Should I Have Woken up for Week One?

Wow, what a way to start the season, huh?

And I thought watching preseason games was disappointing.

I have a buddy who lives in Denver, and after Jay Cutler threw his third interception of the first half, I texted him and said, “Can we have (Kyle) Orton back?”

Who would have thought any texts like that would have been sent out back when they announced the trade?

I hate to say it, but I think we would have won that game had Kyle Orton been our quarterback. The only throw that Orton might not have been able to make was the touchdown to Hester, but Hester was so wide open that I have to believe that Orton still might have made that play.

I know it’s only one game and I’m not throwing in the towel yet. I believe that Green Bay is a fairly good team. I do not believe they are a Super Bowl contender like some “experts” are predicting, but they are definitely in the same class (maybe a tad bit higher) than this Bears team.

But it is a little frightening, with all the lead up to the start of the season—the new quarterback, the “underrated” receiving corps, Matt Forte’s “emergence” as a star—that the Bears couldn’t muster up anything better.

I liked the fact that the Bears threw the ball downfield, but did not like that it appeared that Cutler and his receivers were not anywhere near being on the same page.

I know these are wrinkles that we see during the early weeks, but they are not wrinkles that you tend to see from the better teams in the NFL. I am not saying they can’t come back from this, but I’m just a little worried.  That’s all.

Now, with Pittsburgh coming to town, I really don’t know what to think. Sure, it helps that Troy Polamalu is going to be out, but will it help enough? Doubtful. I was hoping the Bears would pull out a victory against the Packers in Week One, eliminating the pressure on the team to not fall to 0-2.

Now, they have to come out and execute their offensive plans perfectly in order to have a chance to get to .500. Starting off 0-2 is not a death sentence in the NFL, but if Minnesota and Green Bay start off 2-0 (Green bay gets Cincinnati and Minnesota has Kansas City), it could be a steep hill to climb getting back into the division race, especially with a tougher-than-thought third game at Seattle.

What I would like to see the Bears get back to (against Pittsburgh) is getting the ball in Matt Forte’s hands on the outside. Throw some screen passes, get him some extended handoff passes (where the quarterback and running back are moving right at the snap, rolling out to one side and Cutler would throw it to Forte almost right away with blockers ahead of him). Doing that will open up Olsen a little more in the middle of the field and also allow them to run the play action and throw the ball deep.

From Cutler, I would like to see a little more fluidity in his decision making. In his defense, we can never truly know if those interceptions were more on him throwing to the wrong spot or the receivers running the wrong routes.

I still believe he should have seen that nobody was in the area, but who really knows what is going on during the plays? If he can get into a rhythm with his receivers, find Olsen a little more, and get the ball to Forte on the outside, the Bears could put up some points on the Steelers’ defense. 

With Polamalu out, Cutler should be able to take advantage of the middle of the field and also on some deep balls.

I liked how Knox looked on his two catches and think his and Hester’s speed should be utilized on the field on the same plays. Let them both run go routes on each side of the field with Forte in the flat and Olsen hovering in the middle of the field about seven yards out—giving Cutler a decision to go deep to either Hester or Knox or check down to Olsen or Forte. Jay should feel a little more confident throwing the ball deep without the ballhawking of Polamalu.

It is going to be a tall task going up against the Super Bowl champions, but these are the games that we need to win to prove we are contenders and these games are the exact reason we brought in Jay Cutler. He needs to show the Chicago fans (and his teammates) that he is a true leader and winner.

The one thing I don’t want to see from him is smiling on the sidelines after he throws his third interception of the first half. I did not take too well to that and believe that moment showed me everything I need to know about Cutler. I understand you can have confidence in your abilities, but he just doesn’t show that the game truly matters to him yet. I hope he proves me wrong.

My prediction: Steelers 24, Bears 10.

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Wake Me Up When Week One Starts

Can we cut it out with all this preseason crap already?  I’m tired of people making a big deal of preseason games, stats, holdouts, mistakes, etc.

 

None of it matters.

 

The only thing that matters in the preseason is the position battles. And, if your team is having a battle for who will start at a certain position that isn’t determined until week three of the preseason, then chances are either person that wins that battle isn’t going to make that much of a difference on your team, anyways.

 

I do understand the importance of getting guys in shape for games, and getting them used to the pace of the game, but aren’t these guys professionals? Haven’t they played football their entire lives? Haven’t they just had three to four months off to relax their minds and bodies, and/or to get into shape for the upcoming season?

I tell you what, why don’t they have a training camp and preseason scenario in the business world, as well. I’d love to get a few months off in the winter/spring months, come back for a training camp atmosphere, where we ease our way back into work, only working three to four-hour shifts until we get used to the pace of a nine to five again. 

