Bennett: Bears best team in NFC North

**Riczaj01** · 07-17-2012, 06:45 PM

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bear...m-in-nfc-northBennett: Bears best team in NFC North

July, 17, 2012 Jul 17
12:35
PM CT

By ESPNChicago.com

Earl Bennett sees a Chicago Bears' defense that is still dominant and an offense capable of being explosive thanks to additions such as Brandon Marshall. And the Bears receiver also sees his team as being the best in the highly competitive NFC North.

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Mike DiNovo/US PresswireEarl Bennett is expecting big things from the Bears' offense this season.

"I feel like defensively we still have the best defense in the league with (Brian) Urlacher coming back and (Lance) Briggs and (Julius) Peppers and (Charles) Tillman at the corner spot," Bennett said Tuesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "And then offensively, the additions we made with Alshon (Jeffery), Brandon, Michael Bush and re-signing (Matt) Forte. We just got to keep Jay (Cutler) healthy. I feel like we're definitely the best team in our division."

It's a division that boasts two of the NFL's most high-powered offenses in the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, both playoff teams last season. The Lions ranked second in the NFL with 412 yards per game last season with the Packers coming in sixth at 388.

The acquisitions of Marshall, Jeffery, Bush, the re-signing of Forte and a more "player-friendly" offense under new coordinator Mike Tice give Bennett confidence that the Bears can develop into an explosive offense.

"I feel like the top three or four receivers should come close to 1,000 yards," Bennett said. "I know Matt is going to run for 1,000 yards. I look for Jay to throw for at least 4,000 or better yards. We want to be an explosive offense, but it's just up to us to go out there and do it. We look good on paper, but it means nothing if you can't go out there on Sunday and prove it."

Bennett said the presence of Marshall, who had two 1,000-yard receiving seasons playing with Cutler in Denver, will help the other receivers.

"Having Brandon here is a huge boost for us because of what he does to defenses," Bennett said. "He's going to draw a lot of attention to himself. It's just up to me and the other guys to go out there and make plays and take some of the pressure off him. We're looking forward to the challenge, and I know all the guys are ready."

Orchestrating it all will be Cutler, who returns healthy after missing the last six games of the 2011 season with a fractured thumb.

"Jay is definitely an elite quarterback. The thing about it is you've got to keep him up off the ground and let him do his thing," Bennett said. "We know when he was in Denver he wasn't hit as much, and he ended up going to the Pro Bowl and helping them go to the playoffs (actually, Denver did not make the postseason with Cutler). So you've got to keep him clean and the skills guys, the receivers and running backs, have to make his job easy once he gets the ball in our hands."

You tell em B!

**Blue Horse-shoe** · 07-17-2012, 09:08 PM

At first I thought don't give anyone bulletin-board material ..... then I thought , you know what , he's right . I think we do have a better D than the other two. And if the O produces like it should there's no reason not to believe this.

It's gonna be tough , but kudos to Earl for having the cojones to say this. This team needs to get a little swag going.

**Riczaj01** · 07-17-2012, 09:44 PM

Also, this wasn't a tweet or him on the NFL network spouting it off to the world w/out being questioned. It was an interview where he was asked what he thought.

But I think he is right, I think they have (dirty word) Potential to be every bit as good as the Packer/Det O. And I think our D is at least on par w/Det's, and definately better then GB's.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 07-17-2012, 11:30 PM

"Jay is definitely an elite quarterback. The thing about it is you've got to keep him up off the ground and let him do his thing," Bennett said. "We know when he was in Denver he wasn't hit as much, and he ended up going to the Pro Bowl and helping them go to the playoffs (actually, Denver did not make the postseason with Cutler). So you've got to keep him clean and the skills guys, the receivers and running backs, have to make his job easy once he gets the ball in our hands."

Everybody is saying the same thing. I think I may have a heart attack or stroke waiting to see this oline in real game action. Things could be really great this year, or pretty disappointing (especially considering most of us have sky high expectations for this offense). If the season tanks due to the oline, I'm going to be on suicide watch.

**Riczaj01** · 07-17-2012, 11:44 PM

If the season goes sour; and it's not due to inj just the OL sucking; all that good will Emery has built up is going to have a huge chunk taken out; Tice is doomed, and Lovie could be out.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 07-18-2012, 12:06 AM

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

If the season goes sour; and it's not due to inj just the OL sucking; all that good will Emery has built up is going to have a huge chunk taken out; Tice is doomed, and Lovie could be out.

I honestly think it's all going to be fine. I just want to SEE the oline performing well in "real" games, with my own eyes, so I can breathe easy. It's like bedtime at night when I was a little boy, and while I kept telling myself the boogyman wasn't real, I was just kindof scared anyway once the lights went out. It was always a good feeling to wake up in a nice sunny bedroom the next morning. That's how I'm gonna feel when the Bears oline looks solid this fall.

**Henry Burris** · 07-18-2012, 12:32 PM

I just don't like everyone on the team starting to say we're the best in the NFC North; having flashbacks to 2007.....

**BigBadPapaBear** · 07-18-2012, 11:37 PM

Originally Posted by Henry Burris

I just don't like everyone on the team starting to say we're the best in the NFC North; having flashbacks to 2007.....

I'm with you. Talk trash on the field not in the press. These ain't the '85 Bears. Those are the only guys that could talk trash in the press because that team could back it up against anyone.

**Riczaj01** · 07-19-2012, 07:07 AM

Eh I'd be more worried if it was the D. The D was getting cocky in 07 and stopped trying. This O needs confidence and I have no problem A player talking like this. Besides, he's not saying anything that wasn't proven on the field last year before the Inj bug hit and this O should be better this year.

**The Benjamin** · 07-19-2012, 08:05 AM

While I agree and think that we are the best, but if not the best it's close, players are always going to say they believe they are the best in the division/league. How often do you ever hear a player say "man are we going to suck this year"

Occasionally you do hear a player say that they are limited in the chances and their words are "oh so and so is the team to beat" but that is usually packaged with something like "we have a great team"

If Cutler plays like he did last year, and If Forte contributes as well (though not as much) as he normally has, and if Marshall is as good as he usually is, our offense is going to be top notch. Minus the OL that is, as that is always a question mark.

The defense is getting older, but might still have enough gas in the tank to be dominant for one more year. The DL is also a question mark from what chatter I read and hear though.

Either way, this should be a very fun year

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