Driver disses Bears WR's...

[madlithuanian]

Donald Driver issues thumbs down on Bears' wideouts

Posted by Aaron Wilson on July 16, 2009 9:45 PM ET

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Donald Driver knows what an effective receiving corps is supposed to look like: dangerous, consistent and productive.

 

In a blunt comment that's certain to become bulletin-board material in the Chicago Bears' locker room, Driver gave a candid assessment of the Bears' receivers during an interview with NFL Sirius Radio, per Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

 

"I think Chicago did a great job, and Lovie Smith went out there and got Jay Cutler to lead this team, but one thing they don't have is they don't have the receiver group," Driver said. "They have the running back, they have the offensive line and they have a great defense.

 

"But you're going to have to need receivers to make plays down the field, and they don't have that right now."

 

It's hard to argue with Driver's scouting report.

 

With the exception of speedy Devin Hester, there's no potential impact presence outside in Chicago

 

Meanwhile, Driver weighed in on former Packers quarterback Brett Favre.

 

"Minnesota has a great running game, but they just don't have the top-of-the-line quarterback that they need," Driver said. "So, I'm hoping my guy doesn't go over there, but if he does then I wish the best for him."

 

Driver said he has remained in contact with Favre.

 

Unlike several other NFL players that have grown weary of the drama surrounding Favre, Driver was supportive of his former quarterback and said that Favre's reputation in Green Bay is undamaged as far as he's concerned.

 

"When we talk we just talk about how his arm is feeling and how's the family," Driver said. "My own opinion is that his legacy is not going to be tarnished by anything. He's still going to be able to retire as a Green Bay Packer.

 

"I don't think anyone else will ever wear the No. 4 jersey in Green Bay ever again. It would not hurt him."

 

[balta1701-A]

Until they go out and prove something on the field, he's right.

 

GB's receivers were in the same boat until a couple years ago where they all stepped up together.

[Wesson44]

Until they go out and prove something on the field, he's right.

 

GB's receivers were in the same boat until a couple years ago where they all stepped up together.

 

Well IMHO now Cutler and the Bears WR'S are going to act a fool opening day in Green Bay to make Driver eat his words.

[madlithuanian]

Bottom line, while Driver may be correct, he certainly has put up some lovely material for the bulletin board!

 

Well IMHO now Cutler and the Bears WR'S are going to act a fool opening day in Green Bay to make Driver eat his words.

 

[nfoligno]

I just can't get too up in arms about this. We have a lot of potential among our WRs, and reason for hope, but they are unproven and have not come close to earning a place where they are not questioned. Driver wants to call them out, fine. Studid junk, but fine.

 

I am not big on the bulletin board stuff, especially here. If he were to call out our DBs, I could better see the issue. But he is calling out a unit he will never have to face, and thus I just don't know how much it matters. If one of GBs DBs comes out and rips our WRs, then I think that is different. But when a player bashes another player/unit he will not have to face, I just question how much of an issue it will be.

[madlithuanian]

I do agree. This is really nothing in the grand scheme. However, ANYTHING can can be used as a positive for our up-and-coming WR crew can only be a good thing. Even a slight chip could prove to be an advantage.

 

I just can't get too up in arms about this. We have a lot of potential among our WRs, and reason for hope, but they are unproven and have not come close to earning a place where they are not questioned. Driver wants to call them out, fine. Studid junk, but fine.

 

I am not big on the bulletin board stuff, especially here. If he were to call out our DBs, I could better see the issue. But he is calling out a unit he will never have to face, and thus I just don't know how much it matters. If one of GBs DBs comes out and rips our WRs, then I think that is different. But when a player bashes another player/unit he will not have to face, I just question how much of an issue it will be.

 

[nfoligno]

Part of me has always wanted to say the players should have enough of a chip w/o such clippings, and if they need such, then they are not the players we need.

 

However, more than a few coaches I respect use clippinps as a key form of motivation, and thus I have to agree it is effective, at least on some level.

 

That also has me wondering. How much does Lovie use clipping? Coaches have their own way of doing things. I have heard some who think clippings are next to worthless and simply do not use them at all. I have seen others who literally create a bulletin board, blowup the clippings and pin them. I wonder what Lovie's position is.

 

I do agree. This is really nothing in the grand scheme. However, ANYTHING can can be used as a positive for our up-and-coming WR crew can only be a good thing. Even a slight chip could prove to be an advantage.

 

[madlithuanian]

I think we know more about where Jimmy Hoffa is burried than what the heck Smith does...

 

 

 

Part of me has always wanted to say the players should have enough of a chip w/o such clippings, and if they need such, then they are not the players we need.

 

However, more than a few coaches I respect use clippinps as a key form of motivation, and thus I have to agree it is effective, at least on some level.

