CHICAGO BEARS
Monsters of the Midway, Or Another One-Year Wonder?
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Wednesday, September 6, 2006
Remember for a moment the 2001 season, when the Bears raced to a 13-3 regular season finish on the back of rookie running back Anthony Thomas and quarterbacks Jim Miller and Shane Matthews.
Armed with linebacker Brian Urlacher, lots of smoke and a few well-placed mirrors, Coach Dick Jauron helped the Bears erase the stink of a five-win season in 2000 by pulling off weekly surprises.
But most Bears backers have blocked out what happened after that breakout campaign. In the next three seasons, the Bears failed to reach .500.
Both Miller and Matthews showed their journeyman stock, and Thomas fizzled. Jauron was done, too.
Chicago's string of mediocrity continued until the Bears flipped around a 5-11 campaign in 2004 to go 11-5 last season. But don't expect these Bears to slide back into another funk -- despite some of the eerie similarities.
Like the 2001 team, these Bears rely on a talented defense that makes up for inconsistent play at quarterback.
Unlike the 2001 team, these Bears are clearly better than their division rivals (against whom they finished 5-1 last year), which again should help inflate their win total.
Management is still banking that Rex Grossman will grow into a front-line starter after missing large chunks of last season with injuries. He enters his fourth season with only seven career starts. Just in case, the Bears acquired Brian Griese as a backup.
Running back Thomas Jones (Virginia), who was named the starter, had a career year last season. But the Bears won't need him to shoulder the entire load if Cedric Benson can take on more responsibility as expected.
Then there's that Bears defense. Urlacher and Co. allowed the fewest points per game in the NFL last season (12.6). All 11 starters are back.
For an added bonus, the Bears drew one of the softest schedules in the league despite winning the division last year. How? Call it the NFC North Effect. Detroit, Green Bay and Minnesota finished a combined 18-30, and the Bears get them six times.
Yep, life's good in the Midway.
