SB Nation - Rashied Davis

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Rams Edition

Dane Noble — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:21:09 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

The Chicago Bears are an ideal example of how a team will perform when it has no offensive line. There is talent at the other positions on offense- enough to be able to do some damage- but it all starts in the trenches.

Also, there are plenty of folks who like to hate Jay Cutler. From the media constantly showing replays that cast him in an unfortunate light, to random people who aren't even Bears or Broncos fans. They like to root against the guy, because he doesn't fit the mold that they believe a QB should fit in.

- Opening kickoff return: Did Rashied Davis show good hands by being able to regain control of the ball he bobbled, or was it bad hands for bobbling it in the first place? I say the former... simply because there hasn't been many times we could say "Nice hands Rashied!"

- Matt Forte fumbled on the second play from scrimmage, but came back on the next drive and scored a TD. Does the TD make up for the fumble? Maybe in some circumstances, but not last night.

- Say what you will about Bob Babich, but to have all 3 starting LBs go down with an injury and have the backups fill in the way Jamar Williams and Nick Roach did, he must be doing something right. Those guys looked damn good last night. Honorable mention to Hunter Hillenmeyer: He looks like he tried.

- Devin Hester is a much better WR this year than in 2008, and hopefully he'll keep progressing at that same rate next year. He seemed to play more aggressively last night, and showed great hands.

- Devin Aromashodu has got to step up when called on. You can't follow a big play like the one to Hester with a friggin' easy drop. Definitely needs more live reps.

- Johnny Knox also showed flashes of aggressiveness, especially when he drew the pass interference call against the Rams in the end zone in Q1.

- New turf: Forte falls.

- Kahlil Bell saw action early in the game. Typically when the coaches want to spell Forte, we see the backup later in the game. I guess because Bell broke that one run that one time, he's going to be considered a compliment to Forte now.

- Rams 3rd down/1 yard: Converted. I told the guy next to me at the bar that the Bears have been terrible on getting off the field on 3rd down this year. 3 plays later: 3rd/ 4... QB sack! That's how you do it.

- Not a good night for special teams. Maynard's shanks, two penalties, allowing long returns...

- Everydamnthing is fantasy football related in the sports bars. I went to a different spot than usual, but the same old same old. FF makes everyone experts. And I hate seeing people go from television to television rooting for different offensive players from each team. Just like a couple weeks ago, when Forte scored, I heard some folks start cheering. I thought they might be Bears fans. Nope.

- I didn't have sound, but it really seemed like the Bears didn't have their shiat together at the end of the first half. I mean, we had sixty something seconds to try and at least get in FG range... why didn't we try anything downfield?

- On my note sheet, I now have a tally section for each time an OLineman gets toasted. Why? Because some people seem to have different opinions of the OL than I do. And this was just watching the game live... I'm sure I missed plenty of others: Kreutz: III, Shaffer: IIII, Omiyale: II, CWill: II, Garza: I

- Turner loves pulling Omiyale, and I see why. The guy can move pretty well.

- The Bears defense looked great against a bad offense.

- Chris Williams will make a very good LT for us next year.

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Cardinals Edition

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

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

- Garrett Wolfe made an outstanding tackle on KO coverage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lunchtime Links: Chicago Bears Style

Dane Noble — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:01:03 -0000

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After doing a quick look around the world wide web, we thought we'd bring you some fresh articles to discuss.

First, Rashied Davis says that he hasn't dropped the thoughts of last year's loss to the Falcons out of his mind.

Jeff Dickerson tweeted yesterday afternoon that Charles Tillman and Zackary Bowman were the last to leave the practice field. Can they be ready for Roddy White?

Brad Biggs reports that Jon Gruden is the guy that Dan Snydor wants to replace Jim Zorn. Wait, but Zorn hasn't been fired yet. How do people know this stuff before it happens?

Biggs also Tweeted yesterday that Ricky Manning Jr. has signed with the Florida Tuskegees of the UFL.

Random note: the Bears have won in three straight years after the Bye week. Unfortunately, this year we don't have the luxury of playing the Niners (06), Raiders (07), or Lions (08).

