SB Nation - Desmond Clark

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

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

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

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.

How the Bears can move up in the 2010 NFL Draft

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

by Jason DeCrow - AP

View full size photo »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

QuickHits: Bears-style

Dane Noble — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 20:55:34 -0000

We got a couple of things to bring your way this afternoon...

Center Olin Kreutz returned to work this afternoon, after missing the first two days of practice this week, but Desmond Clark remains sidelined. And not only is he still sidelined, he may miss Sunday's game against the Eagles.

Also, from the Bears vs NBC silliness that has been a focus of interest, the team issued a statement this afternoon.

"Nobody had any issues on either side," Bears spokesman Scott Hagel said. "We love working with NBC, and we love having our games on national television. NBC and the Bears have always been on the same page."

The issue arose after the network informed the Bears of a planned piece on Cutler's rocky season, and how expectations were so high at the beginning of the year. NBC wanted to speak with the quarterback, Smith and Angelo for the segment.

"What else is left to be said about the subject?" Hagel said. "We just need to play better."

Arizona Cardinals Game Maker: Week 9 Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears

CardsFan08 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:16:29 -0000

In week 9 the Arizona Cardinals continued a very impressive road streak by defeating the Chicago Bears 41-21. In the first half of the game we saw one of the best performances from all three units (Offense, Defense, and Special Teams) playing consistent and aggressive football.

This weeks game maker is a result of all three units working extremely well. The offense had just delivered it's fourth TD in four series with a strike from QB Kurt Warner to TE Anthony Becht giving Becht his first TD of the season. The defense then stopped an urgent drive by the Bears who were trying to reclaim some momentum just before the half but were stopped in field goal range with less than a minute left in the first half.

Leading to this weeks Game Maker...

Week 9 Game Maker: @ 0:40 2nd Quarter - CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (29) field goal block and FS Antrel Rolle's (21) catch and run setting up the offense to move into field goal position and increase the Cardinals lead to 31-7 at the half.

Full break down of the play after the jump!

Image 1 - The line up: A weak side overload with CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DRC) (29) left unblocked with a straight shot to the kicker. CB Bryant McFadden (25) is lined up on the right side. Antrel Rolle is back in the end zone in case the kick is short. Linebackers Ali Highsmith (95) and Bertrand Berry (92) line up in case of the fake.

Image 2 - DRC turns on the speed as Gould comes in for the kick...

Image 3 - DRC leaps just as Gould plants and swings for the kick...

Image 4 - The kick is blocked! You can see the ball bouncing up off of DRC's white glove.

Image 5 - The sound of the ball being deflected is enough for everyone to know that something unexpected happened. Every Cardinal head is watching the ball to see where it is going...

Image 6 - The ball looks like it will travel some distance but fall wide right initialy. DRC lands on his back and looks for the ball...

Image 7 - The Bears lineman are watching the ball sail through the air and both parties stand to watch and see where it's going to go...

Image 8 - Suddenly they realize that it's going to be short and the Cardinals have one more trick up their sleeve. The Bears start rushing for the endzone...

Image 9 - Because they saw Antrel Rolle standing with the ball falling straight to him...

Image 10 - Rolle makes the catch, surveys the field and starts the take the ball out of the endzone...

Image 11 - He starts toward the left side...

Image 12 - But quickly cuts back to the right...

Image 13 - Due to the number of defenders on the left and blockers starting to set up on the right...

Image 14 - Bears LS Manelly (65) is the first down the field closely followed by G Omiyale (68)...

Image 15 - Rolle stops and cuts inside Manelly...

Image 16 - Causing Manelly's momentum to make him miss the tackle...

Image 17 - Ominyale charges Rolle, but Rolle uses a shoulder shake...

Image 18 - It's enough to sell Ominyale to go outside...

Image 19 - So Rolle cuts inside causing Ominyale to miss and then sees the crease created by his blockers up field...

Image 20 - Rolle heads for the crease as a Bear defender sees the gap and tries to beat him to it...

Image 21 - NT Gabe Watson (98) sees Rolle's route and moves forward to make a play saving block...

Image 22 - Rolle continues his fancy footwork and uses his vision and speed to run between two defenders...

Image 23 - Manelly is relentless and continues after Rolle, but Rolle's getting good blocking now and is continuing to make progress up the field...

Image 24 - Rolle turns on the speed...

Image 25 - In the open field and cruising the sideline as the 16 yard line...

Image 26 - DT Idonije (71) tries to force Rolle out of bounds...

Image 27 - But CB McFadden (25) makes the block and Rolle highsteps Idonije's out stretched arms staying inbounds...

