SB Nation - Orlando Pace

Packers Pre-Game: Inactives and Turf

Brandon — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:30:57 -0000

Inactives from Greg Bedard at JSOnline.com:

Packers inactives: WR Biren Ealy, CB Trevor Ford, FB Quinn Johnson, S Matt Giordano, T Breno Giacomini, T/G Allen Barbre, NT Ryan Pickett, LB Jeremy Thompson.

Bears inactives: WR Juaquin Iglesias, S Craig Steltz, WR Devin Hester, CB D.J. Moore, LB Cato June, DT Matt Toeainia, LT Orlando Pace, DT Jarron Gilbert.

NT Ryan Pickett appeared unlikely all week, and I'm glad to see he'll get a week off to heal his injured hamstring. They'll get a little smaller up front with either DE Michael Montgomery or DE Jarius Wynn in the rotation this week.

The loss of WR Devin Hester will hurt the Bears, but it's not a fatal blow to their offense either. It does mean the Bears might be playing with 2 TEs for nearly the entire game. LT Orlando Pace might not be a starter anymore, even if healthy.

And one more thing from Greg Bedard:

The turf here at Soldier Field looks terrible and it could be a factor in today's game. It's holding up OK now. Doubt it during the game.

I had forgotten about the awful turf at Soldier Field, though I haven't heard much about it since it was replaced back in September.

Friday Injury Report: Packers at Bears

Brandon — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:37:23 -0000

It's a fairly short injury report for the Green Bay Packers, only 9 players listed, but it includes the top 4 defensive lineman. The Bears report is even shorter, but it might expose their lack of depth at wide receiver.

For the Packers: the big story has been that their top 4 defensive lineman are listed on listed on the injury report. While technically true, the only player likely to miss the game is NT Ryan Pickett, who hasn't practiced all week as he tries to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered during the win on Monday night. NT B.J. Raji will slide into replace him, and he's already making friends with Bear C Olin Kreutz. Raji is listed too, but he was a full participant in Friday's practice. DE Cullen Jenkins and DE Johnny Jolly were both limited in Friday's practice, but I expect they'll go. Late in the Monday night game, DE Jarius Wynn was in on several plays, and I don't expect the coaching staff has any concerns going with the 277 lb. rookie, if necessary.

Everyone else was a full participant in practice, except backup LB Jeremy Thompson, as he tries to recover from a career threatening neck injury. One name not listed is rookie OL T.J. Lang, who missed last Monday's game with a concussion, which is good news since LT Chad Clifton did miss some practice this week, and Lang will also be available to spell RT Mark Tauscher, if he needs a break.

For the Bears: it looks like WR Devin Hester is unlikely to play. While he isn't the greatest receiver and he's no longer the best kick returner on the Bears either, but he's still their leading receiver. Their great kick returner, WR Johnny Knox, would be counted on more in the offense, alongside WR Earl Bennett. Their bigger problem is that they don't have any depth at receiver behind their top 3 (none of their other receivers have more than 2 receptions on the season). The Bears might rely on their 2 TE packages even more than usual. LT Orlando Pace could return this week, but it's not clear whether he would start even if healthy. LB Lance Briggs should return this week, but his replacement, LB Jamar Williams, did very well in his place with 18 tackles against the Rams last week.

The complete injury report is after the jump.

Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Nick Barnett	LB	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Chad Clifton	T	Hamstring	Full Participation	Probable
Jermichael Finley	TE	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Cullen Jenkins	DE	Hamstring	Limited Participation	Probable
Johnny Jolly	DE	Knee	Limited Participation	Questionable
Ryan Pickett	NT	Hamstring	Did Not Participate	Doubtful
B.J. Raji	NT	Ankle	Full Participation	Probable
Jeremy Thompson	LB	Neck	Out	Out
Charles Woodson	CB	Shoulder	Full Participation	Probable


Player	Pos.	Injury	Friday Participation	Friday Status
Lance Briggs	LB	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Tommie Harris	DT	Knee	Full Participation	Probable
Devin Hester	WR	Calf	Did Not Participate	Probable
Hunter Hillenmeyer	LB	Groin	Full Participation	Probable
Israel Idonije	DT	Knee	Full Participation	Questionable
Orlando Pace	T	Groin	Limited Participation	Probable

Preview: Green Bay Packers at Bears

Brandon — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:00:28 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

10 days ago: Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) makes a touchdown during the first half of an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams in Chicago, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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Despite the Bears 5-7 record, it might be easy to overlook this game since they just ended a 4 game losing streak with a close win over the 1-11 Rams, and they haven't beaten a team with a winning record this season. They did beat the Steelers in week 2, but both the Steelers and Bears have fallen on recent hard times (Steelers have lost their last 5 games, and Bears have lost 4 of their last 5). Here's the Sports Network's Packers vs Bears preview.

