2015 Bears Offseason (Foxy new Head Coach page 104)

[JonJayCutler]

Yes, and that's just the way I like it. In fact, both the 2001 and 2005 division titles came off relatively low expectations with 5-11 campaigns the previous year. We also won 9 in 2008 when most picked us to win 4 or 5.

 

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about the season. I think 7-9 or 8-8 is the most probable outcome, but if a few breaks go our way I wouldn't be shocked to see 10-6. I think people will be pleasantly surprised at how much more effective White/Royal is over Marshall/Wilson, and I think Fangio's unit will surpass Tucker's rather quickly. Not as if that should be hard.

 

Regardless of how it ultimately goes, I just have a strange feeling we knock off GB in Week 1.

[Butterscup1679666578]

I think the Hawks winning the Cup + the Cubs being watchable has had a big impact on it for me, but yeah I have little to no interest in the Bears right now. I'll get more into it as the season approaches I'm sure, but I think they're going to be really bad. Predicting 5-11. I also didnt renew Sunday Ticket this year for the first time in two or three years.

[jumbo]

Yes, and that's just the way I like it. In fact, both the 2001 and 2005 division titles came off relatively low expectations with 5-11 campaigns the previous year. We also won 9 in 2008 when most picked us to win 4 or 5.

 

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about the season. I think 7-9 or 8-8 is the most probable outcome, but if a few breaks go our way I wouldn't be shocked to see 10-6. I think people will be pleasantly surprised at how much more effective White/Royal is over Marshall/Wilson, and I think Fangio's unit will surpass Tucker's rather quickly. Not as if that should be hard.

 

Regardless of how it ultimately goes, I just have a strange feeling we knock off GB in Week 1.

 

I want to invite you to my poker game...

I love to dream that they'll beat Green Bay but over the course of my lifetime I've conditioned myself to expect to be humiliated by them no matter what. I would definitely give you wacky odds on the game if you were a betting person

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think. The Bears have a capable starting QB, and a number of offensive weapons to go with him, including a new WR that can stretch the field.

 

The defense cannot be as bad as last season, even if the new scheme were to play blindfolded.

[Guest]

Yes, and that's just the way I like it. In fact, both the 2001 and 2005 division titles came off relatively low expectations with 5-11 campaigns the previous year. We also won 9 in 2008 when most picked us to win 4 or 5.

 

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about the season. I think 7-9 or 8-8 is the most probable outcome, but if a few breaks go our way I wouldn't be shocked to see 10-6. I think people will be pleasantly surprised at how much more effective White/Royal is over Marshall/Wilson, and I think Fangio's unit will surpass Tucker's rather quickly. Not as if that should be hard.

 

Regardless of how it ultimately goes, I just have a strange feeling we knock off GB in Week 1.

 

I want to invite you to my poker game...

I love to dream that they'll beat Green Bay but over the course of my lifetime I've conditioned myself to expect to be humiliated by them no matter what. I would definitely give you wacky odds on the game if you were a betting person

 

Yeah, pretty much, Rodgers owns them.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

Beauty on the NFL is that even a 8-8 type team is usually in the hunt late into the season, so it makes for invested football viewing for most of the season. All those mediocre 8-8 Lovie years left us with only a couple games that didn't have playoff implications.

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

 

today jason goff said (paraphrasing) "it's ok to get excited about the bears season even with a team that's gonna win 6 games on the high end"

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

Beauty on the NFL is that even a 8-8 type team is usually in the hunt late into the season, so it makes for invested football viewing for most of the season. All those mediocre 8-8 Lovie years left us with only a couple games that didn't have playoff implications.

 

Lovie had one 8-8 year. :-"

 

2011, when we started 7-3 and then lost Cutler.

[Guest]

Yes, and that's just the way I like it. In fact, both the 2001 and 2005 division titles came off relatively low expectations with 5-11 campaigns the previous year. We also won 9 in 2008 when most picked us to win 4 or 5.

 

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about the season. I think 7-9 or 8-8 is the most probable outcome, but if a few breaks go our way I wouldn't be shocked to see 10-6. I think people will be pleasantly surprised at how much more effective White/Royal is over Marshall/Wilson, and I think Fangio's unit will surpass Tucker's rather quickly. Not as if that should be hard.

 

Regardless of how it ultimately goes, I just have a strange feeling we knock off GB in Week 1.

 

I want to invite you to my poker game...

I love to dream that they'll beat Green Bay but over the course of my lifetime I've conditioned myself to expect to be humiliated by them no matter what. I would definitely give you wacky odds on the game if you were a betting person

 

Yeah, pretty much, Rodgers owns them.

 

Fangio hasn't lost to him (obviously much better talent). Let's pretend it'll be like when we brought Lovie in and suddenly figured out Favre.

[Banedon]

Yes, and that's just the way I like it. In fact, both the 2001 and 2005 division titles came off relatively low expectations with 5-11 campaigns the previous year. We also won 9 in 2008 when most picked us to win 4 or 5.

