Mongo3451

If he wasn't one infraction away from a year long suspension I'd give a 3rd. Dude is special. He gets the dropsies sometimes too.

Yea, he made me look like a genius this week.

It doesn't account for good pocket pressures, where the qb can step up either. That can result in big plays. That's the big difference this year.

I thought I gave credit. Do you remember the 2 years before Peppers joined the team? Urlacher was still playing at a Pro Bowl level and because we had a new coordinator and could not generate a pass rush, the defense sucked. Julius Peppers arrives and the same defense is suddenly good. I simply think that is the issue. If our DL can pressure the QB, we should be fine. If not, we are going to be big big trouble.

I pretty much agree.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and minimize the Urlacher effect. There are a lot of things that are different that are having a huge impact on our play. 1) We have a brand new defensive staff. You can keep the system as familiar as you can, but there is always going to be some confusion, because the head is not the same head the body is used to being led by. 2) We are not just missing Urlacher. Roach was an underrated part of our D. With his and Url’s departure we lost 2/3 of the starting LB core. Do we really think these guys are not in their gap because Urlacher is not calling the defense? 3) Julius Peppers, Henry Melton and Charles Tillman were all banged up in the pre-season. That’s a ton of talent that didn’t get much work. Peppers is getting better, Tillman is getting worse and Melton is out for the season. I’m thinking Tillman needs to sit a week to get healthy, as he has always been a liability in coverage when healthy and has made his mark with great tackling and turnovers. Tillman with a bad wheel is going to require a lot of safety help which opens things up elsewhere. While Peppers is getting up to speed WTF is McClellin? I’ve seen him games, but his impact has been negative so far. DL needs to step up. 4) Brian Urlacher. He may be missed on adjustments and audibles that we’ll never know the truth on. I’m sure there has been some. But, I am also sure that Briggs is experienced and capable enough to fill the void. That being said, I believe it to be a positive that Url is gone. There are simply too many variables to give one person that much credit for success and/or failure.

3-1

Sounds like Suh has a Long day ahead of him...

I'd like to get an heir apparent as well. What I'd prefer to do is gauge how long Cutler wants to play and draft a prospect 2 years before his retirement. If you get that guy too soon they end up getting traded or leaves via free agency. That can be good and bad. The good is you get a guy cheaply that may be ready to fill a void when needed. You may get a good trade value. You draft the next Tom Brady and upgrade through attrition. The bad is that he leaves before you can use him. You trade him for less than you have in him. He becomes a star for another team. You use him and he shits down his leg, wasting two years of development.

Just have never been impressed with his body of work. I believe for his system to be effective it takes a huge amount of talent. If you look at the draft and free agent imbalance during his tenure, you'll see why the D continues to be decent, but now on the decline due to the offense getting some attention.

I think so too. I just don't think he'll be a good one.

Count me in on this! 48 this year...

I was on record last year when Lovie was still coach. So my statement stands. You see the sense in drafting now that he is gone. I wanted him gone 5 years ago and there's a reason he's not coaching now.

Damn, beat me to it. So eloquently spoken, ha.

Hardin, sheesh... So glad Lovie is gone. I'm liking how Frey and Anderson are performing. The biggest disappointment on D is McClellin. I just don't see him making it in this D.

x2

I think safety has been ok. Nothing great, but not bad...

Looks good. Keep em coming.

I get what you are saying but... He's not been a big stat guy since he's been here. That being said, I would argue that he has been our best player during that time. He's been disruptive in the pass game, a monster in the run game, draws constant double teams etc. Stats are there to keep track of who made the play. They don't track why.

He's had a lingering illness. Let's see how he finishes the season. So far, not so good. His legs even looked a little heavy on the TD, but nobody caught him either. But, I didn't notice any decline last year and have a hard time believing he has naturally fallen off that much. I just wonder what type of virus's linger that long. Mono?

I for one, came out of my chair when he did it. Told my wife that noone could ever call him soft again. Then Collinsworth reitterated. It was a great statement, but I hope I don't have to see it again. On a side note: He doesn't plant that safety if the safety wasn't laying up to avoid a penalty. Same as when Urlacher whiffed on Brady.

Congrats!

Definitely a great game. I love that this team saves something for the finish. Whether it's the defense making a stand, the o-line picking up a blitz, coaches having plays ready to exploit the defense, or Cutler just being clutch. This team has a little work to do, but they are clearly showing us an identity. Oh, and a 2 game lead on the Packers is great stuff.

Good points. He could have a life transformation this year.

This all day. Obviously he is not who they hoped they were getting. If you draft a guy at 3, you are expecting a stud. I think Richardson is good, but not 3 good.