2010 Preview: How the Chicago Bears Can Win This Season

It's just weeks before the start of training camp and activity for the Chicago Bears is rightfully scarce.

There are many things to be excited about at the season draws closer and there are plenty of questions that have yet to be answered.

Only time will give us the answers we are all dying to know. If the Bears want to have a successful season, there are a number of things that must happen.

Chris Harris must play STRONG safety. He has definitely lost a step and does not cover as much ground as he once did. Also he is good at stopping the run.

Tommie Harris must be at his former Pro-bowl level.

Julius Peppers must play like he did during nationally televised games in Carolina every game.

Frank Omiyale has to be a solid right tackle for the Martz system to be effective.

If Zack Bowman is going to be at the top of the CB depth chart, he better learn how to cover much better.

Matt Forte needs to be back to his rookie form.

Jay Cutler needs to make smarter decisions and put more touch on his throws.

The new Mike Martz offense must click early and be effective on the ground as well as through the air.

The defense must stay healthy.

Devin Aromashodu needs to be on the field early and often.

Now, I am in no way saying the Bears will go 16-0 this year. I am going to break down each game and explain how I could see the Bears winning each one. In order for these assumptions to hold water, the Bears must conquer this hefty list (which is possible) to have a successful 2010 season.

Weeks One and Thirteen: The Detroit Lions

The Lions have been extremely busy this offseason.

They have an impressive D-line and wide receiving corp.

Last season, when the Bears played the Seahawks, Charles Tillman held TJ Houshmandzadeh to 35 yards and no TDs while Bowman couldn't keep Nate Burleson from shedding him for 109 yards. Now that the Lions have Burleson, I think Tillman will shut him down. Bowman on Johnson will be the mismatch of the day. This is a strong reason why I do not like the switch of Bowman and Tillman.

Overall, if the Bears' O-line can hold off the pressure, the Bears will win this game through the air and on the ground as long as they do not expect a win walking into the game.

Week Two: The Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are ranked extremely high in the power rankings and when you look at their roster you know why.

This game will be an all out battle for the bears if they plan to take home the W.

Everyone knows that Roy Williams has been a joke to watch, but no one knows how Dez Bryant will progress at this point in the season. The key to winning this game will be to make Dallas one dimensional early in the game. If the Bears can cut off the three heads of the monster that lurks in Cowboy's backfield early, it will force the game into the hands of Tony Romo. He is capable of giving the game away single handedly.

With the speed at linebacker and the improved pass-rush, the Bears can shut down Jason Witten and force Romo into making bad decisions. It will be up to the offense to move down the field and for extra blockers to take Demarcus Ware out of the equation.

Weeks Three and Seventeen: The Green Bay Packers

The Packers have been extremely quiet this offseason and it's basically because they don't need anything. They are a complete team, but they are beatable.

The key to this game will be getting to Aaron Rodgers. We all know what the Packers can do through the air and if Rodgers is stilling pretty in the pocket, the Bears are going to get carved up. The Bears need to blitz this game and be effective with it. The biggest weakness on the Packers is their O-line.

The Packers have good corners, but the Bears have great speed at receiver. The Bears need to keep the defense honest with effective runs, but have to beat the Packers in the air by stretching the field.

No matter how one-sided these games are predicted to be between the Bears and Packers, they are always exciting, hard fought, and truly up in the air for any team to go up and snatch.

I hate thinking about the first game of last season between the Bears and Packers. The Bears easily could have won even though Cutler played terribly. It was horribly blown coverage by a certain corner that is San Diego's problem now that really lost us that game. These games are always close and hard to predict. The Bears will be underdogs, but they play the games for a reason.

Week Four: The New York Giants

The Giants beat out the Bears in the pursuit of Antrel Rolle during free agency, but still have a lot of questions on both sides of the ball.

I find Eli Manning the most confusing QB in football. Sometimes he looks like his brother, then other times he looks like Peyton's younger mentally challenged brother. The Giants started last season off 5-0 only to free fall into an 8-8 record losing their last two games. Brandon Jacobs seemed to have forgotten he was bigger than most defenders and really struggled to run the ball. The Giants seemed to be be a shell of their former Super Bowl winning team.

The Giants still have a very dominant O-line and young skillful receivers. I don't see them as a huge running threat, but they can pass the ball well. This game will be up to the Bears' new offense to score on every possession to keep them in the game.

Look for Greg Olsen to beat the Giants' linebackers in coverage often this game. If the O-line can take the Giants' D-line out of the equation, I don't feel there are many players on the Giants defense that can cause problems. This could be a high scoring game, but if the Bears defense can create a few key turnovers, The Bears could walk away with the win.

Week Five: The Carolina Panthers

If you've seen a highlight clip of Julius Peppers blowing up a backfield, this game will put that clip to shame. Look for Peppers to find the QB early and often in this game. He's going to have a new contract and an entire stadium full of angry Panther fans out for his blood. It's the perfect formula for havoc. And let's not forget Chris Harris will be on full alert this game as well, although there will be less boos in his direction.

