Ten Thoughts on the NFL: Chicago Bears and beyond

1) That late hit by Clay Matthews on Colin Kaepernick had nothing to do with football, and everything to do with Matthews trying to prove a point about mobile/read-option quarterbacks after his remarks last week.

2) One more thought on that game, the double penalty that gave the San Francisco 49ers an extra play, the one that the referee admitted he screwed up on, never should have been a double penalty in the first place. Joe Staley was playing the role of peacekeeper when he stepped in front of Clay Matthews. It was Matthews that grabbed the facemask of Staley, and it was Matthews that gave a shove.

After writing this thought, the NFL admitted the penalty on Staley was bogus.

2a) I won't waste another official 'Ten Thoughts' bullet point on that game, so I'll add the "a" as an addendum after the 2. I suppose I could have went with an asterisk, since so many Packer fans have already started listing their team as 0-1*.

@I can't remember the last time Green Bay lost a game that wasn't the fault of the officials.@

Yes I realize the sarcasm font doesn't work up here.

3) That was a nice week one road win for the Tennessee Titans franchise, but was talking that much post game trash really necessary? I wonder how much of their bravado comes from their new assistant defensive coach, Gregg Williams. You do remember Gregg Williams don't you?

4) I'd say Reggie Bush is fitting in quite nicely for the Detroit Lions. He had a monster game against the Vikings, with nearly 200 yards from scrimmage. If the Lions continue to use him properly, something I'll believe when it happens consistently, they could be one of the top offenses in the NFL.

5) Why do teams keep trying to get rid of Anquan Boldin?

6) Bush and Boldin weren't the only newcomers paying immediate dividends. Tight end Jared Cook went off for 7 catches, 141 yards, and 2 touchdowns. There's noting like a good TE to aid a QB, and Cook is a great fit for that Rams offense. QB Sam Bradford will really enjoy his skill set.

7) Another guy who thrived in his new home is New England Patriots wide out Danny Amendola. I guess the comparisons to Wes Welker were spot on. Amendola had 10 catches for 104 yards, and 9 of his receptions went for 1st downs, and 7 of those were on 3rd down.

8) The Miami Dolphins opened up 1-0 after beating the Cleveland Browns 23-10, so why is their high priced free agent wide receiver so upset? Mike Wallace is mad that he only had 1 catch for 15 yards (on 5 targets). He was so distraught after the game that Miami GM Jeff Ireland had to console him. Further proof that there's no "I" in team, but there is a "me".

If I was his coach I'd bench his ass.

9) After further review, the Chicago Bears defensive line wasn't getting to Andy Dalton mostly because Cincinnati was getting the ball out so quick. They do run a West Coast Offense like the Bears, and they did a good job with the quick hitters. There were a few longer drops that I would have liked to see more pressure generated, and I expected more impact plays from Julius Peppers.

With that being said, I thought DT Stephen Paea played better than I've seen him play for the Bears.

10) Reason #34 why I like Jay Cutler: He called his head coaches decision to go for the 4th quarter 4th and inches play, some "ballsy play calling".

There are so many other things to chew on after this weekends games, what stood out to you?