[CBFF] ESPNi: 2006 Bears Preview

Fri Sep 1 08:00:18 MDT 2006

Man, that's going to be tough.  I hope they can handle it.

-----Original Message-----
From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com
[mailto:cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of mom2iancal
Sent: Friday, September 01, 2006 8:49 AM
To: post at chicagobearsfanforum.com
Subject: Re: [CBFF] ESPNi: 2006 Bears Preview

> Everything should come into focus the first month of the season. The
> Bears open with three critical NFC North games, including road trips to
> Chicago and Minnesota.

Ummm?  The Bears have a road trip to CHICAGO???  Boy, hope they can handle 
that loooonnnngggg trip??

Teri

> THE BOTTOM LINE
> By *John Clayton*, *ESPN.com*
>
>
> For a team that appears to be a lock to win the NFC North, the Bears
> sure have issues. Coach Lovie Smith wants to start Cedric Benson
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7180> at
> halfback, but the players seem to favor Thomas Jones
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5036>, who rushed
> for 1,335 yards last season. Everyone is in agreement that Rex Grossman
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6358> is the
> team's most talented quarterback, but backup Brian Griese
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322> has
> outperformed him during the preseason. Fans prayed for offensive
> additions during the offseason and the front office added five defensive
> players in the draft.
>
> Everything should come into focus the first month of the season. The
> Bears open with three critical NFC North games, including road trips to
> Chicago and Minnesota. In Week 4, they play host to the Seahawks. Smith
> has stayed focused on keeping Grossman and Benson in the No. 1
> positions, but both have to perform to keep their jobs.
>
> Of course, it's easy to have offensive issues when the defense gives the
> team the luxury to be average on offense. The Bears' defense is loaded
> with great young talent. The Bears allowed only 202 points last season;
> another year in Smith's Cover 2 system should make them even better.
> Smith is convinced the playing time issues will sort themselves out. The
> goal is for the offense to score 21 points a game, a modest request for
> a team that has a very good offensive line. Grossman will be under the
> spotlight to get off to a fast start so Smith doesn't have to make a
> quick decision to go to Griese.
>
>
>
> SCOUTS TAKE
> By *Dean Dalton*, *Scouts Inc.*
>
>
> Lovie Smith kept his second-ranked defene virtually intact from last
> season. Led by linebacker Brian Urlacher
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5038>, this group
> has a lot of talent and added depth in the secondary by getting Ricky
> Manning Jr. <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6418>
> from Carolina through free agency.
>
> A team that won 11 games last season with rookie Kyle Orton
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7282> under
> center for the majority of its games should feel really good about
> entering the season with a healthy Rex Grossman
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6358> . The
> problem is that Grossman has a history of injuries and completed only
> 51.3 percent of his throws with two interceptions and only one score
> last year.
>
> The Bears must decide on a starter at running back, but the depth is
> excellent behind a solid offensive line and a good receiving corps. The
> best offseason move, besides not losing any key defenders, was bringing
> in veteran quarterback Brian Griese
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322>. Griese's
> presence on the roster allows Chicago to have a quality QB should
> Grossman continue his inconsistent play or injure himself again.
>
> *Prediction:* First in NFC North.
>
>
>
> SCIENTIFIC METHOD
> By *KC Joyner*, *ESPN.com*
>
> The burning question in Chicago this preseason is who should start at
> running back: Cedric Benson
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=7180>, Thomas
> Jones <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5036> or
> Adrian Peterson
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6134>? As good as
> the Bears' offensive line was in 2005, it might not matter who wins the
> starting running back job for Chicago.
>
> The Bears' left guard/left tackle tandem of Ruben Brown
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3161> and John
> Tait <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4662> is one
> of the best run-blocking combinations in the NFL. Brown's 90.9 percent
> run-blocking success rate was tops among guards in 2005. Tait didn't
> rank quite as high as Brown but his 83.9 percent success percentage
> still ranked him 22nd in that metric. Combine this powerful blocking duo
> with an improved passing attack and any of the Bears' three candidates
> should be successful in 2006.
>
>
>
>
> From ESPN The MAGAZINE
> The Big Number
> 10 Defense cannot do it alone. The Bears scored 10 points or fewer in
> all five of their regular-season losses last season. They were 11-0 in
> games in which they managed to put up more than a dime.
> STRENGTH
> The Bears have the NFL's best front seven -- and second best isn't even
> on the same field. Not only are they gifted, fast and disciplined in the
> Cover 2, they're two deep at every position. And did we mention how
> young they are? The starters' average age is just shy of 26. Reigning
> Defensive Player of the Year Brian Urlacher
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5038> (left) sets
> the pace. Thanks to his range and instincts, he has all the impact of a
> young Ray Lewis
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=3542>.
> WEAKNESS
> If Rex Grossman
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6358> stays
> healthy, the Bears just might get a little something from a perennial
> area of weakness. Keywords: if, might, little. Grossman has played all
> of eight games since Chicago drafted him in 2003, completing a paltry
> 53.8 percent of his throws. Brian Griese
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=4322> is a solid
> Plan B, but he doesn't exactly set hearts aflutter on a club with Super
> Bowl aspirations.
> PROSPECTS
> Here's what a 218-yard playoff shellacking from Steve Smith
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=5521> can do:
> Force the league's best defense to spend its first five picks on help,
> including the selection of two DBs in Round 2. Oh yeah, the Bears also
> spent $21M on FA CB Ricky Manning Jr.
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6418>. Up front,
> however, the D doesn't need help. The most dangerous player is Pro
> Bowler Tommie Harris
> <http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?statsId=6773>, who's just
> 22 and already entering his third season. He anchors a line that picked
> up 28 of the team's 41 sacks and helped hold opponents under 32 percent
> on third-down conversions. Sprinkle in Urlacher, and this unit might
> conjure up images of 1985. It had better, because Chicago can't shuffle
> anywhere with an O that ranked 29th and a passing game that topped
> Smith's individual performance once last season.
>
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