Chicago Bears Year in Review: Handing out the Best of and Worst of Awards

It's all over but the crying, ladies and gentlemen.  The Bears snapped their five-game skid too late to help themselves into the postseason.  

And that means that the Bears season is officially over.  All we have left to do is sit back on the couch with a cold adult beverage and a remote and root for whoever is playing against the Packers each week.

That also means it's time to look back on the 2011 season and hand out the annual Staley Awards. That's right, Bears fans, today we'll look at the best and worst of the 2011 Bears.

So follow us and we'll impart our judgments and hand out the fuzzy Double-Zero trophies to this season's winners.

Starting with.....

The "Wish You Were Here" Most Devastating Injury Award

The nominees are:

Matt Forte:  The man had a shot at 2,000 yards from scrimmage.  Losing a guy like that hurts.

Jay Cutler:  If Jay ever needed help showing the world how important he is to this team, Caleb Hanie and Josh McCown provided that help in his absence.

Gabe Carimi:  There's nothing quite like watching your league-worst offensive line lose their shiny new first-round addition in just the second game of the season to ruin your year, especially if you're Jay Cutler or Matt Forte.

And the winner is.....

Jay Cutler

The loss of Matt Forte was painful to the Bears.  

The loss of Carimi was painful to Cutler and Forte.  

But the loss of Cutler proved to be the only truly insurmountable obstacle for the bears, who lost five straight following Cutler's injury.  

While Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell picked up Forte's slack and Lance Louis and Frank Omiyale picked up Carimi's—with the help of the tight ends and the fullback—nobody was capable of filling Jay's big shoes.

The "Better" Most Improved Player

And the nominees are:

Johnny Knox:  You'll hear plenty who still bash Johnny based on last season's performance, but here's one statistic that says it all: Targets intercepted.  Last year, that number was 11.  This season, Johnny only had two targets intercepted.

Matt Toeaina:  Big Toe went from quality depth in 2010 to quality starter in 2011, even with names like Amobi Okoye and Anthony Adams on the roster.

Henry Melton:  Lovie Smith told us to expect big things from Melton.  Who knew he'd be right for a change?

J'Marcus Webb:  Sure, J-Webb got owned by Jared Allen on Sunday.  With 22 sacks to his name this season, plenty of tackles in the league can say the same.  But overall, Webb showed a vast amount of improvement as the year went by.

And the winner is.....

Johnny Knox

Johnny "Lightning" took a lot heat this year, but watch the tape.

Knox was the only receiver on the team getting consistent separation from corners this year.  Improved routes had a lot to do with that.  

Johnny still needs some work on his physicality when the ball is in the air, but the improvements were front and center, even as Knox was being asked to be a No. 1 receiver despite being ideally suited to be a field-stretching No. 2 wideout.

Let's all hope, first and foremost, that Johnny comes out of the rehabilitation from his horrible back injury with no permanent quality-of-life issues.  

The "Unsung" Hero Award

And the nominees are:

Corey Graham:  Special-teamer extraordinaire who got his Pro Bowl nod this year.

Adam Podlesh:  Had an outstanding and underrated year for the Bears.

Tyler Clutts:  Do you think when the Bears signed Clutts they really realized how much he'd play and how big a cog in the offensive wheel he would become?

Matt Spaeth:  His personal resume should read "Helps make inept linemen look only slightly below average," which is a challenging feat in Chicago. 

And the winner is.....

Adam Podlesh

Podlesh has been money for the Bears this year, and just how important he is to the field position game for Chicago is hard to deny.  

Also underrated is Podlesh's impact on the punt coverage unit and the numbers that they put up this year, which were astounding.  

The Bears paid good money to bring in a strong punter for the long haul and they are getting their money's worth.  Adam's 40.5-yard average this season is a new Bears record, breaking the old record of 38.7 yards set by Brad Maynard in 2004.

