If this defense can improve into the upper half of the league...

[richig07]

How many games do you see this team winning?

I'm not talking about being a top defense. Just upper/middle of the pack. 13th or 14th overall in yardage/points.

Our schedule is tough starting out, but I could see us winning 11 games if the D could do that. Provided the offense stays healthy.

Why do I just have a bad feeling that Marshall is due for an injury? Guy plays so physical, and I don't think he has ever missed a game. He limps off of the field and misses a play or two every game… but is never anything more than banged up. I just have a weird feeling the injury bug may bite on offense this year, just when the defense is coming around. Eh… probably just my pessimistic nature. On top of the fact that the last three seasons, so much has gone wrong at pivotal points in the season.

 

[63bears40]

How many games do you see this team winning?

I'm not talking about being a top defense. Just upper/middle of the pack. 13th or 14th overall in yardage/points.

Our schedule is tough starting out, but I could see us winning 11 games if the D could do that. Provided the offense stays healthy.

Why do I just have a bad feeling that Marshall is due for an injury? Guy plays so physical, and I don't think he has ever missed a game. He limps off of the field and misses a play or two every game… but is never anything more than banged up. I just have a weird feeling the injury bug may bite on offense this year, just when the defense is coming around. Eh… probably just my pessimistic nature. On top of the fact that the last three seasons, so much has gone wrong at pivotal points in the season.

Just think you have to wait for the preseason games, to get a good feel for a prediction.
Maybe you should have a few drinks , to rid yourself of that negative karma.

 

[wood20ks]

Just think you have to wait for the preseason games, to get a good feel for a prediction.
Maybe you should have a few drinks , to rid yourself of that negative karma.

i really don`t think preseason games will tell the truth either on how many we can win.....

It all depends on whether we have some kind of defense and Cutler staying healthy (cause now we have no bu-qb)and other teams issues at the time we play them.

I just hope for the above and go from there...............

 

[richig07]

i really don`t think preseason games will tell the truth either on how many we can win.....

It all depends on whether we have some kind of defense and Cutler staying healthy (cause now we have no bu-qb)and other teams issues at the time we play them.

I just hope for the above and go from there...............

Do you really think Josh McCown is that monumentally better than Jordan Palmer? Personally, I think Palmer can step in and do exactly what McCown did.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

I have no idea how to predict how many games this team will win. This is probably going to be one of the hardest years to call in a long time. We play a lot of good teams on paper, I think the game-to-game margin of error is smaller this season. The chemistry of the defensive front 7 is going to be crucial in whether it works or not. And I have no idea if that is going to work like crazy or fail like shit. It could be awesome though, no doubt. I'm really expecting to see a few more sacks this year, if nothing else.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

If healthy were much improved.

 

[richig07]

Just think you have to wait for the preseason games, to get a good feel for a prediction.
Maybe you should have a few drinks , to rid yourself of that negative karma.

Ha.. well, I've been drinking since Friday afternoon. Actually need to calm it down on the booze front. Been hitting it hard lately.

But I don't read much into pre-season. Never seen it be much of an indicator as to how the team performs in the regular season. Actually, if you look back over the last decade of Bears football, it's kind of been the opposite. For me, in the pre-season I just look for rookies to stand out on an individual basis. Along with the team staying healthy. Any pre-season where you escape without an injury to a starter is a win in my book.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

If the offense stays healthy, and the defense is improved, then I agree I see 11 wins maybe even 12.

 

[63bears40]

Ha.. well, I've been drinking since Friday afternoon. Actually need to calm it down on the booze front. Been hitting it hard lately.

But I don't read much into pre-season. Never seen it be much of an indicator as to how the team performs in the regular season. Actually, if you look back over the last decade of Bears football, it's kind of been the opposite. For me, in the pre-season I just look for rookies to stand out on an individual basis. Along with the team staying healthy. Any pre-season where you escape without an injury to a starter is a win in my book.

I love the preseason. It's your first chance to see all the new faces play together.
Never gave 2 hoots as far as record goes. Though I'd like to win em all.
But with new said D schemes being implemented, just think it'll be an interesting preseason.
Things I'll be looking for -
Can Ego push the pile ?
Can Brock cover the top end ?
Will Sutton be quicker and a force w/ the weight loss?
How does the D line up on 1rst down, 2nd .etc.?
Can Lynch play STs? Love the kid.
All this would have been figured out in the earlier days of NFL. When there was unlimited full contact 2 a days.
But now preseason is just that more important.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

I will say what i said last season, with this offense, we need to only be a middle of the pack defense. Just be in the top 10 to 15 defenses, and great things will happen. Provided we have the same production on offense.

