jason

Yeah, my comment was misleading. I meant that they are as incomplete as box score numbers. They don't tell the whole picture. PFF just adds in some BS and bias to make it seem like their stats are legit.

I hate the "New England did it!"-argument. The Bears are not New England. Nobody is New England. Cutler is not Brady. Nobody is Brady. Etc. I'd rather have the single stud TE, and a cheap big-boy who blocks. Or a cheap backup who has potential. The Bears don't need to spend money on two high-priced TEs. I'd rather see the money spent on multiple RBs since they are more likely to get injured, or, surprise, surprise, better OLinemen so the stars of the team don't get injured/hit as often.

The problem with PFF is, and always has been, all about context. Their stats are box-score type data, where you try to assess data based on the numbers, and then add in some personal bias. Then do some pseudo math related to whatever "stat" being compiled, and bam, rating. It's hot garbage. Any rating system that gives Webb multiple good games and gives a negative score to a QB who has absolutely lit it up is just a flawed system.

Oh, it's possible, but prepare for the fury if the Bears invest heavily in OL. I like the middle of the OL: Slausson, Grassu, Long. Sign the best available OT and draft one in the first round. Then grab another guy somewhere in the 4-6 range.

I'm happy with how Langford has looked, but what you said about Carey is why I didn't want Langford. If Carey had received the snaps Langford got, it's likely Carey would be the breakout star we are talking about, and the Bears would have one extra player elsewhere helping the team.

Two TE sets are not something nearly any team does with success. And when they do, one of those TEs is really just a lineman who is eligible to catch a handful of passes a year. Further, the miles on RB legs mean the Bears should spread the load as much as possible to save the miles. What I'm advocating is just clearing cap space. Marty is under contract next year, but if he's dumped the dead money is minimal and the cap saving is substantial. You said what I'm advocating: "it is also a business and if (Zach Miller) look capable and can do it for peanuts, you go that route and invest the other resources in other spots, such as the oline or defense."

PFF = Garbage

Why is the "it is so much better to have two good TEs" a valid argument, but it is never brought up for Forte and RBs?

LOL. You mean bring back Toub. (Edited because I twisted the names in my head)

Two games is pretty much all I need to see. The TD last week showed he has crazy hands. The TD this week showed he has great speed for a TE. Bennett is owed $6M+ next year on the cap. I think it would be wise to cut him at the end of the year and focus that money elsewhere, particularly on both lines. If the difficult decisions are being made, and moves like cutting Forte are being considered, then I think this is fair game. Bennett means far less to the Bears than Forte, and we've seen a similar sample size in their respective replacements.

There is no way he's the best option on the team. Fox and staff have done a superb job with the team this year, but this is one area where they have severely missed the boat.

AND HE CAN'T RETURN KICKOFFS EITHER! Straight into people. Every time. Try someone else out. ANYONE else.

Is Mariani related to Fox in some way? He is horrible. No vision, no speed, bad hands, poor decision-making. W.T.F.

CUT HIS ASS NOW. AT HALFTIME. OR BEFORE THEN!

Pleeeeeease let Thompson get a roster spot and return kicks.

Ridiculous. You can tell the alternate reality past or future. You should change your screen name to Doc Brown. Based on your Lovie love, and your hatred of Cutler, it is pretty clear you won't be happy until the Bears have a caretaker QB who protects three point leads with the passion of someone buffing a floor, while throwing for 200ypg and hoping the D/ST scores once per game, while the team perpetually hovers around mediocrity with random spikes of "good but not quite good enough because no risks were taken".

Great post.

Don't get me wrong. I hate, HATE, LOATHE Mariani as a return man. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have WR abilities. That remains to be seen of course, but those two skills are different. If he's kept around as a WR, and he can prove to get out of breaks without DBs drenched all over him, then more power to him. The Bears need WRs who can get open. Period. It's why I've wanted Welker the entire year. I don't care how tall or fast someone is. All I care about is whether they can get open and catch the ball.

If someone doesn't think there was a tug, and Alshon wasn't pulled away, then that person, whoever it may be, should look at this picture over and over again. Because either Alshon got tugged, or he runs horrible routes at the top of his break.

First, I knew this thread would be catnip for you. And, second, the pull is absolutely of consequence. Are you serious? Do you hate Cutler so much that it affects your reading comprehension? What that means is, Cutler thinks Alshon got pulled inside, and that wasn't a slant or anything like that. It was a back-shoulder throw, and he believes Alshon got tugged out of the way. False. FALSE. Prove it. Please go point by point comparing how other QBs have faced the same number of shit OLs, new offensive schemes, new coaches, poor WRs, conservative coaches, injuries, etc. If you're so right, prove it. Highly doubtful. I knew you couldn't say something nice without hedging your bet. Here's to hoping you finally catch that dastardly Jay Cutler for kicking your dog and stealing your identity online.

I know what you're saying, and I don't like losses. But I also accept that often there have to be backward steps to take large forward steps. Otherwise it's just a lot of back and forth with little forward movement. It's why many didn't like Lovie's approach. It's the reason the Bears lost draft position when they won the last games in 2007 (2), 2009 (2), 2011 (1). Those wins matter because... -In 2008 we would have been a few spots higher, and might have picked Ryan Clady instead of Chris Williams. -In 2010 we might not have made the Cutler trade because they might not have thought we were one big move away. Also, maybe we would have been a few picks higher in the 7th and avoided picking Jamarcus Webb. -In 2012 we might have not picked a tweener in SMC and went in a variety of other directions. It sucks to lose, but those spots in the draft matter.

Here's some other names: Josh Cribbs - Holy hell. How is this guy not getting daily texts and calls from the Bears? Most career KO return TDs. Two KO returns of 100 yards in one game! Led the league with 32YPR on punts LAST YEAR. Donnie Avery - 4.28 forty. FOUR.TWOEIGHT. That's all I care about with him. Absolute burner. He could run forward blind-folded with that speed and do better than Mariani. Da'Rick Rogers - He's a stud athlete (dominated the combine) and would be better than Mariani on pure athleticism. Terrell Pryor - Great natural running instincts. Deceiving speed. Superb athlete.

Meh. I'd rather see Langford get 20 carries, and Carey get the rest.

What's the story about the tortoise and the hare? Langford shows the burst, and he's virtually guaranteed for 3-4 YPC. He lacks, however, the patience needed for cut-back lanes and the actual huge plays. Well, unless of course the OL blows open an Emmitt Smith hole and he can just run downhill for 50+ yards. Forte may be the tortoise in this comparison, but he's a pretty fast tortoise.

Pretty much agree. What I like about this game is that the Bears were close, but showed flaws. That sounds bad, but what I mean is they didn't win a pointless game when the team obviously needs a lot of help, but at the same time, they showed fight. The coaching helps a lot with that. More and more I'm excited about the Bears' future under Fox/Gase/Fangio, and believe getting 4 or 5 key pieces will drastically turn this team around.