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.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
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....
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)...
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)...
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