In 2010, the whole "Martz doesn't use the tight end" thing proved to be largely overblown, as Greg Olsen and Kellen Davis combined to have a pretty decent season. Last year, however, with Olsen gone and Davis taking over the top spot, Martz truly earned his reputation. Altogether, the Bears TE duo of Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth combined for just 25 receptions for 256 yards, although they did have 7 combined touchdowns. That was the lowest yardage total for a Bears TE unit since 2005.
That doesn't mean we can't break down these two players, though.
#87 Kellen Davis: 18 receptions, 206 yds, 5 TDs, 11.4 ypc.
I like Kellen Davis. He's a good football player. It's not just that a third of all of the catches he's made in his entire career have gone for touchdowns (28 catches, 9 TDs). It's mostly got to do with his athleticism and the fact that, unlike Greg Olsen, he really can block. Kellen got off to a rough start like everyone else, and during the five games at the beginning of the season he allowed five pressures as Martz often had him alone on an island against team's starting defensive ends. After the shift back toward sanity, Kellen allowed zero pressures in his last eleven games. That's good stuff, folks. He struggled slightly in run blocking, but nowhere near as much as his predecessor, who was typically a nonfactor.
The Bears smartly re-signed Kellen for a very fair price. I think he'll open some eyes this year as a receiving tight end, but if his main contribution is simply helping to keep Cutler upright, well, that's fine by me.
#89 Matt Spaeth: 7 receptions, 50 yds, 2 TDs, 7.1 ypc.
Spaeth was every thing he was advertised to be: a stout run blocker, an OK pass blocker, and a complete non-entity catching the ball. I did enjoy when he scored a touchdown against the Falcons on that "Play-action toss to the wide-open #2 TE" play that's resulted in 98.7% of all Bears touchdowns since 2005, though. I expect Matt will be back next year as a blocking specialist, and that, too, is fine with me.
#44 Tyler Clutts: 8 receptions, 48 yds, 0 TDs, 6.0 ypc.
I'm including Tyler here just because there's nowhere else to put him. Martz finally broke down this year and admitted that he needed a fullback rather than just a fat tight end. He got Tyler Clutts, who caught passes about as well as a blind Muhsin Muhammed and didn't grade out very well as a blocker, at least according to Pro Football Focus. I think he was better than his grade at run blocking, but overall he's not much of a contributor and I wouldn't be surprised to see the team look at some veterans who might have more to offer in Tice's smash mouth offense.
That's all for the tight ends. I think the team may find a mid or later round rookie pass-catching specialist to come in and compete for some playing time, but I'd put more money on Kellen Davis emerging as a pass catching threat next year.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
2011 Bears Position Reviews: Wide Receivers
Next to the offensive line (or the secondary if you're this guy) no unit on the Bears has received as much flak the last few years as the wide receivers. It's true that they've not been a dominating unit. I always maintained, however, that the group the Bears had was good enough to win with. Obviously, since the team was 19-8 in Jay's last 27 games with this group of receivers, it was possible. However, life is much easier on a quarterback when he's got a true, reliable target like Brandon Marshall, the virtues of whom I've already espoused on this website. So why did Phil Emery finally decide to make the move for a real wide receiver (besides common sense)? Let's take a look:
#13 Johnny Knox: 37 receptions, 727 yards, 2 TDs, 19.6 YPC
For the second straight year, Johnny led the group in yards and tied for the lead in receptions, which he most likely would have won had he not gone down with one of the more gruesome looking injuries in Bears history.
Johnny made some progress before he went down, as the Chargers game and the Raiders game were two of the better games of his career, and in both he did some very un-Johnny Knox like things: adjusting to underthrown balls, fighting defensive backs, not quitting on routes. Unfortunately, the Chargers game also featured another Johnny Knox classic: falling down on a fucking slant route, and that, as we know, had fatal consequences for the season.
It's a shame that it seems Johnny won't be available in 2012. He was undoubtedly the most talented of the group the Bears threw out on the field in 2009-2011, but that was more of a curse than a blessing, really. In 2010 Jay forced a lot of balls Johnny's way when he just wasn't ready to be an every down target, and the combination of Jay's desperation and Johnny's shitty route running, terrible discipline, and frequent alligator-arms led to the most interceptions of any QB-WR duo in the NFL. This year, Johnny took his demotion in favor of Roy Williams quite well and earned his way back on the field, even if he had some very frustrating moments (his drop of a potential first down pass on 2nd and 17 late in the Packers game will stick in my mind forever). Hopefully someday we'll see what might become of him if Brandon Marshall is there to draw the attention that was just too much for Johnny to deal with.
#11 Roy Williams: 37 receptions, 507 yds, 2 TDs, 13.7 ypc.
I knew better. I fucking knew better. Oh how I loathed Roy Williams. How I loathed his first down gesture. How I loathed his empty boasts. How I loathed the fact that a 6'3'' wide receiver took a hit as well as a French tank. But alas, I tried to think positively when the Bears brought him aboard. "Look at his numbers with Martz in Detroit!" I did say. "Cutler will make him look good!" I did protest. And yes, like Johnny, there was a brief flash this season where Roy was playing rather well too, using his big body to pick up first downs, as in the Chargers game where he caught 6 balls and all 6 moved the chains.
Overall, though, Roy was everything his critics said he was. Soft, stupid, and lazy with hands of stone. From his first real preseason action against the Titans, when he let a ball go right through his hands for an interception, to pulling up lame without even taking a hit on a first down catch against the Falcons, to his many, many drops (10 total, including the one that donked off of his hands for an interception on what should have been the game tying TD against the Chiefs), Roy was a bust for the Bears and we will hopefully never see him again. Seriously, fuck Mike Martz. I knew better.
#18 Dane Sanzenbacher: 27 receptions, 276 yds, 3 TDs, 10.2 YPC.
I spent a lot of time last summer making fun of the usual Bears meatballs who fell in love with Sanzenbacher. Then the sonofabitch actually made the team. That was strike one. Then he had touchdowns in his first two games. That was strike two. Then the rest of the season he proceeded to suck ass, with one of the lowest catch rates in the game (caught less than 50% of the balls thrown his way according to Pro Football Focus, which isn't surprising since he's a damned no-talent midget). That's strike three. He also dropped six passes, an absurd total for a guy who barely had 50 targets on the season. So he's slow, short, he has bad hands, and he's a terrible route runner. With any luck, the addition of Devin Thomas, Eric Weems, and hopefully Rookie-To-Be-Named-Later, Sanzenbacher's played his last down for the Bears. I'll be willing to deal with the asshurt morons. Especially the one I saw at Soldier Field wearing the Sanzenbacher jersey. You've got issues, pal.
#23 Devin Hester: 26 receptions, 369 yds, 1 TD, 14.2 ypc.
This was Devin's most disappointing year as a Bears receiver yet, even when you factor in the stat-killing injury to Cutler. Usually Devin could be expected to catch most of the balls thrown his way, but this year his catch % was all the way down to a pathetic 46%. He dropped seven passes, also an unusually high total for him, and he was a complete nonfactor in the red zone. He made a classic Hester Route Running Mistake in the first Green Bay game when he bumped into Charles Woodson in an attempt to draw a foul when it was clear to everyone (especially Jay, who threw yet another beautiful and futile deep ball his way) that he'd have a touchdown if he'd just kept running straight. Fortunately, Phil Emery has somewhat less tolerance for bullshit than Jerry Angelo, and decided to put the final nail in the "Devin Hester is our #1 receiver" coffin. That's not to say Devin can't be an effective weapon now that Brandon Marshall is there. I've read some proposals that Devin belongs in the slot, where he can use his speed to beat safeties and nickelbacks, and that's a fine idea so long as Earl Bennett still has a role. As for 2011, though, it's hard to take away much that was positive about Devin Hester the Receiver (a complete different entity, as we know, than Devin Hester the Greatest Return Man of All Time).
#80 Earl Bennett: 24 receptions, 381 yds, 1 TD, 15.9 ypc.
Earl Bennett's 2011 was also disappointing, but for a different reason. A severe injury in the New Orleans game caused him to miss five games. When he came back, he and Jay showed their telepathic connection and he averaged 5 catches for 83 yards in the three games between his return and Jay's injury. He was also surprisingly effective downfield in those three games, as he averaged 18 yards per catch during those three games. Then, of course, Jay went down and Caleb Hanie was incapable of finding anyone with regularity, let alone the BBE. Hopefully next year will be the best and healthiest year yet for the Cutler-BBE combo, since it's very possible that Earl could get starter's reps flipping back and forth with Hester at slot and flanker while Marshall plays mostly at split end. I remember when Jay first came to the Bears in 2009 he said that Earl reminded him of Eddie Royal, and it wouldn't seem ridiculous to think that a full year of Cutler and Earl together might resemble Royal's 2008 campaign: 91 rec, 980 yds, 5 tds. Whatever role he plays, we all know the Bears can count on the BBE.
#81 Sam Hurd: 8 rec, 109 yds, 0 TDs, 13.6 ypc.
He was playing alright for a fifth wide receiver up until he was busted for selling cocaine. The fact that he was already under investigation for trafficking when Jerry Angelo signed him, supposedly after Jerry had thoroughly vetted him, might have honestly been the final nail in Jerry's coffin. So, thanks Sam?
That's all for the wideouts. Obviously this unit will look very different in 2012 with the addition of Marshall. Roy's already gone, and it seems unlikely that we'll see any of Johnny Knox next year. That leaves Marshall, Bennett, Hester, Weems, Thomas, and Sanzenbacher. I've already said that I expect a wide receiver somewhere in the draft, so it'll be interesting to see who shakes out as starters out of that group. The Bears don't usually carry six wideouts as they did last year, but Weems is obviously a lock on special teams, and my guess is that Thomas may earn playing time as a wideout but will definitely make the roster as a special teams player, so all signs point to Sanzenbacher getting the axe. That'll be a good day.
#13 Johnny Knox: 37 receptions, 727 yards, 2 TDs, 19.6 YPC
For the second straight year, Johnny led the group in yards and tied for the lead in receptions, which he most likely would have won had he not gone down with one of the more gruesome looking injuries in Bears history.
Johnny made some progress before he went down, as the Chargers game and the Raiders game were two of the better games of his career, and in both he did some very un-Johnny Knox like things: adjusting to underthrown balls, fighting defensive backs, not quitting on routes. Unfortunately, the Chargers game also featured another Johnny Knox classic: falling down on a fucking slant route, and that, as we know, had fatal consequences for the season.
It's a shame that it seems Johnny won't be available in 2012. He was undoubtedly the most talented of the group the Bears threw out on the field in 2009-2011, but that was more of a curse than a blessing, really. In 2010 Jay forced a lot of balls Johnny's way when he just wasn't ready to be an every down target, and the combination of Jay's desperation and Johnny's shitty route running, terrible discipline, and frequent alligator-arms led to the most interceptions of any QB-WR duo in the NFL. This year, Johnny took his demotion in favor of Roy Williams quite well and earned his way back on the field, even if he had some very frustrating moments (his drop of a potential first down pass on 2nd and 17 late in the Packers game will stick in my mind forever). Hopefully someday we'll see what might become of him if Brandon Marshall is there to draw the attention that was just too much for Johnny to deal with.
#11 Roy Williams: 37 receptions, 507 yds, 2 TDs, 13.7 ypc.
I knew better. I fucking knew better. Oh how I loathed Roy Williams. How I loathed his first down gesture. How I loathed his empty boasts. How I loathed the fact that a 6'3'' wide receiver took a hit as well as a French tank. But alas, I tried to think positively when the Bears brought him aboard. "Look at his numbers with Martz in Detroit!" I did say. "Cutler will make him look good!" I did protest. And yes, like Johnny, there was a brief flash this season where Roy was playing rather well too, using his big body to pick up first downs, as in the Chargers game where he caught 6 balls and all 6 moved the chains.
Overall, though, Roy was everything his critics said he was. Soft, stupid, and lazy with hands of stone. From his first real preseason action against the Titans, when he let a ball go right through his hands for an interception, to pulling up lame without even taking a hit on a first down catch against the Falcons, to his many, many drops (10 total, including the one that donked off of his hands for an interception on what should have been the game tying TD against the Chiefs), Roy was a bust for the Bears and we will hopefully never see him again. Seriously, fuck Mike Martz. I knew better.
#18 Dane Sanzenbacher: 27 receptions, 276 yds, 3 TDs, 10.2 YPC.
I spent a lot of time last summer making fun of the usual Bears meatballs who fell in love with Sanzenbacher. Then the sonofabitch actually made the team. That was strike one. Then he had touchdowns in his first two games. That was strike two. Then the rest of the season he proceeded to suck ass, with one of the lowest catch rates in the game (caught less than 50% of the balls thrown his way according to Pro Football Focus, which isn't surprising since he's a damned no-talent midget). That's strike three. He also dropped six passes, an absurd total for a guy who barely had 50 targets on the season. So he's slow, short, he has bad hands, and he's a terrible route runner. With any luck, the addition of Devin Thomas, Eric Weems, and hopefully Rookie-To-Be-Named-Later, Sanzenbacher's played his last down for the Bears. I'll be willing to deal with the asshurt morons. Especially the one I saw at Soldier Field wearing the Sanzenbacher jersey. You've got issues, pal.
#23 Devin Hester: 26 receptions, 369 yds, 1 TD, 14.2 ypc.
This was Devin's most disappointing year as a Bears receiver yet, even when you factor in the stat-killing injury to Cutler. Usually Devin could be expected to catch most of the balls thrown his way, but this year his catch % was all the way down to a pathetic 46%. He dropped seven passes, also an unusually high total for him, and he was a complete nonfactor in the red zone. He made a classic Hester Route Running Mistake in the first Green Bay game when he bumped into Charles Woodson in an attempt to draw a foul when it was clear to everyone (especially Jay, who threw yet another beautiful and futile deep ball his way) that he'd have a touchdown if he'd just kept running straight. Fortunately, Phil Emery has somewhat less tolerance for bullshit than Jerry Angelo, and decided to put the final nail in the "Devin Hester is our #1 receiver" coffin. That's not to say Devin can't be an effective weapon now that Brandon Marshall is there. I've read some proposals that Devin belongs in the slot, where he can use his speed to beat safeties and nickelbacks, and that's a fine idea so long as Earl Bennett still has a role. As for 2011, though, it's hard to take away much that was positive about Devin Hester the Receiver (a complete different entity, as we know, than Devin Hester the Greatest Return Man of All Time).
#80 Earl Bennett: 24 receptions, 381 yds, 1 TD, 15.9 ypc.
Earl Bennett's 2011 was also disappointing, but for a different reason. A severe injury in the New Orleans game caused him to miss five games. When he came back, he and Jay showed their telepathic connection and he averaged 5 catches for 83 yards in the three games between his return and Jay's injury. He was also surprisingly effective downfield in those three games, as he averaged 18 yards per catch during those three games. Then, of course, Jay went down and Caleb Hanie was incapable of finding anyone with regularity, let alone the BBE. Hopefully next year will be the best and healthiest year yet for the Cutler-BBE combo, since it's very possible that Earl could get starter's reps flipping back and forth with Hester at slot and flanker while Marshall plays mostly at split end. I remember when Jay first came to the Bears in 2009 he said that Earl reminded him of Eddie Royal, and it wouldn't seem ridiculous to think that a full year of Cutler and Earl together might resemble Royal's 2008 campaign: 91 rec, 980 yds, 5 tds. Whatever role he plays, we all know the Bears can count on the BBE.
#81 Sam Hurd: 8 rec, 109 yds, 0 TDs, 13.6 ypc.
He was playing alright for a fifth wide receiver up until he was busted for selling cocaine. The fact that he was already under investigation for trafficking when Jerry Angelo signed him, supposedly after Jerry had thoroughly vetted him, might have honestly been the final nail in Jerry's coffin. So, thanks Sam?
That's all for the wideouts. Obviously this unit will look very different in 2012 with the addition of Marshall. Roy's already gone, and it seems unlikely that we'll see any of Johnny Knox next year. That leaves Marshall, Bennett, Hester, Weems, Thomas, and Sanzenbacher. I've already said that I expect a wide receiver somewhere in the draft, so it'll be interesting to see who shakes out as starters out of that group. The Bears don't usually carry six wideouts as they did last year, but Weems is obviously a lock on special teams, and my guess is that Thomas may earn playing time as a wideout but will definitely make the roster as a special teams player, so all signs point to Sanzenbacher getting the axe. That'll be a good day.
Monday, April 9, 2012
2011 Bears Position Reviews: Runningback
#22 Matt Forte-
It's hard to believe that Matt Forte of all people has become a divisive player. I won't dispute Matt's claim that he's "done everything the team has asked him to do." He really has. He's an outstanding player with a very useful skillset who may be the most complete back in the NFL. He's also not very business savvy.
If Matt wanted a contract, he should have gotten himself a real agent, one that would have advised him that last fall was the time to hold out. When he rejected a long term deal with 14 million in guaranteed money, he was basically gambling on a year so big that the Bears would have to pay him top dollar. He was on the way, but he got hurt. Ergo, he lost.
When you throw in the injury (his second major injury in three years, since he claims his hamstring was the problem during his awful 2009 season), the signing of Michael Bush, and the Bears cap situation (just about 3.5 million under, with a whole draft class yet to sign), it's clear Matt really doesn't have many options. We'll see how long it takes him to figure that out. All I know is that he's a fifth year back with a ton of mileage on him, and Jay Cutler's contract is up in 2013. If you have to ask which of those guys I'd rather give a big money extension to, well, you aren't paying much attention.
Contract dispute aside, though, this is about Matt Forte the player, and Matt Forte the player was very good in 2011. He picked up 997 yards on 203 carries (a spectacular 4.9 YPC avg) while throwing in 490 yards receiving in just 11 full games. Had he not been injured, and had Jay Cutler been there to force defenses to respect the pass (a major problem that led to Forte's numbers tailing off in his last couple of games), Forte could very easily have gotten over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Even with the addition of Michael Bush, Mike Tice's greater emphasis on the run means he'll probably get close to those totals again next year, although he may end up with fewer receptions since the Bears actually have a real, legitimate, big boy wide receiver. Once he gets into camp that is. Which he will, because he has no options. Sorry Matt.
#24 Marion Barber-
Dammit, I wanted to love Marion. I really did. He was certainly better than Chester Taylor, or Kevin Jones, but when you sign Marion Barber you hope for a short yardage beast while accepting the risk of constant injury. Unfortunately, he did far too little of the former and got hurt as often as, well, Marion Barber.
