It really comes down to this: The Bears were easily a playoff team in 2011 if Jay Cutler doesnt get injured. They were sitting pretty at 7-3 and poised to play some lackluster teams like Kansas City, Seattle, and Denver.
Please dont say the Bears got "Tebowed" and Denver was a playoff team. Ill scream! Denver stunk offensively and won in spite of Tebow's horrific play -- or should I say were gifted a win with Marion Barbers horrific play.
Cmon Mills, stay focused...stay on point.
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Ok, sorry, you just thought youve seen it all in the NFL until that game...um, sorry...focused.
Three more Wins
Where do you see three more wins on the Bears schedule to possibly make the playoffs or squeak in as a Wild Card team?
This of course, is assuming the Packers are a 15-1 team again. The NFC is extremely tight this year, but teams like the Falcons, Saints, 49ers and even the Packers could be taking a step back.
It is difficult to win more than 13 games in an NFL season. Does anyone honestly believe the Packers will go 15-1 again in 2012? Heck no, they will be challenged in their own division to lose more than one game. Where do you see the Packers improvement with their 2012 schedule?
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The whole point here is the Bears have a tremendous opportunity ahead of them.
The Bears, without question, have the best defense in the NFC North. Green Bay, Detroit and Minnesota have gotten better this offseason on defense, but so did the Bears. I dont want to hear "this defense is aging, and the window is closing." The defense carried the team in 2011, only giving up 21.3 points per game, which was best in the North Division.
Despite being constantly on the field the last six games, the Bears defense played well enough to win games (Kansas City, Denveretc). The Bears defense will be just fine in 2012 and will most likely carry the Bears early in the season while the offense sorts some things out.
But this exercise of finding three more wins is much like the criteria blog I wrote a few weeks ago.
As an exercise, go through each team like I did for the Bears on criteria of building a roster and then also go through each teams NFC North schedule to find three more wins.
Where are they? Can the Bears steal one in Dallas Oct. 1 like theyve done before? Can the Bears now beat Seattle at home without Caleb Hanie leading the charge? Or maybe the Bears sweep the Packers as they have done before with an improved offense.
I dont know about you, but I see three more wins in a few places looking at the Bears' 2012 NFL Schedule.