If Super Bowl matchups were determined by preseason hype, the Bears might be tempted to mark their calendars for a trip to Glendale, Ariz., in February.
First, though, is that pesky regular season, which begins Sunday in San Diego.
If the hype is accurate, Devin Hester will return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, just as he did seven months ago in Super Bowl XLI.
If Hester doesn’t reach the end zone, that’s no problem. Hype says Chicago will have a juggernaut offense.
Will quarterback Rex Grossman pass to one of his talented wide receivers, which now includes Hester? Will he hand off to bulldozing running back Cedric Benson? Or will he pass to one of his two highly touted tight ends? Heck, he might even tuck the ball and run for a first down.
But in the unlikely event Chicago is forced to punt, it’s of no concern. Hype says the defense will shut down San Diego.
Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson may have led the NFL last season in rushing yards and touchdowns, but surely he’ll be stonewalled at home by linebacking crew Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. Certainly defensive tackle Tommie Harris will tear Philip Rivers’ pocket like a used Kleenex. Even if the Chargers QB can hurl the ball past the line of scrimmage, the Bears can count on Charles Tillman, Mike Brown and a host of defensive backs to pluck it out of the air.
Chicago, of course, would force a punt. And there’s Hester again, ready to make another “SportsCenter” highlight.
In the minds of many fans, the Bears are the irresistible force and the immovable object.
But despite a fruitful off-season that produced upgrades on offense and defense, this team isn’t that far removed from a 29-17 Super Bowl loss to the Indianapolis Colts. And the quality of their NFL opponents will be improved in 2007.
Let’s not mention that Grossman has had some worrisome turnovers in his preseason appearances. Harris and Brown are returning from major injuries.
Add to that a dose of perspective: The last team to win a Super Bowl after losing the previous year was Miami, which beat Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl VII to cap an undefeated 1972-73 season.
Nobody is predicting a perfect season for the Bears, but what exactly should the team expect from its off-season tinkering?
It’s time for a reality check. RedEye has assembled a panel of experts to judge what you can realistically expect from the 2007 Bears, and what is just a fan’s fantasy. We asked our panel about five players who represent off-season improvements and asked one simple question: Should we believe the hype?
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REX GROSSMAN
Premise: Improved mechanics — thanks to new quarterbacks coach Pep Hamilton — and a season of starting experience will make the quarterback a consistent leader.
Dan Jiggetts: The test will come during the course of the regular season. When the heat is really on, what do you do then? Rex is a very smart quarterback. He’s a guy that understands the position.
Jerry Azumah: He was the starter in the Super Bowl last year. You can’t turn your back to that.
DEVIN HESTER
Premise: His move to offense will produce a bevy of touchdowns and create headaches for opposing defenses.
Jerry Azumah: His athletic ability is just phenomenal. Every time he touches the ball, there is a possibility he’s going to score a touchdown. The defenses will have to adjust every time Devin Hester is on the field.
Craig Davis: A bevy of touchdowns? Probably not. Let’s be honest, he’s like a rookie at the receiver position.
GREG OLSEN
Premise: The rookie will complement veteran tight end Desmond Clark, making the team’s passing game even more dangerous.
Dan Jiggetts: This is going to be fascinating. You might see them in a two-tight-end set and still running deep.
Jerry Azumah: He has that presence of a Jeremy Shockey, and I actually think he’s going to be better than Shockey. He does wide receiver type of things. With Desmond Clark, it’s going to be a 1-2 punch.
ADAM ARCHULETA
Premise: The safety will blossom in Chicago under head coach Lovie Smith, his former defensive coordinator at St. Louis, after being demoted to a backup in Washington last season.
Dan Jiggetts: So much of what happens with guys is the comfort level with what they’re being asked to do. Lovie Smith knows what kind of skill set the kid has and what kind of situations you don’t want to put him in.
Craig Davis: Adam Archuleta is a guy who shuts down if you don’t treat him right. If it’s possible to be any better, the defense is going to be even better than last year.
CEDRIC BENSON
Premise: The running back is ready to carry the load after sharing time with Thomas Jones last season.
Jerry Azumah: When Cedric’s number was called last season, he responded. He’s ready to take off right now.
Craig Davis: He needs to prove he can catch the ball out of the backfield. I have a scary, scary feeling about Benson this year, both in the fantasy world and for Bears fans.
THE PANEL
Dan Jiggetts is a Comcast SportsNet analyst and NFL veteran who was an offensive lineman with the Bears from 1976-82.
Jerry Azumah is a Comcast SportsNet analyst who was a cornerback and kick returner with the Bears from 1999-2005.
Craig Davis is president and CEO of fantasyfoot ball.com.
Scouting Bears-Chargers
San Diego, the Bears’ Week 1 opponent, led the league with nine Pro Bowl selections and return largely intact. How do they compare to the Bears?
– Redeye, MCT, L.A. Times, Tribune
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Breakout candidate
The Bears have a couple of them in wide receiver Bernard Berrian and new receiver Devin Hester. But the Chargers have one of their own: receiver Vincent Jackson. Known mostly for his blocking, the speedy 6-foot-5 third-year receiver seems primed to excel as a top red-zone option for quarterback Philip Rivers. He caught only 27 passes last season but scored on six of them.
Defensive strength
The Bears aren’t the only team in the NFL with hard-nosed defenders. “We have a lot of guys like that,” Chargers head coach Norv Turner told the Chicago Tribune this week. “Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips on the edge, Jamaal Williams in the middle — they are dominating players.”
Weakest link?
Cornerback Quentin Jammer was targeted 126 times last season and gave up 72 receptions — both league highs. That may be a valuable test for Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, who threw 20 interceptions in ’06.
Intangibles
The Chargers have won 10 straight regular-season games and were undefeated at home for first time.
ODDS
Glantz-Culver line: San Diego by 6
“Everyone thinks the Chargers are the best team in football, and everyone knows the Bears lost the Super Bowl last year. So if I bet that game, I’m going with the Bears.”
Stanford Wong
[ Gambling strategist and author of several best-selling gambling handbooks, including “Sharp Sports Betting” ]———-
Michael Hines is a RedEye special contributor
