Windy City Gridiron

Williams' Suspended Rest of Season - Bears Still Alive

2008-12-02T22:45:51Z

The suspensions, which cover the final four games of the regular season, are without pay.

If the player’s team qualifies for the playoffs, he is eligible to return to the active roster on Monday, Dec. 29.

I'm looking for the Lions to possibly help us out like the Royals helped out the White Sox with a couple of wins against the Twins this year. Also, I don't see the Giants rolling over in Week 17 and they run 3-4 deep at running back and could still take that game.

As for not wanting them to make the playoffs, my belief is that every team should have a goal to make the playoffs every year. Not the cliche win the Super Bowl every year because that's obvious. But to give yourself a chance in January is all that I can ask for. Go to the playoffs and you never know what can happen; maybe Hester goes off on returns finally. We just gotta get a little help from other teams and handle our own business.

Playoff Fate Not Their Own

2008-12-02T18:50:11Z

With the loss to the Vikings this past weekend the Bears lost the ability to control their own destiny so far as the playoffs are concerned. Since it is fair and almost a lock to say that only the division winner will make it in, it is time to take a look the playoff tiebreakers.

Current Standings:

TEAM	OVERALL	DIVISION
Minnesota Vikings	7-5	3-2
Chicago Bears	6-6	3-2
Green Bay Packers	5-7	3-1

Remaining Schedule:

Vikings-@ Detroit, @Arizona, Atlanta, NY Giants

Bears- Jacksonville, New Orleans, Green Bay, @ Houston

Packers- Houston, @ Jacksonville, @ Chicago, Detroit

Supposing the Vikings lose the Williams boys and manage to drop one and let us in to the discussion, assuming we win out here are the tie breaks for a two club tie:

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss

To further confuse this if the Vikings lose twice and the Bears go 3-1 with a lose to GB and the Pack win out, here is the scenario for a 3-way tie:

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss

Note: If this scenario plays out and the above tie breakers eliminate one team, the tie breakers revert to the two club scenario for the remaining clubs.

Looking at the schedule I don't see much sunshine and puppies for the Bears. New Orleans, Green Bay and Houston are all pass heavy teams and could bust us all over the field. Jacksonville is the only game I currently am optimistic about.

The bonus for the Bears is the Vikings schedule even with the Williams' in is tough. With the exception of Detroit the remaining three are teams that can beat them. I'd say at worse they go 2-2.

I think the Packers can pack it in. They need to win out to have any chance. If they win out they need the Vikings to go 2-2 just to get into a tie break situation. I don't see them going 4-0.

The Bears need to win out and have the Vikings go 2-2, so they can win this outright. If this falls to tiebreaks, unfortunately they lose out. The Vikings have a better record against common opponents.

Dusty Dvoracek, Out For Season

2008-12-02T13:29:43Z

Wait! Haven't I already written that post before? Why yes, I did. In fact I have done it two times (here and here). Perhaps I need to create a category for it, so I can reference it again.

For the thrid striaght year, Dusty Dvoracek has ended his season in the injured reserve. During the Vikings game, Dvoracek ruptured his right bicep muscle.

“Losing Dusty is big,” said defensive lineman Israel Idonije. “He’s a great player for us on the inside. He does a lot of great things and we’re going to miss his play. Someone has to step up and fill that role.”

Typically at ths point I would question whether the Bears would keep Dvoracek. He obviously has issues staying healthy and with next year being the last in his rookie contract, they might just cut him loose. However, this is the team that still has Rex Grossman and Mike Brown on their roster.

Marcus Harrison and Anthony Adams are most likely to rotate turns at replacing Dvoracek.

The Quotable Bears (Week Thirteen)

2008-12-01T15:58:31Z

Let’s get the niceties out of the way first. Thanks to all of you who joined us on the game threads last night. This was our best week as far as unique commenter’s. The top five on the first half game thread was completely different than the second. And not only that, the top five for first half were barely on the second half and vice versa. Here are the numbers: ChiFan13 (105), bs.uf15bosox9bears23 (89), northsider (77), tfrabotta (66), and furby2056 (60).

Here’s who wins the never-coveted ChiFan13’s Non-players of the Game:

1) Charles Tillman. You just looked horrible. Usually, when a corner bites inside, it’s because there’s a threat; unfortunately for you, there was no threat inside. The threat was Berrian, and you found a way to screw that up. Bravo.