The Chairman of the Board's "Second Time Around" Sophomore Sensation Award

And the nominees are:

Major Wright:  The second-year safety struggled early, but he came into his own once he switched from free safety to strong safety.

J'Marcus Webb:  Webb actually showed a lot of improvement this year, and while the Bears threw a lot of help at the tackles after the bye week, most of that help was directed towards the right tackle position. Webb was left on an island far more often than people realize.

Corey Wootton:  Well, the Favre-killer is the only other member of this terrible draft class left.

And the winner is.....

Major Wright

If I had been asked at the bye week if Major Wright should have a roster spot, I would have said "No."

But once he took over the strong safety position and made way for Chris Conte at free safety, Wright started to gain confidence and show his worth.

Does he need some time to grow?  Yes.  But he played at a much higher level and definitely was the team's best sophomore.

The "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" Breakout Player of the Year Award

And the nominees are:

Henry Melton:  The Bears have been in dire need of a stud 3-tech ever since Tommie Harris was broken. They now have that stud.

Kahlil Bell: In Forte's and Barber's absence, Kahlil Bell has not so quietly made a case for being the team's No. 2 running back next season.

Tim Jennings:  Constantly underrated and disrespected by the Chicago fanbase, Jennings has quietly been one of only ten corners and nickels in the league who have allowed only one touchdown or fewer. The Bears made the mistake of making an example of the corner's one poor outing and Zach Bowman gave up three touchdowns in one game as Jennings' replacement.  

And the winner is.....

Henry Melton

Melton got Pro Bowl consideration as an alternate this year after adding weight at the coaching staff's request and moving to defensive tackle.  

Lovie Smith and Rod Marinelli were both high on Melton coming into the season, and Melton proved their confidence was well-placed.

If Melton is this impressive in his first year in the spot, what's he going to be like when he has some experience?

The "Bad Day" Biggest Disappointment Award

And the nominees are:

Roy Williams:  Remember when Martz assured us that Roy Williams was a 70- to 80 catch-kinda guy?  

Israel Idonije:  Remember when Izzy got consistent pressure?  Yeah, me neither.

Caleb Hanie:  Remember when Hanie was the darling of Chicago after the NFC Championship game? "If McCown had started instead of Hanie, the Bears would be in the playoffs."  See a pattern?

And the winner is.....

Caleb Hanie

So, after his big performance where he "almost beat the Packers" in the NFC Championship game, Hanie took the second-string reins.  He then preceded to ride the horse right off a cliff when starter Jay Cutler broke his thumb.

Now Josh McCown throws two interceptions to the Pack and rides the defense to win over a 3-13 Vikings team, and who's the new Chicago darling?

Either way, Hanie and his four straight losses were a huge disappointment.  I wonder if anyone still thinks he'll get a job starting somewhere.....

The "Don't Stop Me Know" Turnstile of the Year Award

And the nominees are:

Lance Louis:  It's amazing how bad a decent guard can be if you make him play out of position.

J'Marcus Webb:  While J-Webb improved over the course of the season, he started out horribly and then finished the season nearly giving Jared Allen the NFL record for sacks in a season.

Frank Omiyale:  Frank Omiyale is the best blocker on the team....if you don't ask him to pass-block. Then he sucks.

And the winner is.....

Frank Omiyale

You knew it was coming.  Omiyale is called "Gate 68" for a reason.

But how could this award go to a player who only started a few games this year?

Because he allowed four sacks in those few games and because he allowed more sacks per drop-back than any other player on the team.

To be fair to Frank, the Bears have this nasty idea that hiring an actual offensive tackle to back up their tackles is overrated.  Both Omiyale and Lance Louis are guards playing out of position.  In fact, Omiyale has been playing out of position for two years.

Prior to that, he was actually a serviceable left guard. 

Sorry about your luck, Frank.