 

I'm actually cautiously optimistic about the season. I think 7-9 or 8-8 is the most probable outcome, but if a few breaks go our way I wouldn't be shocked to see 10-6. I think people will be pleasantly surprised at how much more effective White/Royal is over Marshall/Wilson, and I think Fangio's unit will surpass Tucker's rather quickly. Not as if that should be hard.

 

Regardless of how it ultimately goes, I just have a strange feeling we knock off GB in Week 1.

 

I want to invite you to my poker game...

I love to dream that they'll beat Green Bay but over the course of my lifetime I've conditioned myself to expect to be humiliated by them no matter what. I would definitely give you wacky odds on the game if you were a betting person

 

Yeah, pretty much, Rodgers owns them.

 

Fangio hasn't lost to him (obviously much better talent). Let's pretend it'll be like when we brought Lovie in and suddenly figured out Favre.

 

I haven't looked it up, but it seems like when we've had success against the Packers, it's been early in the season.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

Beauty on the NFL is that even a 8-8 type team is usually in the hunt late into the season, so it makes for invested football viewing for most of the season. All those mediocre 8-8 Lovie years left us with only a couple games that didn't have playoff implications.

 

Maybe if those 8-8 teams are battling for a bad division titles, but aren't most of the wild card winners 10 win teams? If you are actually an 8-8 team and aren't in a crappy division you may be technically in the race but it's usually behind multiple teams and with no real hope. Last year's AFC had four 9-7 teams that didn't qualify and the NFC had a 10 win team that I believe was eliminated before the final week. The year before there were six 8-8 teams that all missed the playoffs. If you are on the way to 8-8 your playoff implications depend heavily on stupid tie breakers that usually weed out most teams before the end anyway.

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

Beauty on the NFL is that even a 8-8 type team is usually in the hunt late into the season, so it makes for invested football viewing for most of the season. All those mediocre 8-8 Lovie years left us with only a couple games that didn't have playoff implications.

 

Lovie had one 8-8 year. :-"

 

2011, when we started 7-3 and then lost Cutler.

~ish - what was it a few 7-9 and 9-7 years too?

[Guest]

When have we had success against the Packers?

 

The one "good" game I remember us having is the one we blew at the end of 2013.

 

Unless you're counting the McCown game against Seneca Wallace. That was in November, though.

 

 

EDIT - This was in response to Brandon

[Banedon]

Just went and looked at the individual games, and clearly I'm making things up in my head.

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

Beauty on the NFL is that even a 8-8 type team is usually in the hunt late into the season, so it makes for invested football viewing for most of the season. All those mediocre 8-8 Lovie years left us with only a couple games that didn't have playoff implications.

 

Lovie had one 8-8 year. :-"

 

2011, when we started 7-3 and then lost Cutler.

~ish - what was it a few 7-9 and 9-7 years too?

 

Yeah...I know they went 9-7 in the Orton year...but that never felt like an 8-8 type year because they were going for 10-6 and a playoff spot on the last day.

 

7-9 in 07 and 09...Neither of those teams "felt" mediocre either. They felt shitty and I never thought they really had a chance after a few weeks (09 right away because of the Urlacher injury in Week 1).

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

Beauty on the NFL is that even a 8-8 type team is usually in the hunt late into the season, so it makes for invested football viewing for most of the season. All those mediocre 8-8 Lovie years left us with only a couple games that didn't have playoff implications.

 

Maybe if those 8-8 teams are battling for a bad division titles, but aren't most of the wild card winners 10 win teams? If you are actually an 8-8 team and aren't in a crappy division you may be technically in the race but it's usually behind multiple teams and with no real hope. Last year's AFC had four 9-7 teams that didn't qualify and the NFC had a 10 win team that I believe was eliminated before the final week. The year before there were six 8-8 teams that all missed the playoffs. If you are on the way to 8-8 your playoff implications depend heavily on stupid tie breakers that usually weed out most teams before the end anyway.

It depends on the year definitely, but typically the best 9-7 team is gonna be the second wildcard team, so even playing .500 football into week 15 keeps you in the hunt without necessarily needing crazy stupid tie-breaker luck.

 

Even if we're in the hunt in week 13 (6-6) were ahead of last years team and keeps us more invested into Thanksgiving. Last year by Thanksgiving you were already at the crazy tie-breaker scenarios.

Edited July 17, 2015 by WrigleyField 22

[Guest]

I think there's a lot of upside in this offense that's going unseen/ignored. It's basically the weapons that were supposed to be some of the best in the league going into last year before injuries fucked everything up, except speedy Kevin White instead of gimpy Brandon Marshall (obviously there's more to that comparison than that but I'm going all rose colored glasses here for fun). Also Royal in the slot should be a nice upgrade. Then Alshon and Bennett obviously. And whatever Forte has left in the tank. That's still a really nice mix of weapons if you ask me.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think there's a lot of upside in this offense that's going unseen/ignored. It's basically the weapons that were supposed to be some of the best in the league going into last year before injuries [expletive] everything up, except speedy Kevin White instead of gimpy Brandon Marshall (obviously there's more to that comparison than that but I'm going all rose colored glasses here for fun). Also Royal in the slot should be a nice upgrade. Then Alshon and Bennett obviously. And whatever Forte has left in the tank. That's still a really nice mix of weapons if you ask me.

