SB Nation - Garrett Wolfe

How the Bears can move up in the 2010 NFL Draft

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:00:16 -0000

by Jason DeCrow - AP

With no first or second round picks thanks to the Jay Cutler and Gaines Adams deals, getting an impact rookie will be challenging, but not impossible. The Bears need to find a way to get into the first or second round, and then of course, not whiff on the picks. The Bears currently have one pick in the third through seventh rounds for a total of five picks. As far as I can tell the most picks you can start draft day with is ten, but you can wheel and deal once the draft starts to get as many as you want. The Bears need to do what ever they can to get ten draft choices before draft day in order to maximize their dealing capabilities.

Looking over the Bears roster you'll see plenty of players under contract that shouldn't be a part of their future. Some players will have to be cut, but some have enough value to pick up a late round pick. Jerry Angelo (if he's still the GM this off season) has to deal away some dead weight. Just remember, making trades in the NFL isn't like other sports, player movement through trades just doesn't happen that often, but Angelo will have to thoroughly explore all possibilities. And the biggest thing he must consider is he may be drafting for the last time in Chicago, so if the opportunity arises use some of the 2011 draft choices to help get some picks in 2010.

One thing to keep in mind when dealing away some of your depth is the special teams will suffer. But with Dave Toub coordinating that phase of the team it's a chance you have to take. I'll speculate on some possible moves the Bears could make.

A) Nathan Vasher has a big money deal, but could be moved because he has had some past success. All you need is one GM to think a change of scenery could revive his career. Someone will want a former Pro Bowl corner, and a change just may do him good. Depending on the timing of the deal you could possibly get a fifth or sixth round pick for him. If the Bears could squeak out a few reps at free safety for the "Interceptor" it could help his trade value or if he fills in adequately at corner for a game or two they'll see his value go up, maybe as high as a fourth round pick.

B) I know the Bears were burned by trading away a safety a few years ago in Chris Harris, but it's clear the Bears are moving forward with Al Afalava as the strong safety. He outplayed Kevin Payne to win the job, but Payne has starting experience on his resume. He has some value around the league. The Bears seem comfortable with Craig Steltz backing up SS, so moving Payne makes sense right now. Depending on team needs this off season the Bears might end up with as high as a fifth round pick for him.

C) With Greg Olsen winning the starting tight end job from Desmond Clark, and with the emergence of Kellen Davis as a serviceable back up, Des Clark is expendable. Neither Olsen or Davis can block as well as Clark, but blocking is something they can improve on. Remember Clark was a wide receiver at Wake Forest and worked to become a better than average blocker. You need your reserve tight ends to be core special teamers and Clark doesn't fit that. If he fully recovers from this years injuries and finishes strong he might bring you a fourth round pick. Besides this season, he's been a reliable starting tight end for the Bears, and even though Clark is an 11 year vet he could be a starter for another team.

D) Garrett Wolfe, currently on IR because of a lacerated kidney, is expected to be ready for full participation come this off season. It should be with another team. For what ever reason the Bears have never been able to find a way to fit him into the game plan. He's excelled on special teams the last couple years and in his limited time with the ball in his hands this year he's been ok. With Jones expected back next year in some role and Khalil Bell able to fill the special teams spot of Wolfe, the Bears need to float Wolfe's name out there to gauge his value. At most I think they could get a fifth round pick for him, but their probably more likely to get a sixth.

The next two players I'll throw out there I really can't see traded, but you never know. Trading away players of their stature is difficult because one side will never feel truly compensated in any deals that may get to the table.

E) A popular name that is mentioned in trade speculation by many fans is Tommie Harris. With his production coming no where near his contract, moving him could be next to impossible. He has however, started playing better of late. Here's the question to ponder; If Harris is 100% and playing like the Tommie of old do you still want to trade him? If he has a strong finish to the year and they decide he isn't worth the risk, they could get a third (maybe a second) round pick for him if the right situation arises.

F) Before the recent drama surrounding Brian Urlacher I never would have even considered trading him away. But with him dropping those quotes for the Yahoo Sports piece, I could see him moved. Now finding someone that would want to take on that contract is another thing entirely. With his recent injury history teams may shy away from him, but there will be a few organizations that'll show interest. If his wrist heals properly, and all indications are that it will, he could fetch as high as a second round pick.

* Of course any of these players and any future draft choices could be used to pick up a legit number one wide receiver. In that case, picking up a guy like Brandon Marshall or Anquan Boldin would trump any plans I touched on above.

But if the Bears do stockpile lower round picks they'll then need to be used to move up in the draft, something Jerry Angelo hasn't done much of in the past. Using an NFL Draft Pick Value Chart, one of which every GM in the league uses, you can see the points needed to move up in the draft. If you've never seen the chart go take a look so what I say next makes sense (well... I'll try and make sense).

There are always teams looking to trade down, whether to save on the first round draft pick contract or because of how the draft is falling they realize "their guy" will be available later. The Bears would need between 600-900 points to get into the bottom half of round one. Many times the team trading up will have to overpay to make the move. I won't take into consideration any picks potentially obtained by moving Harris or Urlacher (like I said, it's unlikely they'll be moved).

OK, so in the scenarios outlined above the Bears would have their own 3rd-7th round picks plus two 4's a 5 and a 6. I'll look at some draft day deals that could move them into day 1 (1st round) or day 2 (2nd and 3rd round) of the 2010 NFL Draft.

1) The three 4th round picks (approximately worth 200 points) could get them into the 3rd round.

2) They Bears could package their third and fourth round picks (about 300 pts.) and move into the lower end of round two.

3) To get into the latter part of the 2010 1st round they could always move their '11 #1 pick and a handful of late '10 picks. There seems to always be a team picking in the late 1st round that is looking to get out of that pick.

4) If the Bears finish 10th worst this year their 3rd round pick (220 pts.), their 4th round pick (82 pts.), and their 5th round pick (37 pts.) could move them up to the bottom third of the 2nd round. That 2nd plus their 2011 2nd could get them into the 2010 1st round.

5) We'll call this the "Ditka Deal"; If the Bears trade every single one of their 2010 picks, their 3rd-7th (375 pts.), plus their 4 picks acquired in my moves above (approximately 200 points), they could jump up near the top of the 2nd round.

You can see how a creative GM could work the phones to move up. All you need is a willing partner and the guts to pull the trigger on numerous deals. With day 1 of the draft limited to the 1st round this year there will be more time to work the phones before day 2 and the 2nd and 3rd rounds.

