Noots

Yeah, that was me. I replied to a Facebook Post of Silvy's regarding Tommie Harris and how he has consistently been the last guy off the ball (prior to the Sea game) and that's just not the Tommie Harris we know and not very good.

http://www.nootsnotes.com/2009/09/28/noots...win-at-seattle/

NFO--their CB depth chart is down two starters on one side as well. Also their DT, Mebane, missed last week's game, might not be ready, either. I keep wanting to call that guy Mudbone, LOL.

http://www.nootsnotes.com/2009/09/24/injur...hicago-seattle/

http://www.nootsnotes.com/2009/09/21/noots...ver-pittsburgh/

http://www.nootsnotes.com/?p=15

Noots’ Notes-Game 1: 21-15 Loss to Green Bay By Michael Nudo The Bears fell to Green Bay in their opener. Jay Cutler’s 4 interceptions were too much to overcome. Fallen Angel (AP Photo/Jim Prisching). OFFENSE Quarterback Jay Cutler (17-36-277, TD, 4 INTs, 3/16) took too many chances with the football. He kept some plays alive with his feet, but threw the ball into coverage far too often. He had some really nice throws, especially the 68-yard bomb to Johnny Knox and the 36-yard touchdown to Devin Hester. He needs to be more patient, and hit the checkdowns to his tight ends and running backs. His moving in the pocket also led to some inaccurate throws. Forte had no catches? Eesh. GRADE: F+ Running Backs Matt Forte (25/55) was bottled up the entire game. He received little help from the offensive line, but also missed a few running lanes. Jason McKie was useless as a blocker and dropped a simple swing pass. Garrett Wolfe had 3 carries for 15 yards. The diminutive Wolfe was hurdled by a linebacker in pass protection for a sack. GRADE: D Receivers Earl Bennett (7-66) had a nice game in his first start. He held onto the football despite tight coverage. He erased another of his own catches by lining up offsides. Devin Hester (4-90, TD) showed great elusiveness catching a zero route and making a defender miss. He also got open deep for the Bears’ lone touchdown. Johnny Knox (2-82) caught a deep bomb up the right sideline that nearly went for a touchdown. He fell down on the last offensive play. Tight ends Desmond Clark (1-23) and Greg Olsen (1-8) each had costly drops (one on a third down and the other in the end zone). They were not the factors many thought they would be. Clark took a shot to his lower back on his one catch and although he returned, he later had to leave. Considering how well the Packers had bottled up Bear receivers in previous contests, this was an improvement. GRADE: B Offensive Line The new look offensive line did a fair job of keeping Cutler upright. However, they struggled mightily in generating any push on the ground against the Packers’ mammoth line. Chris Williams held up nicely in his first extended action. Olin Kreutz forced an offsides by his line mates when he missed the snap count. He also could have been given credit for a tackle on Wolfe on a screen play. Frank Omiyale played poorly. On several occasions he made a 310-lb defensive lineman look slippery as he let his man free to get a tackle for a loss on Forte. He was not sustaining his blocks in space, either. This was before he left with a leg injury. He returned later. Roberto Garza had a solid, if unimpressive game, as did Orlando Pace. GRADE: D+ DEFENSE Defensive Line Adewale Ogunleye ate tackle Allen Barbre up and spat him out. Ogunleye had two sacks and 5 hits on quarterback Aaron Rodgers (17-28-184, TD). He did get caught inside, over pursuing a play that Grant (16/61, TD, 1-6) cut back for a big gain. Defensive tackle Marcus Harrison had a few decent plays against the run and pass. Alex Brown (5 tackles) played the run well but was not a factor against the pass. He committed a personal foul after a touchdown which was tacked on to the ensuing kickoff. Tommie Harris played extensively and had one tackle, seven yards down the field. He was slow off the ball. Mark Anderson played both end and tackle (in passing situations) and was very active. He played the run better than in the past. He also looked decent in coverage. Anthony Adams held the point of attack in the middle. GRADE: B Linebackers Pisa Tinoisamoa left with a knee injury after the first series. Nick Roach replaced him and had a quiet game apart from a pressure. Brian Urlacher left with a wrist injury and Hunter Hillenmeyer replaced him. Lance Briggs was the constant, and he played well. The group didn’t rack up a lot of tackles, but they were disruptive against the run and in coverage to get into the passing lanes. GRADE: B Secondary Charles Tillman returned to action and started. He held Donald Driver in check most of the night. Nathan Vasher restored our lack of faith in his coverage skills. He let Greg Jennings beat him for a 50-yard touchdown bomb with the game on the line. Rookie safety Al Afalava (5 tackles, sack) had a decent game, as did safety Kevin Payne (3 tackles). The Packers got behind them a few times, but overall they were not a problem. Zack Bowman got into the action but wasn’t a factor. Danieal Manning led the team in tackles with 6. He registered a sack and a safety on a blitz. GRADE: B Special Teams Robbie Gould connected from 47 and 21. His kickoffs were all deep. Punter Brad Maynard had one of his better games as a Bear. He put two of his 4 punts down inside the 20, and had a 46 yard net. Devin Hester returned two punts for 15 yards, in spite of his running more than 50 yards to achieve that number. Danieal Manning returned 3 kickoffs for 80 yards. Snapper Patrick Mannelly called an audible when he thought the Packers had too many men on the field and snapped a punt to Wolfe, who ran for a gain short of the first down. This gave the Packers a first down in field goal range. Kickoff coverage was below average. Punt coverage was solid. GRADE: B Coaching The defense did a great job of keeping this one in reach. Credit should go to the coaches there for the improved play of the entire defensive squad. The offense struggled in their timing and looked like they were still feeling their way along. The offensive play calling was uneven at best. The draw at the end of the half was questionable. Early on, it seemed that Ron Turner forgot the Bears could run. The early pass to run ratio was more than two to one. The Bears had an opportunity for a 2-point conversion in the second half but let it slip by. The offense needs to shore up quite a few things. The Steelers are going to be a bigger challenge than the Packers. GRADE: C- Noots’ Nut Crackers Briggs on Grant Urlacher on Rodgers Anderson on Grant Nudo’s Kudos Ogunleye Bennett Hester Knox Manning Afalava Horns Omiyale Vasher Harris Cutler

