Despite age creeping up on some of the older players, they still played at a high level last season. Brian Urlacher continues his Hall of Fame Career and Julius Peppers is a beast. Lance Briggs continues to be one of the the most underrated players in football. Devin Hester returned to his scary form as a returner. Matt Forte became one of the best running backs in football. While the offensive line wasn’t amazing, it got much better towards the end of the season. J’Marcus Webb and Chris Williams developed into solid NFL linemen. Mike Tice is one of the top offensive line coaches in football, and he has a year under his belt to better understand his talent.

Jay Cutler will enjoy having the same offensive coordinator for two years. Instead of learning a new system the last three years, he has the same coach. Mike Martz does know offense, and I think this will benefit Cutler and company. Rod Marinelli is a great coordinator as well and had his unit playing strong.

While the Chicago Bears will not creep up on anyone this season, there is talent on this roster.

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Throughout the season, no matter how well the Chicago Bears played, there were many doubters and critics of the team’s success. Trent Dilfer and Bill Cowher regularly hated on this team. And yet, the Chicago Bears kept winning.

Of course, after beating heavy favorites Dallas in week two, the Cowboys weren’t any good despite being a Super Bowl contender. When the Chicago Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles and shut down Michael Vick, it was the turf at Soldier Field. A win over the New York Jets was a fluke as well. Might I also remind you that the Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers in week three and damn near knocked them out of the playoffs. The championship game helped prove how incompetent Lovie Smith can be at times.

Now, I take nothing away from the Green Bay Packers, but if the Chicago Bears actually would have had a respectable backup quarterback, perhaps the Super Bowl would have been a different game. In baseball, there’s always the belief that the baseball finds your worst defender when you’d least like it to…so the same thing happened during the championship game. How could Lovie Smith and company not recognize how horrible Todd Collins was? Why in the world wasn’t this addressed? The baseball found Collins, and the Chicago Bears were left holding their private areas.

Brian Urlacher is a beast. He had one of his best seasons and almost won the championship game for the Chicago Bears. Julius Peppers struck fear in offenses. These two really helped the Chicago Bears become a strong defensive unit. Devin Hester scares every opponent. He’s potentialy a big-play whenever the ball is in his hands.

Jay Cutler had his good and not-so-good moments. He’s a talented quarterback that does make mistakes. Matt Forte established himself as a legitimate NFL halfback. Devin Hester scares every opponent. He’s potentialy a big-play whenever the ball is in his hands.

So looking back on this team, what do I think? I believe that every NFL team that’s successful has a little bit of luck (see Detroit game and Calvin Johnson), some talent, catching opponents at the right time and intangibles. The Chicago Bears were guilty of all-of-the-above. And yet, a few bounces here and there may have been the difference of a trip to the championship game or a high draft pick. It’s always been my belief that good teams create their own breaks, and the Chicago Bears are just that…a good football team.

I enjoyed this season. The Chicago Bears made the final four. With a few tweaks here and there, I do not see any reason why this team couldn’t do it again. But this is the NFL, and things can change very quickly.

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But I’ve got my reasons for not thinking Olsen is very good. He runs poor routes, fails to get open, cannot block and drops/fumbles the football way too often. I know he’s had some solid games, but I can point to numerous occasions where he’s been a non-factor or even a minus.

Brandon Manumaleuna was brought in to be a bad-ass blocking tight end. He was given big money and expected to be an important part of protecting Jay Cutler and opening holes for Matt Forte. While he got better towards the end of the season, he didn’t exactly blow up opposing defenders the way we expected him to do so. He did catch some big passes during the season, but his primary responsibility was to block. Frankly, Manumaleuna didn’t live up to expectations. It was announced today he’s having a procedure done on his right knee. This could be an indication of why he wasn’t as good as expected.

Desmond Clark dropped a touchdown pass in week three against the Packers. From that point forward, he was banished to football Siberia. He became a non-factor the rest of the season and will be taking his talents elsewhere.

I think Kellen Davis may potentially be their best tight end. He got much more involved late in the season and has the size and speed to create match-up problems for opposing teams.

Overall, I give this unit a generous C-. I cannot ignore Olsen’s big games and Manumaleuna did block better in the second half. Davis had some huge catches as well. But, the negatives from this group just made it barely functional.

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For those of you that are regulars on Bears Headquarters, you know I’m a huge fan of running the damn football. It is the whole key to being successful in the NFL. I know that you can point to the success of the Green Bay Packers this season, but James Starks gave the Green and Mold enough of a threat running the football to make Aaron Rodgers that much more dangerous.

