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2015 Packers – Panthers, Bears – Chargers Preview

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san-diego-chargers-logo1on the Weekend Sports Report with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal

….We are pleased to be joined by John Mullin from CSNChicago.com to preview the Bears – Chargers game Monday night, along with Jeff Rich to look at the Packers – Panthers game, which should be a Monday night contest.  Dave and Jeff look at the rest of the NFL lineup, while Steve and Jeff discuss the big games in college football.  Lastly, Mike Perlow chimes in with his picks in fantasy football for weekend tournament plays.

Hear interview audio from Mike McCarthy, Clay Matthews, Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, John Fox, Martellus Bennett, LB Sam Acho, Phillip Rivers, Peyton Manning, and DeMarco Murray.

Don’t miss a cameo from Chris Berman of ESPN.

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Chicago Bears Improve to 2-0 in Preseason

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cutty
QB Jay Cutler answers questions from the media after the game. Photo by Ryan Horvat.

Two down, two to go.

That’s what the Chicago Bears have to be telling themselves after Thursday night’s 20-19 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team looked flat and (excluding the rookies and guys trying to earn a place on the roster) at times, disinterested.

For the second straight week the Bears (2-0), could not establish the run early in the game. Matt Forte carried the ball four times, but once again could not find any daylight. He has now carried seven times for negative 7 yards total this preseason, Head coach Marc Trestman acknowledged the early struggles.

“We have not been productive running the ball,” Trestman admitted “We have had more productive runs with the second teamer’s and thirds than we did with the first. We are working hard on it everyday.”

One reason Forte may be struggling to find holes, could be because the offensive line has not been intact since training camp began. Kyle Long battled a viral infection, Martellus Bennet made his return this past week after a short suspension, and Jordan Mills sat out for the second straight game with a foot injury. Mills had surgery on the metatarsal in his left foot in January.

Jay Cutler got things going after a shaky start for the offense, completing 7-9 passes for 75 yards including a four yard touchdown strike to Brandon Marshall in the second quarter before exiting the game in the second quarter.

“It was different, we had a three-and-out and then got back on the field with only thirty seconds,” Cutler said (when asked about only running five total offensive plays in the first quarter.) “We overcame a couple third downs there in the second quarter and got a little bit of a rhythm going so that was good.”

Defensively, the Bears looked sluggish at times, allowing Chad Henne and (No. 3 overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft) Blake Bortles to pick apart their zone defense. Second year linebacker Jon Bostic was one bright spot, he rocked Jacksonville running back Toby Gerhart for a 4-yard loss on a third-and-1 play in the first quarter. Cornerback Sherrick McManis also continued to be around the ball, and make plays again, after his strong showing week 1 of the preseason against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Preseason Game Two notes

– Every team’s main goal in the preseason is usually to begin week one of the regular season healthy. The Bears are hoping that will be the case for them this season. Rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller left the game in the first quarter with a ankle injury, while last weeks star, tight end Zach Miller also left the game early with a foot injury. Head coach Marc Trestman told the media after the game that ” both guys were being evaluated tonight, and he will know more tomorrow”

– Devin Hester will be like an old girlfriend who you didn’t appreciate, until she was gone for the Bears this season. Hester may not have been the explosive player he was in his first few seasons in Chicago, and he sure struggled to learn a playbook, but at least he would give you decent field position and scare teams to kick away from him. The Bears struggled to establish who will be returning kicks/punts for them this season again against Jacksonville. Eric Weems fumbled on a kickoff return, while Chris Williams continues to miss time with a hamstring injury. the Bears better find someone quick, as good as they are, and as many weapons as they have on offense its hard to put points on the board when you are starting on your own 18 yard line every possession.

– Jimmy Clausen looks like the clear-cut favorite to win the backup job. Jimmy wasn’t nearly as impressive as he was last week, completing 11-15 passes for 94 yards and an interception, but bad communication could have been reasoning behind the mistakes.

“We had miscommunication with the headsets” Clausen admitted.” They were cutting in and out. We got that fixed”

Don’t count Jordan Palmer out of the race yet however. Palmer completed 6-9 attempts for 73 yards and more importantly led the game winning drive in the fourth quarter. With the third preseason game usually serving as a dress rehearsal for week 1, expect Jay Cutler to play the whole first half in Seattle next Friday, therefore no decision will most likely be made until after the final preseason game when Palmer and Clausen will play the majority of the game.

Click below to hear comments from Jay Cutler and Marc Trestman after Thursdays game.

