Nobody Likes Cedric Benson

Obviously, when the Bears traded Thomas Jones to the Jets in the offseason, it was a risky move. They were saying goodbye to their most consistent offensive weapon and giving the ball to the unproven Cedric Benson full-time.

I wasn't a big fan of the trade, and after watching Benson go nowhere on Sunday, I haven't changed my mind.

Apparently it's not only Bears fans who aren't convinced Benson can do the job, it's everyone around the league. Take this quote from an anonymous coach within the NFC North for instance.

"That was one of our best days of the offseason[the day the Bears traded Jones]," the coach recalled of the Jones trade. "He was a tough S.O.B. Losing him will really hurt them, because Cedric Benson is soft. He's just another one of those (University of) Texas guys, which is strange, because I saw him in college a lot and I loved him. He was a beast. I thought he was going to be a great NFL player."

Well, that's just a coach. What the hell do they know? What do opponents think of Benson? Let's ask an anonymous Charger!

"We felt we could get in his head," one San Diego defender said of Benson. "It's not like we were looking at Larry Johnson or anyone back there saying 'let's go.' I talk to guys around the league. (Benson) took himself out of the Super Bowl. That's letting down your team. I guess that's what kind of guy he is. We knew that, and we played accordingly."

That's not exactly comforting, is it?

I know it's only one game, and it was against one of the NFL's best run defenses, but if Benson doesn't start to produce the Bears won't go anywhere. Can they win the NFC North without a ground game? Yeah, probably, but they won't get anywhere near the Super Bowl without one.

Luckily, the Chiefs are in town next weekend. Hopefully, a game against what could be the worst team in the NFL will help get this taste out of my mouth.