Pleasure to have my first discussion with Bears tight end Steve Maneri. Over the ten minutes plus we discuss:

• His time with Evan Rodriguez and surprise the former Temple star is not currently employed in the league.
• How one becomes a blocking tight end.
• Martellus Bennett’s personality.
• Jay Cutler inspiring the sideline with his first down run in Pittsburgh.
• Marc Trestman’s offense.
• Various other things.

I’m hoping to have Maneri back a bunch as the season progresses and we’ll start getting a better hang of our conversation styles. Hope you enjoy.

I was actually taken aback while reading Peter King’s MMQB column:

Offensive rookie of the year? This morning, it’s Chicago guard Kyle Long. The human sack machine, Jay Cutler, has been sacked three times in three games.

King may be right but he knows as well as anyone that a right guard is not going to win Rookie of the Year. I’m not a savvy enough analyzer of offensive lines to tell you why Long is better than Jordan Mills, never mind the rest of the rookie class, but King’s statement is a clear indication the national media got it wrong on draft night with their misguided criticism of the Long selection.

The comment got me thinking about something I usually don’t spend ten seconds on: awards. While I don’t know if Long has been Offensive ROY to this point, I do know that no player, none, not even Peyton Manning, has been more valuable to his team through three games than Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.

Now before people start with the Peyton Manning is blah and Tom Brady is blah blah and Calvin Johnson is so much blah blah blah, stop. Take a breath. Maybe a sip of Courvoisier. If weed is your thing, smoke some. I am not arguing Jay Cutler is the best player in the sport. I am not arguing Jay Cutler is the best quarterback in the sport. Hell, I’m not even arguing Jay Cutler is the best player on the Bears. He’s none of those things.

What I am arguing is Cutler’s value to the Chicago Bears through the first three games of the 2013 season has been greater than the value of any of other player in this league to his team. The reason is not his solid statistics or even his consistent overall performance. (Both are of course factors.) The reason, the primary reason, is actually something out of his control: circumstance.

Against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Bears needed six from their quarterback in the fourth quarter to keep from dropping their home opener. “That was a laser,” Phil Simms said just after Cutler hit Brandon Marshall in the front left corner of the end zone. (The Packers needed the same against the Bengals Sunday. Their QB could not deliver.)

3^rd and 10. Minnesota Sixteen yard line. Sixteen seconds remaining. Cutler knows he has two throws to beat the Vikings. Two throws to beat a division rival at home. He only needed one, a textbook back shoulder end zone toss to Martellus Bennett. 2-0.

The Bears didn’t NEED a touchdown from their QB against the Pittsburgh Steelers – just a few first downs as they nursed a 27-23 lead. Nobody watching the game with around nine minutes remaining believed the Bears could keep Pittsburgh from scoring essentially at will. The game was on the offense. On the quarterback.

After two failed runs, third and ten. Cutler stepped up from pressure, ran to the stick and lowered his shoulder to cement the first down.

Three plays later, on another pressure-packed third down, he launched a beautiful, back-shoulder bomb to a shrouded-by-Ike Taylor Brandon Marshall.

Three plays later, on yet another angst-addled third down, Cutler and Earl Bennett executed one of the best throw-and-catch moments of this young NFL season for the decisive touchdown. Music City rejoiced.

Circumstances. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady and Russell Wilson and Drew Brees haven’t faced the same pressure week in and week out. Should a quarterback be rewarded for not blowing out his opponents? It is an argument worth having. But who would you vote for in the World Series MVP race? The guy who hit 7 home runs in the series or the guy who hit four home runs to break ties in the ninth innings of the wins? Isn’t the difference between the current three-game seasons of Cutler and Manning the reason both MVP and Offensive POY exist?

Circumstances have determined Cutler be held under the bright light for questioning. They have determined he have the ball in his hand with the game on the line. And every single play the Bears have needed from their quarterback to win or cement a win he has made. Mark Potash Tweeted:

The Closer? In the last 5 pass plays of the #Bears‘ 3 games, Jay Cutler has a perfect 158.3 passer rating: 12-of-13, 208 yds, 3 TD, 0 INT.

