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2007 NFL Preview: Chicago Bears

By Dave Golokhov

Looking At 2006 In The Rear View

As the Chicago Bears took the NFC by storm in 2006, Kyle Orton, the fill-in at quarterback during the 2005 season, was forgotten like one of Jared's Subway sandwiches.

That was a good thing, though, as Rex Grossman started and finished the season healthy and provided some much needed balance to a team that was carried by their defense.

In 2005, the defense established itself as the best in the business when they carried an unsupportive offense to 11 wins and a playoff berth.

The defense had really grown up in 2005, but many of the prospects finally entered their prime in 2006.

Brian Urlacher had his first monster season since 2002, leading the team with 141 tackles. Lance Briggs was right there with him, notching 130 tackles, while adding 4 forced fumbles and 2 interceptions. Defensive tackle, Tommie Harris, was on-pace for an MVP-like season until a hamstring injury cut his season short.

While their big dogs led the way, the Bears' younger pups also stepped onto the scene with authority. Rookies Danieal Manning and Mark Anderson were vital contributors, while Devin Hester was quite simply a game-breaker.

What is interesting is that it is difficult to gage whether this defense has topped out, or whether they can play even better. The cornerbacks are steady, the defensive line is solid, but one can't help but wonder how much better they could have been with a full season from Harris and a healthy Mike Brown, who was limited to six games.

On offense, the Bears finally earned their harvest from Rex Grossman, who had yet to start more than three games in any of his three NFL seasons.

Overall, Grossman's numbers looks just above average, but the hidden story in his statistics was the disparity of how well he played during wins, and how poorly he performed in their losses.

While many of the Bears did some growing in 2006, one high draft pick, running back Cedric Benson, didn't do so much. He still couldn't pry the starting job away from Thomas Jones and as the playoffs rolled around, the coaching staff stuck with their trusted veteran.

Once the Bears locked up their playoff standing, and the games were less meaningful, Benson started to see the bulk of the carries (over the last four), which is where he accumulated more than half of the 647 rushing yards he finished with.

The offensive line was a stout unit and didn't give Grossman too much to worry about. The receiving corps, on the other hand, can't say the same.

Muhsin Muhammad looked like he had been drinking from whatever is the opposite of the Fountain of Youth. During his final season in Carolina, Muhammad caught 93 receptions, 1,405 yards, and 14 touchdowns. During his first two seasons in Chicago, he has 1,613 yards and 9 touchdowns. Muhammad is now nothing more than a possession receiver.

At the very least, though, he was consistent while the No. 2 role opposite him was not. Bernard Berrian was a legit deep threat, but not much more. Mark Bradley, who looked to be the more complete receiver, torn his ACL after seven games. Lost in the shuffle was tight end Desmond Clark's career season. He was a useful safety valve, with 35 of his 45 receptions being first down grabs.

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