SB Nation - Kevin Shaffer

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations

Ted Bartlett — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 13:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Chris Schneider - AP

1 day ago: Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels, right, talks to quarterback Kyle Orton during a break in the action during the third quarter of of an NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders in Denver on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider)

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Happy Tuesday, friends, and welcome to Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations. I am writing this lead-in on Black Monday, and I'm still not in a very good mood, as you can imagine. I'm going to try to make the best of it, and drop a good column despite the bad feelings. We'll see, because I still haven't watched this infuriating game a second time yet. No guarantees. For now, let's get on with it. Ready..... BEGIN!!!!

1. So, I am not too thrilled, as you might imagine. I don't think anybody particularly is, but this game solidified a thought in my mind about the Broncos, that I've been close to, but never fully there this season. It kind of makes me feel like a fool actually, because way back, when I was the only credible analyst in the world predicting 11-5 for the Broncos, my main reason for thinking it is what I had wrong.

The Broncos offensive line is the weakness of the team, and I thought it was the strength. When I envisioned beating Baltimore and Pittsburgh, it was because I thought the Broncos would be able to block them. I've frequently observed the struggles of one guy or another, but the real conclusion we need to reach is that this group leaves a lot to be desired. Nice Thing to Say About Jay Cutler Alert: I think we all underestimated how much his quick release, mobility, and pocket awareness helped prevent sacks last year.

This year, they've given up sacks at key times, often when it's been obvious that they had to throw the ball. That has been the minor part of the problem. The major part is that they've struggled to drive-block all season, and lately, they've struggled to effectively zone-block, too. Russ Hochstein is terrible, and really hasn't been any kind of improvement over Ben Hamilton. Casey Wiegmann has regressed this year from his previously high standard and gets pushed backward too much. I haven't been too thrilled with the play of Chris Kuper over the last month either, and Tyler Polumbus has proven to be just a backup and special teams player.

I think this season turned when Ryan Harris got hurt. He's one of the best RTs in the NFL, and between he, Kuper, and often Daniel Graham, the Broncos had a good ability to open holes in the running game to the right, outside. Now, the Broncos get pushed backward too much, and are very susceptible to run blitzing against their zone schemes. In the short term, they can help themselves with plays like backside smoke screens off outside play action, inviting/exploiting the run blitzing. In the long term, though, they interior of the line badly needs to be upgraded, because the Broncos will always struggle against physical fronts if it doesn't.

Now, the Broncos do still control their own destiny, even after losing two in a row. They can beat Philadelphia too, if they can protect Kyle Orton, and run the ball effectively. I really think that the Eagles' tendencies toward throwing the ball a lot play to the Broncos' strength on defense. Like Kima Greggs said, sometime things gotta play hard. The Broncos wiped the field with the Giants, who are very similar to the Eagles, so let's not lose hope that they can do it again. Remember, every game is an independent event, and what happened last week is irrelevant to what may happen this week. Go Broncos!

2. Information From My Eyes, Raiders at Broncos-

a. This is kind of information from my ears, but I can't stand Gus Johnson. I know a lot of people like him, but to me, he sounds like he learned his technique from the WWE's Jim Ross (whose name I had to look up, in case you're wondering). Can't you just picture Gus wearing a cowboy hat and yelling "He hit him with a steel chair?!"

b. While I am dogging CBS announcer team guys, Steve Tasker sucks pretty bad, too. He lacks a command of the rules, and it just doesn't seem like he prepares very hard. He makes blanket statements like, "The Broncos have lost 5 of 7 since Kyle Orton's finger got healthy, and they started throwing more." No reasonable person in the world would blame those losses on Kyle Orton, but there goes Tasker, joining the Peter King train.

PK: In six of the past eight weeks, Kyle Orton hasn't put up more than 17 points on the board. Yikes.

It's like the rest of the team is just McNulty's breathing machine. Tasker played the game for a long time, as a spunky, high-effort, overrated special-teams gunner. He should know that a lot is going on on the field that has nothing to do with the QB, and he should be the first person making that point. Hell, there are people who think he belongs in the Hall of Fame (PK evidently being among them, unlike his take on Floyd Little). Tasker should be the "look at the little things" guy, and instead, just mostly stays quiet as Gus Johnson announces the next elbow drop from the top rope, only opening his mouth to mention correlations where there's no causation.

c. Mitch Berger's punt at the end of the first quarter may have been the ugliest in NFL history. It was just atrocious, for those who didn't see the game.

d. Casey Wiegmann had his worst game as a Bronco on Sunday, in my opinion. He was on roller skates all day, going backward. I appeciate the guy's durability and smarts, but I don't think the coaching staff will want to go into next season with him as the starter.

e. The officials let Chris Johnson get away with a clear pass-interference penalty on a key 3rd down in the 3rd quarter. He facegaurded Jabar Gaffney downfield, and rode him out of bounds with his body. Let Tasker tell it, it was a perfectly legal play. He didn't remember the 5-yard chuck rule, I guess. This play was egregious.

f. Andra Davis played great on Sunday, especially on the goal-line stand. He was all over the field all day, and made a bunch of plays.

g. Mario Henderson played better than I've ever seen him play for the Raiders, especially in the running game. He was downfield driving Broncos defenders backward. He also held up very well in pass protection, but was helped by Charlie Frye's focus on getting the ball out quickly.

h. Vonnie Holliday was very good in the pass-rushing game for the Broncos, and Robert Ayers had good moments, too. The only really good rush Elvis Dumervil had, he got called for roughing the passer.

i. Don't let me see anybody blaming Alphonso Smith for the winning TD. He was picked, clear as day, by #86 for the Raiders. In a poorly officiated game, it was another obvious penalty that wasn't called. It was offensive pass interference all the way, and he was out of position for the tackle, making it very difficult. It's true that Smith has struggled as the season has gone on, but that play wasn't his fault.

j. Finally, a word about JaMarcus Russell. He can make every throw a QB ever has to make. When he came into the game Sunday, I was actually worried about it, because he has much more physical ability than Charlie Frye. I'm not ready to say he turned a corner, but I'm sure he engendered some additional belief in his coaches and teammates than he'd been previously seeing. He got it done, given the circumstances, so all you can do is tip your hat to the guy.

3. Information From My Eyes, Other Games-

a. I continue not to care whether the Colts go 16-0, and I didn't get to see much of the game, due to a 10:30 PM ET conference call with some guys who work for me in Pune, India on Thursday. Ho hum, the Colts won.

