Game 15 - Bears vs. Packers

The Bears just dominated the Packers 35-7. Good game.

The running game was in effect (over 100 yards for Adrian Peterson), and the special teams were dominant. The defense played really well. Tillman excelled on special teams again. Alex Brown stood out on defense, and Urlacher had an 85 yard INT return for a touchdown.

Orton played well in bad conditions and didn't have any of the problems that his counterpart did with dropped snaps.

Where have these guys been all year?

Email Exchange

Mike & I have both been busy lately, so the blog's been a bit 'under-maintained'... my apologies. Here's the text of an email exchange we've had over the past couple days, which nicely summarizes both of our thoughts on what needs to be done to fix the Bears.

Mike: Bears – what can you say that hasn’t already been said? Goats: Moose for missing that block on the Hester pass play, Fred Miller for being Fred Miller, whoever decided to get rid of Thomas Jones, McGowan for missing that tackle on A.P. Studs: Vasher, Urlacher, maybe Tillman too.

MN might make the playoffs, but the Bears just put on a clinic on how to stop that offense. Anybody who can run the ball and consistently hit the 7 yard slant (like Seattle) will rout that Vikes team. They’re not that good.

Pat: MN is mediocre. They have a winning record in a terrible NFC. In a way, it might be good for us to lose games like this. My hope is it plants the seeds in alot of these guys heads that they rested on their laurels coming off the super bowl. They just expected to go back to the super bowl by showing up, and everyone would be scared of the big bad Bears. Maybe now it will light a fire under some of these guys asses in the offseason, so they head into 2008 healthy and fully prepared to play. I can't help but think that alot of the vets had too much a sense of complacency this year. The truth is, we aren't that far from competing for a Super Bowl next year. Special teams are solid, we just need to re-sign Ayanbadejo. Defense, we need everyone back healthy, 1 new safety, and something at WLB (Briggs or at least a good replacement). Offense...I say bring back Rex & Cedric, blow up the o-line (Kreutz at C, Tait at RT, and 3 new guys) and perform some major surgery at WR. Bring back our tight ends. All that, stay relatively healthy, and there's no reason they cant be competitors in the NFC next year.

Mike: Yeah, easier schedule next year, better players and not so cocky. Why they ever benched Alex Brown is beyond me. Ever see him get out of position on the run? Good to see Vasher back – look at the difference it makes to have your guys healthy and playing. I’m with you on the offense – unless there’s a Michael Turner available, I’d stick with Ced.

Pat: That's what's driving me nuts...there are so many media meatheads complaining about the defense, but they're a few tweaks away from being a top 10 defense again. Think about it:
Resign Briggs
Draft a safety somewhere in rounds 2-4
Get Urlacher healthy
Get Vasher healthy
Get Mike Brown healthy
Get Tommie healthy
Get Dusty healthy
Get Garay healthy
Get Adams healthy

Do all that (which isn't much, really) and your D is in very good shape heading into next season. Special teams, just re-sign Ayanbadejo, and allow the returning starters to funnel your quality backups onto special teams, and you're all set there too. Offense, major surgery needed. We need to replace Fred Miller and probably both guards. We need either Rex Grossman or Donovan McNabb as starting QB...guys like Orton & Griese just can't WIN games for you. Grossman & McNabb can. We need to upgrade WRs, and maybe bring in 1 new RB. I still think Benson will be solid, but Peterson is a #3/special teams guy, and Wolfe is a niche player we never should have drafted.

Mike: Not brain surgery. Or rocket science. Or anything… um, difficult like that.

Just getting healthy will be a huge plus. Consider that the guys who are getting playing time on the DL now will make for excellent depth next year.

But the O needs an overhaul. I’d go after McNabb and offensive linemen. Make some free agents rich, big deal; it’ll seem well worth the cost if we’re back in the Super Bowl. When they won last year there wasn’t a single time where I thought: you know, they spent too much on this offensive line. If there’s money left over after those priorities, then I’d address RB and maybe WR. I think with the guys they’ve got, if we had a good line either Rex or McNabb could get the ball to those guys (minus one or two who haven’t earned the chance to come back). I’m more concerned about our lines – that’s the strength of winning football teams. If you can run the ball and control the clock and grind out long drives (which result in touchdowns), your defense can tee off on opponents.

Pat: All excellent points (refering to Mike's last email).

Open Query

Why does it seem like I'm covering all of the losses, at least as of late? Bummer!

Well, the Bears have the Redski... can we still say that? Have the thought police not taken that away?

(consults counsel)

As I was saying, the Bears have the Redskins tomorrow night, and if they win, I'm doing the recap!

Game 12 - Bears/Giants

I'm still in shock - the Bears got beat after dominating much of the game. At 5-7, they're done. Last one out, please hit the lights. This loss hurt more than usual, just given how well they played in the beginning of the game.

The defense didn't play poorly. They didn't make a stop when they needed to, but, AGAIN, they spent way too much time on the field. The Bears had way too many 3-and-outs in the second half. Grossman's attempted heroics aside on that last drive, it should never have come down to the last drive.

While it has become fashionable in a sense, and I'm such a contrarian that I can't imagine doing something fashionable, I can't find blame with anyone other than Ron Turner and the coaching staff. Yes, it hurt that the Bears running game couldn't be counted on late in the game to eat up the clock and get 1 or 2 first downs. But at some point, the guy who's calling plays has to be held accountable for what's happened this season.

Breaks my heart to say it, but all would have been forgiven if Hester made that catch. Suddenly, it's a whole different ballgame. He can't be held responsible, though, since the Bears had outstanding field position because the Giants wouldn't kick to him.

Please tell me that no one is still talking playoffs. Yet, maybe a bad season only sets the table for the Bears to get back to the big game next year. It looks like we know where we're weak (offensive line, defensive depth, running back) and where we're strong (um, quarterback, special teams).

Rex Grossman's proving himself to be a better football player than anyone gave him credit for (me included) at the beginning of the season. Couldn't be happier for the guy or happier that I was wrong about him.

Game 11 - Bears/Broncos

This was a crazy game in just about every way.

Special teams won the game for us. Dave Toub called a better game than Ron Turner has all year. His formation shfts led directly to Peanut Tillman's blocked field goal, and to Denver burning a 2nd half timeout on a punt play. Devin Hester continues to live up to Jeff Joniak's assessment of him ("Devin Hester, you are RIDICULOUS").

The offense did ok. I thought Benson was having his 2nd good game in a row, when his season was lost to injury. I don't care what Hub Arkush or any other mouth-breathing sports talk radio meathead thinks....Benson is BY FAR the best running back on this roster, and if they think Adrian Peterson taking over as the starter is going to help the running game, they've got another thing coming (cue Rob halford...)

The two bright spots for the offense were Rex Grossman (who played a solid game, held up well under pressure, and made some big passes with the game on the line) and John St. Clair. By entering the game in the 4th quarter and doing a very average job (no penalities, no sacks allowed, at least held his ground on run plays), St. Clair proved to be a huge upgrade over Fred Miller-thusela. Replacing Miller has got to be our top offensive priority this off-season, and replacing him in this game paid immediate dividends. While St. Clair is not the future of this position for the Bears, he is an average, journeyman/backup, and that's alot better than what Miller is right now.

As far as the defense goes, ugh. Wale is finally playing like he deserves that fat contract the Bears gave him. The rest of their D-line needs to get their act together, cause we're going to need more of a push up the middle, and some pressure from the other side, if we're really going to get in the head of an opposing quarterback. A home game this week against the Giants, with a young & fairly easily rattled Eli 'Muppet' Manning at the helm, would be the ideal opponent against whom we should bring pressure.

The LBs looked average. Urlacher played better than he has, so hopefully his back is improving incrementally.

