2009-10 Bears Season: Utler, 'Uther 'Uckers

[SKO]

Robbie Gould is money.

That said, the Bears did not win on skill - they won on the Steelers' lack of it today.

Seriously? Fuck that. I hate when people act like missed fucking field goals (the second one was deflected, btw, if you watch the replay you'll see the ball's flight change after it hits the line of scrimmage) are some kind of fluke. A kicker's a player just like any other on the field, he failed to do his job. What are you going to blame it on? The Steelers dropping passes? The Bears did that too. There's not a god damn thing the Steelers fucked up that the Bears didn't also fuck up, and yet one team overcame it to win the game.

  First Downs     21     15
    Passing    13    12
    Rushing    7    2
    Penalty    1    1
  Third Down Efficiency    6-12    7-14
  Fourth Down Efficiency    1-1    0-0
  TOTAL NET YARDS    308    275
    Total Plays    59    57
    Average Gain Per Play    5.2    4.8
  NET YARDS RUSHING    105    43
    Rushes    22    18
    Average Per Rush    4.8    2.4
  NET YARDS PASSING    203    232
    Completions-Attempts    23-35    27-38
    Yards Per Pass Play    5.5    5.9
    Times Sacked    2    1
    Yards Lost to Sacks    18    4
    Had Intercepted    1    0
  PUNTS    3    6
    Average Punt    54.3    45.8
  PENALTIES    6    10
    Penalty Yards    52    80
  FUMBLES    1    1
    Fumbles Lost    1    0
  TIME OF POSSESSION    30:26    29:34

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even. The Steelers did not just hand that game away. The Bears won. Fuck the idea that the Steelers just gave it away.

[Internet Apex]

Robbie Gould is money.

That said, the Bears did not win on skill - they won on the Steelers' lack of it today.

Seriously? Fuck that. I hate when people act like missed fucking field goals (the second one was deflected, btw, if you watch the replay you'll see the ball's flight change after it hits the line of scrimmage) are some kind of fluke. A kicker's a player just like any other on the field, he failed to do his job. What are you going to blame it on? The Steelers dropping passes? The Bears did that too. There's not a god damn thing the Steelers fucked up that the Bears didn't also fuck up, and yet one team overcame it to win the game.

  First Downs     21     15
    Passing    13    12
    Rushing    7    2
    Penalty    1    1
  Third Down Efficiency    6-12    7-14
  Fourth Down Efficiency    1-1    0-0
  TOTAL NET YARDS    308    275
    Total Plays    59    57
    Average Gain Per Play    5.2    4.8
  NET YARDS RUSHING    105    43
    Rushes    22    18
    Average Per Rush    4.8    2.4
  NET YARDS PASSING    203    232
    Completions-Attempts    23-35    27-38
    Yards Per Pass Play    5.5    5.9
    Times Sacked    2    1
    Yards Lost to Sacks    18    4
    Had Intercepted    1    0
  PUNTS    3    6
    Average Punt    54.3    45.8
  PENALTIES    6    10
    Penalty Yards    52    80
  FUMBLES    1    1
    Fumbles Lost    1    0
  TIME OF POSSESSION    30:26    29:34

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even. The Steelers did not just hand that game away. The Bears won. Fuck the idea that the Steelers just gave it away.

No turnovers. I like.

[BC]

No turnovers. I like.

I like that as well.

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

[SKO]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

I think its more of a combination of facing 3-4 fronts, Turner (who as much as I usually defend him has been pissing me off this year) insisting on running to the outside against those 3-4s, the offensive line starting three new starters (run blocking takes more time to gel with than pass blocking because it's far more of an assignment style than pass blocking), and the fact that the Bears have clearly been more concerned with establishing the passing game.

The outside runs and delayed hand offs have really been pissing me off. The whole fucking point of a 3-4 defense is to have have more athleticism than the offense on the outside. By these constant stretch, sweeps, and tosses  Turner seems to think that Pace and Williams and whichever guard pulls on the play are fast enough to consistently beat linebackers to the point of attack, and that's just not going to happen as often as Turner tries it. They need to pound it inside on a quick handoff a few times and establish the inside running game. Then they could at least get the play action game really going, which is where Turner's playbook really opens up.

Fortunately Frank Gore just gashed the Seahawks for 207 yards rushing, so I would hope the Bears can get Forte going with some smarter play calling.

[Internet Apex]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year NIGHT. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

[MAD]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

Indeed.  Cutler's having auditions on which WR is going to step up, and Johnny Knocks seems to be answering the casting call.  I think I remember reading where Brandon Marshall was not regarded too highly before meeting Cutler and that Eddie Royal was really a nobody before last year and, if that's the case, I'm willing to buy the notion that out of this mass of mediocrity, Cutler's going to pull one or two (Bennett?) guys up a level.

