Are The Chicago Bears Set To Be Contenders in 2011?
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 11, 2011 9:01 PM CDT
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PrintApril 11th is far too early to know what the Bears will look like in September, much less in December. Predicting what a team can do in a season before free agency or the draft have even taken place is a fool's dream. So why write this article now? There is a method to my madness. Follow me to the clearing at the end of the jump to discover that method...
OK, friends. The point of this post is not to try and use some Ditka-endowed divining rod to determine the 2011 fate of Our Beloved Bears. I'll leave that sort of premature silliness for Dionne Warwick or Miss Cleo or The Bleacher Report. It's just not my thing. So why the title? Because answering the question isn't the topic. The question itself is.
It seems to me that there are an awful lot of people that believe that the Bears are going to fall flat on their faces if they don't get this free agent or that draft choice. Wide receivers, offensive linemen, 3techs and corners must be had for 2011 to be successful.
I don't deny that improvement in these areas is not only desirable but necessary to improve the teams a whole. The offensive line is understaffed, Tim Jennings was a stop gap and Charles Tillman is aging, our receiving corps is without a star and Matt Toeina isn't starting material. Additionally, The Manatee was a disappointment, Chester Taylor was less that effective and the strong side LB spot is manned by a glass soldier and the Bears won't have Hunter Hillenmeyer any more to pick up the slack and it's possible that they won't have Nick Roach any longer either. There is certainly room for improvement on the Chicago roster.
But that being said, I am stunned at the level of neediness that is attributed to the Bears by sports writers, TV talking heads and by the team's own fans. The Bears were seven points back from the Super Bowl in 2010, but you would think that they were chasing the Broncos and Panthers for the top overall pick in the 2011 Draft. The pessimism is just staggering.
Last season, Chicago had a new defensive coordinator. The defense improved. This wasn't a scheme change, but better management and coaching. Rod Marinelli did a better job running Lovie Smith's defense than Smith himself did, for whatever reason. THe offense was also under new management. And this WAS a new system. The results were more impressive than the statistics would indicate. Especially when Matt Forte was used effectively, the Bears offense was better. The offensive line, of course, was a problem, but even that seemed to come together a bit towards the end of the season as Mike Tice adjusted personnel and assignments to fit the Bears needs. And the line responded.
Would better tools lead to a better product? Of course. If Tice could manage to pull together the line last season with the atrocious personnel he was provided with, imagine what he could do if he had a couple of high talent young linemen to work with from this year's draft, or a couple of high value FA linemen, or a combination of the two. And if Martz managed to coach Cutler and company up while dealing with that attrocious line and trying to learn a complex new offensive system on the fly, what could he do with a decent line and a shiny new #1 receiver?
But what I don't understand is the dire forecast for the Bears if they don't produce a whole bunch of new quality talent? Will not another year in this system improve Cutler, Knox, Bennett, Olsen and Forte by virtue of repetition alone? Will not the offensive line improve and gel by the same virtue? Didn't the Bears defense dominate with the current personnel?
I'm not advocating business as usual. I would love to see Tice, Martz and Marinelli given some new, high talent toys as much or more than anyone. I'm just asking why the Bears will fall flat if they don't succeed in improving by addition?
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I'll keep this short and sweet ....
…. Yes we will be contenders .
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 11, 2011 9:12 PM CDT reply actions
We definately are a team that is very competitive right from the gates
As I agree with Midway we indeed are going to be contenders
However to truly get back to the promised land we must accomplish 3 goals:
1) Improve the O-Line
2) Add a differance maker into our WR Corps
3) Find our next great 3 tech DT, and add depth to the DT corps in general
There are countless ways of achieving these 3 objectives, if you ask me these are the best realistic options for each situation:
1) Sign LG Carl Nicks, then draft a good Tackle in the draft
2) Sign a WR such as Santonio Holmes (made a whole post describing why)
3) Sign DT Cullen Jenkins to be the 3T, retain Anthony Adams, then draft a real stud who can play either nose or 3T to add depth and potential (wouldn’t hurt to get bigger as well)
Again everyone has their ideal scenario and until September comes we will not know what our final roster will look like. Additions and subtractions will take place throughout the offseason, so we can only wait and see.
