Where Quarterbacks Come To Die: Welcome to Chicago, Jay Cutler

There is a pattern here. The Bears have never had an All-Pro QB in the modern era. They’ve had only one QB Hall of Famer in 90 years.

 

Every great college QB prospect has turned into a bust. And now there are all the naysayers about Jay Cutler.

 

Is it that the Bears don’t know how to draft?  Don’t know how to evaluate talent (although Burris, Quinn, Hutchinson, Moreno, and a few others make this a tough question)?

 

Is it the water in Chicago? I don’t think so.

 

Maybe it’s the Bears and not the QBs.

 

Why would any offensive-minded QB ever, I repeat ever , want to play in Chicago?

 

The Bears destroy any offensive-minded QB with their mindless and defenseless insistence on being called a “running team,” especially today when the rest of the NFL has passed them by in the air.

 

Not Marino, Montana, Elway, or Aikman could have achieved the same success they did elsewhere if they had played on most Bears teams over the last 30 years. Now Jay Cutler is just the latest to be put through the career-destroying QB meat grinder in Chicago.

He is an extremely talented QB, but like any team athlete, he cannot do it alone. And I don’t just mean surrounding him with 10 other players that fit into what this particular QB is capable of doing.  

 

Lord knows Cutler doesn’t even have three or four, let alone 10. But that’s just part of the problem.

 

The real problem starts and ends with coaching and the organization’s overall philosophy.

 

The Bears insist on fitting Cutler—probably the most physically gifted QB I have ever seen in Chicago—into its standardized, one-size-fits-all playbook. They have not done anything to accommodate the team to Cutler’s talents, either with personnel or coaching.

 

Handing off to Matt Forte on first and 10 every time to run up the middle for a gain of two yards is the Bears’ forte. That’s usually followed by a screen play that always gets busted up, leaving third and long.

 

It’s way beyond predictable. It is comical.

 

They are the Keystone Cops of the NFL.  FOX and CBS should have the “balloon” sound effects used for cartoons like the Roadrunner every time the Bears run an offensive play. 

 

Kaboom ! Splat !! Boink !  

 

Why doesn’t Cutler roll out instead of standing in the collapsing pocket, throwing from his back foot all the time?

 

Why don’t the Bears use misdirection plays more?

 

I’m no more of an offensive genius than Ron Turner, but I do know this much: After watching Cutler’s press conference last night I wanted to cry. He looked so broken and dispirited.

 

Another young gunslinger destroyed in the numbing inanity of the Bears organization.

 

If I were his agent I would pay the Bears to release him before he is turned into a quivering confused Rick Mirer, Cade McNown, or Rex Grossman. 

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Chicago Bears Football: Running Game Looks Okay

I know what you’re thinking.

Is this guy nuts?

The running game didn’t look good versus the Packers! What is he thinking? Let me tell you what I’m thinking.

Yes, 25 carries for 55 yards is not very good.

For a first game, I’ll take it. We all know what Forte is capable of. He isn’t going to be putting up many more 2.2 yard per carry averages.

Last season, Forte posted three or more yards per carry in 13 out of 16 games. That is pretty good if you ask me.

Forte also had three 100 yard games last season and two multi-TD games. He’ll be okay.

The offensive line in 2009 is pretty inexperienced.

They didn’t do a good job on Sunday night. Don’t expect to see that often as long as running-minded Lovie Smith is at the helm of the Bears.

What Needs to Happen

The offensive line needs to protect.

They didn’t protect Cutler and they didn’t make lanes for Forte. Forte is a very powerful, agile runner. He is going to find the lanes and explode through them.

In week two, the line has to beat the powerful D-Line of the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a tough test for this line. I think they can do it. I think they can open up the lanes for Forte.

They need to run the ball more to the outside and to the edge.

Let Forte make a play. As long as the linemen pull their blocks to the appropriate spot, Forte will do the rest. Ron Turner has to get away from this up the middle stuff that no Bears fan likes.

