Week 4 of the NFL season sends the Bears to the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey to take on the New York Giants. The Bears are coming off a great win (although many people are saying that the Packers lost the game more than the Bears won it) against a division rival at home, while the New York Giants are coming off one of the worst performances anybody has had in the NFL through three weeks. They were undisciplined in the way of penalties, they turned the ball over, and they didn't make many adjustments to fix their play throughout the game. Add to that the Giants were downright embarrassed in week 2 against the Colts. The Giants have alot to prove this week, and their fans at home are going to let them hear it if they come out flat against the Bears.
Offensive Preview
Quarterback: Advantage Even
NY Giants: Eli Manning: Eli is a good quarterback, but I wouldn't say he's elite. Yes, he's won a Super Bowl and has led his team to the playoffs a couple of times when Cutler hasn't. But when his team won the Super Bowl, they won it on the strength of their defense. This year, Manning has been inconsistent, and his offensive line has had very little continuity. He's been pressured alot, and since he isn't that mobile of a quarterback, he has taken some big hits and sacks. He also looked terrible last week against the Titans. That left handed toss near the goal line that got picked off was a really bad decision. I would look for Eli to struggle again this week against a Bears defense that will be aggressive.
Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler: Cutler had a "so-so" game against the Packers. He threw for 221 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception. He could have thrown for one more TD, but he also could have had 2 more interceptions. His decision making was poor compared to weeks 1 and 2, and he started throwing off his back foot toward the end of the game, which isn't good. That being said, he did make enough plays in the passing game (and running game, by the way) to lead his team to a crucial victory. I have said in prior posts that I like what I see from Cutler so far this year. He's shown the ability to bounce back from poor performances in the past, and I would expect the same from him this week against the Giants. The Giants secondary has not played well, getting shredded against Indianapolis and then playing poorly against the Titans. I will say around 290 yards, 2-3 TD, 1 interception for Cutler this week. He'll probably have similar numbers passing in every game this year since the Bears haven't shown the ability to run the ball at all.
Running Backs: Advantage Even
NY Giants: Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs: The Giants have a true 2 back system. Each guy usually sees several carries in every game, depending on the situation (down and distance). Lately, the Giants have been using Bradshaw alot more as it seems Jacobs is falling out of favor with Tom Coughlin. Bradshaw is a shifty back, and has an explosive burst when he gets in space. The Bears run defense has been so good the first three weeks, so I wouldn't expect the Giants to run wild in this game, especially with the injuries to their offensive line.
Chicago Bears: Matt Forte, Chester Taylor: I really like both of these backs, especially Matt Forte. If the Bears made any attempt at improving their run blocking, their offense would be dynamic, and I would give the RB edge to the Bears in this game. However, the Bears have shown clearly that they are a pass first team now, which is very different from what Bears fans are used to. Forte has been terrific in the passing game, although the past 2 weeks he hasn't been used as much in the screen game. I would expect the Bears to get their screen game going again this week against a 4-3 base defense that likes to send the defensive ends up field. I think Forte could have a big impact on this game.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Advantage Bears
NY Giants: Hakeem Nicks, Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum: The Giants top 2 receivers are decent (Nicks and Smith), but they aren't the best receivers the Bears will face, or even have faced this year. Manningham might not play with a concussion, and the tight ends aren't very good in the passing game. Kevin Boss is an ok receiver, but isn't anybody you would definitely focus on. Nicks does have 4 touchdown catches, but 3 of those came in week 1 against the Panthers. Steve Smith leads the team with 18 receptions, but there isn't alot of evidence that the Giants are spreading the ball around to everybody. They are a decent group of receivers, but not the best the Bears have seen.
Chicago Bears: Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Earl Bennett, Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, Devin Aromashodu: I will list Aromashodu even though he hasn't played the last 2 weeks. Reports are out there saying that Aromashodu doesn't understand, or maybe doesn't want to line up as a slot receiver, and doesn't want to go over the middle. If that is the case, screw him. The coaches are right to bench someone who isn't willing to play tough and learn the whole system. I like the Bears' receivers better than the Giants' receivers because they have more depth and spread the ball around alot more. Johnny Knox looks like he's just waiting for a break out game, and I think he could find the endzone against the Giants secondary, which looks a little slow to start the season. Hester had a fantastic game on special teams against the Packers, and I would love to see him roll that forward to his offensive game this week. Again, it seems the Bears' best weapon in the passing game is Greg Olsen, who has 11 receptions, 140 yards, and 2 TD in the last 2 games. Not bad for the Tight End that everybody thought would be wasted in the Mike Martz system. I like the Bears receiving corps to have a breakout game this week against the Giants. Oh, and don't sleep on Matt Forte in the passing game. He showed in week 1 against the Lions that he can torch you in the screen game, as well as when he lines up out wide.
Offensive Line: Advantage Even
NY Giants: David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O'hara, Chris Snee, Kareem McKenzie: The Giants have had issues on their line so far this season. The O-line was very undisciplined last week, taking several personal foul and holding penalties in the second half against the Titans. Shaun O'hara has also been banged up at center, and it looks like he might not play this week against the Bears. This would be the week for the Bears to really ramp up their pass rush and get after Eli Manning.
Chicago Bears: Frank Omiyale, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis, Kevin Shaffer: The Bears' O-line played well againt last week, although they continue to get off to slow starts. They did have some minor success in the running game early, but eventually got away from the run, as they will most weeks while Martz is the coordinator. I was impressed at how the O-line handled Clay Matthews. Matthews had six sacks in the first two games of the season, and the Bears kept him away from Cutler for most of the game. The Bears will have a challenge with Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora, who are pretty good pass rushing defensive ends. The Giants don't have as aggressive a blitz package as the Packers do, and they play a base 4-3 defense, which the Bears have more experience playing against.
Defensive Preview:
Defensive Line: Advantage Giants (by a slim margin)
NY Giants: Justin Tuck, Barry Cofield, Chris Canty, Osi Umenyiora: I am giving the edge (slightly) to the Giants on the D-line because they have Tuck and Umenyiora, who have historically been very good pass rushing defensive ends. I am not particularly impressed with the DTs for the Giants, but their ends are pretty good, and they even have some depth at the end position with Mathias Kiwanuka.
Chicago Bears: Julius Peppers, Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams, Marcus Anderson: Julius Pepper was an absolute beast in the game against the Packers. He was all over the field, especially in the running game, and caused several false start and holding penalties with his quickness off the snap. I would expect Peppers to have another big game. Harris didn't play last week, and hasn't been spectacular for a few seasons. Anderson isn't rushing the passer like Alex Brown did. The D-line has played extremely well against the run, but needs to step it up against the pass.
Linebackers: Advantage Bears (by alot)
NY Giants: Michael Boley, Jonathan Goff, Clint Sintum, Keith Bulluck: Keith Bulluck is the best in this group, although reports are saying that he is sitting out practice this week with an undisclosed injury, and might not be available Sunday night. Boley is a serviceable weakside linebacker, and Goff and Sintum (who would replace Bulluck) are mediocre at the linebacker position.
Chicago Bears: Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Pisa Tinoisamoa: Again, Urlacher and Briggs are studs. It is possible that the Bears have 2 of the top 5 linebackers in the NFC on their team. Those two are by far better than anybody the Giants can put out there at the linebacker position. Look for Urlacher and Briggs to play key roles in stopping Bradshaw and Jacobs in the running game. I wouldn't be surprised to see them get after Eli Manning quite a bit as well. They always play well, but need to tackle better than they did against the Packers. I am not worried about that though.
Secondary: Advantage Even
NY Giants: Corey Webster, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle, Terrell Thomas: The Giants secondary has not performed well so far this season. The safeties (Rolle and Grant) are pretty solid football players, but the cornerbacks aren't fantastic. They were torched against Indy (who doesn't get torched against Indy), but they played just as poorly against the Titans, who are not a passing team. The Bears could have a great day against the corners, and should use their speed on the outside the stretch the field, force the safeties to cheat over, and then attack the middle of the field with Olsen, Forte and Earl Bennett.
Chicago Bears: Zack Bowman, Danieal Manning, Chris Harris, Charles Tillman: The Bears secondary has been lit up for alot of yards the past 2 weeks, but they haven't allowed many points. They definitely have that "bend, don't break" style working for them. It would be nice to see them play tighter in zone coverage. They seem to be in better position when they play man coverage, but Lovie Smith is going to live and die by his Cover 2, which leaves holes in the secondary. The Bears secondary is still doing a nice job forcing turnovers (the Bears have forced 8 turnovers through 3 games, which is a decent total). They need to get more pressure with their front four in order for the secondary to make impact plays on defense.
Special Teams: Advantage Bears (again, by alot)
NY Giants: The Giants have Lawrence Tynes and Matt Dodge kicking and punting. Tynes is ok, but not one of the best kickers in the NFL. Mario Manningham has been their best return man, and does have the ability to take one back to the house, but he isn't as dynamic as any of the Bears' returnmen.
Chicago Bears: Hester finally got the monkey off his back with a punt return touchdown against the Packers. I think the Giants will likely kick away from him this week, but that could leave the Bears with great field position. If they kick to him, watch out. He often gets his return yards in bunches, and could look to make a big impact again. Knox and Manning are very good kickoff returners, and Robbie Gould, despite missing a 49 yard field goal on the opening drive last week, still is the most accurate kicker in the league. The Bears have a better special teams unit than most teams, and they get a big edge over the Giants.
Prediction: The Bears have beaten 2 straight quality teams, who on paper should have beaten them. I like the Bears roster more than the Giants so far this season. They have momentum, and have played with far greater poise and discipline. The offense could have a big week against a defense that isn't among the top units in the league. They are just waiting for a breakout game, and I think they could get one this week in New York. My prediction: Bears 31, Giants 14. I don't normally predict a blowout, especially for the Bears to win, but I like where the Bears are headed, and the Giants are going the opposite way.
There you have it. Leave your predictions if you'd like. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Bears/Packers Post Game Thoughts
Last night's game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears was probably the most important game the Bears have played in the last 3-4 years since their Super Bowl run. If they wanted to be taken seriously, they needed to win this game. Luckily for them, the Packers left their team discipline in Green Bay.
The Bears did some things well, and still need work on alot of other things, mainly their offensive line. I think the unit is still improving, but they need to start playing well at the beginning of games. Each of the last two weeks the Bears' O-line has gotten off to slow starts, and allowed several hits and sacks on quarterback Jay Cutler early in the first quarter. They do make adjustments, and figure out how to block, but they can't get off to slow starts every week. Eventually they will play against a team that will make them pay for those early mistakes.
Cutler didn't play as well as I predicted he would. He finished with 221 yards passing, 1 TD (should have been two, if Desmond Clark would have made a fourth and goal catch with nobody near him). Cutler was bailed out of several bad plays by even worse blunders by the Packers. Twice the Packers intercepted Cutler, only to have those interceptions taken away by penalties. These plays happened at critical times in the fourth quarter too (one on the Bears' drive to tie the game, the other on the Bears' game-winning drive). The thing that drives me nuts about Cutler is that he has all of the tools, and just when it seems like he is figuring things out, he makes three ill-advised throws off his back foot, while trying to lead his team on a game winning drive. He did look tremendous at times. He made a couple of throws to Johnny Knox downfield that were big time throws, and on the final drive, he made a throw on 2nd and 20 yards to go to Greg Olsen that only a handfull of NFL quarterbacks can make. His decision making needs to get better still, but overall through three games, I think Cutler has carried himself well, and is doing a pretty good job of leading the offense.
There were two parts of last night's game that excited me about the Bears' season going forward. One was Devin Hester. I said each of the last two weeks that Hester was just aching to bring one back, and last night he finally did. He almost had two punt return TDs, but was tackled by the punter after a 28 yard return in the third quarter. Then in the fourth quarter, he finally brought one all the way back for a 62 yard punt return TD. Aside from that, he only made 1 reception for 16 yards, although he did impress me with a catch he made in the back of the endzone that was clearly out of bounds, but was still a great catch between two defenders. The Bears might need to throw him the ball more on deep routes. Johnny Knox and 4 receptions for 94 yards, which is a very good yards per catch average. He continues to impress me as a young receiver. Eventually he'll find the endzone more, but I like the direction he's heading.
The best part of last night's game to me was the play of Julius Peppers. Peppers didn't record a sack, which I had predicted he would, although he got very close a couple of times, and might have gotten one had it not been for the constant holding penalties on the Packers' O-line. Peppers was a monster in the run game, as usual. His dominance forced the Packers into a number of false start and holding penalties, which made it difficult for them to convert their drives into points. I was pleased with the fact that the Bears held the highest scoring team in the NFL to 17 points. Peppers also made a big impact on special teams by blocking a field goal attempt that would have given the Packers a 13-7 lead after an eight minute drive to open the second half. The Bears' defense struggled on third down, and Aaron Rodgers (who is a fantastic QB, but extremely cocky) absolutely shredded the Bears' secondary last night. Still, the defense found a way to hold the Packers to fewer points, which is the object of the game after all.
