jason

Couldn't agree more. I'm very pleased with the play of all but one player from yesterday. Other than Webb, there is no reason to hand out passing grades to every other player on the team. And the DL should get a reward of some kind.

THAT'S A BINGO!

I'm pretty much in agreement, I just wish the Bears' FO would have given Tice one more tools to work with. Marinelli got multiple tools added to the toolbox, even had enough to let a potentially decent tool go. Right now, however, it looks like the DL will be destroying QBs all year. IF that pattern continues, and the front four get consistent pressure, the cover-2 defense will work wonders this year.

Let's hope. As far as I'm concerned, he is the only player on the entire team who didn't have a good to great game. He was pressured often, got beat multiple times, and had penalties.

HAHAHA! Love it. I keep asking why the Bears don't get respect. I wonder if they'll get it now? They DOMINATED the Falcons. Even with the flaws the Bears had, they showed they are better in every facet of the game than the Falcons. What is even better is all the "which team will regress this year" predictions. Nearly every single person includes the Bears in their list. What now? They just curb-stomped the team that many picked to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Game MVP: D-Line. Melton, Izzy, Reed, Big Toe, Peppers, Okoye...OMFG. They are going to cause havoc all year and castrate opposing offensive game plans.

LOL. Just wait until Marion Barber gets playing time.

I'm certainly not a fan of that wildcat or that gadget play they ran, but I don't like the "we are up big, drain the clock" philosophy when previous to that they were destroying the Falcons D with regular play-calling. Why let off the gas? There is no need. You pour it on by doing the same thing that got you the lead. Step on their necks. I've noticed a DRASTIC change in performance and aggressiveness since the Bears got the big lead and someone, somewhere (I'm guessing Lovie) decided it was time to hold on to the lead. The play calling looks different, the play is different, and the execution is underwhelming. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yes...you're right, 300+ yards passing, nearly 100 rushing, and Martz is the one being clowned. This is not pee-wee football; he can't just go 100% run. The Falcons are more than capable of scoring more than two touchdowns in 10 minutes. It's a little too early to let the foot completely off the gas, and the Falcons' DL just happened to make a good play on a fluke blocked pass.

That was a very unfortunate break on that play. Just the way the ball bounces. Earlier Peppers batted a ball and it went straight to the WR. Bad luck is all. There is still a ton of time on the clock. Over 10 minutes. This is not a time to completely shut down the pass, but the passes should certainly come from run first formations. Play action pass works wonders in this situation. As we can see from this current drive, the Falcons D is loading up on the run.

And a SUPERB spin move. The play after he got props from the announcers he displayed it, and my god it is fast.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! PEPPERS AND URLACHER! What an awesome display of what happens when you have talent on the team. BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS!!!

Oh, you KNOW I'm not a big fan of the OL, but at this point their flaws are not significant enough to stop them from bending the Falcons D over the table like Ving Rhames in Pulp Fiction.

Like I said earlier, SOMETHING feels different about this offense right now. They have the Falcons on roller skates. The quick hitter WR screens are working because the prior quick fake. The RB screen works. The blocking is excellent. The PLAY ACTION TO SPAETH is awesome. Something is different, and I like it.

Busted tackles or just a gaping hole?

WTF just happened!? I walked away for like 5 minutes and the Falcons are 1st and Goal.

There is so much good to that first half. I'm ecstatic. -Cutler is throwing lasers -The OL is doing a pretty good job of creating pockets -The offensive play calling has been imaginative and has exploited the defense -Kellen Davis looks like a suitable replacement for Olsen -Urlacher looks great -The D is swarming -Tillman still has his ball-stripping magical skills -Hester looks a step away from busting a long one on every return -Gould's leg looks strong -Even a punt got downed deep GREAT FIRST HALF!

It's halftime. Rewind your DVR and go watch the play again. I did. It's the first play of the second quarter. You may be done talking about that play, but you shouldn't be. You're dead wrong. It's a 7-step drop, and as soon as Cutler plants his back leg he's within arm's reach of being sacked. If Cutler had stayed on his plant leg, he would have been sacked. Hence, Webb got blown by and it screwed up the play. After that Cutler was forced up - into nice protection from the other four, I might add - and when he didn't see anyone open he should have thrown it away. But make no mistake, Webb screwed that play up - a play designed for a 7-step drop - first and forced improvisation.

Look, I'm not trying to be sour with you, despite how you're replying. I honestly don't think we see things the same way. Is the sack Jay's fault? Yes, he could have thrown it away once he stepped up and nothing else was there. But the fact that the OT got burned changes the entire dynamic of the play. Everything at that point is a step off, a second late. There is a reason why they have 3, 5, and 7 step drops, and you've never heard of a 5-minus-1 step drop. The design is for the QB to plant his back foot on that final step and fire the pass in. If he plants and there is someone about to drill him, that sorta, ya know, changes things. To reiterate: Sack is on Jay, but the busted play is on the OT.

Great, stable pocket for Jay on that laser to Knox. There is definitely something different this year already. Jay is freaking carving the Atlanta secondary apart with a variety of passes and the WRs are finding holes.

Wow. Can Forte get a damn hole? He's had zero chance to run this first half. Glad he got his legs stretched on that screen pass though.

Yes, I am worried about his desire to force it into Hester at this point. I hope they make an adjustment where Hester crosses, Cutler pumps, that DB bites again, and Hester goes downfield.

I guess we just have philosophical differences then. If a QB goes back on a 5 or 7 step drop and there is immediate pressure from the end, I don't view that as giving the QB a real chance. He stepped up because of distress, not comfort. On the plays in the earlier part of the game he stepped up because the whole OL did a good job of creating the pocket. But on that play, the immediate pressure caused him to step up in a rush, and the rest of the OL was not solid enough to make up for the OT's weakness. Not that I blame the other guys, they held their initial blocks plenty long for Cutler to have a chance.

So what is Cutler supposed to do on that one? Seven step drop, he plants, and the route is covered. What then? There is no time for a second route because Carimi got blown up on that play and the rest of the OL didn't do all that well.

Agreed...he has to get rid of the ball...but it's not like Webb really gave him a chance.