Sure, call him the closer. It fits our little baseball motif. But with all due respect to the ball hawking defense and Matt Forte, you should also be calling him what he is: the reason the Bears are off to a 3-0 start. And in my opinion that makes him the league’s most valuable player heading into the fourth week.

This is a DaBearsBlog original song. Haven’t posted it in a long time. Let’s bring it back!

First off, an apology for our site issues over the last 24 hours. It is inexcusable and know that immediate actions are being taken to remedy the situation. You deserve a great Comments section – not the shit being provided you now. I’ll fix it.

A lot of developments from last night’s game worth discussing but here are my thoughts before re-watching the game this afternoon.

• Sad to see the cart come out for Henry Melton. Melton does not have a contract in 2014 and has now gone from looking at one of the more lucrative defensive deals in the league to signing for the veteran minimum in an attempt to prove he’s healthy. Here’s hoping Melton has the time and drive to get back on the field by the start of next year – whether that’s in Chicago or Dallas or wherever Lovie Smith lands.
• If Charles Tillman wasn’t 100% last night, why put him out there at all? Calvin Johnson is on the calendar next week.
• Marc Trestman may be Willy Wonka but he is an aggressive play-caller. I think he’s already gone for more fourth downs in three weeks than Lovie did in nine years.
• Cris Collinsworth was as fair to Jay Cutler as any analyst I can remember. Cutler’s first-down scramble in the fourth quarter took the air out of the stadium.
• What a throw and catch by Cutler and Earl Bennett. Why did people want to trade Earl? Probably has something to do with the salary – the NFL fan’s new obsession.
• What a throw and catch by Cutler and Brandon Marshall. I still marvel at a receiver’s ability to adjust with the ball in the air, turn and make a catch while another man is trying to stop him.
• Matt Forte is one hell of a running back but the Bears are wisely working Michael Bush into the game plan. Forte may lead the league in touches this season but that means he’ll also approach the league lead in times tackled. Bears need him in December and beyond. Can’t lose him in September.
• Impressive night for all three Bears linebackers. D.J. Williams looked like the fastest man on the field at times, Lance Briggs destroyed the Steeler running game and James Anderson continued stellar work in coverage. Bears defense was cut to ribbons at times by a brilliant quarterback but the linebackers weren’t to blame.
• Raise your hand if you thought Joe Anderson would return more kickoffs than Devin Hester. (Joe Anderson does not have his hand up.)
• One of the emerging stories of the 2013 season: pump fakes. It seems Bears safeties have no answer for them.
• I watched Jordan Mills and Kyle Long closely late in this game and both – at least on initial viewing – played pretty darn well in a difficult environment.
• THE PODLESH REPORT: He was pretty bad but his punt at the end of the first half, sparing the Bears some poor clock management, was excellent.
• Antonio Brown’s touchdown catch was just spectacular. I could watch that play 1,000 times.
• Anthony Walters almost Marion Barbered this game. How can an NFL player be so unaware of the game circumstances?
• Is there a backup quarterback with a better relationship to the starter than McCown? Every time the Bears offense, specially Cutler, do something well McCown is rushing onto the field and chest-bumping Cutler.

There is more but I’ll get to that when I look at the game a second time. One general theme was summed up brilliantly by the Reverend from his barstool: “I’m not ready to be an offensive team.” Guess what? The Chicago Bears are an offensive team.

It is never too early to start scoreboard watching. One key for the opponent in each of the division rival’s games.

Green Bay at Cincinnati

• Expect that hundred yard rushing streak for Green Bay to end at one. Bengals need to hit Aaron Rodgers and hit him early. If they don’t he’ll dice them like a carrot.

Detroit at Washington

• Can the Skins start this season 0-3 and still make the playoffs? Yea. There’s a chance 8-8 wins the NFC East. But Shanahan’s group has been blown off the ball in both of their first halves and forced into 20+ point holes. They must find a way to limit the early damage from Stafford and Johnson and play SOME defense. If they do there’s a good chance they win this game at home.