The Bears need to work on open field tackling. Last night was the worst display of tackling by the entire defense I've seen in years. It's one thing to give up yards on a catch, or a well blocked run play, but to give up extra yards because you don't wrap up the ball carrier is not acceptable on a top level defense. If the Bears are going to be a top level defense, they need to address their tackling this week.
To me, the largest contributing factor to the Bears' victory last night was that the Packers were totally undisciplined. They outgained the Bears by over 100 yards, had the ball for 11 more minutes than the Bears did, and lost the game because of their franchise record 18 penalties for 152 yards. That is more than most teams have in a month. I know the crowd was loud last night, but teams practice for that. There were multiple false start penalties, multiple holding penalties, and more importantly, several personal foul penalties that took key plays away from the Packers (one TD and two interceptions being taken away from the Packers because of holding, pass interference, and roughing the passer penalties). They also had a personal foul late hit on Matt Forte on the Bears' game tying drive. The Packers probably win this game if they cut down on their stupid penalties.
A win is a win in the NFL, and the Bears should be happy with the victory. Not many people are giving the Bears any respect, but the fact remains that the Bears are one of only three teams remaining with an undefeated record in the NFL. The next 4 games are extremely important for the Chicago Bears (at NY Giants, at Carolina Panthers, vs. Seattle Seahawks, vs. Washington Redskins). On paper, these are all games the Bears should have a great chance to win. With their schedule getting much tougher in the second half, racking up as many wins early is a must if this team wants to fulfill their playoff hopes.
I'll have another post up in the next couple of days previewing the Bears' next game, a Sunday night game at the Meadowlands against the New York Giants. Feel free to leave any comments if you wish. Thanks for reading.
The Bears did some things well, and still need work on alot of other things, mainly their offensive line. I think the unit is still improving, but they need to start playing well at the beginning of games. Each of the last two weeks the Bears' O-line has gotten off to slow starts, and allowed several hits and sacks on quarterback Jay Cutler early in the first quarter. They do make adjustments, and figure out how to block, but they can't get off to slow starts every week. Eventually they will play against a team that will make them pay for those early mistakes.
Cutler didn't play as well as I predicted he would. He finished with 221 yards passing, 1 TD (should have been two, if Desmond Clark would have made a fourth and goal catch with nobody near him). Cutler was bailed out of several bad plays by even worse blunders by the Packers. Twice the Packers intercepted Cutler, only to have those interceptions taken away by penalties. These plays happened at critical times in the fourth quarter too (one on the Bears' drive to tie the game, the other on the Bears' game-winning drive). The thing that drives me nuts about Cutler is that he has all of the tools, and just when it seems like he is figuring things out, he makes three ill-advised throws off his back foot, while trying to lead his team on a game winning drive. He did look tremendous at times. He made a couple of throws to Johnny Knox downfield that were big time throws, and on the final drive, he made a throw on 2nd and 20 yards to go to Greg Olsen that only a handfull of NFL quarterbacks can make. His decision making needs to get better still, but overall through three games, I think Cutler has carried himself well, and is doing a pretty good job of leading the offense.
There were two parts of last night's game that excited me about the Bears' season going forward. One was Devin Hester. I said each of the last two weeks that Hester was just aching to bring one back, and last night he finally did. He almost had two punt return TDs, but was tackled by the punter after a 28 yard return in the third quarter. Then in the fourth quarter, he finally brought one all the way back for a 62 yard punt return TD. Aside from that, he only made 1 reception for 16 yards, although he did impress me with a catch he made in the back of the endzone that was clearly out of bounds, but was still a great catch between two defenders. The Bears might need to throw him the ball more on deep routes. Johnny Knox and 4 receptions for 94 yards, which is a very good yards per catch average. He continues to impress me as a young receiver. Eventually he'll find the endzone more, but I like the direction he's heading.
The best part of last night's game to me was the play of Julius Peppers. Peppers didn't record a sack, which I had predicted he would, although he got very close a couple of times, and might have gotten one had it not been for the constant holding penalties on the Packers' O-line. Peppers was a monster in the run game, as usual. His dominance forced the Packers into a number of false start and holding penalties, which made it difficult for them to convert their drives into points. I was pleased with the fact that the Bears held the highest scoring team in the NFL to 17 points. Peppers also made a big impact on special teams by blocking a field goal attempt that would have given the Packers a 13-7 lead after an eight minute drive to open the second half. The Bears' defense struggled on third down, and Aaron Rodgers (who is a fantastic QB, but extremely cocky) absolutely shredded the Bears' secondary last night. Still, the defense found a way to hold the Packers to fewer points, which is the object of the game after all.
The Bears need to work on open field tackling. Last night was the worst display of tackling by the entire defense I've seen in years. It's one thing to give up yards on a catch, or a well blocked run play, but to give up extra yards because you don't wrap up the ball carrier is not acceptable on a top level defense. If the Bears are going to be a top level defense, they need to address their tackling this week.
To me, the largest contributing factor to the Bears' victory last night was that the Packers were totally undisciplined. They outgained the Bears by over 100 yards, had the ball for 11 more minutes than the Bears did, and lost the game because of their franchise record 18 penalties for 152 yards. That is more than most teams have in a month. I know the crowd was loud last night, but teams practice for that. There were multiple false start penalties, multiple holding penalties, and more importantly, several personal foul penalties that took key plays away from the Packers (one TD and two interceptions being taken away from the Packers because of holding, pass interference, and roughing the passer penalties). They also had a personal foul late hit on Matt Forte on the Bears' game tying drive. The Packers probably win this game if they cut down on their stupid penalties.
A win is a win in the NFL, and the Bears should be happy with the victory. Not many people are giving the Bears any respect, but the fact remains that the Bears are one of only three teams remaining with an undefeated record in the NFL. The next 4 games are extremely important for the Chicago Bears (at NY Giants, at Carolina Panthers, vs. Seattle Seahawks, vs. Washington Redskins). On paper, these are all games the Bears should have a great chance to win. With their schedule getting much tougher in the second half, racking up as many wins early is a must if this team wants to fulfill their playoff hopes.
I'll have another post up in the next couple of days previewing the Bears' next game, a Sunday night game at the Meadowlands against the New York Giants. Feel free to leave any comments if you wish. Thanks for reading.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Good for you, Chicago Bulls
Reports are circulating that the Denver Nuggets are seriously discussing a four way trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to.... (hold your breath)....the New Jersey Nets!
I know alot of Bulls fans wanted the organization to make a trade for Anthony, which would have given the Bulls their own version of a "Big Three" that could rival Boston and Miami's versions. Don't get me wrong. Anthony, Rose and Boozer would be phenominal to watch. However, I don't think the Bulls should trade Joakim Noah to get Anthony.
Joakim Noah is a hustle player. He's one of the best rebounders in the league, plays exceptional low post defense, and scores consistently in the low post, even though he isn't a big time offensive player. He is not as good a scorer as Carmelo Anthony, but that doesn't mean he isn't as valuable. Carmelo doesn't rebound or play defense like Joakim. Carmelo probably wouldn't fit in with the Bulls' personnel as well as Joakim either. Not only that, but Anthony hasn't come out and said that he'd sign an extension if he got traded anywhere. It wouldn't be worth it to me to trade Deng and Taj Gibson in that case. One year of Carmelo wouldn't be worth trading many quality years of Joakim Noah.
Not only is keeping Noah a good move on the Bulls' part, but not trading for Carmelo should be a huge confidence boost to Derrick Rose, the third year stud point guard who should move from stud to superstar this season. Basically, the Bulls are saying that D-Rose is their guy, and just as well. He is one of the quickest guards in the league who can get to rim whenever he wants to. With an improved jumpshot, his ability to score in the paint, and his court vision, the Bulls already have a big time offensive threat, or alpha-dog, as Bill Simmons would say. I wouldn't be shocked to see Rose average 25 ppg, and closer to 10 assists per game this season. Those numbers would rival anything Carmelo Anthony would do. The Bulls don't need anybody else taking the ball out of Rose's hands. He'll do just fine as the best player on the Bulls.
There has been alot of hype about Miami's "Big Three", and just three years ago, the Celtics created a similar "Big Three" with Garnett, Allen and Pierce (although the way Boston went about obtaining their version was much less controversial). Recently, even more speculation has been reported of teams like the Knicks, the Magic, and even the Nets making trades to provide their own versions of the "Big Three" (Stoudemire/Anthony/Parker, Stoudemire/Anthony/Paul, Howard/Lewis/Paul, etc.). It seems that teams around the league have shifted their strategy to go about winning a championship. Bring in 3 superstar quality, big name players and you're a shoe in. I don't buy it. The best teams win championships, not the teams with the best three players. The Bulls have the makings of a terrific team, and that includes their bench/role players. Emptying out part of what they worked so hard to obtain over the summer to acquire a superstar player for just one season doesn't seem worth it to me, and I am glad the Bulls felt the same way. Good for you, Chicago Bulls!
I know alot of Bulls fans wanted the organization to make a trade for Anthony, which would have given the Bulls their own version of a "Big Three" that could rival Boston and Miami's versions. Don't get me wrong. Anthony, Rose and Boozer would be phenominal to watch. However, I don't think the Bulls should trade Joakim Noah to get Anthony.
Joakim Noah is a hustle player. He's one of the best rebounders in the league, plays exceptional low post defense, and scores consistently in the low post, even though he isn't a big time offensive player. He is not as good a scorer as Carmelo Anthony, but that doesn't mean he isn't as valuable. Carmelo doesn't rebound or play defense like Joakim. Carmelo probably wouldn't fit in with the Bulls' personnel as well as Joakim either. Not only that, but Anthony hasn't come out and said that he'd sign an extension if he got traded anywhere. It wouldn't be worth it to me to trade Deng and Taj Gibson in that case. One year of Carmelo wouldn't be worth trading many quality years of Joakim Noah.
Not only is keeping Noah a good move on the Bulls' part, but not trading for Carmelo should be a huge confidence boost to Derrick Rose, the third year stud point guard who should move from stud to superstar this season. Basically, the Bulls are saying that D-Rose is their guy, and just as well. He is one of the quickest guards in the league who can get to rim whenever he wants to. With an improved jumpshot, his ability to score in the paint, and his court vision, the Bulls already have a big time offensive threat, or alpha-dog, as Bill Simmons would say. I wouldn't be shocked to see Rose average 25 ppg, and closer to 10 assists per game this season. Those numbers would rival anything Carmelo Anthony would do. The Bulls don't need anybody else taking the ball out of Rose's hands. He'll do just fine as the best player on the Bulls.
There has been alot of hype about Miami's "Big Three", and just three years ago, the Celtics created a similar "Big Three" with Garnett, Allen and Pierce (although the way Boston went about obtaining their version was much less controversial). Recently, even more speculation has been reported of teams like the Knicks, the Magic, and even the Nets making trades to provide their own versions of the "Big Three" (Stoudemire/Anthony/Parker, Stoudemire/Anthony/Paul, Howard/Lewis/Paul, etc.). It seems that teams around the league have shifted their strategy to go about winning a championship. Bring in 3 superstar quality, big name players and you're a shoe in. I don't buy it. The best teams win championships, not the teams with the best three players. The Bulls have the makings of a terrific team, and that includes their bench/role players. Emptying out part of what they worked so hard to obtain over the summer to acquire a superstar player for just one season doesn't seem worth it to me, and I am glad the Bulls felt the same way. Good for you, Chicago Bulls!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Bears/Packers Week 3 Preview
It's Wednesday, which means that teams all over the NFL are beginning to establish their game plans for this week's opponent. Last week was an important week for the Chicago Bears. They went from "This team that should have lost to the Lions sucks" to "This team that outplayed the Cowboys in Dallas could actually be a decent football team". Other teams around the league are starting to notice the Bears, especially their passing game. It has only been 2 games, but still, Bears fans should be excited. We haven't had a quarterback play this well in years, and hopefully it continues. While the Bears are starting to earn respect from other teams and analysts alike, a win this week at home on Monday night against the Green Bay Packers would prove that the Bears deserve the respect.
Offensive Preview
Offensive Line: Advantage Packers
Green Bay: Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Mark Tauscher: The Packers' offensive line does everything pretty well. They run block extremely well, and they pass block well for Aaron Rodgers, who is arguably the best quarterback in the NFC. The Packers offense is a versatile offense that gets the running game going, and then beating the defense down the field with play-action pass plays. The O-line does a great job setting up all of their play calls. They might not be the best line in the league, but they are very good, and the Bears will have a big challenge trying to rush the passer.
Chicago: Chris Williams, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis, Frank Omiyale: The Bears' offensive line played ok last week, especially considering they were being ripped to shreds at the beginning of the game. Williams left the game with a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Consequently, the Cowboys did not register one sack after Williams left. The O-line seemed to gain more confidence from its performance in Dallas, but they will need to be even better to stop a very aggressive 3-4 Packers defense.
Quarterback: Advantage Packers (by a very thin margin)
Packers: Aaron Rodgers: I will be the first to admit that I didn't think Rodgers was going to be that great out of college. I was mistaken, however, as Aaron Rodgers has taken the league by storm over the past 2 seasons. He's a very accurate QB, athletic, makes sound decisions, and has a terrific supporting cast. He also played very well against the Bears last season, and I would expect him to come out firing on Monday, especially since he has been on the record as saying that he hasn't even come close to playing his best football. That might be something the Bears should worry about.
