nfoligno

Players dropping left and right.

Ron Turner in the House! Everyone wondered last week what happened to Ron. Well, he's back.

No arguments here. The one positive I can think is, whether Lovie stays or go, I think most believe Turner is gone. W/ Turner, I suspect much of the offensive assistants will be gone as well, and I think Harry will be at the top of that list. So w/ new staff on offense, we may have some who can (a) evaluate the talent already in place, ( better decide who should start and where and © better develop that talent. At the same time, my fear is still w/ Angelo. If we have new coaches, we may have some who can get more out of what we have. But even then, I feel (as you mentioned) that we still have big needs on the OL, and after a strong game against Minny, I worry that Angelo will believe already made changes and developments will not make OL as great of a need in the offseason as we have expected all along.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...,5974410.column Article talks about how effective Cutler has been throughout his career outside the pocket. Talks about how little we have used Cutler on rollouts, bootlegs and such. Turner says it was part of the original plan, but they just got away from the plan. Anyway, as so many here have screamed to use Cutler in such a way, this article is right up that alley.

I think we can all agree our OL has sucked this year and has been a key problem for our offense. Many have screamed to build the OL for years, and w/ the OL so bad this year and everyone talking about it, it seemed like our wishes would finally be granted in this offseason. Now I have to wonder. In the last game against Minny, we saw a huge difference from the first game. Williams replaced Pace at LT, and did a pretty damn good job. I know he got a lot of help, but he also blocked Allen one-on-one plenty of times, and more than held his own. Omiyale was unbelievably awful early in the season prior to being benched. But in the last couple games, has he really be nearly as awful. I am not asking if he has been good, but has he looked nearly so bad. Might the staff not start to ask how much of his poor play was due to Pace? Further, in the Minny game, he actually played pretty well. Didn't he matchup w/ Kevin Williams? I realize Pat was out, but it seemed like our interior played quite well, and Omiyale is part of that. Kreutz had a pretty solid game as well. Garza played well inside against Minny, and while I would say it is a relative phrase, many would say he has been our best OL this year. Schaffer played at RT, and did pretty well. Not great, but pretty well, especially for a guy who rode the pine all year. We now get Detroit, who just sucks. What if our OL turns out another solid game? I wonder if the staff starts to think that (a) Pace was the biggest detriment to the OL, and replacing him w/ Williams was not just a key change this year, did not just help our situation at LT, but has a ripple effect on the OL. ( Omiyale started HORRIBLE, but was new to the position, and showed some development later in the year. © Kreutz is still the leader of the OL, and we already have his eventual replacement in Beekman. (d) Garza has been one of the more solid OL through these dreadful times. (e) Williams struggled on the strong side, but Schaffer is more suited to the task. Further, I have read the staff is really high on Lance Louis and James Martin, either of which provide depth. So this is my concern. The OL has been just plain bad all year, but between Williams replacing Pace, Schaffer replacing Williams, and Omiyale seeming to develop "some", I fear the OL will not be as great of a priority in the offseason as we all hope. Especially when you consider our few draft picks and a very questionable FA period this year, as well as having so many large holes. OL has never been Angelo's top priority. I fear that our OL ending the year showing "some" development could give him the excuse to not make the OL a priority once again.