Carolina has been busy this offseason... giving their players to the Bears. They are no doubt a weaker unit then they have been in the past.

*On a side note: I'd love to see how Jamar Williams plays if he starts. The guy is a beast.

This game has a simple strategy: stop DeAngelo Williams. It is possible that Matt Moore gives up his starting spot to Jimmy Clausen at this point in the season. Even if he doesn't, Steve Smith will be double teamed all day. They are going to be looking to run the ball. With a healthy Urlacher back in the lineup and Peppers coming off of whatever end he feels like playing that down, the Bears should have no problem returning to their old run-stuffing form.

If the defense stays healthy, I can't see Carolina moving the ball against them. I also predict trouble for the Bears to move the ball against Carolina through the air given they were fourth against the pass last year. They were 22nd against the run and without Harris, they look to be even weaker. Look for Forte to get a good amount of touches. This should be a low scoring game with the Bears on top in the end.

Week Six: The Seattle Seahawks

I might be the only person to think that the Seahawks' lime-green alternate jerseys are awesome, but I just don't care. Aside from that, the Seahawks haven't been very awesome. I see Pete Carroll being a bust. Especially in his first season. He should have stayed in the NCAA.

The Seahawks haven't established a solid running attack and have switched to a zone-blocking run game. Leon Washington is not an every down back and is coming off a leg injury. The Seahawks also released Lendale White. I'm not predicting a dominant running game from them. Deon Branch is barely a number two receiver anymore and Houshmandzadeh was shut down last year and will be again this year.

The Bears should have an easier time passing the ball than running the ball this game. Martz will find this game to be his favorite game of the year.

Week Seven: The Washington Redskins

I truly respect what the Redskins have done this offseason and it's obvious they are a much better team than last season. They have patched some holes in their offensive line as well as signing Donovan McNabb, Larry Johnson, and Willie Parker. The Redskins have the pieces to build a dynamic ground assault this year.

Again, this game will be about the Bears shutting down the run and making McNabb throw to a shaky group of wide receivers. It should seem clear why Chris Harris has to play strong safety at this point.

Last season, the Redskins were surprisingly better against the pass than they were against the run. This is where Chester Taylor is going to earn his keep. Fresh legs for Forte and Taylor will be the key to the Bears running down the field. Look for the Bears to run the ball more this game and set up more play actions for large chunks of yards.

Week Nine: The Buffalo Bills

Not much has to be said about this game. The Bills really struggled last season even when they had Terrel Owens. They have QB issues and have yet to find a compliment to receiver Lee Evans. Their best option is to run the ball with Fred Jackson, Marshawn Lynch, and draft pick C.J Spiller. This is something the Bears will be practicing to defend all week.

On the other side of the ball, the Bills surprisingly ranked second against the pass last year and 30th against the run. The game plan will be much like against the Redskins except this week will be executed much easier. It will be up to Cutler to manage this game and let the backfield deliver its one-two punch.

Weeks Ten and Fifteen: The Minnesota Vikings

There really is no question that No. 4 is going to be back in purple again this year. I know that no Bears fan has forgotten the outstanding win against Minnesota last season. Cutler out-dueled the old gunslinger and made every fan feel like he should have played that well all season long. Chris Williams completely shut down Allen all game. Devin Aromashodu looked like a go-to guy. Adrian Peterson was a butterfingers. It was by far my favorite game of the season.

The Bears know how to prepare for the Vikings since they play them twice a year. Aside from some horrid games, they usually focus on holding Peterson to low yards. The game will be all about how the secondary will hold up.

Some of you may recall when the Vikings played Carolina last season and Peppers mauled Brett Favre so bad that Brad Childress wanted to pull Favre out of the game. Expect Peppers to be in the backfield and causing problems. This will take pressure off the secondary.

The Vikings have questions in their secondary and they were exposed last season because of it. The Bears have won before and can definitely do it again.

Week Eleven: The Miami Dolphins

Everyone has expectations that are far too high for the Dolphins. Yes they have Brandon Marshall, but so did Kyle Orton who is much better then Chad Henne at this point in their careers. Henne is unproven and looked awful at times last year. He had 12 TDs and 14 interceptions in 14 games. Maybe by this time in the season Henne and Marshall will be on the same page, but I'm willing to bet it won't be enough to send either guy to a Pro-Bowl.

Miami does their best work on the ground. The wildcat will be something the Bears must stop on its first attempt. That is how the Dolphins frustrate a team and win their games. They are the only team to really run it effectively. Smart play and high awareness on the Bears defense will be key to stopping Miami on offense. Additionally a good match-up to watch will be Peppers and Jake Long.

Miami lost Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, but signed Karlos Dansby. Dansby is a bit overrated in my book. The Dolphins are still lacking depth at corner back as well. Miami was was weak against the rush last season and look to have gotten weaker. Also, they ranked 24th against the pass and look to be around that ranking again. The Bears can win if they don't get fooled and work the ball through the air.

