Atlas
08-01-2006, 09:57 PM
This is why the NFC Championship game will be between Chicago and Dallas.
SoCals link: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/15175435.htm
Bears return all 22 starters in revolving-door era in NFL
By Don Pierson
Chicago Tribune
(MCT)
CHICAGO - The Bears are the only NFL team with all 22 starters back, making them the most unusual team since the advent of free agency in the early 1990s.
Whether this is by design or accident, coach Lovie Smith feels compelled to explain.
"I don't see us standing pat. I think we've improved our football team talent-wise and it can only help with those 22 guys coming back," Smith said.
It doesn't mean the 22 starters will start again, as Thomas Jones will attest. Receiver Justin Gage and right guard Terrence Metcalf also started the majority of games last season but aren't necessarily penciled in to keep their jobs ahead of Mark Bradley and Roberto Garza.
But just having every starter back in camp makes these Bears unique in comparison to the 1985 champions, who worried about playing without unsigned 1984 starters Todd Bell and Al Harris. And after they won, they came back in 1986 without injured cornerback Leslie Frazier. This was during a time when players didn't have much choice about coming back if a team wanted them.
Having every starter back isn't viewed as necessarily a good thing in any sport. Not only is it nearly impossible, it invites complacency. There's an adage about teams getting either better or worse but never staying the same.
The White Sox won the World Series and subtracted Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome. As good a deal as that appears, it has yet to assure the team is any better. This is why Cedric Benson will carry a burden considerably heavier than a football if he indeed does beat out Jones.
The only other NFL team close to returning all its starters is the Cincinnati Bengals. Linebacker Odell Thurman will miss the first four games because of a league suspension. And the Bengals signed defensive tackle Sam Adams and safety Dexter Jackson to replace returning starters. Rehabilitating quarterback Carson Palmer also may not be ready to start the season.
All the other playoff teams made no pretense of trying to return all their starters.
The Carolina Panthers, who abruptly ended the Bears' short playoff life, let go of both outside linebackers, Will Witherspoon and Brandon Short, plus guard Tutan Reyes, defensive tackle Brentson Buckner and running back Stephen Davis.
They added veteran receiver Keyshawn Johnson to complement Bears killer Steve Smith and acquired defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis to make them the consensus preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who beat out the Bears for No. 1 defense when the Bears were resting the final week, let safety Jackson go to Cincinnati and also lost two important defensive coaches: Rod Marinelli, now head coach at Detroit, and secondary coach Mike Tomlin, now defensive coordinator at Minnesota.
The Bucs also couldn't keep quarterback Brian Griese, who started the first six games for them before getting hurt. The Bears thank them very much.
The Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl runner-up and highest-scoring team in the league, couldn't keep All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson, reliable receiver Joe Jurevicius or safety Marquand Manuel. They added San Francisco linebacker Julian Peterson and Minnesota receiver Nate Burleson.
The Washington Redskins, who handed the Bears one of their five defeats, came back without defensive starters Walt Harris, Ryan Clark and LaVar Arrington but outbid the Bears for Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle El and St. Louis safety Adam Archuleta. They also added receiver Brandon Lloyd and linebacker Andre Carter from San Francisco.
The New York Giants, who won the NFC East with the same 11-5 record as the Bears, had the league's No. 4 offense but returned without defensive starters Will Allen, Kendrick Clancy and Nick Greisen. They added Arrington and Miami cornerback Sam Madison.
In the AFC, the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers lost retired fullback Jerome Bettis as well as Randle El, defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen and safety Chris Hope.
The New England Patriots lost kicker Adam Vinatieri, defensive end Willie McGinest and receiver David Givens.
The Indianapolis Colts lost superstar Edgerrin James, kicker Mike Vanderjagt and defensive starters Larry Tripplett and David Thornton, and are hoping the signing of Super Bowl star Vinatieri will help them the way he helped the Pats.
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost receiver Jimmy Smith and linebacker Akin Ayodele. The Denver Broncos lost running back Mike Anderson, tight end Jeb Putzier and defensive end Trevor Pryce.
There were five other NFL teams that had winning records but missed the playoffs. All made changes.
The Dallas Cowboys lost Keyshawn Johnson, guard Larry Allen and defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, and added Vanderjagt, Ayodele and the most famous off-season acquisition, Terrell Owens.
The Minnesota Vikings dumped virtually everything in their attempt to make up two games on the Bears, from coach Mike Tice to quarterback Daunte Culpepper to receiver Burleson to second-leading tackler Sam Cowart to leading sacker Lance Johnstone, adding as many as seven new starters plus Green Bay's reliable kicker Ryan Longwell.
The Miami Dolphins jettisoned quarterback Gus Frerotte and jumped on Culpepper and ex-Lion Joey Harrington.
The Kansas City Chiefs switched coaches, from Dick Vermeil to Herm Edwards, and lost three starters.
The San Diego Chargers let proven quarterback Drew Brees go and will try to improve with untested Philip Rivers.
Super Bowl winners almost always are teams that had winning records the previous season. The 2001 Patriots (5-11 in 2000), 2000 Baltimore Ravens (8-8 in 1999) and 1999 St. Louis Rams (4-12 in 1998) are the only exceptions in the last 23 years.
By returning all their starters, the Bears are planning to pursue the ultimate goal in a different manner from their peers.
