assume the Bears are not going to win the Super Bowl this year, even if by some miracle they make the playoffs.

While the Bears struggle to comprehend how a group with so much talent and so many Pro-Bowlers can miss the playoffs two years in a row after going all the way in 2006, some fans look to the future of the franchise and what needs to be addressed for the Bears to become the kind of dominant team they used to be.

1. Receivers

It's easy for some Bears fans to look at Kyle Orton's last few games and wish for a new quarterback in the offseason. But I think that against Minnesota and Green Bay, Orton's biggest problem was a lack of solid receivers who could both catch well and stretch opposing secondaries. A great deal of his passes were right on target, but the receivers couldn't hold on to them.

I'd look for the Bears to pick up a receiver in the first or second round of the draft or snag a solid veteran free agent on the open market.

Lesson learned: Losing Berrian and Muhammad hurt, and having several decent receiving options doesn't make up for having no really good ones.

2. Offensive Line

Orton's other issue has been the play of the big guys in front of him. John St. Clair looked as slow as molasses against Jared Allen, and while I don't think the Bears should immediately replace him with rookie Chris Williams, St. Clair's poor performance was a great example of why the Bears need to be smart this offseason.

John Tait, Roberto Garza, and Olin Kreutz are solid veterans who have a lot of experience in the NFL. But they all seem to be getting old. It may be time to start looking for replacement offensive linemen and working them into the lineup.

The beauty of having a great offensive line is that you could have Stephen Hawking or even Cedric Benson as your running back and and he still might rush for 1,500 yards. Offensive linemen are great investments because they are good for the long haul usually.

The key here is patience. When the Bears lost the then-young Marc Columbo to a knee injury, they traded him away to Dallas, and now he has come into his own. Maybe it will take a season or two, but history has showed us that drafting offensive linemen pays dividends.

All you need to do is think back to the Bears 1983 draft, where they picked up Jimbo Covert Mark Bortz and Tom Thayer, three offensive linemen who paved the way for Walter Payton and the Bears offense to make it to the Super Bowl in only their third season in the league.

Lesson learned: Out with the old, in with the new. Give it some time.

3. Defensive Line or Secondary?

As bad as the Bears secondary has been this year, I think that there is enough young talent there to build around. Corey Graham and Kevin Payne have the potential to be great, and I think Zack Bowman and Craig Steltz might be solid players given another season or two.

But something has to give. The Bears need to come up with some answers.

To me, the secondary wouldn't be under so much scrutiny if there was a solid pass rush. The Bears need to consider drafting a young defensive end who can step in and instantly cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks.

With a defensive philosophy built around creating takeaways, the Bears' D can't waste any time in addressing the lack of consistent pass rush.

Lesson learned: Sacking the quarterback does wonders for your secondary, even if it's not as good as a takeaway.

4. Coaching

It's been said before but it bears repeating that the front office needs to fire Bob Babich in a bad way. The drop in production from the time Babich took over when they fired Ron Rivera (despite having the third ranked defense in 2005 and the fifth in 2006) couldn't be any more apparent.

I think we've been patient enough with Babich considering how long he has been with the organization.

What amazes me is the fact that Lovie Smith and the players themselves defend Babich to the death. That's why the front office needs to bite the bullet and make a change there this offseason.

It might also be time to think about Ron Turner's successor and start molding him into the kind of offensive coordinator Turner has never shaped up to be.

Lesson Learned: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The biggest challenge the Bears will face in the next couple of seasons will be having the courage to make drastic changes like firing staff and benching under-performing "franchise players" in favor of young, promising ones.

If the Bears are willing to do this, they might be able to salvage some of the veteran talent they that they've invested so much money into keeping.

This season, we saw some teams rise from the ashes of 2007 and blossom into potential playoff contenders. Meanwhile, some of the league's perennial bottom feeders remained lousy. The difference between the Dolphins/Falcons and the Lions/Bengals has been having the courage to make these kinds of changes.

Sometimes it takes a season or two, and sometimes it doesn't work out at all. But it always starts in the offseason.

