Da Chicago Bearrrrs

[Goopster24]

Everyone is talking about individual teams so now it's my turn; how bout dem' Bears? I think they got one of the most talented defenses in the NFC Central if not the whole NFC. Urlacher is a stud, Ogunleye has 10 sack potential, Briggs is a upcoming star, and Tillman was a steal in the draft.

 

Their offense is the problem and has been the problem for quite some time. Ron Turner is back and when he was with the Bears in the early 90's, they had their most productive years. We got a solid, workhorse runningback in Cedric Benson. We got a great receiver in Muhammed. Grossman is back and is looking great in camp. Him and Mushin are gaining chemistry together. If the offensive line can prove it can be great, the offense could totally turn 180 degrees.

 

The NFC North could be in for a breakout year with the Lions looking better and the Vikings improving dramatically on defense. The Packers always compete yet something tells me this won't be that great of a year for them. I like the Bears to be competitive but then again, I'm a Chicago fan; I've been let down plenty of times. What does everyone else think?

[gilthorp]

Goopster, it would seem you've got some good knowledge of the game, and of course I won't be telling you anything you don't know when I say that it will all start and end with the play of the interior line, on both sides of the ball.

 

On the offensive side, they've imported Fred Miller and Garza, although Garza has struggled a great deal early in camp, and Terrence Metcalf looks to hold the lead in the RG competition at this point.

 

They move Tait to the left side and Miller on the right, but this line had better get it together, or else Rex will have another terrible year. When you say that Grossman has looked good in camp so far, big whoop....he's always looked ok in camp, but until he proves he can use the wideouts as a TD weapon, the Bears are in trouble. Last preseason, he didn't throw a TD pass, and his only passing TD last year in the regular season was to his FB.

 

On the defensive side, the strength of the defense is the two LB's, but it will fall on the shoulders of Tommie Harris, Ian Scott, Tank Johnson, and Alfonso Boone to keep folks off of 54 and Briggs. If Harris is as much of a man as they think, he'll be a beast this year and will let the LB's do some serious damage.

 

They aren't deep at LB, and are somewhat shallow in the DB crew...so injuries will be their key.

 

Everyone is talking about Benson being this workhorse, and I have no doubt that he can be, but let's 1: get him signed and 2: see if he has the brains to be an everydown back that can be used in passing situations both as an option and as a blocker, before anyone annoints him the starter....I have my doubts about this, especially the pass protection part of his abilities.

[Pope Flick]

I'm a homer as well and was pleasently surprised to see the Bears had the #1 D in their division LAST year. Granted it was in the high teens league-wide, but Det, GB + Min were all behind them.

 

Now, Min has upgraded plenty but you also forgot to mention that Mike Brown is coming back as well and Harris is apparently already looking like a beast. That's 2 studs in each area:DL, LB and Secondary.

 

If the OLine can come around (an admittedly big if given their recent history) and put the offense into even 'middle of the pack' the pieces are in place for a nice run.

 

Grossman has a ton to prove, but Rivera will have his side of the ball ready. They are my sleeper pick this year, but I worry they might be too popular to be a true sleeper and might go top 5. I'm drafting at 3 so I am hoping to take a pass on the first run at D's for a ppsition player and then grabbing them right after. We'll see, but I'd be in hog heaven, knowing it's one of the few times I can play homer and come away satisfied.

 

I wouldn't touch anyone on the O, unless Benson drops to the 5th for your 3rd RB. And for gosh sakes, don't even think about looking at Mush. Let someone else take that albatross of a pick.

Edited July 29, 2005 by Pope Flick

[Goopster24]

Goopster, it would seem you've got some good knowledge of the game, and of course I won't be telling you anything you don't know when I say that it will all start and end with the play of the interior line, on both sides of the ball.

 

On the offensive side, they've imported Fred Miller and Garza, although Garza has struggled a great deal early in camp, and Terrence Metcalf looks to hold the lead in the RG competition at this point.

 

They move Tait to the left side and Miller on the right, but this line had better get it together, or else Rex will have another terrible year. When you say that Grossman has looked good in camp so far, big whoop....he's always looked ok in camp, but until he proves he can use the wideouts as a TD weapon, the Bears are in trouble. Last preseason, he didn't throw a TD pass, and his only passing TD last year in the regular season was to his FB.

