Asking for more Devin Hester on offense, is the same as asking Jay Cutler is his head ok? OK—maybe a little tasteless but it’s at least better than a post-game Lovie Smith press conference. The Bears offense has found a way to win 5 games but in the same stretch, also managed to find its way to a “No ID” label. What’s in a name really? We know the Steelers are a hard nosed football team with attention to the ground and pound. We also know that they don’t get off the bus running; they get off on defense….. We know that the 3-time Super Bowl champions New England Patriots are a “well-rounded” football team that was at its peak before it acquired Randy Moss (note that they haven’t won a Super Bowl since the acquisition and recent departure). And to round it out, we know that the New Orleans Saints can shoot out the Colts who can shoot out everybody else and everybody else is fifty/fifty. So why do we torture ourselves so much over what the Bears do well when its everything else?Even Zen-master Lovie Smith has preached since he arrived at Halas Hall that 3 phases wins the game and that’s exactly what the Bears do. Not pretty, wont get a lot of BCS nudges for margin of victory over teams they should beat (note the Detroit Loins). But with any improvement in the spots that have continually plagued the Bears in years past improves, then the Bears sit atop the NFC as one of the best teams to gear up for another magical playoff run. The passing game appears to look better when Jay Cutler doesn’t get his back blown out, or has to run for his life instead of dropping back and letting the fastest and most explosive but unexposed duos in the league with Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. Given time this Pro-Bowl combo can prove to be just enough ammo to put secondary’s on their heels and open up the run game for a more balanced attack. Add resident outcast blue chip Devin Aromashadu and Earl Bennett and the Bears are deep! Mix that up in a pot, and then the Chicago Bears would be…. Every other team in the NFL!
Identities are overrated. Julius Peppers isn’t though. Anyone who thinks that an addition of that magnitude to mix it up with Lance Briggs, Brian Urlacher, Tommie Harris (respectively) and veteran leader Peanut Tillman wasn’t going to be ugly if the rest of the pieces fit don’t watch much Bears football. So far, so good on the defense restoring fear in opposing offenses with a turnover mentality, and not letting teams break for big plays attaining any momentum. The addition of Rod Marinelli and the reinstatement of a TRUE Cover-2 defense, with a good enough front four to cause constant pressure and let the linebackers make intelligent plays, has made this current Bears defense flash glimpses of the dominant 2006 D’ that carried the team to the Super Bowl. It must feel good for one of the biggest questions on this Bears defense is if Tommie Harris can join the party and play like the Tommie Harris we grew to love and pay handily. An old lady told me on the El the other morning that ‘the bears are the Detroit Lions with more wins, a lot of talent trying to figure out how to win’! Now that lady must be friends with Mrs. McCaskey!BEAR ALL THE WAY DOWN THIS WEEKEND MY BELOVED TEAM, TAKE NO TEAM LIGHTLY, TAKE NO PRISONERS. CUTLER IF YOU...... JUST PLAY SMART
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