Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: Complete Breakdown And Analysis

OK, I am taking the same approach as usual to my breakdowns, but if anyone has actually been reading these, do you think I should start in on a new approach to this article? 

It just sometimes doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense to compare QB’s when they won’t be throwing against one another.

So following the bye week, should I be comparing offensive pieces against the opposing defenses and visa versa? Or keep it as is? 

(Of course if I do it that way and be truly fair, there will be some overlaps since the linebackers will be covering both running backs AND tight ends, but I would continue trying to keep it as unbiased as I can.)

But, anyway without further ado…

 

OFFENSE:

 

Quarterbacks: Matthew Stafford vs Jay Cutler

Stafford was the No.1 pick of the draft this past summer and was taken to be the future for a franchise coming off the perfect imperfect season. So far this year, Stafford has made some rookie mistakes, but has also showed why they thrust him into the starting role from the get go when he led them to their first victory in over a year last week against the Washington Redskins.

While his season totals so far are far from awe inspiring, his rocket arm makes him dangerous from anywhere on the field. His numbers so far this season have him at a 53.4 percent completion percentage with two touchdowns and five interceptions.

But he is learning and improving every single week. It also helps that he has arguably one of the top three receivers in the entire league in Calvin Johnson…As a Bears fan, I am not looking forward to seeing this duo twice a year for at least the next five years.

Jay Cutler is coming off back-to-back comeback victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. Since his four interception debut in week one, Cutler has showed why the Bears invested so much in him.

Cutler has hit 64.4 percent of his passes with six touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also accomplished much of this without the assistance of a consistent running attack and three receivers no one expected much from.

Verdict: Stafford’s a rookie and will be playing his first divisional road game of his career. Cutler is just plain better at this exact time.

ADVANTAGE: CHICAGO

 

Running backs: Kevin Smith vs Matt Forte

Honestly, this would be a close match up in my mind since Forte has gotten off to a slow start, but there is some speculation that Smith might miss this game with a shoulder injury. But let’s assume he will play, just for the sake of argument.

Smith and Forte have similar roles on their respective teams since both are not only the primary ball carriers but also excellent receivers out of the backfield. Forte had 60 receptions last season and Smith currently is the second leading receiver on the Lions roster.

Smith has carried the ball 55 times for 207 yards and a touchdown through the first three weeks and added 12 receptions for 80 yards.

Forte has 59 rushes for 150 yards with no touchdowns and 11 receptions for 73 yards.

Verdict: Forte is the better runner in my opinion but if Smith can play and is healthy enough to take on tackles with that bum shoulder then it evens it out, especially with Forte 2.0.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH 

 

Wide Receivers: Calvin Johnson/Bryant Johnson/Dennis Northcutt vs Devin Hester/Earl Bennett/Johnny Knox

First off, as I stated above, Calvin Johnson is one of the top three receivers in the NFL. And he is only going to get better. While he has yet to have a 100 yard receiving game, that has more to do with the quarterbacking than it does with the receiving.

Bryant Johnson got on track last week with a couple nice catches and a touchdown. And the third receiver is ten year veteran Dennis Northcutt. With Calvin providing the speed and jumping ability, Bryant as a solid No.2 and Northcutt as the possession receiver, they provide Stafford with several different options.

Hester is finally showing flashes of the being a great, CONSISTENT receiver for the Bears. While his punt return average has lowered, his receiving stats should be pretty impressive by the year’s end.

Earl Bennett continues to show that his previous playing experience with Cutler while still in college has transferred over nicely to the NFL. He is currently tied with Hester for the most receptions on the team with 13.

Johnny Knox has been the surprise of the Bears and arguably the steal of the draft. His nine receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns are eye opening considering he is the third receiver on the team. He also has shown some impressive speed, catching a 68 yard pass from Cutler in week one against the Packers.

Interesting side note: the pick the Bears used to select Knox actually came over with Cutler in the Bronco’s deal. It was more of a toss in to even things out but who knew it would turn into such an immediate positive for the Bears?

Verdict: While the Bears have more youth and speed, the Lions have Calvin Johnson. I need to see more from Chicago’s trio before I put them in the same class as that man.

ADVANTAGE: LIONS

 

Tight Ends: Will Heller/Brandon Pettigrew vs Greg Olsen

Heller is listed as the starter on the depth chart, but for the future, the answer is Pettigrew. In fact, Pettigrew has two more receptions and 20+ more yards than Heller through the first three weeks. I believe Heller is there for his reliability and blocking until Pettigrew can learn all the ins, outs and what have yous.

Pettigrew, a rookie out of Oklahoma St., is considered one of the top tight end prospects that came out of the draft. So far he hasn’t blown people away, but the Lions offense looks potent for the future with him, Stafford, Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson.

So far this season Pettigrew has six receptions for 67 yards. But don’t be surprised if he receives more looks, especially in the end zone, with his 6’5″, 265 lbs frame.

Olsen has not quite lived up to expectations this season, although he seemed to be coming around in the Bears most recent victory over the Seahawks, as he had five receptions for 44 yards and his first touchdown of the season.

Verdict: Olsen’s hands look to be improving and Pettigrew still has a lot to learn.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Offensive line: Lions vs Bears

An interesting note here, Lions center Dominc Raiola and Bears Center Olin Kreutz attended the same high school, St. Louis High in Honolulu, HI, only three years apart. Both have been the dominate starters for the respective teams, Raiola for the past seven season, Kreutz for the past ten.

As for the rest of the line, we will have to compare upon stats, because what I don’t know about the Lions starters could probably fill a book.

Stafford has been sacked five times and Kevin Smith has an average of 3.7 yards per carry.

Cutler has been sacked six times while Matt Forte has an average of 2.5 yards per carry.

Verdict: The rushing numbers are worrisome, especially since the Lions weren’t handed any gifts in facing the Vikings run defense while the Bears faced the Steelers.

ADVANTAGE: LIONS

 

DEFENSE

Cornerbacks: Anthony Henry/Eric King vs Charles Tillman/Zach Bowman

Anthony Henry was brought in this year after playing the past four seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He has one interception this year (props since the one pick was on Drew Brees) and four pass deflections. 

This game against the Bears will be the fifth start for Eric King in his fifth year in the league. Not exactly encouraging numbers but the Bears are almost identical.

Charles Tillman is the veteran who, while missing a tackle that directly led to a touchdown last week, has had an interception and a forced fumble in the past two weeks. He has a nose for takeaways and while you wish he would wrap up better, you can’t help but admire his determination.

Bowman will be starting only his fourth start of his career. He impressed the coaches in training camp, but has yet to force any turnovers so far this year, although his 17 tackles is third on the team. (Of course, for a corner that might be a negative stat, since it means the player he is guarding is always catching the ball, but that is neither her nor there).

Verdict: The Lions are currently ranked 30th in pass defense, while the Bears are ranked 12th.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Safeties: Louis Delmas/Marquand Manuel vs Danieal Manning/Al Afalava

Delmas is a rookie out of Western Michigan who has shown some spunk through the first three games of the year. He has recorded 17 tackles and three pass deflections not to mention he returned a Mike Bell fumble back 65 yards for a touchdown against the Saints, so you know he is opportunistic.