In all, Marion posted decent numbers for a backup runningback: 422 yards on 114 carries (3.7 ypc), 6 TDs, 5 rec., 50 yards, but he was unavailable for large parts of the season and he wore down way too quickly once he was forced into the top spot after Forte's injury. His best game statistically was the Denver game, but that'll forever be remembered as the game where he, more than anyone other than Jay Cutler's Thumb, did the most to torch the playoff hopes of the 2011 Bears. I don't begrudge him the fumble. That happens, but I still can't process the fact that a guy who built his entire reputation off of plowing over opponents went out of bounds in a crucial situation rather than just falling down. He compounded that mistake by hiding from the press after the game and, according to some reports, seemed to lose the respect of his teammates after that. He was ineffective the next week against Seattle before suffering yet another injury and sitting out the last two games. I really don't blame him for retiring. Get out while you can still walk, Marion. One can only hope that Michael Bush will break the disappointing chain of failed Bears power backs (Benson, Taylor, Barber, hell you could go all the way back to Enis if you wanted).
#32 Kahlil Bell
Before this year, Kahlil was known for one long run against Philadelphia in 2009. I never really thought he'd be much more than a special teamer, but he played really well when given the opportunity this year. He was actually much more effective than Barber, as he picked up 337 yards on just 79 carries (4.3 ypc) and proved surprisingly adept at catching passes out of the backfield, with 133 yards and a TD on 19 receptions. I think most of us would have felt comfortable heading into 2012 with Bell as the primary backup, but it's exciting to think of the potential of a Forte/Bush/Bell rotation, although that's still more evidence that Forte has no options and should really just sign the damn contract already.
#25 Armando Allen-
A forgettable emergency player brought in after Barber went down. He managed 48 yards on 15 carries (3.2 ypc) and will most likely never wear a Bear uniform again. Thanks, Armando.
It's easy to forget, with the disappointing finish for the Bears offense after the injuries to Cutler and Forte, that the team had one of it's best rushing seasons in recent memory. They racked up 2015 yards from scrimmage (helped somewhat by the mobility of Cutler, Hanie, and McCown, but mostly by the the solid showings, yardage-wise, of Forte/Barber/Bell) and averaged 4.4 yards per rush, with 10 rushing TDs. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider that Martz called just 51 running plays in the first three games of the season. With Jay Cutler keeping that eighth man out of the box, Michael Bush joining the mix, an offensive scheme with more balance, and hopefully better health on the offensive line (full seasons from Chris Williams and Gabe Carimi would be huge), you'd have to figure that those numbers will get even better next year.
It's hard to believe that Matt Forte of all people has become a divisive player. I won't dispute Matt's claim that he's "done everything the team has asked him to do." He really has. He's an outstanding player with a very useful skillset who may be the most complete back in the NFL. He's also not very business savvy.
If Matt wanted a contract, he should have gotten himself a real agent, one that would have advised him that last fall was the time to hold out. When he rejected a long term deal with 14 million in guaranteed money, he was basically gambling on a year so big that the Bears would have to pay him top dollar. He was on the way, but he got hurt. Ergo, he lost.
When you throw in the injury (his second major injury in three years, since he claims his hamstring was the problem during his awful 2009 season), the signing of Michael Bush, and the Bears cap situation (just about 3.5 million under, with a whole draft class yet to sign), it's clear Matt really doesn't have many options. We'll see how long it takes him to figure that out. All I know is that he's a fifth year back with a ton of mileage on him, and Jay Cutler's contract is up in 2013. If you have to ask which of those guys I'd rather give a big money extension to, well, you aren't paying much attention.
Contract dispute aside, though, this is about Matt Forte the player, and Matt Forte the player was very good in 2011. He picked up 997 yards on 203 carries (a spectacular 4.9 YPC avg) while throwing in 490 yards receiving in just 11 full games. Had he not been injured, and had Jay Cutler been there to force defenses to respect the pass (a major problem that led to Forte's numbers tailing off in his last couple of games), Forte could very easily have gotten over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Even with the addition of Michael Bush, Mike Tice's greater emphasis on the run means he'll probably get close to those totals again next year, although he may end up with fewer receptions since the Bears actually have a real, legitimate, big boy wide receiver. Once he gets into camp that is. Which he will, because he has no options. Sorry Matt.
#24 Marion Barber-
Dammit, I wanted to love Marion. I really did. He was certainly better than Chester Taylor, or Kevin Jones, but when you sign Marion Barber you hope for a short yardage beast while accepting the risk of constant injury. Unfortunately, he did far too little of the former and got hurt as often as, well, Marion Barber.
In all, Marion posted decent numbers for a backup runningback: 422 yards on 114 carries (3.7 ypc), 6 TDs, 5 rec., 50 yards, but he was unavailable for large parts of the season and he wore down way too quickly once he was forced into the top spot after Forte's injury. His best game statistically was the Denver game, but that'll forever be remembered as the game where he, more than anyone other than Jay Cutler's Thumb, did the most to torch the playoff hopes of the 2011 Bears. I don't begrudge him the fumble. That happens, but I still can't process the fact that a guy who built his entire reputation off of plowing over opponents went out of bounds in a crucial situation rather than just falling down. He compounded that mistake by hiding from the press after the game and, according to some reports, seemed to lose the respect of his teammates after that. He was ineffective the next week against Seattle before suffering yet another injury and sitting out the last two games. I really don't blame him for retiring. Get out while you can still walk, Marion. One can only hope that Michael Bush will break the disappointing chain of failed Bears power backs (Benson, Taylor, Barber, hell you could go all the way back to Enis if you wanted).
#32 Kahlil Bell
Before this year, Kahlil was known for one long run against Philadelphia in 2009. I never really thought he'd be much more than a special teamer, but he played really well when given the opportunity this year. He was actually much more effective than Barber, as he picked up 337 yards on just 79 carries (4.3 ypc) and proved surprisingly adept at catching passes out of the backfield, with 133 yards and a TD on 19 receptions. I think most of us would have felt comfortable heading into 2012 with Bell as the primary backup, but it's exciting to think of the potential of a Forte/Bush/Bell rotation, although that's still more evidence that Forte has no options and should really just sign the damn contract already.
#25 Armando Allen-
A forgettable emergency player brought in after Barber went down. He managed 48 yards on 15 carries (3.2 ypc) and will most likely never wear a Bear uniform again. Thanks, Armando.
It's easy to forget, with the disappointing finish for the Bears offense after the injuries to Cutler and Forte, that the team had one of it's best rushing seasons in recent memory. They racked up 2015 yards from scrimmage (helped somewhat by the mobility of Cutler, Hanie, and McCown, but mostly by the the solid showings, yardage-wise, of Forte/Barber/Bell) and averaged 4.4 yards per rush, with 10 rushing TDs. Those numbers are even more impressive when you consider that Martz called just 51 running plays in the first three games of the season. With Jay Cutler keeping that eighth man out of the box, Michael Bush joining the mix, an offensive scheme with more balance, and hopefully better health on the offensive line (full seasons from Chris Williams and Gabe Carimi would be huge), you'd have to figure that those numbers will get even better next year.
Friday, April 6, 2012
2011 Bears Position Reviews: Quarterback
Well, it's probably about time I get to this, isn't it?
#6 Jay Cutler-
We all know the way Jay Cutler's 2010 season ended, with an injury that brought a hail of undeserved and absolutely ridiculous meathead criticism upon him. Unfortunately, his 2011 season also ended with an injury, but by the time his second injury occurred most of his critics had come to accept the simple fact that Jay Cutler is a damn good quarterback.
No, the numbers (2319 YDS, 13 TDS, 7 INTs, 85.7 rating) weren't mindblowing, but if there was one thing Jay's absence taught us, it was that those of us who have always defended him were right: without him, the Bears were nothing.
He dealt with an offensive coordinator who desperately tried to force an poorly conceived, dangerous scheme down his throat. He dealt with an offensive line that continually struggled with injuries and lapses before settling into a nice rhythm in the last five games before his injury. He dealt once again with a mediocre corps of wide receivers, especially when Earl Bennett missed most of the first half with an injury. Eventually, Jerry Angelo's refusal to get him a real receiver proved to be the undoing of the entire team, as Jay injured himself after an interception caused by Johnny Knox slipping. Again.
Through it all, Jay continued to play well, limit mistakes, make some absolutely breathtaking throws, and prove that he was tough as a quarterback gets. More importantly, he won, as he has in 19 of his last 27 regular season starts with the Bears. Next year he'll hopefully have better protection, a coordinator who won't hesitate to use the stable of very good backs that the Bears have in order to take the load off of Jay, and, finally, a real receiver to throw to. I cannot wait to see #6 take the field again. It's been far too long.
#12 Caleb Hanie-
Well, shit. Did you see that coming? I'll admit, my initial reaction to Jay's injury was absolute panic and woe, but as you saw, I talked myself out of it long enough to freak out all over again in the Raiders game. I should have known. Generally speaking, any time Bears fans are enamored with a backup quarterback, they always find out how wrong they are.
I had hoped Caleb would be different. He had experience in the scheme, he was big, mobile, and physically talented. He seemed like he wasn't a shithead, and he didn't seem phased by the NFC Title Game, so I had hoped for a little bit more than the shifty, panicky, absolutely atrocious flop of a quarterback that we got. People can blame the Bears offensive line and the talent around him all they want, but there's no good reason why Jay Cutler can take 23 sacks in 10 games (and just 5 in his last 5) and Caleb can get sacked 19 times in 4 games. Most of those are on him. He had no sense of the rush, he had no idea how to throw the ball away, and he had no ability to make decisions on the run. In the end, his numbers (51/102 (50%), 613 yds, 3 TDs, 9 INTS, 6.0 YPA and 41.8 rating) show he was really just Craig Krenzel without the molecular genetics degree.
Needless to say, the Bears made the best decision possible when they brought in Jason Campbell and re-signed McCown to upgrade the depth chart, as Caleb could never be trusted as a reliable fallback plan again. I'm sure he'll work out fine in Denver, though. Totally.
#15 Josh McCown-
The Bears may have made the playoffs this year had Josh McCown not signed a contract with the Hartford Colonials in 2010. If Josh had decided to pass on the UFL, Mike Martz may have signed Josh instead of Todd Collins, Caleb would never have had the #2 job, and a much less rusty Josh McCown may have been able to get the Bears the 2 wins in 6 tries the team would have needed to make the playoffs and hand things back over to Jay Cutler.
Alas, none of the above happened, and all we were left with was two relatively decent spot starts by McCown after Hanie had already tanked the season. There's no need to pretend that Josh was anything spectacular, but he may win the coveted title of Best Third String Quarterback in Bears History (or at least since the George Blanda Era) next year.
#10 Nathan Enderle-
Didn't play. Totally going to be cut in training camp.
In a familiar scenario, the quarterback position proved to be the undoing of a promising Bears team in 2011. Fortunately, Phil Emery opened up the wallet for a capable backup for the first time in recent Bears memory and brought in Jason Campbell. At least we have the comfort of knowing that the nightmare is over, since Jay will be back and better than ever in 2012.
#6 Jay Cutler-
We all know the way Jay Cutler's 2010 season ended, with an injury that brought a hail of undeserved and absolutely ridiculous meathead criticism upon him. Unfortunately, his 2011 season also ended with an injury, but by the time his second injury occurred most of his critics had come to accept the simple fact that Jay Cutler is a damn good quarterback.
No, the numbers (2319 YDS, 13 TDS, 7 INTs, 85.7 rating) weren't mindblowing, but if there was one thing Jay's absence taught us, it was that those of us who have always defended him were right: without him, the Bears were nothing.
He dealt with an offensive coordinator who desperately tried to force an poorly conceived, dangerous scheme down his throat. He dealt with an offensive line that continually struggled with injuries and lapses before settling into a nice rhythm in the last five games before his injury. He dealt once again with a mediocre corps of wide receivers, especially when Earl Bennett missed most of the first half with an injury. Eventually, Jerry Angelo's refusal to get him a real receiver proved to be the undoing of the entire team, as Jay injured himself after an interception caused by Johnny Knox slipping. Again.
Through it all, Jay continued to play well, limit mistakes, make some absolutely breathtaking throws, and prove that he was tough as a quarterback gets. More importantly, he won, as he has in 19 of his last 27 regular season starts with the Bears. Next year he'll hopefully have better protection, a coordinator who won't hesitate to use the stable of very good backs that the Bears have in order to take the load off of Jay, and, finally, a real receiver to throw to. I cannot wait to see #6 take the field again. It's been far too long.
#12 Caleb Hanie-
Well, shit. Did you see that coming? I'll admit, my initial reaction to Jay's injury was absolute panic and woe, but as you saw, I talked myself out of it long enough to freak out all over again in the Raiders game. I should have known. Generally speaking, any time Bears fans are enamored with a backup quarterback, they always find out how wrong they are.
I had hoped Caleb would be different. He had experience in the scheme, he was big, mobile, and physically talented. He seemed like he wasn't a shithead, and he didn't seem phased by the NFC Title Game, so I had hoped for a little bit more than the shifty, panicky, absolutely atrocious flop of a quarterback that we got. People can blame the Bears offensive line and the talent around him all they want, but there's no good reason why Jay Cutler can take 23 sacks in 10 games (and just 5 in his last 5) and Caleb can get sacked 19 times in 4 games. Most of those are on him. He had no sense of the rush, he had no idea how to throw the ball away, and he had no ability to make decisions on the run. In the end, his numbers (51/102 (50%), 613 yds, 3 TDs, 9 INTS, 6.0 YPA and 41.8 rating) show he was really just Craig Krenzel without the molecular genetics degree.
Needless to say, the Bears made the best decision possible when they brought in Jason Campbell and re-signed McCown to upgrade the depth chart, as Caleb could never be trusted as a reliable fallback plan again. I'm sure he'll work out fine in Denver, though. Totally.
#15 Josh McCown-
The Bears may have made the playoffs this year had Josh McCown not signed a contract with the Hartford Colonials in 2010. If Josh had decided to pass on the UFL, Mike Martz may have signed Josh instead of Todd Collins, Caleb would never have had the #2 job, and a much less rusty Josh McCown may have been able to get the Bears the 2 wins in 6 tries the team would have needed to make the playoffs and hand things back over to Jay Cutler.
Alas, none of the above happened, and all we were left with was two relatively decent spot starts by McCown after Hanie had already tanked the season. There's no need to pretend that Josh was anything spectacular, but he may win the coveted title of Best Third String Quarterback in Bears History (or at least since the George Blanda Era) next year.
#10 Nathan Enderle-
Didn't play. Totally going to be cut in training camp.
In a familiar scenario, the quarterback position proved to be the undoing of a promising Bears team in 2011. Fortunately, Phil Emery opened up the wallet for a capable backup for the first time in recent Bears memory and brought in Jason Campbell. At least we have the comfort of knowing that the nightmare is over, since Jay will be back and better than ever in 2012.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What Does Brandon Marshall do for the Bears?
Warning folks, I’m talking X’s and O’s, so this is going to be a long one:
I realize I haven’t spent much time lately discussing Brandon Marshall, other than to react with glee to the trade and to give my take on the alleged punching incident. As I suspected, that whole mess has blown over so there’s very little left to get in the way of unadulterated enthusiasm about the potential of the Bears offense in 2012 with Brandon Marshall in the lineup.
So what exactly does Brandon Marshall do for the Bears offense beyond the vague notion of giving them “a true no.1 receiver?” I was listening to someone on the score a few weeks ago (can’t remember if it was Mike Klis, the bitter sumbitch from Denver who still takes potshots at Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler, or if it was some bitter sumbitch from Miami) who tried to belittle Marshall as a possession receiver whose main role was to be the “guy who can take the 8 yard hitch.”
I’m not going to actually argue with classifying Marshall as more of a possession receiver than a true deep threat, but I’m certainly going to take exception to the idea that this means his job is to catch passes on the wrong side of the first down marker. The truth is, with a career average of 12.6, Marshall’s not a game-breaking deep threat. Who cares? The Bears have a guy in Devin Hester who can be a deep threat, and if Johnny Knox ever comes back they have two of them. The problem with this offense for years hasn’t been the lack of a deep threat, it’s the lack of an “X” receiver.
There are two approaches to throwing the ball deep in an NFL offense. You can take the Coryell approach, like our buddy Mike Martz, and take deep drops and force the ball downfield in huge chunks. The Bears had the speed to execute that offense but, as we all know, they lacked the protection. The approach most effective NFL offenses take is a more organic one, where you work the ball in the short and intermediate passing game and wait for openings to appear downfield. The Saints and Packers come to mind as two teams that beat the living hell out of teams with intermediate routes before going downfield the second the safeties cheat. This is all an over-simplified explanation of things, but bear with me.
The last few years the Bears have spent the first half of the season trying to run the Mike Martz offense, gaining big chunks through deep tosses until the beating Jay Cutler took forced them to switch to a hodgepodge approach that combined shorter throws with more protection and fewer receivers on the few deep balls they attempted (the 48 yard throw from Cutler to Hester in the first Vikings game had just 2 receivers on the pattern). They weren’t able to really work defenses from sideline to sideline in order to stretch the field vertically later on because neither Johnny Knox or Devin Hester was the big, consistent route runner you need to beat a team with 15-25 yard routes, while Earl Bennett limited speed makes him more of an underneath guy. When you don’t have someone to fear in that intermediate distance of 15-25 yards, it’s easy to roll a safety over to cover Knox and Hester deep or to squat on shorter throws.
To Martz’s credit, he understood this and brought in Roy Williams to run the deep dig and other routes that required a bigger body in the middle of the field. Of course, Martz is also the fucking idiot that thought Roy Williams of all people could hold onto the ball and take a hit.
Brandon Marshall can be that guy. He greatly expands the route tree the Bears can use in their offense by giving Jay Cutler a receiver that frequently makes teams pay in the intermediate passing game. In 2008, when Cutler threw for over 4500 yards and Marshall had over 1200 yards receiving, their longest connection was 47 yards. That’s not a bad thing. It’s where most of the NFL’s best passers do their damage.
With Marshall undoubtedly drawing the attention of a safety, and a hopefully healthy year from the BBE (think of Earl as the Eddie Royal of this offense), Hester (or the potential rookie wide receiver the team may draft) might become more than a gimmick and a guy who can exploit isolated corners with his speed. Free from the burden of mastering the precise routes and the discipline required of a #1 receiver, Hester might become a much more effective part of the offense than he’s ever really been before.