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS Chicago Bears (0-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-0) By Michael Nudo The Packers are eager to get rookie B.J. Raji into the action (Getty Images). BEARS OFFENSE vs. PACKERS DEFENSE The Bears’ offense is in good health entering the first contest. The only injury of note is backup running back Kevin Jones (ankle), who was lost in the final game of the preseason. Garrett Wolfe and Adrian Peterson will pick up the backup running back reps. New starters include tackles Orlando Pace and Chris Williams as well as guard Frank Omiyale on the offensive line. Second-year wide receiver Earl Bennett goes from a zero catch rookie season to the starting assignment. He’ll look forward to rekindling the passing combination he formed at Vanderbilt with new quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler takes over the reins at quarterback after being the centerpiece of the biggest move of the NFL off season. Green Bay’s defense comes into this contest in relatively good health as well. The Packers placed defense end Justin Harrell on Injured Reserve. There is only one current injury to a player of note. Rookie defensive lineman B.J. Raji suffered a sprained ankle in the Packers’ final preseason game. He’s expected to be ready to play. Raji was projected by most as a nose tackle. The Packers have also been playing him at defensive end. Linebacker Nick Barnett is back after suffering a season-ending ACL injury last year. He’s expected to start but his playing time will be monitored closely in the early going. Safety Atari Bigby had ankle surgery at the end of last season. The Packers brought in Dom Capers as Defensive Coordinator to install a 3-4 alignment. The 3-4 is no longer unique. It usually includes a 330-pound nose tackle and a pair of 280-pound defensive ends. What makes Green Bay look different is that they’re going to be well over 300 pounds at each end and the nose. The alignment is known for complex blitz schemes, where players are sent from all angles. Communication will be very important, especially in a loud road contest and with 3 new starters on the offensive line. Further, given the size of the line, combination blocks will be important for the rushing attack. Aaron Kampman is making the transition from pass rushing defensive end to outside linebacker. Look for the Bears to test his coverage skills with matchups against tight ends Desmond Clark and Greg Olsen. PACKERS OFFENSE vs. BEARS DEFENSE Wideout Greg Jennings suffered a concussion during the preseason and is expected to be back in action for the opener against the Bears. Ryan Grant is looking to rebound from a modest season that saw him struggle with a hamstring problem. Wide receiver James Jones followed up a promising rookie campaign with a disappointment last year. He had knee problems then, and is dealing with a balky hamstring leading into the regular season. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris had a “minor” knee surgery in the offseason and was very limited throughout the preseason. His ability to dominate the middle is a key factor in the Bears’ success. Reserve lineman Israel Idonije (hamstring) has been limited in practice this week. Cornerback Charles Tillman had offseason shoulder and back surgery. He was removed from the PUP list this past week. He may be healthy, but his readiness for four quarters of action is still in question. Cornerback Zack Bowman is recovering from a nagging hamstring. He returned to action for the final preseason contest but was far from 100 percent. Free safety Danieal Manning is expected to see limited reps outside of nickel assignments after missing most of the preseason with a hamstring injury. His kickoff return skills will be missed if he isn’t ready. Kevin Payne and rookie Al Afalava should see most of the work at safety. The Packers’ offensive line is in transition. Left tackle Chad Clifton is on the down side of his career. The other positions were all up for grabs going into camp. They’ll feature Allen Barbre at right tackle and new looks at center and right guard for Jason Spitz and Josh Sitton. Look for Aaron Rodgers to continually test the Bears’ MASH unit secondary with stellar wideouts Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. The Bears will look to challenge Green Bay’s revamped line with different stunts and force Rodgers into check down passes that play to the Bears’ speed. Pisa Tinoisamoa joins an already fleet linebacking corps. His coverage ability could mean he stays on the field in some passing situations. This could result in less nickel defense situations and a better ability to defend both pass and run. The influence of Head Coach Lovie Smith taking over the defensive play calling and Rod Marinelli’s work with the defensive line will be measured and tested immediately. Let’s also remember Jon Hoke will be trying to bring together a patchwork secondary against one of the NFL’s top passing attacks.

They lost or got rid of Tait, Metcalf and St. Clair and have effectively replaced them with Omiyale and Shaffer. Omiyale could play G or T. Shaffer is mostly a RT but can play LT in a pinch. They could really use a G/T tweener to replace Metcalf and in the event they need to part ways due to injury or age/ineffectiveness with Kroots or Garza. That to me makes the idea of Loadholdt or Meredith a good selection in R2. They could still take Britton in 1 or someone else if he falls to them, and then be ready to have Omiyale as the G/T tweener guy. I would prepare for "something" else to possibly go wrong along the lines of what I mentioned above plus the notion that Williams hasn't proven a thing and he's coming off a back surgery which probably is never truly trivial. I was hoping we'd be hearing more about Buenning starting to make waves with them, but it's so quiet, I have to wonder if he's not going to be a challenger. I was hoping he'd make a move for one of the OG spots. Ah well, camp is still a ways off.

If that's the sequence, let's take a look at what options there could be for us R1: OT: Ebben Britton is the fashionable pick and I would be shocked to see a team try to jump ahead of us to select him earlier than 18. However, also keep in mind that it will only take one team to not select an OT for someone like Michael Oher to fall to us. Not a bad thing, IMHO, although Britton has the bigger frame. R2: FS I'd be extremely cautious about taking a CB and trying to convert him with a R2 pick. They need a guy who's already a FS. To me, that screams two names, Louis Delmas and Rashad Johnson. Both are excellent prospects and we stand a fair shot at one or both being there when we make our selection. R3: WR: You've got to consider the high character possession type guy Massoquoi here (we could use one like him) or perhaps they take a flier on Louis Murphy whose measurables far outdistanced his productivity. To me, the ordering described says that FS is the key to this draft. Those two guys in R2 are going to be the class of the position, and you're going to be hard pressed to find much else anywhere else in the draft. That's unfortunate, because for my money, I think they'd get the best bang for their buck by going OT-WR or WR-OT in rounds one and two and take their chances one of those other kids at FS is still there, package their two R3s and move up, or go a little later at someone like Spillman, McBath or Bruton.

yeah, I'm with you guys on FB. First, I thought Polite was the better FB last preseason. Second, I prefer a hammer in there. It seems we say we're a running team first, and then we keep bringing in linemen who are better pass blockers (Chris Williams versus the other OTs on the board) and keep a FB who is best as a receiver. BTW, McKie, supposedly, is adept at running with the ball as far as FBs go...eesh. Seems we're sacrificing a lot in terms of run blocking for the extra lift that this guy gives us as a runner/receiver, which is about 10 carries and 20 receptions a year...and the lift on those plays versus something a Marc Edwards type would give us cannot be all that.

I recall seeing it somewhere, the top 5 LTs in most sacks allowed...Peters was on that list...along with St Clair and a couple of others.

Have any of you guys seen this yet? Oy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYJhqDm0L-A

Good catch on Buenning. I would keep an eye on him as he's far enough removed from the injury and has now been in Turner's offense long enough to show us whether or not he's worth keeping around ahead of a guy like Metcalf. Further, he'd be a great fit to supplant Garza at RG. The league is littered with guys like him, who after playing a bit for one team, sort of losing their home, and then find another team and go on to a very long and successful career. Omiyale seems a guy that gives you a log of versatility, but as it's been pointed out, is unproven. I think he's an insurance policy that they hope to develop, and may indeed be grooming him as a left side player at either LT or LG. The writing is on the wall that Beekman is the starter at LG until Kreutz hangs 'em up at C. So Omiyale could be groomed to plug in there in the not so far future. If the kid with the back issues (Williams) turns out to be another blown draft pick, we'll be certain to get a long look at Omiyale. I'm with nfo' on St. Clair. I don't share the notion that many do that he's a good interior player. I don't care for his footwork as a pulling guard. His best spot is RT, but I don't want St. Clair back because I'd like to see an upgrade as opposed to the status quo. I like the Khalif Barnes suggestions I've been reading (bradjock's guy--I'm on the bandwagon, I call shotgun!). I'd also be pleased with selecting a mammoth people mover for the RT spot in the draft. Remember, Turner's offense is predicated on power running and quick timing passes. You can very easily get away with a RT that sacrifices a bit in pass protection but makes up for it in run blocking. I just don't see St. Clair as that road grating RT. We could cover up his weaknesses in the pass protection but wouldn't gain much on the ground. Heck, we were able to do it a bunch last year with him at LT. I haven't scoured YouTube highlight reels and gone through the draft info as heavily as I've wanted to yet, but will tell you my early favorite among the OTs in the draft is Jamon Meredith of South Carolina. Seems he could play either OT, moves really well, strong as a house, and has the frame to add 15 pounds without being a slob. Now, I could be dead wrong on what I'm going to propose, but here's what I would LIKE to see for next year on the OL: LT: Williams, Omiyale, Baloney LG: Beekman, Omiyale C: Kreutz, Garza, Beekman RG: Buenning, Garza RT: Rookie/K. Barnes, Rookie And then two years down the road, we could look like this, and have really completely turned over the line in terms of age and I'm going to leave out the depth because who knows how the stuff behind the scenes will shake out: LT: Williams LG: Omiyale C: Beekman RG: Buenning RT: Barnes