Bears: Jay Cutler: Cutler is off to a fantastic start this season. He currently leads the league in passer rating, has only thrown 1 interception in the first two games, and has racked up 5 TD passes. He is making good decisions, and the offense seems to be gelling extremely well. Martz and Cutler have a good thing going. If Cutler prepares well this week, he should perform at a high level again. He played against a similar style of 3-4 defense last week against the Cowboys, so he should get some similar looks. I wouldn't be surprised if he had another great game. I'll say 280 yards, 3 TD's 1 interception for cutler this week. Again, if he can put up those kinds of numbers against another top ranked defense, Cutler could finally prove to be worth the trade. I think he's starting to become one of the top QB's in the NFC.
Running Backs: Advantage Bears
Packers: Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn, Dimitri Nance: The Packers might have had the edge here if Ryan Grant hadn't been injured for the rest of the season. However, without Grant, I don't think the Packers' running game will be as dynamic. The line will still run block effectively, but they probably won't pop as many long runs, and will have to rely on their passing game more in order to keep their offense atop the scoring leaders in the NFL.
Bears: Matt Forte, Chester Taylor: So far the Bears' RB's have split the time in the backfield, and each looks pretty good, especially in the passing game. The Bears have one of the worst run blocking offensive lines in the league through two games, and that has to improve. However, a big part of the Martz offense is using the running backs in screens and slot receiver routes. To this point, Matt Forte has made a gigantic impact in the passing game. If he gets going in the run game, look out. He could have a huge impact in Monday night's game. I'll take Forte and Taylor over the Packer RB's in this week's game.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Advantage Packers
Packers: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley, Jordy Nelson, James Jones: The Packer receivers aren't flashy, and they aren't big names, but they do perform consistently well game in and game out. Driver has been a thorn in the Bears' side in the past, and Jennings and Finley are very good receivers across the middle. The Bears linebackers and secondary will have to step up to the challenge this week in coverage.
Bears: Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Greg Olsen: The Bears receivers are still not respected around the league, although you can clearly see the improvement in the group as a whole. The great part about the Martz offense is that no particular receiver is going to be the number one guy. The system requires the quarterback to make the right read and get the ball out of his hand before the receiver comes open, which means the receivers are held accountable for running crisp routes, as well as running the correct routes. The fact that Cutler is among the league leaders in every passing statistic in the first 2 weeks of the season should show that the Bears' receivers are improving. They need to continue to do so this week.
Defensive Preview:
Defensive Line: Advantage Even:
Packers: Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, Cullen Jenkins: The Packers play a 3-4 defense, and their nose tackle is a good one (B.J. Raji, out of Boston College). The Packers D-line is good, but not the focal point of their defense. They do play well against the run, and against a struggling Bears rushing attack, I would expect the Packer D-line to have a good game in that respect.
Bears: Marcus Anderson, Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams, Julius Peppers: The Bears D-line has played extremely well against the run both weeks, making both the Lions and Cowboys one dimensional. The Bears aren't going to be easy to run against, but in the passing game, the D-line needs to make a bigger impact. I would look for Peppers to have a breakout game this week. He really gets up for nationally televised games, and seems to perform well under pressure. This week is a pressure game for the Bears, and I expect the line to get more pressure, if not a couple of sacks, on Aaron Rodgers.
Linebackers: Advantage Even
Packers: Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, Brad Jones: The first three names on this list are ridiculous. Clay Matthews has gotten off to a great start (potential defensive player of the year?). A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett are pro-bowl calibur linebackers as well, and both play with a high motor. To me, this is the strength of the Packer defense. This unit plays the run well, they are great in coverage, and they rush the passer very well (Matthews had 3 sacks in last week's game against Buffalo). I don't really think the Packer linebackers have been tested, having played the Eagles and Bills. I think the Bears receivers and backs are better than the teams the Packers have played, so this game should show us just how good this unit is (although I have a feeling they are great).
Bears: Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Pisa Tinoisamoa: The Bears strength defensively for years has been the linebacking corps. Urlacher is healthy (finally), and it has showed in the first two games. He is quick to the ball, covers the field extremely well, and is a sure tackler. Briggs might be better than Urlacher. He is all over the field, making impact plays on seemingly every possession. The Bears linebacking unit is one of the best in the NFC because of those two. The weakside linebacker just has to tackle well, because Urlacher and Briggs are two of the best in the league. They will play great on Monday night.
Secondary: Advantage Packers
Packers: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Morgan Burnett, Nick Collins: Woodson was the Defensive Player of the Year last season, and Nick Collins is a very good Free Safety. The Bears will have a tough time with whoever Woodson matches up against (likely to be Hester). I would look for the Bears to attack the middle of the field, and the sideline opposite Woodson in the passing game.
Bears: Zack Bowman, Charles Tillman, Danieal Manning, Chris Harris: I thought this unit was going to be weak this season, but through two games I am pleasantly surprised. They gave up alot of yards last week, but kept the Cowboys from getting any big plays, and also forced three turnovers. D.J. Moore had a great showing last week, with 2 interceptions and was in on a forced fumble as well. They will need to play big again this week, going up against one of the top QB's in the NFL, as well as a group of versatile, tough receivers.
Special Teams: Advantage Bears
Packers: The Packers have a pretty accurate kicker in Mason Crosby, although the offense is so good that they really don't need their special teams to score. They just need the special teams to set them up for scoring opportunities. The kick and punt returners (Jordy Nelson and Tramon Williams) aren't anything spectacular, but get the job done.
Bears: I will still take Robbie Gould over any kicker in the NFL when it comes to accuracy. The Bears did give up a punt return touchdown last week, but I wouldn't expect that to happen again this week. The Bears returners, on the other hand, have been so close to taking one back for a touchdown. Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning are two of the best return men in the NFC, and Devin Hester is just aching to bring back a punt. It's going to happen sooner or later, and it would be awesome to see against the Packers.
Prediction: This is a huge game for both teams. If the Bears want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender, they have to win this game at home. The Packers are expected to win this game, and that's the thing. Sometimes the toughest games to win are the games you are expected to win. In order for the Bears to win this week, they have to assemble some type of running game, and make an effort to continue running the ball to keep the Packers honest. The Packers will probably blitz alot, and I would expect them to continue blitzing, where the Cowboys last week stopped their blitz, and Cutler killed them. My prediction: Packers 24-Bears 21. I think the Bears are alot better than people think, and may have a chance to win this game. I will take the Packers to win, but not by much, if they do.
I might even re-think my prediction later on. I think the Bears are on an upward trend, and I hope they show the Packers that they are for real in the NFC North. Not many people give the Bears any credit for winning last week's game, but I saw it as a big step in the right direction. They need to pile up wins now, because the last 4 games on the schedule are going to be very tough.
Well, there you have it. I will probably be blogging more regularly now that hockey and basketball are starting up. Lots to talk about too, the Hawks start their pre-season tonight, and the Bulls are in on the Carmelo sweepstakes. Should be lots to look forward to in Chicago sports over the next few weeks.
Offensive Preview
Offensive Line: Advantage Packers
Green Bay: Chad Clifton, Daryn Colledge, Scott Wells, Josh Sitton, Mark Tauscher: The Packers' offensive line does everything pretty well. They run block extremely well, and they pass block well for Aaron Rodgers, who is arguably the best quarterback in the NFC. The Packers offense is a versatile offense that gets the running game going, and then beating the defense down the field with play-action pass plays. The O-line does a great job setting up all of their play calls. They might not be the best line in the league, but they are very good, and the Bears will have a big challenge trying to rush the passer.
Chicago: Chris Williams, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis, Frank Omiyale: The Bears' offensive line played ok last week, especially considering they were being ripped to shreds at the beginning of the game. Williams left the game with a hamstring injury in the first quarter. Consequently, the Cowboys did not register one sack after Williams left. The O-line seemed to gain more confidence from its performance in Dallas, but they will need to be even better to stop a very aggressive 3-4 Packers defense.
Quarterback: Advantage Packers (by a very thin margin)
Packers: Aaron Rodgers: I will be the first to admit that I didn't think Rodgers was going to be that great out of college. I was mistaken, however, as Aaron Rodgers has taken the league by storm over the past 2 seasons. He's a very accurate QB, athletic, makes sound decisions, and has a terrific supporting cast. He also played very well against the Bears last season, and I would expect him to come out firing on Monday, especially since he has been on the record as saying that he hasn't even come close to playing his best football. That might be something the Bears should worry about.
Bears: Jay Cutler: Cutler is off to a fantastic start this season. He currently leads the league in passer rating, has only thrown 1 interception in the first two games, and has racked up 5 TD passes. He is making good decisions, and the offense seems to be gelling extremely well. Martz and Cutler have a good thing going. If Cutler prepares well this week, he should perform at a high level again. He played against a similar style of 3-4 defense last week against the Cowboys, so he should get some similar looks. I wouldn't be surprised if he had another great game. I'll say 280 yards, 3 TD's 1 interception for cutler this week. Again, if he can put up those kinds of numbers against another top ranked defense, Cutler could finally prove to be worth the trade. I think he's starting to become one of the top QB's in the NFC.
Running Backs: Advantage Bears
Packers: Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn, Dimitri Nance: The Packers might have had the edge here if Ryan Grant hadn't been injured for the rest of the season. However, without Grant, I don't think the Packers' running game will be as dynamic. The line will still run block effectively, but they probably won't pop as many long runs, and will have to rely on their passing game more in order to keep their offense atop the scoring leaders in the NFL.
Bears: Matt Forte, Chester Taylor: So far the Bears' RB's have split the time in the backfield, and each looks pretty good, especially in the passing game. The Bears have one of the worst run blocking offensive lines in the league through two games, and that has to improve. However, a big part of the Martz offense is using the running backs in screens and slot receiver routes. To this point, Matt Forte has made a gigantic impact in the passing game. If he gets going in the run game, look out. He could have a huge impact in Monday night's game. I'll take Forte and Taylor over the Packer RB's in this week's game.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Advantage Packers
Packers: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jermichael Finley, Jordy Nelson, James Jones: The Packer receivers aren't flashy, and they aren't big names, but they do perform consistently well game in and game out. Driver has been a thorn in the Bears' side in the past, and Jennings and Finley are very good receivers across the middle. The Bears linebackers and secondary will have to step up to the challenge this week in coverage.
Bears: Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Greg Olsen: The Bears receivers are still not respected around the league, although you can clearly see the improvement in the group as a whole. The great part about the Martz offense is that no particular receiver is going to be the number one guy. The system requires the quarterback to make the right read and get the ball out of his hand before the receiver comes open, which means the receivers are held accountable for running crisp routes, as well as running the correct routes. The fact that Cutler is among the league leaders in every passing statistic in the first 2 weeks of the season should show that the Bears' receivers are improving. They need to continue to do so this week.
Defensive Preview:
Defensive Line: Advantage Even:
Packers: Ryan Pickett, B.J. Raji, Cullen Jenkins: The Packers play a 3-4 defense, and their nose tackle is a good one (B.J. Raji, out of Boston College). The Packers D-line is good, but not the focal point of their defense. They do play well against the run, and against a struggling Bears rushing attack, I would expect the Packer D-line to have a good game in that respect.
Bears: Marcus Anderson, Tommie Harris, Anthony Adams, Julius Peppers: The Bears D-line has played extremely well against the run both weeks, making both the Lions and Cowboys one dimensional. The Bears aren't going to be easy to run against, but in the passing game, the D-line needs to make a bigger impact. I would look for Peppers to have a breakout game this week. He really gets up for nationally televised games, and seems to perform well under pressure. This week is a pressure game for the Bears, and I expect the line to get more pressure, if not a couple of sacks, on Aaron Rodgers.
Linebackers: Advantage Even
Packers: Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk, Nick Barnett, Brad Jones: The first three names on this list are ridiculous. Clay Matthews has gotten off to a great start (potential defensive player of the year?). A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett are pro-bowl calibur linebackers as well, and both play with a high motor. To me, this is the strength of the Packer defense. This unit plays the run well, they are great in coverage, and they rush the passer very well (Matthews had 3 sacks in last week's game against Buffalo). I don't really think the Packer linebackers have been tested, having played the Eagles and Bills. I think the Bears receivers and backs are better than the teams the Packers have played, so this game should show us just how good this unit is (although I have a feeling they are great).
Bears: Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Pisa Tinoisamoa: The Bears strength defensively for years has been the linebacking corps. Urlacher is healthy (finally), and it has showed in the first two games. He is quick to the ball, covers the field extremely well, and is a sure tackler. Briggs might be better than Urlacher. He is all over the field, making impact plays on seemingly every possession. The Bears linebacking unit is one of the best in the NFC because of those two. The weakside linebacker just has to tackle well, because Urlacher and Briggs are two of the best in the league. They will play great on Monday night.
Secondary: Advantage Packers
Packers: Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams, Morgan Burnett, Nick Collins: Woodson was the Defensive Player of the Year last season, and Nick Collins is a very good Free Safety. The Bears will have a tough time with whoever Woodson matches up against (likely to be Hester). I would look for the Bears to attack the middle of the field, and the sideline opposite Woodson in the passing game.