So what does the acquisition of Brandon Marshall do for the Bears? It makes them better. Obviously. I don’t even get why you’re asking the question. Morons.
I realize I haven’t spent much time lately discussing Brandon Marshall, other than to react with glee to the trade and to give my take on the alleged punching incident. As I suspected, that whole mess has blown over so there’s very little left to get in the way of unadulterated enthusiasm about the potential of the Bears offense in 2012 with Brandon Marshall in the lineup.
So what exactly does Brandon Marshall do for the Bears offense beyond the vague notion of giving them “a true no.1 receiver?” I was listening to someone on the score a few weeks ago (can’t remember if it was Mike Klis, the bitter sumbitch from Denver who still takes potshots at Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler, or if it was some bitter sumbitch from Miami) who tried to belittle Marshall as a possession receiver whose main role was to be the “guy who can take the 8 yard hitch.”
I’m not going to actually argue with classifying Marshall as more of a possession receiver than a true deep threat, but I’m certainly going to take exception to the idea that this means his job is to catch passes on the wrong side of the first down marker. The truth is, with a career average of 12.6, Marshall’s not a game-breaking deep threat. Who cares? The Bears have a guy in Devin Hester who can be a deep threat, and if Johnny Knox ever comes back they have two of them. The problem with this offense for years hasn’t been the lack of a deep threat, it’s the lack of an “X” receiver.
There are two approaches to throwing the ball deep in an NFL offense. You can take the Coryell approach, like our buddy Mike Martz, and take deep drops and force the ball downfield in huge chunks. The Bears had the speed to execute that offense but, as we all know, they lacked the protection. The approach most effective NFL offenses take is a more organic one, where you work the ball in the short and intermediate passing game and wait for openings to appear downfield. The Saints and Packers come to mind as two teams that beat the living hell out of teams with intermediate routes before going downfield the second the safeties cheat. This is all an over-simplified explanation of things, but bear with me.
The last few years the Bears have spent the first half of the season trying to run the Mike Martz offense, gaining big chunks through deep tosses until the beating Jay Cutler took forced them to switch to a hodgepodge approach that combined shorter throws with more protection and fewer receivers on the few deep balls they attempted (the 48 yard throw from Cutler to Hester in the first Vikings game had just 2 receivers on the pattern). They weren’t able to really work defenses from sideline to sideline in order to stretch the field vertically later on because neither Johnny Knox or Devin Hester was the big, consistent route runner you need to beat a team with 15-25 yard routes, while Earl Bennett limited speed makes him more of an underneath guy. When you don’t have someone to fear in that intermediate distance of 15-25 yards, it’s easy to roll a safety over to cover Knox and Hester deep or to squat on shorter throws.
To Martz’s credit, he understood this and brought in Roy Williams to run the deep dig and other routes that required a bigger body in the middle of the field. Of course, Martz is also the fucking idiot that thought Roy Williams of all people could hold onto the ball and take a hit.
Brandon Marshall can be that guy. He greatly expands the route tree the Bears can use in their offense by giving Jay Cutler a receiver that frequently makes teams pay in the intermediate passing game. In 2008, when Cutler threw for over 4500 yards and Marshall had over 1200 yards receiving, their longest connection was 47 yards. That’s not a bad thing. It’s where most of the NFL’s best passers do their damage.
With Marshall undoubtedly drawing the attention of a safety, and a hopefully healthy year from the BBE (think of Earl as the Eddie Royal of this offense), Hester (or the potential rookie wide receiver the team may draft) might become more than a gimmick and a guy who can exploit isolated corners with his speed. Free from the burden of mastering the precise routes and the discipline required of a #1 receiver, Hester might become a much more effective part of the offense than he’s ever really been before.
So what does the acquisition of Brandon Marshall do for the Bears? It makes them better. Obviously. I don’t even get why you’re asking the question. Morons.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Start Kyle Orton's 2012 Half-Assed Bears Draft Predictions
The NFL draft is just a month away, and with a very active and productive free agency period winding down for the Bears (Brandon Marshall and Michael Bush! Hurrah! Re-signing Idonije! Okay! Bringing back Craig Steltz…Wait just a goddamned minute..) it’s time to move our attention on to the main event of the offseason. Now, while Iggins, Mrs. Code Red, and I are preparing mock drafts for a special NFL Draft Prog Bukakke, I figured I’d discuss in a more general nature what I think the Bears should do. My opinion is totally important, because I have a blog, so I figured everyone would want to know.
The Bears are sitting at #19, one of the “cocktease” spots, since they’re about as late in the draft as your team can get without the sweet reward of a playoff appearance. I’d say a trade up is unlikely since the Bears don’t have a surplus of picks to bargain with and there’s really no need for it. I’d rank the teams greatest needs accordingly:
Defensive End: I suppose greatest “need” is a bit of a stretch. I don’t know that the Bears can’t get by with another year of Izzy playing opposite of Peppers, especially with Henry Melton building on a 7 sack season. That said, Lovie’s got one year to make a deep playoff run and the best way to improve the entire defense is to upgrade the pass rush with a true bookend to Julius Peppers. Quinton Coples is the best defensive end in the draft, but there’s no way in hell he’ll make it to 19. Melvin Ingram would be very nice and a slight possibility. I would also accept USC defensive end Nick Perry.
Wide Receiver: Brandon Marshall was an excellent pick up. Everyone knows how much I love the BBE, but he’s an expert slot receiver. Devin Hester at this point is a gimmick and a situational deep threat. Johnny Knox may not play at all this year. Eric Weems is less of a receiver than Hester. Dane Sanzenbacher is a white guy with bad hands. A true #2 wide receiver, would be nice. This is a deep draft at that position, and a guy like Stephen Hill or Alshon Jeffery could slip into the 2nd round.
Offensive Line: Could be either a tackle or a guard. Just another guy with some potential to throw into the mix, as the only lock right now is Garza at center. Chris Williams, Gabe Carimi, and J’Marcus Webb will all compete at tackle, while Edwin Williams, Chris Spencer, Lance Louis, and hopefully INSERT ROOKIE HERE will compete at guard. The Bears offensive line looked bad in the second half thanks to Caleb Hanie’s epileptic pocket presence, but when Cutler went down they had allowed just five sacks in their last five games, were 6th in the NFL in scoring, and they cleared the way for over 2,000 rushing yards last season. With a less idiotic blocking scheme, some help on the outside, and health from Carimi and C. Williams, the line will be better. One more body would help, though.
Then again, Frank Omiyale is gone, so maybe all of the world’s problems went with him. Fuck you, Frank.
Linebacker: They need someone who can push Nick Roach but also has the potential to slid over to MLB down the road. The time for an Heirlacher is nigh. Vontaze Burfict is batshit crazy and reckless and he’s sliding down draft boards. If the Bears can nab him in the middle rounds and train him next to Urlacher and Briggs, that could be a relatively risk-free pick with huge upside down the road.
Safety: It might surprise some reactionary folks that PRO BOWLER Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, and Chris Conte performed pretty well last year. It’ll surprise no one that the other safety spot was a disaster. I’m not saying the team needs to give up on Major Wright just yet, as he had a good stretch in the middle of season where he was, for the first time in his career, both healthy and effective. They just need another option that’ll let Brad Biggs tweet some more snarky comments about Lovie’s revolving door at safety. And yes, I’m aware Craig Steltz was surprisingly not that awful at times last year. He’s still Craig Steltz.
Cornerback: Charles Tillman is coming off the best year of a career where he’s been very good and I don’t really give a damn if you disagree. That said, the team needs an insurance plan, as he’s not young and has had injury issues in the past. Tim Jennings should be fine for a few years, and you can pencil in DJ Moore at nickel for a long time. This is just a position where you can never have enough depth.
Tight End: I think Kellen Davis is a fine player who allowed just five pressures (none in the last 11 games) and no sacks despite spending more time blocking than damn near any other tight end in the NFL. He’s a great red zone target and I think he’ll be a fine receiving threat in a new offense. No, I do not miss Greg Olsen. That said, the Bears may look for more of a pure receiver at the position to complement Davis, but that’s very, very low on the priority list.
So with all of that, my strategy would be:
1st Rd: Best available DE.
2nd Rd: Best available OL or WR, whichever is higher on their board
3rd: Linebacker
4th Rd: Whatever you didn’t address in Round 2 (maybe a guy like Marvin McNutt would appease Iggins!)
5th Rd: Best Available DE
6th Rd: Who
7th Rd: Cares?
Next month we’ll SKOscast the entire draft and you can all mock how incredibly wrong I am both here and in my mock draft. It’ll be grand. I’m just looking forward to seeing whether or not we can continue our Phil Emery boners or if we’ll have tone it down a notch.
Go Bears.
The Bears are sitting at #19, one of the “cocktease” spots, since they’re about as late in the draft as your team can get without the sweet reward of a playoff appearance. I’d say a trade up is unlikely since the Bears don’t have a surplus of picks to bargain with and there’s really no need for it. I’d rank the teams greatest needs accordingly:
Defensive End: I suppose greatest “need” is a bit of a stretch. I don’t know that the Bears can’t get by with another year of Izzy playing opposite of Peppers, especially with Henry Melton building on a 7 sack season. That said, Lovie’s got one year to make a deep playoff run and the best way to improve the entire defense is to upgrade the pass rush with a true bookend to Julius Peppers. Quinton Coples is the best defensive end in the draft, but there’s no way in hell he’ll make it to 19. Melvin Ingram would be very nice and a slight possibility. I would also accept USC defensive end Nick Perry.
Wide Receiver: Brandon Marshall was an excellent pick up. Everyone knows how much I love the BBE, but he’s an expert slot receiver. Devin Hester at this point is a gimmick and a situational deep threat. Johnny Knox may not play at all this year. Eric Weems is less of a receiver than Hester. Dane Sanzenbacher is a white guy with bad hands. A true #2 wide receiver, would be nice. This is a deep draft at that position, and a guy like Stephen Hill or Alshon Jeffery could slip into the 2nd round.
Offensive Line: Could be either a tackle or a guard. Just another guy with some potential to throw into the mix, as the only lock right now is Garza at center. Chris Williams, Gabe Carimi, and J’Marcus Webb will all compete at tackle, while Edwin Williams, Chris Spencer, Lance Louis, and hopefully INSERT ROOKIE HERE will compete at guard. The Bears offensive line looked bad in the second half thanks to Caleb Hanie’s epileptic pocket presence, but when Cutler went down they had allowed just five sacks in their last five games, were 6th in the NFL in scoring, and they cleared the way for over 2,000 rushing yards last season. With a less idiotic blocking scheme, some help on the outside, and health from Carimi and C. Williams, the line will be better. One more body would help, though.
Then again, Frank Omiyale is gone, so maybe all of the world’s problems went with him. Fuck you, Frank.
Linebacker: They need someone who can push Nick Roach but also has the potential to slid over to MLB down the road. The time for an Heirlacher is nigh. Vontaze Burfict is batshit crazy and reckless and he’s sliding down draft boards. If the Bears can nab him in the middle rounds and train him next to Urlacher and Briggs, that could be a relatively risk-free pick with huge upside down the road.
Safety: It might surprise some reactionary folks that PRO BOWLER Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, and Chris Conte performed pretty well last year. It’ll surprise no one that the other safety spot was a disaster. I’m not saying the team needs to give up on Major Wright just yet, as he had a good stretch in the middle of season where he was, for the first time in his career, both healthy and effective. They just need another option that’ll let Brad Biggs tweet some more snarky comments about Lovie’s revolving door at safety. And yes, I’m aware Craig Steltz was surprisingly not that awful at times last year. He’s still Craig Steltz.
Cornerback: Charles Tillman is coming off the best year of a career where he’s been very good and I don’t really give a damn if you disagree. That said, the team needs an insurance plan, as he’s not young and has had injury issues in the past. Tim Jennings should be fine for a few years, and you can pencil in DJ Moore at nickel for a long time. This is just a position where you can never have enough depth.
Tight End: I think Kellen Davis is a fine player who allowed just five pressures (none in the last 11 games) and no sacks despite spending more time blocking than damn near any other tight end in the NFL. He’s a great red zone target and I think he’ll be a fine receiving threat in a new offense. No, I do not miss Greg Olsen. That said, the Bears may look for more of a pure receiver at the position to complement Davis, but that’s very, very low on the priority list.
So with all of that, my strategy would be:
1st Rd: Best available DE.
2nd Rd: Best available OL or WR, whichever is higher on their board
3rd: Linebacker
4th Rd: Whatever you didn’t address in Round 2 (maybe a guy like Marvin McNutt would appease Iggins!)
5th Rd: Best Available DE
6th Rd: Who
7th Rd: Cares?
Next month we’ll SKOscast the entire draft and you can all mock how incredibly wrong I am both here and in my mock draft. It’ll be grand. I’m just looking forward to seeing whether or not we can continue our Phil Emery boners or if we’ll have tone it down a notch.
Go Bears.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Kyle Orton Moves from Kansas City to Dallas.
The Incredible Hulk - The Lonely Man Theme Song
Everything's Coming Up Cutler
I hesitate to cast any kind of opinion at this point on Phil Emery. For one, there are plenty of people out there who think Lovie is currently pulling the personnel strings. If that's so, kudos to Lovie. For another, if Phil did make the Marshall trade, it's still unwise to judge him before free agency is over and he's conducted his first draft.
That said, I like where things are headed, because so far, every major decision the Bears have made this offseason has been made with Jay Cutler's welfare in mind. That may sound incredibly simple, but it's surprisingly fucking novel for the Bears, mostly because they've gone so long without a franchise QB worth catering to and because the previous GM figured Jay could just magically transform a shitty offensive line and average receiving corp into awesomeness. The fact that Jay came close this year to doing just that before his injury is no reason not to tailor the offense to his every desire.
Let's review:
-The Bears tossed Mike Martz. While I think Mike did a good job of refining Jay's mechanics, no one can deny that a different scheme with more emphasis on protection and the run would be good for Jay.
-The Bears hired Jeremy Bates. I still have my reservations about the whole Two-headed OC monster idea, but Bates was the right guy to pick as the QB coach/passing game coordinator since he and Jay have a good relationship and Bates knows exactly how to utilize Jay's strengths, something Martz always struggled with.
-Frank Omiyale is gone. This one doesn't need much explaining, I just really wanted to get in a final "Fuck you, Frank Omiyale." I'm just kidding, of course. There will be many, many more.
And finally, the Bears made a trade for Brandon Marshall. I'm not going to address the alleged incident in too much detail, other than to note that charges haven't been filed, the accuser waited a full 24 hours before going to the police, and my own personal guess is that Marshall walks away from this without any charges or a suspension.
If we can focus on the on-field stuff (and I think it's safe to do so, because, despite his previous off-field troubles and the supposed risk he carries that has some of the usual meatballs making "team cancer" comments, Marshall's played in at least 15 games every year of his career), this is a tremendous move to pick up Marshall for just two 3rd round picks. Thanks to the Greg Olsen trade, the Bears still have a full draft and this move still leaves them with plenty of cap room. Marshall has always produced, averaging almost 1200 yards a year as a starter despite catching passes from Chad Henne (who couldn't find Marshall in the end zone on a fade route if Marshall was painted orange and was wearing a jet pack), Matt Moore, and (sorry Kyle) Kyle Orton. There's every reason to believe that he can be as productive with Cutler in Chicago as he was in Denver. I applaud.*
It's also a pretty great move to sign Jason Campbell (and to re-sign Josh McCown as the third stringer) in order to back up Cutler. While avid Start Kyle Orton reader and huge Cutler fan PenFoe said that he felt the new QB depth chart was a giant "Fuck You" to Mike Martz, I'd have to argue that it's more of a fuck you to Jerry Angelo, who always considered the back up quarterback position as a nice place to save money (the real fuck you to Martz was the move for Marshall, as the 6'4'' receiver is a nice rebuke to Martz' system of small receivers and Roy Williamses). With the exception of Chris Chandler and Brian Griese, this signing of Jason Campbell is the first notable instance of the Bears signing an established veteran who could potentially start somewhere else as the #2 QB. In the case of Chandler and Griese, the situation was different as well, since Jim Miller and Rex Grossman were nowhere near entrenched and both guys took the job with the clear hope of fighting for playing time. Campbell has no such illusions, which makes this an impressive move.
The Bears also made a couple of good pickups on special teams, signing Blake Costanzo and Eric Weems. Costanzo's ability on special teams is apparently great enough to send Brad Biggs into the levels of ecstasy usually only brought on by Tim Shaw (or Corey Graham. Or Rashied Davis. Or any special teams player that Biggsy thinks the shortsighted Bears will regret letting slip through their fingers).
As for Weems, there's been some chatter from meatheads and the often mistaken Kevin Seifert of ESPN's NFC North blog assuming that this means some kind of woe for Devin Hester's future as a Bear. Those people naturally just ignore the fact that Johnny Knox or Danieal Manning handled most Bears kickoff returns between 2008-2011 anyway and that Manning is gone while Knox may not play at all in 2012. Seifert even quoted some bullshit $10 million roster bonus due to Hester, which Sean Jensen of the Sun Times noted was just an escalator for receiving production that we all know Hester didn't reach.
There are still some major issues remaining, of course, that will really prove whether Phil or Lovie or whoever is running the show here is up to the task:
1) Avoiding a Forte holdout: He's not happy about the franchise tag, and though he's eventually going to sign the tag like everyone else, it would be nice to avoid a holdout. It seems the Bears may be playing hardball by flirting with Michael Bush. I'd really just like this problem to go away.
2) How to address the aging defense: there's an easy solution for this, and his name is Mario Williams. I don't think it's going to work, because Mario's apparently made it clear his concern is being the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. The Bears couldn't, and shouldn't pay that price. So then it gets trickier. As it stands the Bears still need another edge rusher opposite Peppers, a young linebacker who can play OLB and prepare to fill the Urlacher or Briggs spot in the near future, a veteran safety, and an heir to Charles Tillman. Obviously they can't fill all of these spots in one offseason. I'd like to see at least the safety or the DE problem solved in free agency. With the acquisition of Marshall, I'm fine with the 1st round pick going towards a defensive player, and I'm sure Lovie is too.