Matt Forte had an excellent year. He combined for over 1,6oo yards total offense and got much better as the season moved along. He was very impressive both running and catching the football and cut down on the fumbles that plagued him last season. I think what’s even more impressive for Forte is that he did this behind an offensive line that was suspect for most of the season.

While I think Forte is an excellent player with the ball in his hands and running patterns, I wouldn’t call him a great blocker. In fact, calling him a below average blocker is a compliment. I understand his value to this team, but he has difficulty with blitz pick-up.

Chester Taylor was brought into Chicago to help relieve the load off of Forte. While Taylor is a good blocker and veteran presence, he didn’t have the kind of year the Chicago Bears were hoping for for the amount of money he was being paid. All indications are that the Chicago Bears are going to release Taylor soon, and based on the cap hit, it’s hard not to blame the organization. Taylor certainly didn’t fail from a lack of effort, it just wasn’t meant to be.

Garrett Wolfe and Khalil Bell round out the running backs on the roster. Wolfe was more of a special teams player thus rarely playing on offense and Bell was inactive most of the season.

Overall, I give the Chicago Bears running backs a solid B+. Forte’s production overshadows his lack of blocking and Taylor did have some moments.

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I’ll throw my hat into the ring…I like Cutler. He’s an extremely talented guy and certainly the best quarterback I’ve seen in my lifetime in the Chicago Bears uniform.

He also comes across as a spoiled brat. The whole Denver fiasco rubbed many fans the wrong way. While we later learned that Josh McDaniels was a tool, the whole process fell apart from the beginning.

While a member of the Chicago Bears, while his demeanor on the sidelines and hissy-fit moments are legendary, he certainly says the right things and despite taking a beating, never called out a teammate. I’m not even going to bother with the details surrounding the playoff game knee injury, but let’s just say that gave his enemies the opportunity to express frustration with Cutler. He was attacked pretty well by his haters.

Overall, I think Cutler had a good season. There were times he was great and others when he sucked. As we learned throughout the season, his best offensive weapon was Matt Forte. While his receivers could be spectacular, they weren’t consistently a help. His tight end buddy Greg Olsen really isn’t very good.

Cutler took a physical beating last season. His offensive line and the Mike Martz seven-step drops were an attempt to get him killed. However, as the season moved along, the line improved and Martz simplified the passing game.

Since this is an overall quarterback grade, I have to mention the cancer-to-my-eyes Todd Collins. He’s the worst quarterback I’ve ever seen in a Bears uniform and a disgrace to all mankind. Caleb Hanie played solidly in the championship game.

I give the Bears quarterbacks a B- for the year. It would have been a little lower except I took the offensive line and receiver issues into account. It would have been a little higher if Collins wasn’t here.

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Let’s start of offense. While Jay Cutler and Matt Forte are two newer guys, Olin Kruetz has been the leader of the offensive line for a long time. While Mike Tice has done a wonderful job molding this unit, teammates will tell you that Kruetz is the one who gets in your face if he feels you’re not giving a full effort. He’s an effort guy and demands the same from his teammates.

I’ll never forget in his rookie season the Bears were playing against Washington. One of the Redskins taunted a Bear and Kruetz took a shot at the guy and was penalized. It was right then his reputation was beginning to be established. He’s a tough SOB and demands respect. We even saw that against Seattle last week. Toward the end of the game, he defended a teammate that was on the ground.

On special teams, Patrick Mannelly has been the long-snapper for a long time. He’s one of the best in football. He also covers kicks and sets the tone for this group. While he’s not as well known outside of Chicago, he’s one of the most respected Bears.

I’ve met Mannelly and seen the type of work he puts in off the field. I actually was rehabbing a broken ankle at the same gym where Mannelly trains. Holy crap! According to others in the facilities, he is always an extremely intense worker. If you don’t think that a guy who’s asked to do something maybe five times a game working his tail off doesn’t earn him respect, then you’ve got another thing coming. He wears a “C” for that reason.

On the defensive side of the ball, the list includes Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and Julius Peppers. These guys play at a high level and can all make game-changing plays. There’s a reason why this unit is strong and it is large part to talent and leadership.

In the defensive huddle, there are seven guys that played in the 2006 Super Bowl for the Chicago Bears and one that got there with the Carolina Panthers (Peppers). In other words, eight of the 11 starters won an NFC title. Think that doesn’t motivate you a little more to get back?

