Bears offseason needs

Over the next few days I will be breaking down what I feel are the Bears biggest off-season needs.  Each day I will be doing a different area of need.  We will start with the biggest need going backwards to the least.

Offensive Line

While the Bears have some nice pieces in place, this group has some holes that need to be addressed.  Be that through free agency or the draft.  While the line did improve from the 56 sack allowed last year down to 49 sacks (tied for fifth-most in the NFL.), the number is a bit deceiving.  In the six starts by Caleb Hannie and Josh McCown the pair was sacked 26 times, in contrast in Cutlers 10 starts he was only sacked 23 times.  So that number could be inflated one could argue. The line did pave the way for 2,015 rushing yards the most by the Bears since 1991.  

Gabe Carimi looks to be the real deal at right tackle and should be a fixture for many years to come. 

Roberto Graza did a nice job converting to center and was named a Pro Bowl alternate while earning a two-year extension along the way.  

Chris Williams looked better each week prior to his season ending injury and should be ready for the start of training camp.    

Chris Spencer

The Bears signed him in hopes that he would replace the departing Olin Kruetz, but he was signed late and did not find a spot until Gabe Carimi went down and forced Lance Louis outside.  He did adapt nicely and could be the front runner next year.

J'Marcus Webb

This is where the Bears need to improve.  Webb resembled a turn-style for much of the season with the worst coming against the Vikings Jared Allen.  While he did OK for parts of the season the consistency was not there.  

If nothing else all the injuries suffered by this unit created depth for the future.  The line will be better day one without adding anyone with Carimi and Williams due back.  Overall this unit fared better then I thought they would at the beginning of the season but that will not get it done.  While Cutler's sacks were down this year, the credit goes to Cutler as much as the line.  Cutler needs more time to set and throw.  This will be helped with Mike Tice calling plays more suited to the strengths of this team, not trying to stick the round peg in the square whole like Martz did before him.

Outlook in free agency/the draft;  Picking at 19 there will not be that stud left tackle the Bears need, so unless they trade up I would bet that wide out is where they go.  

There may be a couple of options via free agency however. 

 Doug Free of the Cowboys could be  a huge prize if Dallas is unable to sign him.  

Jared Gaither from Baltimore is an other option if his back is fully healed he would be an upgrade.

With a couple of smart moves this could become an area of strength for the Bears.  Let me know what you think and as always BEAR DOWN!!

Next up receivers 

Bear Down 2011 NFL playoffs predictions

The playoffs are here and we are on the outside looking in as Bears fans.  So I will give my predictions for this years playoffs that I am sure will be wrong and I will have to modify next week, but here we go anyway.

Wild Card

Cincinnati @ Houston -3

Houston hosts their first ever playoff this week after limping in to the playoffs with three straight loses.  The Bengals themselves backed into the playoffs after losing on Sunday and getting the help they needed with both Denver and the New York Jets both losing.  The Texans last win came to this very Bengal team.  With T.J. Yates will be facing another rookie in Andy Dalton.  I think that Dalton wins this one and the Bengals advance.  21-17

Detroit @ New Orleans -10.5

This is a match up of two high powered offenses.  The over/under on the game is 59.  Drew Brees and company have not lost at home this year, this will not change this week.  Saints 42 Lions 25

Atlanta @ New York -3

Atlanta comes to New York to face a team that should not be in the playoffs.  In what was supposed to be the best division in football 9-7 got the title.  I think the Falcons will be too much for the G-men to handle in another upset I am taking the Falcons 21-17

Pittsburgh @ Denver +8.5

Denver is the only home team getting points this week and with good reason.  Tim Tebow has been just bad.  This is not going to change this week as the Steelers will win this one going away.  Steelers 31 Broncos 9

Divisional round

Atlanta @ Green Bay

This will be a rematch of last years Divisional round with similar results.
Pack 45 Falcons 19

New Orleans @ San Fran

This is a tough one with the 49'ers D and the Saints offense locking horns.  I think this will be a close game that should favor the Niners but Drew Brees finds a way to win with a last second drive.  Saints 24 Niners 21