 

On the defensive side, the strength of the defense is the two LB's, but it will fall on the shoulders of Tommie Harris, Ian Scott, Tank Johnson, and Alfonso Boone to keep folks off of 54 and Briggs. If Harris is as much of a man as they think, he'll be a beast this year and will let the LB's do some serious damage.

 

They aren't deep at LB, and are somewhat shallow in the DB crew...so injuries will be their key.

 

Everyone is talking about Benson being this workhorse, and I have no doubt that he can be, but let's 1: get him signed and 2: see if he has the brains to be an everydown back that can be used in passing situations both as an option and as a blocker, before anyone annoints him the starter....I have my doubts about this, especially the pass protection part of his abilities.

 

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I agree with everything you said. The interior line is soooo key. If they suck, then it is gonna be a long, long season. I truly think though that the offensive line can be good this year, not great. It'll have its struggles, but in the end I think it'll be able to be somewhat productive.

 

Grossman, yea, he is an enigma. But I think Mushin coming will help him so much. Like I said, they have been talking alot about how Rex and Mushin have been developing quite some chemistry and I think Rex will look his way a lot this season.

 

I agree with the notion that the key of the defense is the line. Lovie Smith's defensive scheme is dependent on getting pressure from the front 4. If they do nothing, then the Bears' D will be giving up points in a hurry. Hunter did a good job replacing Urlacher last year so I think he might provide a lil bit of help. The DB crew has no depth though and one injury like last year (or several I might say) will throw the season away in a hurry.

 

Benson was never a great pass blocker in college. I don't think he was featured in the passing game that much either, correct me if I'm wrong. I don't see him as a back to be passed too. If we can pound the ball with him, I think Turner will have to be happy. Knowing though he is bringing the WCO somewhat, it's obvious he is gonna attempt to use Benson in the passing game. I think Benson has stud written all over him personally.

[Goopster24]

I'm a homer as well and was pleasently surprised to see the Bears had the #1 D in their division LAST year. Granted it was in the high teens league-wide, but Det, GB + Min were all behind them.

 

Now, Min has upgraded plenty but you also forgot to mention that Mike Brown is coming back as well and  Harris is apparently already looking like a beast. That's 2 studs in each area:DL, LB and Secondary.

 

If the OLine can come around (an admittedly big if given their recent history) and put the offense into even 'middle of the pack' the pieces are in place for a nice run.

 

Grossman has a ton to prove, but Rivera will have his side of the ball ready. They are my sleeper pick this year, but I worry they might be too popular to be a true sleeper and might go top 5. I'm drafting at 3 so I am hoping to take a pass on the first run at D's for a ppsition player and then grabbing them right after. We'll see, but I'd be in hog heaven, knowing it's one of the few times I can play homer and come away satisfied.

 

I wouldn't touch anyone on the O, unless Benson drops to the 5th for your 3rd RB. And for gosh sakes, don't even think about looking at Mush. Let someone else take that albatross of a pick.

 

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Rivera will def have his side of the ball ready. I hope to grab them as my D this year too. As for the offensive side, I think Benson would be a fine 3rd RB. However, there are quite a few backs I would take ahead of him. As for Mushin, I would def take a gamble on him. He has all the talent in the world. If Grossman doesn't get hurt, I think Mushin could have a big year. The other receivers aren't that bad. Berrian could be a nice complement if used properly.

Edited July 29, 2005 by Goopster24

[Avernus]

I think this division will be crazy...

 

I even wonder if any team will have over 9 or 10 wins as it's going to be crazy....and I think the Bears can take the division...

 

YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT....

 

the Vikings have too many changes on defense...I think they'll finish 2nd...Packers go last and Lions 3rd.....

 

I think the Bears have the best defense by far in the division...with the addition of Muhammed, a healthy Grossman and Benson...the offense will have enough needed firepower to squeak out of a raunchy division...

[Goopster24]

I think this division will be crazy...

 

I even wonder if any team will have over 9 or 10 wins as it's going to be crazy....and I think the Bears can take the division...

 

YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT....

 

the Vikings have too many changes on defense...I think they'll finish 2nd...Packers go last and Lions 3rd.....

 

I think the Bears have the best defense by far in the division...with the addition of Muhammed, a healthy Grossman and Benson...the offense will have enough needed firepower to squeak out of a raunchy division...

900410[/snapback]

 

That's what I like to hear. Brew to that.

[Goopster24]

Bump! C'mon all you NFC Central fans, I wanna hear what you think of your team and the Bears!