The "Welcome to the Family" Rookie of the Year Award

And the nominees are:

Stephen Paea:  It took a while to get him on the field, but once he arrived, his potential was easy to see. 

Chris Conte:  He's raw and he needs some fundamental work, but he stepped up and solidified the safety position for Chicago.

And the winner is.....

Chris Conte

In spite of a few dumb plays and some fundamental lapses over the course of the season, Conte has to be considered a successful draft choice after fans almost universally panned the pick when it was made.

Conte stepped into the free safety spot and played it far better than any of the veteran safeties on the roster did.  

Now, if Conte continues to progress rather than taking the path of Al Afalava or Kevin Payne, then the Bears should be very happy with the young safety for a long time to come.

The "Back in the Saddle" Comeback Player of the Year Award

And the nominees are:

Chris Williams:  Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that when the end arrived, Chris Williams would have a legitimate claim to being a decent NFL guard?

Nick Roach:  After being repeatedly replaced over the past two seasons, Nick Roach redeems himself in a big way.  Though the season started out rough for Roach, he turned it around and ended up having a very good year.

And the winner is.....

Chris Williams

Williams turns out to be the perfect example of why certain types of tackles get first-round grades more often than the rest of the linemen.  Because if they fail as NFL tackles, the transition to guard might save the pick.

This is exactly what happened with Williams.

He's come around to the spot and before his injury—the same wrist injury that sidelined Brian Urlacher for a season—Williams allowed only one sack on the season.  

Do I expect to see Williams in a Pro Bowl soon?  No.  But is he a legitimate starter at the left guard position?  Absolutely.

The "Walking After You" Worst in Coverage Award

And the nominees are:

Lance Briggs:  Briggs was terrible in coverage this season, to say the least, and gave up more touchdowns than any other player on the team.  The Bears much-publicized tight end issues can be traced directly back to Briggs.

Major Wright:  Major had a pretty good year...after he was moved to strong safety and transformed into a glorified linebacker.

Zachary Bowman:  Do you think Lovie regrets overreacting to Tim Jennings' bad day?

And the winner is.....

Zackary Bowman

As soon as Aaron Rodgers saw Bowman hit the field, he knew he found his mark.

Bowman was attacked early and often and ended up giving up three touchdowns in the game and contributing significantly to a fourth.

Bowman probably wishes he hadn't gotten the opportunity.  He may be watching the 2012 season from his living room.

The "Overrated (Everything Is)" Player of the Year

And the nominees are:

Lance Briggs:  Lance has had some great years.  This wasn't one of them.  His Pro Bowl nod is an example of all that is wrong with that system.

Roberto Garza:  Cris Collinsworth thinks he's great.  And he's about the only person.  Easily the worst run-blocker on the team this year and the constant recipient of help in pass protection, one has to assume that the act of snapping the ball is throwing off the timing of this once-mighty right-guard-turned-center.

Israel Idonije:  If this were an award for being a great dude off the field, Izzy would be a nominee, too. Unfortunately, he also had a very rough year trying to capitalize on the havoc Julius Peppers creates on the other side of the line.

And the winner is.....

Roberto Garza

Whether age is catching up to Garza or the move to center has him turned around, Garza has had a very rough year.

Yet Cris Collinsworth spent a lot of valuable airspace telling us how great Garza is because he can pull like a guard.  

News flash, Cris:  Roberto IS a guard.  And if pulling like a guard was the mark of a great center, then you'd be right.  But when your center can't run-block and cannot pass protect without help, then he doesn't exactly fit into the mold of "great" center.

The Bears would have done well to switch Garza with right guard fill-in Chris Spencer once Spencer became familiar with the line calls. 

The "Got Your Back" Backup of the Year

And the nominees are:

Craig Steltz: Often the target of the fans desire to see a special-teamer cut, Steltz has probably provided the best safety play of the season for the Bears since he took over for Major Wright after his shoulder injury.

