Windy City Gridiron - NFL Week 12: Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay BuccaneersA Chicago Bears communityhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49985/windy-fav.png2014-11-26T17:00:02-06:00http://www.windycitygridiron.com/rss/stream/70349382014-11-26T17:00:02-06:002014-11-26T17:00:02-06:00Breaking Down The Tape: Sackwatch Week 12
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<figcaption>Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Chicago Bears allowed three 1st quarter sacks against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all on the same series. I was expecting a record setting day by Lovie Smith's defense, but luckily Chicago's pass protection settled down.</p> <p>Watching the <a href="https://www.bucsnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> sack <span>Jay Cutler</span> three times in an eight play span had me thinking I'd have to write the longest Sackwatch in the history of the Sackwatch. Thankfully for my hunt-and-peck typing style, Chicago's pass protection settled in and didn't allow any more sacks.</p>
<p>Let's take a look at where we stand so far on the 2014 season...</p>
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<p><b>Sackwatch after 11 games<br>2010 - 41 (Martzfense)<br>2011 - 27 (Martzfense)<br>2012 - 35 (Mike Tice O)<br>2013 - 17 (TCO)<br>2014 - 27 (TCO)</b></p>
<p>Yeah, that sucks. The <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chicago Bears</a> are only three sacks away from the last season's total sacks allowed. Sure the injuries along the offensive line have hurt, but the play calling hasn't done Cutler any favors either. Move the pocket, run the ball, call more play actions, use more creative screens, more quick slants, just to name a few.</p>
<p><i>Because of some some technical difficulties there will be no GIFs this week.</i></p>
<p><b>Sack 25 - First quarter 5:22 Jacquies Smith</b><br>This is the first sack all season that I'm pinning the entire blame on Jay Cutler. The Bucs were showing blitz, but they dropped out of it and only rushed four. Then defensive end <span>William Gholston</span> picked up Chicago running back <span>Ka'Deem Carey</span> who snuck through the line on a pass route, so it ended up being a three man rush. Cutler had time to throw, he just couldn't find an open receiver.</p>
<p>Jay took the shotgun snap, he dropped back and set up to throw, rolled to his left, cocked to throw, pulled it back, then ate the sack. Once Cutler was out of the pocket all he had to do was chuck the ball out of bounds past the line of scrimmage to avoid an intentional grounding.</p>
<p>Since this was a 3rd and three and the Bears weren't in field goal range, taking the sack didn't hurt the team, but it could have hurt Cutler. No point in taking an unnecessary hit.</p>
<p>You can view the sack <a href="http://www.buccaneers.com/multimedia/videos/Bucs-Rewind-Chicago-Bears/72eddfcc-4d6d-49ee-8db3-c77a4da1f8f6" target="_blank">here</a> at the :38 second mark.</p>
<p><b>Sack 26 - First quarter 3:08 Clinton McDonald</b><br>A penalty on the punt after that last sack gave the Bears new life. Then after a 3rd and 9 pass to <span>Brandon Marshall</span> for 15 yards gave the Bears a 1st down at Tampa's 39, the offense had to feel it was getting into a grove. But a sack on the next play took them back 10 yards.</p>
<p>The Bucs ran a delayed stunt along with a delayed safety blitz after Cutler faked a hand-off. Chicago had <span>Charles Leno</span> in the game as an extra blocker on the right side. Leno does a good job staying with his man on the edge, but Tampa Bay safety <span>Major Wright</span> is able to beat <span>Dante Rosario</span> (who was lined up at fullback) inside to get his hands on Cutler.</p>
<p>The NFL didn't split the sack, because I'm assuming, Clinton McDonald gets there a split second before Wright. McDonald begins the play lined up across from Chicago right guard Kyle Long. His initial rush is upfield, but then he loops to his left around the Bears' right side. Right Tackle <span>Michael Ola</span> tries to cut him off, but he can't fight through the bodies in time.</p>
<p>Even though this sack allowed could have been split, I'm giving Ola a pass. The Bucs just had a good play call on by sending Wright after the play-action, which tied up the player the Bears were keeping in to help. Even though Wright wasn't credited with a half sack, I'm pinning this on the Bears fullback. <span>Rosario over-committed too wide on his set, and Wright had room to get inside his block.</span></p>
<p>You can view the sack <a href="http://www.buccaneers.com/multimedia/videos/Bucs-Rewind-Chicago-Bears/72eddfcc-4d6d-49ee-8db3-c77a4da1f8f6" target="_blank">here</a> at the 1:11 second mark.</p>
<p><b>Sack 27 - First quarter 1:26 Gerald McCoy</b><br>McCoy just makes Brian de la Puente look silly on this 3rd down play. For reasons unbeknownst to me, de la Puente aggressively lunges at McCoy. Look at the pic below to see McCoy running past de la Puente, while de la Puente has his head down and is completely off balance.</p>