NightLink: Bears Looking For Closers

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 21:30:18 -0000

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Brad Biggs of the Sun Times has a nice piece about the Bears looking to improve at closing out games. With this being Atlanta week (who will ever forget the final 11 seconds last year?) it seems like a perfect time to discuss the Bears second half game-planning, and their ability to close out on their opponents.

Here's the link to the Biggs article, right here. Last year many fans called into question the inability of Lovie Smith and his staff to close out games from an X's and O's standpoint. Were they failing at the halftime adjustments?

They squandered double-digit second-half leads in two of the first three weeks in losses to Carolina and Tampa Bay, and they went to Houston in the season finale knowing a victory would put them in the postseason. The Bears led the Texans 10-0 before crumbling.

The most stunning of all was the Week 6 meltdown with 11 seconds to play at Atlanta. The Bears had rallied for a one-point lead on a 17-yard pass from Kyle Orton to Rashied Davis in the Georgia Dome against the upstart Falcons. A bad Robbie Gould squib kick, a bad defensive call combined with poor execution and a 48-yard Jason Elam field goal later, they left stunned losers 22-20.

On thing that surprised me was Smith's overall record when leading after 3 quarters, the last couple years not so good, but before that, stellar.

The Bears were 26-1 under Smith in his first three seasons when they led after the third quarter. Since 2007, they are 12-6, including the lead they squandered at Green Bay to open the season.

When protecting a lead late, much of the onus falls on a good pass rush, something the Bears lacked the last two years, but this season...

With 14 sacks through the first four games, they're at half their total from 2008 and on pace for 56, the most since the Bears had 70 in the 15-game season of 1987. It's far easier to rush the passer with a lead late in the game, and the improved play by ends Alex Brownand Adewale Ogunleye has been encouraging.

In case you missed it, last week on chicagobears.com, Larry Mayer wrote about the Bears offense doing some self evaluation, and this interesting stat caught my eye.

Although the Bears have been outscored 31-7 in the first quarter, they've outscored their opponents 68-27 in the second half.

I know the Packer game slipped through the cracks, but so far I've been impressed with some of the 2nd half adjustments by the coaching staff.

I think it's just a matter of time before the Bears start to find some early momentum. Last year they seemed to get points on so many opening drives, but this year the offense has so many new parts so I'm not surprised by the slow starts. They'll get it rolling soon enough.

Preview: Bears (3-1) BYE WEEK

SackMan — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:00:24 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

When will Juaquin Iglesias finally step onto the playing field?

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The Bears will be sitting on their couches, and checking their fantasy teams like the rest us this Sunday. Although, that shouldn't be anything new for Juaquin Iglesias. So, while we're on the bye, let's:

1. Recap last week
2. Look at some key numbers
3. Talk about wide receivers, and
4. Take a look at the division

Week 4 Recap

The Bears completed Lovie Smith’s 1^st quarter of the season with a convincing 48-24 victory at home over the Detroit Lions. It was a tale of two halves. The Lions came into Soldier Field on a high note, after winning for the first time in their last 20 games, and picked up were they left off in the first half. Rookie QB Matthew Stafford looked pretty sharp picking away at the Bears soft secondary, but Jay Cutler answered him, and the first half ended in a 21-21 tie. The game shifted on Johnny Knox’s TD return to open the second half, and the Bears pulled away to a large margin of victory.

Among the positives of the game were Matt Forte’s two big runs (61 and 37T), as the running game had not made much impact in the first 3 weeks of the season. On the flip side, the Bears still struggled in pass coverage, and saw many of their blitzes get stonewalled once again. They’ll have the bye week to remedy some of the problems and get healthy for a trip to Atlanta on Sunday Night Football next week.

By the numbers:

14.0: The Bears current sack total, ranking them 3^rd in the league behind the Vikings (16.0) and Broncos (15.0). Last season the Bears finished with just 28 sacks. In four games this year, they’ve already reached half that total. Adewale Ogunleye leads the Bears with 4.5, and only 4 of the sacks were recorded by non lineman (Manning, Briggs, Roach, and Afalava).

