Bears Buzz? More Like Bears Bust

Jay Cutler admits the Bears were embarrassed on Sunday.  Well, um, duh.  I would hope so.  Anger after the jump.

The only people who might have appreciated Ron Turner's play calling were Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.  It's easy to make an assistant coach the fall guy, but when the offense he oversees ranks 14th and 18th over the last two years in points scored.  Want to go back to his first stint as Bears offensive coordinator?  You would probably rather not.  Trust me.  In 1995, an offense led by Erik Kramer, Rashaan Salaam and Jeff Graham ranked 8th in points scored and 9th in total yards. In his other three years at the helm, Chicago ranked 24th, 24th and 26th in points scored and 28th, 23rd and 21st in total yards.

So, maybe it shouldn't come as a surprise when Turner's offense treats us to draw plays on third and long and various throws to the flat to players who shouldn't be running routes in the flat in the first place.  But there are two plays that summarize the Ron Turner Era.

Play No. 1 is the inside handoff to Garrett Wolfe out of the shotgun formation.  Garrett Wolfe -- who is listed at 5-foot-7 and 171 pounds -- should not be running anywhere near the interior line.  There is no analogy to help describe how stupid the concept of Wolfe running into the teeth of a defensive line where the average defensive lineman is almost three times the size he is.  There just isn't ... and that's coming from the king of silly analogies.

Play No. 2 is the failed running back screen.  Are the Bears the only team in the National Football League that cannot properly execute that play?  The Packers ran it successfully with Edgar Bennett for crying out loud.  Why can't the Bears run it with -- well -- anyone?  It's a shame, because when executed, it could be a play that could be good.  Instead, I feel as if the Monsters lose more yards on that play than they gain.

In Turner's defense, he hasn't been blessed with Peyton Manning, Randy Moss and (the real) Adrian Peterson ... but even if he did have all three, he'd still find a way to blow it.  It's Ron Turner, I would expect nothing less.

Then there's the Bears Cover 2 defense, which played more like the Cover No One defense.  It was pathetic.  It isn't 2006 anymore, teams with innovative offensive coordinators and/or players that don't suck have figured out where the holes in the defense are.  And when it comes to the Bears' defense, there are plenty of holes.  But I'm not sure whether or not the holes are because of the players or the schemes in which the players play in.

OK, maybe the scheme is a problem -- but it's not as much of a problem as the lack of fundamentals on the defensive side of the ball.  Poor footwork.  Worse tackling.  No pressure on the quarterback.  No successful run blitzes.  I know Chicago misses Brian Urlacher, but unless they had 11 players of Urlacher's caliber on the field, it wouldn't have mattered.  Right now, the Bears have guys who should be relegated to back-up duty at six different positions -- including both safety spots and two linebacker positions.  That's not going to yield nothing more than good offensive days even from football's most mediocre teams.

Then there was the Cedric Benson debacle.  There was just so much I was discouraged by.  Whether it was the slurp job given by the FOX broadcast team or the memories I had of Benson flopping with the Bears, it was painful to watch.

And then when Benson kept it coming late in the fourth quarter, it bugged me to no end.

The man that took himself out of the Super Bowl was so damn willing to play meaningless minutes in a blowout.  That's all you need to know about the kind of person Cedric Benson is. 

He could go on and rush for 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, but he'll never be a winner.  Ever.

Despite the blow out, there is still some good news to report.

There are still 10 games to be played this season.  The Bears should pick up wins next week against Cleveland (1-6), Winnable games include next week's match-up at home against Cleveland (1-6), Week 13 at Soldier Field against the Rams (0-7) and Week 17 against the Lions (1-5) in Detroit.  Games against Arizona (Week 9), San Francisco (Week 10) are also winnable.  The Bears' biggest challenges come in the form of road games at Minnesota (Week 12) and at Baltimore (Week 15).  Also in the remaining games is a grudge match against the Packers at home and a game against the Philadelphia Eagles -- a Sunday Night showdown that will hopefully end better than the last two Bears showings on NBC.