I don't like using Olsen more at WR. I think Desmond Clark is fast approaching the point where he's going to be on the decline. If we get dependent on Olsen at WR and Clark misses time to injury, we're really going to be stuck with our dorks in our hands. Let's get some talent at WR already...please.

I'm on the Barnes bandwagon for sure. As much as I liked Leftwich coming out of college, I think his long release/delivery is a poor fit for Turner's timing based offense.

LOL, thanks Pixote. I hope everyone here has a Happy and Healthy New Year and Holiday Season, Noots

Noots’ Notes-Game 16: 31-24 Loss at Houston By Michael Nudo The Bears (9-7) saw their playoff hopes go down the drain as the Houston Texans (8-8) exposed the weaknesses in the Bears’ defense 31-24. The pivotal sequence was a blown coverage by Danieal Manning for a touchdown followed by Manning’s fumble of the ensuing kickoff. The Bears were unable to cling to an early 10-0 lead. The Texans wanted it more than the Bears (AP Photo/Dave Einsel). OFFENSE Quarterback Kyle Orton (22-37-244, 2 TD, 2/2, TD) finished the season on a positive note. This wasn’t by any means a great performance but it was pretty good, and had few mistakes. Most importantly, he played turnover-free football. Orton led the Bears on an excellent touchdown drive on their opening possession, culminating with a patient pass to Greg Olsen cutting from right to left in the back of the end zone. He also connected with Devin Hester on a 37-yard pass over the middle to the one-yard line. His touch was excellent on a 4-yard touchdown fade to Brandon Lloyd. But Orton misfired to Lloyd on deep out on a third down conversion attempt. He also missed Hester on several deep passes. His touch there is still extremely poor. The Bears were only 2 of 10 converting third down. GRADE: B+ Running Backs Matt Forte (13/50, 3-25) had a solid first half but wasn’t utilized as much in the second half, because Manning’s coverage gaffe and fumbled kickoff resulted in putting the Bears down 11 points with the defense showing few signs of stopping the Texans. He still managed highlights including breaking a tackle on a 13-yard run off left tackle and making a linebacker miss on a catch over the middle. Adrian Peterson (3/17, 2-28) spelled Forte for a series early and late. Peterson provided a spark with tough running and a reception to the goal line late. Jason Davis started at fullback but didn’t play much. The Bears often either used Greg Olsen at fullback or a single back. The running backs averaged over 4 yards per carry and were active receiving. They played well given their reduced opportunities. GRADE: B Receivers The wide receivers were rediscovered against the Texans. Devin Hester (6-85) made several big catches on the opening drive. However, he came up short on a deep pass up the left sideline. It appeared that Hester never fully extended for the pass that could have been caught. Hester also fumbled when he tried to stretch for the first down marker. Brandon Lloyd (4-34, TD) had his best game since the first month of the season. He was flagged for a questionable pass interference penalty and later received no call when he was interfered with on an incomplete pass. Rashied Davis (2-35) made a few key receptions at the end of the game to move the Bears into scoring range. Greg Olsen (4-30, TD) had two passes knocked out of his hands. Tight ends cannot allow defensive backs to do that. Desmond Clark (1-7) was not a factor. Marty Booker never got his head around on a quick pass up the right sideline. Earl Bennett played but wasn’t a factor. As a group, the receivers played better than they have throughout the second half of the season, but it still wasn’t quite enough to match the firepower of the Texans. GRADE: B- Offensive Line John Tait allowed Mario Williams to blow by him for a sack of Orton. The Bears also allowed another sack up the middle on an all out blitz. Apart from those two plays, Orton had the time he needed to survey the field and have his good day. The running attack is still not where it could be. Although the runners averaged 4.2 yards per carry, a good chunk of that was due to Forte making people miss. GRADE: C DEFENSE Defensive Line The Texans only averaged 3.5 yards per carry but broke off a back-breaking 47-yard second half run by Steve Slaton. Slaton (20/92, TD, 5-36) ran to the bubble over left guard, and end Alex Brown (4 tackles, 2 TFL, PD, FR) over penetrated to the outside to widen the hole. Brown had a pressure that led to an intentional grounding penalty. Tommie Harris (5 tackles) nearly had a sack early in the game and later had a forced fumble that was reviewed and overturned. He made a few good plays against the run, as did Adewale Ogunleye (5 tackles, TFL). Anthony Adams (3 tackles) and Marcus Harrison (3 tackles) were also factors against the Texans’ ground attack. Mark Anderson continues to be exploited by opposing runners, getting completely blown out on one of the Texans’ rushing touchdowns. Israel Idonije played but was not a factor. There was little pass rush by the defensive line when it was needed. GRADE: C- Linebackers Nick Roach (6 tackles, PD) was much more active. He had some excellent stops against the run early on, including a well-diagnosed cutback for only a 1-yard gain. He also nearly had an interception. His blitz pressure forced an incomplete pass. But it was Roach who will be remembered for this game’s knuckle-headed mistake. After the Bears had stopped the Texans on third and 14, Roach was whistled for defensive holding. It was a questionable call. Brian Urlacher (5 tackles) spent much of the day playing too high, getting blocked and trying to run around blocks instead of taking them on. Oh, and he also showed that he’s no longer fast enough to play the deep middle in the cover two as several passes were completed over his coverage. He was also blown up at the goal line for a touchdown. These guys ran 36 times against the Bear defense, and all Urlacher and Lance Briggs could come up with was 5 tackles each? Urlacher and Briggs were erased on Slaton’s big run. The star linebackers were a major disappointment. GRADE: D Secondary With Mike Brown out, Danieal Manning was inserted at free safety and Kevin Payne was moved back to strong safety. That’s a lot of fiddling. Manning reminded Bear fans of the Super Bowl when he was caught napping instead of providing deep outside coverage beyond Charles Tillman. Andre Johnson (10-148, 2 TD) stood alone, behind the Bears’ scrambling coverage, waiting for Matt Schaub’s (27-36-328, 2 TD) pass to find him for a 43-yard touchdown. Manning was the only player fast enough to track down Slaton from behind on his 47-yard romp. Charles Tillman (10 tackles, TFL, PD, FF) lost a battle for the ball on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Johnson. Someone needs to explain to me how Tillman could have been so twisted around on a play that should have been in front of him to make. Tillman forced an early fumble to help stake the Bears to an early lead. Kevin Payne appeared to be playing hurt most of the game. It showed as he did poorly at wrapping up opposing ball carriers. Corey Graham (7 tackles) allowed Kevin Walter a 23-yard reception but kept him quiet for most of the game. Craig Steltz saw plenty of action, including a 33-yard completion allowed to Owen Daniels over the middle on third and one. The Texans continually found openings in the Bears’ coverage to exploit up and down the field. GRADE: D Special Teams Robbie Gould hit on his only field goal attempt, from 37 yards. Gould had good kickoff distance but his kicks were line drives. Gould made a poor onside kick attempt at the end of the game. The ball was kicked too fast for coverage to make a play. Brad Maynard had a strong game, putting 4 of his 6 punts down inside the 20 (two inside the 15 and two inside the 10). Danieal Manning had 6 kickoff returns for a 31.2-yard average. Unfortunately, his fumble was very costly. Devin Hester didn’t have any returnable punts, but chose to try one anyway for no gain. Coverage on punts and kicks was average, highlighted by Rashied Davis’ 3 tackles. One of those tackles was nearly a forced fumble. GRADE: C- Coaching Ron Turner had a better performance from his offense than he’s had in many weeks. Unfortunately, the fumbled return cost them a possession, and the defense’s inability to get off the field cost them in the end. Still, the simple execution of some plays was lacking, in both the running and passing elements to shorten drives. Defense was much worse. The Texans completed 75 percent of their passes! It was child’s play for them to continually connect either on the quick slants when the corners were playing soft or to find the holes in the middle of the zones. The situation at safety was an embarrassment. They should have left Payne and Manning in their existing roles and only put a burden on Steltz to perform. Instead, they disrupted the entire secondary, and it showed. The concept of this defense is bend but don’t break, force turnovers, and get pressure on the quarterback. In essence, don’t give up the big play. The Texans had more than a handful of big plays on offense to exploit the disappointing Bears’ defense. Any coach who insists on playing Mark Anderson with a goal-to-go situation should have his head examined. One of the touchdowns to Johnson looked like it could have been reviewed. He was juggling the ball as he went out of the end zone and may not have had complete possession of it. It was worth the challenge. Wasn’t it? I guess not. Sunday’s loss was a microcosm of the season. They played well enough to be in the fight, but didn’t have enough fight in them in the end to be worthy of moving on. Not many people felt the Bears would win 9 games. So they exceeded expectations. Let’s hope the Bears aren’t disillusioned enough to believe they’re that close to being a team that can make the playoffs and compete for a championship as currently constructed. GRADE: D Noots’ Nut Crackers Craig Steltz on Steve Slaton Adrian Peterson on Eugene Wilson Nudo’s Kudos Alex Brown Kyle Orton Nick Roach Horns Defensive Coordinator Bob Babich Danieal Manning Brian Urlacher

