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(12/15/14 5:54pm)
I’m going to be honest. When I started the semester at IU and joined WIUX, I had never written my own blog before—but knew I wanted to start one. I chose to create “DA BLOG” because I had high hopes for the 2014 Chicago Bears. I thought to myself, What else could be easier than writing about Chicago’s resurgence, climbing its way back to the top of the NFL? Obviously, things didn’t turn out how I anticipated, but can you blame me for having such high hopes in September?
Flashback to the beginning of the season… Brandon Marshall claimed Jay Cutler would be this year’s MVP... Although it sounds ludicrous now, at the time it was admirable. Cutler recently signed the largest contract in Bears history; in 2013 the offense was the second-highest scoring unit in the NFL and everyone expected continued growth in this second year under Marc Trestman.
Although the defense struggled in 2013, there were “decisive” moves made by GM Phil Emery in the offseason to bolster that group. He brought in a handful of new defensive coaches as well as a number of new players: Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen, Ryan Mundy and Willie Young, to name a few. All of these additions were supposed to at the very least make the Bears’ defense average. And that was fine, because with the high-powered offense the Bears’ were supposed to have, they didn’t need a “great” defense. Everything was looking great; the 2014 season was filled with promise … but what happens when things don’t go according to plan?
Enter present day … Halas Hall is a complete disaster with every fabric of this team unraveling to threads. Last year’s “Happy-Jay” is starting to seem more like a show that Cutler put on in order to get his big pay day, because this year he has without a doubt regressed back to “Grumpy-QB”. I’ll admit that I have been one of the supporters of Jay since his arrival in Chicago, but enough is enough. Chicago Bears fans, you deserve more than Cutler. Maybe it starts with No. 6, as Cutler has half of No. 12 Tom Brady’s heart and desire and a third of No. 18 Peyton Manning’s wit and gumption. The point is: Bears fans deserve more than a fraction of a quarterback.
You know what makes me laugh? “Perseverance: Life Lessons on Leadership and Teamwork”, the title of a book by Head Coach Marc Trestman. Why? Because his team is lacking the perseverance, leadership and teamwork it takes to be successful in the NFL. Trestman has as much control over his staff and players as a pilot trying to control a plane spiraling out of control. His leadership style is questionable at best, and he fails to motivate his football team as week in and week out his players are apathetic and lacking any spirit in their play.
Trestman’s staff is starting to act out as well. After the loss to Dallas, offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer told NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport that the Bears are having “serious buyer’s remorse” about the seven-year, $126 million the team offered Jay Cutler. But wait, there’s more. After initially denying the report, Kromer apologized to both Cutler and the offense in a meeting this week. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said “Kromer made an emotional and tearful apology.” Two players told Biggs that this is the most “(messed) up” situation they have seen in an NFL organization. Is this the Chicago Bears or the cast of “Days of Our Lives”?
Where do we go from here? Here’s how I see it. If Phil Emery wants to keep his job, he needs to admit two mistakes. The first, hiring Marc Trestman. (Shame on you for passing on Bruce Arians). The second, signing Cutler to that colossal contract (Think about all of the talent that $126 million could have bought). Although this would put the organization two steps back, I believe it is necessary to take the next step forward. It is one thing to admit the mistakes, but how do you correct them?
Fire Marc Trestman and his staff. Some people believe he should get one more year to prove this year was an anomaly. I couldn’t disagree more. With everything that has transpired, there is absolutely no way this season is a fluke. Everything from Brandon Marshall calling for a fist-fight against a Detroit Lions fan on Twitter, Aaron Kromer reaching out to the media to criticize his own quarterback, or simply the inept play of Trestman’s offense has created a losing culture within the organization that can only be corrected with a fresh start. There are some promising candidates out there for the job. One coach in particular I would like to see brought in is Adam Gase. Gase is the current offensive coordinator for Denver who has had success with Peyton Manning and a great mentor in Jon Fox.
Trade Jay Cutler. I am sure there is a team out there that would trade for Cutler. To be honest, I don’t care if the Bears only get a fifth round draft pick in return. Getting rid of Cutler and his huge cap hit provides more room to grow for this team moving forward. Looking around the league, there aren’t many quarterbacks who are available that I would want under center in Chicago. So, I propose the Bears make one of the boldest moves in franchise history. In the 2015 NFL Draft, which will be held in Chicago, the Bears need to do whatever necessary to draft Oregon QB Marcus Mariota. This is feasible because the team with the top spot in the draft will either be Jacksonville or Oakland, who have their young quarterbacks already with Derek Carr and Blake Bortles, respectively. If Phil Emery wanted to, I’m sure he could find a way to draft Mariota.
Having a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback might look like two huge steps backwards for the Chicago Bears, but their current state of affairs dictates that major changes are needed in order to return to winning football. As I said earlier, Chicago Bears fans deserve better. But hold on tight, because it’s going to be a long, bumpy journey on the road to restoring pride in the Windy City.
