This is the positivity covenant. We won the game. I'm not going to get negative and talk about how our offensive line gives Rex no time in the pocket or how we generally just can't dominate a bad Kansas Shitty Cheifs team. I'm not going to go on and on about how our play calling holds us back. No, today I'm going to talk about the positives.
We won the game. "1-1" has a ring to it, but I'll admit that "6-1" or even "2-0" sounds better. We had no additional injuries that should carry problems into next week. We had some in game "ouches" but it seems everyone came back besides Dirk Johnson.
Hester is the best thing since sliced bread. Had it not been for a penalty, he would have had two returns for TDs and that my Bears faithful is positive. We also played almost completely penalty free football which will pay dividends throughout the year and did today in a game that was a lot closer than it should have been. I learned today that Adrian Peterson is a shifty back who will compliment Benson's hard nosed running with his quick, stop and shift directions on a dime ability.
All in all the outcome was what we expected. The Bears won. The final score just had a little tighter margin than I expected. Lets celebrate this first victory of many for this season.
And on a side note, I really dont care that Brett Favre is comfortable in Wrangler jeans or that Fed-Ex ground is fast.
#2 ron - not a rex hater said . . .Only thing I'm going to complain about is that holding penalty on Hester's second run back. With everybody doubting what he will do this season, it would have been nice to have two in one game.
Oh well.
I've said enough about the play calling in the other post.
September 16, 2007
#3 Mike said . . .Hard to get on rex this game as a blame a lot on ron turner..
Let's chant this; you can't put play makers on offense for one snap..
Repeat as many times as needed.It doesn't work. The reason it works with reggie bush is that he is in there for 4 snap or more on an 8 snap drive. Bring in a play maker like that and they constantly cover him or start to forget about them. Either way is good.
Bring them in for one snap and the defense gets amped up to stop it. Then the genius ron t pulls the guy back out...
Genius or idiotmDamn I am tired of not having O. If it wasn't for devin hester we would have went ot OT tied up.
September 17, 2007
#4 Mike said . . .It is no longer a question whether Rex Grossman is good or bad. Rather the question is precisely how big a pile o' shit he is. Is he a big pile o' shit, or a little pile o' shit or somewhere in between.
September 17, 2007
#5 Mike said . . .It is no longer a question whether Rex Grossman is good or bad. Rather the question is precisely how big a pile o' shit he is. Is he a big pile o' shit, or a little pile o' shit or somewhere in between.
September 17, 2007
#6 jdawg said . . .How the fuck can blame be placed on Ron Turner over Rex Grossman?!? Grossman is a pile of shit who continues to make the same mistakes and play like shit week after week.
I'd like to know how anybody can pin this one on Ron Turner. Turner isn' t the tweezed eyebrow assclown under center.
The Bears are going NOWHERE significant with Rex Grossman as our QB. Nowhere.
September 17, 2007
#7 Midway Monster said . . .Its good to see the D pin their ears back and knock a QB out of the game. It was good to see D Manning get an INT and use his superior speed to bring it out. It was good to see Harris, in his words, "party like a rock star!" It was good to see 54 get his first sack in over a fucking year! It was good to see Benson get those extra yards when he's six inches off the ground. It was good to see St Clair carry that enormous badonkadonk into the end zone! It was good to see Olin being Olin and making sure no cheap shots go unpunished (even if there was no cheap shot).
September 17, 2007
#8 HesterFan23 said . . .W-I-N
--Midway--
September 17, 2007
#9 The FBI said . . .Sorry, I just can't put the blame on Rex for the poor offense today. That second interception was bad, but there first was a bad play call.
September 17, 2007
#10 HesterFan23 said . . .It's can now be formally announced. Bear wide receiver Mark Bradley has entered the witness relocation program. Chalk him down as a 2nd round bust.
September 17, 2007
#11 Al in WI said . . .I agree with you Midway (W-I-N).
I can get over the poor offense. At least we've got a W in the standings for the first time this season.
September 17, 2007
#12 BearsfaninAlaska said . . .Rex was shaky and I'm gettin concerned that he has taken all this media/fan pressure to heart and has lost his agressiveness. The thing that always gave Rex the edge over Griese is his ability to threaten a defense down field with the big play. He's not doing that so far this year. That second int is a result of the Chiefs sitting on the underneath throws because we attempted only one pass down the field.
Pass blocking: It's a real issue, Rex is getting smashed right up the middle too often. It continues to look as if AP and Benson are to blame.
RB's: Benson almost fumbled, and Peterson did. Although we got both back and it didn't hurt. It continues to be a concern.
WR's: Moose needs to catch the damn ball!! I think honestly he is a waste of space right now, get Bradley in game.
Turner: Through down the field. WTF did John Shoop take back over. Enough with the playing safe!!
Pass Rush: Great!!! Great effort consistant pressure and played attacking style. Loved it!
D Manning: Great game for Brown, made the pick and a few other plays.
There is still much work to be done, but take it for what it is, a win.September 17, 2007
#13 Al in WI said . . .Oh yea DaBbears! Rex Grossman is awsome. Get off his back you haters. He led us to the Super Bowl!
