adam

Game Observations: Howard, even against 2nd/3rd stringers still looked like a man among boys. Lasike should make the team, we need some smashmouth style on offense. Mike Adams played a very solid game on the line, which was nice to see. I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up as one of our starting tackles by the end of the season. Surprisingly, our young secondary looked great. Hall, Houston-Carson, and Bausby were noticeable (in a good way). I see all of them making the team. I also liked what I saw out of Kwiatkowski, he may turn out to be a very good ILB. He had an inside blitz and blew up the RB. https://twitter.com/sportsmockery/status/771796321652973568

Cooper was 5-47 in his first pro game in Week 1 last year. He did go off after that against the Ravens and Browns though. He had 5x games over 100 receiving yards and 8 under 50. So he was somewhat inconsistent. For White, I am hoping for something like 5-65 out of White each week (80-1040-6 for year), Cooper ended with 72-1070-6. So those numbers would be really close. Also, Cooper was much more polished but with less upside. With a year on the sidelines to gain some knowledge, White's learning curve should be improved. Now it is getting used to game speed and not thinking.

add Bridgewater to the list.

We definitely can use some help in the secondary.

Yeah, huge blow for them. Ponder wasn't even on their roster.

https://twitter.com/GoesslingESPN/status/770697400977534976 You hate to see injuries, but this does help us if he is out for the year. We just need to stay healthy and survive.

I kept seeing the media talk about how the preseason record doesn't necessarily correlate to regular season success. So I thought about looking at it from something else that is a good measure of success over time (score differential). So I looked at all teams which allowed 40 or more points than their opponents in the preseason and see how they fared in the regular season (and I think there is some correlation there). Take a look: 2015 PIT -49 (10-6, WC) NO -47 (7-9) STL -45 (7-9) 2014 BUF -41 (9-7) KC -48 (9-7) DAL -56 (12-4, DIV) CHI -41 (5-11) 2013 JAX -51 (4-12) SD -44 (9-7) TB -49 (4-12) ATL -43 (4-12) 2012 NYJ -57 (6-10) BUF -60 (6-10) MIA -53 (7-9) KC -55 (2-14) 2011 CIN -44 (9-7, WC) JAX -43 (5-11) OAK -57 (8-8) KC -48 (7-9) Since 2011, there have been 19 teams that had a pts differential of -40 (or more) during the preseason. Of those 19 teams, only 6 teams had winning records in the regular season (32%), 12 had losing records (63%), and 1 ended 8-8 (5%). Since "a winning record" doesn't really show too much, how about how many actually made the playoffs? Only 3 teams made the playoffs (16%), and only 1 won their Division (5%). The highest record of those 19 teams was 12-4, and only 2 teams had 10 or more wins. The cumulative record of those 19 teams were 130-174, or an average record of 7-9. Right now there are 5 teams in danger of joining this group: CLE, NYG, CHI, NO, and ARZ I don't know of any other preseason stat that is 95% to 5% when compared to the regular season, but it looks like -40 means you will have only a 5% chance to win the Division and only a 16% chance to make the playoffs. What you say?

That is funny. Definitely need to keep drafting O-Line in the first 3-4 rounds every year until this is fixed.

He will go on IR.

It's gonna be bad, O-Line is Swiss cheese right now. All teams have to do is blitz and play man, we can't get the ball out fast enough.

Per Rapoport: https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/769636069428097024 He actually showed some promise. Hoyer gets backup job by default.

Floyd dressed but did not play.

No way we are 6-10, no way. 4 may even be pushing it. We must be playing to draft Watson because it is hard to play that bad.

So how the day has looked on offense, KC does a squib kick, we get the ball inside KC's zone with 10 seconds left: 1st play, Alshon gets called for a false start. 2nd play, Mariani slips and misses short pass from Cutler. 3rd play, with only 3 rushers, Cutler is stripped and fumbles and Bears recover to end half. At this point, the team is unwatchable.

If this is our team, I can't see us winning more than 4-5 games.

Bears stuff KC at goalline, Ware doesn't get in, but because they call the play a TD on the field, there was not enough video evidence to overturn it (just our luck), so TD stands.

and Bullard just came out...

On 1st Down, Rodgers runs for 2 (not much room and 8 in the box). On 2nd Down, pass batted down at the LoS. On 3rd Down, Cutler throws high and incomplete and we have our 3rd 3-and-out. Offense looks like a train wreck hitting a dumpster fire. O'Donnell hears me and kicks one 61 that is returned 12 yards.

Bears with pressure but Smith completes to Kelce. Unrein with a personal foul (free 15 yards), then Smith scrambles for 8. Bears with a nice pass break up on 2nd, but can't stop the shallow cross for a first (even though you knew it was coming). A short rush, and back to back incompletions ends the drive with another red-zone FG. A lot pressure coming on last 2 plays. The one thing that is more noticeable on defense is that we are definitely swarming more. Almost every play we have multiples defenders making the tackle or contesting the ball. Down only by 6, but it feels like we have been dominated. One TD drive away from the lead.

If he can truly kick it 60+, then there is no reason why he can't kick it 40-50 and out of bounds every time.

Offense from the 20, just brutal. Langford nowhere to go on first for no gain. Cutler to a wide open Jeffery who drops the ball after it hits his hands on 2nd. Would've easily been a huge gain if not an 80 yard TD. Cutler scrambles but is contained for a short gain on 3rd. Offense looks like crap..... O'Donnell punts and finally breaks 50, but they still get a 9 yard return.

Bears with a quick 3 and out, Glenn with a nice pass breakup on 3rd down. Punt and touchback. Defense is looking pretty solid.

On first down, nice protection, but Cutler short hops a deep in to Jeffery for an incompletion. Langford with a nice cutback for 5 on 2nd (nice to see him not running into the backs of his blockers). On 3rd, Cutler is sacked, a double blitz where Langford picks up one, but the 2nd blitzer is unblocked. Seemed like confusion between Edison and Larsen. Now only a 44 yard punt for O'Donnell, and a 15 yard return. I can punt 44 yards; we really need a better punter. A net under 40 is unacceptable and that one was a net of 29.

Offense still looks really basic. Very few shots down field yet. I agree on Larsen, he is not a starter.

2nd defensive series: Bears defense struggling with quick throws. DB's not playing close enough to stop them. Coverage sack by the defense, Hicks with the one-armed sack. He is noticeable on every play. Bears with coverage and pressure, but Smith eludes 3 players to get a long first on 3rd and long. Not good. Freeman with a HUGE stuff up the middle, then looks to get hurt as he celebrates (player pushed him from behind when he was bent over). HJQ, Hurst, and Freeman stuff a short dig route and it forces KC to kick a short FG. So far, I been impressed with Freeman, Hicks, and HJQ. Young and Houston both have been getting pressure too.