I am not a big apparel guy. You probably won't see me in a jersey of my favorite team, you may not even see me wearing a logo shirt. But this season, for some reason I have the urge to get something to support the team. So I went shopping online, and what I found was odd to say the least.
Not quite my style. Then again I always thought Dr. Seuss was kind of an a**hole.
Did you ever see those Dad's who wear these hats and have three kids wearing them too. Makes me ill.
Probably the reason you won't see me wearing too much team apparel. I may or may not have worn these a lot in elementary school.
Stop me if you've heard something like these statements before: What we are seeing from the Bears isn't the whole picture. The offense is holding back. What we are seeing is so vanilla, we'll see more come Week 1. Blah, blah, blah.
It's clear the Bears aren't showing everything in their toolbox, but I doubt it's for the same reasons that those at Halas Hall would have us believe. Yesterday Mike Martz and Jay Cutler addressed the teams struggles thus far.
"You guys haven't seen a lot," Cutler said. "You guys don't get to see the film, and see what we see, and you guys don't know exactly what we're trying to accomplish out there. The guys have been working extremely hard and doing things really well -- well, maybe a little bit off and on -- but more on than off at this point."
More on than off? This is on? I would hate to see this group when they are completely off then. Cutler has been sacked 10 times already this pre-season (more than Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford, Sage Rosenfels and Matt Flynn combined), has thrown just one touchdown, and has a passer rating lower than Claeb Hanie, Rex Grossman, Rhett Bomar and Dan Orlovsky.
The receivers haven't been much better. Lining up seems to be less of an issue as it was in 2009, but still you can see fingers pointing guys towards spots regularly, a sign that this group still doesn't have this offense down. Do you believe in Johnny Knox as a number one type of guy? He has been Cutler's go-to-guy to this point.
"That's where we are. In practice things go well and then the pressure of games does funny things to young players," Martz said. "They just have to experience that. That's why we put them in those challenges, so they can play through that and that's what's happening right now.
"The progress is good, I'm happy with where they are and obviously we're not where we want to be but we'll be there by the time we open up."
I'm trying to believe. I want to believe that all of this isn't just posturing. I'm trying to believe that somehow Martz hasn't been fed the Halas Hall Kool-Aid. You know, the one where all is right in the world. The one where "Rex is our quarterback" despite everyone knowing he shouldn't be, where the Bears "get off the bus running" despite the fact that the it has quite obviously turned into a passing dominated league, the one where since 2002 it has been completely okay to not address the offensive line through the draft.
"The progress that we've had through the off season so far has been remarkable," Martz said. "We've got a whole lot out there for them to learn right now...I'm excited."
That last quote seems like it would fit the theme of running statements from Martz since camp began for the Bears. Unfortunately, that is a quote from his pre-season time with the 49ers.
You gotta love what a little editing can do to a video. I was unable to catch the Bears pre-season matchup with that vaunted Arizona Cardinals team, but I was able to wake up this morning and check out ChicagoBears.com, where I swear I watched the Bears manhandle the Cardinals to some sweet rock tunes.
See for yourself:
Man they look pretty good. I would say they are ready to hit the field tomorrow.
Q:Have you caught how everyone is sleeping on Devin Hester? The way I see it, no one in the Chicago Bears' young talented crop of WRs has passed him as the No. 1, and that usually means a big year in a Mike Martz offense. What are your thoughts? -- Double J (Chicago)
A: Double J, I like Hester this season. I'm hoping he's around later in my fantasy drafts next week. He still is a dynamic playmaker and has made more plays in his career than the other Bears wideouts. But right now, people are talking more about Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu than Hester. The truth is I think the Bears' wide receivers are underrated. People are wondering if they have enough firepower there -- that's not the question. The question is whether Chicago's offensive line will hold up and give Jay Cutler the time he needs to find those wide receivers.
Interesting. I think that is the first time I have ever heard this group described as underrated, but I suppose it could be true, despite the relativity of the statement.
If you watched any of the Bears last season you probably remember Jay delivering the ball to spots where receivers were supposed to be only to find out they had either gone to the wrong spot, failed to break away from a defender, or worse yet, fallen down.
With the Mike Martz offense based on timing, and with the complexity of the whole thing, Bears fans have to hope that their group of receivers have not only improved, but grasped the scheme wel enough to utilize their natural atheltic ability.
And with the line play suspect, Hester, Aromashodu and Co. will need not only athleticism, they will need to rely a lot on football instinct. Let's hope it's not all too much to handle in one short off-season.
If Saturday nights exhibition was any indication of how the offensive line for the Bears might fare this season, strap in for a wild ride. If I hadn't heard Chris Williams' name mentioned so much for getting burned I wouldn't have known he was out there.
The week prior, Ron Rivera and the Chargers sent the house after Jay Cutler and the Bears, which undoubtedly caused the coaching staff to cut his night short.
