DABEARSDABOMB

I got to be honest, seems like the right thing to do to send them to 3rd world countries. Still, couldn't you imagine 10 years from now seeing someone wearing a Bears Super Bowl Champion shirt and thinking to yourself that doesn't look right. I'm glad they don't just trash the shirts though.

Interesting. I want the Bears to retain him but if we did lose him I think Lovie would promote Babich and the defense wouldn't really skip a beat. I also think it would be interesting to see Rivera on his own creating his own style of defense (that I'm sure would be a bit more reliant on the blitz).

I think the perfect thing about Arch is that if you pick him up he not only provides insurance for Brown (who can play both FS or SS) but also a bit of insurance for Harris & Manning. He's also a veteran that really knows the defense and is still young enough and a good enough athlete. He plays the run very well yet he's not near as horrid on passing downs as Harris and he'd be a good leader out there for Manning if Brown is hurt. And if Brown is healthy Arch would still get playing time because I'd imagine the Bears would want to spell Brown throughout the season.

Plus I'd hate to see AP in the game considering he probably got little to no carries in practice for the Super Bowl. Sadly Jones didn't get worked near enough to be tired so he had plenty of energy. Interesting. It looked to me like Rex was hoping Moose would come back on the ball but the corner ended up playing short and being in a better position and with that it made it an ill advised pass. That said if Moose and Rex were on a different wave length for the play it would make the throw a little less awful. I also completely agree with you about our WR's not helping out when it came to defending the pics but I will admit they improved greatly in that area the past few weeks. At the same time as the season went on (sans the Packer game) I saw Rex making a lot less throws that could have or should have been picked so I really don't get why people are saying he didn't make progress with his reads. And I don't care if you are Peyton Manning or Rex Grossman ocassionally even when you make the right read you will make a bad throw and get picked (see Bernard Berrian) and in this case Rex definitely has the weather as an excuse. I think there are two major things he needs to improve: - Pocket Awareness (reading the blitzes, knowing when to step up or roll out) - Protecting the Football (and I'm talking about fumbling because he has had a major problem with fumbles both on the snaps and when he gets hit and he needs to really work on putting an end to those, especially the ones on snaps). - A third area would be for him to make even quicker reads (this will help him on 3rd downs when the defense is blitzing and you have to react quickly).

Here is an interesting article talking about Turner's tendencies: http://www.superbowl.com/news/story/9978303 (Feb. 6, 2007) -- Television, radio and the print media might have talked about all the events, rumors and conjecture leading up to the Super Bowl to the point that there was nothing left to talk about. But the coaches and scouts watched the game tapes -- especially of the previous playoff games -- and built a game plan around the facts that were on the screen. Let's take a look at how the game plans held up, especially for the world champion Colts. 1. THE BEARS OFFENSE ON FIRST DOWNS. Throughout the playoffs, the Bears had demonstrated success throwing the ball on first downs, and the Colts knew it. Everywhere you turned, you heard someone saying the Bears need to take some shots down the field on early downs because Bob Sanders will be up in the run-support box. The Colts' computer breakdown told them Rex Grossman had thrown 20 times on first down in the two playoff games and completed 11. What the film study showed them was that Bernard Berrian caught six of those first-down passes at 27 yards per catch and two touchdowns (and a setup of a third score). The Colts were not going to abandon their run-defense calls with Sanders up in the box -- especially early in the game -- but they were also not going to surrender 27 yards per catch to Berrian. The Bears went to Bernard four times on first downs, but for an 8-yard completion average. The Colts defensive backs gave him all the short passes he wanted, but no shots down the field. And when Grossman tried, it was picked off. Grossman stuck with the plan to throw on first down throughout the game, and delivered 10 completions in 14 attempts for a modest 83 yards. Both of his interceptions came in the fourth quarter on deep passes on first-and-10. The second time, Sanders just happened to be deep and picked off the pass. 2. WHAT THE BEARS DID AFTER A FIRST-DOWN INCOMPLETION. Coaches always look at the play-calling style in many situations. During the playoffs, Grossman had a strong run tendency after a first-down incompletion. The Bears had six runs against two passes when it was second-and-10 after an errant throw. The Colts didn't get many chances to use this scouting-report tendency, because they surrendered the first-down short-passing attack and Grossman did not find himself in too many second-and-10 calls. The two times it did occur, the Bears ran the ball with Thomas Jones and threw a very short pass to Jones, which a run-defense call can handle. In both cases, the Bears gained only 2 yards, which set up third-and-long. The scouting report held up again. 3. WHAT THE BEARS DID WHEN FIRST-DOWN RUNS GOT 3 YARDS OR FEWER. In its first two playoff games, Chicago had 13 first-down run plays that generated 3 yards or less. In fact, the 13 first-down runs that were in this scouting-report segment generated only 13 yards. The question was what Ron Turner would do next if the first-down run call was stuffed. The report came back with this answer: Throw the ball. In those 13 situations, the Bears passed 11 times. Before the Super Bowl got out of hand, Chicago did not have an occurence where a run created a second-and-7 or longer, so there were no second-down situations in the game when the Colts could use the report about the pass tendency. For all the people who questioned the Colts defense as too small to stop the Bears running game, the only question is why the Bears didn't run the ball more on first down, especially after Jones gained 52 yards on a first-and-10 early in the game. Cedric Benson's knee injury might have spooked the Bears, or maybe they felt pressure when they fell behind, or maybe they just got away from what they do best. 4. WIN THE TURNOVER BATTLE. By game's end, the Colts had won the turnover battle 5-3, and now the winner of the turnover battle is 30-3 in Super Bowls. The Bears led the NFL this season with 44 turnovers created and added five more in the NFC playoffs for 49 in 18 games heading into the Super Bowl. In fact, they scored 156 points off turnovers this season, but in the big game, they lost the battle that was so good to them all year. Forced fumbles is an effort play, but interceptions like the two the Colts had were excellent defensive calls; what made them special was the interception returns. Go back and look at the tapes to see the game plan the Colts had on the 94 yards of interception returns. There was a wall return on both picks; it looked more like a punt return than an interception. Every single Colt got a block on someone. The Colts were more prepared to return the ball than the Bears were to stop them. The Colts played the whole game looking for interceptions and were also trained to score when they got the ball.