2) Bears WR’s. Toward the beginning of the second half, I was on the phone with one of my friends, who is also a Bears fan. I was beginning to yell about one of Sheed’s numerous drops when he asked, "Do we have soccer players for receivers?" Funny, but painfully true.

3) Devin Hester. You, my friend, are running scared. Honestly, you shouldn’t be returning any kicks or punts. In the 3rd, I remember Kluwe getting off a low punt, and I figured that you couldn’t screw it up. Alas, I was wrong. Instead of running north into the 10-yard cushion you had, you ran east. And back. And lost three yards. Thank God we have you locked up!

4) Kyle Orton. I’m a fan of you, but this is the first time you make the list. You made some good decisions tonight, but some were just atrocious. You’re better than that. It doesn’t help that your receivers couldn’t catch a cold in the Arctic.

5) Ron Turner. I made the comment on the game thread that you wouldn’t run your trusty FB dive with a new fella in there. Again, I was wrong. You ran it RIGHT AT THE TWO MAMMOTH DT’S. Nothing I can say will make you look any worse. You did it all yourself.

6) Bob Babich. On passing downs, it’s usually not advisable to rush 8. Again, you defy conventional wisdom and do it. This is on top of your usual ineptitude. I’m just too mad/sad to name all of your sins from last night.

Let’s get on with it.

Lovie on the game:

“It’s amazing what a shift in momentum can do. We felt like we needed a touchdown in that situation. You’ve got to be able to get it in from there. If you don’t get it in from there, you probably don’t deserve to win. [It was a] disappointing loss for our football team. We controlled our own destiny before tonight. Now we need a little bit of help. We have Jacksonville coming up [next Sunday at Soldier Field] and no time to feel sorry for ourselves. We’ve got to get ready for them.”

Lovie on Orton’s performance:

“Kyle has played great ball. He had a long streak going, but all quarterbacks eventually will throw some interceptions. Kyle will learn from this day and go from there.”

FB Dive on the game:

“If you’re going to beat this team, you can’t turn the ball over, and when you have an opportunity to make a play, you’ve got to do it.”

FB Dive on the failed goal-line stand:

“We had a goal-line plan going in. We saw what they did. We thought we had a chance to use play-action on first down, so we took a shot there. Obviously, that didn't work. Then we ran base plays, goal-line plays that we thought would work.”

Orton on the game:

“Against a defense like this, you’re not going to have too many opportunities down there. We felt like we needed to get seven to shift the momentum of the game, and it just didn’t work out. It’s tough to win games when you throw three picks. The passing game needs to step it up. I need to step it up. I put it on myself. [I have to] get back to work and get better.”

Kreutz on the failed goal-line stand:

“I know you can't write they kicked our ass, but whatever you want to write for that, they did on that series. They beat us up bad. This is no excuse, but they have three Pro Bowlers among those four positions and it showed.”

Forte on the failed goal-line stand:

“It's a tough situation. We're right there on the goal line, and we couldn't punch it in. That's something we have to address, because I think that's happened like twice this year. ... We just have to find a way to get in there, no matter what.”

Graham on Tillman’s stupid read:

“They pumped one way and came back to [Berrian] on the backside. Just a good scheme by them ... a good play. They knew that we cheat over. It's just a good call. The No. 2 [receiver] was coming down the seam. When the quarterback looks away, we've got to cheat. We play off the quarterback. We just have to find a way to fix it and make plays out there.”

Tillman on his stupid read:

“It was a good read on their part. It was zone coverage and I had Bernard and whoever the tight end was. I chose to take No. 2 and he threw it to No. 1. No excuses. It was a good play on their part. It was a good game plan. It was a good call and great offensive execution. Football is a game of momentum and that was definitely a momentum-shifter on their part. The momentum was in their favor. We got it back a little bit, but just couldn’t sustain it all the way. We fought hard, they just fought harder. You’ve got to give credit where credit is due. They deserved to win that game. I thought we played hard. They just played harder. After looking at it, yeah, [my approach] should have been different, but at the moment, no, I was going through my reads. They made a good offensive play. I can't sit here and say it wasn't my fault. It was my fault.”

Alex Brown on the game:

“This one hurts more than the Green Bay loss.”