I was all over the Cowboys beating the Saints, though, and I did watch that game. The Cowboys had to be tired of hearing all this stuff about how they can't win in December, and the Saints had been trying to give away a game for about a month. The Saints had a really hard time protecting Drew Brees, especially LT Jermon Bushrod. For the guy who shares a hometown with him, the jury is in for me. He's an RTO playing out of position on the left side. I think the Saints were too greedy, and didn't do enough to help him with DeMarcus Ware.

b. I made some Cowboys fan mad back in October when I proclaimed Anthony Spencer to be just a guy. Cowboys fans need to be told when their players aren't as good as the hype around them - because the hype is so strong, most of them believe it. Anyway, Spencer was fantastic on Saturday night. He was setting the edge in the running game, and he got Drew Brees 3 times, losing one to a questionable penalty in the secondary. It was the best I'd ever seen Spencer play in the NFL, and if he can keep playing like that, the Cowboys are suddenly really difficult to handle in the playoffs.

c. I was very impressed with Tony Romo's play Saturday, and it's nothing new lately. He's been playing terrific football, with 8 TDs and 0 interceptions in his last 4 games. Lazy, uninsightful MSM idiots who fixate on meaningless trends were falling over themselves to say that Romo couldn't win in December. To most of these people, the other 52 guys on a team are like garnish on the side of the plate. It's obscene how stupid that all is.

d. The Cowboys did the right thing, cutting the cord with Nick Folk. He's been terrible this season, and when you can't count on your kicker to make a 27-yard field goal, you have big problems. Of course, the guy they replaced him with, Shaun Suisham, lost his last job for missing a 20-something-yard FG against New Orleans, to put the game away, too. Kicker seems to be an issue for Dallas every year, and they really need to address it on a going-forward basis.

e. The Lions are still playing hard, I'm sure try to secure jobs for next season. They really gave Arizona a run for their money on Sunday, but came up short, to the disappointment of my buddy Chris Dillon, who was in attendance. I was pretty impressed with the play of Maurice Morris, but I've seen him flash like this a lot of times in his career, and then do nothing a week later. The guy I always like the look of is Drew Stanton, who was a second-round pick, but never got a chance to play for some reason. He had some good moments Sunday, and looked more useful than Daunte Culpepper.

f. The Cardinals can't be blowing double-figure leads if they want to get back to the Super Bowl. I was telling my brother the other day that I thought the NFC Champion would once again come down to Arizona against Philadelphia, but the Cardinals lacked crispness for a second week in a row. They'd do well to get their act together.

g. There were a lot of interesting things to see in the Cleveland-Kansas City game, which was surprising. I had no intention of paying any attention to it this weekend, but it ended up being the first game I watched when I got home Monday evening. First things, first. I've never been a big Jerome Harrison fan, but he obviously played out of his mind on Sunday for the Browns. I have seen a lot of him over the last few years, so I remain skeptical of him. Prior to Sunday, if I had to describe Harrison in a sentence this would have been it: "He's a third-down back who lacks much power, speed, or explosiveness, and shouldn't particularly scare anybody." I think his career day was equal parts the best day of his life and the significant inflation factor that comes from running against the Chiefs.

h. The Chiefs had to feel pretty good about most of their offense's performance Sunday. Matt Cassel looked outstanding, and was hurt by about 10 drops by his receivers. Dwayne Bowe was particularly feeling in touch with his inner dropsies. Maybe it was rust from his steroid vacation? Anyway, Cassel was a positive sign again, after a couple bad weeks, and the good things he did had the look of things that would work against good teams, too.

i. If you'd asked me six weeks ago about Jamaal Charles, I'd have questioned his size and power, and also his running instincts. I always saw him as a guy who missed creases and ran into tackles. The coaching he's presumably been getting seems to have clicked lately, because he's making tacklers miss more than I've ever seen. He looks really good running out of the shotgun, which he did a lot of in college at the University of Texas. He's not a bell-cow RB, but teams aren't looking for those so much anymore. He can be a very effective 50-50 tandem guy, especially if the Chiefs could find a Michael Bush-type player to complement him.

j. You know how you can look at somebody and tell when they seem to be physically uncomfortable? That's how Mark Sanchez looked to me on Sunday, in the cold of New York, kind of like a woman looks when she's constipated. I thought his ball traveled a bit better through the wind than it did a month or so ago, when he played in his first bad weather, but his clear lack of physical comfort worries me, and should worry the Jets. Sometimes, a guy who grew up in warm weather embraces the cold, and has success in it. Brett Favre immediately comes to mind. If Sanchez goes back to SoCal in the offseason to chill out, that will be a bad sign in my mind. He ought to stay in New York, and get used to the weather. You may think I am overstating this, but he's going to have to play a ton of games in the cold throughout his career if he's going to be a 10-year Jet.

k. The Shallow Thoughts fantasy team continues to save its best work for the playoffs in the Official MHR League, and was dominant Sunday, led by Aaron Rodgers' huge day. I'm now one game from a championship. Not bad for a guy who doesn't like fantasy football, and a team which was counting on Larry Johnson and Derrick Ward to be stud RBs. I've gotten solid work from both Laurence Maroney and Jason Snelling at times, which has helped. I thought of Snelling, because I have really come to like his game on the real field. He runs hard, catches the ball well, and picks up the blitz. He's a good backup to Michael Turner, and when they're both healthy, they can really alternate physically pounding a defense.

l. I'll tell you right now, Falcons FS Thomas DeCoud is going to be on the All-ST&NO Favorites team I'll be releasing next week. He ought to be in the Pro Bowl for the NFC, but that's almost certainly not going to happen. He's very mobile and smart, and he always is in great position. What sets him apart from other good safeties, though, is that he can catch the football, and he did once again on Sunday, with his third interception of the season. I like matchup safeties, and I'm a big fan of DeCoud, going back to the 2008 Draft.

m. Kerry Rhodes got benched recently, and he looks to me like he's playing with a lot more ferocity and toughness lately. Rex Ryan had him coming on a bunch of blitzes Sunday, and the Jets did a great job all day against the Atlanta offense. If they had gotten better play from Sanchez this season, the Jets would have run away with the AFC East, because that defense is real. Assuming Sanchez improves in the future, this is going to be a team to be reckoned with in the years ahead.

n. I said something nice about Jay Cutler earlier, and now I'm going to go into semi-apologist mode for him, ever so briefly. Neither of the first two interceptions he threw Sunday were really his fault. On the first, Devin Aromashadu failed to get across the face of Domonique Foxworth on a slant route, which is his job. That's 100% on the WR to execute, especially when the play called for Cutler to look right first, and come back left on time, semi-blindly. On the second pick, the RT failed to cut Jarret Johnson on a 3-step drop, and Johnson jumped up in the passing lane and made a play. I've made this point before recently, but on a 3-step drop, the DE must be cut to the ground to clear the passing lane, and the player (I think it was Kevin Shaffer, but couldn't tell for 100% sure) failed to execute. Cutler's third pick was on him, but it was a tough throw moving to his left. He threw that one right to Foxworth. If the Bears want to do a smart thing, they'll try to hire Jeremy Bates away from USC. I don't necessarily think Bates can coach Cutler out of his well-established bad habits, but he at least knows how to put him in position to be most successful.

o. It's so difficult to deal with the height of the Chargers WRs and Antonio Gates. I don't know if I really know the right answer for stopping them. I think you need to play physical with them, and try to cover them man-to-man, but that's easier said than done. It's got to be better than letting them run the sideline against cover-2 with no re-route from a CB, though. I think Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall did pretty well Sunday, and the Chargers still got the win when it counted. San Diego is overrated in some areas, but they're underrated at WR.

p. I'd be shocked if LaDainian Tomlinson is back with San Diego next season. He was obviously a great player for a long time, but he's noticeably not the same guy he used to be. When a RB starts to lose it, you can see it in his leg drive when somebody hits him. LDT is going down a lot easier than he ever did in the past. He's like Arizona Cardinals-era Emmitt Smith right now, despite having a much shorter career than Emmitt.

q. I really liked Mike Tomlin's reasoning behind his onside kick strategy Sunday. I'm taking this from Peter King's MMQB, as I'm not sure if these comments were said exclusively to him, or were something he picked up from the team's PR people.