Toub Time

Mark Saade — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:00:18 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Lovie Smith walks off the field after a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Keep this up, and he could keep walking right out the door. ~Mark Saade

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Shanny, The Chin, Chucky, The Walrus........The Specialist? Who? If our beloved Chicago Bears decide to fire head coach Lovie Smith, should they go after a big name Super Bowl winning coach to replace him? The answer may surprise you......

Dick Jauron, a name familiar with Chicago Bears fans, was the first NFL head coach to receive his pink slip this year. The Buffalo Bills cut ties with their former coach after a 3-6 record to start the season. Immediately following the release of Jauron, the Bills contacted Mike Shanahan to see if he was the man to fill their vacant head coaching position. Shanahan, along with Bill Cowher, Mike Holmgren and Jon Gruden are all Super Bowl winning coaches currently being mentioned to fill vacant NFL coaching positions this off season. Those names sure sound nice, but history has shown us that no head coach has ever won a Super Bowl with one team and moved on to do the same with another.

Jauron’s successor, Lovie Smith, could soon have the same fate as his unemployed Bears alum. Though the Bears have looked awful at times this season, there still could be a good chance that Smith retains his job. The biggest factor in Smith’s favor is money. He still has two years left on his contract; if he was to be fired, it would cost the Bears franchise around $11 million. To this Bears fan, it makes sense to let Lovie go. To Bears owner Virginia McCaskey however, it might cost too many cents to let Lovie go. Added to the price of firing Smith, could be the high cost of signing one of the big name, Super Bowl winning coaches that are out there.

If the Bears brass is looking to hire a new head coach, maybe they should look no further than 1000 Football Drive in Lake Forest, IL. When Bears General Manager Jerry Angelo looks through his rolodex of current Bears coaches, he should look passed Rod Marinelli, stop short of Ron Turner and call up Dave Toub. Throughout the recent non-playoff seasons, the one consistently bright spot for our Bears has been special teams (ST); and the leader of that group is Toub.

Even though every year Toub’s job seems to get harder and harder, his ST units still flourish. He lost the greatest return man in the history of the NFL when Devin Hester got moved to a full time wide receiver; he lost his two time Pro Bowl special teamer Brendan Ayanabedajo to Free Agency after the Bears did not want to retain his services and with new NFL rule changes to start this season, he can no longer instruct his players to form a four man wedge to block for return men. Not to mention that year after year a ST coach is presented with a motley crew of back up players to work with, some of whom have never even played on special teams before. i.e, Bears back up running back Garrett Wolfe. Wolfe was placed on the Bears ST unit last year after only playing on offense his entire football career. What did Toub do with Wolfe? Turned him into one of the most valuable ST players on the roster. It just seems like players play hard for the guy and respond to his teaching.

At the beginning of this season, the Bears ST unit was a little shaky, not up to the standards we are used to. Now, 11 games into the season, with everything else that has gone wrong for our Bears, special teams is back as one of the best in the league. Kicker Robbie Gould and punter Brad Maynard may be the only Bears players that have hopes of participating in this year’s Pro Bowl. Not even our current head coach could make mid season adjustments to save the season.

There are not many other current head coaches in the league that went straight from special teams coach to head coach, only one comes really close, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens. Ironically, before becoming the Ravens head coach, Harbaugh was the Philadelphia Eagles special teams coach/secondary coach; having Toub under him as an assistant. With Toub assisting him, Harbaugh went on to win the Special Teams Coach of the Year award in 2001, an award Toub would win five years later. Last season, Harbaugh’s first as a head coach, the Ravens were one victory away from the Super Bowl. In his second season, his Ravens have a winning record and are in the playoff hunt in a very tough division. Harbaugh’s team is very similar to that of the Bears. Both rely on running the ball, strong defense and a young quarterback with a big arm. I know it is impossible to say that Toub would have the same early success as Harbaugh, but the similarities are eerie.

For a Bears team that would be strapped for cash if they fire Lovie, Toub would come much cheaper than any of the big name coaches. He is currently in the last year of his contract and may be a hot commodity to other teams. It is highly possible that another team could offer him more money or a higher coaching position. In other words, an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Though costly, the Bears can afford to fire Lovie Smith, however, I don’t think they can afford to let Dave Toub leave Chicago.

Laundry List of Mediocracy: Stuff Since the Bears Super Bowl

Dane Noble — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:09:57 -0000

When a season opens up with as many high expectations as the Bears did, it's not hard to start the finger-pointing game when things go wrong. We have all taken the time to try and pin-point things, but that task can be a bit overwhelming.

Enter Bears writer Jeff Dickerson: (an excerpt):

Football is the ultimate team game. You win as an organization, you lose as an organization. Instead of simply blaming one person (Ron Turner) for the Bears being 20-22 since the Super Bowl, take a step back and look at the big picture: It's been a collective effort, from the front office down to the players. Nobody should be immune from criticism, because everybody played a part in this mess.

Dickerson goes on to try and quantify (and qualify) why the boat is not only rocking, but also sinking since the Super Bowl:

After trading Thomas Jones to New York, the Bears handed the starting running back job to Cedric Benson (bust) in 2007.

Mark Anderson is promoted over Alex Brown in 2007 -- Anderson clearly couldn't handle the assignment.

Nathan Vasher got hurt versus Dallas in 2007 -- he never recovered.

Brian Urlacher dealt with major back issues in 2007, and missed almost all of 2009 with a dislocated wrist.

The Bears drafted Dan Bazuin (bust) in the second round in 2007.

The Bears drafted Michael Okwo (bust) in the third round in 2007.

The Bears drafted Garrett Wolfe (reach) in the third round in 2007.

And that's just 2007. Make sure you check out the full article for his complete run down.

Did he leave anything out? What do we need to see, starting right now, to right the ship before it is completely capsized?

Bears Effective With The Screen

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Marcio Jose Sanchez - AP

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The screen pass is an essential weapon in any team's playbook. It can be used as an extension of the run game or in place of an ineffective run game (in the Bears case). This year, even with all the offensive problems the Bears seem to have, I've been impressed with their screens.

The Bears will hit defenses with a variety of screen passes. The traditional running back screen down the line of scrimmage, the bubble screen, the slip screen, and the occasional middle screen have all been run with varying degrees of success. I'm sure most of you already understand the concept of the screen, but I'll look at these screens passes a bit more in depth.

