All of chicago will be watching; Bears-Packers Part 3

Well, once again not even the most optomistic of bears' fans could have predicted what will happen this sunday. First the bears will be playing for the chance to play in the superbowl. (Its surreal to even type that). And the bears will be playing the packers in this game. Nothing could make advancing to the superbowl sweeter for either franchise then doing over their bitterest rival. This game will be special and here is how the bears can advance.

Key Matchups:

Olin Kruetz v. Cullen Jenkins - No matter what anyone says Cullen Jenkins is the packers best defensive lineman. Sorry, BJ Rajii. Jenkins can be disruptive and can penetrate and give the packers an inside push that can terrorize an offense. It will be Olin's job to most of the time to double on Jenkins and sometimes block him one on one. If the packers and jenkins can get that inside push then it will force Cutler deeper in the pocket and make him an easy target for the rushing OLBs.

Bryan Bulaga v. Julius Peppers - The last time these teams met Peppers forced Bulaga to false start 3 times. Those penalties can be huge and realistically Bulaga shouldnt be able to handle Peppers which can only create problems for the offense. Peppers needs to dominate Bulaga as he did in the regular season finale.

Innovation v. Execution - These teams know each other. They know the systems they run and are pretty much prepared for everything that might come their way. Now, i think the teams might try some different looks or plays but they need to not let it get out of hand. The game will be decided by which team executes the best. Lets hope that is the bears.

Key's for the Bears:

1. Win the turnover battle. This game will be tight. The bears have to force and win the turnover battle. The bears actually were a -1 against the seahawks and a repeat of that will probably see the bears lose. The defense has to create turnovers against the packers.

2. Run Matt Forte. If the Bears run 45% of their plays they win. In fact this year, they are10-0 in any game that they have run 45% of time and 2-5 in any game that they run under that. Plus add in the fact that Culter has thrown 3 ints against the packers when they have 5+ DBs on the field. Martz must run the ball even if its not as effective as he wants it to be.

3. Quick Start, Milk the clock. I have complete confidence in the bears defense! With that said, you would have to be stupid to not want to minimize the chances Rodgers gets. If the bears can put points on the board early and get some time consuming drives, it will keep Rodgers off the field and that can only be a good thing.

Hero of the Day:

Robbie Gould.

I expect great things from Cutler and Forte but the simple fact is the packers dont give up TDs. So the right leg of Robbie will have to accurate in what may be terrible conditions for kicking. I think on his golden right leg the bears come away with this game.

Prediction

Bears 23, Packers 20.

It is going to be a back and forth, knock down, drag out game that will be a pleasure to watch. These defenses are great and Culter and Rodgers will give us a preview of how great they will be for the next 5 years. Robbie Gould and a fg in the 4th quarter win it. Go BEARS!!!

Buckle up, Bears Fans, Here comes the Playoffs

Well, this is what you play the regular season for, right? The chance to get in the playoffs and make it all the way. In the seahawks, the worse playoff team ever, the bears couldnt have gotten an easier opponent in the playoffs. But it is the playoffs and anything can happen as evidenced by the seahawks beating the saint last weekend.

Key Matchups:

1. Russell Okung v. Julius Peppers. So, I'm sure all of you have heard that Julius Peppers probably had his worse game as a bear against Seattle. 1 tackle and he really didnt create any havoc. Well, to steal a line from Stacey King, "Big time players make big time plays!". And that what Pep is paid to be, a big time player. He has been very good this year but in the playoffs he has to step it up another level. I dont need huge sack totals from him but the bears need him to play so well that the whole offensive line is constantly worried about him and it put everyone else in 1 on 1. He has to dominate the rookie LT Okung. HAS TO!

2. Jay Culter v. Earl Thomas. Another rookie for seattle that doesn't play like it is. Thomas is an aggressive safety and a big hitter. Those quality are great but the saints showed that he is susceptible to double moves or to the pump and go. Either way Cutler has to be aware that Thomas will be trying to gamble on a int and Jay needs to take advantage of it.

3. They are going to kick to Devin!!!! I can't believe anyone would actually kick to hester but the guy has 14 return tds. Pete Carroll said he was going to kick it to Devin and live with the consequences. I dont know if that is just a smoke screen or it will actually happen. But if they do kick to Devin, it makes punts the most exciting plays and potentially momentum changers of the game.

Bears' Keys:

1. Hit Mike Williams. It made me sick to see Williams get 10 catches against the Bears earlier in the season. I know he is a big WR but the bears need to punish him for going across the middle and making catches. He isnt a deep threat and he is pretty much gonna make his living across the middle and on short routes. With how much zone the bears play, the safeties and LBs should have shots on him and make him regret catching the ball.

2. No crazy Mike Martz. Did anyone else's blood turn cold this week when Cutler said the bears may throw the 60 times? Look the bears need to run this ball atleast 20-25 times and just pound the small seattle defense. This is not a good defense and the bears can wear it down and win the time of possession battle if they run the ball. Plus, as i have been saying all year, Matt Forte is your best offensive weapon. He needs to get the ball more.

3. Play well in cold weather. This bears team hasnt been good in cold weather. The conditions on sunday should be perfect for this team. It will be cold but no snow. This is a team that is built for speed on both sides of the ball and they need to learn how to use it in the cold.

Hero of the Day:

Greg Olsen. He hasnt been making many catches but i have a feeling Martz has something up his sleeve to use Olsen. I see at least a TD from Olsen and maybe 2 with a couple of deep routes.