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<p>If Brian didn't race back to the play after missing his block, I would have thought he believed a screen pass was on, he was that far out of position. This may be the worst technique I've ever seen from a Bears offensive lineman since I've been doing the Sackwatch.Perhaps his ankle was</p>
<p>Jay Cutler fumbles on the play, but he didn't even see the Buccaneer DT barreling down on him.</p>
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<p>You can see this sack by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.buccaneers.com/multimedia/videos/McCoy-Sack--Forced-Fumble/639b6a9b-bece-49fc-adc9-91e281767071">clicking here</a>.</p>
<p><b>Here's how I have the Sackwatch after 11 games.</b></p>
<p><b>Jordan Mills - 4.5<br>Jermon Bushrod - 4<br><span>Brian de la Puente - 3.5</span><br>Sacks Happen - 3<br>Michael Ola - 3<br>Matt Forte - 3<br>Matt Slauson - 2<br>Dante Rosario - 2<br>Jay Cutler - 1.5<br><span>Eben Britton - .5</span></b></p>
<p>What are your thoughts on their pass pro this week?</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2014/11/26/7293765/chicago-bears-sackwatch-2014-week-12-vs-tampa-bay-buccaneersLester A. Wiltfong Jr.2014-11-24T14:00:03-06:002014-11-24T14:00:03-06:00Number Crunchin' the Bears vs Buccaneers game
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<figcaption>Brian Kersey/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>We'll take a deeper look at the statistics, both individual and team, and also run down the playing time breakdown for the Chicago Bears in their second consecutive 21-13 win, this time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to pull their record to 5-6.</p> <p><b><i>All statistics and snap counts are taken directly from the NFL's Game Statistic and Information System.</i></b></p>
<p>How fitting that in Lovie Bowl I, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> in the most Lovie-Smithesque fashion possible. The Chicago Bears only had 204 yards of total offense and they won the turnover battle 4-1. The Bucs were able to move the ball on the Bears defense, to the tune of 367 yards of offense, but when they had to, the D made a play.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay's Josh McCown threw for 341 yards, but he was picked off twice, he lost a fumble and he only completed 52.1% of his passes for a 64.1 passer rating. Chicago's defense held the Bucs' running game to 66 yards and a 3.0 average.</p>
<p>Tampa Bay converted 41% (7-17) of their 3rd down tries and were 0-1 on their lone 4th down attempt.</p>
<p>After the half, the Bears' D really buckled down. They only allowed 156 2nd half yards, they held Tampa Bay to 2 of 7 on 3rd down tries and they only gave up 3 points. The halftime fire and brimstone speeches must have worked.</p>
<p><span>Chicago's defensive line was the standout unit this week. Defensive end </span><span>Jared Allen</span><span> led the line with 68/76 snaps and he led the team with 4 quarterback hits while picking up 2 tackles. The other starting DE, </span><span>Willie Young</span><span>, had 2 QB hits in his 61 plays. The two young DEs, </span><span>David Bass</span><span> and </span><span>Cornelius Washington</span><span>, each picked up a sack in their 15 and 8 defensive snaps respectively. Bass also had a tackle and a forced fumble and Washington also chimed in with 2 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and a QB hit. Corn Wash also played 17 snaps on special teams, making a special teams tackle.</span></p>
<p>The Bears' defensive tackles were even better. <span>Stephen Paea</span> had the best game of his career. In 52 snaps (68%), he had 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 3 QB Hits and a forced fumble. He also was the point man in numerous stunts that allowed his teammates to make plays. <span>Jeremiah Ratliff</span> saw 44 plays, making 4 tackles, 1 sack, 1 TFL and 2 QB Hits. Will Sutton had 31 snaps and <span>Ego Ferguson</span> 24. They each had a tackle.</p>
<p>All combined, Chicago's D-Line had 5 sacks, 5 TFL, 12 QBH and 2 FF.</p>
<p>The starting safeties, <span>Ryan Mundy</span> and <span>Chris Conte</span>, each had an interception. Mundy led the Bears in total tackles with 7 in 61 <span>defensive </span><span>snaps and he picked up a special teams tackle in his 17 3rd phase snaps. Conte played all 76 snaps on D, making 3 tackles. Rookie Brock Vereen played 16 defensive snaps and 22 on special teams. He made a tackle while </span>filling<span> in for Mundy. Danny McCray had 22 plays on the special teams.</span></p>
