For Chicago Bears fans like myself, this season has come just in time before all hope was lost. For years, each season begins with high hopes and expectations, and each year, I am yet again let down by my team’s record. With the arrival of Jay Cutler in 2009, I was more enthusiastic than I had ever been. I would brag and yell at my friends, “Bears are going all the way for sure!” However, right when I thought the bears had turned a new page, Jay Cutler succumbed to the quarterback curse that has haunted the Bears for the last 25 years. He tied a record for the most interceptions in a single season, and the team finished with a 7-9 record, just a few games short of the playoffs. Over the last year, I have grown accustomed to friends and family members telling me that Cutler is useless and that the Bears are just going to falter again due to his horrible performance; but each time I tell them that one day, he will shine. It seems to me that that day has arrived.
On Monday night, the Bears defeated their most hated rival, The Green Bay Packers, to claim the top spot, not only in the NFC North Division, but also the entire NFC. They remain the only unbeaten team at 3-0. What happened the last time the Bears went 3-0 to start the season? Superbowl XLI happened. Could it be that the Bears are Superbowl bound in 2010? It has been four years since they lost the last one, but much of the original team is still intact. The only real difference is that Jay Cutler, not Rex Grossman, who can barely hold his own in the NFL, is the quarterback. On top of this, we are witnessing a new Jay Cutler. The 2010 Jay Cutler is tougher, stronger, and doesn’t throw an interception every other drive. He keeps his cool in the pocket, even when under pressure, and performs like a professional athlete should in every game. As of last Sunday, the monsters of the midway lead the league in defense against the rush and claim 5th place in passing yards per game.
How could it be that a team that was ranked 17th in passing YPG and 23rd in rush defense is all of the sudden finding itself at the top of the ranks in the NFL? The answer is determination. Not only is Jay Cutler performing better, but the offense and defense as a whole is playing with a determination and motivation never before seen in Chicago. The Bears possess some of the most impressive stats they have seen in a long time. With Brian Urlacher healthy and Matt Forte getting his run back, the Bears are destined to make it to the playoffs and possibly another Superbowl. I can picture Cowboys Stadium, home of the 2010 Superbowl, filled with blue and orange jerseys and being overtaken by the brute force of a team so good that no one will come close to stopping them. The Bears have a lot to look forward to this year, as do die-hard fans like myself. I’ve gone through pain and hardship as a Bears fanatic over the last few years, but those days are over. Bears are number one…Period.
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