Prediction:

Bears 27, Seahawks 23

Of course I'm taking the bears but i really did mean buckle up bears fans because i dont think this one is decided till the end of the 4th quarter. In the end, the bears are the better team and that hopefully comes through but it wont be easy. But, this sets up a dream matchup of the Packers v. Bears in chicago next week. BEAR DOWN!

Greatest Show on Grass?

Is this what we are gonna be calling the bears offense soon? Maybe if the last two weeks were an indication of what the Martz offense can do for the bears. Look, it was a great win yesterday against the Jets and the bears did it by leaning on the offense something that is entirely foreign to us Bears fans. The bears are in the driver's seat for a first round bye and have won 7 out of their last 8. Shaping up to be a great season. Positive, negatives and thoughts on yesterday's game below.

The Good

1. O-line. The much maligned O-line looked like studs vs. the Jets. Cutler had all day to complete throws and we saw what happens then with 3 tds in the 3rd quarter. Plus, Forte was the first 100 yd rusher against the Jets this year. A lot of that credit goes to the O-line for blocking up people. If the line can play like this then sky is the limit for this offense.

2. Matt Forte. As mentioned above, Forte is the 1st back to go over 100 yards against the Jets D this year. And only the 2nd back to do it in the last 2 years. Forte had some excellent blocking but he picked up a ton of yards after 1st contact and he looks like the back he was in his rookie year. He is the most dangerous weapon on the bears offense.

3. Jay Cutler/Devin Hester. Ask Jay how easy it is too look good when you usually only have to go half the field for a TD and you have a running game. The bears offense was clicking on all cylinders and Jay showed why he was brought into be the franchise QB. And not enough can be said about Hester and the advantage he gives the bears. The bears have the best average starting field position in the NFL and it is because of #23. Also, he has caught TDs in 2 consecutive games. Can he get the MVP?

The Bad

1. D-line. Did the bears D-line actually play yesterday? It was pretty hard to tell because im pretty sure Mark Dirty Sanchez was pretty much untouched besides some LB blitzes. I dont want to hear that this D-line has problem with their "get-off" on the soldier field grass. Arent there pills for that? Anyway, the bears know they play on turf and that they play in the cold so this just cant be an excuse for no pash rush. I was having flash backs to last season's defense. Not good.

2. Defensive play calling. Alright, I by now understand that Lovie's system doesnt work when you have to rush more than 4. But does that mean the defense just has to give up when its not working? In the 2nd quarter and really until the 4th quarter, it looked like the bears had no idea what to do when their front 4 couldnt get pressure. Finally, in the 4th, we saw urlacher and briggs coming on blitzes which were somewhat effective. Can I ask why it took till then for the blitz to become an option? That adjustment needed to be made a lot earlier given the way Sanchez was carving up the bears.

Random Bear Thoughts

Peanut Tillman has to be winding down his days as a cornerback. I mean we have all seen his inability to cover fast WRs anymore and he has pretty much become a liability in most man to man coverage situations. I personally love Peanut and proudly display his autograph in my room but I think realistically if he is still with the bears his future will be at safety. I mean he says on the field because of his ability to punch out fumbles and putting him at safety would mean he is around the ball more and he can use his size and strength against TEs and backs. It could re-invent his career much the way it did for rod woodson and charles woodson. Either way CB must be an offseason priority for the bears.

Why is the packers game important? Because if the packers win, it would likely mean that the bears get the #3 seed and would play the #6 seed who would be........the Packers. As great it would be to see a Bears-Pack playoff game, they will probably be the most dangerous NFC team in the playoffs.

Bears v. Vikes - Division clincher?

First off, I have said nothing about last week's debacale vs. the pats because really there is nothing good or constructive to take from the game. Just forget about it and move on. But, tonight with a win the bears have a chance to clinch the NFC North. As impossible as that would have sounded at the beginning of the year, its true.

Key Matchups:

1. Julius Peppers v. Bryant McKinnie. McKinnie used to be a premier LT in the league but he has lost it. He has problems with speed rushers and can be beaten right away off the snap. Pep needs a big game and the bears need to put constant pressure in the backfield on what might be a sloppy night.

2. Matt Forte v. Chad Greenway. Greenway is the vikes leading tackler and will probably be in charge of covering forte in pass coverage. Call me crazy Mike Martz but Forte has been your most explosive weapon on offense all year so get him the ball in space. I like that the bears are running the ball more but Forte showed earlier in the season that he is an excellent and elusive runner on those swing pass and screens. With the weather probably being a factor tonight about we see some more of those and Forte running past Greenway.

Bear's Key:

1. Ability to play in bear football. As this is posting, the forecast in MN is for 20s and snow. Last week the bears looked like a team that plays in dome. The pass rushers didnt know how to deal with the ground and weather and the offensive line was revealed (again) to be a finesse group that couldnt blow people off the line. As it sets up now, it looks like there will be atleast 1 home game in january at Soldier's Field. It might help to figure out how to play outdoors in cold weather before then.

2. Contain the purple jesus. Or Adrian Peterson as most people call him. With the vikings playing their 3rd string QB, we are gonna see a whole lot of AP. I'm not sure the bears can stop but just contain him. Without any big runs by him, it will be very hard for the vikings to move the ball and we will see them punt the ball a whole lot.

Hero of the Day:

Lance Briggs. This is the type of game that Lance can change with his play. The weather will be sloppy and if lance can get a pick or force a fumble that could spell doom for the vikes. Look for him to be all over the place and in on most of the tackles and cause at least 1 turnover on the night.

