Bleacher Report - Articles by Max Kienzler

Chicago Bears-St. Louis Rams: Should Bear Fans Be Hoping For a Loss?

Max Kienzler — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:45:09 -0500

The Chicago Bears welcome the St. Louis Rams to Solider Field this Sunday in what promises to be an impressive display of mediocrity.

The Bears are in the midst of a free fall, dropping five of their past six games while the Rams haven’t gotten up high enough to be in consideration for a free fall this season. Their sole victory came against the Detroit Lions. So it would appear that despite recent struggles, the Bears should come out of this game on top.

That all said, my brother posed a question to me after last week's embarrassment at the hands of the Vikings:

Do I, as a Bears fan, want the Chicago Bears to actually win this week?

It is an age-old question that is always brought up when a team is out of the playoffs and the fans start wondering about their team’s draft spot. Now in the Bears situation, they have a total of zero draft picks the first day of the draft (thanks Jerry) but they do have something else to “lose” for.

If the Bears finish the season at, say, 6-10, with the two wins being over the Rams and in the season finale versus the Lions and the three losses to the Packers, Ravens and Vikings, Lovie Smith will use Ron Turner as the scapegoat and fire him. If that happens, Lovie will keep his job for at least one more year and, predictably, the Bears will have another subpar season in 2010.

For the record, I think Turner should be fired, I just do not think he should be the only one.

But let us just say the Bears lose out, finish the season at 4-12 and ride a NINE-game losing streak into the offseason. Wouldn’t that force GM Jerry Angelo to make a change at head coach? The simple fact of losing 11 out of the last 12 games, with the only victory coming against the Browns, would have to force a major move by Bears management. Would it, dare I say, even force team president Ted Phillips to make a change at the general manager position?

Now let me be clear on this, I am rooting for the Bears to destroy the Rams this weekend. As I told my brother, I can never bring myself to root against the Bears in any situation. But his argument will be made by many others because, let's face it, by losing now, the Bears might actually be doing what is best for the future.

Look at what would happen if we beat the Rams…

1. The offense gets in a good rhythm. Maybe Jay Cutler throws more touchdowns than interceptions (a feat he has accomplished only four times this season). Matt Forte could be geared up for a big game, facing one of the league's worst rushing defense.

Sidenote: Did you know that the Bears currently “boast” the league's worst rushing offense? I mean, I knew we were bad, but I didn’t realize we are DEAD LAST in the NFL! That is depressing.

2. It should solidify Chris Williams at the left tackle position. The Rams do not have the most fearsome front four, so it should give Williams a chance to reacclimatize himself with the position he held before the Bears coaching staff moved him at the start the year.

3. The Bears defense should be able to keep Kyle Boller in check while focusing on shutting down a still-dangerous Steven Jackson.

4. A win will make the Bears 5-7 and keep alive an outside shot at a winning record, which I am sure will make for a very mild-mannered and monotonous postgame speech from Lovie.

Now, if the Bears lose to the Rams…

1. They will be embarrassed on local television and have to face the shame in handing the Rams their second win of the season.

2. The Bears’ fan base will be calling for heads to roll right then and there, to heck with the end of the year.

3. It means that either the Bears defense just simply quit or it means Jay and our awful rushing attack turned the ball over.

4. A loss will guarantee nothing better than a .500 season, which I am sure will make for a very mild-mannered and monotonous postgame speech from Lovie.

It might also make the upper management, and hopefully the McCaskey family, take notice of just how far this team has fallen in the three seasons since their Super Bowl appearance.

But with all that said, I will still rock my Bears jersey (maybe Idonije, maybe Big Cat) come Sunday morning and find a bar that will play this game (there has to be one, right?) and hope the Bears blow them out.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, my brother will be rooting for a Bears loss at the hands of arguably one of the worst three teams in football.

And yet, despite me hoping for a win and him hoping for a loss, we both have the same goal in mind: Chicago Bear success. Kind of ironic, isn’t it?

Chicago Quits in Loss To Minnesota, Throws in Season's Towel As Well

Max Kienzler — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:33:41 -0500

I am writing this article in the fourth quarter with eight minutes left. I do not need to see the rest of the game. Everything I need to know the Bears showed me in the first three quarters. And that is quite obvious.

The Chicago Bears have quit.

They have quit on this game.

They have quit on this season.

They have quit on Lovie Smith.

And they have quit on their fans.

Not every player and not on every play. But the Bears have stopped caring if they win or not.

There is no fire. No passion. At this moment, the Bears defense has allowed 518 yards in three and a half quarters. Favre is 10 yards short of his career high.

On both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, the Chicago Bears have cashed out on the 2009 season.

Lovie Smith should be gone at the end of this season and quite frankly, I do not care who replaces him. Bill Cowher, Mike Shanahan, Leslie Frazier, or my girlfriend's roommate. Anyone else (other than Ron Turner).

If I were to have written this article at halftime, it would have been a tirade of profanity and anger.

But now, that anger has melted into depression.

Next week, I will still put on my bears Jersey. I will still find a place in Hawaii that has the Bears vs Rams game on. I will still cheer and believe the Bears can win every game. But it is fruitless.

Even as I type this the Bears, down by 26, run the ball for 1 yard on first and ten with six minutes left...How is anyone to succeed with such a blatant lack of leadership on the sideline?

The Bears cannot succeed with this coaching staff, or lack there of.

It hurts.

You know what hurts even more? Having to watch the Bears get destroyed while listening to Joe Buck and Troy Aikman verbally falaish Brett Favre for the entire game.

I have spoken with several bear fans and perused blogs online during the second half and all I seem to hear is loyal, dedicated fans turning the game off early because they are disgusted beyond belief at the lack of effort this team has put forth.

While I continue to watch, I cannot tell you why. My brother has officially joined the bandwagon that hopes the Bears lose out in hopes it will force G.M. Jerry Angelo or Team President Ted Phillips to make changes to this coaching staff and brain trust.

And when you do not record a first down for the ENTIRE SECOND HALF, you shouldn't have a job as a head coach or offensive coordinator in the National Football League.

Two minute warning has arrived...but the game, and season, ended much much earlier.

Bill Cowher To the Chicago Bears?

Max Kienzler — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:02:01 -0500

The NFL Network is reporting that an unnamed source claims that former Steelers head coach and Super Bowl winner Bill Cowher would be interested in coaching either the Chicago Bears or Houston Texans next season.

Several sources close to Cowher himself admitted that the former NFL Coach of the Year, is ready to get back into the league after taking two years off, although they did not specify teams.

Cowher's name was already linked with the job opening in Buffalo, but he informed the team that he would wait until the offseason before deciding whether to return. But speculation is that he is waiting until the end of the year to see what other jobs are open.

The Carolina Panthers are another team linked to Cowher if they decide to part ways with long-time head coach John Fox, since Cowher currently lives in Raleigh, N.C.

Whether the Bears would be willing to make this move—if it is, in fact, true—is open for debate.

First off, they would have to fire coach Lovie Smith and in doing so, pay him the roughly $10.5 million that he would be owed. And second, they would have to cough up anywhere from $5-10 million per year for Cowher to come to the Windy City.

Any Bears fan can tell you that the McCaskey family is not exactly what you would call a big spender, but Cowher would bring the fire and defensive intensity that the Bears seem to lack at times.

Plus, if Lovie were let go, offensive coordinator Ron Turner would also be out the door, which means a new and hopefully more successful offensive scheme for Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and the rest of the offense to work with in the future.

So how 'bout it, Chicago?

ADDITION: 670 The Score's Hub Arkush reports that Bears braintrust have made "informal inquires" to several big name coaches. He does say it is still a long shot, but if it is true, that is more than I thought the Bears upper management were capable of doing.

Podcast link here: http://podcast.670thescore.com/wscr2/2078260.mp3

Grading the Chicago Bears: Week 11 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles

Max Kienzler — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:06:34 -0500

Grading each position on the Chicago Bears depth chart in light of their four point loss at home to the Eagles, 24-20.

This loss hurt. The Bears played better and gave you reason to hope throughout the entire game. Losing close always hurts more than losing big because in a close loss, you can sit there and say, "What if...". In a blowout, the only "what if" question you can ask is, "What if the team DIDN'T show up."

So enough of the rambling, here we go.