Bears: Zack Bowman, Charles Tillman, Danieal Manning, Chris Harris: I thought this unit was going to be weak this season, but through two games I am pleasantly surprised. They gave up alot of yards last week, but kept the Cowboys from getting any big plays, and also forced three turnovers. D.J. Moore had a great showing last week, with 2 interceptions and was in on a forced fumble as well. They will need to play big again this week, going up against one of the top QB's in the NFL, as well as a group of versatile, tough receivers.
Special Teams: Advantage Bears
Packers: The Packers have a pretty accurate kicker in Mason Crosby, although the offense is so good that they really don't need their special teams to score. They just need the special teams to set them up for scoring opportunities. The kick and punt returners (Jordy Nelson and Tramon Williams) aren't anything spectacular, but get the job done.
Bears: I will still take Robbie Gould over any kicker in the NFL when it comes to accuracy. The Bears did give up a punt return touchdown last week, but I wouldn't expect that to happen again this week. The Bears returners, on the other hand, have been so close to taking one back for a touchdown. Johnny Knox and Danieal Manning are two of the best return men in the NFC, and Devin Hester is just aching to bring back a punt. It's going to happen sooner or later, and it would be awesome to see against the Packers.
Prediction: This is a huge game for both teams. If the Bears want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender, they have to win this game at home. The Packers are expected to win this game, and that's the thing. Sometimes the toughest games to win are the games you are expected to win. In order for the Bears to win this week, they have to assemble some type of running game, and make an effort to continue running the ball to keep the Packers honest. The Packers will probably blitz alot, and I would expect them to continue blitzing, where the Cowboys last week stopped their blitz, and Cutler killed them. My prediction: Packers 24-Bears 21. I think the Bears are alot better than people think, and may have a chance to win this game. I will take the Packers to win, but not by much, if they do.
I might even re-think my prediction later on. I think the Bears are on an upward trend, and I hope they show the Packers that they are for real in the NFC North. Not many people give the Bears any credit for winning last week's game, but I saw it as a big step in the right direction. They need to pile up wins now, because the last 4 games on the schedule are going to be very tough.
Well, there you have it. I will probably be blogging more regularly now that hockey and basketball are starting up. Lots to talk about too, the Hawks start their pre-season tonight, and the Bulls are in on the Carmelo sweepstakes. Should be lots to look forward to in Chicago sports over the next few weeks.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Great game for the Bears in Week 2!
The Chicago Bears did everything you need to do to win tough games on the road in the NFL. They made plays in the passing game, they stopped the run, they forced turnovers, and protected the ball on their own drives. All of this helped the Bears defeat the Cowboys 27-20 in Dallas this afternoon.
Two things really stuck out to me in this game. The first was that I thought the offensive line grew up a little bit in this game. They were horrible at the start. Cutler was running for his life and nearly got killed a few times on their first two possessions. They ran 6 plays for 13 yards, and managed a field goal after the defense forced a turnover and left the Bears with great field position. Other than that, the Cowboys looked as if they were going to overwhelm the Bears offensive line. Then Chris Williams went out with an injury, Frank Omiyale moved to Left Tackle and Kevin Schaffer came in at Right Tackle. From that point on, Cutler wasn't sacked once. They still can't run block worth crap, but against one of the best pressure defenses in the NFC, the Bears O-line gave up only one sack, and that happened on the second play of the game. Great step in the right direction for the offensive line. They just need to use this game as a confidence boost, and figure out a way to run block.
The biggest thing that stuck out to me in this game was the maturation of Jay Cutler. The Bears' QB played a fantastic game. 21-29, 277 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. All of those numbers in a road game in which his team was a 9 point underdog. That's getting the job done. The numbers alone are great, but to me, it was the circumstances surrounding the numbers that make them impressive. He had three touchdown passes, and all of them came in critical situations in the game. His first TD to Greg Olsen came just a minute after the Cowboys had taken a 7-3 lead on a punt return touchdown. The second touchdown came towards the end of the first half, and gave the Bears a 17-14 lead. The third touchdown came after a Cowboys' missed field goal, and basically sealed the game for the Bears. Big time quarterbacks make plays like that, and Jay Cutler showed me that he is capable of being a big time quarterback.
I also thought the defense played well. They gave up over 400 yards, but again, only 36 yards rushing. The defense only gave up 13 points as a unit when they were on the field (the Cowboys' first TD was a 62 yard punt return by Dez Bryant). Lance Briggs played another tremendous game. He is a stud when stopping the run, and he covers the middle of the field in zone coverage just as well as any other linebacker in the league. D.J. Moore also had a nice game, with 2 interceptions on deflected passes, and also a big play on the forced fumble of Roy Williams in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys have all the talent in the world, and should beat the Bears when you look on paper. Again, poor coaching decisions and a lack of execution (which also falls on the coaches) cost them a close game against a team they should probably beat. Perhaps the worst coaching decision came right after the punt return touchdown. Instead of kicking deep and forcing the Bears to move the ball 80 yards for a touchdown, they chose to pooch kick the ball, and gave the Bears the ball at their own 45 yard line. It took the Bears three plays to score a touchdown on that drive, and it totally sucked all of the energy out of the building. Bad coaching by Wade Phillips, which isn't really all that shocking.
Overall, I was very impressed with the Bears this week. I think they took some positive steps toward becoming a very good football team. Cutler and the Martz offense seem to be clicking, and all of the receivers are being utilized, which is a huge plus as it makes it difficult for defenses to game plan against the Bears when all of the receivers are playing effectively. There will be a huge test next week, when the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers in Soldier Field on Monday Night Football. First place in the division will be on the line against a great football team, so the Bears should take advantage of a long week to prepare, as well as homefield. Great win this week! Go Bears!
Two things really stuck out to me in this game. The first was that I thought the offensive line grew up a little bit in this game. They were horrible at the start. Cutler was running for his life and nearly got killed a few times on their first two possessions. They ran 6 plays for 13 yards, and managed a field goal after the defense forced a turnover and left the Bears with great field position. Other than that, the Cowboys looked as if they were going to overwhelm the Bears offensive line. Then Chris Williams went out with an injury, Frank Omiyale moved to Left Tackle and Kevin Schaffer came in at Right Tackle. From that point on, Cutler wasn't sacked once. They still can't run block worth crap, but against one of the best pressure defenses in the NFC, the Bears O-line gave up only one sack, and that happened on the second play of the game. Great step in the right direction for the offensive line. They just need to use this game as a confidence boost, and figure out a way to run block.
The biggest thing that stuck out to me in this game was the maturation of Jay Cutler. The Bears' QB played a fantastic game. 21-29, 277 yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions. All of those numbers in a road game in which his team was a 9 point underdog. That's getting the job done. The numbers alone are great, but to me, it was the circumstances surrounding the numbers that make them impressive. He had three touchdown passes, and all of them came in critical situations in the game. His first TD to Greg Olsen came just a minute after the Cowboys had taken a 7-3 lead on a punt return touchdown. The second touchdown came towards the end of the first half, and gave the Bears a 17-14 lead. The third touchdown came after a Cowboys' missed field goal, and basically sealed the game for the Bears. Big time quarterbacks make plays like that, and Jay Cutler showed me that he is capable of being a big time quarterback.
I also thought the defense played well. They gave up over 400 yards, but again, only 36 yards rushing. The defense only gave up 13 points as a unit when they were on the field (the Cowboys' first TD was a 62 yard punt return by Dez Bryant). Lance Briggs played another tremendous game. He is a stud when stopping the run, and he covers the middle of the field in zone coverage just as well as any other linebacker in the league. D.J. Moore also had a nice game, with 2 interceptions on deflected passes, and also a big play on the forced fumble of Roy Williams in the fourth quarter.
The Cowboys have all the talent in the world, and should beat the Bears when you look on paper. Again, poor coaching decisions and a lack of execution (which also falls on the coaches) cost them a close game against a team they should probably beat. Perhaps the worst coaching decision came right after the punt return touchdown. Instead of kicking deep and forcing the Bears to move the ball 80 yards for a touchdown, they chose to pooch kick the ball, and gave the Bears the ball at their own 45 yard line. It took the Bears three plays to score a touchdown on that drive, and it totally sucked all of the energy out of the building. Bad coaching by Wade Phillips, which isn't really all that shocking.
Overall, I was very impressed with the Bears this week. I think they took some positive steps toward becoming a very good football team. Cutler and the Martz offense seem to be clicking, and all of the receivers are being utilized, which is a huge plus as it makes it difficult for defenses to game plan against the Bears when all of the receivers are playing effectively. There will be a huge test next week, when the Bears take on the Green Bay Packers in Soldier Field on Monday Night Football. First place in the division will be on the line against a great football team, so the Bears should take advantage of a long week to prepare, as well as homefield. Great win this week! Go Bears!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Bears vs. Cowboys: Week 2 Preview
Last week's game was interesting for us Bears fans. It had a little bit of everything. Cutler looked very good in leading the offense down the field, and then (almost on cue) the offense would turn it over. The Bears ended up with 463 total yards of offense, and only 19 points to show for it. The defense only gave up 168 total yards of offense to the Lions, but very nearly (probably should have) gave up the game winning touchdown in the game's waining seconds. I still think the Calvin Johnson play probably should have been a catch, but hey, I'll take the win.
Anyways, all of that was against the Detroit Lions, who I thought were going to be improved, but really haven't improved that much (aside from their defensive line, which will be very good for them very soon). This week the Bears go on the road to face the Dallas Cowboys. This team will be a totally different animal. I know they didn't play particularly well in their season opener, a 13-7 loss on the road against the Washington Redskins, but that is what has me worried about this game. It's their home opener, so they'll be jacked up for that, and they are pissed about the way they played last week. They have all the motivation in the world to be ready go from bell to bell in this game.
Offensive Line: Advantage Cowboys
Dallas: Doug Free, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, Marc Columbo: The Cowboys' O-line is massive, and should be a good run-blocking line. Dallas didn't run the ball particularly well last week, and the Bears defense is typically one of the tougher units in the NFL to run against when they are healthy, so I would expect the Dallas running game to hit the wall again this week. However, they should get better play than they got last week. Alex Barron has been passed by Doug Free on the depth chart (Barron was the lineman called for holding on the last play of the game, negating a Cowboys' game winning touchdown). Playing at home should help this unit as well. They normally do a great job of keeping Tony Romo on his feet, and giving him time to look downfield to find his receivers. I think they'll probably do the same this week.
Chicago: Frank Omiyale, Lance Louis, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, Chris Williams: This is definitely the weak link on the Bears offense. They gave up four sacks last week, and didn't run block well either. The Bears had 101 yards rushing, but alot of that was on scrambles by Cutler on broken down pass plays. The O-line better get their act together, and gel quickly, because they are going up against one of the top defensive lines in the NFC in the Cowboys. If the Bears are going to be successful with their new offensive scheme on Sunday, they need Cutler on his feet, and the offensive line is going to have a tough time doing that.
Quarterback: Advantage: Even
Dallas: Tony Romo: Alot of people think that Romo is a way better quarterback than Cutler. He has gone to the playoffs (Cutler hasn't), and he doesn't throw nearly as many interceptions. He also has better weapons, and a better offensive line at his disposal, as he has throughout his career. I don't know though. I am not a big Tony Romo fan (eventhough I went to Eastern Illinois University, and currently live in Charleston, IL). Something about him just doesn't click with me. It's probably the fact that he's on the Cowboys. I know he's a decent quarterback, and I do expect him to play well on Sunday.
Chicago: Jay Cutler: Cutler is coming off a very impressive opening week of the season. He was 23-35, for 372 yards, 2 TD's, 1 interception. That is not a bad game. He probably would have had another touchdown pass, maybe even two, had the Bears not turned the ball over twice in the redzone (neither of which were Cutler's fault). The Detroit secondary was banged up, not very experienced, not talented, and Cutler took advantage. Playing against Dallas this week will be a different story. Their secondary is more experienced and athletic. I would expect Dallas to put up alot more resistance to the Bears' passing attack. I still think Cutler will play well though. I like what I saw from him last week, and I think he builds off of that. I will say 275 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception. If he can put up those kinds of numbers against Dallas, I might start to think that Cutler can be a top level quarterback in the NFL. We'll see.
Running Backs: Advantage: Even
Dallas: Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, Felix Jones: The Cowboys have three elusive tailbacks that all run with confidence, power, and swagger. Choice had a rough game last week, and I think the Cowboys will work him in this week slowly, trying to rebuild his confidence. The Bears' d-line is revamped, but the Cowboys are going to be so worked up that I think the running backs will have a great week.
Chicago: Matt Forte, Chester Taylor: Matt Forte was outstanding last week, despite fumbling the ball twice (costing the Bears points on one fumble). He had 7 catches for 151 yards, and 2 touchdowns, including the game winner with 1:32 remaining, and an 89 yard score before the end of the first half. Taylor played well when he was in, but Forte looked very good in the passing game, so I would expect to see alot of Forte again this week. Hopefully the Bears can use both backs in the screen game to offset what should be an aggressive Cowboys front seven.