Prediction

Bears 24, Vikes 14.

Even though the vikes are playing with their 3rd string QB, this is still a division game and these teams dont like each other. It will be a physical game with a lot of punts and defense will probably rule the night. Still, the night will end up with the bears being NFC North winners!

Bears v. Lions, Part Deux

Well, the bears have won 4 straight. Yep thats not a typo and pretty much could be classified as the hottest team in the NFC. Still not a typo. The get the banged up lions team this week and really this game shouldnt be close. But here is what to watch for anyway. Oh, and a shutout to Ryan Coe, who i hear is a big fan.

Key Matchups:

1. Chris Williams v. Ndamukong Suh - Suh has had a phenomenal rookie season and probably will be the defensive rookie of the year if not the overall rookie of the year. Williams is getting better at guard but still is pretty rough and doesnt handle the power rush from a DT very well. Well, I have to suspect that Suh will be lining up over Williams and trying to create havoc. If Williams can hang with Suh on his own that should mean big holes in the run game and a big day for Forte.

2. Megatron(Calvin Johnson) v. Bears corners. I mean Johnson is virtually unstoppable. He is pretty much a freak of nature and arguably the best WR in the NFL even though he has had journeymen QBs throwing to him most of his career. If the bears can just contain him in the redzone, it would be a victory for them. Also, did i mention he is pretty much the Lions only offensive weapon.

Keys for the Bears

1. Work the play action. If you remember back to week 1 of the season, the lions pass rush got to Cutler quite a bit and I dont want to see Jay get hit by Suh more than necessary. By working the play action, it can slow down the pass rush and give Cutler some more time in the pocket. Mostly, the bears have to worried about slowing the push up the middle of the Lions DTs and play action should make them worried about the run first.

2. Don't let up. So, this is a classic trap game for the bears. They have the Patriots next weekend and the Lions are 2-9. But, i think the Lions have played much better than their 2-9 record and will come out for blood after "the catch" in week 1. The bears have to withstand what the lions throw at them in the 1st quarter and then pull away before half. They cant come out flat. I dont think they will but it has be a concern for most fans.

Hero of the Day

Johnny Knox - Johnny has had some big games here in this 4 game winning but I think this week against a weak lions secondary he will have a break out game. Look for atleast a TD and 100+ yards.

Prediction

Bears 31, Lions 13. The bears just keep getting better and better and look for the defense to join the scoring with their 2nd defensive TD of the year. There should be a lot of 3 and out from the lions and I expect this game to be over by halftime. Go Bear!

Impressed yet, Bears' Fans?

Count me in the impressed column. I'm not sure I have words to describe how impressed I am by the bears play yesterday. Although the game ended with the bears only winning by 5, the game really wasnt close in the 2nd half. Here's some thoughts and ramblings on the game.

The Good

1. JAY CUTLER. Well, he threw 4 tds. No picks or turnovers. and only had 1 "what the shit are you doing" pass. Plus he continued to move well in and out of the pocket and avoid the rush when possible. And i will count his great little shovel pass to Matt Forte, but only because it worked. This is probably the best game Jay has played as a bear really. He was 8 of 10 against the Eagles blitz and was so effective that they just stopped blitzing. Also, he hit his WRs in stride and made throws that only he is capable of making. Basically, he was a Franchise QB.

2. Matt "Big Play" Forte. Doesn't it just look like every hand off to Forte that he might break it for 20+ yards? Or is it just me being a homer cause he is on my fantasy team? Either way, Forte had a great game. He broke big runs and had over 100 yds against an Eagle defense that had not allowed a 100 yd rusher. If the bears continue to be able to run the ball, we see how the passing game opens up and the points get on the board.

3. Defensive Line. Give these guys the game ball. Vick is one of the best athletes in the NFL and was contained and harassed by the DL all day. The best sacked him 4 times on the day and had numerous more hits on Vick. Peppers had a great game and did anyone really think Idonije could be this good? He was almost unblockable yesterday. These guys won the game for the bears and made the defensive game plan of dropping into coverage possible.

The Bad

1. Chester Taylor - Maybe i'm being nit picky here but Chester hasnt looked good the last 2 games. He has 7 yards on 17 carries in the last 2 games and had -3 yards yesterday. Chester is still reliable in the passing game and a good blocker but I was expecting more explosion from him. He is more of a cut back runner than Forte and behind this line it may be hard to find daylight anywhere else than the designed hole. I know he is just the backup but the bears billed him as helping to create a 2 headed monster in the backfield. That just isnt the case right now.

2. Kick coverage. I could have picked Brandon Manumaleuna trying to juke a defensive back instead of just running over him (you're 300 lbs for pete's sake) or the offensive line completely blowing blitzes on a couple of plays. But, I was very disappointed in the special teams coverage. I know that the eagles have a good return team but the bears still gave up too many large returns and it hurt field position. Plus there was a penalty on a kickoff return which negated a big Danieal Manning return.

The Stunning

8-3. Thats the bears record and represents a tie for the 2nd best record in the NFC with the saints. The bears have beaten the eagles and packers who are right behind them in the NFC with 7-4 records. The bears have to be in the conversation for who is the best team in the NFC and have a legit shot at not only winning the division but also getting home field advantage in the playoffs. No one would have predicted this and lets just hope it keeps getting better. Up next week - the Lions.

