Bears Blitz

Published by Brett Solesky on June 28, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

There’s already a lot of hype surrounding the 2012 Chicago Bears offense.

But will this offense break records?

The 1985 Super Bowl-champion Bears team is known far more for its defensive success than its offensive success.  

Most people are familiar with Walter Payton’s success that season, but what is lost is that the offense set team records, as well. 

The Chicago Bears offense of 2012 will set records for the most offensive yards ever in the history of the franchise. The team record for most yards will be obliterated by this iteration of the Bears, and production will be at a level never before seen in Chicago. 

During the 1985 season, the Bears set team records for most yards in a season (5,837) and most points scored in a season (456). Most net passing yards in a season came in 1999, when the Bears passed for 4,136 yards. 

Based on Chicago’s 2011 offensive production numbers, with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte projected through an entire 16 game season, the Bears will average 314 yards between those top players. 

During the 1985 season the Bears average 364.8 yards per game. 

In order to break team records on offense, the Bears have to come up with an additional 50 yards per game during the 2012 season. 

With the additions of Michael Bush, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and the increased incorporation of Kellen Davis, the Bears should easily eclipse the 1985 team average. 

Jay Cutler averaged 231 yards passing during the 2011 season; that should increase around 25 yards per game, to 256 yards per game and for a projected total of over 4,100 yards. 

In the running game, Matt Forte averaged a career best 83.1 YPG, which would have totaled 1,329 yards last year, had Forte stayed healthy and on pace.

Between Cutler and Forte, the Bears sit at 5,429 yards.

But the Bears averaged 126 yards rushing per game last season. 

With a projected total of 256 yards per game for Cutler and the Bears’ likely eclipsing 135 yards per game rushing, the single-season team record of 5,837 yards should be bumped this year to 6,256. 

As it was last year, the Bears needed around 50 yards per game from elsewhere to eclipse the 1985 squad’s total offensive output.

Between the addition of Brandon Marshall and the likelihood that the rushing attack will put up more than 126 yards per game this year, the Bears need only 10 more yards, essentially, to match the production of the 1985 offense. 

I would expect the Bears to field a top-10 NFL offense during the 2012 season, averaging around 391 yards per game. 

Based on 2011’s YPG, average production would put the Bears at around seventh in the NFL in total yards.

And break records.

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