What I think happened is, Jaws was also putting in his opinion of sipmly when Cutler should not have thrown the ball in that direction. What I mean is, if a WR is "relatively" covered, Cutler throws to him, WRs slips and CB picks it off, I think most here would say that pick is not on Cutler, but Jaws may look at a play like that and say Cutler should have never thrown it in that direction in the first place. I am not saying Jaws would be right. I also think, if this is the case, Jaws is putting a great deal of his own opinion and conjecture in there when he made it sound more like fact when he mentioned the 21 or 22 of 26 being all Cutler. That's the best reasoning I can come up with. There were some plays I can recall where the result was a pick, though do to something like the ball bounced off the WRs hands into the CBs, but also recall on some of those same plays announcers saying it was a bad decision in the first place because the WR was covered or this or that. Again, not saying this would justify Jaws statement, but if this is the case, it may better explain how he came up w/ such a stat. Honestly though, at the end of the day, is there really a point in this? Every QB in the NFL has ints that should really not have gone against him. Every one. Then again, every QB in the NFL has plenty of passes that could have/should have been picked off, and yet those do not hit the stat sheet. The only reason we are having to take the time to go through each and ever pick is because there are simply so damn many. Look, not every pick Grossman had was 100% on him. He too had plenty of issues at WR, OL, RB and playcalling. But even when looking at body of work as a whole, what I felt was a major lack in decision making. We can go through each and every pick, but at the end of the day, Cutler has shown some awful decision making so far. Even in a game like the last, when most everything seemed to be clicking, he had that one pick that was just flat out ugly. I mean, when we look at it, you just scratch your head and ask what was he thinking. Cutler is FAR from our main problem, but when we are looking at new staff to run this team, we also I think have to factor a coach who can help Cutler. Not just with elevating his ceiling, but his floor needs to be elevated too.

I have actually read that, in the scheme of looking for a new coach (whether HC or OC) Chicago would be considered a pretty good destination. The reasoning is Cutler. While there are many teams out there who need/needed a new staff, many have dreadful QB situations. You look at Oak or Cle. Wash or TB. It isn't nearly as often that a coach enters a team w/ a young, pro bowl caliber talent at QB, and when you have such a situation, you find candidates very happy to come on board. Yea, I think a game like last night, on National TV too, was great because now a candidate may think there is more than just the QB. DA really stepped up, and Bennett looked good too. Williams looked solid at LT, and handled Allen even when left on an island. Regarding Hester, I think it is all about value. I honestly don't think there is a fan on this board who would not trade Hester for the right price. I personally just don't believe his value on the market will be all that high. Couple things I think go against Hester. (a) As great as he was, we have seen some greatness since from several other returners. Not on his level maybe, but great none-the-less. DM has been incredible in the returner role. Knox and Bennett have eached shown some great stuff too. As great as Hester is, I think some may question how much was purly Hester, and how much was Toub and his system. ( I could be wrong, but isn't Josh Cribbs a FA after this season. Also, Daniel Manning is a FA. Trade market diminishes when other good to great talents are available. © If the FA period is a bomb due to the CBA, then the value of draft picks will go up, and I think teams will be less willing to give up high picks for a player (especially a special teams player) when they can't do a lot in FA. (d) As great of a returner as Hester was, I think part of his value then was also in his "potential" as a WR. Well, that potential has been seen, and it has not been shown to be as great as some thought. Thus his value is not as high. In the end, I don't think it is so much a willingness to trade Hester that would prevent us, but more a matter of value. I still think Hester has tremendous value as a slot receiver or a #3. I just don't think he is best suited as a #1, or even an everydown starter for that matter. Also, if we did remove him from the starting job, we can ourselves move him back to his return role, and will have Toub to work with him. At the end of the day, I think he has solid value for us. Comparatively, I am not sure we can get more than a 4th, maybe a 3rd at best, for him. At that point, I think his value to us is greater on the team than in a trade.

Its Hunter. I think he is jumping, and thus why he seems significantly taller than Cutler.

Do you have a link?

Don't misunderstand. I agree our players played with heart and pride which, at times, were in question. But if you were to ask me what the real difference between this game against Minny and the last time we faced them, then it was Harris. It has always been said that so much of our D starts w/ the under-tackle, which is Harris. It has always been said that Harris (or at least the Harris of old) is such a disruptive force that it affects all areas. Well, that is what I saw last night. Our DEs were often taking their same, outside pass rush angles. The difference was, not only could the QB not step up in the pocket due to Harris, but Harris was actually penetrating and pushing the QB backward, into the path of the DEs. Even when Harris didn't penetrate, he got push, and thus the pocket would collapse, or at least tighten. When the DL is playing as well as it was, that makes life easier for the LBs too. When an offense has to devote extra blockers to handle the DL, that frees up the LBs. Its a ripple effect that goes all the way through. Farve still threw for 300+ yards, and Minny still score multiple TDs, so it isn't like our D was suddenly dominating. But on the drives where we made stops or stands, I do think it was Harris above the rest. Even when Brown or Anderson made plays, watch again, and you will see Harris getting double teamed inside, which freed up our DEs on the outside. We simply have not had a game like last night from Harris since, well, probably the SB year to be honest.