OFFENSE:

Quarterback: Jay Cutler

A combination of over thrown balls and check down passes equal unimpressive stats. He had good moments, (Kellen Davis touchdown and the ensuing two point conversion) but for the second week in a row, the game ended on an interception. Unacceptable.

Grade: C

Running back: Matt Forte and Kahlil Bell

Bell had one good run (for a staggering 74 yards) and Forte had glimpses of solid play, but overall, not that great. It just seems Forte isn't the same back and far to often will run into the middle of the line and get taken down for a one yard gain. Simply infuriating.

Although, for the first time in my life, I saw a Bears player do something amazing, heard the announcer say his name and sat there going, "... WHO?!?!". Did not realize that Kahlil Bell was even a practice squad member, much less on the active roster.

So that was my bad.

Grade: C

Wide Receiver: Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett

Made plays when the ball actually got to them, which wasn't as often as it should have been. Both Hester and Knox broke away from their defender and had a sure fire touchdown if Cutler had not over thrown him, I mean it was like watching Kyle Orton again.

Grade: B

Tight ends: Greg Olsen and Kellen Davis

Neither was overly impressive; Olsen had a couple catches and Davis had the lone touchdown but also had a costly holding penalty. Olsen would have had a touchdown, but again Orto...er, Cutler overthrew him. Davis made a nice catch for his touchdown but his blocking leaves something to be desired.

Grade: C+

Offensive line:

Pass blocking was a little better but the run blocking was spotty and way to many penalties. I mean, holding and false starts galore. And while the pass blocking was better as Cutler was only sacked once, the complete lack of a run game could be the central theme to the Bears season.

Grade: C-

DEFENSE:

Cornerbacks: Charles Tillman and Zachary Bowman

Three forced fumbles and an interception overshadowed some poor coverage at times. I have been critical of Tillman at times, but the man really showed his worth punching the ball out on three separate occasions. Bowman was still picked on, but he jumped a slant route and made a very nice interception on McNabb.

I will say, it was nice to see Corey Graham get some reps this week. I thought the man played very well last year when he was thrust into the line up and while he did not blow me away, he showed some flashes.

Grade: B+

Safeties: Al Afalava and Danieal Manning

Afalava got burned on the touchdown to Desean Jackson and Manning's name was not called often, if at all. Afalava really impressed me to start the season and I think he could be successful in the NFL, but you cannot let Desean Jackson beat you up the seam like that. Not if you continue to want a job in this league.

And I saw very little of Manning this game. I don't even know what else to say to that.

Grade: C-

Linebackers: Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach

Briggs was a maniac. He had a great sack on a delayed blitz and was the leading tackler on the team. Hillenmeyer goofed on the go ahead touchdown but played well otherwise, including sharing a sack with Mark Anderson and a fumble recovery. Although Roach was decent, at best. I heard his name about as often as Danieal Manning's.

Grade: B-

Defensive line:

Decent, but not great with inconsistent pressure and spotty success against the run. So far, Gaines Adams has been useless. Alex Brown was contained fairly well by Jason Peters, but did get pressure McNabb on occasion. Tommie Harris was credited with a sack, although it should have been shared as Israel Idonije got there first.

Anthony Adams had a fumble recovery and Marcus Harrison was called for offsides.

All of that said, and this pains me to admit this, as much as Tommie Harris frustrates me with his attitude and missed games, this Bears defense plays a whole lot better when he is in there.

Grade: C+

Special Teams:

Brad Maynard wasn't bad with a couple more punts inside the 20, Knox was above average on kick returns including one he almost broke all the way and Robbie nailed 4/5 kicks, his one miss being a blocked kick from 49 yards out.

So once again, the special tams unit makes the special teams unit the best of the Bears three units... again.

Grade: A-

Coaching:

I can sum up the coaching in three words: "Unimaginative", "boring" and "predictable".

Grade: C-

Overall:

A better overall performance in every aspect of the game from last week except in the most important one: the final score.

Grade: C

My final thoughts: The Bears season, for intents and purposes, is over. At 4-6, the Bears will have to go 5-1 over the last six games to get above the .500 mark. While it puts a slight damper on the remaining season, at least we can cheer on the Bears in hopes that they get their shots in on Brett Favre in two more games.

Chicago Bears: What Needs To Be Done To Fix The Future, Right Now!

Max Kienzler — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:34:20 -0500

The Chicago Bears go up this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles, who will be missing Brian Westbrook. The game is on Sunday Night Football... which means that despite the absence of Westbrook, I still do not feel bad chalking this one up as a loss.

In Jay Cutler's three previous prime time performances (Packers, Falcons, 49ers), he accumulated the following total numbers: 73/131 for a 55 percent completion rate, 884 yards, three TDs and 11 Ints.

Now that doesn't mean Jay is going to come out and bomb, but I still feel very confident that the Bears chances of winning are slim. Especially considering how the offensive line has played and how much the Eagles' defense enjoys blitzing.

So if the Bears do lose and the playoffs become an afterthought, there are several changes that Lovie Smith needs to make in order for the Bears to be better prepared for the following season.

Lets start on the offensive side:

First, move Juaquin Iglesias into the receiver rotation. I like the trio of Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Johnny Knox and those three should be the top options, but lets see what the kid has to offer if the Bears break out a four receiver set, that doesn't include Greg Olsen.

Second, as much as I like Dez Clark and how effective he has been, it is time to move Kellen Davis into a more prominent role since he will be the future No. 2 option at tight end behind Olsen. Get him some real game experience so he will be ready when the time comes.

Third, I want to see more Adrian Peterson. This has nothing to do with Forte, I just don't see a point in using him up this season if the playoffs are not a possibility. Let A.P. get some reps and take some pressure off of Forte. Might also spark him to play better if he isn't getting all the carries.

Fourth, the offensive line should be the following: LT Chris Williams, LG Josh Beekman, C Olin Kreutz, RG Roberto Garza, and RT Kevin Shaffer.

Orlando Pace is old and won't make it to the end of his contract before he retires and this is the line that should be in place next year, (unless we sign a big name free agent over the offseason... which is doubtful) so they should get time in now.

Fifth, bring up fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou from the practice squad and see what he has. Jason Davis has been a serviceable player, but he will never be exceptional and we need to find a replacement for him soon. Why not see what Ta'ufo'ou has to offer.

On the defensive side of the ball:

First, I want to see less Adewale Ogunleye and more of Mark Anderson/Gaines Adams. Both Wale and Anderson are in contract years. Anderson will be cheaper to keep if the Bears think he is worth it. Wale will be asking for more and if we are to part ways with him, we need to see if Anderson, or the new pick up in Adams, is capable of replacing him.

Second, I want to see less Tommie Harris and more Marcus Harrison and Anthony Adams. Tommie has been a pain in the butt for the past few years and never seems to want to give it his all. Harrison and Adams do. End of story. If I am going to watch this team with no real hopes for the playoffs, I want to watch players who want to be there.

Third, change up the secondary. Insert D.J. Moore into some situations when needed and continue testing out Nathan Vasher at safety. Change it up. If the playoffs are really out of reach, experiment a little bit so you have a better idea how effective some players are in REAL game situations so when next year comes, they are better prepared.

At some point, reality has to set in and changes should be made for the following season. I understand the argument that you play to win every game, and I am not advocating against that.

But I feel that the Bears are not playoff bound so why waste the second half of the season meddling in mediocrity as opposed to prepping the team to be more competitive next year.

"Lay Down, Chicago Bears." Spoofing the Bears' Fight Song

Max Kienzler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:41:33 -0500

This slideshow is a bit short, but it reworks each verse of the Chicago Bears fight song that is played at every home game after a score. The original lyrics were composed in 1941 by a Mr. Al Hoffman. The actual lyrics are as follows: Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory; Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up a fight with a might so fearlessly. We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation. Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown. You're the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, bear down. This spoof is in no way to poke fun at Mr. Hoffman's work, but is more aimed at taking what is currently a frustrating and depressing time of the season and making a joke out of it... ... Not that the actual Chicago Bears haven't already made a joke out of the season, but you know what I mean. I will say that it helps to know the tune, so as you read through it, you have a better understanding of how that goes. To hear the real song, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG8OpQyY6TI

Begin Slideshow

Jay Cutler vs. Rex Grossman: You Be The Judge, Bear Fans

Max Kienzler — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:27:30 -0500

On a night where the Chicago Bears defense actually kind of, sorta, in a small way showed up, it was the Chicago Bears offense that dropped the ball ... no pun intended.

