Hard-to-predict Bears far from Grade A
With the Bears' off week coming one game short of the halfway point, it's time for midterm grades, which are much different from most preseason predictions that anticipated a strong defense and a shaky offense.
Instead, the offense is playing honor roll football, while the defense is underachieving. After the bye, the Bears have the equivalent of an open-book test at home against the 0-6 Lions, but the next week it's a killer pop quiz against the so-far-unbeaten Titans.
Quarterback: Kyle Orton has been the Bears' most pleasant surprise the first part of the season, avoiding mistakes, making big plays and making opponents pay for overplaying the run. Orton has done an exceptional job of spreading the ball around to multiple receivers. In seven games, six different players have led the team in receiving yards. Orton is sixth in the NFL with 1,669 yards, has a 10-4 TD-interception ratio and a 91.4 passer rating. He has not been intercepted in his last 116 passes and has been entrusted with making calls at the line of scrimmage and running some no-huddle offense. Grade: B-plus.
Running backs: Rookie Matt Forte demonstrated to opponents after just two games that he warranted special attention, and that has slowed him some after an impressive start (215 yards on 46 carries in his first two games). But the threat of Forte's running has helped open up the passing game, to which he's contributed a team-best 29 receptions, and he also blocks. His average yards per carry has dropped to a mediocre 3.5. Veteran Kevin Jones has provided adequate but seldom-used relief for Forte. Grade: B-minus.
Wide receivers: Heading into the season, these guys got no respect outside their own locker room, but they're starting to make believers out of their critics. Rashied Davis has already matched his career high with 22 catches. Devin Hester has taken major strides as a receiver. Marty Booker is starting to become a factor after a slow start and is averaging 16.6 yards per catch. Before he suffered a sprained knee in Week Four, Brandon Lloyd gave every indication of becoming a go-to receiver and was on pace for a 996-yard season. He has missed the past three games but should return after the bye. Grade: C-plus.
Tight ends: Greg Olsen is starting to emerge as a difference-maker with 16 catches for 237 yards the past four games, and Desmond Clark (17 catches, 205 yards) still provides a valuable safety net for Orton and the occasional big play. The two have combined for 39 catches and 501 yards. Olsen's 296 yards (on 22 catches) are the most on the club. Grade: B.
Offensive line: Another previously disrespected group that has played better than anticipated, especially when it comes to protecting Orton - although it has struggled lately to open running lanes. Still, the o-line production has been more than adequate considering second-year left guard Josh Beekman had only played in one NFL game before this season, and left tackle John St. Clair hadn't been a full-time starter since 2004. Offensive-line coach Harry Hiestand and coach-on-the-field Olin Kreutz, the six-time Pro Bowl center, have helped make this group more than the sum of its parts. Grade: C.
Defensive line: Supposedly a team strength with the ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks, the pass rush has been sporadic at best and awful at times, ranking 26th in the league. Three-time Pro Bowl tackle Tommie Harris has played one good game and has 1 sack. NT Dusty Dvoracek has been the much better player inside with a team-best 5 tackles for loss, and his 23 tackles are just 1 less than Adewale Ogunleye's team-best total among linemen. Ogunleye has just 1 sacks, although he has 4 tackles for loss, same as Alex Brown, who leads the team with 3 sacks. As a group, the d-line has been solid against the run. Grade: C-minus.
Linebackers: Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs are second and third in tackles, with 54 and 52, respectively, but aside from Briggs' 21-yard fumble return for a TD, they haven't supplied many big plays. Briggs has the only pick, and his one-half sack is one-half more than Urlacher. They have split 6 tackles for loss. Hunter Hillenmeyer has not played as many snaps as in the past, with the Bears going more with nickel packages and working backup linebackers Nick Roach and Jamar Williams into the mix. Grade: C-plus.
Defensive backs: Only two teams have allowed more passing yards than the Bears, but some of that has to do with opponents' inability to run. They're a much more respectable No. 10 in average gain per pass play, and the Bears are No. 8 in interception percentage, led by SS Kevin Payne's 3 picks. Payne also leads the team with 60 tackles. CB Charles Tillman has played through pain, picked a pair of passes, forced a couple fumbles and broken up a team-best 8 passes. The emergence of second-year CB Corey Graham has helped make up for Nate Vasher's so-far-disappointing season and his wrist injury that required surgery and has forced him to miss three games already. FS Mike Brown may have lost a step, but his smarts and experience are invaluable. Grade: B-minus.
Special teams: There has been nothing special about Devin Hester's kick returns yet, but the Bears benefit when other teams kick short or out of bounds to avoid him. Brad Maynard's punts haven't been long, but he leads the NFL with 18 kicks inside the 20. Robbie Gould is as accurate as ever (13 of 15, 86.7 percent) and his kickoffs have been longer. Dave Toub's coverage teams have slipped a bit, but they produced a pair of touchdowns in Week Seven. Grade: C-plus.
Coaching: The defense has been a major disappointment. Injuries have hurt, but there's still too much talent on that side of the ball for Bob Babich's crew to rank No. 30 in passing yards allowed. The Bears are No. 1 in third-down defense and No. 6 in rushing yards allowed. Offensively, the Bears are better across the board than most expected, and coordinator Ron Turner has given Orton plenty of freedom and allowed him to throw frequently when opponents have focused on stopping the run. Defensive grade: D; Offensive grade: B.