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Apr 11, 2011 9:24 PM CDT reply actions
I think by taking care if goal 1,
then 2 will take care of itself. The best asset our receivers have is their speed. We did not have an offensive line that was strong enough to allow for a deep drop. If Cutler can take a deep drop and set before he throws then our receivers will be fine. I don’t think Santonio Holmes adds anything to our offense. I like rest of the suggestions though. I would like to add 2 starting lineman in this draft. Ideally, we trade down and get Ben Ijalana and Marvin Austin to fill two of your goals. This should still leave us with two third round pick to add another lineman
I feel that Santonio Holmes adds completeness to our offense as a WR
Fast, aggresive, disciplined route runner, physical and is a game changer.
Otherwise a trade down in this year’s draft is wise as unless a sure 1st rounder falls to us why reach when equal if not better value will be there in the early 2nd round.
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Apr 11, 2011 9:55 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't see how he is an improvement over Johnny Knox
I would rather see our players in their second year in the offense, than watch a similar player learning the offense. If he were to start, it would either push Bennett, who had a great end to the season, out of the starting lineup or push Hester out. Hester would become an overpaid return man in a devalued return game (because of the rule change). If we add a received I think size is more important that another smallish speed receiver.
I can see your point
I feel the real improvements with Santonio are route running and physicality, and perhaps hands as well.
As much as I want to see a WR in the mold of Calvin Johnson I really do not see too many realisitic options that are avaliable to us. Plus we have size with new comer WR Ansy Fantuz as well as proven size with Greg Olsen.
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Apr 11, 2011 10:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah
Fantuz intrigues me, but Rashied Davis makes me a bit worried about receivers from other leagues.
There is a big differance between AFL WRs and CFL WRs
And that is the size of the field, by a long shot. CFL WRs would be more preppared to play on an NFL field as opposed to an AFL WR who is only used to playing on 50 yards worth of playing surface.
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Apr 12, 2011 3:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Sorry :(
Here’s the Bad news Erik.
Nicks, Holmes and Jenkins are in the top 25 of FA’s out there.
I seriously believe Virginia would be hard pressed to sign just two of the three :(
Plus, don’t forget that this year we’ll need $$ to sign a First (and a Secound) round Draft pick.
No Dinero Amigo :(
pbanachi
We may have enough money to sign all of them, we definately want someone or some people otherwise we would not have been stocking up on money.
If not there are numerous options we could role with, as a ton of players will be available both in the draft and FA.
Anyways we have been shocked before, as well as with Jerry and management stating the Bears will be active this year in FA. Cullen Jenkins has been mentioned as a top target, I wonder/hope the other two ( Holmes and Nicks ) are targets as well.
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Apr 12, 2011 3:41 PM CDT up reply actions
We're a .500 team that got incredibly, amazingly, stupidly lucky last year.
Calvin Johnson. Thigpen. 18 penalties. Third string QBs. Ware being an idiot. Webb (though he was probably better than Favre at that point).
Our defense is solid, but they’re no longer spectacular like they have been since 2004. As much as I hate to say this, age and injury are taking over at our strongest positions, and our weakest positions have gotten weaker over time. We need an upgrade at DT, CB2, and at least one Safety, and having some young blood at LB and DE would be fantastic.
Our offense is terrible. But that’s for one reason, and one reason alone. Offensive line. There is tons of talent, youth, and (paradoxically) experience at every other position on the offensive side of the football. But to call our offensive line horrendous would be an insult to all of the horrendous offensive lines that have existed in the NFL. This was historically bad offensive line play from every possible position and in every possible scenario. We desperately need replacements at all 5 offensive line positions, and we’re sadly not going to get those replacements as long as Jelly is in charge of our personnel.
So my expectations for next year? A return to norm. 8-8, or within one game thereof. Not good enough to actually be GOOD. Not bad enough to eventually GET BETTER. Just like the rest of our history.
Really ??? Lucky ???? Since when is ....
… a guy not completing a catch ( by the rules as they are written ) , a team not playing disciplined football and injuries become lucky ? We would have beaten Miami even if the starter was there and I would hope you’d know that . We also faced , and beat , Aaron Rogders , Tony Romo , Mike Vick & The Sanchise . And do you really think we’re gonna go into next season with zero changes to our O-line ? Come on man have a little faith .
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 11, 2011 10:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Spent too much time watching Jelly destroy this franchise.
Faith is on short supply right now.
