Alaskan Grizzly

Pretty good write up and agree with most of it. One exception would probably be Porter. He's really started to fall off these last number of weeks and literally is holding on to keep up. Too many penalties as a result. Been a great player in the past but time for him to move on. Any chance we'll see this Banks kid play soon? Isn't it weird how Detroit is doing better without Megatron? I keep hearing that and it seems bizarre that it's true.

When you consider doing this think of Brock Osweiller. Nope.

Next to seeing Rodgers go down in a heap a few times when he was sacked; this had to be the highlight of the game for me.

Agreed entirely.

I'd like to add that the team has a great future with these youngsters out there. LeBlanc and Kwitkowski are looking pretty good. Fangio really needs a lot of credit for what he's done. #7 defense is nothing to snort at. Except for a 50 yard pass near the end of the game. Ugh!

Yeah Barkley ripped into Braverman after that last INT so there was mis-communication indeed. Thing of it is, similar to the notes of Pix and Chile; Cutlers been doing crap like this for years - year after year. Barkley has a smaller sample size. And he's starting to make amends to his errors as I type. (Notice how looking back into the sun the turnovers seem to be aplenty and since going back the other way, Barkley and Co. Are back on course.) I'm still a strong believer in Barkley.

Ack!!! Did Jay Cutler sneak in and put on Barkleys uniform? What in the hell? BRING BACK the real BARKLEY!!

Welcome to the club! Lol. He's a sharp young man. Future looks good with him.

Absolutely this. I'd probably denounce my Bears fandom if they were to hire a lout like McDaniels. I feel that Fox and Co. are owed at least one more season. Fox (and to some degree Pace) were stuck with Cutler thanks to the nimrod known as Emery. It's well documented that Pace had tried to unsuccessfully pass along Cutler to those that picked early QBs these last few years (Titans and Eagles). They should be given the opportunity to try and make it a go Cutler-free and see what comes of it.

Couldn't agree more. We already have a former NE QB on our team in Hoyer and back up QBs from NE don't usually translate to starter material for other teams. Prescott would have done fine here. He didn't have a spectacular line in Mississipi (32 sacks allowed last year). Dak didn't play under center as much and has said MSU ran a very NFL like offense. He has a similar skill set as does Russell Wilson (who was picked third round by the way). As I pointed out before once things settled down and the coaches finally were able to move on from Cutler, Dak would have been pressed into service and performed well. Just like how Howard is doing in the running game.

Another one to remember is CJ Mosely. Picked #17 by Baltimore. Three picks after our pick which was Kyle Fuller. -Ugh- Some other personal faves from Alabama; Derrick Henry, Landon Collins, Eddie Lacy (yes that one), Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. Of course one favorite we actually had on the team was Marc Anderson. He is probably the last one that was actually drafted by the Bears. Alabama continues to churn out a decent number of NFL caliber players and the Bears would be wise to at least look at one or two for next year.

I meant only in that playoff game that he nearly won...had he not thrown the Cutler like interception.

The ongoing discussion of Olinemen need aside. When you have a QB in Jay Cutler to compare to (and some here insisted he was Franhchise material) then 'pedestrian' is pretty damn good. Barkleys looked better, Hoyer looked better, McCown looked better. Hell even Hanie looked better. P

Don't get too excited by my concession. I mostly say that because a BPA type player for 'us' will probably be an olineman. There aren't a lot of needs like in the past other than maybe a WR or DB. That said, Barkley and Howard have managed to do well behind THIS line. Howard is only trailing Zeke by ~400 yards and Zeke had a 4(?) game head start. But yes, I suppose one more young olineman would help.

It was a rhetorical hypothetical. But I'm sure you're glad Jay is still around. ?

SHOCKER! ? Although not all that long ago I conceded to the idea of drafting an OLman in the first two rounds. Part of that due to my believing the starting QB for next year is already on the team; Barkley, Hoyer or Shaw. And considering the QB prospects for next year, drafting one later makes more sense than in the first or even second round (ala Dak Prescott). However I would think it make sense to draft a QB this next season AND the following season.

So now that Tannehill is out the rest of the year with a torn ACL , and Cutler was not injured himself, would Miami have considered a deal for Jay?

