artbest

The Bears, arguably, have the worst overall group of wide receivers the league has seen in MANY years. They don't have a #1 receiver OR a #2 receiver. At best, Devin Hester appears to be a #3 receiver. Davis and Booker should be released and Bennett is a mystery - is it a matter of poor coaching from Drake OR is he another Dan Bazuin or Michael Okwo, a relatively high pick who had no business being taken where he was? In 2005, Jerry Angelo TRIED to be aggressive with the WR position - he signed Moose and drafted Bradley. IMHO, if the Bears are serious about being contenders, they need to do the same in 2009...only THIS time, do it better. If TJ doesn't have the transition or franchise tag on him, IMHO, the Bears have almost no choice but to make a major play for him. He's roughly, I believe, the same age as Moose was when the Bears signed him and, arguably, is as good if not better as a receiver than Moose has been (save for his magical season prior to the Bears landing him). The Bears then need to take a receiver in the first or second round. Failure to take these steps should be met with EXTREME prejudice by all discerning Bear fans. Boldin? The Bears can't afford to give up a #1 and a #3 - they have too many OTHER needs - defensive end and possible nose tackle, free safety, cornerback, offensive line.

1. Mark Bradley has 24 catches on the season with a 12.6 YPR. He had no catches yesterday. That hardly consistutes "coming on." He's getting some playing time on a team with one victory. As far as his injury situation is concerned, Angelo gambled on him when he drafted him. Bradley had an extensive injury history at Oklahoma, not to mention limited experience at WR. Angelo guessed wrong on him and is accountable for wasting a second round pick. 2. Dusty Dvoracek. He's only looked "good" at times because the Bears stack the box with 8-9 guys to stop the run. Against the Packers, the Bears went with 7 in the box - thereby asking Dusty to hold up at the point of attack - and he was bulldozed. Combine this with a now-legendary injury history (he's out for the year AGAIN with a ruptured bicep) and you have yet another Angelo bust.

The Bears have too many acute needs to address exclusively via the draft. Jerry Angelo has to supplement the draft with key FA acquisitions. The most pressing needs for the Bears, IMHO, include: 1. Wide Receiver. The group he put on the field in 2008 is one of the worst we'll ever see. Angelo needs to fix this - a combination of the draft and FA seems warranted here not unlike what he tried to do in 2005 (Moose and Bradley). 2. Offensive line. Don't look for Angelo to spend a 1st round pick here - he may look for a FA guard and perhaps take a right tackle in the first 4 rounds. Few GM's in recent memory are as shortsighted and wrong-headed about the importance of building a strong offensive line. 3. Defensive line. The Bears have a desperate need for a pass rushing LDE. They also need a nose tackle to potentially replace Dusty Dvoracek, who should be ushered out of town following his latest injury. Marcus Harrison seems better suited to be a 3-technique ala Tommie Harris, but he should be tried at the nos as well. Look for Angelo to draft 2+ defensive linemen next April. 4. Safety. Other than Chris Harris, whom he unwisely jettisoned, Angelo has not been able to draft safeties - but he continues to try. Danneal Manning is a bust as a free safety, Kevin Payne can't cover a bed whether he's playing FS or SS and we don't know a thing yet about Steltz. This remains a need. 5. Cornerback. Vasher may be done. Graham shows promise. Bowman should, arguably, have made the team over the game but small and slow Trumaine McBride. He is, however, injury-prone. Tillman is having a poor year and may be better suited to FS at this point in his career. 6. Quarterback? So much depends on Orton's performance in the last 4 games of the season. If he continues to embarass himself the way he did last night, the Bears will have to find bona-fide competition for him. If he rediscovers his accuracy and decision making in the next 4 weeks, the Bears more likely be looking to find 'another Orton' - i.e. a QB who previously had a high rating but who fell into rounds 4-6 or so. With Grossman being shown the door at season's end, the Bears will add a QB - whether it will be a serious addition or simply another body holding a clipboard will be determined by Orton's play over the last 4 games of 2008.

got it...I only posted it because I made the same mistake POST game...completely forgetting the last FG.

Forte AND Harrison are gems from the 08 draft. Harrison is the only young d-lineman on the roster with significant upside. Steltz? Too soon to tell. Bennett? Disappointing thus far - let's see what transpires nexr year. Williams? Missing on his pre-existing condition was a major blunder, but he's recovered now. Considering how bad St. Claire was yesterday, it's time to see what the kid can do.