Here are the official NFL rankings, based on yardage, from NFL.com:

Team	Run Offense	Pass Offense	Run Defense	Pass Defense
Packers	13	8	4	3
Bears	31	16	25	9

Taking a closer look, the official stats by yardage are making the Bears pass offense and pass defense look better than they really are. While the pass offense is moving the ball, QB Jay Cutler is also turning it over, and he has a league leading 20 INTs. Their pass defense has only given up 4 pass plays over 40 yards (tied for 6th best), but they've given up 21 TD passes (tied for 6th worst) and only grabbed 11 INTs. That doesn't make them bad, just average, and they're currently ranked No. 16 overall by Football Outsiders.

RB Ryan Grant vs. the Bears' run defense. His last two games have been forgettable, but that doesn't mean the Bears can stop him. In recent games, the Eagles RB LeSean McCoy had his best game as a pro (99 yards and 1 TD), and RB Steven Jackson ran for 112 yards despite QB Kyle Boller offering nothing to fear from the Rams passing game. They did hold RB Adrian Peterson to 85 yards (3.4 yards/carry) two weeks ago, but only because they put everything into stopping the running game, and the Vikings rolled for 378 yards and 3 TDs through the air. In the cold weather, the Bears might do what the Ravens did last Monday night: keep the safeties in tight and make QB Aaron Rodgers throw down the field, so I'm not expecting a huge game from Grant.

Rodgers vs. the Bears' pass defense. They shut down Boller last week at home, but that was just Kyle Boller. The last time they faced a good QB at home was three weeks ago, when QB Donovan McNabb went for 244 yards, 1 TD, and a QB rating of 101.6 against them. Rodgers just had 263 yards and 3 TDs against the better Ravens pass defense in the cold, so he should be productive again this week.

RB Matt Forte vs. the Packers' run defense. They were great against RB Ray Rice last week, so Forte isn't a bigger challenge. While Rice is ranked by Football Outsiders as one of the best RB this season, Forte is ranked as one of the worst. RB Kahlil Bell had 11 carries last week, but still over 60% of his career yardage has come from one 72 yard run he had against the Eagles. Forte has averaged only 3.4 yards/carry this season, and only had 1 game when he had over 10 carries and averaged over 4 yards/carry. He remains a greater threat as a receiver than as a runner. Despite the numerous injuries on the Packers' defensive line, they should have no trouble limiting the Bears' running attack.

QB Jay Cutler vs. the Packers' pass defense. Cutler had 4 INTs in their first meeting and he hasn't been much better since. LT Orlando Pace is not likely to play, but the 7 time Pro Bowl LT appears to be at the end of the road anyway. The Packers did a great job shutting down Ravens' QB Joe Flacco last week, and the Ravens' best passing play was to try and draw a flag on CB Tramon Williams. That could work again this week, but penalties alone aren't going to win it for the Bears.

Special teams and penalties. While the Packers have an advantage in nearly every other area, here's where the Bears can make it a close game. According to TeamRankings.com, the Bears are 5th worst with 54.3 penalty yards per game, but the Packers are in a league of their own (though the Ravens aren't far behind) with 75.4 penalty yards per game. The Packers special teams continue to be the worst in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders, while the Bears are one of the best. WR Devin Hester isn't the most dangerous punt returner this season, but rookie WR Johnny Knox might be the best kick returner.

If the Bears have a strong return game, and can force a couple turnovers, then this one could be close. But the Packers have taken good care of the ball this season, and should be able to win in Chicago for the first time since 2006. Packers 27, Bears 17.

The Bears 3 Biggest Ripoffs (and what should happen)--2009 Edition

Kev H — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:00:18 -0000

Inspired by this article earlier tonight (The NFL's Biggest Rip-Offs), I started to think about what the Bears biggest ripoffs were, when comparing salary to effectiveness.

To be fair, I'm not going to include players like Urlacher, or Tinoisamoa, because they're injured, and I don't think they can be truly judged as ripoffs. But there are a few players who just aren't living up to what we're paying them, and they should be called out.

Then to stimulate some discussion, what I think should happen. Let's delve in below...

