I just don't see it...

[CrackerDog]

You boys know I'm one of the biggest koolaid kids here. So, it may surprise you to hear this... THIS TEAM SUCKS. No, not tonight. Who gives a SHIT about tonight?

 

* I've been bitching about the O Line for 3 years or longer. Angelo has ignored it. Biggest problem on the team now, no question.

* We bring in almost an entirely new coaching staff. Everyone knows it usually takes a new staff two years to pull it all together. What do we do? We SIT our starters for most of the preseason and when they play they SUCK BALLS.

* We have one of the toughest schedules I can remember. Our own division is great and we play the east in the AFC and NFC. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!!!!

*Our LB's are all injured and our DB's all pretty much blow.

 

The Bears know there isn't going to be football next year and they've dealt the team a hand that will allow them to cut everyone and sit on the sidelines with no expenses for the lost season. They'll then bring in a new GM and staff, slowly.

 

God I hope I'm wrong.

[LT2_3]

You boys know I'm one of the biggest koolaid kids here. So, it may surprise you to hear this... THIS TEAM SUCKS. No, not tonight. Who gives a SHIT about tonight?

 

* I've been bitching about the O Line for 3 years or longer. Angelo has ignored it. Biggest problem on the team now, no question.

* We bring in almost an entirely new coaching staff. Everyone knows it usually takes a new staff two years to pull it all together. What do we do? We SIT our starters for most of the preseason and when they play they SUCK BALLS.

* We have one of the toughest schedules I can remember. Our own division is great and we play the east in the AFC and NFC. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!!!!

*Our LB's are all injured and our DB's all pretty much blow.

 

The Bears know there isn't going to be football next year and they've dealt the team a hand that will allow them to cut everyone and sit on the sidelines with no expenses for the lost season. They'll then bring in a new GM and staff, slowly.

 

God I hope I'm wrong.

 

1. How good the Oline is remains to be seen. The preseason is for testing players as individuals. That mean putting them on an island occasionally and not necessarily calling plays for them to succeed as a group. Sure, they have a few problems with blitz pickups and stunts occasionally, but all Olines do and they will get better as the season progresses.

 

2. It does take time for coaches and players to operate a new scheme at peak efficiency. However, when a unit was playing so far below their talent level as our offense was last year, a quick turnaround is completely reasonable - and they will continue to improve.

 

3. What's the big deal about the East divisions? The Bills, Dolphins, Giants, and Redskins all missed the playoffs last year, and the Patriots have huge Oline and Dline issues, and the Eagles have new and untested starters at QB and RB. The only 2 teams to REALLY worry about in the group are the Jets and the Cowboys - and those teams could have issues too.

 

4. Sure, our key LBs may not have played in a preseason game due to injury, but none of them are injured badly enough to keep them out of a regular season game. Neither Briggs or Urlacher walked with a limp despite having "leg" injuries.

 

The preseason is really a bad way to try to evaluate a team. They try really hard not to tip their hand.

 

Don't jump off a cliff because of anything in the preseason.

[Chitownhustla]

You boys know I'm one of the biggest koolaid kids here. So, it may surprise you to hear this... THIS TEAM SUCKS. No, not tonight. Who gives a SHIT about tonight?

 

* I've been bitching about the O Line for 3 years or longer. Angelo has ignored it. Biggest problem on the team now, no question.

* We bring in almost an entirely new coaching staff. Everyone knows it usually takes a new staff two years to pull it all together. What do we do? We SIT our starters for most of the preseason and when they play they SUCK BALLS.

* We have one of the toughest schedules I can remember. Our own division is great and we play the east in the AFC and NFC. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!!!!

*Our LB's are all injured and our DB's all pretty much blow.

 

The Bears know there isn't going to be football next year and they've dealt the team a hand that will allow them to cut everyone and sit on the sidelines with no expenses for the lost season. They'll then bring in a new GM and staff, slowly.

 

God I hope I'm wrong.

