Chicago Bears

ing staff (which is not yet completed), Ted Philips has finished his search for the fifth GM of the Chicago Bears. His name? Phil Emery. Excited yet?

Does his name sound familiar? It should. Phil Emery worked in the Bears personnel department as an area scout from 1998 to 2004. Notable selections during his tenure were Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman, Marty Booker, Jerry Azumah, Mike Brown, Tommie Harris and Nathan Vasher. Now, that’s not a bad list…of eight players. The question is: who knows how responsible Emery is for drafting those players, if at all? Scouting personnel discussions are intensely private and are probably one of the best kept secrets in the NFL. Plus a team has so many scouts that it would be nearly impossible for anyone outside to determine whose input got a specific player drafted.

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Well that didn’t take very long. After all of three days, Lovie Smith has found his next offensive coordinator. The big-time hire? Mike “Boat Show” Tice. (I would have also accepted “Ticket Scalper.” I hinted at Tice’s eventual hiring on Tuesday when I addressed the firing of Jerry Angelo and Mike Martz, but I suppose I should break down this “hire,” yes?

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Woof. The news broke quickly today from Halas Hall as the Chicago Bears started their offseason with a major shake-up near the top of the organization with the removal of Jerry Angelo and the “resignation” of Mike Martz. No time to waste in breaking these moves down!

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the Bears held onto the win over the struggling Vikings to get to 8-8 on the year.

 

(8-8) Chicago Bears 17
(3-13) Minnesota Vikings 13

For another week Chicago’s offense sputtered and killed its own momentum with costly turnovers. Earl Bennett started the game off right with an early fumble, giving the Vikings possession and the opportunity to drive down for a field goal. A Percy Harvin run later in the first gave the Vikes a 10-0 lead and Bears fans reason to change the channel. Luckily, there was a second quarter. A rare pass to Roy Williams capped off the Bears’ only touchdown drive, but a throw off the hands of Toby Gerhart fell right into the lap of first-time Pro Bowler Charles Tillman, who ran it right back for 22 yards and six points. From there Chicago’s defense locked down, picking off Minnesota’s quarterbacks two times (a total of three) to secure the win.  

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Let’s get this over with.

 

(7-8) Chicago Bears at
(3-12) Minnesota Vikings

I am not going to waste your time with an in-depth analysis over a game without a crap-ton of starters on both sides of the ball. There’s a lot of “Joe Webb isn’t that bad” talk around the NFL, but I’m not totally sold. He’s probably a better option that Christian Ponder or Josh McCown though. But he’s missing Adrian Peterson, so you can’t totally rely on him this week. Chicago’s defense is the best unit in this game, and that typically goes a long way. The Odds:

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(14-1) Green Bay Packers 35
(7-8) Chicago Bears 21

On the very first drive of the game, Aaron Rodgers made sure his team grabbed a number one seed and never looked back, leading the Packers on a 9-play, 80 yard touchdown drive that ended with a 2 yard slant to Jermichael Finley in to make it 7-0. That drive featured ONE running play and some insanely accurate passing. The Bears couldn’t even hope to keep up, thought their defense held Rodgers in check for most of the first half… until he found James Jones on another slant to put Green Bay up 14-3 at halftime. Despite out-gaining and controlling the time of possession in the first half, Chicago had nearly nothing to show for it.

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ipped away from you on Sunday Night Football as the “somehow still in the playoff hunt” Chicago Bears head to Green Bay to take on the rival Packers. Yikes. Break out the eggnog as you read this preview… it’ll ease your mood going into the game. 

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;t here yet though, so the Gameday Recaps continue!

 

(7-7) Seattle Seahawks 38
(7-7) Chicago Bears 14

Going into halftime, Bear fans had reasons to be optimistic their team would break out of their slump. At 14-7, Chicago’s defense had kept Marshawn Lynch in check and held Tarvaris Jackson to minimal completions. Seattle’s offense had only managed 6 first downs at the break. What really gave Chicagoans hope was that the defense had already scored a touchdown thanks to a Julius Peppers strip of Jackson in the endzone. Recovered by Israel Idonije, the score tied the game up in the first quarter and shifted momentum in Lovie Smith’s favor. Unfortunately, Caleb Hanie was still in the game.

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Losers of three straight, the Chicago Bears are trying to get back on the winning horse this afternoon against the rising Seattle Seahawks. Can you believe these two teams are actually still in the playoff hunt? They both need a lot of help to get there, but this game is too significant for either team to lose. Drop one more game… and you likely won’t see January.

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ime and the second securing the sudden death victory.

 

(8-5) Denver Broncos 13
(7-6) Chicago Bears 10

There’s plenty of blame to go around for this horrific failure. Everyone is going to point at Marion Barber for his two colossal errors and rightly so. His failure to understand the situation and keep the ball inbounds in the fourth opened the door for a comeback in regulation. The fumble on the first drive overtime (while on his way to what seemed to be a touchdown) was unacceptable. Barber cost his team the game TWICE. But he’s not the only one to blame. How about putting it on the offense, who had a chance to convert on third and five after Barber’s out of bounds blunder and keep the ball?

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With two straight losses with Caleb Hanie at the helm, the Chicago Bears find themselves in an unenviable position on Sunday, traveling to Denver to meet the best (and most run into the ground) story in the NFL: Tim Tebow. After taking over the reins for John Fox’s offense, the Broncos are 6-1 and lead the AFC West after starting the year 1-4. Will there be more magic in Denver or can Urlacher and the Bears keep Timmy in check? It’s time to break this one down!