September 17, 2007
#14 BearsfaninAlaska said . . .Rex was shaky and I'm gettin concerned that he has taken all this media/fan pressure to heart and has lost his agressiveness. The thing that always gave Rex the edge over Griese is his ability to threaten a defense down field with the big play. He's not doing that so far this year. That second int is a result of the Chiefs sitting on the underneath throws because we attempted only one pass down the field.
Pass blocking: It's a real issue, Rex is getting smashed right up the middle too often. It continues to look as if AP and Benson are to blame.
RB's: Benson almost fumbled, and Peterson did. Although we got both back and it didn't hurt. It continues to be a concern.
WR's: Moose needs to catch the damn ball!! I think honestly he is a waste of space right now, get Bradley in game.
Turner: Through down the field. WTF did John Shoop take back over. Enough with the playing safe!!
Pass Rush: Great!!! Great effort consistant pressure and played attacking style. Loved it!
D Manning: Great game for Brown, made the pick and a few other plays.
There is still much work to be done, but take it for what it is, a win.September 17, 2007
#15 HesterFan23 said . . .Oh yea DaBbears! Rex Grossman is awsome. Get off his back you haters. He led us to the Super Bowl!
September 17, 2007
#16 jdawg said . . .Oh, I forgot to mention Bradley...
Did they forget about him? As much as I like to see Hester on offense, Bradley should see more time than him.
September 17, 2007
#17 Mike said . . .Man Mike, you're harshin' my mellow.
As I stated earlier, its amazing to me Grossman is walking, let alone throwing the football.
I know, let me come over to your place of work, poop on your keyboard, and call you a lousy typist (since shit seems to be the theme of choice).
They better work their protection schemes out, or its going to be Grossman for one more game, Griese for two more games, Orton for three more games, Byron Leftwhich for two, make that one game and fuck, I've lost count, but you get the picture.
September 17, 2007
#18 Mike said . . .Rex Grossman is a pile of shit. There is no longer any debate. The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have no QB, no offensive line and a defense that scares nobody. Nobody of course except our piece of shit quarterback.
And another thing. Everybody and their brother was dismissive about the NFC North. Well better wake up people. Because Green Bay has the makings of a high quality defense and Brett Favre is looking mighty good. And Minnesota and Detroit are both on an upward track.
With Rex Grossman, this dominant defense and special teams will be wasted. With Rex Grossman, this team will finish 10-6 at best. With Rex Grossman, this team goes nowhere in the playoffs. If they even make the playoffs.
September 17, 2007
#19 jeff said . . .Rex Grossman is a pile of shit. There is no longer any debate. The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the worst teams in the NFL. They have no QB, no offensive line and a defense that scares nobody. Nobody of course except our piece of shit quarterback.
And another thing. Everybody and their brother was dismissive about the NFC North. Well better wake up people. Because Green Bay has the makings of a high quality defense and Brett Favre is looking mighty good. And Minnesota and Detroit are both on an upward track.
With Rex Grossman, this dominant defense and special teams will be wasted. With Rex Grossman, this team will finish 10-6 at best. With Rex Grossman, this team goes nowhere in the playoffs. If they even make the playoffs.
September 17, 2007
#20 jdawg said . . .i'll see you guys tomorrow with my thoughts. and they're not nice.
September 17, 2007
#21 StartOlsen said . . .By the power of Grayskull!
September 17, 2007
#22 StartOlsen said . . .Jdawg that was the funniest analogy ever.
"I know, let me come over to your place of work, poop on your keyboard, and call you a lousy typist "
priceless.
Devin Hester is beyond description. Nearly 3 TDs.
Man Mike you are retarded. Didn't we just win?
September 17, 2007
#23 Don K. Balls said . . .Hellloooooo?? Benson bashers, where are you????
heeelllloooooooooothe silence is deafening.
told ya.
September 17, 2007
#24 jdawg said . . .Just got back from the game. Fine day from the defense and of course the special teams. Where would the Bears be without Devin Hester and Robbie Gould?
The offense played a disappointing game against a crummy Chiefs team. Grossman played like crap and looked to be in a fog the entire game. And boy, did the fans at Soldier Field let him have it.
Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson did alright. I've stopped expecting more from Benson. The offensive line play was disconcerting. That unit has gotten very old all of a sudden. You can stick a fork in Fred Miller, because the ancient veteran is done.
Bottom line. The Bears offense I saw on the field today won't beat the Dallas Cowboys next week.
September 17, 2007
#25 dman said . . .Boy, I wish Phillip Rivers was our QB, he's awesome!
September 17, 2007
#26 dman said . . .
rex...rex...rex.....BAD!is that bad screen to hester the only play they have
taught him??? come on he's the fastest guy out there
tell him to run fast and catch the pass!!!!!September 17, 2007
#27 dman said . . .
rex...rex...rex.....BAD!is that bad screen to hester the only play they have
taught him??? come on he's the fastest guy out there
tell him to run fast and catch the pass!!!!!September 17, 2007
#28 LABearsFan said . . .
rex...rex...rex.....BAD!is that bad screen to hester the only play they have
taught him??? come on he's the fastest guy out there
tell him to run fast and catch the pass!!!!!September 17, 2007
#29 Pissed Off said . . .Growing up with Sweetness and the boys, even when they were bad - you always EXPECTED 3 yards per carry no matter what. Even with 100 yds, Benson isn't impressive to me ESPECIALLY without a passing game that generate at least a few 50+ yd drives per game. I'm so confused whether it is really REX, TURNER , the O Line (excpet Kruetz) or a combo. But even Orton seemed to generate more consistent - if unspectacular -drives.
