jason

I'm positive I've seen a few guys in a few semi-pro games that are better, more aggressive, and more fundamentally sound than Frank Omiyale.

I agree, which worries me. Because then the Bears will skate by, the management will probably think all is great, all the coaches will probably get extensions, and we'll have a virtual repeat of everything from this year. The following could easily happen: Minnesota W (3) TB W (4) Philly L Detroit W (5) SD L Oak L KC W (6) Den W (7) Sea W (8) GB L Min W (9) That does nothing but give the Bears an early exit in the playoffs and a middle-late draft pick.

If that's the truth, then it shocks me.

1. The OL sucks. This is not up for debate. 2. JA should at least be on the hot seat for not addressing the problem. 2a. Tice should be on the hot seat for not producing more. 2b. Martz should be on the hot seat for not calling plays that mask the inadequacies of Tice and JA, but he shouldn't be blamed as much. 3. The cover-2 defense, or whatever variation the Bears run, is flawed and has been for quite some time. 4. The Bears still don't have a FS. They have a bunch of SS wannabes. 5. Marinelli is not a DL genius. If anything, the Bears have regressed under his tutelage. 6. Lovie and his staff are player's coaches, meaning the players love playing under them. Most likely it's because they are moderately demanding, and choose to be friends first and coaches second. 7. Omiyale should be cut. ASAP. 8. Webb should be told he's close to being cut. 9. Hester should be exclusively used on kickoffs and punts. Enough with the WR stuff. Concentrate on your specialty, and remember to run forward, not laterally. 10. The Bears + MNF = Bad Games. This seems to have been the truth for quite some time.

Yeah. I highly doubt Lovie goes over to Tice and tells him when to put players in and out. If so, he'd have to do that the entire game with multiple positions. If that's the case, then why would you have assistants? Sorry Brian, but Tice has the handle on who is in and out on the OL.

The guy's nickname is False Start Frank for goodness sakes. That sounds like something either the coach addresses, or he benches the player for not addressing. The fact that Omiyale continues to get put out there, and false starting, is a direct reflection on Tice's coaching, or lack thereof.

You're dead on. What we should hear: "Ya know, the cover-2 has holes that everyone knows about, and when we play it we just hope the opponents don't exploit those holes. Didn't work today when Calvin Johnson got a huge touchdown, and it didn't work on the short one of the middle to their Tight End. As for the offense, well, we don't have an OLine. It's hard to run when the hole you plan for is blocked and you have to bounce everything outside. And it's even harder to pass when your quarterback plants his back foot and is contacted almost directly thereafter. Thank God for Toub, because without him we'd have nearly no success tonight. Also, I have to give Jay serious credit for keeping his cool; I'm sure he personally hates every guy on the offensive line. I'm personally thrilled Jay isn't injured; Lord knows the line has tried their damnedest to put him on IR. I'm just glad Martz didn't get pass happy tonight, because Jay would probably need a colostomy bag by now." Something like that would be nice.

Indeed. And just think, there are a few on this board who were actually trying to talk themselves into the concept that Omiyale and/or Webb don't suck just this past week.

Again. Cutler getes some time, gets to plant his foot, connecting to Johnny Knox.

Gruden: "The Lions are eating Frank Omiyale alive right now. They gotta get help for Frank Omiyale right now. He's not able to get out of his stance and block...any of these Lions right now."

There have been a few times this game when Cutler has had time...in those plays the results have been pretty good. -- Like the play just now when Cutler had time...11 yards to Roy Williams.

Care to retract the initial statement after the worst OL performance I've ever seen?

I'd still rather see another stud OL drafted early to actually, ya know, consistently give the QB time to throw the ball. Notice that the few times Cutler has had time tonight, he has been able to make a few good throws. It would also be cool if they could run block consistently, instead of forcing Forte to bounce everything to the outside when the runs are called inside. BTW - 7 False Starts this game (two on Davis, not three like Jaws said)

I like the results thus far, but I just wish that same style of play and play-calling could give the Bears a big enough lead to feel comfortable. I know I don't feel comfortable yet, and the Lions could be ahead with a single play.