As far as the secondary goes....man do I miss Mike Brown and Nate Vasher. Peanut is great, and D. Manning is playing solid ball, but Archuleta is absolutely terrible (replacing him also a top off-season priority) and there's a reason Ricky Manning plays the nickel, and not outside (doesn't have the pure speed to cover guys 50 yards downfield).

So here we are again, just 1 game out of a wild-card spot, 1 game below 500, with a big game looming. Last time we were in this spot we lost a tough road game against a well prepared, efficient Seattle team who showed up & played well. This time we're at home, against a Giants team who is wildly inconsistent, especially at the QB position. Our only chance is if the o-line plays their best game of the year (their pass rush is fierce and we have no running back) and if the d-line creates havoc (as Eli can be rattled, and our secondary is not playing very well).

Game 10 - Bears vs. Seahawks

I am Mr. Mixed Emotions. The Bears lost a tough game in Seattle 30-23.

The hard part about this one is that they never really seemed out of it. They were close, even until the end.

The offense played pretty well on the road in front of a noisy crowd. Well, let's make an exception: Fred Miller. Other than him, they seemed to play well. I still can't understand why Benson went missing in this game. Keep giving him the ball when he's running like he did early on.

The defense didn't get the job done, but I didn't think they played terribly. Hasselbeck is a great quarterback and Seattle has excellent receivers. Holmgren, well, what can you say? This one hurts, because it showed that the Bears are close to being able to play good teams on the road - but the weak spot was the defense.

Winning Ugly

The most important thing for the Bears to do in Oakland was to win, and they accomplished that. I was disappointed in the offense and the special teams, but at the end of the day the only thing that mattered was a W to keep the playoff hope alive.

Oakland played a hell of a game on special teams...one of the few times in the past 3 years that we've truly been outplayed on special teams. My first reaction was to be surprised, since it rarely happens. That said, it's actually not a bad thing. Maybe some future opponents will look at the film & think "If a crappy team like Oakland can kick to Hester & contain him, why can't we?" That would be a great thing for the Bears. Hopefully, it will also serve as a wake up call to our speical teams that they aren't invincible, and they need to bring it every week to help win games.

The D played like it was 2006. They contained the run, conceded nothing through the air, harassed the quarterback, and caused 3 turnovers. We need them to play consistently at this level in order to win enough games to make the playoffs.

The offense still needs some work, but also showed some flashes. I think they gotta go back to Rex for the Seattle game. Griese is not gonna be 100%, and as it is he is making just as many mistakes as Rex. Rex can throw the deep ball, and we need that threat. At this point, we need to win the next 2 games at any cost, and I think the time for a conservative game manager at QB has passed...we need a guy who can WIN the game for us. While Grossman also has a better chance of losing the game than Griese does, he also has a better chance to win the game,a nd we nee that now. If he fails, slide him to #3, make Orton #1 the rest of the season, and keep Griese at #2 where he's best suited.

Somehow, someway, they gotta get the running game on track. Roberto Garza is a terrible guard, and Turner's run play calling is still terrible, and Benson is not creating anything on his own. Something has to give so this team can string together some wins.

Mid-Season Reflections

It's been a surprisingly rough 8 weeks for Da Beloved, and there are changes to be made and work to be done if this team is going to return to its successful ways of the past 2 seasons. All of the assumptions and 'conventional wisdom' about this team coming into 2007 need to be discarded, and top to bottom this organization needs a cold, hard look to determine EXACTLY what is wrong, why its wrong, and how can it be fixed. I'm mainly looking ahead to the off-season here, cause wholesale changes are nearly impossible to pull off in the regular season.

I will start with special teams, simply because this is where the Bears are strongest & need the least work. Of the Bears 3 coorindators, Dave Toub has done the best job thus far in 2007. We have great specialists (Ayanbadejo, Hester, Mannelly, Gould, and Maynard) and Toub has done a good job keeping these guys sharp and keeping coverage & blocking units playing hard. We've done a good job blocking kicks and blocking for Hester. The one area where I would like to see some improvement is in the philosophy on countering these short kickoffs we are getting. Teams are kicking these short, high kicks to neutralize Hester, and its working. While the good field position is typically a gift for the offense, ours has failed to capitalize on most of these opportunities, and I think Toub should try & find some creative ways to make opponents pay on special teams for kicking away from Hester.

Offense is our area of greatest concern, and the biggest problem, by a mile, is the offensive line. Benson has received alot of criticism, some justified, but when I watch him play, he runs hard and hits the hold with authority when its there. The problem is, its rarely there. This o-line aged alot in the last offseason, and its showing. These guys are not getting off the snap quickly enough, and they aren't a strong enough unit to outmuscle the big tough D-tackles we've faced. This unit needs an overhaul, and this should be Jerry Angelo's top priority this off-season. John Tait and Olin Kreutz are the only starters who should be penciled in as starters for 2008. Ruben Brown and Fred Miller are just too old & slow to play at the level we need them to, and Roberto Garza is the definition of mediocre. We need at least 1 new, young, talent at both guard and tackle. I would like to see both a guard and tackle drafted on the first day, and a top-notch free agent brough in at 1 of the positions. The line we have now was built through free agency, but that can only work for so long. It's high time we start devoting valuable first day picks to bolstering this important area.

The receiver position also needs an overhaul. Davis stinks, Muhammad is overpaid & overrated, Bradley is a talent but is still unseasoned, Hester is raw, and Berrian is nothing more than an occasional deep threat who fits in well as a #2. We need a first day pick devoted to this position, but not a project like Bradley...someone who has proven in college that they can play the position at a consistently high level.

Tight ends I'm ok with. QBs...I think we stick with Griese, keep Orton, and draft a college QB in the middle rounds. Griese is the best veteran/journeyman you can find, and Orton has the talent to be a good starting QB a la Hasslebeck, Bulger, etc. As much as fans scream for a top flight #1 draft pick QB, until we get the running game & o-line straight, the best QB in the world isn't gonna win this team a Super Bowl. We would be best served allowing Griese to kep the position stable for the short term, try & develop Orton to take over, and draft a rookiw with potential to groom as the #3. This will not be the off-season to make a big splash in the QB market, so developing our own guys will be top priority.

Finally, onto the defense. I'll keep it simple here. We need Trumaine McBride to continue developing into a competent backup corner. We need Dusty D to stay healthy. We need Mike Brown to come back healthy, Kevin Payne to come back healthy, Archuleta cut, and a rookie to take his roster spot. We need our D ends to show up every week. And we need to re-sign Briggs. And leave D. Manning at free safety, where he has the talent to develop into a top 10 player at that position.

Bears/Lions - Game 8

Time to start thinking about the Draft in April. The Bears find new and remarkable ways to lose, again to the Lions, 16-7.

I shared with a co-worker that the problem that the Bears have this year is noticeable, if hard to describe. Last year, you almost never saw confusion on offense, defense, or special teams. Guys believed in the system, took care of their responsibilities, and mistakes didn't happen - well, that's not exactly right, but certainly not as much as this year.

This year, confusion is King. It's everywhere, in all aspects of the game. This is an indictment of the coaching staff, primarily. Yes, there are new faces, some of whom I hope aren't around next year. Yes, players aren't making plays - the running game is pathetic, and the once-proud defense has entire games where it seems like they've forgotten how to tackle (yet, that's coaching too, isn't it?).

And the news about Urlacher is not good. It might have been Haugh in the Tribune who suggested the Bears invest in Briggs if Brian has a chronic problem. Never thought I'd hear that - or agree with it - even three months ago, but there it is.

We're in for a long second half.

