Who else thought our receivers stunk?

[nfoligno]

I have seen plenty of articles of posts ripping Cutler to shreds, and while I am NOT saying he didn't have a bad game, I also thought the receivers really made him look bad.

 

Yea, there were numerous picks, and even more that could have been, but how often was it due to Cutler and how often due to the receiver. Some examples off the top of my head.

 

Early on, there was a play which looked like an out route to Bennett, who rup upfield, began to cut, but then just stopped and turned around. I think that is called a button hook, right? Anyway, Cutler threw the ball as if Bennett would be running an out, and it basically went into (and out of) the hands of a DB as if that is who he was throwing too. But even the announcers talked about how that play looked like it was an out-route that Bennett simply stopped on.

 

Clark - I think this one was a pick. Clark runs about 15 yards or so downfield, and just stops. The pass is well in front of him, and the safety steps in front for an easy pick. Announcers talked about how on a route like that, you are not supposed to simply turn around, but come back to the ball to position yourself. Clark simply stopping in place allowed the safety to get into position, but if he steps up after the turn, its a catch.

 

Clark again - Red zone play. Clark runs into the endzone, turns and just stops. Pass is sent to his right, just out of his reach. IMHO, and the announcers again, it wasn't a bad pass, but Cutler simply again throwing an out pattern, while Clark is simply running into the back of the endzone and stopping.

 

Knox - The was a really ugly pick, but IMHO, replays showed another story. Knox is running across the field, and about the time Cutler is letting it go, Knox suddently breaks back out toward the sideline. The ball goes to the middle of the field, where you see several green jerseys and no blue jersey in the picture. It was about as ugly as you get, and you wonder what Cutler was looking at. I mean, who was he throwing to? But then you see the replay, and you see that his pass was right where Knox was running to, but then Knox breaks off his route and goes the opposite direction.

 

The above does not even factor all the drops we saw. I am not saying Cutler would have had a good game if not for the WRs. There were other plays I thought were just bad. Some of those quick WR passes were high, which lost the WR that split second needed to make the play work. Some passes too were simply just bad decisions. When you see one blue jersey and 4 green, even if you think you see a hole, it is not a good idea.

 

The point here though is not to defend Cutler. I just have read quite a bit after the game, and most all of it has been flat out bashing Cutler, while not really pointing to the problems of our WRs. I saw that even Noots gave our WRs a B grade, based IMHO on final stats, but I think their stats don't tell the story. Not even close.

[brletich]

I agree wholeheartedly. Our WR were atrocious and looked exactly like what we feared they would...lost. Cutler was far from good, but our WR were dreadful.

[madlithuanian]

The receivers were awful!

 

Clark was especially hideous...

 

I have seen plenty of articles of posts ripping Cutler to shreds, and while I am NOT saying he didn't have a bad game, I also thought the receivers really made him look bad.

 

Yea, there were numerous picks, and even more that could have been, but how often was it due to Cutler and how often due to the receiver. Some examples off the top of my head.

 

Early on, there was a play which looked like an out route to Bennett, who rup upfield, began to cut, but then just stopped and turned around. I think that is called a button hook, right? Anyway, Cutler threw the ball as if Bennett would be running an out, and it basically went into (and out of) the hands of a DB as if that is who he was throwing too. But even the announcers talked about how that play looked like it was an out-route that Bennett simply stopped on.

 

Clark - I think this one was a pick. Clark runs about 15 yards or so downfield, and just stops. The pass is well in front of him, and the safety steps in front for an easy pick. Announcers talked about how on a route like that, you are not supposed to simply turn around, but come back to the ball to position yourself. Clark simply stopping in place allowed the safety to get into position, but if he steps up after the turn, its a catch.

 

Clark again - Red zone play. Clark runs into the endzone, turns and just stops. Pass is sent to his right, just out of his reach. IMHO, and the announcers again, it wasn't a bad pass, but Cutler simply again throwing an out pattern, while Clark is simply running into the back of the endzone and stopping.

 

Knox - The was a really ugly pick, but IMHO, replays showed another story. Knox is running across the field, and about the time Cutler is letting it go, Knox suddently breaks back out toward the sideline. The ball goes to the middle of the field, where you see several green jerseys and no blue jersey in the picture. It was about as ugly as you get, and you wonder what Cutler was looking at. I mean, who was he throwing to? But then you see the replay, and you see that his pass was right where Knox was running to, but then Knox breaks off his route and goes the opposite direction.

 

The above does not even factor all the drops we saw. I am not saying Cutler would have had a good game if not for the WRs. There were other plays I thought were just bad. Some of those quick WR passes were high, which lost the WR that split second needed to make the play work. Some passes too were simply just bad decisions. When you see one blue jersey and 4 green, even if you think you see a hole, it is not a good idea.

 

The point here though is not to defend Cutler. I just have read quite a bit after the game, and most all of it has been flat out bashing Cutler, while not really pointing to the problems of our WRs. I saw that even Noots gave our WRs a B grade, based IMHO on final stats, but I think their stats don't tell the story. Not even close.

 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I have seen plenty of articles of posts ripping Cutler to shreds, and while I am NOT saying he didn't have a bad game, I also thought the receivers really made him look bad.