If you don't think
the Bears got lucky in that Detroit game, then I don’t know what to tell you. The Bears were lucky that the rules were written and enforced as they were, because we blew the coverage, he caught the ball (by every definition except the NFL’s), and had the catch counted we’d have started 0-1.
We managed to be the healthiest team in the league (which is luck), and the schedule seemed to always set up favorably for us. Whenever we needed a break during the regular season last year, we got it.
We played the worst playoff team in the history of the league last year, at home, in the only game we needed to win to get to the championship game.
Yes, we beat Rodgers at home last year, but only because the Packers screwed themselves with penalties. They otherwise outplayed us up and down the field. Every time the Packers did something to beat us, it would get called back on a penalty, and whenever the Bears needed a conversion the yellow flag came out. I don’t think it was a conspiracy or anything, but it was fortunate for us.
The Bears have HUGE holes all over the team, and not little ones. We don’t have a competent group of receivers. We have one of the worst offensive lines in football. Our quarterback is inaccurate, has bad mechanics, and makes poor decisions. Our most important position on defense is filled by a halfback converted to defensive end coverted to defensive tackle where he’s enver played before. Our linebackers are getting old. Our secondary is full of holes.
We have some good things too—Forte is a bright spot, Cutler has the potential to be a top 10 qb, Peppers is a beast, Urlacher and Briggs are still playing at a high level.
But to me there are way too many problems with this team to think that anything over 8-8 is realistic (short of hitting a lot more draft picks than normal and making a splash in FA) or that last year was anything more than an anomaly.
DEJESUS!!!
So your tellin me that our whole season
… was just some luck ??? The Detroit game was a win period . Johnson did not complete the catch according to league rules and thus that removes the luck aspect from that game . Maybe Johnson needs to look a bit closer at the rule book .
Now the health thing was luck , we agree there .
And we beat the Packers because they did not play disciplined football . Thats not luck there bud its part of the game .
And huge holes all over the team ? Now you’ve gone strait from ridiculous speed to ludicrous speed there man . Do we have holes to fill ? Yes . Are they all over the team ? No . We could use some O-line help and some D-line help , but really thats about it . Our WR’s are solid ( I’d like to see them get a bit of help , but I’m good with the guys we got ) , our RB’s are solid , our QB is one of the best young QB’s in the league ( your Jay hate comes through loud and clear again ) , Melton can get the job done in a rotation , our LB’s are a bit old but still playing at a high level and our secondary is a solid unit ( no real stand outs but as a whole solid ) .
But to me there are way too many problems with this team to think that anything over 8-8 is realistic
Funny thats what folks said last season and how’d we do again ?
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 12, 2011 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions
Our DB group
is not solid. Charles Tillman is on the decline, we’re probably losing Manning, Jennings got exposed as the year went on, we haven’t seen if Wright can play, and there is no depth.
Cutler is not one of the top young QBs in the game. He has the potential to be there, but he’s not there yet. He has as good of an arm as any young qb in the game, but is lacking other areas. He looked like he might one day be among the best QBs, but made the expected improvements. That’s not Jay-hate, that’s objectivism. Jay Cutler is, right now, a very average QB leading a very bad offense. I love the Bears, but I can still make assessments about their faults. You, apparently, cannot.
We have one very good young RB. Taylor is washed up an ineffective (that’s why they’d even consider cutting him), Bell is a practice squad-tpe player, Unger is a question mark, and Wolfe is not a running back.
Our WRs are below average. We don’t have a number 1, we have a guy who could maybe become a number 2, and we have some number 3s/gadget WRs in Knox and Hester with upside (but not number 1 upside). Off the top of my head, I’d take the WRs from the other teams in the NFC north over ours, the Colts, the Texans, the Cardinals, the Niners, the Steelers, the Jets, the Ravens, the Eagles, the Cowboys, the Falcons, the Saints, the Bucs, the Giants and the Chargers over our group. I may have missed some, but that’s 17 teams that are well better than us, which makes us below average.
Our line needs more than help, it needs a complete overhaul. There isn’t a single above-average player on it, and some of the guys (esp Williams and Omiyale) don’t deserve a roster spot imo. Our O-line is one of the 3 or 4 worst in the league.
Our D-line has one of the best players in the game and a bunch of other guys who are borderline starters. Izzy did a solid job, but is nothing special on the field. Adams did a solid job at a non-premium position. We don’t have a competent 3-technique, which happens to be the most important position on the defense.