We have been hearing this since the Mike Martz rumors first surfaced, and it should come as no surprise to anyone, that the Bears will allow a good number of sacks in 2010. Whether it is the scheme or the line, or a combination of both, Cutler will be on the move a lot this season.
It got me to thinking: How many teams have been in the top 10 in the NFL in the sacks allowed category and made the playoffs? Or better yet, won the Super Bowl?
Let's go all the way back in time to the year 2005.
In 2005 none of the teams in the top 10 in sacks allowed made the playoffs. In fact, only two (Minnesota and Dallas) had winning records.
In 2006 Seattle was tied for fourth with 49 sacks allowed and finished the year 9-7, winning the NFC West. They would eventually lose to our Chicago Bears in the Divisional Round. They were the only top 10 team with a winning record.
In 2007 Pittsburgh went 10-6 and won the AFC North while allowing 47 sacks on the season (tied for 7th most). They would lose in the Wild Card Round. They were the only team with a winning record that season in the top 10 in sacks allowed.
In 2008 Minnesota went 10-6 winning the NFC North despite allowing the 7th most sacks in the NFL. New England went 11-5 while allowing the 5th most. Pittsburgh went 12-4, allowing 49 sacks on the year, 4th most in the NFL. These were the only teams in the top 10 who had records better than .500. Minnesota lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. New England missed the playoffs altogether. Pittsburgh would go on to win Super Bowl XLIII.
Last season only Green Bay made the playoffs while being in the top 10 in the sacks allowed category. They led the league with 51 allowed. The Packers went 11-5 on the season, one of two teams who finished above .500 despite their sack allowed totals (Pittsburgh the other at 50). Green Bay lost in the Wild Card Round to Arizona.
So, in the last five years there have been just five teams who have been in the top five in the sacks allowed category and have gone on to the playoffs. Pittsburgh and Ben Roethlisberger, who is notorious for holding on to the ball and taking sacks, accounts for two of those and the most successful. The 2008 Patriots are an odd circumstance, missing the playoffs despite going 11-5.
Unless you believe that this Bears team is as talented as those Pittsburgh teams of the past you better hope that the line gets things together. History is not on their side if Cutler is hitting the turf with consistency in 2010.
Pre-season football, there is nothing like it. Unless you count pre-season baseball, exhibition soccer, the Pro Bowl, the All-Star game, pre-season hockey, pick-up cricket, your neighbor's kids playing 21 in the driveway, a game of pool by yourself, darts, channel surfing, etc.
This pre-season, at least in the Bears respect, there is something to watch for. There is a completely new offense being implemented by the "guru" Mike Martz. There is Jay Cutler and the receivers who have to learn this extravagant and complicated system. There is an offensive line that might possible be more aptly named than most would like to believe. Not to mention the return of Brian Urlacher and of course the addition of Julius Peppers.
When the Bears take the field in San Diego tomorrow night, there is a reason to tune in. It will be the first time fans will get a chance to see how all of these parts are working together, and how they will pbe able to perform against real opponent, against a real 1st team defense other than their own.
So what will I be watching tomorrow when I sit down to watch some football?
Offensive line play: This will be the key to the entire season. From most reports this offensive line is in trouble and if Cutler isn't protected the whole thing goes downhill. Chris Williams will be your starter at left tackle and may have benefited from facing Peppers in one-on-ones in camp. Frank Omiyale is the major question mark. Indications are that he isn't where he needs to be. Omiyale and the left side of the line is where I will focused.
Passing game: This whole Martz thing is based on timing. The Bears haven't got the most experienced core of receivers. This combined with the complexity of the system and the inability of the line to protect could put Cutler in a dangerous position, one that may have a lot of fans throwing their hands in the air while Jay throws the ball into the hands of the opposition. Every Bear fan should be curious to see how far along this group is within the Martz playbook. We won't see everything, but we should be able to see if they are grasping this thing or not.
Defensive line: Most notably Tommie Harris. Of course everyone wants to see Peppers. But what good is Julius if Tommie isn't making his prescence felt? Harris needs to be the player he was a couple of seasons ago, or close to it, to take the pressure off of Peppers. We all know by now how the Cover-2 works and Harris is the key.
Safety: The Bears were rough against the pass in 2009, surrendering 29 touchdowns through the air. The addition of Chris Harris should help, but the question is how much? Between Harris and Daniel Manning the safety position is another place to watch. Let's pray no one gets hurt in the defensive backfield, because I for one an not confident the Bears have the depth to overcome injuries here.
Those are the few main things I will have my eyes on tomorrow, as well as how Brian Urlacher has recovered from his injury. The final score won't matter, and it will be fun to have football to watch again. Let's just hope its quality football.
