:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/23167427/133621650.0.jpg)
Through out the last decade or so the Chicago Bears fielded inept offense, after inept offense, after inept offense. All the while their defense was cashing checks and breaking necks. The defensive legacy of Doug Atkins, Richard Dent, Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Doug Plank -- to name a few -- lived on through the Bears of the 2000's.
It was a fun time for Bears fans, as we were mostly competitive, even making a run to Super Bowl XLI
In that game, which is still as fresh in my mind as the day it was played (2/4/07), our Beloved fell short to the Colts 29-17. It was the Bears' inability to get anything much going on offense that doomed them, as they were 3 of 10 on 3rd downs. Rex Grossman threw two picks, and our boys in Navy and Orange also lost three fumbles. Five turnovers from the Ron Turner coordinated offense.
Oh sure there were some issues on the D, namely allowing Indy a lot of yards on the ground, but they kept being put in a bad place by the bumbling O.
Flash forward to 2013...
The offense is a thing of beauty, while still being a work in progress, which is a conundrum in and of itself. The Trest Coast Offense -- still not sure if that's a thing -- has been one of the top O's in the NFL. This year we have the 10th most yards in the NFL after scraping near the bottom of the barrel last season.
Also in 2012, the points scored for our Bears was 16th place, and if you can recall that number was boosted by a virtual cornucopia of defensive touchdowns. This year, while still having a few defensive tuddys, the Bears are 3rd in scoring.
Be honest now, did you actually expect Marc Trestman to have the Bears scoring at a clip of nearly 30 points per game, 28.8 ppg to be exact?
Which brings me to my point.
The timing of this offensive explosion couldn't be worse, as the Chicago D of 2013 is allowing 27.4 points per game. So we think it's high time for Chicago GM Phil Emery to dip into the past to reinforce the present. Why wouldn't some Chicago faces of yesteryear be ready, willing, and able to sign up to help a defense that is in desperate need of help?
We add a handful of bodies that can come in and add not only their skills, but their much needed experience. Our very own version of the Over The Hill Gang would be able to play in spurts, give just enough of an oomph to the current D, and help get our offense back on the field where they can amass a copious amount of points.
How excited would these retired Bears be to play with Marshall, Jeffery, Bennett, Forte, and Cutler, instead of Terrell, Salaam, Manumaleuna, Berrian, and McCown? It'll be exactly what these old timers have been looking for. A good O to compliment their stellar D.
And as you can probably expect, the #1 guy we need is the last great middle linebacker to don the iconic "C" for our beloved, Brian Keith Urlacher. His knowledge of the defense is ethereal, and he would provide an instant veteran leader on a team that is lacking Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs.
Sticking with the linebacker position, it's evident that we need someone that can get after the QB, and who better than Rosevelt Colvin? You may be thinking, 'Um, hows about Wilber Marshall?', and to that we say 'Come on man, Wilber Marshall is 51 years old!', and while we'd love old #58 blitzing and wreaking havoc, that's just not very realistic.
Rosey has a couple Super Bowl rings, and he still works in the Midwest as an analyst with the Big Ten Network. He would be a great fit to add some pass rush from the strong side linebacker spot.
But we need more than just LB help, which is why signing defensive end Alex Brown and defensive Tackle Anthony "Spice" Adams makes perfect sense. Sign these two up, line these two up, and watch them immediately help the Bears run defense. Double A could double as team comedian, and Brown can also rush the passer. You do remember his 4 sack game against the Giants? Both are working for Chicago radio, so they no doubt are readily available, and know the current Bears personnel.
Safety play got you down, well then look no further than Mr. Mike Brown. He was last seen in 2009 playing for the Chiefs, but with a few years to heal and rest his lower body, he's probably ready for another go-round in the Chi. His heady play is exactly what our back end needs to get our D back in the top 5 where it belongs.
Speaking of the secondary, we could do worse than the sharp dressed Jerry Azumah, so we say sign him too.
And just because we figure go big or go home, we'll bring back Ted Washington and Keith Traylor. Slap those two big fatties in the middle and dare teams to run.
Yeah, we know what you're thinking, "Why didn't we think of that?" It's because that's just how we roll. We're all outside the box thinkers.
With five defensive starters on injured reserve, and our Pro Bowl OLB still sidelined, drastic measures are needed.
We need to take advantage of this offensive window of success, and we need defensive reinforcements.
Bear Down my friends...
Bear Down...