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Bears Sun Jan 03 2010
Footballic Ramblings: Bears Win Finale, Questions Remain
The Bears rang in the new year with a thorough braining of NFC North doormat, Detroit. Closing the season with their second 7-9 record in the past three seasons, Chicago hasn't won double figure games since the 2006 Super Bowl run, that team was helmed by Rex Grossman and powered by a mighty defense that has now slowed down with the corroding and diminishing effect/biological process known as "aging". So with yet another disappointing season, all the more disappointing by Jay Cutler's dismal debut year, where to do the Bears go from here? They have very few draft options for this coming year (thanks to the Cutler deal), they have a rapidly aging defense loaded with players on the wrong side of 30 with millions still to be paid on their contracts, the offensive line is in shambles (fingers crossed that Chris Williams keeps the starting left tackle job heading into next year), the receiving corps is still a huge question mark.
Namely, the same problems that have plagued the Bears for the last three seasons are still issues: rapidly aging defense with very few young prospects; uncertainty at where offensive production will be coming from; porous offensive line limiting the productivity of both the quarterback and running back. Expect Ron Turner to be canned, Lovie to be forced into naming a full-time defensive coordinator and hope the Bears get savvy and cagey in doing some discount shopping and making some salary cap freeing trades. Otherwise, this 7-9 season could end up being a jumping off point towards St. Louis Rams-level irrelevancy.