Marquand Manuel, currently in his eighth year in the league, is playing for his sixth team. He seems to be the definition of journeyman. His overall coverage numbers aren’t overly impressive, only 14 pass deflections and two interceptions during his tenure in the NFL, but one of those picks was returned for a touchdown.

In terms of tackling, he looks pretty reliable when given the chance to start. In the three seasons that he started more than ten games, he racked up 235 tackles.

On the Bears side, I listed Manning and rookie Afalava as the starters, however if you look at the Bears depth chart, Kevin Payne is still listed ahead of Afalava.

The Bears do a fairly unique thing in their defensive backfield. When the opponent brings in three receivers, Manning moves to the nickel corner, Payne takes over at the free safety spot and Afalava is the strong safety. Payne was demoted for the Steelers game and I am a big fan of Afalava, so until I see Lovie say otherwise, he is my starter.

Afalava has nine tackles so far with three pass deflections and a sack. He comes up nicely to support the run defense and has shown the ability to get back on passing plays, including a near one handed interception last week against Seattle.

Manning continues to be a big talent that is still very much in the learning phase. This is due partially to the fact that Lovie has moved him around to several different positions over his career but now claims that Manning is the future at free safety.

He has all of the physical tools, he just has to improve at reading the offense, and more to point, the quarterback and learning where he needs to be on each play.

Verdict: Generally, I am not biased, but I think Manning and Afalava have more upside than the combo of Delmas and Manuel. Delmas should be good, but Manuel has reached his ceiling.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Linebackers: Julian Peterson/Larry Foote/DeAndre Levy vs. Lance Briggs/Nick Roach/Jamar Williams

Peterson and Foote bring a winning attitude into Detroit. Peterson is a pro bowl caliber linebacker and Foote was signed following a Super Bowl win with the Steelers last year. The strong side linebacker is DeAndre Levy, a rookie from Wisconsin. Levy is built right for the SAM at 6’2″, 238 lbs and should be able to take out the lead blocker on most running plays, allowing Foote and Peterson to come in and clean up.

Coming into the season, the Bears had one of the deepest linebacker units in the NFL, if not THE deepest. And it is a good thing to because they have suffered a rash of injuries.

In week one, the Bears lost MLB Brian Urlacher for the season with a dislocated wrist and starting SLB Pisa Tinoisamoa until after the bye week with a knee injury. In week three, the Bears lost back up middle linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (rib) and Lance Briggs is now on the injury report with a foot injury.

Briggs is still expected to play but now the Bears are looking at Nick Roach, the backup strong side linebacker moving over to play middle, which is where he finished the Seahawks game at, and inserting Jamar Williams into the strong side spot.

Verdict: Peterson and Briggs cancel each other out. Levy and Williams are both unproven leaving Larry Foote against Nick Roach…

ADVANTAGE: LIONS

 

Defensive line: Jason Hunter/Grady Jackson/Sammie Lee Hill/Dewayne White vs Alex Brown/Tommie Harris/Anthony Adams/Adewale Ogunleye

Both team’s defensive lines have taken a beating.

For the Lions, Jackson (knee), Hill (ankle), White (hamstring) and back up defensive end Cliff Avril (hamstring) were all listed on the injury report.

On the Bears side, Brown (ankle), Harris and Adams (knee), and back up Israel Idonije (knee) are all listed on their injury report.

So really, I guess it is about who can play through their respective injuries more effectively and which team has more depth for their line rotation.

Looking at the numbers…

Lions defensive line has sacked the QB three times and have allowed for 105.3 rushing yards per game

The Bears line has sacked the QB six times and have allowed for 94.7 rushing yards per game.

Verdict: With this many nagging injuries and the teams pretty much even, you have to look at the stats. With all of the Bears lineman expected to play despite their injuries…

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

SPECIAL TEAMS:

 

Punter: Nick Harris vs Brad Maynard

Harris’ numbers this year: 15 punts for basically a net average of 37 yards, a long of 55 yards with six being downed inside the 20 yard line.

Maynard’s numbers: 14 punts for an average just under 42 yards, a long of 66 with five downed inside the 20 yard line.

Verdict: Both are experienced professionals so basically, it is a toss up.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Kicker: Jason Hanson vs Robbie Gould

Hanson has kicked two field goals in every game this season and is a perfect 6-6 with his long being 48 yards.

Gould has been clutch hitting four out of five kicks, including the game winner over Pittsburgh in week two. His longest field goal has been from 47 yards.

Verdict: Hanson is consistent but Gould is money at home and while Hanson has been solid, kicking outdoors instead of indoors should only benefit the Bears…Plus, for some reason Karma seems to like have good kickers miss multiple attempts…so

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Returners: Northcutt/Aaron Brown vs Hester/Knox

Northcutt has a long punt return of 43 yards while Brown has a kick return of 87, although neither has scored a touchdown.

Hester has a long punt return of 12 while Knox has a kick return of 53.

Verdict: I think Hester is the best returner in the world, but going off of stats…

ADVANTAGE: LIONS

 

COACHING: Lovie Smith vs Jim Schwartz

Lovie Smith has taken control of the defensive play calling and, as fellow B/R Report Gene Chamberlin reported here, has been calling a more aggressive defense. The offense has had its ups and downs but what Lovie needs to do is have his team ready to go from the opening kickoff.

The biggest problem the Bears have faced this season is coming out in the first quarter FLAT.

Through the first three games, the Bears have been outscored in the first quarter 17-0 and in the first half 30-16.

Jim Schwartz has already surpassed the win total from last year so that in and of itself is a plus.

Expectations are not to high for the first year coach but he has a solid core to build upon on both sides of the ball. The offense is in good shape for the future with Stafford, Smith, Johnson and Pettigrew while the defense has a nice mixture of youth and experience with Peterson, Foote, Jackson and Delmas.

Verdict: Lovie is on the hot seat and has improved the defense from last year, despite several injuries. Schwartz is in the process of changing the entire culture in Detroit that Matt Millen.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

OVERALL:

The Bears should win this game. Their offense is further along and the defense is playing at a high level. Whether that means they WILL win remains to be seen. 

Bears 27 Lions 20

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Chicago Bears to Dominate the Detroit Lions? Not So Fast

When the Chicago Bears square off against division rivals the Detroit Lions this weekend, many are expecting the Bears to run away with it. Call me pessimistic, but I am not falling for that one.

I have been a Bears fan all my life and what I have noticed over the past few years is that the Bears have a tendency to play down to the Lions level.

Now, I am not saying they will lose this game, but I would be very surprised if the Bears ran away with it, especially considering how the Bears have played them recently.

And you know what, let me rant for a minute…

It really isn’t just the Lions I am talking about here, there are too many examples of the Bears playing down to worse teams. 

Take this past Sunday’s game against the Seahawks. Seattle was missing several starters on both the defensive and offensive side of the ball including: QB Matt Hasselbeck, T Walter Jones, MLB Lofa Tatupu, WLB LeRoy Hill, and CB Josh Wilson.

