Bears Stay On Top Of Division, Beat Vikings 48-41
by Adam T on Oct 19, 2008 3:40 PM CDT
57 comments
When the FOX cameras focused on a couple of young ladies sporting their Devin Hester jerseys, it wasn't just the typical "Hey, look guys. There are girls here" shot that they love showing. I think this was Lovie asking FOX to keep an eye out for some able bodies to put out in the secondary's. When the girls busted out their best Hulk Hogan poses, Lovie saw potential and kept their seat numbers on hand.
At half time of this game during the half time show, Howie Long said if it wasn't for miscues Minnesota was in control of this game. I am assuming he forgot the TD passes missed by Bears receivers. Then once the second half began and the Bears defense decided to join the game, Minnesota wasn't in control of a thing.
OFFENSE
Kyle Orton once again proved he is an NFL QB and more than a game manager. In fact you could say he is one of the better QBs in the conference. He finished the game with 283 yards and 2TDs. He could have had at least 4 TDs as Booker dropped 2 in the End Zone and Desmond Clark fumbled on the 1 yard line. Orton controlled this game.
Minnesota has one of the better pass rushes in the game. The got to Orton for 2 sacks and one forced fumble, but overall the Bears offensive line kept Orton upright and he had enough time to make his throws.
Looking at the box scores again it looks like Matt Forte didn't have a great day, but again that would be the problem with looking at just the box score. Late in the game Forte picked up a number of first downs for the Bears. He tallied 56 yards rushing and a TD.
Brandon Lloyd did not play again and Devin Hester left the game with a quad injury, but the Bears still were able to keep the ball moving through the air. Greg Olsen led the team with 6 catches for 74 yards and a TD. Marty Booker despite his two missed TD passes did his best to make up for it with 3 catches 79 yards including a 51 yard TD.
DEFENSE
When this game ended the Bears were starting a #4 CB and a guy off the practice squad, so to some extent you have to forgive the defense for giving up as many yards and catches as they did. That said every young guy on this team made a play. Kevin Payne, Zackary Bowman, Corey Graham and Trumaine McBride all had INTs in this game. Payne still is making some mistakes, but he is turning into a solid safety for us. Brown also had some big stops, but more and more it is looking like he is a bit lost back there.
The Bears run defense gave up 100 yards rushing for the first time this season. I'm not too upset about this. If you take away Peterson's 54 yard TD run he only pulled in 67 yards the rest of the game. So only once did they let AP get away from them. He did have another TD, but that was a score from the 1 yard line and he got in on his thrid effort.
The Bears did not get pressure on Gus Ferrotte for most of the game, but they did get to him late when it counted. Tommie Harris has seemed invisible for most of the season, but he reminded people why he got the contract in the off season with some great play late in the 4th quarter, including a sack on the Vikings last drive.
SPECIAL TEAMS
The special teams in this game were the difference makers. Minnesota's offense matched anything the Bears offense did, but the Bears special teams made plays. They blocked a punt that Garrett Wolfe ran in for a TD and Zackary Bowman recovered a TD off of a kick off that bounced off of a Vikings player.
Brad Maynard had 4 punts for a nice average of 48.3 yards per. Robbie Gould went 2/3 on FGS with one blocked. Even Roberto Garza got into it kicking an extra point.
The return game was limited. Hester was out of the game half way through.
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All I can say is I'm looking forward to the bye week
It sucks that I won’t be able to watch the Bears next week, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. We need our defensive fellas back in.
Overall, good game today. Orton did great things, our D (especially Payne) was able to grab some INT’s, and our ST also made a difference for us. Like mike b said, I wish we would’ve gotten some stops, but overall, it was a good day.
I'M A MAN! I'M 22!
by ChiFan13 on Oct 19, 2008 3:49 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
the over done by second qtr.
crazy game.
Remember we were playing against Gus.
Week off good.
What’s the news on Hester.
