jason

I don't know if there is a "missed tackle" stat, or perhaps a number of broken tackles, but I've seen the Bears tackle just as bad as other teams in the league. Maybe even worse. I don't know what games you are watching. There have been numerous times that Briggs has gone for the hit over the form tackle. On this, you are generally correct. But I don't think Desean Jackson scored on the video above, nor will he score this upcoming week. Cause - Effect. If anything, Kolb should be fined and suspended for exposing his WR like that; he's an accomplice.

Very good point. This is a risk vs. reimbursement situation. Easier, safer, more secure job = generally less pay Harder, dangerous, volatile job = generally more pay Them's the breaks.

You clearly didn't read (or just simply ignored) my replies after you read the word "pussification." I said that head-to-head cheap shots like the one on Heap should be penalized. The others, the "devastating" hits, are just part of football. Go up top, reread my posts.

Maybe you guys prefer this: Or maybe this:

Your agreement in this case, if you're comparing it to Cutler's situation, is ignorant. Cutler got hit repeatedly, and none of them were cheap shots. Hell, none of them were even "devastating" shots like the one Desean Jackson took. It was just accumulation, and his head bouncing off the ground. Does it suck to watch a Bear go down to injury? Yes. Is it part of the game? Absolutely.

Yes. Pussification. Hard hits are part of football. Period. What's next? Is the RB not allowed to duck his head when running ball? Will all hits have to come between the shoulders and the stomach? Concussions are a horrible side-affect of incredibly massive, muscle-bound men running into each other at full speed. IT'S FOOTBALL. Altering the very essence of football too much is a massive change that will either ruin the NFL, or cause players to hold up for fear of fines (which is stupid). BTW - If Hester goes down, I would not be happy. But I wouldn't be upset about it if it was a legal hit that just crushed him. Part of the game. You have to separate the rose-colored glasses from your face to properly view this issue. The videos I posted above state my case. If they fine the hit on Desean Jackson, then it's a pussification of the game.

I like the draft except for the bolded part. If the Bears pick a WR in the draft this year, it will be completely ignorant. It's perhaps the least needed position on the team right now. But, to be quite honest, if the trade DID go down, and the Bears DID get two first rounders, I would want two first round offensive linemen. OT and OG would be nice.

Yet another person who sees it, who gets it. Martz? Are you listening? Lovie? Do you care? Angelo? Will you draft OLine?

Repeat...ignore.

It's knee jerk pussification of the league. Period. Anyone who disagrees either hasn't played, has forgotten how the game is played, or has personal stake in the concussion business (i.e. Hoge, Waddle). Helmet to helmet? I'm fine with that. Suspend it. "Devastating hit?" If that's fined, they might as well break out the flags. Fine this: Don't fine this:

I'm watching: -The guy who has decent blocking skills when compared to his OL counterparts. -The guy who gets open, but doesn't get the ball because Cutler is under a pile of defenders -The guy who has made tough catches in traffic (like last week's seam route), but doesn't get many opportunities I don't know where the "quits on a ton of routes" comes from. I haven't seen it. The guy has talent, and when used appropriately the flashes appear. I'd say who are YOU watching?

If that turns out to be true, and the Bears' front office hasn't already jumped all over it, then they are even more incompetent than previously thought. Tommie Harris is lost, and will never reach the expectations while in Chicago.

You minunderstood me. His plays have not been taking advantage of the defense, but it's not because of design. It's because the players he has on the OL are atrocious, even worse than last year under Turner. But when people do well, the plays exploit the problems with the opponents' defense. Turner's plays never really did that very much. They were just the plays he was going to run, regardless of the defense. The point is, all things being equal, if the Bears happened to get solid OL play, the Martz offense would perform circles around the Turner offense. Unfortunately, we may never get to see it.

I hate that you know it, I know it, everyone else knows it, but the Lovie-2 and the coaching staff don't seem to know it. Expect McNabb to have a great game throwing to a variety of underneath WRs and dump-offs to RBs. Cooley may break fantasy records for number of catches by a TE.

In general I agree with the idea, but how much chemistry is necessary to realize that a free blocker is coming on the outside to murder Cutler? Really? Is there a need to dive in and double team a slow DT when the DB/S is standing on the line of scrimmage and leaning forward? That's 9/10 stupidity.

Most overrated? At best Olsen is a probowl TE; at worst he's a starter with great talent. I'd say that since Omiyale is starting, he's far more overrated than anyone in the league, much less Olsen. At best Omiyale is a practice squad player; at worst he's a varsity high schooler at a big high school in Idaho.

I guess the point I'm making is, Martz isn't really adjusting that much - which is stupid - but at least he's trying to install plays that are meant to attack a defense, meant to take advantage of defensive deficiencies. Turner didn't really seem to do that. He just kept shoveling the same shit, over and over, and knew it wasn't meant to really do more than hold on to a lead (if there was one). Nobody denies that Martz needs to change things up (e.g. max protect, 3-step drops, etc.), but I'd say that more screens in this game looked like an attempt at adjustment...just not enough.

I don't agree at all. Ineptitude has degrees. When the offensive line blocks, the Bears have the potential to be a dangerous offense under Martz. Of course, it's up to Martz to ensure that he calls packages with which his team can succeed. With Turner, however, the Bears never really had much of a chance to be a dangerous or successful offense. Turner was the offensive counterpart to Lovie Smith: a man with a scheme that plays not to lose.

Correction: Martz should be embarrassed with the continuous 7-step drops. Tice should be embarrassed with the OL's lack of blocking. Lovie should be embarrassed for never doing a thing to stop the flood waters. And it's Jerry Angelo should be embarrassed with the product he puts on the field. The Bears have 5 offensive linemen that probably couldn't start on any other NFL team.

It sure is an odd coincidence, isn't it? Continually, opposing QBs, scrubs or not, seem to get better against the Bears. They find open WRs against the Bears. They have all day in the pocket against the Bears. Until Lovie Smith leaves and takes the cover-2 with him, the Bears will not do anything spectacular. The Super Bowl year was a fluke in which the players just outperformed what the coaches had them do.

No way in hell I want Turner back.

The passes have been bad, but can you blame the guy? The entire franchise and offense is on his shoulders, and he has the worst OL in NFL history making repeatedly horrible decisions play after play. Sooner or later a person will naturally self-preserve, whether it's because of injury or danger. If someone sprains an ankle, they're going to limp.

This reminds me of when Griese killed the Bears a few years ago. This Cover-2 shit is just not a good defensive scheme if the opponent has a patient QB who is willing to chuck the ball for 7 yards at a time. It's the same thing that happened in the Super Bowl. Eventually, the DBs are naturally going to step in a bit, wanting to stop the quick passes and perpetual first downs. And then what happens? The deep outs and the seam passes are open. This defensive scheme just sucks. I hate its passive nature, and the way it can turn stud players into average players.

Webb might actually be as bad as Omiyale. He's clearly more physically talented than Omifail, but when you're legally blind it's difficult to be an offensive tackle.

That's what infuriates me. The Bears RARELY get to the QB when they blitz, having all their free blitzers get picked up over and over and over. But somehow, when the other teams blitz, they get to Cutler (and previous QBs) OVER AND OVER AND OVER! WTF?! On D: Poor scheme. On O: Poor scheme and shitty OL.