3) The offensive line: It's hard to remember in the chaos of the Hindenburg-esque end to the season, but there was a time, before Cutler went down and after Mike Martz finally abandoned "his" offense, that things were looking good. Then Chris Williams got hurt, Cutler went down, and it all went to hell. That said, there's still plenty of young talent to work with between Chris Williams (if they re-sign him, and it seems they will, and that he'll compete at tackle as well as guard), Chris Spencer, and Lance Louis, all of whom performed pretty well this year for long stretches. The J'Marcus Webb experiment seems to have failed at left tackle, but he still has some ability and might make a good interior linemen. A healthy Gabe Carimi has to be a potential upgrade at either tackle position. Roberto Garza played well at center and got an extension. If the Bears can sign one veteran guard or tackle to upgrade the unit, that, along with the change in scheme, should result in solid enough protection for Jay in a run-based attack. If not, one of their top two picks should go towards addressing the line once again.
That's really all of the glaring needs I can think of at the moment. It's hard to remember, but this team was looking really damn good when it was 7-3. That's not to say they can't spend their time adding depth and youth on defense, where it's sorely needed, but this is a roster more in need of an infusion of youth and some quality insurance rather than a complete overhaul.
The fact is, if the braintrust currently running the Bears has truly decided that their best chance for victory lies with giving their quarterback the time and weapons he needs to succeed, then things really have taken a turn for the better.
*- I should state that, should Marshall eventually be charged and found guilty of punching a woman in the face, I do not support assaulting women and I certainly will acknowledge that he's a jackass. As of now, though, it's all mere allegation and hearsay and most of the sources I generally believe to be reliable think that this will not result in lost playing time for Marshall.
That said, I like where things are headed, because so far, every major decision the Bears have made this offseason has been made with Jay Cutler's welfare in mind. That may sound incredibly simple, but it's surprisingly fucking novel for the Bears, mostly because they've gone so long without a franchise QB worth catering to and because the previous GM figured Jay could just magically transform a shitty offensive line and average receiving corp into awesomeness. The fact that Jay came close this year to doing just that before his injury is no reason not to tailor the offense to his every desire.
Let's review:
-The Bears tossed Mike Martz. While I think Mike did a good job of refining Jay's mechanics, no one can deny that a different scheme with more emphasis on protection and the run would be good for Jay.
-The Bears hired Jeremy Bates. I still have my reservations about the whole Two-headed OC monster idea, but Bates was the right guy to pick as the QB coach/passing game coordinator since he and Jay have a good relationship and Bates knows exactly how to utilize Jay's strengths, something Martz always struggled with.
-Frank Omiyale is gone. This one doesn't need much explaining, I just really wanted to get in a final "Fuck you, Frank Omiyale." I'm just kidding, of course. There will be many, many more.
And finally, the Bears made a trade for Brandon Marshall. I'm not going to address the alleged incident in too much detail, other than to note that charges haven't been filed, the accuser waited a full 24 hours before going to the police, and my own personal guess is that Marshall walks away from this without any charges or a suspension.
If we can focus on the on-field stuff (and I think it's safe to do so, because, despite his previous off-field troubles and the supposed risk he carries that has some of the usual meatballs making "team cancer" comments, Marshall's played in at least 15 games every year of his career), this is a tremendous move to pick up Marshall for just two 3rd round picks. Thanks to the Greg Olsen trade, the Bears still have a full draft and this move still leaves them with plenty of cap room. Marshall has always produced, averaging almost 1200 yards a year as a starter despite catching passes from Chad Henne (who couldn't find Marshall in the end zone on a fade route if Marshall was painted orange and was wearing a jet pack), Matt Moore, and (sorry Kyle) Kyle Orton. There's every reason to believe that he can be as productive with Cutler in Chicago as he was in Denver. I applaud.*
It's also a pretty great move to sign Jason Campbell (and to re-sign Josh McCown as the third stringer) in order to back up Cutler. While avid Start Kyle Orton reader and huge Cutler fan PenFoe said that he felt the new QB depth chart was a giant "Fuck You" to Mike Martz, I'd have to argue that it's more of a fuck you to Jerry Angelo, who always considered the back up quarterback position as a nice place to save money (the real fuck you to Martz was the move for Marshall, as the 6'4'' receiver is a nice rebuke to Martz' system of small receivers and Roy Williamses). With the exception of Chris Chandler and Brian Griese, this signing of Jason Campbell is the first notable instance of the Bears signing an established veteran who could potentially start somewhere else as the #2 QB. In the case of Chandler and Griese, the situation was different as well, since Jim Miller and Rex Grossman were nowhere near entrenched and both guys took the job with the clear hope of fighting for playing time. Campbell has no such illusions, which makes this an impressive move.
The Bears also made a couple of good pickups on special teams, signing Blake Costanzo and Eric Weems. Costanzo's ability on special teams is apparently great enough to send Brad Biggs into the levels of ecstasy usually only brought on by Tim Shaw (or Corey Graham. Or Rashied Davis. Or any special teams player that Biggsy thinks the shortsighted Bears will regret letting slip through their fingers).
As for Weems, there's been some chatter from meatheads and the often mistaken Kevin Seifert of ESPN's NFC North blog assuming that this means some kind of woe for Devin Hester's future as a Bear. Those people naturally just ignore the fact that Johnny Knox or Danieal Manning handled most Bears kickoff returns between 2008-2011 anyway and that Manning is gone while Knox may not play at all in 2012. Seifert even quoted some bullshit $10 million roster bonus due to Hester, which Sean Jensen of the Sun Times noted was just an escalator for receiving production that we all know Hester didn't reach.
There are still some major issues remaining, of course, that will really prove whether Phil or Lovie or whoever is running the show here is up to the task:
1) Avoiding a Forte holdout: He's not happy about the franchise tag, and though he's eventually going to sign the tag like everyone else, it would be nice to avoid a holdout. It seems the Bears may be playing hardball by flirting with Michael Bush. I'd really just like this problem to go away.
2) How to address the aging defense: there's an easy solution for this, and his name is Mario Williams. I don't think it's going to work, because Mario's apparently made it clear his concern is being the highest paid defensive player in the NFL. The Bears couldn't, and shouldn't pay that price. So then it gets trickier. As it stands the Bears still need another edge rusher opposite Peppers, a young linebacker who can play OLB and prepare to fill the Urlacher or Briggs spot in the near future, a veteran safety, and an heir to Charles Tillman. Obviously they can't fill all of these spots in one offseason. I'd like to see at least the safety or the DE problem solved in free agency. With the acquisition of Marshall, I'm fine with the 1st round pick going towards a defensive player, and I'm sure Lovie is too.
3) The offensive line: It's hard to remember in the chaos of the Hindenburg-esque end to the season, but there was a time, before Cutler went down and after Mike Martz finally abandoned "his" offense, that things were looking good. Then Chris Williams got hurt, Cutler went down, and it all went to hell. That said, there's still plenty of young talent to work with between Chris Williams (if they re-sign him, and it seems they will, and that he'll compete at tackle as well as guard), Chris Spencer, and Lance Louis, all of whom performed pretty well this year for long stretches. The J'Marcus Webb experiment seems to have failed at left tackle, but he still has some ability and might make a good interior linemen. A healthy Gabe Carimi has to be a potential upgrade at either tackle position. Roberto Garza played well at center and got an extension. If the Bears can sign one veteran guard or tackle to upgrade the unit, that, along with the change in scheme, should result in solid enough protection for Jay in a run-based attack. If not, one of their top two picks should go towards addressing the line once again.
That's really all of the glaring needs I can think of at the moment. It's hard to remember, but this team was looking really damn good when it was 7-3. That's not to say they can't spend their time adding depth and youth on defense, where it's sorely needed, but this is a roster more in need of an infusion of youth and some quality insurance rather than a complete overhaul.
The fact is, if the braintrust currently running the Bears has truly decided that their best chance for victory lies with giving their quarterback the time and weapons he needs to succeed, then things really have taken a turn for the better.
*- I should state that, should Marshall eventually be charged and found guilty of punching a woman in the face, I do not support assaulting women and I certainly will acknowledge that he's a jackass. As of now, though, it's all mere allegation and hearsay and most of the sources I generally believe to be reliable think that this will not result in lost playing time for Marshall.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
I Leave for a Few Months and Everything Goes To Hell
Hello again, internet.
You may have missed me. There's only so much a man can take, really. I spent a hell of a lot of time and far too many words defending Jay Cutler and the Bears before this last season to be able to grin and bear their injury-induced collapse. I'll give the New York Giants all of the credit in the world (having a pass rush like that in a league that's rapidly becoming a pass-only collective is a solid strategy), but looking at the NFL's final four this year it was hard to stomach the fact that the Bears as they were playing before the Cutler injury undoubtedly had one of the best shots they've ever had in my lifetime of making a title run. I'm always going to feel cheated, and I hope you'll forgive me for failing miserably at recapping a series of Caleb Hanie-led debacles.
What could I have said, honestly? The Bears lost their first three games without Cutler despite surrendering a whopping total of three touchdowns. You can criticize people for saying "if x would have happened they'd have won" (and I frequently do), but if you don't think that Bears team makes the playoffs with a full season of Jay Cutler, well, you're a moron.
The only thing I really have left to say on the actual games at the end of the season is this: loyal SKO reader Apex and I attended the Seahawks game together (thanks to his generously offered ticket), and I had a grand old time even if it was a total flop. Thanks, Pex. You're good people.
So let's bring everything up to today. Jerry Angelo, finally, wound up on the firing line. You can scroll back through the archives of this site to find plenty of words expressing my feelings on Jerry. He was never the completely inept boob that most meatballs portrayed him to be. He had definite strengths as a general manager. He could find some great talent (on the defensive side of the ball, at least) hidden in late rounds of the draft. He deserves a great deal of credit for resurrecting this franchise, because, let's face it, if you don't think the team was better off in the Angelo Era than in the McCaskey/Graves/Hatley era, you obviously weren't a Bears fan then. Or you've been attacked with brain slugs, and my heart goes out to you.
The problem with Jerry was a simple matter of time. I think new Cubs wunderkind Theo Epstein said it best: there's a shelf life on GM jobs. Jerry had 11 years to win a title and he didn't do it. His teams were continually weak in areas that Jerry didn't value enough to invest resources in, the offensive line and the wide receiver corps, and it was obvious by now that his philosophy was never going to change. I wish him well, and I'm glad he's gone.
As for Phil Emery? I know absolutely nothing about him. Few people do. He seems like a safe hire, one that can tolerate his inherited head coach and the absurd two-headed OC monster (I've seen college programs try this before. It rarely works, and the Bears are not Boise fucking State. It was a good move to get Jeremy Bates as the QB coach/passing game coordinator). Does this make him a bad hire? Not necessarily. I'd love to pass myself off as having some kind of actual input on Emery, but I don't. If he doesn't address the wide receiver issue in the draft or with what's shaping up to be a potentially promising free agent class he'll have lost me right off the bat. He's already got one strike on him, since, as loyal SKO reader TEC noted, Frank Fucking Omiyale is still on the roster. Again, I agree that a change was necessary. We'll see if this is anything more than a lateral move.
As for Lovie Smith, I don't disagree with keeping him, for one more year at least. This team's gone too far down one road to totally rebuild yet, and they're too devoted to Lovie's system to try and switch schemes and still contend. If he fails again next year, his players on defense will be old enough to force a rebuild anyway and it'll be easy to throw Lovie overboard.
I certainly wasn't sad to say goodbye to Mike Martz. To his credit, he helped fix many of the fundamental flaws in Jay's mechanics, and I truly believe Jay become a better quarterback under Martz.Jay will also be in a much better position to succeed without him.
As for the players on the field, well, at some point I hope to get to another position by position review. I'll only say for now that I can't wait to see Cutler healthy and back on the field, and that I wish Johnny Knox a speedy recovery, even though it appears he may not play this season. That was a terrifying injury. The story of the 2011 Bears, sadly.
That's all for now. I'll be back.
You may have missed me. There's only so much a man can take, really. I spent a hell of a lot of time and far too many words defending Jay Cutler and the Bears before this last season to be able to grin and bear their injury-induced collapse. I'll give the New York Giants all of the credit in the world (having a pass rush like that in a league that's rapidly becoming a pass-only collective is a solid strategy), but looking at the NFL's final four this year it was hard to stomach the fact that the Bears as they were playing before the Cutler injury undoubtedly had one of the best shots they've ever had in my lifetime of making a title run. I'm always going to feel cheated, and I hope you'll forgive me for failing miserably at recapping a series of Caleb Hanie-led debacles.
What could I have said, honestly? The Bears lost their first three games without Cutler despite surrendering a whopping total of three touchdowns. You can criticize people for saying "if x would have happened they'd have won" (and I frequently do), but if you don't think that Bears team makes the playoffs with a full season of Jay Cutler, well, you're a moron.
The only thing I really have left to say on the actual games at the end of the season is this: loyal SKO reader Apex and I attended the Seahawks game together (thanks to his generously offered ticket), and I had a grand old time even if it was a total flop. Thanks, Pex. You're good people.
So let's bring everything up to today. Jerry Angelo, finally, wound up on the firing line. You can scroll back through the archives of this site to find plenty of words expressing my feelings on Jerry. He was never the completely inept boob that most meatballs portrayed him to be. He had definite strengths as a general manager. He could find some great talent (on the defensive side of the ball, at least) hidden in late rounds of the draft. He deserves a great deal of credit for resurrecting this franchise, because, let's face it, if you don't think the team was better off in the Angelo Era than in the McCaskey/Graves/Hatley era, you obviously weren't a Bears fan then. Or you've been attacked with brain slugs, and my heart goes out to you.
The problem with Jerry was a simple matter of time. I think new Cubs wunderkind Theo Epstein said it best: there's a shelf life on GM jobs. Jerry had 11 years to win a title and he didn't do it. His teams were continually weak in areas that Jerry didn't value enough to invest resources in, the offensive line and the wide receiver corps, and it was obvious by now that his philosophy was never going to change. I wish him well, and I'm glad he's gone.
As for Phil Emery? I know absolutely nothing about him. Few people do. He seems like a safe hire, one that can tolerate his inherited head coach and the absurd two-headed OC monster (I've seen college programs try this before. It rarely works, and the Bears are not Boise fucking State. It was a good move to get Jeremy Bates as the QB coach/passing game coordinator). Does this make him a bad hire? Not necessarily. I'd love to pass myself off as having some kind of actual input on Emery, but I don't. If he doesn't address the wide receiver issue in the draft or with what's shaping up to be a potentially promising free agent class he'll have lost me right off the bat. He's already got one strike on him, since, as loyal SKO reader TEC noted, Frank Fucking Omiyale is still on the roster. Again, I agree that a change was necessary. We'll see if this is anything more than a lateral move.
As for Lovie Smith, I don't disagree with keeping him, for one more year at least. This team's gone too far down one road to totally rebuild yet, and they're too devoted to Lovie's system to try and switch schemes and still contend. If he fails again next year, his players on defense will be old enough to force a rebuild anyway and it'll be easy to throw Lovie overboard.
I certainly wasn't sad to say goodbye to Mike Martz. To his credit, he helped fix many of the fundamental flaws in Jay's mechanics, and I truly believe Jay become a better quarterback under Martz.Jay will also be in a much better position to succeed without him.
As for the players on the field, well, at some point I hope to get to another position by position review. I'll only say for now that I can't wait to see Cutler healthy and back on the field, and that I wish Johnny Knox a speedy recovery, even though it appears he may not play this season. That was a terrifying injury. The story of the 2011 Bears, sadly.
That's all for now. I'll be back.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Chiefs 10, Bears 3. Fuck It.
Just fuck it all. Season's over, folks. I've got nothing. I didn't want to live through that game. I certainly don't want to relive it.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Raiders 25, Bears 20- Panic Mode
I would be the woman in the chair.
Things aren't good right now, folks. I'm not one to overreact. There's a number of reasons to take some cautious optimism from this game (401 yards of offense, somehow, as well as 6.4 yards per rush and 172 yards rushing, they lost by one score to a good team on the road, etc.). But I'm just not feeling it at the moment. I'm worried.
We know a lot of things about Caleb Hanie at this point. He can do some fun things when he's improvising, like his TDs to Earl Bennett in the title game and the bomb to Johnny Knox. He's athletic, since he managed 50 yards rushing on just five carries, but I can't get over the fact that he appears to be incredibly dumb. I don't know how you throw an interception to BJ Raji. I don't know how you even begin to throw that first interception that he threw to a guy standing directly in front of him just a few feet away. I just don't know how this apparently recklessness that Hanie has will work itself out quickly.
Don't get me wrong. This wasn't Todd Collins, or Craig Krenzel or any of the embarrassingly awful schmucks they've thrown out there before. If Caleb was a rookie making his first start on a team that was going nowhere I'd consider him promising, but I'm not sure he's not going to continue doing stupid shit on a team that really can't afford it right now. At this point, Hanie's a wildcard that could keep this team from beating anyone of the teams that I'd have considered nothing more than cannon fodder for this team with Cutler at the helm. Hell, I'm scared of Tebow's Broncos at the moment. Do you have any fucking idea how much I hate to even say that?
You can say the Raiders are the best team the Bears have left before Green Bay, when, hopefully, Jay may be back. But they didn't do anything yesterday that any of the other teams in the AFC West couldn't do. They were terrible and couldn't run the ball. Caleb put them in position for nearly all of their scores, and it sucked, and it could potentially happen against any of the other teams the Bears Should beat the rest of the way.
Oh well. I'm sure this is just me panicking, and every time I seem to get near the edge this team does something good to get me to back up, so let's hope Caleb Hanie just had one horribly stupid half of football and has it out of his system.
The Good:
Johnny Knox- I'm still mad at him for slipping on that slant and inadvertently causing this whole mess, but Jesus, Johnny is playing some good football, with a 145 yards and a TD to follow his 97 yard effort last week. He's coming along. If his head is finally catching up with his talent, look out.
Forte/Barber: I like the move to give Barber more carries. Teams are going to stack the box and dare Caleb Hanie to beat them. Unfortunately, Matt Forte's edge runs and bounces to the outside tend to wind up in 3 yard losses against those kinds of fronts. The answer, as we saw, was to have Marion Barber run right into the teeth of the defense and drag them for four to six yards a pop. Together the Thunder/Lightning combo managed 22 rushes for 122 yards (5.5 YPC). Hopefully this will bode well in the games to come, since they're going to need it.
The Defensive Line: They had their best performance all year, with 4 sacks and consistent pressure, and they held Michael Bush to 2.9 yards per rush. They were a big part of limiting the Raiders to those six field goals that miraculously kept them in the game after Caleb's mistakes put them in some bad positions.
Sebastian Janikowski: The silver lining in all of this is that I own Janikowski on my fantasy team.
The Bad:
Caleb Hanie: Well, yeah.
