Noots

Please share with me what the double line break is, so I can fix the formatting of my posts in this forum. Is it a secret? Do I have to be a member of the free masons or something to know how? Please...

Noots' Notes-Game 4: 24-20 Win against PhiladelphiaBy Michael Nudo The Bears held on to a 21-14 halftime lead to outlast Philadelphia 24-20 in front of a home crowd on Sunday night. Taking it away (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh). OFFENSE QuarterbackKyle Orton (18-34-199, 3 TD, 2 INT, 2 Fumbles lost) threw three first half touchdowns to put the Bears in position to win the game. He wasted little time in hitting tight end Greg Olsen for a 19-yard touchdown strike up the right sideline. Orton then found Marty Booker on a beautiful 23-yard touchdown pass. He finished the half leading Devin Hester perfectly up the right sideline for yet another touchdown. Less obvious but equally important was the composure at the line and conducting the no huddle offense. On the down side, Orton held the ball too long on a couple of plays and failed to recognize an unaccounted for linebacker blitzing off the right edge. His red zone interception was simply a bad throw and considering the down and distance was inexcusable. He also missed Booker and Forte up the left sideline. He was credited with a fumble on a botched reverse with Kevin Jones. Overall, it was a positive performance considering the level of competition and the numerous kitchen sinks he needed to avoid. GRADE: C+ Running BacksMatt Forte (19-43, 5/42) found few holes in the Eagle defense. He was most dangerous catching screen passes. Great backs find ways to break off big runs late in the game. Forte picked up ten yards to get a key first down late in the fourth quarter. Kevin Jones had a few key carries. Jason McKie had a down game, finding it difficult to get a hat on the speedy Eagle defense. GRADE: C- ReceiversRashied Davis (1/34) quieted his critics by catching the first and only pass thrown his way for the Bears' longest reception of day. Greg Olsen (4/32, TD) had his best receiving game of the season. Brandon Lloyd (2/33) picked up a key first down but left with a knee injury. Devin Hester (1-15, 3/27, TD) was a factor receiving the ball. He took a huge pop early on, but was fine. He used his great speed to race up the right sideline to catch up with a Kyle Orton pass and beat Asante Samuel for a touchdown. Marty Booker (1-3, 1/23, TD) ran a great route to shake a defender and catch a touchdown. He was open deep later but Orton threw the pass well beyond the mark. Booker also took an end around that was set up for a pass but pulled it down to run for a few yards. GRADE: A- Offensive LineThe Bears averaged just 3 yards per carry against the tough Eagle defense. John St. Clair had a false start and allowed a sack to Trent Cole (8 tackles, sack). John Tait allowed a sack as well. The line is really coming around on their timing and blocking down field on screen plays. This is critical if the Bears are going to deter opponents from blitzing. There were plenty of plays where Orton was under pressure, but this was expected against the Eagles. They gave him the time necessary early on when they put the Eagles on their heels and into a hole. GRADE: D+ DEFENSE Defensive LineAlex Brown made the defensive stop of the game when he pulled down Correll Buckhalter on 4th and goal from the 1-yard line. The line played great as a team on the play, as Dusty Dvoracek held his ground long enough for Adewale Ogunleye to knife through and get between Buckhalter and the hole. This further slowed the ball carrier. Buckhalter was then bull dogged to the ground by Brown. Ogunleye combined with Danieal Manning for an early sack of McNabb. Israel Idonije picked up a sack. He started for Tommie Harris, who was not active. Anthony Adams had a tackle for a loss. Marcus Harrison had a knockdown. Mark Anderson has not been a factor this season. GRADE: B LinebackersLance Briggs continues to make huge hits. He sniffed out two screens and blew up both Buckhalter and Lorenzo Booker. Brian Urlacher (8 tackles) had an active game. The touchdown pass to DeSean Jackson was just beyond Urlacher's reach over the middle. Hunter Hillenmeyer picked up a key second half sack. Nick Roach received a few snaps for Hunter Hillenmeyer. They gave up a few big running plays in the second half to hurt their otherwise impressive grade. GRADE: B SecondaryKevin Payne (9 tackles, PD, INT) took advantage of what appeared to be a miscommunication or wrong route between Donovan McNabb and DeSean Jackson. He intercepted the pass and returned it 49 yards. Safety Mike Brown (4 tackles, PD) put some heat on McNabb several times, and also delivered a shot to separate a receiver from the ball. Cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher both left the game with injuries and returned. Tillman went back to the sideline shortly after returning from a shoulder injury. Vasher (thumb) was able to finish. His failure to wrap Buckhalter resulted in a big gain after a screen. Danieal Manning was again a factor blitzing from the nickel position. Corey Graham and Trumaine McBride came off the bench and didn't let their teammates down. GRADE: B Special Teams Robbie Gould connected on his one field goal attempt. His kickoffs were consistently long. Brad Maynard put 4 kicks inside the 20-yard line and added a 67-yard punt. Devin Hester returned 3 kicks for 99 yards and Daniel Manning returned 1 for 29. Hester had another brain fart on a punt return, fielding a punt inside the 10-yard line, resulting in very poor offensive field position. Coverage teams were good, highlighted by Nick Roach recovering a fumbled return. GRADE: B+ Coaching For the third week in a row, the Bears won the coin flip and elected to defer the kickoff return. It was finally decided to rest Tommie Harris, who is not healthy. The no huddle offense was very effective in ensuring the Bears were able to set the tempo instead of reacting to the defense. Work on screen plays is paying off. The fumbled reverse with Jones and Orton wasn't one of their better moments. They did a better job of cleaning up the penalties. Credit the Eagles' offense for running opposite the Bears' unbalanced defensive line for a big gain in the second half. GRADE: B Hardest Hits Briggs on Buckhalter Briggs on Booker Vasher on Jackson Game Balls Kevin Payne Lance Briggs Kyle Orton Horns John St. Clair