And to be perfectly accurate, it was the Bears' quarterback again reminding everyone how poor that position has been for the past 20–plus–years.

Jay Cutler threw five (count 'em, five) interceptions and in doing so, he looked remarkably like the type of QB that led us to a Super Bowl.

Unfortunately, not to a Super Bowl title, but Rex Grossman did manage to navigate the Bears to the big game in 2006 despite some shoddy numbers. Last night, Cutler was a spitting image of him.

Cutler still displayed the strong arm and big-play ability, much like Rex did, but his interceptions were awful and in very costly situations, all five being in 49er territory, including one at the one-yard line and one in the end zone as time expired.

The game resembled the four-interception game that Sexy Rexy had against the Arizona Cardinals in 2006, in which all four picks occurred in Arizona's half of the field.

In fact, lets look at Cutler's stats through the first nine games of this season versus Rex's stats through his first nine games of the 2006 season:

Jay: 2,353 yards, 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Rex: 2,095 yards 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

... Ouch.

Rex went 8-1 through his first nine game.

Jay has gone 4-5 through his.

Let me be clear, I think that Jay is better than Rex, and Grossman did have the advantage of a great defense but the simple fact of the matter is, have the Bears continued their tradition of ruining someone who was otherwise thought of as a good quarterback.

The 2009 season is for all intents and purposes, is over for the Chicago Bears. They will not catch the Vikings and now trail at least four teams for the wild card.

Let's just hope Jay can figure it out in the next seven weeks, otherwise Bear fans, we could be in for a rough ride the next four or five years.

Chicago's Garrett Wolfe To the Hospital, Bear RBs Becoming Endangered

Max Kienzler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:32:20 -0500

The Chicago Bears backup running back Garrett Wolfe suffered a kidney injury this past weekend in their game against the Arizona Cardinals. The significance of the injury was realized later after Wolfe was admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to Chicago Tribune writer Vaughn McClure.

Wolfe has been the primary backup for starter Matt Forte after the original backup, Adrian Peterson, suffered a knee injury in October.

Thankfully, A.P. returned this past week just in time as Wolfe was hurt on the opening kickoff. Peterson originally took over the back up role when Kevin Jones suffered a season ending injury during the final preseason game.

Wolfe is still hospitalized, and while no one is sure how long he could be out, the Tribune reported that he should miss only two-four weeks.

Although, to be fair, it shouldn't make to much difference who is at the backup role since the Bears look to fall behind in the first quarter and then have to rely on the arm of Jay Cutler more than the legs of Matt Forte.

Maybe this new style of offense is the new way the Bears are trying to keep Forte fresh?

Regardless, it has been a difficult year for ALL Bear running backs. Both physically and statistically. And judging from the remaining schedule and the lack defense... having two running back might still be one more than is really needed.

Bear Down.

Bearing Down For The Long Haul: Lovie Is Here to Stay...

Max Kienzler — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:14:56 -0500

... Whether we like it or not.

After this weekend's latest embarrassment in Soldier Field to Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals (who were coming off a bad loss to the Panthers last week, in which Warner threw five interceptions) the Bears have cemented themselves as a team that opposing offenses are salivating to play.

Warner made amends for his pitiful display against the Panthers by tossing five touchdowns versus the Bears, including four in the first half.

This, coupled with an eerily similar display several weeks ago when Carson Palmer carved up the defense like they were a turkey, has brought heavy criticism down on head coach and defensive play caller Lovie Smith and more than one thinking it is time to part ways with the Lovemistro.

The reasons that Lovie should be let go come the end of the year are aplenty;

He has made poor personnel decisions since becoming head coach.
The defense has gotten progressively worse since their trip to the Super Bowl in 2006, in which he was not the defensive play caller.
Lovie let go the previous defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera, because they did not see eye to eye and brought in his good buddy, Bob Babich... who has since been relegated to linebackers coach.
The offense finally has a legitimate player under center but can't get any rhythm going when the defense consistently allows 10 play drives that eats up large amounts of clock.

However, despite these two AWFUL losses, and the ones that are simply destined to come with the Eagles, Vikings (twice) and Packers all left on the schedule, Lovie Smith will still be the head coach in 2010.

Following the Super Bowl run, the Bears extended Lovie's contract through the 2011 season. With two more years and more than $10 million left on his contract, neither G.M. Jerry Angelo nor team president Ted Phillips will be willing to eat that money in favor of another coach.

Angelo will give Lovie at least one more season to try and right the ship because in the end, it is all about the money.

Do I want Bill Cowher or Leslie Frazier or Mike Shanahan instead of Lovie? Oh yes, please.

I believe Cowher or Frazier would be the best fits since our defense seems to be the main problem right now. Although, I am interested in a new offensive coordinator if we could because Ron Turner is about as useless as Babich.

But it is all for not. With an organization that always tries to get the most for their money, you better believe the Bears will keep Lovie Smith for the 2010 season...

Which of course means another year of frustration and another year or mediocrity...

Bear down... It is going to be a loooong season.

Chicago: A Tale Of Two Bears

Max Kienzler — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:17:33 -0500

The Chicago Bears defense: a riddle trapped in an enigma.

Being a Chicago Bears fan is difficult at times (actually being a Chicago sports fan this decade has been rough), but the Bears are seemingly on a never ending rollercoaster.

Against the Bengals, the defense did not even bother to show up, allowing Cincinnati to score on their first seven possessions and humiliating them in a game that the Bears defense should have been keyed up for, but instead, showed up flatter than a three year-old two liter cola.

But was that game just an anomaly?

I realize that this most recent victory against the Cleveland Browns is not a fair example because, well because, it is against the Browns. Cleveland is one of the worst teams in the NFL so this win was not a good measuring stick.

But it wasn't just the Browns game that makes me wonder if the Bears defense is better than we think. They held a high powered Falcons offense to only 21 points. They have only allowed one rusher to top the century mark this season (Cedric Benson).

They have held some good opponents down, the Green Bay Packers scored only 21 points despite their defense intercepting Cutler four times. The Pittsburgh Steelers managed only 14 points.

While the loss to the Bengals exposed the many weaknesses in the Bears Cover-Two scheme, was it their play or the Bears lack of play that did it? Is the Bears defense that bad?

And for that matter, is our offense that much more improved?

Let me rant.

On the first three trips inside the red zone against the Browns this past week, the Bears walked away with only nine points.

Add in that a stat Brad Biggs mentioned, the Bears rank 25th in red zone efficiency converting only 44.4 percent of the time for scores and, you have to wonder how this team has won four games at all.

Sometimes this passing offense looks unstoppable; sometimes Cutler looks like the Pro- Bowler he has been in the past; sometimes the receivers look unreal.

Although on the flip side, the Bears rush game has been non-existent. Their offensive line has been nothing short of disappointing and sometimes Cutler looks like Rex Grossman; BAD Rex Grossman.

It is infuriating. On both sides of the ball, the Bears can rarely put together a game where both units play well for all four quarters; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on BOTH SIDES of the ball.

So this upcoming week they play the Arizona Cardinals, who are also trying to prove they belong in the playoff hunt after dropping a game to the lowly Carolina Panthers.

They play the Cardinals in Chicago, which continues the OLDEST rivalry in the entire NFL.

They play Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and a passing offense that could be the best in the NFL when in sync. And don't think it is all offense for the Cards, their rush defense ranks eighth in the NFL, which means the offense will be tested too.

So which Bears team will show up? This week starts a four game series that will make or break the Bears season. After their home game against the Cardinals, they go to San Francisco, then back home home against the Philadelphia Eagles, and then at the division leader Minnesota Vikings.

Go 2-2 and the Bears will have difficulty making the playoffs for the fourth straight year,go 3-1 and you will be sitting pretty.

It starts with Arizona this week. Win one and go out to face a reeling 49ers team and set yourself up for success. I know, that word and Chicago Bears don't always go together, but now is the time; bear down.

News Flash: Ron Turner Thinks Chicago Bears O-Line Is Good...Um, What?

Max Kienzler — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:54:01 -0400

It is official: Ron Turner, you are an idiot.

If there were any doubters of this observation, Turner silenced them this past week as the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator came out and made several head-scratching comments to Chicago Tribune reporter Vaughn McClure:

"Everyone's talking about the offensive line, and I have no idea why. I like our offensive line. Got good players, good depth."

