Bears 2008 Predicted Season Record: 5-11 (and that is being optimistic)
I hear so many fans who say the Bears have a solid defense, but I don't see it. Be careful not to live in the past. Two years ago, yes. Last year, no. The media and fans were preoccupied last year with talking about how horrible Rex Grossman was and how great Hester was as a return man. Somehow, the fact that one of the best defenses in the league had become one of the worst defenses in the league in just one season went unnoticed. Will this great decline continue to be ignored this year? Let's take a look at just how bad the Bears defense was last year:
> Ranked 28th (in a 32-team league) on defense last season.
> Allowed more than 100 yards rushing in 12 of 16 games, including 11 of their last 12 games.
>Allowed five different opponents to pass for 300 yards or more. A sixth reached 292 yards.
>Allowed 10 points or more on drives of 60 yards or more in 13 of their 16 games. One of the three where they didn’t was that brutal weather game last December against the Packers that Brett Favre called the worst conditions he had ever played in. If you throw that out, they allowed 10 or more in their last 13 outings.
> Allowed 20 points or more in a game on long drives a whopping five times.
>Despite a home field that sucks much of the season, they allowed 350 yards to six of eight opponents on that field. If you throw out the horrible weather game, it was six of seven. Kansas City’s poor offense failed to top 300 in an early September game. Everyone else topped 350. Four topped 400.

And in the "dress rehearsal" game vs. the woeful 49ers two weeks ago, JT O'SUllivan and Frank Gore shredded the Bears' first team defense. That's a very, very bad omen for this season.

The offense was lousy again last year and nothing seems to have changed this year. This will be one of the worst five offenses in the league. If it again has a bottom five defense as it did last year, how can this team be anything but very, very bad?

This team got to the Super Bowl two years ago because of its defense and special teams. That defense is gone. So is much hope for Bears fans. Enjoy baseball season Chicago fans. It will hold your interest longer than Bears football this year.


Bears UNDER 7.5 wins -135