Chicago Bears Roundtable: One Man's Loss Is Another Man's Gain

That's right, with Daniel Manning taking over kick return duties from Devin Hester, he is proving not to disappoint.

Welcome to the Week 15 edition of the Chicago Bears roundtable. For this week's discussion, we will have the following talented Chicago Bears writers; Ian Sheppard, Max Kienzler, and T.W. Krems, who will also be moderating this discussion. Let's get to it.

Alright Ian and Max, on to our topics.

Every year, the Bears vote for an MVP of their team. Whom do you think the Bears' MVP should be and why?

IS- If there is an MVP on the Bears, I'm gonna go with a usual Bears answer: Brad Maynard. I know this seems pretty strange, but Maynard tends to get a lot of votes on the team year-in and year-out.

This season, Maynard currently leads the league in punts inside the 20-yard line. This is significant because it sets up opposing offenses in unfavorable field position—making it tougher for them to score from shorter distances.

Maynard is doing his job setting things up for his defense. It's up to the defense to step up for his sake and get the ball to the offense—who needs to score more off of turnovers.

MK- Well, it will probably be Matt Forte (as well it should be), but to go a different route, I will say John St. Clair.  I know Jared Allen abused him in the Viking game. But stepping in for a hurt Chris Williams, St. Clair has been a drastic improvement over He-who-must-not-be-named...Fred Miller. 

He has played against some of the top defensive ends in the game and played better than any single one of us thought and provided Kyle Orton time to have his best season statistically.

TK- I like seeing you guys go a different route, but the only thing different about this teams offense from last year is Matt Forte. You take Forte out and you still have the same QB, WRs, OL, and TEs. With that said it is not just the numbers that make Forte their MVP, but the spark he brings to this team.

With a very important re-match coming up in a couple of weeks, what is at least one thing the Bears need to do to come out on top against Green Bay?

IS- We all know how terrible the first Bears-Packers game was this season. While it pains me to mention it, I think two things (at least) are in order for this game. The first is that the Bears need to stop the Packers running game.

The last game, the Packers rushed for 200 yards and both Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson averaged at least five yards a carry. This is just not acceptable, especially given that the Bears had stopped Tennessee the week before from rushing successfully.

The second, and more important, is the Bears need to treat this game like a playoff game. In many of the games this season, the Bears seem to slack off and not play as hard in games that probably could help them right now (if they had won them). This is what will keep them alive to reach the playoffs this year (assuming Minnesota or Atlanta fall). 

MK- They must get to Aaron Rodgers. In the last game, Rodgers was hurried like once...ZERO sacks. He wasn't hit at all. It was pathetic. You can not expect a defense to keep coverage on four or five receivers for that long. You have to get to him.  And you can not allow Grant to have the game he had last time.  Mike Brown will have to step up in that department.

TK- I think the only thing that needs to happen is that the offense make the trip this time. Three points last game! Horrible. They need to come out very aggressive threw the air and on the ground, hold nothing back.

Even if they win this game, it looks like the only way they make the playoffs is if one of the two wild card teams starts slipping up. I do not know how Minnesota did what they did this week against the Cardinals.

The Bears seem to be a one-half team. A majority of their games this year, they have come on and completely dominated one half, but generally flopped the other. Why is this and can it be fixed in time for the MNF game against the Packers? (where last time they played two bad halves)

IS- I'm not really sure why the Bears have been struggling in playing two halves of football. But I can lay out a couple of possibilities or explanations.

The first is that this is a problem they had last season, only it was more of an issue in finishing games, as the Bears let three games slip away despite a fourth quarter league (at Detroit for a 37-27 loss, at San Diego for a 14-3 loss, and home against the Giants for a 21-16 loss).

The second, and more importantly, is that there have been some accusations that the Bears players are not conditioned enough to play for two halves. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but I can definitely say that there is something wrong with this defense's effort late in games—especially when they have a lead.

If this turns out to be true, Lovie Smith and his coaching staff (particularly Bob Babich) could see themselves possibly be getting fired during the offseason.

MK- The failure to make adjustments when winning and gaining offensive rhythm.  Lovie and his assistants are awful at making half time adjustments...Period.

Week after week, Lovie is interviewed going into the locker room and every week its always the same thing, "I think we are doing some things right but we just have to make an adjustment or two and we will put ourselves in a good position to win"...And every week, the second half schemes look the exact freaking same.

TK- I think it is very simple and here it is. The Bears get ahead early and then play conservative. They need to be like the Colts or the Patriots. Put up as many points as you can and always play like your losing so that teams do not come from behind 17 points and win in the fourth quarter.

If you do that, there is a less likely chance a team will beat you from behind when they are down 21 or 27 points. Key point was the first Minnesota game. The Bears put up 48 points to win and they allowed 41. You have to fight to the finish.

Does Danieal Manning's kickoff return threaten Devin Hester as a punt returner?

IS- What a great question! I'm not sure, though, that Danieal Manning would serve well as a punt returner. He certainly has the explosive speed to break a big play whenever called upon, but he might not be an upgrade because he doesn't have the same lateral moving ability as Hester and handling punts might be an issue for him.

Personally, I would like the Bears to give Earl Bennett or Garrett Wolfe a chance at returning punts...but that's given that Hester doesn't return a touchdown this season.

MK- It shouldn't, but it might. Devin is not going to be taken off punts this year. You can't go from returning that many punts and kicks in two years to not returning kicks or punts period by the end of the following year.

But the way Devin returned that first punt, running into his own player and then backwards for a 10-yard loss, he might be feeling the pressure.

TK- No, Not yet. Manning did return that kick for a TD, but I don’t think I saw him have to make even one cut. He just ran straight up field. Not to take anything away from him, but Olin Kruetz could have taken that to the house, I mean the kicker just sat down and let him bye.

As for Hester, he still has that good given talent to make people miss, I mean many. Unless he becomes the Bears No. 1 receiver by a long shot or the Bears are out of the playoffs, I can’t see Lovie Smith take this away from him.
 

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