jason

Now that is difficult to argue with. There was definitely a difference between this year's week 1, and the entire last year. Still, 5 sacks is too many. If this OL even improves to average by the end of the year, and can keep Jay clean the majority of the game, the offense will continue to torch opponents and the Bears will be VERY difficult to defeat.

That is kind of my point, lemon. And I get the thinking. I just don't agree with it. Omiyale may have started, but he was atrocious and probably should never start again. Spencer was not really even wanted by his former team. Louis is not a stud by any means. He may not even be average. And Webb showed last year - and yesterday - that he is below average at best. I hope they improve, but 5 sacks per game is way more than the team averaged last year, and that pounding cost the Bears, and Jay Cutler, dearly.

The question mark at the end of this thread title is appropriate, because Colon tore it during Week 1 for the Steelers, and there is no way of knowing if the same injury would have happened were he in a Chicago Bears uniform. There are a billion things that would have had to be similar (play, opponent, angles, speed, hydration, etc.) and we just can't say that he would have had the same problem here. It's not like he had a history of tricep problems or something.

Yeah, but you have to take that with a grain of salt because Tony Siragusa is nuclear-level retarded and is wrong just as often as he's right. There's a reason he doesn't get to sit in the booth with the big boys, and only part of that reason is his body odor. And let's not forget Webb got more help on his side than did Carimi...who is also a rookie. It is no surprise that Webb sucks. The Bears should have found his replacement in the offseason.

Couldn't agree more. I'm very pleased with the play of all but one player from yesterday. Other than Webb, there is no reason to hand out passing grades to every other player on the team. And the DL should get a reward of some kind.

THAT'S A BINGO!

I'm pretty much in agreement, I just wish the Bears' FO would have given Tice one more tools to work with. Marinelli got multiple tools added to the toolbox, even had enough to let a potentially decent tool go. Right now, however, it looks like the DL will be destroying QBs all year. IF that pattern continues, and the front four get consistent pressure, the cover-2 defense will work wonders this year.

Let's hope. As far as I'm concerned, he is the only player on the entire team who didn't have a good to great game. He was pressured often, got beat multiple times, and had penalties.

HAHAHA! Love it. I keep asking why the Bears don't get respect. I wonder if they'll get it now? They DOMINATED the Falcons. Even with the flaws the Bears had, they showed they are better in every facet of the game than the Falcons. What is even better is all the "which team will regress this year" predictions. Nearly every single person includes the Bears in their list. What now? They just curb-stomped the team that many picked to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Game MVP: D-Line. Melton, Izzy, Reed, Big Toe, Peppers, Okoye...OMFG. They are going to cause havoc all year and castrate opposing offensive game plans.

LOL. Just wait until Marion Barber gets playing time.

I'm certainly not a fan of that wildcat or that gadget play they ran, but I don't like the "we are up big, drain the clock" philosophy when previous to that they were destroying the Falcons D with regular play-calling. Why let off the gas? There is no need. You pour it on by doing the same thing that got you the lead. Step on their necks. I've noticed a DRASTIC change in performance and aggressiveness since the Bears got the big lead and someone, somewhere (I'm guessing Lovie) decided it was time to hold on to the lead. The play calling looks different, the play is different, and the execution is underwhelming. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yes...you're right, 300+ yards passing, nearly 100 rushing, and Martz is the one being clowned. This is not pee-wee football; he can't just go 100% run. The Falcons are more than capable of scoring more than two touchdowns in 10 minutes. It's a little too early to let the foot completely off the gas, and the Falcons' DL just happened to make a good play on a fluke blocked pass.

That was a very unfortunate break on that play. Just the way the ball bounces. Earlier Peppers batted a ball and it went straight to the WR. Bad luck is all. There is still a ton of time on the clock. Over 10 minutes. This is not a time to completely shut down the pass, but the passes should certainly come from run first formations. Play action pass works wonders in this situation. As we can see from this current drive, the Falcons D is loading up on the run.

And a SUPERB spin move. The play after he got props from the announcers he displayed it, and my god it is fast.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! PEPPERS AND URLACHER! What an awesome display of what happens when you have talent on the team. BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS!!!

Oh, you KNOW I'm not a big fan of the OL, but at this point their flaws are not significant enough to stop them from bending the Falcons D over the table like Ving Rhames in Pulp Fiction.

Like I said earlier, SOMETHING feels different about this offense right now. They have the Falcons on roller skates. The quick hitter WR screens are working because the prior quick fake. The RB screen works. The blocking is excellent. The PLAY ACTION TO SPAETH is awesome. Something is different, and I like it.

Busted tackles or just a gaping hole?

WTF just happened!? I walked away for like 5 minutes and the Falcons are 1st and Goal.

There is so much good to that first half. I'm ecstatic. -Cutler is throwing lasers -The OL is doing a pretty good job of creating pockets -The offensive play calling has been imaginative and has exploited the defense -Kellen Davis looks like a suitable replacement for Olsen -Urlacher looks great -The D is swarming -Tillman still has his ball-stripping magical skills -Hester looks a step away from busting a long one on every return -Gould's leg looks strong -Even a punt got downed deep GREAT FIRST HALF!

It's halftime. Rewind your DVR and go watch the play again. I did. It's the first play of the second quarter. You may be done talking about that play, but you shouldn't be. You're dead wrong. It's a 7-step drop, and as soon as Cutler plants his back leg he's within arm's reach of being sacked. If Cutler had stayed on his plant leg, he would have been sacked. Hence, Webb got blown by and it screwed up the play. After that Cutler was forced up - into nice protection from the other four, I might add - and when he didn't see anyone open he should have thrown it away. But make no mistake, Webb screwed that play up - a play designed for a 7-step drop - first and forced improvisation.

Look, I'm not trying to be sour with you, despite how you're replying. I honestly don't think we see things the same way. Is the sack Jay's fault? Yes, he could have thrown it away once he stepped up and nothing else was there. But the fact that the OT got burned changes the entire dynamic of the play. Everything at that point is a step off, a second late. There is a reason why they have 3, 5, and 7 step drops, and you've never heard of a 5-minus-1 step drop. The design is for the QB to plant his back foot on that final step and fire the pass in. If he plants and there is someone about to drill him, that sorta, ya know, changes things. To reiterate: Sack is on Jay, but the busted play is on the OT.

Great, stable pocket for Jay on that laser to Knox. There is definitely something different this year already. Jay is freaking carving the Atlanta secondary apart with a variety of passes and the WRs are finding holes.

Wow. Can Forte get a damn hole? He's had zero chance to run this first half. Glad he got his legs stretched on that screen pass though.