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Chicago Bears Training Camp Recap

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In 2013, the Bears were within one 4th down stop of reaching the playoffs. Instead, they finished a disappointing 8-8, and missed the playoffs for the third straight year. However, an already dangerous offense combined with a couple of solid defensive free agent signings, makes for one potential threat to take home the NFC North title. As training camp comes to a close this Wednesday, here’s a look back at a few notable details that took place on Monday.

 

Martellus Bennett and Kyle Fuller

Rookie Kyle Fuller (Kneeling, center) did not see much action and remained on the sidelines most of the time.
Rookie Kyle Fuller (Kneeling, center) did not see much action and remained on the sidelines a majority of the time.

The headline for the Chicago Bears this past week was the conflict between tight end Martellus Bennett and rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller. Recently, a scuffle between the two during a routine practice resulted in Bennett slamming Fuller into the turf. Fights between teammates are usually common in almost every team’s training camp. But this time, Bennett was fined and suspended by the Bears as a result. He was reinstated this week, although one interesting thing did occur; Bennett and Fuller rarely appeared on the field and the same time. Normally, this would make sense, seeing as Bennett is the starting tight end, and Fuller is the second string cornerback. But throughout the entire practice, Bennett did not make contact with or near Fuller. While it can’t be certain whether this was part of the game plan or just a precaution in case of another incident, it does raise a few eyebrows as to what goes on with the chemistry between the two.

 

The Other Tight End

One Bears tight end that has gotten the public eye, other than Martellus Bennett, has been the backup veteran Zach Miller. (No, not the former Raider and Current Seahawk.) Miller was signed near the end of last season to a reserve/future contract, and he’s gained attention from Bears fans after scoring two touchdowns in the preseason opener against the Eagles. Miller spent three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars before injuries finally caught up with him, and didn’t make the Buccaneers final roster the following year. After finally getting picked up by the Bears, Miller has shown promise on the field, and continues to impress during training camp. He caught almost everything in sight before going off to the races.

Martellus Bennett also put on a show; catching his share of the passes and making plays of his own. Both continued to impress and receive applause from the stands. While it’s unclear as to if Miller will see an expanded role this season, Chicago is safe at the tight end position.

 

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Wide receiver Brandon Marshall talks with a trainer

What can we expect from this offense?

Imagine if you’re Jay Cutler. You have Bennett and Miller as your tight ends, and they’re safe, reliable targets for short passes. Then you have Brandon Marshall, an experienced and dangerous receiver teamed up with Alshon Jeffery who had a breakout season last year. Then you have the league’s second leading rusher in the backfield. That is a scary amount of talent around you, and it showed during camp. Marshall and Jeffery were everywhere and caught almost everything in their area. While Cutler did make a few mental mistakes at times, the offensive passing game was explosive and exciting to watch.

One major need that the Bears have wanted for a long time has been a stronger offensive line. While there is still room for improvement, they are still much better off than they were in previous years. They did allow pressure on the quarterback a few times, but always made the right holes for the running game to get through. Matt Forte appeared as though he was already in mid season form, and rookie Ka’Deem Carey already seems like a reliable backup.

The backup quarterback battle has been pretty one-sided. Jordan Palmer threw an interception right into defensive end Willie Young’s arms, who returned it for a touchdown. Veteran Jimmy Clausen has continued to outperform him, and will likely be named the second string quarterback.

 

Defensive adjustments

Last March, the Bears made two huge upgrades in free agency. After losing Julius Peppers to the Packers, Chicago agreed they needed to revamp their defensive line; and signed defensive ends Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen. Allen was particularly important.  A defensive star on the Vikings, he had terrorized the Bears twice a year since 2008. Now, he’s on their side.

“I’m not a big believer in self imposed limitations.” Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker said. “We don’t know what these guys can become, or how good we can be. The main thing is to reach our full potential, as individual players and as a whole. We’ll see where it goes and we’ll continue to work with these guys at every position.”

Tucker has also commented on the pairing of safeties between Ryan Mundy and Danny McCray. “What we’ve done with the safeties is we worked up combinations, we moved guys around, we’ll continue to do that and at the end of the day we’ll have a starting group.”

Chris Conte has had seven months to get over the embarrassing mistake he made last year when he gave up the touchdown against the Packers. “He’s been eager to get back out there and we’re gonna get him back out there.” Tucker said. “Right now it’s a matter of day to day work with what he puts on the field and in the classroom. And he’s already done that in the classroom. And now’s he’s stepped on the field. We’re gonna take it one rep at a time, I think that’s the best approach.”