Sunday Night Showdown: Do or Die for Bears and Vikings

James — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:11:57 -0500

As soon as the clocks ran out in Saint Louis and Jacksonville on Sunday, Bears and Vikings fans everywhere breathed a momentary sigh of relief before setting their sights on a huge game looming in the near future. Both teams' playoff hopes hang in the balance, and the stakes rarely get any higher in the NFL today.

The magnitude of this game can't be underestimated. While the winner can build upon the momentum that they gained with convincing road wins this past week and focus on winning one more divisional game to potentially lock up a playoff spot, the loser will face an uphill battle in the coming weeks and must hang their playoff hopes on the outcome of other division games as the season comes to a close.

Truly, I think that this is what NFL football is all about; a true NFC North showdown of epic proportions. This division has been hard for me to wrap my head around all season, and both of these teams have won and lost some games they shouldn't have.

Despite the unpredictability of both teams, I think that there are some things that both teams need to predict and address accordingly this week if they want to come out of Sunday night's game with a 7-5 record.

1. The Battle in the Trenches

This will likely to be a much lower-scoring affair than the last time these teams met, and I know it gets said a lot, but I think it is especially true this week that whichever team manages to dominate the line of scrimmage for four quarters will win this game, period.

Both teams possess solid running backs and physical offensive lines, but just as importantly, both teams rank near the top of the league in run defense.

As a Bears fan, I was overjoyed when I heard that the "Williams Wall" might be forced to sit this game out, but it appears both All-Pro defensive tackles will be active on Sunday.

The Bears have been fortunate enough to avoid any major injuries to their front seven so far this year and the team's depth at the defensive tackle position might help wear down Minnesota's running game.

In the first meeting between these two teams, Adrian Peterson rushed for 121 yards, but nearly half of his total came on one long TD run.

The other reason to expect a low-scoring game won at the line of scrimmage is because both teams' passing games have been subject to a great deal of scrutiny in recent weeks.

For the Bears, Orton's injury and the lack of a consistent downfield receiving threat might make it hard for them to produce through the air. If Jared Allen plays this week, the Bears will also have to account for his pass rush, which is one of the league's deadliest.

For Minnesota, Gus Frerrotte's checkered performance this season has been marked by 12 interceptions, including four against the Bears' sub-par and injury-ridden secondary in Week 12.

2. Special Teams

If you look at the Vikings special teams performance this season, it's easy to see how they've managed to disappoint so many fans and analysts this year who saw them as a possible Super Bowl contender in the preseason. The truth is that their special teams play has been their Achilles' heel all season long. It killed them in losses to the Bears and Bucs, and almost killed them in close wins over the Saints and Packers.

The Bears special teams has failed to live up to expectations this season, and Devin Hester has not been the only problem, but I would look for the Bears' special teams to come up with a big play again this week.

If I were Brad Childress, I might consider keeping the defense on the field in fourth down situations instead of fielding a punt return team this week and risk losing the ball again.

At the end of the day, the Bears have relied on special teams too much this season and the Vikings seem to have overlooked that phase of the game completely, so it's difficult to predict based on what they have done so far this season, but I would certainly look for special teams to play a big part in the outcome Sunday night.

3. Finishing

Both teams have struggled all year long with finishing games up strong. The Bears have had a tendency to squander double-digit leads late in the fourth quarter this year. The Vikings have also had trouble holding onto leads and capitalizing on opponents' errors.

Both are coming off easy wins, but I wouldn't expect either team to roll over and die like the Jaguars and Rams did this past weekend, but the key for the coaches will be having the sense to put the nail in the coffin late and not become complacent in their play-calling, possibly enabling the other team to mount a comeback late in the game.

The winner this week may not be the best all-around team in the division, but they will certainly be the most likely to go to the playoffs. The NFC North hasn't gotten much respect or attention this year because of their mediocre records, but I think that whoever wins this division has a good chance to surprise people in the post-season.

Chicago Bears May Need to Consider Major Coaching Overhaul

James — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:24:18 -0500

After watching the Packers rout the Bears today, I think it might be time for the Bears' front office to really think about the direction this franchise is heading in.

For years, Bears fans have weathered the shame and humiliation associated with a team that has always been run in the "old school" ways: an offensive philosophy based on mainly running the football instead of investing in solid QB production, a defense focused on stopping the run and creating pressure for opposing QBs, and coaches as stubborn as the management.