 

We should also have some new guys/girls “trying out” for our job, as well, so that we have to prove our worth to the company. I don’t know why more companies don’t do this.  It might help weed out the slackers.

 

But, I digress.

 

Everyone always makes the point that “it’s just preseason” or “these games don’t really matter,” yet they talk about them like it’s the Super Bowl. And because guys look good against the other team’s third stringer/next-to-get-cut guys, they’re ready to appoint them the next big thing in the NFL.

 

As a man, I love watching football. That is a given. But, for some reason, I just can’t get down with preseason football. It’s not the game. It’s not the way they play. It’s just because I know it’s preseason and the games don’t matter. 

 

Everyone is free to enjoy them on their own, but we all don’t want to hear about how this guy is going to be the next big deal, or how this team is going to have a great year because they went 4-0 in the preseason.

 

Can’t we agree just to let them play the preseason games and not talk about it so much until week one starts?

 

Nobody likes to watch games (or make a big deal about games) with the likes of Gibran Hamdan, Isaac Redman, Lynell Hamilton, and Marcus Mason leading the way. Do you get excited watching them have good games knowing they won’t see any playing time during the regular season?

 

What good does it do us to talk about games that involve players that won’t ever be mentioned again?

 

I know I will receive hate mail from those few people out there who still care about the preseason. All I will say to you is stop buying what the media is selling. They HAVE to care about preseason football. They are being paid to care about it.

 

You, however, have the option to change the channel or to skim over the box score the next day, rather than waste your time watching the game and making them believe people still care.

 

Let’s put an end to all this preseason football mania. Even the commissioner discussed shortening the preseason. Maybe he is one of us. 

 

Preseason football is such a tease. And, nobody likes teases. Unless, of course it pays off in the end. And, preseason football does not pay off in the end.

Chicago Bears Mail Call: Another Installment

I didn’t get as much of a response as I was hoping, so I thought I’d throw out my email again, because I REALLY do want people to email me about the Bears.  I enjoy talking about the Bears, and love to hear your opinions about my writing, or about the Bears in general.  So, email me your questions/concerns/comments and I will post them in my later editions of Bears Mail Call.

 

My email is ScottOttersen@yahoo.com.  Or, just send me a private message on this site. 

 

Thank you, and let’s get to the few emails I did receive.

 

 

“Whats up Scott and Chicago nation!

 

Huge fan for 22yrs.  I believe DA BEARS will win the North baring no injures.  It will be tough with the vikes and pack looking pretty good, but the vikes don’t have that great of an offense other than AP and the pack’s D is their downfall even though they will be better this year.  DA BEARS receivers are unproven but I think Bennett, Hester, and Olsen will all have 700 plus yards and that is hard for any D to cover.  I am from Omaha , NE so I know what a stud Bowman is.  Dude was once a projected 1^st rounder so lets hope he stays healthy.  Our D line is deep and nasty so hopefully they can stay healthy and make the QB get out of the pocket.  Then you add Forte to the mix with Kevin Jones who came into camp looking ready to try and compete for the starting position (even though it will never happen).  DA BEARS do have a legitimate chance of going to the SB.  Even though our receivers aren’t proven this might be one of the best BEARS team I have seen in a long time.  I think week 2 vs steel-town will let the NFL no where DA BEARS stand.  Man..I hope we start the season off 2-0.
 
Lets flood DA sites with BEARS talk.  Let me know what you think of my take.  email me at baileyXL23@hotmail.com
 
Predictions:  DA BEARS 11-5 or 12-4″

-Adam B.

I am most happy to hear that Bear fandom is spreading across the nation!  I agree that the Bears have a great chance at winning the North, but I wouldn’t sleep on the Vikings offense that much.  I think Sage Rosenfels is underrated as a starting quarterback, and Visanthe Shiancoe is a great TE that can control the middle of the field, and keep safeties honest enough to open the outside up for Berrian and Percy Harvin.  And, with AP running the ball, you are always at risk to give up a touchdown.  It is going to be a tough win this season, but if the Bears play up to potential, they are going to compete for the NFC North title, for sure.

 

“I think this is a sorry excuse for an article.  Why don’t you write about something more important or something that is going on with the actual team, rather than just posting other people’s ideas and thoughts?”

-Mike

Well Mike, I thought this was a refreshing idea for an article, because with the amount of writers on Bleacher Report, it is hard to ever have an original idea come across in your articles.  After I write every article, I always have someone post a comment or send me a message about how they JUST wrote about the same thing, or mentioned my same thoughts in a recent article.  So, instead of writing about the same thing as everyone else, I thought I’d throw out something fresh to everyone.  And, with this, I thought it would be a great way to spread the word about what everyone felt about the Bears, rather than just only reading my personal opinion time and time again.  But, thanks for the comment/question, Mike.  I do appreciate it.  Keep them coming.