Image 28 - TE Desmond Clark takes an angle to push Rolle out...

Image 29 - But Rolle cuts inside where he sees MLB Karlos Dansby (58) ready to lead block. He runs behind Highsmith and Calais Campbell making a great block and continues upfield...

Image 30 - Only the Bears Kicker is left and Rolle has Karlos Dansby and Highsmith for blockers...

Image 31 - Dansby sees Gould trying to make the tackle and heads for him to make a block. Rolle is staring him down...

Image 32 - DRC comes from the top and Rolle starts to turn inside while running, rather than just staying outside and running up the sideline...

Image 33 - Gould runs outside, side stepping Dansby's block and he's now one on one with Rolle...

Image 34 - Rolle cuts inside but due to Dansby not blocking Gould, Gould is able to get the shoe string tackle and trip up Rolle...

Image 35 - The Cardinals were one block away from an additional touchdown...

Image 36 - Rolle was brought down at the 49 yard line. The Special Teams unit is psyched for just getting their third blocked FG of the year and returning the ball this far with 22 seconds left on the clock allowing the offense one more shot to put more points on the board in the first half!

Image 37 - Well done Rolle!

Due to the excellent field position Antrel Rolle was able to pick up Kurt Warner was able to lead the Cardinals down to field goal range to tack on three more points before the half.

Was there a different play you picked as the game maker? Ware's INT in the 4th quarter? Warner to Breaston for the fifth TD of the day taking the score to 41-21?

49ers-Bears Final Injury Report

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

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

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

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

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

Questionable
WR Isaac Bruce (ankle)

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

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

Questionable
S Al Afalava (shoulder)

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

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

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

Opening statements:

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

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

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

On whether there are any advantages to the short week:

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

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

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

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

"It is the next game on the schedule."

On TE Vernon Davis' comments about the Bears:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes."

On whether WR Jason Hill will be a starter:

"If that is the case, yes."

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

"Yes, it will be."

On Brandon Jones' status as the teams punt returner:

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes sir, Michael Robinson."

On whether there is a contingency plan at running back:

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

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

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

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

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

49ers-Bears Tuesday Injury Report

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

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

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

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

Limited Participation in Practice
LB Takeo Spikes (shoulder)

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

Bears
Out
LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee)

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

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

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

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

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

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

On his background with the shotgun:

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

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

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

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

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

On why he called it a third down offense:

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

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

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

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

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

On where the offense is as a unit:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On Bruce's injury:

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

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

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

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

"No, they're not."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On whether he likes playing better in a shotgun formation:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On what Jason Hill did right on his first touchdown:

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

On whether defenses are playing WR Michael Crabtree differently:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Goal Line Option Routes

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:21 -0000

More photos » by John Amis - AP

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When the Bears were on the goal line Sunday in Atlanta, NBC color man Cris Collinsworth did a nice job of pointing out the Falcon safety and the options the Bears have depending on what the receiver and quarterback see. The perspective of each will vary slightly due to the angle each have in looking at their reads, and them being on the same wavelength is critical to running an option route. Many pass routes are called when the play is sent in, but many times the look of the defense determines what the receiver runs.

The initial read by the wide out is how the cornerback is covering him; is he shading him one way or the other? If he's really taking away the fade by lining up on the WR's outside shoulder, that might be an indication there is slant help to the inside, by means of a safety coming up or a linebacker or defensive end coming over. If the DB is shading inside on the WR, thus giving him the fade (but taking away the slant), it's a good bet the DB thinks he will win the one on one against the WR. He could be baiting the QB and WR into throwing the fade, just to give himself an opportunity to go up and make a play on the ball. Your stronger and/or taller corners will try this, it's risky, but the best can get away with it. Keep in mind that the few pure lock down corners there are in the league don't see much thrown their way down by the goal line anyway.

If the corner is playing straight up, the receiver then looks to the safety nearest him for his next read. If the safety is cheating to the middle the WR then has to check the distance between a possible slant route and a potential LB or DE jumping the route. If the WR has the room to keep his slant at a 45 degree angle, and himself between the DB and the ball, that's the ideal way to run the slant. But on the goal line you have to try and split the difference between the safety and the next closest possible defender (LB or DE). For example if the safety is really off or cheating middle the WR can take his slant deeper, but if the safety is up and the LB is clogging middle the WR then can flatten out his slant.

One other option for the wide out is the back shoulder throw by the QB. It's when the WR will start out like he's running a fade, but the QB will throw the ball behind the receiver allowing him to stop and pivot (and box out the DB), and make a play on the ball while the corner is in front of the receiver. Your bigger receivers (or tight ends split out wide) can have success with this.