<p>The only other Bear to play all 76 defensive snaps was corner Tim Jennings. He had 2 tackles, 2 passes defended and a fumble recovery. The other starting corner, <span>Kyle Fuller</span>, tied for 2nd on the team with 6 tackles. He only played 33 snaps before leaving with a minor MCL sprain. <span>Al Louis-Jean</span> filled in 36 plays, making a tackle and having 1 pass defense. <span>Sherrick McManis</span> had 7 snaps on defense and 23 on special teams. He had 2 special team tackles.</p>
<p>Nickelback Demontre Hurst played 76% of the defensive snaps (58/76) and had 6 tackles, a QBH and a FF. He added a special team tackle in 9 plays.</p>
<p>The linebacking unit was forced into some changes when <span>Lance Briggs</span> left with a groin injury. Briggs had 6 tackles in 35 snaps. Undrafted rookie <span>Christian Jones</span> made the most of his 37 defensive snaps (he also had 25 plays on special teams), making 5 tackles and recovering a fumble. Jones was in at nickel linebacker alongside <span>Jon Bostic</span>, who had 2 tackles and a pass defense in his 58 defensive snaps. Bostic also was in for 19 3rd phase plays.</p>
<p>The other starting linebackers, <span>Shea McClellin</span> and <span>D.J. Williams</span>, played 22 and 18 snaps respectively. Shea had 1 tackle and D.J. had 2.</p>
<p>On the offensive side of the ball, the Bears struggled against Lovie's Tampa 2 defense. Chicago only converted 4 of 16 3rd down tries, and only averaged 3.5 yards per rush and 3.7 yards per pass.</p>
<p><span>Jay Cutler</span> did have one lost fumble when he was popped by Buccaneer DT Gerald McCoy, but he didn't throw an interception. He ended the day with an 87.0 passer rating and a completion percentage of 63%. He only threw for 130 yards, was sacked three times, and he had 1 touchdown pass.</p>
<p>Running back <span>Matt Forte</span> had 2 TDs in his 23 attempts for 89 yards. He was targeted 6 times in the passing game, catching 5 for 23 yards. Rookie running back <span>Ka'Deem Carey</span> had 3 rushes for 3 yards and he was targeted once in 6 offensive snaps. Forte played 89% (51/57) of the snaps on offense.</p>
<p>No injuries along the offensive line meant all 5 starters joined Cutler for all 57 plays. The Bears used 6th offensive lineman <span>Charles Leno</span> on just 5 snaps.</p>
<p><span>Martellus Bennett</span> was the most targeted Bear with 7. He caught 4 balls for 37 yards on 53 snaps. Back up TE Dante Rosario caught the only pass thrown his way for 6 yards. He was in on 29 offensive snaps and an additional 22 on the special teams.</p>
<p>Starting wide outs <span>Brandon Marshall</span> (56 snaps) and <span>Alshon Jeffery</span> (54 snaps) each had 3 receptions. Marshall was targeted 5 times and Jeffery 4, with Marshall compiling 32 yards and Jeffery getting 22 and a TD. Marquess Wilson had 1 catch on 3 targets for 10 yards. He played 49% (28/57) of the snaps with #4 WR Josh Morgan seeing action on just 3 snaps.</p>
<p>Bears punter <span>Pat O'Donnell</span> started off good, but in the 4th quarter he shanked a couple when the Bears needed him most. His last punt was a 22 yarder and that was preceded by a 20 yarder. Overall he had 9 punts for a 39.4 net average with 2 placed inside the 20.</p>
<p>One more special teams note. It only took two kick returns to realize that newly signed <span>Marc Mariani</span> deserves to stay as the returner as long as he's healthy. He only had 2 returns for 46 yards, but he definitely looked the part.</p>
<p>What were your thoughts on the numbers this week?</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2014/11/24/7275385/chicago-bears-vs-tampa-bay-buccaneers-a-look-inside-the-numbersLester A. Wiltfong Jr.2014-11-24T12:00:03-06:002014-11-24T12:00:03-06:00Bears-Bucs grades; D-line has huge day
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In another tale of two halves, the Bears shook off an ugly start and used Bucs turnovers as a springboard to 21 unanswered points and win over Lovie Smith and Co. yesterday. Parts of the game were ugly, parts of it were all right and in the end the Bears get back to within a game of .500.</p> <p>There was an interesting stat thrown out on a graphic during yesterday's game, it noted that Lovie Smith, Mike Ditka and Marc Trestman each had the same record as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> head coach after 26 games: 12-14.</p>
<p>This intrigued me because I thought about the contrast of how each of those coaches is thought of in Chicago. I'm far too young to remember Da Coaches first 26 games as head coach but I remember Lovie's and I do not remember there being strong calls for his job after roughly a season and a half.</p>
<p>Naturally I went over to pro-football-reference.com to remind myself how exactly each coach got to two games under .500 after 26 games to see if there was anything of interest or noteworthy.</p>
<p>For Da Coach, he technically took three seasons to complete 26 games because his first season was a strike-shortened nine-game slate in which he went 3-6. In year two the Bears finished 8-8 and he won the first game of the season, his 26th, to hit the 12-14 mark. The Bears opened 3-0 in 1984 on their way to a 10-6 record.</p>