[Quality Start Machine]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

Indeed.  Cutler's having auditions on which WR is going to step up, and Johnny Knocks seems to be answering the casting call.  I think I remember reading where Brandon Marshall was not regarded too highly before meeting Cutler and that Eddie Royal was really a nobody before last year and, if that's the case, I'm willing to buy the notion that out of this mass of mediocrity, Cutler's going to pull one or two (Bennett?) guys up a level.

Cutler's operating under the basic premise that if you hit even the shittiest receiver in the hands enough, one or two will stick.

[Waco Kid]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

Indeed.  Cutler's having auditions on which WR is going to step up, and Johnny Knocks seems to be answering the casting call.  I think I remember reading where Brandon Marshall was not regarded too highly before meeting Cutler and that Eddie Royal was really a nobody before last year and, if that's the case, I'm willing to buy the notion that out of this mass of mediocrity, Cutler's going to pull one or two (Bennett?) guys up a level.

If Knox continues to develop like this and the passing game gets more in sync, I think the running game will open up as teams can no longer load up the box. Unless they want Hester or Knox blazing past them for big gains.

[Internet Apex]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

Indeed.  Cutler's having auditions on which WR is going to step up, and Johnny Knocks seems to be answering the casting call.  I think I remember reading where Brandon Marshall was not regarded too highly before meeting Cutler and that Eddie Royal was really a nobody before last year and, if that's the case, I'm willing to buy the notion that out of this mass of mediocrity, Cutler's going to pull one or two (Bennett?) guys up a level.

As much as I hope that's true, it wouldn't shock me if these guys really are just a bunch of turds. The Bears have hit on like one receiver pick under Angelo. Berrian, who is one dimensional and gone is the guy though you could make an Olegesque spirited yet incorrect argument for Hester. Gage, Wade, Bradley... all gone and all suck. None of them ever played with the likes of Utler though. I'm looking forward sitting outside in the freezing cold and snow and ice and seeing how this shit plays out. I wouldn't know a good wideout if he caught a touchdown, ran up and jumped into my lap. (Coolest thing I saw all Sunday, Ochocinco)

[Internet Apex]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

Indeed.  Cutler's having auditions on which WR is going to step up, and Johnny Knocks seems to be answering the casting call.  I think I remember reading where Brandon Marshall was not regarded too highly before meeting Cutler and that Eddie Royal was really a nobody before last year and, if that's the case, I'm willing to buy the notion that out of this mass of mediocrity, Cutler's going to pull one or two (Bennett?) guys up a level.

Cutler's operating under the basic premise that if you hit even the shittiest receiver in the hands enough, one or two will stick.

And that's why I'm building a shrine to him in my undershorts out of jizz.

[SKO]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

Indeed.  Cutler's having auditions on which WR is going to step up, and Johnny Knocks seems to be answering the casting call.  I think I remember reading where Brandon Marshall was not regarded too highly before meeting Cutler and that Eddie Royal was really a nobody before last year and, if that's the case, I'm willing to buy the notion that out of this mass of mediocrity, Cutler's going to pull one or two (Bennett?) guys up a level.

As much as I hope that's true, it wouldn't shock me if these guys really are just a bunch of turds. The Bears have hit on like one receiver pick under Angelo. Berrian, who is one dimensional and gone is the guy though you could make an Olegesque spirited yet incorrect argument for Hester. Gage, Wade, Bradley... all gone and all suck. None of them ever played with the likes of Utler though. I'm looking forward sitting outside in the freezing cold and snow and ice and seeing how this shit plays out. I wouldn't know a good wideout if he caught a touchdown, ran up and jumped into my lap. (Coolest thing I saw all Sunday, Ochocinco)

Seriously? The drops have been painful, but that'll disappear as they get used to the velocity and timing of Cutler's passes. Honestly if you'd have told me that the Hester, Bennett, and Knox trio would be averaging a combined 175 ypg after two games, I'd have taken it. Bennett looks like a solid underneath guy, and Hester and Knox are both outstanding deep threats. Lost in all the fury last week was that Hester had the best receiving game of his career (4 for 90, TD) during a fairly pedestrian effort by Cutler. If Greg Olsen would just hold onto a pass or two, this group goes from potentially good to dangerous.

