Category: Green Bay Packers

Packers-Steelers Couldn’t Be Simpler

Sam Farmer, writing for the Chicago Tribune, previews the Steelers-Packers game by pointing out the keys for Pittsburgh.  Unlike the complex issues involved in the Packers-Bears game last week, this one couldn’t be simpler.  Green Bay’s run defense against Pittsburgh’s run-oriented offense:

“If the Packers are poised to stop the run in a 3-4 formation — as opposed to bracing for the pass with a 2-4-5 — the Steelers will look to throw.”

Though this is a good point, I’m going to disagree.

Certainly the key for the Steelers is to run and hold the ball, keeping Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rogers off the field and wearing the defense down at the same time.

But unlike Farmer, I think the Steelers are going to be able to run on Green Bay in that 3-4.  And I think Green Bay knows it.  Look for them to put at least 8 in the box and play a four man line.  They did this a few times against the Bears and I think we’ll see it a lot more next week.

Chad Johnson’s Application for a Name Change and Other Points of View

Bears

“Every player has Lovie’s back. After last season we all got together and talked about how we are going to screw up a great thing if we don’t turn our team around. He treats us like men and he is the kind of coach you want to play for. We are very lucky to have him.”

“‘I just got off the phone with (coach Lovie Smith) and he made the comment, ‘Kevin, you’re not coming back, you’re coming home,’ ‘ O’Dea said. ‘Any time someone makes a comment like that to you, that’s pretty special.'”

  • Biggs also reviews the interesting story of wide receiver Devin Aromashodu as he heads towards restricted free agency.  I’ve talked to fans who are irrate that Aromashodu didn’t make it on to the field more this year.  We probably won’t find out for sure what the Bears problems with him have been unless or until he leaves but there surely is a problem.  It could be as simple as a lack of ability on special teams but I’ve a feeling there’s more to it than that.
  • Packers quarterback Aaron Rogers on people questioning the toughness of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler:

“I was real disappointed, to be honest with you.  I’ve known Jay for a few years now and know what kind of competitor he is. I thought it was disrespectful, some of the stuff said about him.”

Yes, I would say that total disrespect for Cutler as a person and a player sums it up well.

“Urlacher insists that the Julius Peppers hit on Aaron Rodgers was clean. What is your take? Will there be a fine? Jim Johnson, Skandia, Mich.

“Peppers hit Rodgers’ helmet with his helmet. You can’t do that. He might not have intended to do that, and he might not have even been able to avoid doing that, but he did it. I think he is going to be fined.”

  • Pity this little girl.  Not because the Bears lost.  Little girls need their daddy and how can she have any opportunity to grow up normal with so little respect for hers?  Via The Sports Pickle.

Elsewhere

  • Carson Palmer might want out but to no one’s surprise, the Bengals have no intention of trading him.  Its idle speculation but I was stuck by the timing of Palmer’s statements.  He made them almost immediately after the Bengals decided to keep Lewis.  One wonders if Chad Johnson isn’t the only one who has a problem with the head coach.
  • Florio also reports that ground work is being laid at the Senior Bowl before assistant coaches meet at the NFL Scouting Combine to discuss forming a union.
  • Florio also correctly points out that not all players will begin missing pay checks in September if there is no collective bargaining agreement.  Those due roster bonuses or who would ordinarily be getting signing bonuses in March as part of free agency will be vocal about making a deal as soon as possible.
  • Michael David Smith, also at profootballtalk.com, takes us through the Steelers goal line stand as they played the Jets last Sunday with the NFL Network show Playbook.  The Jets tipped at least one play.
  • Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press Gazette reports that the Packers have decided to take their Super Bowl picture with everyone in it instead of leaving out those who are on injured reserve.  Good move which would have only been better had the correct decision been made in the first place.
  • Tim Twentyman at The Detroit News says that though the Lions biggest need is at cornerback they aren’t likely to get an elite one in the draft.
  • Twentyman also says out that the Lions are in a very stable position with the coaching staff and their core players intact heading into a period of labor uncertainty.

As Pompei pointed out today, the NFC North is shaping up to be one tough division next season.  Whether the Bears win or not, we’re going to see some good football.