I know, I know, the game was at Qwest field, the loudest stadium in the NFL, but regardless, this game should not have been as close as it was. The Bears have suffered zero major injuries to the offensive starters (knock on wood) and they should have run an injured Seahawks defense into the ground.

But they didn’t. They squeaked out a win.

It happened last year as well, like their loss to the Bucs, and the year before that, such as the win over the Chiefs.  The Bears just sometimes decide not to get amped for a game and it bites them in the butt!

But I digress…

Let us look back on the past four meetings between the Bears and the Lions starting with the most recent:

November 2, 2008: Bears win 27-23

The Bears inched out a victory after being down 23-13 at halftime. The Lions were in the midst of an eight game losing streak and were starting Dan Orlovsky at quarterback. And I know there will be those who will talk about Kyle Orton getting hurt in that game, but the Bears were losing 23-10 when Orton left the game. Not to mention that the only reason it didn’t go into overtime was because the Lions had MISSED an extra point earlier so they had to go for the touchdown as opposed for the field goal at the end of the game. U-G-L-Y. 

October 5, 2008: Bears win 34-7

The one blowout, the Bears and Kyle Orton dominated the game jumping out to a 31-0 lead before the Lions managed to get a Kevin Smith touchdown midway through the third quarter. Props to Charles Tillman for a pick six in that game.

And the previous year…

 

October 28th, 2007: Lions win 16-7

The Bears, despite a big win against the Eagles in the previous week, played simply miserable and took a bad loss to the Lions. Now I realize that was when the Lions were 5-2…but come on! Brian Griese threw four interceptions, including three that were picked off in the red zone. And the Bears let John Kitna, Kevin Jones, and the “amazing” Lions defense beat them. Give me a break.

 

September 30, 2007: Lions win 37-27

The Bears were fresh off a NFC Championship season, but then started the year 1-2. However, faced with the Lions in week four, it should have been an easy win, right? WRONG! The Bears allowed 34 fourth quarter points and lost…I was completely speechless. I didn’t even realize that was possible. Just the memory of that game hurts.

 

So there you have it, the Bears are .500 the past two years against the Lions. THE LIONS! So for this reason, I am not promising a blowout. Shoot, I am not even promising a victory.

With the holes that the Bears cover-two scheme has, look for Matthew Stafford to hit Calvin Johnson and Bryant Johnson early and often. If the Lions can get some offensive momentum going in the first quarter, the Bears will more than likely be abandoning the run and playing catch up, AGAIN.

Should the Bears win this game? Yes. But is there a chance they will stoop down to level the playing field? I certainly wouldn’t bet against it.

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Chicago Bears Report Card: Week Three @ Seattle Seahawks

Wow… that was the definition of an ugly win.

In fact, I will just come out and say it; the Bears did not deserve to win.

Their defense, while it forced turnovers, was pretty miserable most of the game. They made Seneca Wallace look pro bowl like and Julius Jones shredded through tacklers like it was nothing.

But they won. And a win is a win, whether it is ugly or pretty and I will take it. So lets get to the grades:

 

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Jay Cutler

Maybe a little generous considering that the offense did basically nothing the entire first half, but he led another comeback victory for the second consecutive week. He finished 21/27 for 247 yards three touchdowns and one interception… Not numbers to yawn at.

Cutler has continued to look calm and collected although a few of his passes seem to sail on him. The interception he threw was just out of the reach of Johnny Knox and a few others to the flat seemed to make the receivers jump up for it, as opposed to hitting them in the numbers where they can continue running up field.

Nit picky, but that’s me. I have my pet peeves and this one of them. Overall, I liked his performance today.

Grade: A-

 

Running backs: Matt Forte (small addition from A.P. and Garrett Wolfe)

At some point, the Bears are going to have to address the complete lack of a run game. Matt Forte had 21 carries for 66 and six receptions for 40 yards. While it was good to seem him become involved in the passing attack, the 3.1 yards per carry needs to get better.

The grade is a little harsh, but that is just because the Seahawks defense was dominated by Stephen Jackson and Frank Gore in the previous two weeks.

At this juncture, I am not sure if it is the offensive line or Forte himself but something has got to kick in soon because the Bears cannot expect to keep winning this way.

Grade: D+

 

Wide receivers: Earl Bennett, Devin Hester and Johnny Knox

Look at these numbers:

Bennett – six receptions for 80 yards plus a two point conversion
Hester – five receptions for 76 yards and one TD
Knox – one reception for seven yards and a TD

That is pretty good all things considered. They didn’t have many, if any, drops and made plays when Cutler got them the ball. They are by no means in the ranks of the best receiving corps but if this is a sign for things to come, than I really like the future.

In my opinion, these three will prove in the future that Chicago is no longer the place where “receivers go to die”.

p.s. How is life treating you over there in Carolina Muhsin Muhammad? You enjoy being 0-2? That’s what I thought.

Grade: B+

 

Tight Ends: Greg Olsen

Finally, Greg Olsen looked like what everyone thought he would look like coming out of training camp. He has a couple nice catches and a touchdown all though his grade is docked because he was beaten by Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry who stripped the ball from Jay Cutler.

Kellen Davis did not receive much attention after last week’s break out game.

Grade: B+

 

Offensive line:

This group just hasn’t impressed me overall. The run game finished with a combined total of 86 yards rushing and Cutler was sacked twice.

Although, I will give credit to this unit. Their grade is boosted by the fact that there are less penalties on the line than last year.

I recall only three false starts for the Bears the entire game. Twice on Chris Williams and once on Frank Omiyale, but considering that Qwest Field is the loudest stadium in the NFL, I consider that an achievement.

Grade: C+

 

DEFENSE

Cornerbacks: Charles Tillman and Zachary Bowman

This too may seem a little harsh considering that no receiver scored a touchdown and Tillman stripped the ball from T.J. Houshmanzedah. But Nate Burlson had 108 yards receiving and there were players open on nearly every play.

And what really ticks me off… On the Julius Jones touchdown reception, Charles Tillman had the opportunity to make the tackle. But instead of wrapping up and bringing down, he tried to rip the ball loose. Unfortunately, he failed and Jones scampered the remaining 20 yards for the score.

I like his attempt at forcing turnovers, but not if they negative result is allowing touchdowns, that in my mind is totally unacceptable. I know thats the player he is and in works sometimes, the second half strip being a good example, but I penalize him for allowing that score.

Bowman played well once the receiver made the catch as he led the team in tackles with eight.

Grade: C

 

Safeties: Kevin Payne, Al Afalava and Danieal Manning

I put three in here because each of them seem to see a lot of playing time. While I still blame some of the holes in coverage on this unit, they get this high of grade because Al Afalava is turning into a defensive steal in the sixth round.

Manning had seven tackles in the game and Payne recorded three plus a batted ball, but they always seemed to be just a second late on getting to the receivers.

Grade: C+

 

Linebackers: Lance Briggs, Nick Roach, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Jamar Williams

I put all four in here because Hunter left the game with a rib injury in the second half.

While I wasn’t impressed by them in the first half, Lance Briggs is the player of the game in my mind. He finished with six tackles, one pass defended, one interception and a sack. I think he likes his captain status.