This is it

I am not one for hyperbole & exaggeration, but I firmly believe that thus week's showdown against Detroit is the key game for our season. If we win, we have our first winning streak of the season, we even up our divisions record, we go into the bye with some momentum before coming out for a very winnable game at Oakland, and the ship will be moving in the right direction as we get our DTs healthier and Nate Vasher out on the field.

If we lose, we're 1-3 in our division, 3-5 heading into the bye and NEEDING 6-7 wins in our final 8 games to even have a chance at the playoffs.

That said, I am feeling good about our chances. Look at the last time we played Detroit:

-Most of our defense was out. This time Tillman is back, Briggs is back, our whole D-line & linebacking corps should be ready to go, Danieal Manning & Trumaine McBride seem to have found their bearings and are playing competent football.

-Kitna is still a statue, their o-line still stinks, and our d-line will have all its horses back. We should sack him, force him into bad throws, and cause at least 1 fumble.

-They aren't gonna get all the lucky breaks they got last time. Our defense was beaten half to death...Griese handed them a touchdown on his 1 interception...Griese threw 2 picks when we were in the red zone (which, at minimum, cost us 6 points)....they returned an onside kick for a TD...etc.

-They are a historically bad road team. In particular, running the Mike Martz offense on grass, they aren't gonna put up the big numbers like they're used to.

-Griese has found his groove and feeling comfortable playing in this offense. His play will be much improved comapred to that last game.

-In spite of all these crazy things, they beats us by 10 in their place, with 7 of thsoe coming on an onside kick return TD. The fact is we outplayed them most of that game, and every break went their way.

That won't happen again. We are healthy, we are at home, and this team knows it needs a win for survival. We've also improved since that last game. The crowd is gonna be intense (I'll be there contributing to that) and if the Bears can get points on the board early and force this team into passing 75% fo the time, we'll get some sacks & turnovers & could have a big win. I realize that is a best case scenario, and I think Detroit will keep it fairly close, but ultimately the Bears will win this game 31-20.

Bears/Eagles - Week 7

Some thoughts on the game...

Brian Griese drove this offense 97 yards in under 2 minutes with no timeouts for a game winning touchdown. This was the single most impressive drive I have ever seen from a Bears offense/quarterback.

While it is true the Bears stayed alive by winning this game, they absolutely MUST win next week at home against Detroit, and the game at Oakland following the bye, to have any chance at the playoffs. These are both very winnable games against flawed teams, and the Bears must take advantage of these 2 opportunities if they want to have a chance at making the playoffs.

The running game needs to improve in a hurry. In 7 games only once (W against the Chiefs) has our running game truly had a good game. As the weather cools, and defenses wear down from fatigue an injury, Turner/Benson/the line need to find a way to get AT LEAST 100 yards, preferably 120, per game. At some point we are going to need the running game to win, and while I think it's a little better now than it was early on, they need to start making big progress soon.

The D played well overall, although as usual they surrendered a score late. Don't get me wrong, holding an offense featuring Brian Westbrook, Donovan McNabb, a very good o-line, and Andy Reid's play-calling, to 16 points on the road in a tough stadium is impressive, but it would be nice to see them put a complete game together, get a couple turnovers, and hold a team to single digit points (hasn't happened yet this year).

It was nice to see them contain Westbrook. I do think Adrian Peterson's (of MN) game against us was more a fluke than anything else, but it was good to see them buckle down.

Hopefully they continue to round into form. Getting Darwin Waker & Nathan Vasher back will both be helpful, and hopefully the other guys will clean up their games so this D will be ready to climb into the top 10 in the 2nd half of the season.

I think guys like Adrian Peterson & Rashied Davis need to be confident in their kick return abilities. I have no problem with opposing kickers doing what Akers did yesterday, but our upbacks need to be able to turn those short kicks into AT WORST the 35 yard line for starting field position.

The main thing I took from this game is that our team showed character, backbone, and resolve, and this should be a confidence boost for them. They do need to be sure it isn't too much of a confidence boost & get overconfident (like they did after GB, only to be embarassed by MN the following week). I don't think that will happen this time. The defense seems to have gotten its attitude back, and if they can get healthy and get a few more sacks and/or turnovers against Detroit, I think they can get their swagger back & start playing like they did in 2006.

Bears/Queens - Game 6

Trouble, baby.

I'm glad I waited a while before posting this, as I think I have some decent perspective now.

The Bears played like crap for nearly 4 quarters. They turned the ball over 4 times - unacceptable for a veteran team coached by a guy who preaches turnovers and ball control. They were utterly gashed by the Vikes on the ground - again, unacceptable for a team that played in the Super Bowl last year (guess who watched tape of the first Green Bay drive from the week before?). Dear Bears: Fix the turnover problem. Fix the run defense.

But, there was some good. Devin Hester, you are out of your mind. On the Fox postgame show Jimmy nailed it right, on, the, head. He said that the most valuable guy on a football team is the talent evaluator. Talent wins football games. There's no coaching that can turn Bobby Wade into Devin Hester. There's no coaching that can turn - sorry Bears fans - Cedric Benson into Adrian Peterson (the Vikes, not ours).

But he can be good, if not great. The problems can be fixed. Another free bit of advice for the Bears? Tell Benson that he's got two, maybe three games. He's going to get all the carries, every down, every series. He either stands up like a man and lives up to his "special" tag or he's gone. Enough of this third down BS and enough coddling what should be a professional doing his J-O-B.

P.S. Hey, Turner? Run that go route to Hester, like, five times a game.

Good Article

Check out this article by Dan Pompei, who says the Bears are only going to get better from here on out.

Best line: "So what we're left with is a pretty good football team—a team that can be better than the 2006 Bears. Now all they have to do is go out and prove it for 11 games." Every game counts from here on out, and if the Bears can win the division and play most - if not all - of their playoff games at home, they could be back in the big game at the end of the season.

Game 5 - Bears/Packers

The Bears travelled north to the frozen tundra... nah, it was something like 80 degrees at kickoff. Lovie ran his Lambeau record to 4-0 as the Bears beat the Packers 27-20 on Football Night in America.

From the get-go, it looked like a long night in Beardom. But look who was back on the field...

Charles Tillman made his return felt in a big way by forcing two fumbles in the first half. Lest the Green Bay faithful pull a Denny Green "we let them off the hook" rant, it should be noted that on a defense that prides itself on taking away the football, Tillman is widely regarded as the best on the team in that department.

Another big contributor was Lance Briggs, who unofficially had something like 600 tackles. OK, maybe it was 16. Both of these guys missed last game - both were hurt, as a matter of fact two weeks ago vs. Dallas (as was Nathan Vasher, who sat out last night's contest).

The first half ended with the Pack throwing up some huge yardage, and a 17-7 lead. The Bears would come back, capitalizing on Urlacher's pick of Favre and the Bears finding Greg Olsen for the score. More stops and a little more offense, and McGowan gets that last pick, we kneel for the last :01 and that's that.

Good news: we're getting healthy again. Tillman and Briggs were back, hopefully we'll get Vasher in a week or two. The offense showed signs of life. Benson ran the ball hard, if not spectacularly, and held on to it. Our two tight ends showed what we all thought was possible at the beginning of the season. We've moved to 2-3 and beat the Packers.

Bad news: Darwin Walker was injured. We looked bad in the first half, and could have been down 3 scores. Archuleta still seemed like he was out of position on a couple of plays.

Rex in Retrospect

I'm well aware that any sports fans, let alone NFL fans, particularly let alone Bears fans, have been inundated with articles about the Bears quarterback situation over the past year. Ever since Rex Grossman played like Cade McNown against the Arizona Cardinals last season, an endless barrage of complaints and criticisms have been levied at both Rex and the organization which employed him; some of it valid criticism, some unnecessary personal attacks on him, but mostly uneducated over-reaction, unaccompanied by any logic or thoughtful reflection on what's really going on here. I will attempt to provide some of the latter, and avoid the former.

