2011 Season Preview: Chicago Bears

2010 Record: 11-5

2010 Rankings:

Total Offense - 30

Passing Offense - 28

Rushing Offense - 22

Scoring Offense - 21

Total Defense - 9

Pass Defense - 20

Rush Defense - 2

Scoring Defense - 4

Offense

The  Bears might have had the worst offense of any team to ever reach a conference championship game not named the New York Jets. They added some pieces to their offensive line, replacing C Olin Kreutz and drafting Wisconsin tackle Gabe Carimi in the first round. The Bears need as much help as they can get up front, after Jay Cutler was brutalized last year, being sacked 52 times. Matt Forte cut his fumbles in half last season and ran for over 1,000 yards. He will be aided by short-yardage specialist Marion Barber III who should help the Bears woeful goal line offense. The Bears keep adding weapons for Cutler in the passing game, bringing in former pizza delivery man Roy E. Williams from Dallas to compete for the #1 receiver job.

Defense

Proof that a good defense can carry you much further than a good offense, the Bears defense carried the team into the playoffs last year, finishing 3rd in the league with 35 turnovers. The Bears spent the offseason bringing in guys that were widely considered 1st round draft busts in the hope of adding depth to improve their defensive line. They brought in former Jet Vernon Gholston and former Texan Amobi Okoye. Julius Peppers had a monster season last year, but the Bears line was virtually non-existant outside of Peppers. They didn't do much to improve the secondary, and lost the team's 4th leading tackler safety Daniel Manning.

Intangibles

Honestly, we weren't believers in the Bears last year, and we're not believers in them this year. They have a shaky O-line with a feast-or-famine quarterback who takes a lot of hits and is prone to throwing boatloads of picks. On defense, their pass defense was their weakness last year and they lost their starting safety to free agency and didn't bring in anyone to replace him. You have to wonder what the Bears are thinking bringing in guys like Okoye and Gholston, but maybe a change of scenery was what they needed.

If the Bears were a Beer, they would be:

Smuttynose Maibock

When you think about styles of beers that will warm you up in the December cold, Maibocks should be one of the first that come to mind. The Bears are all about being great in the cold, from windswept Soldier Field to playing in the brutal NFC North where they not only get their 8 home games but also get to play on the frozen tundra in Green Bay. This team is built for the winter on defense and running the ball, much like a Maibock is brewed to be the perfect winter beer.