[MAD]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

Indeed.  Cutler's having auditions on which WR is going to step up, and Johnny Knocks seems to be answering the casting call.  I think I remember reading where Brandon Marshall was not regarded too highly before meeting Cutler and that Eddie Royal was really a nobody before last year and, if that's the case, I'm willing to buy the notion that out of this mass of mediocrity, Cutler's going to pull one or two (Bennett?) guys up a level.

As much as I hope that's true, it wouldn't shock me if these guys really are just a bunch of turds. The Bears have hit on like one receiver pick under Angelo. Berrian, who is one dimensional and gone is the guy though you could make an Olegesque spirited yet incorrect argument for Hester. Gage, Wade, Bradley... all gone and all suck. None of them ever played with the likes of Utler though. I'm looking forward sitting outside in the freezing cold and snow and ice and seeing how this shit plays out. I wouldn't know a good wideout if he caught a touchdown, ran up and jumped into my lap. (Coolest thing I saw all Sunday, Ochocinco)

Seriously? The drops have been painful, but that'll disappear as they get used to the velocity and timing of Cutler's passes. Honestly if you'd have told me that the Hester, Bennett, and Knox trio would be averaging a combined 175 ypg after two games, I'd have taken it. Bennett looks like a solid underneath guy, and Hester and Knox are both outstanding deep threats. Lost in all the fury last week was that Hester had the best receiving game of his career (4 for 90, TD) during a fairly pedestrian effort by Cutler. If Greg Olsen would just hold onto a pass or two pick up his bro, this group goes from potentially good to dangerous.

Tai's till 4'd.

I was riding Olsen too, but that doubly-concussed sonofabitch stepped up late.  The sideline pass that knocked him out was pretty bad, but he took another hit to the head in the 4th quarter on a ball he hung on to and also had the presence of mind to jump on a fumble that Forte left on the ground.

And, how 'bout that Kellen Davis?

[R-V]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

I think its more of a combination of facing 3-4 fronts, Turner (who as much as I usually defend him has been pissing me off this year) insisting on running to the outside against those 3-4s, the offensive line starting three new starters (run blocking takes more time to gel with than pass blocking because it's far more of an assignment style than pass blocking), and the fact that the Bears have clearly been more concerned with establishing the passing game.

The outside runs and delayed hand offs have really been pissing me off. The whole fucking point of a 3-4 defense is to have have more athleticism than the offense on the outside. By these constant stretch, sweeps, and tosses  Turner seems to think that Pace and Williams and whichever guard pulls on the play are fast enough to consistently beat linebackers to the point of attack, and that's just not going to happen as often as Turner tries it. They need to pound it inside on a quick handoff a few times and establish the inside running game. Then they could at least get the play action game really going, which is where Turner's playbook really opens up.

Fortunately Frank Gore just gashed the Seahawks for 207 yards rushing, so I would hope the Bears can get Forte going with some smarter play calling.

ALL. OF. THAT. Three new starters on an offensive line is a pretty big deal. If they're still averaging 2 or 3 yards a carry in a month, I'll be worried. And give those goons some credit for only yielding one sack to the Steelers pass rush, although Cutler's mobility and pocket presence definitely played a part in that.

I'm also on the optimistic side of things with the receivers, Knox, Bennett, and Hester are all competent, and with Utler's platinum arm that should be enough. And just wait until Devin Dev Dev Junior Aromoshabadoo is activated. LDA told me he would be the missing puzzle piece for this offense, and I believe him.

A kudos bar to Hillenmeyer. You could tell they missed Urlacher's coverage abilities on some of the mid-range passes across the middle, but he played a perfectly competent game. The safeties, on the other hand, still give me the vapors. Does a play-action fake exist that Manning and Payne won't bite on?

[Dr. Nguyen Van Falk]

In every damn category other than rushing yards, its damn near even.

I can't help but dwell on this.

Is it all on the O-line? Or is the Kevin Jones injury going to hurt even more than feared?

This is green font, right? Orange Jebus outplayed him all last year and he was the Bears most productive back last year NIGHT. I think teams are still daring the Bears to throw on them because of the receiving corps. But that shit's gotta stop eventually.

?

Oh... did you mean Whoopi?

I certainly have my share of man love for the Original AP, but his 5.3 YPC yesterday on 3 carries was totally thanks to his first rush for 15 yards, not so much his second and third rushes (for 0 and 1 yard, respectively).

Regardless, my point was that Benson's 141 yard, 4.9 YPC day against the same Green Bay defense that held the Bears to 2.8 YPC last week suggests there may be some run blocking or running back issues (or both) remaining for the Bears to work out.

Or offensive play-calling, as SKO mentions above. Which, now that I think about it, strikes me as very, very reasonable.