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d, here’s the analysis of today’s clusterf*ck.

(5-7) Kansas City Chiefs 10
(7-5) Chicago Bears 3

After seeing Matt Forte fail to get up following a hit to the knee and was declared out of the game, I knew the Bears were going to fall. Sure, Marion Barber came in and played pretty well, but he’s not enough to keep this offense going for four quarters. Hanie’s three interceptions (I do include the final toss-up) were too costly for a team missing their top two offensive talents.

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With their fourth loss in the rearview mirror, the Caleb Hanie-led Chicago Bears welcome the deceptively decent Kansas City Chiefs to Soldier Field. Oh yeah, and Kyle Orton might show up sometime today as well. Casual NFL fans may look at this game as an easy win, but it could be very, very ugly. My breakdown illustrates why.

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t’s get to the breakdown.

Chicago Tribune

(7-4) Oakland Raiders 25
(7-4) Chicago Bears 20

With Caleb Hanie at the helm, the Bears struggled to move the ball through the air. Going into this game, most fans would have expected Martz to rely more heavily on the run than he would if Cutler was playing, but that wasn’t the case. The game started off balanced in terms of run/pass ratio, but that eventually faded away as Hanie was forced to throw from behind. However, Martz needed to give his QB help by focusing on getting the ball to Forte and Barber, both of which had solid numbers despite their lack of attempts. Hanie was jittery early on, overthrowing or vastly under-throwing his receivers, which led to the first and second of his three interceptions. He played relatively well after he settled down, making scrambles for large gains and big throws to Johnny Knox for a 29 yard TD in the second and a deep throw for 81 yards as the Bears mounted a miracle comeback in the fourth.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 Gameday Recap: Raiders 25, Bears 20"

 

(7-3) Chicago Bears at
(6-4) Oakland Raiders

If Lovie Smith’s team is going to get their sixth straight win, Hanie will have to come out and prove early that he’s a threat to throw down the field. He doesn’t have nearly the arm strength that Cutler does (but who does, honestly), but he can get it deep when necessary. Chicago’s offense has been so successful this year because the idea of Jay going deep has loosened the defense for Matt Forte up front. With better offensive line protection, Hanie has to let his receivers take advantage of a soft set of Raider corners. Stanford Routt and Chris Johnson may have been in the league for several years, but that doesn’t mean they’re any good. Mike Martz has to jump on the Raiders in the first half and then rely on Forte to close this one out. Get a decent lead for this defense and they’ll get you a win. Just avoid taking heavy hits from a Raider defensive front that only needs to rush four to get to the quarterback. Richard Seymour will be coming on every play.

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After a few days of attempting to drown myself in a (surprisingly deep) pool of my own tears, I figured it was time to comment on the impending thumb surgery of Jay Cutler and what it means for the Bears in 2011.

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But then the scoring came in bunches as the Chicago Bears held off the San Diego Chargers on Sunday afternoon, increasing their winning streak to five games despite numerous comeback attempts.

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Riding high with four straight wins, the Chicago Bears welcome in the San Diego Chargers, who are sweeping the floors of the AFC West thanks to four straight losses. Can the Bears force more Philip Rivers turnovers in front of their home crowd today? Or will the Chargers begin their annual late-season winning streak? It’s time for another Gameday Preview!

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Well that was easy. The Chicago Bears wasted no time it laying the wood to the Detroit Lions, paying them back for the Monday night loss earlier in the season and notching their fourth win in a row. The Lions were sloppy with the ball on offense and committed costly penalties of which the Bears were more than happy to take advantage. It was a defensive demolishing from Lovie Smith’s crew, who went to man coverage and shut the Lions down.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 Gameday Recap: Bears 37, Lions 13"

’s break down this incredibly important contest.

 

(6-2) Detroit Lions at
(5-3) Chicago Bears

A lot could be made of Chris Harris’ impact on the Detroit Lions since they claimed him off of waivers, but his impact was probably more significant in preparation and film study than it will be on the field. There was a reason the Bears let him go. He just wasn’t making plays anymore. In their first match-up, the Lion front four made plenty of noise against a developing Bear offensive line. It should be much more of an even playing field today after the improvements that have been made on the line and in the game-planning. Chicago will excel on offense if they can keep Matt Forte on the outside and in space. Detroit’s linebackers are suspect at best in their run defense, so Forte and Marion Barber have to figure heavily in the offensive scheme, regardless of the elements. Ndamukong Suh has been getting a lot of hype this season, but his production has tailed off, especially in his run defense. Expect Barber to run right at Suh just to test his resolve and football acumen. On the outside, all I know is that Earl Bennett needs to be out there as much as possible after the production he showed last week. Devin Hester is active for the Bears, so special teams figures to be its typical explosive self. Cutler has to continue making excellent reads and finding the open man, whoever that may be. Jay’s run of exceptional games has him right knocking at the “elite quarterback” door, so another clutch performance in a big-time environment is just what the pundit ordered.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 Gameday Preview: Lions at Bears"

Bears picked up their fifth win in eight games, dropping the Eagles on their home turf.

(5-3) Chicago Bears 30
(3-5) Philadelphia Eagles 24

On the opening Bears drive (79 yards in all) it was cleat Matt Forte would be a key cog in the offensive wheel. 45 yards on his first three carries essentially locked in play-action passes as a viable option for the rest of the night. The first of many third down conversions by Bennett and helpful carries from Marion Barber put Cutler in position to heave it to Matt Spaeth for Chicago’s first score and their second opening drive TD this season.

