Jauron's biggest problem is he doesn't have a bona fide starting quarterback or running back. Shane Matthews has been named the starter for opening day, but he lacks the arm strength of Jim Miller. Miller has shown flashes of brilliance at times with the Bears, but has struggled to stay healthy. Former first-round draft pick Cade McNown was traded to Miami for a couple late-round picks, and Danny Wuerfful will take his spot as the third-stringer.

James Allen is the Bears starting halfback and is coming off a good season, but he lacks break-away speed. His longest run last season was just 29 yards. Skip Hicks has looked good at times during the preseason, but lacks consistency. The Bears are hoping second-round draft pick Anthony Thomas will develop into the featured back, but he has a long way to go.

The Bears are in pretty good shape at wide receiver, and if Marcus Robinson can overcome his back injury, they could have one of the more dangerous set of receivers in the league. Rookie David Terrell is a big receiver and has looked good in training camp. Teamed with Robinson, he should get a lot of single coverage and a chance to make some big plays. The size of these two should make the Bears a lot more effective in the red zone.

On defense, the Bears have added some beef to the middle of the line, but they still lack a consistent pass rush. Ted Washington and Keith Traylor should plug up the middle of the line, and keep the offensive lineman off of middle linebacker Brian Urlacher. The Bears are solid at linebacker with Rosevelt Colvin and Warrick Holdman joining Urlacher, and they have a good pair of safeties in the hard-hitting Tony Parrish and Mike Brown.

Special teams have been a big improvement during the preseason for the Bears, but they suffered a huge loss when Frankie Smith was lost for the year. R.W. McQuarters has emerged as a dangerous punt returner, and he could make veteran Glyn Milburn expendable. Punter Brad Maynard has been a huge improvement in the punting game.

Overview

The Bears have some good young players on defense, but they must put consistent pressure on the quarterback without having to blitz excessively. They have had trouble stopping teams on third and long in the preseason when they haven't sent an extra man. The run defense should be pretty good with the size of the Bears' tackles and the speed of their linebackers. The health of Washington and Traylor could be a huge factor in the Bears success.

The key for the offense is to find a consistent running game and get a healthy Marcus Robinson the ball. Shane Matthews will be an efficient quarterback if he's healthy, but he's not the type of quarterback that scares you... especially if you're ahead by a couple touchdowns. The Bears may crawl out of the cellar this year, but just barely.