 

You are spot on with the Oline. It has been a sore spot for this team for too many years. Hopefully Tice can get them on track. If they keep playing like they have this will get ugly real quick. We may see Collins by week 4. As for the D: I hope the LB's are being rested just to make sure they are good to go for the Regular season. The scheme is the same as it has always been so they dont really need that many snaps to get ready for the season. The big question for the D will be that front line. I have high hopes that Peppers and Harris both have Probowl years. If that happens the Secondary wont be picked apart as years past and the LBs will make more plays. We have to get pressure with the front 4 to have a chance. Peppers has looked like a beast this preseason so lets all hope that continues this regular season.

 

 

[ChileBear]

You are spot on with the Oline. It has been a sore spot for this team for too many years. Hopefully Tice can get them on track. If they keep playing like they have this will get ugly real quick. We may see Collins by week 4. As for the D: I hope the LB's are being rested just to make sure they are good to go for the Regular season. The scheme is the same as it has always been so they dont really need that many snaps to get ready for the season. The big question for the D will be that front line. I have high hopes that Peppers and Harris both have Probowl years. If that happens the Secondary wont be picked apart as years past and the LBs will make more plays. We have to get pressure with the front 4 to have a chance. Peppers has looked like a beast this preseason so lets all hope that continues this regular season.

Ageed. I'm not optimistic at this point. My only hope is that Martz and Tice have been sandbagging it and we will get a nice surprise from the O when the season starts.

The D, and the inabiity to stop anyone on third down scares the beejesus out of me.

[Daventry]

I have little doubt that we are not going to be much good this year....but I still have kool-aid type hope as I bleed blue and orange and always will.

 

1. New systems take time to be effective, and one as complex as the one Martz brings to the O is more than consistent with that belief.

2. Defense has been a problem for the last few years, nothing much is different this year except JP, and one could argue that there is less reason to be optimistic about the DT position.

3. We are very suspect in regards to leadership and coaching. There is a smell emanating from the top that stinks to the bowels. Lovie's regime is rotten and there is no reason to have any confidence in a ship he captains.

4. We have lost all 4 pre-season games and looked bad doing it. All of the bullshit aside, come on, if it looks like shit and smells like shit, it very likely is shit.

 

I could be more specific and detailed, but enough said. Jarret Payton seems to think 9-7, and that sounds about right to me. I just pray that is enough to get rid of LS, if not, I am going to give more money to the guys who put up billboards to get rid of him. We have sucked long enough.

[jason]

1. How good the Oline is remains to be seen. The preseason is for testing players as individuals. That mean putting them on an island occasionally and not necessarily calling plays for them to succeed as a group. Sure, they have a few problems with blitz pickups and stunts occasionally, but all Olines do and they will get better as the season progresses.

 

I could care less about the rest of the posts because most things are up for debate...but you have to be smoking some good stuff to actually believe the Bears have anything other than a bad OL that has been bad for multiple years. Nothing you said about testing players and putting them on an island in the preseason is false, but you've gotta be kidding me if you actually expect anyone who has seen this team play to believe the OL is not one of the worst in the NFL.

 

[bowlingtwig]

I could care less about the rest of the posts because most things are up for debate...but you have to be smoking some good stuff to actually believe the Bears have anything other than a bad OL that has been bad for multiple years. Nothing you said about testing players and putting them on an island in the preseason is false, but you've gotta be kidding me if you actually expect anyone who has seen this team play to believe the OL is not one of the worst in the NFL.

I agree with you if you are judging them based on what they did in preseason. However I believe if given time we have a solid Oline. Now the question is do they gell together b4 or after Cutler gets killed.

[jason]

I agree with you if you are judging them based on what they did in preseason. However I believe if given time we have a solid Oline. Now the question is do they gell together b4 or after Cutler gets killed.

 

I'll believe it when I see it. And since I saw most of these guys play like garbage before, I'm thinking I won't end up believing it. The koolaid would taste sweet, no doubt, but I just don't have confidence in anyone from Lovie Smith up to find, develop, or coach offensive line talent. Hopefully Tice will prove his talents otherwise.