Week 9: Bears, please dont ruin my sunday

Sunday the bears play the only winless team in the NFL. The bills arent good but they have taken their last two opponents into overtime. The bears are coming off a bye and should be over prepared for the Bills. Here's what to look for:

Matchups:

1. Forte v. Bills - The bills have the worst rush defense in the league. I'm praying that Martz used the 2 off weeks to realize this and rams the ball down their throat. If Forte and Taylor dont have a combined 25+ rushes this week, then Martz is dumber than we thought and something has gone terribly wrong with the game.

2. The Harvard Grad v. Bears' safeties. Ryan Fitzpatrick, the bills QB went to Harvard. This probably makes him smarter than Chris Harris & Danieal Manning combined. Their passing game has been on fire and they have a couple of deep threats in Johnson & Evans. If Fitzpatrick can figure out want the bears safeties will be doing pre-snap, the pass defense could be in big trouble.

3. Dynamic Return Men. The bills have Roscoe Parrish and the bears have Hester and Manning. All of these guys are threats to take it to the house whenever they touch the ball on returns. One of them will have a big return impacting the outcome of the game. Lets hope its a bear.

Keys for the Bears:

1. Run the ball. I would Lovie had to go to Martz in the bye week and say that this team is better when it runs the ball. It helps in all facets of the game. The bears need to have some semblance of balance in play calling to help stop other teams from just strictly rushing the passer. Look for what I would hope that we will see running plays called atleast 45% of the offensive snaps on sunday.

2. Julius Peppers, get on the board. Pepper has been good but he last had a sack in week 4. That was 3 games ago. The bears didnt pay him as the highest paid DE in the game to be good. He has to great and get sacks!! Put the QB on his ass, i dont care if he is getting triple teamed.

3. Win the turnover battle. No, I swear I havent been taking cues from Lovie. But the bills only have 1 interception on the year and their offense is prone to being careless with the ball. The bears should be able to force turnovers and hold on to the ball and win this battle in a big way.

Hero of the Day: Matt Forte

Call me crazy but I really do believe the bears are gonna come out running the ball. I think this can be a huge game for Forte much like the Carolina game. I expect atleast 100 yds and a TD. The better he is the more pressure it takes off Culter and the offensive line.

Prediction: Bears 24, Bills 17.

This is tighter game than I wanted to predict or than I have seen experts picking but I have watched parts of the Bills game the last 2 weeks and their offense has really impressed me. I think this is a more dangerous game than people are giving it credit and I think it will be a tight one until the bears can finally wear away the Bills defense in the 4th quarter. Bill Brumett, your favorite team is going down.

Where do we go from here??

Well bears fans we have reached the bears bye week and I'm pretty sure we are all more confused about this team than we were before the season. This will be a season-so-far recap mostly because if i just talked about yesterday's game there will be too much swearing. A few words about yesterday's game. Classic bears. Defense good. Offense pissed away the game. The game left me wondering if this team really does have a chance to make the playoffs and if I might be partially rooting for the bears to lose in order to get rid of Lovie. But here is a look at the season so far:

Encouraging:

1. Defensive turnovers. The defense as a whole has been impressive and pretty much as good as advertised. They have keep the bears in every game and they are creating turnovers like the '06 bears. No one is better than Peanut Tillman at punching the ball out and the pressure created by Peppers and Co. have forced errant throws and made it hard for the quarter to identify the coverage. Urlacher and Briggs are still at the top of their games and the defense is getting valuable contributions from Idonje, Jennings, and Chris Harris. Perhaps the 2 most impressive things have been the bears ability to mask coverages and therefore confuse opposing offenses. (Lovie's defense has never been big into disguising what they are doing). Danieal Manning has been very surprising with his safety play. He has played great in run support and his coverage has been so good on TEs that none so far have had a good day against the Bears.

2. Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. I know the bears dont run the ball much (see below) but this combo of backs has really impressed me with their versatility and consistency. They make people miss and are great runners after getting the ball in their hands. In my estimation, these 2 guys are the best play makers on the offense and need to touch the ball more either on running or passing plays. I would like to see these 2 get 30+ touches combined a game as we saw in the Carolina game and the Bears will win those games.

Discouraging:

1. O-Line. I understand they have not started the same O-line in more than 2 games but that is not an excuse. These guys are paid professionals and are just getting beat on a consist basis. There really arent encouraging signs for this group because it is mostly low draft picks/free agents without much potential. They have been unable to communicate more than getting beat 1 on 1. I would say half the sacks so far are attributable to miscommunication or lack of communication in pass protection which is really only shooting yourself in the foot. This communication has to be fixed right away because this line is gonna get beat some based on their talent level. This line will never be good. It can maybe an average offensive line but it has a long way to even reach that. Prayers are welcome to try and improve this.

2. Jay Culter & his WRs. I said in my season preview that Martz's offense depends heavily on the QB & WRs being on the same page. Well from their play Culter and the WRs might have been given different playbooks. I know Martz's offense is very complicated and has like a million plays but these guys are professionals and need to sort this out. The 4 picks yesterday half were the WRs fault and half were Culter's. Cutler has played alright this year minus yesterday's game considering every time he drops back he has to believe that his head has a chance of being removed from his shoulders. Culter can play better and the WRs have to play better and make the tough catches that make their QB look good. *Sidenote: I think Earl Bennett has been the only WR that has performed better than expected. He seems to get the offense and runs very precise routes and has great hands.