How could he lose the ball in the sun....he's from Mexico.
by Hoytsstash on Oct 19, 2008 3:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Should I say it....
Hell I’m gonna say it.
ORTON FOR HAWAII!!!!
by Edicus2288i on Oct 19, 2008 3:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I had a post written last week when they started the balloting
for the Pro Bowl, but the numbers didn’t really bare it out. He still could make it if you assume some guys will miss it. Romo will make it, but he might bail out if this injury becomes a big deal.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
by Adam T on Oct 19, 2008 4:54 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
well I assume
Romo, Eli, and Brees.
Who else?
Rodgers?
I don’t think so.
So say Romo backs out due to injury.
Or the Giants have some horrible playoff lost and Eli backs out.
I think Orton can make it in as an alternate.
by Edicus2288i on Oct 19, 2008 11:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
lol why the i don't think so
on rodgers? guy is playing good despite being in obvious pain.
at this point i’d rank em;
rodgers
romo
brees
warner
orton
mcnabb.
but rodgers, romo and mcnabb are all banged up so you never know. there is still quite a ways to go anyway, so the pro-bowl is a moot point. i could really give a shit if any of our guys make it as long as we are playing in january.
by lopey986 on Oct 20, 2008 2:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
And that is all I was getting at
someone will back out and he has a shot.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
by Adam T on Oct 20, 2008 7:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i guess
sometimes you just get caught in a shoot out.
defense looked shitty most the game, the turnovers are nice but the vikings moved the ball almost at will. that’s a serious issue that hopefully gets resolved by health, but i am not so sure. the same defense we are waiting to get healthy is the same one that gave up the carolina and tampa games anyway.
by mike b on Oct 19, 2008 3:54 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
¿Qué?
Even Roberto Garza got into it kicking an extra point.
When did this happen?
"I see great things in baseball. It's our game - the American game." - Walt Whitman
by hip2bsquare on Oct 19, 2008 3:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Caught me by surprise as well.
I am planning on rewinding to see it, but on the blocked punt the box score and recap say Garza kicked the extra point.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
by Adam T on Oct 19, 2008 4:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If you find that post a video link or something
I want to see that as well.
Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!
by GallopingGhost on Oct 19, 2008 5:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
For real?
I just assumed that was in there b/c you’re a sarcastic bastage.
And I say that with pure love and affection. :-P
"Next year" sucks.
by halfblindcubbiegirl on Oct 19, 2008 7:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I am a sarcastic bastage, just generally not here
but I’ll take it.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
by Adam T on Oct 20, 2008 7:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
If we keep winning when you lead in the comments
I am going to include your avatar in the game thread. Maybe that would help.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
by Adam T on Oct 21, 2008 10:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL
whoda thunk that my cheerleading picture would be a lucky charm for my favorite team? :-P
"Next year" sucks.
by halfblindcubbiegirl on Oct 21, 2008 3:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
huh?
was something wrong with gould? i also missed this.
by FAQ on Oct 19, 2008 8:55 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Couldn't be
he came back in. I guess maybe he cramped or had an equipment malfunction or something.
Being Who You Thought We Were Since 2005!
by Adam T on Oct 20, 2008 7:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The bye week certainly couldn't come at a better time.
Even with our young guys showing flashes of talent, we really need to get Peanut and Vash back. Hopefully the latter plays better than he has been this season when he returns.
I’m also looking forward to the expected debut of Chris Williams. Our line could certainly use the help, even though it has been better than expected.