“The Steelers’ usage of Troy Polamalu is very interesting — and perhaps very telling. In Pittsburgh’s two playoff games, Polamalu’s and Ryan Clark‘s roles have often flip-flopped, with Polamalu often in deep coverage in the middle of the field instead of tormenting the offense by attacking the line of scrimmage and being used in his usual variety of ways. That tells me that he just isn’t healthy and in a way, he can be hidden in the deep middle of the field, where there is far less contact. The extra rest before the Super Bowl could do him very well.”

One Final Thought

Rick Telander at the Chicago Sun-Times on Cutler:

    “Socially, Cutler has major issues, ones that have come home to roost.”

    “People say Cutler is arrogant, cocky, immature. I wonder.
    But whatever ails him now, it’s all in his head.”

Zack Follett Rips Matthew Stafford, Blames Satan and Other Points of View

Bears

  • Bears special teams assistant Chris Tabor has been hired as special teams coordinator for the Browns (via Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune).
  • Mark Potash at the Chicago Sun-Times addresses a great point with Bears linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa:

“And how about the most overlooked, and disturbing, statistic of the game — the Packers rushed for 119 yards on their first 26 carries (4.6 yards per carry), with six rushes for 10 or more yards. How did that happen in the biggest game of the season?

‘’‘Great coaching,’ Bears linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa said. ‘When you’re familiar with an opponent, you know how to attack them after a while. They knew what we were going to do. We come downhill and play hard defensively. So when we were doing that they were throwing the ball over our heads.

‘‘’So then we’re like, ‘We can’t come downhill as fast because then they’re going to throw it over our heads.’ But then they were running it. That’s why I give credit to [Green Bay quarterback] Aaron Rodgers and the coaching because they knew us. They did a good job of attacking us and keeping us off-balance.'”

“They’re missing a third linebacker because Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs are the only players at the position still under contract with the exception of Hunter Hillenmeyer, who is on injured reserve and has an uncertain future given his history of concussions”

The Bears would be fools not to bring Hanie back – and not to give him more snaps in practice so that he’ll be better prepared for what he’s faced with.  The Tribune‘s Vaughn McClure reports Bears general manager Jerry Angelo‘s thoughts:

“He showed poise.  You want to look for that at the quarterback’s position. We know he’s got talent. He was thrown into the fire, literally. And I thought he did a good job and it was good to see. The only way you really evaluate a quarterback is to see him in the line of fire. So, his stock went up in our eyes, at least mine anyhow.”

“Those who propped up Devin Hester as a No.  1 wide receiver before the season learned how off base they were. Johnny Knox would be a terrific complementary receiver. He’s not the guy a quarterbacks looks to on third-and-6 and says, ‘I’m throwing it to him and they’re not going to stop me.'”

Most Bear fans would agree, though where you put it on the priority list might be a bone of contention.

“The explanation the Bears used for their poor effort at Green Bay in Week 17, or one of the explanations anyway, was that [offensive coordinator Mike] Martz had maintained the same hot reads from the Week 3 game. The Packers were on to their adjustments quickly and it created problems for Cutler. So what’s the deal this time? It looked like Martz feared the zone blitzes from Dom Capers and the Bears were really put on the defensive. There were no answers by the Bears and tight end Greg Olsen was ignored until the fourth quarter. [Bears head coach Lovie] Smith‘s coaching decisions and the Cutler knee issue are going to dominate the headlines. But Martz was outclassed here and the Collins/Hanie thing is not a good way to go out following a season in which the offense ranked 30th.”

“I just never thought that his tampon would fall out on national TV. … To sit on the sideline and ride a bike like a little girl?”

  • The Sports Pickle has obtained the transcript of Cutler’s visit to the doctor.
  • Mike Florio at profootballtalk.com says that the Bears PR department should take a hit over the Cutler fiasco.  I have further Cutler thoughts below.  (Sorry.)
  • Charles Tillman provides some interesting comments in this video shot by Fred Mitchell at the Chicago Tribune:

  • Biggs and Tribune columnist David Haugh discuss what’s ahead in the offseason for the Bears:

Elsewhere

“’It’s kinda sad to think ..  Just goes you injured yourself you not part,’ Barnett wrote.