Tim Jennings: He played well for most of the game, but he dropped two interceptions that would have taken Oakland points off of the board and he got beat on the pass that set up Oakland's clinching TD.
The Ugly:
Jay Cutler standing on the sideline: Oh, how it hurt my eyes.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Well, That Happened.
Yep, Jay has a broken thumb. Best case scenario that I've heard (and that I'm choosing to believe, because, well, y'all know me) is that he could be back for the Green Bay and Minnesota games to close out the season. That sucks.
Oh well. Shit happens. It is ironic that this occurred on the very eve in which my recap consisted solely of touting the merits of a franchise QB, but Caleb Hanie can handle this. If you don't think Caleb, with Matt Forte, an improving offensive line, that defense, and Devin Hester on special teams can at least break even and get this team to the playoffs where Jay can save the day, well, you must not have been paying attention to any of the Bears teams that made the playoffs despite ENTIRE SEASONS of Kyle Ortons, Rex Grossmans, Jim Millers, and Steve Walshes. Now, if Jay was going to be out forever I'd say "oh well, playoff appearance my ass, you can't win a title with Caleb Hanie, at least not right now," but nobody so far has ruled Jay out for the title run. All Caleb has to do is fulfill every major QB cliche I've railed against for years. Manage the game, Caleb. Play within yourself. Take care of the ball, and fuck it, if you want to make a play every now and then, be my guest. Just watch out for BJ Raji.
I've had my moment of despair. Oh, last night I did hang my head sorrowfully. "Oh, great lords of the football world, why hath thou forsaken me?" I did query. They answered with silence, as they usually do. And lo, I did say, "Oh, bottle of Johnny Walker, a faithful friend thou art."
This morning I woke to a world where the Bears are 7-3 and a full game ahead of the other contenders for the 6 seed in the NFC playoffs. Nothing's changed. The goal is in sight. Bear down.
Oh well. Shit happens. It is ironic that this occurred on the very eve in which my recap consisted solely of touting the merits of a franchise QB, but Caleb Hanie can handle this. If you don't think Caleb, with Matt Forte, an improving offensive line, that defense, and Devin Hester on special teams can at least break even and get this team to the playoffs where Jay can save the day, well, you must not have been paying attention to any of the Bears teams that made the playoffs despite ENTIRE SEASONS of Kyle Ortons, Rex Grossmans, Jim Millers, and Steve Walshes. Now, if Jay was going to be out forever I'd say "oh well, playoff appearance my ass, you can't win a title with Caleb Hanie, at least not right now," but nobody so far has ruled Jay out for the title run. All Caleb has to do is fulfill every major QB cliche I've railed against for years. Manage the game, Caleb. Play within yourself. Take care of the ball, and fuck it, if you want to make a play every now and then, be my guest. Just watch out for BJ Raji.
I've had my moment of despair. Oh, last night I did hang my head sorrowfully. "Oh, great lords of the football world, why hath thou forsaken me?" I did query. They answered with silence, as they usually do. And lo, I did say, "Oh, bottle of Johnny Walker, a faithful friend thou art."
This morning I woke to a world where the Bears are 7-3 and a full game ahead of the other contenders for the 6 seed in the NFC playoffs. Nothing's changed. The goal is in sight. Bear down.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Bears 31, Chargers 20- Franchise'd
For the first time in 2011, the Chicago Bears won a game because their franchise QB played like one.
Don't get me wrong, Jay had played very well in some blowouts (Atlanta, Minnesota) and had come up big late against Philly. He'd managed the game well a few times (Detroit 2, Carolina) and he'd been heroic in a losing effort in Detroit. He'd had a couple totally forgettable outings against Green Bay and New Orleans. All in all, he'd done just what he'd needed to do to get this team to 6-3 behind a great run game and a surging defense. But tonight, the Bears needed their guy to go toe-to-toe with San Diego's guy and light up the scoreboard, and he responded.
The Bears needed a showing like this on offense. They needed a game where the defense had shut down Matt Forte and Cutler proved to everyone that that wouldn't be enough to beat this team. Last week against Detroit the defense and Devin Hester had made any risk-taking on offense unnecessary. Tonight, Cutler had to drop back and sling the rock, and he put up a 31 point bomb while accounting for 3 total TDs and 297 yards of offense. Like a franchise quarterback would do.
The Good:
Jay Cutler: I'll just post his statline here: 18/31 for 286 yds, 9.2 YPA, 2 TDs, 1 INT (that came when Knox fell down on a slant. Again.), 5 rushes for 11 yds and a TD. You're the man, Jay. The pass to Roy Williams on third down with a defender draped around him was sheer awesome, and the TD toss to Knox...Jesus. I didn't think throws like that were possible.
Johnny Knox: He's often a punching bag for me, so I'll give Johnny some credit for his 3 catches for 97 yds and a TD. All three catches were beautiful routes, and Johnny even came back for the ball and made a great adjustment on a 42 yard back shoulder throw. Good on ya, Johnny, I'll ignore the slip that caused the interception for now.
Roy Williams: Speaking of punching bags, what the hell got into Roy Williams tonight? 5 catches for 62 yards, all of them great catches showing off good hands. What the hell?
The offensive line: San Diego was keying on the run, much like Detroit, but the offensive line gave Jay all the time he needed, as they kept the sack column clean for the second time in three games. They eventually got the run going there at the end after they'd opened some lanes with the pass. Great effort.
Urlacher/Briggs: San Diego managed 52 yards rushing thanks to these guys. Briggs was a terror in the backfield on nearly every run play, and Urlacher was a force as well.
Major Wright: It's early, but we've seen some signs the last few weeks that Major Wright may be the Mike Brown-esque ball hawk we were told he was on draft day last year.
The Bad:
Charles Tillman: I love you, P'nut, but today was not your day, outside of yet another classic Tillman ball punch. I'm not sure when they're going to learn that Charles isn't the guy to cover a speedster like Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith, or Greg Jennings. Megatron? Randy Moss? No problem, but anybody who can just burn right past Tillman is going to have a big day.
Sloppy Play: Too many penalties, a couple of which called back some great Devin Hester returns. Need to be more disciplined.
The Ugly:
Philip Rivers: Rivers is a talented guy. Smart enough to figure out how to throw the short passes and quick patterns that sometimes give the Lovie defense trouble, but he made the mistake most of the people who aren't Aaron Rodgers make against that D. He got impatient and it led to two key turnovers that sealed the game for the Bears. Also, he's a jag.
That's all for now. Every win at this point is a big one, and next week on the road against Oakland will be the toughest challenge left before the Green Bay game. I'm confident they'll keep rolling, since they showed tonight that even on a night where the two biggest reasons for their success so far (defense and Forte) are struggling, teams are going to have to account for #6. I don't think many teams have enough answers for what the Bears are doing right now. Lovie said that he thought this was the best and most talented team he's ever had in Chicago. I'm really starting to believe him.
Bear down.
(Also, my apologies for the technical difficulties in the SKOsbox this week. The shoutmix people have gotten some strongly worded e-mails. You know they're terrified of me.)
Don't get me wrong, Jay had played very well in some blowouts (Atlanta, Minnesota) and had come up big late against Philly. He'd managed the game well a few times (Detroit 2, Carolina) and he'd been heroic in a losing effort in Detroit. He'd had a couple totally forgettable outings against Green Bay and New Orleans. All in all, he'd done just what he'd needed to do to get this team to 6-3 behind a great run game and a surging defense. But tonight, the Bears needed their guy to go toe-to-toe with San Diego's guy and light up the scoreboard, and he responded.
The Bears needed a showing like this on offense. They needed a game where the defense had shut down Matt Forte and Cutler proved to everyone that that wouldn't be enough to beat this team. Last week against Detroit the defense and Devin Hester had made any risk-taking on offense unnecessary. Tonight, Cutler had to drop back and sling the rock, and he put up a 31 point bomb while accounting for 3 total TDs and 297 yards of offense. Like a franchise quarterback would do.
The Good:
Jay Cutler: I'll just post his statline here: 18/31 for 286 yds, 9.2 YPA, 2 TDs, 1 INT (that came when Knox fell down on a slant. Again.), 5 rushes for 11 yds and a TD. You're the man, Jay. The pass to Roy Williams on third down with a defender draped around him was sheer awesome, and the TD toss to Knox...Jesus. I didn't think throws like that were possible.
Johnny Knox: He's often a punching bag for me, so I'll give Johnny some credit for his 3 catches for 97 yds and a TD. All three catches were beautiful routes, and Johnny even came back for the ball and made a great adjustment on a 42 yard back shoulder throw. Good on ya, Johnny, I'll ignore the slip that caused the interception for now.
Roy Williams: Speaking of punching bags, what the hell got into Roy Williams tonight? 5 catches for 62 yards, all of them great catches showing off good hands. What the hell?
The offensive line: San Diego was keying on the run, much like Detroit, but the offensive line gave Jay all the time he needed, as they kept the sack column clean for the second time in three games. They eventually got the run going there at the end after they'd opened some lanes with the pass. Great effort.
Urlacher/Briggs: San Diego managed 52 yards rushing thanks to these guys. Briggs was a terror in the backfield on nearly every run play, and Urlacher was a force as well.
Major Wright: It's early, but we've seen some signs the last few weeks that Major Wright may be the Mike Brown-esque ball hawk we were told he was on draft day last year.
The Bad:
Charles Tillman: I love you, P'nut, but today was not your day, outside of yet another classic Tillman ball punch. I'm not sure when they're going to learn that Charles isn't the guy to cover a speedster like Vincent Jackson, Steve Smith, or Greg Jennings. Megatron? Randy Moss? No problem, but anybody who can just burn right past Tillman is going to have a big day.
Sloppy Play: Too many penalties, a couple of which called back some great Devin Hester returns. Need to be more disciplined.
The Ugly:
Philip Rivers: Rivers is a talented guy. Smart enough to figure out how to throw the short passes and quick patterns that sometimes give the Lovie defense trouble, but he made the mistake most of the people who aren't Aaron Rodgers make against that D. He got impatient and it led to two key turnovers that sealed the game for the Bears. Also, he's a jag.
That's all for now. Every win at this point is a big one, and next week on the road against Oakland will be the toughest challenge left before the Green Bay game. I'm confident they'll keep rolling, since they showed tonight that even on a night where the two biggest reasons for their success so far (defense and Forte) are struggling, teams are going to have to account for #6. I don't think many teams have enough answers for what the Bears are doing right now. Lovie said that he thought this was the best and most talented team he's ever had in Chicago. I'm really starting to believe him.
Bear down.
(Also, my apologies for the technical difficulties in the SKOsbox this week. The shoutmix people have gotten some strongly worded e-mails. You know they're terrified of me.)
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Prognostication Bukakke, NFL Week 11
Jets (5-4) at Broncos (4-5)
Code Red: Much as I loathe the cult of Tebow, I find this Broncos experiment with 1940s football to be quite interesting. It shall fail miserably against the Jets defense, but it shall be a gloriously entertaining failure. Jets win.
Iggins!: Actually the Jets run defense hasn't been as great this season. This'll be close, but I'll take the Jets.
Code Red: Allowing just 3.7 YPC in their last four, I believe. Much like the Bears, they appear to have straightened their defensive issues out, although Rico Mirerez is still there to torpedo their chances.
Mrs. Code Red: I would imagine the Jets' defense is much better than the Chiefs. Blitz him, what's he going to do? Jets win.
Raiders (5-4) at Vikings (2-7)
Iggins!: So last week I picked a couple games I shouldn't have and lost a game in the standings. I told myself I wasn't going to do that this week. Oh well. Vikings win!
Code Red: Well, I guess that means I roll with Oakland.
Mrs. Code Red: God dammit, Iggins!, I wanted to be alone in my Vikings pick. Vikings win.
Bengals (6-3) at Ravens (6-3)
Code Red: The Ravens beat good teams, but play poorly against bad teams. The question is, do they view the Bengals as a good or a bad team? Bah. They've won when I've needed them and Iggins! is crushing on Andy Dalton. Ravens win.
Iggins!: In the sense that Andy Dalton is basically Joe Flacco in his rookie year? Sure then. The Ravens are pretty easy to understand. If they RUN THE BALL they will win. If they run the ball FIVE TIMES like they did against Seattle they will lose. I'll take the Ravens but... I mean they haven't learned yet.
Code Red: Those sonsofbitches better run the goddamn ball. Daddy needs a big game from Ray Rice this week. Also, my Microsoft Word now saves and auto-completes “sonsofbitches” thanks to my frequency of use. Awesome.
Mrs. Code Red: How are the Bengals 6-3? I like Andy Dalton, I feel bad for him that he's in the same rookie class as Cam Newton. Ravens win.
Bills (5-4) at Dolphins (2-7)
Iggins!: This is a solid choice for an upset but I want to believe in the Bills. COME ON BUFFALO. Bills win.
Code Red: Both of these two teams need to end their streaks. Bills win.
Mrs. Code Red: The Bills are sliding, but I don't think they'll slide that far. Bills win.
Jaguars (2-7) at Browns (3-6)
Code Red: Oh God, why? That Jags defense is good. Cleveland's offense is brutal. Maurice Jones Drew may be the difference? Jags win.
Iggins!: This game will happen and nobody will know. Jaguars win.
Mrs. Code Red: Well, go for broke seemed to work okay for me last week, so Browns it is.
Cowboys (5-4) at Redskins (3-6)
Iggins!: Good to know the Redskins are just as awful as we all thought. They did the start strong thing last year too. Cowboys win.
Code Red: I think if the Redskins have learned their lesson, they give Shanahan one more year, because I think he has a plan, and he's done a decent job of rebuilding their defense. I think he's had his eye on this year's draft to make his move for a QB, and I have a feeling it'll be Matt Barkley. Anyway, none of this changes the fact that it'll be the Cowboys who win this game.
Mrs. Code Red: My heart says Sexy Rexy, but my head says the Cowboys.
Buccaneers (4-5) at Packers (9-0)
Code Red: Sonofabitch. Packers win.
Iggins!: Packers win handily.
Mrs. Code Red: Stupid Packers. Packers win.
Panthers (2-7) at Lions (6-3)
Iggins!: I want so badly to choose Cam Newton here, but his team just ain't winning. Lions win.
Code Red: Oh fuck it. Save us, Cam. My rage at that bitch Matthew Stafford has not yet abated. Panthers win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, I don't think they'll lose to Carolina. Lions win.
Cardinals (3-6) at 49ers (8-1)
Code Red: I'd love if the Bears or someone else can trip up Green Bay and the road to the Superbowl ran through San Francisco. That would be...odd, but better than a trip to Lambeau. 49ers win.
Iggins!: If the Bears lose to the Packers in the NFC Title Game again there will be oceans of blood. 49ers win.
Mrs. Code Red: I'll take a gamble and go with the 49ers.
Seahawks (3-6) at Rams (2-7)
Iggins!: What a great game this is! Seattle is rolling, so I'll take the Sea Chickens to win.
Code Red: Seattle's a shit team, but their run defense is pretty good. Their pass defense isn't good, but the Rams have shown no ability to take advantage of something like that. Seahawks win.
Mrs. Code Red: I guess I'll take the underdogs. Wait, who are the underdogs? They both sucks. The Seahawks apparently only beat good teams, so I'll go with the Rams.
Chargers (4-5) at Bears (6-3)
Code Red: I'm no longer afraid that this Chargers team is a typical “waiting for a late run” Chargers team. They're just not very good. Rivers looks like 2009 Cutler, trying to do far, far too much on a team that doesn't have much to offer around him. The Chargers have been gashed by the run and have allowed a QB rating of 96 to opposing passers this year. The Bears win, 28-14.
Iggins!: Yeah the Bears should win this handily, but due to this being a pivotal week for my fantasy team, I'm hoping Ryan Mathews scores a couple TDs. Bears win.
Mrs. Code Red: F*&k you Philip Rivers. Go Bears.
Titans (5-4) at Falcons (5-4)
Iggins!: I approve of the ballsy OT fourth down call. It didn't work, because he isn't Les Miles, but I approve. Falcons win.
Code Red: I think it was incredibly stupid, but I appreciated it since it brought a swift end to that OT game and brought the Bears game onto my TV. Falcons win.
Mrs. Code Red: Hmmm...Falcons.
Eagles (3-6) at Giants (6-3)
Code Red: More prime time EaglesFail! Giants win.
Iggins!: Yeah they suck something fierce. They're like the Knicks from the 00's. Giants win.
Mrs. Code Red: Giants. Most def.
Chiefs (4-5) at Patriots (6-3)
Code Red: God dammit. The Pats have a shitty defense, and yet again their soft schedule is going to lead to 12-13 wins and everyone will forget all about the shitty defense. Sigh. Pats win.
Iggins!: PALKO TIME. My wife is giddy with anticipation, she's been calling for Palko since the preseason. Humorously, I think this game will be close, but the Pats should win. Pats win.
Code Red: Because backup quarterbacks who look great in the preseason are always highly successful in real games. Just ask Todd Collins and Brian Griese!
Mrs. Code Red: I will not be shocked if the Patriots lose this. Patriots win, though.
Code Red: Much as I loathe the cult of Tebow, I find this Broncos experiment with 1940s football to be quite interesting. It shall fail miserably against the Jets defense, but it shall be a gloriously entertaining failure. Jets win.
Iggins!: Actually the Jets run defense hasn't been as great this season. This'll be close, but I'll take the Jets.
Code Red: Allowing just 3.7 YPC in their last four, I believe. Much like the Bears, they appear to have straightened their defensive issues out, although Rico Mirerez is still there to torpedo their chances.
Mrs. Code Red: I would imagine the Jets' defense is much better than the Chiefs. Blitz him, what's he going to do? Jets win.
Raiders (5-4) at Vikings (2-7)
Iggins!: So last week I picked a couple games I shouldn't have and lost a game in the standings. I told myself I wasn't going to do that this week. Oh well. Vikings win!
Code Red: Well, I guess that means I roll with Oakland.
Mrs. Code Red: God dammit, Iggins!, I wanted to be alone in my Vikings pick. Vikings win.
Bengals (6-3) at Ravens (6-3)
Code Red: The Ravens beat good teams, but play poorly against bad teams. The question is, do they view the Bengals as a good or a bad team? Bah. They've won when I've needed them and Iggins! is crushing on Andy Dalton. Ravens win.
Iggins!: In the sense that Andy Dalton is basically Joe Flacco in his rookie year? Sure then. The Ravens are pretty easy to understand. If they RUN THE BALL they will win. If they run the ball FIVE TIMES like they did against Seattle they will lose. I'll take the Ravens but... I mean they haven't learned yet.