September 17, 2007
#30 jdawg said . . .Boo Hoo to the Rex haters, cry me a river, Waa Waa I want Griese. It aint gonna happen cuz your not Lovie making the call. Anyway I will say that 2nd pick was lack of him not seeing the defender, the pass was perfectly thrown if the defender had not been there though. We will be Dallas on Sunday, and its gonna be great. Be nice to have Olsen too if he's back next week. Be nice for him to tear it up and get a score, he adds an element to this offense that will give it the spark it needs to be aggressive again. I cant blame the lackluster performace by Rex soley on him, he gets some blame but the Turner and the O line get the buld of the blame from me.
September 17, 2007
#31 Al in WI said . . .By the power of Grayskull I demand Pissed Off to sober up, or type better.
September 17, 2007
#32 Al in WI said . . .The way Benson, Peterson, and the o-line are pass blocking I'm afraid the quarterback debate will be moot. Because as Jb mentione we'll get to see Griese, and the entire clown car of backups.
Does Rex need to play better? Sure, but so does the line, and our wide outs. The bottom line is this boys and girls, if Grossman isn't the quarterback, and doesn't play well, we won't go to the super bowl.September 17, 2007
#33 Still said . . .Sorry Jdawg, that was you who mentioned the fact that our pass protection is getting close to unleashing the clown car worth of backup qb's. My bad.
September 17, 2007
#34 jdawg said . . .Missed you guys...
I am very very sad that it looks like this is the same team with a more difficult schedule. I WANTED TO BE BETTER!
Watching a little of NE carve up the Chargers tonight, we are not ready for prime time -- and we are on it next week.
Still can't belive we lost to Norv Turner.
Good to see the old crew on here.
Bear Down!!!
September 17, 2007
#35 jeff said . . .I agree
At this point in the season we are not a top tier team. But each season takes on a life of its own, so we'll see where we are week 10.
There is a hole in our defense where Mike Brown used to stand.
September 17, 2007
#36 Still said . . .I disagree with those that put offense problems on the coordinator or line.
Rex's second interception was a high school int. The offense could not sustain drives all day. Rex is not a play maker. It is time to bench him and go to Griese.
The Bears future is in a world of hurt. they need to replace Urlacher soon, and Briggs. They need a QB. I think they need a new running back. The line is getting old. they should have a good season because of their Defense. The offense is nothing to get excited about. Rex stinks.
September 17, 2007
#37 Al in WI said . . .Mike Brown is dead to me.
Kinda like half the assholes in my office.
The D will be okay if they can stay on the field, but ok is, you know, ok. I do not want to have the talking heads saying that Green Bay is going to challenge us for anything. Then I will be dead to me and dead to you too.
September 17, 2007
#38 Phil from SATX said . . .Jeff, or person pretending to be Jeff; We had a 15 play touchdown drive. I'd call that sustaining offense. We also had more time of possesion than the chiefs.
You can't not knock Turner when the strength of your passing game is the vertical throws and in two games you've attempted 2 passes over 20 yards down field.
And again I go with the bottom line factor; If Brian Griese was a championship caliber QB, why is he on his 4th team this decade?September 17, 2007
#39 Decatur Staleys #7 said . . .I don't know how to say this after a Bears win, but I'm kind of depressed. Depressed that it is starting to sink in to me that we have the WORLD'S GREATEST DEFENSE and the BEST SPECIAL TEAMS IN THE UNIVERSE and we don't have an offense to match it. And watching some of the most scintillating play by 2 of the teams' 3 units, my elation at the great plays I watched throughout this game is tempered by some apparent reality of the ultimate futility of our efforts if we don't have a top flight offense.
Am I wrong in thinking this is the first time I've seen a first half Good Rex and a second half Bad Rex? THAT, my friends, is not a good development. Second half was classic Bad Rex, right down to running straight backwards as fast as he could when being sacked. Don't tell me both those picks weren't solely his fault - who else would they be? A horribly thrown screen pass (QB 101 but something Rex's not very good at), and even worse, sitting back there on one of the few plays when he actually had protection and not seeing the defender. And PO'd, it doesn't make a lot of sense to praise Rex for a good throw that wouldn't have been a pick "if there wasn't a defender around" - hello?
Enough Rex, there will be plenty more of that in the coming days (and methinks we're going to see a good dose of Rex-Reaming tomorrow from our genteel host), I'll change gears. Me as a big Benson fan now says we're really going to regret letting TJ go - not because Benson's not a good runner, but because we will end up needing TJ's professionalism and maturity. Between Benson and AP, neither of these guys seems to respect the ball enough, and the lazy grab by Benson on the could-have-been fumble was INEXCUSABLE. In addition they clearly don't have the needed experience on blitz pickups. I'm beginning to think that Ced has a maturity problem, and RB is too important of a position to not have maturity there - so we have an immature QB (any arguments from anyone there? I thought not) and an immature RB - that's not a good combination. It's a dangerous one. And is it just me, or does Benson, after getting tackled, have the body language on every play that he's hurt? I keep wincing, going Oh Shit and then he gets up. It made me reminisce about #34, and how he would spring up after every hit, smiling, patting everybody and running back to the huddle.