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After resting on their collective butts during a much-needed bye week, the Chicago Bears head out to the City of Brotherly Love to take on Michael Vick and the surging Philadelphia Eagles. Can Lovie Smith’s defense repeat last year’s impressive performance against Vick and take their winning streak to a whopping three games? Let’s break this one down.

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arly and played enough defense to keep the Bucs from completing the comeback late.

 

(4-3) Chicago Bears 24
(4-3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 18

After swapping punts with the Bucs, the Bears wasted no time in getting Matt Forte going. Handing it off several times on the drive, Forte got a key outside block from Matt Spaeth on his 32-yard score, putting the Bears ahead for good. But the game wasn’t without its negatives, positives, and plain old “what the FUCK was that” moments.

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Let’s analyze this shiz yo!

 

(3-3) Chicago Bears at
(4-2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

As the Bucs still bore the ever-long piss out of me, I’m not going to get into TREMENDOUS detail. Their offense has a few decent pieces, starting with quarterback Josh Freeman. Freeman’s been touted as one of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks in the league, but I’m not sold. I think he’s overrated, but he doesn’t have the supporting cast to prove me wrong. Running back LeGarrette Blount will be inactive today, leaving Earnest Graham with the bulk of the carries, Good lucking running today Tampa! As far as receivers go, tight end Kellen Winslow is probably their most talented, but Arrelious Benn is probably the wide-out to keep your eye on deep. There isn’t a lot of danger from that unit though. Tampa’s offensive line is… okay? But Chicago should be able to get to Freeman on more than one occasion.

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ster continued to lay claim to his “Greatest Return Man of All Time” status.

(3-3) Chicago Bears 39
(1-5) Minnesota Vikings 10

Before anyone else, Chicago’s defense really made its stand against Adrian Peterson. Lovie Smith stacked the box against the Vikings on first and second down, holding Peterson to only 39 yards on 12 carries. That forced the ball in Donovan McNabb’s hands, where it consistently landed short of the receiver or the first down marker, either way it didn’t matter to the Bears. They just want to get off the field. Minnesota’s offense never found its spark, though back-up Christian Ponder did relieve McNabb in the second half. That was after the Bears knocked McNabb around, sacking the veteran five times on the night. Julius Peppers notched two sacks of his own and dominated Charles Johnson throughout the game, bad knee and all.

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After their embarrassing, penalty-plagued Monday nighter, the Chicago Bears are in primetime in a divisional match-up for the second straight week, this time taking the Sunday Night Football stage against Minnesota. At risk of falling in last place in the NFC North, the Bears can’t afford to lose.

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o;m hesitant to get started, but let’s get to the breakdown.(5-0) Detroit Lions 24
(2-3) Chicago Bears 13

First and foremost, everyone can get the HELL OFF of Jay Cutler’s back. If any game during his tenure in Chicago illustrates what he can do for this team, it was this one. With only Matt Forte and a rookie wide-out, Jay managed to put points on the board when the rest of the offense took the night off or false-started in their pants. Cutler kept plays alive, made accurate throws and good decisions, and stood in the pocket and took solid shots to the chin all night. They were several drives that took up chunks of clock that only continued because Cutler willed it. If you’re still hating him, you’re part of the problem. ‘Cause Jay sure the hell isn’t. I’m done with all the unwarranted complaints about his body language and his demeanor. He gets his ass kicked every week and never moans or complains. He takes his beating like a man and tries to win every single time he steps on the field.

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In their way, Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bears, who are fighting to get back into the division hunt. Inconsistency has been the term du jour when describing these Bears, who finally got their running game going in week four… but managed to give up over 500 yards of offense to the Panthers. Can they put it all together tonight? Let’s break down the match-ups in this latest Gameday Preview.

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Well it was way too close for comfort, but I’ll take it. The Chicago Bears got help in the form of Devin Hester and D.J. Moore touchdowns to beat the Carolina Panthers 34-29 Sunday afternoon.

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f the Bears have what it takes to put the Panthers down.

(1-2) Carolina Panthers at
(1-2) Chicago Bears

So any football fan has heard of Cam Newton for one reason or another. The reason you’re hearing about him now? His two 400 yard performances (in losing efforts) to begin the year followed by his first win as a starting QB. With a bit more film out there for teams to scout, Newton will start to see defenses wise up to his tendencies, even if they can’t plan to combat his immense abilities. Also, the dude’s pretty big. He’s essentially a quarterback in a defensive end’s body. Chicago will rely heavily on its cover-two scheme, expecting Newton to make a mistake or two along the way that will lead to turnovers.

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both sides, with penalties and turnovers a’plenty.

(3-0) Green Bay Packers 27
(1-2) Chicago Bears 17

After being rocked by New Orleans, Cutler enjoyed a leisurely, sack-free first half against the Packers, in which he heated up and began to find holes in the defensive schemes, keeping it within reach at 17-10 at halftime. Unfortunately, Jay’s two interceptions off-set the two Packer turnovers. Cutler became more skittish and off-target with his throws as the game drew on, often over-throwing his receivers. They didn’t help matters either. Roy Williams was involved in several negative plays as he was the target on both of Cutler’s interceptions, but those looked to be mostly on Jay. He did however drop a sure touchdown at the goal line which was forgotten thanks to the Dane Sanzenbacher score on the next play. Knox dropped a few passes and Hester couldn’t get enough separation, leaving Sanzenbacher to be on the receiving end of most of Jay’s throws.