The Problem Children

1. Orlando Pace--What more can really be said? After the retirement of John Tait, Jerry Angelo rolled the expensive dice on aging offensive lineman who had missed more games over the last three years than he'd played.

Orlando Pace counts for over 5.3 million in cap space this year. (He's actually slated to earn a little more, with the roster bonus and all added in) To put that into perspective, Brian Urlacher counts for about 10.1 million in cap space. Pace has the sixth-highest cap hit on the team. Put simply, he's underperforming, but that causes so many more problems. With the recent switch of C. Williams to Left Tackle, This could potentially mean that for the last 4 games of the season, the Bears could end up giving Pace over 1.3 million dollars to ride the bench.

If Chris Williams looks the real deal this weekend against a Packers defense that is vastly superior to the Rams, it will be even more egg on the front office face. While many of us (myself included) were intrigued by the idea of Pace, I think we all realize it was not a good idea. (Especially in retrospect.) The Bears tried to fix a problem quickly with some proven talent, but the scouting left something to be desired. Shocking, I know.

2. Frank Omiyale--Omiyale makes this list because his bonus money is so crazy ridiculous. in 2009 he's going to make a 620k salary and over 3.8 million dollars in bonuses. As Dane pointed out the other day, Omiyale is great as a pulling guard, but his abilities in that area are not justifying such a hefty price tag. His pass blocking is poor, and part of the reason we got him was to be a big physical run-blocker, but beekman has, at times, outflashed him greatly (and much more cheaply.)

3. Tommie Harris--No surprise here, but Tommie is on this list again, in all our minds, if not our hearts. Since he's going to make over 9 million dollars this year, I think it's fair from us to all expect a little more from him. Gone is the Harris who commands the double team. Gone is the Harris who bum rushes the QB straight up the middle. Gone is the Harris who grabs running backs at the handoff.

Now, to be fair, Tommie has looked a little better as of late. He may still have some nagging injury issues. He may have gotten his money and decided to pack it in. That being said, his is one of the most important positions in the Bears current defense. Our past success on defense came because we had pro-bowl level talent at every level of the defense, but without him playing like he used to, we have nothing, and he can't free up any of our approximately 100 other defensive lineman to get in the backfield and make game changing plays.

That's all well and good, Kev, but what do you think should happen?

Well, it's pretty safe to say--not all three of these guys can possibly stay on the roster. I think it's pretty obvious that Orlando Pace will likely be the man to leave, hopefully through retirement (the classy way), and not through the Bears cutting him. I respect Pace a lot, as he was a stellar player at his position for a long time. However, both he and his salary are a complete liability to the Bears.

Omiyale is still, relatively speaking, a young dude. He could continue to develop his skill set a bit, and eventually could develop into a really solid, if unspectacular lineman. His contract was insanely front-loaded, so the rest of his deal shouldn't hurt the Bears going forward.

Tommie is...well...Tommie. His contract is big enough to make it hard to find anyone really willing to trade him, and if someone values him that much, we probably should as well. We've seen what he can do, and hopefully he really is returning to form. I largely think that regaining the head of the Defense, our trash-talking middle linebacker, will help Tommie's game. While he isn't getting the explosive burst at the line, I think given the extra second that a good coverage set will provide can help Tommie regain some glory.

So what do you think? Check out the poll--which of these three do you think is the biggest ripoff, or if there's another you think is greater, you let us know why. Otherwise...get ready to knock a couple back. It could be a long Sunday afternoon...

Poll

Which of these is the biggest rip-off of 2009?

Chris Williams: Left Tackle

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:00:19 -0000

by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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Sunday saw the long anticipated debut of 2008 first round (#14 overall) draft pick Chris Williams at left tackle for the Bears. He had a chance to play against another member of that draft class, number 2 overall selection to the St. Louis Rams, defensive end Chris Long. Long picked up a sack, but overall, how did Williams fare? I'll try and dissect his game against the Rams and look at why he's a better fit on the left side rather than the right. First up I'll tackle the left side vs. the right...

Number one he's naturally left handed. Something you may not think makes much of a difference, but it's all in their stance. Players that line up on the left side of the offensive line use a left handed stance. The lefty three point stance is the exact opposite of the righty stance most of us that grew up playing football are accustomed to. Years back coaches would simply have players get in which ever three point stance they were most comfortable with. These days many high schools are teaching to change the stance depending on which side of the line you play.

