The Monsters of the Midway. Since 1940, that has been the nickname associated with the Chicago Bears, and, more specifically, their defense. A tough defense, whose ruthless play and aggression were matched only by their production and talent. For years it didn’t matter how poor the Bears’ offense was, their defense could be counted on to win games, but no longer. Due to poor drafting and a lack of veteran leadership, the Monsters of the Midway are gone, a fond distant memory for Chicago fans to look back on.
The Chicago Bears defense has always been one that opposing teams feared, no matter how the team was performing, regardless of the quarterback incompetence that long plagued the Bears prior to their 2009 trade for Jay Cutler. When a team played the Bears, that team expected hard fought gritty football. This was best illustrated in the team’s 2006 Super Bowl run. Led by QB Rex Grossman, the offense struggled to maintain possession of the ball, as Rex had nearly as many interceptions (20), as touchdowns (23). Despite this, the Bears were 13-3 and clinched the one seed in the playoffs, mostly due to a 3rd ranked defense that led the league in interceptions. In week 6 of the 2006 season, Rex Grossman threw 4 interceptions against the Cardinals and the Bears trailed 20-0 at the half. In what is considered maybe the greatest comeback of all time, the Bears would win 24-23. The astonishing part: The offense did not score a touchdown in that game. The Bears defense would score 14 points on two fumble recoveries for a touchdown, and get a massive assist from Devin Hester to pull off the victory. Those were the Monsters of the Midway.
Fast forward to 2015. Not a single member of that 06 defense remains, and the Bears’ defense is spending its third consecutive season in shambles. Blown coverages plague the 20th ranked defense in the NFL, and that is simply due to lack of talent. In the NFL, drafted talent is key, as massive free agents don’t hit the market often. Since 2012, the Bears have drafted 13 defensive players, yet only six remain on the roster and the group has accumulated exactly zero pro bowl appearances. Shea Mcclellin, a 2012 first rounder, is viewed as a bust as he has managed to do nothing in his four seasons. Kyle Fuller, a 2014 first rounder, started out hot but has fizzled into a below average player. The point here is plain and simple really, if a GM can’t draft even decently, the team on the field isn’t going to be as talented as the offense that lines up across from them. The Bears’ drafting has been among the worst in the league on the defensive side of the ball, and the stats support it.
Furthermore, the Bears refuse to bring back aging talent to allow their young talent to learn from. Brian Urlacher, future hall of famer and Bears’ all-time leading tackler, was offered a contract that is equivalent to that of a low end backup quarterback and unsurprisingly turned it down. Had the team brought Urlacher back, 2013 draft pick Jon Bostic would have had one of the best middle linebackers in history to learn from, and maybe things would have ended up a little differently for Bostic (traded to the Patriots). The Bears followed this same model with Charles Tillman and Lance Briggs, two of the faces of the franchise, deciding not to bring the veteran leaders back. Now the team is left with no veteran leadership and an incredible talent deficit. The Monsters of the Midway are history, and only time will tell if they can be resurrected.
