SB Nation - Michael Gaines

Opponent History: Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets

sireric — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:00:23 -0000

Buffalo Bills (4-7) vs New York Jets (5-6)
Thursday, December 3, 2009 at 8:20 PM EST
Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Woot! A Thursday night game! As this is a Thursday night game this week, I probably should have had this up sooner, but I didn't even think of that until just now, so that is why this gets posted now.

These two teams have a long history against each other, dating all the way back to 1960 when they first met. Fast forward 50 years, and this will be meeting No. 99 between these two franchises. The Bills hold the edge 54-44 all time, including a stretch from 1987 to 1992 where the Bills won ten straight games. The last five meetings between these two teams in Buffalo are after the jump.

Sunday, November 7, 2004: Bills 22, Jets 17
In what seems to be a common theme in Bills/Jets games, the Bills ground out 157 yards on the ground, spearheaded by Willis McGahee's 132 yards on 37 attempts - one for a touchdown. When the Bills have big days running the football against the Jets, they normally win. Lee Evans added a touchdown catch and Rian Lindell kicked two field goals; Big Pat Williams even tackled Curtis Martin in the end-zone for a safety. For the Jets, Chad Pennington got knocked out of the game, and former Cowboy Quincy Carter had to finish up. Carter hit Santana Moss for a 51-yard touchdown to make it close late, but the Bills held on for the win.

Sunday, October 16, 2005: Bills 27, Jets 17
Another Bills win over the Jets, another 177 rushing yards from Buffalo. McGahee was once again the workhorse with 143 yards on 29 attempts and a touchdown. Kelly Holcomb added two touchdown passes, one each to Jonathan Smith and Eric Moulds to help pace the Bills' scoring. This time, the Bills had Vinny Testaverde to go against, and the speed rushers of the Bills took advantage. (Please note use of sarcasm.) Ryan Denney (2.0), Tim Anderson (1.0), Sam Adams (1.0), and Angelo Crowell (1.0) all recorded sacks for the Bills.

Sunday, September 24, 2006: Jets 28, Bills 20
The Bills controlled time of possession and moved up and down the field with ease, but turnovers and costly penalties killed them. The Bills ran for 169 yards, once again led by Willis McGahee (who finished with 150 yards), and J.P. Losman even passed for 328 yards. A Victor Hobson fumble return for a touchdown and a key Losman interception gave the Jets the win. Chris Kelsay picked up the lone Bills sack.

Sunday, September 30, 2007: Bills 17, Jets 14
This was the starting debut of Trent Edwards. With the Bills holding a slim 10-7 lead halfway through the fourth quarter, Dick Jauron shows lots of faith in his young QB by going for it on a fourth and one. Jauron's faith was rewarded when Edwards hit Michael Gaines in the end zone for some much-needed insurance points. Less then four minutes later, Leon Washington crossed the goal line for the Jets to pull the Jets to within three points, but the Bills' defense would hold on for the win.

Sunday, November 2, 2008: Jets 26, Bills 17
After Jay Feely hit a field goal for the Jets, the Bills came back with a Derek Fine touchdown pass from Edwards to make it 7-3. It was all downhill from there. Feely hit two more field goals and Abram Elam's 92-yard pick six put the game away for the Jets. The Bills rushed for only 30 yards, and Kris Jenkins singlehandedly shut down the Bills' running game. Jabari Greer added a 42-yard pick six to make it look a little more respectable.

Final Injury/Practice Report: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)

Kirkendall — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:31:49 -0000

CINCINNATI BENGALS

QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DE Robert Geathers (hip)
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DT Tank Johnson (knee)
DT Domata Peko (knee)	CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	G Evan Mathis (ankle)
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LB Rey Maualuga (foot)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

QUESTIONABLE	PROBABLE
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LB David Bowens (knee)
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	TE Michael Gaines (back)
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	C Alex Mack (thumb)
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DNP	DNP	LP
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DNP	DNP	LP
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	DNP	LP	LP
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP	LP
DE Robert Geathers (hip)	LP	LP	FP
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP	LP
CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)	LP	LP	FP
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	LP	LP	LP
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP	LP
G Evan Mathis (ankle)	--	FP	FP