When a team struggles with the run game, like our Bears, defenses spend a lot of time defending the pass. In this situation the ineffectiveness of the offensive line actually works to their benefit when running screens. Defenders get so amped up looking to sack Cutler they sell out to get him.

* In the most common screen pass (to a back sneaking out of the backfield and down the line of scrimmage), the play side tackle and guard (and sometimes center) will block for a brief moment (a second or two) then pull to set up blocking for the play. You want to lure the defense up-field with the thoughts of an easy sack. With the Bears pass protection performing as it is all Cutler typically gets is a second or two, so the deceptiveness of the screen play, in theory, is perfect. Most teams run this type of screen to their left side, this is for a few reasons.

1) Most defenses have their best pass rushing defensive end to the offenses left (to attack the passers blind side), so he's usually quicker up-field. Many teams will also blitz from the blind side too. So as an offense you want the aggressive rush, the more defenders rushing up-field the better.

2) Most offenses have their more agile tackle on the left side. So if given a choice on which tackle to pull you want your better athlete out in space blocking.

3) Even in the NFL some QB's tend to get away from proper technique when being rushed. When throwing to the left side a right handed QB is forced to turn the hips, open the shoulders, step and throw. It's nearly impossible to use poor fundamentals when throwing left (for a righty). But when throwing right it's easy to just chuck it to evade the rush. And QB's are always more accurate when they are fundamentally sound.

I'm not saying teams don't run this screen to the right, it's just all about your personnel and field position. The Bears had a lot of success last week hitting Matt Forte on the screen. He's a good receiver and the more you can get him the ball the better. Now if only he had the same burst as last year... but that is for another blog...

* The bubble screen is usually run to a slot wide receiver, with the player in the slot moving away from the QB. The hope is you can get the ball to a playmaker in space. The key block is from the WR or WR's split furthest out. In a 2 WR set the slot receiver will take the pass while the split end tries to seal the CB inside allowing the slot guy to get around him down the sideline. I'd like to see the Bears run this play with their TE's split wide. They trot out that formation quite a bit and teams usually keep a DB on Greg Olsen. Put Devin Hester in the slot with Olsen split wide and throw the bubble to Hester with Olsen providing the stalk block on the corner.

The Bears finally ran a fake off this play last game. Cutler faked the bubble then tried to hit a slanting Johnny Knox. I liked the variation on the play, but I'd prefer to see the split end run a fade or a go route instead of the slant. If you catch the defense cheating the bubble or biting on the fake to the bubble they could still get close enough to disrupt the slant, but if you pump fake the slant then look for the split end down the sideline he should be in a one on one situation.

* On a slip screen teams are looking to create a seam on one side of the field for the split end to run through. Again you are looking for the WR to get in space to make a play, but the QB is throwing to the furthest split out WR as he comes back to the ball then up the seam. The play side offensive line (and sometimes center) will pull and look to seal all the flowing defenders inside, while the slot receiver (or two slot receivers in a trips formation) will look to block out towards the sideline creating a seam for the player to run through.

Hester, Knox, and Earl Bennett are all pretty good at both of these WR screens. The thing we as fans need to remember is these short throws are an extension of the run game. We're accustomed to looking for big plays when ever a QB completes a pass, but a 4 or 5 yard gain is perfectly acceptable. Getting a big gainer from time to time would be nice, but getting those little chunks of positive yardage keeps you in third and manageable situations, and ultimately it's about keeping the chains moving.

* Finally on a middle screen you are looking for your intended receiver to catch the ball behind the offensive line. The idea is to allow all the defensive linemen to rush up-field then dump the ball over their heads to the awaiting receiver. Usually this play is to a running back, but I'd love to see the Bears utilize this play to the tight end. Slipping the back into the flat on the tight end middle screen will cause the linebackers that read screen to flow to the back, thus allowing the TE to slip to the middle for the ball. Greg Olsen is athletic enough to make a play on the ball and get some good yards after catch. Chicago has run this screen to Forte and they've tried to get Garrett Wolfe involved at times. The small stature of Wolfe is ideal for the middle screen as he can get lost among the o-line.

The main objective of screen passes (besides gaining yardage) is to slow down the pass rush, but if you run them too often defenders will read the play and slip over to throw off the timing or worse yet jump the route and intercept the pass. This is why teams don't run screen after screen. Teams want to catch a defense playing aggressively and hit them with a screen pass. Then the next time they get a free lane that defender might slow up just a split second allowing the QB to go to his next progression and make a big play. With the way the Bears are pass blocking any edge they can get the better.

Week 10 Preview: Bears (4-4) @ 49ers (3-5)

SackMan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:03:15 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

Jay, things will get better once they finally decide to build a team around you. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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The schedule makers do no favors for the Bears this week, as they have to make the long flight out to San Francisco on a short week of practice for a Thursday night kickoff.

Week 9 Recap

The 49ers played nice hosts, and gave Vince Young and the Titans their second win of the season 34-27. QB Alex Smith, making his second straight start, made everyone remember why he was benched in the first place, as he threw 3 INTs, including a decisive pick 6 with less than 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter. TE Vernon Davis continued his impressive season with 10 catches for over 100 yards, and Frank Gore ran like he always does, but in the end, San Francisco lost a game they should've won at home. Anyone claiming that Mike Singletary is the next coming of Don Shula, and you know who you are, might want to taste a bite of reality. I suggest the Grawboski's take off the beer glasses.

The Bears embarrassed themselves at home in a 41-21 loss to the Cardinals. Sadly, an event that I predicted all too well in last week's game preview. The game was even more lobsided than the score appears, as the pathetic defense allowed the Cardinals to score on their first 6 possessions without an ounce of resistance. It wasn't until Matt Leinart came into relieve Kurt Warner for the afternoon, that the Bears defense actually looked alive, nearly intercepting Leinart on his first pass... and picking him off on his second attempt. Warner promptly came back into the game and threw his 5th TD pass for a career day... a week after he threw 5 INTs. The defense wasted away a 369 yard 3 TD performance from Jay Cutler, who was running for his life all afternoon. Greg Olsen was the recipient of all 3 TDs, as he enjoyed the best game of his career. Tommie Harris got ejected on the 4th play from scrimmage for punching a Cardinals lineman in the face... it was the only punch the Bears defense packed all day.

Quick Numbers:

23.9: Points allowed per game by the Bears defense.
5: Rushing attempts for Matt Forte last Sunday vs the Cardinals.
65.7: Alex Smith's career QB rating.
25: Passes of 20-plus allowed by the 49ers defense.