Follow Will on Twitter @DeWittYourself
(12/04/14 4:58pm)
Entering this week, the Chicago Bears’ chances of reaching the playoffs are slim to none, but that doesn’t mean it’s time for these Bears to enter hibernation just yet. Instead, it’s time to find out what the current coaches and players are made of.
There is no question that there will be changes before next season. What exact changes will take place? That all depends on how this team performs down the stretch. A lot of people believe that Chicago is too talented and should be much better off than it currently is, but I argue that maybe this is not the case. On paper, yes, the Bears have offensive talent. But that talent hasn’t translated into points, with the Bears averaging only 21 points per game. Something is holding this unit back. On the defense, this team is lacking talent at every level—whether it be the defensive line, linebackers or the secondary. There isn’t enough talent on the defensive side of the ball to compete against the high-powered offenses in the NFL.
This week, I had the privilege to talk with someone who is familiar with the Bears organization, Adewale Ogunleye. Ogunleye, who was recently inducted into the Indiana University Hall of Fame (Class of 2014), was defensive end. He started his professional career with the Miami Dolphins, but was traded to Chicago in 2004 and played six seasons with the Bears. He finished his career with 389 tackles, 67 sacks and 17 forced fumbles. Here is his insight on the current state of the Chicago Bears.
Three & Out with Adewale Ogunleye
WD- Since defense is your expertise, I will stick to that side of the football. What do you believe is the reason why this Bears unit has struggled the past two seasons?
AO- The Chicago Bears defense is lacking leadership and playmaking ability. When I watch that unit, I don’t see the fire that is needed to play defense in the NFC North. It takes pride and a whole lot of hustle to win in this league, and I don’t see it. Also, it doesn’t seem like the current players have bought into Mel Tucker’s system. It’s a shame because there are some talented guys on that unit.
WD- You played under Coach Lovie Smith, what do you believe he would have done to assist this unit if it was struggling like this when he was in charge?
AO- It’s hard to put Lovie Smith into this scenario. But knowing him… I don’t see his defense allowing two 50-point games back to back. He would have been so ashamed of that type of effort that I’m sure someone would have lost his starting position. That probably would have opened some eyes and the guys would realize that type of effort was unacceptable in the Windy City.
WD- Lastly, Lance Briggs is officially done for the year, and a lot of reports say that he could have played his last game in a Chicago Bear uniform. Can you comment on how Lance was as a teammate? What was it like playing with a potential Hall of Fame linebacker in Chicago?
AO- Lance Briggs was one of the greatest linebackers I have ever seen. He was such a good teammate. He has a big heart and will support anything you ask him to. I hope he hasn’t played his last down in Chicago… but if he has… It was one hell of a ride and I was honored to have a front row seat for six seasons.
This week, the Bears play the Dallas Cowboys in their second-straight Thursday game. Hopefully, the outcome is better than the beating they took on Thanksgiving. To be honest, I don’t what type of performance to expect from the Bears, but it will be interesting to see if this team will go down swinging, or if it gives up on the remainder of their season. Tonight’s when we start finding out.
My Pick
‘Boys-31 Bears-21
Side Note: It appears that the Bears will be without Robbie Gould (NFL’s 8th Most-Accurate Kicker in History) for the first time since 2012 as he is currently inhibited by a groin injury. They tried-out rookie punter Pat “Megapunt” O’Donnell in practice, but decided to sign veteran Jay Feely instead. Feely has kicked for 13 seasons in the NFL. Throughout his career he has made 329 field goals on 398 attempts.
Follow Will on Twitter @DeWittYourself
(11/23/14 3:24pm)
After two horrendous outings in which the Bears lost by a combined score of 106-37, Chicago found a way to get its first victory not only in the month of November, but at home this season. The Bears need to continue to improve this week when some familiar foes return to Chicago on Sunday.
Welcome Back Lovie Smith!
His nine-year tenure with Chicago resulted in three division titles, two NFC Championship appearances, and one Super Bowl appearance. Although Smith never won a Super Bowl here in Chicago, he is still regarded as one of the top coaches in Bears history. “Lovie Smith should be remembered as one of the great coaches in Chicago. George Halas, you have Mike Ditka, and Lovie Smith comes next”, stated Chicago’s Lance Briggs this week.
During his time in Chicago, Smith was renowned for his cover-2 defense and his famous line that will forever be embedded into the minds of Bears fans, “Rex Grossman is our quarterback.” Speaking off Grossman, who is by the a way Bloomington native, Chicago’s anemic offense under coach Smith would be his inevitable demise. Although he was fired by the Chicago Bears after a 10-6 season, he has no regrets and looks back fondly at his tenure with the team. “ I’m proud of everything we were able to do,” Smith said, “ I loved my time there. I loved the organization that I worked for and the opportunity that they gave me.”