Receivers: Advantage Cowboys
Dallas: Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten Sam Hurd, Kevin Ogletree: The top 4 guys here are pretty good. Roy Williams has underachieved so bad, but Miles Austin is the real deal, and Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are great options over the middle as well. Tony Romo is a pretty accurate quarterback, and likes going down the field. I would expect the Cowboys to have an aggressive passing attack, and all of these receivers can stretch the field.
Chicago: Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox, Greg Olsen, Earl Bennett, Desmond Clark: I almost want to add Matt Forte to this list too, but we already discussed how he'll be used in the passing game. Hester was quiet last week, only making one catch. Aromashodu had 5 catches for 74 yards, but he dropped a sure touchdown in the opening series, and had a couple of other passes that he should have made plays on. Johnny Knox might be their best receiver. I liked him last year, and I think he'll get even better this year. The Bears need to find ways to get him the ball downfield. They have two speed receivers in Hester and Knox, and need to use their speed to stretch the Dallas secondary. Still an inexperienced group, but improving.
Defensive Line: Advantage Cowboys
Dallas: Igor Olshansky, Jay Ratliff, Marcus Spears: The Cowboys traditionally play a 3-4 base defense, but many times you'll see Demarcus Ware down on the line, and that's when you are in trouble. The Cowboys' D-line is strong. Spears is a solid player on the end opposite Ware, and Olshansky and Ratliff are very good on the inside to stop the run. The generally do alot of blitzing with their front seven, but their line is strong enough with Ware to get to the quarterback consistently.
Chicago: Julius Peppers, Tommie Harris, Israel Idonije, Mark Anderson: Peppers had a strip, sack, fumble last week in his Bears regular season debut, and Tommie Harris had a fumble recovery. The D-line did a great job stopping the run, as the Lions never even had a chance in that department. I was disappointed at the lack of consistent pressure they were able to generate on the quarterbacks. It seemed like the Bears needed to send linebackers to get to Stafford and Hill (Urlacher had a sack), but that leaves their secondary exposed. The D-line needs to get alot more pressure on Romo to be effective.
Linebackers: Advantage Bears
Dallas: Anthony Spencer, Keith Brooking, Bradie James, Demarcus Ware: Ware is obviously the focus of this group. The other three are solid as well, but Ware is the guy you game plan for. He's consistently in the top five (if not higher) in sacks by the end of the season. Ware did have that neck strain, but I don't think it will limit him come game time.
Chicago: Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Pisa Tinoisamoa: This group was outstanding against the Lions. Urlacher is healthy and flying around the field again. Briggs is what he always has been: a impact player and pro-bowl caliber linebacker (that play last week on the goal line was unbelievable). Tinoisamoa just has to tackle well when the ball carrier comes his way. Playing with Urlacher and Briggs should definitely improve his game. I fully expect this unit to show up and play very well against Dallas.
Secondary: Advantage: Even
Dallas: Terrence Newman, Mike Jenkins, Gerald Sensabaugh, Alan Ball: Newman is an all-pro cornerback, and Mike Jenkins is very good as well. Going deep down the field on the edges could be tough, but I think the speed of the Bears' receivers could make the Cowboys susceptible to intermediate and deep routes over the middle. If the Cowboys secondary cheats up to stop the run/screen game, the Bears should look to exploit their secondary. This unit is better than the Lions secondary that the Bears faced last week, but they aren't a top notch unit, and the Bears should be able to make some plays in the passing game.
Chicago: Zack Bowman, Charles Tillman, Danieal Manning, Major Wright: The Bears secondary played well in my opinion, although they weren't really tested much. They shut down one of the league's best receivers in Calvin Johnson for a majority of the game (although he did have that non-touchdown at the end of the game). I was surprised the Lions didn't try to go downfield until the end of the game, when they had success in the two minute drill. The Bears secondary is going to have a tough time with the Cowboy receivers. Covering Miles Austin will be tough, and I would expect the Bears to roll coverage to him at times. The Cowboys have 4 legitimate receiving options, and covering all of them will be very tough.
Special Teams: Advantage Bears
Dallas: Their kicker (David Buhler) missed on a field goal attempt early in the game last week. The coverage units were decent on punts and kickoffs, and the return units didn't do anything special, although Felix Jones can be electrifying if you give him space.
Chicago: I will take Robbie Gould anytime over many kickers in the league, and this is no exception. The Bears have 3 dynamic return options (Danieal Manning, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester). Hester is just aching to break one, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him do it this week in Dallas. The kickoff and punt coverage teams were fantastic last week, although they did have a personal foul for blocking out of bounds on a punt. They need to get rid of those stupid penalties to have a chance to win this week.
Prediction: I think this could be a close game, as long as the Bears don't turn the ball over. If the Bears have 4 turnovers as they did last week, forget about it. Dallas will convert on their opportunities off turnovers, despite their offensive struggles in the preseason and week 1. I think Cutler plays well, and I really think the defense will rise to the challenge again. Any chance the Bears have of being a playoff team rests on their defense. Final score: Cowboys 27, Bears 20. The combination of playing on the road, and playing a hungry, motivated Dallas team, will probably prove to be too much for the Bears this week.
I hope I am wrong, and I will definitely be cheering loud for the Bears this week. It would be nice to get a second win before hosting the Packers in week 3. The Bears schedule is tough to open the season, and winning games will be very difficult over the next 3-4 weeks. Leave your comments, or offer predictions if you'd like. Go Bears!
Anyways, all of that was against the Detroit Lions, who I thought were going to be improved, but really haven't improved that much (aside from their defensive line, which will be very good for them very soon). This week the Bears go on the road to face the Dallas Cowboys. This team will be a totally different animal. I know they didn't play particularly well in their season opener, a 13-7 loss on the road against the Washington Redskins, but that is what has me worried about this game. It's their home opener, so they'll be jacked up for that, and they are pissed about the way they played last week. They have all the motivation in the world to be ready go from bell to bell in this game.
Offensive Line: Advantage Cowboys
Dallas: Doug Free, Kyle Kosier, Andre Gurode, Leonard Davis, Marc Columbo: The Cowboys' O-line is massive, and should be a good run-blocking line. Dallas didn't run the ball particularly well last week, and the Bears defense is typically one of the tougher units in the NFL to run against when they are healthy, so I would expect the Dallas running game to hit the wall again this week. However, they should get better play than they got last week. Alex Barron has been passed by Doug Free on the depth chart (Barron was the lineman called for holding on the last play of the game, negating a Cowboys' game winning touchdown). Playing at home should help this unit as well. They normally do a great job of keeping Tony Romo on his feet, and giving him time to look downfield to find his receivers. I think they'll probably do the same this week.
Chicago: Frank Omiyale, Lance Louis, Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, Chris Williams: This is definitely the weak link on the Bears offense. They gave up four sacks last week, and didn't run block well either. The Bears had 101 yards rushing, but alot of that was on scrambles by Cutler on broken down pass plays. The O-line better get their act together, and gel quickly, because they are going up against one of the top defensive lines in the NFC in the Cowboys. If the Bears are going to be successful with their new offensive scheme on Sunday, they need Cutler on his feet, and the offensive line is going to have a tough time doing that.
Quarterback: Advantage: Even
Dallas: Tony Romo: Alot of people think that Romo is a way better quarterback than Cutler. He has gone to the playoffs (Cutler hasn't), and he doesn't throw nearly as many interceptions. He also has better weapons, and a better offensive line at his disposal, as he has throughout his career. I don't know though. I am not a big Tony Romo fan (eventhough I went to Eastern Illinois University, and currently live in Charleston, IL). Something about him just doesn't click with me. It's probably the fact that he's on the Cowboys. I know he's a decent quarterback, and I do expect him to play well on Sunday.
Chicago: Jay Cutler: Cutler is coming off a very impressive opening week of the season. He was 23-35, for 372 yards, 2 TD's, 1 interception. That is not a bad game. He probably would have had another touchdown pass, maybe even two, had the Bears not turned the ball over twice in the redzone (neither of which were Cutler's fault). The Detroit secondary was banged up, not very experienced, not talented, and Cutler took advantage. Playing against Dallas this week will be a different story. Their secondary is more experienced and athletic. I would expect Dallas to put up alot more resistance to the Bears' passing attack. I still think Cutler will play well though. I like what I saw from him last week, and I think he builds off of that. I will say 275 yards, 2 TDs, 1 interception. If he can put up those kinds of numbers against Dallas, I might start to think that Cutler can be a top level quarterback in the NFL. We'll see.
Running Backs: Advantage: Even
Dallas: Marion Barber, Tashard Choice, Felix Jones: The Cowboys have three elusive tailbacks that all run with confidence, power, and swagger. Choice had a rough game last week, and I think the Cowboys will work him in this week slowly, trying to rebuild his confidence. The Bears' d-line is revamped, but the Cowboys are going to be so worked up that I think the running backs will have a great week.
Chicago: Matt Forte, Chester Taylor: Matt Forte was outstanding last week, despite fumbling the ball twice (costing the Bears points on one fumble). He had 7 catches for 151 yards, and 2 touchdowns, including the game winner with 1:32 remaining, and an 89 yard score before the end of the first half. Taylor played well when he was in, but Forte looked very good in the passing game, so I would expect to see alot of Forte again this week. Hopefully the Bears can use both backs in the screen game to offset what should be an aggressive Cowboys front seven.
Receivers: Advantage Cowboys
Dallas: Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten Sam Hurd, Kevin Ogletree: The top 4 guys here are pretty good. Roy Williams has underachieved so bad, but Miles Austin is the real deal, and Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are great options over the middle as well. Tony Romo is a pretty accurate quarterback, and likes going down the field. I would expect the Cowboys to have an aggressive passing attack, and all of these receivers can stretch the field.
Chicago: Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox, Greg Olsen, Earl Bennett, Desmond Clark: I almost want to add Matt Forte to this list too, but we already discussed how he'll be used in the passing game. Hester was quiet last week, only making one catch. Aromashodu had 5 catches for 74 yards, but he dropped a sure touchdown in the opening series, and had a couple of other passes that he should have made plays on. Johnny Knox might be their best receiver. I liked him last year, and I think he'll get even better this year. The Bears need to find ways to get him the ball downfield. They have two speed receivers in Hester and Knox, and need to use their speed to stretch the Dallas secondary. Still an inexperienced group, but improving.
Defensive Line: Advantage Cowboys
Dallas: Igor Olshansky, Jay Ratliff, Marcus Spears: The Cowboys traditionally play a 3-4 base defense, but many times you'll see Demarcus Ware down on the line, and that's when you are in trouble. The Cowboys' D-line is strong. Spears is a solid player on the end opposite Ware, and Olshansky and Ratliff are very good on the inside to stop the run. The generally do alot of blitzing with their front seven, but their line is strong enough with Ware to get to the quarterback consistently.
Chicago: Julius Peppers, Tommie Harris, Israel Idonije, Mark Anderson: Peppers had a strip, sack, fumble last week in his Bears regular season debut, and Tommie Harris had a fumble recovery. The D-line did a great job stopping the run, as the Lions never even had a chance in that department. I was disappointed at the lack of consistent pressure they were able to generate on the quarterbacks. It seemed like the Bears needed to send linebackers to get to Stafford and Hill (Urlacher had a sack), but that leaves their secondary exposed. The D-line needs to get alot more pressure on Romo to be effective.
Linebackers: Advantage Bears
Dallas: Anthony Spencer, Keith Brooking, Bradie James, Demarcus Ware: Ware is obviously the focus of this group. The other three are solid as well, but Ware is the guy you game plan for. He's consistently in the top five (if not higher) in sacks by the end of the season. Ware did have that neck strain, but I don't think it will limit him come game time.
Chicago: Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Pisa Tinoisamoa: This group was outstanding against the Lions. Urlacher is healthy and flying around the field again. Briggs is what he always has been: a impact player and pro-bowl caliber linebacker (that play last week on the goal line was unbelievable). Tinoisamoa just has to tackle well when the ball carrier comes his way. Playing with Urlacher and Briggs should definitely improve his game. I fully expect this unit to show up and play very well against Dallas.
Secondary: Advantage: Even
Dallas: Terrence Newman, Mike Jenkins, Gerald Sensabaugh, Alan Ball: Newman is an all-pro cornerback, and Mike Jenkins is very good as well. Going deep down the field on the edges could be tough, but I think the speed of the Bears' receivers could make the Cowboys susceptible to intermediate and deep routes over the middle. If the Cowboys secondary cheats up to stop the run/screen game, the Bears should look to exploit their secondary. This unit is better than the Lions secondary that the Bears faced last week, but they aren't a top notch unit, and the Bears should be able to make some plays in the passing game.
Chicago: Zack Bowman, Charles Tillman, Danieal Manning, Major Wright: The Bears secondary played well in my opinion, although they weren't really tested much. They shut down one of the league's best receivers in Calvin Johnson for a majority of the game (although he did have that non-touchdown at the end of the game). I was surprised the Lions didn't try to go downfield until the end of the game, when they had success in the two minute drill. The Bears secondary is going to have a tough time with the Cowboy receivers. Covering Miles Austin will be tough, and I would expect the Bears to roll coverage to him at times. The Cowboys have 4 legitimate receiving options, and covering all of them will be very tough.