Key Injuries:

SF WR Issac Bruce (ankle) Q
SF CB Nate Clements (shoulder) O
SF LT Joe Staley (knee) O
SF RB Glen Coffee (concussion) O

CHI RB Garrett Wolfe (Kidney) O
CHI CB Charles Tillman (Shoulder) Q
CHI SS Al Afalava (Shoulder) Q

When the 49ers have the ball.
There are two pieces that make this San Francisco offense work: RB Frank Gore, and TE Vernon Davis. Gore is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, and can take it to the house from anywhere on the field. Davis is finally performing like the elite player the 49ers thought he would be, when they drafted him in the first round. According to Davis' tweets, "The 49ers will dominate the Bears defense." A prediction that doesn't seem so far-fetched after last Sunday. However, the 49ers will be without their starting LT Joe Staley for this one, as he sprained his MCL early in Sunday's loss to Tennessee. QB Alex Smith was sacked 4 times without Staley's protection.

The key matchup for the 49ers: Frank Gore vs the Bears front 7
Expect Singletary to play this one close to the vest, and run Frank Gore all night to avoid mistakes from his crappy QB. The Bears defense allowed 182 rushing yards to the NFL's 32 ranked run offense last week. It's surely up on the wall in Singletary's office.

The X factor on offense for the 49ers: TE Vernon Davis
Davis has been a beast this year, and Bears LBs have been awful in pass coverage vs opposing TEs. Davis could cakewalk through the middle of the Bears zone coverage.

When the Bears have the ball.
This offense has become completely one-dimensional... as Jay Cutler has almost nothing to work with in his "non-supporting" cast. Because of the crappy roster that has been built on both sides of the ball, the Bears are going to have to let Cutler be Cutler, and live or die on his golden arm for the rest of the season. The pass protection is suspect, the run blocking is awful, and the receivers can't create separation or find an open spot in a zone even when Cutler escapes the pocket and extends the play. At this point, it's safe to say that Cutler is probably second guessing his decision to leave Denver. The Bears finally have a franchise QB... the problem is they don't have a franchise.

Last season, Ron Turner implemented a no-huddle offense for Kyle Orton to minimize the deficiencies of the O-line. At the midway point of the season, Cutler's finally familiar enough with the offense to do the same. Expect to see it Thursday night.

The key matchup for the Bears: QB Jay Cutler vs the line of scrimmage
On an extremely short week of preparation, neither defense is likely to do anything out of the ordinary. This will give Cutler an opportunity to recognize the 49ers defensive fronts pretty well, and attack them at will if the Bears implement the no-huddle.

The X Factor on offense for the Bears: TE Greg Olsen
It's redundant every week... I can't even bother to choose another X-factor for the Bears. Olsen is a game changer for the Bears... when he's heavily involved.

Side notes from the NFC North:

Vikings & Lions: Minnesota hosts Detroit after a bye week this Sunday. There's no easier match-up on paper than this one. QB Matthew Stafford finally returned to the field last week for the Lions and threw 5 INTs in Seattle.

Packers: Aaron Rodgers was sacked another 6 times last week... by the Tampa Bay Yucs! The Pack allowed an additional 12 QB hits, giving Tampa their first victory of the season. Packers have now allowed an NFL worst 37 sacks on the year, and they host a hot Dallas team this Sunday. Bad things will happen to Aaron Rodgers.

49ers-Bears Final Injury Report

Fooch — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:42:40 -0000

We've got our final injury report of the week and the only major addition is that Isaac Bruce is listed as questionable. Even if Bruce is active on Thursday, it sounds like he's dropped to fourth on the depth chart, at the highest. I actually kind of hope he's active to see whether or not he sees the field at all. Looking through the receiver depth chart, Jason Hill would seem to have moved back in as the #3 receiver. Arnaz Battle has more or less fallen off the map as a receiver. That leaves Brandon Jones competing with Bruce for receiving playing time.

The team usually sticks with no more than three receivers, so I suppose it's not that big of an issue in the end. When they extend out to four or five receivers, the fourth and fifth guy are usually tight ends or running backs. Of course, given Glen Coffee's injury, maybe we see a bit more Brandon Jones in those 4 and 5 receiver sets?

Coach Singletary's press conference transcript is now after the jump.

49ers
Out
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)
DE Demetric Evans (shoulder)
OT Joe Staley (knee)
RB Glen Coffee (concussion)

Questionable
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)

Probable
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
RB Michael Robinson (stinger)
G David Baas (stinger)
CB Tarell Brown (rib)
RB Frank Gore (eye lid)
S Curtis Taylor (shin)
TE Vernon Davis (shoulder)
WR Jason Hill (ankle)
WR Brandon Jones (knee)
TE Delanie Walker (shin, knee)
LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder)

Bears
Out
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee)
S Kevin Payne (back)
RB Garrett Wolfe (back)

Questionable
S Al Afalava (shoulder)

Probable
TE Desmond Clark (neck)
DT Tommie Harris (knee)
CB Charles Tillman (shoulder)

Coach Singletary's press conference transcript is now after the jump...

Head Coach Mike Singletary
Post-Walk-Thru November 11, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

Opening statements:

"Good afternoon. We had a good week's work for the short amount of time it was. We have some guys a little banged up, but we worked through it okay. I am excited about tomorrow night. We will be ready to go. I am excited about the game, excited about the challenge and excited that the country will have a chance to see the 49ers - the young 49ers - come of age in the second half of the season. I am excited about that."

On whether the short week is more of a mental or physical test for the players:

"For us, it is kind of hard to put into words - probably more mental if anything. You go out there coming off of a loss on Sunday, a disappointing loss there. You are going into a new week and you are kind of bumped, bruised, whatever. At the same time, you have to work through what happened on Sunday, the setback there, and then get ready for a game on national television this upcoming week. At some point in time, you have to make a decision to let that go and grasp what is in front of you. Our guys made that transition and are getting ready for tomorrow night."

On whether there are any advantages to the short week:

"The only advantage to a short week is to win. That is the only advantage and it is a good advantage."

On how he will know if his team comes of age Thursday:

"Guys, you know what, all I can say about tomorrow night is that you just have to watch the game. I am sure you will ask the questions afterward, but you just have to watch the game. That's all I can tell you."

On whether he is feeling any extra emotions about the Bears as the game gets closer:

"It is the next game on the schedule."

