jason

Clark has to make that catch...screwed the team there.

GRIESE SUCKS!!!! hahahaha

I'm only luke-warm on this one. I like the first two picks, but I don't like the English pick. With three good DEs, that is not a need-position right now for the Bears when compared to other positions.

Everyone is hinting around it, but the true key to this game is simple: The offense has to do something. The Bears should not have to rely on the defense holding the opponents under 14 points. The offense needs to be able to put up three or four scoring drives a game, and at least two of those need to be TDs.

NOW YOU'RE TALKING!!! I like this one a lot. First four rounds, first four problem areas addressed.

I think it just comes down to a disagreement about philosophy. I don't care about the choice of play, I think the Bears as currently built, should run, run, run. Just about anything 2nd and short or 3rd and short should be a run to Forte. If Forte gets stoned, then I blame the entire offense, and the offensive line in general. Just a few yards comes down to execution. I still say the FB dive to McKie is stupid. Forte is a faster, more explosive, stronger runner than McKie. The ball should be given to the #1 RB in nearly every situation. McKie is primarily a blocking FB, not a running FB. You say that the defense wouldn't be demoralized, but you know you're simplifying the situation. One first down? No, not demoralizing. But if the Bears' offense does it over and over? You know that kills the other team. The only thing we agree upon is the fact that Orton should make those throws. I don't like the calls, but if those are the calls then Orton has to throw good balls and make completions.

Do I blame the guy? HELL YES I BLAME HIM!!!! He's essentially the epitome of the greed athlete affecting the Bears. The guy was loved in Chicago, made into a #1 WR when he really wasn't one, and he went for the huge money. I know what many will say: "But wouldn't anyone go for a raise? How can you turn it down?" To that I say, it's just not the same. Once you're over a few million, it's all the same. Many people live, with families, on mere fractions of what the guy WAS making, but then he went for the huge money. Would he have received millions from the Bears?! Hell yeah he would have. But the millions weren't enough, he wanted millions and millions more. Greed I tell you. Greed. I hope he sucks, and the rest of his career sucks as long as he's not with the Bears. With that said, the only good thing about the scenario is that he's wasting cap space in Minnesota.

I can't go through play-by-play precisely because I don't have a recording, but the play-by-play on NFL.com has him rushing 14 times in the first half (15 but one was taken away by penalty), and only 23 for the entire game. Let's see... 14 times in the first half...Bears beating the Panthers... 9 times in the second half...Bears barely lose to the Panthers... A short analysis of second half plays that look like they should have been rushing downs: 1) First possession in the second half: 3-3-CHI 44 (12:22) 18-K.Orton pass incomplete short left to 81-R.Davis. (Short yardage and an incompletion to Davis? Hmmmm...) 2) Second possession: 1-1-CAR 1 (9:25) 37-J.McKie up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. (Lucky result - that play sucks.) 3) Last possession third quarter: 2-2-CHI 28 (1:29) 18-K.Orton pass incomplete deep right to 80-B.Lloyd. (I agree that 2nd and short is often where the chances are taken, but why do it when the RB is doing really well? Most will tell you about the 2nd and short-go long philosophy, but most will also tell you that there is nothing more demoralizing to a defense than getting trucked on the ground.) 4) The last drive: 2-1- (2:05) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 18-K.Orton pass incomplete short left to 81-R.Davis. (You want to know why it was a bad call?? Just check the previous drive for the same result on nearly the exact same play/results. 2-4-CHI 35 (3:12) (Shotgun) 18-K.Orton pass incomplete deep left to 81-R.Davis. So, I can't rewatch the game, but to me, someone who understands football, and someone who knows that the Bears offensive strength (if any) exists in the running game, those plays don't look good on paper.

Actually, az, even during the Super Bowl run, there was quite a bit of criticism directed towards Turner. And let's not forget that the main reason the Bears made it to the Super Bowl was the combination of the Defense and the Special Teams...the offense was along for the ride and chipped in when it could. It was never expected that the offense would carry the team at any moment, but when it infrequently did, that helped out a lot.

haha. Cracks me up. I knew that Berrian wasn't anything close to the WR he thought, or thinks he is. He didn't deserve the huge money. Hell, at this point I'd say Lloyd looks like has overall better tools than Berrian any way. The best part about your post Terra, was that I thought it said "Hey Berrian (Wade)", as if you were basically calling Berrian another Wade. Bernard Wade anyone?