One additional goal line option, and an option that is usually called in the huddle (however great chemistry between a QB and his receiver will allow this play to be run as an option read) is the slant/fade or the slant and go (terminology depends on the team). The WR will run a slant, get a head and shoulder or pump fake from the QB then turn and dart to the corner as the QB lofts the ball where only his guy can get it.

All these wide receiver reads have to be done by the quarterback as well. The difference is the perspective of the QB is different so a slight shade by the corner is harder to pick up. Some teams use hand signals to get them on the same page, but with teams trying to maintain such secrecy they'd rather not signal to each other, instead relying on the numerous repetitions during practice to get them thinking the same way.

The QB will have more pre-snap reads to run through, as he has the other side of the field to concern himself with. He'll have his primary receiver to check out, usually the receiver that has a single cover look. After running through his options on one side, he'll then quickly scan the field to see what he can pick up with the other defenders.

On the 2nd quarter Greg Olsen TD, Jay Cutler didn't like the look he had on the left side after the ball was snapped. Earl Bennett took a step inside then ran a fade, but was jammed up by the corner. Olsen ran a skinny post with Desmond Clark coming underneath. On the snap the Falcon safety went over to help with Bennett, leaving Olsen and Clark (who also could have received the TD pass). Cutler hit Olsen, who ran by the defender, for a fairly easy TD. But keep in mind all these pre-snap reads and post-snap reads take place in a matter of seconds, with an ever moving and changing defensive alignment, and this week in a loud hostile environment.

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Falcons Edition

Dane Noble — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:17:56 -0000

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Shame on the Bears coaches. I don't say that too often, but last night you would have thought that we had to play that game on short notice. There is no way that a team who wants to be significant contenders in their conference (or division for that matter) can have two weeks to prepare for a game, and end up looking so lost.

Penalties, miscues, blown coverage... we had two weeks to get our game together. Shame on our coaches.

- Garrett Wolfe looked nice in kick off coverage. Not sure why he's making special teams tackles when he's the only other RB active for the game, but he looked good nonetheless.

- Ron Turner tried twice to throw the ball to Jason McKie, once as a screen in Q1, and once in play-action near the goal line in Q3.

- Matt Forte continues to excel in picking up the blitz. Great blocker.

- I am so very tired of seeing Jay Cutler throw off-balance. His Happy Feet Syndrome has got to be coached out of him. Set your feet Jay!

- Defense came out strong at the start of the game, with three straight 3/ outs for Atlanta, and a punt in their first 4 possessions.

- Nick Roach plays hard. He needs some coaching, and more experience, but I like his energy on the field.

- Orlando Pace and Chris Williams had their hands full last night with John Abraham and Krory Biermann. Considering those tough match-ups, I give the nod to Pace/ Williams. Nice job fellas.

- Should an offensive holding penalty really be 10 yards? That seems excessive. Maybe 5 yards and replay the down.

- Frank Omiyale is not a long-term answer for our OL.

- Roberto Garza can still drive folks 10 yards down the field. He got beat last night a few times as well, but it is fun to see his meanness come out every now and then.

- The Falcons WRs were finding holes in our coverage early in the game, but luckily it took Matt Ryan a while to find his rhythm. Early miscues kept us in the game.

- If you, or anyone you know, still thinks Devin Hester should not be returning punts (ChiFan13), please stop. Hester is good at PRs.

- Tony Gonzales is strong. We tried stripping the ball a couple of times when a normal person would not have been able to hang on to the ball. Tony G did.

- Pisa Tinoisamoa = "Cement Wall" according to Al Michaels. Hard for a nickname like that to stick if he can't stay healthy.

- Trade deadline is Tuesday at 4pm. Jerry Angelo has to be thinking of bringing in another LB.

- Jay Cutler is over-throwing his WRs too much. Definitely a symptom of not setting his feet.

- Bears pass rush? Hello? Hellooooo? Two weeks to get ready, and zero sacks? No defensive lineman had more than 2 tackles. Shame on our coaches.

- Atlanta had two straight 3 and outs to start the second half. Per usual for our defense. How about sustaining that throughout an entire half, coaches?

- Desmond Clark showed some great hands, just like he did in the pre-season. We've got to get him more involved in the passing game.

- I am not typically too harsh on Ron Turner's play calling, but our red zone performance last night was terrible. You don't call a sweep on the goal line!