CLEVELAND	WED	THUR	FRI
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	DNP	LP	LP
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	DNP	DNP	LP
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DNP	DNP	LP
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	DNP	DNP	LP
LB David Bowens (knee)	LP	LP	LP
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	LP	LP	LP
RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	LP	LP	LP
TE Michael Gaines (back)	FP	FP	FP
C Alex Mack (thumb)	FP	FP	FP
DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)	FP	FP	FP
WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)	FP	FP	FP

Practice Report: Cleveland Browns (1-9) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-3)

Kirkendall — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:00:16 -0000

Untitled Document

Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evening, we'll (TRY TO) update the practice/injury chart leading up to Sunday's game. The chart is pretty self-explanatory. If the player is listed as out, they're out for the game. If they did not participate, they didn't practice. If they were limited, then they only participated during a portion of practice (typically means missing 11-on-11 drills). If the player is listed as full participation, it simply means that they practiced fully and that the only reason they're listed is because injury was an issue the week before.

Practice

BENGALS	WED	THUR	FRI
RB Cedric Benson (hip)	DNP	DNP
WR Laveranues Coles (chest)	DNP	DNP
LB Rey Maualuga (foot)	DNP	LP
DT Domata Peko (knee)	DNP	DNP
DE Robert Geathers (hip)	LP	LP
DT Tank Johnson (knee)	LP	LP
CB Johnathan Joseph (foot)	LP	LP
LB Keith Rivers (calf)	LP	LP
CB Morgan Trent (knee)	LP	LP

CLEVELAND	WED	THUR	FRI
G Rex Hadnot (knee)	DNP	LP
DT Shaun Rogers (ankle)	DNP	DNP
TE Robert Royal (thigh, finger)	DNP	DNP
RB Lawrence Vickers (hamstring)	DNP	DNP
LB David Bowens (knee)	LP	LP
LB Blake Costanzo (shoulder)	LP	LP
TE Greg Estandia (shoulder)	LP	LP
RB Jamal Lewis (ankle)	LP	LP
TE Michael Gaines (back)	FP	FP
C Alex Mack (thumb)	FP	FP
DE Robaire Smith (shoulder)	FP	FP
WR Chansi Stuckey (calf)	FP	FP

Midseason Report: the Cleveland Browns' Offense (Part II)

rufio — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 02:54:31 -0000

In Part I, I broke down three plays that I felt exemplified the Browns' offensive woes this season. Here, I will break down two plays that did go our way.

The Browns may lack explosive playmakers who could allow us a good offense, but by studying exactly what it is that has (and hasn't) worked for us, a solid offensive coordinator could put together a competent offense without any personnel changes.

Play 1

After stopping the Packers on 4th and 1 midway through the first quarter, the Browns took over at their own 30 yard line. We lined up in a singleback formation with WRs Mohammed Massaquoi and Mike Furrey lined up to the left of the formation, along with TE Michael Gaines. Jamal Lewis is in the backfield, and TE Greg Estandia is on the opposite side of the formation:

I actually like what the coaching staff did with this formation for a couple of reasons.

First, it is hard to run a Cover-2 against a trips formation, so we should have already taken some of Green Bay's defensive options.

Second, double TE sets usually have a built in advantage against an odd front: they match up fairly well with 3-4 OLBs, and Daboll could play a cat/mouse game with Green Bay DC Dom Capers (alternating between keeping the TEs in to block the OLBs and then releasing them to catch passes).

Third, before TE Michael Gaines goes in motion, look at the right side of our line vs the left side of Green Bay's defense above. If we were to run to the right, we'd outnumber Green Bay 4 to 3 on that side. If we executed our blocks well, we could momentarily double-team NT Ryan Pickett, then have RG Rex Hadnot relase to block ILB A.J. Hawk at the second level. Jamal Lewis wouldn't face a potential tackler for 10 yards.

We do end up bringing Gaines in motion, and DA sees that Green Bay is once again in a Cover-1 look:

The motion not only reveals something about the coverage, it also causes confusion between LB Nick Barnett and S Atari Bigby:

Whatever switch Green Bay wanted to happen didn't happen. DA quickly notices that Gaines is wide open, and checks down with an accurate, easy to catch pass

The ball has some touch on it but is still thrown with enough zip that Gaines is able to catch it in stride with enough space between him and the sideline to secure the ball and turn upfield for a nice gain.