All is not lost on this season, just a Week 7 match-up against the Bengals.

Bears Buzz: Damned In The Dome

Dave Kaplan used 97 words to describe Jay Cutler's on-field performance in Sunday night's 21-14 loss against the Atlanta Falcons.  He used 110 words to describe Cutler's post-game performance.

Yep.  It's going to be one of those kinds of Mondays in Chicago.

There might be nothing that annoys me more than annoyed members of the press.  How many times have we as fans heard media members complain about how a player or coach responds poorly to a loss?  In my eyes that's a good thing. 

As a fan, don't you want your players to be as ticked as you are after a defeat?  I do.  It shows a sense of accountability -- that what they do on the field is more than just something that pays the bills and garners groupie love.  Growing up in Santa Claus, Ind., Cutler was raised a Bears fan.  After learning that Josh McDaniels wanted to bring in his secret lover former quarterback in New England, Cutler bitched and moaned until he became a Bear.

Just like John Elway bitched and moaned his way out of Baltimore.  Just like Eli Manning whined his way out of San Diego and into New York.  (Seriously, Eli, WTF where you thinking?  San Diego had sunny weather, pretty girls and a healthy LT.  All for the sake of marketability. Really?  I digress.)  From now on, I don't want to hear anyone from the Chicago media complain about a player's post-game presser unless they say something offensive, fraudulent, explicit or so-damn-funny it needs to be on YouTube immediately.

If it doesn't fall under those categories, I don't want to hear Chicago's finest bitch and moan about someone bitching and moaning.

Want something to bitch about?  How about the running game?  Better yet, how about the lack of a running game?

Where have you gone Matt Forte?  One fumble all of last season, then to have two in one red zone drive hurts.  The first fumble was a slap to the face.  A wake up call that Forte is not an impenetrable force.  A reminder his hands were not made of Stick-Em.  The second fumble.  Well, that was like a kick in the nuts.

This is where it would be great if the Bears had a better than average back-up running back.  If anything, the NFL is a copy cat league, so I'm trying to figure out why the Bears haven't put used the copy and paste method on this ideology.  Each of the NFC's first place teams have a dynamic duo of backfield.

Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor in Minnesota.  Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw in New York.  Reggie Bush, Mike Bell and Pierre Thomas in New Orleans.  Frank Gore and Glen Coffee in San Francisco.

The Bears have Forte and ... "The Other" Adrian Peterson?  Garrett Wolfe?  Those names haven't excited anyone outside of Georgia Southern or Northern Illinois University upon graduating and moving on to the NFL.  Chicago could have selected Coffee in the third round, but instead went with the guy whose claim to fame is jumping out of a swimming pool. 

The career expectancy of a running back is short.  Forte's shelf life is probably going to take a hit because all the hits he takes.  Maybe a fresh tailback gets into the end zone on that leap to cross the goal line.

Maybe a better offensive line gets a push.

Just a thought.

The Bears defense played well.  Not well enough.  That touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez was too easy.  How hard is it to cover a team's most dangerous red zone target?  Hard enough where there wasn't a single Bears defender in the 770 or 404 area codes on the play.  And where was the red zone "D" on Michael Turner's touchdown scamper.

Northern Illinois University can still bite a fat one as far as I'm concerned.  (Still bitter about being put on that waiting list even though I really always wanted to go to SIU.  I'll tell that story one day.)

Anyone know whether or not Gaines Adams is going to make the transition to linebacker because that is where the Bears truly need help.

In the end, this TBDS Tweet said it all.

I think you get the picture.

Bears Buzz: Can Bears Fly By Falcons?

Bears Buzz is the new segment which provides insight, analysis and below-the-belt shots at Chicago's opponents throughout the year. After a bye week, the Chicago Bears march into Atlanta to take on the Falcons.