I try to be objective about my team and not a homer. If you’d prefer to delude yourself into thinking this team is one tweak away from the Super Bowl, have at it. They say ignorance is bliss, so you must be a pretty happy guy.
DEJESUS!!!
Ok man I've officially had enough ....
….. of your blind hate toward Jay Cutler . Cutler is going to be a great QB , when we get him some weapons and protection . Our WR’s are a solid group , but we need some size at the position & I guy Jay can trust to cover up some bad balls ( which every QB throws ) , you know guys that fight for the ball . The O-line is bad , but a complete overhaul is ludicrous . Webb played well for a 7th round rookie and will only get better , Chris Williams has the talent to be great now we just need to lock him down to a position so that he can learn it & adjust to it , Garza is gettin old but still is good enough to man the right side , Olin is old but can still play a few more seasons at a decent level , Omi may need to slide to the right side to fit our line but at the very least hes a solid swing type guy & lastly we need some solid depth behind whomever our startin 5 turns out to be . What you don’t seem to understand is that both these factors effect the QB in major ways . You say that Jay in not accurate ……. kinda hard to throw a ball with any accuracy when your gettin hit / sacked on every frickin throw . Another additive to the accuracy issue you speak of is the WR’s not fighting for the ball , finishing their routes & in general not protecting their QB . Now does Jay make some bad throws ? Yeah what QB doesn’t , but give him protection and guys that go get the ball and those few bad decisions could easily be erased .
Now to your defensive issues . Izzy is a good starter and while not special he goes out and does his job rather well ( you know he had as many sacks as one of the best players in the game right ? ) , Adams is a great run stuffer and does all the dirty work we ask of him ( he keeps our LB’s clean to go after the ball which is kinda of important to that thing called run defense ) , Melton has proved to be a solid rotation tpye player that deserves a shot to start , Wootton is solid enough & will get better as time goes on & Toeaina is a hustler that works well in a rotation . Peppers is what makes this line work at this point . While the 3-tech is important to our defense it can be overcame with solid pressure from other areas , say like defensive end . The secondary is solid there pal . Tillman is gettin old , but hes still a baller come game day , Jennings played solid ball all season & got " exposed " by the best passing team in the league ( like a bunch of other floks did …… you do know they beat some of the best corners in the league right ? Asante Samuel , DeAngelo Hall , Darrell Revis , Antonio Cromartie , Terrance Newman & Brent Grimes to name a few ) , Manning & Graham are RFA’s as of right now , Bowman is a solid back up and Wright is a solid enough player . While depth is an issue it can be fixed easily either through the draft or FA .
I too try to be objective when discussing my team , but your hate for Jay is known throughout several other posts so we’ll leave it at that . And when I say tweak its not just one , but rather a few minor tweaks . I choose to fix the flat tire rather than just throw it away like you would seem to prefer ( our O-line can be fixed without overhauling all 5 guys ) . And really are you that childish to start name callin man ?
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 12, 2011 3:06 PM CDT up reply actions 1 recs
Rec'd!
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Apr 12, 2011 3:45 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't know where
I called you a name.
I don’t hate Jay Cutler. I had VERY high hopes for him. He has been pretty underwhelming, unfortunately. Cutler apologists like to make excuses for him. His offensive line sucks. His receivers don’t fight for the ball. He’s in a new system, etc. All those things are true, but one unfortunate fact is none of those things were problems in Denver, yet statistically he was the same guy there. Same qb rating, same mistakes, same poor mechanics. The only thing he did better there was accumulate more yards and completions because they were always playing from behind. But statistically—same guy, but he had a premiere offensive line, great receviers, and a head coach that many feel is among the best offensive minds in the league. If his supporting cast is to blame here, why wasn’t he better there?
Webb was among the worst tackles in the league last year. Saying he “played well for a seventh round rookie”—not sure what to make of that. He was terrible, but with upside? That’s super, but let me know when he approaches being average. That day may come someday, but we’re not talking about how he MAY do someday, we’re talking about how good the line will be in September.
Chris Williams is horrible. They put him at left guard because he couldn’t hack it anywhere else, and he was awful. There is no spin there, he flat couldn’t play. If he starts anywhere on the offensive line Jay should sue the Bears. Same goes for Omiyale, though he wasn’t quite as terrible as Williams, who should be released.
Garza is serviceable but below-average, and Kreutz is perhaps close to average purely based on his ability to “quarterback” the offensive line, but physically his skills have seriously eroded.