Play 2

Later in that same drive, we lined up in a strong I formation with Massaquoi and Robiskie at WR, Estandia at TE, and Vickers and Lewis in the backfield. Green Bay showed a Cover-3 shell before the snap (again), by walking CBs Al Harris and Charles Woodson back before the snap.

Green Bay was walking a safety up into the box all day and basically daring our WRs to beat them through the air. Anderson notices and makes a check:

After the snap Anderson, FB Lawrence Vickers, and RB Jamal Lewis all do a great job of selling a little play-action fake. It isn't a full on "stick it in his gut and pull the ball back out" fake, but with a quick twitch by DA and good salesmanship by Vickers and Lewis, Woodson bites.

Above, you can see Woodson take one false step, and that's all the Browns needed. DA sees that Robiskie has Woodson beaten, but he also notices FS Nick Collins coming over from his centerfield responsibility (out of screen) to cover Robiskie.

DA knows that with the free safety out of the picture, CB Al Harris is truly on an island against Massaquoi. He also knows that because GB is playing a Cover-3, Massaquoi should be wide open on his route, a slant/deep in.

DA throws a great ball, right on Massaquoi's numbers. 20 yards, a first down, and a facemask penalty for good measure.

After a very brief review of what is and isn't working for the Browns' offense, here are my reccommendations:

Simplify the playbook. There is too much wild experimentation, too many plays, and to little mastery of the plays we run. We need to establish some success in moving the ball, and then we can add wrinkles from week to week. Experiment, sure. But first and foremost make sure people know where they need to be and can play fast, "without thinking".
Use the Giants' "Omaha" call. We don't need to use the word "Omaha", but we should have a word that our QB uses to indicate that the snap count is live. Prior to saying the "hot word", whoever our QB is can use the hard count to try to get the defense to show their hand. We should use this at least 50% of the time. Eric Mangini wants to make this a disciplined, intelligent football team, so our strategies should reflect that. This would require our players to be more disciplined than the opposing defense, but could get us some real advantages.
Run when there are 7 in the box, pass when there are 8. The "Omaha" call would give us the upper hand as to determining this (see how those things go hand in hand and they aren't just randomly thrown together?). Far too often, we are trying to run with 8 in the box.
Run the same concepts from different formations. Yeah, it is a little "college offense-ish", but we might actually move the ball if we did it. If we run the ball with a Power O play, run the Power-O play with 2WR, 3WR, 4WR, and from the Wildcat. If we are going to run the Smash passing concept or the Slants concept, run it out of several formations. Have a few plays that work better against MOFO (middle of field open) coverages like cover-2 and cover-4, and some that work well against MOFC (middle of field closed) coverages. Build around the core concepts of the offense.
Find an identity. What exactly are the core concepts that we build around? If we had no idea what the defense was doing and we needed 4 yards, how would we try to get those yards? Run? Pass? Inside? Outside? Do we stretch the field horizontally? Are we looking to make big plays or take short, easy passes? Will we win with strength? Speed? Right now, I don't think we even know what we like to do.

Browns vs. Bears Primer - Joshua Cribbs and Devin Hester

Chris Pokorny — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 04:29:40 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

3 months ago: Chicago Bears cornerback Zackary Bowman (35) celebrates an interception during the first quarter of an NFL preseason football game against the Cleveland Browns in Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Browse more photos »

Here are some news, notes and nuggets as the Browns get set to take on the Bears on November 1st, 2009:

