BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Chicago Bears, offensive juggernaut?
That may be a stretch, but it didn't stop linebacker Brian
Urlacher from gushing.
"Look at all the weapons we have," he said. And yes, he really
was talking about the offense.
That may jar Bears fans who are used to seeing their team win on
the strength of its defense, but the defending NFC champions
believe an offense that ranked 15th last year will be better and
more balanced. With greater speed and depth at receiver, they
envision a more open offense.
"The Bears have been a defensive team forever," wide receiver
Bernard Berrian said. "It's good to say that the offense is coming
along."
The Bears' confidence is based on the belief that a veteran
offensive line will continue to perform at a high level. That
Cedric Benson is ready to carry the load at running back. That Rex
Grossman will be more consistent and have no trouble finding a
target.
Although he has been injured in each of his first two seasons,
Benson has shown glimpses of his potential since the Bears took him
with the fourth pick in the 2005 draft. He gained 647 yards last
year, convincing management it was time to make him the featured
running back.
So the club dealt Thomas Jones to the New York Jets even though
he ran for more than 1,200 yards each of the past two seasons.
How well Benson performs -- and holds up -- will go a long way
toward determining how far the Bears go. The same is true with
Grossman.
He looked like two different players at times last season after
missing most of the previous two years with an ACL injury and a
broken ankle. His quarterback rating fluctuated like an ocean's
tide, cresting over 100 in seven games and crashing to 10.2 or less
in three.
He was 20-of-27 with 289 yards, four touchdowns, no
interceptions and a 148.0 rating in Week 2 against Detroit. He
bottomed out in the final regular-season game against Green Bay,
when he was 2-for-12 with 33 yards. With three interceptions and no
touchdowns, his rating for that day was 0.0.
That's right, 0.0.
He was almost as bad against Minnesota on Dec. 3, when he went
6-for-19 with 34 yards, three interceptions, no touchdowns and a
1.3 rating.
Some times, he showed poise in the pocket. Others, he panicked
under defensive pressure.
He had 23 touchdowns and 20 interceptions, making it tough to
predict which Grossman would show up.
"I think I feel just more relaxed with all the reads and all
the different things that I've worked on in the offseason,"
Grossman said. "Hopefully, that'll show come September."
Grossman will have a few more targets this year.
Beside two-time Pro Bowl pick Muhsin Muhammad and deep threat
Berrian, wide receiver Mark Bradley is healthy after missing five
games with an ankle injury. Special teams standout Devin Hester
will see time at receiver, and the Bears now have two pass-catching
threats at tight end after drafting Greg Olsen from Miami to
complement Desmond Clark.
"It's going to be tough for defenses to match up against us,"
said Clark, who set a career high with 626 yards and tied one with
six touchdowns. "When (we) put those two tight ends out there, if
you leave three linebackers in the game, one of us is going to get
open. And if you bring a DB in the game and try to cover him or
cover me, we'll pound you."
Maybe now the offense will share some of the spotlight with a
defense that's been pounding opponents the past few years.
"I knew eventually we'd get there," said Berrian, who in his
third season set a career high with 775 yards. "It's about time we
got there."
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