Last, there are some serious inconsistencies in your logic. How can the offensive line just need tweaking, and the wide receivers be fine, yet they are responsible for Cutler’s problems?
But I’ll leave you alone and let you believe what you want, which is apparently that everything is rosy for the Bears and anyone who finds fault with the Bears “hates them”.
DEJESUS!!!
Um no.....
Cutler was not the identical QB in Denver. No, his QBR wasn’t the same. And the only thing he did better wasnt just to accumulate yards and completions.
Jay Cutler
Completion percentage: Denver 62.5, Chicago 60.5 (the difference between 19th in the league and 12th)
TD to INT ratio: Denver 1.46 Chicago 1.19 (That is a huge drop)
INT percentage: Denver 3.0 Chicago 4.3 (That’s the difference between 19th in the league and 30th)
Sack percentage: Denver 4.0 Chicago 8.2 (That’s the difference between 6th and 27th)
Yards per attempt: Denver 7.4 Chicago 7.0 (That’s the difference between 9th and 16th)
Funny thing is that Cutler’s INT percentage dropped every year he was in Denver, and then spiked when he got to Chicago.
The other funny thing is that you talked about how he’s the same QB with Denver as he is here, even with better weapons. Doesn’t that say something for how much improvement Jay has made individually? I mean, he was a Pro-Bowler in Denver……
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 12, 2011 7:33 PM CDT up reply actions
Jay Cutler's career ratings
were 88, 88, 86, 76, and 86. He’s the same guy.
DEJESUS!!!
You think QBR is the end all and be all of statistics?
honestly? The veil is removed.
just about every measurable statistic was better in Denver.
And you didn’t answer the question. If he’s the same guy with far inferior pieces around him, doesn’t that say that he’s actually better?
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 12, 2011 8:44 PM CDT up reply actions
Heres where the name calling came into play .....
They say ignorance is bliss, so you must be a pretty happy guy.
I think we all know what you were inferring with that , so yeah come on man . With that out of the way it looks like T-Train took care of one issue for me . With that out of the way now we’ll move on to other issues .
Last, there are some serious inconsistencies in your logic. How can the offensive line just need tweaking, and the wide receivers be fine, yet they are responsible for Cutler’s problems?Yes the O-line needs one or two new faces to get better . If that happens then the WR’s will be fine , not great but solid enough . Jay needs time to throw , thats what the O-line does is provide time for the QB to get the ball to the WR’s . Our WR’s are a solid group . Would we all like to see another playmaker in the group ? Yes , but as long as Jay has time to get the ball to them our WR’s are just fine .
But I’ll leave you alone and let you believe what you want, which is apparently that everything is rosy for the Bears and anyone who finds fault with the Bears "hates them".When did I say everything was " rosey " ? Also when did I say you hated the Bears in general ? My exact quote was ……
Ok man I’ve officially had enough of your blind hate toward Jay CutlerWhere in that statment do I ever infer that you hate the Bears in general ?
And just for you I am a very happy person , but ignorant I am not . ( thats for all the dumb folks , like me , whom couldn’t read between the lines of that witty statment )
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 12, 2011 7:49 PM CDT up reply actions
Calling someone
ignorant is not at all the same as calling someone dumb.
DEJESUS!!!
Yes , yes it is .
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 12, 2011 9:43 PM CDT up reply actions
That
is an ignorant thing to say.
DEJESUS!!!
Ok I'm offically tired of you and your ....
….. intellect comments . What nothing intelligent to say to you attempt to bag on someone else ? How pathetic .
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 13, 2011 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions
We were lucky, yes.
But so were the Patriots during at least two of their Super Bowl runs. Does that mean those runs don’t count?
So were the Colts when they got to play QB in the Super Bowl who forgot which team he was playing for. Does that mean they aren’t technically champs?
Every team gets lucky from time to time. What matters is if you take advantage of it. The Bears did, and were one Caleb Hanie mistake away from going to the Super Bowl.
To discount the accomplishments of the team because of luck, quite frankly, shows a lack of knowledge about the game that is being played out there.
In short, in life, as in a foot-ball game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard; don't foul and don't shirk, but hit the line hard!" Theodore Roosevelt
You mean one Mike Martz / Lovie Smith mistake away
If Hanie had the ball at 10:00 in the 3rd, we would have won, plain and simple. Todd Collins was NOT an NFL-quality backup last season, and everybody except Martz/Lovie could see that.