104.7, 126.4, & 100.4: Jay Cutler’s QB rating in each of the last 3 weeks. The last Chicago Bear QB to have a rating over 100 in 3 consecutive weeks was Jack Concannon in 1970.

3.8: The Bears current team rushing average per carry, a point down from last year’s final average of 3.9.

News around the league (six degrees of separation from Juaquin Iglesias).

This weeks NFL headliners were both WR related. 1^st round pick Michael Crabtree finally signed a contract with the 49ers. It’s hard to say if Crabtree will have any significant impact for the 49ers this year, after such a late start. The other big news: the Cleveland Browns traded Braylon Edwards to the New York Jets.for special teams player Jason Trusnik, WR Chansi Stuckey and a pair of draft picks.

Edwards caused some problems in a Cleveland night club this weekend, punching Lebron James' friend... and that seems to be his plane ticket out of town (who knew the King really is the King of Cleveland?). However, last Sunday Derek Anderson threw the ball to rookie WR Mohamed Massaquoi a whopping 13 times, finishing with 8 catches for 148 yards. With Edwards now out of the picture, Massaquoi is now the Browns default #1 WR.

Massaquoi was one of the names that draft experts were linking to the Bears last April. However, with Massaquoi off the board and unable to work a deal with Arizona for Anquan Boldin, the Bears traded out of the 2nd round entirely, and eventually selected Oklahoma WR Juaquin Iglesias (pick #99) in the 3rd round.

Fellow rookie WRs like Massaquoi (CLE pick #50), Percy Harvin (MIN pick #22), Kenny Britt (TEN pick #30), Mike Wallace (PIT pick #84), Louis Murphy (OAK pick #124), and Johnny Knox (CHI pick #140) are all having immediate impacts on their teams. However, Iglesias hasn't even been activated on a game day yet, and has been absolutely buried on the depth chart below Rashied Davis and former practice squadder Devin Aromashodu. This is not exactly a good indicator for the future.

I normally would give a rookie WR more leeway, especially since trends in the NFL lean towards the "magical 3rd year." Heck, last year we saw Earl Bennett be a total non factor, while he got acclimated to the league. However, the Bears, Titans, and Jaguars presented perhaps the easiest opportunity you'll ever see for a rookie WR to earn playing time in this league. Just ask Johnny Knox, Kenny Britt, and second year man Mike Sims-Walker. But, thus far... Iglesias has completely dropped the ball… literally.

Side notes from the NFC North:

So far the Vikings haven’t allowed a rushing TD yet*… only the 49ers can share that honor. However, the Vikings are allowing 3.7 yards per carry and 89.5 yards per game this year (vs the Browns, Lions, 49ers, and Packers). While those numbers are very nice, it’s up from 3.3 and 76.9 last year. Expect those numbers to increase when they face the Ravens and Steelers in back to back weeks (6 & 7).

The Packers offensive line continues to get thrashed, allowing 20 sacks in 4 games. At this rate, Aaron Rodgers might not survive the season in one piece. The bye week couldn’t come at a better time, and I’m sure Rodgers will spend much of it in a hot tub.

Matthew Stafford update*: After a horrendous start for the Lions in his 1^st two games (1 TD to 5 INTs and a QB rating of 40.5), the #1 pick has turned the corner with a win vs Washington (87.8 QB rating), and a 296 yard day against the Bears (89.6 QB rating). With targets like Calvin Johnson and rookie TE Brandon Pettigrew, Stafford should settle in nicely, as long as he stays healthy. He left the Bears game late in the second half with a knee injury, and hopefully will not miss too much time.

*I’ve been forecasting that the Vikings days of dominant run D are nearing an end, mainly due to Pat Williams turning 37 years old.
*I'll keep tabs on Matthew 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.

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Lions Edition

Dane Noble — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:33:24 -0000

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Watching NFL games at a sports bar is a whole lot different than it used to be. For Chicago Bears games that aren't nationally televised, I head up to the local pub that has the Sunday Ticket, donned in my favorite navy and orange outfit of the day. The strange thing is, despite being packed like sardines into that place, I don't see many other team colors.

