2011 Chargers' Opponent Spotlight: Chicago Bears

by John Gennaro on Feb 14, 2011 9:36 AM PST

The thing I hate about the Chargers playing the NFC North this season is that it's one of, if not the, coldest division in football late in the season. Whether or not anybody will admit it, there's always some concern about whether the Chargers can play well in cold weather. I know some people that are still convinced that the weather played a big part in the Chargers shocking loss to the Bengals late in 2010, the game that derailed a team that seemed destined to make the playoffs. A December game in Chicago would be a scary proposition.

2010 Record: 11-5, 1st in NFC North
Playoff Outcome: Lost in NFC Championship to the Green Bay Packers

Key Free Agents

Caleb Hannie, QB
Rashied Davis, WR
Olin Kreutz, C
Anthony Adams, DT
Pisa Tinoisamoa, OLB
Nick Roach, OLB
Danieal Manning, S
Brad Maynard, P

Key IR Returns

Hunter Hillenmeyer, OLB
Mike Teel, QB

The big story of the offseason is Jay Cutler, obviously. Again Jay's career path has met back up with Philip Rivers, after he spent the second half of the NFC Championship Game on the sidelines when Rivers spent the AFC Championship Game playing through an even worse knee injury. The comparison was too easy to make, and now Cutler is going to have to prove himself to be a tough leader after proving that he could be a decent QB under Mike Martz. The Bears will start 2011 much the same way they did 2010, with a hated QB and a hated Offensive Coordinator. The difference this season might be where that disapproval is coming from, Chicago or elsewhere.

The thing people overlook with the Bears is that their defense in 2010 was one of the league's best, and they got ridiculously lucky with injuries (a big reason for the improvement from 2010). The only really important players on that free agent list are Olin Kreutz, Anthony Adams and Danieal Manning, and the Bears could honestly probably live without those last two as well. However, chances are that the Bears won't have the same luck with health in 2011. If they can come close to it, this can be a very dangerous team.

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Comments

So is there still a Cutler-Rivers rivalry?

Or is that done now that he’s been gone from a “severely hated team” for a year?

by TheFan09 on Feb 14, 2011 9:51 AM PST reply actions

I don't feel much animosity for him anymore

but he’s still a punk.

by Cake or Death on Feb 14, 2011 10:13 AM PST up reply actions

Yeah

I remember hating him deeply for a long time, but as of last season it was more….idk, like I didn’t care that much anymore.

j/w if other people felt the same way, or I was the odd man out there.

by TheFan09 on Feb 14, 2011 10:24 AM PST up reply actions

Mike Teel a "key" return? Well, yeah.

I guess there’s a reason why the Bears IR’ed him with a relatively minor injury, so nobody else would have a crack at him. Looks like he’s in line to be the 2nd-string QB, since Caleb Hanie is a FA and Todd Collins wrote his NFL epitaph against the Pack.

by justincup on Feb 14, 2011 12:13 PM PST reply actions

Hanie is probably an RFA

but yeah, I made him a “key” return because I’m almost positive he’s their #2 guy next year.

Bolts from the Blue - Destroying your opinions with facts.

by John Gennaro on Feb 14, 2011 12:21 PM PST up reply actions

Plaxico Buress!

It’s time to bring in Plaxico, as their legit #1 wideout.They must give Cutler the waepons he needs or he may never reach his full potential….

by comdr1 on Feb 14, 2011 3:22 PM PST reply actions

Ummm

when Rivers spent the AFC Championship Game playing through an even worse knee injury. The comparison was too easy to make

The week before the Championship game, in Indianapolis, Rivers did the EXACT same thing that Cutler did (which was leave the game for good in the second half with a knee injury).

The EXACT same thing!

Funny how this gets ‘reported.’

Rivers then had surgery and did indeed play the game in NE. Cutler, of course, never had that chance as the Bears were eliminated and didn’t play the next week.

Thus, if one compares ‘apples to apples’ again, they BOTH DID THE EXACT SAME THING (which, again, was to leave the game for good in the second half with a knee injury).

Hard to criticize Cutler when:

A). He did the EXACT same thing Rivers did in leaving their games early

and

B) Cutler never had the opportunity to match what Rivers did thereafter cause his team no longer played..

Get it?

by GeoMak on Feb 14, 2011 4:22 PM PST reply actions