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS Chicago Bears (9-6) at Houston Texans (7-8) By Michael Nudo Injuries pushed Steve Slaton into a larger role for Houston (AP Photo/Ben Margot). BEARS OFFENSE vs. TEXANS DEFENSE After missing a month with a quadriceps injury, Jason McKie returned to practice this week. The Bears are hopeful to have him back in the lineup. Jason Davis has been keeping the seat warm in his absence. Running back Matt Forte played through a painful toe injury the last two weeks. He should be ready for this game. Backup Kevin Jones tweaked a hamstring last week. In the six games since Kyle Orton returned from an ankle injury, he has thrown 6 touchdowns versus 8 interceptions and has only surpassed 200 passing yards once. The Texans lost outside linebacker Zach Diles just after the midpoint of the season. He had really made great strides in his second season. Kevin Bentley (Northwestern) has been starting since then. Strong safety C.C. Brown was lost early in the year. The Texans turned to veteran Nick Ferguson (knee) at that position. If Ferguson’s knee is too balky, they’ll need to turn to Brandon Harrison to step in. Harrison is a safety with very good size (6’2”, 227). The Texans have a low ranking in both stopping the run and defending the pass. This would be a great time to see an awakening of the passing attack from Orton and the wide receivers. They have all gone into a funk since the middle of the season. Help should be given to left tackle John St. Clair. He’ll be working against Mario Williams (11 sacks), their only serious pass rush threat. The Bears would be wise to go back to some of the things that worked earlier in the season in terms of screen passes to Forte, no huddle and putting the offense in the right play options at the line of scrimmage. TEXANS OFFENSE vs. BEARS DEFENSE The Texans are 5-5 in games started by Matt Schaub, including impressive victories over Tennessee, Miami and Green Bay. Nagging injuries limited wide receiver Andre Johnson to just 9 games in 2007. He has been healthy this season, and boasts eye-popping totals for catches and yardage (105-1427, 6 TD). The other key for the Texans has been the play of rookie running back Steve Slaton. Slaton (248/1190, 8 TD, 45-341, TD) has been almost as important to the Texans as Forte has been to the Bears. Entering the season, many felt the 5’9” 203 lb running back would only be a niche player that couldn’t carry a team on his shoulders. Season-ending injuries for Ahman Green and Chris Brown assured Slaton of the carries needed. Safety Mike Brown (calf) didn’t finish another game last week. Brown isn’t expected to be ready by Sunday. If not, Craig Steltz is likely to get the call. The Bears brought back Cameron Worrell on Friday for much needed depth at strong safety and special teams. Charles Tillman (ankle) is expected to be ready for the challenge with Andre Johnson. Tackle Anthony Adams continues to provide stout run support in relief of Dusty Dvoracek, who was lost a few weeks ago to a biceps injury. Cornerback Corey Graham starts for Nathan Vasher, who battled thumb and hand injuries for most of the season before finally landing on injured reserve. Graham is likely to be matched with steady Kevin Walter (59-876, 8 TD). Schaub has been sacked six times in his last two losses. He has ten fumbles this year. To beat the Texans, the Bears will have to be more aggressive in terms of pressuring Schaub and sealing off Slaton on the run. It sounds like a recipe for blitzing. The player you should keep an eye on is tight end Owen Daniels. Daniels has quietly put up excellent numbers for a tight end (67-825, 2 TD). Look for Schaub to try beating the Bears’ blitz by finding Daniels over the middle.

