jason

Well, SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!! Here's the rub...fix the OL, and the WRs suddenly look better. It doesn't matter if the Bears pick up Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson if the Bears' QB is under a pile. On the other hand, even nobodies can do work in the NFL if the OL gives an NFL talent - especially one with an arm like Cutler - the time to survey the field. Time helps receivers get open.

Not being argumentative, flea, but what game are you watching? What camera angles are you watching? Unless there is a "right behind Jay Cutler"-cam, it's pretty difficult to blame much on Cutler. A few of the sacks were coverage sacks, and he could have gotten out of the pocket and ran for a few (or thrown it away), but just about every single play had a free-running 300 pounder running in a direct path to a stationary Cutler. There is plenty of blame to go around. And it should probably go around the OL a few times before it makes its way to Cutler.

If your clarification is what you meant, then we are in agreement. Yes, I touted Martz. I still think he's the best OC we've had in many, many year. But he screwed the pooch on this one, and should have adjusted to the punishment that Cutler was taking. With that said, I still place the majority of the blame on the OL and the combo of Lovie/Angelo for not addressing it sooner (i.e. in any of the last three years' drafts).

It's worth bringing back up after a game like this one. For multiple years there has been a very vocal group who have said the OL was priority #1. Meanwhile, others have sided with Angelo and Lovie, using the "you don't work in the NFL so you don't know anything" garbage as a weapon in the debate. The entire time it's been the OL.

I don't think you'll find a single soul saying that Martz is absolved of blame on this one. He called an atrocious game, and never adjusted to protect Cutler. With that said, my god, the OL has been bad for several years now, and many have said as much. When will it be addressed? Meanwhile, teams like the Jets invest heavily in the OL, and they are just running the hell out of the ball.

Five sacks were his fault? C'mon! Think about this... The majority of the calls were deep drops. The majority of the plays with deep drops had at least one OL cleanly beat. When a QB drops back on a deep drop, he's supposed to turn and survey the field for a WR. If everything goes perfectly, it should be a pass right after the back foot is planted. But when you plant your back foot and see your initial read is blanketed, then you look for another. Cutler didn't even have time to look at his second read. That's F'ing pathetic. Most of the ones he was "supposed to" throw away would have resulted in intentional grounding penalties, because he was getting hit inside the tackle box. I'm sorry, but maybe one or two of those is on Cutler. The rest is as mentioned before (i.e. OL, Martz, Lovie, Angelo).

We're all in agreement, and some of us have been screaming it for several years, yet the Bears' front office continues to ignore the OL. Where are all the people saying that we don't know anything because we're on a message board and not on the sideline? Can it even be argued by ANYONE at this point that the OL is the worst in the NFL, maybe historically bad, and it could potentially cause the Bears to waste a season in which the D is finally healthy and playing at a fairly high level? Not to mention potentially getting Cutler paralyzed. Pisses me off so much.

If we were told before the season that the Bears would be 3-1, yes, I'd be happy. If I knew that it meant the OL were playing like an average high school OL, and Cutler got a concussion in the 4th week of a season that resembles the years that David Carr got pummelled in Houston, then no, I wouldn't be happy.

Honestly, the game against the Giants was the worst performance by an OL in perhaps the history of the NFL. Let that sink in. The HISTORY of the NFL. If the Bears do not draft OL multiple times in the first four rounds, then it's the most incompetent front office in the NFL.

Correction: The coaching and the front office lost it for us tonight. Can't blame the offense when it's clear the OL is the worst in the NFL, and have been for multiple seasons, and the offensive coordinator refuses to modify his gameplan to allow for SOME protection and SOME short routes. This was a perfect storm kind of game. Horrible OL + Great DL + 7-step drops = Hurt QBs

It's like telling someone to dodge bullets when storming the beach and Normandy. Sooner or later you get nervous and you can't avoid the danger.

