Not Jeff. Jeff is in New Jersey today. It’s the Reverend.
While Jeff is hiding, here are some quick thoughts on the game:
• Judging by the number of comments (less than 50 after averaging well over a hundred the last 5-6 games) I guess everyone else was feeling the same way I was. This was a game you couldn’t get excited about. Losing brings despair for ’08 but winning, well it’s just the Rams. Still JV opponent or not it was a solid win and hopefully a much needed boost to the Bears tumbling confidence.
• Back in the early days of this blog I used to do a huge numbers column and Jeff used to laugh at me about how long it always was. Not going to go crazy on numbers today but there is one that has to be noted. Not his greatest performance but KO set a franchise record today with 185 consecutive passes without a pick. For a team that’s gone through the Rex rollercoaster and the Griese, Quinn, Hutchinson days that’s a pretty awesome record to see set. The fewer time Kramer appears in the Bears record book the better. (That said if we had played anyone other than the Rams KO would have had at least one if not two INT’s today.)
• Jeff and I discussed this. Clearly it seemed the Bears were trying to emphasize Hester’s role in the offense and he did a great job there but maybe they should pull him off punts too, at least for a little while. Looked like he was trying waaaay too hard on punt returns. He should never have fielded that first and Manning was looking great. He was one poor block from taking that one to the house.
• Finally the D-line showed up. Five sacks, all from the line. The Prince returned from whatever vacation he’d been on since Indy. Harrison was in the mix. Alex Brown played well and even Tommie decided to grab a couple. Seemed like we weren’t being quite so predictable with our pressure.
• That pressure led to four picks and the back-up QB. Proving that this team lives and dies by the turnover and just can’t get them without the D-line. Still, almost felt like the old Monsters of the Midway. Of course that will probably fool Babichpatch into thinking our D is what they thought it was. We aren’t, we still gave up some passes we shouldn’t but we weren’t letting them get the yards after the catch and Peanut, Vash and Graham seemed to be playing much tighter coverage.
• Matt Forte. What a beast. Awesome performance today. What he means to this team was summarized in the third quarter when on third and long and backed up to the goal line he took a little shovel pass and willed his way to a first down on a play I swore couldn’t gain a yard. Of course he shouldn’t have been playing at that point. The Bears are risking running him into the ground. They have apparently given up on Kevin Jones but the real AP was running well in the second quarter and with the game already well in hand I’d have saved his legs.
• Loved the aggressive, and for the Bears incredibly inventive, play calling by Ron Turner in the first half. An end around the actually worked (with a key block by KO who had no business blocking with that ankle.) some direct snaps to Hester, great stuff. And I was fine with dialing it back in the second half. We have a critical game next week no sense burning out all that innovation against the Rams.
• The concern as we look forward to the Vikings in primetime Sunday: injuries. KO is looking better and better but still dinged up. Mike Brown left with a lower leg injury and no one at Josies could figure out when and what caused it. Vasher didn’t finish. And I don’t think Des did either.
But overall we came out of this game with hope and after last week that’s good enough for me.
#2 The Ghost of Halas said . . .Sets up a huge stretch run . Every game is massive. IF the defense can step up over the next month, especially the D-Line, things will be very, very interesting. If they play like they did in Green Bay, forget 08 and start looking at mock drafts.
November 24, 2008
#3 The Ghost of Halas said . . .In my mind there is a list of Bears players which desperately need to be cut.
Jason McKie is at the top. Honestly. Why have a Fullback who cannot be a power back? I mean, lets face it. The Fullback position is all but obsolete in today's NFL, but power backs are not. Get one to compliment Forte's finess.
P.S. Congratulations to Kyle Orton! You are proving yourself just the fellow we have been looking for all these many years. I read some of the posts from yesterday and I am flabberghasted that there are STILL Rex supporters out there. Why? What medication could you possibly be taking to induce such a debilitating drug addiction high??? What???
November 24, 2008
#4 shonbear said . . .P.P.S.