Nick Roach played very well when he was forced to play middle linebacker once Hillenmeyer left and Jamar Williams stepped in nicely for Roach when he moved over.

Julius Jones was still open to much but I thought they covered Seahawks tight end John Carlson fairly well as he only had three catches for 28 yards.

Grade: B+

 

Defensive line:

They generated some pressure on Seneca Wallace and got to him twice, once each by Anthony Adams and Mark Anderson but where not as disruptive as needed if this defense is to succeed.

The Seahawks finished the game with over 100 yards rushing combined (Jones had 98 yards himself) and Wallace, who finished with 26/44 for 261 yards, generally had enough time to find an open receiver.

Grade: C+

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter: Brad Maynard

He shanked a kick early but of his four punts, two ended up inside the 20, including a 66 yard BOMB that was downed around the six yard line.

Grade: B

 

Kicker: Robbie Gould

He hit one of two field goals. The miss came when his 53 yard kick fell a little short. His kickoffs generally made it to the goal line but his only touchback came when he kicked off from the 45 yard line following a penalty on one of the touchdowns.

Grade: B-

 

Returner: Johnny Knox/Devin Hester

Knox returned the opening kick off of the game back for 53 yards. The rest of his return’s were only average. Hester’s only return netted nine yards.

Grade: B

 

COACHING: Lovie Smith and Ron Turner

I think that these two did not have their team ready for the second week in a row. Turner called just an OK game, with some moments where you just had to sit there and wonder what the hell he was thinking.

And Lovie… whatever Lovie is currently doing with the defensive scheme, it needs to be adjusted. He blitzed more effectively in the second half which is what he needs to do if the defensive line is not generating enough pass rush.

But I will say this, one of my biggest problems the last few years has been the lack of halftime adjustments.

It always seemed that the opposing team would come out and dominate the third quarter because Lovie and the rest of the staff failed to make the necessary changes needed.

But that no longer seems to be the case. In the third quarter, the Bears forced two turnovers with a missed field goal sandwiched inbetween and outscored Seattle 10-0.

So I will say it, touche Lovie… Now get these guys prepared for the first quarter of the games.

Grade: B-

 

Overall Grade: C+

It was an ugly win, but at the end of the day, the Bears are still 2-1.

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Bears-Seahawks: Complete Breakdown And Analysis

The Bears head to Seattle this weekend for what should be a pretty exciting game against the Seahawks. Even though Seattle is dealing with some injury issues, going into Qwest Stadium and getting a win is never easy.

But since I am getting this out late, we should get right down to brass tacks…

 

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks: Matt Hasselbeck/Seneca Wallace vs. Jay Cutler

One of the injuries Seattle has to deal with is the cracked rib that Matt Hasselbeck suffered last week against the San Francisco 49ers. It has yet to be determined who will start for them, but backup Seneca Wallace is being prepped to play.

Jay Cutler is coming off a very fine comeback victory over the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers. He looked more calm and collected, and his throws were consistently more accurate. He finished the game 27-of-38 for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

Verdict: Seattle either has an injured starter or a pretty good backup going for them…

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Running backs: Julius Jones vs. Matt Forte

Now this might actually be closer than you think. Julius Jones had a good Week One against the St. Louis Rams with 117 rush yards that included a couple breakaway runs. 

In Week Two, he couldn’t muster much against the 49ers defense, but he did catch a short touchdown pass from Wallace.

Forte, on the other hand, has been ineffective through the first two weeks. To be fair, one of those weeks was against the vaunted Steelers defense, but Bears fans everywhere are still waiting and praying for the Matt Forte of last year to arrive.

Verdict: Jones is a cagey vet, but Forte is facing a defense that allowed 200+ yards to Frank Gore last week.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Wide Receivers: Nate Burleson/T.J. Houshmandzadeh vs. Devin Hester/Earl Bennett

Housh has yet to make into the end zone this year, but you can never sleep on him. He is excellent at gaining separation from defensive backs, and his hands allow him to catch passes most others couldn’t.

Burleson, in my opinion, is one of the more underrated second-tier receivers in the league. He is athletic and smart and always seems to be in on plays. His only problem has been injuries, one of which kept him out for basically the entire season last year.

For the Bears, both Hester and Bennett have outplayed expectations (at least MY expectations).

While neither did much in terms of yards/catches against the Steelers, Bennett had seven receptions in his first game and Hester had a solid first game plus a big third down conversion on one of the final drives of the game against the Steelers.

Verdict: Life might be made more difficult by the injuries at QB for the ‘Hawks, but we are just comparing receivers. And despite the Bears continued improvements at that position…

ADVANTAGE: SEAHAWKS

Tight End: John Carlson vs Greg Olsen

If you had asked me this question during training camps, I would have said that Olsen is the clear-cut winner. But two weeks and several key drops into the season, Carlson has been the much better player.

In two weeks, Carlson is the Seahawks leading receiver in terms of catches (12), yards (141) and touchdowns (2).

In two weeks, Greg Olsen has not even been the most prolific tight end on his own team. Kellen Davis has five catches for 38 yards and a touchdown. Olsen has four receptions for 49 yards, zero touchdowns and at least four drops.

Verdict: This might be different by the end of the year if Olsen can get it together but as of right now, this one is to easy.

ADVANTAGE: SEAHAWKS

 

Offensive line: Seattle vs. Chicago

I won’t name all 10 starters, partly because it is obnoxious and partly because I am not qualified to judge every starter on Seattle’s line.

For them, I look at the numbers, and they show that the running game is averaging 4.1 yards per carry and there has only been one sack of a Seattle QB.

For Chicago, their running game has averaged 2.7 yards per carry and have given up four sacks.

I also believe that left guard Frank Omiyale has under performed so far this year. I know that he is better when he is pulling and can get out into space and I am hoping, with time, he improves on his interior blocking. But I am hoping that time comes soon.

Verdict: It pains me. I realize that while the Packers and 49ers are pretty even, the Bears faced the Steelers while Seahawks faced the Rams. But regardless, three of the sacks against the Bears came in the Packers game, so what does that tell you?

ADVANTAGE: SEAHAWKS

DEFENSE:

Cornerbacks: Ken Lucas/Kelly Jennings vs. Charles Tillman/Nathan Vasher

Lucas is actually questionable for this game with a groin injury, although expect him to play and Kelly Jennings is filling in for starter Josh Wilson, who is out with an ankle injury.

If Lucas can’t go, then look for Travis Fisher to play, despite the fact that he is also trying to shake off a hamstring problem.

Lucas is a savvy vet and should play all right, but Jennings has only one season as a starter under his belt and that was from 2007. His job will more than likely be defending Earl Bennett while they let Lucas use his experience to frustrate Hester.

Charles Tillman recorded the first turnover of the year for the Bears last week when he intercepted a Roethlisberger pass in the first half. He is still working his way back from off season back surgery, but it was good to seem him making plays on the field.

Zachary Bowman was fairly quiet even though he played more against the Steelers than he did versus the Packers. Bowman’s ball skills and athleticism should keep in most plays but his inexperience is a factor to keep in mind.