 

[63bears40]

I will say what i said last season, with this offense, we need to only be a middle of the pack defense. Just be in the top 10 to 15 defenses, and great things will happen. Provided we have the same production on offense.

That'd be great , but we still have Tucker as a DC. Good luck w/ that.

 

[blh7068]

I look at it this way...if the aggregate of rush yards allowed last year were by one person, the single season rushing record would be shattered. Thats my harsh perspective on how bad the run D was. If they can improve that into the top half, that will help all aspects of the team.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Division wins is where I see problems. GB is gonna be tough this year. Det too. Can't give them free wins.

 

[NCChiFan]

Noon's getting a bit jaded in his old age.


If we had a top 10 D last year, we challenge in the NFC Championship game last year, our O was that good. I suspect our D is vastly improved, barring a ton of injuries. Which will lead to even more opportunities for the Offense... This sounds like a match made in heaven. Detroit nor GB would be nearly the issue they have been if this all works out on the field like it does on paper. Alas, I suppose every fan of every team can say that.


11 wins.

 

[richig07]

Division wins is where I see problems. GB is gonna be tough this year. Det too. Can't give them free wins.

You HAVE to beat Minny twice, and you HAVE to beat GB and DET at home. No excuse for dropping divisional games at home.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Noon's getting a bit jaded in his old age.


If we had a top 10 D last year, we challenge in the NFC Championship game last year, our O was that good. I suspect our D is vastly improved, barring a ton of injuries. Which will lead to even more opportunities for the Offense... This sounds like a match made in heaven. Detroit nor GB would be nearly the issue they have been if this all works out on the field like it does on paper. Alas, I suppose every fan of every team can say that.


11 wins.

GB and Det both have top offenses that can match us. In fact GB is just better then us on the O side and now have Lacey. Maybe I,m jaded but there are two things that scare me about our team. 1 is mel tucker and the other is Cutler. This pass happy offense we now employ, you know the one that everybody says is how things are now, has yet to win squat. It's the teams that run, control the clock and play def that win come playoff time. Same as it always have been and always will be. I don't want to be negative but I just don't believe in our coaching staff or our new style of play. I see 10 wins and a WC loss. GB will have 12 wins.

 

[richig07]

GB and Det both have top offenses that can match us. In fact GB is just better then us on the O side and now have Lacey. Maybe I,m jaded but there are two things that scare me about our team. 1 is mel tucker and the other is Cutler. This pass happy offense we now employ, you know the one that everybody says is how things are now, has yet to win squat. It's the teams that run, control the clock and play def that win come playoff time. Same as it always have been and always will be. I don't want to be negative but I just don't believe in our coaching staff or our new style of play. I see 10 wins and a WC loss. GB will have 12 wins.

Wow… the first time I remember seeing you make a non-optimistic post in the pre-season. Especially with so much optimism surrounding this team right now, it's surprising. Maybe it's a good thing, as the last couple seasons haven't panned out as much as we'd hoped.

Bears were also actually 58-42 in the pass/run ration department. Pretty balanced in this day and age, especially considering the multitude of games we were forced to throw early on in. Which a team like Seattle didn't have to do much.

It's not like this team can't run… you know we can. Hell, in our win or go home game last year vs GB, people were wondering why we ran as much as we did.

Also, your concerns seriously come on the offensive side? What do you prefer? Our "running offenses" that we've had for the past century? Those really worked… lol. We just finished second in the entire NFL in scoring, only trailing the highest scoring offense in the history of the game. This isn't a "pass-happy" offense by ANY stretch of the imagination. This is a VERY well-rounded offense that can beat you in a lot of ways.

Where does Detroit's offense match ours? Give me a break. They have a very good RB that can't stay healthy, and one lethal weapon to go along with their "okay" QB. They stink until they can show otherwise.

 

[Peter Gozintite]

Division wins is where I see problems. GB is gonna be tough this year. Det too. Can't give them free wins.

GB has a shit defense, all we need to do is get a few stops. Detoilet is garbage. They have an entire new coaching staff, and really made no roster improvements. Not worried about detoilet.

 

[richig07]

GB has a shit defense, all we need to do is get a few stops. Detoilet is garbage. They have an entire new coaching staff, and really made no roster improvements. Not worried about detoilet.

Exactly. I could see Detroit finishing last in the North this season. I'm shocked that there are Bears fans worried about Detroit.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

what on Earth are you talking about? The Lions beat us both games last year, and now they have a real coach. Even Caldwell is better than Schwartz, and considering that the main thing that has been holding the Lions back has been Stafford's inconsistency, and Caldwell is a good QB coach if nothing else (no doubt this is why they hired him), they could be quite good.

The spread between the teams is pretty slim. Yes, I'm worried that neither Lions game is a gimme. That's crazy.