Author: Jason A. Martin Word Count: 574

The Chicago Bears had a great season in 2005. They finished 11-6 and went to the playoffs. Their one problem was scoring. Many in the media have touted the Bears as the NFC North champions. Are they correct? Let's take a look at the 2006 Chicago Bears. Fortunately for them, their division is not that tough.

Key Moves

One major move by the Bears was the addition of Brian Griese. The offense was up and down last season. Griese will be fighting for a job. He comes in as a backup, but if Grossman fails to impress, Griese could take the reins. Their defense loses a good player in Jerry Azumah. Despite being only 28, he had to call it quits. His body got the best of him.

Quarterbacks

One of the issues last season was the health of Rex Grossman. He's expected to be healthy this season. Grossman could help the Bears offense soar. The signing of Brian Griese gives the Bears a solid backup. Even is Grossman goes down, they won't experience a horrendous drop. Neither quarterback is upper echelon. The Bears QB situation is just above average.

Running Backs

The Bears are sitting pretty in the running game. Thomas Jones should have another great year. They also have Cedric Benson in the wings. The running game of the Bears is the offense's strong point. Throw in the tough blocking Bryan Johnson and you have a ground attack that will eat up yards. Thomas Jones had 1,335 yards last season. As nice as that is, Cedric Benson is expected to be better when he's ready.

Receivers

The receiving core is a bit lackluster. Sure, there's Muhsin Muhammad, but he's not getting any younger. Aside from Muhammad, there's not too much to be excited about—yet. The young Bears receivers do have talent and could blossom into solid contributors on the field. Right now, the receiving core is just average.

Defense and Special Teams

Last season it was all about the defense. The Bears defense constantly made critical plays and kept their team in the game. The 2006 Bears defense is above average again. The best component of the defense is the linebacker unit. They are off the charts. The weak part of the defense is the secondary. Losing Jerry Azumah didn't help any. The Bears did pick up cornerbacks Ricky Manning and Dante Wesley. The secondary will have to step it up in 2006. The special teams unit has its ups and downs. Punter Brad Maynard needs to have a better season. The Bears hope that Robbie Gould, kicker, was not just a one year wonder. On the plus side, the Bears did add a couple return men that could be home run type of guys.

2006 Prediction

It's possible that the Chicago Bears win their division, because the division is weak. However, I believe they will be an 8-8 team. The schedule is not too tough, but it's not the walk in the park it was in 2005. In 2005, the Bears had a 2-4 record against really good teams. This is why they faltered in the playoffs. They were not as good as their record indicated. In 2006, they have 8 games that look to be pretty tough, 2 that are middle ground and 6 that are against lower tier teams.

Jason A. Martin is a journalist and copywriter for various websites. You can view more of his articles by visiting his Sports Journalist website at SportsJournalist.org.

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