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The Longest Days of the Year

| September 27th, 2010

I absolutely hate Monday and Thursday night games.  At least on Sunday there’s other football on television.  Mondays and Thursdays leave you filling football (read: Bears) cravings with the four-letter network’s inane ramblings and predictions, each of which oddly starting these days with the phrase “you talk about”.  


(Side note:  When the hell did this start?  When did sports commentators replace “Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in football” with “When you talk about Peyton Manning, you talk about a quarterback who is the best in football.”  Pay attention to ESPN.  This will now drive you crazy.)  
Good week of picks from you guys, though I was shocked at how many of you spoiled a perfect week with the Redskins.  Viva is the first to hit a second perfect week, with CanadaBears, tobijohn and Z also now on the board.  Albert in Tuscon is a jackass and needs the Packers for a perfect week.
The more I think about tonight’s game, the more I think this thing is going to come down to Julius Peppers’ ability to get to the quarterback.  If he does, with consistency, Bears win easily.

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Packers at Bears Game Preview

| September 23rd, 2010

The Chicago Bears.  The Green Bay Packers.  Soldier Field.  Chicago, Illinois.  Monday night football.  Division on the line.  It just feels right.

YOUR PRETTY DARN GOOD 2010 CHICAGO BEARS
over
cheese

Why do I like the Chicago Bears this week?

  • I always like the Chicago Bears.
  • Let’s get the bad out of the way first.  Look for Aaron Rodgers to move the ball through the air for somewhere between 300-350 yards.  Look for Jermichael Finley to exploit mismatches in the middle of the field for 8-10 catches.  They’ll move the ball but I think they’ll be limited when it comes to reach the end zone by their inability to get anything going on the ground.
  • I think the Bears are going to have a lot of success against these 3-4, blitz-heavy offenses.  If teams continue to come after Cutler with fifth and sixth attackers, Cutler will be able to pick and choose his quick toss targets and move the ball at will.
  • Last week the Chicago media was writing about Devin Hester’s struggles at wide receiver and he turned in his finest game at the position.  This week they are writing about his struggles as a punt returner.  Watch out.
  • You have to think Devin Aromashodu’s benching will light a fire, don’t you?
  • If the Bears found a way to block the Cowboy onslaught Sunday, I’m confident they can find a way to block just about anything the league throws at them.  Even Clay Matthews.
  • The stats say that Packers have been weak against the run, allowing over five yards a carry.  But the stats are including the incalculable role of Michael Vick gaining 100 on them in Week One.  Nevertheless I think the Bears find their run game in the fourth quarter.
  • Someone on the Bears, not named Julius Peppers, registers multiple sacks.
  • There were reports from Dallas that there were more Bears fans in Cowboys Stadium than Cowboys fans.  (Thanks to Noah, we’re hoping to pull the same feat in the Meadowlands next week.)  I expect Chicago to be a hellish place for an opponent Monday night.  Especially the Packers.

 Chicago Bears 31, Green Bay Packers 24

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Sunday Football Thread, or Go Lions!

| September 23rd, 2010

Random NFL Thoughts For the Day

DET @ MIN
When do Bears fans and the Bears organization get credit for recognizing that Bernard Berrian was not worthy of a number one receiver’s contract?

BUF @ NE
There’s no fan base I feel worse for in sports than the Buffalo Bills.  They lost four straight Super Bowls and have been a door mat since. 

PIT @ TB
How often do you get knocked down to your fourth quarterback and still have an advantage at the quarterback position?  The Steelers and Chaz Batch do.

TEN @ NYG
For some reason, Tom Coughlin draws complaints like these from players:

“I just felt like we had too much down time, doing nothing,” Rolle said. “Honestly I really felt that it carried over to the game. Of course you’re supposed to relax before the game. But we got to Indy at 3 o’clock Saturday, so we had that entire day of doing nothing. Then we had the next day of sitting around, not doing too much.” 

The Giants are one bad loss from an implosion.  And guess who’s coming to town next week?