A concern though is that I simply have not seen the improved chemistry w/ Cutler and either Hester or Olsen. It would be one thing if they started out on the wrong page, but have we ever really seen them get on the same page throughout the season. I don't mean a play here or there, but on a broader scale. For Hester, it may not be a big deal. I do not expect us to enter next season w/ him as our starter, but for Olsen? He is supposed to be not only the TE of now and the future, but one of our top playmakers. If he and Cutler can't get on the same page, and its been 15 games now, there is a bit of trouble there.

I meant to mention the uniform assist as well. It was like Brett had his own personal valet out there. I don't mean to make a big deal out of it, but (a) I don't think this is in the norm, ( I never saw that ref help Cutler up and © even it not the case, refs should never even allow the perception of favoritism. You would almost think it was Peter King himself out there helping his boy Brett out.

Okay, I won the consolation, which means 5th place "boobie" prize. Is that like being Mr. Irrelevant? Do I get a trip to Disney. Seriously, congrats to Bradjock for the 1st place win. Personally, i think you should feel dirty winning behind the arm of a Green Bay Packer QB, not to mention his favorite WR, but to each his own:) And how funny that you rode Cedric Benson to glory. Nice 3rd place finish Pix. Honestly, not sure who DevilDogs is, but good team and great profile pic I mentioned this on the FF site, but I just have to say, this was a solid league. I love the fact that no one, regardless of record, seemed to simply quit, which really just flat out kills a FF league, and happens all too often. I hope everyone signs up for the league again next year, and further hope I can turn my "boobie" prize into something more legit. For next year, Mendenhall for a 12 round pick or Rothlisberger for a 15th? I think Mendy. Gotta go w/ the RB. Looking back over my draft today, especially in the earlier picks, I just have to say, "What the @#$% was I thinking"?

Three times, after we put Farve on his arce, I watched the ref helping Farve up. I swear, I have never noticed a ref helping a player to his feet. I have seen the opposing players help a player up, which always irritated me, but I have NEVER seen the refs help a player get up, but saw it happen three times last night w/ Farve. Have I just never noticed this before, or was that truly something out of the norm?

Not for me. I remember all to well when kicking a FG, from anywhere on the field, was a 50/50 proposition for the Bears. Those were some bad years. Funny. It was the corkscrew Edinger who actually saved us, but then he too bombed. I love Gould. My only hope is he comes back in the next game and hits a big FG, for his own piece of mind if nothing else.

I have said this in other threads, but IMHO, last night was the most damning night for Turner as we saw so many things we have called for all year, but didn't see until the end. DA was huge, and IMHO, that was not just coincidence of one game. He is the sort of player Cutler likes, and Cutler has more confidence in him, yet the only reason he was in there was due to injuries. Williams did a much better job on Allen, even when left on an island, than Pace. Yet the only reason Williams was at LT was due to Pace's injury. If not for the injury, does anyone believe Turner would have made this switch? Also, we did help Williams often, using Olsen to chip or a RB to stay and help block. The result was Allen having a very, very quiet game after flat out dominating in the first matchup. Some may credit Turner for the change, but I think most would damn him for the original game plan of leaving Pace on an island against Allen. As mentioned, we saw a ton of plays for Cutler we have been screaming for. Play-action. Rollouts and bootlegs. These are all plays which move the pocket, buy Cutler time, and give him space to better see the field. These are plays which made him a pro bowl QB in Denver, yet we simply didn't give him similar freedom in Chicago. I also think this game was a bit damning toward Hester as a starter. I still think Hester have plenty of value as a slot receiver, but there was a huge difference IMHO between Cutler having Aromashadu as a starter and Hester. All in all, last night was just a sad statement of what might have been.