<p>For Smith, his first year was marred by bad play and poor offense as the team stumbled to 5-11 but the defense was a bright spot. His team opened 2005 1-3 but hit the 12-14 mark in Week 11 when the team won its sixth in a row in what would be an eight-game win streak.</p>
<p>Smith's offense in '04 ranked 32nd in yards and points, Ditka's 22nd in points, 26th in yards in '82 and Trestman's second in points, eighth in yards. Smith's defense was 13th in points and 22nd in yards back in '04, Ditka's D finished 13th in points and 16th in yards and finally Trestman's team finished 30th in both defensive categories last year.</p>
<p>So each coach had their ups and downs in their first 26 games. Both Smith's and Ditka's teams made improvements in offensive and defensive ranks in their second seasons, Trestman's have regressed (except in defensive yards allowed). I don't know if it means anything or not, but I thought it was interesting.</p>
<p>As for yesterday's game, it was slightly less interesting. The Bears started ugly and went into halftime in a 10-0 hole and the boos raining down upon them.</p>
<p>In the second half, the Bears used pressure from their D-line to force turnovers and poor throws and scored 21 unanswered. The Bears were outgained in yardage (364-204) and had their lowest yardage output in a victory since a Week 13 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Vikings</a> in 2006, when the Bears had 107 total yards (yep), in a 23-13 win. In that game Minnesota used three quarterbacks (<span>Brad Johnson</span>, <span>Brooks Bollinger</span> and Tavaris Jackson) and <span>Rex Grossman</span> and Johnson combined for seven interceptions.</p>
<p>Yesterday Jay Cutler had only 130 passing yards, the lowest of his career in a complete game since Week 2 of 2012 when he threw four picks at Green Bay in a 23-10 loss (126 yards). It was his lowest in a complete-game win since Week 9 of 2011 when he had 123 yards in a 37-13 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Lions</a>.</p>
<p>There was a lot of bad football on both sides yesterday: penalties (nine on the Bucs, six on the Bears), third down conversions (CHI: 4/16, TB: 7/17) and turnovers (five total). But the Bears came out on top thanks to their rushing attack (18 Forte rushes in second half after just five in the first) and four of the turnovers belonging to the Bucs. The Bears cashed all three of their redzone trips into TDs.</p>
<p>So a lot to like, but a lot to hate. Winning builds confidence and the Bears have won two in a row. Onto the grades:</p>
<p><b>Quarterback: C-</b></p>
<p>Cutler was far from good, in fact he was at his best when the Bears more or less took him out of the game by handing it off to Forte consistently. In the first half he had a few passes that could have been picked and was lucky to finish with only one turnover on the day, which came when <span>Gerald McCoy</span> blew through the offensive line and hit Cutler as he threw. Cutler finished 17/27 (63.0 percent) for 130 yards, a touchdown and an 87.0 rating. He wasn't much of a factor but did his best to avoid a fierce pass rush from Tampa, especially on his TD throw to <span>Alshon Jeffery</span>.</p>
<p><b>Running backs: B+</b></p>
<p><span>Matt Forte</span> had another 100+ yards from scrimmage in what is just another day for him. He continues to be the offensive MVP and the fact that Marc Trestman and his staff can't seem to get it through their head that the offense flows through Forte is beyond me. He had five first half carries and the offense was shut out. He did have four of his five catches in the first half, though. In the second half he carried the ball 18 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns. <span>Ka'Deem Carey</span> had three carries for three yards and was unspectacular. He dropped his only target in the pass game.</p>
<p><b>Tight ends: B-</b></p>
<p><span>Martellus Bennett</span> led the Bears in receptions (four) for 37 yards on seven targets. He had a couple of drops and he missed a couple of chances to break tackles and get extra yards. <span>Dante Rosario</span> caught his only target for six yards. Bennett did have a really nice catch in front of a Tampa Bay DB. Neither one of them had a glaring pass blocking error, that I caught anyway. It was a solid but not great day.</p>
<p><b>Wide receivers: D</b></p>
<p>The receivers combined to catch seven of 12 targets for 64 yards and one touchdown. They also had four penalties. It was far from the best day from the corps which should be a major strength on this team. Marshall had three penalties: two illegal blocks and a false start while Jeffery had a false start as well.</p>
<p><b>Offensive line: D+</b></p>