CLE @ BAL
Can you imagine looking at your schedule and seeing that you open with the Bucs and the Chiefs and then starting 0-2?  You are now Eric Mangini.   

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DaBearsBlog Saturday Show!

| September 23rd, 2010

The official spreads for the DaBlog Picks Contest.  
Home team in CAPS.  
Remember, you can not use the combinations used by either of my brothers or myself.
GIANTS -3 Titans                            
PATS -14 Bills
RAVENS -10.5 Browns                    
Steelers -2.5 BUCS
Bengals -3 PANTHERS                   
SAINTS -4 FALCONS
49ers -2.5 CHIEFS                          
VIKINGS -10.5 Lions
TEXANS -3 Cowboys                      
Redskins -3.5 RAMS
Eagles -3 JAGS                              
Colts -5.5 BRONCOS
Chargers -5.5 SEAHAWKS             
CARDS -4 Raiders
DOLPHINS -2 Jets                         
Packers -3 BEARS

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Bears Must Cover for Overmatched Shaffer

| September 23rd, 2010

From Neil Hayes’ Inside the Bears section at the Sun-Times:

Olin Kreutz seemed to indicate that Frank Omiyale will be starting at left tackle against the Packers on Monday night.

Then again, I could be reading too much into it.

Kreutz was asked if he was confident in whomever ends up playing left tackle. Here’s what he said: “It’s always an adjustment. I think Frank can do the job. I believed in him last week and I believe in him this week.”

Bears coach Lovie Smith will likely shed more light on the situation when he meets with reporters after practice.

The concern here is not Omiyale who, excepting too-early release of Anthony Spencer on a screen, looked in control on the left side of the line.  The concern is Kevin Shaffer.  Having re-watched the Cowboys game, Shaffer was blown off the ball repeatedly in the second half and I expect Clay Matthews to spend most of the game at that end of the line.  Brandon Manumaleuna needs to do a far better job than he’s done thus far if Jay is going to make it through the night.

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Sunday Could Help Decide the Divison

| September 22nd, 2010

For both the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, Sunday could be anything but an off day in the NFC North.  While the most storied rivals in league history prepare for Monday night’s battle for division supremacy, the reigning division champions will be fighting for their 2010 lives.

That’s right, kids.  The Detroit Lions have an opportunity to hand the Minnesota Vikings their playoff walking papers before the end of September.  Sure 0-3 can be overcome but not if one of those 3 is a home loss to Detroit.  Not if you’re a club already rife with injuries at key positions.  Not if internal turmoil has led to leaked information about the quarterback’s lack of desire.  How long after a loss like that would it take for Brett Favre to start blaming his bum ankle and look for the first flight back to wherever he’s from in Mississippi?  How long after a loss like that would the Minnesota fans start calling for the head of Brad Childress?

A loss Sunday for the Vikings means they’d enter their bye week three games back of the division leader, with their next four games at the Jets, home to the Cowboys, at the Packers and at the Patriots.  Jesus.  (The Vikes drew Miami/Buffalo at home.  The Bears drew Pats/Jets at home.  That’s pretty nice.) 

I admit I also have a hard time rooting against the Detroit Lions, especially the fourteen weeks a season they don’t line up opposite the Bears.  It’s a great sports franchise in a great American city – both of which have seen far better days.  For all that’s said about the Saints’ impact on the morale of the city of New Orleans, one has to believe the Lions could be equally impacting in a city with an unemployment rate of 15.2 percent.  They don’t have to win it all.  Just a couple meaningful games.

And what could be more meaningful than Sunday in Minneapolis.  The Lions have been close against the Vikings for years but the game always seems to slip from their grip in the fourth quarter.  It’ll be a costly interception, silly fumble, missed tackle or sometimes Dan Orlovsky runs out the back of the end zone for no particular reason.  The Lions know they are improved and Sunday they’ll have the opportunity to showcase that improvement by defeating Favre, their greatest tormentor during these down times, and sending his new team to the showers.

For the Bears and Packers, that should be the hope.  The Vikings are certain to be a better team in the second half of the year, especially with their lightening schedule and suffocating run defense.  But light schedule or not, a loss against the Lions would make the emotional mountain too high to climb. 