On TE Vernon Davis' comments about the Bears:

"I'll put it this way, I talked to him about it, and I know what he meant. I'm a little frustrated, and I think if you really translate or if you read through the lines, read between the lines, I don't think he was being disrespectful at all. I think basically he was saying, ‘You know what, we can do this. Let's not sit back and talk about what the Bears are going to do. Let's go out there and do what we can do.' You have grown to know Vernon as well. He can get a little excited and that is what he did. As a team, we just have to be ready to go tomorrow night, but I know what he meant."

On whether he is at all glad Davis made those comments:

"No. I can't say I am glad, but at the same time, it's not one of those things where you sit back and really think a whole lot about it. I just think he said it, okay it is out there. I'm sure they will read it and have their reaction, but we just have to be ready to play."

On why he said he was frustrated by Davis' comments:

"I'm frustrated in terms of, it is kind of like, ‘Let's go. Let's go.' That's what I mean."

On whether Davis' comments can be damaging to the team:

"I am going to leave that alone. I just think he said it, it's out there. Some things you wish you could say differently, but we will roll with it."

On how WR Isaac Bruce has looked practiced this week considering his ankle injury:

"He was doing fine. He was trying to work his way through it. Yesterday he rolled it and he is going to be questionable or doubtful for the game."

On whether that it was the same ankle from last weekend's game:

"Yes."

On whether WR Jason Hill will be a starter:

"If that is the case, yes."

On whether Isaac Bruce's injury will be noted on the team's injury report:

"Yes, it will be."

On Brandon Jones' status as the teams punt returner:

"Brandon Jones will be the punt returner, yes."

On whether he has received extra attention from the Chicago media for this upcoming game:

"There has been some extra media that I did not respond to. I didn't want that. We're playing another game and another opportunity for us to get better and didn't want to get into all of the other sideshows. We're going to play a game and we're going to try to win a football game and that's it."

On whether it's harder to comeback from behind in a game during a short week:

"No. For us, we can't get into if we get behind or if we do this, do that. We just have to go out there and play the game and think about winning the game. Let the other stuff go. We can think about that afterwards. Going towards the game, we're thinking about playing a football game and winning a football game. The same feelings that we have as a team, they have the same thing now. If they didn't play Sunday, then I'd have a problem with it. We're both going to be dealing with the same issues. Let's go play the game."

On whether RB Michael Robinson would be the backup running back:

"Yes sir, Michael Robinson."

On whether there is a contingency plan at running back:

"[FB] Norris, Moran Norris would be the next guy."

On whether him facing the Bears in the past as an assistant takes away any butterflies now having to face them as a head coach:

"Yes. The first time was - the fact that we were in Soldier Field, it was just different emotions for a while, but you get over that pretty quick as the game gets going. It's just the nature of the game."

On whether there is a little extra adrenaline for prime-time games:

"Prime-time games, I think some teams play up and some teams play down. I think, for us, we'll play up. I don't know anything else about how Chicago responded. I just know that tomorrow night, we'll be ready to play."

49ers-Bears Tuesday Injury Report

Fooch — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:00:33 -0000

I know all of us were a bit concerned by all the players on yesterday's injury report. However, as today's report shows, virtually all the "limited" and "non-participants" were full participants today. Yesterday's report was a projection because there was no actual practice, so I'm guessing the team was just being a bit more conservative. Of course, Glen Coffee is not going to be playing, and given that we haven't seen any transactions today, it looks like Gore and Robinson will be handling the load at running back.

After the jump we've got press conference transcripts for OC Jimmy Raye and Alex Smith.

49ers
Out (Definitely Will Not Play)
CB Nate Clements (shoulder)
DE Demetric Evans (shoulder)
OT Joe Staley (knee)
RB Glen Coffee (concussion)

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder)

Full Participation in Practice
S Michael Lewis (quadricep)
RB Michael Robinson (stinger)
G David Baas (stinger)
CB Tarell Brown (rib)
RB Frank Gore (eye lid)
S Curtis Taylor (shin)
TE Vernon Davis (shoulder)
WR Jason Hill (ankle)
TE Delanie Walker (shin, knee)

Bears
Out
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee)

Did not Participate in Practice
S Al Afalava (shoulder)
S Kevin Payne (back)
RB Garrett Wolfe (back)

Limited Participation in Practice
TE Desmond Clark (neck)
DT Tommie Harris (knee)
CB Charles Tillman (shoulder)

After the jump we've got transcripts for Jimmy Raye and Alex Smith...

Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye
Post-Walk Thru November 10, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On why WR Jason Hill received more playing time against the Titans:

"He has been practicing well since his hamstring injury and making progress. That coupled with the fact that [WR] Isaac [Bruce] had a tender ankle and ran a seven route over on the left boundary and rolled his ankle, tweaked it a little bit. So, we were down in numbers in the three-wide package and Jason was the next guy up. We were fortunate that we had him up for the game because he was the guy who had gotten the work as all three backups going into the game. It turned out that he was able to play and he made some plays for us."

On his background with the shotgun:

"Quite a bit, I would say extensive. There was a period of time where I coached with a couple of disciples of the Bill Walsh system that didn't believe in the gun that we didn't use it. But, in New York, Oakland, Atlanta and L.A. with Jim Everett, all of that was gun. I don't know if you want specifics, I don't know how to answer that question."

On whether you are limited in the types of runs you can call out of the shotgun:

"Somewhat, but it depends. When you make that decision, the kinds of runs that you are running, most of the time, are not direct runs because you don't have a lead blocker. But, they are runs that take advantage of the front and the alignment of the defense. They give you the same that is the likeness of pass and pass protection. They come not only in the draw variety, but across the formation kind of runs. We did have some success Sunday running the trap, but we had to relocate the back in order to do that."

On what QB coach Mike Johnson learned from watching college spread offenses in the offseason:

"You would have to ask Mike that. We discussed it in the offseason. I think what you need to understand is what we did Sunday has always been a part of what we do. We didn't invent the runs we ran Sunday out of the shotgun. We have had, and been practicing, our third down, our quarterback-not-under-the-center offense and runs since March. So, it wasn't something where, all of the sudden three weeks ago, because everyone thought we should be in the spread, that we went and looked at someone running the shotgun and came up with plays. It is a part of the offense that we have. What we did Sunday is a part of what we do."

On why he called it a third down offense:

"It is applicable to all downs, but what you had seen previously was when we were in the gun was basically on third down."