3. Coaching................or lack there of. This isnt just Lovie that I'm talking about. This falls on every coach on the team especially the offensive coaches. Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith have said many times that they have the talent needed to win on this roster. But there are some major problems that are lacking with this roster. Either Lovie & Angelo are full of it (entirely possible) or the bears' coaches arent coaching up or getting the best out of the players. Martz has refused to compromise his system to the talent he has on this roster. His offense is running the ball 36% of the time (if you exclude the Carolina game). His offense is not scoring either. Once they get inside the 30, they have shown an inability to put the ball in the endzone. Shouldn't the genius that we were all told Martz was be able to dream up plays to score? Mike Tice's offensive line is a mess. Darell Drake's WRs are running the wrong routes and dropping passes. And Lovie is letting Martz run the offense totally on his own and now looks like a tool because he doesnt know what is going on on that side of the ball. Plus, Lovie is a bad in game coach. He makes terrible challenges (see this week) and is terrible, terrible at managing the clock.

Where now?

I dont know where this team goes now. I think they have the talent to compete and win this division but not the coaches or the system. In an earlier post, I said that if the bears could go into the bye week 5-2 they will be likely to win the division. Now, at 4-3, their record is the same as the packers and their schedule is incredibly tough the 2nd half of the season. Unless there are great giant steps made over this bye week, the bears are staring directly at a .500 record and being left out of the playoffs for the 4th straight year.

Bears Season Preview

Honestly, this could be an 8 page post but I will struggle to keep it brief as possible. I will go on the record right now and say I'm not a big Lovie fan and didn't agree with the hire of Martz. With that said, every sunday I go into the game thinking that they will win. It's gonna be a very interesting season that I know for sure with a ton of ups and downs.

Offense

QB - We all know that Lovie is full of it when he says that "this team still gets off the bus running". The offense of Martz's has always depended on the QB and this team will depend on Cutler's right arm. Cutler has all the talent in the world and we can only hope that he will turn it around in his 2nd year in the bears' uni. He will throw a boat load of interceptions there is no doubt but he should be up in the 30s in TDs and should average 270+ yards per game. This team will lean on Jay and he has to step up and respond. This season has the chance to propel him into the elite tier of NFL QBs. As for the backups, Cutler has been as durable and if the Bears see Todd Collins or Caleb Hanie on the field for more than 1 game then you can kiss this season and Lovie's job goodbye.

RBs - So, the last time Chestor Taylor went to a team to split carries with a back, the back turned into the machine known as Adrian Peterson. Could this be a repeat theme with Matt Forte? I certainly hope so (othewise, i wasted money on that Forte jersey!). Seriously, though both Forte and Taylor are exactly the type of RBs needed for Martz's offense. They are both great in space and have good hands. Martz will run the ball probably because Lovie has told him he has to and so that Cutler wont get hit every play. I dont think either back will get 1000 yds rushing but the bears running attack should be vastly improved just because of a healthy Forte and because draws will work when you throw 70% of the time. Also, look for Martz to really use Forte and Taylor in the passing game to offset some of the lack of running. Screens, designed swing passes and deep routes for the RBs are frequent in the Martz offense and fit nicely with the bears' backs skill set. Bell and Wolfe provide some nice depth but really should factor into this season besides maybe on special teams.

WRs - I'm not sure if this Martz offense makes WRs look good or vice-a-versa. But either way Martz's WRs have a history of having big years. Now, this is the position that I really think will make or break the bears offense. The bears have talent at the position with Knox, Aromashadu, Hester, and Bennett. The question is can they be on the same page as Cutler because this offense is all about timing with them running their route precisely and not allowing the defense to disrupt their timing. If the WRs are not on the same page as Jay and off with their routes, this offense wont be as successful as we have seen in the past and hope it will be this year.

O-line: I'm not gonna beat a dead horse here. The line needs to be better than it was in preseason. I think Lance Louis and Frank Oh-my-god wouldnt start for a lot of NFL teams but that is who the bears are stuck with and we must hope the line can work as a unit together. I dont think they will ever be a great O-line and maybe not even a good O-line but they can be an average O-line which would be enough for the bears to win quite a few games. Under Martz historically QBs get sacked around 2-3 times per game. (yes this stat includes his time with the rams). So, we know Cutler is gonna get hit and sacked. The biggest question is can this line run block and can Jay have enough confidence to stand in the pocket and not get happy feet? I have no idea to the anwers but i hope yes.

Defense - They arent the monsters of the midway anymore and they wont regain the title either. But they have enough talent to be a top -10 defense in the league.

D-line: Peppers is a stud and should get 10+ sacks. Tommie Harris looks to be somewhat healthy and can maybe play the whole season without getting hurt. But now in the NFL, you have to have atleast 3 good pass rushers on the team and i dont whether/if the bears can find the 3rd one. I have given up on Mark Anderson, Idonije will be solid player but nothing special, and Anthony Adams is a solid middle filler but not a pass rusher. The bears must hope that Henry Melton, Marcus Harrison, Matt Toenia or Corey Wotten can take a huge step forward and provide the pass rush that is needed in the NFL today. The bears have always stopped the run when healthy and it will be more of the same this year. Its really all about getting to the QB.

LBs: There is no question that this is the most talented position on the bears and when healthy they have 3 potential pro bowl LBs in briggs, urlacher, and tinoisamoa. The questions are two-fold. 1 - Can they stay healthy? 2 - Can they just be allowed to play LB? #1 is kind of out of anyone's control and we just have to hope for the best. But what i mean by #2 is that the bears LBs are not at their best when they are blitzing or having to take on OL men and shedding the blockers. The bears LBs and specifically Urlacher and Briggs are best when they can see the play and attack the play with their speed. Their ability all comes down the Dline really. If the Dline is able to absorb/engage the offensive line then the LBs can roam and attack the ball. (why Urlacher had his best years with people eaters like Ted Washington and Keith Traylor on the Dline). Also, the LBs are pass rushers and their strength isn't blitzing either. If the D-line can get get pressure then the LBs should be allowed to roam and we should see atleast 2 pro bowlers from this group.

