Gabriel: My Optimistic Expectations For The 2015 Bears

By Greg Gabriel--

(CBS) The last two seasons for the Bears have been ugly, to say the least, and many around town don't expect much from this year's team. While I don't expect the Bears to make the playoffs, I do expect to see an entertaining and competitive club.

The reason for that is the coaching staff. This is the most experienced staff the Bears have had since I have been in Chicago, and that goes back to 2001 when Dick Jauron was the coach. In John Fox, the Bears have a man who has been a successful head coach for the Panthers and Broncos. He turned both teams around in quick order and took both to the Super Bowl. That's no small accomplishment.

In Adam Gase and Vic Fangio, Fox has two bright and highly respected coordinators to run the offense and defense, respectively. The position assistants are also highly respected throughout the league, and that alone will help this Bears team to improve.

It has been my feeling for a long time that the NFL is a coach's league. A strong staff can be a difference-maker as far as having a winning or losing season. The talent level of many clubs is close to equal, and a strong staff and a good quarterback can get you in the playoffs.

That brings up another point: the quarterback. While the Bears have a strong coaching staff, we all know they don't have a strong, consistent quarterback. For whatever reason, Jay Cutler has been a disappointment in Chicago since his arrival in 2009. The hope was that Cutler could lead the Bears to being a consistent winner, but he has failed to deliver on that hope. A number of people have lost their jobs as a result.

That said, I believe that Cutler may have his best season as a Bear in 2015, the reason being the tutelage of Fox and Gase. I feel the plan for this season is to let Cutler manage the game and not ask him to win but rather not to lose. There's a difference. Cutler isn't the special talent that people thought he was. While he's athletic and has a big arm, he's not the most instinctive, quick-reacting quarterback around.

Contrary to what many believe, Cutler's liked and respected by his teammates. He works as hard at the game as anyone, but he just doesn't have the necessary traits to be a championship quarterback. Can he be a winner? Yes. Can he get a team to the playoffs? Yes -- but I'm not sure he can do more than that.

Since Cutler has been in Chicago, no coordinator has had him play to his strengths. Cutler isn't a pure pocket passer. He had his best seasons in Denver under Mike Shanahan when he made a lot of quick throws and they had him doing roll-outs and bootlegs, making throws while on the move. He was successful in that type of scheme, and my feeling is that is what Gase -- who was on that Shanahan staff -- will do this year.

Fox has long been a believer in a strong running game. While the Bears have one of the better running backs in the league in Matt Forte, they haven't completely taken advantage of his talent. Sure, he has put up good numbers, but the Bears haven't had a consistently strong running game for years.

If there's one certainty in 2015, it's that the Bears will try and run the ball to control the clock. To do that, the team has to have an attitude and has to want to physically dominate. If Chicago is able to accomplish that goal, the overall offense will be better, and Cutler will also be much improved.

In the preseason, we saw the Bears work a lot on the running game, and they were successful in doing so. Doing it in preseason is much different than getting it done in the regular season, but it was a start.

Don't expect the 29-year-old Forte to get 25 carries a game, as that wouldn't be a sound decision given his age. I expect rookie Jeremy Langford to also play a lot and share the load -- maybe to the tune of 10 to 12 carries a game. Langford showed in college that he can be a strong inside runner, and success from him would greatly help the Bears find success.

This brings up another point: the offensive line. To run the ball effectively, the offensive line has to play physical football. Coming out of the preseason, the question on the line play wasn't run blocking but pass protection. The Bears ran the ball as well as any team in the preseason, and it's a given that a strong run game will help pass protection. The hope is that it will carry over to the regular season.

The Bears have a problem at right tackle. We won't know for sure if Kyle Long or Charles Leno will be at tight tackle until just before game time Sunday. Long at right tackle will help the pass protection and most likely will help the run game because of his strength and athleticism.

With Long at right tackle, the Bears should be able to have a good play-action offense and control the clock. It's safe to say that if the line plays well and the Bears can run the ball with consistency every game, they will win at least eight games -- and maybe even have a winning record.

Do I think it's possible? Yes. In fact, I'm counting on it. While many feel the Packers will blow out the Bears on Sunday, I'm not one of them. The spread is around a touchdown, but I feel it will be around a three-point game.

Greg Gabriel is a former NFL talent evaluator who is an on-air contributor for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @greggabe.