Cleveland at Minnesota

• I can’t see Cleveland winning this game. But let’s be honest, I can’t imagine myself watching a single second of this. Brian Hoyer is starting. So that’s a thing.

If things break well this afternoon the Bears could be playing for a two-game division lead tonight.

Jay Cutler has led the Chicago Bears to two fourth quarter comebacks and a 2-0 start. Now they head to western Pennsylvania to face the finest franchise of the Super Bowl era.

So why do I like the Chicago Bears this?

I always like the Chicago Bears.

BUT WHAT FOOTBALL REASONS, JEFF?

• Pittsburgh’s offensive line is a mess right now, especially on the edges. Adding a pass rush to the Bears already stout run-stopping defense should lead to a difficult night for Roethlisberger and company.
• Did you see how Jay Gruden dissected the aging the Steelers secondary with Tyler Eifert? I expect a big game over the middle from both Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte. Pittsburgh doesn’t have a player on their defensive roster to cover either one of them.
• I think Devin Hester continues his ascension and I firmly believe we’re going to start seeing him affect game plans the way he did five years ago. It is not a reach to ask the question, “Will Mike Tomlin kick to Hester?” It’s easy to say “no” but far harder to execute.
• I think the Bears are playing better at basically every position on the field. The only argument to the contrary I can plausibly make is Zoltan Mesko over Adam Podlesh at punter. (Mesko, by the way, will be the third straight left-footed punter the Bears face this season. From the Sun-Times: “I don’t know if that’s ever happened,” Bears special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis said. STATS isn’t sure. The data company just started tracking the stat.)

DA BEAR  CONCERNS

• Concern #1: There is a very good possibility the Pittsburgh Steelers won’t be as desperate & hungry again this year. A loss at home would send them to 0-3 and all-but end their postseason hopes this year. I used to subscribe to a simple rule when it came to gambling on the NFL: always bet the team that needs the game more. There is no way to make an argument that team is the Chicago Bears this week. Here is how Florio wrote it in his game prediction:

Florio’s take:  The Steelers rarely are on the mat.  When it happens, they find a way to get up.  Eight years ago, they were left for dead after a loss to the Bengals, and the Steelers sparked a run that resulted in a Super Bowl win by beating the Bears at Heinz Field.  Though it’s way too early to even think about playoffs in Pittsburgh (except for the baseball team), it’s not too early to envision a proud franchise mustering enough punch to bring the 2-0 Bears back down to earth a bit.

• Concern #2: Ben Rothlisberger has deep threats but he’s been unable to get them the ball downfield due to his offensive line’s inability to block anyone. If the Bears don’t mount a pass rush against Large Benjamin they’ll find themselves chasing the speed of Brown of Sanders down the sidelines all evening long.
• Concern #3: If Joe DeCamillis doesn’t get the kick coverage squared away Felix Jones will break one. There is pressure on Joe D this week. Serious pressure.

THE MATCH-UP OF REMARKABLE IMPORTANCE

• CB Ike Taylor v. WR Brandon Marshall. We all know Jay Cutler is going to throw the ball to Brandon Marshal AT LEAST half a dozen times whether he’s open or not. As if you believe the inane ramblings for Jon Gruden, Taylor is the greatest cornerback to ever set foot on the earth. (Gruden is, of course, crazy.) Pittsburgh needs to take Marshall out of the game or they’ll be down three scores at halftime.

GREAT QUOTE

Martellus Bennett appeared on Waddly & Silvy and discussed his new head coach:

“If you really look at Coach, he’s a genius,” Bennett said. “And a lot of times when you’re around really, really smart people, you don’t really understand them. I thought Willy Wonka was brilliant. I mean he had all kinds of candy. Who doesn’t like chocolate and candies? Everybody wanted a Gobstopper. Ya know? I just think he’s brilliant.”