When I watch NBA games I often call the fouls before the referees do. Sometimes it’s a gift. Most of the time it's troublesome. - NBA Observer
by Illini15 on Oct 19, 2008 4:36 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
jeez
score 48 points and still almost blow the game, never thought i’d see that. this “vaunted” bears defense sucks some serious ass, that’s for sure. the picks were nice, but they weren’t made by great plays, 1 was a lucky tip that went right to payne and the other 3 were terrible terrible passes that a decent qb wouldn’t have made.
by lopey986 on Oct 19, 2008 4:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
defensive worries
having peanut and interceptor back healthy will make a big difference – if manning’s healed, that will help, too. but, we don’t get much of a pass rush. i’ve said this before, but its largely babich’s fault. qbs are taking short drops on us, giving the line little time to get to the qb. this is fine IF our dbs play physical and check receivers hard. unfortunately, we’ve played a soft defense (lot of space for receivers) almost all season long. babich’s inability to adjust and start playing tighter schemes instead of the soft cover 2 is killing us. if the qbs we play take long drops, fine, what we do will probably work. but that’s not what they’re doing so far. maybe a healthier tommie harris after the bye will help, but still, it seems terribly incompetent to not make this kind of adjustment by now.
by guy incognito on Oct 19, 2008 5:07 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Injuries the problem
Babich can’t call a lot of press coverage with inexperienced CBs, and not expect to ge burned deep. The defensive line and LBs have to pick up their play and at least get their hands up on those slants.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
by propheteer on Oct 19, 2008 6:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Good to have a bye;
My friend texted me in the second quarter, surprised by the scoring and said “I turned on a Bears-Vikings game and got a Patriots-Colts game!” Too bad Booker isn’t quite what he once was or he could have had 3 TDs and Orton could have had 5 if not for the safeties busting up Dez on the 1. Hopefully after the bye we can get Tillman, Vasher Hester and Lloyd back and this team can make a playoff push.
In other news, it’s weird to have to root for the Colts, but I know its necessary for the Bears to get first.
Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!
by GallopingGhost on Oct 19, 2008 5:19 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Things are looking on the upswing for the Bears after the BYE
They’ll get Lloyd and Hester healthy again… and they’ll get the secondary healthy. That’s a big plus.
BUT, the biggest thing that could happen to really improve this team: Chris Williams to start at LT, and St. Clair to shift over to LG…. benching Beekman, who has been the weak link. That might happen during extra practices of the bye week.
I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008
by SackMan on Oct 19, 2008 8:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Definitely
They may want to ease him a little because of his conditioning, but certainly if he’s healthy then there’s no reason to hold him back.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
by propheteer on Oct 20, 2008 10:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Also; Good Game plan by Turner
Maybe he does read WCG, a lot of people on here were asking him to get the TEs involved earlier, he did. He didn’t really abandon the run and he ran the no-huddle consistently throughout the game.
Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!
by GallopingGhost on Oct 19, 2008 5:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Agreed, but he still gave the ball to McKie :)
I'M A MAN! I'M 22!
by ChiFan13 on Oct 19, 2008 5:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
packers gave the ball to their fullback
and he got 4 yards.
by mike b on Oct 19, 2008 5:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
McKie as a check down guy is okay though
I just hope for no more goal line/4th down carries. Its a bit too obvious.
"Next year" sucks.
by halfblindcubbiegirl on Oct 19, 2008 7:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The Worst He did was maybe
That reverse on third down at the end but I don’t even think it was that bad, it was a good call because their run D is so good and it was still safer than throwing it.
Fire Ron Turner!!!
Fire Angelo!!
by GallopingGhost on Oct 19, 2008 9:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
great the one game we needed Indy to win, they suck it up
2009 Cubs: Well, Seems so far away..
by Chanman25 on Oct 19, 2008 5:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
not to mention
no more hester on kickoff returns please, he seems hesitant to haul ass due to fear of getting hit or something. all the dancing around is fine on a punt return cause you kinda gotta do more yourself, but on kick returns you need to just sprint up the middle and hope your blockers make their blocks and manning does that (although he is hurt too!) and hester doesn’t. i’d like to see them let manning handle kick offs and hester handle punts.
by lopey986 on Oct 19, 2008 6:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
I agree
but not as harshly.
Lloyd is hurt, who knows when he’ll be back.
