Preoccupied with leading the NFL in touchdown catches and receiving yardage while playing for Carolina, Muhsin Muhammad insists he didn’t follow the Bears that closely last season.
But he knew one thing.
“They were the worst offensive team in the league,” Muhammad said. “You didn’t need to pay much attention to know that.”
Indeed, the Bears’ offensive ineptitude created headlines, if not highlights. The unit finished last in eight major categories, including points scored, yards gained and third-down efficiency.
No wonder general manager Jerry Angelo invested the bulk of his off-season work into trying to make the offense less offensive.
He signed Muhammad to a $30 million free-agent contract. He upgraded the offensive line with the addition of right tackle Fred Miller and guard Roberto Garza. He burned the Bears’ first four draft picks on running back Cedric Benson, wideout Mark Bradley, quarterback Kyle Orton and receiver Airese Currie–all offensive players.
And, perhaps most significantly, he ended the Terry Shea experiment and hired Ron Turner as offensive coordinator, the Bears’ third in three seasons following Shea and John Shoop. When Turner last patrolled the Soldier Field sidelines, the Bears were busy scoring 283 points in 1996, a total they’ve passed just once since.
A new offense
All of these changes have the Bears confident that their offensive fortunes can change heading into the season opener Sunday at Washington. Or, as Muhammad so bluntly put it, “How much worse can it get?”
Despite Benson’s five-week holdout, the Bears were able to establish a running game during the exhibition schedule. Thomas Jones averaged 5 yards on his 39 carries. Adrian Peterson averaged 4.6 and scored three times.
Both players are quick to credit an improved and healthier offensive line. Last year’s team featured so many injuries and changes up front that the running backs could have used nametags.
Benson was a workhorse in high school and college. If he adapts quickly, he will push Jones for a starting position and give the Bears depth at a crucial position. Everybody knows how important it is to establish a running game, especially with a rookie quarterback starting.
“We have to be a run-first team, or defenses are going to put everybody up in the box and make things even tougher on Kyle,” Jones said. “Having a good running game is going to help him ease his way into the starting job.”
Players hope Orton is the only one who assumes that role.
The quarterback issue
Six times in the last seven seasons, the Bears have used at least three starting quarterbacks, including four last season. After taking 24 to 48 hours to weather the emotional blow of losing Rex Grossman to yet another serious injury last month, the team quickly rallied around Orton when backup Chad Hutchinson struggled and was waived.
Like Grossman, Orton possesses a quiet swagger that belies his youth and inexperience.
“You think about that `it,’ and whatever that is, he’s got it,” center Olin Kreutz said.
Now the Bears need to protect it. All the injuries and changes to the offensive line played a part in the team allowing a franchise-record 66 sacks last season.
Orton will be processing enough information and dealing with enough changes in the speed of the game not to experience them on his back.
The move of John Tait from right to left tackle has seemed to stabilize the line, especially because Miller took over where Tait played last season. The question is whether the Bears have enough depth if the line experiences injuries like last season.
Reserves Qasim Mitchell and former first-round pick Marc Colombo have alternated between looking solid and shoddy during the exhibition games.
The Bears also must clean up their tendency to commit careless penalties. Coach Lovie Smith’s team carried a reputation of being undisciplined last season with 124 infractions, a franchise record and the third-highest total in the league.
This year’s exhibition schedule featured more of the same. The Bears committed 62 penalties in five games, losing 452 yards. Smith offered confidence, if not a concrete plan, that the problem would subside come the regular season.
“We have too many penalties, and we’re going to eliminate them and go from there,” he said.
The Bears also must establish a consistent No. 2 receiver or defenses will double-team Muhammad when he steps off the bus. And Desmond Clark has to produce at tight end.
Still, players are confident that their offensive fortunes can change.
“We’ve had a good training camp,” Jones said. “We kept the majority of our guys healthy. We’re fresh going into the first game. I think we’ve jelled as an offense. Kyle can make things happen at the quarterback spot. We’re just better.
“Our offense is a lot simpler. Last year we had shifts and movements that confused guys. This year we line up and go. We have a few wrinkles in there. But we concentrate on what we do best.
“That’s the best thing about this offense. There aren’t a lot of concepts, but the ones that are in are solid. If you execute right, you can make plays.”
Needing a playmaker
Muhammad will be counted on to make plenty of them. He wowed his teammates with his work ethic and production during exhibitions, averaging 18.3 yards on his nine catches.
The veteran receiver enjoys the go-to role on a team that is relying so heavily on youth on the offensive side.
“I’m the old guy,” Muhammad said, smiling. “But I’ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve. We will have a presence on the outside. I don’t think teams are going to play as much man-to-man on the outside with the big-play potential that we have.”
Muhammad laughed when asked about a prominent national publication picking the Bears to finish 32nd in the league, mostly because of their offensive questions. He pointed out that the publication had saddled his former Carolina team with the same dubious distinction two seasons ago.
“And we went to the Super Bowl,” he said. “I’m not saying that will happen again. But I know this: We should be able to win more than five games.”
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kcjohnson@tribune.com
