Preseason Game 3 Preview: Chicago @ Denver
by Dane Noble on Aug 28, 2009 3:43 PM CDT
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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!
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The 2 rookies
I’d rather keep Hester, Bennett, aromashadu, riddeu and Davis than the rookies
by bskariya on Aug 28, 2009 4:02 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
I agree
Knox looked good in practice, but once the pads went on, it looks like that fire went out. Iglesias hasn’t done much I’ve seen so far.
Really...
rookie WRs usually don’t do anyhting untill their third season, at least give them a chance. These guys have shown flashes, keep them around and let them develop.
Tell that to Calvin Johnson...
Eddie Royal, Donnie Avery, Desean Jackson, Ted Ginn Jr, Dwayne Bowe, Santonio Holmes, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Bolden, etc.
I used to believe in the “wait til the third year” theory, but looking back, it seems like most good receivers figure it out pretty early. Recently, there haven’t been too many of examples of guys “putting it together” in the third or fourth year. It’s usually either boom or bust within year 2.
thanks for making this list
I was going to say the same thing
If you want to crown em...
by JohnnyTruant on Aug 29, 2009 8:58 AM CDT up reply actions
I third that..
Though I think Knox at least deserves a shot..I haven’t heard(or watched) enough about Iglesias to say anything about him..
Or Roddy White,,,
OH, WAIT! :P
Though I do agree, I don’t think anyone expects any of these rookies to be halfway as good as Larry Fitz, Boldin, etc.
by PoopieDeLoopie on Aug 29, 2009 10:39 PM CDT up reply actions
You just named.....
The exceptions to the rule yet only Edie, Desean, Dwayne, Larry and Anquan had good rookie years. And they weren’t rookies in the same year. Go back and look at the drafts from 2000 till the present and you will see that most rookie wide outs don’t have an impact in their fist year. It doesn’t matter what round they are drafted in either. Ted Ginn Jr., Donnie Avery and even Santonio Holmes had very little success in their first year.
All those guys had success in their first two years...
And that, sir, was my point. Show me one WR who didn’t produce in the first two years, and “figured it out” in year 3, and I’ll shows you 10 who produced in year 1 or 2.
Not going to happen.
Rookies are just what they are inexperienced and need to be nurtured. They (rookies) have more of a chance of making the final 53 man roster than walk-ons or practice squad players. Coaches jobs are to develop these guys and get them ready to play in the near future. Knox and Iglesias has to flat out stink before the Bears/JA release them. Plus Knox has speed that’s sought after and Iglesias has a combination of both and is a good route runner and also project to be productive in the NFL. The Bears are more likely to keep 6 WRs due to the inexperience factor of the entire core. IMO Hester is not a wideout and should be consider a part time player at multiple positions. The 2 rookies have more experience than Hester. Nevertheless, Knox and Iglesias are part of the future of this WR core that need to be developed to strength this position. Not one WR is a lock to be productive throughout the season, so I’ll be surprise if the Bears let go a rookie. I see Davis getting cut regardless of his special teams contributions.
I watched part of the Donkey/Seachicken game last week.
Orton was moving the ball nicely down the field, right before he perfected the off-hand interception in the end zone. If he plays within the system, I think he can make a lot of the dink and dunk passes. I’d like to see our young cornerbacks respond to this kind of a game plan—maybe we can play a little more press coverage and battle within the first 5 yards at the line of scrimmage. Try to disrupt the timing between the WR and QB. What I’m hoping we wont see, is Orton go 18-20 on his passes and look unstoppable like Griese did last year…
Zach Zaidman just reported....
WRs became a topic, and Bernstein asked him about rumors involving Cutler and Iglesias. Some observers were saying that Iglesias was trying to show boat in practice with one handed catches, and Cutler didn’t think to highly of it… confronting Iglesias and telling him if he continues to do that, instead of securing the ball properly, he won’t be getting too many passes thrown his way.
Zaidman couldn’t confirm that this occurred at all, saying he’s been at every single practice and never saw it happen. However… there’s smoke there. Iglesias might not make the roster if he’s in the dog house.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Also... I should add: Zaidman, Bernstein and Holmes' commentary
Was of this sentiment:
Cutler’s running this offense, and he’s prepared and ready to go. He’s in command, and this is something that fellow Bears teammates haven’t really been around before. If you’re not on board, then you’re gonna get left behind.
"You win because of the quarterback. We have to get that position stabilized. We're fixated on that." -- Jerry Angelo (12.30.2008)
Jerry Angelo trades for Jay Cutler! (4.2.2009)
.
Refreshing,
can’t believe we’re talking about a Bears QB. As long as he (Cutler) produces, I say let him pick the WR’s that he wants.
SackMan
The article about this whole flack is linked from today’s Bear’s Den!!!!
