SEASON PREVIEW OF ALL-TIME, BITCHES!
Let's begin this kickass preview with one of the boldest predictions I'll ever make in my sports-oriented life: the Bears will return to the Super Bowl this year (I'd be a bigger man and say they'd win it, but unfortunately the Pats had the offseason to destroy all offseasons). A great draft and a great off-season of free agency has given the Bears the perfect, perfect opportunity to once again run amock in the NFC, playing the kind of aggressive, hard-nosed run/defense game that took them to the Super Bowl in 2006.
The biggest question is not, actually, with regards to the play of Rex Grossman, but rather, can the defense get any better? HELL yes they can. After losing Tank Johnson to violence, the Bears quickly plugged the hole up front with veteran Darwin Williams (although Dusty Dvoracek might play ahead of him in that spot, I'm not sure) and are getting back the beast that is defensive tackle Tommie Harris. I won't go overboard and say this defensive line is the second coming of Richard Dent and Dan Hampton, but it could have the potential to best last year's line which was beset at times by injuries and nightclub shootings.
The linebackers I don't need to preview. Okay, I'll write one sentence about them: THEY WILL FIND YOU AND SKULLFUCK YOU, ESPECIALLY HUNTER HILLENMEYER.
The Bears secondary is the one thing, of course, that can really have you licking your chops. As with the d-line last season, injuries (along with, I suppose, a lack of experience in under-pressure situations) plagued the secondary in later games of the season. Now that Adam Archuleta has been signed at strong safety, it finally seems that there's enough depth in the backfield--coupled with the experience of Archuleta, Charles Tillman and Mike Brown, provided the latter can stay healthy--that the Bears passing defense will rank amongst the elite in the NFL, harkening back to the days of that badass known as Mark Carrier.
Here's the bottom line about this season's Bears D: FUCK YOU.
Now then, onto the offense. The goal will be to run the ball for 4 yards per carry. Why? Because we have Rex Grossman, that's why. Fuck. And Brian Griese is the backup! But at the very least, maybe Chris Leak will turn into a twice-as-good version of Craig Krenzel (btw, what's up with the Bears getting quarterbacks who lead their teams to national titles in college? I sure hope John David Booty ends up having a real shitty year)
Okay, seriously, the running game ought to pay the kinds of dividends we saw a season ago with Thomas Jones in the prime spot. Now, Cedric Benson gets that role, and I think he has it figured out. Add a very good Adrian Peterson (not THE Adrian Peterson, he's a bit further up north) and a bit of a wild card in Garrett Wolfe and we're set to platoon the shit out of that position. Our receivers are quick and capable, and we just acquired a great weapon in Greg Olsen from Miami, who is already being praised as a blockbuster draft pick. Offensively, the Bears look extremely capable; it's that quarterback position that has us shaking our knees a little bit as we puff out our chests.
Still, this is a decade that will go down in infamy for quarterbacks. We're in an era of the NFL, incredibly, where you don't need a magnificent passing game to travel all the way to the Super Bowl, as seen with the Bears last year and the Ravens in 2000 (and perhaps even the Steelers two seasons ago). Granted, it makes life a lot easier, but defense and running backs have gotten so fast, perhaps things have just caught up a little bit to the 40-yard deep threat. Or maybe the QBs the past couple of years were too inexperienced.
No matter, though; if the Bears could go 13-3 a year ago with the kind of regular season schedule they had, they can do it again. BEAR DOWN, BITCHES. BEAR DOWN.
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