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Breaking Down the Packers, Volume I

| September 21st, 2010

Took a look at the Packers vs. Bills game today and there’s very little to learn from it.  The Buffalo Bills are, without question, the worst team in the league.  There are levels of ineptitude in that organization that we rarely see in the NFL.  Looking at their schedule, I think Detroit beats them by a dozen.  And that might be their best remaining effort.

I do think the Packers are good, though.  Here’s what else I think.

  • The Packers offensive line is still not great and there’s currently a bit of turmoil over Chad Clifton’s health issues at the left tackle spot.  (Bryan Bulaga is slated to start Monday night.)  The Bears can’t afford to go sack-less (yes I know that’s funny) against Aaron Rodgers and they shouldn’t. 
  • Jermichael Finley is a tactical nightmare for the Bears.  He’s big and fast and he’ll own the deep middle of the field Monday night if the Bears, and their scheme, allow him.  The Bears have to hit him with a linebacker and possibly use D.J. Moore to cover him from the nickel corner slot.  This means they’ll have to stop the run with the front seven.
  • With these two running games, I think we’re going to see the most passes in the history of this rivalry.
  • Clay Matthews is a pretty spectacular athlete and the Bears will have to account for his whereabouts at all times.  Six sacks in two weeks is simply insane, albeit against two bad offensive lines.  Sad part is we might have the weakest offensive line he’ll have faced thus far. 
  • While looking better in the second half against the Bills, Rodgers and his receivers are not entirely in rhythm.  When Rodgers gets off to slow starts, those slow starts tend to linger a bit.  If the Bears let him complete a ton of 8-to-10 yard slants early, as they are prone to do, he could end up with his first complete game of the season.
  • Tramon Williams, Morgan Burnett and Nick Collins are currently out there in the secondary with Charles Woodson.  The Eagles had success against them and the Bills never tried.  If the Bears offensive line gives Jay a few seconds, he’ll be able to make serious plays down the field.  One thing’s certain: no Bears team in recent memory has been more equipped for a shootout.

That should give the Bears enough to do this week.

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Audibles From the Long Snapper

| September 21st, 2010

Looks Like Omiyale at Left Tackle

From Brad Biggs’ column in the Tribune:

Smith seemed to slip Monday when he described it as a “significant hamstring” injury before catching himself and adding, “I mean one that would keep you out of the rest of the game.”

If Williams has a tear, he could be sidelined until midseason. If it’s a less serious pull, maybe he’ll miss a few games. Smith didn’t seem to think it would be easier for a lineman to return more quickly than a skill-position player who runs more. 

I’m not smart enough to know why the Bears blocked so much better after Chris Williams left the game with his hamstring injury.  But because of that, I’m just not sure how significant this injury is.  It certainly puts a lot of pressure on Kevin Shaffer, the inevitable starter at right tackle.

Bears Should Make Trade for Vincent Jackson
Rick Morrissey, in one of his better pieces in a long time, ponders the notion of re-thinking expectations for the 2010 season after the surprising 2-0 start. 
For those of us who thought the best thing for the franchise would have been a losing season and the departure of the head coach, we’re left to ponder the possibility of a playoff berth and of Lovie not having to put his home on the market.

The truth is this.  The 2-0 start should be the impetus that leads the Bears into making a deal for Vincent Jackson.  Jackson is the perfect Jay Cutler target – a bigger, better version of Earl Bennett.  If the Bears don’t pursue Jackson, and allow him to set up shop in Minneapolis, they may indirectly become responsible for reinvigorating a deflated Vikings franchise.  Giving up a second and third round draft choice will seem a light price for a division title.


After Watching the Saints Last Night…
It is very clear that there is not a dominant team in the NFC this season.  The Saints and Packers look to be terrific, offensively, but both face litmus test games this week against division rivals.  People like to speak generally about the NFL.  Teams either are or are not contenders.  It’s not how the league works.  Every win will move the Bears closer to the postseason and any postseason team in this conference could find themselves playing for it all in Dallas.   