"I'll be very bluntly honest with you, based on the way the game was going in the second half, first of all I thought with the element of surprise we had a chance to get it, but if we didn't get it and they were to score, then we would have necessary time on the clock to score or match their score. Plan A didn't work, we got the ball but we were illegal, that was the correct call, but it kind of unfolded the way you envisioned it.

"We had 30 minutes of evidence that we could drive the ball on them, we also conversely had 30 minutes of evidence to show they could also drive the ball on us. That's why we took the risk when we did. We were just trying to win the football game. There was time left in that game that had we kicked that ball away and the half had gone the way that it'd gone, they were converting third downs. They would have moved the ball down the field on us, we wouldn't have had necessary time to respond. I'm just being honest, but it starts with feeling pretty good about the element of surprise and having a good chance to get that ball, but that part of it didn't work out.''

That makes sense, right? Even if you don't get the ball, you're cutting down the amount of time the Packers will take to score, and leave your own team enough time to answer. I generally can't stand the Steelers or their highly-ignorant fan base, but I have Tomlin's back on this one. After all, it played out exactly like he thought it would, if they didn't recover the kick. Nothing proves you right like being right, right?

But then PK chimes in with his commentary:

How the mighty defense has fallen. Wow. Mike Tomlin throwing his D to the wolves.

Sigh. Like they say on ESPN, C'MON MAN! You know what you are if you trust a defense that hasn't gotten it done all day? You're a moron who deserves to lose. I really think that this is the most idiotic conventional wisdom in football, that you have to trust your defense, no matter what. The Steelers got sliced up all game, and didn't deserve to be trusted. Tomlin had the pulse of the game exactly right. Hell, if I am him, I want my defense to know that I don't trust them in that moment, and step it the hell up in practice, and in the next game. Trust is earned, not freely given.

r. Here's a news flash for Peter King. Bryant McKinnie is not a very good player, especially in pass protection. You should never judge the quality of an offensive lineman on whether they get voted to the Pro Bowl, or were picked in the first round of the draft. McKinnie is solid against the run, but he's slow-footed, and he struggles to protect against good pass rushers. Julius Peppers did dominate McKinnie Sunday night, but it's less of a special feat than PK would have you believe.

s. I think the Panthers might have something with Matt Moore. He's not the most polished player, but you can tell he has some real talent. I'm not basing that on his results, per se, but more on the way the ball leaves his hand and flies through the air. If I were John Fox, Jake Delhomme wouldn't see the field again this season unless Moore got hurt.

t. Don't worry about Brett Favre arguing with Brad Childress on the sidelines. It doesn't matter, and these things happen all the time. I don't think the Vikings quite have what it takes to win a championship, but it has nothing to do with Favre and Childress not seeing eye-to-eye in one game. I think the only good player on their offensive line is Steve Hutchinson, and the rest of them are average to below-average. I also think Adrian Peterson isn't playing very well lately, and I wonder if he's banged up, because I don't see the suddenness and power I am used to from him lately.

u. The Giants really got their defensive line going Monday night. I guess it helps to play the Redskins, who can't block anybody. I was pretty surprised by the bad play of the Redskins defense, which has been tough all year. This game was so lousy, I barely paid attention to it after the first half.

v. Why couldn't the Redskins have run THAT variation of the Hunter Smith pass against the Broncos? That was a charlie foxtrot from the start.

4. For a straight single man, I'm a pretty good dresser. I figure I'm average looking, and I could stand to drop a few pounds, so I try to help myself by making smart wardrobe decisions. I have some common sense rules, I favor versatility and have a good feel for matching, and I never, ever wear trendy, overpriced crap like Ed Hardy. I'd give myself a B-plus to an A-minus.

So I am watching the NFL Network pregame show Sunday, and I can't help but notice the gear of the well-known sartorialist Michael Irvin. He had a pretty bad suit, and I remembered a draft a few years ago, maybe 2006 or 2007, when Irvin was working for ESPN. My ex-wife walked in, and saw him, and she was all about fashion. He was wearing a brown suit, with a brown shirt, and Christine says, "He looks like a big piece of poop." I couldn't help but agree.

So, horrible suit back then, pretty bad suit Sunday, funny memory. Then, the crew took off their jackets to do a technique demonstration, and I saw the worst part of Mike's gear. His shirt had epaulets!!! (I generally hate multiple exclamation points, but epaulets make it appropriate.) If you were in the military, chances are you know what epaulets are - if not, check it out here, where they spell it differently than how I learned in the Navy.

Okay, Mike? Unless you're going to a Troop Meeting, and making Eagle Scout, no epaulets, okay? There's no good reason in the world for a normal man's shirt to have them. Just say no to pretentious clothing. I wouldn't be surprised if Ed Hardy toolbag-in-chief Christian Audigier designed Irvin's shirt, too. The orange oompa loompa spray tan would look weird on Irvin, so it would be hard to carry the complete look.

I bet those guys' shirts have epaulets. By the way, I got that pic from the coolest Facebook fan page ever.

5. So there's big news that I have to share. I am retiring ST&NO. Next week, on December 29^th, 2009 I will post my last one ever, at least as far as I am planning now. New Year, new ideas, new LASIK eye surgery on January 15^th, so I won't be nearsighted anymore. The title just wouldn't make sense anymore, and like Russell Jones, I keeps it real. I plan to move my work in a bit of a different direction in the next year, and beyond.

Since I started writing ST&NO last January, I've tried to make it league-wide. Some MHR people have expressed appreciation for that, and I think some would like my work better if it was all Broncos, all the time. It's gotten more and more league-wide in nature during the course of this regular season - at first, kind of by accident. Later, I started to realize that I wanted to position myself for a more national platform, and I've gone with it more intentionally. I thank John Bena for always letting me write whatever I want, as I've been able to drop stuff that makes me happy.