Special Teams: Advantage Bears
Dallas: Their kicker (David Buhler) missed on a field goal attempt early in the game last week. The coverage units were decent on punts and kickoffs, and the return units didn't do anything special, although Felix Jones can be electrifying if you give him space.
Chicago: I will take Robbie Gould anytime over many kickers in the league, and this is no exception. The Bears have 3 dynamic return options (Danieal Manning, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester). Hester is just aching to break one, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him do it this week in Dallas. The kickoff and punt coverage teams were fantastic last week, although they did have a personal foul for blocking out of bounds on a punt. They need to get rid of those stupid penalties to have a chance to win this week.
Prediction: I think this could be a close game, as long as the Bears don't turn the ball over. If the Bears have 4 turnovers as they did last week, forget about it. Dallas will convert on their opportunities off turnovers, despite their offensive struggles in the preseason and week 1. I think Cutler plays well, and I really think the defense will rise to the challenge again. Any chance the Bears have of being a playoff team rests on their defense. Final score: Cowboys 27, Bears 20. The combination of playing on the road, and playing a hungry, motivated Dallas team, will probably prove to be too much for the Bears this week.
I hope I am wrong, and I will definitely be cheering loud for the Bears this week. It would be nice to get a second win before hosting the Packers in week 3. The Bears schedule is tough to open the season, and winning games will be very difficult over the next 3-4 weeks. Leave your comments, or offer predictions if you'd like. Go Bears!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Bears vs. Lions Post-game Reactions
Well, the Bears week 1 game against Detroit ended well, if you're a Bears fan. However, it was a controversial call that gave the Bears the win. I don't know about anybody else who watched the game, but I don't think either team truly deserved to win it.
The only unit on the Detroit Lions that played well was their defensive line. Ndamokung Suh had a sack and was a disruptive force in the running game for the Bears, as was Corey Williams, who also had a sack. Vanden Bosch also helped in both the passing and rushing defense for the Lions. The fourth quarter goal line stand from inside their 1 yard line after the turnover by their offense was huge. I was impressed with the front four of the Lions defense, but the other parts of their team looked inept. The linebacking corps is depleted by injuries, and they aren't really talented linebackers to begin with, outside of Julian Peterson. The secondary also didn't impress me much, eventhough they did cause three fumbles. The Bears were able to go up and down the field most of the game through the air.
The Lions offense was pathetic. They did score two first half touchdowns, and had the game winning touchdown taken away on a technicality (which I believe should be changed). Both of their touchdowns were the result of great field position due to Chicago Bears turnovers (the interception by Jay Cutler in the first quarter, and Matt Forte fumble in the second quarter). The Bears defense had the Lions stopped on their first touchdown drive, but a 15 yard roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive for the Lions, who eventually scored on a Jahvid Best 8 yard run.
One aspect of the Lions game plan that I was really not sure about was why they didn't use their receivers to attack the Bears early in the game. The Bears secondary is weak (at best), and Calvin Johnson should have had a field day. The Lions chose not to throw deep, instead opting for short and intermediate routes, which the Bears defended well. The Lions also could not get anything going in the running game, which against a healthy Chicago front four is tough for any team in the league. The Lions offense as a unit managed only 168 yards of total offense, which is pathetic. I know Stafford was knocked out of the game late in the second half, and to the Bears credit, they made sure that the Lions had to throw to win the game. The Lions had only 20 yards rushing on 21 carries, and eventhough they had 2 rushing touchdowns, they still didn't get anything going in the game. The Lions also lost the field position battle, and the time of possession battle, only having the ball on offense for 25:18 in the game.
With how poor the Lions offense was (although Stafford was out of the game), and how the Lions defense (outside of their D-line) didn't play as well as the Bears, how did they have a chance to win? Well, because apparently nobody told the Bears offense that the object of the game is to score, not merely rack up yards. The Bears offense dominated the Lions defense for most of this game. They had 362 yards passing. Are you kidding me? The Bears with 362 yards passing? I never thought I'd see the Bears offense be that explosive in the passing game. They also managed 101 yards rushing, although that number is scewed by several quarterback scrambles that went for decent gains.
The problem for the Bears was turnovers (again). After scoring a field goal on their opening drive, and stopping the Lions offense with a three and out series, the Bears turned the ball over, and gave the Lions great field position when Cutler made an ill-advised throw into triple coverage that was tipped, picked, and returned into Bears territory. The Lions did score a touchdown off of that turnover. Later in the second quarter the Bears marched inside the Lions 20 yard line, and Olsen fumbled the ball away. They left points on the field there. Later in the second quarter, again with the Bears marching, Matt Forte fumbled the ball away after a 25 yard gain that would have set the Bears up with a first and ten, inside the redzone. The Lions scored a touchdown off of this turnover as well. In my opinion, those three turnovers cost the Bears at least 13 points, while the Lions scored 14 points. Without those turnovers, this game is a route. I liked how the Bears offense moved the ball consistently. It was clear to see how the Martz offense will work with the Bears personnel. There was one other turnover, a strip, sack, fumble of Jay Cutler in the third quarter by the Lions D-line, but the Bears defense stopped the ensuing drive, and nothing came of that turnover.
The offensive line continues to struggle. They gave up 4 sacks, and didn't get anything going in the run game. The receivers played well (Aromashodu had 5 catches for 72 yards, and should have caught several others, including a deep ball that would have been a touchdown). Matt Forte is back. Despite his two fumbles (one of which was recovered by the Lions), he had 50 yards rushing, and 7 catches for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving, including the game winning score with only 1:32 left in the fourth. As long as he figures out how to protect the ball, which was a problem for him last year, he will be fine. If you had Forte going in your fantasy league this week, you did well. If the offense can figure out how to limit their turnovers, I can see how they would be able to put up decent scoring numbers. But that's the thing: Points, not stats, win the game. You can get 463 total yards on offense all you want, but if you only manage 19 points off of them, you aren't going to win many games.
People will disagree with me on this, but I thought Cutler played a good game. 372 yards, 2 TD's, 1 int. Those are good numbers. The pick was bad, but he limited his bad throws, and he ran the ball in situations that called for it, instead of forcing throws like he did last year. He is getting better. He needs to get the ball out of his hand more quickly, which I'm sure will be a point of emphasis this week while planning for the Cowboys.
The Bears defense was dominant today. 20 rushing yards allowed, 148 passing yards allowed, 2 sacks, and numerous tackles for loss. They also forced 3 turnovers, unfortunately they only led to 3 points, which is not their fault. If they are healthy, they will be good. I'd like to see Peppers generate pressure more consistently than he did today, although he did have a strip, sack, fumble play that knocked Stafford out of the game. The secondary, which I thought would get picked apart today, actually held up pretty well against Calvin Johnson. I still feel like the Johnson play at the end of the game was a touchdown, and personally, I think the Lions got screwed on that one.
Anyways, it was an opening week win, which is the bottom line. You need to win games against inferior teams, and the Lions were the inferior team today. They are going to have to take care of the football if they want to compete for the win against the Cowboys in Dallas next week. As always, leave your comments if you have them. Sorry this post is so long, I will try to be quicker in the coming weeks. Go Bears!
The only unit on the Detroit Lions that played well was their defensive line. Ndamokung Suh had a sack and was a disruptive force in the running game for the Bears, as was Corey Williams, who also had a sack. Vanden Bosch also helped in both the passing and rushing defense for the Lions. The fourth quarter goal line stand from inside their 1 yard line after the turnover by their offense was huge. I was impressed with the front four of the Lions defense, but the other parts of their team looked inept. The linebacking corps is depleted by injuries, and they aren't really talented linebackers to begin with, outside of Julian Peterson. The secondary also didn't impress me much, eventhough they did cause three fumbles. The Bears were able to go up and down the field most of the game through the air.
The Lions offense was pathetic. They did score two first half touchdowns, and had the game winning touchdown taken away on a technicality (which I believe should be changed). Both of their touchdowns were the result of great field position due to Chicago Bears turnovers (the interception by Jay Cutler in the first quarter, and Matt Forte fumble in the second quarter). The Bears defense had the Lions stopped on their first touchdown drive, but a 15 yard roughing the passer penalty kept the drive alive for the Lions, who eventually scored on a Jahvid Best 8 yard run.
One aspect of the Lions game plan that I was really not sure about was why they didn't use their receivers to attack the Bears early in the game. The Bears secondary is weak (at best), and Calvin Johnson should have had a field day. The Lions chose not to throw deep, instead opting for short and intermediate routes, which the Bears defended well. The Lions also could not get anything going in the running game, which against a healthy Chicago front four is tough for any team in the league. The Lions offense as a unit managed only 168 yards of total offense, which is pathetic. I know Stafford was knocked out of the game late in the second half, and to the Bears credit, they made sure that the Lions had to throw to win the game. The Lions had only 20 yards rushing on 21 carries, and eventhough they had 2 rushing touchdowns, they still didn't get anything going in the game. The Lions also lost the field position battle, and the time of possession battle, only having the ball on offense for 25:18 in the game.
With how poor the Lions offense was (although Stafford was out of the game), and how the Lions defense (outside of their D-line) didn't play as well as the Bears, how did they have a chance to win? Well, because apparently nobody told the Bears offense that the object of the game is to score, not merely rack up yards. The Bears offense dominated the Lions defense for most of this game. They had 362 yards passing. Are you kidding me? The Bears with 362 yards passing? I never thought I'd see the Bears offense be that explosive in the passing game. They also managed 101 yards rushing, although that number is scewed by several quarterback scrambles that went for decent gains.
The problem for the Bears was turnovers (again). After scoring a field goal on their opening drive, and stopping the Lions offense with a three and out series, the Bears turned the ball over, and gave the Lions great field position when Cutler made an ill-advised throw into triple coverage that was tipped, picked, and returned into Bears territory. The Lions did score a touchdown off of that turnover. Later in the second quarter the Bears marched inside the Lions 20 yard line, and Olsen fumbled the ball away. They left points on the field there. Later in the second quarter, again with the Bears marching, Matt Forte fumbled the ball away after a 25 yard gain that would have set the Bears up with a first and ten, inside the redzone. The Lions scored a touchdown off of this turnover as well. In my opinion, those three turnovers cost the Bears at least 13 points, while the Lions scored 14 points. Without those turnovers, this game is a route. I liked how the Bears offense moved the ball consistently. It was clear to see how the Martz offense will work with the Bears personnel. There was one other turnover, a strip, sack, fumble of Jay Cutler in the third quarter by the Lions D-line, but the Bears defense stopped the ensuing drive, and nothing came of that turnover.
The offensive line continues to struggle. They gave up 4 sacks, and didn't get anything going in the run game. The receivers played well (Aromashodu had 5 catches for 72 yards, and should have caught several others, including a deep ball that would have been a touchdown). Matt Forte is back. Despite his two fumbles (one of which was recovered by the Lions), he had 50 yards rushing, and 7 catches for 151 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving, including the game winning score with only 1:32 left in the fourth. As long as he figures out how to protect the ball, which was a problem for him last year, he will be fine. If you had Forte going in your fantasy league this week, you did well. If the offense can figure out how to limit their turnovers, I can see how they would be able to put up decent scoring numbers. But that's the thing: Points, not stats, win the game. You can get 463 total yards on offense all you want, but if you only manage 19 points off of them, you aren't going to win many games.
People will disagree with me on this, but I thought Cutler played a good game. 372 yards, 2 TD's, 1 int. Those are good numbers. The pick was bad, but he limited his bad throws, and he ran the ball in situations that called for it, instead of forcing throws like he did last year. He is getting better. He needs to get the ball out of his hand more quickly, which I'm sure will be a point of emphasis this week while planning for the Cowboys.
The Bears defense was dominant today. 20 rushing yards allowed, 148 passing yards allowed, 2 sacks, and numerous tackles for loss. They also forced 3 turnovers, unfortunately they only led to 3 points, which is not their fault. If they are healthy, they will be good. I'd like to see Peppers generate pressure more consistently than he did today, although he did have a strip, sack, fumble play that knocked Stafford out of the game. The secondary, which I thought would get picked apart today, actually held up pretty well against Calvin Johnson. I still feel like the Johnson play at the end of the game was a touchdown, and personally, I think the Lions got screwed on that one.
Anyways, it was an opening week win, which is the bottom line. You need to win games against inferior teams, and the Lions were the inferior team today. They are going to have to take care of the football if they want to compete for the win against the Cowboys in Dallas next week. As always, leave your comments if you have them. Sorry this post is so long, I will try to be quicker in the coming weeks. Go Bears!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Tough loss for the Irish
Week 2 saw the Notre Dame Fighting Irish welcome the Michigan Wolverines into Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. Both teams were coming off opening week wins at home against inferior opponents (Michigan beating UConn, Notre Dame beating Purdue). Going into the game, both teams had alot to prove, and I think both teams played reasonably well. Michigan won the game 28-24 with a touchdown in the last minute of the game by their phenom quarterback Denard Robinson.
Clearly Robinson is the story early in the season for the Wolverines. He had over 500 yards of total offense in today's game, and accounted for 3 touchdowns (1 through the air, 2 on the ground). He is going to be tough for Big Ten defenses to game plan for, and should give even the best defenses fits (Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa).
