The NFC North’s Chicago Bears had a disappointing 2009 regular season, finishing at 7-9 and missing the NFL playoffs for the third straight season since their Super Bowl appearance in 2006.
It didn’t start out badly, as the Bears rattled off three wins in their first four games to open the season. Things were good at Soldier Field. But then the Bears proceeded to struggle mightily, losing six of their next seven.
Head coach Lovie Smith, who was a darling of NFL coaches after his Super Bowl appearance four years ago, is probably lucky to still have his job. He returns this season but has brought in Mike Martz as his offensive coordinator to help resuscitate a pop-gun offence and save his job in the process.
Jay Cutler was not the savior he was made out to be when he was acquired in the 2009 offseason. He threw 27 touchdown passes – and 26 interceptions.
Chicago’s offense also struggled with turnovers, ending the year 23rd in the NFL with a -6 turnover differential. And the Bears were horrible in the red zone, punching it in for a TD just 47.1 per cent of the time, which put them at 27th in the league.
To add insult to injury, Chicago gave Cutler no help on the ground as the Bears rushing attack ranked 29th, with only 93.3 yards per game an just 4.0 yards per carry.
Chicago signed former Minnesota Vikings backup RB Chester Taylor to help ignite an attack that was led by Matt Forte last season, who averaged just 3.6 yards per carry on 258 carries. Martz, however, is not known for favoring a rushing game over a passing game.
On defense, the Bears ranked 17th in total defense allowing opponents an average of 337.8 yards per game. The club was 21st in the league in points allowed in 23.4 points per game.
At the 2010 NFL Draft, the Bears sought to address that weakness by drafting safety Major Wright from Texas in the third round, and defensive end Corey Wooton from Northwestern in the fourth round.
Bodog sportsbook has the Bears’ 2010 season win total at 8, with under favored at -120 odds with the over returning -110.
The Bears have been made 33-1 odds to win the 2010 Super Bowl, 16-1 to win the NFC Championship, and +300 to win the NFC North division.
The Bears play home and away against NFC North rivals Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers.
The NFC North plays the NFC East and AFC East in 2010, meaning home games against the Washington Redskins and Philadelphia Eagles with road trips to the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants.
Their AFC East games will be home to the New England Patriots and New York Jets and on the road to the Miami Dolphins. The Bears game against the Buffalo Bills will be held on a neutral site in Toronto.
And Chicago’s third-place finish in the NFC North will put them against the two other third place finishers so that will bring a home game against the Seattle Seahawks and a road contest at the Carolina Panthers.
Chicago will be on primetime TV four times in 2010: hosting the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, and visiting the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football, and the Miami Dolphins on a special edition of Thursday Night Football on NFL Network.