DBs: This is the bears thinist position talent wise. Bowman on the corner could be a very good player and Peanut Tillman will be solid although not great in man to man coverage. After that the bears have no depth at CB. If bowman or peanut have to miss significant time, it will get ugly. The bears have to hope that an improved pass rush will take some pressure off the CBs. At safety, the bears are unsettled. To start the year, Chris Harris will start at Free safety a position that he doesnt have the speed to play and Danieal Manning will start at Strong safety. I think sooner than later you will see Major Wright start at Free and move Harris to strong where he can be alright player. Manning has all the talent in the world but cant seem to put it to good use. The overall point of the bears DBs is that there isnt a play maker among them. Unless Bowman or Wright emerge as playmakers, this secondary is at best average and the defense will need the front seven to be good to great to cover up the secondary.

Special teams: The bears have had one of the top special teams units in the NFL for years and that shouldnt change this year. Robbie Gould is automatic and Brad Maynard is skilled at directionly punting which the bears value over leg stregnth. Hester, Manning and Knox will all be returning punts and kicks and i would look for 2+ TDs from them combined this year and pray that Devin can regain his 2006/7 form.

The Schedule: The bears schedule goes in waves with incredibly hard stretches followed by easy games. After much agonizing, here's what i think will happen this season.

Week 1 - Lions at home -- W (34-21 The lions are better but still not good)

Week 2 - at Cowboys -- L (The cowboys have too much talent and too good of pass rush)

Week 3 - Packers at home -- L (The pack is the class of the division and sadly they will win big)

Week 4 - at Giants -- L (Same as the coboys, too much talent and too much pass rush)

Week 5 - at Panthers -- W (Bears shut down the run & run all over the panthers, plus revenge game for peppers)

Week 6 - Seahawks at home -- W (Seahawks are terrible)

Week 7 - Redskins at home -- W (McNabb will be hurt by then)

Week 8 - bye

Week 9- Bills in toronto -- W (Bills are like a triple AAA football team)

Week 10- Vikings at home -- W (They have split with the viking 7 out of the 11 seasons)

Week 11 - at Dolphins -- L (Their defense will disrupt Culter & the passing game)

Week 12 - Eagles at home -- W (Kolb will have many bumps along the road including this game)

Week 13 - at Lions -- W (The lions still arent good)

Week 14 - Patriots at home -- W (Its not the same Pats team of years past and yep this is a gut call)

Week 15 - at Vikings -- L (I hate that stupid horn they have)

Week 16 - Jets at home -- L (Can the bears get more than 150 yds against the Jets D?)

Week 17 - at Packers -- L (Unless the pack doesnt need this game for playoffs, this will be a L)

Overall Record of 9-7. Yesterday I had them at 8-8 with losing both to the vikings but the vikes looked bad last night and i think the bears can steal one from them. Still they wont be in playoff contention because i think year in the NFC you need to win 10 to get the playoffs and their schedule in december is brutal. We will see flashes from the offense but the defense will be up and down every game. There might be a chance to sneak in the playoffs but the real suspense will be, does 9-7 save Lovie's job?? Let's settle in for a season of ups and downs and it will glue all us bears fans to the TVs every week.

Robbie Gould missed 2 FGs??? I dont believe it.

So all day I've been trying to focus on the positives from the bears 3rd preseason game and unfortunately, I have really struggled. The starting offense and defense played into the 3rd quarter and for the most part it was discouraging for a bears fan. The offense looked out of sync and the defense didnt have a strong performance and Robbie Gould really did miss 2 FGs which i still cant believe. So, here's the good and bad/ugly from the game.

Good

1. The bears have a pass rush and its name is Julius Peppers. He made Levi Brown, the cardinals

OT, look like he was playing for the bears offensive line. He was unblockable and as a result, he

made the rest of the bears D-line better. Tommie Harris also appears healthy and was playing with

some of his old explosion. The D-line had a good game and Peppers looks as good as advertised.

2. You cant run on this team. The bears have been excellent at stopping the run and it was no

different in this game. The defensive line was getting penetration and forcing the running back

to shuffle his feet in the backfield killing any of his momentum. I think the bears will be a top 5

defense at stopping the run this year.

3. The bears have 2 good running backs. Both Taylor and Forte have shown good bursts and

elusiveness this preseason. They both can catch and carry the ball and should have big games this

year.

The Ugly

1. #6 - No one looked worse on the field than Jay. Not only was the offense as a whole confused

but Jay looked like a lost rookie out there. (I was gonna say Dan LeFevour, but he had a really good

game). It was the most inaccurate I have seen Cutler be and he tried to force plays that werent

there. In his midgame interview, he even admitted that he "left a lot of opportunities out on the

field". To be brutally honest, it looked like he was afraid in the pocket. He had happy feet, was

never set when he threw a pass, and wouldnt step up into the pocket when he needed to. He got

sacked 4 times and honestly, I put three of them on Cutler. If he played like this in the regular

season, he would have been benched.

