Bears game 1: Sunday Sep. 12 vs DET on Fox

[rawaction]

A ranking of 29th is ridiculous. Barring a huge injury, I don't know how people figure we're going to be worse this year than in 08 and 09. In 08 we made almost made the playoffs with a lot worse of a team (on paper anyway) than this one. Last year we finished 7-9 with 2/3 of our starting LBs out, a QB who led the NFL in INTs, and a RB with a bad knee.

 

Yeah the schedule looks pretty tough, but I like to think of it in three categories:

 

Must wins: Lions, Seahawks, Redskins, @Bills, @Lions. I'm going to say they go 4-1 in these games, with the loss coming at home versus Washington.

 

Tough but winnable games: @Giants, @Panthers, @Dolphins, Eagles, Jets. Not buying the Eagles or Giants yet, and since I'm assuming a loss in the five "easy" games, I'm going to say 3-2 here.

 

All around difficult games: @Cowboys, Packers, Vikings, Patriots, @Vikings, @Packers. I'm saying we split with one of Green Bay or Minnesota and get swept by the other, while splitting the games against Dallas and New England. So, 2-4 here.

 

So that's a 9-7 record and flirting with a wild card. Not unreasonable at all.

 

I picked the Giants last place in the NFC East. That defense is not very good. 40 points allowed in 3 of the last 4 weeks, with only 2 sacks in those games. The only good game was against a Washington team that was injured and quit. The Jets could easily be one of the "all around difficult" games. I'm sure most fans and those around the league feel that way.

 

I think the key is winning at home. A couple of very mediocre Bears teams the last 2 years, despite being only a .500 team, has gone 11-5 at home. And a couple of those games were really tough losses like TB early in 2008 and the GB and Philly games last year. Win 6 home games and they should be sitting pretty. Win 5 and they should have a shot to compete.

[Wilson A2000]

The Bears are a better team than last year. But the league is getting better as a whole which could result in a better Bears team actually losing more games than 08 and 09. The Bears haven't had good draft picks the last two years and that can really slow down a team in a league where you get better through the draft and not through trades. Plus the Bears have a tough division and have to play the NFC East.

[hawkeyecub]

they have one listed on their website

 

Any chance Major Wright could be a SS? Wright and Harris seem to be the best tandem or safeties talent wise.

 

I think he could be. He loves to hit in run support. I think Harris at SS and Major at FS makes the most sense at the moment if Wright can get up to speed coming off the injury.

 

Also on this http://www.chicagobears.com/team/depthchart.asp it says Kellen Davis is the backup TE while Manumaleuna and Dez are the fullbacks. That's kinda weird isn't it?

Probably because the Bears didn't want to be the only team in the NFL to keep four freaking tight ends on the roster.

 

I'm not sure about anybody else but the Colts have four tight ends. Techically they have 5 listed on the roster but 1 is only the long snapper. But the other 4 will all be used primarily at tight end.

 

The Vikings also have 4 TE's on the roster. Wouldn't be surprising if one of them is released in favor of another WR in the near future though.

[Magnetic Curses]

any interest in tony ugoh?

[JimSorgi]

any interest in tony ugoh?

I'm pretty sure he's out for the year.

[ELCABALLO45]

they have one listed on their website

 

Any chance Major Wright could be a SS? Wright and Harris seem to be the best tandem or safeties talent wise.

 

I think he could be. He loves to hit in run support. I think Harris at SS and Major at FS makes the most sense at the moment if Wright can get up to speed coming off the injury.

 

Also on this http://www.chicagobears.com/team/depthchart.asp it says Kellen Davis is the backup TE while Manumaleuna and Dez are the fullbacks. That's kinda weird isn't it?

Probably because the Bears didn't want to be the only team in the NFL to keep four freaking tight ends on the roster.

 

I'm not sure about anybody else but the Colts have four tight ends. Techically they have 5 listed on the roster but 1 is only the long snapper. But the other 4 will all be used primarily at tight end.

 

Packers have 4 as well.

[Guest]

So maybe I was off on thinking four tight ends is too many. :D

[jersey cubs fan]

Peter King had the Bears 32/32 before their 2005 11-5 season, so these predictions have little correlation to the actual season results. The only thing they are good for are retroactively seeing what the general public opinion of a team was before the season started.

