About The Bears... It's (Still) All Good

This was inspired by my friend Joe's "bring back the neckbeard" facebook status on Sunday night, among other things...

Don't get me wrong, I was just as distraught as everybody else about the stinkbomb submitted in Atlanta on Sunday night. We don't have to dissect it again, but a quick recap: poopy special teams, erratic QB play, defensive lapses, and embarrassing O-line play. How's that for the gist?

But still, I feel great about where the Bears are at right now as a team.

Again, don't get me wrong, in general, I'm a huge Bears pessimist. The Super Bowl year was probably my least favorite Bears season ever simply because I didn't think team was all that good, and instead of enjoying the success, I spent my time waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And did it ever.


I also thought about quitting the team after they drafted Benson, inexplicably traded Thomas Jones, and toyed with the idea of drafting Chad Henne. I never even thought about quitting the Blackhawks... who, really, had been the most quittable franchise* in Chicago up until their epic turnaround a few years ago.

But the Cutler trade changed everything. Everything changed. And it's still changing.

* - Cubs = not a franchise

1) Jay Cutler: This whole damn post could start and end with him, really, because that's what this is all about. If he wasn't here, this post of optimism wouldn't be here either.

Now... we could probably dedicate two full weeks worth of posts deconstructing some of the decisions Cutler makes on the field. While he's clearly talented, he's sort of still a project. I think it all boils down to this: arm strength.

Jay Cutler has the strongest arm of any quarterback I have ever seen.

Yes, even stronger than you.


To compare it to basketball, it's kind of like a player with range from anywhere on the court. If there was a player who had the ability to drill half court shots, he, too, would have embarrassing misfires from time to time. I'm not, by any means, making excuses for Cutler -- at some point, he's got to be able to harness his shit. But when you're throwing 15-yard outs from the weak-side off of your back foot and the wide receiver still has a chance to be overthrown? Then you sir, have power. Call me overly optimistic, but I just think it's reasonable for someone with his skill set to improve. Pessimists may say, "But it's the Bears! They ruin every young player!" And... well, yeah. To that, there is no comeback.

Which segues quite nicely into my next Cutler point (and it's been harped on here before): coming back in games. Wherever you stood on Orton, you can't tell me you ever felt great about the Bears chances of coming back from a 10 point deficit even if it was as early as the first quarter. With Cutler? 7, 14, 17, 21... it all seems doable. This guy can wing it all over the field. His deep post is your quick hitch. Just a flick of the wrist, baby.

If the Bears are winning? Great. But if they're not (and usually that's been the case)? Cutler gives us the ability to always make a game of it. This is something the Bears have never had ever. It's important to remember these things. And never forget these things. And always appreciate these things.

/not even half over the fact that this trade even happened

2) Overall record, future schedule: 3-2 isn't bad. Remember, 2-1 wasn't bad either.

Quickly, let's not lose sight of the fact that opening the season with @ GB, vs. Pit, @ SEA is pretty damn tough. A 2-1 start is nothing to complain about. By my count, it's the second or third toughest three-game stretch the Bears will be faced with this season. So 2-1 is fine, whether it's pretty or not

Next three games: @Cinci, Cleveland, Arizona. Not creampuff city, but all three of these teams are pretty beatable. Cleveland flat out stinks. Arizona's talented, but they randomly sputter on offense and implode semi-regularly. And Cinci just came off a bad loss and lost one of their best defensive players to injury. Another 2-1 showing would work.

Also still left on the schedule during crucial stretches of the season? A home game against the Rams in early December (which should be a guaranteed win... no jinxes) and another game against the spiraling Lions to close out the season Week 17. If the Bears are out of the division but still shooting for the wild card, this could be a fortuitous gift from the schedule makers.

The Bears do have their share of tests left (Eagles, Niners, Ravens), but you can't say there aren't a few gimmes, though.

3) The division: Dare I say less competitive than expected? I'm certainly not going to write off the Packers, but 3-2 is the exact same record as the Bears. And while they looked fine against the Lions last week, their O-line still needs to get it together and keep it together. They'll most likely improve, which is scary, but at the same time, they really could have been 5-0 right now if it weren't for some bad breaks early on. Two losses gives the Bears something to work with.

As far as the undefeated Vikings go... remember, the Bears still get two cracks at them. They'll get their first shot in the dome (uh oh) but Round 2 is at Chicago in Week 16. If the division is locked up by then, the game's meaningless. If not? Home field and crappy weather to slow down the pass rush? I'll take it.

(Side note: Between Favre, Jared "3 DUIs" Allen, the dome, the white people, the Twins' new stadium/laughable playoff sweep... are the Vikings primed to pass the Twins for most hateable Minnesota franchise for Chicagoans? I say yes.)

4) Not "no" pressure, but certainly less pressure: When Jay Cutler came into Chicago during the off-season, he was walking on water. One Green Bay destruction later, people were jumping off the bandwagon like it was on fire. This could be a good thing. The loss in the ATL could be a good thing, too.

It all comes down to prime-time perception. And right now, the Bears have lost all goodwill on the national scene. They can do nothing but rebuild this image for the better.

Some time last week, when talking about the Eagles, Simmons made a point that was along the lines of... when McNabb got hurt, the Eagles lost an early season game to the Saints, so now the spotlight shifts completely to the Giants. Now, the Eagles can re-group, play under-the-radar, improve throughout the season, then kick ass later when it counts.

Well, they lost to the Raiders last week. But this does still apply to the Bears. Just replace the Giants with the Vikings. As an avid follower of the 18-1 Patriots, I can tell you the undefeated expectations really start to weigh on a team. I'm not saying the Vikes are going to fold or anything, but the Bears will certainly be playing with less to lose when these teams eventually face-off.

To recap fan base expectations: Chicago did think too highly of Cutler. And the Green Bay game was necessary. He needs to earn the respect of the people who unconditionally loved him -- because... anointing him a savior without actually seeing it is sort of a careless thing to do. Let the guy show he can do it first. These setbacks give him something to work toward all season. Seriously, imagine if he threw, like, 3 TDs against the Packers and the Bears won by a couple touchdowns. The Super Bowl columns would have been churned out by the dozen that following Tuesday morning. I would have hated it.