Bears ready to rebound
By SBGGlobal.com
The Chicago Bears made one of the biggest splashes in the off-season as they traded for Denver quarterback Jay Cutler. With the addition of Cutler, the Bears are now a serious Super Bowl Odds contender in the NFC.
The Bears have traditionally been known as a team that runs the ball and plays defense. That may now change with the addition of Cutler. An addition that might go under the radar but could prove almost as important was the Bears signing of left tackle Orlando Pace. He will be protecting Cutler and keeping heat off the Bears franchise quarterback. Whether or not Cutler has anyone to catch the ball is a huge question mark for the Bears in 2009. Devin Hester is considered the #1 receiver but he has yet to prove he can do anything other than return kicks. The Bears are hoping that Juaquin Iglesias who they took out of Oklahoma in the NFL Draft can make a big impact as a rookie. At least Chicago has solid tight ends in Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark. The other positive for the Bears is that Matt Forte is back running the ball. He was responsible for a third of the Bears offense last year and led all running backs in the league in catches.
Chicago made some important changes in the coaching ranks although head coach Lovie Smith remains. The Bears hired Rod Marinelli to coach the defensive line and serve as Smith’s assistant. Most people around the NFL Betting feel Marinelli did all he could with the Lions last year even though they went winless. He will definitely help Chicago’s defense this season. Jon Hokes is the new defensive backs coach.
The Bears have been known for defense in the past but last year they really weren’t very good. They were 20th in total yards allowed and 16th in points allowed. The secondary is weak with only Charles Tillman standing out. Upfront it looks better with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs leading the linebackers while Tommie Harris should be back after an injury plagued 2008 season and defensive end Alex Brown should benefit from Marinelli’s coaching. The kicking game is great with Robbie Gould and Brad Maynard.
Chicago may be the most improved team in the NFC North and could win the division. The Vikings will get all of the attention if they sign Brett Favre but the Bears and Packers are the two teams to watch in 2009 in the NFC North.