Week Twelve: The Philadelphia Eagles

Does anyone else remember this goal line stand (picture)? Brian Westbrook was hurt and Correll Buckhalter ran three straight times from the one-yard line and was stuffed all three times to give the Bears a 24-20 victory. It was tough to be an Eagles fan that day.

As much as some fans might disagree, the Eagles are rebuilding. They got rid of all their veteran play makers. They lost McNabb, Westbrook, Sheldon Brown, Witherspoon, and Jeremiah Trotter to name a few. Stewart Bradley is back, but he's already gotten hurt during OTAs drills. It is unclear if he is fully recovered from last season. Where are the leaders of that defense?

Kevin Kolb had a couple good games last season, but against sub-par teams. He is very unproven. He may play well or if Vick can stay out of trouble long enough, he may give his job to him. The Eagles are not as scary as they once were. LeSean McCoy isn't an every down back either. The Eagles do have good coaching and that is the only thing that will make them competitive this year.

The Eagles still have a good front four and were stout against the run last season. The Bears will win this through the air. This will be Forte's game to shine. He should find success running the ball to the right side of the field, but he will find much more from catching passes and screens. The Bears have played the Eagles tough the last two years in a row now and the scores have both been 24-20 with a win for each team. I'm expecting a larger margin of victory for the Bears.

Week Fourteen: The New England Patriots

There really is no denying the strength of the Bears' schedule this season. Luckily, the Patriots have been on a downward slope the past few seasons.

Their team is full of veterans and some are getting into their last few seasons. Most of the players on the offensive line are 30 and older. They never seem to run the ball effectively.

Besides all that, they make it work. New England has been solid on defense and prolific on offense for years. That is some fine coaching. Let's just hope that age starts to catch up to them.

If the Bears want to win this game, Peppers and Tommie Harris must be on fire. Tom Brady proves time and again that blitzing him can be very costly. And let's all hope that Wes Welker is still not back to his old form by this time in the season. The front four have to get it done on their own. Dropping everyone into coverage and generating immense pressure will pay off.

Despite losing a lot of veteran playmakers on defense, the Patriots are still a very strong defensive team. Running in this game won't be easy for the Bears. Just ask Vince Wilfork. The guy plugs holes by simply falling down. Also, the Patriots are about as good against the pass as they are against the run. There are going to be many dump off's and passes out of the back field this game. I'd expect to see some trick plays or possibly a wildcat formation come busting out of the Martz playbook for this game as well considering Miami has shown it to work against the Pats. This game will be one of the tougher games of the season.

Week Sixteen: The New York Jets

I have to say, I love Rex Ryan. Some people find the guy to be a joke, but you have to like what he does on the field. Not to mention the personnel he has signed this offseason. Antonio Cromartie, Jayson Taylor, Brodney Pool, Ladainian Tomlinson, and Santonio Holmes. The Jets defense is going to be a machine for sure. However, their offense may not be so good.

Mark Sanchez was not good last season statistically. He had 2,444 yards, 12 TDs, and 20 interceptions. Great things usually aren't expected from rookies. the Jets better pray "sophomore slump" doesn't exist in the dictionary for Sanchez. The balding wheels of LT and gaping hole at LG won't help mask poor play by Sanchez.

This game will be a battle of the defenses. It will be up to the Bears defense to give its offense good field position and create turnovers.

The Bears offense consists of many 5-7 step drops. This could be a HUGE problem with the blitz packages Rex Ryan is capable of. Cutler may be rolling out of the pocket more often this game. It's important for him to not throw picks and give the defense a chance to breathe on the sidelines. If the Bears have longer possessions then the Jets on offense, they could find themselves winning this game.

Conclusion

The Bears are in a make or break year. The coaching staff is well aware of this and broke the bank trying to keep their jobs. It could take more than 11 wins for the Bears to be the leaders in the NFC North since the division is so tough. If the defense stays healthy, the Bears will still make the playoffs.

My optimistic predictions are as follows:

Week One: win by more than one possession
Week Two: loss due to lack of experience with new offense
Week Three: loss by less than one possession
Week Four: win by close/high-scoring margin
Week Five: win and multi-sack performance by Peppers
Week Six: in by two possessions or more
Week Seven: win due to poor Redskins offense
Week Eight: bye week
Week Nine: win by large margin form the legs of Chester and Forte
Week 10: loss by one possession or more
Week 11: close win
Week 12: win due to Eagles being in a rebuilding stage
Week 13: win sweeping the Lions
Week 14: tough loss with lots of passing yards for both teams
Week 15: close win due to desperation to make playoffs
Week 16: tough loss in a very low scoring game
Week 17: tough loss to make the Packers champs of the NFC North

I can see the Bears going 10-6 and making it into the playoffs next season. If they don't, well... at least Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo will be gone.