Can you honestly say that this team was even as talented as Atlanta, New Orleans, or the Giants last season? I can’t. Because we weren’t.
No
There’s nothing plain and simple about it. Yes, Todd Collins never should have been allowed anywhere near a game ball, but Hanie’s mistake was all on him.
As for talent… so what? Dallas fields one of the most talented teams year in and year out. New England and San Diego too. How’s that worked out for them the last few years?
In short, in life, as in a foot-ball game, the principle to follow is: Hit the line hard; don't foul and don't shirk, but hit the line hard!" Theodore Roosevelt
Good teams
put themself in position to win every year, but all teams need good health and maybe a little luck to win it all. The well-run teams like the Colts, Ravens and Patriots are in position to win every year. They don’t win it all every year, but you don’t see them going through extended periods of futility that poorly run teams like the Raiders and Chiefs went through, or periods of mediocrity than mediocre-ly (if that’s a word) teams like the Bears go through.
Nothing is guaranteed, all you can do is put yourself in the best position to succeed.
DEJESUS!!!
I said this before i think..
but we’re prolly lookin at around 19-0 right now… so after the draft, and post FA we are prolly set for three or four straight titles. i know, i know it sounds like i sell them short but i try to be as objective as possible
by GtM on Apr 11, 2011 11:21 PM CDT reply actions 3 recs
Rec'd for awesomeness!
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 12, 2011 6:31 AM CDT up reply actions
And you are in the green
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Apr 12, 2011 3:47 PM CDT up reply actions
The Bears are SB contenders...
and proved that even with the WORST O-line in football, they can find ways to win. That being said, there was just as much “good fortune” (luck) to their season last year. The Bears defense will likely lose a starter or 2 and the offense is not good enough to make it to the SB (as they showed in the NFCCG); close but no dice.
For the Bears to get to the SB they have got to be competitive with GB first and the other likely NFC contenders; Giants, Eagles, Saints, Falcons, (some unnamed team here). These teams are not getting worse, nor are they changing coaches/philosophies/playbooks. The Bears do need to add/replace talent at 3-tech., WR, CB, LT, LG, SS(?), SLB. They also need to add depth at LB and other positions to stay competitive.
The only notion that I really quibble with is the offense getting dramatically better in the 2nd year under Martz. Yes, they should make some incremental improvement, but to expect the same group to have a transcendent leap forward is not realistic. Especially if the Bears only add marginally to the offense with 2nd tier draftees and 3rd tier FAs, which is what i expect from JA in this draft/FA period.
I too am cautiously hopeful for this season and expect the Bears to be competitive, but there are issues that must be addressed in the next few months or they will end up in abject mediocrity for the next 4 years!
One thing I find funny......
It’s always easier to be a pessimist. With 32 teams in the league, the chances are much better for every team in the league that they won’t win a Super Bowl than that they will. So being a pessimist makes you look right more often. But I find it funny how the pessimists always pretend they are smarter as they take the easy road, as if a team not winning it all is complete failure. Losing in the NFCCG means you suck. It’s easier than looking around the league and seeing that 31 teams weren’t the SB Champion. Absolutes don’t exist, not even for the best teams. The Packers frequently looked bad last year, even in wins, but got hot at the right time and ended up the Super Bowl Champs.
Pessimism is the easy way out, gentlemen, and setting your opinion bar especially low then using the lack of a Super Bowl as evidence that all of your thoughts were right is just , well……..sad. I’m not saying that the Bears are there. But to listen to some, you would think that the Bears were 5-11 last year. Last season was a pretty successful season. There was no Super Bowl, but the team improved, the record improved, the Bears made the Championship game and ourt third string QB had us 7 points away from a Super Bowl.
(How come you don’t here the same pessimists who talk about Chicago being lucky this year and Chicago having to keep up with Green Bay next year talk about how lucky GB was that they got to play against Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie in the second half of the NFCCG?)
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 12, 2011 7:14 PM CDT reply actions
“How come you don’t here the same pessimists who talk about Chicago being lucky this year and Chicago having to keep up with Green Bay next year talk about how lucky GB was that they got to play against Todd Collins and Caleb Hanie in the second half of the NFCCG?)”
Because the Packers fared better against our starting qb than against our backup.