Right here
You posted a comment on it man! ChiFan is going to feel so bad now.
Great, now ChiFan will lock out tomorrow’s Den on purpose this time.
There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.
Sunday Night
I said it last week and I’ll say it again. Games are won or lost in the trenches. Regardless of who the receivers are we need our OL to move the line of scrimmage forward and we need the DL in the offensive backfield. That is what to watch for.
Interested to see how the Chicago offense responds to the 3-4...
…McDaniels runs a defense similar to Bill Belichik in New England, and traditionally, teams have setbacks in their first year transitioning to a new scheme. Overall, it’s good work to get in for Green Bay.
Also, will the offense be able to sustain the momentum it developed last week in a notoriously tough Denver stadium? And could Orton get exposed against teammates who run the same scheme, AND who have scrimmaged against him over the past four seasons and have developed a good sense for his style?
Thats what Im lookin forward to the most as well
I want to see how we attack a 3-4 as well considering we go up against one the next time we are on Sunday Night Football in Green Bay.
Phil: " Whose baby is that?
Alan: "Check his collar or something." - The Hangover
Me too
The next four teams we face all have 3-4’s (Broncos, Browns, Packers and Steelers) so we need to get used to it and ready for it for the early part of the year.
by Sam Householder on Aug 29, 2009 11:30 AM CDT up reply actions
There's a little more to it than that, though...
I’d expect the Browns to run a similar style to the Broncos for the reason I discussed with Josh McDaniels – Eric Mangini is a Belichik protege and ran a similar defense with the Jets.
However, even though Green Bay is making the transition, so far, what I’m hearing is that they might actually be ahead of schedule, plus they have one of the best 3-4 DCs in the game, Dom Capers.
And, of course, Dick LaBeau is going to run the same successful scheme with the Steelers that he always has.
Capers may not be the greatest head coach
but he knows how to put together a defense.
"The time has come to get deeply into Football. It is the only thing we have left that ain't fixed." - HST
That being said, though...
…it’s still preseason, and unless Capers really is some sort of magician, it’s not realistic to expect Green Bay’s defense to turn into…a certain other unit from twenty-four seasons ago.
So far, it looks as if Cutler performed roughly equal against 3-4’s and 4-3 last season.
As for me
My thought on our W.R is to keep them all,an if one must go let Davis go I dont see him getting better Iglesias caught a touchdown pass that I feel was a little tuff. He will be a winner I feel.Aromashadu last week showed us what he capable very nice big time catch on 2 defenders. I havent seen much on Riddeu but from training camp he looked solid and I dont understand why he did not play last year given his strong preseason I think he lead in touchdowns in the league. I say if someone has to go it would be Davis. I am very pleased with our W.R group I think managment made a great call on just going with what we had.
I truly want NOTHING to do with Marshall.
Have you watched the tape of his “performance”. He demonstrated the professionalism and maturity of a 4 year old having a temper tantrum. If you want to hold out, hold out. But be a man about it.
If you can't laugh at yourself you must not be very funny.
Exactly
He’s a whiner, and in a typically cheap Bears organization, how long before he gets pissy here?
Sure, he’s top-rate talent, but I bet he could kill the team.
the Bears aren't cheap
If you want to crown em...
by JohnnyTruant on Aug 28, 2009 9:32 PM CDT up reply actions
Exactly...
I’m tired of people saying the Bears are cheap, recently we just haven’t gone after high priced FAs because Angelo prefers rewarding his draft picks, also we have the highest paid coach in the league
Agreed...
I don’t want some overpaid wide receiver with questionable ethics in the Bears organization. I want quality guys that we can develop and I think we already have that. Honestly, I don’t think we’re in dire need of a wide receiver (call me the minority); Marshall is no superstar— those kinds of wide receivers are few and far in between.
Bear Down, Chicago Bears!
by topdoggkyle on Aug 28, 2009 10:55 PM CDT up reply actions
His numbers disagree.
He is a superstar, and an elite receiver already. He is also an absolute tool however, and I don’t want him on our team either. What are the odds that he doesn’t end up in Cinci or Dallas?
"The time has come to get deeply into Football. It is the only thing we have left that ain't fixed." - HST
I just want a repeat performance.
Hopefully of the Giants game and not the Bills. Show some consistency on both sides of the ball, everyone stays healthy, the receivers continue to progress, Forte remains a stud, etc….. Oh and our secondary not getting shredded by Orton, that’d be awful nice.
If you can't laugh at yourself you must not be very funny.
I'll be watching the WR position, but for me it's
Hester. We all know that we have to wait for the rookies to develop but I was hoping he would look better than he has. I’m hoping there is a more polished look to his game on Sunday night.
