adam

Watch, Cutler will get a phantom injury (groin, high ankle sprain) in the next 2 weeks and Clausen will play out the season and win out for us to get us to 7-9. You heard it here first.

I don't buy it. All teams have injuries, and some even had bigger injuries than ours and still have winning records. Cleveland did not have their top player (Gordon) for 10 games and lost their perennial Pro Bowl Center a month ago and they still win games. I could go on and on. Bostic, Greene, and SMC should not get fooled by Play Action after their 2nd and 3rd years in the league. The stats you listed are deceiving for the Cardinals and Ravens because those teams have good to great defenses and are playing with a lead so teams will inherently pass more and get garbage time yards. Look at a better stat like QB Passer Rating Against. Teams with an opponent QB Rating over 100: 1. NYJ 109.4 2. WAS 103.5 3. CHI 101.1 4. OAK 100.0 5. TB 100.0 6. JAX 99.1 I just listed JAX to show how bad the teams are in that list. Besides us, those other 5 teams have 9 combined wins. We have allowed a league high (which is bad) 40.8% of 1st Downs when passing. That means teams get a 1st Down 41 out of every 100 pass attempts (not completions). If you count completions, they get a first down 41 out of every 66 completions (62% of the time). That is beyond bad. So teams didn't run because they didn't have to. Once you are over 50% in that second value, you can run once (if you want to), then pass on 2nd and 3rd Down, and you will have a first down almost every time. Our Defensive Line is actually pretty good, but our LB Corps and Defensive Backfield has to be the worst in the league. Like I have said in almost every game thread, our defense doesn't actually cover anyone. On every play 2-3 receivers are wide open and we are guarding empty space. Sometimes we even double that open space.

He was great in his prime, but things went south once Urlacher left. Briggs was not the same and his attitude (and actions) soured on a lot of people. He was a great player and that player will be missed, but he just was not the same player the last two years. Announcing this now is a signal that he will not be back.

With all the recent changes to the league, you just have to look back to our post 2006 Superbowl numbers to see how bad we really have been. From 2007 to this year we are 65-59, just a hair better than .500, and our point differential is +4 in those 124 games. We are 5-12 against GB and 2 of those wins were in 2007 (3-12 since 2008). Basically Forte's entire career we have been average. What a waste. Can you believe Forte has only played in 2 playoff games his entire career? 2012 really hurts because on paper, we had a great team. Looking at overall team ratings, since 1985; 1986, 1988, 2006, and 2012 were our best teams. That 18 year gap from 1988 to 2006 was brutal. Thank god for the Bulls during that run.

Mongo, Definitely needs to start from top down, but if you do that, you can't put any conditions on that move like "Trestman and Tucker stay for another year." You just let Polian work his magic. I think Trestman is over his head as a HC and his play calling is too passive for the NFL. It works in Canada with more players, a bigger field, and different rules, but not in the NFL. I like his attitude and he seems to be a very intelligent guy, but we need a competitor. For Defense, Tucker has to go, we catered to him bringing in just about everything but a great Safety, and the defense is arguably worse than last year. We are dead last in pts allowed and our entire defense seems to be out of sync. I would definitely let Briggs walk, but I would actually bring back Peanut for one more year. Do it the right way. He still can contribute and with fresh legs, who knows, he may be even better than last year. He had a freak injury to an odd muscle, so I would offer him a one-year deal to redeem himself. You know he doesn't want to go out like that. We can't cut Houston, his cap hit is too big next year. Let's chalk it up as a bonehead move. SMC is someone to consider For Special Teams, DeCamworthless needs to be fired already. I think the organization is just keeping him because the season is already lost. We need a new coach, and a couple of ST studs. This phase cannot be overlooked like it was this year. Overall, we under-achieved. I thought on paper we had a top 12-15 team capable of at least competing week in and week out, yet we are 5-6 and have only 1 win against a winning team. TB has 5 losses by 5 or less. ATL has 2 losses by 3 total pts. 6 of OAK losses were by 10 or less. All those teams have worse records than us, but played competitive. 5 of our losses are by 13 or more. That is ridiculous. We were essentially not competitive in 5 games. BLUF: Pay Polian whatever he wants, give him as much control as he desires, an open checkbook, and let him go to work without restrictions.

