Chicago fans have a tendency to make years feel much more like decades when it comes to the city’s sporting achievements. Hell, it’s felt like two years since the Bears fell to Green Bay in the NFC Championship game.
All kidding aside, it has been some time though since the Bears made the franchise’s most recent Super Bowl appearance in 2007 when they lost to Indianapolis.
Remember how Rex Grossman and Muhsin Muhammad struck fear into the Colts secondary? Me neither.
Chicago came within a game of making it back to Super Bowl Sunday in 2010 finishing with an 11-5 mark and division championship, much to the surprise of skeptical fans and critics. With the bar set higher coming into this upcoming season, the Bears will once again look to turn heads and impress with another run at the Lombardi Trophy.
Certain elements of the traditional NFL offseason have yet to begin due to the lockout. Once the owners and players settle their differences on a new collective bargaining agreement, a new league year will begin.
What must the Bears do in 2011 to make it back atop the National Football League’s elite?
5. Solidify Linebackers
Chicago has just two linebackers currently under contract in Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. While those may be the two best on the team, they can’t do it all by themselves.
Expect the Bears to re-sign Nick Roach and Pisa Tinoisamoa to give depth at the position. If money becomes a concern, Bears fans might see rookie J.T. Thomas get some playing time.
In the Cover 2 defense Lovie Smith operates, the linebackers play a large role in defending the underneath game. Not being able to attack in the box with poor linebacker play defeats the purpose of this defense.
4. Get Hester More Involved on Offense
How to use Devin Hester the most effectively is something Chicago has been trying to solve for the better part of the last decade.
Of course, his return skills are what separate him from the rest of the pack, but he only gets that opportunity a handful of times any given Sunday.
One thing the offense hasn’t played around with yet is the idea of making Hester the slot Y-receiver. Hester’s 5’11” frame doesn’t necessarily make him the primary receiver in a Mike Martz offense. If the Bears moved him to the slot, he could become very effective running short routes in wide open spaces.
If Hester plays the slot, Earl Bennett can take over the primary X-receiver and Johnny Knox can man the Z.
3. Increase the Turnover Ratio
It’s no mystery the key to the Bears success rests in the defense. The Cover 2 defense is one that doesn’t necessarily focus on takeaways but forcing offenses into making poor decisions.
Chicago had a plus-four rating on turnover differential last season. While it’s always a good thing to finish on the positive side of the takeaway battle, the Bears could certainly improve this statistic thus giving the team better chances to win contests.
Quarterback Jay Cutler’s 16 interceptions in 2010 are drastically improved from the 26 picks he threw the year prior. Interceptions are sometimes a deceiving number. Remember that for the first part of 2010, the Bears were a pass first team until the bye week arrived.
Cutler’s 26 interceptions came in a season where he attempted 555 passes. The fewer times he tries to throw, obviously the chance for an interception decreases. For the record, Cutler threw 432 passes in 2010, down 22 percent from 2009.
2. Find a Compliment to Matt Forte
Matt Forte has been the most valuable offensive weapon Chicago has featured in the last few seasons. Forte, in 2010, became the first Bear since Walter Payton in 1983 to rush for over 1,000 yards and catch 500 or more yards in a single season. Not a bad Hall of Famer to be compared to by any means.
The problem herein lies with the depth chart. Forte’s heavy workload will cause him to be injured or break down eventually. Should he have to miss any part of a season, Chester Taylor would become the featured back.
Former Minnesota Viking Chester Taylor came into Chicago last season as a free agent but left his football skills up north. Taylor rushed for only 267 yards and three scores, averaging 2.4 yards a touch. He was used mostly as a goal line back, so the opportunity to collect large chunks of yards became difficult.
Taylor has shown in the past he is capable of making a living by catching balls out of the backfield. Should Forte need to be relieved on the field, it will be interesting to see if Taylor, 31, can make up for the loss of production.
1. Protect Jay Cutler
Without a doubt, the biggest hurdle to clear for the Bears to make another postseason run will be to keep Cutler upright and unharmed.
Many different elements can be involved in protecting Cutler. Previously discussed, the amount of times Cutler throws versus the number of runs called not only keeps the offense two-dimensional but takes more pressure off of the man under center. Starting field position plays a role in how effective a quarterback does as well.
The largest concern would however be the offensive line. Chicago spent its first-round draft pick on Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi wisely. It has not yet been announced whether Carimi will be the right or left tackle to compliment J’Marcus Webb.
Chris Williams, a first-round draft pick from a handful of years ago, also remains in the mix but has shown issues with adjustment and health.
Roberto Garza and Frank Omiyale look anchored into their respective positions as guards. That leaves just one offensive line position left—center.
Olin Kreutz is a free agent once the lockout if lifted and the Bears could not have a more valuable piece to the puzzle to bring back than him. Kreutz has spent his entire professional career with the Bears and is the anchor to the offensive line. Without him, the franchise has a huge hole to fill in the roster. Kreutz may be getting up there in age, but still has value. Re-signing him to keep Cutler safe is a must.
Thoughts? Comments? Follow Brett Lyons on Twitter @BrettLyons670.
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