“’We got hurt playing for the team. Its not like we got injury bs’in around,’ Finley wrote.  ‘And its a team rule! Shame . . . I never trip abt anything, but the way IR players are getting treated not cool… I guess its what have u done for me lately!’”

“Holmgren learned from former San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh that one of the keys to Super Bowl success was to prepare for the game at home because it’s easier to get work done there than the Super Bowl site.

“So McCarthy, like Holmgren did during the Packers’ consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the 1990s, gave his players Monday and Tuesday to take care of any and all arrangements for tickets and accommodations for family members, and then he planned to get to work on the Steelers.”

“’When we get on the plane Monday, we’ll be ready to play the game,’ McCarthy said. ‘This will be a normal week for us.’”

  • Detroit Lions linebacker Zack Follett referred to quarterback Matthew Stafford as a “china doll” during a radio interview in Fresno, Calif.  Seemingly like everyone else in the NFL world, he was also critical of Cutler saying amongst other things that “kind of just knew that they were going to lose, hung his hat up and said, ‘All right, maybe next season.'”  ESPN’s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert comments:

“I’m guessing most Lions players know Follett and understand his uniquely wired brain. So ultimately, Follett’s comments about Cutler could have more staying power.”

“It’s one thing for an AFC player who might never face Cutler or the Bears to take a shot. But Cunningham and the Lions play the Bears twice a year. I’m guessing these series of comments will rise to the top of the motivational file the Bears are almost certainly keeping right now.”

Follett explains his comments in this video by blaming Satan.  (I’m not kidding.)

  • Chad Ochocinco talks about his issues with the Bengals  as well as those of quarterback Carson Palmer.  Amongst other things he says he needs to “fight” with coach Marvin Lewis and that he’s changing his name back to “Johnson”:

  • These kinds of things never happen in football.  Good for the players but not nearly as much fun for the fans.  Via The Sports Pickle:


One Final Thought

[Sigh] More Jay Cutler talk.  I promise it will end soon.  This round comes from Steve Rosenbloom at the Chicago Tribune:

“So, NFL players ripped Cutler. That’s what happens when a bunch of big goofs have more Twitter accounts than playoff games. That’s also what happens when a bunch of big goofs are Neanderthal stupid.”

“But the point is, Cutler doesn’t care about his image, so why should you?”

It will come as no surprise to anyone who reads this blog regularly that I think Rosenbloom is off point here. As a Bears fan I can say that his image amongst other fans and media, that I don’t care as much about. But these comments didn’t come from the media and they didn’t come from fans. They came from his peers. I can’t believe its just dislike – plenty of them dislike each other but they wouldn’t do this.

I think what we have here is a total lack of respect. I was watching Trent Dilfer comment and I think he bottom lined it. Cutler is seen as a guy who doesn’t do the hard things he needs to do to take full advantage of his physical ability, over come adversity and be a great quarterback. He lost at Vanderbilt. He lost in Denver. When things got tough there with Josh McDaniels, he bailed.

Here is a snippet from Mike Wilbon‘s ESPN column Monday that makes my point:

“A former quarterback who wears a Super Bowl ring, who has studied Cutler’s entire career in the NFL, told me before he left the field Sunday, ‘The sad thing is that if he embraced working on the monotonous details of quarterbacking he could be great.'”

That’s the bottom line. I’ve been trying to make the case for years that this is more than a minor problem because the way Cutler handles his life off the football field (e.g. with the media) is an indication of how he’s handling it as a part of football. It all came to a head Sunday when his peers- not me or you – couldn’t wait to jump on him.

Total lack of respect amongst his peers. As a Bears fan that is bugs me a great deal because I think its an indication of what kind of QB Cutler is and what kind he’s likely to become.

The Bears Offseason Begins and Other Points of View

Bears

“Cornerback Tim Jennings said they were more aggressive defensively in the second half, playing more man-to-man and trying to put more pressure on Rodgers in order to make him move in the pocket and get rid of the ball more quickly. [Linebacker Brian] Urlacher had a more simple explanation.

‘‘’We just hunkered down,’ he said of what changed in the second half. ‘Guys got off the line. We got takeaways, we got pressure on them and played how we play.’’’

