This season will not be a cakewalk for the Bears

My fellow Bear fans are in such a tizzy over the Bears signing their best quarterback since Sid Luckman that they appear to be in a state of denial about our receiving corps. Granted, nobody has a one-two punch at tight end like Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark, and Matt Forte is a fine receiver as well as an outstanding runner. Our new upgrades on the offensive line will help both our running game and our passing game. But we really don't have any go-to wide receivers, and until we do Jay Cutler will simply not be... well, Jay Cutler.

We helped ourselves at linebacker this off-season, but our secondary, like the receiving corps, is suspect. I'm especially nervous about our cornerbacks. Mike Ditka is right: in order to even win the division, the defense has to step up. I am not confident.

Tomorrow night's Green Bay game should tell us something. If we lose to the Snot 'n' Pus, it will mean more that simply that the season can't be a true success and that we're only one game away (the second Packer game) from its being a failure no matter what else happens. It will probably mean that we will be hard pressed to even make it to the playoffs on a wild card.

Having Favre back in the division (and on a team that's otherwise as strong as the Men in Braids are) makes me nervous. But the distinct possibility that we may turn out to be the third best team in this me want to retch. The only silver lining would be if De Angelo and the Bears' management is moved by an unfavorable outcome this season to do what they should have done once they'd signed Cutler: move heaven and earth to get him some people to throw to.

In the meantime, despite my misgivings, my prediction is Bears 31, Packers 28. Keep your fingers crossed, fellow Ursophiles.