Code Red: Those sonsofbitches better run the goddamn ball. Daddy needs a big game from Ray Rice this week. Also, my Microsoft Word now saves and auto-completes “sonsofbitches” thanks to my frequency of use. Awesome.
Mrs. Code Red: How are the Bengals 6-3? I like Andy Dalton, I feel bad for him that he's in the same rookie class as Cam Newton. Ravens win.
Bills (5-4) at Dolphins (2-7)
Iggins!: This is a solid choice for an upset but I want to believe in the Bills. COME ON BUFFALO. Bills win.
Code Red: Both of these two teams need to end their streaks. Bills win.
Mrs. Code Red: The Bills are sliding, but I don't think they'll slide that far. Bills win.
Jaguars (2-7) at Browns (3-6)
Code Red: Oh God, why? That Jags defense is good. Cleveland's offense is brutal. Maurice Jones Drew may be the difference? Jags win.
Iggins!: This game will happen and nobody will know. Jaguars win.
Mrs. Code Red: Well, go for broke seemed to work okay for me last week, so Browns it is.
Cowboys (5-4) at Redskins (3-6)
Iggins!: Good to know the Redskins are just as awful as we all thought. They did the start strong thing last year too. Cowboys win.
Code Red: I think if the Redskins have learned their lesson, they give Shanahan one more year, because I think he has a plan, and he's done a decent job of rebuilding their defense. I think he's had his eye on this year's draft to make his move for a QB, and I have a feeling it'll be Matt Barkley. Anyway, none of this changes the fact that it'll be the Cowboys who win this game.
Mrs. Code Red: My heart says Sexy Rexy, but my head says the Cowboys.
Buccaneers (4-5) at Packers (9-0)
Code Red: Sonofabitch. Packers win.
Iggins!: Packers win handily.
Mrs. Code Red: Stupid Packers. Packers win.
Panthers (2-7) at Lions (6-3)
Iggins!: I want so badly to choose Cam Newton here, but his team just ain't winning. Lions win.
Code Red: Oh fuck it. Save us, Cam. My rage at that bitch Matthew Stafford has not yet abated. Panthers win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, I don't think they'll lose to Carolina. Lions win.
Cardinals (3-6) at 49ers (8-1)
Code Red: I'd love if the Bears or someone else can trip up Green Bay and the road to the Superbowl ran through San Francisco. That would be...odd, but better than a trip to Lambeau. 49ers win.
Iggins!: If the Bears lose to the Packers in the NFC Title Game again there will be oceans of blood. 49ers win.
Mrs. Code Red: I'll take a gamble and go with the 49ers.
Seahawks (3-6) at Rams (2-7)
Iggins!: What a great game this is! Seattle is rolling, so I'll take the Sea Chickens to win.
Code Red: Seattle's a shit team, but their run defense is pretty good. Their pass defense isn't good, but the Rams have shown no ability to take advantage of something like that. Seahawks win.
Mrs. Code Red: I guess I'll take the underdogs. Wait, who are the underdogs? They both sucks. The Seahawks apparently only beat good teams, so I'll go with the Rams.
Chargers (4-5) at Bears (6-3)
Code Red: I'm no longer afraid that this Chargers team is a typical “waiting for a late run” Chargers team. They're just not very good. Rivers looks like 2009 Cutler, trying to do far, far too much on a team that doesn't have much to offer around him. The Chargers have been gashed by the run and have allowed a QB rating of 96 to opposing passers this year. The Bears win, 28-14.
Iggins!: Yeah the Bears should win this handily, but due to this being a pivotal week for my fantasy team, I'm hoping Ryan Mathews scores a couple TDs. Bears win.
Mrs. Code Red: F*&k you Philip Rivers. Go Bears.
Titans (5-4) at Falcons (5-4)
Iggins!: I approve of the ballsy OT fourth down call. It didn't work, because he isn't Les Miles, but I approve. Falcons win.
Code Red: I think it was incredibly stupid, but I appreciated it since it brought a swift end to that OT game and brought the Bears game onto my TV. Falcons win.
Mrs. Code Red: Hmmm...Falcons.
Eagles (3-6) at Giants (6-3)
Code Red: More prime time EaglesFail! Giants win.
Iggins!: Yeah they suck something fierce. They're like the Knicks from the 00's. Giants win.
Mrs. Code Red: Giants. Most def.
Chiefs (4-5) at Patriots (6-3)
Code Red: God dammit. The Pats have a shitty defense, and yet again their soft schedule is going to lead to 12-13 wins and everyone will forget all about the shitty defense. Sigh. Pats win.
Iggins!: PALKO TIME. My wife is giddy with anticipation, she's been calling for Palko since the preseason. Humorously, I think this game will be close, but the Pats should win. Pats win.
Code Red: Because backup quarterbacks who look great in the preseason are always highly successful in real games. Just ask Todd Collins and Brian Griese!
Mrs. Code Red: I will not be shocked if the Patriots lose this. Patriots win, though.
Prognostication Bukakke, NCAA Week 12
Standings:
Iggins!: 128-67
Code Red: 123-72
Mrs. Code Red: 115-80
UNC (6-4) at VT (9-1)
Code Red: God dammit, VT. GT had you beat before that dumbass had to cost them and me a win by punching A GUY WEARING A HELMET. VT wins.
Iggins!: There seems to be an epidemic of that. I'm waiting for the first smart guy to remove his opponent's helmet and beat him with it. He might get suspended for the year, but at least we'd all agree that was an intelligent move. VaTech wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Virginia Tech. It only makes sense. Plus we've already established that I discriminate against the Carolinas.
Wisconsin (8-2) at Illinois (6-5)
Iggins!: I was going to correct you, Illinois is 6-4, but really why bother? Wisconsin wins.
Code Red: Well, that was a Freudian slip. Rumors say Zook is gone unless he beats Wisconsin and Minnesota. I bet he wins neither. Wisconsin wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Wisconsin. Zook is gone.
Nebraska (8-2) at Michigan (8-2)
Code Red: Ooh. Both of these teams, they are very similar. I'll take the home team. Michigan wins.
Iggins!: They're the same damn team. Michigan wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Oh what the hell? Nebraska.
Penn State (8-2) at Ohio State (6-4)
Iggins!: I don't understand Ohio State, but I'm still anti-kid rape. OSU wins.
Code Red: Ohio State's defense is still excellent, and Penn State's offense is still crapulent. And we're all anti-kid rape. OSU wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah...I can't pick PSU. OSU wins.
Vanderbilt (5-5) at Tennessee (4-6)
Code Red: Yeah, it's one of those weeks where “Bad but Competitive” gets you on the docket. I guess Vanderbilt?
Iggins!: The fuck is this? Vanderbilt wins?
Mrs. Code Red: Sure, I'll take Jay Cutler's alma mater. Vanderbilt wins.
Miami (5-5) at South Florida (5-4)
Iggins!: I'll take the Canes because I believe every time I've picked USF this year they have lost. Miami wins.
Code Red: I'll take South Florida, because we haven't disagreed yet and I'm running outta time.
Mrs. Code Red: G-reg's Miami Hurricanes.
Virginia (7-3) at Florida State (7-3)
Code Red: Who knew that Virginia was bowl eligible? Florida State wins.
Iggins!: I'll take FSU at home, but VA isn't a bad team.
Mrs. Code Red: Too much agreement this week. FSU wins.
USC (8-2) at Oregon (9-1)
Iggins!: Yeah. Oregon.
Code Red: Definitely Oregon.
Mrs. Code Red: Oregon.
Oklahoma (8-1) at Baylor (6-3)
Code Red: At least RGIII is already bowl eligible. Oklahoma wins.
Iggins!: This seems like a perfect game for Oklahoma to lose, but I just can't pick against them. Oklahoma wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Not Baylor. Oklahoma wins.
Kansas State (8-2) at Texas (6-3)
Iggins!: Texas isn't good. K-State wins.
Code Red: No, they are not. K-State wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Kansas State. Go Wildcats.
Iggins!: 128-67
Code Red: 123-72
Mrs. Code Red: 115-80
UNC (6-4) at VT (9-1)
Code Red: God dammit, VT. GT had you beat before that dumbass had to cost them and me a win by punching A GUY WEARING A HELMET. VT wins.
Iggins!: There seems to be an epidemic of that. I'm waiting for the first smart guy to remove his opponent's helmet and beat him with it. He might get suspended for the year, but at least we'd all agree that was an intelligent move. VaTech wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Virginia Tech. It only makes sense. Plus we've already established that I discriminate against the Carolinas.
Wisconsin (8-2) at Illinois (6-5)
Iggins!: I was going to correct you, Illinois is 6-4, but really why bother? Wisconsin wins.
Code Red: Well, that was a Freudian slip. Rumors say Zook is gone unless he beats Wisconsin and Minnesota. I bet he wins neither. Wisconsin wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Wisconsin. Zook is gone.
Nebraska (8-2) at Michigan (8-2)
Code Red: Ooh. Both of these teams, they are very similar. I'll take the home team. Michigan wins.
Iggins!: They're the same damn team. Michigan wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Oh what the hell? Nebraska.
Penn State (8-2) at Ohio State (6-4)
Iggins!: I don't understand Ohio State, but I'm still anti-kid rape. OSU wins.
Code Red: Ohio State's defense is still excellent, and Penn State's offense is still crapulent. And we're all anti-kid rape. OSU wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah...I can't pick PSU. OSU wins.
Vanderbilt (5-5) at Tennessee (4-6)
Code Red: Yeah, it's one of those weeks where “Bad but Competitive” gets you on the docket. I guess Vanderbilt?
Iggins!: The fuck is this? Vanderbilt wins?
Mrs. Code Red: Sure, I'll take Jay Cutler's alma mater. Vanderbilt wins.
Miami (5-5) at South Florida (5-4)
Iggins!: I'll take the Canes because I believe every time I've picked USF this year they have lost. Miami wins.
Code Red: I'll take South Florida, because we haven't disagreed yet and I'm running outta time.
Mrs. Code Red: G-reg's Miami Hurricanes.
Virginia (7-3) at Florida State (7-3)
Code Red: Who knew that Virginia was bowl eligible? Florida State wins.
Iggins!: I'll take FSU at home, but VA isn't a bad team.
Mrs. Code Red: Too much agreement this week. FSU wins.
USC (8-2) at Oregon (9-1)
Iggins!: Yeah. Oregon.
Code Red: Definitely Oregon.
Mrs. Code Red: Oregon.
Oklahoma (8-1) at Baylor (6-3)
Code Red: At least RGIII is already bowl eligible. Oklahoma wins.
Iggins!: This seems like a perfect game for Oklahoma to lose, but I just can't pick against them. Oklahoma wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Not Baylor. Oklahoma wins.
Kansas State (8-2) at Texas (6-3)
Iggins!: Texas isn't good. K-State wins.
Code Red: No, they are not. K-State wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Kansas State. Go Wildcats.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
What's the Problem with Lovie Smith?
Now, when I ask that, I'm not asking what Lovie's problem is. I'm asking what it is that so many Bears fans seem to hate about the guy. He's now at 72-55, including playoffs, during his tenure as Bears head coach. He's made 3 playoff appearances, and (fingers crossed) appears to be headed towards number four. Those 3 playoff appearances are more than the Bears managed in the 11 damn years before they hired Lovie. He's done a tremendous job cleaning up the mess, and when his key guys are healthy, he wins. It's that simple.
So what's the problem? I get that Lovie makes some absolutely hare-brained decisions regarding fourth down attempts and challenges. How much of the job of an NFL coach boils down to those two things? Honestly? How many games do you remember the Bears actually Losing because of a poor decision in one of those two categories by Lovie Smith? Take, for example, the 4th and 1 they failed to convert against Detroit, that took 3 points off of the board. The Bears lost by 11. Didn't matter. I suppose you could complain about his failure to challenge Jay's fumble against the Redskins last year, but, much as I love Jay, that game boiled down more to his ridiculously stupid decisions than Lovie's failure to throw a red flag.
Sure, there was a rather dark time period where the Lovie Era seemed to be a disaster, and I too called for a clean house when they were 5-9 fourteen games into the 2009 season. That was two long years, and a 19-8 record in the last 27 games, ago. I've long since recanted. As I said during my bye week analysis of the team, I think Lovie's an excellent coach, who has the loyalty of his players. He's got a philosophy that he's loyal to, and, much as it can be frustrating when the pass rush is nonexistent, since the arrival of Julius Peppers it's worked as well as it did back in 2005 and 2006. He's made some tough calls this year, benching guys like Meriweather and Anthony Adams and cutting Chris Harris. All of them have worked out. Conte and Major Wright have stabilized the defense, and Adams responded the week after his benching with a career game against Detroit. At this point the Bears have faced the 6th most difficult schedule in all of football, and they're 6-3 (it's technically 9th, but Detroit, Tampa, and Minnesota's schedule are only more difficult because they've all faced Chicago, rather than vice versa). I think Lovie's doing a great job. It's that simple.
Another aspect of the Lovie Hate I find a bit difficult to explain is the fact that so many people lump him in with Jerry Angelo as though the two are joined at the hip. I have my beefs with Angelo. He's obviously a bit smarter than most gave him credit for, since guys like Lance Louis, Chris Williams before this unfortunate injury, Roberto Garza, and Chris Spencer have played far, far better than people expected, but that doesn't excuse the mess that his offensive lines have been for most of his tenure. Outside of Earl Bennett, the wide receiver corps is inconsistent at best and shitty at worst (I'm looking at you, Roy). Angelo is the guy responsible for Frank Omiyale's continued opportunities when Lovie's now benched him at various points in three consecutive seasons. Obviously they aren't both part of some kind of hive mind.
As a friend of mine pointed out today, even if you concede to the mob the fact that Angelo supposedly sucks at his job, talent acquisition, than that should, logically make Lovie look even better for crafting three (hopefully four) playoff teams and four (hopefully five) winning teams out of Angelo-built "shitty" rosters. So why blame Lovie?
I don't really have a conclusion here. I'm not stating definitely what the cause is for all this anger toward Lovie, since I honestly don't know. Why do those three disappointing seasons (and really that 2008 team was far better than it had any right to be) seem to count more than all of the good things he's done?
Oh well. Let the world know I'm still a fan of Lovie Smith. I hope most of you are, too.
So what's the problem? I get that Lovie makes some absolutely hare-brained decisions regarding fourth down attempts and challenges. How much of the job of an NFL coach boils down to those two things? Honestly? How many games do you remember the Bears actually Losing because of a poor decision in one of those two categories by Lovie Smith? Take, for example, the 4th and 1 they failed to convert against Detroit, that took 3 points off of the board. The Bears lost by 11. Didn't matter. I suppose you could complain about his failure to challenge Jay's fumble against the Redskins last year, but, much as I love Jay, that game boiled down more to his ridiculously stupid decisions than Lovie's failure to throw a red flag.
Sure, there was a rather dark time period where the Lovie Era seemed to be a disaster, and I too called for a clean house when they were 5-9 fourteen games into the 2009 season. That was two long years, and a 19-8 record in the last 27 games, ago. I've long since recanted. As I said during my bye week analysis of the team, I think Lovie's an excellent coach, who has the loyalty of his players. He's got a philosophy that he's loyal to, and, much as it can be frustrating when the pass rush is nonexistent, since the arrival of Julius Peppers it's worked as well as it did back in 2005 and 2006. He's made some tough calls this year, benching guys like Meriweather and Anthony Adams and cutting Chris Harris. All of them have worked out. Conte and Major Wright have stabilized the defense, and Adams responded the week after his benching with a career game against Detroit. At this point the Bears have faced the 6th most difficult schedule in all of football, and they're 6-3 (it's technically 9th, but Detroit, Tampa, and Minnesota's schedule are only more difficult because they've all faced Chicago, rather than vice versa). I think Lovie's doing a great job. It's that simple.
Another aspect of the Lovie Hate I find a bit difficult to explain is the fact that so many people lump him in with Jerry Angelo as though the two are joined at the hip. I have my beefs with Angelo. He's obviously a bit smarter than most gave him credit for, since guys like Lance Louis, Chris Williams before this unfortunate injury, Roberto Garza, and Chris Spencer have played far, far better than people expected, but that doesn't excuse the mess that his offensive lines have been for most of his tenure. Outside of Earl Bennett, the wide receiver corps is inconsistent at best and shitty at worst (I'm looking at you, Roy). Angelo is the guy responsible for Frank Omiyale's continued opportunities when Lovie's now benched him at various points in three consecutive seasons. Obviously they aren't both part of some kind of hive mind.
As a friend of mine pointed out today, even if you concede to the mob the fact that Angelo supposedly sucks at his job, talent acquisition, than that should, logically make Lovie look even better for crafting three (hopefully four) playoff teams and four (hopefully five) winning teams out of Angelo-built "shitty" rosters. So why blame Lovie?
I don't really have a conclusion here. I'm not stating definitely what the cause is for all this anger toward Lovie, since I honestly don't know. Why do those three disappointing seasons (and really that 2008 team was far better than it had any right to be) seem to count more than all of the good things he's done?
Oh well. Let the world know I'm still a fan of Lovie Smith. I hope most of you are, too.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Bears 37, Lions 13- Lights Out.
That's about how I feel about the Bear's performance on defense and special teams. Pretty nice that the offense's struggles were more or less irrelevant, especially since they spent most of the game simply running out the clock. The other two phases? Hell, that was the best performance I've seen since 2006, at least. Fox can blame Matt Stafford's gloves all they want, he was harried and harassed all day and he melted down. He couldn't even be bothered to tackle the guys he was telegraphing his passes too. It was glorious. Good to know Detroit and Chicago are both who I had thought they were. Some idiots out there, clinging to their feeble notions that the Lions are real contenders, will try to act like turnovers and special teams points are flukey, but as Bears fans, we know better, and there's a reason the Bears have dominated in both categories since Lovie came to town. All that matters at the end is the scoreboard, and the Bears would have won this game easily had Cutler, Forte, and co. not even have shown up. In the end, the Bears absolutely embarrassed their "rivals," and I use that term lightly because, as usual, Detroit didn't even belong on the same field. It was clear who the better team was today, in every way possible.
The Good:
-Devin Hester: He didn't even have to play the second half since he was still recovering from his injury and suffering from strep throat, but he did his damage early with two long returns, one of 'em for a TD, the other to set up a FG, and the TD especially was classic Hester. He dropped the ball. He stood there. He looked like he had no idea what to do and he was going to get nailed. Then BOOM. Touchdown. God I love that guy.
