Staff Picks: Predicting All 16 Chicago Bears Games
I have to admit that this is one of my favorite but pain in the ass posts that I put together every year. As we’re about to embark on the next Chicago Bears season, Marc Trestman’s first as head coach, there’s always a good bit of excitement in the air. It’s why I like to use the Bears players coming out of the tunnel as the image for the post. Just like the start of each game, there’s a nervousness and anticipation associated with the start of a new season. Alright, enough of me blathering on, let’s get to the picks.
We’ve change the format a little bit this season. Rather than every writing putting together a couple of sentences on each game, I’ve put together a grid for all of the picks and all of the staffers. At the end, I’ll share a brief synopsis for the season from each staffer. Here we go:
Let’s take a closer look at what each of the staffers had to say about their outlook for the 2013 Chicago Bears:
Coach Boss (11-5)
With the way their schedule plays out I see the Bears going 11-5, winning the division by one game over the Packers and making the playoffs. Marc Trestman is going to bring a lot of new things to the table on offense and I think it will take the rest of the league a while to figure him out. The Bears will beat the teams they are supposed to and will be tested by some of last year’s playoff teams. There will be games won by the defense and special teams with hardly any offense, and there will be games where the defense seems to collapse and the offense finds a way to pull out the win. Get ready Bears fans; it’s going to be a fun ride.
Keith Schultz (10-6)
Everyone is excited about the new coaching regime, but change doesn’t always mean an improved record. The Bears have lived and died with their defense and for the first time in a decade both Lovie Smith and Brian Urlacher won’t be a part of the best turnover causing defense in the last 10 years.
That being said Trestman has brought excitement to the fan base that Cutler and the offense will be something special this year.
GM Mouser (10-6)
Well Bear fans, break out the silk scarf and goggles because we are going for a ride! What an off-season…new coaching, new players, new offensive system and a new season to test it all out! The wait is nearly over and I am flush with excitement about this season.
All of my years as a Bear fan has left me with considerable skepticism for the team but I am always excited to see what is new. There is plenty new this year as there has been in past years, but this is different. Why? Because the focus is on offense…on scoring points…on a West Coast style of play. For a franchise with years of defensive success, this is a big first step…and it is a first step.
My prediction for the 2013 season is that the Bears will struggle at times early in the season and come on strong at the end, knocking off some teams that will look better than the Bears. Such is the learning curve of a new offense. My hope is that the Bears morph in to a running team for the first four games and ease their way in to the new offense. Will they? I don’t know, but I do know that the young offensive linemen will benefit from this approach and the defense and special teams are intact. If the Bears play to their strengths, they should be very competitive. If Trestman repeats the mistakes made by Martz and Tice…that is trying to make the offense something it is not too soon…then Bear fans will be disappointed.
My money is on the Emery/Trestman brain trust being intellectual, purposeful and accurate in their evaluation of the team’s strengths.