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The Marriage of Mike & Jay

| September 20th, 2010

Something became apparent yesterday, as the Chicago Bears beat the Dallas Cowboys when every single human being in the football-knowledge picked them to lose.  The often cantankerous, ridiculously gifted quarterback and the mad scientist offensive coordinator are a match.  eHarmony couldn’t have connected a better pair.  Jay Cutler and Mike Martz were made for each other.  They’ve found each other.  And they should stay together for a long, long time.

And what is there to stop them?  There is always the possibility that a resurgent Chicago Bears offense will usher Martz to the front of the coaches-in-waiting line.  But Martz may have burnt those bridges with his disastrous turn in St. Louis.  Martz is a football man, not necessarily a people man and head coaches have to worry about far more than the Xs and Os.  They have to be managers of others coaches, managers of players, conduits between the organization and the media (read: fans).  Martz is the guy who is gets on his knees and draws a play in the dirt with a broken bottle.  And not many do it better.  
Whatever becomes of this now-promising 2010 season, the Chicago Bears organization (whoever the hell that currently is) must start drafting a plan to keep Mike Martz for the long-term future, much the same way George Halas kept Buddy Ryan even through a head coaching change.  If the Bears ultimately have an unsuccessful 2010, the organization can go out and hire a defensive-minded head coach (Les Frazier, Rob Ryan) and maintain the consistency on the offensive side of the ball.  Give Martz a couple offensive lineman and a big-target wide receiver and you will see – without question – the greatest offense in the history of the organization.
And I don’t think this is overreacting to two games.  There is genuine synergy on the field right now.  This is the real thing.  I just hope Halas Hall recognizes it.  
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Everyone Surprised (but me), Bears Beat Boys

| September 20th, 2010

Just a flat-out terrific victory for this team.  Here are some thoughts.

  • I have never seen a Bears team make the kind of adjustments the Bears made in-game yesterday.  The offensive line was so overmatched early that I thought we were looking at a thirty or forty point defeat.  Instead Lovie, Martz, Tice or whomever flipped the entire game around and dominated the Cowboys.
  • I have been defending Jay Cutler for well over a year.  He’s making me look pretty good.  If he keeps playing like this, MVP talk will start.
  • As maligned as our safeties have been, I thought they played pretty well yesterday.  Danieal Manning made some terrific tackles (I was shocked) and Chris Harris should never leave the field if he’s going to land hits like this.  This defense needs some anger.  Even DJ Moore said, “After that, they were looking up.”
  • I don’t know what Devin Hester is anymore.  I’m lost.  He made a brilliant catch on the touchdown but just looked sloppy the rest of the game.  He’s still exciting with the ball in his hands though.
  • Whatever the Bears are paying Lance Briggs, it’s cheap.
  • Someone has to step up opposite Julius Peppers.  Tony Romo had far too much time in the pocket and two consecutive opponents have operated under a “just block Peppers” scheme.  If Tommie Harris is going to have this so-called resurgence, it would be nice to see it Monday night.
  • Did somebody write that this game was going to come down to the Cowboys’ awful kicker?  Who was that?  Oh yeah…
  • Brad Maynard gets a pass but he was awful yesterday.  A couple punts from midfield ended as touchdowns and one didn’t even reach the twenty.  The Dez Bryant punt return is all on him, in my opinion.
  • When is the last time a Bears offense had that many first and second-down snaps with an empty backfield?  God I love Mike Martz. (More on this tomorrow)
  • Thanks, NJ Greg.  You’ll work your way back into my good graces with more performances like this one.
  • Matt Toeiana is a player I liked very much last year and didn’t understand why he wasn’t on the game day rosters.  He’s going to be on the game day roster the rest of the season.
  • Cutler to Knox down the field brought a tear to my eye.
More later.  Rumor is…it’s Packer Week.
As for Da Picks Contest.  Crown, FQD1911, Viva and NorwegianBear pulled down a perfect 3-0.  augie and Z need the Saints to cover tonight.