Braced for a Breakout

Ten reasons why the Bears could become the smash hit of the 2000 season

IN 1999 THE CHICAGO BEARS showed a few signs of life after years of dormancy, unveiling an innovative offense, ending a five-season Pro Bowl drought, and finally beating the Green Bay Packers after dropping 10 straight to their hated rivals. This year, following what was arguably the most productive offseason in franchise history, "the Monsters of the Midway" think they're ready to do some serious damage.

The historically frugal Bears committed a whopping $50 million to three defensive free agents and spent their first two draft picks on defense for the first time since 1990, all in an attempt to overhaul a unit that finished 29th in the NFL last season. Just as important, Chicago was able to resign three of its own key free agents: backup quarterback Jim Miller, wide receiver Bobby Engram, and left guard Todd Perry.

After improving from 4-12 in 1998 to 6-10 in '99, the first season of the Dick Jauron era, Chicago isn't looking for more gradual improvement this year. No, the team's goal is to reach the playoffs for the first time since 1994. Many national observers, in fact, have pegged the Bears as the 2000 season's breakout team, including FOOTBALL DIGEST, which picked them to finish second in the NFC Central and earn a postseason berth [September 2000].

Here are 10 reasons why the Bears could take the league by storm this season:

1. Defensive reinforcements have arrived

The Bears upgraded their two most pressing needs on the first weekend of free agency by signing Seattle Seahawks defensive end Phillip Daniels (five years, $24 million) and Buffalo Bills cornerback Thomas Smith (five years, $22.5 million) to the richest contracts in franchise history. They later added a third starter, free safety Shawn Wooden (three years, $3.6 million), formerly of the Miami Dolphins.

The 6'5", 284-pound Daniels increased his sack total in each of his four NFL seasons, registering a career-high nine in 1999. The 5'11", 190-pound Smith, meanwhile, possesses the size to defend physical NFC Central receivers such as the Minnesota Vikings' Cris Carter and Randy Moss, the Detroit Lions' Herman Moore and Germane Crowell, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Keyshawn Johnson.

2. The offensive fireworks will continue

In his first season on the job in 1999, offensive coordinator Gary Crowton put together a pass-oriented unit that broke team records for passing attempts, completions, and yards. Now that everyone fully understands the scheme, it should be even more potent in 2000, even though wide receiver Curtis Conway signed with the San Diego Chargers as a free agent.

"I'm excited about getting the nucleus of the offense back, so there's not a ton of new teaching," says Crowton, who will be a prime headcoaching candidate if he puts together another season like 1999.

3. The kicking is bound to get better

Regardless of who wins the job, the kicking position will be significantly improved over last season, when four players combined to miss 15 field-goal attempts, the most in the NFL since the 1987 Vikings also botched 15. Errant field goals cost the Bears at least two games and possibly as many as four.

For the first time since 1996, the Bears' kicking job is being contested in training camp. Sixth-round draft pick Paul Edinger of Michigan State is battling Jaret Holmes, an NFL Europe alumnus who was two-for-two in the '99 Bears finale, his only game for Chicago.

Edinger converted 21 of 26 field-goal attempts last season as a senior, including a game-winning 39-yarder on the final play of the Citrus Bowl to beat Florida. "We thought he had tremendous poise," says Bears director of college scouting Bill Rees. "That was the one thing that maybe separated him from some of the other kickers in the draft."

4. Curtis Enis is at full strength

Enis is a year removed from major knee injury and has regained the 25 pounds he needs to operate effectively as a power back who wears down defenses.

Last season Enis slimmed down to 225 pounds so as not to put too much pressure on his knee, which still was recovering from reconstructive surgery. In the process, though, he lost the power he displayed as a rookie in 1998 and was unable to break tackles. Still, although Enis wasn't very productive--916 yards on 287 carries for an anemic 3.2 per-carry average--he was surprisingly durable.

Now weighing 250 pounds, Enis is determined to rejuvenate a running attack that ranked 26th in the league last year. "I think it's been the missing link the years I've been here," Enis says of the ground game. "I'm back to [the weight] I was when I first got here. This is where I feel comfortable and where I feel I can be a dominant player at this level."