I have always been a fan of Rex Grossman, dating back to 2001 & 2002 when he was a Florida Gator. While I was never a big college football fan (always preferred Sunday football), I went to college with a lot of guys who were, and frankly it's not a bad diversion for slow, Fall Saturday afternoons when you're hanging out in small overcrowded dorm rooms with a bunch of hungover guys killing time before the next party. And during those 2 seasons, when I watched the most college football of my life, he was the best player in the country, period.

What I liked best about him is he was absolutely fearless...he had that John Elway/Brett Favre way of sliding around the pocket, narrowly avoiding the pass rush, and hitting receivers on the money, in-stride 40 yards downfield on off-balance throws. I still remember some of his highlight tapes where he would be moving to his left under pressure, and on a dime just spun around and lasered a ball right into the hands of a fairly well-covered receiver for a 50+ yard touchdown.

I thought he would be just a perfect QB for the Bears, and so did every other Bear fan I knew who followed college football. He had poise, elusiveness, a cannon arm, accuracy, leadership, everything we had been lacking at the QB position...pretty much forever. Ron Wolf, the architect who built those damn good Packer teams of the 1990s, said Grossman was the closest thing to Brett Favre he had ever seen in his years of scouting and evaluating talent.

When Spurrier let Fla. for the Redskins, and Ron Zook took over, the Fla. offense predictably declined, but still remained one of the better offenses in the country. This took Grossman from a Heisman runner-up, potential top 5 pick, to a mid to low first round pick. I was absolutely thrilled when he was still on the board at #23 in the 2003 draft, and seeing the Bears draft him was the happiest I've ever been on draft day. I really believed the position would be set for 12 years, and we'd have an all-pro QB who would keep us competitive year-in and year-out, and give us multiple opportunities to play in a Super Bowl.

So fast forward four and a half years....the Bears are 1-3 coming off a Super Bowl loss, Grossman is on the bench after 3 horrendous games, following a horrendous Super Bowl, following a solid playoff run, following the most up and down season I have ever seen from one quarterback. He had literally the best and worst games I've ever seen a quarterback play, all within the same 4 month period. Which all begs the question...what happened?

I've spent a TON of time thinking about this, and it's a tough pill to swallow. I obsessively love the Bears, so I always want to see all of their players succeed. Throw in the fact that I thought this guy was a can't-miss lock in the draft, and I was thrilled when we picked him, and was fully confident in, & supportive of, him as our QB, that watching him fail this year has been the most disappointed I've ever felt regarding a player on this team.

I really believe the 2 leg injuries he had early on are what eventually doomed him. Coming off the bench at the end of his rookie year in 2003, and through those first couple games in 2004, he looked just like the guy who tore up the SEC in 2001-2002. He could make all the throws, wasn't afraid to move around, and gave his team a chance to score every time he dropped back to pass. He even injured his ACL on a play where he scrambled and dove for a touchdown, on the artificial turf of the Rollerdome.

After a long year of rehab, he came back in 2005, and promptly broke his ankle in the preseason. The Bears kept him around, and he came back on a wobbly ankle to play the last couple regular season games, as well as the playoff game against the Panthers.

I beleive that the combination of coming back & playing while his ankle was still in a recovering stage, and all the pressure of being labeled weak, soft, injury-prone, a bust, Glassman, Wrecks, etc. got to his head, and part of his focus shifted from being a great football player, to staying healthy. Just watch any tape of him prior to his ACL injury, and after his return from the ankle injury (since there really is no tape in between, I exclude this time period), and you will see 2 different quarterbacks. Before, he was fearless in the pocket, not afraid to shift around, take off running, or step up into the pocket & take a big hit, if that's what it took to get the ball into the receiver's hands. After, he never ran, rarely moved laterally or forward in the pocket, and would always backpedal and throw off his back foot when faced with pressure.

And based on watching Rex repeatedly make these seemingly fundamental, correctable mistakes over a year and a half of games, I can't come to any conclusion except that his instincts changed, as a result of his conscious effort to avoid injuries. Necessarily, deteriorating fundamentals and instinctual bad habits lead to turnovers. Anyone with any semblance of a football IQ knows that rushing throws, throwing off your back foot, or while back-pedaling, and throwing it up for grabs to avoid being hit, are all ingredients for interceptions: the problem which has doomed Rex's career as a Bear.

Put simply, his injuries took away his gutsy tendencies, and the lack of those tendencies destroyed his ability to make all the highlight reel plays that made him a star in the first place. When a QB is able to absorb a hit, or evade pressure, or step up in the pocket, he is able to take some risks and be successful. But when a QB is always backing up, and then trying to fit the ball in a tight place...they have no chance.

The key to Rex's early success was always the ability to make a play, regardless of the pressure around him. He was willing & able to do absolutely whatever it took to get himself into position with a good throwing lane. Now, he only succeeds when everything around him is perfect, and that simply isn't good enough. Rarely does a team have a good enough o-line, receiving corps, and running game, where the QB can always drop back, comfortably survey the field, and make a throw to an open receiver...and we all know the Bears are miles from that right now. Rex's physical & psychological inability to do everything necessary to make his own plays, is what cost him his job, and at this point I don't see him, or the Bears offense, making enough of a turn-around in 2007 to where his abilities will again be a good fit for what our offense needs.

Defense

It's been quite a Jekyll & Hyde 4 games for our defense - absolutely dominant in the first 3 quarters of a game, and absolutely terrible in the 4th quarter.

While I think their performance is somewhat lacking, I can't hold them as closely to the fire as I do the offense. I actually think Babich has done a great job calling this defense, he's been much more creative and strategic in his calls than Rivera ever was.

But the combination of injuries, lack of secondary depth, and too much time on the field have led to poor performances late in the games by the defense. While some argue that defense can 'make its own rest' by making stops & getting off the field, it is imperative that the ofense is bale to hold onto the ball, move the ball, and score some points for any defense to have sustainable success. Playing 35-40 minutes in a game DOES wear out even the most well-conditioned defense, and fatigue compounds the possibility of injury for the members of that defense.

I think the D has done a dcent job considering the injuries & the amount of time they have spent on the field, and I am confident that the returns of Briggs, Tillman, Vasher, and Tommie Harris (who only played as a situational rusher against Detroit) will right the D's ship.

It would be easy to go off on Jerry Angelo for trading away Dante Wesley & Chris Harris, both of whom would provide some much needed relief in the secondary right about now, but I still think he made the right football decision. We had a surplus of guys in those positions at the time, we had no indication that guys would get hurt to the extent they have (Mike Brown excluded), and Harris & Wesley were the 2 guys who were not locked up for the long term, and for whom we could get something of value in return. I do think that our DB coach has a very important role throughout the rest of this year and before the 2008 season begins...to develop all these young draft picks into serviceable DBs. Kevin Payne at safety, and McBride & Graham at CB, are going to be our secondary depth/special teams guys for the next 2-3 years by virtue of their draft standing (and possibly potential starter for Payne), so it is imperative that these guys are brought up to speed ASAP so we don't see such a hug drop-off in the event of future injuries to our CBs.

Game 4 - Bears/Lions

Most depressing game in quite some time. I feel worse after this game than I did last week, and even worse than I did after we lost the Super Bowl. Not only did we lose a game, not only did our offense play like it was 2004 and our defense give up an NFL RECORD 34 points in the 4th quarter, but this game exposed serious flaws that will almost certainly doom this team and keep us out of the playof hunt. Quite a wet blanket, coming off a Super Bowl season.