- Al Afalava continues to make big plays. He was out of position a couple of times, but also did a mighty fine job on Tony G a few times last night. I like Afalava.

- 9 more penalties last night. Shame on our coaches.

- Special teams coverage was ungood. Dave Toub, you had two weeks like everyone else did.

- If we play an entire game of good football, we can beat anyone on our schedule. Unfortunately, we are our own worst enemy. Time to reevaluate some things, and seriously look at our OL and coaching staff.

NightLink: Is Olsen Contributing Enough?

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 22:00:28 -0000

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In the Chicago Bears team report on Sporting News for today, the topic of discussion is Greg Olsen. I know I was one of those people that had Olsen pencilled in for the NFC Pro Bowl, which still could happen, but with only 10 catches for 94 yards and 2 TD's, he's not putting up the kind of numbers most of us expected. After an off season in which he was named the starter at TE and was far and away Jay Cutler's favorite target in camp, I'm very surprised those numbers aren't better.

He has been effective in the red zone with two TD catches, but part of the Bears' 3-for-14 effort on third-down situations between 6 and 9 yards can be traced partially to an inability to find Olsen.

The coaches say some of Olsen's lack of catches is because wide receivers stepped up unexpectedly to provide big plays, like Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett. Also, Olsen has drawn more double-teams.

I'll buy this rationale to a point. But this week the Bears will face arguably the premier TE in the last decade in Tony Gonzalez, and you think he's seen his share of double teams in his day? Especially on some of those receiver deficient Chief teams?

Olsen has been trying to focus on becoming a better blocker, which could take away some of his attention from the receiving game.

Sorry, but this is complete bull. I know he's been working on his blocking, and I have noticed some improvement, but there is no way his receiving skills would falter due to his focus on blocking.

It could help to get Desmond Clark (rib) healthy to take some of the pressure off in the two-tight end formations on third-and-middle distances.

This I agree with, the Bears are a more dangerous offense in the double tightend set. Add in a 3rd TE (Kellen Davis) on the goal line and the Bears are tough to defend when they get close.

Poll

Are you concerned with the slow start by Olsen?

Yes

178 votes

No

337 votes

515 votes | Poll has closed

Week 3 Preview: Bears (1-1) @ Seahawks (1-1)

SackMan — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 04:36:17 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

2 months ago: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) reacts after being hit by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis in the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009. Hasselbeck injured his ribs on the play. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

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There's been many smiling faces in Chicago this week, after the Bears big win against the Super Bowl champs. But, now... it's time to turn the page to Seattle, as the Bears head out west this Sunday for a 3:05 CT start on FOX.

Week 2 Recap

The Seahawks are coming off a 23-10 road loss to division rival San Francisco. It was a brutal day for Seattle, as a depleted defense gave up 256 rushing yards to the 49ers, including a 207 yard effort by Frank Gore. Adding "injury to insult," QB Matt Hasselbeck left the game just before the half with a cracked rib, and backup LT Sean Locklear, filling in for the injured All-Pro Walter Jones, also left the game with an injured ankle. Seattle's star LB, Lofa Tatupu, exited in the 1st QTR with a hamstring injury. Backup QB Seneca Wallace, threw a TD and an INT in relief of Hasselbeck, however the Seahawks got shut out in the second half.

The Bears thrilled the crowd with a stunning 17-14 last second victory in their home opener over the Steelers in the rain. Robbie Gould sealed the deal with a 44 yard FG with 15 seconds left. QB Jay Cutler had a near perfect day against the vaunted Pittsburgh defense... completing 71% of his passes with 2 TDs and zero INTs and a 104.7 QB rating (and nobody cared what kind of face he made at the post-game press conference). The Bears defense held Big Ben in check, but the new look LB unit (minus Brian Urlacher and Pisa Tinoisamoa) did allow 105 yards on the ground to a Steelers team that has struggled to run the ball. The game served as a coming out party for rookie WR Johhny Knox, who was targeted 9 times by Cutler and led the Bears with 6 catches for 70 yards and a game tying TD. The Bears were aided by two missed FGs by Steelers K Jeff Reed. However, had Reed made both kicks, Jay Cutler still would've had the ball on a final possession with an opportunity to win the game

Quick Numbers:

256: The total number of rushing yards allowed by the Seahawks in last week's loss to the 49ers.
2: The number of injured LTs (Sean Locklear & Walter Jones), injured starting LBs (Lofa Tatupa & Leroy Hill), and injured starting CBs (Marcus Trufant & Josh Wilson) for the Seahawks.
104.7: Jay Cutler's QB rating last week vs the Steelers.
2.2: Matt Forte's average yards per carry so far in 2009.