Quotables from the WCG Game Threads:

“My wife bought me a Hester jersey this weekend. I’m a proud, proud man!” - #23

“Fade routes work when the ball lands INBOUNDS!” – bs.uf15bosox9bears23

“Bears knock out another QB” – beardown

“Manning rules. I don’t care what anyone says” – itsugly

“Looks like the evil Ron Turner tonight” – tfrabotta (Quote of the Week)

“The Babich defensive scheme kills us again” – aznsensation

“Can I just say, yet again, that RON TURNER IS GENIUS!” – iowaBear

“YES! Gus Frerotte reverts to being Gus Frerotte!” – northsider

“A stop….giggity” – chibullsfan03

Bears Crash, Lose to Vikings 34-14

2008-12-01T05:02:54Z

There are inconsistent teams in the league. The NY Jets going from handing Tennessee their first lose of the season to getting beat handily by Denver. The Raiders beat up Denver and then go out and get blown up by the Chiefs. For my money though the Bears are the most inconsistent team during a game. Literally from drive to drive we don't know what team we are going to get and that is on both sides of the ball.

The Bears go from 0 to great in 6.5 seconds. The problem is they also go from great to suck in 3.2. Orton goes from throwing nice touch passes all over the field to hitting Vikings receivers right in the numbers. Bears receivers go from making finger tip catches to not catching the ball when Orton all but walks it over to them. The defense looks fired up on one drive only to let Peterson carry the entire defense for 10 yards. Ron Turner has one drive that is inspiring, so he takes the rest of the night off. FOR THE LOVE OF DICK BUTKUS CAN SOMEBODY TEAR OUT THE PAGE THAT HAS MCKIE UP THE MIDDLE OUT OF HIS PLAYBOOK!!!!! (I've been corrected. It wasn't McKie, but it was the same ignorant play)

First let us get the good thing out of the way. Congrats to Matt Forte for crossing the 1000 yard mark and having possibily the only good game amongst all the Bears.

OFFENSE

Ugly or Pretty or Loopy or lucky as it may have been to get there, there was a time in this game where the Bears could have gone up on the Vikings 14-3. They were at the goal line and Turner thought going up the middle into the teeth of the Vikings on 3 plays was a good idea. Surprise, that didn't work. I'm going to take a bit of blame on this one. I foolishly thought everybody had heard this, but apparently not, so I am going to say it out loud. If the Williams' are in the lineup you run the ball anywhere but up the middle. Run it off tackle. Try to break it outside, just don't put your head down and go at them.

As mentioned despite the Vikings having a great run defense Forte had a very good game. He ended with 96 yards and a 4.4 average. He also had a receiving TD.

After him it is all down hill. Kyle Orton did have 153 yards and 2 TDs, but he sprinkled in 3 INTs at the end.

Hester had 67 yards receiving on 3 receptions. Problem is 65 of them came on 1 catch.

Jared Allen ran over John St. Clair all night long.

The really, really, really great thing about this is that we went from thinking we have our franchise QB, back to not having any clue what we have.

DEFENSE

I'll give these guys some credit. They did play hard. They were put into some really bad spots, but the offense. They were moving around, making some plays and generally hustling out there. Tillman had a bad night. He screwed the pooch on the play to Berrian for a 99 yd TD and then followed that up with a horse collar tackle to extend a Vikings play.

The Bears looked good early and were getting good pressure on Ferrotte, but that lasted about 8 minutes and they went back to the same old overpaid and non-producing defensive front we have come to know.

OVERALL

Right about now I am going to stop and open it up to you. I am at a loss to figure out where we are. We still can make the playoffs. We have a lead on the Packers and the Vikings have a much harder schedule and I am also not endorsing the lose for a better draft pick theory, but really what is this team and what can they do in the playoffs when they can't even get out of their own way?

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings - Second Half Game Thread

2008-12-01T02:59:51Z

Some quick thoughts:

- Looked great until we got stuffed at the goal line. Then, 99 yards later, all momentum shifted.

- Orton's looked pretty decent tonight. We're dropping a ton of balls.

- Forte looks good.

- D looked solid early. Now? Not so much.

- Charles Tillman....can you seriously not cover Bernard Berrian?

- This could get ugly if we don't change some things at half.

Chicago Bears VS. Minnesota Vikings - Game Thread

2008-11-30T21:19:51Z

CHICAGO BEARS (6-5)	GAME #12	MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-5)
	@

Date:

November 30, 2008

Location:

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Time:

7:15 P.M. CST

Stadium:

Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

TV:

FOX

Know Thy Enemy:

The Daily Norseman

Bears Injuries:

Vikings Injuries

Final Score:

Sunday Open Thread

2008-11-30T17:59:44Z

Let's hope for a Packers loss!