I suspect sarcasm, but the problem is, everything I said is FACT. The defense they play often asks the DB to pass off the WR to the Safety and play in a little zone. The flaw is, there is a spot between the DB and the safety. This is such a known fact that you could easily google the flaws in the cover-2. That is, when the Bears play the cover-2. For that TD, they were in at least a variation of the cover-2; this was apparent when P-Nut(?) let Calvin Johnson go. The other flaw is, the safety is not a DB, and can't adjust to a stud WR making a move. All of this happened on the Johnson TD. Thank goodness the OL gave Cutler some time on the one play that mattered thus far in the first half. Great patience by Cutler, good blocking, and a catch by Davis.

Love the defensive scheme that always leaves the designed holes in the exact same places on just about every play. This is something that even Lovie has admitted. Built in flaws allowed Megatron to drop behind a DB who PURPOSEFULLY let him go, at which point he was one on one with a short safety. Brilliant.

Please, someone, PLEASE, stand up for this OL? A few people tried to say something this week about how they're actually a good run blocking line, or some such nonsense, but this is indefensible. They can't run block very well. And they certainly are the worst pass blocking OL I've ever seen. Cutler doesn't even have time to plant his back foot on a single pass play.

Good post, but let's not overlook the fact that Roach is as good a LB as probably any of the OLinemen are at their position, and 1 Urlacher = 14 Omiyale, or 1 Briggs = 9 Webb (more or less). Not to mention the fact that it's a lot easier to take an athletic guy and turn him into a good LB, than to take a big guy and make him into a good OL.

Look like Tarzan, play like Jane. I sure hope you mean they "look" like a pretty strong offensive line from a run blocking perspective, because other than the last game, their performance doesn't support that statement.

It would be cool if they have a hometown legend for each game do the intro. It would just suck when they get to teams like Jacksonville, who, don't really have that go to guy.

That's very good advice. Looking back towards the inside shoulder and putting your hand in the middle (i.e. playing the pocket) is a good start. The only problem I forsee with that strategy is that "playing the pocket" could get DBs in possible pass interference situations if he happens to pull an arm down/sideways. Otherwise, I like it.

You're right, I just wish it wasn't such a chicken-and-egg dilemma. Should the Bears have brought in a different OC since the OL is the worst in the NFL? or Should the OL have been upgraded, so the OC could actually implement an offense? As it stands, I think they ignored #1 and virtually ignored #2, thereby leaving the Bears in a difficult situation.

And my goodness, how long have we been complaining about that? I've been saying it for as long as Lovie and his defense has been here. The slant and quick 5-yard passes are there ALL DAY LONG. Which is why the opposing QBs always seem to have big numbers against the Bears and great completion percentages. Which, of course, leads to the media fellating the opposing QBs without actually pointing to the flaws inherent in the Bears' defensive system (i.e. gives up yards, tightens up in the red zone).

I agree with the bolded part in theory. But I suspect our suspect safeties would get burned mightily by semi-competent WRs on the other side. Not to mention the fact that the Bears' run defense couldn't possibly survive with the added liability of always being one man short in run support. The idea is great in theory, but I'm sure that it would eventually lead to A] fouls, or B] the D getting toasted

You misunderstand me. The jam is not against the rules. But there is verbiage in the rule book that prohibits the DB from jamming for not just being beyond the chuck rule, but for the situation in which a WR is no longer conceivably a blocker. When that transition happens, the DBs just can't keep riding the guy. If they do, they get an illegal use of hands call. This is not exactly the rule book's wording, but a dumbed down version of rules for fans that the NFL puts together: http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/useofhands "Exception: An eligible receiver is considered to be an obstructing opponent ONLY to a point five yards beyond the line of scrimmage unless the player who receives the snap clearly demonstrates no further intention to pass the ball. Within this five-yard zone, a defensive player may chuck an eligible player in front of him. A defensive player is allowed to maintain continuous and unbroken contact within the five-yard zone until a point when the receiver is even with the defender. The defensive player cannot use his hands or arms to push from behind, hang onto, or encircle an eligible receiver in a manner that restricts movement as the play develops. Beyond this five-yard limitation, a defender may use his hands or arms ONLY to defend or protect himself against impending contact caused by a receiver. In such reaction, the defender may not contact a receiver who attempts to take a path to evade him. " Trust me, this 2-on-1 would start to get called really quickly if the WR got to a point where he couldn't release at all off the line. The minute there was even the slightest hint of a WR being even with the DB, and contact continued, flags would fly. The NFL is an offense-driven league, and they will protect that philosophy.