Chicago Bears Bye Week: A Look at the Numbers and the State of the Bears

What better time to assess a team's performance so far in 2011, than a near mid-season bye week. While the Chicago Bears rest and heal any bumps and bruises, nine games remain between another playoff berth for the Bears, or an extended vacation in the off-season.

Going into their Week 8 bye, Chicago sits at 4-3, comfortably in third place in the NFC North. If the season were to end now, the Bears would be in the playoffs as one of the wild card teams.

With a string of four consecutive tough opponents, the Bears will look to build on their modest two-game winning streak. After a trip to Oakland in Week 12, the Bears get three very winnable games in a row: Kansas City, Denver, and Seattle.

The Bears are still trying to find an identity on offense. With the struggles of the offensive line, this has been difficult to achieve. The defense has played very well the last two games, and hopefully for the Bears, that will continue.

To this point in the season, it looks like the familiar blueprint of past Chicago teams, which is winning with defense and special teams. Offense is secondary, as is evidenced by the front office's either lack of interest in drafting talent, or their apparent lack of ability to do so.

A look at some key individual and team statistics should reveal where the Bears' weaknesses lie. It appears that 2011 will be another roller coaster of a season for Chicago fans, with the Bears trying to stay above the middle of the pack. In today's NFL, that usually means playoffs.

While the statistics that are used throughout this article are not comprehensive, they should shed light on the Bears' strengths and weaknesses thus far in 2011.

Jay Cutler, QB, 1,702 passing yards, 9 TD, 6 INT, 84.0 Passer rating, 59.1 percent completions

Cutler can't be any more average than he is now. His passer rating puts him 16th in the league, while his yards passing, touchdowns, and interceptions have him 12th in the league. With 59.1 percent of his passes completed, he ranks 23rd. The entire offense needs to share in that relatively dismal number.

Cutler's passes are frequently hurried because of the poor pass blocking. His mechanics are also absent on some plays as well.

Matt Forte, RB, 672 rushing yards, 2 TD, 5.4 average yards/carry, 0 fumbles, 38 receptions, 419 yards, 1 TD

It used to be said that if Jay Cutler goes down with injury, so go the Bears. While that's still probably true, the same can now be said about Matt Forte. The offense pretty much flows through him. He has 1,091 total yards through seven games, on pace to shatter his 2008 rookie season when he accumulated 1,715 total yards.

Forte ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards, and first in receiving yards for a running back. The soon-to-be franchise-tagged Forte continues to perform at a high level every week. He is vital to the Bears success on offense, and their constant quest to find offensive balance.

Johnny Knox, WR, 19 receptions, 348 yards, 0 TD, 18.3 yards/catch, 49.7 yards/game

By a wide margin, Matt Forte is the Bears' leading receiver with 38 receptions. Johnny Knox is tied with Dane Sanzenbacher with 19 receptions on the year, good for 86th in the NFL. Based on a minimum of 15 catches, Knox is eighth in the league in yards-per-catch average.

Knox has the 74th most targets in the NFL (35). For a wide receiver that has shown some big play ability in the Bears offense, and on special teams, Cutler needs to get him the ball more often. Along with Devin Hester, Knox has the speed to be a consistent big play threat. The Bears just need to find a way to block for Cutler, so Knox can have a greater impact going forward.

Julius Peppers, DE, 17 tackles, 4 sacks

Peppers sits at 22nd in the NFL with 4 sacks. In the first four weeks, he definitely did not look like the player who wreaked havoc on offenses in 2010. This could be chalked up to a short training camp, as well as decent game plans against Peppers.

The last two games have shown what Peppers can do. The key to the Cover 2 defense is the ability of the Bears to pressure opposing quarterbacks. A dominant Peppers should help the Bears return to the playoffs.

Brian Urlacher, LB, 41 tackles, 3 interceptions, 1 TD

The Bears' 12-year veteran has continued his great play, carrying over from 2010. His speed on defense helps keep opposing quarterbacks in check. He ranks 45th in the league in tackles, while Lance Briggs is 13th with 55.

Urlacher was a dominant force in the last two games.

The Bears offense, 337 yards/game, 17th overall, 29:52 average time of possession/game, 19th.

The Bears have made strides in the last two weeks on offense. It hasn't looked pretty at times, but with the running game now an effective part of their attack, the Bears are at least holding on to the ball longer. Their time of possession did take a hit in London, as Tampa Bay's offense was on the field for most of the second half, apparently tiring the defense.

The Bears need to be more consistent in having sustained drives on offense.

The Bears defense, 380.6 yards/game, 24th overall, 21.4 points/game, 20th overall

The big problem for the Bears defense has been their lack of ability to prevent the big play. New Orleans, Detroit, and Carolina put up huge numbers on the Bears D.

The Bears looked to be on the right track after a dominating performance against Minnesota, and the defense looked like their old opportunistic selves against Tampa Bay in Week 7.

With continued blitz packages thrown into the play-calling mix, as well as creating turnovers, the defense should continue their improved play.

Chicago Bears, 4-3, third place NFC North

The Bears remain in the playoff hunt going into their bye week. The team has shown improvement on both sides of the ball since Week 5, and with some continued tweaks on offense and defense, they should remain competitive with a chance at making the playoffs.