This will be the battle of the best kick returners, with Joshua Cribbs on one side and Devin Hester on the other side. Hester doesn't touch the ball on kickoffs anymore though after absorbing the duties of being the Bears' top wide receiver. Cribbs tried to make a similar adjustment to the receiver position, but his output (10 catches for 38 yards) has been far less impressive. Based on Cribbs' style, it makes sense why he's been more productive in the Wildcat formation on run plays.
Just which player is better at returning kicks? Quite honestly, I think it's unfair to compare the players' contrasting styles. Between the two, personally, I couldn't trade Cribbs for Hester.
The Bears do have a suitable replacement this season at returning kickoffs. Rookie Johnny Knox, who has also emerged as a decent wide receiver, is averaging 29.0 yards a pop in 18 attempts. Cribbs is averaging 28.9 yards a pop in 25 attempts, but also returns punts.
Almost all of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota will see the Browns vs. Bears game on CBS at 1:00 PM EST, according to the TV Distribution Maps. If you hated the announcing crew from the Steelers game two weeks ago (Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots), then I suggest you mute your television screen in advance this week.
People in the Cleveland area will also get to see the 49ers take on the Indianapolis Colts at 1:00 PM on FOX. I love watching Peyton Manning quarterback, and I rarely get to see him in non-prime time games, so I'm sure I'll be flipping channels throughout our game. Pretty much the whole country will get to see Brett Favre return to Lambeau to face the Vikings at 4:00 PM on FOX. That game is begging for a ratings grabber, and I can't wait to see it.
Kicker Phil Dawson looks ready to return as the Browns' field goal kicker this week. The team didn't release Billy Cundiff though, and there's a chance he might be active as well to continue handling kickoff duties this week. The Browns have not attempted a field goal longer than 31 yards since Dawson's injury.
With tight ends Steve Heiden, Robert Royal, AND Greg Estandia all on the injury report, expect Michael Gaines to continue seeing action this week.
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll indicated that Joshua Cribbs might be used more at running back moving forward. If that happens this week, I'll be both happy and upset. Happy that we went through with it, but upset that Daboll blew the potential surprise facing the Bears' defense.
Browns RB Jamal Lewis as struggled with a 3.4 yards per carry average this season, but Bears RB Matt Forte hasn't had much more luck with a 3.5 yards per carry average.
Chicago is set to have backup running back "The Other Adrian Peterson" return to action this week. He has been out since Week 4 with a knee injury.
A Browns wide receiver has still yet to catch a touchdown this season. After Carson Palmer torched the Bears for five touchdowns last week, will that change this week for Cleveland? You have to imagine that Derek Anderson will have his "beasting" game at some point...or not.
With D'Qwell Jackson out, the Browns' two leading tacklers this season are Eric Barton and Abram Elam, both former Jets.
Jay Cutler was picked 3 times last week; the Browns' defense has 3 picks all season.
The Browns will be facing their former teammate, RT Kevin Shaffer, who now starts for the Bears. Likewise, the Bears will be facing RT John St. Clair, their former starter.
Last week, Bears CB Charles Tillman struggled all day against Chad Ochocinco, yielding two touchdowns and over 100 yards receiving to the loud-mouthed receiver. CB Zackary Bowman also struggled, giving up an early touchdown to WR Chris Henry.
This is the second time the Browns are headed to Chicago this season. They played their on September 3, 2009 for their final preseason game.

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Also, don't forget to change your clocks, otherwise you'll mis-time the start of the Browns game!

Browns Can Only Muster a Lucky-Bounce Field Goal in 31-3 Loss to Packers

Chris Pokorny — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:18:45 -0000

More photos » by Mark Duncan - AP

The Browns weren't even close to competing.

Browse more photos »

GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-2)	WEEK 7	CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-6)
	VS.
31		3

Embarrassed in our own home stadium. Before the season started, I was hoping that we could make it to the end of the season without seeing fans with bags over their heads. We didn't meet that goal; heck, we couldn't even make it to the half-way point of the season to reach that point.

As goofy as Mangini sounded in his post-game press conference, he was right about the things the team needs to work on:

(On the style of play he is hoping to get from his players every week)- "Aggressive, intense, tough, physical, finishing, being able to respond to a successful play that our opponent has and come out and create a successful play ourselves, consistency, execution, communication. Good, solid, sound, fundamental, tough football. Physical football. Intense football. That’s what I want every week. That’s what I want every single week. We’ll make mistakes and there will be plays that aren’t executed as well as they should [be] or things that we can do better, but if you play at that level every single week, you give yourself the best chance to succeed."

In summary, we need to work on everything. For a "veteran" head coach, shouldn't we be much further along at this point?

Let's get to the review of the game...

WEEK 7 - GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. CLEVELAND BROWNS (COMPLETE GAME REVIEW)

GOAT OF THE GAME:

Derek Anderson: On the Browns' second series of the game, I was really impressed with Derek Anderson. He made quick decisions to the right players, and his passes were thrown at chest-level with a little bit of speed taken off of them. And then...the timeout came. After that, it was a complete meltdown at the quarterback position. Fumbled snap. Forcing the ball to a triple-covered receiver at the goal line. Horrible accuracy. Anderson should have lost his job with this effort, but Mangini said that's not happening.
I could list a lot more goats, but then I'd have nothing left to talk about in the "general notes" section.