THE MOST INTERESTING PLAYER ON THE FIELD

• Bears SS Major Wright. If the Steelers are going to make big plays against this Bears defense it will happen by attacking the aggressiveness of the Bears corners over the top and Wright has been beaten a few times. With a struggling Steelers offensive line and little coming out their run game, Mel Tucker should be able to keep his safeties home and stay in safer, cover-2 looks. Wright needs a solid effort.

THESE VIDEOS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH FOOTBALL

August Wilson is one of the greatest writers to have ever walked the face of this earth. Pittsburgh was his muse. Enjoy this. It’s bigger than life. Listen to the name.

But Chicago has an answer:

A SINGLE STAT PREDICTION (1-1)

• Robbie Gould kicks three or more field goals.

WRAPPING IT UP IN ONE SENTENCE

Pittsburgh’s defense makes a few big plays to keep them alive but too much Cutler, too much Forte and too much Bears pass rush sends the Steelers to 0-3 and a long season.

FINAL SCORE

• Chicago Bears 26, Pittsburgh Steelers 13

THIS LIONS FAN WAS ENJOYABLE

If NFL Network just scrapped their unbearably awful programming and aired thirty-two videos like this on Monday, wouldn’t be a far more popular network? It’s fun to watch a fan start by telling us he’s not upset and then slowly watch him descend into madness.

___________________________________________

STUPID SPORTS MOTIVATIONAL TWEET OF THE WEEK

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible. Good morning & #BeGREAT today!

Go further than you thought you could go.

Having long been a positive-grader in coverage, Bears linebacker Lance Briggs unsurprisingly continued on that front in this game (+3.2 coverage). Notable about his display, though, was the manner in which he made his impact against the pass, getting his hands to balls not only targeting his coverage but those around him as well.

This is not an X’s and O’s site. Never has been and – unless I hear someone like Matt Bowen – never will be. There are plenty of places around the internet and sports world to turn for play breakdown. But this weekly feature will hopefully illuminate for both myself and the common fan why something didn’t work on the field. Usually the answer is pretty simple.

4:36 remaining in the second quarter

1st and goal Bears at the Minnesota 1 yard line

THE FORMATION

Thom Brennaman was beside himself and Twitter exploded with criticism of the play call. (Brennaman went so far as to call it “unbelievable” as if no one has ever throw on first down at the goalline before.)

“HOW CAN YOU THROW THE BALL ON FIRST AND GOAL FROM THE ONE WHEN YOU’VE RUN THE BALL ALL THE WAY DOWN THERE?”

That’s exactly WHY  you throw the ball. Look at the defense Minnesota is in. There are playing 100% run. You know how I know that?

THE THROW

I. Tony Fiammetta runs the classic west coast offense, fullback-to-the flat route. Covered.

II. Matt Forte stays in to block Brian Robison and does well. Cutler was under very little pressure on the play.

III. Martellus Bennett is the decoy on the route, releasing into the end zone and drawing a double team.

IV. Steve Maneri isn’t just open. He’s WIDE open. There isn’t a player within two yards of him – not easy to pull off with a first-and-goal from the one. There were people who actually said Cutler “forced” this throw. Forced? You force passes into coverage. If Cutler didn’t throw this pass I’d question his vision.

V. Everson Griffen beats Jordan Mills and gets up in the air to bat the ball down. It was a remarkable display of athleticism and without that move the ball is easily completed for a touchdown.

MY VERDICT

I’m not big on using pop culture references but this strikes me as neither popular nor cultural anymore. It also was the only thing in my mind watching the tape.

Jay is a fastball pitcher. That is his go-to delivery. But a nicely delivered touch pass to the back of the end zone would have been a gimme touchdown for Maneri – the first of his career. Just because Cutler has one of the strongest arms in the league doesn’t mean he has to display it on every play. Float it, Jay. Drop it over the top. Touchdown.

Sometimes I spring from my sweat-soaked pillow in the middle of the night, awoken by the howls of neighborhood wolves and the soul-disturbing memories of Devin Hester playing wide receiver. I wipe my brow with a towel, blow my nose in the nearby Kleenex and lay my head back down as my girlfriend calms me with a gently-whispered “It’s okay, Jeff. Lovie is gone.”

