Key To Success For The Bears? Score More Points

Gone are the days where defence wins championships. Today's NFL is all about scoring points; and lots of them. That's not to say that having a strong defence won't increase your chances of success, but it's no good if you don't have an offense that can put points on the scoreboard. The Bears have never really scored heavily, but this season they have every chance to change that, and change they must if they want to play with the big boys.

Last season the Bears averaged 22.1 points per game. This put them in 17th place overall in terms of points scored.

NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers were first on the list with a mighty 35 points per game. I don't care what team it is; if you are scoring that many points a game, there's a good chance you can win every game.

The next two teams on the list are the Saints and the Patriots with 34.2 and 32.1 points per game, respectively. What's the one thing these top three teams have in common? An elite quarterback, if not the best three QBs in the NFL. And a receiving corps to match.

Now, do the Bears possess enough talent to rack up 30 points a game? I would have to say no. I just don't see them doing it. For the years 2007-2010, the Bear's highest average for points per game was just 23.4. The main difference coming in the 2006 Super bowl year, where the Bears finished second overall with a hefty 26.7 and a 13-3 win loss record.

Now this type of scoring seen in 2006 is more achievable for the Bears than the kind of points Brady, Brees and Rodgers put up. Cutler has his strongest supporting cast since he joined the Bears, and if we get the type of production we are all hoping for from Brandon Marshall, we could see Chicago greatly increase their scoring this season.

Look at a team like the New England Patriots as an example. They seem to be perennial visitors to the playoffs, and they are consistently one of the highest scoring teams in the league. Going back to 2005, they haven't ever been lower than 10th place in regards to points per game. Coincidence? I think not.

I am sure one can easily find exceptions. There are bound to be teams that make the playoffs without scoring that highly. But over a long period of time, this tends to be the exception.

There will also be teams that score well, but don't finish with that many wins. The Carolina Panthers had a 6-10 record last year, but were fifth on the list with an impressive 25.4 points per game.

So as much as I appear to now be contradicting myself and demonstrating what a lot of people already think; that being statistics are meaningless, I stand by the belief that scoring heavily translates into wins which translates into playoff berths.

It's simple when you think about it. You have more chance of winning games if you can score 30 points a game as oppose to just 20.

And can the Bears improve on their 22.1 points that they averaged last year? If they don't, then someone is doing something wrong. The time is now for Chicago to become an offensive heavyweight and a serious contender for the Super bowl.