 

Da Bears roll into Atlanta for a prime-time match-up on NBC against the 3-1 Falcons.  The Bears' biggest challenge will be trying to slow down the incomparable Mike Vick, who John Madden famously said is good because he knows how to use his hands and feet at the same time.

Wait.  What?  You say Mike Vick is an Eagle, not a Falcon.  Sorry.  I got my birds mixed up.  Let's try this again.

There was plenty to smile about after the Chicago Bears' 48-24 dismantling of the Detroit Lions in Week 4.  Then the bye week came.  And at 3-1, the Bears will face a challenge the team has yet to face this season.


A well-rounded football team.

Had you told me in 2004 that Northern Illinois grad Michael Turner would be one of the NFL's best running backs in 2009, I would have laughed at you and besmirched the name of Huskie football.  By now, I would have thought Turner would have been running a gas station somewhere just outside of DeKalb, Ill., but instead, "The Burner" has made quite a name for himself in Atlanta.

Last season, Turner justified a contract as hefty as his belly with a career year as he rushed for 1,699 yards and 17 touchdown runs.  There's an old saying in Chicago that talks about the Bears coming off the bus running.  You can say the same about the Falcons and the tandem of Turner and Jerrious Norwood.

For the Bears to win this game, the Brian Urlacher-less defense must not allow the Falcons' bus drive to open the doors.  If anything, maybe Lance Briggs can slash the tires or something.

The problem with that ideology is it will force Matt Ryan to drop back, wind up and heave it down the field.  Last year, that would not have been much of a problem because the solution to stopping the Atlanta's aerial assault was rolling the DBs over to Roddy White's side of the field.  That solution is no longer viable because tight end Tony Gonzalez lurks in the middle of the field.

Gonzalez is second on the team in receiving yards and has a pair of reception touchdowns so far this season.  He is the security blanket Ryan did not have as a rookie.  It's the fall back plan the Bears currently do not have an answer for on defense.  Do you stick him man-to-man with Lance Briggs or do you leave Briggs to lock his eyes on what is happening with Turner and the rest of the Falcons' backfield.

Unlike last season when Bob Babich's defense looked dazed and confused, the Monsters are actually living up to their namesake under Lovie Smith.  The defense has only allowed 19.5 points per game and has forced two turnovers in each of the three victories.

Conversely, the Atlanta defense has forced 9 turnovers in the team's four games this season, spearheaded by four takeaways in the season opener against usually sure-handed Miami and three more against a disciplined 49ers squad.

The Bears have only turned it over twice since the Opening Night debacle at Green Bay.  Since then, Jay Cutler has thrown 7 touchdowns against only 1 interception.

Football is the most simple of all the professional sports, for success can be found in a three-step formula.

• Run the ball
• Stop the run
• Pressure the quarterback
  

Last season, Forte garnered 110 total yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns against the Falcons.  It's the kind of performance the Bears could use again in the Georgia Dome.  Forte rushed for 121 yards against the Lions last week, but with a patch-work offensive line, even you can rush for 100 yards.  So, while offensive coordinator Ron Turner looks to fire up Forte, the Bears "D" will look to stump the talented Mr. Turner.

The Bears have allowed only an average of 93.5 yards per game on the ground.  In that time they've faced a bevy of talented running backs such as Ryan Grant, Willie Parker, Rashad Mendenhall and Kevin Smith.

But before giving Chicago the edge, take the following into consideration.

The Steelers were without star safety Troy Polumalu.  The Seahawks were without quarterback Matt Hasselback.  The Lions were without Barry Sanders.  (They're the Lions -- they just plain suck.  Who else did you want me to say?  Herman Moore?  Scott Mitchell?  Wayne Fontes?)  It was a good thing to see the Bears took advantage of the short-handed bunch and pick up three wins after falling apart in Week 1.