[ChileBear]

I'll believe it when I see it. And since I saw most of these guys play like garbage before, I'm thinking I won't end up believing it. The koolaid would taste sweet, no doubt, but I just don't have confidence in anyone from Lovie Smith up to find, develop, or coach offensive line talent. Hopefully Tice will prove his talents otherwise.

I'm bummed. Season hasn't started and I'm already thinking sackfest and out of the hunt after the first four games. I thought that nonsense was over with the late 60s and the 70s. I sure hope I'm wrong.

[bowlingtwig]

I'm bummed. Season hasn't started and I'm already thinking sackfest and out of the hunt after the first four games. I thought that nonsense was over with the late 60s and the 70s. I sure hope I'm wrong.

Its going to be very tough because of a tough schedule especially with the last 4 games of the year.

[Daventry]

I hate naysayers and Chicken Littles, but I think that our year will be well over well before the last 4 games.....

[bowlingtwig]

I hate naysayers and Chicken Littles, but I think that our year will be well over well before the last 4 games.....

It very much could be. My thinking is that this is going to be a very good year OR a very bad year. I don't see a mediocre record or 7-9 8-8 or 9-7 at all in our future. People are reading 2 much into my post by thinking that this line is going to be good this year. That is not what I am saying at all. I am just saying that I believe this line has the ability to be pretty good however it could be next year by the time they gel well together. Obviously it would be to late by then. If this line protects well from the get go Cutler will have a very impressive year and the type of year that all of us know that he is capable of or worst case scenario is where the line doesn't protect well and we end up using Collins and possible even Hanie by the end. I think with our QB depth they are good enough to get us by 1 or at most 2 games if and ONLY IF the line protects.

[balta1701-A]

So, there's something I'm wondering and I think it fits in this thread.

 

The Bears were a 7-9 team last year right? Somehow the Bears won 7 games?

 

When I look at last year's Bears team versus this year's Bears team...I have trouble naming an position that the Bears are worse at, other than perhaps the secondary, which was weak anyway.

 

Offensive line...worst hole...but can you tell me that it is significantly worse than last year? Williams is going to be worse than Pace was? That's hard to do. There looks to be some promise in Louis, it looks to be potentially coached better, Kreutz could be more healthy.

 

Receivers? Still young, but guys are significantly more experienced now.

 

Cutler? Same guy, new coach, hopefully upgrade on the coach.

 

Forte; admittedly hurt and out of shape last year. Worse case scenario; repeating last year. And if that happens, the depth has improved.

 

Tight ends: Olson is still there, Clark is still there, and the blocking guy is there now.

 

Defensive line; Alex Brown and O-Gun are gone, but they've been replaced by Peppers. I struggle to see how that line could be worse than last year with that replacement. Yes, Anderson could be a downgrade, but you've at worst got balance.

 

Linebackers; Bears are adding in Urlacher and Pisa. Worst case scenario, that's an upgrade.

 

Defensive backfield; still the same melange.

 

Up and down the list...I know people don't like this team...but this team won 7 games last year, and I can't see where they got worse. Did everyone else in the NFL get that much better?

[Daventry]

I don't think we are particularly worse, but I don't think we definitely improved that much overall either. All depends on how the young guys, ie WR, perform, I suppose.

 

However, with a new offence in place and the possible adjustment to that we could really struggle on offence....

 

 

['TD']

To start off with, 7-9 sucks. You end up with crappy draft picks, you get a harder schedule than if you lost more, and it's not near good enough to be in the play offs. This team only won 7 games by luck, they really should have been a 5 win team at most.

 

I honestly think the team is significantly worse this year than last, that's just opinion, but for the Bears NFL did improve. Going into last season, the Bears were supposed to have the easiest schedule.

 

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d80fb...a-grain-of-salt

 

This year the Bears season is significantly harder= the NFL improved from a Bears prospective .

['TD']

x

[bradjock]

Damn good point. I agree 100% with everything you say when you talk about the positions. You didn't even mention that Martz is a huge upgrade over Turner.