UPDATED: 35-31 Carolina. Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce the 5-7 Packers.

This also means that we need to control our destiny and beat Minnesota. We do that, we sit at 7-5 and have the easiest path to the NFC North title.

Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings - Game Preview

2008-11-29T21:23:26Z

Minnesota Vikings (6-5) vs. Chicago Bears (6-5)
7:15 CST @ Metrodome
Know Thy Enemy: Daily Norseman

It goes without saying that this is a must-win game for the Bears. A win in Minneapolis gives the regular-season series tiebreaker to the Bears and drastically hurts the Vikings' chances of an NFC North title, especially with a gauntlet of tough games ahead of them (@ Arizona, Atlanta, and NY Giants). Compounding the Vikings' problems, the NFL should rule next week as to the status of the Williams boys. If Goodell suspends them for four games, their vaunted run defense loses two essential members, and the tough schedule just got a whole lot tougher. Make sure to join us on the WCG game threads Sunday night!

Healthy?
Bears
Mike Brown & Jamar Williams - Probable
Jason McKie, Desmond Clark & Marty Booker - Questionable
Darrell McClover, Fred Miller, Brandon McGowan & Zachary Bowman - Out

Surprising to see Orton isn't on this list. Either he's totally healthy now or Lovie's crew is trying to pull a Belichick and be sneaky about his progress. Regardless, the Vikings have a dominant front four, so we'll find out early in the game as to his true status.

Jamar Williams was the only person on the list that practiced on Friday. No idea what Booker's problem is.

Vikings
Jared Allen & Madieu Williams - Probable
Vinny Ciurciu, David Herron, Artis Hicks & Garrett Mills - Questionable
Letroy Guion - Doubtful

Thanks to Gonzo (Daily Norseman) for the following:

All of the players listed on the injury report above had limited participation in practice with the exception of Letroy Guion, who didn't participate in practice at all and won't play on Sunday night anyway.

Artis Hicks is playing with a brace on his elbow, and is a 50/50 proposition to start tomorrow night. Hicks apparently injured the elbow way back in Week 1 and has been playing with the injury all season with varying degrees of pain. If it's decided that he can't go this week, Ryan Cook will be back committing false starts and giving up sacks at crucial times at right tackle.

Madieu Williams and Jared Allen will be out there, to the surprise of nobody. As far as the rest of the folks on the questionable list, I'm guessing that Garrett Mills will be inactive again, but I can't get a read on either Herron or Ciurciu. I'm guessing that at least one of the two of them will be active.

Us or Them?

Offense:
Points Scored: Us - 24.3 (T-12th); Them - 23.0 (17th)
Pass Yards: Us - 199.5 (20th); Them - 183.5 (25th)
Rush Yards: Us - 116.9 (11th); Them - 137.9 (6th)

Defense:
Points Allowed: Us - 21.3 (T-11th); Them - 22.4 (19th)
Pass Yards: Us - 244.2 (30th); Them - 228.5 (22nd)
Rush Yards: Us - 80.7 (5th); Them - 70.4 (2nd)

For those of you keeping score at home, that's a 3-3 tie. As we can see, there's not a huge difference between the two teams.

We Got It

Like our beloved Bears, the Vikings are terrific at stopping the run. We poke fun (and sometimes yell) about our lack of passing D, yet the Vikings are just 16 yards away from being in our position. We need to establish some running lanes early for Forte to soften up their defense and attack with Orton, especially with the TE's. At the same time, Turner can't shy away from mixing in John Shoop routes (3-5 yard routes) to avoid the 3rd-and longs that always kill us.

They Got It

The Vikings have a tremendous opportunity to blow us out of the water. When they're on O, they have two options: 1) Beat it down our throat with AP or 2) dominate our weak pass D. The Bears have done well over the course of the season stopping the run (minus the GB game). If we can limit AP, we can force Frerotte to beat us through the air. We need to hope that our DL found their spark last week (and not just beat up on a terrible opponent) and hurry/sack Frerotte. Otherwise, it could be a long day when their offense takes the field.

Gotta Have It

ST. This is a game that we need good field position to force the Vikings into make mistakes (such as our last meeting). Force them to make mistakes, and good things will happen. A breakout game from Danieal Manning would be great, too.

