I walked to work this morning, as I tend to do the day after most Bears games. It gives me a chance to really think about the football game, keep my emotions somewhat in check. My brother calls me, "Pennington blah, Pennington blah, trade for Philip Rivers..."
The Bears are very good at doing what they did yesterday. Disappointing. The experienced Bears fan knows it's coming. The inexperienced takes it very hard. Hell, we all do. The experienced ones just have a formula.
I watched the Patriots heroically beat the Steelers yesterday and thought, "We're not even on the same continent as these teams." But that's okay...we're the youngest team in football.
So I'm going to logically break down yesterday's game without jumping to any massive conclusions. This team has played three football games with a rookie fourth round draft pick under center. And let us not forget that we can play, if not beat, the other three teams in this division. Winning a division, I don't care how many wins it takes to do it, will give this team a springobard into the 2006 season.
POSITIVES
Thomas Jones looks like a top flight NFL running back. He's electric. Unfortunately Ron Turner coached the game as if we were down 30 instead of 10. Everyone continues to compare the Bears formula to the Steelers and Ravens. Put it away. You have to commit to the run and that means 50 times a game. Jones can handle it and he deserves nothing less than to be the starter in Cleveland two weeks from now.
The Offensive Line did another very nice job this week. They made holes for Jones and for the most part kept defenders off Kyle Orton. Olin Kreutz is back in Pro Bowl form and it appears so is Ruben Brown, who was just crushing people up front.
The Defense. I know the Reverend, and most like his family, will disagree with me but I'm incredibly proud of this entire unit with one or two exceptions. They allowed the best offense in the NFL right now to gain 250 total yards. That ain't bad. The first touchdown pass was very well covered and the third was a missed bump-and-run. Peanut got burnt once. The Bengals had nothing on the ground until the fourth quarter when this defense was just worn down.
I'll say this: Orton had four interceptions and they were still in this game.
NOT SO GOOD
To: Ron Turner
cc: Kyle Orton
Re: Inability to Manage a Successful Offensive Drive
Hey Guys -
Please run the ball. A lot more. Thanks.
Oh, and if you're not going to run the ball...there are other pass patterns besides "really really deep."
Cool.
-Jeff
OKAY, I'M WORRIED
Doug Brien might just be awful. And with our style of play he's going to need to kick well.
In two weeks, the Bears play a football game to be .500. They have two weeks to forget this offensive stinkfest. The bye week is perfectly placed for this team. If they lay another egg, we'll pack it in. If they come out and grind out a win, we'll be in it...for the rest of the way.
#2 Max said . . .Hub Arkush on Mike North Monday morning defended run/pass mix, arguing Jones really gained most of his yards on the late first-half drive, when Bengals were expecting pass. Run game actually wasn't that effective overall, is Hub's thesis ... He also said deep balls were to keep Bengals from overloading against the run, because Orton doesn't read defenses well enough yet to throw short. And when you throw long, Hub said some old QB once told him, the biggest problem is 'getting air under the ball.' So the rainbow passes were actually properly executed.
Well, I can't argue with the 'doesn't read defenses well enough' argument, anyway.
But actually, I'm not down on Orton. This is what you get with a rookie. (If Orton lasts till Dec. 4, won't he actually have started more games, career, than Rex? Who's the rookie then? Eeek.)
I'm impressed by only 7/11 of the defense. DBs played baaaad. A missed bump and run isn't an excuse for giving up a touchdown. It's a REASON for giving up a touchdown. You're up against Chad Johnson, you can't miss. ... I'm already nostalgic for the Mike Green Era.
September 27, 2005
#3 Noah Brier said . . .not to be a dick, and i know he sucked it up last year, but edinger went 4-5 on field goals this past week. hes always been my guy. (not that its saying much cause R.W. and A-Train were my boys as well and look where that got them) but i was just pointing it out.
September 27, 2005
#4 jeff said . . .Maybe Doug Brien just needs to start turning around before the field goal . . .
September 28, 2005
Not for nothing, but maybe the Hubster better take another look at who's under center.
I don't care what the rationalization is, there's no excuse for a fourth round rookie quarterback to be softening a defense by throwing deep balls.
Have the Chicago Bears ever been a deep ball threat? Maybe Willie Gault? No defensive coordinator is dumb enough to think we're actually going to start launching the ball over the field like the '99 Rams.
September 28, 2005
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