We don’t want a Frank Gore.

If Forte can get to the outside, he will explode. He is talented enough and fast enough to make something happen. Turner just has to call the right play and the Bears have to execute it.

 

Forte Prediction

In his rookie season, Forte put up pretty good numbers. He had 1,238 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

This season, I expect Forte to put up higher numbers.

I am expecting around 1,300 to 1,500 yards from Forte and hopefully in the neighborhood of four to seven touch downs. If Forte can produce numbers like those, the Bears will definitely be one of the most feared teams in the NFL.

 

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Chicago Bears Breakdown 2009: What to Expect

This year, the Chicago Bears are in for a real battle in the under-appreciated NFC North division. With the addition of Jay Cutler, the Bears can only better their pathetic 9-7 showing in 2008. What is going to come of the Bears this year?

Packers

When the Bears open their season up versus the Packers at Lambeau, the Bears are in for a real tough battle. Here is my position by position breakdown.

At quarterback, Aaron Rodgers vs Jay Cutler is probably the most interesting match up in the NFC North. Both like to throw the ball long and like to move around a little in the back field. Both are very talented and in my opinion, this is a push.

At running back, I give the Bears the edge. Matt Forte is a little more mobile than Ryan Grant coming out of the back field. Ryan Grant is much slower and isn’t much of a power runner. Forte can go up the middle like a power back or make moves and break a run to the outside like a fast back.

At wide receivers, the edge goes to the Packers. I can’t really fight Greg Jennings and Donald Driver versus Earl Bennett and Devin Hester.

On the defensive side of the ball, I am a little biased. I have always liked the Bears defense and I think this year they will make huge improvements over the depressing 22nd ranked pass defense.

Even though Dvoracek is out, the Bears D-Line will still rival the best lines in football like the Giants. With Tommie Harris, Alex Brown, Adewale Ogunleye, and other guys who rotate, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

The only thing in question is their defensive backs. The edge definitely goes to the Packers. The Bears are filled with a bunch of unknowns at defensive back. Yes, Vasher and Tillman aren’t unknowns but they have a lot to prove. They both had pretty disappointing years in my opinion. With the loss of Mike Brown, guys like Zack Bowman and Craig Steltz have a lot to prove. Hopefully they can fill the void of Brown.

One thing worries me about the Bears versus Packers match up. I am worried if the secondary can hold up against the explosive wide outs from the Packers. Can Vasher and Tillman stay healthy enough to keep up with Jennings and Driver?

I think they can. Rod Marinelli will get this team ready to play and ready to prove themselves.

Vikings

This is a very interesting match up in my opinion. With the addition of Brett Favre, I have no idea what to think of the Vikings now.

At quarterback, I have no choice but to give the edge to Brett “The Ego” Favre. He is a much better improvement over what the Vikings used to have. He holds many records and his experience trumps Cutler’s talent any day of the week.

At running back, the Vikings also have the edge. AP 28. Enough said.

At wide receiver, I give it to the Bears even though Earl Bennett and Devin Hester are much more inexperienced than Bernard Berrian. The thing that made me pick the Bears is the fact that after Berrian, who do the Vikings have? Sidney Rice? He is about as good as Johnny Knox.

I like the Bears defense better. The Vikings pass defense is much better but the Bears run defense is better. The Bears are better up front but the Vikings are much better in the secondary.

What scares me about the Vikings is the fact that they won the division with Tarvaris Jackson. If they are that talented, what will they do with Favre? Will Favre make Berrian better?

The Vikings will improve greatly this year. No division for them but a definite wild card.

Lions

The Lions had a tough season last year. 0-16 is a rough finish. The Lions will be bad but not as bad as 0-16.

At quarterback, the Bears have the advantage. Matt Stafford and Daunte Caulpepper are both worse than Jay Cutler. Cutler is so much better and talented than both. Daunte used to be better in his prime, but not now.