In the marketplace of ideas, there's been a lot of evolution in how fans get football information. It used to be, you could watch your local market game, the Cowboys (America's Team), and a West Coast game, and then whatever was on Monday night. Now, you can watch any game you want, if you're willing to pay $400 a season for the privilege. Twenty years ago, you had your local rag newspaper, picking up some AP reporting, and having a couple Woody Paige-style columnists. I remember sitting in the front hall of my mom's house every Monday morning, reading the recaps and poring through the box scores. Now, you can go on the internet and read whoever you want. It's a brave new world, that continues to change all the time, and a guy like me has to continually evaluate my best positioning in it.

When there were just the rags, the strong written content was at the micro (team) level, mostly because it was the only particular written content, outside of a multi-sport skimmer like Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News. With the wide proliferation of the internet in the mid-90s, your average Len Pasquarelli and John Clayton emerged at ESPN.com, and the Worldwide Leader threw a ton of resources at football, taking the quality back to the macro level. In the early to mid 00s, it became much easier for people with no access to players and coaches to get information, and also to self-publish. Web 2.0 gave some people with real talent the chance to take the quality back to the micro level, where it really belongs, to a large degree.

Well, I'm a macro kind of guy who has been working at a micro level. I actually have personal friends who've told me explicitly that they won't read ST&NO because it appears on a Broncos site. It's just too much for some people to get past. You'll remember the story about the "repugnant" guy/girl from a couple weeks ago. The person's biggest burn was:

If you were as brilliant and talented as you think you are you'd be doing something other than running a niche website no one other than diehard Broncos fans gives a damn about.

As I told the critic in my response, I am very, very proud of MHR. It's the best Broncos site in the world, and I'm really proud to have been part of its rise, and call myself a member/alumnus of the site. From John, to the staff, to the community, it's really incredible what we have here, and I will always support and promote it. I'm struggling a bit to cut to the chase, which is unlike me, but you can probably tell by now that I am announcing my departure from the MHR staff.

I've decided to launch my own football site, with a stated goal of bringing MHR-style quality to the macro level. I looked at trying to convince a lousy MSM site like CBSSports.com to pay me for running my content on their site, and even went so far as to ask a friend to make an inquiry on my behalf. I've backed away from this idea, however, as I read about Bill Simmons' frustrations with ESPN's penchant for censoring his work. Everybody knows that wouldn't work for me. I'm taking the Oprah approach, instead, and owning my own outlet. I'm pretty close to being ready to launch, but not quite close enough to share details yet. Tune into next week's triumphant ST&NO finale, and you can get all the information about it.

There's such widespread suckitude at the national level, that I feel like I have to step directly into their arena, loudly and with both feet, if I really want to go after them. I'm here to tell you, I've got something for Peter King, Mike Florio, Clayton, Pasquarelli, Don Banks, Pete Prisco, and all the rest of them. Let there be no ambiguity. I am in it to win it at the national level, and I'll be applying everything I learned here at MHR, and every other resource I can muster to help make it happen. Sound the horns, because it is most definitely on.

It's Tuesday morning as I write this last part, time to post ST&NO, head to the office, and do another call with Kuldeep and Suresh in India. Have a great week, friends, and I'll see you next Tuesday for the final edition of this column. The ST&NO concept will definitely live on at my new site, but I'll be excited to have each of you with me next week, as we close this chapter of the story, and start writing the next one. Thanks for being MHR community members, and for reading my work every week. This site is going to continue to be great, and I'm just hoping to expand the universe a little faster than the reputation of the Most Interesting Man in The World, for a change. Thanks in advance for your support. :)

Recap: Green Bay Packers Defeat Bears, 21-14

Brandon — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:00:35 -0000

by Kiichiro Sato - AP

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The Green Bay Packers are trying to pull away from the rest of the NFC for a wild card spot, so every win is a good win. Especially when it comes against a division rival, which helps in case they need it for a tiebreaker. It's their 5th win in a row, and it moved them up into the top wild card spot. Another good thing: Mike McCarthy said only 4 players were injured during the game and they all returned. Here's the big recap from the Sports Network.

A couple things that didn't make it into my play-by-play recap after the jump. I was expecting a big game from OLB Brad Jones against backup Bear RT Kevin Shaffer, but instead Jones didn't record a single stat. I also noticed during the game that there were several times when the Packers went with one defensive lineman (DE Cullen Jenkins) and 5 linebackers. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers has been showing some unusual formations this season, but that was very usual and I'm not sure it's good that he calls that defensive package 'Psycho'. It's not something I expect to see against every team, but the Bears running game has been toothless all season, so they weren't as likely to get burned by a power running formation.

This game reminded me of last week's game against the Ravens. They were in control for most of the game, but their opponent kept it close so that their opponent was able to get back into it with a couple TD drives. The Bears offense didn't do much, they only had 254 yards of offense in the entire game, but managed 136 yards on their two TD drives. I'm not sure if that's just the normal flow of the game, but it didn't make sense that the Packers were behind when it seemed like they had outplayed them. Overall it was a dangerous game, but they were better than the Bears and they deserved the win.

Packers vs Bears coverage, Packers vs Bears recap, Packers vs Bears boxscore, Windy City Gridiron

The play-by-play comes from NFL.com:

First Quarter:

2-M.Crosby kicks 62 yards from GB 30 to CHI 8. 13-J.Knox to CHI 20 for 12 yards (36-N.Collins).

I was worried about the special teams in this game, and they did a very good job on kick coverage. They didn't allow a kickoff return for more than 26 yards.

(13:23) 25-R.Grant left tackle for 62 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

Well that was a surprise. Nothing exceptional about the play. The o-line blocked well and LG Daryn Colledge got into the 2nd level to block LB Lance Briggs. The cornerback was blocked, and the safety ran to the other side of the field, which left a wide open path for RB Ryan Grant on the left side.

(11:05) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler right guard to GB 44 for 21 yards (36-N.Collins). PENALTY on CHI-68-F.Omiyale, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at CHI 35 - No Play.

Usually it's the Packers who are hurt by penalties, but in this game, it was the Bears doing most of the self inflicted damage. And this was a legitimate penalty that effected the play: Omiyale held Jenkins left arm back as he tried to reach out and tackle QB Jay Cutler.

(7:49) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete deep right to 85-G.Jennings (33-C.Tillman). PENALTY on CHI-91-T.Harris, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced at CHI 36 - No Play. Green Bay challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1.)

(3:40) 2-M.Crosby 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

How was that not a TD pass to WR Greg Jennings? I'm no rules expert, so I don't have some hair splitting reason why. Settling for a FG a few plays later added some sting to it.

(3:31) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right intended for 19-D.Aromashodu INTERCEPTED by 21-C.Woodson at CHI 48. 21-C.Woodson to CHI 39 for 9 yards (13-J.Knox).

Another one of those INTs that make all Bear fans groan. It looked like Cutler threw off his back foot with pressure in his face. Maybe he under threw it, or maybe the receiver ran the wrong route. I couldn't tell for sure.

