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.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
#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.
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.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
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.
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.
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