Kahlil Bell:  Bell was thought to be a player who wouldn't make the roster this season.  Now he's looking at a possible promotion to the primary spell back, if the talking heads are to be believed.

Edwin Williams:  Williams has been such a pleasant surprise that the Bears didn't even bother waiting for the offseason to ink the young guard to a two-year extension.

And the winner is.....

Edwin Williams

When he entered the lineup in place of Chris Williams, many feared the drop-off to an already shaky offensive line.

E-Dub put our fears to rest, though, and made a case for being called the Bears' best lineman.

With Williams now extended, the Bears could realistically have the interior of the line sewn up for quite some time with Chris Williams, Edwin Williams and Chris Spencer.

The "Bodies" Defensive Player of the Year

And the nominees are:

Julius Peppers:  The case can be made that everything that happens on the field revolves around Peppers.  His exclusion from the Pro Bowl was more a case of an embarrassment of riches at the defensive end position in the NFC than it was an indictment of Pep.

Brian Urlacher:  The Bears frontman earned his eighth Pro Bowl nod on a fantastic year where he showed that a slightly slowed but slightly more experienced Urlacher might be more dangerous than the old athletic freak was.

Charles Tillman:  Peanut continues to be a force on the outside against the run while still being capable of containing even the best receiver in the game.  His ability to force fumbles is still uncanny as well.  Oh, and breaking the Bears record for interceptions return touchdowns is impressive, as well.

Henry Melton:  This young up-and-comer allowed Peppers to do more by penetrating the pocket consistently, which is something that the Bears have lacked since the days of a fresh Tommie Harris.

Julius Peppers

When Pep is on his game, the rest of the team doesn't have to do as much.  It's that simple.  

And Pep is on his game constantly.  

But maybe more important is the fact that his game is not just the pass rush.  He's also terrific in coverage and defends the run as well as any defensive end in the league.  

He's an all-around player who creates opportunities for his fellow linemen and for his secondary.

The "Rollin" Offensive Player of the Year

And the nominees are:

Jay Cutler:  Cutler is the vehicle through which the passing game moves and, as we have seen, the passing attack doesn't work without him.

Matt Forte:  Before his injury we were tracking him to see if he'd cross 2,000 yards.  At midseason, we were waiting to see if he'd catch Chris Johnson's yards from scrimmage record.  Forte is arguably the most complete back in the league. 

And the winner is.....

Matt Forte

You just don't put up the type of production Forte was dropping on opponents without being recognized as the team's top offensive weapon.

Equally adept rushing and receiving, Forte being on the field kept opposing defenses honest and on their toes.

Hopefully his knee injury doesn't slow him next season, and we'll all get to watch him chase the yards from scrimmage record again.

The "I'm the One" 2011 Chicago Bears MVP Award

And the nominees are:

Jay Cutler:  Cutler went down and so did the Bears.

Matt Forte:  Forte changes the way defenses play the Bears.

Julius Peppers:  The entire Bears defense benefits from Pep being on the field.

Brian Urlacher:  His leadership and his direction are invaluable and one only needs to look at the 2009 season to see what this team would be like without him.

And the winner is.....

Jay Cutler

It's really this simple:  A 7-3 record with Jay in the toughest part of the season and a 1-5 record without him.  That's the difference between a Cutler-led Bears and a Cutler-less Bears.

The Bears started making Cutler's MVP case for him as soon as they took the field without him.  The Packers back-up set franchise records for touchdowns and yardage with the weapons Aaron Rodgers plays with every week.  The Bears lost five straight without Cutler at the helm.  

While Matt Forte is the most dangerous weapon on the offense, without Cutler to get him and the rest of the team the ball, the Bears managed to score 20 offensive points only once in six games after averaging 27 points a game in the first 10 contests.

If that doesn't make the case for Cutler being the most valuable member of this team, I don't know what does.

And now it's your turn, ladies and gentlemen.  Step up to the soapbox below and let us know what you think.