Welcome Back Josh McCown!
Although his time was short in Chicago, Josh McCown holds a special place in Bears history. His eight game stint last year was one of the best played by any quarterback in the entire history of the Chicago Bears. Last year he was better than Jay Cutler in every statistical category (13TD, 1INT, 109QBR) and some (myself included) would argue he led the team more efficiently than Cutler as well. While Cutler is known for his poor demeanor, McCown is praised for his leadership.
Returning to Chicago to play his former team is exciting for McCown, “I’m looking forward to it; it’s fun. I have so much love for all those guys up there,” said McCown, “It makes it more fun because you know how they’re going to prepare and you know they’re going to give you their best.
Bottom Line
Although making the playoffs seems like a long shot for the Chicago Bears, they are still statistically in contention, therefore; every win counts. Playing against his predecessor, Marc Trestman needs to come out victorious over Lovie Smith for not only respect from Smith, but for the respect of his players like Lance Briggs who still have high regards for their former coach. Chicago shouldn’t have a problem defeating the lowly Buccaneers. There have been reports of Marc Trestman’s seat starting to get warm and a loss to a (2-8) Bucs team coached by Lovie Smith would make his seat red-hot.
My Pick:
Bears 28 - Bucs 27
Follow Will on Twitter @DeWittYourself
(11/16/14 6:42pm)
Well, where do I start? No seriously, I have been sitting here for five minutes trying to think of a clever way to make light of the Bears’ situation, but it’s simple. This football team, for lack of a better term, “sucks”. After the performance against Green Bay, it is evident that this team has some serious issues. Here’s the breakdown.
Defense:
Add the 2014 Chicago Bears to the all-exclusive club, “Defenses Who Gave Up 50 Points in Consecutive Games”; joining the 1923 Rochester Jeffersons as the only football teams in NFL history to accomplish this level of mediocrity.
Aaron Rodgers threw for six touchdowns in the first half. The NFL record is seven for a single game! Don’t believe for a second that the Bears’ defense played better in the second half. Even in a bitter-rivalry, Mike McCarthy somehow felt kind of “bad” for Chicago, as he let off the gas, and sat Aaron Rodgers shortly into the third quarter. If Rodgers wanted to, he probably could have thrown six more and obliterate the current record.
The defensive performance was lacking in every way possible. There were blown assignments, missed defensive calls, and the unit as a whole played with lack of heart. That’s just to name a few, but this was an embarrassing performance for a franchise that has prided itself on defense. It wasn’t that long ago when Bears fans would be outraged if they saw a Bears’ defense give up 21 points in a single game. Since Marc Trestman has become head coach, the defense has given up 30.4 points per game. The year Lovie Smith was fired, his defense only gave up 17.3 PPG.
Offense:
Now here’s a brainteaser. How does a lineup of Martellus Bennett, Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall continue to struggle week in and week out? The answer: Jay Cutler. More and more he has to be making the Bears regret signing him to that massive deal in the offseason. If you go back to last season during the stretch of games where this offense was “dominant” it was with now Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown. Who, by the way, isn’t playing too bad for Lovie Smith this season. Cutler has and will always hurt the offense more than he helps it. Yes, at times he does look “brilliant” and “elite” but more often than not he plays an average game cluttered with turnovers, including numerous interceptions and costly fumbles in the pocket.
With the season all but lost, Chicago should do an experiment. Bench Cutler and let Jimmy Clausen play. It may sound absurd, but let me explain. Jimmy Clausen was the top quarterback in the country coming out of high school. He played three years at Notre Dame and was a second round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2010. In his rookie year, Clausen played 13 games for a team who finished with the worst record in football. With the number one pick of the 2011 draft, the Panthers selected Cam Newton and so Clausen’s days starting were immediately over as a Panther.
Why not play Clausen? Either way the season is all but over and by playing him the Bears can find out if the problem is Cutler or not. Jimmy Clausen has the pedigree, he could develop into a decent quarterback, but the only way to find out is by giving him a chance to prove himself. Maybe the former Fighting Irish quarterback can bring some luck to the Bears offense?
Coaching:
Oh, Captain, My Captain! That seems to be the reoccurring theme from all of the players after the loss. Giving nothing but praise for Marc Trestman. Brandon Marshall during a radio show on ESPN 1000 called him “our guy”. All of these bids of confidence are a result from the number of questions players are receiving on whether they think he should be relieved of his duties. Of course players won’t tell the media directly if they dislike their coach, but one has to wonder how many players on the team have lost faith in Marc Trestman.
What is disturbing is the fact that Marc Trestman’s persistence that no change is necessary. That the Bears need to just continue to put in effort and will eventually work their way out of this slump. That simply doesn’t cut it, somewhere the Bears need to make a change because this team is headed in the wrong direction.