 

“Did you catch the game against the Bills?  They looked horrible in the fourth quarter.  Any chance that is the true Bears we saw?”

-Andrew V.

I never put any stock into anything that goes on in a preseason game.  Yes, Cutler threw a pick.  Yes, Basanez cemented his spot at the bottom of the pecking order.  But, we played without Forte and Olsen, and our third and fourth stringers were out on the field most of the game.  Some of the bad plays on offense were those plays that you just can’t do anything about, like the one pick that Basanez threw that went through the receivers hands and bounced right into the hands of the Bills player.  Those types of things happen throughout the season.  I am not worried at all about the game.  Yes, we lost.  But, it was our first preseason game.  It was not the true Bears that we saw out there.  I would ask that everyone stop putting so much stock into the preseason.  It’s just like the NBA preseason where people like JJ Redick win the Summer League MVPs.  It has no effect on the regular season, other than getting the players into game shape.

 

“Do you think Caleb Hanie is a better quarterback than Kyle Orton”

-Allison

Simple answer…yes.

Complex answer…yes.  I don’t think he is far and above a better quarterback, but I do think he is a better fit for being an NFL quarterback.  I think he has a good arm, makes good decisions, and if given the opportunity, could be a playoff quarterback, as long as he had good options to throw to.  I don’t think he can carry an offense, but I do think he can make a good offense better, which is something Kyle Orton can’t do.  He is someone that will maintain the offense.  Orton isn’t going to be the type of player that makes a good receiver great.  I’m not saying Caleb Hanie is that guy, but I think he has a better chance at becoming that guy, if he is ever given the chance.  I don’t see him getting that chance, but he is going to be a good career backup quarterback.

 

“Do you think we would have won that game (the Bears-Bills preseason game) had Forte played, and Lovie given Cutler a few more stabs at it?”

– Justin

I don’t think so.  You never do know, but for a first preseason game, Forte probably only would have played the first series, so it’s unlikely he would have made too much of a difference.  With Cutler playing on that first series with him, the Bears probably would have looked to establish Cutler’s passing more than Forte’s running, so I wouldn’t imagine he would have broken off a nice run to help the Bears score.  As for Cutler playing longer, like I said, it’s the first preseason game, and most coaches just want to get their starters a little bit of playing time to let them get a taste of the action.  The coaches don’t want to overdo it right now.  They are still getting into condition for a full game, so there is no reason to burn a guy out in his debut for a new team.  I don’t think Cutler looked all that great while he was in, so it was the right time to take him out when he did come out.  It would have been nice to let him go for a TD, but it’s just a preseason game.  These games don’t count, and I look forward to him being able to prove himself in the regular season, when the games truly matter.

 

That is all I have for you guys this time around.  I am hoping that more people write to me, so that I can start doing this every week with around 10-15 questions/comments/concerns.  I look forward to reading what you have to say, whether it be good or bad.

The Chicago Bears Season Lies in the Hands (Literally) of Greg Olsen

I’m going to say it…

 

Greg Olsen is, flat out, the Bears’ “X-factor” this season.

 

If he plays at, or above his potential, the Bears could be in for a good ride this season.

 

If he plays below his potential, the Bears could have offensive troubles like they did last year, even with the upgrade at quarterback.

 

In camp, so far, Cutler and Olsen have been clicking together, and seem to be heading for a Manning-Clark or Romo-Witten like relationship, which can only be good news for Bears fans.

 

Coming into the NFL, Olsen was seen as a hybrid TE, like his Miami predecessor Kellen Winslow.  He had speed (for a TE), good hands, good route running ability, and size.  He was going to be the next big thing in Chicago.

 

Thirty-nine catches later (and a few drops), he was on the verge of becoming a bust.

 

He followed up his paltry rookie season with a 54-catch, 574 yard disappointing second season, where the drops and rookie-esque mistakes continued.  But, the people of Chicago were still sticking behind him, and blaming it more on the routes he was being asked to run, and the quarterback who the team couldn’t design breakout plays behind.

 

Going into this season, he has a Pro Bowl quarterback behind the line, no star wide receiver to take catches away from him, and a coaching staff that is ready to turn him into an elite tight end in the NFL.

 

Through only a couple weeks of practice, it would seem that Olsen is going to be the main target this year, with the rest of the receiving corps a question mark.  He is being lined up wide, which is something I think they should have been doing from day one with him.  He has the ability to be a matchup disaster when lined up wide.

And, when he runs through the middle of the field, linebackers and safeties will have to keep their eye on him, which in turn will leave the outside open for Hester and the rest of the Bears wide receivers.  And, with Cutler having a beautiful deep ball, that extra step the Bears receivers will have on the safeties could mean pay dirt in the end.