 

That also has me wondering. How much does Lovie use clipping? Coaches have their own way of doing things. I have heard some who think clippings are next to worthless and simply do not use them at all. I have seen others who literally create a bulletin board, blowup the clippings and pin them. I wonder what Lovie's position is.

 

[nfoligno]

LOL

 

I think we know more about where Jimmy Hoffa is burried than what the heck Smith does...

[adam]

Yeah Driver's comments have a lot of weight coming from a former 7th round pick. /sarcasm

 

He should be the one saying, hey look at me, I was drafted in the 7th round and turned out pretty good.

 

He also forgot to mention Olsen/Clark, so he clearly doesn't know the team very well.

[defiantgiant]

Until they go out and prove something on the field, he's right.

 

GB's receivers were in the same boat until a couple years ago where they all stepped up together.

 

Yeah, I think Driver's comments were pretty reasonable, all told. I'll disagree with anybody who says we don't have POTENTIAL at receiver, but it's hard to argue with someone like Driver who says that we don't have proven receivers as of right now.

 

I definitely think our guys will step up, it's just a question of when. I was following Hester through last season's games, and he looked like he had genuinely turned a corner by the last part of the season. Bennett, I think, will be good - he's back with his old college QB, and he's locked in at one spot, unlike last year. I mean, the guy has the all-time SEC record for receptions. Will they live up to their full potential starting from game 1? Probably not, and I think that's what Driver's getting at: here in the offseason, we don't know what we're going to be getting in that first game. I feel good about what our corps can do eventually, but Driver's right that the position is a question mark right now.

[Connorbear]

I agree with Driver. They need to step it up.

 

Peace

[adam]

How does Driver know "what we have right now"?

 

He also never mentions potential, he just said "they don't have the receiver group" or "receivers that can make plays down field". How does he know this? Just because there are a bunch of young receivers? Also, what does that say about Hester? He can't make plays downfield?

 

Also, Driver is an odd one to make these comments. He didn't do jack until his 4th season, and I wouldn't be surprised if you saw his numbers slip this year with him being 34.

 

 

[defiantgiant]

How does Driver know "what we have right now"?

 

From playing the Bears twice a season, I'd assume.

 

He also never mentions potential, he just said "they don't have the receiver group" or "receivers that can make plays down field". How does he know this? Just because there are a bunch of young receivers? Also, what does that say about Hester? He can't make plays downfield?

 

I should have quoted this with my first post - Driver alluded to the Bears receivers' potential when he was clarifying his earlier comments on Waddle & Silvy. From ESPN Chicago:

 

"They don't have a receiver," Driver told ESPN 1000's Waddle and Silvy show on Friday. "They don't have any true receivers that step up and play and take their team to where they want to go. I love Devin [Hester], but I don't think he's just a solid receiver right now. He may become one as years go on, but it doesn't happen overnight."

 

Also, Driver is an odd one to make these comments. He didn't do jack until his 4th season, and I wouldn't be surprised if you saw his numbers slip this year with him being 34.

 

Doesn't that make him MORE qualified to say that the Bears' receivers aren't there yet? Driver would know from personal experience that it takes time to emerge as a go-to wide receiver.

[madlithuanian]

In a nutshell, why is he even saying anything? Does that do him or his team any good? Even if he is right...

[Connorbear]

In a nutshell, why is he even saying anything? Does that do him or his team any good? Even if he is right...

Because everyone has the right in this country to open their mouths and insert their feet. Really though, who cares what he says.

 

Peace

[AZ54]

There's one factor he's missing in this: our Oline pass protection was pretty bad last year. All the media focus is on Cutler and WRs but the other 1/3 of receivers getting open is that the QB has time to wait for them to get open. I believe pass protection will be better this year versus last year. In the Suntimes Brad Biggs mentioned how our WR were mugged last year at the LOS. It's a lot easier to play press coverage if you are confident you only have to hold it for a few seconds, certainly true if you aren't worrying about the deep ball. Orton, even if he had protection couldn't throw an accurate deep pass. As a defensive coach I'd have taken my chances that he'd hit on one during the game but go after shutting down all the shorter stuff, make his reads at the snap harder.

 

With better pass protection and an accurate strong arm like Cutler's that gamble becomes a lot more risky. Not to mention that Cutler is a good runner and can throw on the run. While it's easy for Driver to say his DBs owned our WR last year, I'm not so sure it will translate directly to this season. It will be interesting to see how they line up in week 1.

[defiantgiant]

There's one factor he's missing in this: our Oline pass protection was pretty bad last year. All the media focus is on Cutler and WRs but the other 1/3 of receivers getting open is that the QB has time to wait for them to get open. I believe pass protection will be better this year versus last year. In the Suntimes Brad Biggs mentioned how our WR were mugged last year at the LOS. It's a lot easier to play press coverage if you are confident you only have to hold it for a few seconds, certainly true if you aren't worrying about the deep ball. Orton, even if he had protection couldn't throw an accurate deep pass. As a defensive coach I'd have taken my chances that he'd hit on one during the game but go after shutting down all the shorter stuff, make his reads at the snap harder.