-The Secondary: 4 interceptions, one each from Tillman, Wright, Graham, and Jennings, with Tillman and Wright both taking theirs to the house. Stafford (more on his bitch ass later) was forced into countless scatter-armed throws. Tillman owned Calvin Johnson, who was held out of the end zone for the first time all year, and fumbled. Jennings, Tillman's protege, also forced a Nate Burleson fumble. So, six turnovers from one secondary. Awesome.
-Julius Peppers: He spent most of the second half of the blowout on the bench resting his knee, but he absolutely terrified Stafford in the first half, with one sack, a pass deflection, numerous hurries, and one not-technically-a-sack-sack in which he chased Stafford out of bounds. He's the man.
-Anthony Adams: The big man responded to his benching with 2 sacks. That's good to see.
-Briggs and Urlacher: 17 tackles, a fumble recovery, a couple of pressures. Whatever. Nothing to see here.
-Earl Bennett: 6 receptions for 81 yards before they shut it down. Man it's good to have the BBE back.
The Bad:
-The Offense: I'm not going to dwell on it, since they managed 140 yds and 10 pts (nearly 13 had Gould not missed in the wind) in the first half, but they struggled in pass protection, couldn't run the ball against a defense that keyed on it, and Cutler missed some throws. Then again, they've played well the last four games and they'll be fine. Detroit does have a good front seven, even if the rest of the team got embarrassed today.
-Roy Williams: Ran the wrong route on one third down, dropped another pass. Not fond of him.
The Ugly:
-Chris Williams: the kid had finally started to justify his draft spot by playing well at guard and now, by most accounts, he's down for the season with a wrist injury. Hopefully Eddie Williams is capable of stepping up. What a bummer. Otherwise I could see Webb, Spencer, Garza, Louis, Carimi left to right when Gabe gets back.
-Matthew Stafford: What a bitch. I have no other way of saying it. The little shitstain melts down the second he gets pressured, throws four interceptions, gets sacked three times, and then tries to man up by cheap-shotting DJ Moore and dragging him down by his facemask. What a pathetic excuse for a man. I hope he wrecks his fiberglass shoulder again.
-The rest of that pathetic fucking bunch: Suh's a dirty mother fucker and ripped off Jay's helmet after the whistle, then pushed him down later long after the play was dead. Fairley drove Cutler into the ground well after the ball had left his hands. Stafford's a whiny little bitch. Schwartz is a horse's ass, and I hope Lovie patted the shit out of his back after that. You're losers, Detroit, no matter what improvements you've made this year.
That's it for now. The Bears now hit the soft spot of the schedule, with the entire AFC West (including the Seahawks for old times sake) coming up. Keep rolling. Bear Down. I'm off to eat some of the Mrs' homemade fried rice. Life is good, folks. Unless your a little bitch like Matthew Stafford.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Prognostication Bukakke, NFL Week 10
Raiders (4-4) at Chargers (4-4)
Code Red: Both of these teams are a goddamn mess. The Chargers have to win this, right? I don't want them coming into Chicago on a terrible three game losing streak. Chargers win.
Iggins!: Like that would matter? You really think the Chargers are good there, don't you? I may not think they're good, but Palmer has looked so bad I can't do anything but pick the Bolts to win at home.
Mrs. Code Red: Chargers. Please God, Philip Rivers. Get your shit together. It has to happen eventually, right? Right?
Bills (5-3) at Cowboys (4-4)
Iggins!: Yeah, I'm not gonna pick the Cowboys. They don't exactly have the Jet's defense. Bills win.
Code Red: I fear the Bills may be fading, but Dallas sucks. Bills win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, Bills. I'll never trust Tony Romo, especially not when Miles Austin is hurt again.
Saints (6-3) at Falcons (5-3)
Code Red: The Saints should set themselves firmly at the top of their division after this one. Saints win.
Iggins!: I have to pick Breesus here. Saints win.
Mrs. Code Red: Saints. Do I need to justify picking Breesus?
Texans (6-3) at Buccaneers (4-4)
Iggins!: ARRRRRRRRRIAN FOSSSSSSSSSSSSTER. Texans win.
Code Red: Troll hard, sir. Troll hard. Texans win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, I guess the Texans are alright. Good balance. I like Ben Tate. Promising young RB they have there. Texans win.
Rams (1-7) at Browns (3-5)
Code Red: Oh, this is awful. St. Louis managed to lose to the Cardinals last week, but I still think they'll find a way to overcome a Browns team that's just terrible and has no offense at all. Rams win.
Iggins!: Ima recap for you. The Rams scored 13 points against Arizona last week. Four of those points were safeties. I'll take the Browns at home.
Mrs. Code Red: Hmm...I'm gonna go with the Rams. If Sam Bradford's going to get it together, ever, it'll be here.
Steelers (6-3) at Bengals (6-2)
Iggins!: It looks like the Bengals have three games left they will most likely win, then two each against the Steelers and Ravens and one against Houston. If they can just pull the upset in one they might make the playoffs... oh why the hell not. CINCINNATI WINS.
Code Red: You're a mad man. Pittsburgh wins.
Mrs. Code Red: I'm also going to roll with Andy Dalton, the Ginger Rifle. Bengals.
Code Red: The whole damn world is mad.
Redskins (3-5) at Dolphins (1-7)
Code Red: Oh God, this is another awful one. Also, if you haven't seen the interview where Mickey Rourke describes Rex Grossman as a “trainwreck with balls,” you absolutely must. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Rex-Grossman-is-Mickey-Rourke-8217-s-favorite-q?urn=nfl-wp10983. Shanny should definitely put Rex back in, because he's far more entertaining than Beck. I expect the Skins defense (which is pretty good, actually) to win this one in an ugly, unwatchable contest. Redskins win.
Iggins!: This could be one of the worst games you will ever see (Though I doubt much of the country will see it). I'll take Miami at home.
Mrs. Code Red: Sexy Rexy should come back. I bet it'll happen here, with heroic results. Redskins win.
Titans (4-4) at Panthers (2-6)
Iggins!: Killa Cam has had very little to do with the Panther losses. If Carolina can add one more good receiver, kill Deangelo Williams, and upgrade the defense just a little bit they're a 10-11 win team next year. I'll take Carolina to win here.
Code Red: Isn't it odd? The Panthers are 2-6, and yet every week I'm inclined to pick them. I'll do it again here. Panthers win.
Mrs. Code Red: Umm...it's so hard to pick against Cam Newton. I won't. Panthers win.
Cardinals (2-6) at Eagles (3-5)
Code Red: Per usual, the Bears get a great win and the dominant theme is still “what's wrong with [insert Bears opponent]. I've heard several people talk about how the Eagles “didn't show up.” Oh well. The Eagles will break through here.
Iggins!: That's odd. All I saw on ESPN is that the Bears are really good, and Mike Florio was on the radio saying the same thing. You sound like an Iowa State fan there, Red. It does not count as breaking through to beat AZ, it counts as taking candy from a baby. Eagles win.
Code Red: Sadly, it was mostly on Chicago's own local sports radio. Philly did show up, Hub Arkush. They showed up and got their asses soundly kicked.
Mrs. Code Red: Eagles, I guess.
Broncos (3-5) at Chiefs (4-4)
Iggins!: That was an awful, awful thing that happened last week. I'll take the Chiefs to win for one more week, but if they lose here I'll have to forsake them.
Code Red: I'll take the Chiefs here because the cause of stopping Tim Tebow-mania is a cause dear to the hearts of all red-blooded Americans. Chiefs win.
Mrs. Code Red: Chiefs. Tebow still sucks, no matter how bad Oakland's defense is.
Jaguars (2-6) at Colts (0-9)
Code Red: So many awful matchups this week. The only unit out of the four involved in this game that is any good is the Jaguar defense, so I'm taking Jacksonville.
Iggins!: This is the Colts' best chance for a win, but I'm pretty sure they want the #1 pick more than a win. Jaguars win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, Jags.
Ravens (6-2) at Seahawks (2-6)
Iggins!: Yeah. Ravens.
Code Red: Who the hell is responsible for firing Pete Carroll? Why hasn't said person done so? He clearly has no vision. They have a decent defense built mostly out of retreads that can't be built around for the future, they have no offensive line (apparently Chris Spencer wasn't part of the problem, eh?), and their coach personally identified Tarvaris Jackson as his guy and actively pursued him in free agency. THIS MAN DOES NOT NOW HOW TO MANAGE A FRANCHISE. Anywho, Ravens win.
Mrs. Code Red: I'm gonna go out on a limb and take the Ravens.
Giants (6-2) at 49ers (7-1)
Code Red: This should be interesting. Eli's been playing well this year, but the Giants tend to struggle when they can't run the ball at all, which tends to be the case against this awesome 49er front seven. I'm going to say the Giants still find a way to win this one.
Iggins!: I have to agree. The 49ers aren't as good as their record suggests. Giants win.
Code Red: They'll still be the two seed, because no one in that division can even dream of moving the ball against that defense of theirs. They're very 2005 Bears-like, but the NFC isn't as weak now as it was then.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, Eli is playing surprisingly well. Giants win.
Lions (6-2) at Bears (5-3)
Code Red: Last time, the Bears controlled the clock, outgained the Lions for most of the first three quarters, and then repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with penalties, bad decisions, and big plays. Since then they've been a 100% completely different team. I think it'll be enough. Bears win, 27-13.
Mrs. Code Red: Bears. That is all.
Iggins!: Bears. That is all.
Patriots (5-3) at Jets (5-3)
Iggins!: People have figured out the Patriots, and Rex Ryan has Brady's number. I'll take the Jets.
Code Red: I want to go with the continued decline of New England. There certainly are more dark days ahead. But I just can't imagine New England losing three in a row yet. Patriots win.
Mrs. Code Red: Dammit. I can't do it. I can't go against them. Patriots win.
Vikings (2-6) at Packers (8-0)
Code Red: The Packer aren't much different than the Pats, in that their defense has been bad enough this year that they'll probably lose the first time Aaron Rodgers has a less than outstanding game. I don't know when someone will make that happen, though. It won't be Minnesota, at least. Packers win.
Iggins!: The Patriots are getting beaten because defenses figured out that, without Randy Moss, they have no vertical passing game, so every throw is made in the same 25 yard area. The Packers aren't being figured out because Aaron Rodgers isn't good because of a scheme, he's just good. Saying they'll lose if he has a bad game is like saying the Cubs will win the World Series if they stay healthy. What are the odds? Packers win.
Mrs. Code Red: Packers. Sigh.
Code Red: Both of these teams are a goddamn mess. The Chargers have to win this, right? I don't want them coming into Chicago on a terrible three game losing streak. Chargers win.
Iggins!: Like that would matter? You really think the Chargers are good there, don't you? I may not think they're good, but Palmer has looked so bad I can't do anything but pick the Bolts to win at home.
Mrs. Code Red: Chargers. Please God, Philip Rivers. Get your shit together. It has to happen eventually, right? Right?
Bills (5-3) at Cowboys (4-4)
Iggins!: Yeah, I'm not gonna pick the Cowboys. They don't exactly have the Jet's defense. Bills win.
Code Red: I fear the Bills may be fading, but Dallas sucks. Bills win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, Bills. I'll never trust Tony Romo, especially not when Miles Austin is hurt again.
Saints (6-3) at Falcons (5-3)
Code Red: The Saints should set themselves firmly at the top of their division after this one. Saints win.
Iggins!: I have to pick Breesus here. Saints win.
Mrs. Code Red: Saints. Do I need to justify picking Breesus?
Texans (6-3) at Buccaneers (4-4)
Iggins!: ARRRRRRRRRIAN FOSSSSSSSSSSSSTER. Texans win.
Code Red: Troll hard, sir. Troll hard. Texans win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, I guess the Texans are alright. Good balance. I like Ben Tate. Promising young RB they have there. Texans win.
Rams (1-7) at Browns (3-5)
Code Red: Oh, this is awful. St. Louis managed to lose to the Cardinals last week, but I still think they'll find a way to overcome a Browns team that's just terrible and has no offense at all. Rams win.
Iggins!: Ima recap for you. The Rams scored 13 points against Arizona last week. Four of those points were safeties. I'll take the Browns at home.
Mrs. Code Red: Hmm...I'm gonna go with the Rams. If Sam Bradford's going to get it together, ever, it'll be here.
Steelers (6-3) at Bengals (6-2)
Iggins!: It looks like the Bengals have three games left they will most likely win, then two each against the Steelers and Ravens and one against Houston. If they can just pull the upset in one they might make the playoffs... oh why the hell not. CINCINNATI WINS.
Code Red: You're a mad man. Pittsburgh wins.
Mrs. Code Red: I'm also going to roll with Andy Dalton, the Ginger Rifle. Bengals.
Code Red: The whole damn world is mad.
Redskins (3-5) at Dolphins (1-7)
Code Red: Oh God, this is another awful one. Also, if you haven't seen the interview where Mickey Rourke describes Rex Grossman as a “trainwreck with balls,” you absolutely must. http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Rex-Grossman-is-Mickey-Rourke-8217-s-favorite-q?urn=nfl-wp10983. Shanny should definitely put Rex back in, because he's far more entertaining than Beck. I expect the Skins defense (which is pretty good, actually) to win this one in an ugly, unwatchable contest. Redskins win.
Iggins!: This could be one of the worst games you will ever see (Though I doubt much of the country will see it). I'll take Miami at home.
Mrs. Code Red: Sexy Rexy should come back. I bet it'll happen here, with heroic results. Redskins win.
Titans (4-4) at Panthers (2-6)
Iggins!: Killa Cam has had very little to do with the Panther losses. If Carolina can add one more good receiver, kill Deangelo Williams, and upgrade the defense just a little bit they're a 10-11 win team next year. I'll take Carolina to win here.
Code Red: Isn't it odd? The Panthers are 2-6, and yet every week I'm inclined to pick them. I'll do it again here. Panthers win.
Mrs. Code Red: Umm...it's so hard to pick against Cam Newton. I won't. Panthers win.
Cardinals (2-6) at Eagles (3-5)
Code Red: Per usual, the Bears get a great win and the dominant theme is still “what's wrong with [insert Bears opponent]. I've heard several people talk about how the Eagles “didn't show up.” Oh well. The Eagles will break through here.
Iggins!: That's odd. All I saw on ESPN is that the Bears are really good, and Mike Florio was on the radio saying the same thing. You sound like an Iowa State fan there, Red. It does not count as breaking through to beat AZ, it counts as taking candy from a baby. Eagles win.
Code Red: Sadly, it was mostly on Chicago's own local sports radio. Philly did show up, Hub Arkush. They showed up and got their asses soundly kicked.
Mrs. Code Red: Eagles, I guess.
Broncos (3-5) at Chiefs (4-4)
Iggins!: That was an awful, awful thing that happened last week. I'll take the Chiefs to win for one more week, but if they lose here I'll have to forsake them.
Code Red: I'll take the Chiefs here because the cause of stopping Tim Tebow-mania is a cause dear to the hearts of all red-blooded Americans. Chiefs win.
Mrs. Code Red: Chiefs. Tebow still sucks, no matter how bad Oakland's defense is.
Jaguars (2-6) at Colts (0-9)
Code Red: So many awful matchups this week. The only unit out of the four involved in this game that is any good is the Jaguar defense, so I'm taking Jacksonville.
Iggins!: This is the Colts' best chance for a win, but I'm pretty sure they want the #1 pick more than a win. Jaguars win.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, Jags.
Ravens (6-2) at Seahawks (2-6)
Iggins!: Yeah. Ravens.
Code Red: Who the hell is responsible for firing Pete Carroll? Why hasn't said person done so? He clearly has no vision. They have a decent defense built mostly out of retreads that can't be built around for the future, they have no offensive line (apparently Chris Spencer wasn't part of the problem, eh?), and their coach personally identified Tarvaris Jackson as his guy and actively pursued him in free agency. THIS MAN DOES NOT NOW HOW TO MANAGE A FRANCHISE. Anywho, Ravens win.
Mrs. Code Red: I'm gonna go out on a limb and take the Ravens.
Giants (6-2) at 49ers (7-1)
Code Red: This should be interesting. Eli's been playing well this year, but the Giants tend to struggle when they can't run the ball at all, which tends to be the case against this awesome 49er front seven. I'm going to say the Giants still find a way to win this one.
Iggins!: I have to agree. The 49ers aren't as good as their record suggests. Giants win.
Code Red: They'll still be the two seed, because no one in that division can even dream of moving the ball against that defense of theirs. They're very 2005 Bears-like, but the NFC isn't as weak now as it was then.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah, Eli is playing surprisingly well. Giants win.
Lions (6-2) at Bears (5-3)
Code Red: Last time, the Bears controlled the clock, outgained the Lions for most of the first three quarters, and then repeatedly shot themselves in the foot with penalties, bad decisions, and big plays. Since then they've been a 100% completely different team. I think it'll be enough. Bears win, 27-13.
Mrs. Code Red: Bears. That is all.
Iggins!: Bears. That is all.
Patriots (5-3) at Jets (5-3)
Iggins!: People have figured out the Patriots, and Rex Ryan has Brady's number. I'll take the Jets.
Code Red: I want to go with the continued decline of New England. There certainly are more dark days ahead. But I just can't imagine New England losing three in a row yet. Patriots win.
Mrs. Code Red: Dammit. I can't do it. I can't go against them. Patriots win.
Vikings (2-6) at Packers (8-0)
Code Red: The Packer aren't much different than the Pats, in that their defense has been bad enough this year that they'll probably lose the first time Aaron Rodgers has a less than outstanding game. I don't know when someone will make that happen, though. It won't be Minnesota, at least. Packers win.
Iggins!: The Patriots are getting beaten because defenses figured out that, without Randy Moss, they have no vertical passing game, so every throw is made in the same 25 yard area. The Packers aren't being figured out because Aaron Rodgers isn't good because of a scheme, he's just good. Saying they'll lose if he has a bad game is like saying the Cubs will win the World Series if they stay healthy. What are the odds? Packers win.
Mrs. Code Red: Packers. Sigh.
Prognostication Bukakke, NCAA Week 11
Iggins!: 115-54
Code Red: 109-60
Mrs. Code Red: 101-68
Virginia Tech (8-1) at Georgia Tech (7-2)
Code Red: It's getting late in the season. It's gambling time. Paul Johnson's gonna find a way to ruin VT's typical run to ACC dominance the most boring BCS bowl game. GT wins.
