Oh Cutler, my Cutler! If one were to take their 2009 NFL cues from the last few months of Chicago sports talk radio, they would derive that the Bears are the team to beat in the NFC, still have a top-notch defense, and boast the best QB prospect ever. None of that’s true, but hey, it makes for good radio in the summer sports dead zone.

What happened in 2008: The 2008 Bears actually didn’t look that different from previous playoff-contending Chicago teams (2005 and 2006). Mediocre offense + great defense and special teams = NFC North Title. Only in 2008 the Bears’ defense (due to its inability to get pressure with its front four) and special teams (due to free agent defects and Devin Hester’s dual role as WR) were merely good, not great. Mediocre offense + good defense and special teams = somewhere between 7-9 and 9-7. In other words, the past two Bears seasons.

Offseason happenings: Apparently, the Bears made some trade with the Broncos for this Cutler guy. They had to part with two first-round picks to pry him away from the Broncos, but in Cutler they bring to the Windy City a potential top-10 QB, something the Bears haven’t had since 1995 Erik Kramer’s career year). To protect Cutler’s blind side, the Bears threw $15 million over three years at the corpse of Orlando Pace. In theory, the Bears now have a future hall of fame tackle on the left and 2008 first-round pick Chris Williams on the right. But knowing Pace’s health, they more likely have Williams on the left and former Brown Kevin Shaffer on the right. Easy on the rollouts, Big jay.

From the schedule gods: Gone from the Bears schedule is the AFC South, in is the AFC North. That helps a little, but not much. What does help is getting the Steelers at home in week two when the Bears should be healthy and the Steelers will be coming off an emotional opening-night game against the always-physical Titans. Other trouble spots are a week 11 home game against the Eagles and a late-season visit to Baltimore. Luckily, they get the Lions twice and the NFC West, so that should be at least four — possibly five — wins from those games alone.

Projected finish: 11-5, second in the NFC North. We don’t want the Vikings to win this division. Mostly because Adrian Peterson fumbles too much and can’t pass protect. But we think the Bears’ year to really shake up the NFC is 2010, not 2009.

What’s missing: Dudes who can catch the football who don’t like up either in the backfield or next to the tackle. Matt Forte and Greg Olsen are the only proven receiving options on the Bears’ current roster. Hester made strides as a receiver in 2008, but he’s still raw and the rest of the Bears receiving “core” are luminaries like Rashied Davis and Cutler’s ex-college teammate Earl Bennett.

Why they’ll be a playoff team: In part, because the NFC’s a weaker conference, but also because the Bears still have a solid — albeit aging — defensive core due for a rebound. If the Bears can get more pressure from their three-man defensive end rotation (we’re looking at you, Mark Anderson), they won’t have to blitz more than any other team like they did in 2008. This means more zone coverage, something Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs excel at. It also means less Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman in Cover-3, looking dazed and confused as they draw another illegal contact penalty.

Why they can’t win the Super Bowl: Because the Giants and Eagles are a lot better. But mostly because their offense is a year — and a proven receiver, either developed or signed — away from Super Bowl contention.

Blog of choice: Windy City Gridiron

Video of choice: Ever heard the most annoying fan rally cry in sports? No?

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