Fuller seems to be strictly a Slot Corner. He can't handle the bigger receivers like Peanut did. We need a bigger corner. Vereen is also under-sized. We definitely need to get bigger. For the LBs, they are great in run support, but bite every time on play action and didn't handle the screens very well. The D-Line played pretty good for stretches, then disappeared for others. Sutton was mentioned several times. Overall I agree that we are really running a lot of younger players out there, but it is still football and at some point these guys (like Bostic) should get it. Look at Borland in SF, rookie in the middle, in on almost every play.

I just have a feeling that this is going to be brought up at some point. They will point to the injuries on the O-Line to Slauson, Mills, DLP, and Britton, and on the D to Peanut, Briggs, Houston, Conte, Ratliff, Fuller and say that those were the reason this team struggled all year with consistency. I hope not, but I see it coming.

We won the 1st and 3rd quarters! I just don't understand this team. We have a beautifully called and executed first drive. We hold Detroit to a 3 and out, then a FG, and then force a turnover that gives us a 14-3 lead. How do we go from that back to the same old team where every receiver is somehow open on the field and we get no pass rush on defense. Then when we are on offense, no one is open and Cutler has 2 linemen in his face (every freaking play).

I don't want them to lose, but I don't think we win any of the next 3 anyway (DAL, NO, DET). So we will more than likely finish 6-10 (our worst record since 2004), which should land us a top 10 pick.

Willie Young gets a drive saving sack, celebrates, and gets a penalty for roughing the passer. Seriously. We are jinxed.

Now we are getting no pressure and every receiver is open. I just don't get how the Bears leave Fuller isolated on Megatron after 8 catches. Everyone knew that ball was going to him. Crazy to think we had a 14-3 lead and are down 24-14 going into half.

and just like that, our Bears are back. Stafford over 200 yards passing in the half.

Marshall drops one, wasn't long enough for a first down, but would've made it close to FG range.

We are getting pressure, but we need to give Fuller some help as Megatron is open on every play.

Wow Jared Allen is on fire. Great strip sack and recovery. We need a TD.

Yeah, I still don't like the zone, but at least the line is getting some pressure. Two Detroit drives and only a FG is a good start.

We have been asking for this all year, our offense looked unstoppable. Detroit is #1 against the run, so we should've loosened them up a little there.

Defense forces a 3 and out with 2 run stuffs, we get a 15 yard punt return, and the offense scores a TD on a great drive with awesome play calling. What team is this?

Happy Thanksgiving Talkbears/Bearstalk! Detroit is not looking very good lately, we might have gotten them at just the right time, or not.

At least we are not playing a good defensive line anytime soon

Yeah, as long as we draft to the value of our slot, I really don't care what order we go in. Take the best available of S, CB, OL in the first, then choose between the 2 remaining needs in the 2nd. For the 3rd, you could probably extend what positions we look at to LB, TE, and WR. Looking at our remaining schedule, as MadLith pointed out, we will probably lose our next 4 games and win against MIN to end at 6-10. If we do that, we should pick between 8th-10th. 7-9 will probably get us from 11th-14th, and 8-8 will get us 15th-19th. So even with a miracle win against DET, NO, or DAL, we will probably finish no better than 7-9. That gives us a top 15 pick, a 2nd round pick under 50, and a 3rd pick around 80. An interesting note that Emery is one of two NFL GMs to draft a Pro Bowler in the last 2 drafts (2012 and 2013). Minnesota has 3 (Kalil, Patterson, and Walsh). No other team has had more than 1x Pro Bowler drafted in those two drafts. Interestingly, Mosley (BAL), Martin (DAL), Barr (MIN), Evans (TB), and Watkins (BUF) all were drafted in the first, and Mosley and Martin were selected after Fuller in 2014. That would give MIN 4x Pro Bowlers in the last 3 years, wow.