While I thought Griese looked better than Rex has this year, he still made too many mistakes. 2 of his interceptions appeared to be due to being off in the timing of his throws, which can be corrected. Nonetheless, he didn't inspire anyone.

The o-line sucks. They couldn't open any holes for the running game, and they couldn't kleep Griese on his feet. The entire right side of our line stinks. Angelo is gonna need to draft a tackle on the first day this offseason, and better pray that Beekman develops into a starting caliber guard sooner than later.

Ditto for our WRs. Moose Muhammad is a fraud with slow feet and average hands. He is paid like a #1 receiver, performs like a #4. Berrian is IMO a potentially great #2, but he's playing way too inconsistently. Hester is way too much of a project to count on, and Davis simply isn't talented enough to make a consistent impact. Mark Badley is my 1 hope, as he is talented as hell and has performed well in every opporuntity he's been given, but for whatever reason Lovie & Turner refuse to give him any opportunities. At this point I don't care what he did or who he pissed off, we are desperate for production at that position and he is our best chance for that.

And shame on Ron Turner. We have a 'thunder & lightning' potential combo at the TE position in Clark & Olsen...Olsen the lightning fast rookie with upside through the roof, and Clark the tough vet who's coming off a career year and playing at a high level once again. Ditto for the RBs...Benson & Wolfe could be an electrifying combination, but Turner's unimaginative gameplans and insistence on calling the same highschool level plays time after time have damned this offense. The hallmark of a successful offensive coordinator is the ability to make game plans which take advantgae of your talent, and make adjustments when the defense is keyed in on your gameplan. Just look at guys like Ken Whisenant, Charlie Weis, Bill Walsh, Tom Moore, Mike Martz. No matter where they go, who their RB/QB/WR are, they find a way to move the ball and score points.

And it's not like the Bears don't have talented guys. Benson is a horse when he gets 25 touches up the gut, but Turner is throwing him pitches to the outside. Wolfe is a great open field runner, but barely gets the ball. Olsen & Clark could be a nightmare with Olsen stretching the field down the seam and Clark maneuvering underneath, but neither has been used particularly effectively. Berrian is a great downfield threat, but is being used on 12-15 yard 'posession receiver' type routes. And Bradley is the most talented WR on this team hands down, and he's riding the pine.

While I will maintain the Bears o-line is the biggest problem on that side of the ball, Turner has not made any adjustments in his blocking scheme or play calling to open holes for the runners, or creating time in the pocket for our QBs. If this offense doesn't turn around significantly by the bye week (conveniently located in the dead center of our schedule), I think Lovie's got a big decision as to whether Turner is really the guy to lead this offense into the future.

On a final note, while I have admittedly been a huge Jerry Angelo fan, he must also be held accountable. His offensive line is old and withering, and while with Metcalfe & Beekman he has a promising pair of backups, our tackle position is in need of an influx of young talent fast, and we have no one waiting in the wings. Also, the WR position needs a complete overhaul. Berrian is fine - as a #2. Davis is fine - as a #4 or 5. Hester is fine, if you can incorporate him into the offense without gimmicks that opposing defenses can easily stop (ie right now). Bradley should get an opportunity to start, and Moose should be gone. Either a big free agent pick-up or a high draft pick is a must at this position this off-season.

More on the defense tomorrow.

Bears/Boys - Game 3

Football Night in America on NBC and the Bears drop game 3 to the Cowboys by a score of 34-10.

There's not much good to say here. The play of our TEs was encouraging. We didn't miss any field goals or extra points. Benson scored a TD.

Rather than write a 10,000 word post on all the horrible things Grossman did, I'll make it really simple: everyone's got him figured out. Those great games last year? He sneaked up on people. Now defenses know: he doesn't step up, you can pressure him, and when you do he loses his vision and telegraphs passes. Or throws them into triple coverage. And yes, the offensive line shares some blame for the sacks, but the Bears had a hand on Romo easily a half a dozen times that he got away from. Rex has had something like 25 runs in his professional career - a staggering 22 of them have been taking a knee. He won't run and teams know that.

And folks, when the offense was doing its job (check out the first half time-of-possession), the Bears D shut down arguably the best offense in the league. This loss rests squarely on the shoulders of the offense. By the way, has anyone seen Cedric Benson? Last I saw him, he was scoring. I still don't understand how he goes missing in games.

So now we're off to Detroit next week. We're banged up and need a gut-check.

I think T.O. just caught another pass.

Bears/Chiefs - Game 2

So KC rolled into town this past weekend, and the Bears sent them home still winless. Final: Bears 20-10.

Highs and Lows:

Highs: From the get-go, Lance Briggs was playing out of his head. He was in on seemingly every play. The defense as a whole played strong, with the exception of a Chiefs drive right before the half that resulted in points. There was a lot of crisp hitting; again, these guys already look like they're in mid-season form. Walker and Manning stepped up in starting roles, with no noticeable drop off from the injuries of Week 1. The offense started out OK. The first half wasn't spectacular, but it also wasn't plagued by poor quarterback play (more on that in a minute). Benson ran the ball with some authority and finished with a 100-yard game. And Devin Hester, let's not forget him. What can you say about this guy? He's probably the most electrifying player in the league. And lastly, we got in the "win" column.

Lows: Well, I mentioned that drive before the half. Not pretty. Turnovers continue to be a problem. The only offensive points scored so far this year are to a reserve offensive lineman. Not good. And Grossman? When he's bad, he's horrid. Those two picks were just beyond awful. And the timing of his implosion - hanging on to a lead late in a game, when you should be trying to grind out the clock as much as possible - couldn't have come at a worse time (well, unless you consider that pick against Indy when they were only down by 5 points in a game they should have been getting blown out of because of how crappy the offense was playing. Not that I'm bitter.). What else? Oh, yeah, hopefully we get Maynard back from injury this week - watching Gould punt made me a little nervous. That's our second most valuable offensive player.

Most Valuable Bears? I'd say Hester, Briggs, and Benson. Most Likely To Get Run Out Of Town If He Keeps Turning The Ball Over? Tough call.

#30

I would be remiss if I didn't dedicate a post to one of my favorite, and for my money one of the greatest, Bears of all-time: Mike Brown.

Confirmation came today that he tore an ACL and will be out for the rest of the year. Make no misktake - NO ONE was surpised by this. Not the Bears...they had already planned for this by drafting Danieal Manning, Kevin Payne, and signing Adam Archuleta. Not the fans...we've seen this happen each of the past 3 years. Not even Brown himself...the tears and frustration in his voice the other night had nothing to do with physical pain, or disappointment for missing this season...it had to do with him realizing this was the 4th season in a row ended prematurely (extremely prematurely in 3 of the 4 seasons) due to a lower leg injury, and that 30 year old safeties with 1 year left on a contract who have missed the majority of the prior 4 seasons aren't exactly coveted commodities in the N(ot)F(or)L(long) these days.

All that considered, it's still a crushing blow. This guys is the captain of the defense, on and off the field. All his coaches and teammates swear by him. He has made more impact plays in his 8 year career than every other Bears defender combined during said timeframe. The defense has been at the top of the league in the times he's played, and remained good but not great in the times he's missed. There is no way Reggie Wayne gets so open for a 50 yard touchdown in the Super Bowl if Mike Brown was playing center field. None. Something like that might've changed the complexion of that whole game. We should still win our division, and contend for a spot in the Super Bowl, but anyone who thinks our chances didn't take a MAJOR hit losing Brown & Dusty on Sunday is fooling themself.

As a Mike Brown fan, I hope his surgery/rehab goes perfectly, and he's 100% by May 1 for minicamps and OTAs.