Mark Bradley a "stud?" He had zero catches yesterday. He was a bad pick by Angelo - the kid had a terrible injury in college and limited experience...and that carried over to his time with the Bears. Add to that his, apparent, awful practice habits and you get a stiff that never should have been drafted.

actually, the Bears were outscored 71-17.

Bigdaddy - if we recall the changes Lovie has made over the years: 1. Dumping Terry Shea and Pete Hoener (O-line coach) after the 2004 season 2. Dumping Ron Rivera and Don Johnson after the 2006 season Changing coaches isn't a foreign concept. IMHO, Lovie is all about Lovie - first, second and last. His ill-advised power play following the SB year is proof positive of this. Does Lovie want to risk his legacy, let alone his league-wide marketability, by retaining one of the league's worst coaching staff's?

Jerry Angelo has one of the more mediocre draft day records among his peers, especially considering his bustouts in rounds 1-3. His list is among the worst: 1. Dan Bazuin 2. Michael Okwo 3. Cedric Benson 4. Michael Haynes 5. Roosevelt Williams 6. Rex Grossman 7. Mark Bradley 8. Terrence Metcalf 9. Danneal Manning (nice kick returner, brutal DB - not worthy of a second round pick) 10. Dusty Dvoracek Best picks? 1. Lance Briggs 2. Devin Hester 3. Matt Forte 4. Tommie Harris 5. Alex Brown 6. Chris Harris 7. Greg Olsen 8. Peanut Tillman (last night notwithstanding) 9. Nathan Vasher (his rapid decline nothwithstanding) 10. Marc Columbo Showing promise: 1. Marcus Harrison 2. Kyle Orton 3. Corey Graham On the bubble: 1. Kevin Payne. Has some INT's, but is truly awful in coverage - stiff, not instinctive. 2. Earl Bennett. ANOTHER Bazuin and Okwo? 3. Garrett Wolfe. Would have been available in the 5th round

The epitome of mediocrity 1. 6-6 record, 16th overall ranking on defense, 23rd overall ranking on offense. It doesn't get (much) more tepid than that. What's especially disturbing,however... 2. Is how the Bears appear to be regressing. The defense has been spotty at best all season. now the offense can't get out of its own way. Special teams, a former strength, have disappeared. "Super Bowl" contenders, when they lose tough games early in the season, from my recollection, don't get steadily worse as the season wears on. The Giants didn't "fade out" to close the 2007 season...at least that's not how I recall it. Speaking of fading out... 3. Kyle Orton. Yes, he's been injured. Yes, he arguably has the worst set of receivers in the NFL. Yes, having a journeyman stiff as your left tackle is starting to catch up with the Bears. Still, 11-29 with 3 interceptions in a HUGE game is definitely cause for concern. Does this mean he should be "benched?" While I would have benched him in the 4th quarter yesterday, for the remainder of the season, he's the Bears' QB. If he the meltdown we saw yesterday continues, then the Bears HAVE to consider other alternatives at the position. If he can recover and show the promise he displayed before his injury, then he's the Bear QB, IMHO, in 2009 "no questions asked." With that said, under NO circumstances should the Bears REMOTELY consider offering him an extension. Let him earn it - let him show that his early success this year wasn't a fluke. Let him show that he can dramatically improve his accuracy on deeper throws. Let him prove that the moron we saw at QB last night was a true anamoly. Of course... 4. Jerry Angelo did him absolutely no favors. A quality GM doesn't allow his team to go into an NFL regular season with Rashied Davis, Brandon Lloyd, Marty Booker, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Mark Bradley as his wide receivers. He doesn't allow his team to go into a season with John St. Claire as his left tackle. YES, he found Matt Forte. He deserves kudos for that...but the offense remains sub-par. Regarding the defense, it's hard to tell if the problem is talent, coaching or a combination of both. Still, Jerry Angelo's lethargic off-season has left the Bears in a position where, conceivably, they could match last season's 7-9 mark. YES, it is theoretically possible for the Bears to "win out" and finish 10-6. It's also theoretically possible for Cedric Benson to lead the league in rushing in 2009. Still, Jerry Angelo isn't going ANYWHERE. Ted Phillips is "golden," IMHO, in the eyes of the McCaskey's. He has made the family, collectively, on-paper billionaires. He's got the President gig as long as he wants it. Jerry Angelo is his "football guy." He'll believe, IMHO, whatever pile of b.s. Angelo sells him. Jerry as safe as any GM in the NFL. Regarding the coaches... 5. Lovie's safe for AT LEAST another season after this - more likely TWO seasons after 2008. Few organizations outside of Dallas, Washington and MAYBE Miami would eat $15 million of guaranteed $$. IF the meltdown this season continues, I DO believe MAJOR coaching staff changes will be critical. Bob Babich, Ron Turner, Daryl Drake, Brick Hayley and Steve Wilks should be on the chopping block. IF, as many of us believe, Babich is merely Lovie's errand boy, then all the MORE reason to dump him. As we saw in St. Louis, Lovie is a system guy rather than a true defensive savant. The defenses in St. Louis, after an initial splash, slowly eroded. We're seeing the same thing in Chicago. Lovie Smith couldn't carry Steve Spagnolo's clipboard. The Giants are, IMHO, proof positive that a smaller, quicker defense can be VERY successful, PROVIDED you have the creativity, adapability and, of course, quality depth on your roster (notice how the Giants lost a HOF DE and a Pro Bowl DE and haven't missed a beat? Anyone hear them whining about injuries/losing players?). Lovie needs someone to challenge him - to take his philosophy and bring it up to current standards. Will he do it? IMHO, IF the Bears fall continues this year, he may have little choice. On-going job security and his reputation in the league will eventuall be hanging in the balance. Of course... 6. The Bears will beat Jacksonville in Chicago. The Jaguars are truly in disarray, with Jack Del Rio struggling mightily retain control of his locker room. They, not completely unlike the Rams, will be mailing it in next Sunday. All of this means that, if the Bears DO lose to the Jags, even the most doe-eyed of Angelo/Lovie apologists will have little choice but to mercilessly blast this team and organization. 2006 is the ultimate in "ancient history."