And is Mike right? Wasn't he the one who said that Bradley obviously hasn't won over the coaches or he'd be playing? Unbelievably enough, I'm starting to think you might be onto something there Mike. Berrian, Moose and Davis does not seem like they're going to be a good enough receiving corps for us - I don't think they get open enough, and maybe that is a little bit of an excuse for Rex (only a little I said). And rounding out the concerns on O, while Turner did better than the last game (not saying much) he's still not using his weapons. One great unexpected play to St. Clair, that was it for the unexpected.
Sucks that I have so much negative to write on the eve of a Bears win. I will celebrate the good things that happened tomorrow, but to me the story of this game may unfortunately become the story of the Bears 2007 season - and you know the storyline, so I won't even repeat it again. But here's the equation: D + ST - O = Failed Expectations/Super Bowl Also-Ran.
Didn't watch the dismantling of the Chargers by the Patriots, a team that's unfortunately MUCH better than the Bears are right now. See why I'm depressed?
September 17, 2007
#40 GP said . . .By the sound of this board it wasn't a pretty game to watch(exception of Hester of course)But we won an now we're back into the NFC North hunt.We'll face our division rivals soon enough.Let's see what we can do against the Cowgirls next weekend,Before we throw this team under the bus.
If it's going to be a up an down season with the offense,we seen this before.It always about the D in this town 1st.
Enjoy the win,High five a fellow Bear when you see him/her an move on.
September 17, 2007
#41 Max said . . .We should all be able to agree that Rex had a bad game. Is it Turner's fault when the QB throws picks on a fricking screen pass? I know Griese's not great, and is never going to be a Pro Bowler. Can we at least all agree that Rex won't either? If criticizing Rex is off-limits because we don't have a superstar backup to take his place, then we shouldn't be saying a peep about Benson, our O-Line, etc. I'm just tired of seeing Rex throw off his back foot. I'm tired of seeing him afraid to run for a 5 yd gain. I'm tired of watching QB's like David Garrard, Tony Romo and Jeff Garcia play better than our QB. Mostly, I'm tired of waiting to see another Super Bowl win. And I can't help remembering that Trent Dilfer managed to win one...
September 17, 2007
#42 Nicole is miserable in this blue city said . . .I dont wanna talk about it. . .
September 17, 2007
#43 Lou Mangione said . . .The man gives me chills when he runs...
I
LOVE
HESTER!
September 17, 2007
#44 Phillip said . . .Well I think we've covered all angles on yesterday's game (reminder -- it was a W). But please bear in mind, my friends, that the season is young. Right now we look like a 10-6 team with a laundry list of problems worthy of a 3-13 doormat. We're blessed to have an easy stretch of games coming up, without the playoff positioning madness applying extra pressure, to knock off these problems one by one and get into our zone when it matters.
So let's see if our coaching staff knows how to address this.
September 17, 2007
#45 Pissed Off said . . .Bears.
That is all.
September 17, 2007
#46 Phil from SATX said . . .Compared to the "bad rex" games of last year, 0 rating or 1.7 or whatever and 3 picks or fumbles, I dont classify this game Sunday as a "Bad Rex" game. It was an "inadequate or disappointing Rex" game. Thats all.
September 17, 2007
#47 Pissed Off said . . .Random good thoughts from the game before we go negative again (and believe me I'm ready to go negative) - and thanks for the boost Nicole -
1. Devin Hester - the new Elvis
2. Lance Briggs - one of the best, most visible games I remember of his - isn't there any way we can commit to this guy? I know with salary cap you can't have everything but I changed my mind, I WANT HIM!
3. Bob Babich - my new hero! And now I officially hate Ron Rivera, because I see what we could have been doing all along. Guess what? We've got some pretty special defenders! Guess what else? When they're are unleashed, they create mucho havoc! And it's exciting! Brian Ur's 1st sack since 2005? Inconceivable! This is MUCH better, and MUCH more fun to watch too .
4. Peanut - way to make something happen to take that ball back! Danieal Manning, way to make the most out of it!
5. Over to offense - cause there were some high points there - Ced aside from my previous comments about potential immaturity and lack of respect for the ball, overall very good effort. No, not every carry will end up with positive yards, but I say a lot of tough runs there and more than a couple 8-10 yard runs.
6. AP - didn't know you had moves like that! Despite similar comment about potential lack of respect for ball security (put another one on the ground), very nice overall effort, great at catching the ball and working with it. But please don't ever whiff like that again on a blitz pickup - that was awful.
7. Des Clark - very good overall!
8. Rex - Great first half!
I want Greg Olsen on the field! Get back Greg!Lou, I liked your comments - but let's remember the laundry list is short. But that's not so good when it's a short list like this -
1. The dryer is broken.
2. Could use a new garage door opener.
3. House is on fire. (Rex, what'd you do?)September 17, 2007
#48 Justin said . . .Phil I'm not praising his throw that was picked, it was just a mention, take a pill...HELLO to you to. Reading your post you'd think we lost. I guess my post #29 applies to you too. Geez.