 

I'm fairly certain that was Dr. Z.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Bears are a better team than last year. But the league is getting better as a whole

 

Is that even possible? It's the NFL, where everybody knows a team can turn it around quickly so everybody is more likely to think a crappy team can be much better going forward. But a lot of the recent good teams are going to be worse. 2009 playoff teams are going to be drafting in the top half next April. Division winners are going to miss the playoffs.

[Banedon]

Peter King had the Bears 32/32 before their 2005 11-5 season, so these predictions have little correlation to the actual season results. The only thing they are good for are retroactively seeing what the general public opinion of a team was before the season started.

 

I'm fairly certain that was Dr. Z.

 

Yep. Crazy as he could be with his rankings, I liked them a lot better than Don Banks'.

[Guest]

A lot of these predictions are probably based on preseason games, which is a really bad way to make predictions. The Bears were winning the first game of the season when the starters were removed. They were tied in two others, if I recall correctly. Several starters sat in favor of guys trying to win jobs out of camp. Winning is secondary in the preseason to answering the questions that need to be answered at each position.

 

You also don't bring out your full arsenal or bag of tricks in preseason. There is absolutely no way this team is 29th in the league in talent. I'd probably actually rank them at the bottom end of the upper half, or basically somewhere right in the middle of the pack.

 

The defense is better just by being healthy. They are better by adding Julius Peppers. The safety and cornerback blitzes (which we know the Bears love to do) will be more effective when the offense is using two guys each to hold off Peppers and Tommie Harris. The linebacking crew is WAY better than what was being thrown out there last year. My only real concern on defense will be the defensive backfield. Hopefully more pressure on the QB will force throws before plays have time to develop.

 

On offense, the only concern is really how well the offensive line holds up. The receivers all have a year under their belts. The running attack is stronger than last year, and Cutler can easily improve on his '09 season just by throwing less interceptions. Aromashodu didn't even enter the equation last year until the last quarter of the season. Knox is becoming a legitimate go to guy. Oh, and I won't see Turner's ugly face calling plays anymore. That alone makes the offense better.

 

Maybe I'm drinking the koolaid, but I like this team and I like a lot of the players on this team. Tough schedule, but I'm looking forward to a good season. I expect a bit of bottled up rage built up in Urlacher to come spilling out this season on opposing running backs and QB's.

[jersey cubs fan]

The defense is better just by being healthy. They are better by adding Julius Peppers. The safety and cornerback blitzes (which we know the Bears love to do) will be more effective when the offense is using two guys each to hold off Peppers and Tommie Harris. The linebacking crew is WAY better than what was being thrown out there last year. My only real concern on defense will be the defensive backfield. Hopefully more pressure on the QB will force throws before plays have time to develop.

 

I think you are grossly overstating the defensive skill set. I think the Harris trade is going to be a bust. The guy wasn't that good when they let him leave and he wasn't that good when he was gone and he's barely good enough to start for this team. Peppers is here but he replaced the 2 best defensive ends from last year, offsetting much of that improvement. The other end is not very good. Tommie Harris is working off several years of excuses about injuries long in the past and has a long way to go to ever deserve the credit he is given by people who assume this defense is still potentially top notch. Having Urlacher back is great, but that's the only real clear cut improvement of talent, but even he is long past his prime. This defense is coming off three straight very disappointing seasons and hasn't added a single young starting caliber talent to the roster. I see very little chance for this defense to be better than average, and with all the pressure on old guys to step up and be the difference, I could easily see a decline. You should be concerned with every level of the defense.

 

On offense, the only concern is really how well the offensive line holds up. The receivers all have a year under their belts. The running attack is stronger than last year, and Cutler can easily improve on his '09 season just by throwing less interceptions. Aromashodu didn't even enter the equation last year until the last quarter of the season. Knox is becoming a legitimate go to guy. Oh, and I won't see Turner's ugly face calling plays anymore. That alone makes the offense better.

 

Again, the line is hardly the only real concern. The receivers have a year under their belts, in a different scheme. And experience isn't the only thing that matters. It's possible they will step up, but they haven't yet. The running back position is strong only because they changed backups, but whether the running attack is better is still a question. People are hoping for the return of what was a grossly overrated Forte from 2008, when his sub 4 yard per carry average did not impress. And the very weak line also plays a part with that problem, not to mention an OC who doesn't care much about the run. This is the unit that at least has a chance of being very good, but they could also be very bad, especially with that piss poor line.