2. The timing offense. The only time that the bears were on the same page about they needed to

get this game over fast. From the 1st play when 2 WRs ran to the same spot, the offense was a

clusterfuck. I actually think the line blocked better but still not good. But the offense routinely had

the playclock down under 5 seconds and Martz has always stressed quick offense so something was

wrong. Cutler even said guys were lined up in the wrong spots on multiple plays. Really?!?!? This

was your regular season preview and you have guys lined up in wrong spots on multiple plays!!

They have 14 days to get on the same page or this is gonna be a long miserable season on offense.

3. Injuries will kill the bears. The bears arent a deep team no matter what Lovie says. Briggs went

out with an ankle injury and you saw a completely different defense without him and Urlacher on

the field. The cardinals(derek anderson & matt leinart) coverted over 40% of their 3rd downs on

the defense. League avg last year was 27%. The cardinals checked the ball down and without those

two guys in the middle of the defense with their speed the cardinals WRs ran for most of the 1st downs.

Lovie's defense requires the LBs to be fast and sure tacklers and without them, it just doesnt work.

I'm praying to the injury god already for briggs and urlachers' health.

There is more that i found ugly from this game (Chris Harris, Tim Hightower says your jock is back

on the field where he juked you out of it. The spot of the 2nd time he did it, not the first) but

dont have the heart to keep tearing apart the bears. The bears play this thursday and the starters

wont be in for more than a series or 2. There are some interesting players to watch though like

the battle for the last RB spot between Garrett Wolfe and Khali Bell, Dan Lefevour and the young

D-line man. Look for my bears season preview to come sometime early next week.

Bears Week 7 Preview

From the BBS Bears Season Preview -

-7- Oct. 25 at Cincinnati, noon, Fox-32

2j – The Bengals could be decent, depends a lot on how Carson Palmer performs. Decent isn’t enough to play with the Bears. Bears 31, Bengals 7

Kmart – Child Please. The Bengal’s defense isn’t there yet. Jay goes off. Bears 42, Bengals 28

DC – Bears will make the Bengals “Kiss the baby” en route to a victory. Bears 24, Bengals 14

How will the Bears deploy new defensive end Gaines Adams?

The plan is for Gaines Adams to make his debut for the Bears on Sunday at Cincinnati, but exactly how that will be executed remains to be seen.

The first question is whose place on the 45-man gameday roster will he take? Adams was one of three linemen inactive last Sunday at Atlanta, joining tackle Matt Toeaina and rookie swing man Jarron Gilbert. it would seem unlikely the team will sit down any of the linemen who played vs. the Falcons--tackles Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams, Marcus Harrison and israel Idonije, and ends Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunleye and Mark Anderson. Of course, if Harris' left knee remains an issue--he's missed practice the last two days--it could be him.

Don't panic about Bears' running game

Stats show Forte, Bears' ground game doing about what they did last season


With the Bears playing the Cincinnati Bengals and Cedric Benson on Sunday, it's a perfect time for one of those ''Where Are They Now?'' features about former Bears running backs.

Benson has resuscitated his career and ranks third in the NFL in rushing this season. Super Bowl hero Thomas Jones turned into a Pro Bowl player after being traded to the New York Jets and ranks fifth in the league in rushing.

Concerns about the Bears' running game, which were alleviated somewhat in the victory against the Detroit Lions before the bye week, are once again front and center after the loss Sunday to the Atlanta Falcons. That loss was fueled by turnovers in the red zone, but Forte's struggles, the success of former Bears running backs and the game against Benson has elevated the terror-alert level.

What's wrong with Forte? What's wrong with the offensive line? What's wrong with the running game?

''I don't know how much of a chance we gave it,'' offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. ''We were trying to mix and do all that stuff. We will be able to run the ball. We just have to keep with it.''

Lance Briggs: No-huddle, Pisa's injury, Ochocinco, Cedric Benson

Atlanta week was exciting, especially when you’re playing against a team of that caliber. You want to come in and make a statement about who you are as a team.

Once a team starts to go no-huddle, you have a different type of procedure where we have wristbands on and we’re looking to get the calls out much faster. It’s just being more efficient. In order to be more efficient, we might do numbers or have the whole team look to the sideline to get the call instead of having to echo it all around … just a way of combating it.

You never know when a team is going to go no-huddle. It’s different for Lovie (Smith) because he’s making the calls. He’s got to get the calls in a lot faster. For us, we just have to wait for the call and play.

Bears Pre-season Reactions

I wish we could have seen the entire first-unit on offense (read: Greg Olsen and Matt Forte), but it was fun to see Cutler out there in a Bears uni. He didn't look great, but who cares? It's the pre-season. He did show off his laser-rcoket arm on the interception he threw in the 1Q - when he jumped off his back foot and threw a bomb. (Like I said, I don't care that it was a pick because it was the first pre-season game). The D looked pretty good too, even the 2nd unit guys (granted playing against the Bills 2nd unit). Either way, happy to see football season is getting started, and happy to see a real QB in a Bears uniform.


Cutler has room to improve -

Jay Cutler looked best when ... on second-and-6 at the Bears' 16, he took a deep drop, set his feet and fired a strike to Devin Hester on a deep comeback route. The connection covered 20 yards and displayed the best of Cutler: sturdy base, strong arm, rare velocity and accuracy. We didn't see it often on Day 1 of the Cutler Era.

Looked worst when ... he threw a near interception that Reggie Corner dropped after he had thrown an interception to Leodis McKelvin. On that Corner play, it appeared there could have been a miscommunication between Cutler and Earl Bennett that resulted in the quarterback hesitating. Tentative, Cutler pumped, pulled back and eventually threw a pass he immediately wanted back. Like most quarterbacks, when Cutler hesitates, the play is easy to lose.