AWARDING GAME BALLS:

Michael Gaines: That's right. A tight end we just signed as a backup while Robert Royal and Steve Heiden are out gets the game ball. All he had to do was catch 2 passes for 30 yards too. Both times he caught the ball, it helped us move closer to the end zone. Both catches were ones that Royal probably would've dropped too. Gaines' second catch was pretty spectacular, as the big man reached underneath and through his defender to haul in the pass while falling to the ground.

GENERAL THOUGHTS

The Packers fans had a lot to celebrate about in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

One Wildcat Play: Two years ago, the Miami Dolphins were the worst team in football. Last year, they improved upon that because they had the coaching staff that was creative enough on offense to implement and stick with the Wildcat formation. They didn't have the pieces to the puzzle at receiver to be a traditional offense, so they utilized whatever assets they had. It paid off, and it didn't even matter who was in the Wildcat either! It worked!

Mangini should've known that first hand from playing the Jets twice. We saw some more promise against the Steelers last week in using the formation more, but this week we only saw it once. Mangini claimed it was because we fell behind to quickly. I can understand that if you're down 21-0 in the first quarter, but half-way through the second quarter, it was still a 7-3 game. Our offense is clearly struggling, and for whatever reason we're failing to use our next best weapon after the departures of Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards.
Stop Rolling to the Left! The only reason Derek Anderson should be rolling to the left is if it's a designed play, or if he steps ahead of the protection because the pass rusher was angled into the backfield. Instead, we again got to see Anderson roll to his left when Joe Thomas had his defender dominated.
Cundiff Still Perfect: Kicker Billy Cundiff still hasn't missed a kick since joining the Browns, which is pretty remarkable given his lack of accuracy historically. He shanked his 22-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, but it got a lucky bounce off the upright and still went through. Can you believe that? We were up 3-0 in the second quarter.
Smart Football: The Packers played smart football against the Browns (although it was pretty easy to begin with). Case in point: as soon as the Browns brought S Abram Elam on a safety blitz, Rodgers immediately fired the ball to slot receiver Donald Driver for a 70+ yard touchdown. Compare that to Anderson, who always points at the defense as if he recognizes something, only to see him throw it into double coverage or see a running back run the ball right into a stack of defenders.
Missing Edwards: Considering the lack of production we're seeing from the receiver position, I'm certainly missing the threat that Braylon Edwards offered. Brian Robiskie was targeted minimally and was held without a catch, and I don't even remember seeing Chansi Stuckey take the field. Mohamed Massaquoi was targeted several times, but the passes were usually way off.
Lack of a Pass Rush: The lack of a pass rush was more embarrassing against the Packers than any other game this season. What has changed that in Week 1, we were pressuring Brett Favre early and often, but that in Week 7, we can't even lay a finger on Aaron Rodgers, one of the most-sacked quarterbacks in the league? We're too "average" on the defensive line with no youth to speak of. I don't think Shaun Rogers is "quitting" on the team, but I can't imagine he's giving it his all when everyone else around him is playing like crap. I don't blame him, because all of his work usually goes for nothing when other guys are getting dominated.
Patience With Maiava: I can't jump too much on Kaluka Maiava because the only way to see if he can be a starter in the future is to let him get some reps now. There was a noticeable dropoff from D'Qwell Jackson though, and it showed when Ryan Grant gashed the Browns' on the ground all game long. Although it was nearly impossible to do, I believe the announcers also commented that Maiava was the man who came over late when Elam blitzed on Driver's big touchdown catch and run. Maiava was also flagged for a personal foul.
Rogers' Tripping Penalty: Can someone offer clarification on how Shaun Rogers was called for a tripping penalty? I'm not saying he didn't do it, but it seems unusual for a defensive player to do that, and I couldn't find the foul when they showed a replay of it.
Cribbs Fumbles Again: I said this earlier in the season: the Browns need to stop putting Joshua Cribbs into situations where he's going to catch the ball and get hit right afterward. He's a catch and run receiver. He's still to blame for fumbling the ball on his short catch, but the play doesn't utilize his strengths to begin with.