Final Word

Normally I would be worried with the situation we're facing on Sunday. Adrian Peterson is a great back and Minnesota's front four is a force. But I'm (seriously) predicting a relatively easy Bears win. Why?

1) Minnesota's ST is not the greatest. If we can manage to get good field position all day and force them to drive the field, we're already at an advantage.

2) Our defense has been terrible against the pass, but pretty dominant against the run (minus GB). If we can limit AP, we make Frerotte beat us through the air.

3) I'm calling for a break-out game from Orton. Forte will be limited in his yards on the ground, so I expect Turner to pull something unexpected.

Bears 24, Vikings 17

Poll

What's your prediction?

Turkey Day - Game Threads

2008-11-27T16:35:55Z

I am sure most of you will be enjoying this Thanksgiving with your families and won't go near the computer or you just might not be around a computer, but I assume that most of you plan on watching the games.

So, if you happen to be around and want to stop by leave any comments about the games here.

Nathan Vasher, Out For Season?

2008-11-27T05:44:30Z

This season has been a bad break figuratively for Nathen Vasher. His coverage skills have been put into question. He has been getting replaced by Corey Graham, a bigger and stronger corner and he has had his share of injuries.

Now the bad break is a literal problem. Vasher is out for an indefinite amount of time, possibly for the entire season. He has fractured his right wrist and re-injured his right thumb.

This is a huge knock to our secondary. Even if Vasher is not the #2 cornerback, he would be a very good nickel or #3 back. With passing teams like Green Bay, New Orleans and Houston on the horizon if he isn't able to play the Bears will be even more susceptibleto the pass, if that is possible.

First reported by: Bear_Down and further by Chanman25

Not The Story Kevin Jones Had Hoped For

2008-11-26T13:26:00Z

This is probably the easiest decision Kevin Jones every had to make. In the offseason when looking for a team to sign with and show of that he is still a premiere runner, the Bears were an ideal situation. They had let go of their incumbent starter, Cedric Benson, and were now going into the season with a rookie as the starter. Jones eyes probably go all wide and maybe a bit of drool hit the floor. Then the Bears signed him to a one year deal. Even better. Now he can prove he can still run and then go out and get a big contract.

Now on the back half of the season he isn't even being activated. It was a question I was looking for two weeks ago, when Adrian Peterson came in when the game got out of hand and then again last week AP came in to relieve Forte in a blow out game.

The reason is the Bears felt the need to devote extra man power to the special teams, so Jones was deactivated and Peterson took over the backup job.

''Every game we go into it saying we want to spell Matt a little bit, give him a break,'' Turner said. ''It's been Kevin. And now it's Adrian. That's not a knock on Kevin at all. It's more of numbers that we can dress on special teams. We all love A.P. We all believe Kevin Jones can play, too. We have to go with who's up.''

Matt Forte is our workhorse and he will continue to be until this season is over. He is the most important part of our offense. He is going to be on the field the majority of the time, so whether its Jones or Peterson it doesn't really matter, so long as they don't screw up on their few touches.

David Haugh on McNabb, Vasher, and Mr. Athletic

2008-11-25T21:12:42Z

Friend of Windy City Gridiron (I've emailed with him on a couple of occasions and found him to be a real down-to-earth, knowledgable guy) wrote an article today on a couple interesting points:

1) McNabb coming to the Bears? Wait until the season ends:

If Orton continues to show growth in the final five games as the Bears contend for the playoffs, the McNabb situation becomes moot. Teams as conservative as the Bears don't create unknowns at positions filled by players they know and like, a prudent way to shape a roster.

Yet if Orton unexpectedly regresses — and the prediction here is he won't — the equation changes. Then considering McNabb, who will be hotly pursued, would make more sense. He is far from done even if Philly concludes that his expected $10 million salary-cap hit isn't worth it for a team with Kevin Kolb in the wings. McNabb has had two bad games, but walk into any South Side bar in Chicago and it wouldn't be hard to find a consensus of folks who still would prefer McNabb over Orton.

2) Nathan Vasher might help himself and the Bears if he sits against Minnesota:

Nathan Vasher reinjuring his right thumb near his wrist puts his availability and effectiveness in question against Minnesota. But while no team ever wants to lose depth at a position, fill-in Corey Graham might be a better fit at right cornerback against the Vikings because he supports more quickly on running plays and makes surer tackles than Vasher.

