Time to BEAR DOWN

Sunday's game against the Seahawks was an eye-opening experience for me. Jay Cutler looked terrible all game long and the defense never even showed up to the stadium. I thought this game should have been a gimme, but I was sorely disappointed.
The Bears jumped out of the gate to a quick 7-0 lead on a Matt Forte touchdown run, but let Seattle march down the field and put up a touchdown of their own. In fact, it was the first points Seattle has scored in the first quarter this season and that proved to be all the momentum they needed. Cutler was forcing balls into tight spaces and missing open receivers all game. Blame it on the offensive line, but if your quarterback is struggling, run the football. That's how thew Bears scored on the opening possession, and that's how they beat Carolina a week ago.
Defensively there was almost no pressure on Hasselbeck all game long. This problem is actually several problems combined. The Bears insist on rushing only four guys for the majority of their plays but they're getting stopped, so you need to send help. That creates the problem of leaving your cornerbacks in man-to-man coverage and the Bears have showed they can't keep up. No pass rush + shaky defensive backs = Big passing games for opponents.
There were a few bright spots such as Chester Taylor's fourth down run late in the game to keep the chains moving and Devin Hester's punt return to tie an NFL record for returns. The fact that the Bears committed zero turnovers and just two penalties for 18 yards. But the negatives out weight the positives. The Bears didn't convert a single 3rd down. The offensive line couldn't figure out who to block and worst of all, the Seattle defense recorded a safety.
Too many negatives and not enough positives don't sit well with me and it shouldn't sit well with you either. I'm tired of the excuses and the question marks that surround this team. The fans deserve answers and a confident football team. It's just their second loss but if they keep playing like this, more will follow.

Now That's Chicago Bears Football

With Jay Cutler sitting and Todd Collins starting one would think the Bears would be in trouble. However, Matt Forte entered the game Sunday in Carolina knowing he would have to step up his game, but I don't think he thought it would be that easy. With 101 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns in the first quarter Forte looked like he was back at Tulane. He showed blazing speed, agility and strength as he gashed the Panthers defense. But that was only the first quarter. Carolina made some adjustments defensively and made Collins throw. I still don't know why the Bears insist Caleb Hanie isn't ready, so they went with Collins. Wrong decision. Collins looked terrible throwing four interceptions and gaining only one first down through the air...on a screen pass to Forte.
Hanie was finally put in towards the end of the third quarter. Though the box score may not show it, he was a much better quarterback than Collins. Just as it looked like Carolina was starting to gain momentum, he picked up a key 3rd down on a strike to Johnny Knox. He also didn't turn the ball over.
The Bears defense was spectacular again not allowing a single touchdown and limiting the Panthers to just 147 total yards as well as forcing 3 turnovers. Julius Peppers was excellent is his hometown return recording an interception on his knees on a pass he deflected. Brian Urlacher also recorded an INT on a heads up play that hit off a receiver's leg. But the main man on D was Israel Idonije. He recorded 5 tackles, 3 sacks and a forced fumble. The Bears last week cut Mark Anderson due to his poor production and need someone to step up on the other side of Peppers. Let's hope this is just a glimpse of things to come.
On Sunday we face a Seattle team that is fresh off their bye week but terrible on the road. Jay Cutler returns to the lineup against a vulnerable pass defense. Their defense has 11 sacks which is more than the Bears (but 4 of them are from Chris Clemons) and 5 picks, but they also just got torched by the Rams. However, they are yet to yield a 100 yard rusher and they allow just under 73 yards per game on the ground. Here's the catch, they allow an average on 319 yards per game through the air and every quarterback who has faced them thus far has thrown for over 250 yards.
So, here's the gameplan. Seattle allows just over 2 sacks a game, and Matt Hasselbeck likes to throw interceptions. Get pressure on him and there will be turnovers. Give Cutler time and let the passing game open up the running game. If Cutler gets rid of the ball quickly, our receivers can have a big day. We're faster and more talented. We probably won't be the first ones to put up 100 yards on the ground against them, but 70 yards on the ground and 300 yards in the air should spell victory for Chicago.

First is the Worst

So when did you know it was over? When Tony Dungy picked the Bears before the game started? When Jay Cutler was sacked for the 8th time? When Cutler didn’t come out of the tunnel after half-time? Maybe when Todd Collins got picked off, or had his pass batted down at the line for the third time. This loss shouldn’t have come as a surprise to any Bears fan. The offensive line has been mediocre at best and Cutler has been holding onto the ball for way too long. In a game that was overwhelmed with negatives it seems hard to find any positives. As few as there were, I think I found some.
First, J'marcus Webb, our seventh round draft pick, got some valuable playing time. If you recall, I ripped on the Bears for waiting till the 7th round to draft an offensive lineman, and I said he had a slim to none chance of making the roster. However, the Bears and Mike Tice seem to be very high on him and he earned a roster spot easily. Kevin Shaffer was responsible for several quarterback hits and sliding protection to his side didn’t seem to work. So, give the young man a chance. Webb came in and played decent. He obviously needs to work on some fundamental skills but overall not bad for the rookie. Second, the punt coverage was excellent. Corey Graham was right in front of the returner’s face at every punt and he nearly recovered a muffed return. Third, Zachary Bowman’s heads up play on Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw broke free and looked as though he was going to have an easy 6 points, but Zach Bowman waited for Bradshaw’s arm to move back just enough to expose the ball, then he knocked it out and recovered the fumble. Fourth, our defense played well. They kept the Giants out of the end-zone when the offense made them defend against a shortened field. The Giants had four drives that started in Bears territory. Lastly, be happy that this happened at this point in the season. We played a non-divisional opponent. Our eyes were hopefully opened to some of our vulnerabilities, and did anyone truly believe that we would go undefeated?
Next week we play an under-rated Carolina football team. Their defense is still very good even without Julius Peppers and Jimmy Clausen is getting better every day. DO NOT TAKE THE PANTHERS FOR GRANTED! This team on Sunday led the reigning Superbowl champions New Orleans Saints until 3:55 left in the game. They’re hungry and talented especially with their ground attack. Our defense has allowed just one 100 yard rusher this season (which happened on Sunday), and Carolina has two very capable backs who will be more than happy to put an end to that streak. Protect Cutler, establish the run game and play good defense. It’s easier said than done but that’s what we need to do to win.