"We've got a good offensive line... They're good football players. They're playing well. And collectively, as an offense, we've got to do some things better."

...Did I miss something?

Hasn't Jay Cutler had zero time to throw the ball this year?

Hasn't Jay Cutler been sacked 11 times this season?

Aren't the Bears ranked 29th in rushing?

How can anyone, much less the offensive coordinator of the team, claim that this line is anything but disappointing?

I realize he is trying to be confident and encouraging, but let us be realistic. The Bears finally have a "franchise" quarterback, but the line has allowed him to be hit on every third drop back.

While the defense has been terrible at times, the offensive line is the single biggest problem for this team.

And just because you say that they have to improve does not mean you can spend the rest of the time talking about how good they are...THEY'RE NOT GOOD!

Orlando Pace and Olin Kreutz are old. Roberto Garza is no spring chicken either. Chris Williams has done alright but is still learning the position and Frank Omiyale has been nothing short of a disaster.

Thankfully, they have announced that Josh Beekman, the starter from last year, will be taking over at left guard. But he won't make everything sunshine and daisies!

Ron Turner needs to snap back to reality and start figuring out ways to make his line's play less important. Move the pocket, run draws, run screens and implement roll-outs and bootlegs.

The offensive line is bad. Turner needs to cut the delusions and do his job by trying to mask their deficiencies through his play calling.

Bear Down or get out already.

Lovie Smith: On the Hot Seat in Chicago?

Max Kienzler — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:58:11 -0400

Lovie Smith—the man who led the Chicago Bears back to the Super Bowl.

The man who made his priorities clear on his first day, No. 1 being to beat Green Bay, and I agreed with every one of them.

The man with the voice of calm and reason.

The man who has led the Bears to a regular season record of 48-38 since he took over.

...and I am calling for his job to be put on the line?

While those are the good points on his behalf—remember, this is the man whose defense has gotten progressively worse every year since the 2006 season, when Ron Rivera was the defensive coordinator.

The man who sent Rivera packing at the end of the year because they did not see eye-to-eye.

The man who stood there and watched as his defense was torn apart for 45 points in this past week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and former Bear "bust" Cedric Benson.

Listen, I understand that Lovie led the Bears to their first Super Bowl appearance in 20 years. He doesn't panic. But at the same time, he does not inspire the team. That effort on Sunday was one of the worst I have seen in my lifetime. There was no fire, no passion. They were getting stomped, and not one of them look liked they cared.

If Mike Brown, Brian Urlacher, or even Dusty Dvoracek were playing, they would have been screaming. But none of those three played, and no one on that bench looked like they cared.

I care. The rest of the fan base cares. Why don't the Bears players?

I was getting big into the Bears right during the Dave Wannstedt era, and those were some bad years. I didn't fully appreciate just how bad they were because I was still in grade school. Then I became a die-hard Bears fan during the Dick Jauron time. With the exception of one year, they were even worse and he showed less fire than Lovie does.

So yes, Lovie is better than those two previous coaches. But just because he was better than those two doesn't mean he should get a pass for missing the playoffs three straight years (which will looks like it will happen this season).

I mean, he is good comparatively to the previous choices, but overall?

The Chicago Bears finally have a "franchise" quarterback with some potent offensive weapons, and, all of the sudden, the defense—the unit that has kept this team competitive for years—is not only a weak point but a complete gaping hole.

Let me be clear; I am not calling for Smith to be fired here and now. I think that if the Bears miss the playoffs again this year, we have to explore what other options are available.

Now with Smith under contract for two more years, it would have to take a complete epic meltdown for him to be fired by the season's end, even though it might be the right move. And it will be even harder considering how much money would be owed to him.

But the coaching options out there this offseason will be aplenty, including some very interesting Super Bowl winners—Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, and John Gruden. Or maybe even a couple former Bears if Jeff Fisher gets the boot in Tennessee or Leslie Frazier, who is a coordinator for the rival Vikings, becomes available.

It is just food for thought, but right here and right now, Lovie needs to realize that he can't sit back and take his time working out the problems.

He needs to make adjustments now.

He needs to man up and makes sure that last Sunday's performance does not happen again.

He needs to Bear Down...not lay down.

Chicago Bears Put The "F" in Fail, Getting Blown Out in Cincinnati

Max Kienzler — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:33:10 -0400

The Chicago Bears are not a playoff team.

End of story.

The Bears got destroyed today, 45-10 by Cedric Benson, Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati Bengals. This in a game that the Bears defense should have been keyed up for after all the smack talk that both Cedric Benson and Chad Johnson let loose (his name is Chad Johnson ... I don't care what is on the back of his jersey).

I am going to give you the grades for each position, but first I want to take a look at the Bengals first seven offensive possessions:

First drive: Eight plays covering 77 yards over a span of four minutes resulting in a 9-yard touchdown pass to Chris Henry.

Second drive: Eight plays covering 80 yards over the span of four minutes and nine seconds resulting in a touchdown pass to Chad Johnson.

Third drive: Seven plays covering 63 yards over the span of three minutes and four seconds resulting in a 3-yard touchdown pass to J.P. Foschi.

Fourth drive: Twelve plays, 64 yards over the span of six minutes and fifty two seconds resulting in a 8-yard Laveranues Coles touchdown reception.

Fifth drive: Four plays for six yards over the span of fifty six seconds resulting in a field goal.

Sixth drive: Nine plays covering 61 yards spanning four minutes and thirty seconds resulting in a 13-yard touchdown pass to Johnson again.

Seventh drive: Seven plays over 53 yards spanning three minutes and eight seconds ending when Cedric Benson pounded it in from one yard out.

I should also point out that to start the eighth drive, J.T. O'Sullivan took over as the QB for the Bengals.

THAT is the definition of a pathetic, uninspired performance.

But I digress...

OFFENSE:

Quarterback: Jay Cutler.

Cuter threw for 254 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He also fumbled two snaps. Does this sound like any other former Chicago Bears quarterback of old?

It wasn't entirely his fault. The complete lack of a defense did not allow him on the field for much time and one of his interceptions was on a batted ball. But still, an ugly performance.

GRADE: D

Running back: Matt Forte

Six carries for 24 yards and five receptions for 25 yards. There isn't to much to say, when losing 28-0 at halftime, you can't expect much out of your run game from there on out.

Grade: INCOMPLETE

Receivers: Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett

Hester had his first 100-yard game plus a touchdown, but he also coughed up the ball once. Knox and Bennett both had four receptions. Knox for 42 yards and Bennett for 48. Again, they weren't on the field much to really get it going.

Grade: C+ (this is because after a 45-10 blowout, no one deserves to be any higher than average)

Tight Ends: Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark

Did these two even play? Oh wait, they did. Although for some reason the only time I ever saw them catch a pass was on four yard out routes. Am I missing something Ron Turner? AM I? DID I MISS THE PART WHERE FOUR YARD OUT ROUTES WERE SMART PLAY CALLS WHEN FACING 3rd and 13?

Grade: C-

Offensive line:

I am not even going to bother naming each one because they all equally sucked. Chris Williams started the game with a five yard false start penalty. Kreutz had a couple low snaps, I did not hear Garza's name all day.

Although maybe that's a good thing because I heard Pace and Omiyale's names called, and never for anything positive. Pace had at least one holding penalty and Omiyale couldn't even seem to get his hands on a player long enough to hold them.

If this game did anything positive, it should be that it open's Lovie Smith's eyes to the fact that Omiyale is not a starting guard caliber player.

Man up, admit your mistake and make a change already Lovie. Right now, your butt is on the hot seat.

Grade: F

DEFENSE: (here is where it gets pretty)

Safeties: Kevin Payne, Danieal Manning and Al Afalava.

Payne and Afalava did not know what coverage they were playing at times. Manning missed more tackles than a ghost and their play made me sick to my stomach.

Want to know what else made me sick to my stomach? Carson Palmer who went 20-for-24 for 233 yards and five touchdowns. That is on you safeties...

Grade: F

Cornerbacks: Charles Tillman and Zachary Bowman

Is this on repeat? I feel like putting everything down that I just put for the safeties. On the first touchdown, Bowman pulled his best Nathan Vasher impersonation and stopped covering Chris Henry.

Charles Tillman, not wanting to be out down, was beaten twice by Chad Johnson. Even worse, Tillman was actually called for a penalty on one of the touchdowns. I mean, if you are going to get called for a penalty, at least make sure you don't let him score.

