Game 3

[AZ54]

Tremendous win for the Bears. We're 2-1 after going on long road trips to both coasts in back to back weeks. We've done this with a depleted offense missing two Oline starters against the best front 3 in the NFL (Jets), and against one of the better Dlines (SF) and the WR injuries we all know about.

 

We still had good pass protection most of the game but had a few missed assignments throughout the game. Against that front and the myriad of looks Rex Ryan threw at them I was pleased but I'm saying this because we had Ola and DLP there. 3 weeks ago if you told me we'd have a former CFL OG starting against the Jets Dline I'd have expected much worse. Maybe I'm the odd one out on this but I compare this game to what we had a year ago against Rob Ryan and the Saints when they did the same sort of tricks and our Oline, with all 5 starters out there, fell apart. I see progress in getting quality depth on the roster here. Run blocking is just bad. DLP was let go by New Orleans because he's not a good run blocker and Ola is a rookie learning on the job. Getting Garza and Slausson back should help here, so will playing the Packers dine next week. However, Forte had some good runs late in the game including some right up the middle.

 

Cutler played a very good game. On the road, lots of pressure from the Dline and all the various looks he got yet he remained composed throughout. He stood in the pocket on a couple occasions with clear missed blocking assignments and made the throw just before he got hit. There was nothing great here but in years past this is the exact type of game he'd have struggled with, especially with his favorite target hobbled by a bad ankle.

 

I continue to see progress on our defense. Many here don't like Tucker but seeing how far this D has come since last year I like what we have going on. Jets gained 114 yds on the ground against us, compared to 212 and 146 (against Peppers!) in their first two games. The ESPN bobble heads on the pre-game show all expected us to give up 200 yds rushing. This isn't a shutdown D, far from it but I said earlier I felt we could get average performance from this unit and I still think that. Toss in that we did this with Sutton and Ferguson playing a lot of snaps against the best rushing team in the NFL, along with Bostic at a new position, and the arrow is pointing up.

 

Jared Allen was invisible in the first half. He showed up in the second half with several pressures and tackles on runs. I still like Willie Young a lot. He uses his long arms very well and several times kept his assignment and avoided the play fake to pursue Smith on a rollout. One of those pursuits led to Smith running out of bounds which is a sack so he has 4 on the season. While I don't like the penalty Houston got for talking disrespectfully to a ref I absolutely love that our guys where out there mixing it up with the Jets Oline. All the Dline and LBs in there defending each other, it was great to see the front seven playing with some passion afterward. Sometimes you need that moment, even that penalty, to light the fire and come together as a unit. Can't wait get Ratliff back out there next week.

 

I'll mark this as the first game where I started seeing LBs making plays at and behind the LOS. It's not all good and I agree that Briggs is nowhere close to the player he used to be but his experience against Green Bay's offense will be valuable next week. Bostic played well enough that we won't be rushing SMC back onto the field anytime soon.

 

The only thing that needs to be said about Kyle Fuller is that all football fans now know his name. 7 tackles, 2 FF, 1 INT and he's using the Peanut Punch! Jennings wasn't as good as he's been but we've been moving him around a lot, now he goes back to just focusing on his outside position and I think he'll start to play better over the next few games. I have no clue who plays at safety next week. Seeing Vereen helping the new guy (Ahmad Dixon) line up on that last drive had to make every Bear fan nervous. Maybe now the Bears can update Dixon's player bio with a photo of him in a Bears uniform instead of the Cowboys. (Except Holmes is still shown in Jets jersey).

 

Special teams kick coverage was very good this week, huge improvement over the first game. Punting is better but we almost got another one blocked. I feel as if O'Donnell is being asked to go for hang time over distance and he's having to think too much on his form when punting, as in "don't out-kick your coverage". His motion as he punts looks deliberate, mechanical, and a little slow. Not the relaxed way you'd expect. If true, in time as he gets more comfortable with this approach he should get more consistent. The Bears stuck with Gould and his short kickoffs early in his career and it paid off long term.