Now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for. I have come up with a theory on why Marc Trestman as of right now won’t win a championship in the city of Chicago. Inspired by the current month of “Movember”, otherwise known as “No Shave November” I give you, the Facial Hair Theory!
Every head coach to win a championship in Chicago sported iconic facial hair at one time or another. For Super Bowl XX, the Bears had Mike Ditka with his trademark moustache. For the Chicago Bulls Dynasty, Phil Jackson had a dynasty of a mustache. Currently, the Blackhawks have Joel Quenneville and his mustache winning two championships and aiming for a third. So come on Marc, grow that `stache back!
Yikes! Maybe Not! I’m not sure what is more hideous: Trestman’s mustache or the performance of his football team.
Oh yeah, there’s a game Sunday. The Bears host the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears have yet to win at home this season. My guess is that doesn’t change this week. With the Bears putting little effort on the field, I guess it’s acceptable to put little effort into this week’s pick.
My Pick
Vikings 51 (Why not) – Bears 10 (Garbage-Time Points)
Follow Will on Twitter @DeWittYourself
(11/09/14 1:09am)
Coming off the bye week, the Chicago Bears are hoping to “find themselves” in the second half of the season, according to Marc Trestman. After an embarrassing performance against the Patriots, a game in which everything that could possibly go wrong happened, the Bears are currently in the basement of the NFC North with eight games remaining. Things do not get any easier this week as the Bears travel to Lambeau Field for their second game against the Green Bay Packers.
These two teams faced each other back in Week 4 when the Packers routed the Bears 31-17. Let me take you back to that game. Coming into the game Chicago was 2-1 winning two straight games, while Green Bay was only 1-2 and Packer nation was at a panic. Aaron Rodgers picked apart the Chicago secondary (302 yards, 4 touchdowns), while Jay Cutler committed multiple turnovers on critical possessions.
Since that game both teams’ seasons has gone in opposite directions. The Bears have lost three out of their last four and the Packers have won three out of their last four. This could only be a coincidence, but I argue that the game was one of those “tone-setting” games for the season. Just look at how both teams have faired. In addition to the wins and losses, it’s obvious that Green Bay plays with much more confidence than Chicago and this should be evident on Sunday Night. The story should stay the same: Rodgers is now 10-2 against Chicago and Cutler is 1-9 against the Packers and is still winless in Green Bay. It’s hard to go against those numbers.
Chicago’s defense get’s Lance Briggs back this week and to be honest I am unsure if this is a good or a bad thing. I understand that he is the longest tenured Bear on the defensive side of the football, but I have serious doubts on whether his heart is in the game. This week Briggs admitted that this will more than likely be his last year in Chicago and there has been numerous reports on his displeasure with Marc Trestman. I haven’t seen him play with the same intensity I used to and I believe that he might cause more harm than good, especially considering the Bears defense lacks athleticism, speed, and intensity.
On the other hand, I am excited to see more of Willie Young. Young is starting in place of Lamarr Houston, who ruptured his ACL celebrating his first (and now only) sack of the season. While Houston has been a disappointment, Young has been one of the nice surprise pickups by the Bears and it will be interesting to see how he does playing more snaps. Young has seven sacks on the season and at least he understands how to celebrate without hurting himself. Young loves fishing, and after each sack he shows off his abilities by “air-casting” a fishing pole. Hopefully, Bears fans can see plenty of that celebration for the remainder of the season.
Looking at this week’s game, I hope for the best but do not see how Chicago can come out with a victory. Who knows? Maybe the Bears will find a way to win this game and carry the momentum as they march to claim a Wild Card spot? Or maybe they will be blown out again like they were against the Patriots and everyone will open their eyes and understand that the Bears aren’t who we thought they were (Insert Dennis Green rant here), that Chicago is just an average football team with a lot of work needed in order to become competitive against teams like the Patriots and Packers.
My Pick:
Packers 34 – Bears 21
Follow Will on Twitter @DeWittYourself
(10/24/14 2:51pm)
After another disappointing loss, the Chicago Bears have yet to find a win at home. In fact, the Chicago Blackhawks have won more games than the Bears at Solider Field in 2014. This has become frustrating for players as well as fans. Boos could be heard coming from the stands. This didn’t sit well with some of the players, and right guard Kyle Long called boos coming from their own fans “unacceptable”.
What is unacceptable is a team with this type of talent, especially on the offensive side of the ball, having a hard time performing on Sundays. After the loss, yells could be heard coming from inside of the Bears locker room. Reports came out that some teammates were screaming at one another and some players had to be removed from the situation. This outburst is a sign of a frustrated team that understands that they should be playing much better than they have this season. Brandon Marshall summed it up well, “We need to play better. That's unacceptable. That's unacceptable. Unacceptable. Shouldn't have lost today. Shouldn't be 3-4. Offense gotta play better. It's as simple as that."