while the Bear defense is substandard, ONE thing their soft zone approach will help prevent are the big plays that bludgeoned the Packers last night. Poor weather or not, it's too much to ask the Bear pass defense to "stop" Brees and co - but they can at least improve their chances of a tipped pass, an INT, a fumble due to the elements, etc. The key in that game, as it will be on Sunday, is the Bears' offense. They need to run the ball and Orton has to be his pre-injury self. If this happens, the Bears have a shot. If not, they probably don't.

we'll know after the Viking game. We can't take much from yesterday's contest save for the Bears did what they had to do and the Rams have quit.

I sure hope so - because they'll need it. Again, the Bears didn't win the last game as much as the Vikings lost it - those special teams TD's were absolute gifts from the Vikings. Since his injury, Orton hasn't been able to throw the ball downfield...he's going to have to against Minnesota. They will stymie Forte. Can they win? Sure...will they be expected to? No - today proved only that the Rams have quit on the season. We'll see what the Bears truly are next week. The next game may ultimately tell the tale of the 2008 Chicago Bears.

One only needs to look back at the last time the two teams faced each other - the Vikings scored 41 legit points and actually beat up the Bear defense every bit as soundly as the Packers did. The Bears didn't stop the Vikings until they threw a pick to end the game. The only reason why the Bears "won" the game was the Vikings gave them two special teams scores. The Bear defense, as it turned out, didn't match up at all with the Vikings. The Bears will load up the box to try to contain Peterson and thus give Frerrotte wide open spaces to complete easy passes. Orton HAS to have a monster game. Forte won't be a huge factor running the ball next Sunday.

Orton is still hurt, which is why he's so inaccurate downfield. He can't effectively plant his right foot, especially as the game wears on. The Bears are going to need him to be at his best in Minnesota - perhaps at his career best - to have a shot at beating the Vikings, who figure to score almost every time they have the ball. They won't self destruct the way the Rams did today.

Orton's ankle bothered him more and more - he threw the ball very poorly in the second half...it doesn't help that he has NO receivers. On defense, the Bear pass defense is still vulnerable, and it will be for the remainder of the season - everything the Bears do in pass defense is flawed right now. Thank goodness for the self-destructive Rams.

