Bears considered to be "best team in football"

In today`s NFL, it doesn`t take much for the country to establish a consensus opinion on a team and thus, build that franchise`s reputation seemingly overnight. All a team has to do is play in front of an enormous television audience on Sunday or Monday night. Case in point: the Washington Redskins fell to 0-2 after a dreadful Sunday night loss to the Dallas Cowboys. That same week, the Jacksonville Jaguars jumped to 2-0 after beating the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday night. The next week, Washington was considered as good as dead while Jacksonville was thought to have finally emerged - Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated even had them ranked No. 1. (By the way, both teams are currently 2-2 - so much for public opinion.) Last week, New England got beat by Denver at home on NBC`s Sunday Night Football. The fallout? A week of speculation that included Tom Brady being unhappy, the Patriots not having enough weapons, free agency finally catching up to them, and Bill Belichick`s group being done. In fact, the Pats were simply 2-1, which is a good record. They`ve since beaten the Bengals and re- established themselves as one of the great franchises in football. Huh? With this in mind, it`s no surprise that the country is talking about the 4-0 Chicago Bears as the best team in the NFL. They are coming off a huge 37-6 Sunday night victory over the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. "This was big," said linebacker Lance Briggs. Quarterback Rex Grossman said, "To beat a team like this 37-6 shows what we`re capable of." America seems to be saying "Chicago can`t be touched." As influential as the Sunday night results can be, America is probably right in this case. With the offense clicking, the Bears do appear to be the best team in the NFL. What`s more intriguing is that their next five weeks are a Windy City breeze. They`re at home against Buffalo, on the road to face Arizona, then at home on the couch for their bye (or on the road in Las Vegas, if you`re Brian Urlacher), at home versus San Francisco, and at home, yet again, to play Miami. They couldn`t ask for a softer schedule (unless they found a way to play Oakland, which, at this point, doesn`t morally seem right). The Arizona matchup is on prime time (ESPN`s Monday Night Football) and all are winnable games, meaning Chicago is likely to stay undefeated on into November. Thus, expect the buzz and hype to continue. GROSSMAN AND BERRIAN THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS The Bears have long needed a quarterback and long needed a receiver who can stretch the field. As funny as it is, people aren`t joking when they say that Chicago has not had a big-time passer since Sid Luckman. They haven`t had a big-time receiver since Ken Kavanaugh (1940s), either. So far this season, Grossman appears to be breaking this ugly trend. He was 17for-31 for 232 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions against Seattle, giving him a single-game passer rating above 100 for the third time in four outings. "It starts up there with our line," he said. "And our receivers are getting open and making plays. I had time to throw, and they separated from their defenders and caught the ball. Those are the two biggest reasons, and we`ve been converting third downs, which allow you to continue drives." Berrian has probably not had a Pro Bowl-level coming out party this year (15 catches, 316 yards, three touchdowns on the season) but the fact that all three of his touchdowns have been of the 40-yard-plus variety has given the once-insipid offense a whole new dimension. The third-year pro out of Fresno State appears to be Grossman`s favorite big-play target and as long as he stays healthy, he`ll become more and more dominant in this role. TOMMIE HARRIS IS A MAN ON FIRE Anyone who watched Bears tackle Tommie Harris on tape last year could see that he was primed to become the best defensive tackle in the NFL. Anyone who watched him Sunday night could see that he has already become the best defensive tackle in the NFL. Harris recorded his fourth and fifth sack of the season against Seattle, and had line junkie John Madden practically salivating up in the booth. The all- directional quickness of the third-year pro is what makes him nearly impossible to block, but he also has the power of a sultan, emperor, and war- time president all rolled into one. "I`d be hard-pressed to name a defensive tackle in the league that`s playing as well as Tommie," said Chicago`s defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera. "He really is coming into his own." WHO`S HOT In the same week that cornerback Ricky Manning, Jr. escaped having to face the judicial system by working out a plea bargain for his Los Angeles assault case, he went out and had a pair of interceptions in the second quarter against the Seahawks. Manning`s first pick came out of the slot, when he disguised his coverage and baited Matt Hasselbeck into an interception that was similar to the season-ender Hasselbeck threw in the playoffs against Green Bay a few years ago. Manning`s second pick was a one-handed delight in which he tipped the ball to himself. WHO`S NOT Punt returner Devin Hester may be electrifying, but that works both ways. He had coaches and fans holding their breath on Sunday as he twice gambled on fielding punts and muffed the return. The game wasn`t close and Hester never actually lost possession, so it was okay, but it`s something to keep an eye on. NEXT UP The Bears stay at home to host the 2-2 Buffalo Bills. --- Andy Benoit is the author of Touchdown 2006: Everything You Need to Know About the NFL This Year. For more information or to contact Benoit, visit www.touchdown2006.com