September 17, 2007
#49 Phil from SATX said . . .Fuck off all you Rex haters...Did any of you see how griese played last year- He is WORSE than grossman, hell i'd rather have Orton in there than Griese- Get real, Grossman ain't goin anywhere. SO get used to it
September 17, 2007
#50 Phil from SATX said . . .PO'd, I consider you a blog-friend (yes I believe there is such a thing) and as I reread your comment I know you weren't directly praising the throw, but I will say I did wonder how you were going to address the Rex situation in your column, and I thought on the whole you gave him another pass. You said "offensive line not giving him time in the pocket" and "play calling holding him back" and later "it's not going to happen" with respect to pulling him and "the pass was perfectly thrown if the defender had not been there." You say that the offensive coordinator and the line get the bulk of the blame for the poor offensive performance. I am not a Rex Hater. I respond honestly to what see. I'm not ready to say "start Griese" but I was ready to see Lovie pull Rex after the second inexcusable pick. Again, not saying that would have meant Rex wouldn't start the next game, but Griese should have been thrown in a game that was basically salted away, as punishment to Rex for that horrible second half. Hey, KC put in their backup, maybe for different reasons but it's not like there's a league mandate against it.
I am not a Rex hater. But I fear that Rex is not going to last the year - 1/8th of the season gone, I'm not seeing the improvement I was looking for. And seeing a new kind of inconsistency - intragame inconsistency instead of intergame, if that makes sense to you. He'll start against the Cowboys, but if he throws 2 picks that are as bad as the ones in this game, I surely hope he gets his ass sat.
Not a Rex Hater, just a Bears Lover who wants to win a Super Bowl in the worst way. Whatever gets it done is good for the team.
September 17, 2007
#51 Pissed Off said . . .I just read last night's game time thread and I see I may have blamed AP for something that should have been on Garrett Wolfe? The whiff on that blitz was his? If so, sorry AP, I'll take that off of you (but you still put the ball on the ground).
September 17, 2007
#52 StartOlsen said . . .I'm not giving Rex a pass, I just chose not to address it in my thread. Those picks were on him unlike the one last week. But is Rex the first QB to throw 2 picks in a game, pretty sure Rivers had 2 yesterday and Trent Green had 4. Hell Palmer had 2 with his 6 TDs. So I'm not giving him a pass but by no means do I think he should be benched. We won the game, and just because he was mediocre does not mean he should sit. And thank God Lovie isnt dumb enought to do it, he's smart and he makes the right choices.
Just think to next week when the Sunday night game will turn out like it did when Seattle came to Chicago for a Sunday night game last year. We'll kill em. Its going to be awesome and all the negativity will be gone.
September 17, 2007
#53 'nuff said . . .ok while we are bitching:
how fucking hard is it to get the ball in Hester's hands 4 times a game???
1. reverse
2. handoff
3. let him run a fucking deep route already
4. maybe complete one of those fucking screensThere. 4 touches. Maybe nothing, I know. But, maybe 6 on one of those. And we get the defense fucked up, especially on a day like yesterday!!
GODDAMIT!!!!
September 17, 2007
#54 Pissed Off said . . .Buffalo Mu'Fuckas. Buff it it up, bitches.
Bear down... Buff up.
September 17, 2007
#55 Phil from SATX said . . .Sorry Phil but if you read my thread I said the play calling holds US back, not Rex. And I just said Rex doesnt get much time, which he hasnt over the last 2 weeks, he's getting murdered back there all year so far and I dont care what QB you are but your gonna get a bit jumpy when thats going on.
He has not been throwing any wounded ducks up there for grabs though like he did last year in his "bad rex" moments so thats a plus. So again I'm not giving him a pass but in order for him to perform well some other things need to happen too. For example the last two weeks his performance had been mediocre. If the protection and play calling (more about the order and situations they are called in throughout the game, not so much the plays themselves) were up to par maybe that makes it good rex games.
September 17, 2007
#56 Pissed Off said . . .Yeah, I may not be a Rex hater but I'll tell you this:
I am DEFINITELY a Ron Turner Hater. He is helping NOBODY and he is NOT USING HIS WEAPONS! StartO, you got it exactly right - at least 4 touches a game for Hester, just like that. Why has there not been a reverse? Why haven't we handed it off to Hester?
I don't think the Oline was that bad in this game, but the RBs don't know what to do and aren't helping. Teams are going to keep blitzing and if we don't know how to handle it, bad things are going to keep happening.
Let me ask something - that little play that worked so well when we knew a blitz was coming - a quick throw to somebody (Davis I think) that was only in Rex's hands for 1 second - why can't we do that a lot more?
September 17, 2007
#57 Mike said . . .Because we were so good last year, have we as Bears fans come to expect too much? We won yesterday and its all negative.
September 17, 2007
#58 Mike said . . .The offense of the Bears sputtered against a bad Chiefs' defense. And Rex Grossman was, not suprisingly, prime culprit. Again. The victory over Kansas City was a shallow one.
The Bears have lousy chance of beating the Dallas Cowboys unless this offense materially improves. The 2007 Bears have the makings of being one of the most disappointing teams of all-time in Chicago. And it is because of Rex, with partial blame pointed at ancient offensive line that is rapidly losing its mojo. Those who would place blame at Ron Turner's doorstep haven't a clue.