Noots’ Notes-Game 15: 20-17 Win over Green Bay in OT By Michael Nudo The Bears (9-6) used smoke, mirrors and a little bit of luck to fight their way back from a 14-3 halftime deficit and beat Green Bay (5-10) 20-17 in overtime in front of a frozen Soldier Field crowd. With temperatures hovering around zero, the Chicago faithful were treated to a real nail-biter to keep playoff hopes alive and to avenge an embarrassing 37-3 loss in Green Bay just over a month ago. It took Brown’s block to send it to overtime (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh). OFFENSE Quarterback Kyle Orton (14-27-142, TD, 2 INT) had a poor game. He was inaccurate throughout the contest, missing open receivers short, long and wide. Orton lacked the poise he showed early in the season and it showed when he threw a rocket to Hester at short range that was too hot to handle. His two interceptions were bad throws. Orton was sacked three times, although it had less to do with the pass rush and more to do with how long he was holding the ball and how ineffective his receivers were at getting off the jam at the line of scrimmage. Early in the season, Orton was able to make checks at the line to put the Bears in good running and passing plays. It doesn’t appear he’s doing that anymore. Orton’s lone highlight was when he found Greg Olsen running a post in the right side of the end zone for a short touchdown. GRADE: D Running Backs Matt Forte (22/73, TD, 2-28) was again the only offense the Bears could muster. All day long, the Bears were running into the middle of the over/under shifted defensive line of the Packers. This means there was a weak side to run to that was not exploited. Finally, with the game on the line, Forte cut off left tackle to find a big opening for 28 yards. Jason Davis started at fullback for Jason McKie. Davis led the way for Forte’s touchdown run over left guard. But Davis’ pad level was poor on the touchdown. He seemed to be reaching and if he would have met resistance would have been blown up. Adrian Peterson (2/2) spelled Forte for a series and didn’t find the going any easier. GRADE: C- Receivers Tight ends Greg Olsen (5-49, TD) and Desmond Clark (4-37) were Orton’s top receivers. Olsen picked up key yardage in overtime to set up the winning field goal. He also missed a block from the fullback position on a running play. Rashied Davis was benched in favor of Brandon Lloyd, who was only able to amass one reception for 16 yards. He also fell down on one of the few occasions when he was open. On the other side, Devin Hester (2-12) had a false start, a drop of an under thrown pass and another reception taken away by replay review. Hester and Lloyd were completely stymied by the aggressive play of the Packer cornerbacks (can somebody send this game film to our defensive coordinator, as well as the last game against Green Bay?). Marty Booker made an appearance. He was on the field long enough to have a ball ricochet off his pads for a drop on a curl route in the right seam. GRADE: D Offensive Line I’m not sure which player among the interior three of Josh Beekman, Olin Kreutz or Roberto Garza had Ron Turner’s ear. Clearly, somebody must have been telling him that they were able to handle the interior of the Packers’ defense. Clearly, they could not. Tackles John St. Clair and John Tait were only average on the edge. Tait was whistled for a false start that stopped play long enough for the previous play to be reviewed, taking a reception off the board for Hester. This line was unfairly lumped in with the defensive line in the first game by many who said the Packers dominated the Bears on both fronts. In this game, the offensive line didn’t do enough to keep the offense on the field and deserves any criticism sent their way. Pass protection was fair, but could have been better. GRADE: D DEFENSE Defensive Line The Bears made great efforts to stifle the Green Bay rushing attack that beat them up for 200 yards in their first meeting. They held the Packers to 65 yards on 29 carries (2.2 yards per carry). The starting line of Adewale Ogunleye (5 tackles), Tommie Harris (4 tackles, 3 TFL), Anthony Adams (1 tackle) and Alex Brown (2 tackles, INT, PD) were able to wall off Ryan Grant and the Green Bay rushing attack. Tommie Harris broke free to make a few key stops for losses. Brown alertly hauled in a deflection for an interception. Backups Marcus Harrison, Israel Idonije and Mark Anderson all made contributions. As exceptional as they were against the run, they were equally as abysmal in generating pressure on quarterback Aaron Rodgers (24-39-260, 2 TD, INT). Adewale Ogunleye was not able to exploit the matchup he had against backup Tony Moll. GRADE: B Linebackers Lance Briggs (6 tackles, 2 TFL, PD) turned in numerous tackles for losses and big hits on Ryan Grant (25/61, 3-20, TD). He stood out among the linebackers, while Nick Roach (2 tackles, TFL) and Brian Urlacher (3 tackles, TFL) had quiet games. Roach was off the field in favor of Danieal Manning, who made an impact in nickel packages. Packers running backs and tight ends were not as big of a factor as in the previous game. GRADE: C Secondary Nickel defender Danieal Manning blitzed to provide what little pressure the Bears put on Rodgers. In fact, Manning (2 tackles, PD) deflected a pass at the line, which resulted in Alex Brown’s interception. He was also an eyelash away from a sack, having Rodgers in his grasp and going down before the pass was thrown. Cornerback Corey Graham (9 tackles, 2 PD) broke up two long pass plays to end Green Bay drives. He was very sure in his tackling, especially on the quick passes along the line of scrimmage that doomed the Bears so often early in the season. Charles Tillman (3 tackles) had a quieter game and was banged up a bit at the end of the first half. Mike Brown (6 tackles) was tough on the running plays but missed a tackle on a slant, resulting in a big gain. He also left the game with an injury. Craig Steltz played the second half for Brown. Steltz was run over (read: no wrap) by Ryan Grant on his 17-yard touchdown reception at the end of the first half. Safety Kevin Payne (8 tackles, TFL) was beaten by tight end Jermichael Finley for 35 yards to convert a third down. The secondary did just enough to prevent Donald Driver (6-63) and Greg Jennings (6-38, TD) from having big days. GRADE: B- Special Teams The biggest play of the game was Alex Brown’s block of Green Bay’s 38-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation. The block preserved the tie and meant the Bears would have a shot at winning in overtime. The Packers were rewarded with good field position on their final drive when kick coverage broke down and the usually stellar special teams ace Adrian Peterson committed unnecessary roughness by dragging down Will Blackmon well out of bounds. Robbie Gould came through in the clutch, hitting a 31-yard field goal in the first half and the game winner from 38 in overtime. Danieal Manning was again excellent returning kickoffs. He had a 70-yard return in the first half. Devin Hester returned three punts for 40 yards. He looks like he’s starting to turn the corner in that he’s now running forward instead of backward. Rashied Davis forced a blocker into a loose punt, which the Bears recovered to extend a drive and flip field position. The Packers were able to execute a fake punt, with backup quarterback Matt Flynn running 6 yards for a first down. Brad Maynard only put two of his six kicks inside the 20-yard line but overall had a good game. Punt coverage was good but kickoff coverage was below average. GRADE: B Coaching This was an abysmal offensive performance. Did Ron Turner forget the part of his playbook that includes running plays off tackle? Was it misplaced? Where are the cutback running plays for misdirection? After seeing so many other receivers fail to get open, how much different would it be if Earl Bennett were allowed to play? What happened to the no huddle and making adjustments at the line? On defense, the play was better, but still aggravating. The blitz schemes are too predictable. They create few mismatches and overloads. There were too many conversions on third and long allowed. With a patchwork offensive line, why not challenge them? The offense is regressing, the defense is making progress, and overall, the Bears somehow found a way to steal victory from the jaws of defeat. GRADE: C- Noots’ Nut Crackers Lance Briggs on Ryan Grant Mike Brown on Ryan Grant Ryan Grant on Craig Steltz Nudo’s Kudos Alex Brown Danieal Manning Corey Graham Lance Briggs Greg Olsen Horns Kyle Orton Adrian Peterson