But that pass play was also the option play in the huddle. Cutler gets credit for the read, but you still have to give Turner credit for the playcall.

I agree the idea of Urlacher as over-rated is a joke. In fact, as you allude to, I think he could have been so much greater if under a better defensive coordinator and scheme. Ray Lewis dominates still today w/ big boys in front of him eating up blocks. I would have loved to see Urlacher behind such OLs for his career. W/ that said, and I have said as much in the past, I do believe Urlacher is part of the group which has caused trouble in the locker-room. Unlike the article, I am not saying it is because of ego or whatever, but the extent he and others go against a player they don't like goes beyond the pail, IMHO. Urlacher was the exception, not the rule, coming in as a down to Earth top 10 pick. Most come in as hot heads. Everyone loved TJ and hated Benson, but what the players never saw was TJ entered the league as the same sort of hothead as Benson, making all sorts of declarations and "expecting" to start. I think the same is true of most any high pick. Point is, if you hold that against them from the start and not give them a chance, what sort of teamate, much less leader, are you being?

Its one person's opinion. Last night, the announcers for the game, including Jaws and Gruden, sang praises for Urlacher and called him one of the best in the game, still today.

Marshall and Vincent Jackson are great WRs, but will cost huge bucks. If we want to help Cutler, spend money on the OL. Yea, it's great to think about spending money everywhere, but we all know the reality. At best, we may spend big on two players, then middle or the road or lower on the rest. Besides OL, don't forget we have big needs at DE, DT, CB and FS.

Few things, when added up, I think made a huge difference. - Williams at LT and Shaffer at RT, combined w/ providing more "extra" blocking help on Allen. That isn't to say Cutler never faced pressure, but it was night and day from the first meeting w/ the Vikings. There were times when Cutler was sitting back in the pocket, and was able to go through all his reads (twice). That compared to the first game when Cutler was running from DL basically as soon as he got the ball. - Moving the pocket - We finally saw some rollouts and bootlegs, and what a difference it made. Nice playaction w/ everyonr rolling to the right, but Cutler immediately began rolling to the left, pulling up, and then hitting (I think) Olsen for a nice gain and 1st down. I believe Jaws commented on how it was plays like that which made Cutler in Denver. Only question for Bear fans is why we haven't seen it until game 15. - Aromashadu - I don't mean to make out like he is Brandon Marshall, but he made a difference. He made some tough catches. He worked under and on top well. More important though, IMHO, Cutler just seems to have confidence in DA on a level he does not have w/ any other WR. I think he likes Bennett, but Bennett is a more limited receiver, and thus not a playmaker. In DA, I think Cutler has a potential playmaker he truly trusts. Those are some of the keys which I think made the difference on offense. On defense, honestly, I think the difference comes down to two words. Tommie Harris. I really hate to say this, but that is how I see it. Harris came to play, and you saw it from the first down. When Harris is disruptive, it just has a tremendous ripple effect on the whole DL. We were getting pressure from the front four like I have not seen all year, and that was the biggest difference.

To add to that, how many times did we see Cutler on roll outs last night? Along w/ Williams/Shaffer, I also saw us giving Williams help on Allen. Sometimes it would be Olsen just giving an initial chip, while other times we would keep the RB in to help. For the record, I think Williams himself did a pretty damn good job. Point is, a "coaching" aspect change there made a huge difference. Defensively, to be honest, I think it came down to one thing. I hate to say it, but Harris came to play last night, I think think last night showed what a ripple effect he has on a game when he shows up.