 

Here's the big difference:

1. Green Bay is much better. Minny is probably just as good. Do we have enough to leap-frog them? Detroit's bad, but not the pushover they once were.

2. Last year we faced the cup-cake NFC West. We still only finished 2 & 2 with bad losses to San Fran and Arizona.

 

It's how we got to 7 wins that concerns me. The teams we beat:

Detroit twice--Awful team

Cleveland--Really bad

Seattle--Terrible

St. Louis--Worst team in the NFL

 

That's 5 wins against dogs. We beat only two teams with winning records.

Pittsburgh: Great win. Jeff Reed missed an easy field goal that would have tied it. Hey, a win's a win. Pittsburgh finished 9 & 7 and missed the playoffs.

Minny: Helluva a win. I won't mention that Favre might have sandbagged the first half to prove a point to his coach. We beat 'em.

 

 

 

So, there's something I'm wondering and I think it fits in this thread.

 

The Bears were a 7-9 team last year right? Somehow the Bears won 7 games?

 

When I look at last year's Bears team versus this year's Bears team...I have trouble naming an position that the Bears are worse at, other than perhaps the secondary, which was weak anyway.

 

Offensive line...worst hole...but can you tell me that it is significantly worse than last year? Williams is going to be worse than Pace was? That's hard to do. There looks to be some promise in Louis, it looks to be potentially coached better, Kreutz could be more healthy.

 

Receivers? Still young, but guys are significantly more experienced now.

 

Cutler? Same guy, new coach, hopefully upgrade on the coach.

 

Forte; admittedly hurt and out of shape last year. Worse case scenario; repeating last year. And if that happens, the depth has improved.

 

Tight ends: Olson is still there, Clark is still there, and the blocking guy is there now.

 

Defensive line; Alex Brown and O-Gun are gone, but they've been replaced by Peppers. I struggle to see how that line could be worse than last year with that replacement. Yes, Anderson could be a downgrade, but you've at worst got balance.

 

Linebackers; Bears are adding in Urlacher and Pisa. Worst case scenario, that's an upgrade.

 

Defensive backfield; still the same melange.

 

Up and down the list...I know people don't like this team...but this team won 7 games last year, and I can't see where they got worse. Did everyone else in the NFL get that much better?

 

[nfoligno]

I would add that sometimes the parts don't improve the whole.

 

While individual players/positions may be improved, the overall units may not. OL may not be as bad as last year, but at the same time, they will be asked to hold their blocks longer.

 

Cutler and the WRs may be better after a season together, but at the same time, they could actually be worse due to the system.

 

On offense, I think it is all about the OL and system. We talk about how Martz is an upgrade over Turner, but if Cutler and Co struggle to run Martz scheme and Martz doesn't adjust, I am not sure I would say he is an upgrade. Further, if the OL can't protect Cutler, especially with this sytem, again, things could be worse.

 

But I think the bigger concern is on the defense. We may not have downgraded much, and maybe even improved some, but the D flat out stunk last year and minimal improvements are not going to help enough.

 

Damn good point. I agree 100% with everything you say when you talk about the positions. You didn't even mention that Martz is a huge upgrade over Turner.

 

Here's the big difference:

1. Green Bay is much better. Minny is probably just as good. Do we have enough to leap-frog them? Detroit's bad, but not the pushover they once were.

2. Last year we faced the cup-cake NFC West. We still only finished 2 & 2 with bad losses to San Fran and Arizona.

 

It's how we got to 7 wins that concerns me. The teams we beat:

Detroit twice--Awful team

Cleveland--Really bad

Seattle--Terrible

St. Louis--Worst team in the NFL

 

That's 5 wins against dogs. We beat only two teams with winning records.

Pittsburgh: Great win. Jeff Reed missed an easy field goal that would have tied it. Hey, a win's a win. Pittsburgh finished 9 & 7 and missed the playoffs.

Minny: Helluva a win. I won't mention that Favre might have sandbagged the first half to prove a point to his coach. We beat 'em.