  • Even after such a brutal loss, linebacker Brian Urlacher‘s mind was still on playing general manager.  Via Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune:

“‘We’ve got to get Olin signed up,’ Urlacher said, referring to 13th-year center Olin Kreutz. ‘If we get him back, we should have a chance to be good again.'”

  • More Urlacher via McClure with a comment that only confirms that Urlacher doesn’t understand the way the new NFL works:

“‘Julius Peppers wouldn’t say much about the helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers quarterback [Green Bay quarterback] Aaron Rodgers that resulted in a 15-yard penalty, but Urlacher spoke up. ‘It was a good hit. (Pepper is) 6-7. What is he supposed to do?'”

It was not a good hit.  It was a penalty.  The fact that Peppers is so tall only means that he has to try harder to lower his target.  To my eye he didn’t try at all.  Urlacher needs to stop complaining and get used to it.

“As it turned out, Cutler was less efficient than not only Rodgers, but also Caleb Hanie, who is supposed to be a professional clipboard holder.

“‘I kind of wish we had Jay in there the whole game the way things were going,’ Packers linebacker Clay Matthews said.”

“After the crowd around him dispersed, Cutler turned and faced his locker. His eyes grew watery as he took his time buttoning his purple jacket.

“Cutler’s car was parked inside the tunnel and he walked to it slowly, his left leg as stiff as his upper lip.”

“Almost instantly, Cutler was criticized across the Internet (for coming out of the game). Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew said on his Twitter account he played the entire season on a bad knee, and Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes also chimed in.

“‘Who? Where’s he at right now?’ Urlacher said about Jones-Drew. ‘Home. It’s easy to talk (crap) about someone when you’re sitting on your couch watching their game. That’s what I am saying. I don’t understand it. I don’t get it.'”

Neither do I.  Though I do have some thoughts on it here.

“Either through the draft or free agency, it is likely the Bears will try to bolster their offensive line. They could use another pass rusher as well.”

Though the Bears apparently like what they have, there will be much talk amongst the fans about the need for a sizable wide receiver as well.  But we’ve got all kinds of time for that.  All kinds of time.

Elsewhere

“I don’t even feel like the bridesmaid.  We’re more like the flower girl, I guess. We can’t get past that last hurdle. It hurts.”

“We almost pulled out another one, but again, our goal for next year, I got news for you … it won’t change and it will never change.  We are going to chase that Super Bowl. We are going to chase it until we get it. And we’ll chase it after that again.

“But that’s it.  If you want to criticize us, then go ahead, but you have no right.”

One Final Thought

Rogers knows how the Packers got to where they are this season.  Via Michael Hunt at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

“Character.  Look at our roster and a number of players who were not with us or were not counted on to play a big role. The biggest difference between last year and this year is our character and that we believe in each other.”

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Game Comment: Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears, January 23, 2011

Defense

  1. The Bears came out in the cover two and stuck with it for the most part during the first drive. But I think it quickly became evident that it wasn’t going to work and they started mixing some single safety with man coverage underneath. The aggressive defense, particularly in the second half, did a better job of confusing and stopping Aaron Rogers.
  2. There weren’t many times when Roger had a lot of time but he gets rid of the ball so fast he’s tough to get to.  Again, the BEars did a better job of pressuring him in the second half and it really threw his accuracy off.
  3. On a related note, the contrast between Rogers and Jay Cutler was never so evident as when they ran the ball.  Rogers drops back, looks quickly and runs. Cutler drops back, waits…, waits…, waits and runs at the last minute. Weather its a question of style or personality, quick decisions just aren’t in him.  Rogers is clearly the more efficient thinker of the two.
  4. I really thought the Bears defense was playing on their heels for much of the first half. They looked pretty confused. I don’t think they were mentally in the right frame of mind nor do I think they looked particularly prepared for what they saw on the field. You can chalk much of their success in the first half up for the Packers coaches.
  5. Rogers is masterful at drifting to the right, drawing the defenders with him, then taking off to the left. It takes discipline to stop him.
  6. Speaking of discipline, the Bears defense wasn’t doing a very good job of filling gaps against the run in the first half. There were some massive holes. They tightened it up in the second half.
  7. The Bears actually got some good penetration on some runs. But particularly in the first half it looked to me like they just weren’t wrapping up and thenPackers running backs were allowed to escape.

