Where's the Lovie?

As I scope the vast array of NFL pundits making their bold predictions for this season, I'm beginning to wonder how the Bears aren't on anyone's radar. Let's quickly rehash last year's season: Grossman goes down in the preseason, Orton steps in; Orton is awful, but the defense keeps the season alive; Grossman returns in week 15 against the Falcons and everyone starts talking Super Bowl; Bears win the division, beat Favre to a pulp; Panthers come to town for a playoff game and Steve Smith crushes the hopes of Chicagoans who haven't had a playoff victory to cheer for since the Clinton administration (weren't those the days). Then comes the draft, and while I'm not that happy with the results, I must (absolutely must) believe that Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith know more about football than I do. So, as I watched the Bears pass on potential offensive playmakers, trade down out of their 1st round slot, and pick up a guy they probably could've had a round or two later, I told myself "They know what they're doing." Well, what they did was strengthen a defense which is returning all 11 of their starters. Now the #1 defense from last year has depth. Scary!

But everyone is hung up on the offense, and rightly so. The receivers are inexperienced, the quarterback is unproven, and no one knows who will get the bulk of the running carries this year. Yet no one talks about the offensive line. Does anyone remember that Thomas Jones ran for over 13,000 yards last year with almost no passing game to compliment him? And if you think that was based solely on Jones' talent, ala Barry Sanders, you're fooling yourself. And since when is having 2 good running backs a problem? The Panthers worked that formula all of last season, same with the Dolphins, Broncos, and the World Champion Steelers. It's a great, smart way of keeping your running backs healthy. Just ask the Packers what it means to your team when you lose your top RB (or 2 in their case). It's not a problem, it's a luxury. Enjoy it.

The biggest question revolves around the passing game. Again, whichever quarterback plays will be well protected by the offensive line. But which quarterback will it be? Does it matter? In what year did the Bears change to a high-octane, score 42 points a game, football team? Maybe in 2010 it'll happen but to my knowledge, the offense wants to grind the ball on the ground and use the passing game as a compliment. So neither QB is expected to carry a full load, they just have to be decent. Remember this: Kyle Orton, in his rookie season, with the accuracy of my half-blind grandmother, won 10 games. 10 GAMES! How? Becuase of the running game and defense, both of which will be just as good as last year. So why is everyone hung up on Grossman and Griese? Either one will be better than Orton was, so what's the worry? 150 yards and a touchdown is all that's asked of a Bears quarterback. Are we all so sure that Grossman, after a few preseason games, won't be able to put up those mediocre numbers? And the receivers will be just fine. Anyone who was paying attention last year saw Mark Bradley coming out of his shell, looking like a future star, until a leg injury ended his season. He'll be back at full strength before you know it and will be a productive #2 receiver opposite Muhammad.

Let's also not forget that, in the middle of the Patriots dynasty, a warm weather team called the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl. Before that, it was the Baltimore Ravens. Quick, name one player on either of those offenses. Ha, I knew it. You'll be lucky to remember Brad Johnson. The reason those teams won was because of their defenses. Quick, name 10 players from those 2 defenses. Not that hard is it? What Tampa and Baltimore had on defense is the same as what the Bears have now. So if they can do it, why can't we? Most of the pieces are in place for a deep run in the playoffs, no matter what you think of the passing game. Yes, there are holes in the lineup and a few injuries, but what team doesn't have those. What if Shaun Alexander goes down in week 1, or Steve Smith misses all of the season with hamstring problems, are those teams still going to be picked by the "experts" to go to the Super Bowl? I doubt it. Outside of Brian Urlacher, what single player do the Bears rely on like those teams do (and Briggs could come close to Urlacher's production if he needed to step into the middle linebacker spot)? One bad cut, late hit, or awkward landing destroys a lot of teams in this league, but not the Bears.

And yes, I am a Bears fan, so I'm biased. But come on, where's the love?