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Nearly eight months removed from their collapse in the NFC Championship game, the Chicago Bears get a shot at (way less significant) revenge on Sunday when they welcome in the Green Bay Packers to Soldier Field. There’s no need to delve into the importance of this historic NFL rivalry, so let’s get right into the match-up’s created by the current rosters.

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Oh what a let-down that was. In their second game, the Chicago Bears managed to flat-line against the Saints, getting their quarterback Jay-Roughed in the process. Chicago’s offense held serve with the high-powered offense for about a half, and then Sean Payton let loose the entire playbook, taking the Bear defense to school like a game of Madden.

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Following the much-heralded destruction of the Atlanta Falcons in week one, the Chicago Bears fly down to Louisiana to take on the New Orleans Saints. Many analysts have mentioned the Bears’ recent success against the Saints, but all of those contests have been in Chicago and typically in less than stellar conditions. This Sunday the Bears will be in the Superdome, where the Saints will clearly have the advantage. But do they have the advantage on the field? Let the dissection begin!

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It was a complete victory at Soldier Field Sunday afternoon as the Bears dominated the visiting Atlanta Falcons 30 to 12. In a game where the Bears were underdogs, they sent an early message to the rest of the NFC, intimating that they will not be overlooked. Chicago took the NFC’s best team in 2010 and made them look sloppy and unpracticed.

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After lockouts, crazy free agency preseason games and everything else, the Chicago Bears are taking to Solider Field today for regular season action. They’re welcoming in the Atlanta Falcons, whose 13-3 record was the best in the NFC during 2010. Let’s get to some match-ups, shall we?

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Now that I’ve broken down the team piece by piece ( offense, defense and special teams), it’s time for the predictions. This year I decided to analyze the schedule and put my predictions out there. Obviously it means little having barely seen the team, but it’s still fun to talk about. Here’s the schedule and a quick thought on each game:Week 1 vs. Atlanta

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Be back here later for the final record prediction for the 2011 Chicago Bears season!

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nding the lockout, Jay Cutler, players unhappy with their contracts, new faces and crappy turf, the Chicago Bears are finally ready to take the field for regular season action. Before that happens, let’s preview each aspect of the team, starting with the offense.

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? Can Donovan McNabb get the Vikings to the playoffs? This divisional preview is all Black and Blue!Chicago Bears

If you want an in-depth preview of the Chicago Bears, check back soon. I’ll break down every facet of the Bears down and give my official record in a multi-part blog posting before their opener against Atlanta.

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Season Preview: The NFC North"

With teams trimming down their rosters to 53 this week, you knew there would be plenty of movement on the free agent front and a few surprises along the way. Even the Bears got themselves in the headlines for some key releases and one surprising but welcome addition.

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And that’s a wrap folks! In their fourth and final preseason outing, the Bears took care of the Cleveland Browns 24-14. Taking their last looks at their roster before trimming it down, the Bear coaching staff has their work cut out for them. Here are my thoughts from tonight’s (still meaningless) win.

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With rosters being trimmed to 53 (down from 80) this week, there are quite a few Chicago Bears who will be fighting for their job on Thursday night. Let’s get to the storylines you should watch for as the Browns come into Solider Field for the last preseason game of 2011.

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In the last major week of preseason action for Chicago Bear starters, the signs of progress were clear. Even in a 14-13 loss to the Chris Johnson-less Titans, Bear fans finally saw a glimmer of hope for the coming season. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s exhibition:

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eseason game, which the media long ago dubbed the “dress rehearsal” for every team, the Chicago Bears have to show fans a small glimpse of the team that made it to the NFC title game last year. Wait, no it shouldn’t. That team wasn’t actually that great. What the Bears NEED to do tonight in Tennessee is show how far they’ve come with the new pieces they have in place and what this season could potentially resemble. Here’s what I’ll be looking for from tonight’s match-up with the Tennessee Titans.

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After both defenses traded three-and-outs early, the Giants finally found their way on the scoreboard in a 41-6 win over the Bears in preseason action Monday night. For you Bear fans that aren’t throwing your computers away in despair, here’s what I took away from this (meaningless) loss.

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After the sack-fest that ensued against the Bills last weekend, Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bears head to the Meadowlands, the site of last year’s memorable sack bonanza. We’re certainly going to see the starters in action for a longer stretch, but we shouldn’t see the heavy-hitters go late into the second quarter. That being said, here are the storylines to watch in game two of the Bears’ preseason schedule.

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The Chicago Bears finally saw game action for the first time since the NFC Championship. In Saturday night’s preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills, you would have missed each team’s key starters if you happened to blink. However, fans did get a solid look at the starting five offensive linemen as well as some key back-up battles. Here’s what I learned from Saturday night’s 10-3 win over Buffalo.-Chester Taylor is not in the long-term (or even short-term) plan for this team.