Ron Turner's "incredibly inventive" play calling; where did that come from? Turner has been 'run-o-the-mill' for years. Suddenly, Wildcat this...wide receiver reverse that. The conspiracy theorist in me has to wonder if he senses a stir-up at Halas Hall and is calling plays which are exciting and inventive to separate himself from the Lovie-Babich herd?
Just a thought.
November 24, 2008
#5 jdawg said . . .hearing the postgame with doug and ob...
Briggs: we had a purpose???
Brown: What's the difference between tackling the QB or RB for a four yard loss, no difference, it's still a four yard loss, but you guys want sacks. hahahaha
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!
These guys are idiots, of course there is a difference, you've shown that you fuckers!! The difference is when any QB vs the Bears has a probowl passing game against us and then we lose even though we stopped the running game, because until today there defense, you hadn't gotten to a QB virtually all season!! Get a clue and start shutting up Bears. Let your play speak and shut your face, you guys shouldn't even be in this position if you had the eye of the fucking tiger and were hungry with a little passion and responsibility.
I am so happy with this win, but so pissed at our team for their lack of leadership and common sense. How easily they forgot that only last week they didn't stop the run or the pass and were shamed by the packers! Who cares about the rivalry it was still a vital division game! Now we all hope for a GB loss and a win vs Minnesota next week. Hope hope hope...
I'm sorry again, I just here these guys and their words and I can't believe my ears, I just cn't believe it, still haven't listened to Lovie yet, but I will probably blither when I hear that too.
Bear the F down!
November 24, 2008
#6 BearDown1982 said . . .Brown suffered a contusion, aka a bad bruise. He'll play next week.
Ogun's sacks came on two blown plays by the Ram's OL. The other times he was getting pushed way passed the QB when rushing. He looked like a fiddler crab. Anderson looked a lot better.
Looking forward to next week.
Its nice to be able to say that again.
November 24, 2008
#7 mikebdot said . . .I agree...a win is a win and at this point, we will take it. Let's hope that this team can build off of a convincing win against an absolutely terrible team and pull off a huge win in Minnesota.
I was happy to see the Bears adding some wrinkles on offense. It was high time to add the Wildcat formation into the mix when you can put two guys like Hester and Forte in the backfield to confuse a defense. I hope Turner continues to throw this out there, along with the occasional no huddle offense, to keep defenses on their toes.
I disagree that Hester should be taken off of his punt returning duties. Bad season as a return man or not, it would be blasphemy to not have the best returner to ever catch a football NOT returning either punts or kick-offs. As long as Manning continues to show upside with his kick returns, we can keep him there...but the Bears should keep Hester out there to return punts. He will bust one eventually...I'm confident in that...and it may be one that wins us a game.
Defensively, the front four played excellent. However, the Rams o-line was pretty pathetic. That said, the line took advantage as they should. Let's hope they follow this up in Minny...maybe not with another 5 sacks, but how about 2 or 3 of them and some pressure from time to time. I was also pleased to see the Rams running backs consistently hit for a loss on first down the entire game. It won't be that easy against Peterson, but the run D got back on track this week.
I do share the concern in regard to Forte wearing down as the season goes on. There was absolutely no reason for him to be playing in the 4th quarter (or KO for that reason) and I continue to be disappointed in a coaching staff who often fails to grasp the big picture. We can't afford to run Forte into the ground by the end of the season and it seems as if this coaching staff doesn't share my worry.
November 24, 2008
#8 Willie from Chicago said . . .Can you believe how lucky Minnesota got yesterday? Two kickoff fumbles to start the game for Jax leading to scores? Seriously? That's pathetic. Then, they kicked it OB leading to a field goal later in the game (after a 5 yard penalty for offsides). Then a fumble lead to a field goal.
Wow, nothing went right for Jax that game.
I hope we have that kind of luck in a few weeks...
But, we need to worry about first things first. Beat the Vikings and get a two game lead on them (effectively). That would not be the case if the Vikings swept the Pack and we got swept by the Pack and somehow we all end up tied, but still. This game is a must win for us. Otherwise, we're gonna need help down the stretch and I'm sick of hoping for help.
