Day: January 12, 2011

Marshawn Lynch or Mario? And Other Points of View

Bears

“’I was on the phone for a minute or so with Starks when [general manager Jerry] Angelo walked in my office and told me he had changed his mind and was drafting [quarterback Dan] LeFevour,’ Gabriel wrote. ‘I put Starks on hold, and then said to Angelo that [contract negotiator Cliff] Stein already had talked to the agent and I had the player on the phone. We couldn’t do business like that. He said he was sorry, but he decided he wanted LeFevour and the card had been turned in.

“’I then had to tell the player (a player that I had developed a good relationship with over the previous two years) that in fact we were not drafting him. Hearing a kid go from being extremely excited to silence was not easy. It was the most embarrassing moment I had experienced while scouting. In my mind everything is about integrity, and I felt our integrity had been damaged.’”

“’The Bears won a lot of games this year, but didn’t get a lot of respect,’ said John Avello, director of race and sports book operations for the Wynn Resort in Las Vegas. “I don’t see them losing this game. The only X factor for me is (Bears quarterback Jay) Cutler. He can make some bad decisions. He doesn’t have to do that in a game like this.

Exactly.  If Cutler tries to do too much on the big stage, it will be the surest path to disaster for the Bears.

“[Matt] Forte still managed 91 yards on 15 carries in that defeat, and he carries the momentum of averaging 5.8 yards per attempt over his last three games. But [Chester] Taylor, the team’s designated short-yardage runner, has to be more productive, especially against a Seattle team that ranked 21st in the league against the run.

“’I don’t know if I have to do anything differently,’ said Taylor, who has played in four career playoff games. ‘I just have to make a play whenever I get the ball. That’s it.’’’

And, of course, he has to hope the coaches haven’t called a time out when he does.

Elsewhere

  • Why the Colts really lost.  I still think she should be a linebacker.
  • Congratulations to former Bear Ron Rivera on being hired as head coach of the Carolina Panthers.  The Bears will face Carolina next season at Soldier Field.

  • Rivera will be using a 4-3 scheme, presumably similar to what he used with the Bears, rather than the 3-4 he coached in San Diego.
  • Tedy Bruschi says that Bill Belichick actually respects Rex Ryan.  Whatever… :

  • Marshawn Lynch’s run was more like something you’d see in a popular video game:

  • Former Bears wide receiver coach and current Kansas City head coach Todd Haley may call the plays next year.  That should help him attract a competent offensive coordinator.

One Final Thought

Fred Mitchell at the Chicago Tribune overheard this:

“New Cubs pitcher Matt Garza on WGN-AM 720’s ‘Sports Night’ when he was asked about people who say he is too emotional: ‘When you care about something as much as I care about pitching, you get emotional. I don’t think of it as emotion. I think of it as passion. I’m very passionate for what I do because I love what I do. People who love their jobs are very passionate about their jobs. They are going to pour their heart and soul into their job. That’s the way that I feel about it.’”

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Knox, Receivers Need to Find a Way to Get Off the Line, Beat Coverage

Andrew Seligman, writing for the Associated Press, quotes Jay Cutler on receiver Johnny Knox in an article focusing on whether the Bears have the talent that they need there:

“Knox emerged as the primary deep threat with 51 catches for 960 yards, including 17 for 20 yards or more.

“’He’s just becoming more of a complete receiver,’ quarterback Jay Cutler said. ‘He’s kind of one of those guys you can count on. If he’s got one-on-one, he’s going to win. … He’s done all year when his number is called, he’s in the right spot.’”

No he hasn’t.  The last regular season game, Knox did not perform to expectations.

First let me say up front that all of the pass catchers for the Bears, including the running backs, should be commended for one thing:  they aren’t dropping balls.  This will most assuredly kill any decent offensive team and I’m pretty sure its eventually going to kill the Packers.

But if the game against the Packers was any example of what’s to come, the Bears need help at receiver.  They got physically dominated by the Packers defensive backs and I’d expect them to see the same plan used against them in the playoffs before we’re done.

It will be interesting to see if receivers coach Darryl Drake can develop a plan to allow the Bears receivers to get off the line of scrimmage and to thrive against that kind of press coverage.  The presence of the bigger Earl Bennett will help.  And I’m guessing that Mike Martz will be dialing up calls for big plays.  It will be interesting to see if the receivers step up when that happens.  If they don’t, the Bears will know at least one area where they need help in the offseason.