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With the 2010 NFL season far in the rearview mirror, the Chicago Bears open up the 2011 preseason Saturday night against the Buffalo Bills. With a nonexistent offseason and only a short training camp stay so far, these exhibition games will hold more significance than any in recent memory.  However, thanks to Comic-Con, I’ll just outlay an abbreviated overview of what to look out for in tonight’s match-up.Offensive Line: The Starting Five

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With free agency speeding along at a fast and furious pace, it’s an endurance test to even stay on top of all the roster moves made by one team, much less the entire league. Despite that, I’m all ready to analyze the Bears’ flurry of transactions thus far.Trades: Greg Olsen to Carolina for a 3rd round pick

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After sitting out the fourth round thanks to a trade with Washington the day before, the Chicago Bears took Idaho QB Nathan Enderle at the 29th pick (160 overall) in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Enderle has likely been tabbed to be the eventual successor to Caleb Hanie as the primary back-up to Jay Cutler. At 6’6” and 240, Enderle is a big tall, quarterback with the ability to stand tall in the pocket. That comes in handy in the Mike Martz offense, which puts a lot of pressure on his quarterbacks with plenty of deep drops. This pick is reminiscent of last year’s draft when Martz got GM Jerry Angelo to take Dan LeFevour in the sixth round. Though LeFevour was eventually placed on the practice squad and snapped up by Cincinnati, but who’s really keeping track? Oh wait, I am. I know Hanie is likely on the way out after this next season because his contract is up, but drafting a QB in the fifth round isn’t sufficient value to me. Why don’t you trade back and get a pick for next year and take a QB? I’m not sure Enderle was next on anyone’s draft board, so the value wasn’t there for Chicago.

Continue reading "Chicago Bears 2011 Draft Recap: Day Three"

Well deserved.

WTF Moment of the Night: The Chicago Bears make a trade with the Washington Redskins to move up in the second round, using the fourth round pick they had agreed to send to Baltimore the night before, but never confirmed with the league. According to reports, Jerry Angelo was “encouraged” by Roger Goodell to send that fourth round pick to the Ravens as a good faith/compensatory gesture, but Angelo declined. Smooth Chicago, smooth.

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Trading up in the second round, the Chicago Bears jumped on Oregon State defensive tackle Stephen Paea at the 49th overall pick. Paea would have been a possible target in the first round for Jerry Angelo and Tim Ruskell had Gabe Carimi not been available, so finding him in the second round means the Bears picked up two talents on which they clearly had first round grades. The 6’1”, 303-pound Paea set an NFL combine record with 49 reps of 225 pounds, so he’s got the strength to play up the middle in Rod Marinelli’s defense.

Continue reading "Chicago Bears Draft Recap: Rounds Two and Three"

 

We waited long enough, but at the 29th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Jerry Angelo and the Chicago Bears selected Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi. A left tackle, Carimi will undoubtedly be a starter on the offensive line when the season starts, likely next to Chris Williams on the left side. I’ll break him down more after the draft ends, but it’s a solid start for Jerry Angelo. Carimi has a nasty streak in him, which is necessary with some of the pass rushers in the NFC North. He’s also durable, having started 49 games for the Badgers during his four years. He can definitely play guard, but look for him to get time at left tackle.

Continue reading "Chicago Bears Draft Recap: Round One"

 

For the first time since picking Chris Williams 14th overall in 2008, the Chicago Bears will have work to do in the first round of the NFL Draft. At the 29th slot, GM Jerry Angelo needs to fill a hole and find an instant contributor/starter, not a three-year project. With expectations high after an NFC Championship appearance, there can be no whiffing at the top of Angelo’s draft.

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Ugh.

Jerks.

Chicago Bears

My prediction: 7-9
What actually happened: 11-5
My result: **

Honestly, I loved being wrong here. I had no idea the offense would (sometimes) click like they did. The defense was stellar and Devin Hester returned to form. And I still love Jay Cutler, who dropped his interceptions sharply after the glut in his first season.

Continue reading "How Much I Effed Up: The NFC Edition"

r on their home turf (re: dirt.)

 

Chicago Tribune(13-6) Green Bay Packers 21
(12-6) Chicago Bears 14

As soon as the game kicked-off, the Bears were playing on their heels, trying to catch up. The Packers tore up chunks of yardage early on, finding the holes in Smith’s cover-two. Aaron Rodgers was precise with his passes, finding his wide-outs behind the linebackers and out towards the sidelines. It seemed as if every Packer play went for 20+ yards, and that’s not really hyperbole. Down 14-0 in the early second, Chicago hadn’t mounted much of an offense, despite Matt Forte’s best intentions. Forte’s 70 yards on the ground and 90 through the air (with ten catches, no less) make him the clear MVP in the loss. He kept the Green Bay defense honest which made it easier for Caleb Hanie to step in as he did after Jay left the game early in the third with his injury.

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of today's action.

NFC Championship: 2:00 PM ET, FOX

(12-6) Green Bay Packers at
(12-5) Chicago Bears

Head here for my in-depth analysis of this game.

AFC CHampionship: 5:30 PM ET, CBS

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For only the second time in their storied history, the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will meet in the playoffs. In 1941, the game was for the NFL’s then Western Section championship. In 2010, the NFC Championship and a trip to Dallas for the Super Bowl will be on the line. The Windy City is at a fever-pitch with anticipation. Now comes the part where they have to actually play. Ya know, that whole football thing. I’m done fluffing up this game now; let’s just get to the break down!

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Ugh. I hate being right sometimes.(12-5) Chicago Bears 35
(8-10) Seattle Seahawks 24

For my full Bears coverage, check out my GameDay Recap, found here.

My results so far: 6-5. Thanks to my boys!(13-5) New York Jets 28

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Final Drive: Divisional Round"

this game out of reach before the first half ended and looking towards the NFC title game.

(12-5) Chicago Bears 35
(8-10) Seattle Seahawks 24

I guess Mike Martz was keeping Greg Olsen under wrap all season so he could save his break-out game for the playoffs. It was a plan that came to fruition on Sunday as Greg Olsen erupted for 113 yards in the first half, including a 58 yard bomb on Jay Cutler’s first pass of the game. From there it was all Bears… and some food.

