The Bears ended pre-season play on a high note going 3 and 1 including a win over the New York Giants, Superbowl Champs from just two seasons ago. With the exception of losing running back Kevin Jones and defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek to season ending injuries, the Bears looked good and seem poised to be a better team. Like most fans I’m excited about the acquisition of QB Jay Cutler. The former ProBowler is definitely an upgrade at the position and should be able to add a spark to the Bears offense. He’s far better than Rex Grossman and carries the swagger that most impactful QBs possess. Grossman never had that swagger. I’d watch him in post game interviews, and he’d answer questions like a child trying to lie his way out of getting caught with his hands in the cookie jar. To me Grossman lacked the true leadership qualities needed to be a successful signal caller in the NFL. That’s why he’s gone.
And so it begins. Some Chicago sports writers are almost giddy with excitement over Cutler being a Bear. Yeah the guy is good, but how good can he be in a system that engineered for the running game. Coach Lovie Smith has repeatedly said, “We get off the bus running.” A passer with Cutler’s skills won’t be content for very long if he’s only allowed to hand off to Matt Forte. The Bears made some decent moves in the off season but failed to sign a standout receiver for Cutler to throw to. There were several top-notch wide-outs available and there still are, but the Bears seem to be content to stand pat with what they have. The Devin Hester experiment is in its second season and he has made some progress, but will it be enough for him to make the impact necessary for the Bears to be a serious force in the NFC North? The offense will be better and they look good in the preseason, but for me the verdict is still out on how well Cutler will do this season.
Mike Mulligan of the Suntimes has said that the Bears need to be prepared to ante-up and come to the table with a deal similar to the one signed by Giants QB Eli Manning. (Six years, $97.5 million.) In his August 23rd column he wrote, “The Bears are going to have to give Cutler a $100 million deal at some point within the next two years, and he looked Saturday (August 22) as though he’ll be worth every dollar.” Hey Mike, what game were you watching? Cutler did play well, but I didn’t see any action on the field warranting that kind of deal. Mulligan goes on to say, “The result was the second coming of Steve Young in terms of mobility and accuracy. Wondrous things will happen this season if the Bears can get Cutler operating in space.” Let’s be real, it’ll be wondrous if the Bears win more than 10 games this year. Here’s why.
Having Cutler running the offense is a step up; he’s mobile, an accurate passer with a strong arm and has that QB swagger. However, there isn’t a true number one receiver on the roster. Deven Hester is a great athlete and becoming a better receiver, but this is only his second year in the position and he’s being asked to the go-to guy. Fortunately we have two tight ends with great hands and a running back that arguably could be the top receiver, a roll he played last season. But with the loss of Kevin Jones, we also loose a reliable back-up for Matt Forte. Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolf will have to step up their game and be ready to get deep in the HB mix. Beyond that, the Bears have a cast of skilled journeymen and impressive rookies with potential.
Any other year this offense would be good enough to get us through the season and possibly into the playoffs because of our potent defense. Usually the D has been able to keep us in the game and at times win them. With the ability to shut down the opposing team, take away the ball and even score points, the Bears’ defense has been the catalyst for victory on most days. This year will be different. They showed some weakness in the secondary during the pre-season, mainly due to injuries. Both Peanut Tillman and Zach Bowman have been hurt and unable to play; Bowman did see action in the final pre-season game. And those left to pick up the slack have been slacking. For the first time in years, the Bear’s defense may be their Achilles heal and not the offense. It’s going to be an interesting season and the team will be more competitive. I think they’ll go 10 and 6 and make the playoffs as a wild card. Sports Illustrated has them losing to New England in the Superbowl. Right now I don’t see them going that far. I do hope I’m wrong.
If Cutler can get the offense to click and the defense plays the way they normally do, we just might win the division, but it won’t be easy. The Bears kick off the Cutler era this Sunday on national television against their bitter rivals from the north, Green Bay. Talk about having to hit the ground running; this will be an epic contest and I can’t wait. Let’s get it crackin!
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In photo: This is an Aug. 22, 2009, file photo showing Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler scrambling during an NFL preseason football game Between the Bears and New York Giants, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
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