AZ54

For years we've been terrible at covering RBs on pass routes. If we want to win tomorrow we better shutdown these short passes and screens. Bring the CB up closer to the LOS (listen up Nate) while the safeties better be smart because the Eagles can go deep as well. On offense I see the opposite needing to happen. We're going to get blitzed all game long. They'll use their blitz to stop our run game and if we pass they'll be in Orton's face. To counter this we need to let Forte swing out of the backfield and let Orton float the ball to him. Forte's good enough to make one defender miss and get a big gain. If Dawkins comes up on a blitz (here's where it would be nice to have Hester) get someone on a quick slant into that space, or send the TE upfield and hit him quickly. Orton and the WR need to read the blitzes and Orton needs to be decisive in getting rid of the ball.

Why not Tommie Harris?

If we lose this week we'll be 8-8 if we win we'll be 10-6.

What about Dave Toub? He's done nothing but have one of the best units year after year even before Hester. Other special teams coaches have gone on to become good head coaches and IIRC he got some attention last year. He's a guy who finds ways to get the most out of the talent he has. When tactics dictate a change is needed, he thinks outside the box (ala putting Wolfe up front on kickoffs in case they kick short of Hester).

Bradley just never figured it out. I imagine he was making his feelings known about playing special teams while watching other WR drop passes and Lovie said enough. Given that we signed a CB it seems the Bears are content with Rideau being available if needed but they'll leave him on the practice squad.

The problem wasn't our DEs it was the lack of push up the middle. Tommie Harris has done very little up the middle in three games. Greise was always able to step up as the DEs came around the corner.

The play I'd like to see is Rashied Davis sitting on a bench. Put either Booker, Bradley, or Bennett on the field. It's time for some accountabllity on this team. I can understand a player having a bad game but two weeks in a row he's dropped key passes for us. I'm not saying don't let Davis play just don't let him be a starter. Somebody has to send a message to the team. By the way, playing on special teams Mark Bradley is starting to get more physical. I don't know if that will translate into how he runs routes and blocks.

Kevin Jones missed much of training camp waiting for his knee to heal. He's only been rehabbing for 9 months. I don't think the Bears should be forcing him to take carries right now and the fact Forte is doing so well means we don't have to. I didn't even expect him to get into a game until the middle of October. The fact he can contribute 3-6 carries a game is a plus right now.

At this point I gotta agree on Harris. He's done nothing in the first 3 games to warrant his paycheck. I can't even tell when he's on the field anymore. Hester's contract is a gamble but if he doesn't pan out as an elite WR I still think he'll be an average WR. He definitely has better hands than Rashied Davis. Hester's best value is as a deep threat and we have a QB who can't hit anyone more than 20 yards downfield.

If Rashied Davis catches a pass on 3rd and long you never see that play happen. That's twice in two weeks he's dropped an easy pass and cost us the game. On top of that we had a 10pt lead in the 4th quarter and the D gave it all back. By the third game you know what type of team you have and we're just average and likely headed for 1-3.

Exactly what talent do we have on offense? Our best WR was the worst WR on the Redskins roster last year. Rashied Davis has as many big drops as he does big catches. I constantly have to remind people in Arizona where Kyle Orton went to college (he's so famous). Our Oline was constantly berated by the vast majority of the posters on this board until after the Colts game. Jason McKie gets blasted daily by several posters here. Hester has not yet proven he can be a big time WR, though he's better than last year as a WR he's not scaring anyone yet. We do have two good TEs and at this point it appears we have a good rookie at RB. If you are the Bucs Def Coordinator which talent on our roster is keeping you up late?

On the McKie 3and1 "dive" play what I'd like to see the next time we lineup in that formation is a fake handoff to McKie and then a pitch out to Forte running to the other side (right side). I figure almost everyone on the D will bite on the dive and Forte might have one guy to beat on the corner. I'll take that matchup any day and expect he'll at least get us the yard we need. If he beats his man he could be gone all the way. This time it will be acceptable for TE Davis to let his man beat him to the inside.

If you want a questionable second round pick look no further than Devin Hester. Nobody drafts a PR/KR in Rd 2. I think Graham would be fine at the nickel spot but he hasn't practiced there at all. There's no way I'd put McBride there because with his size teams would run right at him. He is pretty poor in run support.

Two of them might if Barton does something in Miami.