November 24, 2008
#9 Pankster In Da Carolina's said . . .Guys, will NBC keep the Bears- Vikings game on primetime? With the flex scheduling, they might move it. Any word on that?
November 24, 2008
#10 Willie from Chicago said . . .well gents lets take this momentum and enjoy it,
hell maybe this is what this Bear team needs a fuckin jump start but the only thing that stumps me is 2nd half why didnt we bury those fuckers with some offensive firepower??? Where the hell was k jones, ap di real well and I agree with the earlier posts J Mckie needs taken out and shot he fucking sucks!!!Bear Nation this week feels better than last eat some bird knock back a few drinks and get ready for those Drag Viqueens on Sunday Night Football!!!
Bear The Fuck Down!!!November 24, 2008
#11 Pankster said . . .LETS GO SAINTS, BEAT THE CHEESE.
November 24, 2008
#12 Reverend Dave said . . .hey willie we are on!!!
November 24, 2008
#13 Willie from Chicago said . . .Cant believe i forgot one of the most important bulletpoints. Thanks to Halas' ghost for reminding me: McKie should have been cut on the sidelines after that fumble. He is goddamn useless and I irritates the hell out of me everytime he sees the ball. A fullback is not allowed to fumble. And I dont care that he got a TD, David Terrell couldve scored on that play
November 24, 2008
#14 PackFan said . . .NICE!!! Bears are on Primetime.
November 24, 2008
#15 Willie from Chicago said . . .PACKERS WILL WIN,
GO PACK GO, BEARS SUCK
November 24, 2008
#16 Whooo Stanky Cheese said . . .Welcome back Reverend. Good post!
November 24, 2008
#17 pankster said . . .Packfan are you on a break from that early shift at the BK. Nice.
Big game for your boys tonight.
Go Saints.
Just for tonight.
November 24, 2008
#18 Albert In Tucson said . . .go saints fuck the packers hey pack fan its lunch time get those whoppers ready for those cheese head bastards
November 24, 2008
#19 jeff said . . .Those yards up the middle from Forte will be a tad tougher to get this week. UNLESS the NFL gets off it's butt and suspends the Williams boys! Even if they do, Vikings' Adrian Peterson averages 140+ yards and amost 2 TDs a game vs Bears today. I believe NBC must give 2 weeks notice to flex a game and with 2 teams sure to be playing for first place, why would they?
November 24, 2008
#20 zmac said . . .rumor has it, there will be a new jeff post coming this evening.
November 24, 2008
#21 NittyGritty34 said . . .#2: Not sure that Forte is really a finesse back... Id say he is more of a power back than anything else.
I think Adrian Peterson could easily play the full-back position for this team.
November 24, 2008
#22 The Ghost of Halas said . . .ShonBear said it best. The nerve of some of these players. Briggs plays good at least (most of the time). This game was a nice game to get back on track with. But judging by those kinds of bone head comments, it's also the kind of game that could set us up for another fall. I wish Kyle's steadiness rubbed off on some of his defensive teammates.
I remain hopeful but have a bad feeling about this game against the Queens. I hope like hell I'm wrong.
Go Saints! Beat them Cheeshead Fuckers!!
November 24, 2008
#23 bounce said . . .This is true Zmac.
I've looked back through Chicago Bears history attempting to find a back who ran like Forte, and I can't quite find one. He seems to have his own running style...a little bit Gale Sayers but is able to slug his way forward like a young Neal Anderson. I definately consider him a finess back and I believe my point valid that if McKie cannot get the powerback job done, another player is needed.
I would LOVE to see Adrian Peterson at fullback. He needs to be on the field more. What an improvement over Benson he was a year ago.
November 24, 2008
#24 bounce said . . .it seems like the bears lose the next game after beating up a bad team...I hope they look as good for the rest of the week.
November 24, 2008
#25 animal said . . .weeks.