Hopefully, this prime time affair ends with less tears and more cheers (and beers) for Chicago's finest.

Bears Buzz: They Are Who We Thought They Were (And They Still Suck)

Bears Buzz is the new segment which provides insight, analysis and below-the-belt shots at Chicago's opponents throughout the year. This week, the Detroit Lions reverted to their old ways.  Not that it wasn't expected, and believe me, no one in Chicago minded.

The numbers were deceiving.

The Lions ran 18 more plays, gained 122 more yards, converted 11 more first downs and possessed the ball for 13 more minutes.

And they still lost.

Welcome back to reality, Detroit.

Jay Cutler completed 18 of 28 passes (64 percent) and threw for only 141 yards and posted a passer rating of 100.4.  I'm unsure how I should feel about Cutler some times because he's not putting up the gaudy numbers I expected him to put up upon arrival in Chicago.  An aerial attack it has yet to become with Cutler under center.  For the most part he has played right into the hands of Ron Turner's inept, yet somehow, efficient offense.  Last year, Bears fans would have thrown a parade down Michigan Avenue had the team scored three red zone touchdowns in a game.  Now, they're ticked if they have to settle for a field goal.

And the Bears didn't need lengthy scoring drives, especially not when they were starting every other drive in enemy territory.  In fact, only one player touched the ball on the team's longest scoring drive of the day.  Johnny Knox, welcome to the good life.

In the first half, it looked like a professional football team lined up opposite of the Bears.  Then, the real Detroit Lions showed up.  You know, the ones that was win-less 19 of its last 20 attempts.  Yeah, those guys.

The Lions performed like a typical Ford product.  After losing its luster in the first-half, Detroit crashed, burned and was deemed as a complete and utter wreck in the second half.  It was reminiscent of how most Ford owners feel after purchasing their new ride only to watch it fall apart as soon as it leaves the lot.

Matthew Stafford threw for 296 yards and a touchdown, living up to the billing of why he was the No. 1 overall pick in last year's draft.  But after he was injured on being sacked by Adawale Ogunleye, on came Dante Culpepper.  In 2002, that would have meant doom.  But without Randy Moss, the one-time Madden cover boy was subdued.  So was the rest of Detroit's offense.  Running back Kevin Smith's existence became neutralized because he was nowhere near the goal line as he rushed for only 30 yards.  The Lions went three-and-out on three of their four third quarter possessions.  All that added up to scoring three measly points after intermission.

The Bears' offense wasn't much better at times in the second half.  However, Chicago was without it's top wideout in Devin Hester.  What's Detroit's excuse?

Oh, wait.  They're the Lions.

Thom Brenneman and the FOX broadcast team gushed over how confident the Lions were coming out of the gate.  They played like the kid who finally got laid after a lengthy drought as they made up for lost time, taking advantage of their emotional high.  But when they looked in the mirror, it all fell apart.  It won't be long before Detroit will be calling Washington out for another bail out plan as the Cowardly Lions will face Pittsburgh and Green Bay before hitting the bye.

Then everyone can strap themselves in for what will be the worst professional football game in the history of pro ball as the Lions host the St. Louis Rams.

First team to get into the red zone wins.  Deal?

Oh yeah, Robbie Gould, thanks to your 14-point week (and 52-yard field goal), you helped my fantasy team avoid complete embarrassment as you outscored Marques Colston and Darren McFadden. Unless Percy Harvin and Minnesota's defense go ape shit, while Adrian Peterson sits out thinking there will be a playoff game in The Dome tonight, I'll fall to 1-3 on the season.  Oh, and I have Donald Driver too.  Can you say conflict of interest?

Dear Matt Forte, 

Thanks for showing up to the party.  And double thanks for not showing up empty handed.  Please make this a weekly occurrence. 