Can Brandon Rideau please get some more throws his way
Im not sure if its a seperation or play calling but all I do know is he was a standout as far as rapport is concerned with Cutler.
Phil: " Whose baby is that?
Alan: "Check his collar or something." - The Hangover
I second that motion...
DA is a great big target and will become a true play making WR.
Rideau is the next 3rd down possession receiver a la Bobby Engram!
Bennett emerges as a true #1 and Hester returns to punt return duty (no pun intended).
There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.
I agree about Bennett...
Granted, I have a very small sampling to go off of, but he looks solid and confident out there. It’s clear that he has a great connection with Cutler (the Vanderbilt connection doesn’t appear to be a myth) and he looks poised out there. For someone who got no playing time last year, he’s coming along very nicely. He should take over as #1 by the end of the season.
Bear Down, Chicago Bears!
by topdoggkyle on Aug 28, 2009 10:58 PM CDT up reply actions
once again
wtf is wrong with all you hester haters? if he hits 1000 yards this year will you give it up? or will that still not be enough? if he only has 800 yards, that still means he belongs at WR. i’m not even going to go through all the arguments that have already been made on this board, i just don’t get it.
I have no issue per se with Hester at WR...
I just think putting him at the #1WR position is wrong. He simply does not have the body type for it. He is a perfect wide side isolation or slot receiver. He cannot get separation at the line in press coverage and isn’t going to fight for the ball on out and hook patterns well enough to be a #1 type guy. When he is isolated and/or in the slot, he can use his speed to get open on slants, out-and-up, and fly patterns where he excels. He is actually a very tough guy and can get good YAC going over the middle. I would like to see him be the #2 guy on this team in position, not production. I think he will get 1,000+ yds this season, but not very many touchdowns. But either way I do like him as a WR, but I would like to have a big, tall, strong guy at the #1 (or primary) WR, that’s all.
There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots.
I suppose
Although I think it a tad premature of Lost to say Devin cannot beat the press*, I agree that maybe thinking of Devin as a #1 is not the right thing. Do we really NEED a “#1” receiver? How about four or five #2s? That should work given Matt, Greg, and Dez.
- let’s see what he’s learned since last season first, perhaps?
Not having a true #1
is wha’ts screwed McNabb all these years in Philly. When he finally got one in TO, they absolutely exploded. I just hope Cutler doesn’t go through the same thing with us. Maybe Hester will pan out but as of right now, he is not a #1.
"The time has come to get deeply into Football. It is the only thing we have left that ain't fixed." - HST
way to late for you to be replying to anything
God almighty I feel a nasty hangover in the morning
"We're here! We're queer! We don't want anymore bears!" by Manimal on Aug 20, 2009 12:05 PM EDT @ Daily Norseman after acquiring a geriatric QB
I work nights so
this is my usual tiime to be on here roaming around.
"The time has come to get deeply into Football. It is the only thing we have left that ain't fixed." - HST
Call me crazy but give Rideau a chance
And I believe he will be the #1 target as far WRs are concerned.
Phil: " Whose baby is that?
Alan: "Check his collar or something." - The Hangover
Great photo head-to-head
May the wind be always at your back, and may your placekicker have icewater in his veins.
Hopefulllllyyy
keep hester, bennett, Aromashodu, Rideau, iglesias.
dont really like davis or knox that much. so what if davis is a vet.
by The Fastest Forte on Aug 29, 2009 1:09 AM CDT reply actions
Bob Babich
Keep your eye on Babich tomorrow night! I got 20 bucks says he picks his nose and eats it.
nah
he’ll be too busy pressing Lovie’s shirts. The work of a PA is never done.
I cut the sleeves off because it looks awesome. NOW GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME!
by Ditkavsworld on Aug 29, 2009 12:39 PM CDT up reply actions
who will gain the most yards
who will have the most yards recieving for the bears. this will most likely be the wr who is on the field longer. also who has been cutler favorite wide out. also not forgetting forte who just happens to be our biggest gainer in recieving last season.i think out of the players aromashodu will be the go to guy
A dose of reality
I think one of the things we need to look at in regards to our success last week is the fact that the Giants defense was severely depleted. They were without two starting linebackers and two starters in the secondary if I am not mistaken. The fact that our O-line kept cutler from getting sacked is more because we were facing less resistance once we got past the D-line and so they plays came quicker which gave the front four less time to converge.
As far as the receivers go, I think Hester is a perfect slot guy. Bennett can be set out on either side and I think we may see a lot of Olsen on the outside with Clark in the traditional TE role.
by Teh Immortal Batman on Aug 29, 2009 4:41 PM CDT reply actions
if i'm not mistaken the giants dline
got a vast majority of their sacks last year, and for them it doesnt matter if chase blackburn is behind him instead of antonio pierce. also the giants got osi back who was fpr the most part invisible (in the limited time he was there.)