 

I'm not predicting a 12 loss season or a top 5 draft position, but the range of what this team might do is huge. The defense is out of excuses, has been bad for years and only upgraded incrementally at best. The offense may or may not gel in year 1 of a new system and the special teams aren't what they used to be. I could see 10 wins, I could see 10 losses. If they did go 5-11 I wouldn't be that shocked but an 11 win season wouldn't be that crazy either. It all depends on the offense and the offense depends on Cutler and the receivers compensating for a bad offensive line.

[ConstableRabbit]

Simmons picking the Bears to go 3-13? That's just annoying.

[Soul]

5-11 wouldn't shock me at all.

 

3-13 sounds a little extreme to me.

 

9-7 also sounds possible, though not probable.

 

It's wide open, but really only wide open within the realm of mediocrity. Looking at it that way, I would say prepare for some decent highs this season but also a lot of frustration and most likely no football come January in Chicago.

[ConstableRabbit]

I had cautious optimism going into the season. Then, they looked bad in preseason and got a lot of really negative press. Now, I'm half expecting them to come out and hang 48 on Detroit.

 

Can't wait for the season to start so I can know what to believe.

[jersey cubs fan]

I had cautious optimism going into the season. Then, they looked bad in preseason and got a lot of really negative press. Now, I'm half expecting them to come out and hang 48 on Detroit.

 

Can't wait for the season to start so I can know what to believe.

 

That's why I don't get the 6.5 point spread. It's been bet like the smart money knows the Bears are going to destroy them.

[Magnetic Curses]

i think the bears win but don't cover and i think suh breaks out with 3 sacks and a forced fumble.

[UMFan83]

3-13 seems a bit extreme even for the most pessimistic of Bears fans.

 

Lovie Smith has never had worse than a 5-11 record, and that was in his first season when a ton of injuries destroyed a young team learning a new system. The last time the Bears finished a full season with just 3 wins was 1973, back when they only played 14 games in a season.

 

I find it really hard to see this Bears team as currently constructed, not good enough to finish better than 3-13.

[JonJayCutler]

Simmons picking the Bears to go 3-13? That's just annoying.

 

Perhaps he's assuming that Cutler goes down early due to horrible protection. In that case, 3-13 is possible if not likely.

[Magnetic Curses]

yeah, people seem to be forgetting the bears have a qb of cutler's caliber, at the very least.

[jersey cubs fan]

KSK is doing their NFC North, ummmm, let's call it preview

 

I found this entertaining

 

Five Fast Facts About The Bears:

 

- Jay Cutler is dating “The Hills’” Kristin Cavallari. This factoid represents the entirety of The Big Lead’s knowledge of the Chicago Bears.

- Lovie Smith has challenged the previous fact.

- Having been burned by Matt Forte last year, there’s almost zero chance he doesn’t run for 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. I’m already working myself into a homicidal lather just thinking about it.

- Lovie Smith has challenged the previous murderous fantasy.

- The Bears are now out of challenges.

[Soul]

Well, at least nobody will be able to say the Bears couldn't handle being "the hunted" instead of "the hunter."

[ELCABALLO45]

The Bears might be the hardest team to figure out this year. I have them at 7-9 but it would not surprise me if they won more.

 

I think a lot will come down to staying healthy (obviously) especially on the defensive side. And keeping Cutler off his back. Not really ground breaking news or analysis.

[hawkeyecub]

The Bears might be the hardest team to figure out this year. I have them at 7-9 but it would not surprise me if they won more.

 

Easily. I have absolutely no idea what to expect of them. 7-9 sounds about right but 10-6 wouldn't surprise me.

[WrigleyField 22]

KSK is doing their NFC North, ummmm, let's call it preview

 

I found this entertaining

 

Five Fast Facts About The Bears:

 

- Jay Cutler is dating “The Hills’” Kristin Cavallari. This factoid represents the entirety of The Big Lead’s knowledge of the Chicago Bears.

- Lovie Smith has challenged the previous fact.

- Having been burned by Matt Forte last year, there’s almost zero chance he doesn’t run for 1,500 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. I’m already working myself into a homicidal lather just thinking about it.

- Lovie Smith has challenged the previous murderous fantasy.

- The Bears are now out of challenges.

haha, thats good