Chicago Bears Sit in a Good Position to Return to the Playoffs and More in 2011

The Chicago Bears were surprise winners of the NFC North last season. They made it all the way to the NFC Championship game before losing out to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers.

Despite a season that will be viewed by many fans as a success, the veteran-laden Bears' roster must write it off as a failure. The Bears are a team that is built to win now.

Veteran leaders on defense such as Lance Briggs (30), Julius Peppers (31) and Brian Urlacher (33) are at the back ends of their respective careers. The Bears' defense was an imposing unit in 2010, finishing as the fourth stingiest team in the league.

This was never a certainty before the season. The team's secondary outplayed its expectations and Brian Urlacher's return from injury was never a guarantee before the season. Julius Peppers' attitude after signing his lucrative contract was also a question mark, as he was a player that supposedly took plays off in Carolina.

This year, the team doesn't have as many question marks. The drafting of Gabe Carimi should ease the poor pass protection on offense, at least as a right tackle. He may not be the greatest pass protector, but he is an improvement over what the team had.

The Bears' biggest need is a wide receiver, which points to the overall quality of the team. They should be able to add a receiver in free agency, but even with their current quartet of pass catchers, the team has enough talent to complement Jay Cutler.

The Bears are in the perfect position to take the NFC North crown once again for reasons outside of their control. The NFC North is shaping to send the Bears to the playoffs because of the state of their three main rivals.

While the Green Bay Packers looked like the world champions they eventually became in last season's playoffs, they have issues that don't appear obvious at first.

Mike McCarthy was lauded for his efforts in winning the Super Bowl with a seemingly endless list of injuries to several key players. McCarthy has just as big a job ahead of him ahead of this season in managing the team's chemistry as those stars return.

There is no doubt that the Packers will have an unbelievably talented roster next season. However, the team's chemistry and identity may take a hit as players like Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley look to return from serious injuries. Also, Nick Barnett already looks to have one foot out the door, while Donald Driver and Chad Clifton—who are both key offensive players—should finally start to show their age.

The Packers will be the Bears' greatest rivals for the NFC North and likely will remain the bookmakers' favorites. However, most teams suffer a season removed from the Super Bowl, which is often referred to as a hangover, so it will come as no shock if they don't reach the heights of last season.

Another team that has repeatedly been considered a playoff contender over the past few seasons is the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings looked to have accepted their need to enter a transition period with the drafting of Christian Ponder. However even if that is not the case and the Vikings bring in a veteran from another team, there is no guarantee that he can carry them to the playoffs.

Sidney Rice's determination to test the free agent market indicates that he will look to go elsewhere, while Bernard Berrian is a ghost of his former self. The team's offensive line is no longer the dominant unit it once was, as age creeps up on some of their key players.

Even if the Vikings do bring in a stud at quarterback, the likelihood is that their defense will curtail their chances at winning the division.

The Vikings have always relied on their defensive front seven to carry their defense in the past few seasons. The "Williams Wall" of Pat and Kevin face a suspension, first of all. However even without considering that their play dropped off last season, a team that is perennially ranked amongst the top three defenses against the run finished ninth overall last season.

This would have been fine except for the fact that the defense ranked 18th overall, giving up 21.8 points per game. The Vikings have an average secondary that relied on the dominating performances of the defensive line to make them look better.

At 33 years old, Antoine Winfield is surrounded by reliable but unspectacular players in Asher Allen, Hussain Abdullah and Madieu Williams. Winfield's play has been in decline the past few seasons, but he remains the best player of the group. When you factor in the possibility of several other defenders leaving in free agency, then the Vikings' defense is no longer a unit to fear.

While the Vikings arrow is definitely pointing downwards, the Detroit Lions arrow is pointing towards the playoffs. Towards, but not quite there just yet.

The Lions acquired a lot of talent in the draft, adding explosive pieces such as Mikel Leshoure, Nick Fairley and Titus Young. While these players will obviously improve the Lions' team, they do not fix the Lions biggest problems.

The team is still without a stud left tackle. Jeff Backus is solid but unspectacular, while Matthew Stafford must be kept upright if the team is to contend, despite Shaun Hill's good showing last season. But the team really struggles defensively.

While the addition of Fairley and the return of Cliff Avril will give the team an abundantly talented defensive line, the Lions have serious issues at cornerback and a lack of talent at the linebacker position.

The Lions finished last season with Nathan Vasher and Chris Houston as their starting corners. Alphonso Smith will likely return to the starting lineup but despite his improvement in Detroit, he remains a less than stellar defender.

While every team in the NFL has some issues, the Chicago Bears have less issues than most approaching next season. Further improvement along the offensive line is needed, but the team can overcome that weakness as they did last season, while a new wide receiver should arrive in free agency.

The 2011 NFL season is set up to be a battle between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears for the NFC North crown. The Bears sit in a good position to return to the playoffs, and this time, they will be looking to go at least one step further than they did last season.

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