The question remains: Will this bring the team together or tear them apart? It all depends on how the players react to adversity. Marshall believes that they have the right guys and on his weekly appearance on “Inside The NFL” he had this to say, “The problem right now is that we are not performing to our ability. We just need to gel, we need to continue to come together, but the time is now. We are halfway through the season and if any locker room has the guys to get it done, we do… We can get this thing turned around.”
Lovie Smith, the former head coach of the Chicago Bears was fired after a 10-6 season. Marc Trestman is below .500 in his career, but somehow he never seems to find any criticism. This may be due to his offense that usually performs well, and it might hide the fact that he is merely only an average head coach. His team is more talented than any team Lovie fielded, but the results have been mediocre. It is time for Trestman to step up and find a way to make his team perform on Sunday. Regarding the locker room outburst, former Bear Brian Urlacher believes it would not of occurred if Lovie Smith was still head coach. “When I was there we had different leaders and that would never happen. Lovie would have never let it happen,” Urlacher said during an interview on the "Kap & Haugh Show".
Some have already questioned if Trestman’s team lacks leadership. Did you know that this season, the Bears rotate their team captains each week? That’s right, instead of having a core group of leaders, the Bears insist that everyone should share the “captain” duty. This actually creates a lack of leadership. If everyone can be a leader any week, then there is no value in being one. Instead of earning a leadership role, players are just given the opportunity. Who will players look up to when the game, or even the season, is on the line? As of right now, it looks like no one.
Hall of Famer Mike Ditka believes that leadership is an issue for the Bears right now and he disagrees with Trestman appointing captains. “I didn’t appoint the captain; they elected the captain. I didn’t believe in appointing a captain. The players know who they want to follow on that football team. So I put it to a vote, and that was it,” stated Ditka, in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times.
Maybe Trestman is too nice of a guy to coach in the NFL. He tends to care more about making each individual feel special and cared for instead of wins and losses. In the NFL, wins are everything. Trestman needs to understand this and adjust how he goes about his job
Adjusting the offensive scheme might not be a bad idea as well. With more than a year’s worth of tape on Trestman’s offense, opposing teams know what to expect when facing the Bears. This has become evident the past couple of weeks. The Bears have found themselves having a difficult time not only moving the ball downfield, but finding the end zone. It looks like Trestman is calling mostly the same type of plays from week to week, and in the NFL, you simply cannot do that. Trestman and his offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer need to find a way to adjust their scheme to their opponent each week and attack their weaknesses, or at the very least run some plays they are not expecting.
Where does Jay Cutler stand in all of this? After one of his career best performances, Cutler simply didn’t play up to par against Miami. He only could manage 190 yards on 34 attempts, and had three turnovers. So far this season, the Bears opponents have scored 37 points off of Cutler’s turnovers. His inconsistences are starting to become a real problem and could haunt the Bears down the road. It appears that he has shied away from Alshon Jeffery. Jeffery has only seven targets or less in all but one game this season. He had 13 receptions back in week 3. It is worth considering that perhaps Jeffery is still bothered by the hamstring injury he had during the early part of the season. Or maybe he is not getting open? Either way, they need to find a way to become productive.
Are the Bears still in the playoff hunt after starting the season 3-4? Can they find a way to “gel” like Brandon Marshall said? The jury is still out, but things do not get any easier as the Bears are playing Tom Brady and the New England Patriots this week. Trestman will have his hands full with trying to find ways to score points against one of the stingiest defenses in the league. A win this week puts them at .500 headed into the bye and would provide some much-needed momentum for the second half of the season. One final question remains: Can the Chicago Bears turn it around before it is too late? We all know Brandon Marshall believes they can. Bears fans better hope he’s right. The Super Bowl might not be won in October, but it can surely be lost.
My Pick:
Patriots 31 – Bears 21
Follow Will on Twitter @DeWittYourself
(10/18/14 2:53pm)
Bears Win Big in ATL
After dropping two straight games, the Chicago Bears found themselves victorious with a road win against the Atlanta Falcons putting them back at .500 with a 3-3 record.
For the first time this season, the duo of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery came up in a big way. They each had over 100 yards receiving helping their teammate Jay Cutler throw for the most yards in a single game as a Chicago Bear (381). Although he only threw one touchdown, Cutler played an outstanding game with zero turnovers. The Bears needed “Good Jay” to show up, and that he did. This is arguably the best game Cutler has had in a Bears uniform.
A big concern headed into the game was the Bears’ linebacker unit as they were without their top four linebackers. They started the combination of Khaseem Greene (last year’s fourth round pick), Christian Jones (an undrafted rookie) and Darryl Sharpton (added to roster days before the game). This starting combination had Bears fans worried about the already injury-ridden defense. To much surprise (and delight), this group played a solid game and in some ways was an improvement over the Bears’ starters. It will be interesting to see what the coaching staff does moving forward with this group. Lance Briggs and DJ Williams have looked slow this season, and last week the young guys were noticeably faster at attacking the football. The coaches have to seriously consider playing the young group moving forward.