I watched Painter last week and he absolutely sucked. He has no arm strength and was terribly inaccurate. He didn't look very mobile either. Attribute his passing yards to the Joe Tiller system and go find another QB especially if you are going to take one in Rd 2. I'd take Chase Daniel out of Missouri before him. Chase doesn't have all the skills you look for at the next level (i.e. strong arm, height, etc.) but when plays break down he finds a way to extend the play and make good things happen.

We call it special teams but a KR or PR is the first offensive play in any drive unless they kick it away. Hester has the most TDs of ANY player on the Bears in the last two seasons. That's offense IMO and just because he does it on PR and KR doesn't change the 7pts on the scoreboard. Every team considers their return team successful if they get decent field position however Hester has changed that expectation for us. I believe it was typical to say above 7yd per PR and beyond the 20yd line on KR was good. Nobody expects Hester to make a TD return every time he gets the ball but everyone thinks it's possible. Hester can return a kickoff to the 30 yard line the opposing team's fans still cheer like crazy because they tackled him. The way his contract was structured he is paid like the best return man in the history of the game and if he can succeed as a WR he'll be paid well for that too. I think it was a fair deal for both sides.

I love how Childress bails himself out of responsibility for the decision to start Jackson: "I know full well that one position is not responsible and that everyone needs to step up," Childress said. "But I'm just not seeing right now the aggressiveness from Tarvaris that I saw throughout the offseason, training camp, the two preseason games he played in." IMO nothing really changes, we still have to stop the run when we play these guys.

We will not be the only team searching for a QB. Expect Minn to give up a 1st for Quinn since they've shown a willingness to part with a 1st Rd pick already. They may also view their offense as complete except for a QB. I don't see JA giving up a first round pick. What will Gruden do in Tampa? He has to get his QB situation resolved next year or he might be gone. I'm sure there will be other teams as well. Who else might be available? With McNabb lighting it up the situation with Kolb changes. I have no clue about him. Alex Smith will be available. Not much good about what he's done. Rex Grossman? As always it's a QB starved league. I'm not ready to give up on Orton but I'm not ready to say he's starter material either. I think what's most likely to happen is he continues to perform average for us and remains our starter going into next year while we bring in a high draft pick to groom for the spot.

I haven't seen so many missed tackles since I watched the Bears play D in the preseason. In a game like that it's hard to even know what's real. Are the offenses that great or are the defenses that bad? How much time can you give McNabb to throw? How many times can you let Romo step up in the pocket into a huge alley right up the middle? Brian Dawkins has clearly lost a step in coverage but if he gets you he'll hit you hard. I see opportunities for Greg Olsen and Clark in the intermediate passing game. Asante Samuel, how many times does he bite on a pump fake before realizing he's supposed to just stay with the WR? I see opportunities for Hester to get deep, can Orton throw it to him? Dallas' OT's were giving up pressure around the ends but their DT did nothing inside. Certainly both teams are good but I'm not going to write off the Eagles as a loss after what I saw last night.

If you don't spend money on your best offensive weapon who do you spend money on? Even if Hester hasn't played great on offense yet he's still our leading scorer over the last two seasons and the field position he gives the offense throughout a game is worth even more points. At least it would be if anyone else would care to contribute to the cause.

Will we see Graham at the nickel spot or do we go back to DManning?

NO to Garcia, especially if we give up a draft pick. Funny how Griese "deserves to be a starter" now after Gruden dumped him after the 2005 season. The only thing you can be sure of about the QB situation in Tampa is that nobody trusts what Gruden is saying, not even his players. Standby for this carousel to pick up speed as we go through the season.

Actually that kinda proves the point...the only TD. How many DBs in this league give up TD passes to Peyton Manning?

For his size, Forte is very smooth and slippery finding even a tiny crease to fall forward and gain several yards out of nothing. This is the type of consistency that really makes a running game good. Gotta like the burst and vision in the open field too.

At the time of the trade I felt it was Payne who made Harris expendable. If Payne didn't break his arm last year we might not be having this discussion. That fact seems to born out by the fact Payne is our starting SS. In only his second game he had 13 tackles which, if they update the NFL site, should put him in the same neighborhood as Harris. What has surprised me the most about Payne is how quietly he has gone about doing his job. Nobody was up in arms about his coverage against the Colts or Panthers. His run support was solid in both games. For a guy with the arrow still pointing up this is a pretty good start to his career.