AZ54

He's quietly becoming the type of hard-nosed player Bears fans love. We just haven't given him any respect so far.

I don't believe the hype on Detroit at all, but I don't know which Bears offense or defense is going to show up either.

Wright is not a FS, takes bad angles. Steltz proved he's a safety of last resort. Conte is still learning the game but actually looks like our future backup FS. I think if anything the injuries have proven the need for Chris Harris to stick around a few more years.

First and foremost I'm giving props to the Oline. Especially to the constantly berated Chris Williams and Lance Louis. Toss in Webb too. Forte is running great and breaking tackles but he had some huge holes to run through today. Carolina is not that good in run defense but regardless we did what you should do against a weakness, we exploited and kept on exploiting it even when they knew it was coming at them. I'll go out and say that the improvement in running game is in part due to Louis returning. We all know it wasn't Omiyale. Louis stepped outside and played RT too after Omiyale got burned routinely. If Forte can get outside before Suh can get upfield we'll run well against Detroit too. Cutler...I was impressed with him the first game or two but after all the hits he's got happy feet and he's rushing his release. It will take some time to get his confidence back and I think that will happen when Earl Bennett returns. Knox and Hester are ok WRs but they are just complimentary types who cannot go up and get the ball when they are covered. Who else is he throwing to? RoyW, UDFA Sanzenbacher, Hurd? We need that player...Cutler needs that player. I'd say something about our defense but I didn't see any.

I didn't see Bell either. After how he blocked nothing but air in New Orleans and given how the rest of the pass protection has been that was probably a good decision. Amobi Okoye on run defense was constantly getting washed out of his lane, and taking LBs out of the play too. Almost every run, and certainly the big gains up the middle, was right through his gap. There was a huge difference when Big Toe was in the game. Paea has a slot in the rotation waiting for him when he gets healthy. No run blocking. Am I really ready to say I'd like to see Lance Louis back? Or were we missing Carimi? Definitely a dropoff from Carimi's run blocking to OmiwasIsupposedtoblockhim. How are our guys missing assignments on our home field? Can't blame a hostile crowd for that, although I did hear some boos out there. Jay Cutler hit his hot reads, and started doing it early...kudos. Now if he can get back to being comfortable in the pocket so his passes are more accurate I'll be even happier. Kellen Davis...in one play I can say I never saw Greg Olsen run like that in the open field. We need to start using him more (and he needs to start catching the ball). Craig Steltz...Chris Harris will be thanking you when he signs his contract extension. Brandon Meriweather might have had the first pass defensed by a Bears FS in years. More please. Officiating...pass interference is a penalty.

I don't think our Oline is as bad as some make it out to be. They aren't great but they can pass protect decently this year. When Kellen Davis completely misses his block it's not an Oline issue. When Bell completely misses his block it's not an Oline issue. When the D blitzes more than we have blockers for and Cutler completely ignores his hot read it's not an Oline issue. That last line right there is why the Saints were so comfortable bringing 6 guys in the 4th quarter. Jay seemed to go back into his.."l'll get it all back right here on this play" and just kept looking for the deeper routes to open up. This is the NFL and you have to take what the defense gives you. Getting sacked while Matt Forte stares at you all alone from the same spot that blizting LB occupied means you don't read what's happening. Ignoring a wide open Kellen Davis as he turns immediately toward Cutler on a hot route while watching the blitzing safety go after Cutler means he's not reading things. I'm not saying our Oline is great but there are more pieces to this puzzle than just better pass protection. Martz calling more run plays is part of it. Cutler hitting his hot reads is part of it too. Last year in game 3 Cutler made this adjustment and it led to a victory against Dallas. Will the same thing happen in game 3 this year?

Great leadership on the part of Peppers. These guys will be playing as a unified team when they return. http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/be...ers-mother.html Source: Majority of Bears defense to attend funeral for Brian Urlacher’s mother NEIL HAYES September 17, 2011 11:52AM Reprints 9 Updated: September 17, 2011 11:56AM Virtually every member of the Bears defense will travel to Lovington, N.M., today to attend funeral services for Brian Urlacher’s mother, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The Bears linebacker missed several days of practice this week after his mother, Lavoyda Lenard, died unexpectedly on Monday. Team chairman George McCaskey, president Ted Phillips, general manager Jerry Angelo, coach Lovie Smith and linebackers’ coach Bob Babich are among the contingent planning to attend the funeral services. But the Sun-Times has learned that many other defensive players also plan to attend. According to the source, defensive end Julius Peppers has rented a private plane to take him and many of his teammates to the services before returning to New Orleans, where the Saints host the Bears on Sunday.