It's like basketball, if you are going to foul a shooter, at least make sure he isn't going to make the shot too.

Grade: F

Linebackers: Lance Briggs, Nick Roach and Hunter Hillenmeyer

Hillenmeyer was the one who let in touchdown number three to tight end J.P. Foschi when he bit on a play action and let Foschi run right past him. Roach, for the second week in a row, looked lost at times trying to make play calls and Lance Briggs simply got trucked by Benson on more than one occasion.

I realize injuries have depleted this unit, but Benson ran up 189 yards rushing. No excuses, please.

Grade: F

Defensive line:

As with the O-line, this unit doesn't even deserve to be separated. They all played bad. There was zero pass rush and on run plays were getting knocked backwards on the snap of the ball.

Hot Rod's magic must have run out because not one single player distinguished himself enough to even rip on, much less praise.

Grade: F

Coaching:

I don't even want to get into it but at some point, Lovie needs to pull his head out of the dark, enclosed space he has lodged it up and make changes on the offensive line and alter the scheme played by the defense. He needs to do something.

This team was not prepared, they lacked fire and looked confused for most of the game. That reflects upon the coaches.

Grade: F

Overall: F

I won't even waste time trying to add up the grades and coming out with a real average. This was a team loss. They were beaten in every facet of the game. Today, after that lack of effort, it is embarrassing to be a Bears fan.

Cedric Benson Claims Chicago Bears Blackballed Him After He Was Released

Max Kienzler — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:46:45 -0400

Really Cedric? You don't think it had anything to do with your trouble with the law and your poor stats?

While Cedric Benson's play on the field has shown signs of improvement and maturity with the Cincinnati Bengals, his conversation with the Chicago media on Wednesday showed how he is still the same person we all knew and grew to dislike when he was a Chicago Bear.

Several different sources, including Zach Zaidman from WSCR 670 and Jeff Dickerson from ESPN, reported that during a recent conference call with media members, Benson made several claims that the Chicago Bears organization spoke negatively of him when other teams called to inquire after his release in 2008. He maintains that it was the main reason why he could not sign with another team earlier than midseason.

"Anything negative that they could say was said...I'm sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away," Benson stated.

Benson also claimed that the Bears told the league that "...I didn't work hard. That I was a prima donna."

Maybe this writer missed something, but Benson did not really do much to warrant a positive recommendation from the Bears by the time he was let go.

He was hurt constantly. He complained about playing time. He was never a really good team player and he had two separate run-ins with the law for suspected alcohol issues in the span of two months. Not to mention that when you step back and look at his total body of work with the Bears, it is not what you would call impressive.

Heck, it isn't even what some would call half decent.

The simple fact the Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith gave up on him after only three years should be a sign that he just was not putting forth the effort. Both Angelo and Smith seem to give players with far less talent at least that much time if not more before realizing it is a useless venture (i.e. David Terrell, who was actually given four years).

But in all seriousness, Cedric Benson had a tumultuous stint with the Bears, after being drafted with the fourth pick of the 2005 NFL Draft. And really, the only person he has to blame is himself.

He held out for the first 36 days of training camp before finally signing. Missing most of the preseason caused him to be the backup to Thomas Jones and Benson went through some ups and downs as a rookie. During his second year, his game seemed to improve, but with that unfortunately came an even cockier attitude as he called out Lovie Smith for not starting him.

When given the starting role in 2007, he responded with 674 yards rushing over the first 11 games and had a 3.4 yards per carry average. Not exactly the jaw dropping numbers he seemed confident he would put up. Plus he only played three fourths of the season due to an ankle injury.

He then ran into trouble with the law that following offseason. He was first arrested for driving a boat while intoxicated (charges that were later dropped) on May 3rd and then was pulled over, and after failing a field sobriety test and refusing to take a breathalyzer, was detained by police on June 7th.

The Bears released him the following day for displaying, "...a pattern of behavior we will not tolerate," according to Jerry Angelo.

However, since signing with the Bengals in midseason last year, Benson has finally shown why he was drafted as high as he was, running with authority and power. He is currently the leading rusher in terms of yardage in the NFL.

But to claim that the Bears blackballed him from being signed by another team is just foolish.

I mean, all the Bears had to do was tell the truth.

Memo to Lovie Smith: End the Frank Omiyale Experiement Now

Max Kienzler — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:32:15 -0400

On the very first day of free agency, Chicago Bears' General Manager Jerry Angelo jumped out and signed free agent offensive lineman Frank Omiyale from the Carolina Panthers.

At the time, the move was applauded for adding some much needed depth to a line that, at times, was shaky.

When training camp started, Coach Lovie Smith made it clear that it was an open competition between Omiyale and incumbent Josh Beekman for the starting left guard position.

However, despite the fact that Beekman played just as well as Omiyale, if not better through training camp and week one of the preseason, Omiyale was elevated into the starters role in week two of the preseason and has not relinquished the spot since.

While one could argue that perhaps Lovie saw something that others didn't, the general consensus is that Beekman lost the job strictly because Omiyale was paid handsomely, to the tune of 14 million dollars over four years.

Now, six weeks in, the move needs to be reevaluated regardless of paychecks.

The Bears offensive line has been atrocious this season, especially when it comes to run blocking. And while Omiyale is not the sole reason for these issues, he is a major component.

In week one against the Packers, DE Cullen Jenkins simply abused Omiyale, and to be fair LT Orlando Pace as well, constantly getting pressure on Cutler and getting into the backfield before running back Matt Forte could even get to the line of scrimmage.

A perfect example was in the third quarter, the Bears had just picked up a first down on a Forte rushing play. They attempted to run through the left side behind Omiyale and Pace. But on the snap, Jenkins pulled a swim move right past Omiyale, who whiffed completely on the block and ended up on all fours, and Jenkins stuffed Forte before he could even attempt to make a move, losing three yards.

In the three games that followed, Omiyale did little to establish himself as a lock for the starter's role as he has constantly been unable to get a push on run plays and has continued to have difficulties standing up defensive tackles on passing plays. One hoped that Omiyale would come off the bye week ready, but the extra time off seemed to slow his reaction time more than anything.

On the Bears' opening possession against the Falcons this past Sunday, they drove it down to the Atlanta 24 yard line and were facing a first and 10. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner called a run play and Forte started up the middle and then bounced it to the outside for a three yard gain. NBC showed the replay and analyst Chris Collinsworth spent most of his time praising Forte for showing excellent patience despite the rush by John Abraham.

What he failed to mention (and the replays confirmed) is that defensive tackle Jonathon Babineaux blew past Omiyale almost the exact same way that Jenkins did in week one and was in the backfield before Forte could even get to the line of scrimmage.

While it has not been mentioned because Forte managed to avoide the rush, the fact that defensive linemen have been consistently throwing off block attempts by Omiyale is an indication that he should not be in the starting lineup if the Bears want to succeed. These are not the only examples, just the most obvious.

And I am not saying that Josh Beekman is a Pro Bowl quality player, but he had success last year at that position and did not seem as overmatched as Omiyale has been through the first five games.

The offensive line has had time to gel, but it just hasn't worked. Now is the time to pull the plug. Now is the time to make a change. I am not saying that Omiyale can't be a positive contributor in the future, but right now, he may not be the best man for the job.

By putting in Beekman for these next two games, it gives him a chance to adjust to being a starter again before we get into the tough four game stretch that follows where we have a home game vs the Cardinals, at the 49ers, home vs the Eagles and at the Vikings.

Being a head coach is about making decisions. This is a decision that Lovie needs to make and make now.

Chicago Bears Do Their Best to Lose, And Succeed As They Fall To Falcons

Max Kienzler — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:36:21 -0400

Initial reactions from the Chicago Bears 21-14 loss at the Atlanta Falcons...

Jeff Joniak said it best on the score postgame "Bears lose in a very frustrating way."

The Bears played miserable. While Jay Cutler had over 300 yards passing and two touchdowns, he also threw two ugly interceptions.

Running back Matt Forte couldn't get it going on the ground game and while a lot had to do with the offensive line, his back-to-back fumbles inside the two yard line really just makes you want to scream. You would think after the first one, he may be a little more protective the second time around.