Verdict: If Lucas plays, that gives the Seahawks the edge in experience, but the Bears still have their two starters from week one plus an edge in depth.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Safeties: Deon Grant/Jordan Babineaux vs. Danieal Manning/Al Afalava

Grant is one of those players who is a steady, reliable starter. In fact, this will be Grants 131 consecutive start in the NFL. He has started in every game of every season since 2001. He played for the Panthers, Jaguars, and Seahawks and has recorded 23 career interceptions. Model of consistency.

Babineaux has not had quite the same success but is still a pretty reliable player. He has not started an entire season, but this is his sixth year in the NFL, all with Seattle, and has six career interceptions.

I will point out though that both Grant and Babineaux spent some of their time last Sunday trying to catch up to Frank Gore, who gashed the Seahawks defense to the tune of 207 rushing yards on a mere 16 carries.

Manning and Afalava again lack their counterparts’ experience, but they do make up for it in terms of athletic abilities. Manning has become an excellent blitzer and Afalava, who is a rookie sixth-round pick, has proven that he, unlike many of our previous safeties (i.e. Adam Archuleta) can make tackles.

In the span of five plays, Afalava stuff Willie Parker for a short gain, made a picture-perfect tackle on Steelers tight end Heath Miller after a gain of only three yards, and a touchdown saving tackle at the goal line on Mewelde Moore.

Verdict: Experience vs. Youth… you be in the judge.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Linebackers: Will Herring, Lofa Tatupu, and Aaron Curry vs Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach

The catch here is that Tatupu is doubtful for the game with a hamstring injury. The Seahawks are already without starting WLB LeRoy Hill, and if you’re missing two of your starting linebackers, including your MLB, then well, you are where the Bears are at.

Curry was arguably the best pick in this year’s draft, but combine his two starts from this year with the number of career starts for David Hawthorne (Tatupu’s backup) and Herring’s before this year and it equals a total of four total starts… Ouch.

Lance Briggs is a Pro Bowler and while Hillenmeyer and Roach started the season as back ups, both have had experience in the starter’s role.

Hillenmeyer started as the strong side linebacker from 2005 to midway through the 2008 season. And Roach finished last season as the strong side linebacker.

Verdict: Even though the Bears are without Urlacher and Tinoisamoa, if Tatupu doesn’t play, the Seahawks are in trouble.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Defensive line:

Corey Redding, Brandon Mebane, Colin Cole and Patrick Kerney vs Adewale Ogunleye, Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams and Alex Brown

Mebane is listed as questionable on the injury report, but he participated in practice, so I expect him to be out there.

Redding and Kerney are solid defensive ends, both with a lot of experience at getting to the QB. Redding should be used to the Bears, as he spent six seasons with the Detroit Lions before being traded this past off-season.

Mebrane missed a start with a calf injury, but if he plays, he will should help in trying to stop Matt Fote. The weak link might be Colin Cole, who had a total of eight starts in his previous seven seasons in the NFL.

The Bears D-line has already showed improvement from last season, as both Brown and Ogunleye have recorded two sacks each through the first two games. Brown also hurried Roethlisberger into an interception last game that altered the momentum.

Before that interception, which was the third play of the second quarter, the Steelers had racked up 144 yards of total offense. After that play, the Steelers gained a 164 yads for the rest of the game.

Tommie Harris has shown flashes of big play ability but still does not look like his old self yet. Adams on the other hand, has been a pleasant surprise in the starting role. He has been successful in disrupting the rushing offenses of both the Packers and Steelers and at one point pressured Roethlisberger right into the waiting arms of Alex Brown.

Verdict: Both have solid lines, but the Bears have given up 181 rushing yards in two games. The Seahawks gave up over 200 in just one game.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

OVERALL:

I left out special teams and coaching because while I think the Bears have the superior special teams, I am still not sold on Lovie/Ron Turner.

The Seahawks are hurting, but the Bears spent most of last season not winning two games in a row. A lot of win one… lose one… win one… lose one.

But despite the home field advantage, look for the Bears to pull this one out…

Bears 27, Seahawks 20

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Who is The Most Important Player on the Chicago Bears Defense?

During one of the biggest offseasons in their history, the Chicago Bears elected to part ways with long time (and admittedly oft injured) free safety Mike Brown. While we can debate the merits of that decision forever, it left the Bears with a hole to fill, both in terms of safety play and in on-the-field leadership.

While the Bears have been working with Daneial Manning and Kevin Payne at the free safety spot, the on-field leadership was supposed to fall all on star middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Urlacher however suffered a season ending wrist injury in the first half of the opening week’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

That left an even larger hole that one, or more likely, several players will have to take over.

Lance Briggs was made the defensive captain in place of Urlacher, and while he is fully capable of shouldering that load, the defense still needs that emotional leader that was lost when Mike Brown was let go.

To put it simply, Mike Brown was the catalyst for the Bears defense. When he would make a play, it was like giving the entire defense a shot of adrenaline.

Alex Brown has that same quality.

The Steelers were dominating the game up until Brown got a hit on Big Ben, which led directly to a Charles Tillman interception. From there on out, Pittsburgh had trouble moving the ball. Brown added two more sacks in that game.

He had four sacks in a primetime game against the New York Giants in 2004. He blocked a Green Bay Packers field goal to keep the Bears alive in a game they eventually won at the end of the 2008 season. That victory kept the Bears in the playoff race, albeit briefly.

What is more, he has dealt with adversity like a champion. In 2007, Alex Brown lost his starting spot to second year player Mark Anderson. While there was denying that Anderson had a terrific season the year before, Brown was demoted after suffering an injury. 

When he returned, the starting position had been handed to Anderson without any real chance for competition, which is the normal rule of thumb.

As it turned out, Brown worked hard and kept at it and won his starting spot back after outperforming Anderson that year.

He is a clutch, steady performer who has continued to improve every year.

He suffered an injury near the end of the Steeler game but is still expected to play this weekend. The time has come for him to step up and be a leader for the team, both on and off the field. 

If Alex Brown succeeds, then the defense does also.

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Bears Super Bowl Chances Hinge On O-Line Improving.

There is the old football adage, “The game is won in the trenches,” and that is most certainly the case for the 2009 Chicago Bears.

But so far, the offensive line has not lived up to expectations.

Obviously, there first two games were played against powerhouses in the Packers and Steelers, but if those games are any indication, Jay Cutler and Matt Forte could be in for a long season.

While Cutler has only been sacked three times through the first two games, he has had to scramble on many occasions and looks to be under pressure on almost every play.

In the Steelers game, Cutler threw at least seven passes off his back foot as he was moving away from the rush. The good thing is, he still has a rocket for an arm even when backpedaling.

In contrast to that, there were several times where Ben Roethlisberger had time to go through each of his reads, re-tie his shoes, text his girlfriend, and then throw a pass before he even noticed the Bears were trying to get to him.

I know that one of the perks to bringing in Cutler was his mobility to keep plays alive with his feet, but just because he has that skill doesn’t mean we have to make him use it so much.

Add to that the complete lack of a rushing game the first two weeks, and a lot of eyes now move to the newcomers on the line.