Iggins!: Just because GT beat Clemson doesn't mean they're good! Clemson does that all the time. I'll take VaTech to win.
Mrs. Code Red: Virginia Tech, because they have a better record. Science.
Nebraska (7-2) at Penn State (8-1)
Iggins!: So my greater theory for football this season is that games have almost universally been decided by matchups, not talent. So, under normal circumstances, I would take PSU because their defense is pretty much built to stop Nebraska. HOWEVER, when your head coach and entire administration have been outed as cowardly accesories to child rape, I pretty much can't pick you. Nebraska wins.
Code Red: Yeah, I can't pick Penn State here. May they rot. How fitting is it that Joe Paterno's last game, naturally, was a victory over Ron Zook's idiotic prevent defense. Nebraska wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Hmm...are they going to come out inspired, or will this overwhelm them? Plus, I don't want to be the person that chooses them. Nebraska wins.
Michigan State (7-2) at Iowa (6-3)
Code Red: Not MSU on the road. Made that mistake twice. Iowa wins.
Iggins!: There are so many reasons Iowa will win this game. They're unbeaten at home, MSU sucks on the road, MSU almost always loses at Kinnick, MSU runs a pro-style offense which almost always gets beaten by Ferentz. Just pick Iowa. Hawkeyes win.
Mrs. Code Red: Dammit, I was hoping my Iowa pick would be an upset. Iowa wins.
West Virginia (6-3) at Cincinnati (7-1)
Iggins!: WVU is extremely mediocre, so I'll take a slightly less mediocre Cincinnati team to win.
Code Red: The Big East is so mediocre, that I'll take West Virginia to fuck things up. They are still mediocre, though.
Mrs. Code Red: I guess I, too, will give West Virginia a shot. WVU wins.
Miami (5-4) at Florida State (6-3)
Code Red: I don't think Miami's defense can slow down EJ Manuel and the FSU offense. FSU wins.
Iggins!: I do not care, the ACC is a damned basketball conference anyway, so I'm betting they don't care right now either! FSU wins.
Mrs. Code Red: G-Reg's Miami Hurricanes. Why not?
Texas A&M (5-4) at Kansas State (7-2)
Iggins!: K-State will overcome a three TD deficit to win or something. K-State wins.
Code Red: Indeed, Mike Sherman has transported his ability to blow big games despite a talented team has translated quite nicely from Green Bay to Texas A&M. K-State wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Kansas State. Doesn't Texas A&M lose every game they ever play against anyone good?
Michigan (7-2) at Illinois (6-3)
Code Red: Teams like Michigan don't give Illinois that much trouble. They don't have the stellar defense that OSU and Penn State have. I think they can win the shootout. Illinois wins. (all of this bluster is bullshit, and I fully expect Zook to nosedive this thing to 6-6).
Iggins!: Let's review. The Illini beat five very bad teams and one team (AZ State) that always loses when they're away from the coast to start the year. They have lost their last three games playing mediocre to good teams, and they have looked godawful doing it. Michigan will win. By a lot.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah...Michigan.
Auburn (6-3) at Georgia (7-2)
Iggins!: The Dawgs are a damn fine team, and Auburn is unfortunately just a rung below that. Georgia wins.
Code Red: Georgia is good. Georgia is at home. Georgia is winner.
Mrs. Code Red: Fuck it, Auburn. Gamblin' time.
Washington (6-3) at USC (7-2)
Code Red: Good for you, Washington. Staying relevant somehow. USC's offense at home, though? USC wins.
Iggins!: I'll take USC, I guess.
Mrs. Code Red: USC. They have Matt Barkley, and he is good.
Oregon (8-1) at Stanford (9-0)
Iggins!: The funny thing is we can't tell how good Stanford is because nobody in the Pac-10 has a good out-of-conference win. NONE OF THEM. Oregon put up a fight against LSU, but that game was a bigger beatdown than 40-27 suggests. I'll take Stanford at home, but let it be known that I don't trust how good either of these teams are.
Code Red: I, too, shall take Andrew Luck. Stanford had a big lead in this game before the spread methodically wore them down on the road. I think they're much better prepared for this one. Stanford wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Oregon. What the hell? Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
Code Red: I like this go for broke strategy. I am too chicken to employ it, but I admire your gumption.
Code Red: 109-60
Mrs. Code Red: 101-68
Virginia Tech (8-1) at Georgia Tech (7-2)
Code Red: It's getting late in the season. It's gambling time. Paul Johnson's gonna find a way to ruin VT's typical run to ACC dominance the most boring BCS bowl game. GT wins.
Iggins!: Just because GT beat Clemson doesn't mean they're good! Clemson does that all the time. I'll take VaTech to win.
Mrs. Code Red: Virginia Tech, because they have a better record. Science.
Nebraska (7-2) at Penn State (8-1)
Iggins!: So my greater theory for football this season is that games have almost universally been decided by matchups, not talent. So, under normal circumstances, I would take PSU because their defense is pretty much built to stop Nebraska. HOWEVER, when your head coach and entire administration have been outed as cowardly accesories to child rape, I pretty much can't pick you. Nebraska wins.
Code Red: Yeah, I can't pick Penn State here. May they rot. How fitting is it that Joe Paterno's last game, naturally, was a victory over Ron Zook's idiotic prevent defense. Nebraska wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Hmm...are they going to come out inspired, or will this overwhelm them? Plus, I don't want to be the person that chooses them. Nebraska wins.
Michigan State (7-2) at Iowa (6-3)
Code Red: Not MSU on the road. Made that mistake twice. Iowa wins.
Iggins!: There are so many reasons Iowa will win this game. They're unbeaten at home, MSU sucks on the road, MSU almost always loses at Kinnick, MSU runs a pro-style offense which almost always gets beaten by Ferentz. Just pick Iowa. Hawkeyes win.
Mrs. Code Red: Dammit, I was hoping my Iowa pick would be an upset. Iowa wins.
West Virginia (6-3) at Cincinnati (7-1)
Iggins!: WVU is extremely mediocre, so I'll take a slightly less mediocre Cincinnati team to win.
Code Red: The Big East is so mediocre, that I'll take West Virginia to fuck things up. They are still mediocre, though.
Mrs. Code Red: I guess I, too, will give West Virginia a shot. WVU wins.
Miami (5-4) at Florida State (6-3)
Code Red: I don't think Miami's defense can slow down EJ Manuel and the FSU offense. FSU wins.
Iggins!: I do not care, the ACC is a damned basketball conference anyway, so I'm betting they don't care right now either! FSU wins.
Mrs. Code Red: G-Reg's Miami Hurricanes. Why not?
Texas A&M (5-4) at Kansas State (7-2)
Iggins!: K-State will overcome a three TD deficit to win or something. K-State wins.
Code Red: Indeed, Mike Sherman has transported his ability to blow big games despite a talented team has translated quite nicely from Green Bay to Texas A&M. K-State wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Kansas State. Doesn't Texas A&M lose every game they ever play against anyone good?
Michigan (7-2) at Illinois (6-3)
Code Red: Teams like Michigan don't give Illinois that much trouble. They don't have the stellar defense that OSU and Penn State have. I think they can win the shootout. Illinois wins. (all of this bluster is bullshit, and I fully expect Zook to nosedive this thing to 6-6).
Iggins!: Let's review. The Illini beat five very bad teams and one team (AZ State) that always loses when they're away from the coast to start the year. They have lost their last three games playing mediocre to good teams, and they have looked godawful doing it. Michigan will win. By a lot.
Mrs. Code Red: Yeah...Michigan.
Auburn (6-3) at Georgia (7-2)
Iggins!: The Dawgs are a damn fine team, and Auburn is unfortunately just a rung below that. Georgia wins.
Code Red: Georgia is good. Georgia is at home. Georgia is winner.
Mrs. Code Red: Fuck it, Auburn. Gamblin' time.
Washington (6-3) at USC (7-2)
Code Red: Good for you, Washington. Staying relevant somehow. USC's offense at home, though? USC wins.
Iggins!: I'll take USC, I guess.
Mrs. Code Red: USC. They have Matt Barkley, and he is good.
Oregon (8-1) at Stanford (9-0)
Iggins!: The funny thing is we can't tell how good Stanford is because nobody in the Pac-10 has a good out-of-conference win. NONE OF THEM. Oregon put up a fight against LSU, but that game was a bigger beatdown than 40-27 suggests. I'll take Stanford at home, but let it be known that I don't trust how good either of these teams are.
Code Red: I, too, shall take Andrew Luck. Stanford had a big lead in this game before the spread methodically wore them down on the road. I think they're much better prepared for this one. Stanford wins.
Mrs. Code Red: Oregon. What the hell? Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
Code Red: I like this go for broke strategy. I am too chicken to employ it, but I admire your gumption.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Bears 30, Eagles 24- Dangerous
Dangerous. That's what the Bears are if they play the kind of football on both sides of the ball that they played tonight for the rest of the season. The final score is misleading, even, as two incredibly rare fumbles by Matt Forte spotted the Eagles 14 points they'd have had a hard time coming by otherwise. The offensive line finally gave Cutler his first game without a sack since the first half of 2009. Matt Forte, despite his uncharacteristic turnovers, dominated once again with 133 yards rushing. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Julius Peppers did what you expect them to do by containing Michael Vick, who has failed to win a single start against this team despite four tries. This is just an awesome win, perhaps the best played game we've seen from this team...in the Cutler era, at least. Next week's another big one with Detroit at home, a rematch I'm Really looking forward to. For now, though, let's enjoy this one. Bear down.
The Good:
-Jay Cutler: I love stats, but they can be misleading. Anyone looking at Jay Cutler's 208 yds in this game might think he was merely "good," but they'd be wrong. Against an amazing secondary (and with his own batch of mediocre receivers looking less than stellar outside of the BBE), Jay played like an elite quarterback, and when everything was put on his shoulders in the fourth quarter he simply went out and won the ball game. Also, if you didn't absolutely love his improvising on the near-sack toss to Barber and the option pitch to Hester, you, sir, have no soul.
-Matt Forte: I love the guy. My inner meathead screamed after fumble number two, but the man never fumbles. It was a fluke. He did exactly what you want someone to do in that situation, meaning he went out and played like the MVP he's been. 133 rushing on 24 carries, with another 17 yards receiving, giving him 150 total yards from scrimmage. You know what's awesome? That was BELOW his season average. He's a beast. This offense is starting to come together like we haven't seen...maybe ever.
-Earl Bennett: Man, was it ever obvious how much Jay missed the BBE? The disparity between what Earl can do and what the rest of Jay's receivers can do was never more obvious than it was tonight. You have to give Asomugah and Asante Samuel credit, but Hester, Williams, and Sanzenbacher all dropped what would have been huge catches, and while Earl racked up 5 catches for 95 yds and a TD, the other four guys combined for 5 catches for 72 yards. Earl's back, bitches, and may hell take the corners attempting to stop him on third down.
-The offensive line: There are no words. Against an absolutely stacked defensive line and a team famous for blitzing, they allowed no sacks for the first time in two years. They paved the way for 164 yards rushing at 5 yards a clip. I have no idea how they can work Gabe Carimi back into the lineup with the way Lance Louis, J'Marcus Webb, and Chris Spencer are playing right now. Isn't that awesome? Three weeks ago this team was absolutely harassed in Detroit thanks to the injury to Spencer and the mere presence of Frank Omiyale, and now they can't get a guy who may technically be their most promising offensive linemen into the lineup because the rest of em are playing so well. Amazing.
-Julius Peppers: Like all of you, I let the incredibly lame Darth-Vader-at-the-end-of-Revenge-of-the-Sith* NOOOOOO escape my lungs when Julius went down. Being the man that he is, he came back in and sacked Michael Vick to end an Eagles drive on his first play back. Several times he got in Vick's way and forced throws on what normally are 20-25 yard runs for him. He also had another of his trademark jumping pass deflections. I love him. I don't care who knows it.
-Israel Idonije: Sadly two tackles are the only things that will show up on the stat sheet for Izzy, but man, he was an animal tonight. He seemingly found his way into the Eagles backfield on every play, and he forced a number of poor throws and bad decisions out of Vick. Good on ya, ya big lug.
-Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs: Honestly, I wish these two played Michael Vick every week, because he seems to get an extra level out of two guys who already have a combined 13 Pro Bowls. They combined tonight for 16 tackles and 3 pass deflections, and they once more chased Vick from sideline to sideline, limiting him to just 34 yards rushing. Stay healthy, guys. I'll always go back to Paul Allen, the Vikings' radio guy, and what he said last year: "When these two are healthy, the Chicago Bears win a lot of ball games. It's as simple as that."
-Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman: The oft and unfairly-maligned duo really got it done tonight. The Bears scoffed at the notion that they can't play man and decided to beat the shit out of Philly's receivers, daring them to break a big one. They couldn't do it because Tillman and Jennings absolutely balled tonight. When you limit the Philadelphia Eagles to 5.6 ypa and hold Maclin and Jackson to 79 yards Total, damn. That's good football.
-Lovie Smith: I've liked everything I've heard from Lovie before and after this game. He called out underperforming guys like Melton and he deactivated Anthony Adams in favor of Paea and Toeiana (it worked, considering they shutdown the run game for Philly outside of one 33 yard McCoy run). He also made the bold move of cutting Chris Harris. He took a shot at the guys in Vegas after the game when he said "the Chicago Bears should never be 8 point underdogs." I still like Lovie, no matter how often I'm told by some illogical people that I shouldn't. He had his guys prepared tonight, and it showed.
The Bad:
-Roy Williams: He dropped two passes that he had absolutely no excuse for dropping, one of which would probably have been a TD. His 3 catches all went for first downs, which is nice, but he's still frustrating as hell.
-Nothing else. This game was perfect. Absolutely perfect. It's one of those nights that leaves you absolutely dying to see them take the field next Sunday. Go Bears.
*-This reference to the Star Wars prequels was put into this recap in order to appease CT, who I'm sure was yet again disappointed that I was a no-show for the SKOscast.
The Good:
-Jay Cutler: I love stats, but they can be misleading. Anyone looking at Jay Cutler's 208 yds in this game might think he was merely "good," but they'd be wrong. Against an amazing secondary (and with his own batch of mediocre receivers looking less than stellar outside of the BBE), Jay played like an elite quarterback, and when everything was put on his shoulders in the fourth quarter he simply went out and won the ball game. Also, if you didn't absolutely love his improvising on the near-sack toss to Barber and the option pitch to Hester, you, sir, have no soul.
-Matt Forte: I love the guy. My inner meathead screamed after fumble number two, but the man never fumbles. It was a fluke. He did exactly what you want someone to do in that situation, meaning he went out and played like the MVP he's been. 133 rushing on 24 carries, with another 17 yards receiving, giving him 150 total yards from scrimmage. You know what's awesome? That was BELOW his season average. He's a beast. This offense is starting to come together like we haven't seen...maybe ever.
-Earl Bennett: Man, was it ever obvious how much Jay missed the BBE? The disparity between what Earl can do and what the rest of Jay's receivers can do was never more obvious than it was tonight. You have to give Asomugah and Asante Samuel credit, but Hester, Williams, and Sanzenbacher all dropped what would have been huge catches, and while Earl racked up 5 catches for 95 yds and a TD, the other four guys combined for 5 catches for 72 yards. Earl's back, bitches, and may hell take the corners attempting to stop him on third down.
-The offensive line: There are no words. Against an absolutely stacked defensive line and a team famous for blitzing, they allowed no sacks for the first time in two years. They paved the way for 164 yards rushing at 5 yards a clip. I have no idea how they can work Gabe Carimi back into the lineup with the way Lance Louis, J'Marcus Webb, and Chris Spencer are playing right now. Isn't that awesome? Three weeks ago this team was absolutely harassed in Detroit thanks to the injury to Spencer and the mere presence of Frank Omiyale, and now they can't get a guy who may technically be their most promising offensive linemen into the lineup because the rest of em are playing so well. Amazing.
-Julius Peppers: Like all of you, I let the incredibly lame Darth-Vader-at-the-end-of-Revenge-of-the-Sith* NOOOOOO escape my lungs when Julius went down. Being the man that he is, he came back in and sacked Michael Vick to end an Eagles drive on his first play back. Several times he got in Vick's way and forced throws on what normally are 20-25 yard runs for him. He also had another of his trademark jumping pass deflections. I love him. I don't care who knows it.
-Israel Idonije: Sadly two tackles are the only things that will show up on the stat sheet for Izzy, but man, he was an animal tonight. He seemingly found his way into the Eagles backfield on every play, and he forced a number of poor throws and bad decisions out of Vick. Good on ya, ya big lug.
-Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs: Honestly, I wish these two played Michael Vick every week, because he seems to get an extra level out of two guys who already have a combined 13 Pro Bowls. They combined tonight for 16 tackles and 3 pass deflections, and they once more chased Vick from sideline to sideline, limiting him to just 34 yards rushing. Stay healthy, guys. I'll always go back to Paul Allen, the Vikings' radio guy, and what he said last year: "When these two are healthy, the Chicago Bears win a lot of ball games. It's as simple as that."
-Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman: The oft and unfairly-maligned duo really got it done tonight. The Bears scoffed at the notion that they can't play man and decided to beat the shit out of Philly's receivers, daring them to break a big one. They couldn't do it because Tillman and Jennings absolutely balled tonight. When you limit the Philadelphia Eagles to 5.6 ypa and hold Maclin and Jackson to 79 yards Total, damn. That's good football.
-Lovie Smith: I've liked everything I've heard from Lovie before and after this game. He called out underperforming guys like Melton and he deactivated Anthony Adams in favor of Paea and Toeiana (it worked, considering they shutdown the run game for Philly outside of one 33 yard McCoy run). He also made the bold move of cutting Chris Harris. He took a shot at the guys in Vegas after the game when he said "the Chicago Bears should never be 8 point underdogs." I still like Lovie, no matter how often I'm told by some illogical people that I shouldn't. He had his guys prepared tonight, and it showed.
The Bad:
-Roy Williams: He dropped two passes that he had absolutely no excuse for dropping, one of which would probably have been a TD. His 3 catches all went for first downs, which is nice, but he's still frustrating as hell.
-Nothing else. This game was perfect. Absolutely perfect. It's one of those nights that leaves you absolutely dying to see them take the field next Sunday. Go Bears.
*-This reference to the Star Wars prequels was put into this recap in order to appease CT, who I'm sure was yet again disappointed that I was a no-show for the SKOscast.
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