The pick that didn't happen last night. There was a play last night that I think really reflects on the season as a whole. Cutler throws to the left under pressure and there really isn't a bear close to the pass. Olsen is the nearest, but a pair of Viqueens are closer. Announcers talked at length about what happened. It was a hot route. There were two weak side blitzes, thus Olsen, lined up on the weak side, was supposed to run a hot route. Olsen run out a few yards, and then just stopped. Cutler obviously expected him to break to the sideline, which the announcers said would have been the hot route. Olsen though had not read the defense the same as Cutler, and thus was not running a hot route. So the result is he was no where near where Cutler threw the ball. The announcers then began to talk about the hot route. Gruden was bashing the idea of hot routes, saying too many bad things can happen. Jaws seems to believe hot routes are fine, but players just need to be on the same page. Regardless, it was obvious that in the 15th game of the season, Olsen and Cutler are still not close to being on the same page. Look. Anyone who tries to claim Cutler does not deserve a share, a nice sized share, of the blame for the turnovers and overall poor offense is burying their head in the sand. Like the pick last night, he too often tries to force throws that simply should not be made. He did so with a lead, and w/o reason to the ball. Rather than pin the Queens deep, we give them the ball at midfield. Cutler has made way to many bad decisions like that, is similar situations all year. With that said, while i think we have talent along the receiver front, I also think we have seen a total lack of chemistry between Cutler and some of our receivers. Maybe chemistry is the wrong word, but our QB and receivers have simply not been on th same page. Whether it is reading a defense and thus the hot route, or young WRs running the wrong route, or something as simple as the ball thrown to a shoulder/side the WR was not expecting. The good is, I think Cutler has shown more chemistry w/ Bennett and now Aramoshadu. I think he has had "some" chemistry w/ Knox, but I think while Knox is an exceptional talent, you can see a lack of experience out there in how he runs routes at times. The problem though, IMHO, is that Cutler seems to most be on the wrong page w/ Hester (our supposed #1 WR) and Olsen (the TE who was expected to be our top weapon this year). There are many reasons for Cutler's 2009 demise, but IMHO, his not being on the same page as w/ his top 2 playmakers has been key.

Az, do you think so little of your own eyes? Do you simply believe what anyone with a microphone tells you? We have a government full of people w/ far more access to intelligence then you or I. Do you simply thus take each and everyone at their word? I get that you have so many times felt it silly than any here could coach or be a GM. I get that. At the same time, I think you take it to extremes. Just because Jaws has access to game film, that means we should take him at his word. Guess what. We have access to game film as well. I suppose you can argue he has access to more angles, but tell me this. How much time is he spending analyizing every pick? Jaws as a lot on his plate. You think he is spending a massive amount of time on just Cutler? Point is, while I get that you don't feel any here could hold their own if thrown into a legit NFL position. What I do not get is the idea that anything any "expert" says is beyond reproach because their intelligence and access to intelligence is so far beyond our own. Further, how do you account for other "experts" who contradict Jaws. You watch the games, just as I do. That means you have heard announcers (often former coaches, players, etc.) flat out say this pick or that pick was not on Jay. They point out a WR running the wrong route, or falling on his arce when the ball is in the air, or the WR stopping their route, or....or....or..... If you have watched every game, which I know you have, then you had to have heard other "experts" declare numerous other picks not Cutler's fault. This doesn't even take into account your own eyes. Sorry, but when I see Cutler throw a ball, the WR fall on his arce, and the ball sail into the hands of a DB, I know the pick was not on Cutler. I don't need an NFL "expert" to tell me that. Yes, Cutler has been a turnover machine. Yes, MANY of the picks were his fault. We can talk about poor WR play, poor OL play, whatever, but those do not excuse some of the really bad decision making we have seen from Cutler. But as Jason said, Jaws saying all but 2 picks were all Cutler is a flat out joke.

On Omiyale, I think it is more a matter of that he had a couple "hits", and when he does do a good job, it shows up big time. There were a couple times he made a block when he simply drove his man, a massive hole was created, and Forte was 8 yards before anyone was close. But I think I can count those on one hand. Other than these very few plays, he either blocking in such a way as to simply help clog up the LOS or flat out getting blown up. Maybe he has not been as bad as early in the year, but I am not sure how much better he has been either. If we changed staff and added a new (good) OL coach, I have a feeling Omiyale would quickly be moved.