I haven’t even mentioned guys like Israel Idonije, Roberto Garza, Brad Maynard and Rasheed Davis. These are veteran role players that certainly make an impact as well. All of these guys have made a huge impact at a point of the season.

While I’m not discounting the leadership on the Packers, I feel its an edge for the Chicago Bears.

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Riley:  How much does it really matter that the Seahawks beat Chicago?  Does it have any impact or influence on the upcoming matchup?

Jonathan: Hell yes. The game against the Seahawks was the beginning of Mike Martz changing. He kept wanting this team to be “The Greatest Show on Turf” but instead the only thing on turf was Jay Cutler. The line was playing for crap and the Chicago Bears stopped running the damn ball.

Now, the Chicago Bears are a running team that sprinkles in passes when the situation calls for it. The offensive line is playing better. Plus, the defense is going to better than what you saw. Lance Briggs is healthy and the defensive line has gone through some personnel changes. Trust me, the Chicago Bears considered the Seattle loss as unforgivable. The opportunity to feel better about it comes possibly comes Sunday.

Riley:  Being a 12th Man, I have to ask:  How much of an impact does the crowd at Soldier Field have on the outcome of the game?

Jonathan: They do this BS in Chicago called “The 4th Phase”. We’re supposed to be wild and crazy. Honestly, and I know you’re not going to like what I’m going to say, I don’t buy into this crowd business. Look, great teams win because their great. The Seahawks beat the Saints because the Saints became one dimensional and forgot how to tackle (I picked you guys by the way…I thought the Saints were way to caught up in how bad Seattle was, and they weren’t prepared for that game at all). The way you get the crowd out of any game is running the damn football. I’m expecting the Seahawks to do that Sunday.

Riley:  The Bears finished the season winning 7 of their last 9 games.  They seemed to really gain momentum towards the end of the season.  How much does the loss in week 17 and a bye in the first round take away from that momentum?  Or does it only rest them up and make them better?

Jonathan: I have to give Lovie Smith a lot of praise for going with his starters against the Packers. Instead of being stubborn, he learned from his past mistakes that resting players doesn’t work. Look at what happened last week in your game. The Saints came in and looked sloppy because the previous week was used as a resting period. The Bears are healthy. They just got healthier and the coaches got were able to change some things.

The Green Bay loss was used as a testing ground. I went up to that game and I’ll tell you that in the first half, the Bears were the better team. The second half the Bears changed some things around and they really got away from what worked. Had the game mattered, I think they would have continued doing the things that were working.

This team was better after the regular season bye, so I’m thinking that they should adjust accordingly this time around.

Riley:  Which player will have the biggest impact on the outcome of the upcoming game?

Jonathan: The obvious answer is Devin Hester. The right answer is Matt Forte. Lofa Tatupu’s status is still unknown. If he’s out, Forte may have an even bigger game. I’ll also throw Earl Bennett in there as well.

Riley:  Which Chicago television icon is Chicago most proud of:  Oprah or Bozo?

Jonathan: Bozo. I’m 36. My mother had to write in for tickets before I was born so I could go to a show when I was like 6. It was a thrill meeting him.

Oprah annoys the shit out of me. And you can print that…

Riley: Prediction…

Jonathan: Well, now the big question…all this other stuff was talk. I’m liking but not loving the Chicago Bears. I’ll say

Bears 17 Seahawks 10

Good stuff as always…a warm thank you to Riley again. Follow his crew on Twitter at 12thmanrising.

Follow me on Twitter at BearsHq and BlueDemonsLair. For the latest DePaul Blue Demons news and more, check outwww.bluedemonslair.com. Please show me the love for the Big East’s Biggest Fan at www.mybigeastvolvo.com.

I decided to do some investigative journalism and see exactly where the problem exactly lies. After reviewing my notes and watching game films, I’ve decided the fault here spreads through the offense.

While Johnny Knox had a fine season statistically, I found at least three occasions where Knox didn’t work for the football. On more than one occasion, he let a defensive back out-muscle him for the football. On another occasion, if you recall the Redskins game and DeAngelo Hall’s monster game. On one of his interceptions he returned for a touchdown, Knox just gave up on his route and didn’t react. This is something that Knox improved upon, but something that he’ll need to address. But, I’m a Knox fan and I love the way he commits to block. He just needs some more time to get better.