Offense

  1. The Packers started the game with four down linemen on the first play. I’ve never seen them do that before.  They didn’t do it often but they mixed it in occasionally, apparently when they expected a run. Other than that, I think we probably saw two down linemen most frequently.
  2. Mike Martz apparently thought that little off tackle run to the left with the pulling linemen was going to work again.  It didn’t.  The Packers were looking for it and adjusted adjusted well to stop it.
  3. I thought the Bear wide receivers had more success getting off the line of scrimmage this game than they did the last time they saw the Packers.
  4. Too bad the rest of what we saw at the line of scrimmage wasn’t better. There were stretches where the Packers dominated it.
  5. But what really hurt the Bears was the pressure that the Packers were able to bring. They were constantly resenting whatever quarterback was in the game. As a result the offense had no rhythm for most of it.  The BEars were particularly susceptible to the delayed blitz and the blitz of Sam Shields off the edge.  These have been their achilles heel all year.  They never managed to counter them.
  6. As bad of a day as Rogers had, Cutler’s was much worse. His accuracy was as bad as I’ve ever seen it. He left some big plays on the field.
  7. I don’t know why the Bears continue to run screens against the Packers.  They have the best offense in the league at running them and their defenses sees them in practice every week.  There has to be a better way to counter the blitz.
  8. The Bears had to bring in Caleb Hanie.  Todd Collins was a sitting duck in the pocket and with the problems the Bears offense had in protection, they had to have a quarterback who could move.  I thought Hanie did fine all things considered.  Yes, two interceptions but what do you expect from your emergency quarterback who probably hasn’t taken a snap in practice in weeks.  Give him credit for bringing energy to the game and engineering a drive which made this game closer than it really was.
  9. I don’t think its any coincidence that the Bears best drive came about when they managed to get Greg Olsen and Earl Bennett involved in the game.
  10. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers did a masterful job of scheming today to take the Bears offense out of their element.  Kudos.

Miscellaneous

  1. I thought that Troy Aikman and Joe Buck did their usual solid job during this game.  I’ve complained about Buck in the past because I’ve felt he was biased.  Whether it was fair when I said it or not I have absolutely no complaints today.  Good call.
  2. Man, did penalties hurt the Bears today.  They cropped up at crucial times and it always seemed like first and 15 or 20 all game.  Once again the offensive line was a major culprit but the defense really got into the act as well.  They did a lot of complaining during one particular series in the forth quarter but those all looked like good calls to me.
  3. The Bears special teams were OK.  They covered fine and generally speaking they did as well as they could giving the Bears decent field position.  But with the offense not moving the ball there wasn’t a lot they could do other than on kickoffs where they performed reasonably well.
  4. But the star of the game was Packers punter Tim Masthay who picked up where he left off at the end of the last Packer-Bears game.  He did a masterful job of pinning the Bears against their own goal line.  He was huge today.
  5. The Bears defense really didn’t meet expectations as far as turnovers were concerned.  Hanie’s interceptions obviously were the game killers.
  6. I didn’t think the Bears dropped the ball too much.  I think the Packers receivers did.  These guys are used to having Rogers lay it in for them and when it doesn’t happen, they don’t catch the ball as often as they should.
  7. I thought the better team won today.

Bears May Have to Live a Little Dangerously on Defense to Beat the Packers. But Just a Little.

Dan Pompei at the Chicago Tribune answers your questions:

“What are the Bears going to do to slow down Greg Jennings? R.A. Pickett, Houston

“Jennings is a difficult player to slow down. That’s why he made the Pro Bowl and had a 1,200 yard season. The Bears could devote more defensive attention to Jennings, but the problem is if you do that, the Packers have many other weapons to hurt them with. The best way to play Jennings is probably with a healthy dose of zone coverage with a safety over the top. That’s what I would expect Sunday, but Ron Jaworski of ESPN tells me that in the last game between these teams, the Bears played with one safety high 60 percent of the time. I’m not so sure they can get by living so dangerously Sunday.”

I’m not surprised.  The Bears have played much more aggressive defense over the last month.

