A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
Jay Cutler will go down as the “most badass quarterback who never really accomplished anything” in NFL history.
Cutler is no stranger to doing whatever he wants. Some bash him for it, but do you want to know why an All-State high school shortstop, basketball player, and football star, who’s destined for the Hall of Fame, can do whatever he wants?
One reason: He’s Jay Cutler and he dominates.
With the preseason finally underway in the NFL, it seems as good a time as any to start previewing the upcoming season, mainly the division of most importance to me: the NFC North.
You can find last week’s Detroit Lions preview here. This week we continue with the Chicago Bears.
The only thing we know for sure about the 2010-2011 Chicago Bears? Even after a busy offseason in the personnel department, not a goddamned thing.
But worry not, we aren’t the only ones.
A lot of people will be looking at the Chicago Bears this year.
They will be looking at how Jay Cutler performs in his second year. They will be looking at Mike Martz and whether his new offensive scheme will work. And, of course, they will be looking at whether or not the Bears make the playoffs.
While those are all valid questions that will soon be answered in this upcoming NFL season, there is another person who all Bears observers should be looking at as well: Matt Forte.
After a solid rookie year and then last year’s struggles, Forte’s third year is critical for himself and the team.
[Editor's Note: Throughout the day I participate in email conversations with friends about hot sports topics. One of my friends in particular is very active in these conversations. This is that friend, a dedicated analyst of all things Chicago. What you will read below was written in response to the following email question that I sent him yesterday:
I greatly anticipate your next Bears email.
You now have a high-priced QB who can't lead, a high-priced DE who doesn't love football, a RB who is over 30 (though with low tread on the tires) and another RB who is completely ineffective without a great offensive line. And still, with your golden-armed QB, you have no WRs.
Granted, still a lot of time left...but was Peppers really a prudent investment? You follow this closer than I do. What say you?
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Peppers? Who knows. Willkie does not profess to be a magician evaluator of talent, nor would I ever claim to understand the intricacies of human emotions, especially in the most unstable of creatures rapidly ascending hordes of cash, fame, and attention.
Rather, I think the more alarming situation concerning the bears is the multi-variate and conflicting strategy. Remember the Greek fable of Hydra?
Hydra was the multi-headed creature residing near Lake Lerna in Greece. When cutting off one head two would grow back in its place, leading you to regress in any attempt to dominate the creature.
Well, replace Lake Lerna with Lake Michigan and the creature representing Hyrda is the Bears.
Let's consider the heads...
It seems the Bears’ players are already liking their new offensive coordinator. Martz has been praised by most Bears players and seems to have developed really good chemistry between WR Earl Bennett, and QB Jay Cutler.
“He made a great impression,” Bennett told chicagobears.com about his meeting with Martz at Halas Hall on Monday, the coach’s first full day at the office. “He’s a mastermind offensive coach who’s going to spread the ball around and wants to take us to that next level. I’m ready to work hard for him.”
This is a very good thing to hear because a rejuvenated offense will only help the Bears in their cause to get into the playoffs next year.
After a long process that seemed to take forever, the Bears have finally signed a coach to one of their open coaching positions.
Mike Martz will be the new offensive coordinator, and I couldn’t be more happy that the Bears picked him up. Martz is most known for bringing up Kurt Warner into the elite QB we know him as today.
“Even though I’ve never worked with Mike Martz, I’m in favor of the Bears hiring anybody that can get us back on the right track, and hopefully back to a Super Bowl,” Bears tight end Desmond Clark said. “Mike Martz has a great track record, and I’m excited to see how this offense could grow in 2010.”
If the Bears’ offense is going to be successful it has to start with Jay Cutler.