Bears hope to “Phin-ish” Miami
This week the Miami Dolphins (2-3) will head to Chicago where they will play the Bears. Last week Miami nearly beat Green Bay, but Aaron Rodgers won the game with a last minute touchdown. Miami is a tougher opponent than their record shows, and this appears to be an interesting matchup as both the Dolphins and the Bears are looking to move up in their respected divisions.
Miami’s strength so far this season has been on the defensive side of the ball. The unit ranks in the top 10 in most major defensive categories including sacks and quarterback hurries. The defense will surely challenge Jay Cutler, as they are one of the better pass rushing teams. Last week, second year pro Jordan Mills, who is Chicago’s starting right tackle, struggled in pass protection. Surely the Dolphins will put the pressure on him hoping to get to Cutler.
Matt Forte has been busy putting up big numbers both as a runner and a receiver. He leads the NFL with 46 receptions and is on pace for 1,000 yards on the ground and through the air. All of the talk in Chicago has been focused on whether or not Cutler can have an MVP season, but most people are overlooking what Forte has done. His season has been brilliant thus far and if he keeps up this pace, then maybe the talk will shift to Matt Forte for MVP.
W2W4
Bears’ O-Line vs. Dolphins’ Pass Rush
The Dolphins’ front seven is a nasty group who play hard on every play. They are one of the better teams at rushing the passer, and with a Chicago line that has been anything but consistent, this proves to be a matchup to watch. If Chicago can keep Cutler clean then he and the rejuvenated duo of Marshall and Jeffery can excel. If Cutler is hurried too much, look for him to revert into “Bad Jay”. Everybody knows the disaster that can lead to.
Bears’ Linebackers vs. Dolphins’ Offense
With the Bears’ starters at linebacker still bothered with injuries, it will be interesting to see if the young group can have another good outing. We will find out Sunday whether or not last week’s game was a fluke. Look for Ryan Tannehill to challenge the young linebackers early with a bunch of crossing routes in the middle of the field.
Final Score
Bears 27 Dolphins 24
I want to answer Your Questions! Send me a question via Twitter @DeWittYourself with #DaBlog and I will pick one question every week to be featured on the blog!
(10/11/14 1:11am)
Bad News Bears
For the second straight game the Chicago Bears have found themselves in the loss column, falling to the Carolina Panthers 31-24 after leading the game 21-7.
This was a game that Chicago should have won, especially if you consider the fact that the offense had 347 total yards but only managed to put up 24 points. The offense looked stellar in the first half, but could not sustain that momentum, as the Panther defense seemed to have figured them out. Jay Cutler continues to baffle Bears fans with his play. Some drives he looks unstoppable and others he does things that remind fans of Rex Grossman. His QBR was pretty good with a rating of 95.5 and he completed 78% of his passes, but he still could not find the end zone in the second half, which was ultimately the deciding factor in the game. It hasn’t helped that his go-to target Brandon Marshall has continued to struggle for the third game in a row.
After a poor performance against Green Bay, the Chicago Bears’ defense held their own against the Panther’s offense. The scores they did give up were a result of bad starting field position. The second round pick, rookie Ego Ferguson, has quietly had a good start to his career and last week he stuck out with multiple pass deflections at the line of scrimmage. One even resulted in an interception by teammate Lance Briggs.
Raising Hell in ATL
The Bears will travel to the Georgia Dome to face the Atlanta Falcons (2-3) for their Week 6 matchup. This game premiers two of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL with the Falcons’ Roddy White and Julio Jones to go along with the Bears’ Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.
Facing his former team, the Falcons’ Devin Hester will play with a chip on his shoulder. He already has one return touchdown on the year and would love to score another one against the team he played on for nearly a decade. The Bears special teams unit has been not so “special” in both the return game and in coverage. Going up against the former Windy City Flyer will be the biggest challenge for the unit this season. Although he never panned out as a wide receiver in Chicago, Hester has clicked with Matt Ryan and has 14 catches for 212 yards and one score on the season. This has been somewhat of a surprise considering Marc Trestman did not see him as an NFL receiver and relieved him of those duties last season.
W2W4
Julio Jones vs. Bears Secondary
Julio Jones is an amazingly talented receiver and could possibly be trouble for the Bears’ secondary that still is dealing with injuries. If the pass rush fails to find Matt Ryan, Jones could have a field day picking apart the secondary that also has to account for fellow receiver Roddy White. Look for Jones to stretch the defense most of the game.
Jay Cutler vs. Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler’s biggest enemy so far this season has been himself. He needs to find a way to have a complete game. He has to stay away from forcing unnecessary passes at inopportune times. His decisions have cost the Bears two games (Buffalo, Carolina). He has been paid like an elite quarterback and the Bears need him to perform as such. Look for Cutler to challenge a secondary that has been average against the pass, but also watch to see if he can manage the game and steer away from the crucial interceptions that Bears fans know all too well.