There’s little doubt that the Bears need to play a healthy dose of cover two on Sunday.  But, as they’ve learned the last couple years, they can’t just sit back in it all game.  Pressure or not it’s simply too easy to pick it apart if you know its coming every time.

The Bears can and probably play zone most of the game.  But they need to continue to disguise their coverages and in order to do that, they need to play at least some man-to-man.  Its been hard for me to tell for sure but to my eye they’ve played at least a little quarters coverage as well and continuing to throw that in a minority of the time isn’t a bad idea.

Bennet Back, Could Be Factor Tomorrow if Bears Adjust Correctly

Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune writes about Earl Bennett, who was out for the last Packers game with a sprained ankle:

“Now, Bennett is healthy from a sprained ankle suffered in the Dec. 20 game in Minnesota when linebacker Chad Greenway tackled him on a play over the middle. If he’s lined up in the slot, he could be a primary target for quarterback Jay Cutler when the Packers bring pressure. Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers is expected to blitz early and often.”

“The Bears face a considerable challenge going against the Packers. With cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams, the Packers play press man coverage better than any secondary in the league. Woodson is the reigning NFL defensive player of the year and Williams has three interceptions in Green Bay’s first two playoff games. The Packers have given the Bears trouble in the past.”

The Bears definitely missed Bennett January 2.  He is a sizable receiver and that will help him, in particular, get off the line of scrimmage.  But they’re going to need more than just him to beat the Packers.  Green Bay did an excellent job of scouting the Bears.  They anticipated and took away their hot routes on the blitz.  Now they will need to adjust.

Brett Favre Is Ready to Let the Packers Beg Him to Come Back and Other Points of View

Bears

  • I don’t know if I should respect this or be worried by it.

  • Tom Skilling‘s game day forecast:

“Of course Dom does a great job. It’s the final four. There are a lot of great coaches coaching this week, but in the end, what it will come down to is it’s a players game. I think it will be something as simple as blocking and tackling. Some of those basic fundamentals will win this football game.”

Give the Bears credit.  No matter what happens tomorrow it has to be admitted that they are generally a well-coached team with good fundamentals.  Smith has a point.

“Would the Bears be playing in the NFC Championship had they lost as many starters for the season as Green Bay has? Tom Zanette, West Chester, Pa.

“I doubt it. I doubt any other team would have made it this far with as many injuries as the Packers had. And I’m surprised the Packers made it this far. I don’t think the Bears have the same depth. Look at what happened to them last year when they lost Brian Urlacher. It’s a real testament to the entire Packers organization that they made it this far. General manager Ted Thompson and his staff built up the team’s depth with draft choices, and then they found replacement parts on the street. Coach Mike McCarthy and his staff found ways to minimize the impact of player losses. And substitute players stepped up big time.”

Hard for even a jealous Bear fan to argue though I might point out that the Bears have a pretty good coaching staff as well.

“How come Jay Cutler never pump fakes before throwing a pass? I think there are a few times a game where he could get a D-back or D-lineman to bite. Jim from Los Angeles

“He pump fakes a little, but certainly he could use the pump fake more frequently and effectively. Some players are just more comfortable doing it than others. What’s more important is that he’s not locking onto receivers and telegraphing his passes. And for the most part, he’s not doing that.”

“PEOPLE ARE WORRIED about the SI cover jinx now that Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, center Olin Kreutz and guard Roberto Garza are on the current cover of Sports Illustrated.

“You know how the superstition goes: Be on the SI cover, and you’re doomed.

“‘Doesn’t affect me because I’m Mexican,’ Garza said with a chuckle at Halas Hall.

“Here’s the thing: Joe Montana, John Elway, Michael Jordan and every Super Bowl winner has been on the cover of SI.

“It’s kinda up to you.”

“Maybe it’s me, but I’ve sensed a I-know-something-you-don’t attitude from the Bears all week.”

Maybe its me but I’m sure the Packers are giving off the same vibe.  I’ll bet they all have some surprises in store.

“(Bears WLB Lance) Briggs plays with great base. He is great taking on blocks. He is always around the ball. He is very underrated. … (On the other hand, Bears RB) Chester Taylor is 31 and can’t avoid anymore. He’s done.”

