Big men, tight pants

The last time I wrote about our Chicago Bears for the Daily News, I sung the praises of a young Sid Luckman who thrilled the nation with his T-formation on the way to championship glory.  For the first time since Luckman dominated the 1940’s, Bears’ fans have something to get truly excited about regarding the quarterback position.  In trading for Jay Cutler, the Chicago Bears have themselves a state of the art quarterback for the first time since World War II.   It’s an odd feeling to be drooling about football ten minutes away from Major League Baseball’s opening day, but here we are…

Let’s just take a minute and chew on the many reasons that I was excited enough upon hearing of the Cutler trade that I had to immediately change (and launder) my shorts.

*Cutler is a 25 year old entering his prime.  He is coming off of a Pro Bowl season in which he threw for over 4,500 yards.  No Bears QB has ever thrown for more than 3838 in any...more

In 2006, the presence of Devin Hester turned the Chicago Bears from a decent football team into a Super Bowl contender. In 2007, the Hester advantage makes the Bears a mediocre football team instead of a bottom feeder (and that's not quite as much fun). Hester has now bailed out his squad twice this season, and the painful fact of the matter is that the Bears would only have 3 wins on the board if not for the skills of their heart stopping return specialist. In short, it is a miracle that the Bears are alive in the NFC wildcard race… but they are still alive.

With 5 games remaining on the schedule, the Chicago Bears remain in need of a few more miracles. As good as he is, Devin Hester can't do it by himself. With their backs against the wall, the Bears will probably have to win all of their remaining games to have a shot at the post season, yet they are still looking for their first winning streak of any kind… and now they've got to do it without their #1 running back? From just about all...more

I'm sure I'm not the only person with a million questions on his mind after the Bears 30-23 week 11 loss in Seattle.

Let's dive right in with the many questions surrounding the disappearing act of Cedric Benson. 11 carries for 89 yards? How can you justify handing the ball to Benson just 7 times after his dominant first quarter? Was Ron Turner in the crapper for Cedric's first two rushes?

It's pretty rare in sports when you see a team avoid a player with the 'hot-hand'… it just doesn't happen. Even a child in the early stages of his Madden Football video game playing career knows to stick with the plays and players that are getting results. Ron Turner and Lovie Smith's decision to swap Peterson for Benson was like pinch hitting for Darryl Strawberry with Homer Simpson, only with worse results.

What can you say about a team that wants to get off the bus running the football, yet puts the brakes on the running game when it finally starts rolling? Sometimes I feel like Ron Turner is the Chicago...more

What can I say… I'm a sucker for happy endings.

Our Chicago Bears sure orchestrated a happy ending in their 17-6 victory over the Raiders on Sunday, perhaps an ending compelling enough to force the casual Bears fan to check out next Sunday's edition and see where this story goes. Had the Bears finished their game against the Raiders the way they started it, it's safe to say that the book on the 2007 Chicago Bears would've been closed.

The truth of the matter is that Sunday's Rex Grossman led fairly tale ending in Oakland helped erase 57 minutes worth of a boring horror story against one of the worst teams in football. The Bears failed to exploit a soft run defense and again waited until the last minute to connect on the long ball. The defense looked solid (Adewale Ogunleye spent the afternoon in the Raiders backfield and all of the Bears linebackers handled their business), but how encouraging is it to shut down a team that would have trouble scoring against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish? The Bears victory over the Raiders on Sunday may have saved the...more

In Thursday's Chicago Tribune, Bears writer David Haugh wrote an article that called for the Bears to continue their evolution into a passing team. While Lovie might not love the idea of his Chicago Bears becoming an aerial circus, opening up their attack in the first half may be exactly what the Bears need… in more ways than one.

"…if the Bears insist on sticking to the mantra of getting off the bus running the ball," wrote Haugh, "they will be running in place in the race to the playoffs." Citing the glaring lack of a running game and the emergence of Brian Griese, Haugh seems to believe that the Bears need to air it out to pick up the slack for Cedric Benson if they plan to be in the mix in the NFC.

While I couldn't agree more with Haugh's assessment (as the Daily News' most recent podcast can attest) I believe that opening up the passing attack will also help the Bears become the type of team that Lovie has envisioned since day one. Throwing the ball more aggressively in the first half will not only help...more

Heading into their week 5 battle in Green Bay, the Chicago Bears had taken possession of the football 52 times in the 2007 season. Of those 52 offensive possessions, the Bears had committed 14 turnovers and gone 3-and-out 10 times. In short, the Chicago Bears had either coughed up the football or gone nowhere on 46% of their offensive possessions. Considering the offensive output from the first quarter of the Bears season, the 27 points that the Bears posted (20 second half) against a strong Packers defense on Sunday night could be considered an explosion.

Whatever you want to call it… Sunday's night showdown in Green Bay was a huge win for the Chicago Bears - a must win in October of all things - and a victory that may end up being the turning point for the 2007 Bears. Yes, it is always important (and fun) to beat the Packers, to win a divisional game on the road, and to narrow the gap between yourself and the division leader, but the reason that this win in Wisconsin could be a turning point comes from the road-map-to-victory that this game provided.

In...more

My only positive thought after the Bears primetime meltdown against the Cowboys… the Chicago Cubs have a 3 ½ game lead with 6 to play.  If the Bears don’t consider this Monday morning rock bottom, they are kidding themselves.

Something needs to be done.  Perhaps it’s time for Steve Trachsel to get a start, I don’t know.   You have to wonder… if the Bears don’t shake things up now, will they ever?