I don't hear much cheering for certain teams, but rather specific players on different teams. It absolutely blows my mind to see 300 people jumping from television to television with no interest in anything but the statistics of their fantasy football players. No interest in the local team. No interest in great story lines. No interest in divisional games. Only stats. It's really weird.

But, for those who have been worried about Matt Forte from a fantasy angle, he ended the day with 121 yards and a TD on the ground, with 19 yards sprinkled in from receptions.

- The defensive line is firing off the line of scrimmage faster than it has in years, with particular notice of the DEs. Detroit exploited that early, however, by running a lot of misdirection, traps, and screens.

- I officially do not trust Charles Tillman in pass coverage. He gets beat often, is out of position more often, and falls down too much. Sure, he can be a playmaker, but so far this season his coverage skills are no good.

- Detroit's TE Heller has some cannons for arms. That dude is HUGE.

- Johnny Knox is making a case for ROY, but is also making a case for having the ball stripped when he is running in the open field. Tuck the ball Johnny!

- Once again, our offense had no rhythm early in the game. How can we fix that?

- Lance Briggs should be headed to the Pro Bowl again. Big plays, tons of speed. He's really good.

- I like Tim Shaw. He is very tough on kick off coverage, and plays with a big motor. Made several ST tackles last night.

- Chris Williams is going to be a great offensive lineman for us. He still has to learn some of the small things, but considering this is his first season on the field, he does a lot of things right.

- Brad Maynard is awesome.

- Getting back to Tillman, in the second quarter, the WR was overthrown (by a mile), and Tillman still decided to push the receiver in the back to the ground. He could have gotten a flag on that one. Also, in the 4th quarter, he hit a WR out of bounds, and laughed about it.

- Zackary Bowman covering Calvin Johnson... sheesh.

- Matt Stafford has worse hair than Jay Cutler.

- 1st half defense was bend + break.

- In the first half, Detroit had 7 different players catch a pass; Chicago had 8.

- Pass rush came out strong after halftime. Good jorb Marinelli.

- Nick Roach plays hard.

- Gould from 52!!

- In the 3rd quarter, Mark Anderson ran off the field after a sack... was getting high fives from teammates, but did Urlacher ignore him? Someone watch the replay and let me know.

- For those of you who say Olin Kreutz is washed up, he was driving people last night.

- Craig Steltz earning his keep on STs.

- Forte showed some of his shiftiness on his TD run. That's what makes him good... finds the seams and quickly shifts into them.

- I don't know why, but I find myself rooting for Culpepper. I've always liked the guy... too bad about the injuries.

- Garrett Wolfe loves to trash talk. Gotta love the little man's fire.

- Rashied Davis was thrown to twice, and had 2 receptions (including good awareness of the first down marker on one).

- Another 5 sacks last night. Everyone's getting involved in those.

NightLink: 2008 vs 2009 WR Numbers

Dane Noble — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:02:18 -0000

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In tonight's NightLink, courtesy of Larry Mayer, we get a chance to look at our WR numbers compared to last season, Brad Maynard's shanked punt, and when the last time all 3 North teams won on the same weekend.

For all the outcry over the lack of experience at the receiver position during the offseason, the Bears receivers appear to be the strength of the team, or at least playing the most consistently thus far. How do the receivers compare statistically to last season’s receivers after three games?

Jacob
Brooklyn, New York

Bears wide receivers have been much more productive through three games this season than they were last year. Devin Hester (13 receptions for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns), Earl Bennett (13-168-0) and Johnny Knox (9-159-2) have combined to catch 35 passes for 514 yards and 4 TDs. Last season Bears receivers Brandon Lloyd (13-216), Rashied Davis (8-58), Hester (2-13) and Marty Booker (2-11) combined to catch 25 passes for 298 yards and 1 TD in the first three games.

Bears Make 53

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

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

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

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

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

Quarterbacks (2): Jay Cutler, Caleb Hanie.

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

Fullbacks (1): Jason McKie:

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

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

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

Pace, Kevin Shaffer, Chris Williams.