There is no reason to risk Hester, when we have Wolfe, Davis, Manning, Bennet.
I say let Hester play WR and that’s it.
If we’re down 7 with a min. or so to go, then you can put Hester out there.
But no need to have him returning punts/kicks full-time
by Edicus2288i on Oct 19, 2008 6:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
i'd still like
hester to return punts, just tired of watching him dance around and bounce outta bounds at the 20 on kickoffs.
by lopey986 on Oct 19, 2008 9:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thrilling game to watch... Bears score 48 points!
But let me rant for a second here…
The way Ron Turner tried to close out the game in the final two possessions was absolutely pathetic. And that, combined with our lack of pass rush/pass defense has led to the 3 losses we gave away in the final minutes.
We suddenly have a QB, and we’re playing a team that we can’t run the ball against. What does Turner do to try and burn out the clock? He lines up in obvious run formations and runs the ball… only to go nowhere and punt. I’m sick of this cowardly approach. Grow a friggin sack already and try to close out a football game. Your opponent can’t mount a comeback if they don’t have the ball. Orton was passing on them with success all day long. Run some play action… pick up a couple first downs through the air and seal the deal!
Instead… we end up giving them back the ball. It’s coward football.
I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008
by SackMan on Oct 19, 2008 7:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
one possession, not both
he opened up the final possession with a playaction toss play that led to a first down, which ultimately enabled us to burn all their timeouts and take another minute off the clock
the final play a 3rd and 7 with the reverse I thought was the best combination of ensuring we burn another 40 secs and giving us an outside chance of picking up the first down
I thought Turner called an excellent game for much of it and basically got conservative on ONE possession, i think you’re being nit-picky
by DartmouthCubsFan on Oct 19, 2008 8:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It was a smart call.
It’s a sound strategy to force them to burn all of their time outs before the two minute warning. If that’s the goal, then an incompletion is way worse than a run up the middle that does nothing. At some point you have to put some faith in the offensive line and the back to make the run work, too.
—d
by itsugly on Oct 19, 2008 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Is it my imagination?
Or do we actually, as I type this, have the number one scoring offense with 196 points? Is this possible?
by rob in iraq on Oct 19, 2008 9:38 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Points scored/game...
the bears are third at 28, behind Arizona(29.5) and Giants(28.3).
by kuech on Oct 20, 2008 5:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Not all scored by
the offense of course. Maybe 5 TDs by defense/special teams? Not trying to dispute your point that we are scoring points and the offense is much improved and still growing.
by kuech on Oct 20, 2008 5:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
We are getting killed by our injuries in the secondary.
If not for that, we are 5-2 right now, having blown by Atlanta last week.
It’s interesting, though, that the Bears’ offense is largely being carried by Orton. Who’d have thought it? But he looks like the real deal.
If we get the secondary back healthy after the bye, we’re going to look pretty good. And we get an easy game to start with (which we can’t look past).
IF IT TAKES FOREVER!!
by Cubfansince1957 on Oct 19, 2008 9:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Orton's status as a "game manager" offically stopped against Tampa Bay
I’m tired of hearing this. So please stop.
- in the NFL in passing Yards
- in Completion %
- in TDs
- in INTs
- in Rating (Favre is 12th)
Can we please just call him an NFL QB?
by escolio on Oct 19, 2008 10:30 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Damn thing deleted the numbers
- in Pass yds, #17 in comp %, #8 in TDs, #17 in INTs, #13 in QB rating
Also, this was ONLY his 25th start, so basically 1 full season and 9 games. All you impatient Bears fans that bitched about how much Orton sucked and how much better Grossman was/is can fully suck it now.
by escolio on Oct 19, 2008 10:35 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
F-this F-ing "Post a Comment" thing...