HOPEFULLY, Orton will be healthier and better able to plant come next week against the Vikings - the true/actual "make or break" game on the Bears schedule. The Rams are a mess, yet Orton and the Bear passing game has been getting worse as the game has worn on - not unlike the Packer game. Orton can't plant and has been inaccurate on many downfield throws. Additionally, the receivers, look pretty pedestrian. This is fine against the Rams, but the Vikings will score repeatedly next week, the only shot the Bears have is a pre-injury type performance from Orton.

If the erstwhile Anderson isn't careful, the Bears won't be "waiting" for him anymore...and he'll be "waiting" tables.

All good, interesting points...just a few additional thoughts on this... 1. Regarding Jerry Angelo. The emperical evidence points to a decidedly spotty resume. When one considers Roosevelt Williams, Rex Grossman, Michael Haynes, Terrance Metcalf, Cedric Benson, Mark Bradley, Dan Bazuin and Michael Okwo, you paint a picture of a GM who is not especially adept at judging collegiate talent. We may soon have to add Danneal Manning and Dusty Dvoracek (who looks incredibly weak at the point of attack) to this list as well. There are certainly some signficant successes for Angelo on draft day, but he has blown WAY too many picks in rounds 1-3. A quality, results oriented franchise would not tolerate this. Speaking of not tolerating... 2. Angelo's philosophy on the oline was flawed in that it guaranteed that the Bears would be on borrowed time. Additionally, the acquisitions of Ruben Brown and Fred Miller were necessary because Mark Columbo got hurt and Terrance Metcalf was a bust. Those stop-gap measures meant that, if Angelo didn't act responsibility and draft some developmental linemen OTHER than the no-talent stiffs he tabbed in the 6th and 7th round - players who had no business being drafted at all btw - the team would be in trouble. Now, the Bears have a rag-tag group pieced together with duct tape. Hopefully, the damaged goods he drafted - Chris Williams - will turn out to be the goods. When it's an Angelo draft pick, the best we can hope for is 50/50. 3. Peppers is stronger and arguably quicker than either Brown or Ogun - he's in a completely different class as an athlete and could adapt to most any system save for a pure 3-4. The Bears WON'T go after him, but he's be an instant upgrade. 4. Wish you were right about Tommie Harris, but I don't think so. He's couldn't be further from "fine." He's the highest paid player on defense yet he's being manhandled week in and week out. In addition to his terrible play, he doesn't know when to shut up. When Warren Sapp, a player who represents everything Tommie Harris was SUPPOSED to be, calls him out, I tend to listen. 5. None of this exonerates the coaching staff. Jerry Angelo mis-scouted his defense and paid some too much $$, but they should still better than THIS. They don't have the talent to dominate, but they shouldn't give up 41 points to Minnesota, they shouldn't allow a rookie QB to butcher them for 300 yards, they shouldn't allow Brian Griese to torch them for 400 yards and they shouldn't allow Dan Orlovsky to have a career day against them. THIS is where coaching, scheme and game planning come in. Spagnolo in NY has shown how a team with smaller, quicker linemen can be very successful in this modern age. Creativity and adaptability - things that Lovie and Babich lack - are needed for this defense to return to respectability. 6. Have to disagree on Wilks - COMPLETELY. Trumaine McBride plays hard, tries hard, but he's far from a "solid corner." In fact, arguably, Bowman should have made the 53 man roster and the small, slow McBride should have been released. He can't cover a bed 1:1, let alone an NFL wide receiver. The Bear corners are being coached to give up inside leverage time and again - Wilks has to accept some accountability for this. Marcus Hamilton's mental gaffe at the end of the Atlanta game has to fall to some extent on Wilks, who should have implored him to FORGET THE BACK IN THE FLAT. No one tells Hamilton this and, being the typical idiot DB that Angelo picks up, he bites on the shorter route and the rest is misery The organization has alot of problems. The NFL is a funny theater, however...things CAN be fixed sooner rather than later...IF the right men are doing the fixing.

Old style? These are the McCaskey's...we're talking Welch's and Wonder Bread at Ginny's kitchen table in Des Plaines. By the way, you live in L.A.? My sister lives there and goes to a "Bear Bar" in Burbank, CA to watch the Bears - she's there religiously...