 

 

 

 

 

[madlithuanian]

Nice assessment AZ

 

Tremendous win for the Bears. We're 2-1 after going on long road trips to both coasts in back to back weeks. We've done this with a depleted offense missing two Oline starters against the best front 3 in the NFL (Jets), and against one of the better Dlines (SF) and the WR injuries we all know about.

 

We still had good pass protection most of the game but had a few missed assignments throughout the game. Against that front and the myriad of looks Rex Ryan threw at them I was pleased but I'm saying this because we had Ola and DLP there. 3 weeks ago if you told me we'd have a former CFL OG starting against the Jets Dline I'd have expected much worse. Maybe I'm the odd one out on this but I compare this game to what we had a year ago against Rob Ryan and the Saints when they did the same sort of tricks and our Oline, with all 5 starters out there, fell apart. I see progress in getting quality depth on the roster here. Run blocking is just bad. DLP was let go by New Orleans because he's not a good run blocker and Ola is a rookie learning on the job. Getting Garza and Slausson back should help here, so will playing the Packers dine next week. However, Forte had some good runs late in the game including some right up the middle.

 

Cutler played a very good game. On the road, lots of pressure from the Dline and all the various looks he got yet he remained composed throughout. He stood in the pocket on a couple occasions with clear missed blocking assignments and made the throw just before he got hit. There was nothing great here but in years past this is the exact type of game he'd have struggled with, especially with his favorite target hobbled by a bad ankle.

 

I continue to see progress on our defense. Many here don't like Tucker but seeing how far this D has come since last year I like what we have going on. Jets gained 114 yds on the ground against us, compared to 212 and 146 (against Peppers!) in their first two games. The ESPN bobble heads on the pre-game show all expected us to give up 200 yds rushing. This isn't a shutdown D, far from it but I said earlier I felt we could get average performance from this unit and I still think that. Toss in that we did this with Sutton and Ferguson playing a lot of snaps against the best rushing team in the NFL, along with Bostic at a new position, and the arrow is pointing up.

 

Jared Allen was invisible in the first half. He showed up in the second half with several pressures and tackles on runs. I still like Willie Young a lot. He uses his long arms very well and several times kept his assignment and avoided the play fake to pursue Smith on a rollout. One of those pursuits led to Smith running out of bounds which is a sack so he has 4 on the season. While I don't like the penalty Houston got for talking disrespectfully to a ref I absolutely love that our guys where out there mixing it up with the Jets Oline. All the Dline and LBs in there defending each other, it was great to see the front seven playing with some passion afterward. Sometimes you need that moment, even that penalty, to light the fire and come together as a unit. Can't wait get Ratliff back out there next week.

 

I'll mark this as the first game where I started seeing LBs making plays at and behind the LOS. It's not all good and I agree that Briggs is nowhere close to the player he used to be but his experience against Green Bay's offense will be valuable next week. Bostic played well enough that we won't be rushing SMC back onto the field anytime soon.

 

The only thing that needs to be said about Kyle Fuller is that all football fans now know his name. 7 tackles, 2 FF, 1 INT and he's using the Peanut Punch! Jennings wasn't as good as he's been but we've been moving him around a lot, now he goes back to just focusing on his outside position and I think he'll start to play better over the next few games. I have no clue who plays at safety next week. Seeing Vereen helping the new guy (Ahmad Dixon) line up on that last drive had to make every Bear fan nervous. Maybe now the Bears can update Dixon's player bio with a photo of him in a Bears uniform instead of the Cowboys. (Except Holmes is still shown in Jets jersey).

 

Special teams kick coverage was very good this week, huge improvement over the first game. Punting is better but we almost got another one blocked. I feel as if O'Donnell is being asked to go for hang time over distance and he's having to think too much on his form when punting, as in "don't out-kick your coverage". His motion as he punts looks deliberate, mechanical, and a little slow. Not the relaxed way you'd expect. If true, in time as he gets more comfortable with this approach he should get more consistent. The Bears stuck with Gould and his short kickoffs early in his career and it paid off long term.

 

[Guest TerraTor]

Like the same thing about Vereen - Team Leader

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest TerraTor]

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/Brock-Vereen?id=2543820

 

Sorry Was Trying To paste this

[Mongo3451]

That's how I saw it. I'm glad Tucker is righting the ship. Special teams still concerns me.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Tremendous win for the Bears. We're 2-1 after going on long road trips to both coasts in back to back weeks. We've done this with a depleted offense missing two Oline starters against the best front 3 in the NFL (Jets), and against one of the better Dlines (SF) and the WR injuries we all know about.

