2011 NFL Predictions: 10 Reasons the Chicago Bears Can Win the NFC North

After winning the NFC North last season and finishing only one game away from the Super Bowl, The Chicago Bears enter this NFL season with high aspirations.

With many new faces and old pieces still in tact, the Bears should be ready to compete at a very high level this upcoming season.

The Chicago Bears have their eyes set on a division championship, and here are 10 ways they can achieve that goal.

10. Marion Barber

Although many think Marion Barber is past his prime, there is one thing nobody can deny: The guy knows how to get tough yards. Barber will be an instant upgrade for the Bears on short yardage and goal-line situations.

While the Bears may continue to have offensive line struggles, a running back who loves to create contact first with defenders can be a huge asset. Let's face it, who wants to try and tackle a 230-pound running back when he's running full steam ahead?

Although Barber will mostly take a backseat role to Matt Forte on the depth chart (and most likely beat out Chester Taylor), expect Barber to take on the role as a touchdown vulture and help the Bears turn many red zone appearances into points.

9. Veteran Defense

For the past decade—and most of the franchise's history—the staple of the Chicago Bears has been their defense. The Bears are going to need another strong effort from their defense this year if they want to repeat as division champs.

In order to run Lovie Smith's Cover 2 defense, the Bears need intelligent and athletic players who are accustomed to running this style of defense.

The Bears return Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman, who have been icons of this Chicago Bears defense the past several years. It also doesn't hurt that the Bears have arguably the best defender in the NFL—Julius Peppers—to give opposing offenses plenty of trouble.

After allowing the fourth-least amount of points per game last season at 17.9, the Chicago Bears will need to receive consistent performances from their defense if they want to contend.

8. Roy Williams

For the past few seasons, fans have been calling for the Bears to go out and get a big receiver; now they finally have one. This offseason, the Bears went out and signed Roy Williams to a one-year, $1.5 million deal.

A lot of people think Williams, like Barber, is past his prime, but regardless, he will be an instant upgrade to the Bears' receiving corps. Chicago has been lacking a big-time red zone threat for a few seasons, and they finally have one for Jay Cutler to throw to.

Williams is now reunited with offensive coordinator Mike Martz, with whom he had two of his best seasons of his career in Detroit. In 2006, Williams caught 82 passes for 1,310 yards and seven touchdowns.

He will not instantly become one of the best receivers in the league, but Williams' large frame and familiarity with a Martz offense will give the Bears a type of receiver for whom they have been looking for quite some time.

7. Devin Hester's Return Ability

The Chicago Bears can brag about one thing no one else in the NFL can: They have the greatest return man in league history. Devin Hester made it official last year when he set the all-time NFL record for combined kickoff and punt returns for touchdowns.

An instant threat any time he touches the ball, Hester is one of the best weapons the Bears have on their roster. Whether he is actually returning the ball or simply causing teams to kick the ball out of bounds because he is on the field, Hester puts the Bears in great field position all the time.

Hester had three touchdowns on returns last year, which forces opposing teams to game plan around him. To quote Chicago Bears radio play-by-play man Jeff Joniak, "Devin Hester, you are RIDICULOUS!"

6. Matt Forte Is an Elite Running Back

Pending the Bears and Forte solve the contract issues they have been having, the Bears walk in to the 2011 season with one of the best running backs in the league on their side.

Since joining the NFL three seasons ago, Forte has the fourth-most yards from scrimmage in the NFL with 4,731. He trails only Chris Johnson (5,606), Maurice Jones-Drew (4,795) and Steven Jackson (4,783).

If you ask me, that's some pretty good company to be in a conversation with.

Forte averaged a career-best 4.5 yards per carry last season, which is a very good average for a starting running back in the NFL. Not only can Forte run the ball, but he is also one of the best receiving running backs in the NFL with his 171 receptions over the past three seasons.

One of the most overlooked, yet valuable, aspects of Forte's game is his ability to hold on to the football. Forte did not fumble the ball once last season, which the Bears will need more of this upcoming season if they wish to contend.

Watch out for Forte to have a big year this year and doubt his critics who say he is not an elite running back in the NFL.

5. One More Year Under Mike Martz's Offense

Success in a Mike Martz-led offense is obtained only through repetition and timing. After struggling to pick up the intricacies of Martz's schemes, the Chicago Bears' offense should be more comfortable in their second year.

Jay Cutler's rapport with his receivers has grown since Martz's arrival last summer, and they get better each and every day. Roy Williams' familiarity with Martz's schemes will also ease the transition of the free agent to Chicago.

As the receivers begin to run more precise routes, work on timing and Cutler becomes more familiar with the various three, five and even seven-step drops in Martz's system, the Chicago Bears' offense should click.

When the Bears have an offense that is clicking and a defense that is doing what they have done for the past decade, the Bears are going to be a very, very tough team to beat.

4. Julius Peppers

Last season, the Chicago Bears were playing the Philadelphia Eagles, and late in the game, Michael Vick had a scramble to the right side of the field. Vick was closing in on a crucial first down the Eagles desperately needed, but was stopped short due to the incredible athletic ability of one man: Julius Peppers.

Peppers hit his man on the line, then had the awareness to run down Vick and manage to trip him up. I'll go ahead and repeat that one more time: He ran down Michael Vick. Not many people can say they have done that, but there are not many people like Julius Peppers.

Although this was just one play, it is an example of the athletic ability and value Peppers brings to this Bears defense. He is the type of player opposing teams need to game plan for every week, which often results in him being double and even triple-teamed on most plays.

With only eight sacks last season, Peppers' statistical value was not as high as it was in previous years, but ask any member of the Bears' defense how good this guy is, and they won't be afraid to tell you. Expect Peppers to be just as good this year and most likely add to that sack total.

3. Jay Cutler Is Ready to Silence His Critics

After a disappointing and controversial performance in the NFC Championship game last season, Jay Cutler is back and ready to silence his critics.

Cutler has looked great this year in camp and has drawn praise from Mike Martz on the work he put in during the offseason on the various drops from under center. When the lockout officially ended, Cutler was the first Bear to show up for practice.

Cutler will be in his second year of the Mike Martz offense and will be more comfortable in the various sets they will run.

With a healthy knee, expect Cutler to throw the ball around the field to various receivers and maybe even find a new best friend in Roy Williams.

2. They Are the Reigning Champs

In sports, you are the champ until someone takes the crown from you. Even though the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl last year, it's important to remember that the Chicago Bears were the NFC North champions.

The Chicago Bears were 11-5 last season, which was good enough to win them the division and also a first-round bye in the postseason.

With a great combination of defense and special teams, the Chicago Bears won the division outright.

The Bears know the team standing in their way will be the Green Bay Packers,—and maybe even the upstart Detroit Lions—but they will not be intimidated. The Bears want to win the division, but better yet, they expect to win the division, and that is what they are trying to do.

1. They Have a Bitter Taste in Their Mouth

After knocking the Bears out in the NFC Championship game, the Green Bay Packers went on to win the Super Bowl and enter this season as many experts' pick to win it all again.

If there is one team that is not going to be intimidated by the Packers, it's their bitter rivals, the Chicago Bears.

Every player and every fan in the city of Chicago still has a bitter taste in their mouth from the NFC Championship. The Bears are now ready to show the rest of the league that if a few things went differently in their last game of the season, they could have been the ones that held up the Lombardi Trophy.

The Chicago Bears are still looking for their first championship since the legendary 1985 team, and they are hoping this year is the next one.

To lose in the playoffs is bad enough, but to be knocked out by your division rivals in the NFC Championship had to have burned in the minds of every Bears player all offseason.