Second Quarter:

(13:07) 2-M.Crosby 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

Unfortunately the turnover doesn't lead to a TD. They converted two first downs, including one 4th down conversion, but couldn't find the right play near the end zone. The only thing I've noticed about their red zone offense is that they don't seem to attack the sidelines. There aren't a lot of fade routes to the corner type of plays. Those are low percentage plays, but it wouldn't hurt to try something new either.

(12:07) 4-B.Maynard punts 37 yards to GB 34, Center-65-P.Mannelly. 87-J.Nelson to GB 39 for 5 yards (32-K.Bell, 65-P.Mannelly).

By this point, the Bears have had the ball 4 times and have 10 yards of total offense (plus 1 INT).

(9:02) (Shotgun) 32-B.Jackson left guard to CHI 41 for no gain (92-H.Hillenmeyer, 91-T.Harris).

This is just my preference, but I hate it when it's 3rd and short, they are in the shotgun, and they hand the ball off. I have no idea what the success rate it on these plays, but I would expect it's low.

(1:54) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right to 13-J.Knox for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

The first of the Aromashodu drives. He had 3 catches for 37 yards on this drive alone. It's understandable that he might have come as a surprise to the Packers. He only had 2 receptions on the season coming into this game. I wasn't expecting anything from the Bears' receivers other than WR Earl Bennett and Knox. No flag on CB Tramon Williams on this play, he just got beat. I'm not sure why SS Atari Bigby came over so late. Was he supposed to help on deep coverage?

(:21) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 88-J.Finley to CHI 36 for 19 yards (24-A.Afalava). FUMBLES (24-A.Afalava), RECOVERED by CHI-38-D.Manning at CHI 31. 38-D.Manning to CHI 30 for -1 yards (80-D.Driver).

It was a careless fumble by TE Jermichael Finley and it took points off the board. They were at least in field goal range. But it was the 2nd game in a row that Finley was the leading receiver. He's been playing very well, this fumble aside, since he returned from injury last month. Over the last 4 games, he's been just as important as Jennings and WR Donald Driver (who was very quiet in this game).

Third Quarter:

(12:56) 12-A.Rodgers to CHI 36 for -7 yards. FUMBLES, and recovers at CHI 36. 12-A.Rodgers to CHI 38 for -2 yards (92-H.Hillenmeyer). FUMBLES (92-H.Hillenmeyer), RECOVERED by CHI-95-A.Adams at CHI 41. 95-A.Adams to CHI 44 for 3 yards (63-S.Wells).

It's Rodgers's 10th fumble of the season (4th lost) which isn't good. It's also the 2nd drive in a row that ended in Bears' territory with a Packer turnover. They could have easily had scored 30 points in this game.

(10:27) 6-J.Cutler pass deep right to 13-J.Knox pushed ob at GB 10 for 22 yards (21-C.Woodson).

(9:41) 6-J.Cutler pass short right to 19-D.Aromashodu for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

An unusual set of plays where CB Charles Woodson was beaten for 32 yards and 1 TD by two different receivers. He's having a great season, but he isn't unbeatable. This was a good 56 yard drive by the Bears, but it was their last hurrah. On their last 5 possessions, they gained a total of 69 yards.

(8:09) (Shotgun) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 85-G.Jennings pushed ob at 50 for 25 yards (33-C.Tillman, 24-A.Afalava).

This was on 3rd and 10. There were a times when the Bears seemed to have more trouble stopping the Packers on 3rd and long then on 3rd and short.

(2:10) 32-K.Bell right tackle to GB 45 for no gain (20-A.Bigby, 56-N.Barnett).

In hindsight, the Bears probably should have gone for it. The Packers only managed two drives of more the 50 yards in the entire game, so it was unlikely the Packers would have turned this into a TD. Great play by Bigby to dive into the gap and stop it for no gain.

(:17) 6-J.Cutler pass short middle to 22-M.Forte to CHI 30 for 3 yards (56-N.Barnett). PENALTY on CHI-74-C.Williams, Illegal Use of Hands, 10 yards, enforced at CHI 27 - No Play.

I think this was the play when Bear LT Chris Williams tried to take off LB Clay Matthews's head.

Fourth Quarter:

(13:39) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass short left intended for 13-J.Knox INTERCEPTED by 36-N.Collins at CHI 42. 36-N.Collins pushed ob at CHI 11 for 31 yards (22-M.Forte).

Cutler's first INT was bad, but this was worse. Not just because of the big return by FS Nick Collins. Cutler was throwing off his back foot (again) and this time the receiver was in the right place. Cutler just didn't get enough on the throw. It was a good idea, he saw Williams come on a corner blitz and he threw it to the man Williams was covering, but he threw it far too late.

(12:46) 12-A.Rodgers pass incomplete short left to 80-D.Driver. PENALTY on CHI-35-Z.Bowman, Defensive Pass Interference, 4 yards, enforced at CHI 5 - No Play.

(12:42) 25-R.Grant right guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

(Pass formation) TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 12-A.Rodgers pass to 85-G.Jennings is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.

First, there is a pass interference penalty in the end zone, and it was not called on Tramon Williams. Second, the Packers retake the lead and I can relax again. Third, how can a team that has struggled in the red zone go for a two point conversion? And where has this play been: throwing to Jennings along the side of the end zone. They couldn't have tried it earlier?

(9:42) 25-R.Grant left tackle pushed ob at GB 29 for 17 yards (24-A.Afalava). PENALTY on CHI-24-A.Afalava, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced at GB 29.

Thanks to the 15 yard penalty on the rookie safety, the Packers got themselves out of a hole quickly.

(8:31) 12-A.Rodgers pass short middle to 88-J.Finley to CHI 25 for 25 yards (33-C.Tillman).

(6:10) 2-M.Crosby 42 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-61-B.Goode, Holder-10-M.Flynn.

I hated this 2 and 1/2 minute series of plays. After Finley's reception got them down to the Bears' 25 yard line, they ran three plays (two runs, and a dropped pass on 3rd down) that seemed designed to run off some clock and settle for the FG. And then K Mason Crosby missed the FG anyway. Most of his misses have been beyond 50 yards, so they've been low percentage attempts anyway, but this is the 2nd week in a row he's missed FGs that he should be making. Kickers run in streaks, so hopefully it's better that he's missing them now instead of during the playoffs.

(4:58) 6-J.Cutler pass incomplete deep middle to 82-G.Olsen (36-N.Collins). Chicago challenged the incomplete pass ruling, and the play was Upheld. (Timeout #1.) Timeout #2 by CHI at 4:51.

This was the bizarre series of timeouts by Lovie Smith. First he called a timeout, and then he wasted another timeout for a challenge. I briefly saw his press conference after the game when he tried to explain the situation, but I had to turn it off. I didn't want to get vertigo from all the spinning he had to do to explain himself.

(3:06) 34-A.Green right tackle to GB 36 for -1 yards (95-A.Adams).

