| 31 July 2010
I’m not usually the type to make pre-season predictions because I think they’re worthless and pointless because most of the time you look like a fool.
This year however I want to challenge myself to see just how strong of a knowledge I have to the over pulse of the Bears or in some cases the pulse of the NFL. So I wanted to challenge the Bears in a way and myself to see if there are reasons to be optimistic about the upcoming season or if there is reason for concern. I’m going to do this without taking in any practices or pre-season games and just hang myself out there based on a little hope a little optimism and a whole lot of fearless guts.
First prediction, Matt Forte will have more yards from scrimmage than Adrian Peterson.
.Matt Forte is poised for a breakout season even with Chester Taylor behind him to take away some carries. People talk about the possibility of Taylor overtaking Forte as the starter and I laugh. Forte will have his best year as a Bear and will push to have over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Not because of Mike Martz, but because of Mike Tice and the inside zone that he’ll employ that will take advantage of Forte’s best abilities. Forte will surpass his rookie year total of over 1,200 yards rushing and he’ll be the best receiving back in the NFL and make his first Pro Bowl. Taylor will be a mere afterthought, but a productive backup which will help lead an extremely potent ground attack.
Chris Williams will earn his first Pro Bowl berth
I think Williams is going to flourish under Mike Tice this year, and given what he showed against Jared Allen I think Williams can hold his own against the best pass rushers in the NFL. The true test for Williams will come against DeMarcus Ware and the Dallas Cowboys. Ware is arguably the best pass rusher in the NFL and that game will give Williams the confidence necessary to protect Cutler’s blind side, but also lead the way for Forte’s strong season.
Tommie Harris will have his most productive season in a Bears uniform
Tommie Harris won’t be a dominant as he once was, but statistically speaking Harris will lead the team in tackles for a loss and will have the highest sack total of his career. Finally healthy and in arguably the best shape of his career, Harris is out to prove the fans wrong and earn his contract money. He wants to prove that he can still play at a high level and will be able to play in all 16 games and compete at a level that Bears fans haven’t seen since 2006. Harris is not the player he once was, but he’ll easily have the best season he’s had in his career and it will help the defense tremendously.
The Bears will have one of the most productive receiving units in the NFL
Hester, Aromashodu, Knox as the starting receivers and solid contributions from Bennett, Forte, and Olsen will have the Bears ranking amongst the top-five receiving units in the NFL. The size won’t matter but the speed will kill as Cutler will have time to throw and plenty of options open down the field. This in turn will lead to the most productive passing attack in Bears history possibly the most productive offenses in the history of the franchise. One of the three starters will have 1,200 yards receiving and the other three will be in the neighborhood of 800 to 1,000 yards on their own. That combined with the weak secondary talent in the NFC North will allow the Bears to really open up the offense in a way Bears fans haven’t seen before.
Brian Urlacher will win NFL Comeback player of the year and be in the top-5 in DPOY voting
A years worth of rest on the old body combined with the ability to work out and playing with a chip on his shoulder will propel Urlacher to his best season since 2005. Urlacher will lead the team in tackles and push for the team lead in INTs. The rejuvenated play of the man in the middle will see Urlacher playing back at a Pro Bow level and competing for defensive player of the year honors.
Now I’ll move on to five not so promising predictionsCharles Tillman will have his worst year in a Bears uniform
There were signs from Tillman last year that his best years were far behind him. In one on one coverage Tillman can’t match up with the elite receivers in the NFC North and it will show this year. Tillman had a less than spectacular year last year and only received respect for his forced fumbles total. Tillman didn’t look good against Calvin Johnson and this will be the year that Bears fans think about moving beyond Tillman and finding a starter opposite Zack Bowman.
The Bears will struggle to find a competent starter opposite Julius Peppers
Mark Anderson and Israel Idonijae will battle it out all season for the starting spot opposite Julius Peppers, but neither one will be as consistent as Alex Brown. Idonijae is better as a three technique DT instead of a DE and Mark Anderson is no where near a starter worthy DE. There won’t be much of a pass rush opposite Peppers and the result will be a less productive season overall for the Bears’ $40-million-dollar man.
Olin Kreutz’s play will be the worst on the O-Line.
Kreutz’s age will begin to show itself big time and the result will be the end of his career in Chicago after the 2010 season. Kreutz has been one of the best centers in the league over the last decade and arguably could be a hall of fame worthy candidate give his total body of work over the 2000s. Surgery or no surgery however Kreutz will begin to show his age in a major way. His play dropped of considerably and while it was attributed to bone spurs in his heel, it’s become apparent each and every year that he isn’t the player he once was.
Kreutz’s lack of solid play could really hamper the overall effectiveness of the offensive line. The center is typically the lynchpin that brings it all together. Even more important though will be Kreutz having to take on strong nose tackles like BJ Raji in Green Bay Pat Wiliams in Minnesota and he’ll likely have battles with Ndamukong Suh.
Greg Olsen will continue to struggle with blocking and overall development
I am a major proponent of the fact that Mike Martz will use the TE in the offense and of Greg Olsen’s talent. However I am not a fan of Olsen’s effort or work ethic and feel like what we have seen from Olsen is what you get from him. Yes he can be effective, yes he is an option, but I don’t believe he’ll ever be an elite TE and produce at the level he should. Combine that with the fact that I don’t think either Martz or Tice will care much for Olsen’s lack of toughness or even his lack of effort. Olsen gives little to no effort as a blocker, and little to no effort after the catch. Olsen was last in the NFL in yards after catch average by TE’s. That shows a lack of toughness, a lack of effort, a lack of qualities that will allow him to be on the field much and certainly won’t be much of an option. There could even be an argument made that Olsen will be surpassed on the depth chart again by the crusty old veteran Des Clark who always seems to produce when he’s asked. At some point Olsen is going to have to step up and put forth all the effort and time necessary to make himself a complete player, but until that happens he’ll be on the cusp of being a bust for the Bears.
The secondary may be the worst unit on the field
Everyone wants to talk about the offensive line being the weak link on this team, but I feel like the secondary is capable of being a complete disaster. Charles Tilman’s play as mentioned will drop off considerably, I don’t see anything that says Zack Bowman is going to take that next step, though he’s certainly capable of it and the safety position is and will continue to be a flat out disaster.
Chris Harris’ does nothing but provide a distraction and a feel good story from the overall fact that the lack of talent and young talent in the secondary is appalling. Harris isn’t that good of a safety to begin with, hovering around an average player to arguably below average during his career. Carolina saw no reason to keep him around and beyond his one big year in 2007 Harris hasn’t been anything special. He gives good effort but his overall talents are completely limited.
Danieal Manning on the other hand has been a complete disaster as a safety and until we hear a big popping sound echoing through the Windy City to signify he’s pulled his head out of his fifth point of contact, Manning will continue to be lost in space and struggling to breathe. Zack Bowman has been nothing but average at best in his career and if he’s average to above average it’s still short of good or GREAT. This secondary desperately needs one big play maker to step forward to match the capable play makers that exist on the D-Line and at LB. Until that one big play maker steps forward, the overall effectiveness of the defense will suffer accordingly.
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