Defensive coordinator Mel Tucker comments on Kyle Fuller, Chris Conte, Jeremiah Ratliff, and Mundy-McCray

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” Miller Time” for Bears Offense In Preseason Opener

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Bears Training Camp

Martellus who? That is what fans were asking on Friday night when the Bears kicked off their 2014 preseason schedule at Soldier Field against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Tight End Zach Miller made his debut in a Chicago Bears jersey in spectacular fashion, catching a 10-yard touchdown pass from Jay Cutler with 3:18 to play in the first quarter. Miller, who was filling in for the suspended Bennet, would make the most of his opportunity as he split time at the tight end position with Dante Rosario throughout the first half. The five year pro wasnt finished after his first touchdown grab either. Miller would also catch a 12-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Jordan Palmer in the second quarter before finishing his night with six grabs for 68 yards and two touchdowns.

“It felt good to go out there and make some plays,” Miller said after the game. “I am just trying to take it one play at a time and improve.”

After sitting out the last two seasons, Miller looked hungry for a chance to be back in the league. He signed with the Bears this offseason, after spending all of 2012 on the injured reserve, and sitting out the 2013 season after being waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has 45 career receptions and four touchdowns all while playing in Jacksonville from 2009-2012. He also knows it was only one preseason game and he will have to improve his blocking to make the team.

“That is something I have to improve on,” Miller added. “We will cut up the tape and see what I can do to improve.”

It was not only Miller who impressed the home crowd Friday night, Jay Cutler looked solid as well, completing 9 of 13 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Brandon Marshall had five receptions on six targets for 31 yards, and Alshon Jeffery made a tough catch for 16 yards that received an ovation from the crowd before the starters would exit for the remainder of the game. Cutler spoke after the game about the Bears’ performance in the first audition before the season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

“There were some mistakes out there,” Cutler said, “some things to clean up, but the guys were really efficent getting in and out of the huddle, getting to our checks. The guys did well.”

While the passing game was on point for the Bears, the rushing attack struggled to get anything going against the Eagles. Matt Forte would carry the ball three times for negative five yards. Rookie KaDeem Carey finally got a chance to show what he could do after spending most of training camp on the sideline or the ground. He would carry the ball 10 times for only 23 yards, in a disappointing debut for the former Arizona Wildcat. Carey will have to improve as he is currently No.3 on the depth chart behind Forte and Shaun Draughn.

In the battle to backup Jay Cutler, quarterbacks Jordan Palmer and Jimmy Clausen played the 2nd and 3rd quarters respectively, with Clausen displaying the early advantage once again much like in training camp. Palmer would connect with Miller on a 12-yard touchdown, but he also threw a ugly interception to Eagles safety Nate Allen, and was nearly picked on another attempt. Clausen on the other hand dazzled in his chance at redemption. After the disaster that was his stay in Carolina, the Bears gave Clausen a chance to win the backup job this summer with Palmer being unproven. Clausen completed 7-13 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns, one on a 73-yard toss to speedy-wide-receiver Chris Williams.

“I just tried to look the safety off and give him a chance to score on that,” Clausen said. “He ran underneath it and made a great play.”

Receiver, Michael Spurlock, would catch the other touchdown from Clausen on a 22-yard touchdown before giving up the offense to rookie David Fales. Head coach Marc Trestman had nothing but encouraging words for all of his quarterbacks after the game.

“I thought all the quarterbacks at some point had some adversity along the way,” Trestman said. “They were all able to come back and make it a positive note in some fashion.”

The Bears will return to training camp in Bourbonnais with practice on Sunday at 3:00 pm. No word yet if Martellus Bennet will be back with the team by then. If not, at least they have “Miller Time”, (joking of course, or am I?).

While Jordan Palmer may have seen second team reps on Friday night, and KaDeem Carey saw most of the carries. Expect everyone to get chances to impress in the preseason. Click below to hear offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer explain how the preseason depth chart can change.

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Bennet Suspended Indefinitely

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bennet

The Bears opened up practice on Tuesday with tight end Martellus Bennet nowhere to be found. Bennet had been involved in a fight with rookie defensive-back Kyle Fuller on Monday, after Fuller attempted to strip the ball from Bennet on what seemed like a harmless play. while fans and reporters wondered where the veteran was, Phil Emery called a press conference a few yards away from the practice field to announce that Bennet had been fined and suspended.

