Giants Late Season Run Proves Super Bowl Reachable................

Bennett: Giants' run shows Super Bowl reachable

Comments

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...0-14134620.jpg Bears receiver Earl Bennett believes the Bears aren't that far away from a possible Super Bowl trip. (Brian Cassella/Tribune Photo)

By Fred Mitchell, Tribune reporter 12:49 p.m. CST, February 14, 2012


If the New York Giants can get into the playoffs with a 9-7 record and win a Super Bowl, why can’t the Chicago Bears?

“Just get in the playoffs. Anything is possible,” Bears wide receiver Earl Bennett said Monday night before accepting an honor at the 24th annual Comcast SportsNet Awards Dinner. “You’ve just got to continue to work hard and stay focused. Those (Giants) did a great job with doing that and they won a Super Bowl.”

The Bears were 7-3 last season before injuries to quarterback Jay Cutler and running back Matt Forte contributed mightily to a five-game losing streak. The Bears finished 8-8 and out of the NFC playoffs. The Giants, on the other hand, rebounded from a slow start to capture the NFC East before running the table in the postseason.

Big plays from Giants receivers caught the attention of Bennett.

“(Mario) Manningham stepped up and (Hakeem) Nicks played big throughout the playoffs,” Bennett said. “And Victor Cruz was lights out throughout the whole season. So we look to build on what we had early in the season last year, and just pick up and get everybody healthy and we will be all right.”

This time last year, the NFL lockout inhibited opportunities to stage regular organized workouts for players. That is not an issue this year. The Bears have a new offensive coordinator in Mike Tice, as well as other new assistant coaches.

“We’ve got a lot of time to work out and a lot of time to get timing and route-running down,” Bennett said. “So I look forward to bringing in new plays that coach Tice has drawn up for us. New coaches, new coordinator … it’s just going to continue to help us get better and I look forward to the season.”

Bennett received the “Bear of the Year” award at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers during the Comcast SportsNet Sports Awards presented by Navistar to benefit the March of Dimes. Previous dinners had raised nearly $8 million for the March of Dimes. Daniel C. Ustian, chairman, president and CEO of Navistar International Corporation, was the honorary chair of the dinner. William T. Barry, Senior Vice President of Draper & Kramer was the event’s chairman, and James J. Corno is the president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago.




fmitchell@tribune.com

Twitter @kicker34

You have to admit Fred Mitchell is right. Two years in a row a team has come through all three playoff games to win the SB. Last year the Packers did after a 10-6 regular season record and this year it was the 9-7 Giants who did it.

Peaking late which carried them through the playoffs was the primary reason in both cases. The Bears were on their way to a similar situation when disaster struck. If we can do that well with the Oline we had and Mike Martz's offense then this year with a healthy Cutler, a complete Oline, Forte in the fold and some help at WR we should be cookin' offensively.

No disrespect to Tice but the best coaching move the Bears have made since seasons end wasn't the promotion of Tice. It was hiring Jeremy Bates. I can almost guarantee that Cutler will be in the running for an MVP award this coming year and another Pro Bowl season. These two together can be that good. I saw it first hand. Now sign Eddie Royal and reunite him with Cutler and it gets even better.

Oh, I can just hear the chants for Brandon Marshall resonating loud and clear through the wood works.

I always thought that if the Bears had made it into the playoffs as a 12-4 or 11-5 or 10-6 team last year that with a full lineup, we would be able to get at least to the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs. I don't know if we would have beaten the Packers up in Green Bay since they always get up for games against us more so than against others, but all that withstanding, it would have been a building block in the right direction. That would have been despite a weak pass rush, only one good CB, and an average-at-best offensive line with undersized and untalented wide receivers. I was so upset that we couldn't have at least muster two more wins down the stretch after Cutler went down to make it into the playoffs. Despite that, I'm proud of the way the team fought through adversity. That builds character, and it will give them ammunition to feed upon for the upcoming season when they get some new toys to play with.