COverall grade: He only made two decent throws and should have had two interceptions, but he also was playing without two weapons: Matt Forte and Greg Olsen.

Cutler human -

Unwelcome but necessary, a late arrival to the Jay Cutler Bandwagon dampened the enthusiasm surrounding the debut of the Bears quarterback Saturday night at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Reality.

Turns out Jay Cutler can make mistakes. He will disappoint. He needs a transition period.

He might even raise an eyebrow as he holds his wide receivers publicly accountable for an interception he threw, as Cutler did when beginning an answer about his interception with an explanation of Devin Hester's role in it.

Asked what happened on the underthrown first-quarter pass Cutler heaved off his back foot that cornerback Leodis McKelvin intercepted, the Bears quarterback introduced Hester into the equation.

"Devin is more of a go-get-it guy," Cutler said. "He's not really a back-shoulder, jump-up-and-get-it [guy] and ... you learn from it. You make some mistakes. It's a preseason game."

10 Observations -

1. I thought my colleague Mike Mulligan said it best when he pointed out Tony Dungy and Mike Ditka have questioned the leadership ability of Jay Cutler, and the quarterback made the point worth pondering again in post-game remarks. Cutler was asked an innocuous question about what happened on the interception by Leodis McKelvin on an underthrown. Cutler appeared to throw off his back foot, and he pretty much implicated wide receiver Devin Hester.

"Devin is more of a go-get it guy, he is not really a back shoulder or jump up and get it [guy],'' Cutler said. "You learn from it. We made some mistakes. It's the first preseason game. Luckily enough, we have some time to correct them and keep going."

Say what you want about the quarterbacks that came before Cutler, and Kyle Orton's three-pick stinker Friday night in San Francisco said a lot on its own, but those guys never placed their receivers in front of the bus.

2. Great move by Lovie Smith to rest running back Matt Forte. There is no need for a running back to play in four exhibition games. Smith informed Forte at breakfast Saturday that he would not be playing. Forte hoped to get some action but LaDainian Tomlinson has gone entire preseasons without touching the ball.

3. If you're not worried about the Bears' secondary, you must not have watched the game. Trent Edwards was 10-for-10 and his replacement Ryan Fitzpatrick was 13-for-16. No, they didn't hit the Bears for much deep stuff, but nobody did last year and the Bears still finished 30th in the league in pass defense. Keep in mind, the Bills were without Terrell Owens. Buffalo systematically picked the secondary apart. Alex Brown did pick up a coverage sack, and Corey Graham looked smooth blitzing off the edge as the nickel back to get another sack. Here's what is scary about the defensive backfield right now, the Bears are counting on injured guys to come to the rescue. They're also counting on Nathan Vasher to bounce back. If they're playing blackjack here, it doesn't look like they're holding any face cards at this point.

4. Strong safety Al Afalava moved around pretty well. Looks like he is on the inside track for a starting job but that means Kevin Payne will be at free safety.

Some quick links ...

Top 10 PGs -

1) Chris Paul, 2) Deron Williams, 3) Steve Nash, 4) Chauncey Billups, 5) Tony Parker, 6) Derrick Rose, 7) Devin Harris, 8) Jason Kidd, 9) Rajon Rondo, 10) Russell Westbrook

Other than CP3, everyone on that list should move down 1 spot when Derrick Rose makes the leap to #2 early next season.


Who will be better: D-Rose or B-Roy? -

The Great Poohdini was amazing in the playoffs this year and Brandon Roy was simply a top 10 baller throughout the season.

D-Rose is four years younger than Roy and not only won the rookie of the year award but could have easily been an All-Star during the second half of the season.

I know they don't play the same position so it's hard to compare but they are two of the youngest and most talented kids in the game.

Rose is a straight-up baller and Brandon Roy's jumper is second to very few (Kobe & Monta Ellis maybe).

Let me know what you think. I haven't heard this question before and I think it's a fun one to discuss.

As for me, I would say they will both be all-stars for the next 10 years. If it comes down to championships, I got D-Rose, just because he is younger which helps his case.

Colangelo wants the Olympics in Chicago -

Jerry Colangelo has a World Series trophy and a gold medal. He has earned the respect of everyone who remembers Phoenix as a dusty desert pit stop on the road to somewhere else.

And now the countdown has begun.


In less than 50 days, the International Olympic Committee will announce its host city for the 2016 Olympics. Colangelo is deeply vested in the outcome, currently serving on the bid committee for his hometown. If Chicago wins, his own personal finish line comes into view.

"The vote takes place in Copenhagen on October 2nd, and I plan to be there, representing Chicago, doing whatever I can to help," Colangelo said. "It's all about the delegates. It's all about the votes."

Kevin Durant to replace Redd on Team USA? -

Just one year ago, Redd was in Beijing with the U.S. "Redeem Team" as it made its unbeaten run to an Olympic gold medal.

Redd said he has not talked to anybody about a future role with the U.S. team, although he indicated U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski has contacted him several times to wish him well in returning from his injury.

"It's really not been on my mind, especially with the injury," Redd said. "Right now my focus is on getting healthy."

It has been speculated that Oklahoma City guard Kevin Durant, who played well in national team auditions this summer in Las Vegas, could fill Redd's role as a designated shooter on the U.S. team that will compete in the 2010 World Championships in Turkey. Krzyzewski has agreed to return for the four-year cycle ending with the 2012 London Olympics.