jason

So, apparently Sanzenbacher is slow AND stupid? Who the hell didn't know he needed to get out of bounds on the sideline catch with 10 seconds left?

Big surprise...the Bears still run a RB screen like shit. Is that ten years in a row now...or more?

My goodness...now the ST domination is worse. I can't remember the last time Maynard got stuffed like that. Horrible blocking.

In what phase of the game have the Bears looked good? I can't think of a single one. Even the Special Teams, usually owned by the Bears, is being won by the Giants.

freakin atrocious hold not called on that last Jacobs run. How in the world was that missed?!

As predicted... Good start by D. Bad (false) start by O.

I'll admit that despite how much I dislike it, and no matter how much it endangers and potentially shortens the career lifespan of the Bears' #1 talent on offense, the blueprint has been established for teams to win with dominating defenses and less formidable offenses. 2008: Pittsburgh, 20th O, 1st D 2005: Pittsburgh, 9th O, 4th D 2002: Tampa Bay, 18th O, 1st D 2000: Baltimore, 14th O, 1st D But it certainly benefits a team not to have all or most of their eggs in one basket.

Not that I'm against Mays - dude can hit - but I love that the brilliant minds in the FO are pursuing yet another defensive player for positions (e.g. SS, OLB) that a relatively steady while virtually ignoring positions of greater need.

Exactly. Some time during the offseason I posted a few videos showing Forte running up a brutal hill during training. Olsen was alongside and working hard. But it was VERY apparent that Forte was in great shape already, and his appearance in camp displays that. Same for Knox; he added 20 pounds of muscle supposedly. He looks bigger. There is no excuse for these multi-million dollar athletes to be in anything other than football shape when preseason rolls around. There are a wealth of resources available to anyone wishing to get into football shape. It's up to the players to exploit those resources.

I honestly don't see why the extension of college infractions into the NFL is supposedly ridiculous. Many jobs require background checks. Many jobs penalize potential employees for not being as squeaky clean as the next guy. How so? Money. If the college players want to be recognized and paid individually based upon their performance, then they should have no problem realizing that committing what amounts to a "football crime" is bound to tarnish someone's image somewhat. Think of it as a direct reflection of the personal conduct policy of recent years. The NFL doesn't want thugs, criminals, rule-breakers, etc. That's the image they're trying to alter. Penalizing those who apply to get a job in the NFL - make no mistake, playing in the NFL is a privilege; it's not a right - could be a way to help stem the actions at a lower level. If a potential NFL talent realized that his actions affect his future (like the rest of us), then perhaps they wouldn't break rules that are so blatantly obvious.

JA talking to himself on the sideline... "Man, that DL could be potentially epic! I picked up Gholston and Okoye off the scrap heap, and they were probably misused before. I think the...what?...speak up Tice! I can't hear you. Oh, you want some help on the OL? Well, I got you one guy didn't I!? Just do what you can with the other guys. Coach them up, coach! Now quit bothering me, I need to figure out how to bolster my 9-man defensive line rotation by picking up Maybin."

Legitimate LOL. Thanks.

This is the kind of thread I come to TalkBears for. Totally out of left field for me, but totally makes sense. The Bears have a ton of DL depth. Why not consider it?

Trust me, nobody has forgotten what you've said. In fact, you're arguing for a side that nobody is debating. It's not about their lack of experience; it's about their lack of experience and training at the position they're currently playing.

Exactamundo! That's why I want an OL that looks like this: Williams - OG - Spencer - Garza - Carimi Hell, Webb is so huge and the Bears are so fond of moving guys around, I bet he'd fit just right at LG. Probably do better there than at LT.

Ain't that the truth. Aside from being an OL advocate, I've always been irritated by the Bears' aversion to QB development. Look at the Patriots...they have Brady and still spent a third on Mallet. Or even worse (for the Bears), look at what Green Bay has done over the years.

I pretty much agree right now. I don't think it matters all that much whether someone is #2 or #3 in the preseason when it comes to QB. You already know you aren't going to be on the playing field unless someone is injured.

Yes, like last year when the OL was clearly not the reason they made it that far, and was VERY clearly the reason they stopped where they did.

Could be because the media is full to the brim with spineless, shit-stirring, yellow journalists who think their "talent" is to be admired alongside the athletes, and they are the reason we turn into sports highlight shows. If I were a professional athlete, all my interviews would be like a player (can't remember who) did a few years ago. Q1: Blah blah blah. A1: One game at a time. Q2: Blah blah blah A2: One game at a time. And so on.

I believe they've already told him that in regards to the OL.

Judging by what no-steroid Merriman did with the OL, there's a decent chance Osi will have another highlight reel.

HA!! Nice one. And too true. Carimi should be at LT, and Webb should be at RT. Webb proved, once again, that he's below average as a LT.

Expected? Yes (which is already a shame). Unavoidable? Absolutely not. Everyone and their brother - except JA and staff - thought the OL was the #1 flaw, and next to nothing was done to address it in FA. It showed. Badly. There are probably fans on Bills message boards jerking it to Merriman right now because of how bad the Bears' OL played in the first half. Admittedly, I'm more of a glass half empty kind of guy. But it disgusts me that a known problem was more or less ignored. If you want my glass half full side, I think the DL has the potential to be great. I liked what I saw out of Gholston for the most part, and Okoye looks like a beast. Add in Melton, Izzy, and Peppers and I am nearly salivating. And that's not even considering Paea's potential. As always, the D has to shoulder the load.

Two, easy, quick thoughts... 1) OL Bad. 2) DL Good. No real surprises in the first preseason game. Although, I knew the addition of the Barbarian would be something I would like. Dude runs like he's on fire.

Great question! Thinking about the apparent speed increase last year, and the muscle he has added each year, I think he would have put up somewhere near the top 3 in the league every year. Last year would have been somewhere around 1300yds rushing. I figure a 5 yd per game increase is pretty minimal, and the number of explosive plays (+40 yds) would have gone up by 4 or 5 for the year. I honestly believe it's about 80% OL and 20% RB. You can put any NFL-ready RB behind the 1990s Dallas OL and figure in around 1500yds per year.