jason

What's with the stupid picket fence on the GL defense again? Now THAT is stupid.

Wasn't a chop block. A chop block is when they high-low an opponent. Unfortunately he just got cut, and low blocks by offensive linemen are legal in just about every way. It's why I loved the old school Denver Bronco running game when they were pumping out nobodies for 1000+ yards every year. Guys like Olandis Gary. Lots and lots of low blocks at the knees of big ol' 300lb defensive linemen. It wears them down tremendously.

If the Bears can't get Jeffrey and/or Royal back on the field, it's about time to start talking about the draft, because we know the defense is not going to carry the team. The defense is improving, but they have several steps to go. The pressure is almost non-existent, and sacks like McPhee's are almost always coverage sacks.

Defensive holding can be tacked on. At least they got the block in the back on that last punt.

What? Seriously? C'mon man. That's reaching. Kicking it out of the EZ is not a given. I'd rather have a great FG kicker than a great deep kicker. Gould is money.

What didn't you like? I LOVE that popup kickoff since we know the coverage team can't, ya know, cover.

HAHA! The popup kickoff! I LOVE it. No return, ball at the 35. Better than kicking it deep and watching the coverage team fail to cover. Fox knows what he's doing. See a problem - Attempt to solve the problem. So refreshing compared to the previous regimes' philosophy of "the system works, make it work, do it better".

Can we get a new punt returner already? Mariani is slow. He may have once been fast, but he is not fast any more. The gunner ran past him, engaged in a block, and still got back to him within 10 yards or so. Let Jacquizz Rogers do it or something. Get some fresh, young legs in there.

Looooooots of checkdowns to Forte, Bennett, and short passes to Wilson & Bellamy. I think the Bears are going to try to eat the clock and grind the game way down.

1. I don't want Goff very much any more. 2. Anyone who wants Goff with the purpose of replacing Cutler needs to reevaluate their opinion. This guy is forcing throws, throwing poor balls, staring down receivers, and generally imploding on national TV. He's doing what you hate in Cutler.

I nominate you Minister of Foreign Affairs. I don't know how long you've supported Hroniss Grasu, but if you got back I was a huge fan of his and wanted the Bears to draft him badly.

WOOT! Jason - President Hroniss Grasu Fan Club

If he did, it isn't like the Bears would be in the position to draft him.

I love the Barrett Jones signing. He's very versatile. He is a smart, utility OLineman who could easily fill in any of the 5 positions. Disappointed in the Timu cut. You'd think the Bears would keep all ILBs worth a damn considering the question marks.

Better than the alternative of REALLY short fields as a result of long kick returns.

From an official's perspective, the "pick route" is something that is purely subjective. If the official feels the WR who sets the pick is trying to set a pick instead of run a route, then OPI is going to get called. It is certainly illegal. But the WR has to really sell it. Regarding the blocking downfield thing and the WR screen, I talked to an NFL official friend who basically said it's something they choose to pass on because it's "close enough" to being legal, and they likely aren't going to call the blocking downfield unless it's egregiously downfield (i.e. >3 yards) or if the pass is received really close to the line of scrimmage where the passes are being caught. I took that to mean that as long as the WR who catches the pass steps back far enough away from the blockers, they weren't going to call it. Oh well.

You know, I'm not so sure now. I'd always seen the scrimmage play and how it functioned, and imagined the verbiage of the NFL rule book was very similar to the HS and NCAA rulebook. HS - Rule 7-5-7 - Pass interference restrictions only apply beyonnd the neutral zone and only if the legal forward pass, untouched by B in or behind the neutral zone, crosses the neutral zone. NCAA - Rule 7-3-8b - Offensive pass interference by a Team A player beyond the neutral zone during a legal forward pass play in which a forward pass crosses the neutral zone is contact that interferes with a Team B eligible player. I can't find the exact type of verbiage in the NFL rule book. The closest I can find is a snippet of what you posted earlier: ARTICLE 4. OTHER PROHIBITED ACTS BY THE OFFENSE Blocking more than one yard beyond the line of scrimmage by an offensive player prior to a pass being thrown is offensive pass interference. See 8-3-1 for exception for an ineligible offensive player. Note: It is also pass interference by the offense to block a defender beyond the line while the pass is in the air, if the block occurs in the vicinity of the player to whom the pass is thrown. See 8-3-1-Note for exception for ineligible players. I suppose they could ignore the OPI in the NFL, and it would compare to HS/NCAA rules, if they deemed either the blocks were =

I LOOOOOOOVED that. It's exactly what I called for last week. It makes sense. Better a short kick with minimal/no return than a deep kick with a huge return.

Completely agree. I hate the OL switcheroo stuff. Slauson should be at OG, and a real C should be in there. I can't imagine Grassu being that bad; it's time to put him in.

Maybe, but I liked Amari Cooper more because I said his route running was so superb he'd be shitting on NFL DBs before week 4. And guess what? That's what he's been doing. As for White, there have been plenty of super fast guys who have failed in the NFL. Let's just hope he's not one of them. Once we see him on the field, the whole dilemma of this thread will be answered.

You want to know what a bad recipe for a successful QB is? A questionable OL and questionable WRs. When the WRs don't get open right away, the OL can't hold their blocks. So basically the QB has to scramble every other play, keeping jittery feet behind the pocket until someone gets open, or he gets hit. Add in a reluctance of that QB to run, and you really have to give Cutler a lot of credit for what he's done today. He's throwing absolute rockets today with pin-point accuracy.

Because he's been surgically tearing the Raiders apart with rocket outside passes and comebacks. It just so happens he threw this one with poor mechanics, off his back foot, and didn't have the zip needed to beat the DB. Something he does too much. All in all, however, I'll take the stat line he has today every single game.

1. Why the hell isn't Hronis active? 2. Cutler looks damn good, and the talk about a different QB on this roster can stop. 3a. The OL has looked shaky the entire game, and Cutler seems to have to step up immediately nearly every play. 3b. They also hold a good bit. Sloppy technique. 4. Bennett is nasty. 5. Forte is nastier. Proving he still has a ton in the gas tank. 6. Mariani is a bum, just like I said a week or two ago. 7. The Refs have had a questionable game today. I didn't think the first TD for Oakland was right since the initial foot was barely on the toe when it may not have been fully possessed, didn't like the hands to the face a lot. 8. The Bears ST, aside from Gould, sucks. 9. The defense is showing some life in this game. I like it. 10. Fox has had a few poor decisions in this game. One, I hate the 3rd & goal B-gap run that gets bounced and stuffed. Two, he should have called a TO after the Bears got the big sack at the end of the 2nd qtr. Overall, however, this Bears team looks better than most thought. Tough when you start the schedule with arguably the three toughest teams in the NFL.

And if the ball is caught behind the line of scrimmage, those downfield blocks by WRs are legal. If the pass is caught beyond the LOS, that's when they'll call offensive pass interference.