 

We still had good pass protection most of the game but had a few missed assignments throughout the game. Against that front and the myriad of looks Rex Ryan threw at them I was pleased but I'm saying this because we had Ola and DLP there. 3 weeks ago if you told me we'd have a former CFL OG starting against the Jets Dline I'd have expected much worse. Maybe I'm the odd one out on this but I compare this game to what we had a year ago against Rob Ryan and the Saints when they did the same sort of tricks and our Oline, with all 5 starters out there, fell apart. I see progress in getting quality depth on the roster here. Run blocking is just bad. DLP was let go by New Orleans because he's not a good run blocker and Ola is a rookie learning on the job. Getting Garza and Slausson back should help here, so will playing the Packers dine next week. However, Forte had some good runs late in the game including some right up the middle.

 

Cutler played a very good game. On the road, lots of pressure from the Dline and all the various looks he got yet he remained composed throughout. He stood in the pocket on a couple occasions with clear missed blocking assignments and made the throw just before he got hit. There was nothing great here but in years past this is the exact type of game he'd have struggled with, especially with his favorite target hobbled by a bad ankle.

 

I continue to see progress on our defense. Many here don't like Tucker but seeing how far this D has come since last year I like what we have going on. Jets gained 114 yds on the ground against us, compared to 212 and 146 (against Peppers!) in their first two games. The ESPN bobble heads on the pre-game show all expected us to give up 200 yds rushing. This isn't a shutdown D, far from it but I said earlier I felt we could get average performance from this unit and I still think that. Toss in that we did this with Sutton and Ferguson playing a lot of snaps against the best rushing team in the NFL, along with Bostic at a new position, and the arrow is pointing up.

 

Jared Allen was invisible in the first half. He showed up in the second half with several pressures and tackles on runs. I still like Willie Young a lot. He uses his long arms very well and several times kept his assignment and avoided the play fake to pursue Smith on a rollout. One of those pursuits led to Smith running out of bounds which is a sack so he has 4 on the season. While I don't like the penalty Houston got for talking disrespectfully to a ref I absolutely love that our guys where out there mixing it up with the Jets Oline. All the Dline and LBs in there defending each other, it was great to see the front seven playing with some passion afterward. Sometimes you need that moment, even that penalty, to light the fire and come together as a unit. Can't wait get Ratliff back out there next week.

 

I'll mark this as the first game where I started seeing LBs making plays at and behind the LOS. It's not all good and I agree that Briggs is nowhere close to the player he used to be but his experience against Green Bay's offense will be valuable next week. Bostic played well enough that we won't be rushing SMC back onto the field anytime soon.

 

The only thing that needs to be said about Kyle Fuller is that all football fans now know his name. 7 tackles, 2 FF, 1 INT and he's using the Peanut Punch! Jennings wasn't as good as he's been but we've been moving him around a lot, now he goes back to just focusing on his outside position and I think he'll start to play better over the next few games. I have no clue who plays at safety next week. Seeing Vereen helping the new guy (Ahmad Dixon) line up on that last drive had to make every Bear fan nervous. Maybe now the Bears can update Dixon's player bio with a photo of him in a Bears uniform instead of the Cowboys. (Except Holmes is still shown in Jets jersey).

 

Special teams kick coverage was very good this week, huge improvement over the first game. Punting is better but we almost got another one blocked. I feel as if O'Donnell is being asked to go for hang time over distance and he's having to think too much on his form when punting, as in "don't out-kick your coverage". His motion as he punts looks deliberate, mechanical, and a little slow. Not the relaxed way you'd expect. If true, in time as he gets more comfortable with this approach he should get more consistent. The Bears stuck with Gould and his short kickoffs early in his career and it paid off long term.

Good assessment. Three things stood out. We had a few cases of the drops last night, we made stupid penalties, and well, tied into that last one, our special teams continues to be a bunch of knuckleheads with the penalties.