Chicago Bears 2009 Preview: Cutlermania in the Windy City

Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Expectations in the Windy City are sky-high, coming off an offseason in which the Bears acquired who should be their first franchise quarterback in ages: Jay Cutler. He's doing photoshoots, selling jerseys with ease and playing well in preseason games. Can it translate into a playoff run ... or more?

Offense: The offense was good at times last season, but the numbers at the end of the year showed the results of a sub-par unit. Cutler makes a big difference, as he'll be able to get the ball downfield with consistency. The result is a trickle down effect. The maligned group of receivers will benefit from having an accurate, strong-armed passer. With Cutler's presence to stretch the field, Matt Forte will find running lanes much easier than last season. The second year player is coming off a stellar rookie season, but he only averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Expect to see that rise to the 4.5 range this year. Greg Olsen is a top-flight tight end and Devin Hester has the tools to develop into one of the best deep threats in the game. The lack of receiving depth is a legitimate concern, but Cutler can get by with the group -- especially if his old college teammate, Earl Bennett, emerges as a productive option. I will continue to preach that quarterbacks make receivers more than receivers make quarterbacks. Cutler will prove me correct this season. He's already made Devin Aromashodu look good on a few different occasions this preseason and Desmond Clark is looking like a very reliable second tight end (the Bears often use both at the same time). Also, there have been some changes on the offensive line -- shuffling and additions -- which should give the unit a boost. Heat Index: 7


Defense: We saw both ends of the spectrum last season, as the run defense was stout and the pass defense was flat-out pathetic. One of the main problems was schematic, as the Bears led the NFL in blitzes yet finished 23rd in sacks. We do know what the personnel is capable of, however, because most of the same players were on the dominant '05 and '06 defenses. With the demotion of Bob Babich from coordinator and the addition of Rod Marinelli to work on the technique, the Bears feel they'll find a return to form. Marinelli has already reportedly had a major impact on Mark Anderson, Marcus Harrison and is helping the quick development of third-round draft pick Jarron Gilbert. Alex Brown and Adewale Ogunleye still have the capabilities to play at a high level. With the improved play of the defensive line, Brian Urlacher where be freed from additional blockers and the path is cleared for a bounce-back year. A healthy Tommie Harris will also lend a hand with that and don't discount the upgrade opposite Lance Briggs on the outside in Pisa Tinoisamoa. Still, the secondary is a major concern and could be the only thing preventing this unit from elite status. They need to get healthy and, frankly, cover much better than last year. A major boost would be an improved pass rush, giving the offense less time to shake the defensive backfield. Heat Index: 7

Special Teams: According to Rick Gosselin's quasi-famed NFL Special Team's ranking system, the Bears were the best in the NFL in this department in both 2006 and 2007. Last season, the fell down to eighth due mostly to Hester's fall-back in return dominance. They still have solid coverage units, Robbie Gould is as good as it gets (as long as the field goal attempt is inside 50 yards) and Brad Maynard is great at pinning opposition inside the 20. I'm counting on Hester to bounce back as a great punt returner, especially after we saw that 54-yard burst in Denver. He looked like the Devin Hester of old. Last year, he seemed to be thinking too much and made tons of ill-advised cuts and changes in direction. The aforementioned return was the quick-cutting Hester who made NFL history. Danieal Manning does a fine job on kickoff returns. As a whole, the special teams give the Bears a huge advantage in field position each week. Heat Index: 9

Coaching: Lovie Smith is a solid leader who commands respect from his players. They want to play hard for him and they want to win for him. His game day decisions are sometimes suspect, but he always has the team well prepared. Some would like to see more of a fiery demeanor on the sidelines in certain situations, but that's not who he is. Ron Turner is a respected, albeit somewhat bland, offensive coordinator, and the addition of Marinelli as a defensive coach/second-in-command has reportedly worked wonders with many defensive lineman already. Overall, you have a better than average group, though only by the slightest of margins. Without ranking everyone, I'd guess the Bears coaching staff would be slotted 14 or 15 out of 32. With the heightened expectations, though, the team better produce or this score plummets. Heat Index: 6

Intangibles: There have been no real problems this offseason for the Bears. Even when there was an attempted media controversy (Urlacher calling Cutler a part of the female anatomy to Vikings wideout Bobby Wade), the parties involved brushed it off lovingly (Cutler jokingly returned the favor, and later the two exchanged jerseys in practice as part of a Bears tradition). Everyone in the locker room seems to be on board with Cutler. The offense is happy because they have a strong-armed leader. The defense is happy because the pressure to carry the load is lessened. Cutler is happy because he's found a new home and he's incredibly popular with the fan base. Also, the Marinelli addition has garnered more rave reviews from players than I've ever seen about an assistant coach. Obviously, the regular season will bring adversity at some point, but, for now, the team is singing kumbaya. And let's not forget about the motivation the guys still feel after getting so close to a championship a few years ago. If they start the season strong, a few bumps in the road won't knock them off track and you are looking at a dangerous team with sky-high swagger. Heat Index: 9

Total Heat Index: 38/50 Right now they are good at a lot of things, but not great at anything, save for the special teams if Hester reverts to his glory days of returning. I could envision a Super Bowl for this team, if about 10 things happen to break correctly. If about 10 things go wrong, though, this team could also wind up with a losing record and Lovie looking for work in 2010. Realistically, things fall somewhere in the middle. Look for double-digit wins and a playoff berth in an extremely tough NFC North triumvirate (my apologies for the exclusion, Lions). If they go farther, great. If not, it's a good start for year one of Cutlermania.