So far it is hard for me to say. I'm intrigued with the idea of Zach Miller late in the first round, TE, ASU. The guy is very talented and would be able to come in and help Rex a lot and basically give us two different TE's. Clark is still a starter and he's a solid pass catching TE and a top notch blocking TE but he is getting older and it would be nice to get a TE in there that we can develop (maybe the 1st round is too early to take a development TE though). Oline (a tackle in the 1st round is solid), SS in the 1st round (to replace Mike Brown if we can't do that via FA), OLB (if Briggs leaves). The goal should be to get some guys we can prepare to join into the oline in a year or two (this would be a bit less of a priority if we add Steinbach), potentially find a OLB to replace Briggs, get help for the secondary (safety), a TE, and I'd imagine we may think about a tackle later on in the draft (DT). However, if Sydney Rice somehow falls to the Bears I think you take him in Rd1. His stock seems to have slipped a lot but he's the type of WR I'd love the Bears to have to team up with Berrian/Bradley (after Moose retires in a couple years).

I think you'll see Benson start to get more carries, but Jones will still get more snaps and the overall load will be very close to 50/50. I really like it, the question is whether we can get the RB's to like into it and not be sour pusses about it. In reality it could really extend there careers and they could both make names for themselves in one of the greatest football cities. Jets, Raiders, Texans...just to throw out a few more and thats just off the very top of my head without thinking.

The defense had zillions of opportunities to get itself off the field while the actual offense didn't have that many opportunities to consistently move the chains. I was most dissapointed with the gameplan by Rivera and the inability to make adjustments by Ron Turner (which is something he's struggled with all season). In those conditions we flat out should not be asking our QB to throw the ball way down the field. We put in the play call, Rex made the right read but with the wet ball it is very very difficult to throw a good deep ball. It sucked that we couldn't connect but Rex has made a living connecting when his deep guy is open so lets not act like it is a typical mistake he made (it just happened at the wrong time). Now the pick he threw to Moose, that I can see complaining about because it was a terrible read.

I would rather have Bob Sanders because he doens't have as much of a history of injuries (although he missed most of this year) and he's also a heck of a lot younger. Brown is the better player when healthy (and one of the best safeties in the league) but he's proven he can't stay on the field and it just isn't worth it. I would be shocked if we didn't pick up a safety in the off-season (if we find one we like) and that could very well be Adam Archeletta who had a terrible year with the Skins after the Skins outbid the Bears (who had interest in him). Lovie is familiar with Adam and Adam is familiar with the scheme/system we run and considering the year he had my guess is after he is released he won't be getting many big money offers and in the end he's going to want to go to a place where he is familiar with the coach and has had success in the system (and that is Chicago with Lovie's D and the Cover 2)

And 100 million will watch the Bears make it back and get over the hump next year!!!!

