Of course, the Packers would likely not have been in
position to win the game if it wasn’t for the bizarre play that occurred shortly
before the half. With just under four minutes to go in the half, Julius Peppers
knocked the football out of Aaron Rodgers’ hand right before he was preparing to
throw. The ball shot forward, leaving many players on both sides to think it was
an incomplete pass. Both teams had an opportunity to pick the ball up, but
eventually the Packers sideline yelled at Jarrett Boykin to run into the end
zone after he picked up the live ball. Boykin walked into the end zone for the
easy score, which proved to be the difference in the game. It is unfortunate
that such a big game was ultimately decided by that play, but the Bears
deserved to lose after not falling on the football. Defensive coaches always
preach to fall on any loose ball, so obviously the Bears players clearly
thought it was an incomplete pass. In any event, there were other factors (like
giving up 473 yards) that decided the outcome.
Now, the Bears head into the offseason with plenty of
questions to answer and areas to address.
Who will be at
quarterback? I firmly believe that Jay Cutler is good enough to win a Super
Bowl and feel the Bears should find a way to retain him. The offense is in
place to succeed, so I think it would be foolish to let Cutler walk. Yes, Josh McCown
played exceptionally well, but I’m not sure that I would be comfortably having
him penciled in as our starting quarterback heading into next year.
In addition to having Jay Cutler as a free agent, the Bears
also have 26 other players that will become free agents. Obviously, there are
many issues and questions for Phil Emery to figure out other than the
quarterback position.
Who will be the
defensive coordinator? As bad as the defense was this season, I can’t
envision a scenario where current defensive coordinator Mel Tucker is brought
back for another season. I have no idea who would replace him, but newly
available Leslie Frazier would be at the top of my list.
Will Julius Peppers
be back? Peppers’ salary will count for roughly $18 million against the
Bears’ salary cap next season. The Bears would love to clear some cap space,
and I believe they can cut that $18 million cap hit in half if they release
prior him next season. Despite Peppers having a down year, he is still the best
pass rusher this defense has to offer. Will Emery feel comfortable heading
into next season without Peppers?What will the Bears do in the draft? An 8-8 season has given the Bears the 14th overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft. In my opinion, the Bears need to address the defensive side of the ball with virtually every pick. If Peppers were to leave, look for the Bears to draft a defensive lineman. Notre Dame’s DE Stephon Tuitt might be a good fit provided he forgoes his senior season. If the Bears were to switch to a 3-4, I would personally love to see them draft OLB/DE Kyle Van Noy out of BYU. I don’t think Van Noy can play the traditional 4-3 end position in the NFL, but he is an ideal 3-4 OLB with the ability to play with one hand on the ground in passing situations.
In the end, it should be an interesting offseason for the Chicago
Bears. Even though the Bears were just 8-8 this season, I believe the offense
makes this team a contender in 2014 provided they can improve the defense.
-Eric Tichelbaut
Follow me on Twitter @etichel07