Bears: More Passing, Less Blitzing

In 2008, the Chicago Bears finished 26th in the National Football League in total offense and 21st in overall defense.

In their efforts to fix the offense, the Bears made headlines all over the NFL by trading Kyle Orton and two first-round draft picks to the Denver Broncos for quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler adds the threat of a passing game, as his 4,526 passing yards and 25 touchdowns in the 2008 season indicates.

By comparison, Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman combined to throw for 3,236 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Bears. Cutler's biggest impact on the Bears, however, will be the relief given to Chicago's workhorse running back.

Matt Forte carried far more than his share of the Bears' offensive load. As well as rushing for 1,231 yards in his 2008 rookie campaign, he also led his team with 64 receptions. With Cutler taking the snaps from center, Chicago should be able to call more pass plays toward wide receivers Devin Hester and Rashied Davis and tight ends Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark.

Forte may still be used as a decoy for play action fakes and be asked to catch a pass or two out of the flats, but he should not have to deal with too many of the pressures that usually come with the second season after a sensational rookie year.

Defensively, the Bears made a move that did not create as many headlines in the sporting world as the Cutler trade, but could be just as crucial to their success in the 2009 season. They hired Rod Marinelli as the defensive line coach.

Chicago's 21st-ranked defense can be mostly blamed on its pass defense, which ranked 30th in the NFL.

One of the reasons for the Bears' weak pass defense was the defensive line's inability to rush the quarterback. Defensive end Alex Brown led the team with just six sacks, ranking 32nd in the NFL in that category.

When the Bears managed to put some pressure on the quarterback, it was usually due to a linebacker or safety invading the backfield on a blitz. This would leave receivers wide open on, for instance, a short pass to the hash-marks.

With Marinelli's experience in head coach Lovie Smith's "Tampa Two" defense, he could teach his linemen how to rush the quarterback themselves, leaving the rest of the seven defenders free to cover the passing lanes and the quarterback with little time to throw the football.