This year was a lot of fun and this loss is yet another tough thing but it is all the losses that in the end make the wins that much sweeter. I cherish every Bears win because I went through a long period (like most of us) where we would hardly ever win. Now it is time for the franchise to win the big game and I think we are on the right path, have a great foundation and will get back to the game next year (and probably a few more times in the new year) and ultimately win it all and having suffered a super bowl loss as a fan will make that victory that much greater.

I don't blame him. He just played on Sunday and I'm sure his body is taking a beating from the additional games he played in the playoffs.

Since Shoop's general style of offense is far better fitted for a team with a dominate defense (ie major ball control offense that is very bland, but at the same time while it isn't a high octane offense that can score in a few plays, the offense typically will win the TOP battle and keep the defense well rested). I think the problem is Turner is too perfect a match for Rex. Both of these guys love the deep ball and what Rex needs is a guy that shakes his head when Rex gets long ball happy (problem is in this case we have turner calling for a zillion bombs and Rex figures hey nothing wrong since its being called by the OC). I think if you mix Rex with a conservative play caller you get a real good mix because even in a conservative system Rex will take just enough shots to keep a defense honest, yet he won't be given a total free reign like he is with Turner to unleash it at any/all times. And for those that say Rex hasn't gotten better, I ask that you watch the tapes of his last 6 or 7 games and see juts how much better his reads have been. He still needs to learn how to better pick up the blitz and get more comfortable in the pocket (as well as realize there is nothing wrong with leaving the pocket and taking off every once in a while) but as a whole this guy makes the right reads when he isn't pressured (and for the most part throws a great ball). It is just a matter of getting him used to blitz packages (and this comes with experience) as well as having the right plays called (ie make sure you aren't just having everyone running down the field all game, get a little more conservative and use the short stuff more often yet go deep enough to keep the defense honest). And obviously run the living piss out of the ball. I don't really know if Turner is our best bet. Overall he is a solid coordinator but he's a better fit for a team that needs to score a ton of points and in a hurry as opposed to a team that needs to focus more so on getting long drives, protecting the football and obviously score (But the focal point will be to put together longer scoring drives and as a whole if you can get long drives worked out you will have a more consistent offense than when you rely on hitting a few quick big plays and with Rex, even with a conservative offense you'll have the ability for big plays but if we run the right system we should also be more than capable of being a physical run team that wears the other team down in the first half and dominates the second half).

Lets hope

Sounds badass.

Plus Bernard Berrina.

Ya, I think the Edgerin James fiasco in Arizona may be the exact reason we get to keep Briggs.

Because Bryant Gumbel is freaking terrible and shouldn't even be announcing. Shannon Sharpe does pre-game, there are so many black people involved with football reporting its not even funny (pretty much all of the glory Cowboys....Deion/Irvin and than obviously Aikman/Johnson who are not black). Shannon Sharpe, Chris Carter, Kordell is apparently doing it a bit, Marshall Faulk and I'm sure there are more.

I heard that but I thought he was actually saying it saracastically based on how a lot of the media has been calling him that. But I could be wrong and regardless Skip is just there on that show to entertain me (I don't really think much of his opinion) but I get good laughs out of cold pizza in the AM. Actually my favorite person is Jay Feeley who is really well spoken and I realized Kordell handles himself really well too (he was on 1st and 10 today w/Skip).

Shoot, you don't have to worry, I'd recommend against using me as your CPA. I swear every one of my friends always asks me to do there taxes and I look at them, shake my head and go you are just as qualified as me when it comes to taxes (that may not be the case, but I don't want to do there taxes and I don't do taxes for a living so while I've had classes in them, I am far from an expert if someone is doing a complicated return or any return for that matter). Hell, I let the tax people at my work do my taxes for free, haha. Hell, aside from my dad and other employees/auditors I don't think many people get/know what an external auditor does (I didn't even until I finally started the job). And no, we don't add any value to a company, rather without us the company would have no value (from an investors standpoint).

With my rocket arm, I can throw a ball through holes that small

A hurricane would show up and Ditka would be a Patriot and Lovie would beat a Colt

I think Briggs is starting to realize that a lot of guys that take the money and go play somewhere else never really reach the success they had prior. Briggs is in a situation where he plays on a team that has just made it to the superbowl and win or lose this team is going to have a shot at being in the next couple superbowls (barring any sort of disaster in terms of injuries or something else). Plus he knows the system works for him and that the coaches have faith in him and all in all I think in the end he may realize 5 or 8 extra million (in the NFL world of non-guaranteed contracts) may not be that big of a deal.

I have it, but have not actually watched it.