balta1701-A

However...unless the Bears are RIDICULOUSLY high on Hanie...they need to spend a pick in the top 3 rounds on a QB once Rex walks. Either that or sign someone as a backup.

I still want the Bears to draft a QB next offseason in the top 3 rounds, for a backup/depth if nothing else.

Here's the question with that statement...if Norwood takes it at the goal line and returns it 50 yards, how much time does it take off of the clock compared to the shorter return from the squib kick? If he doesn't get it within field goal range on the return itself, then with a longer return, I don't think they'd have had a chance to get the pass play and a field goal off, even with the clock guy.

If the doctors say he's ready to go...then why not start working him in?

With the work Angelo has done over the past 2 years, the Bears should I think be in a position where they have a fair amount of cap room to use next offseason, and no major guys who are obvious franchise tag candidates. The problem though remains the QB position. Despite some non-terrible games, thus far Kyle Orton hasn't shown me what I want to see from him to declare him the Bears #1 QB for the next 5 years. That means that if Orton doesn't show continual improvement over the course of this season, either it's time for the Bears to use some cap room to try to fill their QB spot (potentially through a trade) or it's time to draft another, especially after Grossman departs and they're left with Hanie as their lone backup. Depending on where they're drafting, how they feel about Hanie...etc...it makes no sense to blow a lot of cap space on a high priced WR when your QB can't get the ball to them. With Decent QB play an expensive WR can make a difference. But you can't expect to fix your QB spot by hiring high priced WR's.

The Bears just had to cut a DE they spent a high draft pick on only 2 drafts ago to get under the roster numbers.

On this I agree. Without knowing where the Bears's draft picks will be, without knowing how the Browns finish this season and how much they'll value each qb at year's end, there's just no way to do this right other than to severely overpay. If Orton can't cut it this year and you're unsatisfied with the QB selection available via FA and your first draft picks...then you talk.

Wait, what?

So...to keep us from getting in trouble, it's usually good internet etiquette to include a link to any story you're posting a large amount of text from. Usually it's not the greatest idea ever to excerpt a gigantic long article either, although if you include the link and don't do it too often it's not that big a deal unless it's from the AP.

And when Vasher is on the list of things that went wrong...that's a pretty good place to be.

On the other hand...the left side of that line was also going up against perhaps the best pass rusher currently in the game. And while Orton was hit more times than we'd like, they did their job with the running game, and that opened up the passing game later.

Frankly, if anyone on that team has earned the right to try some trickery, it's Hester.

But here's the other side of the token...Forte may have broken 50 against a dime package, but there were plenty of times he got good yardage when the D was expecting the run. Ditto Jones. And on that, I only expect both of them to get better as Jones gets healthy, Forte adapts, and the line learns to play a bit better. They might struggle a bit more against a true run-stuffing team like Minny (although Indy hasn't been that bad at run D the last couple years, especially when Sanders is healthy)....but one of those old NFL guidelines still holds true...if you can run the ball and gain good yards even when the defense knows you want to run the ball, then you're going to be a hard team to beat. Because when they start putting 8 and 9 men in the box to slow down the run, they can't get a real good pass rush (play-fakes) and it opens up your guys down the field.

Orton has been hit on almost every one of his incompletions

Pats bringing in Chris Simms for a workout tomorrow.

Blast.

The right call is Bears Ball. let's see the review.

Colts offense dismantled itself there from the end of that addai run. 2 TO's, 2 penalties, andn now a non-trivial FG.

Why do you hate capitalism, you communist?

Well, at least they burned 2 TO's on this drive

Do you have the refs for this game also? Because they just grabbed you some more yards too.

Briggs back in.

Briggs limps a bit off the field.

It's against the Colts in their new ballpark on opening night. The Bears could be a 13-3 type team this year and still pencil this in as a loss. The Bears really need to focus tonight and play smart. And play with some pride. If they don't beat themselves then they've got a shot.

Frankly though, the Pats have been as lucky as anyone in the league the last few years at the QB slot. How many teams can go 7+ years without a major injury to their QB? GB, Indy, and NE, and Favre took a few more shots in fewer games than Brady played. The question now is...how much is the system? Can Matt Cassel pull a Tom Brady? Oh, and FWIW, there's still something special about Olbermann and Patrick doing sports highlights. Olbermann pointing out that shortly after Cassel came in, his brother came in early to relieve Wandy Rodriguez pitching for Houston.