Considering they're playing a team that has quit on their season, Bennett should have plenty of opportunities.

A few thoughts: 1. Jerry Angelo ignored the offensive line in the first 3 rounds for 5 consecutive seasons - something that's unheard of for teams that have General Managers. Sometimes, when a head coach runs the draft, we see this kind of irresponsible drafting and player procurement, but rarely with a GM. Few GM's in recent memory have been as negligent in this area as Jerry Angelo. With that said, 2. Knowing his m.o., the MOST he'll do next April is consider a right tackle prospect in the third or fourth round. Tait's age and atrophy may compel him to try to find an heir apparent. As far as the guards are concerned, knowing how Angelo approaches the offensive line, he'll view Buenning as a significant acquisition and competition for either Beekman or Garza. He'll also draft someone who isn't even on most draft boards (Reed, Anderson come immediately to mind) in the 6th or 7th round to spend a couple of years on the Bears' practice squad. 3. What SHOULD the Bears do this off-season? Well... A. Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers, Wide Receivers. If the Bears believe Kyle Orton to be their franchise QB, they can't afford to handicap his development by saddling him with garbage like Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, Rashied Davis and (even) Devin Hester. They need REAL front line NFL wideouts. B. Offensive line. The current group has overachieved, given their age, lack of talent and lack of power. They are not exceptional run blockers but, overall, they've done a decent job of pass blocking. Williams will be the left tackle, but the Bears need a right tackle and a front-line guard. C. Defensive line. They need a legit pass rushing DE and should also be on the market for a legit nose tackle and possibly another "3-technique" to pair with Marcus Harrison as replacements for the pathetic Tommie Harris D. Free safety. The Bear safeties are awful - but their free safeties are non-existent. They simply don't have one. Steltz? Too slow to be a FS. Could be a solid SS one day. Kevin Payne? Can be "ok" in the box but is lost in pass coverage. Danneal Manning? If he's not returning kicks, he doesn't belong on the field E. Coaching. Babich, Haley, Wilks and Drake should be fired immediately after the last game the Bears play. These clowns have no business being in the jobs they're in today. 4. Will the Bears address all of these areas? Doubtful. They may be a BIT more aggressive in free agency after their strategy of "paying their own" backfired. I could see them being suitor for a FA WR. Peppers? IF he's not franchised, I don't see the Bears being major players - but not because of the scheme (Brown and Ogun aren't fast enough to truly be considered Lovie's-kind of DE's) but because of the money. I expect the Bears to draft defense early and often - what we have to hope is that Angelo doesn't tab stiffs like Bazuin and Okwo. I do agree with the "Lithuanian" on one thing - the franchise seems to be slowly spiraling downward. We're starting to see that last year wasn't a complete abheration. Jerry Angelo's failed drafts are starting to catch up to the Bears and Lovie Smith's ill-advised egomaniacal power play after signing the big contact are starting to rot-out the franchise.

he'd have to overhaul the line, the linebackers, the safeties and the corners. I don't know, at this stage of his life, if he'd want to entertain a complete rebuilding project. IMHO, the Bears would be one of the LAST places he'd consider.

