After three seasons of futility, punctuated by a 2009 campaign in which expectations higher than they'd been since the Ditka era went grossly unfulfilled, the Bears are hopeful that their return to the Valley of 0-0 will have a better result four years since a Super Bowl appearance.

At Saturday night's Bears Care Gala at Soldier field, G.M. Jerry Angelo spoke like a man who actually had offensive coordinator Mike Martz at the top of the wish list, instead of behind the "break glass in the event no one else wants the job" sign.

"Most of it has to do with his ability to assess talent and get everybody on the same page and up and going pretty quickly," Angelo said, per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. "I am starting to see that right now in our practices. The guys are starting to click in terms of what he's doing, and it's his ability to assess what we have."

What they don't have is a veteran backup behind starting quarterback Jay Cutler. And some believe the same gentle tug-o-war that eventually resulted in Martz's hire is playing out behind the scenes regarding Martz's desire to bring in Bulger.

But the key will be a corps of receivers that has been less than impressive over the past few years. Devin Hester, who has yet to come close to fulfilling his potential as a pass-catcher, thinks that Martz will bring out the best in his brethren.

"Our offense is really built around giving the receivers opportunities to make plays," Hester said. "It's all up to the receivers. We have a big role this season to step up and make plays. I think our group has a good chance to shock a lot of people."

If these receivers can effectively execute Martz's offense, "shock" wouldn't be the right word.

We'd need to find something a lot stronger.