Great stuff Noots! I'm in nearly complete agreement.

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Play action pass rollout to the tight end!? The hell you say!!!! I mean, it's not like Steve McNair and Frank Wycheck made a career with that play over and over and over again.

I agree for the most part, but Turner's main problem has been his ability to adjust to game-changing situations. He looked OK in the first half, and in the second half he completely sucked. He didn't adjust to what the Panthers did, and as a result the Bears offense was horrible. Olsen's fumbles were drive killers, and so were Orton's poor throws, but I still place a lot of blame on Turner.

Who deserves the blame?

Olsen sure didn't help, but a competent offense has to be able to overcome some turnovers. The Bears D got one back, so that's one in the negative. The Bears O HAS to get more offensive production than what they got. And Turner's boneheaded playcalling doesn't help at all. A running team should be able to get a first down when it's 2nd and 1. Period. Calling two passes and then a FB dive is completely retarded.

Scratch what I said in the first half. If Turner can't adjust to game-changes, and it's been proven he can't, then he needs to go. And the McKie call is just idiotic and baffling.

That was one of the dumbest friggin calls in the history of the Bears. 1) Forte was effective 2) McKie is not a good runner 3) The passing game was not effective 4) Everyone in the stadium knew the Bears were going to run What the hell? This game is all on the offense, specifically Ron Turner and Kyle Orton.

Yeah, I'm shocked. It sure does seem like a different Turner when the offensive line is doing well.

Shines - Defense as a unit. They will stuff up the run with lots of people in the box, and force the Panthers to beat the Bears with the passing game and that scrub MuhMuh. Slumps - Offensive Line. Specifically, I think that Tait will get beaten regularly by Julius Peppers, and the Bears offense will struggle as a result.

Sorry about the double post...the message board had a hiccup. I posted and it didn't show up. I posted again and then they BOTH showed up. I can honestly say I'd be happier with that draft, but I don't knoiw much about the guys yet. Also, if it's a Center in the first round, that guy better by able to play guard or tackle until Kreutz leaves. Last but not least, while I said "happier", I didn't say happy. I think that a WR at this point is a very bad move.

I'm just glad you're not in the charge of the Bears. With glaring holes at three or more positions, the addition of a first round WR would be a very bad move. Aside from that, the WR position has a relative logjam right now, and even if three leave, that still leaves the Bears with Hester, Davis, and Bennett as WRs, and all a first round WR would do would be fight for playing time. And when he got in, he'd fight for the ball on a run-first, defensive minded team. A first round WR at this point would get about 30 catches, and he'd end up looking like a complete waste. OT, OG, C, S, QB...all five positions, especially if you are concerned with depth and/or age, are in much more dire need at this point. Even though it'd be nice to see young first round talent on all skill positions, it's like I said: a first round WR next year would be a horrible move.

Dude, all I can say is that I'm glad you're not running the Bears. Adding a first round WR to the mix would be pointless for the Bears, and it'd just be a complete waste, IMHO. With a questionable OL, a mediocre QB, and injury concerns at the safety position, the WR position is definitely not in the top three positions of need. A case could easily be made that it's not even fourth either. With Bennett, Hester, Davis, Bradley, Lloyd, and Booker in the mix, the WR position is log-jammed as it stands now. Even if three get dumped - probably Booker, Lloyd, and Bradley - it still doesn't make sense to draft a WR who'll fight for playing time (i.e. Davis, Hester, Bennett), and then have to fight even more for the ball in a run-first, defense-dominated team. He'd be a first round draft pick with a 30-40 catch season...and that's just a waste for a team with other gaping holes.

Drafting a WR in the first round would be an incredibly horrible move for the Bears. There is much more need at OG, OT, S, and QB.

I can't say that I'm quite ready for the draft yet, but based upon your ranks, this is what I'd like to see: 1 - Duke Robinson G Oklahoma 2 - Phil Loadholt OT Oklahoma Not only does that bring in two studs for the OL, but the guys - if on the same side - already have cohesion.