November 24, 2008
#26 pankster said . . .6-5 is reason for hope. Lets play some D against Minny, give the ball to Forte 40 times, and come out 7-5 and in control of this thing.
Right now, for an evening, I am the biggest Saints fan you ever met.November 24, 2008
#27 Windy City Packer Fan said . . .one team one city Go Saints!!!!!!!!
November 24, 2008
#28 Al In WI said . . .I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Football is a game of momentum and confidence. When you look at teams, especially in the NFL, on paper, there is not that much difference in the talent levels from one team to the next. Contrast that with say, the difference in talent levels between college teams. For example, Ohio State has far better talent than Indiana (no offense to you Hoosiers, just an example), yet they are in the same league.
After having coached for a number of years, I have seen talented teams not fare so well because of a few bad breaks, and not being able to put it together (see the Minnesota Vikings every year, they seem to be a Superbowl favorite each and every May). Likewise, I have seen okay teams far exceed their expectations (see the 2007 Giants). This game for the Bears comes at a good time in the season to help their confidence and momentum.
Again, I don't see the Vikings finishing strong, simply because they haven't been able to do it for the last few years. The jury remains out for your Chicago Bears. But, the schedule may line up for them. Sometimes it's not so much who you play, but when you play them.
November 24, 2008
#29 Brian in Sec 430 Row 25 said . . .If Kyle Orton doesn't get his shit together this week, we have no chance. It's nice that he got his int streak record, but anyone who watched that game knows he got it mainly because the Rams secondary can't catch. I would actually argue he should have had at least 3 interceptions in that game. No matter though, I'm happy we have guy who get's lucky on these plays.
However, we've now had two straight games where he's struggled with accuracy and failed to cross the 150 yard barrier. That CANNOT happen this week. The vikes are strong against the run, so Forte will be limited. Orton, and the recievers have to get back on the hot streak they had going in the middle of the year, and the last time we played minny.
The season is on the line Sunday night.November 24, 2008
#30 Reverend Dave said . . .LET'S GO SAINTS!
I think KO's struggles are a function of his injury. I agree that the no interception streak is impressive but I also agree with the blogger that said he needs to get his shit together.....we can only hope that the ankle continues to improve. We need K.O to be 100% if we really think we have a chance at the playoffs.
November 24, 2008
#31 jdawg said . . .KO does need to play great next week but I think hes capable of it. Even despite the the 2 absolutely 100% should have been INTs the improvement in his performance from the week before was dramatic. And we are talking about a player who was generally expected to be out about a month. Considering that I take a lot of confidence from the difference in performance from the Packer disaster.
November 24, 2008
#32 said . . .KO's wheel was still bothering him.
My fear is the noise level in Minny. He's not going to be able to audible out of a play if the Bears haven't taken the crowd out of it.
Forte is a beast. The first down on third and long near our goal line was a thing of beauty.
November 24, 2008
#33 CA BEAR FAN said . . .I wouldn't worry about the crowd noise up her in Hubert Humphrey. Wierd shit, whenever teh Bears are in st. louis, detroit, or minnesota it's like they're partying in a home away from home. There will be a lot of Vikings fans ofcourse but the Bears will have a huge fan base too.
November 24, 2008
#34 said . . .why the fuck are there cheese heads in here! dam these motherfuckers really wanna be true BEAR FANS! GO BEARS! FUCK THE PACKERS.....I SHIT YELLOW AND GREEN! BEAR DOWN
November 25, 2008
#35 Willie from Chicago said . . .I wouldn't worry about the crowd noise up her in Hubert Humphrey. Wierd shit, whenever teh Bears are in st. louis, detroit, or minnesota it's like they're partying in a home away from home. There will be a lot of Vikings fans ofcourse but the Bears will have a huge fan base too.
November 25, 2008
#36 Shady said . . .Just a comment about Devin Hester, I don’t care if he returns another kick return for a touchdown as long as he is productive at the WR position and as long as we win.