 

I’m not ready to say that Olsen is going to be the best tight end in the NFL, but now that he has a good quarterback, and a (seemingly) better passing offensive system, he could be in line to be mentioned with the Clarks and Wittens of the league.

 

If Cutler can make Tony Scheffler look like a good tight end, then I have to believe he will work wonders with Greg Olsen.  Coaches and quarterbacks always say that a good running game and a good tight end are their best friends, so Cutler should be the happiest quarterback in the NFL with the situation he has landed himself in.

 

What are your thoughts on Olsen this upcoming season?

My First Bears Mail Call

I decided that I want to hear what other Bears fans think about the upcoming season, what’s going on in training camp, and anything else they might have to say about the Bears.

With that, I decided that once a week or once a month I wanted to do an article where I post questions/comments from other fans that I have talked to, so that we can have a wider perspective on what the fans are thinking, rather than always just hearing from me. 

So, if you have an comment or question you’d like to throw my way, you can send me a message on this site, or you can email me at ScottOttersen@yahoo.com.  I’m always willing to talk sports.

On to the first mail call…

“The Bears are a good wide receiver away from the NFC Championship game.”

“With the acquisition of Jay Cutler, the NFC North just became Bears Central.”

“Rod Marinelli brings experience and good coaching to a D-Line that needed it more than anything else.”

-Charles J.

I got those three beauties from my friend Charles, who also writes on this site (focusing mostly on NASCAR).  I agree that if Cutler plays up to his potential, the NFC North should be a breeze for the Bears.  And, I feel as if they may not even need that “good receiver” to make it to the NFC Championship game.  We will see.

 

“I am holding out hope on this season as of right now.  Sure, Matt Forte had a good rookie season, but there have been plenty of backs that have bad good starts to their careers and then fallen off the map.  Our receivers aren’t polished enough to handle a Pro Bowl quarterback, our defense is aging and battered, and we lost our best asset on special teams.  Everyone forgets about how much of a loss it is to not have Hester returning kicks.”

-James M.

I see where James is coming from about Forte.  I think I saw enough from him in his rookie season to believe he’s not going to “fall off.”  Although, you never do know.  I don’t agree with the strategy the Bears have of limiting his carries, but keeping him healthy is very important to our season. 

And I made the argument about losing Hester as our return man being a big reason why we struggled so much last season.  He supplied us with great field position besides taking back a few kicks for touchdowns in previous seasons. 

Winning the field position battle week in and week out is a main reason why we were so successful in years past.  We need to overcome that hurdle if we are going to get back to that level of success.

 

“Hey Scott, I know you said you would never go to another Bears game in mid-December, but come on we got Cutler, Forte, and it’s Bears-Packers.  I’m going to buy the tickets, and you’re going to freeze your (expletive deleted) off with me.  Remember, the feeling in your toes comes back on the ride home.”

-Mike P.

Yes, that’s a good friend of mine who emailed me when the schedule came out a while back.  I went to a Bears-Packers game a few years back, on Dec. 18.  I tailgated before the game, and before the game even started, I couldn’t feel anything on my body. 

Yes, I was drinking and having a good time, but I knew I would have been more comfortable sitting on my warm couch, in my heated house, not sitting in the way upper deck, and not having to wait 20 minutes just to stand extremely close to two other guys peeing into a urinal. 

If it were September or October, I’d say yes, but I’m not a fan of the cold weather.  Sorry.  I’m just not.

 

“Scott, if you could have your choice of which positions coach you would want to be (for the Bears), which one would you choose, and why?”

-Ted C.

That’s actually a pretty good question.  I haven’t been asked that one before.  In all honesty, I think I’d go for the wide receivers.  I like a challenge.  And, I would like to work with a group that is doubted, and overlooked, so that I could mold them into what I needed them to be, and then take all the credit for their successes. 

And if they failed, then I would have proved that I’m not worth to be a coach in the NFL.  I’m not a fan of coaches who get credited for being great coaches when they have 10 Pro-Bowlers on their team, and win 10+ games each year.  It can’t be that tough to tell someone like Peyton Manning to go out there and do his job. 

I understand it has its moments, but if you put some of these so-called “great” coaches in the same position as the Bengals head coaches or Lions head coaches, I don’t think they’d be winning too much. 

Yes, I do believe winning in sports has a lot to do with the system the coaches install, but at the same time it helps to have great players.  Ask Phil Jackson, John Wooden, and Red Auerbach how many titles they would have won without the likes of Michael Jordan, Lew Alcindor (as he was known at UCLA), and Bill Russell.

 

“Bears suck.  And so do you.”

-Anonymous

This person actually created a YouSuck@…. email address just to let me know that I suck.  Thank you, but next time please leave me your name, so I can shout you out on my blog. 

