Chicago Bears: The Glass Is Half Full
Published by Johnny D on May 19, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
As the excitement is bubbling over for Chicago Bears’ fans, there are those who would seek to rain on their pre-planned Super Bowl championship parade. As soon as the Bears landed their first franchise quarterback, the murmuring began concerning the lack of a receiving corps.
Well, I’m here to say that the glass is half-full Chicago.
Don’t let the negativity get you down. Here’s why optimism should reign supreme in Chi-town.
Last year the Bears were 9-7 and this year the team remains, for the most part, intact. That’s a good enough record to get you to the playoffs most years. If adding a pro-bowl quarterback to that core group and revamping the offensive line with a solid group of veterans doesn’t take you to the next level, I don’t know what will.
So what are the critics talking about? They are talking about a group of receivers in Denver that helped make Jay Cutler great.
Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal were a great duo last year, but let’s take a closer look at the situation. People talking about the lack of receivers in Chicago affecting Cutler negatively are blinded by their own pessimism.
Remember all the great things written about Marshall before he played in the NFL? And then all the articles that talked about Royal being a future NFL star?
I don’t either.
But somehow, the pessimists have declared that these receivers were one of the biggest reasons Cutler threw for more yards in a single season than the great John Elway did.
This writer has been excited from the day that Cutler was brought into the fold.
It’s completely reasonable to think Cutler can pass for 350 receptions, 3800 yards, and 27 touchdowns.
For those that have forgotten the passing game last year, that’s actually significantly better than what Orton and Grossman combined for last year and significantly lower than Cutler’s numbers last year (except TDs).
Those extra numbers will be divided among and added to the the statistics of last year’s Chicago Bears “miserable” receiving corps.
The truth is nobody knows what the future holds. Did the receivers hold Orton back? I don’t know. All we know is Orton did not do well with these receivers and Cutler did well with his receivers in Denver.
Who made who great? No one can say for sure, but it is going to be fun finding out. This writer thinks that the cup is half-full this year. And the possibilities are endless.