<p>The offensive line had another rough game, allowing three sacks. There were a few other plays where they surrendered pressure and Cutler had to step up or out of the pocket to avoid the rush. The Bears were finally able to slow the Bucs' rush by running the football and slowing them down that way. Even so though, the Bears averaged only 3.5 yards per carry and Forte had to fight for extra yards, barely getting through the line of scrimmage without contact. The offensive line needs to step up big time if the Bears want to keep winning, especially with the Lions and Ndamukong Suh coming up.</p>
<p><b>Overall offensive grade: C</b></p>
<p>Barely a B-, the offense was able to turn the two McCown interceptions into touchdowns and battled back from a 10 point deficit. It was a sloppy performance, especially by the WRs, from whom we expect greatness. Forte helped carry the load and the Bears were able to slap together enough for a win.</p>
<p><b>Defensive line: A+</b></p>
<p>By far this was the best game the defensive line has played all year. <span>Jared Allen</span> didn't get a sack but did record four QB hits and he was so, so close to a sack at least twice. <span>Willie Young</span> also had a quiet game but was credited with two QB hits. It was the interior of the line that really had themselves a day: <span>Jeremiah Ratliff</span> a sack, a tackle for loss and two QB hits, <span>Stephen Paea</span>, who is having his best season in a contract year, had two sacks, two TKFL and three QB hits. Reserves David Bass (sack/fumble) and <span>Cornelius Washington</span> (one sack, two TKFL, one QB hit) also got into the mix in Mel Tucker's rotation. Let's hope this continues.</p>
<p><b>Linebackers: C-</b></p>
<p>It was another forgettable day for the linebacking corps. <span>Lance Briggs</span> managed to record six tackles before leaving with a groin injury before halftime but there was little else of note. <span>Christian Jones</span> notched five tackles and a fumble recovery and <span>Jon Bostic</span> had two tackles and a pass deflection, but tried for an interception and missed (somehow) and it went for a competition. It's an easy thing to complain about but if you're going for glory, make sure you ether snag it or deflect it.</p>
<p><b>Cornerbacks: C+</b></p>
<p>There wasn't a lot to love here either as the Bucs had two 100-yard receivers. While there were some pass deflections (two from <span>Tim Jennings</span>, one from Al Jean-Louis), there were a lot of bad tackles. Rookie Kyle Fuller got burned for the touchdown by Mike Evans and had a tackle attempt broken too. <span>Tim Jennings</span> dropped an interception and missed a tackle on Vincent Jackson. Louis Murphy finished with six catches for 113 yards and Jackson had five catches for 117 yards. <span>Demontre Hurst</span> once again was getting picked on (evidenced by his seven tackles and many of the big catches by Murphy). Hurst did apply some decent pressure on the blitz but overall reminds me of <span>D.J. Moore</span>, who was also good on a blitz but bad in coverage. Hurst did force the fumble on Jackson and had a QB hit. <span>Sherrick McManis</span> was also in the game at one point and was burned.</p>
<p><b>Safeties: B</b></p>
<p>I have to give the safeties a better grade because they did have the two interceptions. <span>Ryan Mundy</span> found himself in a good position to grab the tipped ball and <span>Chris Conte</span> made a nice athletic interception early in the game. Mundy led the team with eight tackles and added a pass deflection. Conte had a pass deflection and four tackles. Decent game from a group that I think is sometimes rushed to criticize.</p>
<p><b>Overall defensive grade: B</b></p>
<p>The defense outplayed the offense for a change and definitely won the game for Chicago by virtue of forcing turnovers, giving the offense a short field with which to work. The Bears offense couldn't kill the clock and it came down to the defensive line making a final stand on fourth and one to seal it for the team.</p>
<p><b>Special teams grade: D</b></p>
<p>The return game worked for a change. <span>Marc Mariani</span> showed he should have been returning kicks all year, averaging 23 yards per kick return but he left a little to be desired as a PR, returning three punts for zero yards. <span>Robbie Gould</span> missed a 54-yard field goal and continues to struggle with the few attempts he gets. Rookie punter <span>Pat O'Donnell</span> had a 40.8 average on nine punts but shanked the one that perhaps mattered most. Penalties continued to plague the unit and most were not from the bottom of the roster players: Christian Jones was flagged for a false start, Ryan Mundy was flagged for holding and <span>Brock Vereen</span> was also called for a hold.</p>
<p><b>Coaching: C-</b></p>
