Big Turnaround?

If I asked you which team led the NFL in forcing 3 and outs last year would you be able to guess that it was the Chicago Bears. Neither did I, but I found out that surprising stat this week. The Bears defense forced a 3 and out on 30% of all possessions last season.

I found that number to be quite staggering, and a very good indicator that the Bears defense was just as strong as the defense that went to the Super Bowl two years ago. What was the big difference in last years squad. A very ineffective offense.

Rex Grossman, Brian Griese and Kyle Orton were simply awful last year. It wasn't completely their fault though. I blame Cedric Benson. Cedric did them no favors by being completely unproductive and then getting injured and leaving the ball in the hands of Adrian Peterson (decent back, but not gonna win lots of footraces) and Garret Wolfe (speedy but slightly built back). The lack of a running game put the QB's in a lot of 3rd and longs. Which meant the defense could come full force against an aging offensive line that is built more for run blocking than pass blocking. Thus the offense was rendered completely futile and the injury riddled defense-while talented-had to play lots of minutes.

All of this leads me to say look out for the 08 Bears. I like Matt Forte a lot. He won't dazzle you with his speed, but he is a student of the game with just enough speed to break away from the defense. Just ask the Colts who got burned for a 50 yard TD score Sunday night. His running combined with the grinding style of Kevin Jones, should allow the Bears to control the clock a lot more. Plus, I think Kyle Orton is more of a ball control oriented passer who is very efficient and won't make the same mistakes that Grossman did. Rex while having a world of talent has a little too much gunslinger in him. Not right for this offense. With the offense controlling the clock, and the defense finally healthy (which allows the Bears to rotate their D-line) look for the Bears to make a push for the post season.