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) at Chicago Bears (1-2) By Michael Nudo Running back Brian Westbrook is a major question mark going into Sunday night (AP Photo/Tom Mihalek). BEARS OFFENSEcolor> vs. EAGLES DEFENSEcolor> The Bears are hopeful wide receiver/return specialist Devin Hester will return to action after a week two rib injury. His receiver reps went to Rashied Davis last week. Mark Bradley was released on Tuesday. His release should mean more looks for rookie Earl Bennett. Bennett can also return punts. Cornerback Nathan Vasher has assumed those duties since Hester was hurt. Leading receiver Brandon Lloyd has a hip injury that popped up on Thursday. They’ll need to be at the top of their game to face the attacking Eagle defense. The Eagles lost defensive end Victor Abiamiri for a significant chunk of the season when he suffered a dislocated wrist during training camp. Even without him, the Eagles have registered a league-leading 13 sacks through the first three games. Juqua Parker only has 2.5 but leads the squad. What does this mean? It means the Bears can expect the Eagles to send blitzes from all over the field. This will be a huge test for the offensive line, which has new starters at both positions on the left side and a right tackle (John Tait) who played on the left side a season ago. If there was ever a time when the Bears would look to run a power offense with two tight ends and a fullback, this would be the week. It’s not a cure-all against Philadelphia. They’ll look to counter by confusing the assignments at the edge or creating matchups there that do not favor the tight end. The going could be extremely tough for rookie Matt Forte as the Bears face fronts stacked to blitz both run and pass. On the plus side, all he has to do is make one player miss and he could go a long way. Kyle Orton will need to make quick decisions with the ball to take advantage of the best matchups. EAGLES OFFENSEcolor> vs. BEARS DEFENSEcolor> Running back Brian Westbrook sprained his ankle last week against Pittsburgh. He only has 205 yards from scrimmage in three games but has scored five touchdowns. If he can’t play, Correll Buckhalter will pick up the slack. Donovan McNabb has a bruised chest but is expected to play. He has come out of the blocks extremely hot, throwing for 5 touchdowns while completing 67 percent of his passes. Guard Shawn Andrews (back) will be watched closely to see if he can play. Fullback Tony Hunt is recovering from a concussion. Rookie wide receiver DeSean Jackson (17-256) has led the Eagles in receptions while Kevin Curtis has been down with a hernia. Tight end L.J. Smith has a balky back. Brent Celek will see more action if Smith isn’t ready to go. With nickel back Brandon McGowan (ankle) out for the season, Danieal Manning stepped up last week and provided a few of the rare pressures applied to Brian Griese. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee) remains a huge question mark in the middle of the Bears’ defense. He has done very little to distinguish himself through the first three games. Alex Brown is recovering from a mild ankle injury and is expected to be ready for Sunday night. Nathan Vasher has been troubled by a sore shoulder but is improving. The Bears took the run away from Tampa and forced them to pass. The Bucs obliged them. Philadelphia’s weapons are much more dangerous, and Donovan McNabb can make time for himself by moving around in the pocket much more than Brian Griese. There were clearly things the Bears were doing that became too predictable last week. The Bears will need to change things up in terms of coverage, technique and disguise.

I understand your point...to a degree. The overall completion percentage was good but is not indicative in any way nor does it explain away how Orton can be so far off on some of the shorter routes he was throwing. You have a 2 yard pass to the flat that misses wildly. Almost was behind the line and recoverable. How can he miss on stuff like that? It wasn't the only such play.