The Bears wide receivers didn't have many drops and made some plays when Cutler got them the ball, but the offensive line was unimpressive at best and at worst, just plain awful at times. Cutler was sacked twice and the running game accumulated only 83 total yards (that includes a 34 yard scramble by Cutler).

And the penalties...Dear God, the Bears shot themselves in the foot on that final drive more than once. False starts and clippings. And then Orlando Pace, on a 4th and 1, he jumps early making it 4th and 5. UNACCEPTABLE! Pace is a 13 year veteran and he made a mistake.

While the defense did come out and play lights out for the first quarter, they then went on a stretch where they did not force a three and out until the third quarter came around.

Heck, even when the defense forced a turnover, they tried giving it right back to them. On interceptions by Zachary Bowman AND Nathan Vasher, both fumbled the ball and were very lucky that Danieal Manning was able to recover it both times.

For the offense and their three turnovers, two of them were inside Atlanta's redzone; Forte's previously mentioned fumble and Cutler's first interception at Atlanta's 12-yard line.

The other interception occurred at the Atlanta 30 yard line on an overthrown pass intended for Greg Olsen.

Center and captain Olin Kruetz said it best in his postgame interview on 670 The Score, "We played like sh*t... We, as an O-line, just didn't get it done today."

Injury Note: Pisa Tinoisamoa left the game with an injury to the same leg that had him miss the previous three games. He did not return.

There were positives. Nick Roach showed he is a solid option at the middle linebacker position. The receivers continued to impress, including Johnny Knox with another touchdown and Earl Bennett with a couple clutch receptions.

Cutler still threw for over 300 yards and they did force a couple of turnovers and another fumble on Michael Turner that Matt Ryan managed to recover.

And Devin Hester made Bear fans hearts skip a beat on more than one punt return, especially the first one when a Falcon defender just managed to get his hand on his foot to trip him up.

But overall, it was a sloppy and embarrassing performance and it made one thing very clear to this writer, the Bears are not ready to be a playoff team.

Grades to come tomorrow.

Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons: Bleacher Report Writers Debate

Max Kienzler — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:33:56 -0400

Trying to change up the constant stream of pregame breakdowns, featured columnists Scott Ottersen and myself have teamed up to try and bring you a fair case for who should win this weekend when the Bears travel down to the Georgia Dome for the second year in a row to face the Falcons.

For this week, I will be taking the side of the Bears, while my esteemed colleague will be making a case that supports the Falcons.

We debate, you judge...

Chicago Bears

My case really boils down to five key points:

No. 1 is Jay Cutler. I realize it is early to be crowning him, but his ability to keep the Bears in games allows for the defense to eventually establish itself and his play at the end of games has been fantastic.

His numbers so far this season in the fourth quarter: 22/28 for 241 yards two TDs, one INT with 13 first downs and three plays longer than 20 yards. That gives him a 111.5 QB rating in the fourth quarter.

Even against the Packers, the Bears were winning with just over a minute to go because despite the three interception first half performance, Jay orchestrated a couple scoring drives to put us in a position to win the game.

No. 2 is the Chicago Bears wide receivers. Believe me, if I had to write this article before the start of the season, this group would have been one of the cases AGAINST betting on the Bears. But four games in, this unit has looked very, very dangerous.

The combination of speed and big play ability (Hester, Knox) coupled with the size and athleticism (Olsen) plus the sure handed, reliable secondary options (Forte, Clark, Bennett) has surprised Bear fans and opponents alike. While the Falcons have solid corners and do not give up a lot of touchdowns, they do rank 20^th in passing yards allowed.

No. 3 is the Bears linebacker corps. Despite missing Brian Urlacher for the rest of the season, it looks like strong side linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa will finally be back in the starting line up. This comes as a major boost for the Bears depleted unit.

Despite also having back up MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer on the injury report, Pisa's return will allow the Bears some more options on trying to defend Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez.

No. 4 is that fact the Bears are coming off their bye week. The Bears play some pretty impressive football under Lovie Smith when playing after week off, especially the defense.

As ESPN showed on NFL Live, in the past three seasons the Bears have gone 3-0 in the week following their bye and held opponents to an average of 13 points per game. Lovie has had two weeks to prep his guys for this big match up, so expect them to come out ready.

And No. 5 is the simple fact that the Chicago Bears special teams is…well, special. Under coordinator Dave Toub, this Bears unit has been one of the tops in the league. One testament to this fact is that in the three straight seasons, they have had three separate players return kicks for touchdowns. Plus, the Bears keep more players on their roster for strictly special team’s duty than anyone else in the league.

Eric Weems, the Falcons kick returner, currently has an average of 25.5 yards per kick return with a long of 41. That stat isn’t too shabby until you compare it to Johnny Knox’s average of 35.8 yards per kick return with a long of 102, which was a touchdown.

Falcon’s kicker Jason Elam has a strong leg but is only four for six on his field goal attempts while Robbie Gould has knocked in six out of seven field goals including the game winner in the final seconds to upset the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Falcons Punter Michael Koenen has punted 16 times for an average right near 41 yards and landing four inside the 20. Brad Maynard for the Bears has punted 18 times for an average of just under 44 yards per kick and dropped nine inside the 20 yard line.

So it is for these reasons I think the Bears will be able to pull out a win against a very tough NFC opponent.

Bears 34 Falcons 31

PAGE TWO: Scott's argument for why the FALCONS will win the game...

Atlanta Falcons

Okay, Max, well I have reviewed your five reasons, and while every bone in my body wants to attest to what you are saying, I am playing the role of devil’s advocate here, and will tell you why the Falcons are going to win this game. Since you broke your argument into points, I will do the same.

No. 1 is that Matt Ryan is coming into his own this season. He has all the tools. He has a strong arm, quick release, good footwork, good protection, great options to throw to, a good running game, and can read defenses well. He doesn’t make mistakes. Even as a rookie, he only threw 11 interceptions, and lost only one fumble.

This season, he is on pace for more of the same, only throwing two interceptions and not fumbling the ball yet. With his confidence building, he looks poised for a breakout, Pro Bowl-type year.

No. 2 is Roddy White. The Bears secondary trying to stop Roddy White…good luck. The Bears struggle against teams top receivers. Each week, they get torched by the main guy (Jennings 6-106 and a TD, Holmes 5-83, Burleson 9-109, Calvin 8-133). It doesn’t seem to matter if they are big and physical or small and fast, the Bears secondary can’t handle them. And, Roddy White is one of the premier wideouts in the NFL today, and with the confidence he has after last weeks standout performance, the Bears secondary are going to have their hands full. Peanut Tillman is just not up to the challenge.

No. 3 is Tony Gonzalez. Yes, the Bears will have Pisa Tinoisamoa back for this game, but are he, Briggs, and the safeties up to the challenge against Tony Gonzalez. The Bears defense allows one of the highest rate of pass attempts to tight ends, and that is saying something considering they haven’t faced a team with a decent tight end yet.

The Falcons don’t stretch Tony down the field that often, so he is going to occupy the middle of the field, which will keep the safeties honest and leave the outside open for the taking. And, if the safeties don’t remain honest, Matt Ryan is going to hit Tony Gonzalez down the middle every time, because Pisa and Lance aren’t going to be able to stay with him.

No. 4 is the Falcons special teams. I will combat your argument about the Bears having an advantage on the special teams’ side of the ball. Yes, the Bears have great return men and the Falcons don’t. But, in defense of Johnny Knox’s return average, it is greatly skewered by the 102 yard return against Detroit, which in all honesty should have been 101 yards and no TD, seeing as how he stupidly dropped the ball before he crossed the goal line.

But, I digress. In combatant to the Bears return teams is the highly ranked Falcons’ cover team. They rank fourth in average yards per kickoff return, and are tied for third in touchbacks. And, they are ninth in punt return yard average, allowing less than seven yards per return, with half of their punts being downed inside the 20 yard line or being fair caught. So, as good as the Bears return teams are, the Falcons will be able to put a stranglehold on that advantage.

One interesting stat is that the Falcons are first in the league in offensive AND defensive line of scrimmage for the start of drives. Their drives start (on average) at their own 36 yard line, while the opposing teams start (on average) at the 23 yard line.

No. 5 is the Falcons opportunistic defense. The stats are never what tell the true story of a game. But, the reason the Falcons are 3-1 despite allowing a lot of yardage is the fact that they make plays on defense. In the second half against Carolina, only up one score, the defense came up with a fumble and an INT to ice the game.