Key Injuries:

SEA LB Lofa Tatupu (hamstring) Q
SEA WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (back) P
SEA QB Matt Hasselbeck (ribs) Q
SEA CB Marcus Trufant (back) O
SEA CB Josh Wilson (ankle) O
SEA LB Leroy Hill (groin) O
SEA LT Walter Jones (knee) P
SEA LT Sean Locklear (ankle) P

CHI LB Brian Urlacher (wrist) IR
CHI LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee) Q
CHI TE Desmond Clark (ribs) Q
CHI DE Alex Brown (ankle) Q

When the Seahawks have the ball.
With the injuries to Hasselbeck and LTs Jones and Locklear, the outlook sure doesn't look promising for the Seattle passing game... especially if backup QB Seneca Wallace starts in place of Hasselbeck. Look for the Seahawks to play a conservative field position battle and keep the ball on the ground to avoid turnovers. RBs Julius Jones and Edgerrin James should challenge the Bears "B team" of LBs on early downs, and big TE John Carlson could be the key to third down conversions. TJ Houshmandzadeh is on a mission to prove Bears GM Jerry Angelo wrong for not wanting to sign him in the offseason... it'll be hard to prove if the Bears pass rush continues it's early season trend of putting heat on opposing QBs. However, the ankle injury to Bears starting RDE Alex Brown could neutralize the injuries to the Seahawks LTs.

The key matchup: LB Lance Briggs vs the Seahawks running game
Expecting a heavy dose of the run game (to either protect the injured Hasselbeck, or minimize the less capable Wallace), Lance Briggs will have to step up and do most of the dirty work himself.

The X factor on offense for the Seahawks: RB Justin Forsett
The second year scat back from California got very heavily involved in the offense last week with 5 carries for 35 yards, and 6 catches for 57 yards. If Wallace starts in place of Hasselbeck, expect Forsett to be an easy bail out option when the primary targets are covered.

When the Bears have the ball.
Seattle is normally a very tough and loud place to play as a visiting team... but the Bears offense could feast against a banged up Seahawk defense. The Bears have yet to establish a productive run game in the first two weeks of the season, partially because of matchups. They faced a new 3-4 Packers D on opening night, and didn't have any fresh game film to study from. Then, of course they followed that by facing the always tough Steelers 3-4 run D. An injured Seattle LB unit could be just the cure for the Bears running woes. However, look for the Bears to do the unexpected and "get off the bus passing" downfield with play action in the first series... to set up the run. They'll want to create an early opportunity to run against 7 man fronts instead of 8, by spreading the field vertically... which could make for some big gains by Matt Forte and build confidence in their run game.

The key matchup: WRs Johnny Knox and Devin Hester vs the Seahawks depleted CBs
We've seen Knox and Hester get behind All-Pro Charles Woodson, and we've seen Knox find holes in the Steelers defense. Now, the the two burners will get the opportunity to test a wounded Seattle secondary, who only have 3 healthy CBs. Cutler is already smelling blood.

The X Factor on offense for the Bears: TE Greg Olsen
Jay Cutler's new BFF has been shut down for the most part in the first two weeks, as defensive coordinators schemed to make someone else beat them. However, the Seahawks are so banged up on defense, that it should be quite difficult for them to remove Olsen from the equation.

Side notes from the NFC North:

Earlier in the pre-season, I warned that the Vikings days of dominant run D was coming to an end. Pat Williams, the key to their stout run D, turns 37 years old on October 24th... and so far this season, my prediction looks on target. Through two games, the Vikings are allowing 4.0 YPC and 109 YPG, to the woeful Browns and Lions. Small sample size, yes... but, it's the Browns (#32 in total offense) and Lions (#30 in total offense) we're talkin about here. That's a problem for Minnesota, especially with Frank Gore coming into town after a 207 yard performance.

Speaking of problems, the Packers offensive line has allowed a whopping 10 sacks and 19 QB hits in the first two games... including a 5 sack performance by Bengals DE Antwan Odom last week. If that's not bad enough, starting LT Chad Clifton is expected to miss the next two games with an ankle injury as the Pack go on the road for the first time this year to St. Louis and Minnesota.

The overall #1 pick of the draft, Matthew Stafford, is off to a horrendous start for the Lions, with 1 TD to 5 INTs and a QB rating of 40.5 in the first two games. I'll keep tabs on Stafford all season, as I eventually try to draw a comparison to Troy Aikman, who started every game for the 1-15 Cowboys in 1989, after also being the #1 pick in the draft.