Continue reading "Joe's GameDay Recap: Bears 35, Seahawks 24"

k off come at their detriment? Here’s the break down.

(8-9) Seattle Seahawks at
(11-5) Chicago Bears

When last these teams met in week six, Seattle exploited Chicago’s then-porous offensive line for six sacks of Jay Cutler, who was still being called on to pass nearly every down. It’s been three months since that loss and Mike Martz has flipped the switch on his offensive gameplan, calling a balanced attack and keeping Cutler upright. Mike Tice’s o-line experience is starting to show its true color, solidifying a line that had been ultimately horrific.

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gers takes her home as a trophy.

Sunday

1:00 PM ET, FOX

(8-9) Seattle Seahawks at
(11-5) Chicago Bears

The Breakdown:

Like I’m going to blow my Bears wad in a few paragraphs. Pssh. For my in-depth analysis of this match-up, check back for my

Continue reading "Joe's 2011 NFL Opening Drive: Divisional Round"

It's the last game of the 2010 regular season for the Chicago Bears, and it's fitting that it comes against their long-time rival Green Bay Packers. Despite all the history, this game will be meaningless to the Bears by the time kick-off rolls around. With the Falcons up huge on the Panthers during this writing, the Bears would be locked into the number two seed in the NFC with nowhere to go. So should they play to win?

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Bears at Packers"

eleventh win of the season and kept their hopes for the number two seed in the NFC alive.

(11-4) Chicago Bears 38
(10-5) New York Jets 34

AP Photos

Mike Martz called an excellent gameplan for the most part, balancing the offense with 27 runs and 25 passes. Cutler found himself on the dirt more often than I would like, but his three-touchdown third quarter kept Chicago from falling behind when the Jet offense was tearing off. Throws to Johnny Knox (40, 26 yards) and Devin Hester (25 yards) erased a seven point halftime lead for the Jets and put Chicago in a position to hold onto the lead, which they barely did. Still, the Bears have found a way to win some of their biggest games of the year thus far, even if they haven’t won them convincingly.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 38, Jets 34"

On a record-setting night for Devin Hester, the Chicago Bears put the clamps on the Minnesota Vikings to take the NFC North crown. Oh how sweet it was…(10-4) Chicago Bears 40

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After Green bay lost last night to the Patriots, the Chicago Bears are poised to claim the NFC North championship and clinch a playoff berth. All they need to do is travel to Minnesota’s froze TCF Bank stadium and beat the now-Favre-led Minnesota Vikings, who are an indoor team playing in the cold. Time to break it down!

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and 26 points in the second quarter.

AP Photos

(11-2) New England Patriots 36
(9-4) Chicago Bears 7

Every time the Bears almost made a game-changing play, the Patriots would come right back on the next play and burn them for a long gain or a score. That’s how they operate. Tom Brady was masterful, cutting the wind with each of his throws to wide open receivers who found the holes in a defense that couldn’t get any pressure on number twelve. The Patriots’ return men gashed the Bear kick coverage units routinely, setting up Brady with excellent field position. As soon as the Patriots got up two scores, I had little faith in a comeback. Bill Belichick doesn’t lose when you give him a lead.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Patriots 36, Bears 7"

Now to break it down!

(10-2) New England Patriots at
(9-3) Chicago Bears

As it was after the Eagles handed out a whupping on a Monday night, the Patriots are getting all of the publicity heading into a fight with the Monsters of the Midway. Let’s not argue though, the Patriots are the team to beat in the NFL right now. Lovie Smith’s defense will have their hands full today on the wintry, torn up dirt of Soldier. It starts up front (as it always does), but this week the ability of the front four to get pressure is paramount. Tom Brady is no threat to run from the pocket, but he will absolutely pick any defense part if he has time, no matter how many they drop into coverage. Chicago’s cover-two defends well against the big play but there are holes in the zone to be found. Brady has no problem taking those short passes over the middle of watching his receivers make plays after the catch. Fortunately, the field conditions may slow down the likes of Wes Welker, Brandon Tate and Danny Woodhead, leaving them open to big hits from Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Chris Harris.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Patriots at Bears"

Well it was all too close, but the Chicago Bears pulled out a tough win over the division rival Lions at Ford Field to bring their record to 9-3, guaranteeing a winning record for 2010 and giving the Bears a five-game winning streak. Yep. I said all that.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 24, Lions 20"

Let’s break down this NFC North match-up.

(8-3) Chicago Bears at
(2-9) Detroit Lions

While the Lion defense may be improved from its typical ranking (now 20th in the NFL in total yards), they still give over 25 points a game, which means Mike Martz should have no problem whipping up a gameplan for success. Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch will be inactive, sitting out with a neck injury. That means the Bears need to place their blocking focus squarely on tackle Ndamukong Suh, who would love nothing more than to put my quarterback on the turf.

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Respect it!

(8-3) Chicago Bears 31
(7-4) Philadelphia Eagles 26

AP Photo

There were so many positives to take from this win; it’ll be hard to fit them all into one recap. But here it goes…

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 31, Eagles 26"

Well they've had plenty of time to prepare for this game, haven't they? The Chicago Bears are at home today, welcoming in Mike Vick and the impressive Philadelphia Eagles.