The Falcons are second in the league when it comes to recovering fumbles compared to the number of drives they’re opponent has had. And, they are sixth in overall turnovers caused per opponent drive. So, as much as everyone likes to think that the Bears have an opportunistic defense, the Falcons have an even more opportunistic defense, because the Bears aren’t even in the top 15 in those categories.

With all that said, it should be an easy win for the Falcons. If they play the way they have been playing so far this season, the Bears will stand no chance. The big plays are going to determine this game, and the Falcons are just going to make more of them.

I predict a 31-21 Falcons victory.

Terrell Owens to the Chicago Bears? Rumors Starting to Fly

Max Kienzler — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:10:24 -0400

Mike Francesa, a New York radio personality on WFAN, and formerly of Mike and the Mad Dog, sparked debate this morning after mentioning on his show that the the Buffalo Bills are shopping Terrell Owens and that the Chicago Bears are interested.

Francesa did not name specific sources, but his comments have started a firestorm of controversy across both blogs and ESPN talk shows.

Owens, who signed a one-year deal with the Bills this offseason, has managed only 12 catches for 200 yards and a touchdown so far this year. To be fair, though, the entire Bills offense is currently floundering in ineptitude under former Bear head coach Dick Jauron.

Would the Bears benefit from trading for a 35-year-old prima donna?

Owens has basically caused problems in every clubhouse he has ever been in except, ironically, Buffalo, where his production has been the lowest.

The Bears' current crop of wide receivers includes a lot of young talent in Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Earl Bennett. Would the addition of Owens help this trio by having his experience and his command of the opposing team's No. 1 corner?

Or would his selfish attitude and arrogant personality disrupt the locker room?

Whose roster spot would be taken if the Bears traded a draft pick for him? The most obvious answer would be Devin Aromashodu since Rashied Davis continues to be a special teams ace.

(In my opinion, if the the Bears traded for Owens, I have no problem waving goodbye to Josh Bullocks, who has yet to see the field on defense this year.)

In the end, it is unlikely that Jerry Angelo would send ANOTHER draft pick away IF the Bills are even interested, but it raises some interesting scenarios if the Bears wanted to try to make it happen. It certainly will be a fun story to follow leading up the Bears' showdown with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.

"Dear Jay Cutler.." An Apology From a Loyal Bear Fan To the Franchise QB

Max Kienzler — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:25:52 -0400

Dear Jay Cutler,

On April 2, 2009 I wrote the following article Chicago: Bad Move Bears">"Jay Cutler to Chicago: Bad Move Bears"

I sat there as the deal was announced to bring you to the Bears and said it was the wrong decision.

Here is a direct quote from yours truly,

"But let me be clear on this, I hope Jay Cutler becomes a great quarterback with the Bears and leads us to victory. I will cheer him on.

I just think this was a stupid move by a desperate GM. And I don't think this makes the team a contender unless the offensive line stays healthy and becomes more effective, the receivers learn (and learn how to catch), and the defense gets back to making stops."

Now the offensive line has been healthy, the receivers have played outstanding (including Johnny Knox who was drafted with the fifth round pick Denver gave the Bears) and the defense has been pretty clutch in the second half.

But you, Mr. Cutler, have been everything a Bears fan could ever dream of and more. Even with a rocky week one, your completion percentage has been outstanding and your leadership has shown through.

You have established yourself as the best player on this team and, as long as this type of play continues, the future of the Chicago Bears franchise.

This doesn't mean you are free and clear from here on however. I will still be watching every pass you throw. But now instead of anticipating problems, I will be expecting greatness.

I believe this offense should have no problems putting up 24-plus points per game. I believe you will lead us to the playoffs.

Before, I thought those expectations were lofty. Now, I not only think it is reasonable, but feel that playing in the NFC Championship game is in reach.

So I was wrong.

And what is more, I should have known that doubting you was foolish, especially when I read these other sources who thought the Bears made a bad dealt the time...

"... The Bears on Thursday traded their first- and third-round picks this year, their first-round pick next year and Kyle Orton to the Broncos in exchange for Cutler, a 2009 fifth-round pick and a six-pack of baby formula."

- Rick Morrissey, of the Chicago Tribune (Apr. 3, 2009) article here

"Jay Cutler has three people to blame for his trade from the most talented young offensive team in football to one of the least: 1. Jay Cutler. 2. Jay Cutler. 3. Jay Cutler."

- Peter King, SI.com (Apr. 2, 2009) in an article titled, "Cutler might regret Denver exile"

“Right now the Chicago Bears have lost both their starting tackles. OK? Their starting receivers, if you can name ‘em , good luck... They’ve got Rashied Davis and Brandon Lloyd, alright… They are a shambles. They are on offense what the Denver Broncos are on defense: and that’s Swiss cheese. And they have got a lot of holes to fill.

And Jay Cutler got traded to a position right now where the strongest arm in the world is not gonna, it’s not going to help you when your laying on your back looking up and going “Man, why am I in Chicago right now?”

That’s gonna hurt you. .. so he’s gotta go out and earn the respect of his teammates and they have a lot of work to do on offense, do the Chicago Bears, to fill those holes but guess what? They gave away all their picks to fill those holes with, so they are in trouble”

- Mark Schlereth, ESPN (Video on day of trade)

The list could go on (I could dig up several quotes from Schlereth) but these covered most of the spectrum.

All three of these respected sports journalists blasted YOU Jay; they blasted you for the entire debacle in Denver and the following trade to Chicago.

All three expected you to fail and to regret leaving Denver and its green grass and dominating receivers.

All three expected you to complain and whine about how little talent you had around you now in Chicago.

And both they and I were wrong...

(Should have known something was wrong when I actually found myself agreeing with Mark Schlereth).

So here is my formal apology Jay:

I am sorry. I am sorry I doubted you without giving you a chance. I was wrong about you from the start. I don't ask for forgiveness Jay, I only ask that you please keep continuing to prove me wrong.

Sincerely,

Max

Chicago Bears Bye Week Checklist: Five Major Items on the Agenda

Max Kienzler — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:10:46 -0400

The Bears came flying into their bye week with a 48-24 spanking of the Detroit Lions. Jay Cutler has looked almost inhuman since his week one debacle and the wide receivers that were supposed to be the weakest part of the offense have put together a solid season to this point.

So, with the bye week upon them and a game back down in Atlanta to follow, here is what the Bears need to be doing to prepare themselves:

I. Get healthy, get healthy, and get healthy.

The Bears injury report going into the Lions game actually accounted for an entire half of a starting team, with 11 players on it.

This bye week is key to getting them healthy.

Offensively, the list includes Devin Hester and Johnny Knox, who both left last game with injuries and Matt Forte who suffered a knee injury the week before.

Frank Omiyale, who was bothered by an ankle injury (although he has room to improve, regardless of injuries) and Dez Clark, returning from a rib injury, both played last week although they could still use the extra time to heal up.

Defensively, it is a mess.

Linebackers Pisa Tinoisamoa and Hunter Hillenmeyer are recovering from injuries that have held them out.

And three-fourths of the starting defensive line was listed on the injury report, although all played last week, including Tommie Harris, Alex Brown and Anthony Adams.

They say time heals all wounds; hopefully these wounds only need an extra week.

II. Evaluate what personal changes should be/could be made.

Despite a 121-yard outburst from Matt Forte last week, the offensive line has been shaky at best.

While Cutler has only been sacked eight times, that has as much to do with Jay's mobility as it does the line's play.

Orlando Pace has looked a little slow off the left tackle position and after watching Jared Allen destroy the Packers to the tune of 4.5 sacks, it makes me a little nervous.

Although to be fair, Pace matches up with Allen better since Allen uses his strength, just as much as his speed. As long as Pace can get his hands on the opposing defensive lineman he should be alright.

The bigger issue is Omiyale. So far this season, he has been unable to get any real push on inside running plays. While he has improved from week one to week four, I would at least hope that the coaching staff gives last year's starter, Josh Beekman, a look or two during the course of the break.

In terms of defense, having Al Afalava as the full time starter and moving Kevin Payne to the starting free safety position should at least be considered. I know that Afalava has seen some starts, but he needs to be in there from beginning to end. He just makes plays.

Neither Payne nor Danieal Manning has underperformed. Quite the contrary in my opinion. Going into this season, the safeties were my biggest issue. But so far all three of them have far exceeded my expectations.