<p>The Bears did enough to win but there was still a lot to complain about. I liked the defensive effort and game plan from Tucker (how about that). But the offensive game plan seemed hackneyed with a gross first-half disparity and then a concerted effort to get Forte carries in the second half. It seemed sloppy though for the offense and Cutler was not in a very good rhythm, and they could not convert a third down when they really needed it. Late in the game they went back to the same toss play which wasn't working well, and also seemed dangerous considering the score and the wet conditions. Maybe I'm just looking for something to complain about, though.</p>
<p>What did you think of the game? After 27 games, do you think Trestman is the man for the Bears? What did you think of the coaching yesterday?</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2014/11/24/7272333/chicago-bears-tampa-bay-buccaneers-report-cardSam Householder2014-11-24T07:40:26-06:002014-11-24T07:40:26-06:00Notes, Scribbles, and Things Jotted Down: Bucs
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Bears beat their former head coach and his new team yesterday. We're going over our notes from yesterday's performance.</p> <p> </p>
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<li><span>Right away, the question I have is... Why does the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Bears</a>' offense continue to wait until the game's past the halfway point to actually try to get things done? Another game, another first half with no output. In fact, this week, only two of the Bears' first half drives had more than three plays (nine and seven), and neither of those drives went more than 26 yards. In fact, that nine play, 26-yard drive was the Bears second-longest drive on the day, before the 58-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. That, quite frankly, is frightening. An offense just can't do anything when they aren't doing anything.</span></li>
<li><span>Not frightening, however, is the Bears' defense as they did what they had to do in holding down a poor <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Buccaneers</a> offense. <span>David Bass</span> and <span>Cornelius Washington</span> had strong games, <span>Stephen Paea</span> was outstanding, and <span>Jeremiah Ratliff</span> even got in on the sack action. <span>Josh McCown</span> got absolutely hammered (13 quarterback hits), and the Bears made the Bucs pay for their inability to protect their quarterback, especially in that third quarter. Bass' forced fumble led to a touchdown, as did the tipped ball that wound up in Ryan Mundy's hands. If some of these depth guys like Bass and Washington keep going, and Paea's quietly solid year continues, maybe this defense can actually continue this growth against teams that don't play badly.</span></li>
<li><span>Speaking of safeties making interceptions, Chris Conte's interception was a bit of brilliancy on his part, especially hauling the ball back in.</span></li>
<li><span><span>Demontre Hurst</span> came on a corner blitz, ran to the spot where McCown should have been, then sprinted after the quarterback and brought him down. But that brings up another aspect - as good as the pass rush was yesterday, most of the sacks came on extended plays, meaning the coverage units did a fantastic job. It also helps that once <span>Kyle Fuller</span> left the game, the Bears didn't have to contend with <span>Mike Evans</span> being put on <span>Al Louis-Jean</span>.</span></li>
<li><span>It also helps that the takeaways gave the Bears the shortest of short fields, because their ability to extend a drive was abysmal in this one. <span>Jay Cutler</span> in particular didn't have to do a whole lot, which is good, because he didn't look all that good. Part of that was the rain (but even then, the Bucs had Josh McCown throwing over 40 times), but more parts of that were drops, too. <span>Martellus Bennett</span> had more than his share. But Cutler's throws didn't look great this week either. </span></li>
<li><span>Cutler took his share of shots too though. The Bears' pass protection slipped up a little this week, including at least one coverage sack (which, well, that's not really on protection...). Initially, I thought I may have seen either a running lane for a first down or a quick throw, but I initially saw wrong. </span></li>
<li><span><span>Michael Ola</span> got beat by <span>Jacquies Smith</span> pretty good; Smith had himself a solid game.</span></li>
<li><span>Speaking of running lanes, <span>Matt Forte</span> was bottled up pretty well, except on the play immediately after the first fumble. But it feels like at times they're just using him to use him, because some of the decisions utilizing him are head scratching, to say the least. Personally, I'm not a fan of the screen call on third and forever - yes, there are blockers, but you're still covering a huge distance, and starting off a couple yards behind too. </span></li>
<li><span>Then again, would you have wanted to do much passing yesterday?</span></li>