On the two interceptions QB Alex Smith has thrown when targeting WR Michael Crabtree:

"The one in Indianapolis was a tipped ball, and Sunday the one was a tipped ball that probably would fall to the ground harmlessly. The ball was thrown near the boundary and it was tipped and the linebacker came back within an eyelash of stepping out of bounds and got the rebound of the ball. I think tipped balls, you can't practice tipped balls. If the receiver and the defensive back are in a close confrontation, and they both get their hands on the ball at the same time, and there are other defenders near, that's why defensive backs work the tip drill. And, unfortunately for us, we've had two, not two but three deflections that have gone up in the air and the defense capitalized on them."

On whether he's comfortable going forward with the kind of offensive emphasis he showed on Sunday:

"I don't know that. I think sometimes the perception is that I should answer questions that give the defensive coordinators of the teams that we play a pre-game scouting report on what we're going to line up in. We have, as I said early on, the contingencies of what we do offensively to take care of the defenses that we play. If that is in fact the case that what we carry into the game is available for us and it helps us win the game, then I guess the answer to that would be yes."

On where the offense is as a unit:

"I think our record is 3-5. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. We're 3-5. I would say we're not near where we need to be. If it was better, I think we would have won more games or helped our cause in terms of winning more games. I think we made improvement, but there were areas of the game Sunday that were outstanding. The play was exceptional, was outstanding, but it's very difficult to overcome four turnovers."

On whether it's been difficult to find improvement given the changes in the offense:

"Yes and no. Continuity is very difficult to come by. We've changed a lot of places, and that's the nature of the NFL. If there's one thing that is constant about the NFL, it's change. And, unfortunately for us, in the first seven or eight weeks, we've had to change the quarterback. We've had to change the right guard. We've had to change the left guard. We've had to change the running back. We've had to change the wide receiver. We've had an onslaught of changes, but the way we manage that is a benefit to us if we can do it in an expeditious fashion so we can get on with winning games. It's been difficult, but we're probably going to have more changes going forward."

On the first touchdown pass from QB Alex Smith to WR Jason Hill in the back of the end zone:

"Well, what they did right was they applied the scramble rules that are in place that were taught in the red area, and Alex remained a passer. And, in most situations like that, the quarterback leaves his passer mentality and becomes a runner. But, he kept his eyes downfield and drifting and he was in a position where he could either throw or not take a negative and throw the ball out of bounds, and he remained a passer. That was the best thing about it. And then Jason applied his onside scramble rule, and we were able to get a completion for a touchdown, which gave us a completion of a T-2 at the end of the half and got points. And then we had a T-4 at the end of the game that got points. So, those things are very gratifying."

On whether he has met with head coach Mike Singletary about the receiving corps and WR Isaac Bruce's role:

"No, that meeting, I don't think has happened, unless I was excluded from it. We will visit that - we wanted to get through today and see where he is tomorrow, and in the meantime, we will increase the activity of [WR] Josh Morgan and [WR] Jason Hill. We'll see where he is, where his foot is or his injury is. And then we'll make a decision going forward."

On Bruce's injury:

"We'll see where he is physically. See where he is physically and then we'll make a decision going forward."

On the areas of the offense in Sunday's game that he was pleased with:

"Well, as I mentioned, I was pleased with our, as we refer to it, T-2 offense, which is our offense before the half, which was very good in Indianapolis that went down and got a score also. Our T-4 was very good, which we went down at the end of the game and got a score and an opportunity to onside kick the ball and have another chance to put the game into overtime. We were five for five in the red zone, three touchdowns and two field goals. We had a 19-play drive in that game that overcame three or four penalties and a negative that went down and got points. I thought our ‘me-to-you' factor was very good. Is he open? The pass to [TE] Vernon [Davis] was a great adjustment and throw. We threw the ball - he complete 29 balls, and we showed some ability in our deceptive game with our arounds and handing the ball to the wide receivers that made yards. So, I thought the playing area was very good. I was very disappointed that we had the mishaps that we had that led to 24 points for them, because, I think, without the turnovers, it would have been a different outcome."

On whether the T-2 and T-4 are similar plays:

"No, they're not."

On whether he can explain the time at the end of the half and the time at the end of the game:

"It changes because at the T-2, any points are good. When you're playing T-2 and you have the ball before the half, whether you get a field goal or a touchdown, any points you get are good. And, T-4, you're in a T-4 situation, you're either in an offense to try to either extend the game or win the game. So, the impetus of the play is totally different because you're operating against the timeouts. You're operating against a defense that's trying to prevent you from either extending the game or prolonging the game or, in a T-4 situation, winning the game at the end. That would be the difference."

QB Alex Smith
Post-Walk Thru - November 10, 2009
San Francisco 49ers

On which package does he like better, the T-2, or T-4:

"It's pretty similar. You hope not to be in the T-4."

On why he performs well during the end of halves and games:

"I have no idea. I don't know."

On a theory that he performed better in a spread-offense similar to his college playing days at Utah:

"Spread out? Maybe, perhaps, I don't know. It could be you think that anytime that you are spread out and you're in the gun, all quarterbacks are going to see things better. I don't know, I'm not sure."

On his experience running the two-minute drill at Utah:

"It was more T-2's than T-4's."

On whether he likes playing better in a shotgun formation:

"In certain situations, yes, if there is no threat of a run. Sometimes is nice to mix it up and get back there. I think that in third down situations, pressure situations is when you get back and see it and maybe buy yourself half of second to get the ball out. Other than that, you'd like to keep a balance between the run and pass situations in the game to keep that and be under center."

On either having the opportunity to review film from the Tennessee game or going straight to game film to prepare for Chicago:

"I watched it quickly yesterday morning, then you move on pretty fast. I watched a lot of Chicago yesterday and it's such a short week."

On having one of his best offensive performances overshadowed by his interceptions:

"I felt that, in a sense, that I saw things well. You turn on the tape and it wasn't like I saw anything new. When I rehashed the game in my mind, it looked very similar to what I looked at when I turned on the tape which is a good thing. I felt like I saw everything well. A couple of balls were thrown tight - there was one on the boundary the safety was coming trying to make a play on it, it gets tipped in-bounds and the one that [WR] Josh [Morgan] had tighter coverage. There those are kind of the job hazards that kind of come with the territory. That is going to happen, I think that as a quarterback the important things are if you are making good decisions, are you throwing the ball where you want to throw it, are you getting the ball out on time, those are the types of decisions that you're looking at. That's how you prevent turnovers from the quarterback's perspective, by making sound decisions and throwing the ball accurately on time."