Afalava has just been that playmaker this defense needs behind them.

III. Make the rushing attack the focal point of practice.

I love Jay Cutler's rocket arm. I do. It is an amazing talent that I have never seen before in a Chicago Bears uniform.

But Lovie used to preach that this team gets off the bus running. And so far, it has got off the bus, walked around and then climbed back on the bus PASSING.

Forte has 121 yards last week. I know, I know. But seriously, two of his runs account for 98 yards and his other ten carries came to 23 yards.

If at some point, the Bears will find themselves winning a game in the fourth quarter by seven points or less and they will need to be able to run the ball and keep the clock moving. Now is the time to work on that.

IV. Evaluate what changes can made to the defensive pass scheme.

I realize I am harping a little bit, but it just seems that when given time, opposing QB's just pick us apart. And it hasn't just been the top tier QB's like Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, both Seneca Wallace and Matthew Stafford had surprising success and in fact, just missed several open receivers on more than a few throws as well.

I realize that Lovie has changed it up from his normal vanilla "bend-but-don't-break" attitude and is blitzing more and I applaud him for that.

I just think that some of the defensive backs, such as Manning and Zach Bowman, play better when they are matched up man-to-man as opposed to the cover two zone.

Playing them in zone sometimes has a tendency to null the athletic advantage those two have and allows experienced receivers, such as Hines Ward to run his route and find the hole in the coverage.

I am not saying a change NEEDS to be made, but I think Lovie could utilize a different look from time to time on blitzes just to take away the slant pattern and confuse the offense.

V. Take the Special Teams out to lunch

Those guys are good. Maynard has had one poor punt all season, Robbie has been Mr. Clutch, Hester, while not being the Hester of old, has been more the adequate and Johnny Knox's kickoff return was a thing of beauty last week.

Seriously though, how good is Dave Toub when it comes to this?

This is the third kick returner in three years to have a run back for a touchdown. Hester ('06-07), Manning ('08) and now Knox.

And it is a testament to how much Lovie appreciates Toub's job because the Bears house more players specifically for special teams than any other in the NFL.

Adrian Peterson, Rashied Davis, Darrell McClover, Craig Steltz, and Israel Idonije all have been major contributors to the unit for the past couple years, A.P. and Rashied for longer than that.

So this unit deserves a nice steak dinner from the other two units. The offense needs to thank them for giving it awesome field position and the defense needs to thank them for them giving the opposing team lousy field position.

And Dave Toub deserves a raise...

Okay Bear Fans, Who Should I Be Rooting For? The Vikings Or The Packers

Max Kienzler — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:03:21 -0400

While ESPN continues to drool over the upcoming Monday Night Football game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers, I continue to sit here and wonder how I should be watching this game.

It is, for the lack of a better analogy, like Darth Vader going up against the Empire.

It is the one man that Bears fans hate more than any other person in this world in Brett Favre (only person that comes anywhere close is Charles Martin)

vs.

The evil empire themselves. The Bears chief rival always seems to have the NFC North Championship go through its historic Lambeau Field and has been the center of much of my heartache for the past 10 years.

I laughed gleefully after the ugly divorce between Favre and the Packers.

I cheered the fact that both the Jets and Packers missed the playoffs last year, with the Packers being unable to win close games and Favre's second half swoon finishing what had been a promising start.

I rolled my eyes when Favre announced once again that he was retiring.

And then I stood there quietly thinking when Favre returned to the NFL with Minnesota.

...I thought of this moment. I thought of this situation.

On the one hand, it is easy to just root for the Vikings because when it comes down to it, I hate them slightly less than I do the Packers...I always have and I always will. The Minnesota/Chicago rivalry will always take a back seat for me to the Green Bay/Chicago games.

Plus, I have an immense amount of respect for Adrian Peterson. And an extreme dislike for Charles Woodson, Al Harris, and most of the Packers' linebacker corps.

But on the flip side, I realize that if I was looking at it from a pure football standpoint, then I should be rooting for the Packers because I do not want to see the ANY team in the NFC North jump out to a 4-0 start, with a 2-0 conference record. What is more, rooting for Brett Favre is really an impossibility for me.

I mean, I hated the Jets when he signed there just because of him. AND I like Thomas Jones. But now he is with another North team and what is more, they are leading the division.

Plus, I respect Aaron Rodgers for his ability, and my hatred doesn't just lay with Favre, it is directed to the Williams sisters in the middle, Jared Allen and that money grubbing turncoat Bernard Berrian also.

I can't even use fantasy football to bail me on on this one because in all of my leagues, I do not own one single Viking or one single Packer. It is just against my nature.

Now, whom do I cheer for?

I can't cheer for a good game. If I had it my way, these teams would tie each other at 17-17 and have eight unforced turnovers, two missed field goals each, wounded duck passes, penalties, missed tackles, and a multitude of other errors.

And regardless of who wins, I will have to see nothing but love being spread for whoever wins. Either it will be another amazing game from the "ageless wonder" Favre or it will be about how about the freakin' Packer fans got their revenge upon Brett.

Neither story is one I look forward to, come Tuesday morning.

So, when Monday afternoon rolls around, while I will be hopefully basking in a Bears' victory, I will also still be struggling with whom I want to lose between these two evil foes.

The green and gold that I have grown to despise or the purple squad who added on to my hatred when they gave Brett Favre a home?

Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears: Complete Breakdown And Analysis

Max Kienzler — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:35:03 -0400

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

Chicago Bears to Dominate the Detroit Lions? Not So Fast

Max Kienzler — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:15:34 -0400

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.

Rookie Al Afalava Providing "Safety" Net for Chicago Bear's Cornerbacks

Max Kienzler — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:55:34 -0400

Following the 2008 season, the Chicago Bears elected to part ways with several key players, including receivers Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd and long time free safety and fan favorite Mike Brown.

It was for that reason that many had the Bears pegged to select either a receiver or a free safety with their first pick going into the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Bears, of course, ignored that logic and selected a defensive lineman with their first selection.

In fact, the Bears waited all the way until the middle of the sixth round, pick No 190, before even selecting a safety. And a prototypical strong safety at that, in Oregon State's Al Afalava.

Afalava is originally from beautiful Laie, Hawaii and played high school football at powerhouse Kahuku on the north shore of Oahu. He led the Kahuku Red Raiders to a state championship his junior year and led them to the semifinals his senior year.

At Oregon St, Afalava took over at strong safety as a true freshman and was immediately pegged as a hard hitter (for proof, check out this highlight). He finished his career at OSU with 170 tackles, three interceptions, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two touchdowns (one interception return and one fumble return).

He posted a 4.47 40 time in personal workout, as he was not invited to the NFL Combine, and impressed the Chicago Bears enough to risk a sixth round pick on him.

And that gamble looks to be paying off. Thought to be a practice squad player for his rookie year, Afalava impressed the Bears coaching staff so much during training camp and the first two preseason games that he made the regular season roster.

He recorded his first career sack, of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers in week one, and has not really looked back since.

He was supposed to take over the backup strong safety spot, however he was thrust into the starting line up when Kevin Payne was benched before their 17-14 upset over the Pittsburgh Steelers in week two.

So far this season, he has recorded nine tackles, one sack and three pass deflections, including a near one handed interception of Seneca Wallace this past week.

Parting ways with Mike Brown was difficult for some fans, myself included, but Afalava has made me appreciate the fact that GM Jerry Angelo and the rest of the Bears brain trust sometimes know what they are doing.

Here is to hoping that Afalava can bring a little bit of paradise to Chicago.

Chicago Bears Report Card: Week Three @ Seattle Seahawks

Max Kienzler — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:32:24 -0400

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.

Bears @ Seahawks: Complete Breakdown And Analysis

Max Kienzler — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:01:40 -0400

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

Alex Brown the New Leader for Bears' Defense

Max Kienzler — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:12:12 -0400

During one of the biggest offseasons in team 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 on the shoulders of 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.

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.

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 the 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.

Brown has dealt with adversity like a champion. In 2007, he lost his starting spot to second year player Mark Anderson. While there was no denying 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.

Bears Super Bowl Chances Hinge On O-Line Improving.

Max Kienzler — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:10:51 -0400

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.

Chicago Bears Report Card: Week Two Vs Pittsburgh Steelers

Max Kienzler — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 21:28:15 -0400

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

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

Max Kienzler — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:51:36 -0400

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