Giant Killers or a Giant Tease?

Through 3 weeks of the NFL season the Bears are the lone undefeated team in the NFC. Cutler is a top 5 rated quarterback, Urlacher has returned to Pro Bowl form, Devin Hester is getting all ridiculous again, and Julius Peppers is earning his $91.5 million price tag.

Yet it’s hard to fight the temptation to rain on this parade. After all, the offensive line is in shambles – unable to protect Cutler or create any holes in the running game. The defensive secondary has seen its top corner benched and has given up passing yards galore. And as good as Peppers has been on the defensive line everyone else has been equally as bad, especially the inactive Tommie Harris.

So who are these guys?

Are they undefeated contenders who will make their doubters eat crow all season?

Or are they a flawed team who could just as easily be 1-2?

The Bears have too much talent to end up with the dregs of the league. While the mediocre finishes the last 3 years has raised doubts in minds of Bears fans players like: Urlacher, Cutler, Briggs, Peppers, Hester, Tillman, and Knox are all legit NFL difference makers.

By the same token this team is invariably flawed. The big athletic offensive line that Jerry Angelo and Mike Tice have constructed doesn’t seem to be able to push anyone off the ball. That’s why the Bears running game is stuck in neutral, and that 4th and goal pass to Desmond Clark against the Packers will not be the last time you see the Bears throwing with 3rd or 4th and less than 3 yards to go. On the defensive side of the ball no one but Peppers can get pressure.

So how does this flawed and talented team win? By executing the Lovie Smith Equation.

What is the Lovie Smith Equation? Our big plays – our mistakes > your big plays – your mistakes

Since Lovie has taken over as head coach that is how the Bears have approached winning football games. Under the direction of Mike Martz the offense is attacking downfield and making enough big plays to overcome their mistakes. On defense Rod Marinelli has refrained from blitzing and the Bears gap control has shut down the oppositions running game, forcing them to rely on the short passing game effectively eliminating big plays.

The offense is going to be a roller coaster, with Cutler running for his life and no running game to speak of, but they are going to make plays. They won’t be a dominant offense unless Tice can suddenly turn Frank Omiyale and Lance Louis into Pro Bowlers, but as long as Jay doesn’t go interception crazy they will be good.
On defense it won’t be nearly as exciting and all about execution. The Bears pass rush is not good enough to get there with four and therefore shut down opposing passing games given their preferred zone coverage. That means they will need to continue to be disciplined with their gap assignments, crush opposing ground games, and make teams one dimensional.

Bottom line is that if Cutler is making poor decisions or a team can run on the Bears they are going to be in trouble. If both happen you can forget about it unless Devin Hester has found a time machine back to 2007. However, as long as they are making big plays on offense and avoiding them on defense the Bears are going to be better than expected.

Does that make them a bit of a tease? Probably, in the sense that the Bears are not the best team in the NFC as their record currently indicates. But seeing as they have already beaten two preseason Super Bowl contenders it’s safe to say this team can kill a few Giants too.