Noots’ Notes-Game Three: 27-24 OT Loss to Tampa BayBy Michael Nudo Former Bear quarterback Brian Griese led a second-half Tampa Bay comeback to tie and then defeat the Bears 27-24 in front of a stunned Bears’ home opener crowd. Losing more than their composure (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh). OFFENSE QuarterbackKyle Orton (22-34-268, 2 TD, 2 INT, 6-21) had an up and down performance. He threw an interception for a touchdown on a middle screen intended for Desmond Clark. Orton missed open receivers on numerous short routes that left many observers scratching their heads. On deeper passes, he under threw open receivers on several occasions as well. His other interception was an under thrown ball that Forte nearly came up with but bobbled away in the end zone. Orton’s timing was inconsistent. When it was good, he was hooking up with Brandon Lloyd for solid gains and then hitting Forte for a short touchdown in the left flat. He threw a beautiful strike to Lloyd up the left sideline for a 19-yard touchdown. Orton scrambled for some decent pickups, but ran one time too many, coming up short on a key play late in the game. Linebacker Barrett Ruud made him pay with a hit that sent him helicoptering to the ground. This was Orton’s best statistical game. However, he left quite a few yards on the field, and his completion percentage didn’t tell the whole story in terms of just how inaccurate he was. GRADE: C- Running BacksMatt Forte (27-89, 7/66, TD) was all the Bears had on offense for much of the game. He didn’t have as much room to run as in the first two weeks. Tampa knew he was coming. That said, he showed great patience in setting up his blocks on a key 8-yard run. Then later he broke a tackle on a screen for 19 yards. His end zone bobble of an under thrown Orton pass led to an interception and touchback. He also failed to recognize a corner blitz early in the game to let Ronde Barber get an easy sack. Even though Forte’s numbers weren’t as good as in previous weeks, Jason McKie (2/17) had one of his better blocking days. GRADE: B ReceiversBrandon Lloyd (6/124, TD, 2 PT) had his best game as a Bear. He made a circus catch on a pass that came over his head with his back to the ball for 27 yards. He put a move on Barber to pick up his 19-yard touchdown reception. Lloyd also went up high to catch a two-point conversion attempt. Rashied Davis (3-37) let a Kyle Orton dart go right through his arms over the middle. He missed the catch in nearly the exact same fashion as he missed one in the preseason. Tight end Desmond Clark (2/8) missed an early pass over the middle near the goal line. The drive would end in a field goal instead of a touchdown. Apart from Lloyd, the receivers didn’t do much to help Orton. GRADE: C Offensive LineCenter Olin Kreutz had another illegal snap penalty. John Tait let veteran Kevin Carter beat him to the inside for a sack. Roberto Garza committed a false start. Run blocking was fair. Pass protection was sketchy at best. Josh Beekman allowed a pressure in the second half. Neither Kevin Jones nor Matt Forte could break a run longer than 11 yards. GRADE: D DEFENSE Defensive LineBrian Griese (38-67-407, 2 TD, 3 INT) had 67 pass attempts and was not sacked once. The only pressure the Bears could bring was via the blitz. Tommie Harris had just one tackle, well downfield. Dusty Dvoracek made several key plays to bottle up Earnest Graham (12-16). Adewale Ogunleye (4 tackles), Alex Brown (PD) and Mark Anderson (TFL) did a solid job against the run but were mostly ineffective against Tampa Bay’s timing based passing attack. Israel Idonije and Marcus Harrison played but were not factors. All week long we heard about how Griese is a statue and the Bears would rather face him because they knew where he was and could get to him. How’d that work out? If they’re going to throw slants all day, can’t somebody get their arms in the air? Run stopping was very good, but that’s not enough to help the grade when there are sixty-something passes with little disruption. GRADE: D LinebackersLance Briggs (6 tackles, TFL, INT, 3 PD) stood out on defense. He had an early interception thanks to a deflection from Brian Urlacher. Briggs stopped Graham for a 4-yard loss. He also put some heat on Griese to lead to a Nathan Vasher pick. Urlacher added a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss to his fine day. He had one blemish on the run, getting blocked on an 18-yard Warrick Dunn carry. Hunter Hillenmeyer made a key stop on third and one on Graham. He also made a nice breakup on a pass to Stevens. Unfortunately, Stevens split out wide left at the goal line and caught a quick slant inside his coverage for a touchdown. Buccaneer tight ends combined for nine catches against the Bears. GRADE: B- SecondaryIn a wild, up and down contest, Charles Tillman had the most mercurial game of all. Tillman (11 tackles, 2 PD, FF) was all over the field. He forced yet another fumble and deflected a pass in the end zone to prevent a touchdown. But Tillman also added a penalty for illegal contact and a personal foul in overtime to sustain a drive. After a critical third down stop, he rushed to the aid of his teammates who were involved in a scrum that started when the Buccaneers’ offensive line was delivering some late cheat shots to Adewale Ogunleye. That penalty will be looked at as the play that cost the Bears the game. Nathan Vasher had an interception and nearly another in coverage. However, he allowed a 19-yard completion at the end of regulation to set up first and goal at the one-yard line. Kevin Payne had his first interception of the season. He and Mike Brown allowed quite a few passes over the middle to Tampa’s tight ends and wide receivers. Danieal Manning had a few pressures blitzing off the edge. The turnovers were nice, but they had opportunities to do so much more. GRADE: C- Special Teams Garrett Wolfe provided one of the few early Bear highlights with a 38-yard run on a direct snap of a faked punt. Robbie Gould connected on field goals from 40, 43, and 28. He missed from 49. His kickoff distance was consistently excellent, including a touchback. Kick and punt coverage was good, highlighted by an excellent open field tackle by Jamar Williams. Adrian Peterson was whistled for an illegal block in the back (he hit the defender in the side). Brad Maynard had his best game of the year, putting three kicks inside the 20-yard line. Danieal Manning and Nathan Vasher each had strong days returning kicks and punts. Danieal Manning also added what appeared to be a forced fumble but the play was not reviewed. GRADE: A Coaching For the second week in a row, the Bears won the coin flip and elected to defer the kickoff return. For the second week in a row it paid off. This time, Briggs and Urlacher combined on a deflection and an interception. Pass to run ratio was good. However, the play calling was very predictable in the early going. Run, run, play action, punt. At halftime it was determined it’s not against the rules to use play action on downs other than third. Great call on the direct snap to Wolfe. Is anybody on this staff ready to do something about Tommie Harris? It took eleven quarters for the Bears to throw their first touchdown pass. It’s a good thing Kyle Orton put a few decent plays together in the second half. There would have been quite a few calls for rookie Caleb Hanie. Playbook or not, plenty of guys with clip boards could have hit some of the short passes that were missed. You can’t blame the coaches for the lack of a pass rush. You do have to wonder if they reminded anyone up front to raise their hands. Like it or not, Tillman’s lack of composure that cost them late is also a reflection on the coaches. He’s supposed to be one of the team’s leaders. GRADE: C Hardest Hits Briggs on Dunn Briggs on Clayton Ruud on Orton Game Balls Brandon Lloyd Lance Briggs Matt Forte Horns Charles Tillman Tommie Harris

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) at Chicago Bears (1-1) By Michael Nudo Defensive end Gaines Adams’ status bears watching (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay). BEARS OFFENSEcolor> vs. BUCCANEERS DEFENSEcolor> Wide receiver/return specialist Devin Hester left last week’s game with a rib injury. His absence would mean more reps for Marty Booker at receiver and the possible game day activation of rookie Earl Bennett. Cornerback Nate Vasher returned punts and nickel back Danieal Manning returned kickoffs during last week’s contest after the injury. Linebacker Derrick Brooks has been nursing a sore hamstring and as a consequence has not been quite himself these first two weeks. Cornerback Elbert Mack has been suspended by the league for illegal hits on quarterbacks. Defensive back Aqib Talib is having hamstring issues. If he misses time, the depth in the Bucs’ secondary and ability to match up against multiple receiver sets will be vastly limited. Last week, the Bucs’ defense sacked rookie Matt Ryan four times and forced two interceptions. They also held Michael Turner under 50 yards rushing. They did this with pressure from their front four, especially ends Greg White and Gaines Adams. Adams shows up on the report this week (abdomen). His status bears watching, because losing him would make it much easier to add pass protection help to just one edge of the line. The Bears would do well to run 3 and 4 wide receiver sets against the depleted Bucs’ secondary. In the least, the Bucs would spread their defense and allow them to run Matt Forte at them. Tampa has seen the tape of the Bears’ offense. If the Bears want to split them out wide, so be it. Until Kyle Orton proves he can take advantage of single coverage to pick up medium and long range passes, opposing defenses will be less likely to take an extra safety out of the box. BUCCANEERS OFFENSEcolor> vs. BEARS DEFENSEcolor> Former Bear Brian Griese is set to start his second straight game in relief of Jeff Garcia. Garcia was given the quick hook after an ineffective opener. Many people thought the Bucs were finished last year when Cadillac Williams went down. Earnest Graham stepped in and has quietly been one of the most productive backs in the league ever since. Graham has rushed for 992 yards and 9 touchdowns in his last 12 starts. Wide receiver Joey Galloway has a leg injury and may miss the game. If he can’t play, the Bucs will share the load among Michael Clayton, Dexter Jackson, Maurice Stovall and Antonio Bryant. Offensive guard Davin Joseph (foot) missed last week’s contest. With versatile rookie Jeremy Zuttah starting in his stead, the Bucs rushed for 164 yards against the Falcons. Nickel back Brandon McGowan (ankle) is out for the season. Danieal Manning will pick up the slack there as well. Manning should be busy with that responsibility in addition to kickoff returns. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris (knee, ankle) appears to have been affected by his assorted bumps and bruises. He has amassed only two tackles through the first two games, in spite of seeing a starter’s share of the reps in the defensive tackle rotation. Tampa Bay has been extremely effective with a balanced attack. Their running game has been a huge part of that success. If they can successfully run against the Bears, they’ll force a commitment from the safeties, which will improve Tampa’s ability to go deep as well as hit the tight end.