I didn't mind the Packers running out the clock here. It forced the Bears to use their last timeout, but it would have been nice if they actually had converted on 3rd and 1.

(2:19) 7-J.Kapinos punts 51 yards to CHI 18, Center-61-B.Goode. 80-E.Bennett to CHI 20 for 2 yards (51-B.Poppinga). PENALTY on CHI-21-C.Graham, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at CHI 19.

The Bears were copying the Packers' usual game plan of penalties and poor special teams.

(1:13) (Shotgun) 6-J.Cutler pass incomplete deep right to 80-E.Bennett (21-C.Woodson).

And the game ends on a 4th and 9 pass attempt that was far off the mark.

Kreutz vs. Raji: Veteran vs. Rookie

Dane Noble — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:46:50 -0000

Typically, the Bears vs. Packers rivalry would mean a lot more than it will this Sunday, but there still may be something worth keeping a tally on regardless. We heard the smack talk from Packers nose tackle B.J. Raji regarding veteran Olin Kreutz... now the battle may be on.

Starting NT Ryan Pickett is listed as doubtul, so Raji vs. Kreutz may be one of the most interesting tangos to watch Sunday. Raji started out by saying that he was stronger than Kreutz, and Kreutz retorted:

"No, that's the way young players are nowadays, they are all pretty much clowns,'' he said. "That's what he thinks. After 10 games, he probably thinks he is the strongest guy in the NFL."

Also, Jeff Dickerson reports that league sources have informed him that the Bears will keep Chris Williams and Kevin Shaffer at the starting LT and RT respectively.

Week 13 Preview: Rams (1-10) @ Bears (4-7)

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 21:30:16 -0000

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When you are sitting at 4-7 there isn't a lot that can put your team in a good mood, but taking on the worse off 1-10 St. Louis Rams could be a good start. If things go as they have all year the Bears should be able to win. They lose to the real good teams and beat the real bad teams. However if the flip side occurs and the Bears actually get dropped by the hapless Rams, in Chicago no less, then it could be a start to the end of season house cleaning many fans want.

Week 12 Recap

The Rams: Seattle running back Justin Forsett had a career day in St. Louis last week with two tuddy's and 130 yards rushing as the Seahawks won 27-17. The Rams actually out gained Seattle 364 to 265, but that Seattle D picked up 4 sacks and 2 picks. Ram QB Kyle Boller (yes the former bust out with the Ravens) threw for his third most yards ever, 282, and hit 10 different receivers while doing it. He also added 26 yards on the ground. A less that 100% Steven Jackson still racked up 89 yards rushing and chipped in with 5 grabs out of the backfield for 29 yards.

The Bears: Chicago looked like a Sophomore team trying to take on the Varsity. The Vikings whipped up on the Bears in every possible way winning 36-10, and it wasn't even that close. Brett Favre had one of the better days of his stellar career and Jarred Allen's 2 sacks led the Viking D to a dominating performance. Here are the ugly final yardage totals, Minnesota 537 - Chicago 169, and don't forget the Bears only had 2 yards of total offense in the second half. U-G-L-Y.

Quick Numbers:

20: A career high (so far) interceptions for Jay Cutler.
8: Number of interceptions the Rams defense has picked off so far this year.
7: Turnovers by Kyle Boller in just 4 games played.
6: Charles Tillman leads the league with 6 forced fumbles this year.

Key Injuries:

STL - RB Steven Jackson - Questionable (Back) Likely will play

STL - FB Mike Karney - Questionable (Neck)

STL - OT Jason Smith - Out (Concussion)

CHI - OLB Lance Briggs - Out (Knee)

CHI - LT Orlando Pace - Out (Groin)

CHI - Desmond Clark - Questionable (Neck)

CHI - Charles Tillman - Probable (Concussion) Likely will play

When the Rams have the ball.
Steven Jackson, Steven Jackson, and more Steven Jackson. Jackson leads the team in rushing and receptions and the Rams look to get him the ball as much as possible. Look for QB Kyle Boller to target Jackson early to try and get his confidence up.

The key match-up for the Rams: Rams OL vs. Bears DL
The Rams offensive line should welcome back starting guard Richie Incognito and center Jason Brown. If the interior of the Ram line is able to neutralize the Bears DT's look for them to methodically pound the 231 pound Jackson inside all day. With the way the Rams defense has been playing controlling the clock is their best chance at a win.

The X factor on offense for the Rams: QB Kyle Boller
As I mentioned above Boller tossed for his third most yards ever, if the Rams are able to establish the run, their play-actions and roll outs could give the Bears fits. Boller is a mobile QB and won't hesitate to take off and pick up what he can.

When the Bears have the ball.
The Rams have given up the fifth most total yards and are fifth worst against the rush (148.5 per game), so I would expect the Bears to try and get the run game going. After only 8 rushing attempts against the Vikings last week the Bears have to try and get it going vs. the Rams. Matt Forte rushed for 139 yards last year in St. Louis, his most as a pro, and should be a big part of the offensive game plan this week. Jay Cutler has played much better at home this year, but the Bears should allow him to easy into the game this week. And for the love of God, could we not see the wide receiver screen this week?

The key match-up for the Bears: RT Kevin Shaffer vs. DE Leonard Little
I alluded to this match up in my preview I did on the Sporting News, so it makes sense to bring it to light here as well. The Bears picked a heck of a week to plug Shaffer in at RT. Little is the best pass rusher the Rams have with 5.5 sacks on the year (and 86.5 on his career), but Shaffer played mostly right tackle in Cleveland so it isn't new to him.

The X Factor on offense for the Bears: QB Jay Cutler
Can someone of the stature of Cutler be an X Factor? I'm not sure, but he is this week... Since I had Boller as the X Factor for St. Louis why not throw Cutler in there for Chicago? The only way I see the Rams having a chance this week is if Cutler allows them, with a few more interceptions. Play in the system, take what is given to you, and run when some open field presents itself. I can see another unsatisfying win just like the Cleveland game, but at this point the Bears will take any win they can get.

Side notes from the NFC North:

Vikings: Sunday Night Football and a trip to Arizona, this may be the last team on the schedule that could trip up the Vikings.

Packers: Baltimore is a tough place to play and Ray Rice is gonna be a tough test for the Packers, he's #2 in the NFL in yards from scrimmage.

Lions: Look for the Bengals passing game to make quick work of a banged up Lions secondary.

Bears Versus Rams May Be the Final Test for Offensive Line

Sklz711 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:00:16 -0000

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It's no secret to all of us fans, or the rest of the league, that our offensive line has been absolutely terrible this year. Orlando Pace has shown absolutely nothing left in the tank, getting dominated by even mediocre speed rushers, and not looking incredibly consistent against a power game or in run blocking.