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS Green Bay Packers (5-9) at Chicago Bears (8-6) By Michael Nudo An injury at safety has forced Tramon Williams in at cornerback (AP Photo/Morry Gash). BEARS OFFENSE vs. PACKERS DEFENSE The Bears have been without fullback Jason McKie (quadriceps) for close to a month. Jason Davis held down the spot while McKie has been out. Wide receiver Marty Booker (rib) sat out last week’s game and may be ready for action Monday. Running back Matt Forte injured his toe on the opening series against New Orleans but was able to return. Forte hadn’t practiced through Thursday. The Bears may be giving him some extra time off to heal any additional bumps and bruises. Adrian Peterson received the reps against the Saints while Forte was treated. Kevin Jones was active last week and contributed on special teams. The loss of Garrett Wolfe to injured reserve has opened a spot for Jones. Kyle Orton’s ankle injury should be about as recovered as it’s going to get this season. The Packers’ defense has taken some serious losses to injuries this year. Safety Atari Bigby (shoulder) has missed some time of late and will be missed in both coverage and run defense. Charles Woodson (toe) was moved from cornerback to safety for last week’s game. Tramon Williams started at cornerback in Woodson’s spot last week. Woodson isn’t likely to miss this game. A.J. Hawk has moved into the middle linebacker position since Nick Barnett was lost just before the last Bears-Packers tilt. Brandon Chillar was inserted into the lineup in Hawk’s place. Green Bay only has 23 sacks, with 10 coming from defensive end Aaron Kampman. Provided Kampman isn’t moving around, John Tait will draw that matchup. Since dismantling the Bears 37-3, the Packers have lost 4 games in a row. Look for the Bears to open up running before turning to the air to test the injured Packers secondary. The Packers will take away the short passes with aggressive corner play. Kyle Orton will be challenged to throw downfield, where his accuracy has been poor of late. PACKERS OFFENSE vs. BEARS DEFENSE Since Mark Tauscher (knee) went on injured reserve last week, the right tackle position was assigned to Tony Moll. How did he do in last week’s game with Jacksonville? The Jaguars sacked Aaron Rodgers three times from the defensive end position. On the other side, tackle Chad Clifton (thumb/knee) has the assorted bumps and bruises that come with a long season. It will be interesting to see if Alex Brown and Mark Anderson have the kind of fresh legs that can get past the veteran tackle. Running back Brandon Jackson is healing up from a wrist injury. Jackson has been a key contributor spelling Ryan Grant. Jackson rushed for 50 yards against the Bears in their first contest. The Bears’ defense seems to have turned a corner since the insertion of defensive tackle Anthony Adams and cornerback Corey Graham after injuries to Dusty Dvoracek and Nathan Vasher. Each has had a trickle down effect. Adams has played stout run defense to not only effect running lanes but also to free up Brian Urlacher. Graham’s nose for the ball on short passes and runs to his side has further aided the run defense and set up better down and distance situations which translates to pressures, sacks and turnovers. With Moll starting at right tackle, this should be a week to see Adewale Ogunleye take advantage of his matchup and add to a very modest set of sack statistics. The Packers still have an excellent passing attack. In the blowout defeat at Green Bay, the Bears lost sight of the running game and were gashed in every aspect. Look for the Bears to tighten up their run defense and to depend more on their defensive line to generate pressure without as much blitzing. In the red zone, someone needs to whisper in Bob Babich’s ear to remind Bear defenders to pick up the tight end. The Packers used a power rushing attack against the Bears in their first contest. It would not be a surprise to see more of the Power I and Full House backfield formations that pounded the Bears into cheese curd a little over a month ago.

Noots’ Notes-Game 14: 27-24 Win over New Orleans in OT By Michael Nudo The Bears (8-6) got out to a 21-7 halftime lead on the strength of Danieal Manning’s 83-yard opening kickoff return for a touchdown. There were few style points in the victory, as they frittered away the lead in the second half, and needed to kick a field goal to tie and eventually win in overtime. Moving forward to stay in the playoff hunt (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert). OFFENSE Quarterback Kyle Orton (24-40-172, 2 INT, 4/6, TD, Fumble) didn’t have a particularly good game, but did just enough when needed to lead the team to the win. One of his interceptions was thrown directly to a linebacker (Scott Fujita) that he clearly did not see. The pass was well behind the intended receiver Jason Davis. The other interception was a pass over the middle that was a touch behind Rashied Davis, who should have caught the ball. The ball deflected to safety Josh Bullocks. Orton just missed on a few deep passes to Hester. He and Hester were able to advance the ball downfield thanks to two lengthy pass interferences they drew. GRADE: C- Running Backs Matt Forte (11/34, TD, 5-29) injured his toe on the opening possession. The offense appears out of synch the rest of the game. Adrian Peterson (5/15, 1-8) subbed for Forte for about a quarter. Neither back found many openings nor were given many opportunities as the Bears were intent on challenging the Saints’ secondary via the air. Fullback Jason Davis made me wish Jason McKie was healthy. Davis did break a tackle on a short pass to pick up 12 yards. GRADE: C- Receivers Greg Olsen (8-45) was Kyle Orton’s favorite target of the night. He didn’t have many long plays but he was one of the few consistent elements of the offense. Olsen did have a false start. He also appeared to be interfered with early on but there was no call. Desmond Clark (3-11) had a rare drop in the end zone. Rashied Davis dropped the only ball thrown to him, resulting in an interception. Brandon Lloyd (2-21) had a couple of nice catches. He had another to convert a third down that was ruled a catch and later taken away after a replay review. Devin Hester (4-46) had a couple of nice catches and a false start. Hester’s value was in the hidden yardage of penalties. He drew two pass interference calls to yield an additional 77 yards of field position. GRADE: C Offensive Line Olin Kreutz gift-wrapped the Saints’ first touchdown when he snapped the ball too soon on a first down at the Bears’ own 1-yard line. Kyle Orton had plenty of time to pass in his 40 attempts. He was sacked only once. John Tait gave up a pressure. John St. Clair failed to get his head to the outside shoulder of the defensive end on a sweep outside left tackle. The play resulted in a 3-yard gain but could have gone for more if he simply held the point of attack. Guards Roberto Garza and Josh Beekman were not impressive in run blocking, either. GRADE: C DEFENSE Defensive Line Defensive ends Alex Brown (4 tackles, sack, 2 TFL) and Adewale Ogunleye (6 tackles, TFL, PD, INT) were able to put just enough pressure on Drew Brees (24-43-242, 2 TD, 2 INT) to harass him into a poor day. Brown, who was working against the Saints’ backup left tackle (Zach Strief), had another sack that came off the board due to a penalty. Ogunleye’s pressure outside the pocket led Brees to force a throw that Ogunleye somehow gathered at point blank range for an interception in the red zone. Rookie Marcus Harrison (2 tackles, PD) was stout to stop a 3rd down and inches run. Anthony Adams (5 tackles) had another strong day. He and Urlacher combined for a few stuffed running plays. Matt Toeaina finally saw some action and deflected a pass. Tommie Harris had a pressure but was largely ineffective. Mark Anderson saw extended reps but was mostly invisible. Israel Idonije had a pressure that led to a 1-yard pass to Reggie Bush (6/30, 2-16). Although they only had one sack, the Bears were able to pressure Brees and did an excellent job against the run. GRADE: B+ Linebackers Brian Urlacher (10 tackles, PD) had a key stop on a 3rd and inches carry for Mike Karney (3/1). Lance Briggs (7 tackles, PD) had a nice pass deflection early in the game. He got blocked inside on Pierre Thomas’ (22/87, TD, 7-59, TD) 42-yard touchdown romp. Briggs effectively took himself and Urlacher out of that play. With the defensive line slanting hard to their right, the alley off tackle on their left side was left wide open when Briggs was washed out. Nick Roach (6 tackles, TFL) had his finest game of the season. Roach made the big stop on a pitch on 4th and one in the fourth quarter. GRADE: C Secondary Safety Mike Brown (3 tackles, 2 PD, INT) came up with a huge interception in the first half to end a Saints drive. He nearly had another later in the game. Brown appeared to lose coverage on Marques Colston (6-84, TD) on his 11-yard touchdown reception. Brown was also at fault on Thomas’ touchdown run, taking a poor angle. Charles Tillman (8 tackles, PD) had a nice pass break up to go with an overall solid effort. Corey Graham (3 tackles, PD) shook off an early defensive holding call to bounce back with two pass breakups. Safety Kevin Payne (5 tackles) allowed a 24-yard pass to Marques Colston in the fourth quarter. Danieal Manning (2 tackles) saw plenty of action in nickel packages but wasn’t a factor. GRADE: B- Special Teams Robbie Gould hit both of his field goal attempts (28, 35). His kickoff distance was a little shorter than usual. Brad Maynard put 2 of his 5 punts inside the 20-yard line. Danieal Manning warmed up the chilly home crowd with an 83-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff return. He later added 52 yards on another return to put the struggling offense in good field position. Devin Hester again defied all logic in running a punt back toward his own goal, this time for a 7-yard loss. Brad Maynard attempted a fake punt pass that was ruled incomplete. A replay review showed what looked like a catch by Adrian Peterson but the play stood as called. Kick and punt coverage was very good. Rashied Davis made an excellent tackle in punt coverage at the 15-yard line. Trumaine McBride missed a tackle on a kickoff. Kevin Jones and Adrian Peterson had two tackles each. GRADE: B Coaching The fake punt was a strange call from the perspective that the Bears were winning the game and failure would surrender the ball at midfield. Ron Turner’s offensive play-calling was tilted heavily to the pass. Was this because of Forte’s injury or because of the depleted Saints’ secondary? Deep routes to Hester worked in terms of getting penalties. Bob Babich’s defense did an admirable job of keeping one of the top offenses in the league out of the end zone, especially considering one of those touchdowns was due to a fumble at the one-yard line. The Bears picked their spots in terms of putting pressure on as well as clamping down on the run. My biggest question is in regards to leaving Hester in for punt returns. He needs to take some time to clear his head and return to form. The other substitutions I am curious about relate to the amount of playing time given Mark Anderson and Rashied Davis. It’s time to work Earl Bennett into the rotation on offense. Haven’t they seen enough of their other wide receivers to know that they’re not going to miss any of them? GRADE: B- Noots’ Nut Crackers Nick Roach on Pierre Thomas Nudo’s Kudos Alex Brown Adewale Ogunleye Danieal Manning Devin Hester Nick Roach Horns Rashied Davis Olin Kreutz