Charles Tillman will move to right corner in 2010, allowing Zach Bowman to play the left side
As we near baseball's trading deadline, with one first place team in Chicago and another hanging by the slimmest of threads, I can't help but think of football.
This Bears season will likely be one of the most interesting I can remember. The Vikings will enter the season as the favorites to win their third consecutive NFC North title. The Packers continue to get better on offense, and though they have some big defensive concerns, they are likely the second best team in the division as I type this. The Bears...well, I'm really not sure what to expect from them.
I am fairly confident that they will finish no worse than third in the North, but are they good enough to compete with the others?
This is a team that ranked 17th in the league in defense in 2009, 21st in points allowed and 23rd against the run. Surely a healthy Brian Urlacher will help, but to what extent? Brian is now 32 and hasn't played in an NFL game since September 13th of 2009. The addition of Chris Harris is nice, but is he fast enough to play the free safety position? If he can't, is Major Wright going to be ready in his rookie season to fill that hole?
How about at corner? The Bears definitely have depth issues at corner. Zach Bowman, Charles Tillman and Corey Graham appear to be the leaders to round out the secondary, with Graham at nickel and Daniel Manning at the other safety spot. I like the names there, but if one were to go down are you comfortable Tim Jennings, D.J. Moore, Joshua Moore or Woodny Turenne? Let's not forget that, "Brett Favre, Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer picked apart the Bears secondary for a combined 1,207 yards and 15 touchdowns with no interceptions," as Vaughn Mclure of the Chicago Tribune points out.
Like any team, there are a lot questions to answer, and for the Bears, thigns are not different. Defensive depth is a concern, and should this team suffer a couple of injuries in the secondary, there will be a lot of Bears fans hoping that the Mike Martz/Jay Cutler thing works like a dream and the points pile up, because they will need them.
"I am extremely grateful for my time as a Chicago Bear and I wish the Bears the best. I am glad that they gave me an opportunity to realize ... a dream I had [as] a child. I appreciate the fans but as we all know this is the nature of the business. Bear down!"
It's not really all that surprising, considering the Bears made the brilliant move to announce to the world that they would either trade him or outright release him (guess how other GM's will react?), but for those who are curious and for those who are still scratching their heads at the move here is a comparitive look at what Alex Brown has done in a Bears uniform and what his replacements to be have done during their tenure in the NFL.
"The Bears have made it clear that there is no tomorrow. It's all about life preservers now, and management needs to find a few more victories or go home for good. So what in the world are they waiting for on Brandon Marshall?
[snip]
Yes, the asking price will be high, but who cares? Denver placed only a first-round tender on the restricted free agent, meaning any team signing Marshall to an offer sheet would have to give the Broncos a first-round pick as compensation.
That's assuming, of course, that the Broncos wouldn't match the offer, and if they had any intention of doing that they would have placed a first and a third on Marshall.
Of course, the Broncos already own the Bears' first-round pick this year from the Cutler trade, but there's a way around that.
Denver could sign Marshall to a long-term deal the Bears agree is acceptable, and then trade Marshall to Chicago for whatever Denver wants in next year's draft, say a first and a lower pick, or if the Broncos balk, a first and a defensive player of some value.
Throw in Greg Olsen, too, if it makes them feel better."
What does this group have to lose? As currently constructed they appear to be headed out of town. If Brett Favre returns and has a season even close to 2009, the Vikings are still a better team. The Packers are getting better each year as they young core of players gains more experience, and I believe they are still a better team.
Bears management has said that the wide receiver position is not a priority this off-season, but let's be honest, the group they have out there isn't going to cut it. If the Bears can somehow find a way to get this deal done, which I know is a long shot, it would be the best move they made in 2010, Peppers signing included.
One of the Bears’ savviest-ever moves was the hiring of former agent Cliff Stein in 2002. Three years ago, he was put in charge of all player-contract negotiations as Senior Director of Football Administration and General Counsel. Since then, the team has balanced nicely their major expenditures and cap flexibility, maintaining the likelihood that their highest-paid players would be the best performers and allowing for relatively painless departures if the team feels otherwise.
So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the recent deal signed by Julius Peppers allows the Bears to pull the plug, essentially, after only one season of guaranteed money. Mike Florio of PFT did a nice job of ferreting out the details as he followed up on some work by Peter King, revealing that Peppers gets $20 MM up front and guaranteed. The “guaranteed” dollars for the next two years — totalling $22 MM — are guaranteed for injury only up to a certain date each off-season, allowing the Bears to cut Peppers if they feel his skills are not worthy.
The Angelo/Smith management or the new group can decide on Peppers’s future after 2010 and each year thereafter, and Peppers also has reason to bust his butt, rather than rest on a pile of cash.
Peppers has been called out for playing hard in his contract seasons, and this is good news for Bears fans, because essentially Peppers will be in a contract year every year with Chicago.
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 