Before we get underway, here's a list of (substantially better) previews for other NFC teams, written by fellow Eagles fans in the blogging community:
NJ.com: New York Giants (By Dave Brooks)
Depressed Fan: San Francisco 49ers (By the D.F. himself)
Bleeding Green Nation: New Orleans Saints (By BleedGreen)
Iggles Blog: Dallas Cowboys (By Derek)
BountyBowl: Washington Redskins (By Cheesesteak Hoagie)
And now...
Under fourth-year head coach Lovie Smith, the Chicago Bears have made significant strides, going from 5 wins in 2004 to 11 wins in 2005 to 13 wins and a Super Bowl berth in 2006. Will the Bears take the final step forward and hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February 2008?And how, exactly, did a team with an offense led by the maddeningly inconsistent Rex Grossman manage to score as many points in 2006 (427) as the Indianapolis Colts (ranked 2nd in the league)? Here's a breakdown of how the Bears scored last season:
- Rex Grossman: 23 passing touchdowns (138 points)
- Brian Griese: 1 passing touchdown (6 points)
- Thomas Jones/ Cedric Benson: 12 TDs (6 each; 72 points)
- Adrian Peterson: 2 rushing TDs (12 points)
- Devin Hester/ Mike Brown/ Ricky Manning, Jr.: 8 kick-return TDs (48 points)
- Robbie Gould: 32 FGs, 47 PAT’s (143 points)
- Chicago defense: 1 TD + 1 safety (8 points)
OK, it adds up. But it’s pretty clear to see that without contributions from what is arguably the league’s best special teams unit, as well as one of its best place-kickers, Chicago isn’t winning 13 games in 2006.
For the Bears in 2007, there is no realistic threat from within the NFC North. The Vikings have improved their offense with the addition of running back Adrian Peterson (the other one) but still have plenty of room for improvement. The Packers have decided to wheel out Brett Favre for yet another season; he now reminds me of Chris Rock’s routine about being the “old guy” at the night club: He’s not old, just a little too old to be in a club. As for the Lions –- well, they’re still the Lions, and will continue to be the Lions unless otherwise notified.
It wouldn't be a stretch to predict a 5-1 record within the NFC North for Chicago, assuming they’ve wrapped up the division by early December and drop a meaningless late-season game to either Minnesota or Green Bay.
As always, the Monsters of the Midway are renowned more for their defense than their offense, which hasn’t featured a formidable quarterback, so it seems, since the days of Sid Luckman. In the last two seasons, since former defensive coordinator Smith took the reigns, Chicago has ranked in the top 5 in both yards and points allowed. Smith developed his defensive chops under Tony Dungy during Tampa Bay’s resurgence, and hardened an atrocious Rams defense, helping St. Louis return to the Super Bowl in 2001.In terms of personnel, the defensive unit remains largely intact, save for the trade of Adam Archuleta and the release of deep-shit diver Tank Johnson, which to many people both in and outside the law-enforcement community is a textbook case of addition by subtraction. The Bears re-upped cornerback Nathan Vasher’s contract in 2007, as well as acquiring former Eagles defensive tackle Darwin Walker from the Buffalo Bills. For the most part, it would appear that the bulk of their 2006 squad has remained intact.
Looking around the NFC, there are not many teams that could challenge the Bears for a conference title. Philadelphia, New Orleans, Seattle and Dallas are the only ones that could give Chicago a decent fight, which looks an awful lot like the playoff picture from 2006. Is there another dark horse out there? We’ll have to wait and see.
The big question mark for the Bears remains quarterback Rex Grossman. His performance in 2006 did little to evoke memories of Montana, Marino, or even Majkowski: a 54.6 % completion percentage with 20 picks and 3 fumbles, and a passer rating of 73.9.In one preseason game this year alone, Grossman fumbled three times (tying his total from last season) and threw an interception. Now, even grade-schoolers are trying to help him overcome his turnover troubles. With Brian Griese and Kyle Orton waiting in the wings, it’s not a safe bet to say that Grossman will remain the starter for long should he repeat that performance come September. (Hey, if it can happen to Kurt Warner, it can certainly happen to Rex Grossman.) Chicago did not win 13 games in 2006 on the arm of its quarterback, thus "Sexy Rexy" is not indispensable -- which the writers over at Kissing Suzy Kolber have to acknowledge with some chagrin.
So go ahead, Dennis Green and others –- crown their asses if you want to, because the Chicago Bears are who we thought they were; in other words, they are still the NFC team to beat in 2007.
Predicted Record: 11-5, 1st in NFC North
Predicted Playoff Outcome: Lose to AFC in Super Bowl XLII
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