 

With better pass protection and an accurate strong arm like Cutler's that gamble becomes a lot more risky. Not to mention that Cutler is a good runner and can throw on the run. While it's easy for Driver to say his DBs owned our WR last year, I'm not so sure it will translate directly to this season. It will be interesting to see how they line up in week 1.

 

I think you're totally right: last season was a confluence of factors, not just poor WR performance. The awful pass protection (particularly from the blind side,) Orton's lack of escape ability, and his so-so ball placement on deep passes all led to a fairly ineffective passing game. When Orton was really clicking in the first part of the season, he still had to get rid of the ball VERY quickly and dump off to the TEs or Forte in the flat like every other pass.

 

You're right that our receivers got jammed mercilessly at the line last year. They did notably poorly against the Packers, who use a ton of press coverage and bump-and-run. Like you said, it was an effective strategy because opposing teams' pass rush would get to Orton after just a few seconds. If Pace and Williams can sustain their blocks a little longer than St. Clair and Tait did last season, I think Cutler will make our WRs look a lot better.

[BearFan2000]

There's one factor he's missing in this: our Oline pass protection was pretty bad last year. All the media focus is on Cutler and WRs but the other 1/3 of receivers getting open is that the QB has time to wait for them to get open. I believe pass protection will be better this year versus last year. In the Suntimes Brad Biggs mentioned how our WR were mugged last year at the LOS. It's a lot easier to play press coverage if you are confident you only have to hold it for a few seconds, certainly true if you aren't worrying about the deep ball. Orton, even if he had protection couldn't throw an accurate deep pass. As a defensive coach I'd have taken my chances that he'd hit on one during the game but go after shutting down all the shorter stuff, make his reads at the snap harder.

 

With better pass protection and an accurate strong arm like Cutler's that gamble becomes a lot more risky. Not to mention that Cutler is a good runner and can throw on the run. While it's easy for Driver to say his DBs owned our WR last year, I'm not so sure it will translate directly to this season. It will be interesting to see how they line up in week 1.

 

 

Along with that the press coverage makes it more difficult for the receivers to get separation as the play develops since the DB is deploying tighter coverage. Which translates to fewer options and tighter throwing lanes. One reason I wish we'd press more often it drives me up a wall to watch our DBs 10 yards off the ball practically giving them 5-10 yard gains. You could eat us alive with screens. I can see it if your facing a top tier WR but we back off of everyone. That is one of the things I hope gets changed and we get more aggressive on both sides of the ball.

 

As for the comments.... what do we really expect him to say? What are most if not all the talking heads saying? That we have a QB but nothing special at WR. Not exactly a newsworthy quote, it's the outsider's party line. While at this point it's true because the potential is unknown and their is little to draw on to say "shut up Driver you don't know what the hell your talking about." As a fan I'm confident that this group plus anyone should we add another WR will step up this year and by the end of this season will have more of an identity. From the outside looking in if you weren't a fan of the Bears or didn't know much about them, you would know who Hester is, possibly Olsen and Clarke and you know who Cutler is but outside of that who in this group has made a name for themselves? I would say no one outside of us fans who can name them all and even provide some evaluation of them to where we can make educated guesses at who will stick who's possibly gone and so on, would know anything about them.

[Boston Boxer]

Yeah Driver's comments have a lot of weight coming from a former 7th round pick. /sarcasm

 

He should be the one saying, hey look at me, I was drafted in the 7th round and turned out pretty good.

 

He also forgot to mention Olsen/Clark, so he clearly doesn't know the team very well.

 

i think he was talking about the WR position, not rec in general. He is right, our WR have not shown anything yet. they are getting better, but we will see what they can do with a legit QB.

[Ed Hochuli 3:16]

I hope Driver is reading this- Hester > Steve Smith in their 1st 2 years in receptions and TD's.

 

Look, that might not mean a lot, but it's the truth. Hester is going to have a 1100 yard season this year, and that will be plenty. Driver is forgetting we have Olsen, Clark, and Forte who aren't WR's yet they all catch the ball tremendously well. Jay Cutler is going to make everyone around him that much better, and we also added Pace to the OL. Sure, he's old, but he gave up only 2 sacks in 14 games last year, so that makes it easier on the QB to get the ball cleanly to the WR's/RB's/TE's.

 

Maybe Donald should be worried about how they won 6 games last year, added nobody offensively, are switching schemes defensively, and are depending on 2 rookies (Raji, Matthews) to make that new scheme click. Good luck winning 8 games with that formula, a**holes.