I find it incredible that this franchise refuses to adjust to modern-day football after so many embarrassing seasons have come to pass.

But there is an upside that may have come out of being dominated by the Packers 37-3 on Sunday. Maybe the front office took note and realized this team's failures dating back to the Super Bowl have all come from poor coaching, stubborn play calling, and worst of all, the inability to make the Bears players afraid to lose.

I knew before the 2007 season began that firing Ron Rivera was going to be a major blow to this team. But it didn't make the season any more tolerable, as the Bears plummeted to the bottom of the barrel in total defense.

Following the poor performance in 2007, the front office decided to get down to business by rewarding several veteran defensive players with unbelievably lucrative contracts for their poor performance the season before.

Now the question becomes, what motivation do the likes of Tommie Harris, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Nathan Vasher have to play well? With the exception of Briggs, none have shown any desire to succeed at all this season, even after all injuries have healed and excuses have dried up.

I felt nauseated after watching the Bears' defensive efforts this weekend, which is something I never felt when I watched pitiful Chicago teams get destroyed for years throughout the '90s and during the woeful 2002-2004 seasons.

Back then, I didn't expect to see good play out of the Bears, and as I watched them get massacred Sunday after Sunday, I started to feel numb to it, and eventually I became optimistic about the future.

When Lovie Smith was ushered in as the new Head Coach in Chicago, I felt that a new era might be beginning. After his first rocky season at the helm, he had a lot of young Bears players on both sides of the ball who wanted to make their presence in the league felt and establish an identity for the team.

With every one of Harris' sacks and Vasher's interceptions, it became clear that the Bears had the ingredients to lead their division for years to come and maybe even win a Super Bowl.

Flash forward to today.

Lovie Smith and his sidekicks Bob Babich and Ron Turner have failed miserably, and while they currently hold a 5-5 record, you could argue that they only deserve a 2-8 mark. Even though they dominated the injury-riddled Colts in the season opener and woeful Lions the first time around, it didn't take long for opponents to figure out how to pick apart the Bears on both sides of the ball.

They escaped against the Eagles in Week Four but came within inches of another fourth quarter meltdown loss, and they would have lost to the Vikings had it not been for their awful special teams play. The second time the Bears faced the Lions, they nearly lost as Dan Orlovsky picked apart their secondary for a career day.

But the losses to the Titans and Packers have made it clear to me at least that the time has come for the Bears' front office to seriously consider cutting ties with Smith and his buddies once and for all. Defensive schemes are only as good as the coach's ability to make his players execute. The players are right when they insist that the scheme is not the problem.

Right now the playoff picture looks bleak. Teams with the talent to go to the Super Bowl should not be 5-5.

Sure, there were a few games that the Bears were winning and lost in the fourth quarter. But with the mediocre play calling and lack of discipline (Tillman in OT vs. Tampa Bay) instilled in the players by the coaches, I suppose we should have just expected the Bears to give up double-digit and/or fourth quarter leads in those games we lost early on this season.

The fact is the Bears are 5-5, and with the poor coaching we have seen this season, fans should be grateful for the record they've accumulated because it could realistically be a lot worse.

I remember scoffing at some Vegas oddsmaker’s online video released over the summer advising gamblers to put their money on the Bears ending the 2008 campaign with a sub-.500 record.

The reasons he gave? A lack of defensive production in 2007, the chronic quarterback situation, an untested rookie running back from Tulane, and more than anything else, the coaching. While Orton and Forte have performed—at times—like they saw that video and took exception, the coaches certainly haven't.

I think it is safe to say that this isn't going to be a Super Bowl season for the Bears, so we need to ask ourselves: Where do we go from here? If I was in the Bears' front office, I would be trying to salvage the talent and remaining potential on the roster before free agency and injuries have whittled the team down to nothing.

Instead of waiting for that one draft pick who will turn the team around or signing underperforming veterans to ridiculous contract extensions, I would focus my attention on finding coaches who could put that talent to use. They've tried shifting personnel on the field, and it hasn't worked.

Now it's time to try shifting the personnel on the sidelines.