September 17, 2007
#59 Al in WI said . . .Cedric Benson had the quietest 100 yard game I can recall. He acts and runs like he is half asleep. And he MUST hang onto the football better. What really has become apparent is just how much this team misses the pass catching prowess of Thomas Jones. Neither Benson or the overrated Adrian Peterson can catch the ball. Nor can either apparently pass block.
But like I said before, I know accept Cedric Benson for what he is and not what he was supposed to be. It makes watching him less painful.
September 17, 2007
#60 Don K. Balls said . . .Po'd your exactly right, we've been spoiled, because 3 years ago a 20-10 win over a AFC playoff team would be cause for celebration. Now we're (and I put myself in this as well) are pissed because we didn't house them by 30.
It's early in the year, and things are still unpredictable. Look at the Bengals, Panthers, Rams, and Seattle yesterday losing games they were big favorites in.
Let's face it, last year is over it's a new day. And luckily the playoffs aren't for another 4 months, I'd rather get better as the year goes along.September 17, 2007
#61 Pissed Off said . . .One offensive touchdown in two games. And still there are a smattering of Bears fan who will defend to the death Rex Grossman. There are zero more excuses for Grossman. He's bad. Ron Turner isn't the problem. He can only do so much with what he has been given to work with. At this stage I hope Grossman goes out with a season ending injury. I'm willing to take our chances with Brian Griese and Kyle Orton. They can't possibly be worse than Grossman. The Bears cannot waste a defense and a special teams like this. Get rid of Grossman NOW while there is still a chance to have a special season.
September 17, 2007
#62 'nuff said . . .Great point Al.
Donkey Balls see #29, #54.
September 17, 2007
#63 Nicole is miserable in this blue city said . . .B to da U to da F to da F.
Know why? Cause a buffalo could take out a bear no probs in da real world of nature fightin'.
Word.
September 17, 2007
#64 Pissed Off said . . .It's gettin kinda deep in here and I'm not wearing my boots. Here's a laugh for everyone.
What kind of battery does it take to shock a Wolverine?
*****
****
***
**
*
**
***
****
*****
One double A.
Gotta love it. :)
September 17, 2007
#65 jdawg said . . .This should cheer everyone up. If we beat Dallas next week we will be 2-1 and so will they. Next week the undefeated NFC teams: Det @Philly, GB vs. SD, SF @ Pit and Washington will probably lose tonight. Lets just say theres a good chance we'll be tied for 1st in the NFC after next week and there will be no turning back from there.
September 17, 2007
#66 Phil from SATX said . . .You know, not that I necessarily agree or disagree with all the Grossman chatter, but its wearing me out, mainly because Lovie isn't going to yank him unless we get another Arizona or Miami-like performance, and I don't see that happening.
What you are now seeing is Grossman after Lovie's squirted him on the neck with a water bottle a couple of times. Do you remember all of those check-down passes in preseason? Those weren't an aberration. Those were (and are) the result of specific directions given to Grossman from above. While the win wasn't pretty none of those ints were returned for TDs. Does that mean they weren't stupid? No. But until #8 really shoots this team in the foot Lovie will not yank him.
Also, remember how everyone was saying the Chiefs suck because the Texans spanked them. Anybody see the Carolina score? Anybody see Steve Smith's stats? It may be that the Chiefs aren't as shitty as everyone thought and the Texans could be this year’s Saints.
So yeah, we can post Rex this, Rex that, but unless its good analysis, or something more compelling than “he sucks�, “no he doesn’t�, its boring.
September 17, 2007
#67 Phil from SATX said . . .Jeff, where are you? I want to hear your thoughts on the game, as promised.
Couple of issues directed at Mike. First, AP caught 3 passes in that game and a play by play account of the game indicates he didn't drop one. I've seen Benson bobble a few screen passes thrown his way but I'm coming to the realization that the screen pass is one of the few passes that Rex does not throw well. Bottom line, there's nothing wrong with the hands of our running backs.
Another thing is after reading that play by play I think maybe Turner didn't call that bad of a game. There were a bunch of sustained drives that petered out in the end. It was more the problem in the second half, and picks ended 2 drives, neither of which were on Turner.
That does represent a complete flip flop, and I still fault him for Hester being out there on only 2 plays (one of which he was only a decoy for) and no Mark Bradley, one a couple tries with Wolfe, and not enough Moose. But when reading the game as it ensues, it looked like a good mix of run and pass, passes when to different people and he clearly did a good job of mixing Ced and AP. Red zone offense was only good on one drive.
Apologize for the flip flop. More of those to come, I'm sure.
September 17, 2007
#68 Max said . . .Hey, don't look now but it seems Mike is going to get to cohost a column and pick some games. I see him as the closest with is 19-13 prediction. Next closest is Lou at 24-9.
Didn't check out everybody else's multiple picks, just know PO'd didn't go 13-3 this week - but true to form, he did do better than Rancid who always comes in second.
Mike picked the game right but not anybody else.
StartO I see you had a birthday on Friday. Mine was Saturday. I didn't do quite as well as you - I got colored kitchen bowls and a hand truck (dolly). Guess what is the only thing I asked for? A Bears sideline hat. Did I get it? No - but I did get those bowls and that dolly.
I'm now taking matters into my own hands.