Final Score
Bears 34 Falcons 31
I want to answer Your Questions! Send me a question via Twitter @DeWittYourself with #DaBlog and I will pick one question every week to be featured on the blog!
(10/05/14 3:40pm)
Houston, We Have a Problem
After two straight wins on the road, the Chicago Bears were blown out at home by its rival the Green Bay Packers with a final score of 38-17.
Aaron Rodgers extends his record against the Bears to 10-2 and had a field day (302yd-4td) against the Bears’ defense that did not produce one sack, turnover, or even a punt. The Bears offense didn’t do them any favors and could not keep up with the Packers. Jay Cutler reverted into his former self, throwing two interceptions on critical drives.
Defense has been a point of emphasis in Chicago after a historically bad defense last season, but has it really improved? Statistically, the defense is slightly improved and has played a huge role in both of the Bears victories this season, but when it was crunch time against not only the team’s biggest rival, but also the defending division champions, the defense was torched on every level. The Bears spent big money on Lamarr Houston to bring a physical presence to the defensive line, but he has been quiet thus far this season. He wasn’t even on the stat sheet against the Packers. That means no tackles, no quarterback hurries, nothing. Someone is to blame, but it is too early in the season to put it on anyone in particular. Bears fans can only hope Houston remembers that he is not in Oakland and has much higher expectations playing in the Windy City. The Bears put a lot of faith (money) into him. He needs to perform at a much higher level, or else Houston—and the Bears—will have a problem.
Thankfully, there were some positives to build off of after such a disappointing loss. The running game found its way into the Bears offense for the first time all season. Forte racked up 122 yards on only 23 carries with an average of just over five yards per carry. Speaking of carries, rookie Ka’Deem Carey had his first touches as a pro churning for 72 yards.
Carolina on their Mind
The Bears will travel to Carolina to face the 2-2 Panthers for their Week 5 match-up. Although they don’t play each other every year, these teams are familiar with one another. Their head coach, Ron Rivera, was the Bears defense coordinator for many years before getting the job in Carolina. Also, their tight end Greg Olsen is a former Chicago first round pick and was arguably the Bears’ best receiver during his tenure in Chicago.
Carolina has had some bad luck with injuries this season with both of their top running backs (De’Angelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart) ruled out for the game on Sunday. Darrin Reaves will get the start at tailback; this will be his first start as a pro and was signed off of the practice squad just two weeks ago. His backup will be Chris Ogbonnaya who was just picked up off the street on Monday. This should be good news for the Bears defense as they look to improve from their poor outing a week ago. Cam Newton has been dealing with an ankle injury himself and this has limited the Panthers’ offense considerably. If Newton’s ankle feels better the Panthers will open up the playbook and run some read-option. They were excellent at it a year ago, but with Newton’s ankle being an issue they have steered away from that approach.
Nobody will question that Marc Trestman is an offensive mastermind, but is he an average head coach? He had some god-awful decisions last season that most fans shrugged off because it was his first year as a head coach in the NFL, but has he learned from his mistakes? If last week’s game was any indication, the answer is a flat-out no. Last week he made a few questionable decisions. First, he did not challenge an obvious first down that occurred right in front of him. Second, in their final drive of the first half, the Bears were driving into Packer territory. The Bears had all of their timeouts; they used one with 56 seconds remaining. They ran the ball deeper in Packer territory, but Trestman let the clock run to 26 seconds until he called another timeout—wasting about 25 seconds. The end result was the Bears going into the half empty-handed with a play that was just inches short of the goal line. Thirdly, he threw a challenge flag on a play that was automatically reviewed in the booth, a decision that cost the Bears a timeout in the second half. All of these decisions have to raise the question if Trestman is cut out to be head coach. Trestman has done great things with the Bears offense, but he still needs to become a much better game manager, learn from his mistakes and grow as a head coach.
W2W4
Bears Run Game vs. Carolina Defense
Last week the Bears got the running game going for the first time all season. This needs to continue this week against a Carolina defense that has given up almost 400 yards on the ground over the past two weeks. They should continue to feed Forte the ball in order to win time of possession. Look to see if rookie Ka’Deem Carey continues to have a role in the offense building off of last week’s success.
Cam Newton vs. Bears Secondary
If Cam Newton’s ankle is still an issue, the entire offense will lean on his arm because of the Panther’s injuries at running back. If Newton can do what Aaron Rodgers did against this unit a week ago. the Bears are in serious trouble. Hopefully with a bad taste in its mouth, the secondary gets it together and will hold Newton to reasonable numbers. Watch for Newton to pick on the Bears’ nickel corner Isaiah Frey, as he has been a weak spot in the defense in the two games he has played.
