Chicago Bears: 2011 NFL Season Preview
Chicago Bears: 2011 NFL Season Preview
The 2011 NFL offseason has been all about big acquisitions.
The Philadelphia Eagles signed Nnamdi Asomugha. The Arizona Cardinals traded for Kevin Kolb. The New England Patriots landed two superstars in Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco.
For the Chicago Bears, the offseason has been all about one big loss. The team released the heart and soul of their offense, center Olin Kreutz.
With the six-time Pro Bowler gone (he’s now in New Orleans), Roberto Garza will move from right guard to center. Can he make the proper reads like the 34-year-old Kreutz? The Bears’ brass sure hopes he can.
With Garza now at center, 305-pound Lance Louis gets reinstated as the team’s right guard. He played that position for four games last season before being replaced by Edwin Williams. Playing next to him at right tackle will be rookie Gabe Carimi. He’s the Bears’ 2011 first round draft choice.
When Carimi was drafted out of Wisconsin he was probably looking forward to playing alongside Kreutz and Garza. Unfortunately for him, the Bears have taken that luxury away.
At left guard is another first round draft selection (2008), Chris Williams. He’ll be the only Bear playing the same position on the offensive line as the year before. Manning the all important left tackle spot is J’Marcus Webb. He played right tackle in 2011 and benefited greatly from being next to the dynamic duo of Kreutz and Garza.
Obviously, the Bears are entering the 2011 season with a revamped O-line—a unit that was fairly consistent throughout the 2010 season. So why did the Bears jettison that consistency by getting rid of Kreutz, a 14-year veteran? Certainly money was a factor (the Bears are notorious for being cheap), but more than likely it was because the franchise believes in offensive line coach, Mike Tice.
During his five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Tice saw five of his offensive linemen go to 10 Pro Bowls—four of those behemoths went to Hawaii for the first time in their careers. Super Bowl winning coach Brian Billick said Tice’s coaching job with the Bears last season was one of the greatest he’s ever seen.
‘‘I have five guys in there starting,’’ barked Tice. ‘‘Unless they falter, that’s who’s opening the season against Atlanta. Right now I’m not seeing that falter. What I’m seeing right now is ¬improvement every day. That’s what I’m looking for.
‘‘Now if something happens in the game against Buffalo [Saturday at Soldier Field]—somebody doesn’t step up to the plate because of the added pressure of the game, then we have to create something. But right now I don’t see that. I don’t feel that either.’’
To recap, working from left to right tackle, the Bears starting O-line is Webb, Williams, Garza, Louis, and Carimi.
The Bears did make some additions to their roster. They signed three former Dallas Cowboys: running back Marion Barber and wide receivers Roy Williams and Sam Hurd. The team also acquired tight end Matt Spaeth.
All the comings and goings mean besieged quarterback Jay Cutler will have a lot of new faces to deal with as he tries to wash the taste out of everyone’s mouth of his performance in last season’s NFC Championship game (he threw three interceptions before being “knocked out” of the contest).
Cutler may have earned a reputation for quitting, and being inconsistent, but he does work hard and he does have one of the best football minds in the game coaching him, offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Clearly, he can win in the league it’s just a matter of can he win the big one.
Last season, the Monsters of the Midway ended their campaign with a humiliating loss to the eventual Super Bowl Champions Green Bay Packers. So far in the 2011 offseason, at least on paper, the franchise has done nothing to increase their chances of making it all the way to the “Big Game.”
Since Lovie Smith has taken over as head coach, the Bears, with their stout defense and solid special teams, are always a couple of return touchdowns away from going 11-5 and winning their division. This season is no different.