Brees can make you pay for taking risks but only if he has the time to make it happen. If we're getting to Brees early and often then he won't have much time for misdirection plays.

Tailgating at the stadium?

It is not Kreutz's calls I'm worried about, it's Brees' calls.

Sure he knows everything he needs to know about the new and improved Henry Melton. The newest addition Amobi Okoye. Once again, what the Bears do is pretty basic. We are not the Jets. We line up, straight up, and do what we do, and Drew Brees knows that too. It's all on film, except the Saints only have one game of Amobi and Melton.

End around with one of the slowest skills position players on the team? Martz called a good game overall but sometimes he drives me nuts. Don't need Bennett out there playing QB in the wildcat either. We traded the farm for a Pro Bowl QB, keep him on the field.

I thought Colon was being courted to be switched to OG here.

Seems Jay is making a point to management: http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=8138 "His ability in this offense is endless," Cutler said of Forte. "He's such a smart player and he's so versatile. This offense really can't run without him back there. The way he's able to take screens and get into the passing game and still run between the tackles, he's a threat all over the field and there's not many running backs who can do what he does."

It was awesome! I love how the entire stadium was feeling the energy.

I rate the Oline better....B-. They were far from perfect but they did enough to make the offense effective. Not only that, they were opening holes on running plays in the second half when we had the lead. I give them credit too because they played with composure despite all the pressure that was on them. I grade the DBs lower too because they gave up too many big plays late in the game when all they should be giving up is underneath stuff. Meriweather was pretty much just reacting after the throw but I'm glad the coaches got him in there to get some reps. With his ability to break on the ball, once he gets comfortable with the reads, assignments, and with that pass rush in front of him I expect a few big plays from him this season.

Can't say the mistakes the Bears D made was any different in this opener than past years. We've always had some missed assignments, missed tackles, etc. What was different is having a puss rush up the middle.

Read my sentence more carefully: He isn't worth what DeAngelo ISN'T worth.

How many playoff and other key games has Minn lost due to AP's fumbles? Pass protection? Over the last couple years AP has lost some of his burst. I haven't seen him run this year so maybe he's got it back. He's still a beast to tackle and he's still one of the top RBs in the league but he's a RB. If Forte thinks he gets that money or anywhere close to it I say let him go. I much prefer to spend that cash on building an elite Oline in front of Cutler then we can put Khalil Bell back there to run the ball and he'll look like AP.

I see us matching up very well against Atlanta. I don't see their defense stopping our offense. Yes, you heard it here first. Not saying we'll put up 40+ pts but I think 25-30pts is doable. I don't see our defense giving up that many points against them. Just avoid the big plays and keep it all in front of 'em and the D will be fine.

Bears last year couldn't find success on 4th and short up the middle. Kreutz heads to New Orleans and they can't find success on 4th and short up the middle. At least they made it easy for us Bears fans to forget all the chatter about how cheap they were with Kreutz, and all in week 1. Kreutz will always be one of my favorite Bears but even lining up next to N.O. "better OGs" isn't enough to mask the deficiencies in his game these days.

Meet Hall of Fame player: RANDALL MCDANIEL Class of 2009 Guard >>> 6-3, 276 (Arizona State) 1988-1999 Minnesota Vikings, 2000-01 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Is Spaeth too tall? Maybe, but players at a lot of NFL positions along the lines (both sides) are taller these days than they were 10-15 years ago. I don't think the mismatch is always as great as believed. Regardless, he made some great blocks containing the end on many running plays in the preseason. He does not get tossed around like Greg Olsen did.

Sanzenbacher is very instinctive in how he runs his routes. He does those little things that QBs (and coaches) like in how he comes back towards the ball, or shifts away from a defender. After watching replays of him (gotta love the DVR) I can see why Cutler likes him. Jay knows he can throw away from a defender and Sanz will step into spot at the last moment. It has to make Cutler a lot more comfortable throwing into traffic. Earl Bennett has some of that ability as well but for Sanz to display it so early in camp is rare, at least among Bears WR history. I'll add that I wasn't very high on him when the early reports came out but after watching him against some 1's in preseason he still looked good even though he's not that fast. I don't expect him to become something he's not, but I can see how he could be a solid backup WR for us, and eventually end up as a 3rd/4th WR in the league. It's not always about how fast you are, I know you have to have some of those guys but you also need others that know how to get open. If anything, watching Devin Hester's development has proven that.

He isn't worth what Deangelo Williams isn't worth.

Don't want Osi over 30, coming back off knee surgery, and wanting a huge contract.