5. Cade McNown is a year wiser

Crowton's multi-faceted offense no longer seems like a foreign language to the young quarterback, who enters his second NFL season with greater awareness and confidence. Asked what aspect of the game he has most improved since his rookie campaign, McNown says: "Just seeing in my mind the play develop even before it develops, and knowing where everybody's going to be."

In 1999, the lefty from UCLA became the first Bears rookie to pass for 300 yards in a game and just the third rookie in NFL history to throw four TDs in a game. Overall, though, he exhibited the inconsistency you'd expect from a rookie; for instance, he made poor decisions that led to interceptions in losses to the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay.

6. Marcus Robinson rocks

After his breakthrough 1999 season, Robinson is a bona fide NFL star. The 6'3", 215-pounder replaced an injured Conway in the starting lineup in Week 6 and caught 66 passes for 1,187 yards

and eight touchdowns over the final 11 games. In all, he had 84 catches for a team-record 1,400 yards. Not bad for someone who entered the season, his third in the NFL with just four receptions for 44 yards.

During this offseason, Robinson was rewarded with a four-year, $14.4 million contract that included a $5 million signing bonus. He again will team with the underrated Engram, who had 88 catches last year, the second-best total in team history.

7. The draft was solid

The Bears project 2000 first-round draft pick Brian Urlacher as an immediate starter at strongside linebacker. They fell in love with his freakish athletic ability-he played safety, caught six touchdown passes as a red-zone specialist, and even returned kicks at New Mexico--and envision him as a playmaker who can bring much-needed speed and toughness to the defense. "For a franchise and a city that's got such a great tradition of linebacker play, we're hoping this guy fits right in," Jauron says.

Urlacher already broke one tradition, which, in this case, made the Bears and their fans extremely happy. In inking a five-year contract on June 16, he became the club's first opening-round pick to sign before training camp since Walt Harris in 1996. Lengthy holdouts by Enis and McNown certainly didn't help their progress.

8. These guys can run

Jauron's primary offseason objective was to increase the team's speed, and the Bears consider that mission accomplished. They dealt a fifth-round draft choice to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for fleet-footed wideout Eddie Kennison, who has been timed at 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Speed was also a factor in the draft. Urlacher ran a 4.59 in the 40 at the scouting combine (linebackers average 4.8), and sixth-round pick Frank Murphy, a running back from Kansas State, once was timed at 4.22 during a college workout. The Bears are intrigued by Murphy's combination of power and speed, and project him as a third-down back who can excel at catching passes out of the backfield.

9. Wannstedt's in Miami

After the forgettable Dave Wannstedt era, Jauron appears to be the perfect coach for a young team on the go. He is stoic and soft-spoken, but he still finds a way to connect with his players in a direct manner. Unlike his predecessor, Jauron is an excellent communicator and manager.

"Dick Jauron has made a big change in the way I think about things," says offensive right tackle James "Big Cat" Williams, the longest-tenured player on the club. "He's a great coach and a great man."

10. The Central is down

After a nice run, the NFC Central appears to have dipped a bit. Outside of Super Bowl contender Tampa Bay, which boasts one of the league's best defenses and significantly improved its offense in the offseason, the division is wide open.

This offseason the Vikings lost their top two quarterbacks (Jeff George and Randall Cunningham), starting offensive linemen Jeff Christy and Randall McDaniel, receiver Jake Reed, tight end Andrew Glover, and cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock. The Lions signed free-agent running back James Stewart, but their offense suffered a blow when quarterback Charlie Batch hurt his knee during a non-contact, offseason workout. And the Packers must adjust to their third head coach in as many years, following a season in which they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1992.

No team has gone longer without winning the division title than the Bears, who last turned the trick in 1990. But if everything goes according to plan this year, the long drought just might end.

It Can't Get Much Worse

IN THE 1990s, THE BUCCANEERS WERE THE ONLY NFC Central team to have a worse record than the Bears, Chicago's fast winning season came in 1995, when it went 9-7. Here are the standings from the '90s:

                                          Playoff
Team                 W-L        Pct.     appearances

Vikings             95-65       .594         7
Packers             93-67       .581         6
Lions               79-81       .494         6
Bears               73-87       .456         3
Buccaneers          67-93       .419         2

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