The left handed stance is as follows; feet shoulder width apart, left foot slightly back (usually lined up with the right instep), left hand on the ground, right arm on right thigh. Yes that is Hall Of Fame left tackle Anthony Munoz over there in his left handed three point stance. The point of the left handed stance on the left side is it allows better pass blocking technique. When pass blocking you push off with your inside foot while reaching back with your outside foot. By starting this way your hips are in a better position as you don't have to turn them to get settled into proper pass blocking technique. With the hips in place, and already slightly facing the usually lined up outside pass rusher, you are in better position to deliver the hand punch as well. The less a player has to move to get in position the better.

Number two his athleticism makes him a better fit on the left side. So much emphasis is placed on protecting a right handed quarterbacks blind side, so you want a tackle with quicker feet on the left. The more mauling, road grader type is usually on the right side.

And number three, and most importantly, Williams is more comfortable on the left. At Vanderbilt he was on the left side, last year (when healthy) he was on the left side, and before Orlando Pace was signed this year his reps were on the left side.

When looking at the Rams game in detail, and trying to grade out his performance, keep in mind that I have no idea his exact responsibilities from play to play. Therefore my analysis could be slightly skewed. I made my best guess on his assignments based on my years playing, coaching, and watching football, but unless I'm invited into Halas Hall, I really have no way of knowing for sure. I graded him out using the most basic of grading systems, on every offensive snap I gave him a plus (did his job) or a minus (didn't do his job). When grading him out he ended up with a +46 out of 57 plays. I'm sure he'd be even harder on himself than I was, and I'm sure the coaches were harder on him as well.

I'll give some observations on his overall performance then I'll break down some individual plays.

The good thing is on all the plays I gave him a minus it was due to something that could be fixed through coaching. He was never out classed on any plays, never over powered, just simple youthful mistakes. He'll improve. He did get off balance at times and his hand punch could use some work, but overall it was a solid debut. I didn't see any tenacious aggression from Williams, but that isn't really his game, he more a technique guy that will shield off the defender. One constant throughout the game I picked up on was he didn't stay with his blocks. Most times the play was past him when his guy got off the block (so no harm done), but I'd like to see him lock on the defender til the whistle blows when ever possible. Nothing frustrates a defensive lineman more that a guy that is constantly in your face.

I won't go into every play in detail, but I'll pick out a few of the good and a few of the bad.

Play #1 - The 1st play of the game is a good snapshot of the kind of player Williams is. It had Williams seal the defensive end, James Hall, inside. It was only a two yard gain for Matt Forte, but Williams used good technique to seal his man.

Play #3 - The long pass to Devin Hester saw the Bears keep Greg Olsen in on the left side to help pass protect. They had a double tight formation as Kellen Davis also stayed in to help on the right side. It was a fake counter to Matt Forte (with Frank Omiyale pulling to the right) so Williams had to read the defensive line. Williams first set up as if to block the DE, but when the DE went outside to Olsen he moved in and took the DT which Olin Kreutz passed off to him.

Plays #6-#8 - On 3 consecutive plays on the goal line Williams drove James Hall back into the end zone. On 1st down Hall made the tackle after slipping off the Williams block and because of the slow cut back by Forte (but Williams should have sustained the block). On 2nd down Forte again ran inside but for no gain. Then on 3rd down the Bears ran off left tackle and Forte scored practically untouched.

Play #12 - On 1st and 10 after the long play to Earl Bennett the Bears again passed and the Rams ran a stunt. The DE went inside, and Williams passed him off to Omiyale, then LB James Laurinaitis looped outside and Williams picked him up. Good awareness by Williams.

Play #24 - On a 3rd and 4 Jay Cutler rolled out to his right and Williams only had to cut off his man from backside pursuit, he missed. He tried to reach block him to seal him off but he couldn't get there, he ran with him but couldn't keep up. I think he should have cut him initially or at least got into the defenders legs since it was a hard block to execute. His man had a long chase and never made it to Cutler, but Williams has to find a way to cut him off.

Play #27 - This was the 1st down end around to Devin Hester. Williams looked lost on the play. He immediately went to the 2nd level looking for a LB, but ended up watching LB Paris Lenon run by him and make the tackle on Hester.

