Vikings vs. Bears: 10 Things Chicago Fans Learned From This Game
The Bears improved to 6-3 and are tied atop the NFC North after beating the Vikings at Soldier Field 27-13 on Sunday. While the offense continues to frustrate at times, they had excellent field position for much of the game and were able to overcome two interceptions by Jay Cutler, though one clearly was not his fault.
The Bears continued to take the ball away, a key to their success this season. It was the best all-around game by the Bears this season as they held nemesis Adrian Peterson to a 3.0 rushing average and picked off Brett Favre three times.
There were two Davises that showed up in the game as well. Kellen Davis caught a TD pass (remember him?) and Rashied Davis had a nice 32 yard kick return. In short, it was a great win for the Bears, who now face a short week to prepare for Miami on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, you're never too old to learn, so we definitely learned some things from this game. So let's stop the small talk and get right to it, shall we?
1. Jay Cutler Should Not Be a Pocket Passer: Take That Mike Martz!
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The tings we learned today is actually not news to anyone who has watched Cutler's career. He has always been able to run and is a lot more athletic than he looks. He did this at Denver and now the Bears are finding out that Cutler's scrambling ability can be an effective weapon.
Make no mistake about it, this game was won thanks in large part to the feet of Jay Cutler. Sure, special teams and defense is what everyone is talking about, and with good reason, but Cutler's ability to elude the rush and scramble for yardage was the key to this game.
A lot of people look at the improved Bears offensive line play and point to things like the unit is jelling and Roberto Garza's return as the main factors. However, having a mobile QB changes the way the opposing defense plays and shorter drops and a quicker release can make the line look better than it truly is.
Look, Martz loves for his QBs to take that five or seven step drop and stand in the pocket, waiting for the receivers to get open so he can throw the home run ball. But either he's learned, or he's been told, that this line and these receivers just won't allow that kind of offense.
It's hard to believe, but Cutler has become a game manager. Even harder to believe, that is a good thing for this Bears offense. Sorry Martz, but facts are facts.
2. Devin Hester Needs To Focus On Returning Kicks and Punts
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Watching Hester lay on the ground in obvious pain after catching a short pass int he second half made me realize that he needs to stay the hell away from the starting offense and instead focus on his great talents of returning kicks and punts.
If Hester had gotten hurt catching a pass, what a waste that would be. For one thing, he isn't even a good wide receiver, and second, the Bears use Johnny Knox as their deep threat. Sure, maybe you could use Hester on the offense sometimes for trick plays but since he became a full-time wideout, his returns have suffered. Now that he's doing that well again, let's not tempt fate.
The Bears were able to overcome a shaky offense in large part because of the field position that they had. It wasn't all Hester, as Rashied Davis had a nice return, but this guy is far too valuable to risk losing him to injury.
3. You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
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Mike Martz is willing to adjust after all. They said he was the most stubborn guy in the NFL and that he absolutely hates to run the ball and will not deviate from his offensive philosophies. Yet, lo and behold, the Bears are running the ball more, Cutler is rolling out and not sitting back int he pocket. Martz is calling plays designed for short gains. Imagine that!
As I wrote before, whether that's been by choice or not, it's a good thing for the Bears. It doesn't make Jerry Angelo look good as he gave up a lot to get Cutler without giving him the tools he needed to be successful. But it shows that even stubborn geniuses know when they need to change things up, and the play calling by Martz the past couple of weeks has been impressive.
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4. The Sack Is a Somewhat Overrated Stat
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Based on sacks alone, it wouldn't appear that Julius Peppers has done much at all this season. He has just two sacks and we're more than halfway through the season now.
But the pressure he generates frees up guys like Israel Idonije to get more sacks than he ever had previously, and QB hits and pressures paint a more accurate picture of how the defense is performing.
The Bears lead the league in take-aways and a lot of that has to do with two things: first, the defense stops the run making the opposing offense one dimensional; and second, the pressure causes opposing QBs like Brett Favre to rush the throw and force an interception.
Would I like to see the Bears take the QB to the ground more often? Of course. Sacks are not only fun to watch, they result in negative yardage. But to say that Peppers is not playing well just because he has only two sacks is doing the man justice.
5. Like Him or Not, You Must Admit That the Bears Play Hard for Lovie
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No one has been harsher on Lovie Smith than I have, but at least his players enjoy playing for him and he commands their top effort. That didn't seem to be the case on the other side of the field on Sunday, as even the announcers commented that the Vikings looked sluggish and were lacking the intensity that should have been there in a must-win situation.
This is a good thing, since Lovie will be coming back for at least one more season. If there were any doubts about Smith returning after this season, and personally I've always written there was no way the Bears would pay Lovie and a new coach, those doubts were cast away with this victory.
The Bears looked especially focused and truly "up" for this game. With the Vikings season all but over now, I expect them to fire Brad Childress soon.
6. Bears "D" Held Adrian Peterson In Check
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The Bears run defense made a commitment to stopping Peterson, and for the most part, were successful in making him basically a non-factor in the game. The Bears kept more defenders in the box and when they did Peterson went nowhere, only having success when the Bears kept six in the box.
The 51 yards rushing for A.D. was easily his lowest total of the season. Remember, this is a guy who had 11 touchdowns in his previous six games against the Bears.
The Bears came into the game third in the league in rush defense and they did nothing to hurt that standing with their effort on Sunday.
7. When You Have Your Health, You Have Everything
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The Bears came out of Sunday's contest relatively injury-free. That's especially important as they have a short week to prepare before going on the road to South Beach to play the Dolphins on Thursday night.
Johnny Knox was throwing up on the sideline, though it wasn't clear whether it was due to stomach flu or getting hit in stomach and having the wind knocked out of him. And Hester returned from an apparent ankle injury so he appears to be alright.
8. It's a Two Team Race Now
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The Vikings season is over thanks to the loss on Sunday, so the division race will be between the Packers and the Bears, as it should be. With the Pack sitting at home with the bye, both teams are now 6-3, though the Bears have the tie-breaker by beating them earlier this season.
The last game of the season could turn out to be for the division title, as the Bears travel to Green Bay.
9. It May Be Time For Brett Favre To Hang Up The Spikes For Good
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With the Vikings season all but over now, and Favre old, hurting and having a rough season, maybe it would be best for him to retire now so he can get out of the game without being in a wheelchair.
Favre has been hit more than any other QB in the NFL this season and has played through a fractured ankle and assorted ailments all season.After the game, Favre said he has pain in his right shoulder that could be related to surgery he had back in 2008. So perhaps it's time for him to get out while he can still walk?
It won't happen, of course, at least not now.
ESPN asked Favre if he would continue playing once the team is mathematically eliminated and he said: "Let's not worry about that," Favre said. "Don't push it. ... I think there's still a little hope left. I can't speak for the rest of the team, but I do know the consensus seemed to be afterward that there is life still left."
As for Favre, he's not helping his team much, given his 16 interceptions.
10. DJ Moore Should Be Nicknamed "The Vulture"
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Nickelback DJ Moore has four interceptions this season, as he always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Someone deflects the ball and Moore is there to grab the pick.
ESPN's Jeff Dickerson had this quote after the game: "When you are on a good defense, you are going to get a lot of them [batted balls]," Moore said. "I'm just happy to be in the middle of it and around the football. Being on the inside [in the slot] you got a chance to get to the ball on every play. So if you run hard and get to the ball, it'll probably pop to you."
Israel Idonije deflected a pass into Moore's hands for his fourth pick this year, and Moore almost had one earlier in the game but he was turned the other way.
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