At running back, the Bears are better. Matt Forte is much better than Kevin Smith. Matt Forte can run to the outside or run up the middle. Kevin Smith cannot.

At wide receiver, the Lions actually get the advantage. Calvin Johnson gives the Lions the advantage. Calvin Johnson is just too talented to not get the edge over mediocre wide receivers like Earl Bennett.

On the defensive side, the Bears get the advantage. The Bears are just better up front and in the secondary. The Lions are just not good at all.

The Lions worry me with their wide receivers. If Matt Stafford lives up to the hype, how will Calvin Johnson play? Or Dennis Northcutt? Will those guys play to their potential?

In my opinion, Stafford won’t live up to his potential so the Bears will not have anything to worry about with the Lions.

What to Watch For

As a fan, you should be in for a very high scoring division. With Cutler, Rodgers, and Favre leading the North, who knows how many points the Bears, Packers, and Vikings will score. The limit is unpredictable.

The match up to watch for is in week one; the Bears versus the Packers at Lambeau Field at 7:30 on Sunday Night Football. It will be a high scoring affair and a very good game. Keep an eye out for that. 

 

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Bear Down: Chicago Bears Season Preview

The Bears have had an interesting offseason, to say the least. They signed Jay Cutler and Orlando Pace, had an interesting draft, and lost their injury-prone and once pro bowl safety Mike Brown.

What happens next?

With the opening of training camp on the horizon, the Bears still have to address a lot of questions before the start of the 2009-2010 NFL campaign.

Questions like: Is Jay Cutler going to be the Jay Cutler from the Broncos? What is going to happen with the wide receivers? What about the secondary? Who is going to replace Mike Brown? Is Urlacher too old?

The questions can go on forever. I’m here to answer them (or at least try).

 

Jay Cutler

As everyone knows, the Bears won the Jay Cutler sweepstakes last May. Chicago Bears fans were so happy knowing that we actually have a quarterback on our team, something that hasn’t happened since before the days of Jim McMahon.

But will Jay Cutler be the same Jay Cutler of years past?

I say yes, but he won’t be throwing the 40+ touchdowns like he did in Denver.

In Denver, Cutler had Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley, and Eddie Royal. That group is much better than what is in Chicago.

In Chicago, there is Earl Bennett, Juaquin Iglesias, Derek Kinder, Johnny Knox, Eric Peterman, Brandon Rideau, and of course Devin Hester. None are as proven as Marshall, Stokley, or Royal.

Don’t get me wrong. Cutler is very good. But he needs someone on the other end to catch the football. He can’t throw it, then run and catch it. I wish he could.

As Bears fans, we can’t expect Hester to run down field and catch every ball thrown to him. We saw how good Hester was when Orton or Grossman tried to throw the ball down field. He dropped almost every ball.

With all of that said, will Cutler improve the offense?

Yes.

Cutler gives the Bears the arm they have always looked for. He is someone who can throw on the run while throwing few interceptions. He is someone who isn’t Rex Grossman.

 

Orlando Pace

Orlando Pace, the three-time pro bowler, is a definite plus for the Chicago Bears. Pace is a left tackle who played 12 seasons for the Rams. He will help the Bears offensive line immensely.

The offensive line was a definite trouble spot for the Bears this past season, allowing 29 sacks. That number doesn’t seem too high, but for the Bears it is.

The running game couldn’t really get anywhere, either. Yes, Forte rushed for over 1,000 yards, but he could’ve rushed for much more if he had the same line as Brandon Jacobs or someone else of that caliber.

 

The Secondary

The Bears secondary is always a topic of conversation among Bears fans.

In passing yards given up per game, the Bears are 30th in the NFL (241.2 yds). In touchdowns, the Bears are 13th (21).

The secondary needs to be improved, badly.

Who is in the secondary now that Brown is out?