SoCals link: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/15175435.htm
Bears return all 22 starters in revolving-door era in NFL
By Don Pierson
Chicago Tribune
(MCT)
CHICAGO - The Bears are the only NFL team with all 22 starters back, making them the most unusual team since the advent of free agency in the early 1990s.
Whether this is by design or accident, coach Lovie Smith feels compelled to explain.
"I don't see us standing pat. I think we've improved our football team talent-wise and it can only help with those 22 guys coming back," Smith said.
It doesn't mean the 22 starters will start again, as Thomas Jones will attest. Receiver Justin Gage and right guard Terrence Metcalf also started the majority of games last season but aren't necessarily penciled in to keep their jobs ahead of Mark Bradley and Roberto Garza.
But just having every starter back in camp makes these Bears unique in comparison to the 1985 champions, who worried about playing without unsigned 1984 starters Todd Bell and Al Harris. And after they won, they came back in 1986 without injured cornerback Leslie Frazier. This was during a time when players didn't have much choice about coming back if a team wanted them.
Having every starter back isn't viewed as necessarily a good thing in any sport. Not only is it nearly impossible, it invites complacency. There's an adage about teams getting either better or worse but never staying the same.
The White Sox won the World Series and subtracted Aaron Rowand for Jim Thome. As good a deal as that appears, it has yet to assure the team is any better. This is why Cedric Benson will carry a burden considerably heavier than a football if he indeed does beat out Jones.
The only other NFL team close to returning all its starters is the Cincinnati Bengals. Linebacker Odell Thurman will miss the first four games because of a league suspension. And the Bengals signed defensive tackle Sam Adams and safety Dexter Jackson to replace returning starters. Rehabilitating quarterback Carson Palmer also may not be ready to start the season.
All the other playoff teams made no pretense of trying to return all their starters.
The Carolina Panthers, who abruptly ended the Bears' short playoff life, let go of both outside linebackers, Will Witherspoon and Brandon Short, plus guard Tutan Reyes, defensive tackle Brentson Buckner and running back Stephen Davis.
They added veteran receiver Keyshawn Johnson to complement Bears killer Steve Smith and acquired defensive tackles Maake Kemoeatu and Damione Lewis to make them the consensus preseason favorites to win the Super Bowl.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who beat out the Bears for No. 1 defense when the Bears were resting the final week, let safety Jackson go to Cincinnati and also lost two important defensive coaches: Rod Marinelli, now head coach at Detroit, and secondary coach Mike Tomlin, now defensive coordinator at Minnesota.
The Bucs also couldn't keep quarterback Brian Griese, who started the first six games for them before getting hurt. The Bears thank them very much.
The Seattle Seahawks, Super Bowl runner-up and highest-scoring team in the league, couldn't keep All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson, reliable receiver Joe Jurevicius or safety Marquand Manuel. They added San Francisco linebacker Julian Peterson and Minnesota receiver Nate Burleson.
The Washington Redskins, who handed the Bears one of their five defeats, came back without defensive starters Walt Harris, Ryan Clark and LaVar Arrington but outbid the Bears for Pittsburgh receiver Antwaan Randle El and St. Louis safety Adam Archuleta. They also added receiver Brandon Lloyd and linebacker Andre Carter from San Francisco.
The New York Giants, who won the NFC East with the same 11-5 record as the Bears, had the league's No. 4 offense but returned without defensive starters Will Allen, Kendrick Clancy and Nick Greisen. They added Arrington and Miami cornerback Sam Madison.
In the AFC, the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers lost retired fullback Jerome Bettis as well as Randle El, defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen and safety Chris Hope.
The New England Patriots lost kicker Adam Vinatieri, defensive end Willie McGinest and receiver David Givens.
The Indianapolis Colts lost superstar Edgerrin James, kicker Mike Vanderjagt and defensive starters Larry Tripplett and David Thornton, and are hoping the signing of Super Bowl star Vinatieri will help them the way he helped the Pats.
The Jacksonville Jaguars lost receiver Jimmy Smith and linebacker Akin Ayodele. The Denver Broncos lost running back Mike Anderson, tight end Jeb Putzier and defensive end Trevor Pryce.
There were five other NFL teams that had winning records but missed the playoffs. All made changes.
The Dallas Cowboys lost Keyshawn Johnson, guard Larry Allen and defensive tackle La'Roi Glover, and added Vanderjagt, Ayodele and the most famous off-season acquisition, Terrell Owens.
The Minnesota Vikings dumped virtually everything in their attempt to make up two games on the Bears, from coach Mike Tice to quarterback Daunte Culpepper to receiver Burleson to second-leading tackler Sam Cowart to leading sacker Lance Johnstone, adding as many as seven new starters plus Green Bay's reliable kicker Ryan Longwell.
The Miami Dolphins jettisoned quarterback Gus Frerotte and jumped on Culpepper and ex-Lion Joey Harrington.
The Kansas City Chiefs switched coaches, from Dick Vermeil to Herm Edwards, and lost three starters.
The San Diego Chargers let proven quarterback Drew Brees go and will try to improve with untested Philip Rivers.
Super Bowl winners almost always are teams that had winning records the previous season. The 2001 Patriots (5-11 in 2000), 2000 Baltimore Ravens (8-8 in 1999) and 1999 St. Louis Rams (4-12 in 1998) are the only exceptions in the last 23 years.
By returning all their starters, the Bears are planning to pursue the ultimate goal in a different manner from their peers.