While Denard Robinson obviously was the player of the game, I think the most important player was probably Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist. Crist led the Irish to a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, and he made it look easy. Michigan's defense offered little resistance on the opening drive score. Then the Irish D forced a punt, and the Irish got the ball back. Expecting that Crist would come back out on the field, I was shocked to see Tommy Rees take the field on offense. At first the announcers made it sound like Brian Kelly had planned to get Rees in the game early, and when Rees was picked off on his first throw, I thought it was the dumbest coaching decision. However, it was later revealed that Crist needed to sit out with some kind of ailment that was affecting his vision. So Crist sat out the rest of the first half, while back-up QBs Rees and Nate Montana struggled to do much of anything. The Irish didn't score another point in the first half, although they should have kicked a field goal at the end of the first half instead of trying for 6 points from three yards out, and only 3 seconds left in the half. Notre Dame went to the locker room down 21-7 instead of 21-10, which would have been huge in the second half.
Crist played the second half, and the Irish offense looked very good. They scored on their first two possessions (a 53 yard TD pass to T.J. Jones, who actually dropped the ball in celebration before crossing the goal line, which is a stupid play that players seem to think is cool; and a field goal) to cut the lead to 21-17. The defense played inspired football in the second half, limiting Denard Robinson to smaller gains than he had in the first half, and forcing the Michigan offense into 2 missed field goal attempts.
The fourth quarter was pretty much a stale mate until about 4 minutes to go. The Irish got a stop near mid-field, and the Wolverines pinned the Irish down inside their five on the punt. A couple of plays later, Crist hooked up with TE Kyle Rudolph for a 95 yard touchdown pass to give the Irish the lead with about 3:30 remaining in the game.
Denard Robinson then led Michigan downfield for the go ahead touchdown run with only 27 seconds remaining in the game. The Irish had a chance to score at the end after a stupid late hit penalty on a Michigan DB gave the Irish the ball inside the Michigan 30 yard line with 6 seconds left. Now, if the Irish had kicked the field goal at the end of the first half, the score would have been 28-27 instead of 28-24. They had 2 timeouts, so they could have run the ball twice in the middle of the field, called quick timeouts, and trotted their kicker, who has a good leg on him, for the game winning attempt. They instead went for the touchdown at the end of the first half and failed. At the time it didn't seem like a big deal, and when the Irish went ahead late in the game I'm sure nobody really thought about it, but I'm sure Brian Kelly will think about that decision while looking back on this game. Crist eventually launched a pass out of the back of the endzone on the last play. Nobody had a shot to catch it, and the Irish took a tough loss.
To me, the outcome of this game would have changed dramatically had Crist played the entire first half. The offense works much better when he is in there. Notre Dame probably wins the game, and scores alot more points if he is able to play the first half.
All that being said, while I didn't enjoy the outcome of the game, it was still a heck of a game. I can see where both of these football programs are on the rise. I wouldn't be surprised to hear Denard Robinson's name in the Heisman talks in the coming weeks. Hopefully the Irish will have better luck next week as they travel to Lansing, Michigan for a game against the Michigan State Spartans.
Clearly Robinson is the story early in the season for the Wolverines. He had over 500 yards of total offense in today's game, and accounted for 3 touchdowns (1 through the air, 2 on the ground). He is going to be tough for Big Ten defenses to game plan for, and should give even the best defenses fits (Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa).
While Denard Robinson obviously was the player of the game, I think the most important player was probably Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist. Crist led the Irish to a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, and he made it look easy. Michigan's defense offered little resistance on the opening drive score. Then the Irish D forced a punt, and the Irish got the ball back. Expecting that Crist would come back out on the field, I was shocked to see Tommy Rees take the field on offense. At first the announcers made it sound like Brian Kelly had planned to get Rees in the game early, and when Rees was picked off on his first throw, I thought it was the dumbest coaching decision. However, it was later revealed that Crist needed to sit out with some kind of ailment that was affecting his vision. So Crist sat out the rest of the first half, while back-up QBs Rees and Nate Montana struggled to do much of anything. The Irish didn't score another point in the first half, although they should have kicked a field goal at the end of the first half instead of trying for 6 points from three yards out, and only 3 seconds left in the half. Notre Dame went to the locker room down 21-7 instead of 21-10, which would have been huge in the second half.
Crist played the second half, and the Irish offense looked very good. They scored on their first two possessions (a 53 yard TD pass to T.J. Jones, who actually dropped the ball in celebration before crossing the goal line, which is a stupid play that players seem to think is cool; and a field goal) to cut the lead to 21-17. The defense played inspired football in the second half, limiting Denard Robinson to smaller gains than he had in the first half, and forcing the Michigan offense into 2 missed field goal attempts.
The fourth quarter was pretty much a stale mate until about 4 minutes to go. The Irish got a stop near mid-field, and the Wolverines pinned the Irish down inside their five on the punt. A couple of plays later, Crist hooked up with TE Kyle Rudolph for a 95 yard touchdown pass to give the Irish the lead with about 3:30 remaining in the game.
Denard Robinson then led Michigan downfield for the go ahead touchdown run with only 27 seconds remaining in the game. The Irish had a chance to score at the end after a stupid late hit penalty on a Michigan DB gave the Irish the ball inside the Michigan 30 yard line with 6 seconds left. Now, if the Irish had kicked the field goal at the end of the first half, the score would have been 28-27 instead of 28-24. They had 2 timeouts, so they could have run the ball twice in the middle of the field, called quick timeouts, and trotted their kicker, who has a good leg on him, for the game winning attempt. They instead went for the touchdown at the end of the first half and failed. At the time it didn't seem like a big deal, and when the Irish went ahead late in the game I'm sure nobody really thought about it, but I'm sure Brian Kelly will think about that decision while looking back on this game. Crist eventually launched a pass out of the back of the endzone on the last play. Nobody had a shot to catch it, and the Irish took a tough loss.
To me, the outcome of this game would have changed dramatically had Crist played the entire first half. The offense works much better when he is in there. Notre Dame probably wins the game, and scores alot more points if he is able to play the first half.
All that being said, while I didn't enjoy the outcome of the game, it was still a heck of a game. I can see where both of these football programs are on the rise. I wouldn't be surprised to hear Denard Robinson's name in the Heisman talks in the coming weeks. Hopefully the Irish will have better luck next week as they travel to Lansing, Michigan for a game against the Michigan State Spartans.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Bears vs. Lions Preview and Predictions
I don't know about anyone else, but I cannot wait for this weekend to get here. Tons of great college football on Saturday (Alabama/Penn St., Florida St./Oklahoma, Ohio St./Miami, Notre Dame/Michigan, to name a few great games), and then the start of the NFL Regular Season on Sunday. The season actually kicks off on Thursday with the Saints and Vikings, but for the rest of the league, Sunday is the big day. With that in mind, I will be taking a look at the matchup for our Chicago Bears in week 1, the Detroit Lions.
Detroit should be much improved. In fact, many ESPN analysts have picked the Lions to finish ahead of the Bears in the division this season. This game scares me for a couple of reasons: 1) The Lions have alot to prove this year. They are young in the skill positions, and their defense, which has been awful in recent years, should improve with the additions made to their D-line. 2) The Bears offensive line is practically non-existant. The Bears gave up 19 sacks in four preseason games, during which they went 0-4. The preseason record doesn't concern me much, but the 19 sacks does. The whole league has noticed that the Bears cannot protect their QB's consistently, and I am sure the Lions improved defense will plan on sending the house at Cutler come Sunday.
So, let's take a look at each team, and then I'll make predictions about the outcome of Sunday's game.
Offense:
QB: Some might argue that Matthew Stafford is a better QB than Jay Cutler. That may eventually be the case, but for right now I'll give a slight edge to Cutler. He has more experience, and has shown that he is capable of playing well, and carrying his team with big offensive performances. We haven't seen that from Stafford just yet, but it's coming soon. Hopefully not this Sunday though. Advantage: Bears (slightly).
RB: The Bears have Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. Forte has shown he has regained his burst from his rookie season, and having a more than capable alternative in Chester Taylor should help the Bears reduce Forte's workload. They both looked pretty good during the preseason, and I was especially impressed with Taylor in the games I watched. The Lions have Kevin Smith, who ran pretty well last year, as well as rookie Jahvid Best. Best could quietly be a great player. He's fast, quick through the hole, and has great vision. The Lions have the two back tandem that most NFL teams are employing nowadays, and that will make their offense much more difficult to stop. Advantage: Even.
WR/TE: I think the Lions have the better receiving corps. Calvin Johnson is a beast. He's fast, he's tall, he has a great vertical leap to catch high passes and fades to the corner of the endzone, and he is difficult to tackle for any one DB. The Lions also picked up Nate Burleson, and have two great tight ends in Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler. They should be able to stretch the field, and have enough depth and skill to throw short over the middle with their TE's and RB's. The Bears receivers aren't as bad as everyone thinks, they just don't have that go to guy. Johnny Knox still looks like he'll be a good receiver, as he can stretch the field with his speed, and he makes tough catches as well. Devin Hester won't be a number one receiver, but in the Martz system could be used well in the slot. Devin Aromashodu is the X-factor here. If he can become a consistent big play receiver like he did in the last 4 games of last season, then the Bears receiving corps all of a sudden looks great. They still have Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark and Brandon Manumaleuna at tight end, but tight ends are used mainly for blocking in the Martz system. Advantage: Lions.
O-Line: I have to go with the Lions here. The Bears have just been too inconsistent. The Lions have Jeff Backus, Rob Sims, Dominic Raiola, Stephen Peterman, and Gosder Cherilus on their starting line. They certainly won't be the best line in the league by any stretch, but if they can block consistently, they will be alright. The Bears O-line (if you can call it that) consists of Chris Williams, Frank Omiyale, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis and Roberto Garza. They have been terrible from the opening snap of the preseason, and better figure things out quick, or Jay Cutler's life expectancy will go down by several years this season. Advantage: Lions.
Defense:
D-Line: The Lions have improved their D-line this season with the signing of Right End Kyle Vanden Bosch and drafting Ndamukong Suh at Defensive Tackle. Suh could be tough for the Bears to stop, and both of our tackles have been brutal, so I would expect a big game on Sunday from Vanden Bosch. The Bears should have an improved D-line with the signing of Julius Peppers and a healthy Tommie Harris, but so far they haven't really shown the improvement during preseason. Advantage: Even (Although we might see the Lions take the advantage on Sunday if the Bears O-line can't figure it out).
Line Backers: The Bears have way better linebackers than the Lions. Urlacher should be back healthy, eventhough he sat out the last two preseason games with a minor calf injury. Lance Briggs should be able to play this week, and Nick Roach is set to come back as well. Our backups have played substantial minutes, and played well too, so if any of the starters need to sit, Hillenmeyer, Tinoisamoa and Brian Iwuh should fill in well. The Lions have Julian Peterson, who has a high motor and good football IQ, but their other starters (Zach Follett and DeAndre Levy, shouldn't scare many teams. Advantage: Bears.
Secondary: This could be interesting to watch. The Bears have had a revolving door at the Safety position. Their starters for Sunday should be Chris Harris at Strong Safety, and rookie Major Wright at Free Safety. The Cornerbacks have not had a good preseason. Charles Tillman is getting old, and Zack Bowman makes too many mistakes in zone coverage situations. He also isn't the best cover man in man to man situations either, but the Bears don't have anyone better than him, so he gets the start. The Lions don't have anybody the Bears should game plan for in their secondary either. The cornerbacks are Chris Houston and Jonathan Wade, and the safeties are CC Brown and Louis Delmas. Delmas is a serviceable DB, but the rest I don't know too much about. I know the Lions have had enormous problems stopping the pass in the past few years. While I would expect that to improve, I don't think it will be because of their secondary. Advantage: Even (they are both equally mediocre to me).
Special Teams: The Bears have the better kicker in Robbie Gould (the Lions have Jason Hanson). Gould has been the most accurate kicker in the league under 50 yards since the Bears signed him, and last year he did finally make a couple of field goals over 50 yards, so that monkey is off his back. The Bears should have the better return men too (Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Danieal Manning). The Lions have Nate Burleson returning punts and Aaron Brown and Derrick Williams returning kicks. The Bears kickoff/punt coverage teams have been very good since Lovie has been head coach, and hopefully that will continue this season. Advantage: Bears.
Prediction: I still think this game is a toss up. In order for the Bears to move the ball and score offensively, they need their line to be alot better than it has been. If the line plays well, which I think they are due for at least an ok game, then the Bears probably win this game. My prediction: Bears win 27-21. I think Cutler will have a good game (250 yards, 2 touchdowns, less than 2 interceptions), and the rest of the team will do well enough to win the home opener.
I could be very wrong, but I think the Bears will play well in the season opener. If they lose to the Lions at home to open the season, they should start looking for replacement head coaches immediately (Bill Cowher, anyone?). That said, even bad football is better than no football. Glad to see Bears football is back. I will probably be doing weekly game previews for each Bears game, so feel free to comment, and leave your own predictions.