Noots’ Notes-Game Two: 20-17 Loss at CarolinaBy Michael Nudo The Bears fell to 1-1 after blowing a 17-3 third quarter lead at Carolina on Sunday. The Panthers used an opportunistic defense and the hard running of Jonathan Stewart to get the job done. They let this one slip away (AP Photo/Chuck Burton). OFFENSE QuarterbackKyle Orton’s performance (19-32-149) reflected the overall Bears effort. He got off to an accurate and efficient start hitting on nine of his first thirteen passes in the first half. Orton found Brandon Lloyd for 32 yards while backed up inside his own ten yard-line. He hit Desmond Clark for 15 yards on a 2nd and long. Orton nearly had his first touchdown pass when he connected with Lloyd early in the third quarter to set up a Jason McKie 1-yard touchdown plunge. Things fell apart from there. Several second half passes were thrown into coverage and nearly picked off. He missed a streaking Marty Booker, who had broken several steps beyond his defender. Orton also threw errantly to Rashied Davis on a critical third down, as well as missing Davis completely as he had worked between the zone coverage. It rained like heck back in Chicago on Saturday and Sunday. Orton will bring a two game touchdown pass drought back to Chicago. GRADE: D Running BacksMatt Forte (23-92, 3/21)) had another good game. He continually broke free into the second level of the Panther defense. Unfortunately, the Bears left a few good chunks of yardage on the field because of penalties. Running mate Jason McKie (3-7, Td, 2/13) was a major culprit. McKie committed a false start and a holding penalty on successive plays to kill a drive at the end of the first half. McKie scored a touchdown but also was stopped short on fourth and one at the end of the game. Kevin Jones was given one carry. GRADE: B- ReceiversGreg Olsen (2/7, 2 fumbles) had a game he’ll want to put behind him as soon as possible. He coughed up the ball to the Panthers twice. One of them was punched out by former Bear Chris Harris. Brandon Lloyd (5/66, Td) stood out with a big game. He made several key grabs. Lloyd and Orton seem to have a good chemistry, especially on passes to the back shoulder. Rashied Davis (3/11) dropped two passes that should have been caught. He also picked up 17 yards and a big first down on an end around. Davis dropped a slant and was also called for a questionable holding penalty to wipe out a solid gain for Forte. Marty Booker was not a factor, although his breaking into the clear is a good sign that he has more than a few miles left. Rookie Kellen Davis let a linebacker blow him up to stop Jason McKie on the Bears final offensive play. GRADE: D Offensive LineCenter Olin Kreutz had one of his better games. He was able to get to the second level on several occasions. Left tackle John St. Clair had an early false start and then later allowed Julius Peppers to pressure Orton into a sack. Overall, the run blocking was solid against a very large Panther defensive line (115 rushing yards and a 4.0 average per carry). Pass protection was average. Orton took some heat from the unblocked blitzing edge rusher, but also took some pressure from the line’s responsibilities on a few plays as well. GRADE: B- DEFENSE Defensive LineAdewale Ogunleye had a key tackle for a loss. He tormented rookie Jeff Otah into several false starts. Otah would later get the better of Ogunleye run blocking for Jonathan Stewart (14-77, 2 Td). Alex Brown collected his second sack and had a tackle for a loss in the fourth quarter. Brown failed to wrap up Stewart on one of his many tackle breaking carries up the middle. Israel Idonije stunted to pick up a sack as well. Dusty Dvoracek made a few key stops against the run. Tommie Harris played sparingly and was not a factor. Mark Anderson and Marcus Harrison were not factors. Pressure was decent, but run defense was lacking as the game wore on. GRADE: B- LinebackersLance Briggs came up big with a tackle for a loss on a third down and four carry late in the contest. He also deflected a pass while blitzing. Hunter Hillenmeyer was beaten for 23 yards by tight end Jeff King to set up Carolina’s go ahead touchdown. Brian Urlacher (3 tackles) had a very quiet game. GRADE: C SecondarySafeties Mike Brown and Kevin Payne (6 tackles, TFL) had standout performances. Brown blitzed for an early knockdown on Delhomme (12-21-128, Int). He later made it all the way in for a sack. Kevin Payne was making tackles from sideline to sideline at the line of scrimmage against the run. He also broke up a pass that Charles Tillman (6 tackles, Int) turned into an interception. Brandon McGowan dropped his head while isolated with a receiver in the flat. The receiver hurdled over McGowan and picked up additional yardage. Nate Vasher had a quiet day in coverage. Overall, the defensive backs had a solid performance. Run support was good. They made some plays when given the opportunity. GRADE: B Special Teams Darrell McClover blocked Carolina’s first punt attempt. Brandon Lloyd scooped it up and returned it for a touchdown. Penalties plagued the special teams. Illegal blocks by McGowan, Danieal Manning and Kellen Davis robbed the Bears’ offense of critical field position. Field position was also hurt by Brad Maynard, who continually made weak punts while the Bears were pinned deep near their own goal. Devin Hester didn’t flash with any of his returns. He left with a rib injury after a return that didn’t appear to include any contact. Robbie Gould hit on his one field goal attempt and kicked off with good distance. GRADE: B Coaching The Bears won the coin flip and elected to defer the kickoff return. It paid off when McClover blocked Carolina’s opening punt and Brandon Lloyd returned it for a 9-yard touchdown. Ron Turner’s end around call to Rashied Davis was well timed and executed. Not converting second, third and fourth and one late in the fourth quarter was a major disappointment. The third and one quick hitch was too predictable and was predictably nearly picked off. The fourth and one handoff was given to McKie. If they wanted one yard, why not let the quarterback keep it? Why not bring in the fresh legs of battering ram Kevin Jones (who only received one carry)? Where was he Sunday? Bob Babich’s defense was solid all day, but couldn’t stop Stewart as the game wore on. Dusty Dvoracek appears to be the only defensive lineman who can stop the run. Some of the big guys who aren’t dressing might need to be wearing equipment next week. They missed Tommie Harris. Maybe they should not dress Harris for a week to give him the rest he appears to be needing? GRADE: C- Hardest Hits Briggs on Williams Game Balls Charles Tillman Kevin Payne Darrell McClover Brandon Lloyd Horns Greg Olsen Brandon McGowan Jason McKie

When in doubt, look at the productivity over time. I don't think Delhomme is going to be given a bust in Canton, but I do believe he's a good quarterback. There's 32 teams in this league, and I'd have to think he fits into the top half of that list.