I take all criticism thrown my way, and try to make myself better.  From now on, I’m going to change up my style so I don’t suck.  Thanks.  I owe you whatever career I turn this into.

 

“I wish that people would stop calling our schedule a walk in the park.  We have some tough games to play.  We have two against Green Bay, and no matter what people say about them, they are our heated rivals, and everything gets thrown out the window for a rivalry game.  We play Pittsburgh, an offensively improved Seattle team, Atlanta, the offensive juggernaut Arizona, Philadelphia, and Baltimore.  And, you can even throw in Minnesota, if you’d like.”

-Barry S.

For a minute, I thought that this might be Barry Sanders emailing me, and purposely taking a shot at the Lions, seeing as how they are just about the only team he didn’t mention that we played. 

But then I remembered that Barry Sanders is one of the greatest football players ever to play the game, and there is no way he is emailing a writer on Bleacher Report. 

A Bears writer, at that.  But, he did make some decent points.  We have the weakest schedule when they take into play last years records.  I can understand why people think that, but I do believe our schedule is tougher than most may think. 

That is why they always say “that is why they play the games.”  You never know what’s going to happen on the field when the game starts.  I still see us winning 10 or 11 games, so easy schedule or not, I’m not scared of anybody.

Well, that is all I have for this Mail Call.  Please feel free to leave responses in the comments, or to send me an email.  I would love to do this every week, with 20-30 posts, but if I have to wait for every other week, I can live with that, as well.

It’s the start of training camp, and not all that much is going on, so I need to keep discussing possible scenarios with other fans to get me through this “dawn period” before the start of the season. 

I hope to hear from you, good or bad.  If you think I suck, tell me so.  But, just tell me why, please.  Thanks.

Late add…

“Well, as excited as I am about the addition of Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler, I have to admit I do have some concerns about the Bears defense. Brian Urlacher’s production has fallen off drastically over the last couple of seasons and I don’t really see any reason why that won’t continue. Ray Lewis he is not so if you have him anchoring your defense that has to be a concern. Urlacher has been the kind of guy who leads by example and he hasn’t been giving very strong examples for guys to follow lately. In other words, the bar has been lowered w/ him continuing as your defensive captain. And he really doesn’t make up for the lack of production w/ any real spirit or passion so how affective is he at this point? And who else do have left on defense that is a proven play makers. Only one that comes to mind is Lance Briggs.

 

I see shades of 1995 when Erik Kramer set the Bears single-season records for passing yards (3,838) and touchdowns (29) but the defense sucked so the team went 9-7 and missed the playoffs. Kramer at least had two playmakers in Curtis Conway and Jeff Graham to throw to that year. Jay Cutler doesn’t have that now so I’d be surprised if he matches Kramer’s ’95 totals but if he had a shot at anything this year it would be total passing yards.

 

Very rarely do the Bears have both the defense AND the offense playing well at the same time. Hell, very rarely do they have an offense at all!! With the addition of a Pro Bowl Quarterback, the continuing maturation of a raw talent in Devin Hester and the promise of a solid running attack w/ Matt Forte, the bears could have a decent offensive season. But on the defensive side I see problems that will dictate that they will probably end up 9-7 and miss the playoffs.

 

The day after the Bears acquired Jay Cutler I said they would be 11-5 this year, win the division and win one playoff game.

 

Rather than settle on the previously stated 9-7 I will be the Bears optimist that I usually am and compromise and say they’ll end up 10-6, NOT win the division and lose in the first round of the layoffs.”

 

-Rob C.

The Chicago Bears’ Defense: Is the Secondary That Bad?

In today’s world of statistics and fantasy sports, the Bears’ secondary has caught a bad rap. 

 

I’m not going to say that the secondary is made up of world class cornerbacks and safeties, but I will defend them and say that they are a victim of circumstance.

 

When people look at the “main” statistic, they are going to see that the Bears were 30th in passing yards against, with an average of 241 yards per game they allowed through the air.

 

Now, with people getting too caught up in the stats, they are going to see that and think the Bears secondary was horrible at its job. 

 

And, I will admit that there were some blown coverages, and some bad decisions made on their part, but the whole story needs to be viewed before everyone decides to jump down their throats and call them the third worst secondary in the NFL.

 

The Bears’ defense ranked fifth in rush defense, giving up only 93.5 yards per game, making opponents retreat from game plans revolving around the run.  And, if you aren’t going to develop a game plan involving the run, that means you are left with one option, and that is the pass. 

 

Since teams knew they couldn’t run on the Bears, they had to design more pass plays against them, which meant that the Bears’ secondary had to face more passing plays than most other teams.

 

In fact, the Bears’ defense saw the most pass plays against them out of the entire NFL.  There were 622 passing plays against them, which came out to an average of 39 per game.  Second place was San Diego, with 605. 