(7-3) Philadelphia Eagles at

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Getty Images

(7-3) Chicago Bears 16
(5-5) Miami Dolphins 0

Following the typical Lovie Smith gameplan, Mike Martz called a balanced offensive attack from the sidelines, using short passes to the outsides to take advantage of the Dolphin secondary. Jay Cutler had plenty of protection for most of his 25 pass attempts thanks to an improving offensive line. Martz called 68 offensive plays on the night, controlling the time of possession (37 minutes) and keeping Miami's defense on their heels. Thanks to Matt Forte's 97 yards and the only touchdown of the game, Martz was able to stick with the run all night and wore down defenders in the second half. Cutler tore apart the defense on third down and picked the perfect spots to scramble down the field. Solid field position from Devin Hester returns (or opponents kicking away from him) put the offense in charge on each drive. I'd like to see less field goals and more touchdowns, but I'll take a win like this any day.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 16, Dolphins 0"

Riding high after an impressive win over the Vikings, the Chicago Bears are on a short week, flying down to Miami to take on the Dolphins on Thursday Night Football. Is this a trap game for the Bears or will their winning streak continue?

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How about the rest of you? Despite their inability to convert on numerous short fields, the Chicago Bears came out of Sunday's 27-13 win over the Minnesota Vikings as clearly the better team. It didn't start off strong, but Chicago's defense (and even the offense) overcame early adversity and miscues en route to the victory.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 27, Vikings 13"

After a less-than-pretty win over the Bills last week, the Chicago Bears welcome in Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings for the first of their two meetings this season. The Vikings are flying slightly higher after an overtime win against Arizona last weekend, but at 3-5 their margin for error is slim. Let's break it down!

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son that saw a great many changes in the coaching staff, front office staff and gameday roster, the Chicago Bears are halfway through a do-or-die season. Eight games into the 2010 NFL campaign, Lovie Smith's Bears are 5-3, a mark that has surely pleasantly surprised some while infuriating others. Are they as good as their record indicates? Have they been the benefactors of a weak early schedule? I'll dive into these topics and more in my mid-season grades for the Monsters of the Midway.

Continue reading "Joe's Chicago Bears Mid-season Grades"

In a game they had to win, Lovie Smith's Bears sorta came to play, dropping the win-less Bills to 0-8 with a 22-19 win. As many believed, it was an ugly game that very easily could have produced an embarrassing Bears loss, but Smith is safe from that fate this week.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Bears 22, Bills 19"

Let's break it down!

(4-3) Chicago Bears at (kinda)
(0-7) Buffalo Bills

It's hard to say this is a home game for the Bills, who are so close to leaving Buffalo that I literally starting typing "Toronto Bills" a few lines up. Mike Martz brings in his struggling offense to face a Bill defense that gave up 274 yards on the ground to Kansas City last weekend. If ever he had an obvious blueprint for victory, this is it. Jay Cutler could hand off 50 times today and the Bears could still win by two scores. If Jay hits the ground more than three times, Martz isn't doing his job. Matt Forte and Chester Taylor are extraordinarily rested thanks to their lack of activity the past few weeks, so I would expect their rust to get knocked off this afternoon with a ton of carries. Greg Olsen should factor heavily into what I hope is a limited passing attack, getting past the soft Bill linebackers and sitting in front the secondary. Speaking of which, the Buffalo back four are the only players with which the Bears should be fairly concerned. Jairus Byrd is a play-maker at safety, even if he gambles a bit too much and is overrated because of his interception numbers. Drayton Florence shouldn't be over-looked at corner either.

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Well it certainly didn't feel like either team won this game, does it? After all the turnovers, penalties, drops, and missed assignments, this fugly-fest mercifully ended with a 17-14 loss to the Washington Redskins. I feel dirty.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Redskins 17, Bears 14"

Smith's squad bounce back? Let's get to the analysis!

(3-3) Washington Redskins at
(4-2) Chicago Bears

Chicago's offensive line woes reared their ugly face again last week and the Redskin defense will do everything they can to make sure that performance repeats itself. Blitzes are coming on almost every down in an effort to confuse Cutler and the line, which will test Mike Martz's stubborn play-calling. Will we run the ball today? Not likely, if Martz has anything to say about it. Brian Orakpo and linebacker London Fletcher are play-makers across the line. If they're going to have any success there must be better blitz recognition and an effort to find the open receiver quickly, whoever they are. No more seven-step drops today. A quick three-steps is all I want to see from Cutler on the day. If Matt Forte and Chester Taylor aren't in Martz's doghouse, they have the opportunity to have huge games against a 'Skin defense that is giving up tons of yardage. Keep an eye on DeAngelo Hall at DB for the Redskins, who will likely see Johnny Knox for most of the day.

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After their very first drive that ended in a Matt Forte score, the Bears had to feel plenty of confidence that their one-loss record would stay intact when the day ended. The Seattle Seahawks had other ideas, responding immediately with a touchdown drive of their own and holding the Bears off in a 23-20 win.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Seahawks 23, Bears 20"

Here's my take on today's NFC match-up.

(2-2) Seattle Seahawks at
(4-1) Chicago Bears

What gives the Bears a competitive and emotional advantage this week is the return of quarterback Jay Cutler. Cutler, cleared of his concussion, will aid an offense that was completely anemic through the air last week. He'll be staring down a surprisingly decent Seattle defensive unit which ranks twelfth in the league in points allowed at 19.3 per outing. While they give up nearly 375 yards a game, they don't let you in the end zone. Carroll, known for his defensive schemes, drafted a playmaker in secondary when he took safety Earl Thomas with the 14th overall pick. Thomas is a ball-hawk and will be waiting for any errant pass over the middle that floats too long. The Seattle secondary is full of names you'll know like corner Marcus Trufant and veteran safety Lawyer Milloy, but they're long in the tooth and won't be able to keep up with the Bears' speed on the outside with Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. Cutler should carve them up if he's patient.