Frank Omiyale was picked up ostensibly to be a left guard, or maybe as back up at tackle, but he has looked horrible no matter where he was placed on the line this year. Kevin Shaffer's first stint at right tackle lasted all of a single practice before he hit the pine with enough force to cause Orlando Pace to fall over offsides again. Chris Williams, also known as CDub, has looked passable at right tackle, but his finesse game is obviously better suited for the left tackle position.

Well it has finally become time to see who needs to go from the offensive line to the unemployment line next season, because there is apparently going to be a massive shift on the line for the game against the Rams.

First up we have the illustrious Chris Williams flipping it up and going to his natural position at left tackle. This is going to be a real test for the big man to see where he is at in his progression at left tackle. He should have a great idea of the game speed having receieved a large amount of playing time at right tackle this year. Chris Williams, while a very large man, has always been known as a finesse player and is entirely more suited to the blind side. We should get to see an immediate upgrade over the aging pace against the average Rams defense.

Next up, we've got Kevin Shaffer. You might remember him before he joined the league and grew a goatee from the Mr. Clean commercials. He came to our team in the beleaguered tackle "trade" that sent our John St.Claire to the Browns, and then we took Shaffer from them after he was cut. He's been lackluster the last few seasons, but has a history of being a very good run blocker. Well, Shaffer is going to get his chance to prove it this week against a bad Rams run D that is allowing over 140 yards on the ground every game. If he can't cut at right tackle against St. Louis it won't be surprising to see him off the team before next training camp.

Now for the part of this story that all good Bears fans dread, the mention of Frank "Ole" Omiyale. Apparently Omiyale is going to reprise his role as human turnstile at left guard against the Rams. Omiyale was a decent left tackle in relief last year for the Carolina Panthers, but has been a dark abyss on an already terrible offensive line this season. Frankly, and yes this is a terrible pun, Frank's only around because of the size of the contract he signed. His only two options of continuing to see the field on a regular basis are to really step his game up at left guard, or hope that Shaffer is still as bad as he looked in training camp and hope he looks better at RT than he did at LG.

So there we have it folks, we're going to get a really good look at what our line is likely to look like entering training camp next season, the only difference being Beekman probably lining up at center. Is anyone else excited to see exactly what happens against the Rams? It's like a teetering balance beam between stellar fishtail slide around a corner, and a huge explosive car accident at the line of scrimmage. Which will we see next week? For our sake I hope we keep the explosions for touchdown celebrations, or to destroy Ron Turner's office overlooking the field.

And hey, if nothing else we'll hopefully get a really good idea at what position we really need to target on the line with that coveted third round pick.

QuickHits: Updates From BearsLand

Dane Noble — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:51:13 -0000

The team officially placed Pisa Tinoisamoa on IR today, clearing the path for Cato June. June will wear Pisa's old number.

LB Kevin Malast is brought back to the team on the practice squad. Another LB... how significant is Lance Briggs' injury anyhow?

Brad Biggs tweets that Sunday will see Chris Williams at LT and Kevin Shaffer at RT. Frank Omiyale will play LG.

Injury Update: Pace Okay for Next Week

Dane Noble — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:44:44 -0000

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When Orlando Pace was replaced by Kevin Shaffer in yesterday's loss to the Niners, we really didn't know much about what ailed Pace. Today we learned that the injury was a concussion, but that Pace should not miss any time.

Bears left tackle Orlando Pace sustained a concussion in Thursday night's 10-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but should be ready to go Nov. 22 against the Philadelphia Eagles, a league source said.

``It's a little tough for me to focus; got a slight headache,'' Pace said after the game.

Good to hear that... now, Kevin Shaffer, head on back to where you belong- the bench.

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Niners Edition

Dane Noble — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:06:39 -0000

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You look good out there coach. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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The Chicago Bears offensive line is terrible. I read an article around week 3 or 4 by one of the Bears beat writers that said our OL was pretty average compared to the rest of the league, that there are only a few really good OLs and only a few bad ones.

He had Chicago lumped in with all the rest and claimed us to be average.

You, sir (Pompei, Dickerson, Haugh... whoever it was) were wrong.

-For those of you clamoring for Kevin Shaffer to replace Orlando Pace, you got your wish. Pace either got the breath knocked out of him, as one report said, or he was feeling dizzy, as another said. Either way, Shaffer still sucks just like he did in the preseason.

- We got to see Frank Omiyale in the last drive at LG... Ron Turner said that he wanted a bigger body in there since we were going to passing every play.

- Chris Williams, who I have been supporting all season, looked awful at times. He made a few really good blocks, and showed very quick feet, but he also got blown backwards a number of times in pass protection.

- Luckily, Nick Roach's injury wasn't bad enough to keep him out of the game. After Vernon Davis trucked him, I was concerned that we would be down to our final 3 LBs.

- I support Lovie Smith and his defensive scheme. Jerry Angelo has not done a good job of acquiring talent in the secondary. That said, there is no excuse for week after week of penalties. penaltie that kill our drives, and penalties that keep alive our opponents' drives. That falls on Lovie. No excuses.

- Teams continue to miss FGs against the Bears. What's up with that?

- Hunter Hillenmeyer looked tiny last night. I don't know for sure, but he looks 10 pounds lighter than he did at the beginning of the year. Was it the injury? Either way, he did not look like a MLB last night. He looked like a unsersized CB trying to make one tackle on Frank Gore.

- Jay Cutler likes Greg Olsen as a receiver. Matt Forte does not like Greg Olsen as a run blocker.

- We saw our first glimpse of Shaffer on the Red Zone INT that Cutler threw. He was lined up left of Pace.

- Say what you will about Tommie Harris, but I'm not buying what he is selling. He looked good last night, but I want to see that happen again. Actually, I hope he plays at a high level for the rest of the year so we can try and get a 2nd round draft pick for him next year.

- Anthony Adams is fast. And round. He is round and fast.

- Alex Smith showed something on one play that made Hillenmeyer start pumping his hands up and down over his head as an audible to the defense. Then, Lance Briggs and Nick Roach started relaying the audible to the CBs, doing the same upward hand pumping. I thought "Wow, this looks like the Bears defense have sniffed something out... this looks really intense." Well, whatever it was, it looked cooler than it actually was. Niners converted a first down on the play.

- When our CBs are 10 yards off the WR, and the DL doesn't get pressure on the passer, the WRs can run 5 yard hitches all day long. Even on 3rd and 3.

- Oh yeah, one other thing that falls on Lovie Smith's shoulders: clock management. We were around our own 40 yard line at the end of the first half, with timeouts in our pocket, and saw the clock wind down from 1:07 to 0:37, with only 1 play being run. Apparently, the referees can't hear me calling timeout from the bar.

- Offsides, against the defense. 5 yard penalty, 1st down. Rinse, repeat.

- I have no idea how good of a head coach Mike Singletary is, but he damn sure looks the part. He is very involved in the game, and coaches up everyone on his sideline, from players to other coaches.

- WR screen, bubble screen, Matt Forte screen. Rinse, repeat. Our OL is embarrassing.