RB Ryan Grant tore through the Browns' defense for his first 100+ yard performance of the season.

Kicked Ball Out of Bounds: The Packers kicked the ball out of bounds twice. That removes the chance for some excitement from Cribbs, but it does give us great field position, something that the contending teams in the NFL would take full advantage of. Instead, we punt the ball and watch the opposition drive 90 yards in a play or two.
Too Much Regression: As bad as Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson have been this season, I don't believe this is the best that either of them have to offer. Both quarterbacks showed a lot more under the previous regime -- why have they regressed instead of improved? Sure, they've lost "weapons" on offense, but that's not what the problem is. The accuracy, decision-making, and overall confidence are just down the drain.
Case in Point: In the third quarter, Derek Anderson fired the ball...right to Charles Woodsen. Even Woodsen looked surprised, because the ball was thrown to his outside shoulder and the receiver he was covering had already broken on the inside, pretty well ahead of him.
Losing Streak at Home: The last time the Browns won a game at home was last season's "WTF" performance against the New York Giants. That was the last Browns game that I personally attended. I might be attending the Monday Night Football game against the Baltimore Ravens. If we win, something fishy will be going on...
Poor Officiating Decision: The officiating wasn't really a problem this week, but it didn't make sense for the officials upstairs to not call for a booth review when Ryan Grant lost the ball heading into the end zone just after the two-minute warning in the first half. The replay might not have been conclusive enough to overturn the call, but it seemed like enough to warrant a review. Boo.
St. Clair's Scuffle: When John St. Clair was mentioned on the Browns' first offensive series for getting into a "scuffle", it was the first time I've heard his name mentioned since Week 2 or Week 3 (which is a good thing, I suppose). Since St. Clair used to play for the Chicago Bears, I wonder if his past rivalry with the Packers had anything to do with the early push-fest.
Put in the Rookies: If we're going to lose in a blowout, then I at least want to have the rookies gain some experience. That includes playing Jerome Harrison, David Veikune, and Coye Francies more. Francies was inactive again, and Veikune was only seeing reps on special teams it appeared. It's smelling like Crennel all over again.
Brownies: I couldn't find anything positive about this game except Gaines' performance, although TE Greg Estandia also had two short catches...I'm worried about blackouts occurring later in the season...the Browns gave up another big run to a quarterback, this time to Aaron Rodgers for 19 yards...I can't believe I picked the Browns to score 28 points in this game, although I still correctly picked us to lose...I didn't mention the running backs for a reason -- they were a non-factor.

Up next, the Browns will head to Chicago to face the Bears. The Bears were atrocious against the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday, but they know they are a better team than that. If Jay Cutler gets time, he will rip a defense apart. Considering the lack of pressure we're generating, it looks like it'll be another long day for our defense.

Bears Make 53

Dane Noble — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:20:43 -0000

A few surprises, but not too many. Today, the Bears whittled their roster down to the league mandated 53 players by terminating 3 contracts, waiving 16 players, and placing 3 on Injured Reserve.

Players who were waived included guard Johan Asiata, defensive ends Ervin Baldwin and Joe Clermond, offensive tackle Cody Balogh, quarterback Brett Basanez, cornerbacks Rudy Burgess, Marcus Hamilton and Woodny Turenne, fullbacks Jason Davis and Will Ta’ufo’ou, linebackers Marcus Freeman, Kevin Malast and Mike Rivera, receiver Eric Peterman, and center Donovan Raiola.

The Bears can establish an eight-man practice squad on Sunday and also can claim players who’ve been waived by other NFL teams. In past seasons, the Bears have typically stocked their practice squad primarily with players they released a day earlier during final cuts.

Here’s a breakdown of the 53-man roster as it stands now (in alphabetical order):

Quarterbacks (2): Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie.

Running backs (3): Matt Forte, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe.

Fullbacks (1): Jason McKie:

Wide receivers (6): Devin Aromashodu, Earl Bennett, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Juaquin Iglesias, Johnny Knox.

Tight ends (4): Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis, Michael Gaines, Greg Olsen.

Offensive linemen (8): Josh Beekman, Roberto Garza, Olin Kreutz, Lance Louis, Frank Omiyale, Orlando

Pace, Kevin Shaffer, Chris Williams.