Devin Hester is the greatest kick returner in the history of the sport. And whilst some had forgotten that fact, calling for the Skunk to be discarded this summer, Sunday, at Soldier Field, against the Minnesota Vikings, he proved it once again. No, he didn’t score. Minnesota essentially ran a “safety” on kick returns, holding a player back with the kicker to prevent the touchdown. But Hester was a one-man momentum-shifting machine. 249 return yards. The way he used to be.

Hester’s homecoming to the top of the return ladder could not have happened without a confluence of circumstances.

[In 2010 I did a podcast with Devin Hester. It’s one of the best interviews I’ve ever done. To hear it, CLICK HERE.]

CIRCUMSTANCE #1: EMERY IS HIRED TO REPLACE ANGELO

Angelo’s inability to draft offensive talent led to the misguided belief within the organization that moving Hester to offense was not a luxury but a necessity. Hester had more speed than the motley crew of receivers assembled and was clearly the team’s most dangerous weapon with the ball in his hands so how could they NOT attempt to use him outside the half dozen return opportunities he would see weekly?

But Hester couldn’t catch. He had trouble lining up. He ran the wrong routes. And it didn’t take long for his confusion at the line of scrimmage to trickle into his return game. Suddenly the electric air surrounding a coming Hester return was replaced by puzzled faces and sixty-thousand people uttering at once, “Why didn’t he catch that?”

From the moment Jay Glazer broke the Brandon Marshall-to-the-Bears story, it all changed. The organization now values weapons. They sign em. They draft em. Kick returners don’t need to play wide receiver when you’ve got wide receivers playing wide receiver.

CIRCUMSTANCE #2: EMERY FIRES LOVIE SMITH

I wrote it many times but Lovie Smith, especially early in his Bears tenure, used his Big Sandy, down home, aw shucks demeanor to mask an arrogant and stubborn personality. If you believe Einstein’s maxim that insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting different result then Lovie Smith was the bat shit craziest coach the league has ever seen. How many times did he need to see Hester line up incorrectly, Kellen Davis drop the ball, Mike Green look lost over the top of the defense…etc?

Lovie would never have removed Hester from the offensive game plan, results be damned. He would sooner have replaced him entirely in the return game. Because, you know, why would you want the greatest kick returner in the history of the sport to return kicks?

CIRCUMSTANCE #3: BEARS RECOMMIT TO HESTER

Hester was an emotional play room in the wake of the Lovie Smith firing, flirting in the media with hanging ’em up for good. From a Yahoo! article on Decembeer 31, 2012:

“I don’t even know if I want to play again,” Hester said. “That’s been something on my mind for two years. It’s not (much fun for me anymore). I’ve got my workers comp papers in my pocket. We’ll see how I feel. I’m going to go home and talk to my wife and talk to my family and see where we go from there. I got two beautiful kids, man, two boys. A lot of stress has been on my mind lately.”

But Phil Emery, Marc Trestman and new special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis recommitted to him with honesty. They told him to forget about playing and do what he does best: return the damn ball. From an ESPN article on April 18, 2013:

“That was in the past,” Hester said. “At the same time, people were just emotional, upset. So I would say that (my remarks were) emotion and upset coming out of me. I really wasn’t thinking about what I was saying. That’s in the past. You say things you really don’t mean when you’re upset. That’s how it was.”

“They want to see me do good,” Hester said. “Whatever it takes to bring the special teams back, the return game back to what we used to have, they really, really wanted that. They told me, ‘This is your passion. You know what you’re good at. You know what you’re great at. Let’s get it back to what it was.’”

Makes plenty of sense, doesn’t it? #NotToLovie

Sunday against Minnesota the burst was back in the return man and the electricity was back in the building. Does he deserve all the credit in the world for swallowing his pride, acknowledging his offensive failings, and returning to his most dominant post? Yes. But credit must also be given to the organizational decisions that allowed this renaissance. The Bears, as a team, have rebuilt the Devin Hester Lovie Smith seemed hellbent on destroying. Now they reap the rewards.