As a Bears fan, I hope Archuleta plays like it's 2001, Danieal Manning plays up to his physical talent, and that Jerry Angelo is savvy enough to convince Brown to come back for a minimum contract next year to compete for a roster spot. While I firmly believe Brown is one of the 5 greatest Bears I've seen (since I was old enough to start understanding football...say from early 90s on), from a non-emotional standpoint, the Bears can not allow themselves to get burned by another one of his injuries, and I have a feeling we may have seen the last of him in the blue and orange.

That said, I've always thought Angelo is a hell of a GM, and Brown is a hell of a guy who loves this franchise, so I don't consider him gone just yet, but it's hard to imagine they'll bring him back after 4 straight years of dashed expectations. Then again, it's hard to picture him in anything but blue and orange.

Bears/Bolts - Game 1

So the Bears travelled to San Diego for the season opener and dropped the ball a few times. Final score: Bolts 14, Bears 3.

This felt suspiciously like the Bears last meaningful game, when they lost to the Colts in the Super Bowl. Namely: if they could just NOT turn the ball over, they could beat anybody. Heck, they turn the ball over and the beat a heck of a lot of teams, but they can't afford to do that against teams like the Chargers or the Colts.

Pros: the defense looked mid-season good. They held all-universe stud RB LT to 25 yards on the ground. The only Charger scores came on turnovers - the defense blanked them the rest of the game. Rex hooked up with Berrian for some pretty passes. Tommie Harris is back in a big way.

Cons: well, they lost for one. The running game was non-existent, and notable only for turning the ball over. McGowan was involved in a couple of boneheaded plays. Looked like Mike Brown sprained a knee on an uncalled hold/takedown.

Overall, I was pleased with how the defense played, but Lovie's got to get these guys to hold on to the ball.

19 Days Left

I have to apologize for the lack of recent updates, but I know we've both been busy, and I'm seeing this past month as a sort of 'calm before the storm' type of period. Nothing too major has happened in August (yet) but the season is right around the corner so I'm sure the pace here will get furious in the coming weeks.

Mini camps are over, training camp is over, pre-season is halfway over, and only 2 weekends remain before our Sundays are taken over by the Bears mission to bring NFL glory back to Soldier Field. That said, here are my thoughts on the team at this point:

The offense should be improved from last year, if (this is a big if) the O-line & Benson can stay healthy all year. Rex should be improved (I am giving him the benefit of the doubt for his turnovers yesterday...he's been solid throughout camp & game 1, and aside from the fumbles had a pretty decent game...hopefully he gets his head back on straight & gives us a 3200-25-15 type season). We are deeper at WR & TE than we've ever been in the years I've followed this team.

I believe Benson is a better back than Thomas Jones, but at this point I don't see Garrett Wolfe as an upgrade to Thomas Jones. So, while our starting RB should be better, the overall position has declined, since essentially we replaced Jones with Wolfe. Hopefully Wolfe can develop into a Warrick Dunn-like player, but for now this is the position that most concerns me on offense.

Specail teams we will be excellent just like last year. We lost guys like Worrell & Todd Johnson, but guys like Jamar Williams, the Ayanbadejo brothers, and Adrian Peterson will keep them strong. Plus, the addition of Archuleta & re-signing of our starting CBs means D. Manning & R. Manning get more time on special teams, which is always good. Our skill guys (Maynard, Mannelly, Gould, Hester) are the best in the league bar-none.

Defensively, I am pumped. This D has been very good for 2 years...they now have 1 more year of experience, but remain a young D.

Look at the D-line...a more experienced Mark Anderson, a slimmed-down Wale, and a pissed-off Alex Brown? I'll take that. If someone in March had offered me a trade of Ian Scott & Tank Johnson for Anthony Adams & Darwin Walker straight up? I'd have jumped on it, and thats essentially what we got. If Tommie Harris comes back 100%, look out.

LBs should remain outstanding as always, and as a unit they're even better now that Jamar Williams has stepped up as the #4 LB. Last year we had no truly reliable #4 LB, and now Williams has proven he's starting caliber material...not to mention 3rd round pick Mike Okwo, who will probably get a chance eventually.

DBs should also remain excellent. Tillman, Vasher, & R. Manning all locked up here for the long haul is as good a CB situation as we could ever hope to get. Archuleta will be an upgrade against the run, and can cover short well enough. As long as Mike Brown stays healthy I like him as a free safety...while he doesn't have the blazing speed of D Manning, he also doesn't get out of position & allow 60 yard TDs in the Super Bowl. The guy makes big plays and doesn't allow big plays, and really that's just what you want from your FS. Manning is a talent & should be improved with the year under his belt. McGowan & Payne both look to be decent special teams contributors and at least competent players in spot duty.

This team should walk away with the NFC North, and most likely get 1 of the 2 first-round byes. With a team as talented & well-coached as the Bears, they need to stay healthy & get through the regular season with an eye towards getting in the best position possible to win the Super Bowl, as anything short of that would be a failure this year.

Sorry for the long post, had alot of thoughts built up over the past month :-). I wanted to lay a basic groundwork for my optimism about the season. Before the 1st game again San Diego I'll probably write a post about my concerns for this team, and what could derail this potentially great season.

After that things will get much mroe direct & specific, once the live action begins.

Bear Down.

Sometimes, it's good to be wrong

Scroll down just a tad and you'll see my post warning that extending Vasher at the expense of losing Peanut Tillman would be a big mistake. Kudos to my guy Jerry Angelo for doing the smart thing and locking up Peanut for 6 years.

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3610

We now have Tillman, Vasher, and Ricky Manning locked up to long term deals, which gives us 3 legit starters at the CB position. While some 'experts' say the cover-2 doesn't require stud corners, I disagree. These are the same stiffs that think the Bears are up a creek without Lance Briggs. Sorry guys, but a guy who can play the run as well as any CB in the game, take a big physical receiver out of the game (see Moss, Randy) and prevent the opponents from making big plays (2005 playoff game against Carolina a rare but notable exception) is alot more valuable than a WLB whose job is to flow unencumbered to a ball carrier and make a tackle. When you have a great secondary behind you, a tough line in front of you, a selfless worker like Hillenmeyer doing the dirty work of the LB corps, and oh yea, the best damn MLB in the league playing next to you...you don't have to be Derrick Brooks to look like a stud.

Congrats to Peanut and the Bears, this is not a guy we could afford to lose.

Less than 3 days....

Training camp preview

I found this on ESPN.com, and thought it was actually a fairly well done preview:
http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp07/insider/news/story?id=2939803&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1

Observations:

The best part of this article was the piece on Mark Bradley. I have been saying since he was drafted that he is the most talented WR on this team, and should turn out the best in the long run. While he doesn't quite have Berrian's olympian speed, or Muhammad's uncanny preceision running routes, he is the best combination of height, speed, strength, hands, and brains on that receiving corps. If he can get & stay healthy, and get in sync with this offense, I expect him to be a starting receiver on this team for years. My prediction is he takes over Muhammad's role as #1 when he is cut/retires in the next year or two. Berrian is a stud, but he's a speed guy and Bradley just brings something more to the table.

I've been a big Benson fan as well, and I'm excited to see what he can do. I have no doubt that he will be our best back since Neal Anderson...and hopefully the best since Sweetness.

Grossman is on the bubble this year. I have liked him since his days at Fla, and I think injuries are the only thing that can stop him from being our QB of the present & future. He needs to stay healthy, and he needs to continue to gradually improve. His numbers were excellent for a first year starter, and I expect improvement this year. If the O-line holds up, Benson carries the load like a true #1, and the receiving corps & TEs do their part, he will have a great O around him to set him up for success.