<li><span>The Bucs, despite their offensive and defensive rankings, still need to win on the strength of their defense - and it's hard to punch back when Josh McCown is giving the ball away inside the Bucs' 15 yard line. Which is good for the Bears on an otherwise punchless day. The defense offered up a short field, and the Bears were able to execute to pick up a short touchdown, twice. Isn't it nice when the defense makes it easy against a team they're supposed to make it easy against?</span></li>
<li><span>Josh McCown was having a rough day of it too, and the Bucs kept going back to him over and over again. Numerous overthrows, underthrows (the falling duck to a stationary #88 was beautiful - someone should write a haiku about it) - though he still did come up big on a deep throw to <span>Vincent Jackson</span>, and found Mike Evans in the corner of the end zone.</span></li>
<li><span>Now, the Vincent Jackson fumble to close out the Bucs' trinity of turnovers in the third quarter... it was iffy, if not an outright gift. The call stood, so they didn't have enough to turn it back over in their eyes, but Jackson looked down to me.</span></li>
<li><span><span>Marc Mariani</span> looks like with proper blocking up front (and the Bears did make a blocking adjustment on specials this week, benching <span>Khaseem Greene</span>), he has enough return ability to make sure the Bears stay at the 20, or better.</span></li>
<li><span>I like the improvement in Cornelius Washington and David Bass this week. I'm not looking for one of them to start against Detroit, but I thought there was some legit growth on display.</span></li>
<li><span>Any lip readers want to tell me what Mike Evans said to Kyle Fuller after his touchdown? It did not look pleasant.</span></li>
<li><span><span>Robbie Gould</span> doinked another one off the inside of the uprights. He hasn't made a field goal since New England, and is having a very unlike-Robbie Gould year.</span></li>
<li><span>It's really nice to see that the Bucs might be as good at silly penalties as the Bears have been, including a roughing-the-kicker penalty to keep the 1st-quarter nine-play drive alive and an illegal block to keep the seven-play drive alive in the second quarter. The Bears of course had to one up them with a false start on a punt.</span></li>
<li><span>So what have we learned this week? Nothing, because it was a bad game between one bad team and one slightly better than bad team, though not much better. The Bears went to 5-6 taking out the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a>, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.dailynorseman.com/">Vikings</a> and Bucs, two teams from the Division of Bad that is the NFC South and the new last-place team in the NFC North, not exactly something that boosts confidence, especially with the shades of fifty points still lingering, and losses to the more playoff-borderline <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Bills</a> hanging over the team this year. Maybe with one or two of those, we feel a little better about the team, instead of the current spot.</span></li>
<li><span>That being said, the next game is against Detroit on Thanksgiving, and it's the early game. Detroit lost to New England, so they're certainly in reach for the Bears in the division, especially if the Bears can put together a sweep (hint: tall order this year). The division is probably out of reach with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a> effectively four games up on the Bears, but the Bears are still alive, somehow.</span></li>
</ul>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2014/11/24/7273913/bears-vs-buccaneers-notes-scribbles-and-things-jotted-downSteven Schweickert2014-11-23T15:28:45-06:002014-11-23T15:28:45-06:00Final Score: Bears Sink Bucs 21-13
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<figcaption>David Banks/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Bears were held scoreless in the first half, but scored 21 straight points in the third quarter and finished off the Buccaneers 21-13.</p> <p>When the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Buccaneers</a> went up 10-0 at halftime, you kind of figured it would be the same old same old of weeks past, and went to go do errands or something. If you did, you missed a furious third quarter of action that propelled the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Bears</a> to a 21-10 lead en route to a 21-13 victory, their fifth win of the season.</p>
<p>The first score didn't happen until the second quarter, when <span>Mike Evans</span> got in the gap behind <span>Kyle Fuller</span> and the corner behind <span>Chris Conte</span>, and he collected his eighth touchdown on the season. <span>Patrick Murray</span> added a field goal just before the half to make the score 10-0. Then, things got crazy.</p>