Defensive linemen (9): Anthony Adams, Mark Anderson, Alex Brown, Jarron Gilbert, Tommie Harris, Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije, Adewale Ogunleye, Matt Toeaina.

Linebackers (6): Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach, Pisa Tinoisamoa, Brian Urlacher, Jamar Williams.

Cornerbacks (6): Zackary Bowman, Corey Graham, Trumaine McBride, D.J. Moore, Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher.

Safeties (5): Al Afalava, Josh Bullocks, Danieal Manning, Kevin Payne, Craig Steltz.

Specialists (3): Robbie Gould, Patrick Mannelly, Brad Maynard.

Position Battles: Running Backs

wiltfongjr — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:00:10 -0000

I found it odd the Bears didn't bother bringing in an undrafted free agent tailback to compete in camp and to play the fourth quarters of the preseason games. Last year they kept four on the opening day roster, so is it a given they will do the same thing this year?

Matt Forte could reach Pro Bowl status and Kevin Jones is healthy and in great shape. These two are obvious locks for the final roster and should be a formidable tandem if used correctly. I'd love to see Forte & Jones at about 60% / 40% on touches, a point I addressed right here last month.

Are Garrett Wolfe and Adrian Peterson comfortably on the final 53? What about the fullbacks? Last year the Bears kept only one, Jason McKie, but brought in Jason Davis when McKie was banged up and liked what they saw. And then what about rookie, and already fan favorite, Will Ta'ufo'ou? How many backs will be there on opening day?

Take the jump and see what I think...

I thought last year was going to be Garrett Wolfe's last chance to prove his worth. Even though he saw very limited action on offense, he really became a standout special teams player before he was injured. This year the Bears continue to preach getting Wolfe more involved in the offense, so does that mean their minds are already made up about him?

Adrian Peterson is a pro's pro. He does his job on special teams, he runs hard when he gets opportunities, he'll block, he can catch out of the backfield, it just seems like the Bears take him for granted. He has a solid year in 2005 with over 80 touches then rarely saw the field in 2006. In 2007 he has 51 receptions and over 500 yards rushing, not spectacular I know, but another solid year for a back-up. Last year with Kevin Jones ineffective, the Bears would rather drive Forte into the ground than get Peterson some carries (he only had 20).

Offensively these two bring different skills to the table, but at the end of the day neither will supplant Forte or Jones for many touches this year. It'll come down to special team play, and both thrive in the third phase. I can see the Bears bringing both these guys for the ride again this year, but if they decide to go an extra wide receiver, tight end, or even full back, I believe Peterson will be the odd man out. I think the Bears still view the upside of Garrett Wolfe as better than Peterson, even though we still have yet to see it.

I really can't see Jason McKie not making the final roster. For as many FB Dive jokes that float around WCG, McKie is a solid player. It's not his fault every person in the stadium knows when that dive is coming. He has better than average hands out of the backfield, he's a solid lead blocker, he's a good special teams player, and when used properly he'll pick up a tough yard for you. With as many double TE sets the Bears incorporate there really isn't a need to carry more than one FB. I think Davis will be the one left unemployed, with the Bears tyring to get Ta'ufo'ou on the practice squad. I wonder if after his one preseason game, has Will Ta'ufo'ou reached the legendary status of Mike Hass yet?

If the Bears do only go with three tailbacks and one fullback, then you can bet either an extra tight end (Michael Gaines), or an extra wideout (Devin Aromashodu) will be the beneficiary. Then again if the Bears keep only 2 quarterbacks... decisions, decisions, decisions...

Poll

Who makes the final 53?

Adrian Peterson

117 votes

Garrett Wolfe

258 votes

Both

380 votes

755 votes | Poll has closed

Position Battles: Tight End

wiltfongjr — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:00:11 -0000

One Preseason game down and three to go. These games are meaningless as far as wins and loses go, but for the bubble players, the older vets trying to hold off the younger replacement, the new free agent trying to impress, and the rookie looking to make an impression, there are no more important games they'll ever play.

These fringe players need to get on the field as much as possible, not only to impress their coaches, but to get game film for scouts across the league to peruse. Players stuck behind established veterans go into the season knowing the odds for them making the team are slim, so getting reps in the games are so valuable. You can only see so much during training camp and practices. Playing against live competition, that are just as hungry as you, is the best way to determine roster spots.