Cowboys 2007 Record: 2-0
(2006 9-7, fumbled chance to beat Seahawks in NFC Wild Card Game)

Cowboys Offensive Rank: 4^th --- Bears 30^th
(2006 5^th --- Bears 15^th)

Cowboys Defensive Rank: 26^th --- Bears 5^th
(2006 13^th --- Bears 6^th)

Cowboys PPG For/Against: 41.0/27.5 --- Bears 11.5/12.0

All Time Series:
The Bears/Cowboys rivalry predates the Beatles invasion of American. Since their first game in 1960, the Bears trail the all time series 8 wins to 12.

Last Meeting:
The Cowboys won 21-7 on Thanksgiving Day, 2004 in Texas Stadium.

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The Skinny…
The story of Sunday Night is a simple one. The Bears have a sub-par offense and a league leading defense. The Cowboys have a league leading offense and a sub-par defense. Long story short… something has got to give.

Behind Tony Romo, T.O., Jason Witten and a solid two headed backfield beast, the Cowboys have been able to move the ball and score at will against their first two opponents (Giants and Miami). No offense to the Giants and Dolphins, but life is not going to be...more

Just out of curiosity… are the Bears playing the San Diego Chargers again this week?  With all of the trash talk flying around it certainly seems like the Bears and the Chargers can’t stop thinking about each other.  For what it’s worth, I would like to start thinking about the Kansas City Chiefs… a team that is capable of winning in Soldier Field if the Bears don’t pay attention to them.

Without further ado, let’s forget about the mouthy Chargers and focus on the team that is coming to town on Sunday…

 

 

 

Chiefs 2007 Record: 0-1

(2006 9-7 >AFC Wild Card Birth - lost to Colts<)

 

Chiefs 2007 Offensive Rank:...more

The title of this article says it all; the Chicago Bears opened the 2007 campaign by coughing up the football more times (4) than the total number of points they scored (3) against the Chargers.  To add insult to injury, the Bears also may have lost Mike Brown for the season to yet another leg injury.  As far as opening day ceremonies are concerned, the Bears celebration didn’t last very long.

With expectations as high as ever at Halas Hall and beyond, it’s safe to say that there are some serious concerns after the Bears week one loss.  Below is a list of the top 5 reasons that the Chicago Bears (and their fans) might have some trouble sleeping until next Sunday.

1)      Cedric Benson’s 2.2 yards-per-rush

Cedric Benson wanted to be...more

The days between Lance Briggs' appearance in Super Bowl XLI and opening day 2007 have been filled to the brim with quality lessons for kids of all ages in the Chicagoland area and beyond. During his holdout, Lance showed our children that if you don't like the rules of the game you've agreed to play, you should just pick up your ball and go home. After the way he has handled this week's automotive incident, Briggs has shown our shorties that if an accident does occur, fleeing the scene, lying and covering your tracks are acceptable options (as long as you are a sure handed tackler with the speed and skill to excel in the cover-2 defense).

Nobody saw me crash my big wheel Ma… or maybe the neighbor's kid stole it… either way, you can't prove a thing!

Of course, Briggs' car contained no canine corpses or shotguns, so his incident pales in comparison to the big news of the day and will be forgotten. There is no doubt Briggs will be embraced in Chicago as soon as he makes his first big play - he will be...more

Just in case you are not in football game shape yet, here is your friendly reminder that the Chicago Bears kick off their pre-season schedule with a game against the Texans in Houston @ 7:00pm on Saturday night. Though the Bears are once again returning a heap of starters, keep an eye on the following new faces on Saturday in Houston. If these new guys can step up and deliver, 2007 could be even more fun than 2006.

1) Garrett Wolfe - The Bears have drawn some criticism for spending a third round pick on the undersized back from NIU, but the front office sees Wolfe as a player who could contribute right away. There is no doubt that Wolfe's speed will create some mismatches, but the big question seems to be if the 5'7" back can stand up to the punishment in the NFL. 2^nd string tailback Adrian Peterson will also be a critical part of the Bears offense, but Wolfe could develop into a true homerun hitter out of the backfield. You can never have too much speed on a football field, and Garrett Wolfe gives the Bears another burner on...more

From everything I've heard concerning the early stages of life in Bourbonnais, the Bears offense hasn't had much trouble moving the ball against the team's vaunted defense. Devin Hester has been electrifying, Rookie Greg Olsen seems to be as good as advertised, and Cedric Benson's performance has kept the chatter about Thomas Jones to a low roar.

While it's always nice to hear about the Chicago Bears moving the football… I'm not sure if I should be overly excited about the Bears offense or concerned about the defense.

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Much like Tank Johnson's career in Chicago (and spot on the Gurnee PTA board); the Chicago Bears depth issues at defensive tackle are now a thing of the past. The Bears made a trade with the Eagles to acquire the services of DT Darwin Walker on Sunday. Walker, who has spent his entire career in Philly, is strong against both the run and the pass and should wind up starting opposite Tommy Harris on the Bears line. There is no doubt that Walker's addition will make the Bears a deeper and more talented football team, and his presence will give...more

The toughest man ever to go by the name of Lance will play for the Bears again in 2007.

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Though it may have snuck up on many football fans, it is probably not a shocker to hear that the Bears are set to report to training camp in Bourbonnais this Friday.  What may come as more of a surprise is that Lance Briggs will be attending camp with his Chicago teammates.  Long story short… Lance Briggs did what he vowed he would never do; Briggs will play for the defending NFC champion Bears for one season at $7.2 million under the team’s franchise tag.  I can’t say that I am surprised at the flip-flop; playing football for $7 million seems like a lot more fun than his alternative… playing checkers for nothing with Drew Rosenhaus. 

It’s somewhat mind boggling to think of everything that has gone on this off-season.  What a circus it has been just to get to where we stand today, but what the hell… let’s play some football.

While few experts would call their off-season moves earth shattering, the Bears seem to be...more