“He was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team,” Emery said during practice. “That’s where we’re at with that. And there won’t be any further information on that. Everything else will be kept within the team.”

You have to wonder why a body slam at practice would receive such a harsh punishment? this was not a typical 2-3 day cool off suspension, Bennet was suspended INDEFINITELY!!! Could his issues with Brandon Marshall be a factor? Have some of the veteran players grown tired of his act? Emery did not answer much.

“This is a process that we’re working with Martelllus on,” Emery said. “We are in contact with him. Our goal is to have Martellus back as soon as possible. He’s a loved and respected teammate and we want him back. But it’s a process that we’ll have to work with.”

The timing could not have been worse for the Bears, who open their preseason schedule on Friday at Soldier Field against the Philadelphia Eagles. The team also lost No.3 receiver Marquess Wilson to a fractured clavicle on monday, his return date is unknown after he underwent surgery early Tuesday morning.

Bennet, who is coming off his best season with 65 catches, 759 yards and five touchdowns, spoke to the media on Monday after practice.

“Everybody talks about friendships, but really we are all preparing to win a championship,” Bennett said. “If we make friends along the way, cool. But I’m just trying to help the Bears win a championship and do the job to the best of my ability.”

Head coach Marc Trestman also spoke to the media about Bennet’s situation.

“We’ve got a plan and a process in place, and as I told the team today, we love him. He works hard. He loves football. He’s a good father, and we want to get him back as soon as we can and we’ll go through this process and when the time is right he’ll be back,” Trestman said Tuesday.

While the amount of the fine and the length of the suspension are unknown at this time, the Bears DO know they will need Bennet back soon.

Marquees Wilson Suffers Tough Break Monday

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bears

Usually, losing a guy who caught two passes for 13 yards the previous season would not seem like a huge blow to a team who already features two of the top receivers in the league. However, you could see the disappointment and regret from the Chicago Bears coaching staff and players when second year wide receiver Marquess Wilson was carted off the field at practice on Monday after suffering a fractured clavicle while diving to make a catch.

Wilson said he ” couldn’t breathe when he hit the ground” on the play, but was also not ready to give up hopes of playing this season. stating that, ” he did not know if the injury would require surgery.”

Wilson was expected to become the Bears No.3 receiver this season after the team released Earl Bennet in March. Listed at 6-foot-4, 184 pounds, Wilson had some ups and downs the first two weeks of training camp but was expected to make a huge contribution to a team with championship aspirations.

” I am extremely disappointed” head coach Marc Trestman said after practice Monday. ” He was continuing to ascend, It’s football unfortunately”

Wilson was a seventh round draft pick in 2013, and had spent the offseason training with Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall in Florida while hoping to make a impact this season as the slot receiver. Wilson went down while trying to make a play between defensive back Charles Tillman and safety Danny McCray. At first it looked like Wilson just had the wind knocked out of him as he fell on the ball and drove his left shoulder in the ground, yet, when he didn’t jump up, the worries began to set in.

” You hear us say it all the time in practice, stay off the ground, Trestman added after practice. ” Diving for balls is one of the most difficult things not to do when you are a competitive player”

It is unclear how much time Wilson is expected to miss. Team officials were unsure if the injury would require surgery, if not, the recovery time is much shorter. Even without surgery required, Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo missed the final 10 games of the 2010 season with the same type of injury. A more hopeful example would be San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Matthews, who suffered the same injury in the first preseason game of 2012 and would return week three of the regular season.

With the freak injury to Wilson on Monday, the Bears will now look to Chris Williams, Eric Weems, Josh Morgan and Armanti Edwards to compete for time as the No. 3 receiver with the teams first preseason game scheduled for Friday at Soldier Field against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Wilson was not the only player to start and not finish practice due to injury. Veteran linebacker Lance Briggs, who had a terrific week of practice last week, also left with a knee bruise. Briggs will be reevaluated before practice tomorrow.

Practice Notes for Monday

– The Bears were scheduled for the teams first afternoon practice of training camp ( 3 pm) however, due to potential storms later in the afternoon, the team decided to practice at 11 am.

– Practice was cut short due to a on field incident during 11 on 11. Tight end Martellus Bennet slammed rookie defensive back Kyle Fuller to the ground after Fuller tried to strip the ball from Bennet. “I come to training camp for one reason and that’s to prepare to win a championship,” Bennett said after practice. “I play hard and go hard every single day. I’m probably one of the most violent people on the field. That’s just my style of play.
Fuller also spoke about the incident saying “You get into fights and things like that. At the end of the day, you’re all good.”