Kyle Orton is #8 in the NFL is passing yards…f-that up stupid posting thing
by escolio on Oct 19, 2008 10:36 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
F-me for being wrong
Orton is #6 is pass yds
by escolio on Oct 19, 2008 10:37 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
fucking love the pic
and orton is definitely not a game manager anymore
by lopey986 on Oct 19, 2008 11:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Fire inside
I like hearing you write trash talk for Orton. He deserves all the praise, and if it not for 5 dropped TD passes his numbers would be filthy good.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
by propheteer on Oct 20, 2008 10:16 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's a good sign when I can start 3 Bears (Orton, Forte, Olsen) on my fantasy team and actually win
Not including the D/ST or K, that’s far and away the most Bears skill players I’ve ever had on my roster in 10 years of playing fantasy football.
We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look.
Ronald Reagan
by snley on Oct 20, 2008 9:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, when was the last time you could start a Bears offensive player with confidence?
Forte is a better fantasy option than Tomlinson this year, Brandon Lloyd was looking like a solid option, the D and Gould are always good picks.
"I’m gonna rise up, gonna kick a little ass. Gonna kick some ass in the USA. Gonna climb a mountain, gonna sew a flag, gonna fly on an eagle. I’m gonna kick some butt, gonna drive a big truck. I’m gonna rule this world. I’m gonna kick some ass. I’m gonna rise up, gonna kick a little ass. Rock, flag, and eagle!"
by Ozzie Montana on Oct 20, 2008 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
I'm glad Orton is turning out okay.
Just goes to show they should have drafted a “project QB” because they could have sat him for a couple of years.
Let’s not fool ourselves: Orton did “okay” against two good pass defense, Indianapolis and Tampa Bay, and bad against another two, Philly and Carolina. The fact that they’ve recently faced three bottom-half pass defenses shouldn’t get us jumping the gun on him.
by tyger1147 on Oct 20, 2008 9:36 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs
But....
it is a good sign that he can light up some bad defenses. If you can’t take advantage of a crappy defense, well, then, you suck.
I'm not going to even bother trying to update this sig everyday anymore... that's what the standings column on ESPN is for.
Updated on May 25, 2008
by SackMan on Oct 20, 2008 9:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
wait
orton did BAD against philly when he threw 3 touchdowns in a half? really?
i mean, he played bad the second half, but that does not negate his unbelievable first half against them.
by lopey986 on Oct 20, 2008 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
He played unbelievably bad the second half.
A final line of a 53% completion percentage, 5.85 yards per attempt, 3 TD’s, 2 INT’s is not good. Say his first half was great, his second half must have been beyond horrible.
by tyger1147 on Oct 20, 2008 4:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
The pansy playing calling of the 2nd half by Turner didn't help Orton
and don’t sell him short. He’s been really good this year and has bounced back from bad plays.
"Next year" sucks.
by halfblindcubbiegirl on Oct 20, 2008 6:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
bad play calling...
… doesn’t necessarily excuse bad play.
He was AWFUL in the second half.
Bringing moderation to a place I don't moderate.
visit the mindful mission
by big_lowitzki on Oct 20, 2008 6:21 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Turner bashing
I’m sure Orton’s bad second half had nothing to do with Jim Johnson and the Eagles defense making sound adjustments. The other guys get paid too.
"I'm not so mean. I wouldn't ever go out to hurt anybody deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." - Dick Butkus
by propheteer on Oct 20, 2008 10:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
Orton did not do badly against Philly
He was average if anything, considering how well his 1st half went against the Eagles.
I’m more impressed with how this line seems to be holding up rather well, when most of us had been predicting terrible things from them.
"I’m gonna rise up, gonna kick a little ass. Gonna kick some ass in the USA. Gonna climb a mountain, gonna sew a flag, gonna fly on an eagle. I’m gonna kick some butt, gonna drive a big truck. I’m gonna rule this world. I’m gonna kick some ass. I’m gonna rise up, gonna kick a little ass. Rock, flag, and eagle!"
by Ozzie Montana on Oct 20, 2008 4:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs
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