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS New Orleans Saints (7-6) at Chicago Bears (7-6) By Michael Nudo Reggie Bush got healthy just in time for the Bears (AP Photo/Alex Brandon). BEARS OFFENSE vs. SAINTS DEFENSE Kyle Orton had a bounce back game on Sunday after struggling the through the first three games after his ankle injury. Fullback Jason McKie (quadriceps) missed the last two games in favor of Jason Davis. Wide receiver Marty Booker returned Sunday after missing time with a knee injury. He was welcomed back with a cracked rib against Jacksonville. Desmond Clark suffered a hamstring injury late in the last week of practice but was not limited on Sunday. Reserve running back and pint-sized special teams ace Garrett Wolfe suffered a hamstring injury early in the Jacksonville game and is not likely to be ready for the Saints. Defensive end Charles Grant (triceps) was lost at the midpoint of the season. Defensive tackle Brian Young was lost in the first half of the year as well. Starting free safety Kevin Kaesviharn (neck) was placed on injured reserve last week. Cornerback Randall Gay suffered a concussion in Sunday’s game. With Aaron Glenn already out for the season, Usama Young is likely to play if Gay cannot return in time. Defensive end Will Smith (pending suspension) is expected to be eligible to play on Thursday night as the case for the diuretic he and others tested positively for is heard. For all the attention paid to Smith, keep your eye on the other end, Bobby McCray. McCray has 6 sacks and will line up over John Tait. New Orleans ranks in the bottom third of the league in almost all relevant defensive statistics. For the Bears to win, they’ll need to control the football and the clock. This not only means a heavy dose of rookie Matt Forte but also a precision passing attack with Kyle Orton. Bears receivers have had a case of the drops the last few weeks. If they can get the strong safety to creep up in the box to defend the run, they’ll be able to get a good matchup with their tight ends over the middle working against Kaesviharn’s replacement, Josh Bullocks. The Saints’ secondary is banged up. This might be the time for Brandon Lloyd to show the form he displayed during the first month of the season. SAINTS OFFENSE vs. BEARS DEFENSE Reggie Bush should be well recovered from a knee injury that forced him to miss 4 games earlier in the season. As evidence of his health, Bush broke off a 43-yard run last week against the Falcons. Pierre Thomas (4.9 yards per carry and 7 rushing touchdowns) has been a surprise performer rising on the depth chart after Bush’s injury and the placement of Aaron Stecker on injured reserve. Deuce McAllister has failed to bounce back after two ACL injuries in previous seasons. He is expected to be eligible to play as the appeal for the StarCaps case drags on. Wide receiver Lance Moore has excelled while Marques Colston was out the majority of the first half of the season with a thumb injury. Kick return specialist Courtney Roby was placed on injured reserve this week. Left tackle Jammal Brown is nursing a knee injury. Alex Brown will get that matchup. Corey Graham has been an upgrade at cornerback for Nathan Vasher, who battled thumb and wrist injuries before finally being placed on injured reserve. Anthony Adams and Israel Idonije played well at defensive tackle last week for Dusty Dvoracek (biceps). Dvoracek went on injured reserve this week. Both were needed last week as Tommie Harris tweaked a hamstring in Sunday’s match with Jacksonville. Harris is listed on the injury report, but with a knee issue. Rookie Marcus Harrison also saw extended snaps. The Saints have the top passing offense in the NFL. Drew Brees has only been sacked 10 times. Why are they only 7-6? New Orleans is at –4 in turnover ratio. The Saints are only 1-5 on the road. While Brees is on a record pace for yardage, he has also thrown 14 interceptions. Overall, he has a 26-14 touchdown to interception ratio. The ratio is 10-10 on the road. For the Bears to slow down the Saints’ offense, they’ll need to disrupt the great timing Brees had developed with his receivers. They’ll need to get their hands up on the line and jam the receivers at the line of scrimmage. This had clearly been a problem for the Bears through the heart of their season. It will be interesting to see what adjustments can be made. If not, this could very quickly get ugly for the defense against a team that put 51 up on the Packers a few weeks ago. Look for the Saints to keep the Bears off balanced by getting the most out Bush and Thomas running the ball and on dump offs and screens.

Wolfe? Just to add, the point on Wolfe is moot, since he got hurt on one of the first special teams plays (hammy).