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS Chicago Bears (1-0) at Carolina Panthers (1-0) By Michael Nudo Jake Delhomme has returned to form (Getty Images). BEARS OFFENSEcolor> vs. PANTHERS DEFENSEcolor> The Bears welcomed back offensive tackle Fred Miller with a one year deal on Wednesday. He’ll provide valuable depth, especially since the Bears are carrying injured rookie Chris Williams on the active roster. John Tait has moved over to the right side and shows up on the report this week with a sore groin. The offensive line faces a different challenge from the Colts. The Panthers boast a gigantic defensive line, anchored by tackle Maake Kemoeatu, who checks in at a robust 6’5” and 345 pounds. Strong side linebacker Na’il Diggs has been recovering from a sore shoulder. The Bears are familiar with Diggs from his Green Bay days. One player they’re even more familiar with will be safety Chris Harris. The former Bear quickly acclimated himself to the Panthers last season, developing into a one man forced fumble factory. Harris stripped Antonio Gates last week in San Diego. Cornerback Chris Gamble scooped up the loose ball and took it in for a 31-yard touchdown. Gamble has a minor arm injury and is easing his way back this week. The Panthers like to run the zone blitz, where they drop Julius Peppers into coverage and blitz a linebacker. This can be extremely effective against inexperienced offensive lines who can be confused in their assignments when changes occur after the snap. Look for the Panthers to test St. Clair and Beekman with an array of blitzes and stunts. On offense, expect the Bears to continue to run the ball until someone can stop them. There wasn’t a need to use much play action last week against the Colts. This could be the week where we see it used more often to open things up downfield. PANTHERS OFFENSEcolor> vs. BEARS DEFENSEcolor> Jake Delhomme missed most of last season with Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow. He has displayed his previous form since returning in the preseason. Backup Matt Moore suffered a broken leg and will likely miss a large chunk of the year. Josh McCown is the backup. Wide receiver Steve Smith was suspended for the first two games for fighting with his teammate Ken Lucas. This has provided more opportunities for former Bear Muhsin Muhammad and tight end Dante Rosario (7/96, Td). The Panthers opened up last week with two tight ends, two wide and a single back. Rosario made a clutch touchdown catch late in the fourth quarter to defeat the Chargers last week. He sprained his foot but should be ready to go for this week’s contest. Wide receiver D.J. Hackett and rookie running back Jonathan Stewart have fought their way back from toe injuries. Stewart brings a rare combination of size, speed and strength. Wide receiver/return specialist Ryne Robinson returned to practice this week after missing a huge chunk of the preseason. Rookie right tackle Jeff Otah suffered a minor knee injury in the opener and was replaced by Jeremy Bridges. Otah was able to return later and finish the game. Left guard Travelle Wharton was replaced during the game by Geoff Hangartner as well. Otah and Wharton are expected to be ready for Sunday. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris has a sore ankle and was used sparingly in the Bears’ victory at Indianapolis. Backups Israel Idonije and Marcus Harrison saw heavier doses of playing time. Each made an impact. Lance Briggs is also nursing an ankle injury, but was not limited in the game apart from the few plays he watched from the sideline. Nathan Vasher (shoulder) is not expected to miss any time this week. Defensive player of the week Adewale Ogunleye draws the matchup with Otah. Otah’s size and power will be pitted against Ogunleye’s quickness and guile. Tommie Harris’ various bumps and bruises will dictate a continuing rotation of fresh bodies along the defensive front. With speedster Steve Smith on the sideline, the Bears will have the opportunity to cheat a safety closer to the line to either make plays against the run or to blitz. Keep an eye on Mike Brown and Kevin Payne this week. They were relatively quiet against the aerial assault of the Colts and they should be factors against the Panthers. This will be their time to shine.

I just spent around 10 minutes over there and couldn't find it. Is the front page somewhere else?