3) The most interesting point of his article:

Perception: Sports Illustrated asked 320 NFL players who is the best all-around athlete in the NFL. Devin Hester got the most votes with 16 percent, followed by Terrell Owens at 10 percent and Randy Moss at 8 percent.

Reality: As elusive as Hester is in the open field, he might finish no higher than third behind Danieal Manning and Charles Tillman if that same poll were taken at Halas Hall.

Poll

On the Bears, who is Mr. Athletic?

Injury Updates

2008-11-25T13:42:35Z

*** The Bears have placed LB Darrell McClover on IR with a hamstring injury.

*** Mike Brown has a minor leg injury and is expecting to play next week.

*** Nathan Vasher has a right wrist injury. It is the same thing or close to what he had earlier this year. He is still being evaluated and his status for next week is unknown.

Chalk up one more reason to move Corey Graham ahead of him on the depth chart.

*** Desmond Clark has a minor injury to his right knee. He is hopefull to play next week.

Obviously, with Greg Olsen Clark is not a huge loss, but he is still a valuable receiving threat for Orton.

*** Marty Booker did not play last week due to a knee injury. He is hopeful to play next week.

The Quotable Bears (Week Twelve)

2008-11-24T14:00:06Z

Forte deserves some more lovin, so here he is.

I’ve heard both sides of the coin today. I do agree that we can’t take TOO much from this game, but discrediting a 27-3 beatdown isn't smart either. This game was over at halftime. There was no real need to have the guys bust their ass just to put 50 up on the hapless Rams. If they come out with that same fire against Minnesota, we’ll see good results. Overall, I saw a lot of positive things.

Anyways, let’s get to it.

Lovie on the game:

“We talked about setting the tone with physical play, establishing the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football, and we were able to do that today. We talked about getting 'that' back, whatever that is.”

Ron Turner on using the Wildcat:

“It was part of the game plan because the looks they give, we thought there were some things that we could do. And he's [Hester] a playmaker. We have to get it in his hands. We didn't last week, and we need to get the ball in the hands of our playmakers.”

Orton on Forte’s performance:

“He had a big game today and the offensive line did a great job opening up holes. He had some really big holes to run through, and then when he got to the second level, he made some great cuts and hit some home runs.”

Orton on the offense’s performance:

“We got on them right away, had a couple big drives to start off the game and went from there. We wanted to open up the playbook today and not be afraid to call anything. We started off with the reverse and it got us going as an offense, and he had some big catches for us as well. The fade that he caught into a pressure look was a real nice route.”

Forte on his performance:

“They [OL] do the dirty work up front. That’s where it starts. Those guys move those big guys up front and I just run through the holes and make somebody miss. If I don’t have any holes to run through, the running game will struggle. They definitely moved the defensive line out of the way today.”

Hester on using the Wildcat:

“Ya'll trying to make me tell our playbook? We just did it this week … here and there. You want us to tell you the plays we're running next week too? Whenever you get more opportunities. you've got to try to step up and make plays.”

Hester on the return gig:

“No, no problem with it [Manning returning] at all. I felt a little more energized, able to run. I wasn't really that tired. At the end of the day, it could be a good thing, especially when you've got another guy capable of taking it the distance. I still want punts, but you never know. You see so many people who start off as a special-teams returner, and when they develop at their position, most likely they get taken off of special teams. I would love to stay at punt returns. But I'm not the coach. I just have to go with the flow.”

Briggs on the game:

“We needed a game like this. We needed a game where things not only went our way, but we were able to do the things we wanted to do. Did it look like we wanted it out there today? I think we definitely did. The energy was there, and we played together.”

Mike Brown on his injury:

“We had the game in hand, so I just left. I'm good. (ChiFan’s note: He was joking) Everything's OK. Lower-leg contusion.”

Ogunleye on the game:

“It’s a step in the right direction. After the game last week against Green Bay, this is the reaction you wanted to see. But we’ve got a big game coming up next week against Minnesota, and we’ve got to keep chopping wood.”

Ogunleye on his second sack:

“We've run that all year. I think we run it too much, but it worked today. It's about coming clean. A lot of times the ball has just been out [of the quarterback's hand], and today the ball wasn't out. He was about to throw it, looked away and I was there.”