Gotta disagree with you guys on this. What in the hell is Cutler supposed to do when: A] The OL has allowed a free rusher on EVERY play B] He has been hit on nearly EVERY play C] Martz continues to call 7-step drop plays D] Martz refuses to provide more than 5 man coverage E] Martz refuses to roll Cutler out F] Martz refuses to run draws or screens enough to affect the DL G] At least two of the team's offensive linemen are CFL players, at best H] One of the Bears' offensive linemen might actually be the worst player in the NFL (Omiyale in case you're wondering) I] The WRs clearly aren't getting open, since a few of the sacks were coverage sacks Really. What the hell is Cutler supposed to do?

This. Blame Angelo, Lovie, Martz, and the OL before you start pointing the finger at Cutler.

Gotta love being 3-0 and underrated. Bears not the best

You know as well as I do that kind of statement is not a "stat." Please quit with the ignorant baiting. Simply put, if you have a game like that when the opponent dominates on offensive yardage and time of possession, they're likely to have great success. Couple that with the unlikely scenario of having a team commit that many penalties again, and my statement rings pretty true. And you know it. You're just trying to be confrontational.

Hester really showed up on blocks this week. Let's not forget he absolutely planted AJ Hawk during the game as well.

Yes, 17-20 against GB is good. But how many times will that happen? Play that game ten times in a row, and the Packers break 30 on 8 or 9 of those games. I despise the scheme, the passive nature, and Lovie.

Normally, in a football sense, I don't have a problem with it. With this horrible OL, and Forte, pretty much opposite of a power back, I say kick the FG every time.

I read about that and completely agree with you. The likelihood of someone dropping the N-bomb on an NFL player is extremely minimal considering the probability of a beatdown. The likelihood of saying it to Nick Collins is even less probable considering his propensity for violent outbursts. The likelihood of someone yelling it when other fans and/or players are around is almost nil. I'd say Collins is making things up to cover for his actions and poor self-control.

We simply disagree on your entire post. When you get stuffed on short yardage time and time again, you go for the FG when it's a gimme. Points are points. Three is better than zero. And, evidently, it WAS enough. Catchable? Sure, I can buy that. But it was a really bad pass. Great call, agreed, but I'd say it was worse than mediocre, and I'm far from a Clark supporter when it comes to him or Cutler.

You may be right, but if that's the gameplan, it's passive as hell and will eventually get the Bears beat by a team that doesn't make mistakes (i.e. #5) or doesn't get as many holding penalties called against them (i.e. #6).

Was anyone else surprised by the consistency with which Martz had Cutler go back into deep drops the entire game? It seemed that a change should have been made considering the beating Cutler was taking and the frequency with which the Packers were blitzing, but it never really came like in the Cowboys game. I understand why the run game didn't get more love - especially considering the horrendous run blocking - but I don't get why there weren't more short passes in the flats, a screen or three, and a couple quick slants.

1. I agree with the frustration, but I'd hardly call letting the Packers march up and down the field "working perfectly." 2. I think it's somewhere in between. He wasn't great, but he was easily better than any other DLineman. 3. He had a few boneheaded throws, but overall a good game. I agree with the Cutler+Martz thoughts. 4. Agreed. Soulja Boy needs to be played before every Bears punt return if it gets Hester hyped. 5. I'm also sick of it. The OL can't run block at all. And it wasn't an easy catch for Clark. It was behind him and low. Bad pass by Cutler. 6. Agreed on everything except the Rodgers love. Beast? Yes. Love him? Hell no. 7. Interesting... 8. You had 7 twice.

Yes, even when the Bears win, I usually hate Lovie. That's because most of the time he deserves the hate. Yes, it all comes down to players making plays. And against the Packers the Bears' players made plays. But it sure would be nice to have the complete package. A team with players who make plays as well as coaches who actually coach, instead of just crossing their fingers and hoping for the plays to be made.

You don't? Seems like the most fortunate game I can remember in a long time. The Bears got beat in nearly every aspect of the game, but still won. If that is not luck, then we'll have to call it fortune. PotAto, Potahto.