The Cheese are going into the superdome and hopefully the Saints will pull one out for the Bears.
If the Bears manage to win the next two games @ Minnesota and vs Jacksonville, then we will be 8-5 with games vs New Orleans, vs the Packers, and @ Houston. If we manage to win these next two games, then I say we win out.
BEAR DOWN, GO SAINTS
November 25, 2008
I'm excited. Why? Because I'm worried about next week in Minny, and every time I've been worried about the Bears, they've come through with a surprising big win.
A few notes on yesterday's win:
1. Wildcat offense? I believe Luke called that one with Hester. The sooner we get the ball in his hands with blockers out in front, the better.
2. Kyle, stop blocking DE's with your throwing shoulder.
3. Kyle is now playing about as well as we expected him to at the beginning of the season, not great, but not bad, doing enough to preserve a defensive victory. The problem is that the Bears need Kyle to play like he did the 1st 6 games of the season (sounds familiar?). Granted the injury has something to do with his lowered production, but Orton needs to heal fast because any decent offense will poke holes in the defense again because they're there to be poked, St. Louis just couldn't figure it out with Trent Green. What a terrible team...
4. The defense isn't as good as they looked yesterday, St. Louis is just that bad. I'll give the defense credit for stopping the run, but if St. Louis had a decent QB they would have been able to connect with their open WRs over the middle of the field. Also, the offensive line for the Rams is a freaking joke, I think they might be as bad as the Bears line last year. Yes they had a plethora of sacks and takeaways, but again, St. Louis is just that bad.
5. Matty Fortay-tay is a freaking HORSE, but WHY WAS KJ INACTIVE? Does anybody know? I thought this was the perfect opportunity for him to rest Double Deuce in garbage time. Yes AP looks solid (I love AP), and Garrott Wolfe did his thing (what a TD saving tackle on special teams, but why aren't we seeing more of KJ on the field if his knee is 100%? The guy could probably start on a few teams and we don't give him enough touches. And I want to 2nd a comment that was made about the underhand pitch to Forte from Kyle on 3rd and long and Forte turned it into a 1st down. Sick nasty play.
A concerning stat I heard was that any RB that hits 370 carries for the year ultimately has a bad following year. Like 370 touches is the magic number for the wheels falling off of a RB. Please, Lovie, share the love with AP and KJ and don't wear out Forte.
6. Our WRs suck, no doubt about it. Can somebody PLEASE get open? Where has Brandon Lloyd gone? Devin Hester is a nice weapon to have in the offense, but he is not a reliable option when you NEED a 1st down. In my mind, I don't think he should be starting so that he can focus on improving his return game, which has looked pretty awful of late. I thought Rash Davis was going to step up and become a top WR, but that hasn't happened. Marty Booker struggles to create space and is now injured anyway. Greg Olsen seems to be improving, but only because he hasn't but the ball on the ground again. He just doesn't look explosive and goes down too easily.
7. Hopefully these injuries aren't significant and we'll have Brownie, Dez and Vasher ready for the Vikes... On 2nd thought, fuck Vasher. His bitch ass can sit out all year, that kid Corey Craham had a GREAT game and deserves to start. Sure he's had trouble with consistent good play, but at least we've SEEN good play from him, something we can't say about Vasher.
8. Finally the key to th Minny game is going to be SACKS and TURNOVERS for the defense, and KYLE ORTON and CREATIVENESS for the offense. The Bears can't let Gus sit back all day and let the Minny WRs get open downfield. 'Wale, Brown and Tommie need to get after it all game, not just when they feel like it. There is some stat that when the Bears get 2 sacks, they're undefeated. On offense, Kyle is going to have to make plays with his arm because the Williams bros. are going to plug up the run with their fatness (unless they're suspended, are they? Anyone know?). And I also want to see Ronny Turner continue his career year by dialing up more creative formations and play-calls that cater to the players' strengths. Again, it's amazing the production this unit has had considering the lack of talent at the WR position.
ANYWAY Bear down fellas!
November 25, 2008
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