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.