 

I think there is a lot of upside too, but I'm betting against it being achieved.

[Guest]

I think there's a lot of upside in this offense that's going unseen/ignored. It's basically the weapons that were supposed to be some of the best in the league going into last year before injuries [expletive] everything up, except speedy Kevin White instead of gimpy Brandon Marshall (obviously there's more to that comparison than that but I'm going all rose colored glasses here for fun). Also Royal in the slot should be a nice upgrade. Then Alshon and Bennett obviously. And whatever Forte has left in the tank. That's still a really nice mix of weapons if you ask me.

 

I think there is a lot of upside too, but I'm betting against it being achieved.

I'm betting on closer to 2013 than 2014.

[jersey cubs fan]

I think there's a lot of upside in this offense that's going unseen/ignored. It's basically the weapons that were supposed to be some of the best in the league going into last year before injuries [expletive] everything up, except speedy Kevin White instead of gimpy Brandon Marshall (obviously there's more to that comparison than that but I'm going all rose colored glasses here for fun). Also Royal in the slot should be a nice upgrade. Then Alshon and Bennett obviously. And whatever Forte has left in the tank. That's still a really nice mix of weapons if you ask me.

 

I think there is a lot of upside too, but I'm betting against it being achieved.

I'm betting on closer to 2013 than 2014.

 

Based strictly on yards/game, the Bears were 8th and 21st for those years so they could just be slightly above average overall and meet your criteria. I'm guessing they can be a top 12 offense, and then maybe bounce to a top 20-25 defense.

[JonJayCutler]

This is pointless, but I'm bored on a Friday at work. Also, I know I said we'd beat GB in Week 1, but baseless homer pick aside:

 

Packers - L

Cardinals - W

@Seahawks - L

Raiders - W

@Chiefs - W

@Lions - L

Vikings - W

@Chargers - L

@Rams - W

Broncos - L

@Packers - L

49ers - W

Redskins - W

@Vikings- L

@Bucs - W

Lions - W

 

Overall: 9-7

 

I'm actually surprised I was able to get to 9 so reasonably. Biggest upset I have is winning at Arrowhead.

[Guest]

I think there's a lot of upside in this offense that's going unseen/ignored. It's basically the weapons that were supposed to be some of the best in the league going into last year before injuries [expletive] everything up, except speedy Kevin White instead of gimpy Brandon Marshall (obviously there's more to that comparison than that but I'm going all rose colored glasses here for fun). Also Royal in the slot should be a nice upgrade. Then Alshon and Bennett obviously. And whatever Forte has left in the tank. That's still a really nice mix of weapons if you ask me.

 

I think there is a lot of upside too, but I'm betting against it being achieved.

I'm betting on closer to 2013 than 2014.

 

Based strictly on yards/game, the Bears were 8th and 21st for those years so they could just be slightly above average overall and meet your criteria. I'm guessing they can be a top 12 offense, and then maybe bounce to a top 20-25 defense.

That seems reasonable. I think those expectations are your 15-85 percentile expectations and on the high or low end there is a small chance to exceed or fail at those expectations.

[Guest]

This is pointless, but I'm bored on a Friday at work. Also, I know I said we'd beat GB in Week 1, but baseless homer pick aside:

 

Packers - L

Cardinals - W

@Seahawks - L

Raiders - W

@Chiefs - W

@Lions - L

Vikings - W

@Chargers - L

@Rams - W

Broncos - L

@Packers - L

49ers - W

Redskins - W

@Vikings- L

@Bucs - W

Lions - W

 

Overall: 9-7

 

I'm actually surprised I was able to get to 9 so reasonably. Biggest upset I have is winning at Arrowhead.

said every NFL fan ever.

 

If I was to run those as odds, some of those wins are 50/50 toss ups. Many of those losses are probably 40/60 or worse.

[Guest]

I don't think it will be as bad as people think.

 

How bad do you think people are thinking? I get the feeling people see 7-9 or 8-8. Do you think better than that? I think they will be a little better, mostly on defense, but too many hurdles to be in the real hunt of the 9/10 win playoff teams.

 

well, usually reserved and rational walterfootball had them at 4-12, and the preview piece reads like smear piece on cutler. i cannot believe so many people continue to lose their minds on him. "they can't win with him." oh yeah? so who are they going to win with, that Claussen guy?

 

basically every publication has them last in the north.

 

i think with Long moving to RT, they have a chance to have an above average line. that could push the offense to top 10.