Devin Hester had an all-pro year as a returner and improved as a receiver. But, Hester ran several routes incorrectly and still at times lacks the instincts to be a top receiver. Most of his catches come on simple routes. While Hester doesn’t get muscled as often as Knox, he still doesn’t react as quickly as needed.

Don’t even get me started on Greg Olsen. Besides being a crappy blocker, he fails to get open. And when he does, its anyone’s guess what will happen next if he gets a pass. I’ve been on the Olsen being overrated bandwagon for a long time. The other tight ends are blockers.

The best fundamental receiver on the Chicago Bears is Earl Bennett. He doesn’t have Hester or Knox’s speed, but he’s a tough SOB and runs great routes. Notice that Cutler got better when Bennett established himself in the passing game. It’s not exactly a coincidence. They were college teammates and it has translated to the NFL. Watching Bennett work for the football as well as laying guys out on blocks is fun. I wonder if the Seattle punter will look around on Sunday?

Devin Aromashodu and Rasheed Davis round out the receiving core. Aromashodu just doesn’t quite click and Davis is a veteran who’s value is obvious on special teams and as an occasional receiver. Aromashodu has been in the dog house a long time since dropping passes including a touchdown against the Lions on opening day. Davis played more than normal the last few games and did a solid job.

Matt Forte is a great receiver out of the backfield. Chester Taylor will catch the ball as well. This helps Cutler as well.

So here’s my conclusion. The Chicago Bears need to run the damn football. That is the first place that cuts down on interceptions. For obvious reasons, its not a throw. But it pulls safeties out of coverage and helps his receivers to get more open. When Cutler establishes Bennett and Forte in the short-to-intermediate passing game, it opens up the deeper throws. If Olsen would man-up and actually catch the ball, that helps as well.

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On paper, this game looks like a no-brainer. The Seahawks aren’t as good of a team. Many fans of a certain team to the north that wears green and mold would even suggest the Bears continue to be a lucky football team. But the Seahawks looked sharp as heavy underdogs against the Saints. Many “experts” saw this as a cakewalk for the Saints (as anyone knows that follows me on Twitter,or reads this blog, I thought Seattle was going to win). The Seahawks are a team with nothing to lose, and that makes them dangerous. They’ve beaten the Bears once this season and I’m sure they’re confident they can do it again.

Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears had a relaxed week of practice to and were able to take everything in from this past weekend. They’re healthy and ready to go. The Bears coaching staff specifically Mike Martz when given two weeks was able to revamp the offense like earlier this season out of the bye week. I’m sure he took notes from the season finale and will have a strong game-plan in place. Martz has a track-record of being a good playoff coach. In this writer’s opinion, RUN THE DAMN FOOTBALL should be the theme of this week and the playoffs. When the Chicago Bears commit to the run, good things happen. Matt Forte is running with a purpose, and this makes everyone of offense better. For my regular readers, you know I’ve been on this theme for a long time.

I’ll look at some defensive ideas tomorrow. It gets real now folks!

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Jonathan: What do Jets fans think of Rex Ryan? Is he becoming a distraction? Do you think he’s involved with TripGate?

Jon: I think Jets fans, at least 99% of them, love Rex Ryan and think he’s one of the best things to ever happen to our organization. He’s respected not only for being a great football coach, but because of his no-nonsense approach and likability. He’s just a regular guy, just like us. He always says exactly what’s on his mind and his straight-talk is a breath of fresh air in a world of vague, bland, boring football coaches.  

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I don’t think any of the recent off-the-field stories have become that big of a distraction for Ryan or the team. The owner, GM, players and fans fully support Rex Ryan. As far as “TripGate” goes, if he says he knew nothing about it, I believe him. I’ve never heard him do anything other than tell the truth, sometimes to a fault, as his honesty and bravado are loved by those who are with him, and hated by those who are against him.

Jonathan: What do you think of the Chicago Bears?

Jon: I think the Chicago Bears are a much better football team than I would’ve thought in the preseason. The first few weeks of the season I found myself questioning their legitimacy, especially after the Calvin Johnson game in Week 1 and the dismantling at the hands of the Giants a few weeks later. 

However, 10-4 speaks for itself. They’ve beaten Philadelphia and Green Bay, they have a terrific defense and special teams unit, and a talented offense. The only thing that can derail them is inconsistency on offense, especially if Jay Cutler is getting pressured and hit like he did against the Giants. Without looking at game film, in the limited times I have seen the Bears play since then, it appears Mike Martz has done a good job adjusting his offense to better protect Cutler and get the ball out of his hands quicker. Luckily for Chicago, the Jets actually struggle to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks more than you’d think, which is why Cutler may seem some exotic defensive fronts to try to confuse him and the offensive line protection schemes.