Noots’ Notes-Game One: 29-13 Win at IndianapolisBy Michael Nudo The Bears shocked the Colts in the home opener at Lucas Oil Stadium. They were led by Matt Forte’s running on offense and an opportunistic defense. If you were wondering, the word Forte means strength (AP Photo). OFFENSE QuarterbackKyle Orton (13-21-150) won’t like being called a game manager, but he truly earned the title in this contest. Orton continually made adjustments at the line to put his team into good plays, especially for some of the Forte runs. Although he threw a few helicopters and ducks, he showed great poise and made a few key plays. Orton didn’t let the crowd become too great of a factor, took control of the team at the line, and overall showed great leadership qualities. He put the game on ice when he found Desmond Clark inside the five-yard line late in the game. His numbers might merit a C or C+, but everything else he did was an A. GRADE: B+ Running BacksMatt Forte (23-123, Td, 3/18) had an astonishing debut. He ran strong, but showed great vision to occasionally find cutback lanes to pick up big chunks of yardage. His fifty yard touchdown run tilted the momentum of the game for good. Forte was continually counted on to pick up first downs in short yardage situations and rarely disappointed. He also did a good job with his blitz pickups and caught the ball well. It’s a little early for the comparison, but he displayed a gliding slashing style reminiscent of Marcus Allen. Kevin Jones (13-45) was the second prong of the rushing attack. He spelled Forte at points to keep things moving in a positive direction. Jason McKie (2-5, Td) set the table for Jones and Forte. He improved after a weak preseason. GRADE: A ReceiversDesmond Clark (2/46) and Greg Olsen (2/36) were the two receivers who distinguished themselves. They both had 25-plus yard receptions down the stretch to set the table. There wasn’t much else to get excited about from the receivers. GRADE: C+ Offensive LineThe middle three of Beekman, Kreutz and Garza were keys to Forte’s success. Garza made a huge play side block on Forte’s touchdown. Beekman pulled and sealed off his man on the play as well. Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis each got the better of St. Clair and Tait for sacks. They weren’t awful, and it could have been a real horror show given the competition. Kreutz was called for two holding penalties and an illegal snap to start the game (a fumble). It’s hard to argue with 183 rushing yards and 4.7 yards per carry. Overall, run blocking was very good. There are still a few growing pains this line will go through in protection, as evidenced by an untouched rusher splitting Beekman and Kreutz while neither was engaged. GRADE: B DEFENSE Defensive LineAdewale Ogunleye stood out. He had 3 tackles for a loss, none of them more key than a safety in the first half. He continually stopped Addai in the backfield. Although it wasn’t called, Ogunleye and Dusty Dvoracek were held repeatedly. Tommie Harris had an early tackle for a loss but was silent the rest of the way. Israel Idonije had a pass deflection. Mark Anderson put a good shot on Peyton Manning in the waning moments. Alex Brown deflected a pass and recorded a sack. Rookie Marcus Harrison had a sack and his penetration set up a key fourth down stop. GRADE: A Linebackers Lance Briggs made a key play when he scooped up a forced fumble and took it 21 yards for a score. He also starched Addai to stop a critical third down conversion. Urlacher and Briggs led the Bears with eight tackles each. Urlacher was flagged for a questionable roughing the quarterback penalty in the first half. Hunter Hillenmeyer was not a factor because the Bears ran quite a bit of nickel defense. The front seven were a key to holding Indianapolis to 53 yards rushing on 15 carries. GRADE: A SecondaryCharles Tillman was flagged for a questionable pass interference penalty. However, he was a key for the Bears. He set the tone with a crushing hit on Reggie Wayne to separate him from the ball. It was Tillman who punched the ball out of Marvin Harrison’s hands to force a fumble that Briggs returned for a touchdown. On the down side, safeties Mike Brown (3 tackles) and Kevin Payne (2 tackles) were not impressive. Brown looked slow to react on a number of plays. Payne went for the ball in a one on one in the hole, and came up with a big zero. GRADE: B Special TeamsDevin Hester made a critical error in judgment, fielding a kickoff deep in the end zone that he waited to take out. He was tackled inside the 5-yard line. Robbie Gould was perfect on field goals from 44 and 25 yards. His kickoffs were deep. Brad Maynard punted well. There was one coverage breakdown but it was called back due to a penalty. Corey Graham made a key coverage stop inside the 20 on a kickoff. GRADE: B CoachingThis was one of the most well-coached Bear victories in a long time. The Bears attacked the weakened front three of the Colts. They showed Urlacher and Briggs in the middle almost the entire game, although they picked their spots for blitzing. On offense, they finally decided the way to win was through the physicality of a tough running attack. No more being cute, just tough running. Screens and draws were utilized effectively. I checked myself for a pulse on numerous occasions to ensure I was still alive. GRADE: A Hardest Hits Adewale Ogunleye on Joseph Addai Charles Tillman on Reggie Wayne Bob Sanders on Matt Forte Lance Briggs on Joseph Addai Mike Brown on Reggie Wayne Game Balls Matt Forte Charles Tillman Lance Briggs Adewale Ogunleye Entire Coaching Staff Horns Kevin Payne Devin Hester NBC Production Team (how many plays were missed?)

Hi Pix--I just tried sending this to you via email, but it bounced (I have your insight email addy). Noots

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts By Michael Nudo No Saturday this Sunday BEARS OFFENSEcolor> vs. COLTS DEFENSEcolor> Left guard Terrence Metcalf was a question mark going into this year after a poor performance in his opportunities last season. He recently underwent knee surgery that cost him all of the preseason games. Although he returned to practice this week, Metcalf would seem a long shot to play this Sunday. Stepping up is Josh Beekman, who hardly sniffed the field last year. Beekman started all four preseason games and played as many snaps as anyone. He’s come a long way and shows great promise blocking in space on runs and screens. He still has a ways to go in pass protection, and will likely be tested early and often this year. The Bears acquired guard Dan Buenning from Tampa Bay for a late draft pick on Tuesday. Buenning was an immediate starter for the Bucs after being drafted in the fourth round in 2005. He suffered a knee injury during the following season, fought his way back, but was behind some younger players who were also drafted relatively high. Buenning should figure into the mix at some point if there is injury or poor performance. Tight end Desmond Clark suffered a knee sprain during the preseason, but has returned to practice. The Bears are deep at tight end, where Greg Olsen looks to improve on a promising rookie campaign. Behind him is rookie Kellen Davis, who opened eyes everywhere during camp with his impressive combination of size and speed. The Bears were planning to utilize the tight ends heavily in the offense and it shouldn't change regardless of Clark’s health for this game. They’ll also play a role in helping left tackle John St. Clair, who is being trusted with Kyle Orton’s blind side. The Colts have a few bumps and bruises on defense. At linebacker, Tyjuan Hagler was recently placed on the PUP list. Clint Session is expected to step in on the strong side. Rookie middle linebacker Philip Wheeler has been recovering from a knee issue. Elsewhere, defensive end Dwight Freeney (foot) and safety Bob Sanders (shoulder) have missed extensive parts of the preseason. Anything that can slow down Freeney is good news to Bears' tackle John St. Clair. Look for the Bears to pound the Colts' defense with the run, and to set up play action to their tight ends. The Colts will load the box to stop the run and will blitz extensively to test the Bears' line and challenge Orton to find targets downfield with accuracy. COLTS OFFENSEcolor> vs. BEARS DEFENSEcolor> Peyton Manning is expected to be ready for this game, despite missing nearly the entire preseason after he had an infected bursa sac in his right knee. He has returned to practice. Complicating matters, center Jeff Saturday will miss significant time with a torn right MCL. The situation becomes more difficult given left guard Ryan Lilja is also down with a knee injury and interior lineman Mike Pollack is also banged up. The middle three of the line is expected to be Charlie Johnson, Jamey Richard and Dan Federkeil. Rookie center Jamey Richard will be faced with a huge challenge. The offensive line depends on the center to make adjustments to blocking prior to each play. It would seem more than likely the Colts will depend on Manning to take a greater role at the line of scrimmage to ensure there are no breakdowns with Richard over the ball. Mike Brown is back in the lineup and Brian Urlacher returns after off season neck surgery. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who missed the last few weeks of practice to nurse a sore knee, returned to practice Wednesday. If he’s ready to go, he’ll be a key to attacking the inexperienced interior line of the Colts. The Bears are excited about the return of defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek, who was injured in the first game of last season. Pass rushing defensive end Mark Anderson isn’t expected to miss any time with a thumb injury. If it’s heavily wrapped, it may have an impact on his effectiveness. The Bears will want to test how well Manning's knee is healed as well. Regardless, expect the Bears to try to make things difficult for Richard with their rotation of fresh interior linemen and middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Count me among those disappointed to see Polite cut. That guy is a football player that I'd have found a way to keep on the team. Heck, I thought he was a better blocker than McKie as well. Don't we get off the bus running? Then why did we decide to keep the finesse guy around?