Regarding the defense... 1. It seems that rumors of Dusty Dvoracek's competence were GREATLY overstated. He played very well in last year's opener before getting hurt, so there was a feeling that the Bears had the prototypical nose tackle for their scheme. Unfortunately, Lovie and Babich putting 8-9 in the box on every play leading up to the Packer disaster disguised Dusty's shortcomings - he can't hold the point of attack, something a nose tackle MUST do. In 2005 and 2006, the Bears had Ian Scott and Alphonso Boone playing the nose - while neither was a prototypical "Lovie" tackle, they were both much more stout than Dusty, who may be another Angelo bust-out if this trend continues. Dusty shouldn't even be in uniform on Sunday. I've NEVER seen a Bear DT get butchered the way he was on Sunday. He should have worn a dress to work. 2. The DE's. Ogun has slowed down and Alex Brown was NEVER the prototypical RDE in Lovie's scheme. Both are pretty solid against the run, but neither have much quickness or get off the ball. Mark Anderson? Stick a fork in him. He's the ultimate flash in the pan. 3. The Bears have no free safety. Mike Brown can't run well enough to play the position and Kevin Payne SUCKS. Jerry Angelo has found ONE bona-fide safety in the draft since he's been in Chicago - and he now plays for Carolina. Danneal Manning? Nice KO returner, BRUTAL safety and clueless nickle back. 4. Nate Vasher's Bear career should be hanging in the balance. Corey Graham is hardly a top-flight corner, but he at least gets after it - Vasher is playing not to get hurt. 5. Since his shoulder injuries, Peanut Tillman has been a lousy corner as well. Hopefully, it's a health issue. 6. Brian Urlacher? He's slowing down 7. Tommie Harris? The ultimate thief. A charlatan and a fraud. This guy needs to find a new address. 8. With all of this said, it's fair to expect the defense NOT to be as dominant as they were, but they shouldn't be as rancid as they are now. A HUGE part of the problem is how Lovie and Babich reacted to last year's defensive disaster. Determined to a. stop the run at all costs and b. prevent any and all big pass plays - the Bears put their entire roster "in the box" on almost every play. They also play their safeties 20-22 yards off the LOS - deeper than perhaps any team. They also refuse to take inside position, thus giving up the slant time and again. The pass rush is weak to begin with, but it has been hampered by receivers breaking open IMMEDIATELY. They TRIED to change this in the Green Bay game with disastrous results, as Mike McCarthy was one step ahead of Lovie and Babich the entire afternoon. This defense plays SCARED - the coaches and players. 9. Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo are approaching a cross-roads. Lovie, whose defensive acumen when he arrived was a bit overstated - the Rams didn't want him the in the first place (they wanted Marinelli) and, by the time he left, the Rams defense was already on a steep decline. The presence of larger NT's, Brian Urlacher and Chico Rivera uplifted the Bear defense for a couple of years. Will Lovie allow pride to prevent him from making the necessary move of dumping his overwhelmed buddy Bubba Gump Babich and hire a real defensive coordinator? Relying on smaller, quicker players CAN work - it does for the Giants - but you need creativity, you need to adapt immediately when teams adjust to what you're doing. Lovie, because he's NOT a true defensive savant, is only comfortable with his "system." Ron Rivera took him out of his comfort zone so, at the first opportunity, he dumped him. Lovie needs to decide if he wants to be a long-term success as a head coach OR if he wants to be just another schmuck who got lucky and stole $20 million from his employer. Jerry Angelo? He allowed the Bears to go into the 2008 season with one of the most laughably awful group of offensive players one will ever see. Much to everyone's delight, up until the last two weeks, that offense overachieved. While there's plenty to criticize Ron Turner for, let's recall just how little Bear cap $$ is invested on that side of the ball. Look at the wide receivers. Look at the offensive line. HOPEFULLY, Kyle Orton's uber-lousy performance against Green Bay was injury induced and NOT part of a trend - if it's the former, the Bears have something. In lieu of TRULY addressing the offense, Angelo has spent most of the Bears' cap space on defense. After last year's collapse, people assumed it was mostly due to injuries - which certainly played a role but, arguably, a defense should NEVER go from 5th in the NFL in 28th in the NFL in one year, injuries or not. So, Angelo dumps his money there...and no team is getting LESS from its investment in a unit than the Bears and their defense. While Angelo is safe until the end of his contract, if his performance continues to set the Bears back - if he continues to waste McCaskey money on malcontents and no-talent draft picks - if Virginia passes on, he could be on thin ice.

The matchup doesn't favor the Bears on paper - the Bears have one of the league's worst pass defenses and, while the Packers aren't strong against the run, the Bear running game (and this is NO knock on Matt Forte) isn't exceptional and the Bears with their league-worst receivers will have trouble passing against the Packer secondary, which is among the best in the league. I believe the Packers to be a mediocre team - much like the Bears - but the matchup, which would have been a good one in '05 and '06 when the Bears played excellent pass defense and actually rushed the passer - is a bad one for the Blue and Orange. I just hope the game still has relevance when they play. The key, IMHO, won't be this week - the Rams won't show up on Sunday - it's the Viking game. On paper, that appears to be a loss for the Bears - the Vikings "gave" the last game to the Bears via two special teams gaffes. Fortunately, games aren't played on paper AND, if Lovie makes the changes in the lineup that he needs to make, who knows? Win the game in Minnesota and you're a contender. Lose it and it's going to be REALLY tough.