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Chicago Bears: Stats Say Super Bowl Contender

By Ryan Heckman

Sep 28, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) reacts with wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 28, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (17) reacts with wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) after scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bears have been a mystery thus far, but a Super Bowl is still very realistic.

Fans may not have imagined this type of start for the Chicago Bears. At 3-3, the Bears sit in a very messy NFC Wildcard race early on. Though the record is what it is, Chicago realistically could be 5-1 at the moment. But, the season is a long one, and Chicago can more than make up for a few blunders early on.

After six weeks, the Bears are on pace for some ridiculous numbers. Let’s take a look at where some of the players rank among the NFL.

Matt Forte has been absolutely phenomenal. Forte leads the league in receptions with 46 — as a running back — and comes in at 9th in the NFL in targets. He is seventh in the NFL in rushing with 399 yards and averaging 4.0 yards per carry. At the same time, he has nearly as many yards receiving with 376, giving him 775 yards from scrimmage — good for third in the NFL — and three total touchdowns on the year.

Jay Cutler is fourth in the NFL in yards, fifth in touchdowns with 13 and fifth in completion percentage at 68.1 percent. While I’ve written that Cutler will never win a Super Bowl in the past, his numbers alone have impressed me. He’s still made some poor choices this season, but the offense has played well as a whole, and that starts with Cutler.

Martellus Bennett has given the Chicago Bears their first legitimate threat at tight end since the club traded Greg Olsen. He is fourth among tight ends in receiving yards with 364. He also has 4 touchdowns, good for not just fourth among tight ends, but tied for for the fifth-most in the NFL.

As for Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, they are doing just fine. At one point during their week 6 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, the duo had 251 yards receiving combined, when the Falcons had 249 yards of total offense. These two are still as dangerous as ever, and Marshall has finally recovered from an ankle injury. Think about that one: A banged-up Brandon Marshall has 5 touchdowns through 6 games.

Sep 14, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings (26) and strong safety Danny McCray (29) and strong safety Brock Vereen (45) and strong safety Ryan Mundy (21) celebrate after causing a turnover against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi
Sep 14, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings (26) and strong safety Danny McCray (29) and strong safety Brock Vereen (45) and strong safety Ryan Mundy (21) celebrate after causing a turnover against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter at Levi /

Jeffery currently leads the Bears with 495 yards receiving, including 8 catches of 20 yards or more — good for fourth-best in the league.

Defensively, the Bears have at least improved from a year ago, thanks to a couple of new faces.

Willie Young was supposed to be an afterthought in comparison to Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston. Instead, Young has emerged as the leader on this defensive line and currently leads the league in sacks with 7 — already a career-high.

Kyle Fuller has taken over the spot left by the injured Charles Tillman and has performed in a way nobody thought he could as a rookie. He is tied for the league lead in interceptions with 3. Fuller is also tied for the league lead in forced fumbles with 3.

Speaking of defense, the Bears are tied for the fourth-most sacks in football at the moment. Going from one of the very worst seasons, in terms of sacks, to where they are at now is quite impressive.

I’ve been critical of the Bears this year, more so than ever — especially on Cutler. Chicago has a lot of talent, and it’s starting to show through. There are no more excuses for Jay Cutler on offense. It is now or never; no more room for talk of “potential.” While Cutler has made mistakes that cost the Bears early on this season, his performance in Atlanta was nearly perfect. Those are the types of games he needs to have in order for the Bears to take this ride all the way.

There is no reason why the talent on this team cannot make a Super Bowl run. With the way the defense has played, especially up front, Chicago should see an increase in points scored, without a doubt. Getting Jay Ratliff back from injury helped the team in a monstrous way. Couple that with a healthier Jared Allen (pneumonia), and Chicago’s line suddenly looks frightening. The fact that Chicago is where they’re at in terms of sacks is astounding, especially without a healthy Ratliff and Allen. Look for that number to increase drastically from here on out.

The only major concern I have for the Bears right now is at linebacker. Did anyone see how well the Bears’ fill-in starters played against the Falcons? Considering they were all second-string, the job done was better than expected. Daryl Sharpton, Khaseem Greene and Christian Jones played well as a unit and all three could push for more time with Lance Briggs getting older, D.J. Williams showing age and Shea McClellin being…well, Shea McClellin.

I have high hopes for these Chicago Bears as they head into their final two games before the bye week. If the offense continues to put up points and the defensive line continues to dominate, they should easily contend with the NFC’s brass. Who’s ready for Sunday?

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