Quotables from the WCG Game Threads:

“First sack in how many games?” – chibullsfan03

“Who is 67, Beekman? Comes around the end with a sea of blue ahead of him and he hits no one. Wtg?” – tempchad

“Kerry Collins: 2/10 for 15 yards….now he comes back to reality” – tfrabotta

“Hester is worthless on returns” – mike b

“Rams must be making a documentary on how to do everything wrong” – beardown (Quote of the Week)

“We humbly accept the Rams’ stupidity” - tfrabotta

Poll

If you were Lovie Smith, who would you have returning punts/kicks?

Rams Heal All, Bears Roll 27-3

2008-11-23T21:26:55Z

It is a fine line when talking about a performance like this. Half of you wants to squeal like a little girl who just got front row tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert. The realist in you says it was a good day, but it was the Rams. The Bears needed this. A nice easy day, had some fun, tried some things and hopefully got a little confidence back.

MVP Matt...

I think Matt Ryan is going to win the offensive rookie of the year, but no rookie is more important to their team than Forte is to ours. He is a workhorse and a 3rd down conversion machine. He takes pressure off of the rest of our offense. I can only imagine what he will do if the Bears can get their line fixed for next year. Forte had his best day with 132 yards rushing and 2TDs. He had a 6.6 yard average and broke one long for a 47 yard TD.

Forte did have his first fumble of the season.

Orton's Day Off...

Last week versus the Packers, you could see that Orton was still struggling with his angkle. This week his mobility was better, not that he really had need for it. However his timing seemed a little off. Not much was asked of him considering the day Forte had, but he ended the day with 139 yards and 1 TD. He continued his interception less streak, though 2 could have or should have been picked off.

Hester's Day...

I don't know what the Bears should do with Hester. In the off season we paid him big money, because we expected his return capabilities would remain intact and we expected to see some offense. This game they took away kick off responsibilities, he has Gale Sayers saying he is running scared, he is agreeing with his brother's assesment that he is thinking too much and he says in an interview that what he really wants to do is returns. Do the Bears just eat hiscontract next year and let him just focus on returns? If they address the wide out position that could be a possibility? I suppose we will talk about that in the off season. In the meantime Hester had a good day on the offense. The Bears used him a lot of different ways in the first quarter. They executed a reverse and a little wildcat and both were successful. He ended with 5 catches for 40 yards and 2 rushes for 32.

Babich's Bye Week...

Babich has taken the brunt of the fault for the defenses problems, but everything was working today. Sure the Rams ran through 3 QBs, but the D still played well. The defense found the pass rush, tallying 5 sacks. Ogunleye and Harris both had 2 and Alex Brown had the other. They intercepted the ball 4 times. Briggs accounted for 2 of them and Urlacher and Tillman got the other two.

The Bears ditched their experiment from last week and returned to 'mugging the line' and held the Rams to 14 yards total rushing. The Bears were in the Rams backfield all day long. Every time the Rams got some positive rush yards the Bears dropped a 5 or 6 yard loss on them.

Not So Special?...

Our special teams play was not very good this game. Devin Hester on 4 punt returns averaged 6.5 yards and a total of 26 yards.

The Rams one really positive play came on a run back by Stanely who had a long 76 yarder and 196 total yards.

Robbie Gould was 2 for 2. Danieal Manning had an opening drive return of 50 yards.

Craig Steltz is starting to look very good on coverage. He was near or involved in almost all tackles this game.

Injuries claim 4...

The Bears entered the game as healthy as they have been in awhile, but did not leave that way. Alex Brown, Nathan Vasher, Mike Brown and Charles Tillman all got beat up. Brown and Tillman finished the game.

Overall...

This was a good game for the Bears. It could have boosted them and they will be ready to visit Minnesota next week. The Vikings stayed tied for 1st with a victory over Jacksonville. Hopefully the Packers will drop off this week.

I would have liked to see more scoring in the 2nd half. They only had a FG, but they were in eat the clock mode since half time.

Chicago Bears VS. St. Louis Rams - Second Half Game Thread

2008-11-23T19:22:16Z

We're up 24-3. Nothin else needs to be said.

Forte has 88 yards on 10 carries with 2 TD's. It also averages out to 8.8 ypc, so to those of you who are complaining, shove that in your pipe.

The Rams look really bad, so this one is as good as done barring a monumental collapse.

Poll

How many points will the Bears end up putting on the scoreboard?