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

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

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

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

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

Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Denver Game

Dane Noble — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:00:23 -0000

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-We saw another great offensive performance last night, most notably from Jay Cutler, Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark, and Caleb Hanie. Matt Forte had a solid performance as well

-Trumaine McBride missed a couple of open field tackles.

-Rashied Davis stepped up big time on Special Teams play.

-In the first quarter, Jay Cutler had Olsen open for a first down pass, but opted for a deeper pass to Dez Clark for the conversion. That is confidence from a QB.

-I kept jotting down how good Pisa Tinoisamoa seems to be.

-Orlando Pace had his hands full... got beat several times in passing situations. Did not seem to be very nimble.

-Anthony Adams played smart football, staying at home on a reverse, and snuffing out pulling guards.

-Corey Graham shedded a block and made good open field tackles twice last night.

-Dez Clark is playing with a sense of urgency and aggressiveness. Will be more of a receiving threat than we may have thought. Ran hard after the catch.

-The DLine is definitely getting off the line fast, which is one of the main things Marinelli coaches.

-Jason McKie had several great lead blocks.

-The defense stopped the run in the first half, only giving up 6 yards. Second half, gave up several good runs.

-Al Afalava was quieter last night, but played very well in rushing situations in goal line stands.

-Johnny Knox beat Alphonso Smith for 43 yards... Smith was considered one of the best cover men in this year's draft class.

-Adrian Peterson ran very well... seemed much more aggressive with the football.

-Roberto Garza pulled out twice as lead blocker. Looked very strong, providing great blocks.

-When Cutler was interviewed on the sideline, and asked about the WR corp, he made a comment that he "doesn't know who we're gonna get." Was that a slip up? Are the Bears still looking to acquire someone?

-Briggs and Urlacher switched places twice in short yardage situations.

Who did you see step up last night? Who may have cost themselves a roster or starting spot?

Preseason Game 3 Preview: Chicago @ Denver

Dane Noble — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:43:58 -0000

In possibly the most anticipated preseason game of 2009, Sunday's game in Denver will definitely have plenty of drama to go along with the actual football game.

We don't need to rehash everything, but it will certainly be interesting to see Kyle Orton and Jay Cutler square off against their former teams, as well as how the city of Denver will welcome Cutler back into his old stadium.

Orton will be without disgruntled WR Brandon Marshall, as Marshall was suspended through September 5th for insubordination. Coach Josh McDaniels had this to say:

"I'm not sure necessarily if I think it will or I think it won't [work out]," McDaniels said. "I'm just hopeful that it will, because obviously he's a talented football player that we'd love to have pulling in the same direction as the other 79 guys that go out there and work their tail off."

While most eyes will be on the QBs, look for the rookies of both teams to try and make a splash. For Chicago, Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias are both fighting for a roster spot, and in Denver, Robert Ayers and Alphonso Smith will be looking to turn heads. Rookie RB Knowshon Mareno is out after banging up his knee last week, but veteran Brian Dawkins is expected to play despite nursing a hand injury.

As for Chicago injuries, it is unlikely that Danieal Manning, Zackary Bowman, Jamar Williams, or Nick Roach will see the field on Sunday.

I also came across this article on the Bears official page that states Devin Aromashodu and Brandon Rideau are both competing against Rashied Davis for the #3 WR spot, and that the game in Denver should answer a lot of questions.

A fierce competition to be the No. 3 receiver will continue Sunday night in Denver with Devin Aromashodu, Rashied Davis and Brandon Rideau all in contention for the job.

"It’s very competitive, which is what you want," said receivers coach Darryl Drake. "Each guy brings a little something different to the table. They know what they’re competing for, and we’re just looking forward to seeing who’s going to be the best fit for us and who’s going to be able to be a guy who can come in and do the things we need him to do."

The game will air at 8pm Eastern/ 7pm Central time on NBC Sunday night. We will have our Game Thread that day, a quick recap right after the game for all of us download our first thoughts and emotions of what we saw, and after it has all sunken in, more observations and breakdowns Monday and beyond.

Let us know what you are going to be looking for in the game Sunday... who to keep an eye on, who may be on the bubble, any other players that will be out due to injury.

Cutler vs Orton... it's gonna be a fun night!