Written by Brett Solesky | 13 September 2009

Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris signed big fat contracts before the start of the 2008 season.  Both Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris failed to produce on a level  worthy of the major money in their contracts.   Urlacher is old and slow and Tommie Harris' knee is as old as Urlacher would seem to be.  Both are the main starters and stars on the defense and when they were at the top of their game in 2005 and 2006 the Bears defense was at it's best.  So based on all of this it means that 2009 is the year that Urlacher and Harris are the keys to defensive success and a return to form. 

Not so fast my friend there is one player who may be even more key to this defense and it's someone else whose production dropped off in 2007 and '08.  Mark Anderson the speed off the edge pass rusher who has 12 sacks as a situational rusher in 2006 IS THE PASS RUSH specialist on this defense.  Rushing the passer from the weak side, attacking the QBs blind spot and getting speed off the edge will be equally as important as Urlacher's and Harris' health.

Everyone has talked about Urlacher and  Tommie Harris' knee has been beaten to death like a dead horse.  But the player most likely to improve with the arrival of Rod Marinelli is Mark Anderson.  The player who brings another dimension to the defensive line that neither Alex Brown or Adewale Ogunleye possess is Anderson and his speed off the edge. 

Anderson is the key to the pass rush,  yes even beyond Tommie Harris' knee because you need that speed off the edge.  Anderson is the key because he will come into the game in the fourth quarter fresh and not worn down like the rest of the front four could be or figures to be.  Anderson needs to set the tone in the fourth quarter, likely needs to be the difference maker on defense. 

Why is Anderson so important?  Simple the Bears' defense failed the most in the fourth quarter.  Last year the defense would hold up well for the most part up until the fourth quarter and then it would be exposed and worn down.  The Bears had one of the worst fourth quarter defenses in the NFL in 2008.  This primarily started with the pass rush where QBs had more than ample time to sit back and pick apart the Bears' secondary.  It doesn't matter WHO the QB is or was an NFL QB is going to make your defense pay if he has all day to throw. 

Mediocre QBs even took the Bears apart in the fourth quarter in 2008.  Brian Griese, Jake Delhomme and rookie QB Matt Ryan all led their teams to fourth quarter comebacks against the Bears in 2008.  Three games in which the Bears led in the fourth quarter, three games that if the Bears had won, would have been not only a division winner, but had gotten a first round bye and been squarely in the playoff hunt. 

While most Bears fans are expecting Jay Cutler to be the man to change the fortunes in three games like that, the fact of the matter is it's not fair to expect Cutler to be captain comeback.  Cutler should have the Bears' offense in the lead and he should leave it up to his defense to finish off games.  Defense is the reason Cutler is 13-1 as a starter not because he had a passer rating of over 90 in the fourth quarter of games in 2008.  When the defense gives up 21 points or less, Cutler wins a fact that should not lost on the windy city faithful. 

This means Mark Anderson should step up his level of production.  The production doesn't have to come in the form of another 12 sack season, that would be idea.  He just needs to be disruptive and get hits on the QB.  Throw off the timing of the passing game, don't allow the QB to go through his progressions and pick apart the Cover-2 defense.  Anderson will help the front four as a whole with getting into the backfield and getting hits on the QB. 

This is Anderson's year much like with Garrett Wolfe on offense, Anderson is a young player who must step up and be a big producer when called upon in 2009.

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