Orlando Pace is a future Hall of Famer; that said, his Hall of Fame years ended about two seasons ago. He has performed all right, but he needs to get a little more physical than he has been. He did get out in front on a play to the left side and completely blew up a corner coming in, but now he needs to do that to linebackers and defensive ends too.

Chris Williams is entering his second year, his first as a starter. While he hasn’t played poorly, on run plays he never seems to get much of a push—and that is true of all the starters, Olin Kreutz and Roberto Garza included. On run plays, they do not push the defensive line back at all.

The last lineman, and the one who has underperformed the most, is Frank Omiyale. Omiyale was brought in from the Carolina Panthers and was expected to dominate the battle for left guard. However, former starter Josh Beekman played just as well, if not better throughout training camp and the first preseason game.

Yet for some reason (cough ::$$$:: cough), Omiyale was moved into the starter’s role for the second preseason game against the Giants and has been there ever since.

While I support Omiyale and admit that his physical makeup and athletic abilities are impressive, he was absolutely dominated in the opening week by Packers defensive end Cullen Jenkins.

The most obvious occurrence was on one play during the game where Omiyale just totally whiffed on a block, allowing Jenkins to stuff Forte in the backfield for a three-yard loss. That is just completely unacceptable.

To be fair, it is not just Omiyale; the entire line has to improve. But if they don’t, we could be looking at a Caleb Hanie/Adrian Peterson offensive backfield at some point this season.

I realize that this unit is still meshing and learning, but I will make a prediction: If at least the run game doesn’t improve by Week Five, which is the Bears’ bye week, they will be looking at a .500 season, and Lovie Smith will be looking for a new job by season’s end.

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Chicago Bears Report Card: Week Two Vs Pittsburgh Steelers

So it was an ugly win, but I will take it.

First off, “Good as Gould” is the greatest clutch kicker in Chicago Bears history. The man is money… Takes notes Jeff Reed.

Second, whatever was up with Soldier Field, either they need to fix the turf or the Bears should have been wearing longer cleats because people were slipping and sliding as if they were on an ice rink.

Third, THAT IS THE JAY CUTLER WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR. God that was nice to see.

On to the grades:

OFFENSE
Quarterbacks: A

Like last week, I go overboard except this time it is for the better. The first couple drives were pitiful and caused some personal anxiety.

After that though, Cutler really picked it up. He seemed to see the field better than last week and used some check down options. He also managed to avoid the rush and make good decisions under pressure.

And he led them down the field with three minutes left to set up the winning field goal. He gets an A in my book.

Running back: D+

Listen, I know that the Steelers run defense is amazing, but Forte/A.P. were mostly invisible.

A.P have one nice run but also dropped a pass and Forte was shut down for the most part but on the one play where he took the screen pass pretty far, he fumbled.

There isn’t to much to say here. Hopefully we can get it going next week in Seattle but it seems to me that Ron Turner is pretty much intent on getting off the bus throwing the football.

Wide Receivers: B+

There were some drops but overall this unit made plays when it needed to.

And by this unit, I mean Johnny Knox. If we were grading players, Knox would have gotten and A/A- and the rest of the receivers would have gotten a C.

The game ball goes to Knox in my opinion. He was open all over the field, he made some difficult catches and he just looked ridiculous. Knox finished with 70 yards and a touchdown.

Hester had a key first down reception on the final drive but heard little from both him and Earl Bennett this game.

Tight Ends: B-

Olsen had SEVERAL drops but made up for it with a couple nice catches on both the last touchdown drive and the winning field goal.  Kellen Davis’ touchdown was huge and he stepped right in and filled the void left by Dez Clark’s injury.

This could be the changing of the guards in terms of the tight end position. Davis looked solid and reliable as a competent No. 2 next to Olsen. As long as his blocking improves, he should be in the tight end rotation consistently.

Offensive line: C+

Another fairly unspectacular performance. While they managed to give Cutler just enough time to throw the ball, the lack of a running game falls mostly on their shoulders. Pace still looks a step to slow at times and there were a couple more penalties on the O-Line then there were last game.

On the flip side, Cutler was sacked only once. Against the Steelers D, that is a major success.

DEFENSE
Cornerbacks: C

I know Tillman had the interception and that they played the cover two for most of the time, but Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward were open a lot.

Zachary Bowman, in his first pro start, was not overly impressive but he did not give up the big play, so that’s a plus.

It just seems that this soft cover two leaves much to be desired… and by that I mean, it sure seems like wide receivers are open on almost every play.

Safeties: C+

OK, seriously for that first half I was screaming at Danieal Manning through the TV. It wasn’t even funny. If you watch the replay of the first Steelers touchdown, he bit hard on the play action and let the tight end, his only responsibility, run right past him. Unacceptable.

Kevin Payne looked alright although he missed a couple tackles in the secondary.

Al Afalava still looks like a stud. He was unable to shed a block every now and then, but he fills the hole nicely.

Grade would be higher if it wasn’t for the fact that the Steelers peeled off some big runs there in the second half.

Linebackers: B

I give a B because this group stepped up and played big despite missing two starters. Hillenmeyer showed emotion and played hard.

Lance Briggs was the Bears leading tackler and Nick Roach did pretty well considering that Steelers tight end Heath Miller only had three receptions.

While the Steelers did eclipse 100 yards rushing, you still didn’t hear a lot from “Fast” Willie Parker. I will say that Rashard Mendenhall looks to be dangerous for the next couple of years.

Defensive line: B-

I know this might be a little harsh. We held the Steelers to 14 points. We chased Big Ben around a little but really, the Bears front four should have been all over him. There were plays when Roethlisberger had all day to throw. I mean he could go through his progression and had enough time to look at every receiver twice before he got rid of it.

Props to Alex Brown for two big sacks before he got hurt. That marks the second week in a row when a Bears defensive end recorded two sacks.

Points did get taken off for several penalties including a couple offsides and a bad unnecessary roughness call on Mark Anderson after a play was dead which was also inexcusable.

SPECIAL TEAM
Punter: B

Maynard was his usual reliable self although some of his punts did not get the hang time needed because Steelers return man Stefan Logan had a couple decent returns.

Kicker: A+

Robbie nailed the winning field goal and also kicked the ball nearly out of the end zone. “Good as Gould”

Returners: C

Hester/Knox didn’t make in insane plays. But they didn’t cough the ball up either and for the most part ran the ball forwards.

Coverage: B-

As I said, Logan had a couple decent returns but Rashied Davis has the strip on the final kickoff and Craig Steltz recovered, so all is forgiven.

Coaching: B-

The defense started on their heels and when Big Ben had time, he normally found the right guy to throw the ball too. But they held fast and admittedly, got lucky when Jeff Reed missed two field goals.

The offense started slow but picked up as the game progressed. But the lack of run game is still a little disturbing. Turner needs to make this a focal point in this weeks practice.

Overall: B-

It was a tough, hard fought win, with a little luck to boot. But a victory against the defending champs is a plus in my book.

Bear Down

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Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears: A Complete Break Down and Analysis

The defending Champion Pittsburgh Steelers roll into Chicago, fresh off a win over their conference rival, the Tennessee Titans and are looking to go 2-0.

