In spite of the verbal diarrhea spewing forth from the mouths of the national sports media, the Bears have actuall done alright so far this off-season. Last time I wrote, I mentioned the releases of Darwin Walker, Fred Miller, and Me-hsin Muhammad.
Since then, the Bears have re-signed Rex Grossman to a 1 year deal (good because there was no one available who is any better), given Kyle Orton a 1 year extension and a well-deserved chance at competing for the starting job, and released Brian Griese (basically dead cap weight for a player who didn't fit into their plans). While I don't think this necessarily makes the team stronger at the QB position in 2008, as Griese is better equipped in the short term than a rookie, it does open up an opporunity for 3 young guys to compete for the starting job, and hopefully create some chance for long term stability.
We allowed Ruben Brown & Brendan Ayanbadejo to walk..both ok moves. Brown was simply too old & banged up. Ayanbadejo didn't play defense, and we have enough good special teams guys that we will still be a top 5 unit in the league.
The Viqueens grossly overpaid for Bernard Berrian (enjoy the 60 catches for 700 yards and 4 TDs for 7 mil a year), and a market for linebackers never materialized, paving the way for Lance Briggs to re-sign to basically the same deal we offered him from the beginning. Not only do we keep an All-Pro linebacker (and BY FAR the best free agent we stood to lose), but we do so at an extremely comfortbale price. Tip o' the cap to you, Mr. Angelo.
All that said, the 2 most important positions to solidify heading into this off-season were received and o-line. The Bears made a somewhat unheralded, but very important, move today in re-signing Marty Booker to a 2 year deal. Moss to the Patriots, this ain't, but it does provide a solid veteran presence, as well as a productive player. Compared to Muhammad, Booker played on a worse team in 2006, with worse quarterbacks and a worse o-line, and still managed to out-perform him in every major statistical category. Throw in the fact that he's 3 years younger, infinitely less unselfish, and a fan favorite in Chicago, and you've got yourself an upgrade.
We still need to draft a tall, fast playmaker type receiver on the 1st day, and we need to draft at least 2 o-lineman in our 1st 5 picks (we have 1 1st, 1 2nd, 2 3rd, and 1 4th round pick). I'd like to see a free agent brough in as well, but at this point I'm not sure what to expect. I do expect our defense and special teams to both be top 5 units if healthy this year, and the offense to take a major step forward if we can stabilize the o-line, bring in 1 more good receiving threat (don't forget we have a great tight end tandem), and get decent play from the QB position.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Roster Moves
Muhsin Muhammad, Fred Miller, and Darwin Walker were all cut today, while Alex Brown's contract was extended for 2 years.
So far, I like the moves. Miller & Walker were dead weight with large salaries, and Moose was simply too old, too slow, & too mediocre to make more than #4 WR money. Brown has been a good soldier, who is a decent pass rusher and a very good run stopper.
While dumping medicore players & creating cap space is a good thing, it's irrelevant unless Angelo follows up by spending the money on difference makers. If this means re-signing Briggs or Berrian, do it. We should absolutely draft a WR on the 1st day, and either re-sign Berrian, or sign Bryant Johnson or Dante Stallworth.
I'm interested to see what Angelo does on the o-line. My ideal off-season would bring in top free agent at guard, draft a tackle in round 1, a guard in round 3, and another tackle late, Angelo tends to make his big o-line moves in free agency.
One thing's for sure, this will be the most interesting spring we Bears fans have had in a while.
So far, I like the moves. Miller & Walker were dead weight with large salaries, and Moose was simply too old, too slow, & too mediocre to make more than #4 WR money. Brown has been a good soldier, who is a decent pass rusher and a very good run stopper.
While dumping medicore players & creating cap space is a good thing, it's irrelevant unless Angelo follows up by spending the money on difference makers. If this means re-signing Briggs or Berrian, do it. We should absolutely draft a WR on the 1st day, and either re-sign Berrian, or sign Bryant Johnson or Dante Stallworth.
I'm interested to see what Angelo does on the o-line. My ideal off-season would bring in top free agent at guard, draft a tackle in round 1, a guard in round 3, and another tackle late, Angelo tends to make his big o-line moves in free agency.
One thing's for sure, this will be the most interesting spring we Bears fans have had in a while.
Friday, January 11, 2008
PFW Bears Rumors
Check out this blurb on the Bears over on ProFootball Weekly:http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/The+Way+We+Hear+It/default.htm?mode=nfcnorth
Have to say I hope what Hub & the boys are deducing from Angelo's press conference is correct. Orton deserves a shot to be #1, and at the very least is a much cheaper and equally effective #2 to what Griese offered this year.
