Jay Cutler has been as good as advertised in his 4 seasons in Chicago. The problem has been the terrible offensive line that Cutler has been asked to play behind, which has allowed 148 sacks in 4 years. Cutler has only played one full season as Bears quarterback, but has won at least 7 games each season. Brandon Marshall remains one of the top receivers in the game, but much like the Lions the Bears lack a secondary receiving threat. Matt Forte seems to have addressed his fumbling issues, but the effectiveness of the running game is still predicated on the Bears swiss cheese-esque offensive line.
The Bears defense was dominant last season, holding all but 1 opponent under 25 points. The Bears produced at least one turnover in every game and created multiple turnovers in all but three games. The team decided to part ways with stalwart linebacker Brian Urlacher and signed DJ Williams in free agency. Julius Peppers remains a dominant pass rusher and the Bears boast one of the best cornerback tandems in the league in Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings.
The departure of Urlacher will be an adjustment for the defense, which led the league in turnovers last season. 30 of the Bears 44 turnovers came from the secondary, which returns all four starters plus their nickel corner.
The offense will still live and die by their terrible offensive line, but the defense will be good enough to keep them in most games. This team should be right in the hunt for the playoffs as long as Cutler can stay healthy. 9-7.
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