Detroit should be much improved. In fact, many ESPN analysts have picked the Lions to finish ahead of the Bears in the division this season. This game scares me for a couple of reasons: 1) The Lions have alot to prove this year. They are young in the skill positions, and their defense, which has been awful in recent years, should improve with the additions made to their D-line. 2) The Bears offensive line is practically non-existant. The Bears gave up 19 sacks in four preseason games, during which they went 0-4. The preseason record doesn't concern me much, but the 19 sacks does. The whole league has noticed that the Bears cannot protect their QB's consistently, and I am sure the Lions improved defense will plan on sending the house at Cutler come Sunday.
So, let's take a look at each team, and then I'll make predictions about the outcome of Sunday's game.
Offense:
QB: Some might argue that Matthew Stafford is a better QB than Jay Cutler. That may eventually be the case, but for right now I'll give a slight edge to Cutler. He has more experience, and has shown that he is capable of playing well, and carrying his team with big offensive performances. We haven't seen that from Stafford just yet, but it's coming soon. Hopefully not this Sunday though. Advantage: Bears (slightly).
RB: The Bears have Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. Forte has shown he has regained his burst from his rookie season, and having a more than capable alternative in Chester Taylor should help the Bears reduce Forte's workload. They both looked pretty good during the preseason, and I was especially impressed with Taylor in the games I watched. The Lions have Kevin Smith, who ran pretty well last year, as well as rookie Jahvid Best. Best could quietly be a great player. He's fast, quick through the hole, and has great vision. The Lions have the two back tandem that most NFL teams are employing nowadays, and that will make their offense much more difficult to stop. Advantage: Even.
WR/TE: I think the Lions have the better receiving corps. Calvin Johnson is a beast. He's fast, he's tall, he has a great vertical leap to catch high passes and fades to the corner of the endzone, and he is difficult to tackle for any one DB. The Lions also picked up Nate Burleson, and have two great tight ends in Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler. They should be able to stretch the field, and have enough depth and skill to throw short over the middle with their TE's and RB's. The Bears receivers aren't as bad as everyone thinks, they just don't have that go to guy. Johnny Knox still looks like he'll be a good receiver, as he can stretch the field with his speed, and he makes tough catches as well. Devin Hester won't be a number one receiver, but in the Martz system could be used well in the slot. Devin Aromashodu is the X-factor here. If he can become a consistent big play receiver like he did in the last 4 games of last season, then the Bears receiving corps all of a sudden looks great. They still have Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark and Brandon Manumaleuna at tight end, but tight ends are used mainly for blocking in the Martz system. Advantage: Lions.
O-Line: I have to go with the Lions here. The Bears have just been too inconsistent. The Lions have Jeff Backus, Rob Sims, Dominic Raiola, Stephen Peterman, and Gosder Cherilus on their starting line. They certainly won't be the best line in the league by any stretch, but if they can block consistently, they will be alright. The Bears O-line (if you can call it that) consists of Chris Williams, Frank Omiyale, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis and Roberto Garza. They have been terrible from the opening snap of the preseason, and better figure things out quick, or Jay Cutler's life expectancy will go down by several years this season. Advantage: Lions.
Defense:
D-Line: The Lions have improved their D-line this season with the signing of Right End Kyle Vanden Bosch and drafting Ndamukong Suh at Defensive Tackle. Suh could be tough for the Bears to stop, and both of our tackles have been brutal, so I would expect a big game on Sunday from Vanden Bosch. The Bears should have an improved D-line with the signing of Julius Peppers and a healthy Tommie Harris, but so far they haven't really shown the improvement during preseason. Advantage: Even (Although we might see the Lions take the advantage on Sunday if the Bears O-line can't figure it out).
Line Backers: The Bears have way better linebackers than the Lions. Urlacher should be back healthy, eventhough he sat out the last two preseason games with a minor calf injury. Lance Briggs should be able to play this week, and Nick Roach is set to come back as well. Our backups have played substantial minutes, and played well too, so if any of the starters need to sit, Hillenmeyer, Tinoisamoa and Brian Iwuh should fill in well. The Lions have Julian Peterson, who has a high motor and good football IQ, but their other starters (Zach Follett and DeAndre Levy, shouldn't scare many teams. Advantage: Bears.
Secondary: This could be interesting to watch. The Bears have had a revolving door at the Safety position. Their starters for Sunday should be Chris Harris at Strong Safety, and rookie Major Wright at Free Safety. The Cornerbacks have not had a good preseason. Charles Tillman is getting old, and Zack Bowman makes too many mistakes in zone coverage situations. He also isn't the best cover man in man to man situations either, but the Bears don't have anyone better than him, so he gets the start. The Lions don't have anybody the Bears should game plan for in their secondary either. The cornerbacks are Chris Houston and Jonathan Wade, and the safeties are CC Brown and Louis Delmas. Delmas is a serviceable DB, but the rest I don't know too much about. I know the Lions have had enormous problems stopping the pass in the past few years. While I would expect that to improve, I don't think it will be because of their secondary. Advantage: Even (they are both equally mediocre to me).
Special Teams: The Bears have the better kicker in Robbie Gould (the Lions have Jason Hanson). Gould has been the most accurate kicker in the league under 50 yards since the Bears signed him, and last year he did finally make a couple of field goals over 50 yards, so that monkey is off his back. The Bears should have the better return men too (Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Danieal Manning). The Lions have Nate Burleson returning punts and Aaron Brown and Derrick Williams returning kicks. The Bears kickoff/punt coverage teams have been very good since Lovie has been head coach, and hopefully that will continue this season. Advantage: Bears.
Prediction: I still think this game is a toss up. In order for the Bears to move the ball and score offensively, they need their line to be alot better than it has been. If the line plays well, which I think they are due for at least an ok game, then the Bears probably win this game. My prediction: Bears win 27-21. I think Cutler will have a good game (250 yards, 2 touchdowns, less than 2 interceptions), and the rest of the team will do well enough to win the home opener.
I could be very wrong, but I think the Bears will play well in the season opener. If they lose to the Lions at home to open the season, they should start looking for replacement head coaches immediately (Bill Cowher, anyone?). That said, even bad football is better than no football. Glad to see Bears football is back. I will probably be doing weekly game previews for each Bears game, so feel free to comment, and leave your own predictions.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Notre Dame vs. Purdue
This time of year is my second favorite time of year for sports. My favorite is the beginning of spring, with baseball starting and the NCAA basketball tournament running through the first week of April. The start of the football season is a very close second. Yesterday was week 1 of the college football season, which for many members of my family means getting pumped up for Notre Dame.
Last year the Irish went 6-6, and didn't go to a bowl game for the second time in three years. Charlie Weiss was fired as head coach, and Brian Kelly was brought in to run things. They have a new quarterback in Dayne Crist (in place of Jimmy Clausen), and a whole new offensive scheme that has worked extremely well at every stop in Kelly's career (most notably at Cincinnatti, where Kelly took the Bearcats to 2 BCS bowl games). There were lots of changes other than the coaching staff and the roster as well, and yesterday's game against Purdue was the first display of the new Irish for college football fans to see.
I was very impressed with the first game of the Notre Dame season. The defense looks much improved. Manti Te'o was a beast in yesterday's game, especially on halfback and wide receiver bubble screens. He read those plays extremely well, avoided blocks and made 3-4 great tackles that stopped big gains by the Boilermakers. Last year the secondary was porous. They gave up so many yards through the air last year. Against Purdue, I thought the secondary played very well. Darrin Walls had an interception in the first quarter, Gary Gray was all over the field (making big tackles, breaking up passes, and even batting a ball away that was eventually picked off), and the safeties played well too. The defensive line got a lot of pressure on the Pudue QB, especially in the second half. Ethan Johnson had two sacks, and seemed to be wreaking havoc on the line the whole game. Ian Williams had a sack from the Nose Tackle position, and he also had an interception off the batted ball from Gary Gray. The defense only gave up ten points as a unit, which is a great start to the season. They will be tested by an improved Michigan offense next week, so they need to take the momentum they generated from yesterday's season opener, and use it to their advantage in week 2.
The offense played well, despite a few miscues that could have put alot more points on the board. Dayne Crist ran the offense very well in his first true start for the Irish at QB. He was efficient, going 19 for 26 and 205 yards. He also threw a touchdown pass, and had no interceptions. He should have had three touchdown passes in my opinion. The obvious touchdown that should have happened would have put the game away in the third quarter. Michael Floyd caught a ten yard slant about three yards outside the endzone, and then fumbled the ball on his first step toward what would have been a put away score. The other touchdown that Crist missed out on was in the first quarter, when he missed a wide open Kyle Rudolph in the back of the endzone on a third and goal play. He did have a very nice touchdown pass to freshman receiver TJ Jones, who looked like a very strong option opposite Michael Floyd in the receiving game. A couple of things that Crist needs to work on are making quicker decisions with the football and thowing a better deep ball. Late in the game the Irish were trying to score to finish off Purdue, and Crist missed badly on a couple of long balls to Floyd (obvious overthrows). Overall though, Dayne Crist did an excellent job of leading his team downfield, and putting them in position to put alot of points on the board.
The running game was outstanding as well yesterday. Armando Allen had 93 yards and a touchdown on limited carries, plus a big punt return that set up a Notre Dame touchdown early in the third quarter. Sophomore halfback Cierre Wood also impressed, with 58 yards on 7 carries, and also a big kickoff return to give the Irish a little momentum after Purdue scored its only touchdown of the game. Brian Kelly called a terrific balance of run and pass plays, and once the running game took off, the offense looked very good. Hopefully with one game under their belt in the new system, they will be able to convert more touchdown opportunities in the next couple of weeks.
The Irish start off 1-0, which is always good. It could have been a blowout victory, and it probably should have been, but the point is to win the game, whether its by 1 or by 30. A good start to the Irish season could be made great with a rivalry win against the Michigan Wolverines next Saturday in South Bend. Go Irish!
Last year the Irish went 6-6, and didn't go to a bowl game for the second time in three years. Charlie Weiss was fired as head coach, and Brian Kelly was brought in to run things. They have a new quarterback in Dayne Crist (in place of Jimmy Clausen), and a whole new offensive scheme that has worked extremely well at every stop in Kelly's career (most notably at Cincinnatti, where Kelly took the Bearcats to 2 BCS bowl games). There were lots of changes other than the coaching staff and the roster as well, and yesterday's game against Purdue was the first display of the new Irish for college football fans to see.
I was very impressed with the first game of the Notre Dame season. The defense looks much improved. Manti Te'o was a beast in yesterday's game, especially on halfback and wide receiver bubble screens. He read those plays extremely well, avoided blocks and made 3-4 great tackles that stopped big gains by the Boilermakers. Last year the secondary was porous. They gave up so many yards through the air last year. Against Purdue, I thought the secondary played very well. Darrin Walls had an interception in the first quarter, Gary Gray was all over the field (making big tackles, breaking up passes, and even batting a ball away that was eventually picked off), and the safeties played well too. The defensive line got a lot of pressure on the Pudue QB, especially in the second half. Ethan Johnson had two sacks, and seemed to be wreaking havoc on the line the whole game. Ian Williams had a sack from the Nose Tackle position, and he also had an interception off the batted ball from Gary Gray. The defense only gave up ten points as a unit, which is a great start to the season. They will be tested by an improved Michigan offense next week, so they need to take the momentum they generated from yesterday's season opener, and use it to their advantage in week 2.
The offense played well, despite a few miscues that could have put alot more points on the board. Dayne Crist ran the offense very well in his first true start for the Irish at QB. He was efficient, going 19 for 26 and 205 yards. He also threw a touchdown pass, and had no interceptions. He should have had three touchdown passes in my opinion. The obvious touchdown that should have happened would have put the game away in the third quarter. Michael Floyd caught a ten yard slant about three yards outside the endzone, and then fumbled the ball on his first step toward what would have been a put away score. The other touchdown that Crist missed out on was in the first quarter, when he missed a wide open Kyle Rudolph in the back of the endzone on a third and goal play. He did have a very nice touchdown pass to freshman receiver TJ Jones, who looked like a very strong option opposite Michael Floyd in the receiving game. A couple of things that Crist needs to work on are making quicker decisions with the football and thowing a better deep ball. Late in the game the Irish were trying to score to finish off Purdue, and Crist missed badly on a couple of long balls to Floyd (obvious overthrows). Overall though, Dayne Crist did an excellent job of leading his team downfield, and putting them in position to put alot of points on the board.
The running game was outstanding as well yesterday. Armando Allen had 93 yards and a touchdown on limited carries, plus a big punt return that set up a Notre Dame touchdown early in the third quarter. Sophomore halfback Cierre Wood also impressed, with 58 yards on 7 carries, and also a big kickoff return to give the Irish a little momentum after Purdue scored its only touchdown of the game. Brian Kelly called a terrific balance of run and pass plays, and once the running game took off, the offense looked very good. Hopefully with one game under their belt in the new system, they will be able to convert more touchdown opportunities in the next couple of weeks.
The Irish start off 1-0, which is always good. It could have been a blowout victory, and it probably should have been, but the point is to win the game, whether its by 1 or by 30. A good start to the Irish season could be made great with a rivalry win against the Michigan Wolverines next Saturday in South Bend. Go Irish!
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