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1) All we heard in the offseason was that your team was going to be mediocre or worse. What's going on with the Bears that they are rattling off wins?
The previous regime -- Phil Emery and Marc Trestman -- left this team in a mess. The roster was screwed up worse than most, and new GM Ryan Pace had (and still has) a lot of work to do to get this team back on track, but having a veteran head coach and two talented coordinators have been the main reason why the Bears have had any success at all. What we've seen week in and week out is a game-plan specific to the opponent, playing to the strengths of the players they have out on the field. It takes a good couple season for a team to get things going, and the Bears are looking better with each week that passes. The players have completely bought in to Fox's leadership, and have a confidence we haven't seen in a few years.
2) How is the team responding to Foxy and Gase? How does your fan base view him so far?
John Fox has stabilized the locker room, and has brought credibility back to the Chicago Bears coaching staff. Our players are completely bought in. Whereas many head coaches and coordinators have a scheme that they implement that the players have to adapt to, Fox and Gase (and even defensive coordinator Vic Fagio) are adjusting their schemes and plays to the players. We don't have a lot of talent on the offensive line, so they are running plays each week that play to that fact. I mean, have you ever seen an inverted wishbone before? Yeah, we ran that formation last week. Gase has Jay Cutler playing the best football of his career, and everything is clicking from a tempo and rhythm perspective. So overall, Fox and Gase are doing terrific.
3) Is Cutler finally turning a corner with his game, or is the offense's success more to do with the scheme?
Cutler has always been athletic, and every OC that's ever worked with him has said he's the smartest quarterback they've ever seen. I think with his current success, we're seeing a more mature Cutler, and he's clicking with the personality of his OC. So we're sort of seeing the perfect storm of ingredients that is really maximizing Cutler's success.
4) Tell us about a few players that aren't big names that are impressing you so far this season.
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Tight end Zach Miller has had back-to-back games where catches have turned him into an overnight celebrity, and rookie running back Jeremy Langford has solidified his future as the heir to Matt Forte's throne. On defense, rookie safety Adrian Amos is playing great football, and has adjusted perfectly to the speed and power of the NFL. The same can be said for rookie linebacker Jonathan Anderson, who filled in for She McClellin when Shea was out injured.
5) What are your keys to the game?
For the Bears to be successful, they will have to keep Denver's defense on tilt, and will need to run a lot of pulls, traps, misdirections, and quick hits. Cutler will likely take a couple shots downfield with Alshon Jeffery or Zach Miller, but for the most part, they will have to win via 'death by a thousand cuts' route. On the other side of the ball, Brock Osweiler scares the hell out of me. If he gets into any type of rhythm, his mobility could be a major concern for the Bears defense. They will have to contain him, and figure out a way to win the war in the trenches. To be honest, on paper the Bears have a shot to win this game, but I'm not feeling very good about it at all.