The worst part of that article was the blurb about replacing Tank Johnson. Anthony Adams will be #3 in the rotation, Garay will play some on running downs. Dusty Dvoracek will start opposite Tommie, and get the majority of reps. Why this guy failed to mention that is beyond me.

Much more to come, as camp opens in just 3 days (finally)...

Vasher Extension

Along the same lines as Tank, haven't posted any links to this. My gut reaction: mixed feelings.

Statistically, Vasher is awesome. He had 10 picks in 2005. Ran back a missed FG for 108 yards & a TD. Made alot of highlihgt reels. But having great hands is a nice ocmplementary skill for a DB, not a necessity. And his INTs dropped off considerably in 2006. And we have a much better playmaker in the return role these days.

I look at it this way. In our Defensive scheme, you want two cover-2 type corners, who are great covering short routes, great against the run, and can hold their own on middle routes, and 1 nickel back, who is more the small, fast, playmaking type guy.

We have one of the top nickel guys in the game, in RMJ. He got a long term deal, that job is his as long as he is healthy (and he should be kept there, where he excels, not mvoed to an outside corner position).

So with that locked up, we look to the two cover-2 types. Right now, we have Vasher and Tillman, who are a pretty good pair. And conventional wisdom says we can only keep 1 long term, since paying 3 corners big money isn't really expected (although if we let Briggs walk, who knows). So if I have to pick between Vash & Tillman, for this system, I pick Tillman. He is bigger & stronger, plays much tougher in the short passing game, and is much tougher against the run. He can also match up with a big receiver (think how he always dominated Randy Moss, or how he shut down Plaxico Burress in a must-win game in 06). His skills fit the bill for what we need in this defense, better than anyone else on our roster.

So ideally, we'll keep them both. But if conventional wisdon prevails, and we only keep 1, I think Vasher was the wrong guy.

Tank is gone

Not gonna put any of the 5,000 links out there to this story, but they Bears let Tank go today. I've had mixed feelings about the whole situation, but at this point they had to do it. The guy has F'ed up too many times and made too many bad decisions.

I was a little surprised they cut the cord today, seeing as the blood test isn't due back for at least another week. But I guess the simple act of being out at 3:30 AM was enough for them to say 'enough is enough.' Truth be told, I'm known to be up at 3:30 on alot of Saturday nights/Sunday mornings, but I'm not driving, and I'm sure as hell not doing it when LITERALLY millions of dollars are at stake if anything goes wrong. I'm all for partying, and I certainly wouldn't want to be judged by my employer based on how I spend my weekends (would anybody?), but in a profession where your health & well-being are paramount to even having a chance at success, and you are already essentially on probation with both the league and your team, you gotta walk the line until the suspension is up at the very least.

It was a necessary mvoe for the Bears to maintain credibility. The gave Tank the rules he had to live by, and he crossed them (even thoguh he may not have done anything truly illegal), so they let him go. A ballsy move by the team, and one that sends a message that this isn't an organization that allows itself to be messed with (attn Mr. Briggs).

As far as the future, this is painful. Tank had a starting spot locked up once he was healthy and his suspension was served. His loss, plus the losses of Ian Scott (which I wish hadn't happened) and Al Boone (not a huge deal), put our DT rotation at risk. Tommie is still the man, Anthony Adams should be a decent rotation guy, Dusty has a ton of potential (I see him as another Mongo), and Garay has been solid in the action he's seen (could be another Al Boone, best case scenario maybe another Ian Scott). Hopefully Alex Brown/Israel Idonije are able to get in a few reps on passing downs, to keep the other guys fresh.

Looks like new D-line coach Brick Haley has his work cut our for him. Let's hope he's a step up from the last guy.

Ditka and Duerson

About a week ago Da Coach hung up on Dave during a radio interview. The specifics of that disagreement aside, I find myself thinking: this is one instance when I might actually side with a union.

The profession of NFL football player is a brutal one. Guys get hurt in every game, even if we the fans don't see it.

Let's face it: the old players are the ones who helped build the National Football League. In many cases, this is actually taking years off of their lives, considering that the average life expectancy of an NFL player is 55 years.

This is properly an issue between the player's association and the owners, but here's hoping that both parties agree on an equitable plan going forward to care for the health of players after their playing days are over.

Messing With Blogger

I'm trying to do some stuff with the profiles, so it's going to look different.

Haven't decided if I'm going to keep the changes...

MT

More Updates

I was thinking that the last post could have been: "Tank Johnson: Out of the Tank." This one would then naturally be: "Tank Johnson: In the Penalty Box."

So this is old news by now, but Tank's out for 8 games. Give Goodell credit, he's taking a tough stance with players and sticking to it. Tank might be able to reduce the suspension to six games through some undisclosed good behavior.

(thinking... )

(Lord forgive me...)

You know, maybe like walking dogs or something? Seeing as how he's not keeping them around the little ones any more.

OK, I'm done, that was piling on and totally uncalled for. Whatever it is you've got to do to get out of the (I can't help myself)... doghouse... you just better do it, big fella.

Some Assorted Bears News

I know this off season hasn't been as dismal as others in the past, but forgive me if I'm not doing cartwheels about Chicago baseball. Hockey season is still on (if you're a Wolves fan) and the Bulls are playing some surprising basketball, but this is a Bears town, son, so yeah, I was glad Tank got out in 60 days. Yes, I'm nervous about how long he'll get suspended. There's other sports and then there's the Bears.

So there's this news that the Bears have already signed a draft pick, and the recent headline that the Bears are moving Hester to offense that need to be explored. So let's make like Christopher Walken and explore the space.

Give the Bears a lot of credit. They're focused on getting guys in and signed, and this is evidence of a disciplined front office. They're all focused and pulling in the same direction, which is getting back to that big game again. It's little things that win championships, and when an organization has this kind of focus from the top down, it carries through to the players.

On the Hester move… I don't know. I think you let the guy play defense if he wants to. Will he take less of a beating as a receiver? Maybe, but then again maybe not. I don't know that there's a long, rich history of successful moves from one side of the ball to the other. Nothing jumps out at me as being a shining example of how these moves pay off. But I'm going to trust the pros on this one and sit back and enjoy it (or criticize it, if my misgivings are validated).

Front Office Moves

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/cs-070502bears,1,2353719.story?coll=chi-sportstop-hed

These moves will probably get little to no attention, especially in light of the manufactured drama involving Olsen's freshman year rap song (the most inane and useless story I can remember) and the ongoing Briggs & Tank scenarios. But these re-signings are HUGE, and this is some of the best Bears news I've seen in a while.

The fact is, the Bears have positioned themselves as the top team in the NFC North for the past 2 years, and should stay there for the forseeable future. Why? A solid, cohesive front office/coaching staff and a talented team built through shrewd drafting and wise free-agent spending. While my support for Jerry Angelo has been strong throughout his tenure here, a lot of the credit for the day to day legwork has to go to Depaul & Gabriel. They have scouted well, drafted well, and signed well, and overall done a great job of identifying talented players who fit well in our salary cap structure and don't cause problems (for the most part).

This move provides front office stability for the next few years, and should lay the foundation for continued success in the draft & free agency.

Draft Recap

Well, really, more like "Draft Opinion" but you get the idea.

Overall, I'm neutral on the draft. I know that the Bears do a good job finding "day 1" contributors, so I'm hopeful we'll have a couple of guys fighting for starting jobs from the get-go.

Round 1: Olsen is scary fast according to this link. For a guy that size to move that fast just doesn't seem possible. Speed rules in the NFL, so he fits the mold. He probably needs a year of weight training to put on some necessary size and learn the ropes, but he'll have a good teacher in Des, so this is a pretty good pick.

Round 2: The Bears draft Dan Hampton. S'cuse me, Dan Bazuin. I like this pick, but this is my favorite type of player - a guy who plays every down like it might be his last. Might be better than the first round guy.

