By The Numbers: Bears Receivers

Based on all that was stated in the off-season, one would think the Bears have one of the worst receiving corps in all of the NFL. However, based on the numbers through the first three games of the season, the Bears receiving corps is one of the top 10 receiver groups in the entire league.

Let's first look at what they have done so far. Devin Hester has 187 yards and 2 TD's. Earl Bennett has 168 yards and 0 TD's. Johnny Knox has 159 yards and 2 TD's.

This puts them on pace for:

Hester -- 997 receiving yards, Bennett -- 896 receiving yard, Knox -- 848 receiving yards.

Olsen and Forte are on pace for 496 and 315 receiving yards respectively.

Also, Knox and Hester and are tied for second in the league with 2 TD's a piece, behind only Marques Colston of New Orleans.

Terrell Owens had zero catches while playing the entire game against New Orleans. In fact, he only has 5 total receptions and 98 yards and 1 TD. So, if the Bears don't have a "Number One" receiver then what is TO? Does potential talent make somebody a number one wide receiver? Does current production make them a number one wide receiver? Or does past production make someone a number one wide receiver?

Based on last years end-of-year stats, Devin Hester's pace for this year would put him ahead of guys like Eddie Royal, Bernard Berrian, DeSean Jackson, and T.J. WhosYourMomma. In fact, on receiving yards alone, Hester is ahead of Tim Hightower, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. Tim Hightower actually leads Arizona in receptions with 20.

I know this is all through 3 games, but I find it hard to believe that receivers make the QB, rather than vice versa. If the receiver did make the QB, then why did TO have ZERO receptions? Why does he have only 5 receptions on the year? Better yet, why are Knox, Bennett and Hester all on pace to have about 850 or better receiving yards? Why are Hester and Knox just a TD away from the league lead?

All of this tells me that Jay Cutler is making our WR's look a heck of a lot better than they would with someone else as the QB. And we have played 3 really tough defenses so far. Seattle had given up just 23 points in two games before the Bears came into THEIR HOUSE and put up 25 in one game. Pittsburgh is no pushover on defense either, even with Polamalu out. And Green Bay looks at the very least, to be a solid defensive unit.

Remember folks, we still have games against the Rams, 49ers, Browns, Cardinals, Falcons, and Lions (2x). All of those teams are in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed.  Both the cardinals and the Lions give up around 280 yards a game.

By contrast, the Seahawks have allowed only 175.3 passing yards per game, the Packers have allowed 207 passing yards per game, and the Steelers have allowed 212.7 passing yards per game.

Against those teams Cutler has thrown for 277 (at Green Bay), 236 (vs. Pittsburgh), and 247 (at Seattle).

So, in two of those games Cutler threw for more than 70 yards better than what the teams have allowed on average.

It is a small sample size, especially with the Bears equating for one third of the the numbers against those teams, but if anything that plays into the Bears favor statistically because those teams are even better when you don't include the above average passing yards the Bears put up on those teams.

All in all, the Bears receiving corps seems to be in the top half of the league stat-wise, and I see them only getting better as the season goes on. Cutler also has yet to throw against some of the shoddier defenses in the league.