As of Jul. 17, the cornerbacks on the team are Zack Bowman, Randy Burgess, Marcus Hamilton, Trumaine McBride, D.J. Moore, Charles Tillman, Woodny Truenne, Nathan Vasher, and Danieal Manning. The safeties on the team are Al Afalva, Josh Bullocks, Dahna Deleston, Glenn Earl, Corey Graham, Kevin Payne, and Craig Steltz.

The cornerbacks are fine. The safeties, not so much.

The Bears need to get a safety who can be the captain of this young group. Danieal Manning could fill that void for a few weeks but not in the long run. Steltz and Payne are too young to do that. They tried that last year and it didn’t work well.

Schedule

The Bears open the season with a tough game at Green Bay. They end the season with an easy game at Detroit.

Here’s a game-by-game prediction:

Week 1: At Green Bay

Winner: Green Bay

Week 2: Vs. Steelers

Winner: Pittsburgh

Week 3: At Seattle

Winner: Chicago

Week 4: Vs. Detroit

Winner: Chicago

Week 5: At Atlanta

Winner: Atlanta

Week 6: At Cincinnati

Winner: Chicago

Week 7: Vs. Cleveland

Winner: Chicago

Week 8: Vs. Arizona

Winner: Arizona

Week 9: At San Francisco

Winner: Chicago

Week 10: Vs. Philadelphia

Winner: Chicago

Week 11: At Minnesota

Winner: Chicago

Week 12: Vs. St. Louis

Winner: Chicago

Week 13: Vs. Green Bay

Winner: Chicago

Week 14: At Baltimore

Winner: Baltimore

Week 15: Vs. Minnesota

Winner: Chicago

Week 16: At Detroit

Winner: Chicago

Final Record: 11-5

 

Jake Karmel

Derrick Mason of the Ravens Retires After 12 Seasons

Derrick Mason was the true meaning of consistency. After 12 seasons, eight with the Titans and four with Baltimore, Mason is deciding to hang it up for good.

Mason, who averaged a little more than four touchdowns per year, was an amazing receiver for whoever was fortunate enough to have him. In 12 years, he fumbled the ball only seven times.

Mason was pretty healthy throughout his career. He played in all 16 games in nine of the 12 seasons he was in the NFL, an uncommon feat today.

Mason was a true gentleman of the game. He wasn’t flashy. He didn’t talk like Ocho Cinco. He let his playing do his talking for him. You never heard him in the news for trash talking. He kept his mouth shut and came out week after week to play the game he loves.

Mason is a rare breed. He will be missed by the NFL and his fans.

Dear Jerry Angelo: Please Get Brandon Marshall

As a Chicago Bears fan, like myself, you may be thinking, “we have Jay Cutler. That’s all we need.” False my fellow Bears fans. Very, very false.

In case you haven’t taken a look at the Bears roster recently, it is poor and doesn’t say winner. The wide receivers they have (Earl Bennett, Devin Aromashodu, John Broussard, Randy Burgess, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Juaquin Iglesias, Derek Kinder, Johnny Knox, Eric Peterman, and Brandon Rideau) have a combined five touchdowns between all of them. Not the answer if I’m Jerry Angelo. Disgusting. If you want to see the stats, click the link. http://www.nfl.com/players/search?category=team&playerType=current&filter=0810

There were the tight ends who caught a lot of passes during the 2008-2009 football season. The three tight ends (Olsen, Clark, and Gaines) caught a combined seven touchdowns. The receiving core of the Chicago Bears is terrible to say the least.

The answer to these glaring problems is Brandon Marshall. Yes, Jay Cutler is a Pro Bowl quarterback and can probably make Davis and Hester better, but they need a star receiver, badly.

Last year, Marshall caught six touchdown passes for 1,265 yards, which is nothing even close to what the Bears had.

The Bears, in past years, have been so close to being good. They have the running game in place with Matt Forte. Now all that is needed is a good receiving game. And Jerry Angelo, Brandon Marshall is your guy to fill that void.

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