Chicago Bears VS. St. Louis Rams - Game Thread

2008-11-23T16:00:06Z

CHICAGO BEARS (5-5)	GAME #11	ST. LOUIS RAMS (2-8)
	@

Date:

November 23, 2008

Location:

St. Louis, Missouri

Time:

12:00 P.M. CST

Stadium:

Edward Jones Stadium

TV:

FOX

Know Thy Enemy:

Turf Show Times

Bears Injuries:

Rams Injuries

Final Score:

Bears Add Rideau To Roster, Miller To IR

2008-11-22T23:08:39Z

Everybody knew that the second time around Fred Miller project wouldn't go far, but in the end it didn't go anywhere. The Bears have placed Fred Miller on the IR.

Taking his spot is Brandon Rideau.

“I feel like I’ve been working hard enough to deserve this opportunity,” Rideau said Saturday as he prepared to travel to St. Louis for Sunday’s game against the Rams. “It’s a great opportunity and I just want to take advantage of it.”

With Marty Booker ruled out this Sunday's game it is possible that Rideau gets to see some playing time.

Chicago Bears VS. St. Louis Rams - Game Preview

2008-11-21T20:01:05Z

The Bears and the Rams both trudge their way into this Sunday's game heads down and tails between their legs. The two teams lost to their last opponents a combined 72-19. The Rams are out of any race that exists save for the one for the #1 draft pick and sadly they are two games out of 1st place in that race as well. The Bears despite their defensive and as of late offensive woes are in a 3 way first place tie with the Packers and Vikings.

Following Suit...

Last week I made a comment about the Bears never being able to take advantage of places they are suppose to take advantage. Theoretically, the Bears should route the Rams. The last 4 opponents the Rams have faced (NY Jets, 49ers, Patriots and Cardinals) have outscored the Rams 139-48. It would be nice to see the Bears go out and do what they are supposed to do. It would be hard to see the Bears contending for anything if they cannot easily take care of the Rams.

At Least We Have Our Health...

With one more week under his belt and another full week of practice, starting QB Kyle Orton should be ready to go and rebound from his statuesque performance from last week. The Rams on the other hands are down their two best players. They have already announced that running back Steven Jackson and future HOF offensive lineman Orlando Pace are out for this game. Pace will be replaced by Adam Goldberg and they will look to fill Jackson's spot with Antonio Pittman followed by Sam Gado, Travis Minor and Kenneth Darby.

Us or Them?

Offense:

Points Scored: Us - 24.0 (10th) Them - 14.4 (30th)

Pass Yards: Us - 206.8 (16th) Them - 175.1 (28th)

Rush Yards: Us - 107.8 (21st) Them -95.9 (25th)

Defense:

Points Allowed: Us - 23.1 (21st) Them - 31.7 (32nd)

Pass Yards: Us - 249.3 (30th) Them - 233.7 (24th)

Rush Yards: Us - 87.4 (6th) Them - 158.4 (29th)

That my friends is a tally of 5-1 in our favor. Sadly, why do I fear it won't play out that way?

Series

The Bears lead the all time series 48-34-3. The Bears won their last meeting 42-27. The Rams won the one prior 23-21.

We Got It

Despite Orton being better off, with a guy like Matt Forte against a rush defense allowing 158 a game, the Bears should throw Forte at them until he can't move any more or they figure out how to stop him. Forte is the only player in the league with 3 or more TDs in both the rushing and receiving category. If the Rams find a way to stop the run, move to the short pass in its place. Just get the ball into Forte's hands and let him take over this game. Give Orton an easy week, so he is fresh for the Vikings the next week.

They Got It

Even though the Rams pass game hasn't been much this year, it comes up against a Bears pass defense that cannot stop anybody. The Rams will likely go to the air early and often. Torrie Holt and Donnie Avery look to be his two main weapons. Bulger is still capable of airing it out and Hot of catching and scoring with it. The Bears should bring every blitz in Babich's book....scratch that Babich's book isn't very thick. Let's bring every blitz in the first chapter of Philly's book. Bulger can be rattled and is as fraglie as they come. Get in his face, put him on the groud every play.

Gotta Have It

The Bears need to get off to a fast start in their 6 game race for the NFC North. This is as easy as the games get. They follow it up with a game against the Vikings. If they can get out with those two, it could put them in an early lead and leave them with a division record for the season that is no worse than 4-2, but could be 5-1.