5 Biggest Reasons to Believe the Chicago Bears Will Make 2011 Playoffs

The Bears will make the playoffs this season.

Many are questioning the Bears' chances of making the postseason after the loss of quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken thumb after the Bears' Week 11 contest with the San Diego Chargers.

Further casting doubt for some was the performance of backup quarterback Caleb Hanie in his first NFL start last Sunday against the Raiders.

But the Bears' playoff future is not in as much peril as advertised. 

While it may make for fantastic media drama, the truth is that all signs point to the Bears having a favorable route to a wild card spot.

The Bears have the will, the ability and the means to make their own destiny and continue playing beyond New Year's day, and today we're going to take a look at the five biggest reasons to believe the Bears will make the 2011 playoffs.

Defense

Why wait to the end to tackle the obvious?

The Bears' defense is among the biggest reasons, if not the biggest reason, that Chicago will find themselves battling in the playoffs.

The veteran defense knows how to take control of a game and after a troubling first five games where the defense gave up 24.4 points per game, the defense has stiffened and allowed just 18.3 points per game.

The team's bend-don't-break scheme is a turnover creating machine that has produced more turnovers in Lovie Smith's tenure than any other team in the league in the same time-span.  The Bears currently rank third in the league in turnovers, third in interceptions and fourth in fumble recoveries.

While the Bears defense allowed 25 points Sunday, they also stopped the Raiders offense on four of five red zone possessions, including three drives that Oakland worked their way inside the Chicago 10.  Oakland found their way inside the Chicago 25 seven times and managed only one touchdown against the Bears defense.

This defense gives the Bears offense a chance in every game, altering field position and keeping the score within reach.

Special Teams

The Bears special teams unit is arguably the best all-around group in the league, featuring the leagues third most accurate kicker, all time, a former pro-bow punter and the best return man in NFL history.

While the points this unit scores are definitely important, the field position afforded by Podlesh, Gould and the coverage units might the the biggest boost this team gets.  Driving on short fields and defending long fields makes winning games far easier.

Often lost in the yardage this team gives up it the amount of yardage opposing offenses need to score.  The same is true for offensive yardage.  Consider this: The Bears rank sixth in the league in points, but 16th in yardage.  While some of that is due to points scored on defense and special teams, much of it shorter fields provided by the special teams unit.

Add to that the points this unit scores and the accuracy and recently increased range of Kicker Robbie Gould and you get a ST unit that keeps this team in games even when they are under-performing.

Rushing Attack

The bears passing game doesn't have to lead the offense.  It just has to do enough to keep defenses honest against the Bears dual-headed rushing attack.

The running game can carry the Bears offense.  It has in he past and it will again.

Matt Forte has been in a sort of a slump lately, but that can't last long.  Forte is dynamic in space and is one of the best one-cut backs in the game.  He also has the ability to turn the flat and screen passing games into extensions of the run.  

And during Forte's slump, Marion Barber has stepped up to make up production.  Barber is a power back with few equals in the league and his vicious running style is the perfect yang to Matt Forte's yin.  As a short yardage back, Barber can move piles.  But even as an every down back, Marion the Barbarian slashes his way to big gains and makes second and third downs easier for the entire team.

The running game is capable of hoisting this offense up in its shoulders and carrying it to wins. 

Non-Offensive Scoring.

We touched on this in a previous slide, but the Bears can score when the offense isn't on the field.

The Bears lead the league by a large margin in non-offensive touchdowns scored.  With two punts, one kick, three interceptions and one fumble returned for touchdowns, Chicago scores in all phases of the game.  

This offensive help from the defense and special teams units takes a lot of pressure off of the offense and gives other teams more to game plan for than just offensive scoring.

Expect the Bears to add to their already impressive non-offensive TD total and for the Bears to capitalize on them during the run up to the playoffs.

Schedule Ahead

The Bears will also benefit from arguably the easiest remaining schedule of any of the likely wild card contenders.  

The Bears face the Chiefs, Broncos, Seahawks, Packers and Vikings to finish out the season. The packers are obviously the toughest game ahead.  

But the Chiefs will start Kyle Orton against the Bears, and Orton has little knowledge of their playbook and few reps with their receivers.  

The Bears follow that up with Tim Tebow and the Broncos, in a game that should prove to be difficult for Tebow. The Bears have a highly successful record against ultra-mobile quarterbacks, and know how to shut down a player like Tebow.

The Seahawks aren't exactly world-beaters, and without the advantage of Quest Field will have a big uphill climb against Chicago.

And the Vikings will have little to play for, other than being spoiler in the season finale. That's not a role they are well equipped to play.

Meanwhile, the rest of the field must play other wild card contenders from the NFC, including the Saints playing the Falcons, and the Lions and the Giants and Cowboys facing each other twice.

The Giants have to tangle with the Packers, while the Lions must face the Raiders and Chargers. 

In all, the Bears played the toughest portion of their schedule early while their wild card competitors seem to be entering their toughest stretches now.

This can only help Chicago, as potential wild cards knock each other off.