 

They were the only two teams with more than 600 passing plays against them.  So, with the Bears only ending up in 30th for passing yards allowed per game, I would say that is quite an accomplishment.

 

I will throw some other statistics at you that might shock you to know about last years secondary.  They only gave up 21 passing touchdowns, which put them right in the middle of the league.

 

They were third in the NFL in interceptions, behind only Baltimore and Cleveland.  And they led the league in pass deflections, with 105.  But after seeing 622 passes, I would hope that you led the league in pass deflections.

 

For those who said they gave up too many big plays.  They were, again, in the middle of the league, with allowing only 40 passing plays of 20 yards or more.  And they were tied for second on the league, only allowing three passing plays of 40 yards or more.  In comparison, Jacksonville allowed 17 passing plays of 40 yards or more.

 

And they did all this with one of the league’s worst pass rushes, which allowed the opposing quarterbacks ample amount of time to find open receivers.

 

Before you want to chastise the likes of Peanut Tillman, Nathan Vasher, Danieal Manning, Corey Graham, Craig Steltz, Kevin Payne, and whoever else may play in the Bears’ secondary this year, I advise you to learn the whole story.  Statistics tell one story, but actual play tells another.

 

Even though I have spouted off all of these statistics, I still understand that the secondary is a major issue with the Bears.  The 2009 season is one of the most hyped seasons I can remember in my short tenure on this Earth, and that is mostly to do with Jay Cutler coming over via trade.

 

And, rightfully so, Bears fans should be enthused about what he brings to the team, because in past years our quarterback play has been subpar.  But, the offense can only do so much. 

 

It is up to the defense to stop the other team from beating us.  Jay Cutler knows all too well what a potent offense does for a team when the defense can’t stop anyone.

 

I think that the Bears’ secondary is a lot better than what people give them credit for, and I believe they are going to surprise a few teams this year with their play.  I liked what I saw out of Kevin Payne last year, and think with that full season of experience under his belt, he is going to come up big at strong safety this year. 

 

As of right now, I think Manning is the right choice to start next to him, at free safety, but believe Steltz is more than serviceable as his backup.  Both of them are athletic and have decent speed, but they just need to find their rhythm inside the defensive schemes and everything will fall into place.

 

With Tillman being injured, we do have to worry about his conditioning for the start of the season, seeing as how he’s going to miss most of training camp, and part of the preseason. 

 

But if he can come back healthy, and Vasher can stay healthy, as well, and revert back to his 2006 form, the Bears might have a chance at becoming one of the most feared defenses in the NFL again.

 

The biggest issue is health.  Our depth at cornerback is an issue, with our backups not having much game experience in them.  So, Bears fans just need to hope that the gods of football are going to shine down upon the team this season and keep everyone safe for the entire season.

 

What are your concerns about the secondary this upcoming season?

The Chicago Bears’ Defense: Can They Apply Any Pressure?

Many people blame the Chicago Bears woes on Kyle Orton’s anemic arm.  Whereas they have a reasonable argument, I would argue in his defense that he wasn’t the one calling the plays to run the ball on every 2nd-and-10, and to throw a pass in the flat on 3rd-and-7 or longer. 

 

But that argument is for another day.

 

The biggest issue that the Bears face, in my opinion, is the pressure they can’t seem to apply on the opposing teams quarterback.  And, the fact that the secondary couldn’t seem to stop any teams passing offense.

 

But first, we will deal with the front seven on defense.

 

Last year, they averaged less than two sacks per game, totaling only 28 on the season.  That was good enough for 24th in the NFL.

 

This year, they are going to have to do better.  They aren’t the same Monsters of the Midway they used to be, and they are going to need as much help as they can get to stop teams from throwing the ball all over the field on them.

 

With the addition of Rod Marinelli, the Bears are hoping to turn back the clocks, at least to 2006, when they had 40 sacks, and were constantly hounding the opposing teams quarterback.  But that season was more about the turnovers the Bears caused than the pressure the line got on the quarterback.  But, I digress. 

 

With Marinelli’s track record of building attacks that net outstanding sack numbers (during his six seasons with Tampa Bay, the Bucs led the NFL in sacks), Bears fans can expect to see a much higher number than 28 this season.  And the Bears are going to need to put up a higher number than that to be successful.

 

I do not believe the Bears need to lead the league in sacks to get back to the Super Bowl, but they just need to put pressure on the offense, and force them into more turnovers, which was the staple of the Bears defense in the past, under Lovie Smith. 

 

Most people believe turnovers are more luck than anything, which can be true, but you aren’t near or at the top every year by dumb luck.