Final Score
Bears 24 Panthers 21
Fan Question
This weeks question comes from Brandon Hazlett (@b_haz_it_all )
How much did the Bears miss Jared Allen against the Packers and how big of an impact will he have next week?
Great question, Brandon. I believe the Bears missed Jared Allen considerably last week against the Packers. Especially if you take in account that when he is on the field, he almost always gets a double team against him, leaving someone with a one-on-one matchup. Without Allen in the lineup, the Packers line was able to focus on the other linemen more, which obviously was an issue for the Bears, who failed to tally a single sack. If Allen plays on Sunday, look for him to at the very least attract that double team and create more favorable matchups for the Bears defense.
I want to answer Your Questions! Send me a question via Twitter @DeWittYourself with #DaBlog and I will pick one question every week to be featured on the blog!
(09/26/14 11:52pm)
By Will DeWitt
Bearing the Storm
A win’s a win, and although it wasn’t always pretty, the Chicago Bears came out with their second straight prime-time win on the road when they defeated the Jets at the Meadowlands on Monday night 27-19.
The Bears started off hot with a 45-yd pick-six by safety Ryan Mundy on the game’s first drive. That was followed by a quick touchdown strike between Jay Cutler and his tight end Martellus Bennett, set up nicely by a recovered fumbled punt. All three phases started the game so hot that things could only get colder for the Bears.
Speaking of cold: The Bears running game is freezing! Matt Forte struggled for his second straight game with only 33 yards on the ground. Don’t put the blame all on Forte, look at the offensive line. The Bears are without two of their starters, Roberto Garza and Matt Slauson, due to high ankle sprains. These injuries create a weak spot as the Bears are forced to start back-ups at the center and left guard positions, respectively. This has made it difficult to open holes for Forte to run through, and has led to the Bears being one-dimensional, leaning on Jay Cutler’s arm, so far this season. Thus far, the outcome hasn’t been terrible, but the Bears need to find ways to move the football on the ground if they want to be a true play-off contender down the road.
Although the Bears defense played well, it is concerning to see all of the injuries pile up, especially in the Bears secondary. The Bears have injury concerns all over but the secondary has taken a huge blow by losing Charles Tillman for the remainder of the year. Now with injuries to three safeties: Ryan Mundy, Chris Conte, and Danny McCray, the Bears have to be concerned with the overall health of their secondary moving forward.
Packer Week
Week four brings the biggest challenge of the Bears young season. The division champion Green Bay Packers head to Solider Field on Sunday afternoon to renew the best rivalry in football. The Bears should have something to prove playing the team that knocked them out of playoff contention a year ago in the regular-season finale with a last minute touchdown. Yes, the Packers are only 1-2 on the season. Yes, they are struggling to put points on the board, ranking 27th in scoring. And yes, they are fifth in the league with points allowed giving up 26.3PPG. But I have two words: Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers always seems to have the Bears’ number and is 9-2 when playing against them. With the amount of injuries in the Bears secondary, Rodgers will look to test the group early and often. Throughout this week, Rodgers has prepared knowing that he will be facing players with little experience, or, if the starters can play, he knows they won’t be 100% and will want to put the pressure on them.
Jay Cutler has some injuries to deal with of his own, and for what seems like the first time they are not his injuries. Instead, he has to handle injuries to both of his Pro-Bowl receivers Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall. Although they have played with injuries the last two games, Marshall seemed obviously troubled by his ankle last week, and it could be an issue again this week. Jeffery, on the other hand, seemed a little quicker than he did against San Francisco, and hopefully he can be even closer to 100% on Sunday. Cutler has done well so far this season tossing nine touchdowns compared to only two interceptions, which both came in the first game of the year. If he can continue playing this type of football and steer away from those heart-breaking Cutler-esque interceptions, the Bears should be able to put up some points against a Packer defense that has been average at best.
W2W4
Bears’ O-Line vs. Packers Hybrid Front
This is the week the Bears offensive line needs to find a way to get the run game going. This proves to be a difficult task against a hybrid defense that plays with two defensive linemen and five linebackers including the rejuvenated former Bear—Julius Peppers. It will be interesting to keep on eye on the protection schemes the Bears use to compensate for their injuries. Look for linemen Eben Britton (number 62) to come in as an extra blocker on multiple downs.
Aaron Rodgers vs. Bears’ Secondary
Aaron Rodgers will look to attack the depleted Bears secondary. If he decides to pick on rookie CB Kyle Fuller, however, look for Fuller to make a special play. Throughout his first three career games, the rookie has 19 tackles, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and four pass deflections. This is the matchup that makes or breaks the game. If the Bears can find a way to slow down Rodgers’ attack, they will come out with victory.
Final Score
Bears 27, Packers 24
I want to answer Your Questions! Send me a question via Twitter @DeWittYourself with #DaBlog and I will pick one question every week to be featured on the blog!