- Johnny Knox showed just the right amount of fight last night... hopefully Tommie was paying attention. Sure, stick up for yourself and push back. But let the other guy throw the punch, and walk away when he does. Then, we get the extra 15 yards... not the other way around. This after school special brought to you by Windy City Gridiron.

- The sheets of paper that have my notes written on them... smells like Bridgeport IPA. Not a good thing to smell with a hangover.

- Jay Cutler is the first Bears QB since 1962 to have two 4INT games in one season. Thanks for the stat NFLN.

- Shaffer didn't know his assignment on at least 2 plays last night. He kept trying to get them at the last second from Beekman. Oy vey, have I said our OL sucks? Because they do. Write that down.

- Matt Forte, bless his heart. That kid ran his butt off last night. And poor thing, couldn't actually get anywhere (except for receptions, but I'm talking about on rushes), but he sure did run hard. Love seeing the legs keep a'churnin'.

- As I've said before, it is pointless to try and find out whose fault something is... the fact is that our OL sucks, and a lot of our troubles would go away if it didn't. But, the officiating crew last night did not have a good game. I'm not blaming anything on them, because our OL sucks... but still. Won't be a pretty meeting Monday morning for those guys.

- Clock management at the end of the game... call a timeout Lovie. Clock ticked from 25 seconds to 17 seconds just so we could line up to spike the ball.

- Hey, Devin Aromashodu... nice footwork on the sidelines. Why were you dressed out again?

- Lance Briggs, thank you. You are a good football player on our team We need more of you.

- Stop trying to do the math and figure out how we can still make the playoffs. Our OL is terrible.

Angelo's Drafting Prowess Not Seen On Offensive Line

Dane Noble — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:14:44 -0000

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After thinking this morning about the three not-so-savvy free agent OL acquisitions (Orlando Pace, Frank Omiyale, and Kevin Shaffer) Jerry Angelo brought to Chicago this past offseason, I started wondering about how he has addressed the OL through the draft.

Angelo is, of course, known as a "build through the draft" GM, and many will agree that, in building a team, it all starts in the trenches with the big guys. Lucky for me, I didn't have to do too much research, because Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald covered the topic today.

Since 2003, Jerry Angelo has drafted 8 offensive linemen out of 81 total picks through that span. Not a very high percentage, but then LeGere shows us where those 8 picks have been:

Year	Player	Round	Total picks
2009	Lance Louis	7	9
2008	C. Williams	1	7
2008	C. Adams	7	7
2008	Kirk Barton	7	7
2007	J. Beekman	4	9
2007	Aaron Brandt	7	9
2006	Tyler Reed	6	7
2005	None	N/A	6
2004	None	N/A	8
2003	B. Anderson	7	12

Besides Chris Williams in 2008, only one lineman has been drafted higher than the 6th round (Josh Beekman). And as you can see, in two of those years, we didn't select any. Not exactly building the foundation via the draft like he is known for, is it?

LeGere does go on to make sure we remember that Angelo has had success in the draft...

That's not to condemn Angelo's drafting record. The team's topfive receivers- Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Matt Forte, Johnny Knox, and Greg Olsen- are all Angelo draft picks.

So are six of the top seven tacklers: Lance Briggs, Danieal Manning, Al Afalava, Charles Tillman, Zack Bowman, Alex Brown, Tommie Harris, and Marcus Harrison.

It also hasn't been long since Angelo was ranked the #8 General Manager in all of professional sports by Forbes, and third best in the NFL. But, the fact remains that Angelo has not addressed the OL in the draft, and the most recent free agent pick ups have not been worth the time.

It would seem to me that, if he was so "fixated" on getting the QB position right, he would also be fixated on protecting him. You can bet that Jay Cutler is already in someone's ears, telling the organization that this is not going to cut it.

Larry Meyer, senior writer at the Bears official site, sat down for his weekly meeting with Angelo today, and Mayer asked Angelo about scouting for talent:

LM: During the season, how actively do you look to sign players to your 53-man roster that are on other teams’ practice squads or are street free agents?

JA: Very actively. I think we’ve got a very good track record of doing that. We are looking for players all the time that fit what we do to create more competition at positions. To me, we do that as well as anybody. We are always actively looking at bringing players on board. But you can’t do it as a revolving door. If you bring a player in, it’s because you saw something—what he did in college or in the NFL. When you bring him in, there’s got to be a plan for him. These aren’t auditions. We want to bring them in, and further their development. So there has to be a plan. We just don’t pick guys up randomly, bring them in for a couple weeks and then send then down the road. We don’t operate that way. It’s not about collecting talent, it’s about finding players that fit what we do and feel we can win with.

I'm not saying that I don't trust Angelo, but it just doesn't feel very good to get a QB like Cutler, only to have not addressed his protection through the draft or free agency very effectively.

Jay Cutler's Career Numbers in November/ December

Dane Noble — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:33:31 -0000

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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.

Cutler took over the starting role in Denver at the end of the 2006 season, with all games played in December:

2-3 record, 58.7% completed, 9 TDs/ 4 INTs.

2007:

November: 2-1 record, 61.7% completed, 5 TDs/ 2 INTs

December: 2-3 record, 61.7% completed, 7 TDs/ 4 INTs

Totals: 4-4 record. 61.7% completed, 12 TDs/ 6 INTs

2008:

November: 3-1 record, 57.7% completed, 6 TDs/ 3 INTs

December: 1-3 record, 66.5% completed, 4 TDs/ 5 INTs

Totals: 4-4 record, 62.1% completed, 10 TDs/ 8 INTs

Overall in his career, Cutler's numbers are:

November: 5-2 record, 59.7% completed, 11 TDs/ 5 INTs

December: 5-9 record, 62.3% completed, 20 TDs, 13 INTs

Total career in Nov/ Dec: 10-11 record, 61% completed, 31 TDs/ 18 INTs

Even though Cutler is only in his third full season as an NFL starter, clearly he has much better production in the November games than in December. Looking at the rest of Chicago's 2009 season, we play...

November: vs Arizona, @ San Fran, vs Philly, @ Minnesota

December: vs St. Louis, vs Green Bay, @ Baltimore, vs Minny, @ Detroit

The weather should definitely play a factor for the rest of the season, but Cutler is used to the winter. Sitting with a 4-3 record right now, Cutler will need to see an increase in productivity than in years past. If we can get 2 wins in November, we'll need to win 4 out of 5 in December to get to the wild card number of 10-6, and that's if 10 wins can get us a WC.

The NFC East will certainly have one of the WCs, and the Saints win over the Falcons this past week in the South was huge. I'm not yet backing off of my bold 12-4 prediction for this season, but with the terrible play from our offensive line, Cutler can only do so much.

Bears management acquired 3 new offensive linemen during the offseason in Orlando Pace, Frank Omiyale, and Kevin Shaffer, and so far, none of them have met expectations. Here's hoping that our coaches can get it together as we head into the winter months...