I was especially pleased by what they had to say about the RB position. We have guys with talent, and while I would like to see someone brought in to compete with Benson, it has been proven time & again this decade that the success of a team's running game is not predicated on the RB, but rather on the o-line and the play-calling. Naturally the quality of the offensive coordinator's play calling has to be good for any aspect of the offense to be successful. But I'll take a great o-line with an average running back any day over a great running back with an average offensive line.
Have to say I hope what Hub & the boys are deducing from Angelo's press conference is correct. Orton deserves a shot to be #1, and at the very least is a much cheaper and equally effective #2 to what Griese offered this year.
I was especially pleased by what they had to say about the RB position. We have guys with talent, and while I would like to see someone brought in to compete with Benson, it has been proven time & again this decade that the success of a team's running game is not predicated on the RB, but rather on the o-line and the play-calling. Naturally the quality of the offensive coordinator's play calling has to be good for any aspect of the offense to be successful. But I'll take a great o-line with an average running back any day over a great running back with an average offensive line.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Coaching Staff Shake-Up: Hardy Nickerson Resigns
Saw this posted on the Trib site, and the Bears official site. On the surface, it isn't huge news, but it does raise some potentially interesting thoughts.
For one thing, Lovie Smith said just last week that he looked to keep his whole coaching staff intact. If someone was going to go, I expected it to be due to a firing (maybe Darryl Drake or Pep Hamilton) or a promotion (maybe Dave Toub, although I think both he and the NFL are a couple years off from a special teams coordinator making a legitimate run for a head coaching gig). Seeing Nickerson resign without anything else seemingly lined up is a bit curious.
More importantly, will this have any impact on the team, and if so, what will it be? I felt that Nickerson was probably the Bears' most irrelevant position coach in 2007. He inherited a starting line-up consisting of a future Hall-of-Fame MLB, a perennial Pro-Bowler WLB, and an intelligent SLB with no ego who's always in the right position, never takes plays off, and plays mistake free while doing all the dirty work that frees up the others to make the big plays. In short, Nickerson walked into a perfect situation for a LB coach. Did any of these guys improve noticably under his watch? No, but they were all veterans and known commodities, so I won't necessarily hold that against him. At best, he kept some veterans motivated & playing hard in a trying season. At worst, he was smart enough to stay out of their way and let them do their thing without interference.
Regardless of what Nickerson was or wasn't, his replacement will be an important hire for Lovie. Urlacher & Hillenmeyer can pretty much coach themselves at this point, but chances are Briggs is gone, which means our next LB coach's main task will be to help groom & mold Jamar Williams into a worthy replacement, and Michael Okwo into a back-up/potential future starter. The departure of Briggs, promotion of Williams from #4 Lb into starter, and promotion of Okwo from IR to the #4, will pose much bigger challenges to our next LB coach than anything faced by Hardy Nickerson, or for that mater anything faced by Bob Babich during his stint as our LB coach.
For one thing, Lovie Smith said just last week that he looked to keep his whole coaching staff intact. If someone was going to go, I expected it to be due to a firing (maybe Darryl Drake or Pep Hamilton) or a promotion (maybe Dave Toub, although I think both he and the NFL are a couple years off from a special teams coordinator making a legitimate run for a head coaching gig). Seeing Nickerson resign without anything else seemingly lined up is a bit curious.
More importantly, will this have any impact on the team, and if so, what will it be? I felt that Nickerson was probably the Bears' most irrelevant position coach in 2007. He inherited a starting line-up consisting of a future Hall-of-Fame MLB, a perennial Pro-Bowler WLB, and an intelligent SLB with no ego who's always in the right position, never takes plays off, and plays mistake free while doing all the dirty work that frees up the others to make the big plays. In short, Nickerson walked into a perfect situation for a LB coach. Did any of these guys improve noticably under his watch? No, but they were all veterans and known commodities, so I won't necessarily hold that against him. At best, he kept some veterans motivated & playing hard in a trying season. At worst, he was smart enough to stay out of their way and let them do their thing without interference.
