WADDLE'S WORLDS: Bears exceeding exptectations
By TOM WADDLE -- Shaw Suburban Media
Convince Jay Cutler to be more conservative. Check.
Give the coaches their just due. Check.
Light a fire under this Bears running game. Check.
I don’t know about you, but I think I’ve had a productive first quarter of the season. And so have the Bears. At 3-1, they’re ahead of where I thought they would be.
I was thinking 2-2 was more realistic heading into the bye. Fortunately, they exceeded my expectations. But where do they stack up with the rest of the division? After four weeks, I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on this NFC North.
Let’s break it down phase by phase.
Offense
If this was merely a passing competition, the Packers would get the nod. Despite the display by Brett Favre on Monday night and the hot streak Cutler finds himself on, Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers and his group of receivers are the most explosive aerial attack in the division.
Cutler might have the most raw ability, but he has the least to work with. Favre has morphed nicely into a game manager who still has the ability to make a tough throw and a big play.
The clincher is No. 28. The guy they call AP. There is no more talented and explosive back in the league than Adrian Peterson, and he has a mammoth line paving the way in front of him. And when Peterson needs a breather, they give it to Chester Taylor, who would be the starter on most teams in the NFL.
I give the edge to the Vikings because of their balance, and having the best player in the division in their backfield.
Defense
The Bears lead the division, allowing 19 points a game, but the eye test tells you the team in Minnesota is the best of the bunch.
The Vikings’ front seven is by far the best. For three consecutive seasons, Kevin and Pat Williams have anchored the league’s top run defense, allowing less than 80 rushing yards a game. On the edge. Jared Allen is the division’s best pass rusher with 21 sacks in 19 games as a Viking. And please don’t overlook their secondary. Antoine Winfield is a Pro Bowler who is equally good against the run and pass.
From top to bottom, this is an impressive bunch. The Vikings get the edge on defense.
Special Teams
The special teams are a no-brainer, especially after the display Sunday on the lakefront. Robbie Gould is the most accurate kicker in the division, Brad Maynard has the best touch and Johnny Knox and Devin Hester are the most explosive return tandem.
The Bears get the edge on special teams.
Overall
As expected, the NFC North is arguably the most competitive division in the NFL. The Lions still occupy the cellar, but they’re an improved team with a cannon-armed rookie QB, playmakers on the edge and a rebuilt defense.
The Packers have play-makers on both sides of the ball, but they just seem to be missing that special “something". They underachieved at 6-10 last season and still have a ways to go.
The Bears might not be great at anything, but they’re good at everything. And through four weeks, we’ve learned ANYTHING is possible with a franchise quarterback under center.
That leaves us with the 4-0 Vikings. A fantastic defense and a great running game is always a winning combination. And so far, Favre has been the icing on the cake. Invincible, no, but hard to beat, especially in their building.
At the quarter pole, the Vikings are the best the NFC North has to offer. But things can change quickly. And they often do.
• Tom Waddle appears from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday on the "Waddle & Silvy Show" on WMVP AM-1000. He writes a weekly column on the Bears for the Daily-Chronicle.