 

Yea, there were numerous picks, and even more that could have been, but how often was it due to Cutler and how often due to the receiver. Some examples off the top of my head.

 

Early on, there was a play which looked like an out route to Bennett, who rup upfield, began to cut, but then just stopped and turned around. I think that is called a button hook, right? Anyway, Cutler threw the ball as if Bennett would be running an out, and it basically went into (and out of) the hands of a DB as if that is who he was throwing too. But even the announcers talked about how that play looked like it was an out-route that Bennett simply stopped on.

 

Clark - I think this one was a pick. Clark runs about 15 yards or so downfield, and just stops. The pass is well in front of him, and the safety steps in front for an easy pick. Announcers talked about how on a route like that, you are not supposed to simply turn around, but come back to the ball to position yourself. Clark simply stopping in place allowed the safety to get into position, but if he steps up after the turn, its a catch.

 

Clark again - Red zone play. Clark runs into the endzone, turns and just stops. Pass is sent to his right, just out of his reach. IMHO, and the announcers again, it wasn't a bad pass, but Cutler simply again throwing an out pattern, while Clark is simply running into the back of the endzone and stopping.

 

Knox - The was a really ugly pick, but IMHO, replays showed another story. Knox is running across the field, and about the time Cutler is letting it go, Knox suddently breaks back out toward the sideline. The ball goes to the middle of the field, where you see several green jerseys and no blue jersey in the picture. It was about as ugly as you get, and you wonder what Cutler was looking at. I mean, who was he throwing to? But then you see the replay, and you see that his pass was right where Knox was running to, but then Knox breaks off his route and goes the opposite direction.

 

The above does not even factor all the drops we saw. I am not saying Cutler would have had a good game if not for the WRs. There were other plays I thought were just bad. Some of those quick WR passes were high, which lost the WR that split second needed to make the play work. Some passes too were simply just bad decisions. When you see one blue jersey and 4 green, even if you think you see a hole, it is not a good idea.

 

The point here though is not to defend Cutler. I just have read quite a bit after the game, and most all of it has been flat out bashing Cutler, while not really pointing to the problems of our WRs. I saw that even Noots gave our WRs a B grade, based IMHO on final stats, but I think their stats don't tell the story. Not even close.

Did Cutler make some dumb-ass throws, absolutely. But did our WR's screw up, absolutely. Did our Oline screw Cutler, absolutely. Jay had pressure all game long and still made quite a few pretty good throws and gave our guys a chance.

 

It wasn't a good game by Jay but even his bad game was good enough to win, imo, and he was absolutely screwed by our poor WR's, something I have constantly bitched and moaned about for a number of years and I'm constantly disgusted by the fact that the Bears have done jack shit to solve that WR problem.

 

Knox made a bad play late, but he looks like a nice player. Bennett had an up-and-down game but given he made his first catch of his career in tonight's game I was actually pretty happy. Olsen and Clark were non-existent, in fact, Clark gave up on two routes, one which led to a pick, and the other would have been a TD.

[jason]

I don't agree with the concept that the WRs/TEs were horrible, atrocious, or whatever.

 

1. Two INTs appeared to be the receivers' fault, but who is to say which adjustment is called for in those situations? I've also said that I trust Jay Cutler on those routes, but it's entirely possible that the receivers were correct, and Cutler was wrong. Afterall, Clark's been here a while; Cutler has not.

 

2. Where are all the "drops" you guys are talking about? I only saw a few legit "drops." Others were just misconnects between QB and WR/TE. If, as I suspect, you guys are giving drops to the receivers on many of the close plays, then you have to point at Cutler again, because the pass wasn't perfect. You can't always expect the receiver to reach behind him, or really low, or really high, or whatever else, when he's got defender mere feet away trying to dislodge the ball and head from the offensive player. It's a ridiculous expectation, and the onus is taken off of the QB, who, while moving, wasn't running full speed, and didn't have too many passes where he was literally being pushed, held, tackled, etc.

 

Did Clark quit on a route that was probably a TD? Yes.

Did Clark possibly screw up and lead to an INT? Yes.

Did Knox possibly screw up and lead to an INT? Yes.

Did McKie (surprise) drop an easy dump off? Yes.

 

Where are all the other screw ups that made the receivers so horrible?

[nfoligno]

Did Clark quit on a route that was probably a TD? Yes.

Did Clark possibly screw up and lead to an INT? Yes.

Did Knox possibly screw up and lead to an INT? Yes.

Did McKie (surprise) drop an easy dump off? Yes.

 

Where are all the other screw ups that made the receivers so horrible?

 

Clark had another play that ended up an incompletion, but was one of the ones that bounced off a GB defenders hands. It was yet another where he didn't break outside, but simply stopped and turned around, while the pass went to his left. Your right that it is possible Clark knows the plays and Cutler doesn't, but sure seemed like it was on Clark, and even the announcers were pointing out Clarks route.

 

Olsen had one simply bounce off his hands. Pure drop.

 

Bennett had one bounce off his hands in the 1st half (I think 1st quarter). Neither this one, nor the Olsen play, were the sort that it would have been a great play, but looked like an easy catch that was dropped.

 

I will say this. In the 2nd half, I think our receivers got it together, especially Bennett.