Regardless of what Nickerson was or wasn't, his replacement will be an important hire for Lovie. Urlacher & Hillenmeyer can pretty much coach themselves at this point, but chances are Briggs is gone, which means our next LB coach's main task will be to help groom & mold Jamar Williams into a worthy replacement, and Michael Okwo into a back-up/potential future starter. The departure of Briggs, promotion of Williams from #4 Lb into starter, and promotion of Okwo from IR to the #4, will pose much bigger challenges to our next LB coach than anything faced by Hardy Nickerson, or for that mater anything faced by Bob Babich during his stint as our LB coach.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
State of the Franchise
While I've yet to see the video or hear the audio, I've had the chance to read & review the transcript of Jerry Angelo's speech to the media on Thursday. While alot of the speech seemed to be an imitation of Lovie Smith (using alot of words to basically say nothing), he did provide some insight into his off-season goals.
He seemed to indicate that, aside from the safety position, he wasn't going to put too much emphasis on the defense this off-season. His comments about Mike Brown were telling, and at this point I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him cut, but he did phrase it in a way that might leave the door open for him to come back, albeit with a couple more talented players there for insurance. He seemed to iindicate that he saw injuries as the primary cause for the defense's decline in 2007, an opinion I share.
His comments about the offense were the highlight of the speech. I was most looking forward to hearing his thoughts on the o-line, which to me is the area in need of the most attention heading into 2008, but he basically avoided the topic altogether. my guess is this is one of his smokescreens (i.e. talking up Dave Ragone & Chris Simms to the media before selecting Rex Grossman in 2003). he ahs stated publicly that he believes in building a team "from the inside out," and establsihing solid line play on both sides of the ball.
His comments on the Qb & Rb positions were naturally the parts on which the media fixated, somewhat rightfully so. Establishing stability at the QB position was mentioned as his "#1 priority," so I'm interested to see what he does there. He mentioned that he would like to have Rex back, but the conventional wisdom these days is that Rex & Griese won't both be back. I have to agree - Orton proved down the stretch that he deserves a legitimiate chance to compete in training camp for the starting job, and that at the very least he's a capable back-up. He's younger & cheaper than either Grossman or Griese, so I think there's something to that thought.
I really hope we don't go after Derek Anderson. He's got good tools and looked great in some games this year, but he hasn't proven enough to be with what Clevelend will want for him. If we went after McNabb I'd be more ok with it, seeing as he's been a top 10 Qb for 7 years, and he WILL be better in 2008 than he was in 2007 (when he was still pretty good, while being noticeably hampered by his still-recovering knee injury).
Finally, Angelo discussed the running back position. I am really interested to see what happens here...at this point I think it's the most compelling issue facing the Bears. He said that there will be competition, and that they will look to bring in someone new at the position. While I'm not opposed to that per se, it's a hard scenario to figure out because of our current roster make-up. Benson was a #1 pick, who showed some flashes & improvement prior to his injury. Peterson is a steady back-up & stand-out special teams player. And Garrett Wolfe is a recent 1st day drafy pick who showed some gilmpses towards the end of 2007. His speed, quickness, & elusiveness in the open field are hard to ignore, and while I still think he was something of a "luxury pick" who we couldn't afford given some other more pressing needs, he does have alot of talent, and could be a nice complementary running back, provided we have 2 other guys who could be counted on as 25 carry-a-game 'bell cows' if needed.
Barring something unconventional (i.e. keeping 4 RBs on the active roster), it's hard to say who the odd man out will be if Angelo brings in a Julius Jones/Michael Turner/high draft pick.
He seemed to indicate that, aside from the safety position, he wasn't going to put too much emphasis on the defense this off-season. His comments about Mike Brown were telling, and at this point I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him cut, but he did phrase it in a way that might leave the door open for him to come back, albeit with a couple more talented players there for insurance. He seemed to iindicate that he saw injuries as the primary cause for the defense's decline in 2007, an opinion I share.
His comments about the offense were the highlight of the speech. I was most looking forward to hearing his thoughts on the o-line, which to me is the area in need of the most attention heading into 2008, but he basically avoided the topic altogether. my guess is this is one of his smokescreens (i.e. talking up Dave Ragone & Chris Simms to the media before selecting Rex Grossman in 2003). he ahs stated publicly that he believes in building a team "from the inside out," and establsihing solid line play on both sides of the ball.
His comments on the Qb & Rb positions were naturally the parts on which the media fixated, somewhat rightfully so. Establishing stability at the QB position was mentioned as his "#1 priority," so I'm interested to see what he does there. He mentioned that he would like to have Rex back, but the conventional wisdom these days is that Rex & Griese won't both be back. I have to agree - Orton proved down the stretch that he deserves a legitimiate chance to compete in training camp for the starting job, and that at the very least he's a capable back-up. He's younger & cheaper than either Grossman or Griese, so I think there's something to that thought.