"snuffalufagus fucks my shit up"
by leopoldjones on Aug 29, 2009 8:05 PM CDT up reply actions
even so
Even if the D-line did grab the majority of sacks last year they had more time to get to the QB because of better coverage downfield. If The QB has all a bunch of guys open within two seconds of the snap he is never gonna get sacked.
by Teh Immortal Batman on Aug 29, 2009 9:48 PM CDT up reply actions
From Yahoo Sports
The Giants were depleted defensively. Linebackers Antonio Pierce(notes) and Michael Boley(notes) were on the inactive list as were cornerback Aaron Ross(notes) and safety Kenny Phillips(notes). Defensive tackles Rocky Benard and Chris Canty(notes) were also sidelined by injuries.
by Teh Immortal Batman on Aug 29, 2009 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions
I know who was out
I conceded that point to you I was saying it doesnt matter. Antonio Pierce is overated, Brian Urlacher got 79 solo tackles in what most people would agree was a down year, whil Pierce got 72 with that great defensive line keeping him unblocked. As for Michael Boley, he was allowed by the falcons to leave, which cant be a glowing recommendation especially from a defense that wasnt so good. That defense is the dline, and they were rendered inert last week.
"snuffalufagus fucks my shit up"
by leopoldjones on Aug 30, 2009 2:10 AM CDT up reply actions
Wow
the fact that you are arguing that the other 7 guys on defense have no effect on the pass rushing abilities of the front 4 amazes me. I’m not saying that the giants linebackers are all world but if you look at total tackles and everything else they brought to the table both guys where essentially the same. As far as Boley leaving, players leave all the time. Then factor in that they didn’t have their best corner or safety on the field. Both of which by the way are better then what the bears bring to the table. Defenses can’t succeed unless all parts are working in cohesion. Guys were out so you didn’t see that. I love the Bears just as much as the next guy but a sense of realism is needed to be objective.
by Teh Immortal Batman on Aug 30, 2009 2:42 AM CDT up reply actions
wcg league
most of the originals from the last few years don’t seem interested, here’s the info
yahoo
League ID#: 139006
League Name: WCG
Password: SAYERS
I think you people are missing the real drama here. I am of course talking about
the man who went from our team to their team, and the one we got to replace him. There must be some bad blood between these two. I mean a punky upstart comes into Chi town to take the place of a veteran who did a solid job even if he didn’t “light it up”. The media, the fans and even the readers here are COMPLETELY MISSING the true drama of the match up between Casey Wiegman and Olin Kreutz……. may the best center shine!
If you can't laugh at yourself you must not be very funny.
by Just Dave on Aug 29, 2009 10:00 PM CDT reply actions 3 recs
You know what?
I salute the shiat out of you. I was a senior in high school that year, and haven’t thought about that since then. Very, very nice post.
Wrecked the hell out of this… this engreenination will be well-earned.
Be nice. Flag comments that you think are offensive. Use the "reply" button. Drink plenty of water. Compliment others. Rec (wreck) comments and posts you like. Don't call people names. If you don't like someone's comment, attack the comment and not the commentor. Learn the difference in your/you're, then/than, to/too. Exercise. Relax. Stretch often. Find good in the world.
It was even more fun for me cause I'm an Iowa boy
and Wiegman grew up just a few towns away. I was pissed when they gave the job to Kreutz. I got over it quickly.
If you can't laugh at yourself you must not be very funny.
Mike Shanahan
I wonder if Mike Shanahan will be watching this game.
Remember that story about Shanahan not being able to bad-mouth the broncos this year or he doesn’t get his ‘09 money…? If you take that into consideration I give BIG kudos to Cutler. He became the enemy of a team, city, and fan base and has handled it very well. Obviously he has the Chicago backing him up now but everybody prior to this trade that he had ties to has turned on him. The coach that believed in him and turned him into a franchise quarterback can’t take his side or he will lose out on millions. Basically it is him against the world in a way. I am very curious if Shanahan will release some information after this season. Unlikely knowing his style but interesting to think about.
Do any of us Bear fans really care about winning this game tonight?
Winning is meaningless as far as I am concerned. What we need to come away with is first – No injuries. The starters will play more minutes this game so with two weeks to go let’s come out of this healthy. Second – continue to apply pressure from the front four. This will be a big task as they are going against an outstanding Oline so success here will bode well for the year to come. Third, continue to provide excellent pass protection as they have all preseason long. And lastly, move the ball consistently and convert third downs. Our defense wore down last year because we could not consistently sustain long drives and convert third downs. Last week agasint the Giants the first team gave us a glimpse of this and sustained drives. If we accomplish all these things it will be a very good night.
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