Cutler is still 60th in Passing yards all-time with 26,762, and should pass Steve Grogan, Bobbie Lane and possibly George Blanda on Thanksgivging. Jay is now 50th in completions with 2,287 and needs 12 to pass Jeff George and 19 to pass Jim Harbaugh (48th). With 177 TDs, he is now in 54th all-time and is one from Babe Parilli, two from Ron Jaworski, and 3 from Rich Gannon (51st). Forte is now 53rd all-time rushing with 7,488 and is 119 yards away from tying Terrell Davis. Matt now has over 11k all-purpose and yds from scrimmage. His all-purpose yards have him 109th all-time and will pass Freeman McNeil (106th) and others on Thursday. For yds from scrimmage, he is now 72nd all-time and will pass Freeman McNeil and possibly MJD this week. With 40 Rushing TD's, Forte passed Gale Sayers for 4th on the all-time Bears list. Marshall is now tied for 33rd in receptions all-time (764) tied with James Lofton and Eric Moulds. He should pass Chad Johnson and Marshall Faulk (31st) on Thursday. With 9,668, Marshall is 332 receiving yards from 10k and is now 47th all-time. Brandon is 17 yards from passing Antonio Gates for 46th all-time. Brandon still has 65 Rec TDs, and is tied for 49th all-time with this epic group: Gary Clark, Henry Ellard, Michael Irvin, Charlie Joiner, Bobby Mitchell, and Sterling Sharpe. Alshon continues his march up the Bears record books. He is now 29th all-time in Receptions with 171, and now has Wetnight and Waddle in his sights. Jeffery has 2,571 yards, good for 24th all-time in Bears history. Forte is still #2, and BMarsh is in 8th. For Rec Yards, Forte is 10th all-time (34 yards from passing Dick Gordon) and Marshall is 11th. For Rec TDs, Marshall is tied with Conway and Morris with 31 (5th in team history). Jeffery and Forte are tied with Sweetness with 15 (t-22nd). Gould is still 40th all-time in FGs with 242 and is one from tying Jim Breech for 39th. Gould now has 349 XP for his career, good enough for 55th all-time. With 1,075 pts Robbie is now 46th on the all-time list. Gould is still 1 FG from tying Butler for the all-time Bears leader in FG's (with 50 less attempts). Jared Allen remains at 131.0 sacks and is 1.5 sacks away from tying LT and Leslie O'Neal for 10th all-time.

We really need an impact Safety if we can't get a franchise MLB. We have put so much into the D-Line in the last draft and Free Agency, that I would rather concentrate on the Defensive Backfield. Maybe S, CB, and OL in our first three picks.

I am trying to figure out exactly what they did to cater to him? Bringing in talent around him? Upgrading the Offensive Line? Giving him a big contract extension to solidify the position? If we kept Orton or re-signed McCown, and did the same free agent moves, would the Bears be catering to them? I get the perception, but I would think that is the normal way to build a team, start with the QB, then put in the pieces around him. What resources need to be shifted? Look at our major free agents signings this offseason: Allen, Houston, Young, Mundy, and we drafted Fuller, Ferguson, Sutton, and Vereen. All defense. I believe we have only drafted offense in the first 3 rounds (of the Emery era) twice, Long and Jeffery. How can you shift anymore away from offense. Our key offensive signing was DLP. The biggest problem is for some reason there has been no consistency on offense and the defense has been historically bad. Over the last two years, we have allowed, on average, 29 pts a game. Very few offenses in history could overcome that week in and week out. You couple that with some regression on offense and we are a 6-7 win team. What is crazy is we are essentially 1-2 plays away from being 7-4 (Buffalo and Carolina games).

Did he have a history of injuries in college? That would be the only case. Hardin had injuries problems and couldn't stay healthy. Fuller's knee injury doesn't seem to be linked to any pre-existing condition.