Arrows Up Rashied Davis--great to see you back. Next time need to hang onto the other one so you can turn the hat trick. Kyle Orton--He looked like a real pro. Attacked the entire field--not just checkdowns. Offensive Line: Every one of 'em. It was very pleasing to see Beekman and St Clair caving down the left side on some running plays as well as bottling up the pass rush. Nice. Lloyd & Izzie: nice special teams plays. Love it. Mark Bradley: hmm...going to make it harder to cut him. Speaking of which... Danieal Manning: That was the best he's looked in a while on both ST and in defense. Mike Brown: He gave up a tuddie, and that hurts. However, he laid the wood a few times out there, which was good to see. Dusty Dvoracek: he throwing interior linemen around like rag dolls on some of those goal line plays. Kevin Jones: Even though he looked to have a slight hitch in his giddy up, he showed burst, broke a tackle and busted off a long on. Matt Forte: he was solid overall, which is big for a rookie. Arrows Down Charles Tillman: Isaac Bruce put some veteran plays on him to cost him. He surrendered quite a bit out there. Must be still rounding into shape. Url & Briggs: getting beaten on cutbacks. Arm tackling. Leaving feet. Grossman: Awful throw on third and short to end a drive. You gotta be able to pick that up. It's a quick hard pass to the right and he's wide open. Hester: Look, you're getting big money now. Put your feet on the ten yard line. If it's over your head, you let it go. Understand? D Line: Do NOT leave your gaps. Good backs like Gore will live up to their namesake against you if you do. Wolfe: we cannot afford turnovers on ST Olson: You're no longer a rookie. You gotta know when you're on the end of the line. Red zone penalties are worth at least a few laps around the practice field. Oakley: if we're running waggle action and you're supposed to be the guy responsible for a pull (I admit, I'd like to see a replay here), then doggone it, get there. If the end comes tough, you better be there. Rex nearly got picked on that one. Sure looked like he showed up late, but I didn't get to see if he was pulling or just trying to get there as the uncovered man.

I wouldn't be surprised if they try to put Grice Mullen on the PS I will be shocked as sh&t if Michael Okwo makes the roster this year, 3rd round pick or not. He is clearly behind the three starters, Wilson, McLovin', Williams and Roach (did I forget anyone else who plays LB?).

Please....may the message board Gods do their thing to rescue MadLithuanian's post from the seventh circle of quoted html tag hell.

Excellent breakdown of info nfo'. A couple of things I'd like to add for comment: On Olsen. There was one play where he was lined up on he left side, and the play was a run behind him. He was the LAST guy off the LOS, in fact, I think he forgot the snap count. So everyone and their uncle was moving for a full two counts before he got out of his stance. Come on. You're not a rookie and you may not earn your keep being a blocker. But know the snap count or you're going to find yourself relegated to a specialist. Some rays of hope for our OL in that Tyler Reed, Kirk Barton and Josh Beekman were positives. I thought Beekman got out in space and shielded pursuit on a few outside plays. I'm so tired of seeing our OL pull out and then let everyone run past them. It's not enough to get there. You gotta find someone and take them out of the play. All of our RBs played well, and that was a relief to see. Heck, someone's gotta talk me outta wanting Lusaka Pollitte to challenge as our starter at FB (you know he won't be given a shot). Can we stop trying to force the round peg in the square hole with Bennett on the KOR? Holy smokes that was bad. Speaking of bad, Danieal Manning indeed does still suck.

Hi Guys, I listened to that interview as well. Keep in mind that Thayer is a company guy, working for the Bears' flagship. Why do I say that? Well, we're all getting excited positively and negatively regarding this Orton statement, right...but when Double Z asked him how he wanted to see the line for next year, Thayer said he wanted to see Tyler Reed and Josh Beekman battle it out for LG, and had some other eye openers as well. I wouldn't get too excited about that interview.

If I were Turner, Angelo, Lovie...regarding Rex Quite honestly, I think they really should cut the cord...but let's put that thought aside and pretend for a moment Rex is re-signed, and the starter. 1. JA needs to rebuild the line. I would look to add two new linemen this year, and they'd need to be extremely strong run blockers at the point of attack. I guess I'd try to find guys that Rex could see over without sacrificing pass blocking ability due to short arms. LOL. 2. Ron Turner needs to do a couple of things to get Rex back on track, from a schematic perspective. I'm not saying this is ALL he should do, just that I didn't see much of this and it needs to be "in the mix". .....A. More designed cut blocks for the OL, especially on the 3 step drops. Those 3 steppers are the bread and butter plays that the good teams use to move the chains and get 7-10 yds regularly. Rex seems to only hit the very outside stuff on them, and ocassionally a fade. He's gotta pick up the middle of the field, especially the TE and the slot guy cutting across. It's going to be easier if we're taking people's legs out. Everyone else does it. Why don't we do more of it? .....B. More shotgun. I don't subscribe to more shotgun as a panacea. However, in Rex's case, the additional distance gives him a better opportunity to see. .....C. More running plays (do we have ANY?) from the shotgun. I believe we need to step up to the current ways of attack, having designed runs from the shotgun, and I don't just mean the draw. I mean running a shotgun spread with a back on each hip that you can toss to, criss cross in the backfield, run stretch plays and especially designed cutbacks like other teams are doing to our defense. If the defense KNOWS we're gonna pass only from the shotgun, they're going to kill us with blitzes. .....D. More draw plays. It was nice to see some well run screens to AP and Wolfe in the second half of the year. What's missing to keep teams honest is a few more draw plays. Not a ton, but a few. Teams are doing this to us a bunch as well. You won't get good at them until you run some. 3. Better run to pass ratio. Too much passing overall this past year. Sure, our running game was pretty anemic in ypc, but there were plenty of games where we saw no comittment to running, even when it was working. Heck, Turner had a real problem with sticking to a script instead of sticking to what's working in the flow of the game. If it means delaying getting carries to the second or third string back, so be it. Grossman can be very effective as a play action QB, and defenses aren't gonna be buyin what he's sellin if they don't actually run the ball. Those last two games, the Bears showed a much better comittment to running the ball, and Orton was the benefactor, and the end results were wins over a team on its way to the NFC Championship and another who was playing us with it's playoff life at stake. They were meaningful games in that sense, no doubt. It was OUR playoffs, and the team stepped up. 4. I don't care where you find him, but I'd look to get a real slobberknocker at FB. McKie's a nice enough guy and all, he's a decent player, but I'd like to see a difference maker at the position. Being able to catch the ball is important, but to me, the first priority is to be that sledgehammer who can lead the RB to 1,000 yard seasons. If we can't get that, I just don't see how McKie sees the field, especially when we're going to be going to more 2 TE sets because it's CLEAR TO EVERYONE that Olsen and Clark are the two best receivers on this team (unless Berrian returns). Between those two guys, and then Gilly the blocking TE, I just don't see how we can validate reps for McKie.