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Well, I've seen uglier wins. Not many, but they have occurred. On Sunday, Lovie Smith's Chicago Bears played the field position game and ran the ball effectively enough to get the 23-6 win over the Carolina Panthers and climb to 4-1 on the year.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Recap: Cutler-less ..."

The Chicago Bears can start down that forgetful road by beating the win-less Panthers on the road on Sunday, but they'll be without their franchise quarterback. Here's my breakdown of the Bears' week five match-up.

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True to form, the Chicago Bears came out after a great win with an equally horrific loss to the New York Giants Sunday night. Concerns abound for Lovie Smith's team, who never got in sync on offense and lost Jay Cutler to a concussion at the end of the first half. There are plenty of areas to pick on, but here's what I noticed from Sunday night's debacle.

Continue reading "Bears lose Cutler in 17-3 loss to Giants"

Fresh off the insanity of beating Green Bay Monday night at Soldier Field, the Chicago Bears head to New York on Sunday night to take on Eli Manning and the struggling Giants. Can the Bears make it to 4-0 or will the Giants rebound at home? Get your Gameday Preview on here!

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Bears fans know these are all bad signs. Ignoring them all, the Chicago Bears held serve at home and defeated the Green Bay Packers in an ugly contest 20-17 to stay undefeated and stand atop the NFC as the last unbeaten team.

Continue reading "Bears stun sloppy Packers on Monday night"

ier Field and the time is finally upon us! Here's my breakdown of tonight's meeting between the 2-0 Chicago Bears and the 2-0 Green Bay Packers.

(2-0) Green Bay Packers at
(2-0) Chicago Bears

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It certainly didn't start pretty, but the Chicago Bears offense showed up and came out of Dallas with a much deserved win. Jay Cutler looked phenomenal in a 27-20 win over the Cowboys on Sunday, leading the the Bears to a 2-0 record. If you missed this great game, here's what you didn't see.

Continue reading "Cutler out-duels Romo as Bears win in Dallas"

Not wanting to waste your time, let's get right into some analysis!

(1-0) Chicago Bears at
(0-1) Dallas Cowboys

Ignoring the four ridiculous turnovers, the Bear offense looked fluid and functional against the Lions last week, an odd change-up from recent years. Jay Cutler was on target with his throws and made great decisions with the football. However, that was against the Lion defense. If the they could muster four sacks on Cutler, how much is the line going to struggle to block exceptional tackle Jay Ratliff, end Marcus Spears or linebackers Anthony Spencer, Bradie James or All-Pro DeMarcus Ware? I'm not thrilled at their prospects. Chris Williams will have his hands full. Look for plenty of Mike Martz screen passes to the running back to off-set and take advantage of the 'Boys' rush, but eventually he'll have to take his shots downfield. Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins have speed and toughness at the corner position, but they will be out-of-place on occasion. Devin Aromashodu should be able to take advantage of his size as Knox may struggle to get open if Newman's on his back.  As much as he avoids it, Martz can't ignore the running game today, or Jay Cutler will get smacked around even more than he already will. Hand-offs and screen passes will be Jay's Best friend. Getting Greg Olsen in mismatches against safeties or 'backers will be another outlet for Jay if he's in trouble.

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Well that was fugly. Fans may say a win is a win, but I'm awfully concerned with the results of Sunday's 19-15 win over the Detroit Lions. For a team that completed dominated their opponents statistically, the Bears just barely found a way to win in the final two minutes. Oh yeah, and they almost gave that slim lead up to an offense that hadn't scored or even netted a first down since the second quarter.

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It's finally upon us. The Chicago Bears are opening up their season on the lake front and are welcoming in the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Despite winning only two games last year (and none the year before) the Lions are slowly progressing towards respectability. A win in Chicago on Sunday would go a long way. Can the Bears fend them off in the windy city or will their preseason woes continue in the regular season?

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In this second part of my Chicago Bears season preview, I turn the spotlight on the defense and how they'll look this season. I'll also look at the schedule and give you my prediction as to the Bears' win/loss record for the 2010 season.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 Chicago Bears Preview: ..."

 

Finishing off my previews for the 2010 NFL regular season, my Chicago Bears take center stage for an in-depth look at the team's make-up and prospects. This first installment will feature the Bear offensive and the special teams unit. 

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Enjoy Stafford slinging it all over this year and still losing.

 
What troopers.

Chicago Bears

Since the main focus of my football writing is my beloved hometown Bears, you'll have to wait for the in-depth preview over the weekend for my record prediction and analysis. (Though if you want to take the records of the other 31 teams and do the math, be my guest.)

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: NFC North"

The preseason is finally over! With the final game in the books (a 13-10 loss to the Browns, if you even care), the Bears have decisions to make before Saturday's 5:00 PM deadline to cut the roster to 53 players. Here's what I saw during this fairly lackluster contest.

Continue reading "Collins impresses in Bears' final preseason game"

 

Since I'm in a crunch for writing time tonight, this will be a speedy preview of the Bears' fourth and final preseason outing! If you actually like watching scrubs fight for jobs (purest form of competition if you ask me), be sure to tune in tonight and cheer for players you'll never see again! Here's what else to watch for tonight before the roster cuts on Saturday:

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Well, if this third preseason game was any indication of how the regular season will look, Bears fans are in for a bumpy ride. The Bears' offensive woes continued against the Cardinals as the first-team unit failed to score any points. Here are my notes from Saturday night's 14-9 loss to the Cardinals.

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