September 17, 2007
#69 Mike said . . .Rex was not good. It just annoys me cause it seemed like we could have, no . . . we SHOULD have had like 30 points that first half. We put together some drives that I thought would lead to scoring, but nothing seemed to come from most of those.
I still support Rex, for better or worse, but its just maddening sometimes.
September 17, 2007
#70 Pissed Off said . . .Early week prediction (subject to change later in the week).
Cowboys 17
Bears 10Sorry, I have zero faith in Rex Grossman. He single handedly is going to be the reason why this season ends up hugely disappointing. He is incapable of running the offense. And its starting to turn real ugly against him in this town.
Is it wrong of me to hope Grossman breaks a leg entering the shower? Has Don K. Balls points out, could Brian Griese or Kyle Orton possibly be any worse?
September 17, 2007
#71 Nicole is miserable in this blue city said . . .Yeah your right, Rex will single handedly doom this team like he did last year when he led us to the Super Bowl, good take.
#65 jdawg is a damn fine post.
Phil I cant believe you just said there is nothing wrong with hands of our running backs, did you watch the last two games? I dont think its absolutely horrible but the soft hands of these guys could cause trouble again like it did last week. Bottom line, those two fumbles last week probably cost us the game, (and rex was tolerable) and this week we won with a less than stellar performance from Rex.
September 17, 2007
#72 Phil from SATX said . . .Happy belated Phil!
I had to live through Orton at Purdue- I learned to have low expectations when going to the game (if I made it there from the bars) and I don't want to become that fan again.
My hope is Orton has grown and improved since he left Purdue. Maybe he's better than the Rex that has shown up so far this season- but I'm not confident enough that I'd bet my paycheck on it.September 17, 2007
#73 Al in WI said . . .Thanks Nicole. PO'd I'm talking pass catching hands, not fumbling. Both our guys are pretty good at catching the balls. I've already stated my position that neither is making me comfortable with their take on ball security.
September 17, 2007
#74 Starbuck said . . .Three things I loved from the game:
1. Devin said seven! I loved his punt return, he's such a natural I think watching him run in the open field is probably what watching Gale Sayers was like. I think the kick off that was called back was even more impressive as three or four guys had an angle on him and didn't get close.
2. Urlacher's sack! It's about time, not blitzing him enough has been a problem for the Bears ever since he got here. That was a great play, Huard just froze and realized if he tried to run he'd from toast to a goast in about 3 seconds.
3. Charles Tillman! I was on the bandwagon to get rid of him in January of 2006 after he blew the Carolina game, and boy am I glad I wasn't the GM at that time. He's getting better and better and his play is terrific.September 17, 2007
#75 beardown1982 said . . .I have to agree with Mike although I believe his opinion is a little strong. Although Rex was a part of last seaon's near success, we have to live in the here and now. Unfortunately, I do not believe he is the QB to take the Bears over the top, but we are stuck with Rex because he gives the Bears the best option to win. Orton or Griese would not do any better and neither of them should get the starting job.
The only real hope is that Rex can straighten his game out to play average or slightly above. However, that seems like a long shot based on his erratic performance over the last 20 games or so.
When you look at the SD and KC defenses, they seemed to key more on Rex and seemed to focus less on our running game. When teams are trying to stop your passing game first and your run game second, something is wrong.
For me personally, it would be foolish to think that Rex is the guy that is going to win a Superbowl for the Bears.
September 17, 2007
#76 Mike said . . .I was at the game yesterday...and first off, let me say that Hester is absolutely amazing. When he gets enough blocks to get by that first line of defenders, watch out because he is going to take it 9 out of 10 times. Even more impressive was the play he made near the end of the first half when he caught the kick-off with one foot out of bounds...which gave the Bears the ball at the 40 yard line. He does his homework too, very nice. (unfortunately, that also resulted in the end of offensive production for the day...as the O did nothing with great field position)
Defensively, I was pleased. Run D was great again, thanks to stacking the box like last week. D-Line did a nice job. Tommie Harris has been amazing so far. Personally, I'd like to see Ogunleye and Anderson with more pressure, but it will come in time I think. Linebackers were excellent...especially Briggs. Earn that cash, Lance.
Offensively, I'm not happy at all. Say what you want about a win being a win, but this offense has looked pretty bad so far. The thing that bothers me most is that we really don't need them to put up a bunch of points...with our D and special teams, we just need the offense to move the ball consistantly and not turn the ball over. Plus, if we are going to use Hester...do we have to be so obvious about it?!?! Why not fake a couple screens to him, or fake a reverse to him...then give it to him the next time he comes in, instead of throwing a dumb quick pass to him every time. And can we please see Bradley on the field sometime this century?
September 17, 2007
#77 Phil from SATX said . . .Cedric Benson is not an option in the passing game. Adrian Peterson caught three passes out of sheer necessity because a team just has to have a pass catching option in the backfield. But is Peterson any good at in? No. In fact, let me go out on a limb and say Adrian Peterson is the most overrated player on Bears. He is "serviceable" as a back up running back. Thomas Jones was a viable option in the passing game. Benson is not. And it is hurting this offense.
Benson and Peterson both need to hold the football better. They were shaky at times yesterday. This offense already has mountains of problems without fumbles becoming another crisis point.