Hey guys. I like the pickup. Yeah, you gotta give up something to get something. The Sox were really hurting for a quality OF and a guy who can get on base. Last year they struggled in their consistency with scoring runs because of guys like Uribe killing them. Yeah, I hate to trade away prospects, but then I thought Jeff Liefer was gonna be a superstar and I'm sure Scott Ruffcorn went out the door with a lot of hopes as well. The Sox have added flexibility in this guy being able to play some first base. I'm really wondering today about the renewed rumors of Pauly Konks going west in exchange for Figgins and E. Santana. Figgins would be an excellent fit on the Sox, but Santana was soooo bad last season. If he pitched like he did the previous two years, then fine.

As you would imagine, a lot depends on the defensive scheme for the LBs. In a traditional 4-3, the sam or strong side LB is the guy who has the "dirty harry" job of being lined up over the TE and taking on blockers at the point of attack. This thankless job often doesn't show up in terms of big tackle numbers, sacks or interceptions. It was at this position that Urlacher was so erroneously placed in his rookie season under Dick Jauron/Greg Blache. As a guy who played monster/safety in college, he needed to be in space, which is more of a description of the Will/weak side linebacker. Of the three positions, sam, will, and mike, the sam takes the most punishment, followed by mike and then will. So moving him to Will would be helpful for Urlacher. Now, in Lovie's scheme, remember that the DL is playing one gap instead of two. That means the MLB has less protection, but is usually flowing downhill to an assigned gap instead of reading laterally. He's often running to that gap so fast that even when he's not covered (when we're not in an over/under and a guy is not playing over the center), the poor saps on the OL can't catch him to cut him off from the point of attack. Where he gets nailed is when teams design cutbacks, so as Url sees the play cutting back, he cuts back into the sloth-footed OL who can now cut him off with leverage and momentum in favor of the OL. In pass coverage, you'll notice that when we go with a lot of cover two, the MLB has to fly into the middle of the zone coverage. His safety skills are excellently suited here. However, the WLB that Briggs plays usually has more responsibility in the shallow areas, more laterally. You'll often see Briggs chasing down the width of the field to make a play. I do think Urlacher is even better suited for this than the middle and Briggs. I also believe Briggs might be better suited to handle the middle in run support. But I don't believe Briggs could handle the medium/deep middle responsibilities of the cover two zone. What about Williams up the middle? We'll have to see that. In college, he had a surprisingly good nose for the ball in coverage, but I don't know if he has the speed to pull it off. What's best for the team and Urlacher? It's a tough question, and one that should be reassessed if we let Briggs go. If he stays, it would be a tough transition for two guys. If he goes, it's really only one guy, and that one guy, Urlacher, is a pretty smart football player and I'd have to believe he'd be pretty good at it.

I think there IS meaning that can be taken from this game. It was a meaningful game to GB, and it was still a day that saw the beloved sitting a bunch of hurt or out players and we still took it to them. What meaning to take? 1. Lovie's defense is still best when its forcing turnovers, and that's an easy catch 2. Moose if finished. That ball hit him squarely in the hole of the top part of his 8 on his jersey. 3. Turner finally remembered what it means to dedicate the offense to running the ball 40 times. It wasn't pretty, but it was enough to get first downs, and to get the offensive line out of their funk. They weren't exactly stellar, but they played to a much higher level. Let's not forget, with a 40 mph wind, there wasn't much mystery about what we were gonna do, and we did it anyway. 3.1 ypc for the running game is a lot more palatable when you're limited to pretty much running all the time anyway. 4. The symbiotic relationship between offense, defense and special teams was never more present on Sunday, with the O holding the football and scoring, while the D was able to get on and off the field quickly and with that rest, they actually made plays, and the ST squad forced the issued by putting up points of their own, even without it being at the hands of Devin Hester. 5. Kyle Orton indeed deserved this longer look. 6. Alex Brown proved to us that he should still have been the starter 7. The Coaches need to reassess Alex Brown's situation as well as their defensive philosophy, as the increased ass girth that the new Toewiener guy provided arrived at exactly the same time that Urlacher's play suddenly went off the charts again. That big arse tackle's play has had a ripple effect on the rest of the defense. 8. All those guys out, and we still saw a win. That tells me a bunch about how this team SHOULD HAVE MADE THE PLAYOFFS this year. I put this on the coaches and JA more than the players. 9. GB has a smaller DL and we pounded them. It will be interesting to see if they can pull off the same against the Saints. I'm looking very closely at the play of our entire OL, and that includes the center, Olin Kreutz. I'm beginning to wonder if he no longer can get by on guile. Can somebody activate Beekman? I wanna know. 10. Jamar Williams played a bunch and made some impact plays at and behind the LOS. That's huge. Heck, even Hillenmeyer played well. 11. I dunno if McGowan is a starter for us next year, but he's making enough plays to deserve a shot and at the very least remain on our roster. He was given a pretty short leash this year, and there was a dipsy do that Peterson put on him in the hole in that first Viking game that was atrocious. All said, I think we're better with him in there than not. I dunno if I can say the same for Danieal Manning. Clueless play at safety is a recipe for jailbreaks/disaster.

Way to go in getting this thing up and running so quickly! Hats off to you. Noots