I’d prefer to be called a realist than a pessimist. And looking at the Bears objectively, they have a mediocre collection of talent. Perhaps they will catch lightening in a bottle and have things lined up favorably as they did this year, but I’d prefer the Bears organization be realistic about their flaws and how fortunate things worked out this year, and develop a plan to not rely so heavily on good fortune this year.
The Packers looked bad at times last year, but they could point to an inordinate amount of injuries to key players, and they still won. That is scary, and that is the bar the Bears have set for them in the division and in the league. The Packers are going to get back a ton of high-end talent next year without even considering free agency and the draft. So if the Bears or some fans think that they are only a BJ Raji pick-6 away from the Super Bowl next year without major acquisitions in free agency, a very successful draft, and a healthy season, they have their head in the sand, in my opinion.
DEJESUS!!!
Objectivity....
requires that you take into account facts that also go against your beliefs. Being that you tend to ignore anything counter to your argument (see the Cutler conversation above), I’d call you a pessimist.
The Bears made Aaron Rodgers look bad in the second half of the NFCCG. In other words, one bad half doesn’t make a game. Assuming that because Cutler didn’t have a great first half means her was doomed in the second half is, to borrow from your lexicon, head-in-the-sand logic, IMO. And while you quickly point out the luck aspects of the Bears season, you just as quickly dismiss the Bears making the MFCCG with the worst OL in the league, a sub-par receiving group and a OC who forgot the running game actually exists for almost half of the season. Do you really think those things won’t improve next year? Even with no additions, the line and the receiving corps will improve by experience. And Martz figured out the running game in the second half of the season. Think he’s going to go back to the formula that was getting Jay killed and losing games?
You analysisseems to ignore the fact that the Bears aren’t in stasis any more than the Packers are.
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 12, 2011 8:55 PM CDT up reply actions
You'll soon realize that having ...
… a conversation with Tomas21 is much like beating your head aginest a wall .
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Apr 12, 2011 9:45 PM CDT up reply actions
He's not without his fair points....
He’s passionate, just as we are. Some of us are persuaded by that passion to defend the inexcusable. Others are persuaded by that passion to attack the excusable. Two sides of the same passionate coin, really. Tomas21 loves his Bears, too. They just piss him off. I can relate.
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 13, 2011 6:20 AM CDT up reply actions
I think the Bears
will likely improve on offense (they have almost nowhere to go but up).
My concern about the Bears is that the defense played about as well as could be expected last year, and sustained no significant injuries. We have little depth throughout the defense. If we aren’t as fortunate in terms of player health, we’ll have a hard time repeating those results. Angelo has had terrible drafts the last few years, and the result is we have very little talented depth throughout the roster. That will change eventually, but it’s going to take time. In the meantime, we are quite vulnerable.
Second, the Packers are getting a major infusion of talent on their roster from players returning from injury, and they were already a better team than us. They also have a full complement of draft picks coming in, just as we do, and will have an opportunity to sign free agents if they choose. So a better, younger team is likely getting a bigger influx of talent. It’s hard for me to find reason to believe, short of luck, that we’ll be better than them next year.
Could we? Sure, anything can happen in the NFL. But I prefer my team put themselves in the best possible situation for success, and be realistic about it’s strengths and weaknesses. I don’t think Angelo and Smith always do that. They seem to always have a very high view of themselves and their roster, and get caught flat-footed when the offensive line can’t block, or the defense doesn’t play well without Rivera, or Grossman doesn’t improve, etc.
DEJESUS!!!
Other than the talent and depth thing I agree with everything you said here.
The Bears have more talent than you are giving them credit for, and the depth of this team is pretty standard. There are areas of concern……..on every team in the league.
I think a lot of the problem is that it’s hard to accurately judge the team you love against the rest of the league. We know more about the weaknesses of our Bears than we do abou t the rest of the leagues weaknesses and it tends to make us more critical.
Everything else you said there I think is golden.
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 13, 2011 5:59 PM CDT up reply actions
Yes
Cutler will have a Pro Bowl season, and Dilfer will still be a Dilfer about it.
Lifelong Arizona Cardinals/Phoenix Suns/Chicago Bears fan [I have always lived in Arizona, dad is from Chicago].
This is truthiness that hears poetry.....
“and Dilfer will still be a Dilfer about it.”
One of the best lines I’ve read in a while.
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Apr 13, 2011 6:22 AM CDT up reply actions
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