The Chicago Bears are on the opposite end of the spectrum after losing their opening game to division rival the Green Bay Packers and losing defensive captain and face of the franchise, Brian Urlacher.

Lets see who has the advantage:

 

OFFENSE

Quarterback:

Ben Roethlisberger vs Jay Cutler

Roethlisberger continues to be the king of the fourth quarter. Big Ben went 16-18 in the fourth quarter and overtime, for 171 yards. That is an 88% completion percentage in crunch time. YIKES! 

He also continues to be the hardest quarterback in the NFL to sack. He is not the most elusive, but being bigger than most linebackers that are rushing him gives him an advantage in shaking off tackles.

Jay Cutler is coming off a putrid performance against the Packers in which he threw four interceptions. The good news? He played much better in the second half of the Packer game. Bad news? He is facing a much better defense in the Steelers.

You think Cutler looked rushed most of the game last week, just wait to see how fast he has to get rid of some of these passes when the Steelers blitz.

Verdict: Cutler will do better than last week, but so might Big Ben.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Running backs:

Willie Parker/Rashard Mendenhall vs Matt Forte

Speaking of putrid, the total net rushing yardage from Steeler running backs last week was 33 yards (That includes eight yards from Mewelde Moore). Fast Willie Parker accumulated 19 rushing yards on 13 carries, a scant 1.5 yards per carry.

To be fair, the Titans defense is one to be reckoned with, but they did lose Albert Haynesworth in the offseason so you think that the Steelers could have mounted some sort of running game.

On the flip side, Matt Forte also had a disappointing game, rushing 25 times for 55 yards, a mere 2.5 yards per carry. And what was more, he had no receptions. This coming a season after pulling in 60. Don’t look for that to repeat itself this game (at least the receptions).

Verdict: Steelers have a one-two punch but Forte is dual threat. Plus Troy Polamalu will not be playing this game. While the Bears will be missing Urlacher, Lance Briggs is still the best linebacker on the team. Polamalu is the best player on the whole Steelers D.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Wide Receivers:

Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward vs Devin Hester and Earl Bennett

Santonio Holmes provides the flash and Hines Ward is the most physical receiver in the NFL. Look for Big Ben to be eyeing these two all night. They combined for 234 yards and a touchdown last week against the Titans defense.

Devin Hester and Earl Bennett actually performed better than expected last game combining for 156 yards and a touchdown, although Bennett did have a drop or two.

Verdict: Still not that close.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Tight Ends:

Heath Miller vs Greg Olsen

Miller was a constant target for Big Ben all of last year and it didn’t look like much has changed judging from his week one performance: eight catches for 64 yards. Miller is also a decent blocking tight end which makes his dual abilities, especially in the red zone, something the Bears linebackers/free safety will have to watch.

Greg Olsen did not really show up for the Bears in week one. He ended up with one catch for a measly eight yards although he mostly drew double coverage. Look for the Bears offense to open up with some passes to both him and Forte to get Cutler in rhythm early.

Plus, if Olsen can draw double coverage from the Steelers defense, it should help open up passing lanes to the Bears wide receivers or the other tight end (in this case, Kellen Davis or Michael Gaines). And Olsen’s numbers will improve. He is to good a player to be held down for to long.

Verdict: Miller has the consistency, Olsen has the potential.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Offensive line:

Steelers O-Line vs Bears O-Line

This is where the battle will be won or lost. The Steelers offensive line has not exactly been the model of solid, although they receive the benefits of having Big Ben playing behind them. Roethlisberger was sacked a total of 46 times last season. That is in contrast to the Bears line, which allowed Kyle Orton to be sacked 27 times.

Their rushing stats are nearly identical:

• Steelers running backs last year: 409 carries for 1549 yards and 10 TD’s (Average of 3.8 yards per carry)
• Bears running backs last year: 396 carries for 1542 yards and 10 TD’s (Average of 3.9 yards per carry)

In week one of this year, neither rushing attack got off to a strong start. The Steelers accumulated 36 rush yards while the Bears 86. Roethlisberger was sacked four times and Cutler was sacked twice. But to be fair, the Titans defense is superior to the Packers defense.

Verdict: Neither was that impressive

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

Defense

Cornerbacks:

Ike Taylor and William Gay vs Charles Tillman and Zachary Bowman

Taylor is entering his fifth year as a starter for the Steelers and while he doesn’t make a ton of interceptions, his coverage skills are complimented nicely by the Steelers defensive backs.

Gay is in his first full season as a starter. He had the game sealing interception in a victory over the Ravens last year that secured the AFC North title. He is fast and quick although a little on the shorter side at only 5’10”.

Charles Tillman is still coming off back surgery he had right before training camp. He looked solid against the Packers last week and hopefully will only improve as he gets more reps.

Bowman actually played last week, but was not in during crunch time (such as the 50-plus yard TD pass to Greg Jennings) as he is still recovering from a strained hamstring. Lovie has already said Bowman will get more playing time this week and he will have his hands full with these two receivers.

Verdict: Taylor and Gay aren’t spectacular, but then Tillman and Bowman are still recovering and Bowman has only played in two career NFL games.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Free Safety/Strong Safety:

Tyrone Carter and Ryan Clark vs Kevin Payne and Danieal Manning

Carter is filling in for injured starter and perennial pro bowler, Troy Polamalu. And while losing Polamalu hurts, Carter is a starter quality player. He has filled in for the Steelers defensive backfield off and on for the past five seasons. There will be some drop off, but not as big of one as most Bears fans would hope.

Clark has been a consistent player during his tenure in Pittsburgh, although often overshadowed by fan favorite Polamalu, Clark has the ability to come up and make a stop and to also get back and provide over the top help for the corners.

Kevin Payne is entering his second year as the full time strong safety. His tackling has gotten better but there is still room to improve.

Manning had himself a pretty solid game last week recording a safety on Packer QB Aaron Rodgers. His speed and quickness give him the ability to never be out of a play but his instincts are still developing, especially on play action passes.

Both Tyrone Carter and Danieal Manning are on their respective teams injury reports. The Steelers have Carter on there as a non injury related, so expect him to start and play with no problems.

Manning on the other hand was limited in practice. Expect rookie Al Afalava to get some looks, as he did last week.

Verdict: Bears have the youth, Steelers have the experience…even with Polamalu.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Linebackers:

Lamar Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, and James Harrison vs Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, and Nick Roach

To be fair, the Bears suffered injuries to Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa in the opening week. If those two were playing Sunday, I would push this, but come on, I know Lawrence Timmons hasn’t been able to practice much, but this isn’t even fair.

Urlacher is done for the season and Pisa is out for a couple weeks at least. I don’t even need to explain anymore.

Verdict: A foregone conclusion

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

Defensive Line:

Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel vs Adewale Ogunleye, Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams and Alex Brown

Smith, Hampton and Keisel are about as solid of a group ofthree defensive lineman as you can get. And really when it comes down to it, Harrison or Woodley will be coming on every play anyway (Yeah, I know, odds are several linebackers, a safety and maybe a corner will be crossing the line of scrimmage on almost every play).