On whether he was relaying his throwing tendencies to the opposing defense with his eyes:

"The one on the boundary could have gone up. That half second maybe allowed that safety to come over and make a play that allowed that ball to stay in-bounds. The other two didn't feel like I was late at all. But the first one I could say, critically looking at it, I could have gone up quicker."

On whether working on his body language could have prevented that turnover:

"That was a third-and-long and we were trying to ‘hi-lo' the corner on the boundary. It was a matter of trusting what you see from that defender and letting the ball go."

On what Jason Hill did right on his first touchdown:

"The great thing he did - initially he started back down towards me, trying to give me a throw and saw that the inside receiver was kind of running in the flat there and a lot of passing is about spacing, so I think he immediately saw that, put his foot in the ground, turned and ran upfield, at least giving me two throws. Once he came down a little bit, his defender bit and he turned and slipped upfield and was open in the back of the end zone."

On whether defenses are playing WR Michael Crabtree differently:

"I guess I don't know. We are moving on so fast from this Tennessee game, it's hard to look at things like that. I think the more he plays, the more he is going to give people to think about, the more routes he's going to give corners to think about and the more comfortable he is going to be with things."

On why he hasn't been able to develop much chemistry with WR Josh Morgan:

"I don't know. It's a matter of what the defense is giving us sometimes, maybe sometimes what we are asking him to do. I think it's a combination of things."

On his ability to draw offsides penalties and whether it is something he has worked on a lot:

"It was something I never did as a younger guy. I never did it in college. I never did it much my first couple years. I just think I'm more conscious of it now in certain situations. I'm more conscious of using it to your advantage."

On how difficult it is to develop a rapport with WR Michael Crabtree:

"I think the thing you miss when he comes in like that is you miss the training camp practices where you can really build the fundamentals of your routes together. It's timing. When he comes in within the week we are doing our game plans and he is doing a great job of getting himself up to speed and not missing a beat and it's just a matter of us all working together to get that done."

On whether there is any sense of significance to this game:

"Every game is the biggest game at that point. That's the truth of it. This week, you play and you learn from it and you move on already and we're on to Chicago. Yes, this is the biggest game of the season and the next week that will probably be the biggest game. Right now, the focus is on Chicago and that's it. It's them coming in and getting a win and it is the biggest thing."

On how much losing four in a row weighs on the team:

"It might, but we can't let it weight on us. We have to continue to work to play harder, to execute better, and to win a game and that's what we have to get done."

On whether building a rapport with Crabtree is just a matter of time:

"I think so. Time and repetitions, but it's different. I think there are things that we ask him to do that he may be more comfortable with because he has a history with them. Yes, a little bit of that is just going to be time and repetitions."

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Cardinals Edition

Dane Noble — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:23:16 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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The NFC playoff picture seems to be working itself into a pretty clear picture, and, although it could still happen, my prediction of a 12-4 season for the Chicago Bears looks unobtainable. And honestly, at this point, I'm not so sure that our coaching is to blame.

Our GM brought in three new offensive linemen, and none of them have helped. Can Ron Turner be to blame for our porous running game? He didn't make the FA signings.

On the other side of the ball, we do not have the personnel to run a Tampa-2/ Cover-2 defense. Our secondary is a liability,,, is Lovie to blame for our lack of talent on defense? We just don't have the personnel.

The only mystery for me is the DL/ Rod Marinelli situation. It seems like half of our roster is comprised of defensive linemen, and we still chose to trade our 2010 2nd round draft pick for another pass rusher. Add to that, we have a guy that is well-known around the league as being one of the best DL coaches in the NFL... you'd think that would be an area of strength for us.

We know our offense is failing because of our personnel at OL, we know our LB corp is thinned out and that our secondary is incredibly weak... but where's the front 4? Why have we seen over the last few weeks our DL get dominated in the passing and rushing games? What's up with Coach Marinelli?

- Rashied Davis is still doing a mighty fine job on STs. And undersized WR making great open-field tackles... gotta love it.

- Tommie, Tommie, Tommie. What happened to Tommie Harris? Is his career coming to a quick halt? We can expect him not to be wearing a Bears uniform next season... but will he even be in the NFL? Maybe not, unless the Bungles give him a shot.

- One of my notes simply said that Fitz > Tillman. But, that was early in the game. Now, I'll change that note to say that it is a shame when Charles Tillman is our best coverage cornerback.

- I have been wondering for 2 weeks if Hunter Hillenmeyer was really 100% healthy. Rib injuries take much longer than 2 weeks to heal from, and I smelled a rat when he came back so quickly.

- Jay Cutler's first possession of the game: he walks onto the field with his head down, looking at the ground.

- Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Greg Olsen have all developed great hands. I mentioned last week that Cutler puts them in positions where they have to make tough catches... well, they can. Exhibit "A": that catch early in Q1 down the sidelines when Hester was blanketed by the CB. Cutler saw the single-coverage, audibled into a fly route, and made a picture-perfect throw to Hester. And what a catch!

- Garrett Wolfe made an outstanding tackle on KO coverage.

- While we looked like we might be able to generate some pressure on Kurt Warner early in the game, turns out, not really. Soft coverage on the WRs + zero pass rush = duplication of the Cincy game.

- Arizona's OL absolutely dominated Marinelli's DL. Passing plays, rushing plays... didn't matter. An inside source said that the Card's OL even formed a wall in front of the Bears showers after the game, and the DL couldn't bust through then either. They went home without showering.

- Johnny Knox was one cut away from daylight on the KOR following Arizona's second TD. But, he was going too fast to make that final cut.

- We finally saw Cutler looking downfield for our WRs more this week, especially to Hester. On a related note, kudos to the OL. While they still broke down and sucked a large part of the game, there were spurts where they did a good job of protecting the QB. Kudos guys.

- My OL grades: Chris Williams: B, Roberto Garza: B-, Olin Kreutz: C, Josh Beekman/ Frank Omiyale: D, Orlando Pace: C-

- 3rd and 16, 1st quarter. Earl Bennett runs a deep post, right into the lap of the safety. Had he turned that deep post into a skinny post, things would have happened. I know it's his first year on the field, but he's gotta be more aware. Against zone defenses, you have to find the soft spots... not run straight to a defender.