 

The one thing the Bears did so well in 2006 was force fumbles on the quarterback.  They had 20 fumble recoveries that season, compared to only 10 last season. 

 

Now, I understand that all of that difference can’t be put on the pressure the line gets, but anyone that watched that 2006 season can attest to what seemed like one quarterback strip per game.  And 10 extra possessions in a season can turn into an extra win or two.

 

In this day and age of statistics, it is easy to overanalyze.  But Bears fans do not need to see the numbers to understand that the defensive line and linebackers were, simply, not getting the job done last season.

 

An interesting statistic I saw was the one for total QB hits per pass.  That is how many times a Bears defender hit the QB on a passing play.  In 2006, the Bears’ percentage was 14.8 percent.  Last year, it was 12.4 percent.  That is a big difference when you are talking some 300-400 plays. 

 

If the Bears can creep back up to that 14 percent marker, I think that they will work their way back into causing more turnovers, and also causing more three and outs, and help them win the field position battle, which was another factor in some of the games they lost last season. 

 

There are a ton of factors that go into winning a football game, and putting pressure on the quarterback to make a hurried pass, or to throw the ball away can be the start of it all.

 

Going into this season, the Bears have added more depth to their defense, with the draft picks of Jarron Gilbert and Henry Melton, and the free agent signing of Pisa Tinoisamoa. 

 

The play of the line is most important, seeing as how it was the line that allowed the linebacking corps to play more free and open in previous seasons, which allowed them to make more plays on the ball.

 

Last season, Alex Brown led the team with six sacks.  Adewale Ogunleye and Tommie Harris both had five, and Mark Anderson was disappointing with only one.  In hurries, Ogunleye led the team with 16, Brown had 11, Harris had 7, and Anderson had 6.  Those numbers aren’t going to cut it. 

 

If Marinelli can get the line to get more hurries on the quarterback, the sack numbers will come along with them. 

 

But more than just the sacks, the turnovers will come, as well.  Not only will the line be able to get their hands on more balls, but they will force the quarterbacks into making rushed decisions, and allow the linebackers and secondary to intercept passes.

 

It all sounds so easy when you say it out loud, or write it on paper, but it really is as simple as the Bears lineman getting to the quarterback before he throws the ball.  And I believe that Rod Marinelli will rework his Tampa Bay magic on the Bears line, and the Bears will be a better defensive team than they were last season. 

 

And they proved that they didn’t need a standout offense to make it to the Super Bowl.  As long as they can stop teams from scoring, they can win.

Logo Sponsoring NFL Practice Jerseys?

The Chicago Bears have reached an agreement with NorthShore University HealthSystem to sponsor their practice jerseys.

 

Because nothing says NFL football like NorthShore University HealthSystem, right?

 

What’s next?

 

I understand that the NFL is just a business and that team owners want to do everything possible to make money, but where is this going to end?

 

We already watch games at US Cellular Field, FedEx Field, University of Phoenix Stadium, and Bank of America Stadium just to name a few.

 

Now, we are giving away rights to jerseys?  So the Chicago Bears practice jerseys are brought to you by NorthShore University HealthSystem. What do they stand to gain from this? 

 

I would be interested to find out the corollary between a 3.5 inch by 4.5 inch patch being placed on a NFL team practice jersey and profits produced by it. I cannot see it being worth that much to their company. But, again, what do I know?

 

I’m just worried that this is going to lead to teams allowing corporate logos on their game jerseys. All it would take is Reebok to get a cut of the money, and I’m sure it will happen.

 

And, if that happens, what is next?

 

Are the cities going to sell the rights to the team name, so that we will be watching the Brookfield Zoo Bears play the Betty Crocker Broncos?

 

I am not upset by this news, and don’t think that it is a majorly bad move by the NFL, or any other sport, but I think that some people will take issue with the fact that pro sports teams are selling off all the rights to their teams, stadiums, vendor services, etc., and while they are making more profits, the price of going to a game continues to rise for the fans.

 

Why not use the money they make off of licensing deals such as these to help make it more affordable for fans to enjoy a game at the stadium/park/field/whatever? 

 

And, I don’t care about the reports that say average ticket prices have gone down, because those reports are doctored by the fact that the nosebleed seats have gone down in price. 

 

None of the seats that people truly want to sit in have gone down in price. And, if they have, maybe they went down from $105 to $100 or so, just so they can release statements saying they have lowered ticket prices.  But, little do the fans know that the price of beer, or a hot dog, or parking have been raised a little to offset the loss of that $5.

Yes, sports has become big business. But, it is still the fans that make it a big business. It’s not the big corporations of the world that make the NFL what it is. It is the fans who sit through three hours of a Bears-Packers game in the middle of December, in minus-20 degree weather, with only a t-shirt and jeans on. 

