Are the Chicago Bears Behind the Times AGAIN???

Aug 23, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) in the huddle before a play against the Oakland Raiders during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The NFL is a copycat league.  Teams follow the blueprint of successful teams and reshape their schemes and rosters to fit the latest trend.

The Bears finally have a modern-day big boy NFL  offense.  Big play wide receivers?  Check. A pass-catching, play-making tight end? Check. A dynamic dual-threat running back? Double check.  A serviceable, improving offensive line which can pass protect and move bodies to run the ball decently? Check.  A franchise quarterback? Depends who you ask, but based on the contract Jay Cutler just signed, I’d say check.  And all of this just in time for the pendulum to swing back in favor of defenses.

No, the rules did not change overnight.  NFL officials will still be calling games that over-protect the quarterback and favor the offense.  The problem is that when you look around at the NFC playoff teams, they have one thing in common – top-flight, physical dominant defenses.  Just in time for the Bears to have one of the worst defenses in team history.

The top four scoring defenses in the NFL were the final four teams in the NFC – the Seahawks (14.4 PPG), the Panthers (15.1 PPG), the 49ers (17 PPG) and the Saints (19 PPG).