[PaulOttCarruth]

I think they'll be competitive, probably around .500. Their defense should be solid as long as their secondary stays healthy. The offense may improve a bit, but with Grossman at QB, how high can your confidence possibly be? My NFC North predictions:

 

Detroit 10-6

Green Bay 10-6

Minnesota 8-8

Chicago 7-9

[Ralph Furley]

A few random thoughts:

1. The defense will be even better this year. Everyone is coming back healthy which is great. No hammys pulled on the first day of camp...which is also a bonus.

2. With Turner back, the offense will be able to stay on the field longer. This will benefit the D greatly as they might actually get to rest instead of going back out there after 3 plays. I can't wait to see the D play.

3. The QB situation scares the beejesus out of me. I thought we might have learned last year the importance of trying to get a veteran QB in here. I'm scared to death of Grossman, Hutchinson, and Orton.

4. I'm still a little pissed they didn't at least give Jeff George a chance last year.I'd feel a bit more comfortable with him around somewhere, I'm not exactly sure why.

5. We really need the O line to perform this year as well. I listened to Ron Turner on The Score a few days ago, and he said a large part of the offense was to be the 3 step drop, with some 5 steps too. His focus was to make good decisions and get rid of the ball quickly. It said he wasn't going to be asking the O-line to protect for the 7 step drop. I thought this was pretty good news. I got sick of seeing the QBs have about 1 second to throw the ball last year. Then again, I hated seeing a lot of the QBs as well.

 

Just a few thoughts. I am ready to see this team play this year. With Turner back, I think it provides a very positive atmosphere and gives the fans hope that they will be able to do a lot better, or at least be competitive. I'm going to training camp next week to get a look at this team as well. Has anyone else been down there yet?

[Butkus]

Well, as much as I like all the positive mojo from my fellow Bears fans, I think there is too big of a hill to climb offensively for this team to really compete for playoff spot this year. Defnesively, I'd call the Bears above average thanks to some talent at LB and over-achievers on the line and secondary, but they will have a tough time scoring points with an undersized 2nd year QB (with only a few games of experience), a juggled and suspect OL, a new offensive system, new #1 receiver, rookie RB sharing time with Thomas Jones possibly, the list goes on.

 

I think to expect the Bears to have all of these pieces fall together would take a small miracle. I realistically see tham at 7-9, unless they somehow have a horseshoe jammed up their arse as they did in '01

[Avernus]

That's what I like to hear. Brew to that.

 

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and I'm not even a Bears fan...I just think they have the best coaching in the division and the best defense....

 

a sound offense should make them stronger than the rest of the division

[rocknrobn26]

Very good thoughts above. As usual, I don't predict, dik, but I do have high hopes for the 'D'. The 'O' is iffy at best, but that can be a good thing. The WR's in many systems would be rated higher, but due to a tenative QB sitchyation their rating will be low.

 

I totally agree w/ Avernus' opinion of the coaching staff. It is top shelf.

 

Cedric.....get your ass in camp. I've seen/read 2 articles (Sayers & Salaam) commenting as to why this guy should be in camp. Good stuff.

 

We need a tight end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If the 'O' Line stays healthy I believe it will be in the upper 10. If not..............Uhhh...let's not go there. I like our secondary.

 

I do not know why Edinger was put on the block, Brien won't get the ball into the endzone on KO's any better than Edinger and I don't think he'll kick any better on FG's, but if he has more hang time..... 5 Yards can make a lot of diff.

 

Gil,

After talkin' to you, YOU do know alignments better than I do. When we talked last I had no idea what you waz talkin' 'bout. But I to that knowledge.

 

Goopster24,

Welcome to the Huddle! Make sure you find the Skybox! We need more Bear fans there!

[Big John]

Goopster24,

Welcome to the Huddle!  Make sure you find the Skybox!  We need more Bear fans there!

 

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And be assured of your share of Packer fans still being there.

[spain]

The Black and Blue may be the toughest division to call this year. I think any of the 4 teams can win the division. I also think any of the 4 teams can finish last in the division. I really wouldnt be surprised, no matter the order of finish. The Bears obviously helped themselves with the addition of Benson, who I think is the best of the 4 top rookie rb's, mushin muhammad, Fred "Drive Killer" Miller, et al. Their tough defense should keep them in most games. Although they are on the right path, they are at least a year away from playoff contention. Here is how I see the divsion playing out:

 

Vikes 11-5

Lions 10-6

Packers 8-8

Bears 7-9

[Ralph Furley]

Can Cedric get his arse in camp now?