- My prediction of turnovers, penalties, and QB sacks for both teams did not some true. Well, Cutler did get nailed, and the Bears did have too many penalties. But I was thinking it would go both ways.

- As of the 10 minute mark in the second quarter, Matt Forte had exactly one rush.

- Question: If it's 3rd and 5 for Arizona, why are our DBs 12 yards off the WRs? I mean, I trust Lovie Smith, and I know he is having to play defense with some bad talent... but 12 yards off the WRs? Of course they converted a first down. And eventually scored a TD.

- Oh, speaking of converting... 3rd and 10, Arizona ball. Easy pitch and catch on a 12 yard curl route. 5 plays later, TD. Too easy, too soft.

- Kevin Payne plays hard, and hits hard. Good to see a bit of fire from someone on defense.

- Alex Brown fights hard. Even in the 4th quarter when we are getting schooled. Keep on fighting big guy.

- Injuries: Yikes. And now we have another game in three days. Friggin great. You know what though? We will beat San Francisco.

Return Game Getting Ridiculous Again

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:30:33 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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So far this season the Bears punt return unit has looked much better than last year. There's still a zero in the TD column, but overall the return men seem to have more room to run. In 2008 Devin Hester looked mortal by not taking any punts back to the house, especially after his first two seasons had us Bears fans spoiled with his ridiculous returns. Did his ability regress last year? Is he starting to find his Mojo again this year?

The thing I love about football is it's truly a team game. You need all 11 men on the field doing their job. As great a returner as Hester looked in his first two years, you have to look at his third phase teammates. Veteran Chicago Bears that had honed their skills as special teams players.

Former Bears Brendon Ayanbadejo (Pro Bowler), Cameron Worrell, and Todd Johnson were key members of the '06 unit. In 2007 you still had Ayanbadejo, but you started to get some turnover with the depth of your team. And the depth of the team are the players that make up the special teams.

Think about the players drafted to the NFL... the elite offensive and defensive players of the college game. You'll never see team draft a stand out gunner or a first team wedge breaker. The majority of the rookies coming in were studs in high school so their coaches probably held them off special teams to preserve their health. Once in college they competed with the other freshmen recruits and the best of the best were then either red-shirted or took on an immediate role offensively or defensively.

The kids that play special teams in college are primarily made up of players that aren't quite good enough to start, so therefor aren't going to get drafted to the NFL. Occasionally you'll get a late bloomer that spent some time on special teams their first couple years in college, but once they bloom, they no longer attend the third phase meetings.

Look at two of the Bears top special teams players. How many times did Garrett Wolfe cover kicks at Northern Illinois? And Adrian Peterson was a record setting running back at Georgia Southern. How many special teams tackles do you think he was in on? These guys probably got their first taste of the special teams on the NFL level, as do most NFL players. It takes time to teach these great athletes the nuances of their new role.

I briefly touched on some special teams stuff last month, but it's such a change for these players, both in terms of technique and in just fully accepting their role. You'd like to think that these players would be happy to be on an NFL roster and do what ever it takes to contribute, but the reality is that if you are used to being a superstar player in high school and a superstar player in college, it takes some getting used to basically being a cog in the machine on the NFL level. Mentally it takes some athletes longer to "get it" than others. And the ones that catch on usually are the ones that thrive in their new roles.

Getting back to this year; Hester has fielded the most punts with a 12.5 average (more than double last years average) and Earl Bennett has returned four with a 15.8 average. While last year was a down year in the return game this year things are looking up. Dave Toub is highly regarded around the league as a top notch special teams coordinator and it took him a little time in getting his guys to perform at a high level again. This year the kick return TD by Johnny Knox has matched the teams total of a year ago, and that is with the new rule limiting the wedge to two players, and Hester did have a punt return TD called back last week. It's just a matter of time til he pops one again.

Hester may never equal the ridiculousness of '06 and '07, but with the core third phase players improving every week, you never know...

Arizona Cardinals vs. Chicago Bears: An Early Look

Hawkwind — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:45:21 -0000

When the Arizona Cardinals travel north the windy city of Chicago to face the Bears it'll be an interesting match of two similar teams. Both squads are 4-3 this season and are 3-2 in their past five games. The Bears haven't lost at home (3-0) while the Red Birds haven't lost on the road (3-0). The points for (CHI-159, ARI-157) and points against (CHI-150, ARI-143) are eerily similar. Needless to say both teams are sitting somewhere around mediocrity and are hoping to keep themselves in the race for the NFC post season. Here's a look at some of things the Bears are talking about this week:

Jay Cutler's history in November and December: As the NFL heads into the second half of the season, the weather will start getting cold and rainy, and things can become challenging for a lot of teams. With that said, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at how Jay Cutler has fared in the months of November and December during his career.
A Detailed Breakdown of the Bears' Offense: Here's an interesting exert...."On running back carries, the Bears went left 18 times for 107 yards, an average of 5.9 per run. Take away Garrett Wolfe's 36-yard run to the left at the end of the game if you wish, and they still averaged 4.2. On 13 running back carries to the right, the Bears had 36 yards, an average of 2.8."
Chicago's Pass Protection: More often that not when you see a QB get sacked fans quickly jump to the conclusion that one of the offensive lineman blew an assignment. While that may be true, it's not always the fault of the specific lineman that was beat on the sack. Seeing as how I'm not privy to the actual O-Line meeting for the Bears at Halas Hall, I'll just make my educated guess on some of the things going on with their pass protection.
Bears' Offense Too Complicated: Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he's ready to start paring back the playbook with the Bears clearly struggling seven games into the Jay Cutler era. At this point, following Sunday's 30-6 victory over the Cleveland Browns at Soldier Field, it's fair to say the Bears aren't doing much of anything very well with the possible exception that Cutler is doing a decent job of getting the ball to Devin Hester on a regular basis.

With that out of the way, here's a look some interesting Bears' stats through the first seven games.

The Bears are 0-3 when Cutler throws for 250 yards or more and 4-0 when he does not.
In the Bears' three losses Cutler has thrown nine interceptions and in their four wins he's thrown just two picks.
Matt Forte has averaged 54.7 total yards in their three losses and 107.3 total yards in their four wins.
Forte has only crossed the goal line three times this season but none of them have come in a losing effort.
Devin Hester, the team leading WR not returner, averages 91.3 yards in the team's losses but just 45 yards in the team's victories.
The Bears are 1-3 against teams with a winning record and their four victories have come against opponents with a combined record of 9-20.