Sincerely,

Bears fans

Bears Buzz: Cutler's Clutch Performance, Forte's Fantasy Value & Seattle's Sickening Unis

Bears Buzz is the new segment which provides insight, analysis and below-the-belt shots at Chicago's opponents throughout the year.  Come on a journey, won't you...

After being spotted with a 13-0 lead, the Seattle Seahawks were reminiscent of the staggering drunk girl at last call.  Their jerseys made them unwatchable, but you couldn't help but to keep your eyes on them as you awaited their next ill-fated step toward failure.  LOL at Seneca Wallance for thinking he was back at Iowa State during the first half.  LOL louder at T.J. Houshmandzadeh who talked like Chad Ochocinco on Wednesday and played like he was worth ochenta y cinco centavos on Sunday.  (That's 85 cents for those of you who are not Spanish speaking members of the TBDS community.)  Houshletdadogsout showed why Jerry Angelo he did not want to sign a No. 2 receiver to a contract worthy of a No. 1 guy.  That's what he wanted to do all along, right?

Where are the Jay Cutler jersey burners now?  Oh, right.  Still in Denver.  Gotcha.  I didn't want to give you an "I told you so" speech, but whenever someone starts a sentence like that you know you're going to get one anyway.  It doesn't take a Harvard Law degree to figure out that Cutler was going to be more like the guy who helped win the Bears' Week 2 match-up against the Steelers than the guy who played like he and Rex Grossman played life swap.

My only mistake might have been trusting numbers too much not to start Cutler on my fantasy team.  The Seahawks defense looked like a statistical inpenetrable wall against the pass.  A closer look would have revealed that the QBs they faced were St. Louis' Marc Bulger and San Francisco's Shawn Hill.  It's not like they went up against Peyton Manning or Tom Brady.  If anything, Cutler's Week 3 performance might serve as a boost to quarterbacks of the NFC West.  I'm sure Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are licking their chops awaiting their shot at Seattle's shoddy secondary.


And to think Cutler has yet to be spectacular in Chicago.  This week he threw for 247 yards, which ranked 13th among starting quarterbacks and has yet to throw for 300 yards.  But what he has lacked in eye-popping numbers, Cutler made up in accuracy, perserverence and a will to win.  Something that hasn't been found in a Chicago quarterback since Sid Luckman Jim McMahon. After struggling in Week 1 with a Rex Grossman-like 43.2 QB Rating, Cutler has posted back-to-back 100+ QB ratings, including a 126.4 mark which ranked him behind Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers this week.

Oh, and if you're looking ahead in the schedule, Cutler and the Bears' next five opponents rank in the bottom half of the league's defensive standings in regard to passing yards per game allowed and total passing yards.  Arizona, Detroit and Cleveland rank 19th, 28th and 31st in points per game allowed.

There's no way Cutler finds his way on my fantasy team's bench during that stretch.

Matt Forte picked up 106 yards of total offense Sunday as he produced his first double-digit fantasy week of the season.

It's still not good enough.  Especially for a guy who was a consensus top-5 fantasy pick.

The Bears are no longer the team that comes running off the bus.  With Cutler under center, the Bears have an added dimension to an offense that has been quite offensive to the eyes in recent years.  Having Cutler on the team is a gift and a curse of sorts to Forte.

No longer does the second-year back out of Tulane have to carry the bulk of the offense as he is no longer the focal point of the team's offense.  However, team's are still treating him that way -- and that is one of the reasons Cutler can spread the ball around to Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, Greg Olson and others.

But could Forte be fighting through a sophomore slump?

Sure.  It's possible.  But the reason could be that teams are so focused on stopping him, they passing offense is getting away by sneaking past a bunch of drawn-in defenders.  Forte should bounce back against the Detroit Lions next week, a team that won its first game since December 2007 and allowed Forte to rush for 126 yards and a touchdown in the last match-up between the two bitter NFC North rivals.

In the end, the Bears and their fans don't care about putting up numbers as the team is more concerned with putting up letters.  Preferably, 'W's.