Noots’ Notes-Game 13: 23-10 Win over Jacksonville By Michael Nudo The Bears treated their fans to a 23-10 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at a frigid (wind chills in the low single digits) Soldier Field on Sunday. The Bears made just enough plays in every aspect of a hard fought team victory to improve their record to 7-6 in the NFC North. They’re one game behind Minnesota, who eked out a 20-16 victory over winless Detroit. Coming through in the clutch (AP Photo/David Banks). OFFENSE Quarterback Kyle Orton (20-34-219, 2 TD, INT) bounced back from his worst game of the season with a solid performance. He drilled a 3-yard touchdown pass to Desmond Clark on a curl in the end zone. Orton also threw a perfect lob up the right sideline for Devin Hester to run under for 31 yards. He delivered a great play action pass for a touchdown over the middle to Greg Olsen. On the downside, Orton threw a horrid interception to open the second half. Two receivers were in the area, and he threw it between them to a defender. He took a sack once where he held the ball too long. He was forced to throw the ball early on one or two occasions because of pressure. Overall, this was easily his best game since the ankle injury over a month ago. The prognosis then was he’d miss around a month. Hopefully he’s back on track now with a crucial three game stretch starting this Thursday against the Saints. GRADE: B Running Backs Matt Forte (21/69, 5-37) had a big first half, picking up huge chunks of yardage. As the game wore on, he struggled to find openings. He more than made up for it with his consistent productivity as a receiver, in spite of a dropped pass in the flat. Adrian Peterson (3/19) gave Forte a rest and also subbed in the final possession to kill the clock. He ran hard and is again proving to be an excellent complementary back. Jason Davis again subbed for the injured Jason McKie. Davis’ inexperience was evident as he was a bit hesitant to get his nose into the point of attack. GRADE: B Receivers The tight ends were difference makers. Greg Olsen (3-52, TD) had a 26-yard tackle-breaking romp to add to his touchdown reception. He also had a drop and a missed block that resulted in a big loss for Forte. Desmond Clark (2-8, TD) shook off a slight hamstring pull on Friday to catch the opening touchdown pass from Orton. Marty Booker (3-28) picked up 12 yards to convert a third down and was a big target for Orton on a fast release laser off the line. He’s still not 100 percent and was slow to get off the field several times. Devin Hester (5-80) was up and down as a receiver. He had the beautiful over the shoulder catch for 31 yards up the right sideline and another 19-yard reception early in the game. Hester added a drop, a short gain where he was tackled by a turf monster and a screen pass where he ran away from the line of scrimmage. Rashied Davis (2-14) dropped a slant that should have been caught. Brandon Lloyd played but was a non-factor. There were too many drops in this group; leading to several stalled drives in the second half. GRADE: C Offensive Line Olin Kreutz pulled from center to make a key leading block for Forte’s big 26-yard run over right tackle in the early going. John St. Clair had a better game than last week, but still allowed some pressure to destroy the timing of a few pass plays. He and Greg Olsen whiffed on blocks on a toss around left tackle to lose yardage for Forte. Their blocks are a key to allow the pulling Josh Beekman to get around tackle and for Forte to reach the point of attack. Roberto Garza committed a false start in the red zone. He and John Tait did a solid job in both run and pass blocking. Run blocking and pass blocking overall was slightly above average, but far from impressive. GRADE: B- DEFENSE Defensive Line The Bears did just enough to keep Maurice Jones-Drew (12/55, 7-47, TD) and Fred Taylor (13/53, 1-6) from killing them. Tackles Israel Idonije (4 tackles, 1.5 sacks, TFL, PD) and Anthony Adams (8 tackles) took advantage of increased playing time to have their best games in quite a long time. Both were extremely active, making plays all along the line of scrimmage including screens and draws. Adewale Ogunleye (5 tackles, 0.5 sack, PD) somehow managed to combine for a sack with Idonije in spite of being held by his helmet. Ogunleye was held quite a bit without penalty. Alex Brown (2 tackles, TFL) had a good case in the second half as well. Brown made a big tackle early but on several occasions was victimized by trying to tackle Jones-Drew too high. Mark Anderson registered his first sack in year when he finally used an inside move to free himself. Tackles Marcus Harrison and Tommie Harris played but neither were factors. Harris was in the locker room before halftime but returned for a few plays in the second half. Three sacks, several pass deflections and pretty decent pressure to force David Garrard (19-38-178, TD, INT, 3/11) into a poor day were more than enough from this group. GRADE: B Linebackers I’m going to be tougher on this group, despite the win. There were plenty of carries for Jones-Drew and Taylor where the linebackers were blocked too easily. Jones-Drew used cutbacks to get Brian Urlacher (8 tackles, PD) and Lance Briggs (5 tackles, PD) tied up by interior linemen. Urlacher was too high on some tackles, resulting in misses. He did have a nice deflection on a screen. Briggs had a nice pressure on the blitz. Nick Roach (3 tackles, PD) had a sweet pass deflection on a pass over the middle intended for Marcedes Lewis (4-43). But Lewis later hauled in a 27-yarder over his coverage. The linebackers need to be more sure in their tackles, especially against the draws and cutback runs. GRADE: C Secondary Charles Tillman (8 tackles, PD, FF) and Corey Graham (4 tackles, PD) had the kind of lockdown cornerback day that Bear defenders have only dreamed about this season. Their only blemishes were a missed tackle by Graham when he dropped his head and a gain Tillman allowed where he lost his footing on the shoddy Soldier Field turf. Mike Brown (8 tackles) was flying around the line of scrimmage to force runners to make cutbacks. Daniel Manning (2 tackles, INT, 2 PD) turned in the pivotal play. Manning picked off an early Garrard pass and returned it inside the 5-yard line before fumbling it out of bounds. The referees incorrectly ruled it a touchback. The play was reviewed and possession went to the Bears at the one. Manning also had a pass break up and a nifty tackle for 3 yards on a draw. Kevin Payne (3 tackles) was less of a factor but did put a big wallop on Taylor. It was a good thing to see an opposing quarterback struggle to complete half of his passes for less than 5 yards per attempt. GRADE: A- Special Teams Robbie Gould hit all three of his field goal attempts (22, 36, 35) and consistently got his kickoffs down inside the 10-yard line on a chilly day. Brad Maynard had by far his best game of the season. He put four of his six punts down inside the 20-yard line and still netted 44.2 yards per punt. His punting was a key to keeping the Jaguars pinned back. Danieal Manning had a 52-yard return among his three kickoff returns. Devin Hester returned 3 punts for 22 yards. He also had two unforced fumbles. Thankfully, he was able to recover them. In coverage, Adrian Peterson made the tackle on the first 3 kickoffs. Trumaine McBride made a great tackle on a punt inside the 20-yard line. Garrett Wolfe injured a hamstring on an early special teams play and did not return. Overall, special teams had as big a hand in the victory as any other area. GRADE: B+ Coaching The Jaguars lost the coin flip and the Bears deferred the kickoff. Lovie Smith made the right call in challenging a ruling of a touchback on Manning’s interception runback. As the half was ending, the Bears faced a third and 8 and were in shotgun formation. I shouted, “watch the pinky draw!” Ron Turner must have figured the Jaguars thought the same thing. Kyle Orton executed a perfect play action fake of the draw to Forte and then hit Olsen over the middle for a touchdown. On defense, the secondary was very stingy against the pass, especially to Jaguar wide receivers, who were mostly ineffective. There was just enough pass rush from the line, but the blitzing is still very predictable and lacks imagination and disguise. It’s a shame the Bears couldn’t get a scoring drive together in the third quarter to give some rest to the starters. They’re on a short week, playing New Orleans on Thursday night. GRADE: B Noots’ Nut Crackers Kevin Payne on Fred Taylor Nudo’s Kudos Brad Maynard Robbie Gould Israel Idonije Anthony Adams Charles Tillman Danieal Manning Horns John St. Clair Devin Hester