I really hope we don't go after Derek Anderson. He's got good tools and looked great in some games this year, but he hasn't proven enough to be with what Clevelend will want for him. If we went after McNabb I'd be more ok with it, seeing as he's been a top 10 Qb for 7 years, and he WILL be better in 2008 than he was in 2007 (when he was still pretty good, while being noticeably hampered by his still-recovering knee injury).
Finally, Angelo discussed the running back position. I am really interested to see what happens here...at this point I think it's the most compelling issue facing the Bears. He said that there will be competition, and that they will look to bring in someone new at the position. While I'm not opposed to that per se, it's a hard scenario to figure out because of our current roster make-up. Benson was a #1 pick, who showed some flashes & improvement prior to his injury. Peterson is a steady back-up & stand-out special teams player. And Garrett Wolfe is a recent 1st day drafy pick who showed some gilmpses towards the end of 2007. His speed, quickness, & elusiveness in the open field are hard to ignore, and while I still think he was something of a "luxury pick" who we couldn't afford given some other more pressing needs, he does have alot of talent, and could be a nice complementary running back, provided we have 2 other guys who could be counted on as 25 carry-a-game 'bell cows' if needed.
Barring something unconventional (i.e. keeping 4 RBs on the active roster), it's hard to say who the odd man out will be if Angelo brings in a Julius Jones/Michael Turner/high draft pick.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Game 16 - Bears/Saints
I don't feel compelled to say too much about a meaningless week 17 game, but I felt a strange little bit of satisfaction after the win. It was good to see that our coaching staff put some serious game plans in, and that our players played with a greater sense of urgency than a team who was still in the running for a playoff spot.
Orton showed me that he has made homself over physically and mentally. He looks stronger & fitter than he did in 2005; he exhibited better pocket presence than either of our veteran QBs; he ran the offense smoothly and kept mistakes to a minimum; and he showed a big play ability that he was sorely laacking in 2005. He should (and will) be our #1 or #2 QB next year. I'd like to see Grossman re-signed, and duel for the #1 spot with Orton in camp. At this point I wouldn't even consider Griese as a #1...he's a great guy to have step in for a few plays if your QB gets the wind knocked out of him, of even a game or 2 if it's nothing major, but he's not a guy who can make enough plays to justify giving him a shot to start.
Devin Hester is a badass, they need to sign him to a long term deal next season as long as he stays healthy.
I have a lot more to say about this team, but I'll wait until later in the week. Jerry Angelo is going to give his 'state of the franchise' address to the media tomorrow, and I'm both excited & apprehensive about what he's going to say. Whereas Lovie Smith is intentionall dull & non-descriptive to the point of rarely being worth listening to, Angelo has a tendency to speak in broad terms, but also to occasionally let things slip, or allow the media to goad him into revealing his thought process. This makes him a better interview, but can also work against him when he says too much.
Orton showed me that he has made homself over physically and mentally. He looks stronger & fitter than he did in 2005; he exhibited better pocket presence than either of our veteran QBs; he ran the offense smoothly and kept mistakes to a minimum; and he showed a big play ability that he was sorely laacking in 2005. He should (and will) be our #1 or #2 QB next year. I'd like to see Grossman re-signed, and duel for the #1 spot with Orton in camp. At this point I wouldn't even consider Griese as a #1...he's a great guy to have step in for a few plays if your QB gets the wind knocked out of him, of even a game or 2 if it's nothing major, but he's not a guy who can make enough plays to justify giving him a shot to start.
Devin Hester is a badass, they need to sign him to a long term deal next season as long as he stays healthy.
I have a lot more to say about this team, but I'll wait until later in the week. Jerry Angelo is going to give his 'state of the franchise' address to the media tomorrow, and I'm both excited & apprehensive about what he's going to say. Whereas Lovie Smith is intentionall dull & non-descriptive to the point of rarely being worth listening to, Angelo has a tendency to speak in broad terms, but also to occasionally let things slip, or allow the media to goad him into revealing his thought process. This makes him a better interview, but can also work against him when he says too much.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
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?
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?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
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).
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).
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
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!
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!
Monday, December 3, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
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).
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).
Monday, November 19, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, October 26, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, October 22, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, October 12, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, October 8, 2007
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.
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.
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