Bears key is not necessarily Cutler, but defense

By Edward Kensik  |   Thursday, July 30, 2009  |  Comments( 0 )

Chicago Bears
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With the Chicago Bears unpacking their bags for training camp at Bourbonnais in the middle of nowhere in east central Illinois, the eyes will be on newly required quarterback Jay Cutler, but the key to the 2009-10 season for the Monsters of the Midway is what the team has been known for, defense.

No matter what linebacker Brian Urlacher told Vikings wide receiver Bobby Wade about Cutler’s lack of masculinity or didn’t say that, the underlying pressure will be on the Bears defense, especially to get to the quarterback.

The defensive side of the ball was so bad in 2008 that head coach Lovie Smith said at the end of last season that he would be more involved in the defensive strategy.

The Bears failed to make the playoffs last season, not really because of the problems with quarterback Kyle Orton and the lack of a number one experienced wide receiver, but because the Chicago Bears defense was ranked 21st in the NFL in yards per game. Chicago also ranked 16th in points allowed in the NFL.

In comparison during their run to Super Bowl 41 in 2006-07, Chicago’s defense was fifth in yards per game and third in points allowed. In terms of the defensive line, the Bears were 26th in sacks in the NFL with 28 last season while they were eighth in their Super Bowl season when they had 40.

In addition the team brought in former Detroit Lions head coach Rod Marinelli to handle the defensive line while also being the assistant head coach.

The defensive coordinator, Bob Babych, is still there, but he must feel very uneasy with both Smith and Marinelli putting their fingers into the defensive strategy. Babych will also specifically handle the linebackers.

A lot of people laughed with Chicago hiring of Marinelli especially after his awful stint in Detroit, but Bear fans should know (for example going back to Abe Gibron and Neal Armstrong, both defensive specialists who relatively failed as Chicago head coaches) that some coaches are not very good head coach, but very good coordinators.

Babych has been the punching bag for the Chicago boo-birds since former defensive coordinator Ron Rivera left for San Diego in a disagreement with Smith a couple of years ago. Since then the Bears’ fans have continued to lambast the team for letting Rivera go.

The hiring off Marinelli is hoping to infuse a lethargic defensive line. But there is also the health of some of the defensive linemen like Tommy Harris, Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown that will definitely come into play. The health of that trio might be as big as the health of Jay Cutler (although the Bears have very little behind Cutler in terms of experience). Harris was named to three Pro Bowls from 2005-07. Being named to another one this season would mean that the Bears defense has improved.

The hope for more pressure on the opposition quarterback with a revived defensive line will mean better field position for Cutler and the rest of the offense.

But before the team hit Bourbonnais, bad news struck the Bears defense when it was found out that top cornerback Charles Tillman will need back surgery. This is the second time that Tillman had back problems. He had surgery for a herniated disc in February 2007. The injury is similar to offensive tackle Chris Williams, but the back injury is more devastating to an offensive tackle compared to a defensive back. But Tillman says he will be ready for the opening week game against Green Bay although many are skeptical.

The Bears were already weak in the backfield and the depth takes even more of a hit with each week that Tillman is missing. Chicago though can get by with a weak secondary if the defensive line does their job.


Even before Tillman went down, Danieal Manning was considered one of the more important chips on the team and has performed at several positions on the field. The talk is that Manning might fill in for Tillman at cornerback.. In addition Manning filled in admirably, although not as successful as Hester, in returns. Manning is in a contract year so he is looking to make an even bigger splash in 2009 and chip in for next season.

But whether Tillman will be on the field in Green Bay on Sept. 13, the defensive line’s pressure on Aaron Rodgers will be the key in whether the Bears get off on the right foot in 2009.
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