  • For those who put any stock in such things EA Sports simulates the NFC Championship Game:

  • These characters kind of look like Brian Urlacher.  If he had hair:

  • For those looking to make an investment:

Elsewhere

“On Friday, Mark Sanchez said of Scott: ‘That’s his personality. If I would have done an interview like that, it wouldn’t have gone over so well. That’s just not me. But that’s Bart to a T.’”

  • The Buffalo Bills have hired former Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt as assistant head coach and inside linebackers coach.  Wannstedt certainly knows his X’s and O’s.  Good hire.
  • And the Browns have hired another former Bear head coach, the stubborn but even-tempered Dick Jauron, as their defensive coordinator.
  • Todd McShay at ESPN thinks that another quarterback from Delaware might be on the NFL radar:

  • Former Jet Greg Buttle talks about the inspiration the Jets have drawn from Dennis Byrd:

  • Adam Schefter at ESPN talks about how the Steelers are different compared to the first time they played the Jets:

  • More good betting advice on the Jets-Steelers:

  • There isn’t a single comment I could make about this college mascot that wouldn’t get me in trouble.  From The Sports Pickle:


One Final Thought

The author’s name isn’t going complete on the page but I’m going to guess its Telander:

“The game today hasn’t even started, but there’s already an elemental urge to preserve it, to keep it just as it is, in suspended anticipation. The game can’t possibly live up to the buildup, can it?

“Can it?”

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Bears-Packers Match Up: Advice Galore on Things to Look For

There are, of course, all kinds of articles this morning previewing the Bears-Packers game.  Here is a straight up summary of some of the better points.  I left out some of the really obvious ones if you are a Bears fan like winning the turnover battle, getting pressure on Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rogers without blitzing, and running the ball more than you did the last time the teams played.

The Chicago Sun-Times asked coaches from the Lions and the Vikings to comment upon the Bears-Packers game.  The comments were surprisingly pro Bear.  Here are some samples that I think are especially good points:

“The Bears can slow Clay Matthews by having a running back or tight end chip him to help the offensive tackle. RookieJ’Marcus Webb has steadily improved, but his performance may affect whether the Bears reach the Super Bowl. Then there’s another pressing concern — the Packers’ two behemoths, Cullen Jenkins and B.J. Raji.

“‘They don’t get enough credit. Those two are forces in there.'”

Could not agree more.  The Packers get great pressure up the middle and it flies under the radar.  While the tendency will be to watch Webb, keep an eye on Olin Kreutz, Roberto Garza, and Chris Williams.  If they’re getting pushed into the backfield it will be a long day.

“The Bears’ outside receivers also need to step up. Devin Hester had two catches for 32 yards in the two games against the Packers, and Johnny Knox — after four catches for 94 yards in the first matchup — was shut out in the finale.

“‘Because they have such a wide variety of schemes and get single high safety, they’re more susceptible to big plays. You can have a catch-and-run.'”

The Packers might be the best team in the league at press coverage.  The Bear wide receivers have to get off the line of scrimmage and into their routes.  Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz obviously agrees via Neil Hayes at the Chicago Sun-Times:

‘‘’They obviously are the best in the league at bump-and-run and pressing and getting ahold of that receiver,’ Martz said. ‘They do a great job at that. They are well-schooled in all the details of doing that.’

‘‘’You have to have a plan. As a wide receiver, you’ve got to go into that game with a plan for how you’re going to deal with that. Some of it we can use formations and help, but by and large, it’s a technique issue that you have to resolve.’’’

Matt Bowen has some advice for Green Bay defensive coordinator Dom Cpaers in regard to the Packers coverage via Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune.  Like he needs it:

“[If I’m Capers] I’m going to go after [Bears tight end Greg] Olsen and take him completely out of the game because the rest of the Packers DBs, especially their nickel personnel, can win against Johnny Knox and Devin Hester.”

Bowen also makes this point which is always a good one for every game, not just this one:

“If the Bears can’t stop the run with their front seven, which I believe they will do, that will be huge for the Packers. If you can keep those two safeties deep, which you do in Cover-2, and let your linebackers chase down the running game, that is an advantage.”

