3 Chicago BEARS
IN CHICAGO'S offensive meeting room, every so often an image of the old St. Louis Rams will flash across the video screen—Kurt Warner under center, Marshall Faulk in the backfield, Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt at the line of scrimmage. The Bears are getting more than just a history lesson from Mike Martz, the newly arrived offensive coordinator who ran the Rams juggernaut (first as coordinator, then as coach) from 1999 through 2005. They are incorporating Martz's scheme and, they hope, some of that old St. Louis mojo.
"Coach Martz says we have the talent and ability to be like that team," says receiver Devin Aromashodu. "He shows us film of the things we can do if we just buy into what's going on. He's been real optimistic. I believe I have that ability, and I hope everyone else feels the same way. That way we can become a championship team."
Says Martz of his new charges, "These guys will define their future."
It wasn't long ago that the Bears' destiny appeared to be winning a Super Bowl, but since their run to the title game in the 2006 season, they haven't even made the playoffs. Coach Lovie Smith, who worked under Martz as defensive coordinator in St. Louis, hired the impresario to orchestrate an offense that last season saw Jay Cutler throw a league-high 26 interceptions and running back Matt Forte average just 3.6 yards a carry. Further assistance in introducing the Rams way has come from Bruce, who tutored with receiver Devin Hester in the off-season and worked with the team as a minority coaching intern this summer.
With NFC North bullies Minnesota and Green Bay fielding quick-strike offenses, Chicago can't live with the breakdowns that stalled drives in 2009. "I've always respected his offensive mind," Smith says of Martz. "I'm excited about what he's done and what we're going to do this year. It's about scoring points."
Martz has long been a proponent of dictating the tempo of a game, snapping the football early in the 40-second clock, keeping a defense huffing and puffing. His is a playbook heavy on the pass, one that will require contributions out of the backfield from Forte and newly acquired Chester Taylor.
"It'll be different," Forte says of the offense. "We may use the pass to set up the run instead of running to set up the pass. If you have a passing attack, [defenses] can't stack everybody in the box. We're going to use that to our advantage."
The biggest burden will fall on Cutler, whose 76.8 passer rating in 2009 was his worst in four seasons as a pro. Cutler is blessed with a big arm, but too often it found the wrong jersey. Sometimes that was a function of a faulty offensive line (Cutler was sacked 35 times) but at other times those interceptions were the result of Cutler's own carelessness. Smith brought in Mike Tice to help shore up the front five, and they must do a better job keeping the quarterback clean. But Cutler's road back to Pro Bowl form will also depend on his grasp of the offense and his rapport with Hester and Aromashodu, fellow receivers Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox and tight end Greg Olsen.
"There are a lot of details; we just have to make sure we get them all," Cutler says. "[The offense] fits the characteristics of guys that we have—our skill sets with the receivers, tight ends and running backs, and the zone-blocking with our offensive line. Mike is the all-knowing source for this offense. It's his baby, and he does a great job giving me information. He's giving me every possible tool to succeed."
The wide-open philosophy is a departure from the Bears' grind-them-down running teams of the past, but in many ways that offense went the way of the old NFC Central. In Chicago's six division games last season the teams averaged a combined 52.5 points, compared to 39.4 over the previous decade.
If the Bears can play from ahead in 2010, it would pay dividends for a defense counting on instant impact from defensive end Julius Peppers, signed as a free agent from Carolina, and healthy returns by linebacker Brian Urlacher (wrist) and defensive tackle Tommie Harris (lingering knee problems).
Asked if Martz ever pokes his chest out while the offense watches his old Rams film, Forte says he doesn't have to. "He knows his system works," Forte says. On Sundays we'll learn if the Bears have the right pieces to run it.