Round 3: Wolfe and Okwo. Okwo will probably be an immediate addition to special teams. Wolfe is sort of a gamble, but the Bears have made picks like him work, so if he winds up being a poor man's Reggie Bush, I won't mind a bit.

Later rounds: I don't note much special in the later rounds (so when one of them is starting later this year, you'll understand why I'm in Commercial Banking and not scouting), except the freakish size of this guy.

Overall, though, I'm feeling neutral on this draft. No disappointments, no gasping at genius. Not too shabby for the Super Bowl runner-up, I might add.

Rites of Spring

Although the last week has been completely crappy weather, spring is here. You know it, I know it, the American people know it. If only Mother Nature would get her act together, the daffodils would open up and the trees would start sprouting leaves.

But Mother Nature can't stop the NFL Draft, which is just around the corner. I get such a huge kick out of the pre-draft guess work that passes as sports journalism. I think Yahoo's expert has had something like 50 mock drafts so far. Yes, I read them, you got a problem with that?

In the meantime, Pat you should link up that YouTube rant collaboration you showed me on Easter. That was a riot.

Lance Briggs

Here's the thing with the Lance Briggs situation. I'm not going to go back and re-hash who said what and when - this is a blog, not a short novel.

Lance wants big money and security (read: guaranteed money). He's in a dangerous profession, not to mention the danger of working with self-policing co-workers. Remember Benson getting teed off on in training camp last year? Think there's a code among NFL players that transcends team and league-mandated rules?

The Bears, naturally, want Lance to live up to his contract. If Lance has a problem with anybody, it should be Gene Upshaw and the Players Association, not the Bears. They're playing by the rules agreed upon by the league and the union. Don't like it? Too bad.

Yes, Lance could sit out. In some respects, he'd be smart to do that; his likelihood of suffering a career-ending knee injury is much lower not playing football. Yes the Bears could trade him, although the current offer out there - swapping 1st round picks with the Redskins - doesn't seem like such a good deal. A two-time Pro Bowl player like Briggs, at his age and position, commands a first round pick, straight up, in the opinion of this fan.

Until I get the kinks worked out of this time machine I've been assembling, we'll just have to wait and see. I'm guessing that the Bears let him sit the season out, if he's so inclined. The person that needs to get smart in this chess-game is Lance Briggs. His agent is setting him up for big money... or a career image issue as a bad team mate and a guy who doesn't do what he says he's going to do. Remember, Lance: that guy works for you, not the other way around.

Play of the year

The Bears official website has a survey out asking what was the play of 2006.

My vote goes to Hester's punt return TD against Arizona. That play extended our undefeated run, and provided the deciding points in a road game in which our offense tossed up a goose egg. It proved we could win with special teams and defense alone, on the road, in a game in which we wer clearly outplayed. It was a spectacular play, and it sent a pretty intimidating message to the rest of the league.

My runner up would be Gould's game-winner against Seattle in the Divisional game. The Bears hadn't won a playoff game in over a decade, the team and fans were still trying to get the monkey off their back from consecutive home losses in divisional playoff games, and the game had dragged on and both teams were clearly exhuasted. We neede a big play, and Gould came through with a long kick in tough conditions to clinch the victory. I was there, and it was the craziest I had ever seen Soldier Field in my 13 years of attending live games (note I used had, not have, because the Saints game the next week was off the charts).

Archuleta

So the Bears traded a 6th round pick for Adam Archuleta yesterday. My reaction is tentatively positive. The guy was a stud in St Louis, has experience in a cover-2 system (he played under Lovie the first 3 years of his career) and is going to come over relatively cheaply (3 years $8 million is the ballpark number).

I just hope he isn't viewed by the organization as a cure-all for our issues at the safety position.

We should still keep Mike Brown. When the guy is healthy, he is the emotional leader and backbone of the defense. Some have written that he might be cut for cap reasons, but his cap hit is only about $2.5 million, which to me is a bargain for a solid veteran on a team well under the cap like the Bears. Regardless of who starts, and how that position shakes out, he is too valuable as a presence, and too good when healthy, to cut him for a net cap savings of ~$2 million, when we're $10 million plus under the cap, and there are no premiere free agents left to spend big money on.

We still need to develop Danieal Manning. The guy is the fastest safety I can remember in a Bears uniform, he hits like a freight train when he gets a guy teed up, and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I put the blame on him for his blatant blown coverage on Reggie Wayne's long TD in the Super Bowl (he double teamed a guy going over the middle and let Wayne loose deep, when he should have picked him up since the corner released him to play up). But overall, he had a pretty good season, especially considering he was a rookie from a small division II school in Texas, playing in a big, cold, northern city with a huge fan base and media following. He started almost every game, and you almost never heard his name mentioned on passing plays, which is a positive for a defensive back. He seemed to lose a little ground later in the year, but the overload of his first 16 game season plus playoffs, combined with the lack of on-field leadership at the safety position, were the main reasons for that. Hopefully, now he'll adjust well to the longer season since he's been through one, and Archuleta and Brown can provide the veteran leadership on the field that will help him continue to develop.

Chris Harris needs to be moved to special teams, where he can blossom. He has filled in nicely as a spot starter at the safety position, but the fact is he is too slow to be a truly effective free safety over the long haul, and he is too often out of position and too often misses making a sure tackle because he tries to make the highlight reel. Those hits are great the 3 times a year he connects, but the other 10 times he whiffs and gives the opposing offense an extra 5-10 yards. He is not starting NFL safety material IMO, but as a 4th safety, he's pretty good. Additionally, his wreckless, big-hitting style lends itself to action on special teams, where he will be sorely needed now that Todd Johnson and Cameron Worrell are gone, and that Adrian Peterson's role on special teams may be diminished due to his probable increased role on the offense.

So I'm glad we got 'Arch,' but I hope that Jerry Angelo keeps in perspective that this is a great signing to COMPLEMENT out current safety corps, not to replace any one of the 3 remaining parts, all of whom have an important role to play on this team.

MIKE ADDS: Arch will be a nice addition to the team, and Mike Brown is still a keeper. Here's where your man Angelo can earn his ranking on the best GMs list, Pat. He's got to draft well this year to replace the guys who've left - and there's a lot of them.

Playoffs

So the Bears were looking tough and got the bye week. I was nervous about the Seahawks, and they survived that week - not one of their better performances. I went to the Championship game and they bumbled around for three quarters before they laid the wood on the Saints. Favorite moment of the Championship game? All the idiot Saints fans who got showered with a chorus of "who dat?" once the Bears turned it on. We had a fair number of them in our section - they had been letting us hear it (who dat?) for three quarters - and before you know it, they were gonesters.

What went wrong in the Superbowl? I hate to say it, because I spent all season defending him - too much Rex Grossman. The Bears were down 22-17 in the fourth quarter, with the ball. They were playing against probably the best quarterback in the game, and a future first-time Hall of Famer. And they're in a game that they had no business still hanging around in. They had done a good job defensively in keeping the game from being a blowout.

Then, the pick. If they don't turn the ball over there and get points, it's an entirely different game. But, they didn't, and Indy won. Give 'em credit, they were the better team that day.

All aboard

Glad to be here.

Looking forward to re-hashing the 2006 season and Super Bowl run - what went right, what went wrong, what's changed, and what needs to change for Da Beloved to make it back in 2007.

I'm out like Tank Johnson's right to privacy.

Welcome

First post on the - s'cuse me! - Da Bears Blog. Contributors coming soon. I think we'll go back and re-hash probably the playoffs and then get caught up on the off-season stuff.

I'm out like Lance Briggs (more on him to come).