The Tight End position for the Bears has been very stable the last few seasons. Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen form arguably one the best 1-2 combos in the league. Both are locks to make the final roster. Second year man Kellen Davis and free agent acquisition Michael Gaines are both looking to stick, and so far I don't see either having an obvious advantage over the other.

Kellen Davis is an athletic pass catching TE that should be a better blocker due to his physical attributes alone (6'7" 262 and solid). Former Detroit Lion Michael Gaines (6'2" 267) has been advertised as a better blocker with average hands. A fifth TE, former practice squad player Fontell Mines, has already been ruled out for the season due to injury and may end up an injured reserve.

The Bears need that third TE to be a blocker. Blocking in football is as much technique as it is power. But if you have both, you will have a nice career in the NFL. Losing John Gilmore a couple years ago hurt the short yardage run game. He was technically strong and physically imposing (6'5" 257). You need that nasty blocking TE that will stick his nose in there and work his tail off to get the job done. Olsen will never be that guy. His blocking has, and will continue to improve, but he's paid to catch balls. Clark has made himself into a better than average blocker after playing wide receiver in college at Wake Forest, but when you go double tight, and sometimes 3 tight end sets, you ~~want~~, check that, need, a guy you can count on to make a key block. Last year the Bears used Kellen Davis in that role, and the signing of Michael Gaines should tell you all you need to know about their comfort level with him as the number three TE. Has Davis improved as a blocker? Last month Tight End coach Rob Boras had a few things to say about him on chicagobears.com;

Like everybody, he's a work in progress. He's getting better. ... We would like him to develop into being a dominant blocker for us, so to be that he’s got to play with better pad level.

At 6'7" I'm sure playing to high has been a problem he's had his entire football life. The hardest thing to teach a tall blocker is to stay low. Davis has a few inches on mostly everyone he's asked to block, so he has to condition his body to get lower through repetition, repetition, and repetition. An NFL TE has to be technically sound, he isn't going to overpower many defenders at this level. Will he put in the work to improve? A knock on Davis out of Michigan State was that he didn't work as hard as he should, it's something that has dogged him in first two years in Chicago, although I have yet to hear about a coach calling him out on his work ethic.

Michael Gaines has the ability to not only line up as a tight end, but to line up in the backfield as a fullback (or H-Back), something we've heard about but didn't see in the Buffalo game. He has versatility and experience over Davis to make the final roster, but Davis has the higher ceiling. If Gaines takes to a special teams role he could have the edge. Last year Davis was a productive member of the third phase, and this year he's been practicing as one of the 2 man wedge on the kick return team.

After just 1 preseason game, with Davis catching 2 for 29 yards and Gaines catching none, there really isn't a clear cut resolution to who has the job. There is an outside chance the Bears keep all four, but that would be at the expense of either a wide receiver or running back (I'll look at the RB position battle on Thursday). I believe Davis will be given at least one more year to show what he can do. If the Bears do go the Gaines route, they can forget about trying to stash Davis on the practice squad, he'll be picked up before he walks out of Halas Hall.

One last aspect to the TE position battle is Greg Olsen being named starter before the players broke a sweat on training camp. Not much of a battle, now was it? Desmond Clark, the true pro that he is, took the demotion in stride, but I don't like the starters being named in the meeting rooms. I prefer them to battle it out between the lines and may the best man win the job. With as many double TE sets the Bears utilize Clark will still see plenty of action, but for a guy that has started 92 of his 94 career games as a Bear, I think showing him the respect of an actual position battle would have made more sense.

Poll

How do you see the Tight End Position Battle playing out?

Olsen, Clark, & Davis

364 votes

Olsen, Clark, & Gaines

77 votes

Olsen, Clark, Davis, & Gaines

203 votes

644 votes | Poll has closed

NightLink: Fontel Mines is Gone for the Season

Adam T — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:35:20 -0000

Fontel Mines is one of the names we have heard coming from camp of players that were looking good. With Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis and Michael Gaines already having a spot or fighting for a spot, Mines probably would have been a long shot to make the roster. It doesn't really matter now.

Mines went down in practice and it is now being reported that he has torn an ACL.