PROJECTED STARTERS
WITH 2009 STATS
COACH LOVIE SMITH
OFFENSE
2009 Rank: 23
QB JAY CUTLER
G 16
ATT 555
COMP 336
PCT 60.5
YARDS 3,666
TD 27
INT 26
RATING 76.8
RB MATT FORTE
G 16
ATT 258
YARDS 929
AVG 3.6
REC 57
YARDS 471
AVG 8.3
TTD 4
H-B DESMOND CLARK
G 11
ATT 0
YARDS 0
AVG —
REC 19
YARDS 145
AVG 7.6
TTD 2
WR DEVIN HESTER
G 13
REC 57
YARDS 757
TTD 3
WR JOHNNY KNOX
G 15
REC 45
YARDS 527
TTD 5
TE GREG OLSEN
G 16
REC 60
YARDS 612
TTD 8
LT CHRIS WILLIAMS
G 16
HT 6'6"
WT 315
LG ROBERTO GARZA
G 16
HT 6'2"
WT 310
C OLIN KREUTZ
G 16
HT 6'2"
WT 292
RG LANCE LOUIS
G 0
HT 6'2"
WT 305
RT FRANK OMIYALE
G 16
HT 6'4"
WT 315
DEFENSE
2009 Rank: 17
DE MARK ANDERSON
G 16
TACKLES 28
SACKS 3½
INT 0
DT TOMMIE HARRIS
G 15
TACKLES 24
SACKS 2½
INT 1
DT ANTHONY ADAMS
G 16
TACKLES 44
SACKS 2
INT 0
DE JULIUS PEPPERS
G 16
TACKLES 42
SACKS 10½
INT 2
LB LANCE BRIGGS
G 15
TACKLES 118
SACKS 2½
INT 1
LB BRIAN URLACHER
G 1
TACKLES 3
SACKS 0
INT 0
LB NICK ROACH
G 16
TACKLES 75
SACKS 2
INT 0
CB CHARLES TILLMAN
G 15
TACKLES 77
SACKS 0
INT 2
FS CHRIS HARRIS
G 13
TACKLES 60
SACKS 0
INT 3
SS DANIEAL MANNING
G 15
TACKLES 92
SACKS 1
INT 1
CB ZACK BOWMAN
G 16
TACKLES 66
SACKS 0
INT 6
SPECIAL TEAMS
P BRAD MAYNARD
PUNTS 77
AVG 41.4
NET 37.4
K ROBBIE GOULD
FG 24--28
XP 33--33
POINTS 105
PR EARL BENNETT
RET 14
AVG 10.2
TD 1
KR JOHNNY KNOX
RET 32
AVG 29.0
TD 1
New acquisition
TTD: Total touchdowns
2010 Schedule
2009 Record: 7--9
September
12 Detroit
19 at Dallas
27 Green Bay (M)
October
3 at N.Y. Giants
10 at Carolina
17 Seattle
24 Washington
31 BYE
November
7 at Buffalo*
14 Minnesota
18 at Miami (T)
28 Philadelphia
December
5 at Detroit
12 New England
20 at Minnesota (M)
26 N.Y. Jets
January
2 at Green Bay
(M) Monday (T) Thursday
*in Toronto
SCHEDULE STRENGTH
NFL Rank: T14
Opponents' 2009 winning percentage: .504
Games against 2009 playoff teams: 8
ANALYSIS
Lovie Smith's crew must take advantage of an early home slate that includes three matchups with teams that were a combined 11--37, because the Bears' last four dates are against 2009 playoff teams. Chicago does catch a break by facing the Bills in Toronto, essentially a neutral site—Buffalo lost both of its previous regular-season games in the Rogers Centre.
SPOTLIGHT
Brian Urlacher, Linebacker
Two days before the Bears broke camp in Bourbonnais, Ill., Urlacher stood in front of the team cafeteria and ran a hand over his freshly cut Mohawk. The entire Chicago linebacking corps, including the longtime face of the franchise, had received buzz cuts in a show of unity, but Urlacher's mind was on the 2010 season. "I'm just happy to be healthy again," says the 32-year-old Urlacher, who missed 15 games last season after dislocating his right wrist in the opener against Green Bay. "Hopefully I'll be there for every game and have fun again."
Urlacher says he had no setbacks during a rehabilitation that began last December, when he had his cast removed after 12 weeks. In training camp he hit with his wrist, fell on it several times and felt no pain. "And the rest of my body feels good, too," he says.
The 11-year Chicago veteran is the longest-tenured member of the Bears defense and a six-time Pro Bowl selection, so his ability to stay healthy and be productive is critical to the Bears' success. Few players know the nuances of the league—and of Chicago's NFC North opponents—better than Urlacher, a fact that he embraces.
"We feel like we need to win right now, and the organization has made the moves to do that," he says. "I think this is the toughest division in football. And we're the best team."
PHOTO
OTTO GREULE JR./GETTY IMAGES
WELCOME MATT Forte looks to boost his numbers in Martz's up-tempo game plan.
PHOTO
BOB ROSATO