One of the Sun-Times NFC North experts agrees that the Bears should be able to accomplish this:

“‘Everyone talks about the resurgence of the Packers’ run game, but look at their schedule. They haven’t run on anyone that’s good at stopping it.'”

I don’t want to quote the whole article but Bowen makes another excellent point about the mobility of Bears quarterback Jay Cutler vs. the Packer defense:

“Any time you play Cover-1 and play your corners in a press alignment and your pressure does not contain the quarterback, you’re asking for trouble. Cutler is not Michael Vick, but he’s athletic enough where he can pick up 10, 12, 15 yards. Start putting those things together, and all of a sudden you’re at midfield. It’s a killer for the defense.”

Hayes thinks the Bears will try to isolate Packer nickel back Sam Shields in the same way that the Packers  will try to isolate the Bears nickel backs, usually D. J. Moore.  Moore acknowledges the difficulties with the Packers through Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune, by giving us yet another thing to look for – the Bears need to limitthe run after the catch:

“‘[Green Bay quarterback Aaron] Rodgers is smart,’ Moore said. ‘He gets the ball out to his receivers; short passes. If I want to have a good day, get to (the receiver) fast and don’t let make a move where Rodgers throws it 5 yards and (the receiver) takes it 20.'”

Its also worth mentioning that the Packers receivers have their problems, as well.  They’ve been dropping balls all over the field lately.  It didn’t show up in Atlanta but it was very evident in the last regular season game against the Bears.  If they do that again, the Bears have an excellent chance of limiting Rogers.

Mike Mulligan at the Sun-Times points out correctly that we can expect to see a lot of “sky punts” near the sideline which have limited Hester’s returns in the past.  That will largely limit the Bears advantage on special teams.

I’m going to mention one more major point on my own.  Nearly everyone is lauding the improvement of the Bear offensive line in pass protection.  But I have to point out that the Seahawks got very good pressure on Cutler when they blitzed.  This game will be unwatchable for Bear fans if that happens this Sunday.

When asked to make a prediction the five sources from the opposing NFC North teams that the Sun-Times interviewed went 3-1-1 Bears, Packers, and a cowardly “I don’t know”.  And surprising number of experts elsewhere are actually picking the Bears.  But when Vegas talks, I think people listen and with the spread being the Packer -3.5 at Soldier Field, we know who the real under dog is in this match up.

In any case, blitzkrieg of the Bear offensive line aside, it promises to be a deep, entertaining game on many, many levels.  No matter who wins, its the entertainment that brings which will will count the most this weekend.

Low Class Decision from Otherwise High Class Organization

Though I’m usually more than happy to acknowledge when the Packers players or coaches show an extra degree of class, I’m still mildly perturbed at one particular less classy decision in the offseason.  Via Mark Potash at the Chicago Sun-Times:

“Of all the rejections the Bears faced in hiring coordinators in the offseason, [Packers coach Mike] McCarthy denying the Bears permission to interview Tom Clements for the offensive coordinator position was the most egregious — because he was denying one of his position coaches an opportunity for a promotion.

“It was an awkward subject for McCarthy earlier this season, and he was no more thrilled when it came up again Thursday.

“‘I don’t know why I have to answer something like that right now,’ said McCarthy, apparently forgetting that he never wants to talk about it. ‘I am pro-career advancement with my staff. When a request is made of anybody on our staff, there’s conversations that take place. So Tom and I .?.?. talked about it, and a decision was made and we moved forward. I think Tom’s very happy in Green Bay.'”

Nonsense.  If Clements was happy in Green Bay as quarterbacks coach and didn’t want the Bears job, McCarthy wouldn’t have had to deny him permission to interview.

David Haugh at the Chicago Tribune reflects upon the decision and the comment from McCarthy:

“The move reflected the changing times of the rivalry. After the 1958 season, Bears legend George Halas recommended Giants assistant Vince Lombardi to the Packers because he thought it would be good for the league.

“Compare that magnanimity with coach Mike McCarthy’s testy reaction Thursday when asked about the organization’s decision to prevent Clements from interviewing with the Bears.”

All I can say is that, even if it isn’t immediate, people everywhere usually have to face the consequences for their actions.  These things often come back to bite people in the rear and I’m sure assistants around the league took note when McCarthy kept his Clements from advancing.