Jonathan: What players scare you on the Bears? Who should Bears fan be concerned about on the Jets?

Jon: Devin Hester for the Bears and Brad Smith for the Jets are equally terrifying with their return abilities. If I’m not mistaken, Hester returns punts, not kicks so he can avoided, whereas the Jets use Smith on kicks but not punts. The Jets say they’ll be kicking away from Hester all game, but as we saw on Monday night, just a slight miskick one time can be deadly. Smith is dangerous for many of the same reasons. Both the Jets and Bears possess some of the best coordinated special teams return units in the NFL. Smith went untouched on his opening-kickoff return touchdown against the Steelers last week.

As far as guys who the Jets can’t really neutralize, there are a few guys on both sides of the ball that are going to be tough to face. Brian Urlacher, Johnny Knox, Matt Forte Julius Peppers, and Israel Idonije are among those guys. Cutler is hit-and-miss, and although I respect his statements about how he won’t avoid Darrelle Revis, I would hope for the Bears’ sake that he doesn’t try to overly test Revis to prove a point, ala the DeAngelo Hall game.

For the Jets, despite injuries in the secondary and a lackluster pass rush, the defense is still ferocious as any in the league. One guy to keep an eye on is defensive tackle Sione Pouha (pronounced see-own-ee bo-ooh-ah) number 91. He’s been playing at a Pro Bowl-level since filling in for the injured Kris Jenkins both this year and last year. He and linebacker Bart Scott are some of the unsung heroes of the Jets 4th-ranked run defense. They do not put up big stats, but they do the dirty work. Other guys to be concerned about are WRs Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards, cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, and the offensive line in general.

Jonathan: Are you concerned about the health of Mark Sanchez?

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Jon: I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. There seems to be a discrepancy among what exactly the extent of the injury is and how much it will affect him going forward. At first, just basing it on the way he played so well through the injury on Sunday, Rex Ryan was “99% sure” that Sanchez would play this week. Today, after he personally witnessed Sanchez not having a lot of “zip” on the ball, he said that he’s only 80% sure he’ll play, contingent on Sanchez’s arm strength improving throughout the rest of the week.

However, it is has to be noted that he has not suffered a setback, and that he’s progressing about as expected from his original diagnosis. Rex Ryan is not a doctor, and he tends to be overly optimistic on player injuries, as is his nature of positive thinking. For what it’s worth, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said that he expects Sanchez to play, and that Ryan may have only seen Sanchez warming up, as Schottenheimer noted that Sanchez threw a crisp curl route downfield at one point in practice.

Bottom line is, Rex will do what is best for Sanchez and what is best for his team. The Jets have the luxury of being able to win games without the quarterback doing very much, as well as an easy path to the playoffs. They need to win just one of their remaining two games (they face Buffalo in Week 17) or have the Colts or Jaguars lose one of their remaining two games to get into the playoffs. If that means Mark Brunell has to play against the Bears or Bills, I don’t think it’ll necessarily cost the Jets a playoff spot.

Jonathan: What’s a better show…Sopranos or Boardwalk Empire?

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Jon: Well, I actually am more of a Showtime guy than an HBO guy. I’ve heard good things about some of those shows, but I’ll take Dexter over anything on TV.

Jonathan: Prediction???

Jon: I think it comes down to whichever offense can execute their game plan most effectively. The defense and special teams for both teams are elite units in this league, so I believe the winner is going to be the team that can get their offense into a rhythm and get some points on the board. Assuming Mark Sanchez plays, the two quarterbacks will have a lot of a say in who wins this game. They’re both capable of leading their teams to easy victories, and also to costing their teams games they should easily win. This isn’t going to be an easy game for anyone, though. I think the Bears win with home-field advantage, 17-14.

I want to thank Jon for his time. Follow me on Twitter at BearsHq and BlueDemonsLair. For the latest DePaul Blue Demons news and more, check out www.bluedemonslair.com. Please show me the love for the Big East’s Biggest Fan at www.mybigeastvolvo.com.

Super Bowl betting odds are up in the sportsbook and fans looking to capitalize on awesome Super Bowl futures should go ahead and log onto the sportsbook and get their Super Bowl bets down!  The awesome odds found in the sportsbook won’t last forever!  Log on and make a Super Bowl 2011 wager today!