Chicago Bears Sackwatch 2012: Week 7 vs. Detroit Lions

When I first started playing Fantasy Football, I was warned that it would change the way I watch football. That I'd be more concerned with my fantasy team rather than enjoying the games themselves. I can safely say that has never been the case. Even in the rare occurrence that I have a guy playing against the Bears, I don't even give him a second thought as I watch my favorite team play.

Now if someone would have warned me before last year, that tracking every sack the Bears allow would give me such grief I never would have taken up this task. Thanks Kev...

I'm OK up until that first sack, then after that I find myself cursing the workload ahead. Don't get me wrong, I love breaking down the plays and dissecting the technique issues that may have caused the sack, I just would love it in a lesser amount. A lot lesser than the five sacks the Detroit Lions picked up Monday Night.

Here's where the Bears stand so far;

Sackwatch after 6 games
2010 - 27
2011 - 19
2012 - 19

Well so much for progress...

Sack 15 - First Quarter 12:38 - Kyle Vanden Bosch

I have a couple problems with this sack. Number one, it's recorded as a sack for 0 yards. Why couldn't it have been a scramble for 0 yards? Just more anti-Bears agenda from The Man. Secondly, the sack is given to Kyle Vanden Bosch, when it looks to me as though Lion defensive end Cliff Avril trips Jay Cutler up. The play itself is one that lends this particular "sack" to be credited to the play. If that makes sense...

The Bears fake a run to the left, and Avril is left unblocked. They may have seen something on film that led them to believe that Avril would jackknife inside and lose contain. But he read the play well, and disrupted the playaction. Cutler nearly escaped, but he was tripped up. Sacks happen...

Sack 16 - Second Quarter 7:04 - Justin Durant & Stephen Tulloch

Durant (52) blitzed through the B gap between Lance Loius and Gabe Carimi and simply beat the block from Matt Forte. The Lions rushed 6 initially then a 7th, Tulloch (55), came late and picked up half a sack. Cutler dropped and set his feet, but he didn't have anywhere to go, he was flushed by the pressure but was overwhelmed by the blitzing Lion linebackers.

Sack 17 - Second Quarter 5:12 - Ndamukong Suh
This is the sack that knocked Jay out of the game momentarily. It wasn't dirty, it was just a violent play by a violent player. I think we've seen the play enough, so no GIF for you. But if you care to check it out again click here or here for a closer shot. Suh is just beast, and he beat Bears right guard Lance Louis to the inside, center Roberto Garza tried to help, but he was too late. Louis stopped Suh initially, but he just shucked him out of the way.

Right defensive end Lawrence Jackson put a good hesitation move on Bears left tackle J'Marcus Webb, to add some pressure to Suh's.

Sack 18 - Fourth Quarter 10:46 - Kyle Vanden Bosch

Vanden Bosch is a damn good player. His relentlessness is what garners him this sack. He runs a long stunt from his right end position all the way around to the Lions left side. Jay Cutler drops back, sees an opening to scramble to his right, but then runs into Vanden Bosch. Where would you bin the blame for this sack?

It's hard for an offensive line to pass off assignments when the stunt is that long, this is just a good play by Detroit. Again, sacks happen...

Sack 19 - Fourth Quarter 7:07 - Jonte Green

This is just another one of those sacks that you really can't pin on the line. Cutler had time, he had a pocket to throw from, he just didn't have any receivers open. He tried to sneak out to his right, but the late blitzing Green got to him. Carimi at RT does an adequate job pushing his guy past the pocket. Jonathan Scott, who reported as eligible, does a great job getting his hands on his defender. Scott is lined up flexed next to J'Marcus Webb, and you can get a glimpse of why the Bears elected to keep him as the swing tackle. Suh pops out late from the interior, but at that point in the play the Bears o-line doesn't know that Cutler is moving.

Cutler could have thrown the ball away since he was out of the pocket, but who knows if he was concerned with keeping the clock running.

Detroit picked up 5 sacks, but only one is blamed on the offensive line. So even though the Sackwatch is trending the wrong way, the offensive line may be gelling.