<p>The Bears got the ball rolling with an <span>Alshon Jeffery</span> touchdown catch at 10:33 remaining in the third, capping a six play, 58 yard drive. Later in the quarter, <span>Josh McCown</span> was sacked and fumbled the ball away, and it was promptly capitalized upon by a <span>Matt Forte</span> 13-yard run. Then, a McCown pass was tipped and caught by <span>Ryan Mundy</span>, and again the Bears capitalized with Forte's second touchdown on the day. Murray added a field goal in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.</p>
<p>Two notable injuries for the Bears were <span>Lance Briggs</span> and Kyle Fuller. Briggs left with a groin injury in the second quarter, and Fuller left with a knee injury. At this point, we don't know what the ramifications are, but we'll keep you posted.</p>
<p>Let's hit some quick numbers.</p>
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<p><b>Chicago Bears:</b></p>
<p><b><span>Jay Cutler</span>: </b>17/27, 130 yards, TD - 87.0 QB Rating</p>
<p><b><span>Matt Forte</span>: </b>23 carries, 89 yards, 2 TD; 5 receptions, 23 yards<br><b><span>Alshon Jeffery</span>: </b>3 receptions, 22 yards, TD<br><b><span>Martellus Bennett</span>: </b>4 receptions, 37 yards<br><b><span>Brandon Marshall</span>: </b>3 receptions, 32 yards<br><b>Bears Defense: </b>5 sacks, 2 interceptions</p>
<p><b>Tampa Bay Buccaneers</b></p>
<p><b>Josh McCown: </b>25/48, 341 yards, TD, 2 INT - 64.7 QB Rating; 3 carries, 12 yards</p>
<p><b><span>Doug Martin</span>: </b>11 carries, 27 yards; 1 reception, 4 yards<br><b><span>Charles Sims</span>: </b>6 carries, 22 yards; 2 receptions, 11 yards<br><b><span>Vincent Jackson</span>: </b>5 receptions, 117 yards<br><b><span>Louis Murphy</span>: </b>6 receptions, 113 yards<br><b>Mike Evans: </b>3 receptions, 47 yards, TD<br><b>Bucs Defense: </b>3 sacks</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2014/11/23/7272223/bears-vs-buccaneers-final-score-lance-briggs-kyle-fullerSteven Schweickert2014-11-23T14:40:35-06:002014-11-23T14:40:35-06:00Bears vs Bucs 4th Quarter Open Thread
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<figcaption>Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Join us below for live updates and instant analysis of today's Bears game!</p> <p><b>**SCORE UPDATE**</b></p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> 21</p>
<p>Tampa Bay Bucs 10</p>
<p>-----------------------------</p>
<p>What a difference a quarter can make, especially when one team has multiple turnovers during that quarter.</p>
<p>The Chicago Bears came out and benefitted from offensive mishaps by the Bucs, and rattled off two straight touchdowns after Tampa Bay turnovers.</p>
<p>After three periods, the Bears look like Super Bowl contenders, and Soldier Field is suddenly energized.</p>
<p>Can the Bears hang on to that momentum and close this out with their second win in a row? If they run the ball, eat the clock, and the defense doesn't give up any homeruns, Marc Trestman and his crew won't have to live down a loss to the Bears beloved ex- head coach.</p>
<p>In the meantime, make sure you're following us on Facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/wcg.fanpage" target="_blank">HERE</a>) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/windycgridion). We'll post some stuff there that you won't see anyehere else.</p>
<p>This is your 4th Quarter Open Thread... have fun!</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2014/11/23/7272111/chicago-bears-vs-tampa-bay-buccaneers-4th-quarter-open-thread-live-blog-score-updateDane Noble2014-11-23T13:38:15-06:002014-11-23T13:38:15-06:00Bears vs Bucs 3rd Quarter Open Thread
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<figcaption>Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Join us below for live updates and instant analysis for today's Bears game!</p> <p><b>**SCORE UPDATE**</b></p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a> 0</p>
<p>Tampa Bay Bucs 10</p>
<p>-----------------------------</p>
<p>Another Chicago Bears half of football with no offensive points. This is not a good thing. The Bucs, who are tied for the second-worst record in the NFL, have come into Soldier field and neutralized Marc Trestman's offense, and have managed to squeak out a 10-0 lead in the process.</p>
<p>The fans started booing early, and have only grown more weary as the game has gone on. At times, Mel Tucker's defense has been solid; other times, it's been what we have grown to expect-- big plays, missed tackles, and unfathomable 3rd-and-long conversions allowed.</p>
<p>The Bucs outgained the Bears 211 yards to 68 in the first half, and Marc Trestman looks lost.</p>
<p>Add to the fact that <span>Lance Briggs</span> left the game late in the 2nd quarter with a groin injury, and at the time of this writing, is questionable to return.</p>
<p>This is your 3rd Quarter Open Thread... Don't burn anything down.</p>
https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2014/11/23/7271839/chicago-bears-vs-tampa-bay-buccaneers-3rd-quarter-open-thread-live-blog-score-updateDane Noble