Play #29 - This was the sack by Long. Earl Bennett motioned from wide left towards the right and it appeared he was supposed to chip Long before he turned back to the left sideline. Bennett was wide open on the out route, but Cutler had no time. If Williams was expecting the chip it makes sense why he was beat to the outside. Williams set up and looked as if he were expecting Long to come inside, if Bennett hits him it pushes Long to an inside move. Cutler may have snapped the ball a split second too early. Either way Williams can't get beat and should have recognized the missed chip block, a better hand punch would have left him in a better position. (I really liked the design of this play and expect to see Chicago run it this Sunday)

Play #35 - On 1st and 10 they ran Kahlil Bell around the left side for 7 yards, Williams and Olsen executed a combo block on the DE, then after the defender was secured Williams slipped off to block a LB.

Play #51 - This is the 8 yard run by Forte that the FOX crew replayed with a spotlight on Williams. Williams again made a textbook seal block on Long, he didn't drive him back very far, but simply got his hands on Long, moved his feet, and sealed him from the play.

If Williams gets the nod at LT again this week he'll have a different challenge against the Packers and the 3-4 defense. He'll have more reads to make as the Packers will zone blitz from time to time. He'll be matched up with an outside linebacker as much as, if not more than he'll be on a defensive end. It will be a good test for Williams and the Bears offense.

Bears Injury Updates: Briggs, Hester, Cutler, Pace

Dane Noble — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:16:31 -0000

More photos » by M. Spencer Green - AP

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There are a few different ways that NFL teams get to evaluate their depth at different positions, and the Chicago Bears have been presented those chances as the 2009 season dwindles down.

During a slide of disappointment like the Bears have seen, many teams like to turn their attention to younger players, as to see what sort of future they might have the following season. Also, injuries always occur, and backups get to see the field to prove that they deserve a roster spot.

Here are some updates that might prove to present interesting scenarios for the Bears this week and beyond:

Lance Briggs is set to return this week at WLB... he missed last week with a knee injury and hip pointer. His backup, Jamar Williams, had a career day last week against the Rams. Does this mean that Williams will sit versus the Packers, or does he slide over to the strong side in place of Nick Roach, who is also having a strong season?

Orlando Pace is also set to return this week. Chris Williams slid over from the right side to the left in Pace's absence, and Lovie Smith sang the praises of Williams following his first game at LT. If Pace is good to go, which it looks like he will be, do the Bears return him to his starting LT role, or do they continue with Williams and Shaffer?

Smith has repeatedly said that they will field the team who is most likely to help win the game, so we'll see what combo at the OT positions they will go with. Pace said that he feels like he can play, and hasn't shown any interest in retiring. He still has 2 years on his contract after 2009.

Jay Cutler (hand), Matt Forte (hand), and Devin Hester (calf) are all expected to have full participation Wednesday.

Random Ramsdom: 12/5, getting warmed up

VanRam — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:49:38 -0000

Before you shift into big college football game mode, here's a look at what's happening with the St. Louis Rams.

Steven Jackson is still hurting, his back is. The coaches and Jackson himself seem to think this will be a deal like last week and he'll end up playing. I hope...I guess I hope. I hate to see Jackson get injured trying to gut it out in the middle of a 1-10 season, but then again, that's why we like SJ39.

In fact, Jackson has emerged as one of the team's leaders, firing guys up and giving his all in the midst of a 1 win season.

Former Rams great LT Orlando Pace is doubtful for this game. So is LB Lance Briggs.

The Bears will move OT Chris Williams to the left side in Pace's stead, matching him up against Chris Long and James Hall. The interesting thing about this move is that some say Williams is an upgrade over the high-mileage Pace. The left side is Williams natural spot.

The Bears put an OL atop their wish list for the Holiday season, er, offseason, or at least the fans do.

A loss to the Rams could have sweeping implications for the Bears.

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

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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

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

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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.

Don't look for former Rams on the field this weekend in Chicago

VanRam — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:36:39 -0000

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The Chicago Bears picked up two of the St. Louis Rams most prominent castoffs this season. Rams fans shouldn't expect to see their former players on the field this week though.

LB Pisa Tinoisamoa has been placed on IR, having already missed most of the season with a knee injury suffered against the Falcons in early October. Future Hall of Fame LT Orlando Pace has a strained groin that could very likely keep him on the bench this week. Not that he's been much of a force for the Bears this season anyway.

Yeah, I know, hindsight is always 20/20, but I still stand by the decision to part ways with Orlando Pace. Given his age, the position he plays and his recent injury history there was just no way to count on him starting enough games or being effective enough for the Rams. Rebuilding the offensive line, which is bruised and battered again, was a necessary move.

Turf Show Radio is on the air tonight. We're bumping it back to 7:30 p.m. Central time in the hopes it frees up a few more fans to call us.