Doesn't sound like he's a trouble maker in the little bit of reading I did up on him. Got MRSA when he was a rookie and after going through 3 HCs in TB they traded him to Detroit. TB also added Verner and Hargreaves the last few years so he was being edges out by even better players. They say he didn't fit in Mike Smiths style of defense. And it's anyone's guess why he didn't work out in Detroit. Schwartz isn't really known to coach choir boys. From what it sound like he's more Fangios style of CB. Big and aggressive. I'm curious to see how he works out. not all that cool on Fuller anymore and Porters an old man.

I'm going to take a shot and assume this wasn't a rhetorical question. Bellamy sometimes looks like he's letting the ball get into his body too much. And has a tendency to look ahead before he catches, hence the body catches. BM was probably one of the best when it came to actually catching the ball with his hands. AJ does too, when he's playing.

So the first question is a 'what if'. Currently the Bears are 2-1 in the division, 'what if' they were to at least repeat that record (in the division) and end up being 4-2 and out of the playoffs? My guess is that of the remaining three inter-divisional games, we will actually lose to Detroit. They (specifically Stafford) are hot right now. In Detroit..nod Lions. With GB not sure that is a sure loss either. Bears played them tough in GB earlier this year and this game is in Chicago. If Barkley continues to play well and shines in a loss to Detroit, I see this being closer than most would expect. Seem to remember a similar situation this time last year and our team managed a win. With Minnesota; won't AJ and Freeman be eligible to play again by then? Could actually make a difference on both sides of the ball. I think Minnesota is at a place right now that they are pretty vulnerable. Not sure that playing for the division title will matter that much. As far as Washington goes, think that Cousins is playing pretty solid right now and wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we lost that one. Overall record when said and done; 5-11 with a 4-2 divisional.

I think we still need to consider a QB next draft. If Barkley, Shaw or even Hoyer work out as starter material for the next season or two we've gone too long in not drafting one. Let him sit like Rodgers did if we have to but we still need to consider it. I'll concede and say outside of maybe WR were good enough in some skill positions that we should consider a Tackle in *gulp* the 1st or 2nd round. Floyd looks like he needs to really work on his pursuit angles. The slower or pocket QBs are one thing but when you have a Kaepernick back there you have to anticipate a bit better on where's he's going to be. Floyd definitely lost outside contain s few times. Said it once, say it again. With a name like Kwiatkowski, he has to be a Bear LBer.

And I was wrong about Hicks when he came here. He's a keeper too.

Still likin what I'm seeing from Barkley. Why is it over the last few years our backup QBs CONSISTENTLY look better than our starter? Hmmm...

One other thing I didn't see in your compiled stats. On average how many points are the Bears losing by? It doesn't seem like there have been as many blow outs as I recall a few years ago. I know last year there were a couple squeakers that could of put us closer to 'better than .500' if the only the game had swung our way. That right there is a testament of where the team is. Not getting blown out with as young a team (and Cutler as QB) as we have.

I understood the article to read the way you intended it. The Bears, for all the history and pride., haven't been much better that high average. It always forever seemed they just needed that 'one last piece'. Over the years that piece seems to be a true franchise QB. Something we've lacked for quite awhile. Not all that long ago we were stringing together winning seasons (sprinkled with some losing ones) under Lovie. We had what was needed; a decent running game, a consistently dominant (or top tier) defense and an 'ok' OLine. Heck Jay even did good in a few of the years when Lovie coached. Then the bottom fell out. There really hasn't been much pride associated with the Bears in the last few years due to the consistent and unfortunate turns of bad luck and bad timing. Now that the Cubs have won a world championship, the Bears are the longest non-championship professional sport team in town. Sad to say. (You think Theo Epstein could be contracted out to advise Pace on some off season strategy?). Like AZ pointed out, I think we are on the precipice of doing something great again. Maybe not win the SB, but start competing again. Surely we can't have the same luck we've had this year with injuries and suspensions. Jay will more than likely be gone next year (FINALLY!!) and we'll have one (perhaps two) QBs that will give us a fighting chance to not at least throw away a game or two for us. Fox has got the team pointed in the right direction and is saying and doing the right things. Even if he's not telling US what it is. For the time being; I for one am excited to see how Barkley does tomorrow and the following few games. Hopefully everyone has had a chance to remember how to catch a football.