September 17, 2007
#78 Coxy said . . .Mike, not with you there - AP had 3 balls thrown to him, caught all 3. How else are you determining a successful receiver? Yeah I know, run after catch. Well he averaged 7.7 yards per catch, which isn't bad for a running back. And until Cedric drops a bunch of balls, you can't say he's not an option either. He caught 1 pass for 9 yards. What you ask of any receiver is 1) get open 2) when we throw you the ball, catch it 3) then run. You have not seen enough out of these guys to make such a blanket statement.
September 17, 2007
#79 Phil from SATX said . . .I think Rex looked great in the first half. Had some good sustained drives that ended in FG's too. If Berrian doesn't fumble, could have been a great half. Sexy Rexy for life.
Why did our O-line age in dog years this offseason?
September 17, 2007
#80 AK said . . .After extensive Googling, I found this on Bearsgab.com:
Bears wide out Mark Bradley is talking through the media, lobbying for more playing time as the Bears get set for Sunday’s matchup with the KC Chiefs at Soldier Field. Bradley was a non-factor in last weeks 14-3 loss to the Chargers, as he ended up making it on the field for just four plays. Now he says he is healthy, ready to go, and would like to be more involved. “I would like to get a lot more snaps than I did in the last game,� Bradley said. “I know what my role is. I got four snaps [against San Diego]. I’m looking forward to that increasing this week. Let’s just see what happens this week with the new packages. But, no, I’m not frustrated.�
The wide out suffered from a sore left knee and last season missed five games with an ankle injury and two years ago was out for almost half the year with a ACL tear in his right knee. Now he is stating that he’s both healthy and would like a shot to show what he can do when 100 percent. “There wasn’t anything said to me about there being a concern, health-wise,� Bradley stated. “I missed a little bit of the training camp going into the preseason. But once a person gets healthy, [you] give a guy time to go out there and interact. No doubt I’m worthy,� he said. “I wasn’t named the starter my rookie year for nothing.�
Who doesn't like this guy and why?
September 17, 2007
#81 AK said . . .With our special teams and defense, a QB just needs a serviceable rating of around 75. Grossman was a little below that. If the offense doesn't turn over the ball, we'll be fine.
They sky isn't falling Bears fans.
September 17, 2007
#82 Al in WI said . . .And one more thing: What the hell was Grossman sacked 3 times? Who isn't picking up the blitz?
September 17, 2007
#83 jdawg said . . .Do we have to be so damn negative all the time? Honestly. Can't we all agree that Rex needs to play better and leave it at that?
I mean why not spend an entire thread on the remarkable comeback of Tommie Harris?! So far, I dare say he looks better then he did prior the injury.
And Devin Hester for that matter, what a talent!
There is much to revel in, enjoy the season!September 17, 2007
#84 Phil from SATX said . . .OK, yawn
Now, did it send any chills up any spines when our D had 10 men on the line? Look at all familiar?
I think the D is only going to get more aggessive and better. Babich has let the Genie out of the bottle and our boys are now swinging some big ones.
These makes me much less nervous about the O.
September 17, 2007
#85 Mike said . . .Regarding blitz pickups, I think we're seeing the difference between Rex, and say, Peyton Manning - it is the QB's job to point out protection issues and, if need be, audible to a better play.
Here's what Rex had to say:
He was asked if what the Chiefs were doing confused the offense in the second half.
"A lot of those things were they had a good scheme to bring a guy where we weren't blocking a guy," Grossman said. "We'd fix that on occasion on the sideline, then they'd bring another look. I'll take responsibility for a couple of those." (my note: no shit, they were surprised that there were more than 1 blitz looks? - not ready for the game)
Is he not recognizing where the blitz is coming from?
"It's a little bit too complicated to just answer," he said. "But when we don't have someone protected, most of the time there's a hot route. … It's different in every single case. You can't just generalize it into one answer for every time they blitz."
It sounds to me like he's not very good at that aspect of his job. He should have just stopped with "It's a little bit too complicated."
Is there possibly something to the "mental midget" comment?
September 17, 2007
#86 Max said . . .Prime responsibility for picking up the blitz is the quarterback. You can blame the offensive line all you want, but it is up to Grossman to see it coming and adapt his playcall on the fly. Of course, he can't do this either. He sucks. I don't care a rat's ass if obsession about the suckitude of Rex Grossman bothers some of you. Because this team is going NOWHERE with him under center. You can talk about the wondrous achievements of Tommie Harris, Devin Hester, et al. until the cows come home. None of it matters unless the quaterback play on this team improves dramatically.
September 17, 2007
#87 flo said . . .regardless of whether it matters or not mike, i am going to enjoy watching tommie and hester all year.
"Rex needs to improve". . . is there anyway we can just have this in every single post we make. Like have it just automatically pop up when we hit "Save it"???
And in regards to A.P., the most overrated player on the bears team??? No. He caught three passes for 23 yards including juking a K.C. linebacker, Derrick Johnson i think it was, out of his shoes and picking up the first down. He has put the ball on the ground twice which is inexcusable, but hes not the starter so i fail to see how he is overrated.
September 17, 2007
Watching the Patriot O-Line manhandle San Diego illuminated all I need to know about the Bear O-Line. Unless they get better, the Offense will sputter.
September 18, 2007
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.