[GhostFace]

And be assured of your share of Packer fans still being there.

 

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I, for one, will be one of them.

[rhippens]

i like the points in the previous posts. the line on both sides certainly needs to get it going.

 

the biggest point i keep thinking about is health. for the past 3 seasons, neither the offense or defense has been able to play together as a unit while healthy. cohesion has certainly suffered.

 

i personally think the bears are very hard to predict because we haven't seen what they can do whether that be good or bad. i would be more satisfied if grossman was completely healthy and they sucked than if he got hurt and they couldn't toss the leather again this season. the reason i say that is because it would allow the team to address the problem and go in a certain direction.

 

the same can be said for the defense. sure, we know the talent is there, but when the middle linebacker goes down and is weak all season, it's hard to address where you could improve because things are all going throught the ripple effect.

 

so yeah, the lines need to gel, our quarterbacks are not deep, and we need to keep our quarterback from getting slapped around. but ultimately, i would love to see our team play for a year and see what they can do.

[crispirons]

i'm guardedly optimistic. i'm not as worried about our defensive line as i am about the offensive line. we should be upgraded a bit....but how they play as a unit and gel with rex will be detrimental. defenders in the backfield while rex is handing off to benson can't be tolerated, which i saw happen way to often to jones last yr.

[Chavez]

Can Cedric get his arse in camp now?

 

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Eh, I'm not the biggest Thomas Jones fan, but he's serviceable. Cedric Benson may not be as big an upgrade over him as, say Muhammad is over Terrell. Fred Miller over whatever turnstile was playing opposite Tait on any given week. Or a healthy Grossman over the Larry, Moe, and Curly show from last year at QB.

 

One thing I DO know about Ron Turner from Illinois - he knows how to run an offense. If the D can steal a couple while the offense is still figuring out what's what early in the season, and things come together - Grossman stays healthy, Muhammad approaches 3/4 of his totals from last year (I'll eat my shorts if he matches ANY of the 3 major #s), and the line gets it together, they might squeak over .500.

[Avernus]

Eh, I'm not the biggest Thomas Jones fan, but he's serviceable. Cedric Benson may not be as big an upgrade over him as, say Muhammad is over Terrell. Fred Miller over whatever turnstile was playing opposite Tait on any given week. Or a healthy Grossman over the Larry, Moe, and Curly show from last year at QB.

 

One thing I DO know about Ron Turner from Illinois - he knows how to run an offense. If the D can steal a couple while the offense is still figuring out what's what early in the season, and things come together - Grossman stays healthy, Muhammad approaches 3/4 of his totals from last year (I'll eat my shorts if he matches ANY of the 3 major #s), and the line gets it together, they might squeak over .500.

 

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I think Jones can be very effective if the line stays intact and if Grossman stays healthy...I think you'd see Jones put up numbers like he did in the 1st couple games last year...

 

but Benson is there...so that makes things cloudy....unless Benson is ineffective...

[rocknrobn26]

The only way Jones and Benson are effective is w/ a passing game. Last year 8-in-the-box is all the opposing team had to do to clobber Da Bears! Once the 'O' can stretch the field, RB's can do their stuff. Hell, if Da Bears have a passing threat, my momma could get a consistent 6 ypc! And Chavez....you seen my momma!

[Chavez]

Heck, rr, I bet your momma could get a good 4.5 ypc behind a bad line, even.

[Avernus]

The only way Jones and Benson are effective is w/ a passing game.  Last year 8-in-the-box is all the opposing team had to do to clobber Da Bears!  Once the 'O' can stretch the field, RB's can do their stuff.  Hell, if Da Bears have a passing threat,  my momma could get a consistent 6 ypc!  And Chavez....you seen my momma!

 

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nah...things went downhill when Grossman went down...

 

Jones averaged 30+ a game in my league while Grossman was playing last year..

[rocknrobn26]

Heck, rr, I bet your momma could get a good 4.5 ypc behind a bad line, even.

 

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She is one tough old broad! I remember when my Bro was doing a float thingee for homecoming in our garage and the 'youngin's' were gettin' rowdy 'bout 11:00pm. She went out there and went nose to nose w/ a linebacker from the football team. Long story short, that guy still wets his pants when you mention my mom's name!