Cincinnati @ New England

Not much to say about this one.  It will be ugly and over early.  Tom Brady and company will score early and often.  Patriots 35 Bengals 17

Pittsburgh @ Baltimore

In what will be in a fight for best game of the weekend with the Saints and Niners, this will be a tough hard fought game that ends with the Ravens moving on.  Ravens 17 Steelers 14

Championships

NFC Championship

New Orleans @ Green Bay

This is the game that turns the Packers dream season into a nightmare.  Drew Brees is going to pick apart the Packer defense and out score the "best" team in football.  I like the Saints defense a lot more then the Packers.  Drew Brees will show why he deserves to be part of the MVP talk with this game.  Saints 45 Packers 38

AFC Championship

Baltimore @ New England

Tom Brady vs. Ray Lewis is what this will be billed.  While the Patriots defense has not been good it will do just enough to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.  Pats 24 Ravens 17

Super Bowl

New Orleans @ New England

Drew Brees is not Joe Flaco and the Saints will win their second title in three years in a shoot out.  Saints 42 Pats 38

Like I said earlier I am sure that this will all be shot to the toilet by Sunday night and I will have to revisit this next week but for now this is how I see it.  Let me know what you think and even though we are not dancing BEAR DOWN!!

Was the Bears win worth what it cost?

The Bears finished off the 2011 season with a win in Minnesota on Sunday to the tune of 17 to 13.  But was the victory worth what it cost the Bears?

In the game Brian Urlacher went down with a knee injury and the Bears dropped at least 5 spots in the draft.  The Bears will be picking 19th in Aprils draft.

Now I am not suggesting that the Bears should have dumped this game but, the way they won is what I take issue with.  I said a few weeks back that the Bears needed to treat the last few games as if it where preseason to protect the core of this team.  Now it looks like Urlacher will be OK and does not need surgery but what the heck are they thinking?

Lovie Smith said all week how they wanted to win this game and blah blah blah.  But why?  This is what drives me crazy about this coaching staff.  From all I have heard from players they love Smith and his staff and would run to hell and back for him.  So from that I assume that they have one hell of a coaching staff Monday to Saturday.  But once Sunday rolls around it is a different story.

Sundays game showed just that.  The Bears had nothing to gain by playing full boar with the starters.  They had much to lose.  Not just with draft position but with the chance a key player going down.  The Bears got lucky that Urlacher's injury was not more severe.

Look at the Packers Aaron Rodgers was inactive against the Lions in a game that had no meaning for their playoff outlook.  Now I know that it is different with the Packers being in the playoffs, but with nothing on the line you protect your core.

I think the Bears may need to think about cleaning house.  Smiths miss-handling of challenges and time outs and lack of ability to make adjustments on the fly are just a few reasons why.  Not to mention his evaluations of talent.  Caleb Hanie exhibit A.  What about Kahli Bell?  Every chance he has gotten he has done something with it, yet Smith  refused to play him favoring the likes of Marion Barber, Garret Wolfe and Chester Taylor.  All signs look like Smith is not going to bring offensive coordinator Mike Martz back next year.  With that chances are that this team will need to learn a new offense any way.  Smith just does not get it.

Now I know that a lot of people think Martz should go and I was even one of those until I realized what he brought to the table this year.  With another year in the offense Cutler was putting up a Pro Bowl season, the offense was averaging 26.2 points per game during the five game winning streak all with out the use of a true #1 receiver, and an offensive line that at times was offencive.  Also if you remember Mike Martz said all along how he did not want Caleb Hanie as his back up.  Now he did change his tune this year but I think that was more Smith telling Martz what to say not his true feelings.  So not bringing him back is a mistake.

The Bears will not be making any moves siting injuries as the reason why this season went south.  Good teams get past injuries and win the Packers proved that last season. Not good news for Bear fans.  But I will say that every year the Bears have a down season they come back only once in the Lovie Smith era have the Bears not made the playoffs following a down year so that is something to look towards I guess.

Let me know what you think and BEAR DOWN!