 

It’s the fans that you no longer allow to tailgate finding new parking lots to park in six hours before the game to cook up some dogs and brats, play bags, and wait 20 minutes in line to go to the bathroom at the two port-o-potties at the nearby stations.  hose are the people that make your league what it is. 

 

Let’s allow some of those fans to have patches on your practice jerseys. Or let those fans pay you a certain amount to have the stadium named after them for a week, so that they can hear the announcers say, “Coming to you from Scott Ottersen Stadium, it’s the Bears-Vikings on Fox.”

 

No Bears fan cares that the practice jersey is sponsored by NorthShore University HealthSystem. I doubt 90 percent of the Bears fans even know about it. And maybe that is the reason they agreed to this deal, but I still find it an odd pairing. 

 

That’s all I have to say about that. Let me know what you think.  

Chicago Bears’ New-Look Offense in 2009

With the 2008 Chicago Bears’ offense being described as dismal, at times, what should they do differently in 2009 to change that perception?

Well, let me be the one to tell you.

Everyone assumes that with the addition of Jay Cutler, the Bears need to throw the ball nonstop.  That is not the answer to the Bears problems.  Yes, the addition of Jay Cutler will help the passing offense of the Chicago Bears, but with the talent he has lined up behind him at running back, I would argue that the Bears need to run the ball more.

Last year, excluding quarterback runs, the Bears ran the ball 407 times.  Divide that up amongst 16 games, and you have an average of 25 rushing attempts per game, with 19 of those going to Matt Forte.  That number is way too low for having a talent like Matt Forte.

And, I have heard interviews with Ron Turner saying that he was on the field for too many plays last season, and they want to cut down that number.

Why?

I understand that their is a risk of injury, and such a thing as becoming wore down, but I would say lessen the amount of flat passes, and screen passes you throw to the man, and let him carry the ball more often.  You are not going to win many games as a running team when your best option is carrying the ball only 19 times per game.

If you look at the top rushing teams from last season, you will see how we compare to them.  Baltimore ran the ball 531 times (I am excluding quarterback running plays in all my statistics), Atlanta 505 times, Carolina 484, Minnesota 474, New York Giants 474, Tennessee 473, New England 440, and Washington 431. 

Those were the top eight rushing teams in the NFL last year.  They were the top eight in rushing attempts per game and rushing yards per game.  The worst team, record-wise, on that list was Washington at 8-8.  The rest of the teams were 10-6 (1 team), 11-5 (3 teams), 12-4 (2 teams), and 13-3. 

If the Bears want to be an elite team like that, they are going to have to open up more running plays for Matt Forte to do his thing.  They cannot be 15th in the League in attempts per game, and 24th in rushing yards per game.

With the way Forte runs, he can easily wear defenses down, and do his best work in the fourth quarter.  And, if he does his job well enough, he will open up the passing game for Jay Cutler and Co.

For the passing game, I would like to see the Bears stick with the West Coast offense.  With the wide receivers and tight ends that they have, the West Coast offense is the best style adapted to their abilities.  They have talented playmakers in Devin Hester and Greg Olsen, so they need to take advantage of that.

I would also like to see them go away from the screen passes to Devin Hester.  It is one thing to throw a screen pass to Matt Forte, who is on a running start when he catches his screen pass, but asking Devin Hester to stand still while he catches the ball is the dumbest thing the Bears can do. 

They have to take advantage of his speed and ability to make tacklers miss.  I would like to see more slants thrown in his direction, even if he does lineup as the outside receiver.  It is much easier for a defense to tackle a receiver when he is standing still than when he is on the run.  Standing still while catching a pass in the flat is much different than fielding a punt while standing still.

Along with running the West Coast offense, I would like to see the Bears move to a no huddle styled offense, as well.  Not only do most offenses run better in the no huddle, but a team built on speed can take advantage of the pressure it puts on the defense to hurry into their sets and positioning. 

The position, I believe, affected mostly by the no-huddle offense is the defensive line, and a tired defensive line means holes will be open for Matt Forte to run through, and will also allow Jay Cutler the time to find his receivers.

Do not get me wrong, I understand that with an arm like Cutler’s, you should throw the ball more often, but if coaches haven’t realized now that the key to winning in the NFL is a good running game, then I don’t know what else to say. 

The key to a successful Chicago Bears 2009 season is allowing Matt Forte to run the ball 24-26 times per game, which will then have the Bears working the clock, allowing their banged up defense (we all know they will be banged up) to rest, and opening up the passing game for Cutler downfield.

Another hope is that the Bears brass realize that Cutler can hit Hester, in stride, 60 yards down the field.  I would guess they connect on big gaining plays (40 yards or more) 10+ times this season.

So, you heard it here what the Bears need to do to be a success.  Am I right or am I right? 

I know I’m right.

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