And trying to run the ball against this unit is nearly impossible.

On the other side, the Bears D line showed up last week. Or at least Adewale Ogunleye did with two sacks plus he hit Rodgers on about three or four other plays. Tommie Harris looked a little sluggish but the Packers couldn’t muster much of a passing game either and the constant pressure led to some over thrown balls by the Packers QB.

Verdict: Might be generous here, but after last week and against this Steelers O-line, I know the Bears D will be getting after Roethlisberger.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS (and this is because Woodley is considered a LB, if it was a 4-3 defense with him there on an end, it would be advantage Steelers or a push at worst)

 

Special Teams

Kicker:

Jeef Reed vs Robbie Gould

Listen, both are clutch, both are experienced and while Reed might have a little longer distance, Gould has the accuracy.

Verdict: If it comes down to a final kick, don’t count on either one of them missing.

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Punter:

Daniel Sepulveda vs Brad Maynard

Sepulveda sent four of his seven punts last game inside the 20 yard line. What is more, as a rookie, he punted 68 punts last season and only two of them ended as touchbacks. That is impressive.

Maynard only punted four times against the Packers but landed two of them inside the 20 yard line. Out of his own 96 punts last season (I still can’t get over that insanely high number) he had 40 of them downed inside the 20 with only five touchbacks.

Verdict: What do you think?

ADVANTAGE: PUSH

 

Returner:

Stefan Logan vs Devin Hester/Danieal Manning

Stefan Logan is a 28-year-old rookie. He took some time off after high school before eventually enrolling at South Dakota. He spent a little time in the CFL and made the Steelers roster after a fairly impressive preseason.

A track star in college, you know this man can bring the speed.

Hester has still yet to get on track returning punts since his first two years in the league, but Manning has continued to flash and speed on kickoffs.

Verdict: Logan has some potential, but Hester and Manning have both taken kicks back to the house.

ADVANTAGE: BEARS

 

Coaching:

Mike Tomlin vs Lovie Smith

Tomlin has won a Super Bowl and coupled with Dick LeBeau, has continued making the Steelers defense one of the best, if not the best in the NFL.

While Lovie has taken the Bears to a Super Bowl, his assistant coaching hires and personal decisions have placed him on the hot seat this year.

Verdict: I like Lovie… but he is going to have to prove to me he is a better coach.

ADVANTAGE: STEELERS

 

So in conclusion, I am still picking the Bears to win because I always pick with my heart. But if it came down to stats and logic, the Steelers would win in a waltz.

But since logic generally escapes me: Bears 23 Steelers 20

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Do All Bear Fans A Favor Tony Dungy, Mike Martz, and Jim Mora- Shut-Up.

OK, I get it- Tony Dungy is an amazing coach.

Not only that, but he is a great, stand-up guy who believes in second chances. I wouldn’t be surprised if he can also walk on water.

He won a Super Bowl and so did Mike Martz as an offensive coordinator. Jim Mora Sr. has also been a coach for longer than I have been alive.

All that aside, I am tired of hearing from these men.

Dungy came out in June and openly questioned Jay Cutler. He talked about his immaturity and lack of leadership. Fine, I could deal with that. Cutler whined his way out of Denver, so he deserved to be criticized to some extent.

But now I turn on NFL.com and have to listen to Mike Martz and Jim Mora bash Cutler for a “poor” post game interview.

The Sun Times ran a good article here that breaks down exactly what they said.

But seriously, I did not hear anything wrong with Cutler’s post game talk. In fact, I kind of liked what I heard. Sure, I wish he had shown more anger about his sub-par performance, but I liked the fact that he clearly isn’t going to dwell on what happened last game.

Several times throughout the course of Rex Grossman’s roller coaster career in Chicago, he would have a bad game and the media would just blast him relentlessly and it was obvious that Rex would take it to heart. He would go out the next game and overcompensate for the past mistakes (which often led to more mistakes).

But not Jay.

Believe me when I say this, I was disgusted with Cutler’s performance this past weekend. I thought it was abysmal and nearly vomit inducing. But you know what, I like his attitude. I like the fact he is looking forward to next week already. I just hope that means he will do the same after he has a good game (which will happen).

And while we are on the subject of maturity, I will be even more honest. I don’t care if Cutler seems “immature” during post game interviews. I could care less that he isn’t Tom Brady or Peyton Manning. All I care about, is if he can go out there and play well for the Bears week in and week out.

And these coaches that are ripping him- do we need to look at their own resumes? I mean first off, Tony Dungy is talking a lot about being mature and a leader, while he’s been lobbying for a convicted felon to be reinstated.

Let me say, I am all for second chances and I wish Michael Vick the best of luck (except on November 22) for the remainder of his career. But he was the main man in Atlanta. He was their No. 1 pick; the face of the franchise and he blew it, both for himself and the franchise as a whole.

Yet Dungy goes out there and questions Cutler’s maturity?

Next is Mike Martz. Do I even need to discuss Mike Martz? I mean this man had one good coaching year and has plain stunk it up when he didn’t have a Pro Bowl caliber QB/RB/WR. And the only reason he mentions Jay Cutler, is so he can back up his good buddy and former fellow assistant coach Lovie Smith.

Finally, Jim Mora. It is actually rather amusing to hear Mora say, “When I saw that post game press conference last night, I thought he looked completely immature.”

I’m sorry Jim, I forgot that your definition of a “mature” press conference needs to include profanity laced rants about how everyone played like “horseshit” (as he has done in the past).

Listen, could Jay have handled it better? I guess so. But I, as a Bears fan, was glad to see him shaking off the loss already.

I don’t care if my QB is voted the most popular or the nicest. Jim McMahon wasn’t exactly a poster child for the Nobel Peace Prize and he still ended up doing pretty well.

So as long as Cutler comes back this week and shows improvement, then that is all I care about.

Of course, if he wins and then doesn’t sound like he was REALLY happy to win, I am sure we will hear about it from our panel of perfect ex-coaches on next week’s show.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Breaking News: Chicago Bears To Sign Rod Hood

According to Chicago Tribue writer Vaughn McClure and Chicago Sun Times reporter Brad Biggs, the Bears will sign free agent CB Rod Hood on Tuesday. Hood was just recently released by the Cleveland Browns.

Hood, who played last season for the Super Bowl runners up Arizona Cardinals, originally visited with the team during the summer but chose to sign with Cleveland instead.

The Browns released him this past week and while neither side has said much, Hood made one interesting comment. “You know what, from growing up I have always been told when you can’t say anything good about something, don’t say nothing at all.”

Hood’s addition to the Bears defensive backfield should solidify the arguably weakest position on the Bears team. A veteran of six years, Hood brings leadership, experience and most importantly, durability to a position that has seen more than its fair share of starters as of late.

Before signing with Arizona following the 2006 season, Hood played four seasons with the Eagles, where he played in two NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl, before heading off to the Cardinals after his rookie contract ran up.

This signing should serve notice to current Bears backup corner Trumaine McBride who had an under performing year following a promising rookie season and a poor training camp. Look for the Bears to cut McBride as early as tomorrow or as late as September 5th, which is the day rosters must be cut down to 53 players.

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