– Ryan Mundy and Adrian Wilson saw action as the first team safeties on Monday. Danny McCray was moved to the second team for practice.

– The Bears will practice Tuesday and Wednesday before an off day on Thursday.

O’Donnel Steals Show on First Day of Full Pads

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full pads

After two days of shorts and helmets, The Chicago Bears put the pads on and went to work on Sunday in front of an estimated 9,500 fans at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnias IL. While you would figure the highlight of the day would have been a big hit, or even a nice block, the biggest ovation from the crowd actually came from a punter.

Bears’ rookie punter, Pat O’Donnel, became an instant fan favorite and even received “MEGA–PUNT” chants after every kick. One punt had an unofficial time of 5.1 seconds, while another appeared to go about 55 yards. Nothing too shocking when you consider the Bears used a sixth-round pick on the former Miami punter who averaged 47.1 yards per punt.

“I didn’t know what the crowd was saying,” O’Donnel said. “Its definitely a good feeling because usually the punter doesn’t get a lot of attention.”

While the kicking and punting have both looked solid in practice, other areas in the special teams have not been so hot. With the retirement of the always reliable, Bears long snapper, Patrick Mannely, the team has tried out both Chad Rempel and Brandon Harston. Neither have showed enough to win the job after a series of a miscues the first weekend of practice.

“We need to work through the process and find out who our guy is going to be,” Bears special teams coordinator, Joe DeCamliss, said after practice. “I wouldn’t say we are concerned. I have been in this position before with young guys.”

The Bears did have a better showing on offense on Sunday after a few rough moments on Saturday. Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey both continue to impress as usual, while Martellus Bennet is still a huge target who is having a solid camp. Also, quarterback Jay Cutler has been working with the second team of receivers and backs. Eric Weems, Chris Williams, and Marquess Wilson have all made plays and will look to compete for time on the field throughout camp and preseason. Matt Forte has looked good and will look to stay healthy throughout camp. Backup running back Michael Ford has seen a good amount of work with the second team, while rookie back KaDeem Carey has seen limited reps. I would guess he would see most of his action-carries in the preseason where he should get a hefty work-load.

Here are some other notes from Sundays first day of full pads for the Bears

– Alshon Jeffrey and Kyle Fuller battled in 1-on-1 receiver and Defensive back drills again today. Fuller looks very NFL-ready and only allowed one catch to Jeffrey, while batting down a few balls, to a huge ovation from the crowd. #23 is the real deal.

– Tim Jennings returned to practice on Sunday after sitting out on Saturday due to sore quadriceps, but would pull himself after his first 1-on-1 drill to be safe.

-Defensive end Willie Young participated in practice. Safeties Chris Conte (shoulder), and Craig Steltz (groin), are still out. However, Conte may be back sooner than expected. Receiver Terrence Toliver was also held out due to a toe injury.

– Defensive lineman Nate Collins, who is coming off a torn ACL last season, looked very impressive during 1-on-1 drills.

– Jordan Palmer looked better Sunday than he did the first two days. Jimmy Clausen appears to be the early favorite and more suitable backup to Cutler.

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Bears Bolster Offense With Free Agents Bennett and Bushrod

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coach Marc Trestman, Bennett, Bushrod, and GM Phil Emery
coach Marc Trestman, Bennett, Bushrod, and GM Phil Emery

Just like the Bears training center is under construction this offseason, so is the team It wasted no time during free agency jumping into the pool of available players by signing a Pro Bowl offensive tackle in Jermon Bushron, a former Saint, and Martellus Bennett who migrates from Broadway to the Second City.

The could not provide a greater contrast in personalities. Bushrod, a quiet soft spoken lineman from tiny King George, Virginia, by way of Towson University was the 125th pick in the 2007. He worked his way into the starting lineup and played on the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV Championship team.

By contrast, Matellus Bennett, while not exactly a free spirit, professes a love of abstract art and writing, a far cry from the average six foot six tight end.  Nevertheless, he also like run blocking  and pass catching which should please his coaches greatly. So much so that Chicago cut both Kellen Davis and Matt Spaeth from the roster. He did however explain during  his introduction to the Chicago mediahow he acquired the nickname “the black unicorn.” It involved his professed like of unicorns, and the fact that all unicorns were white in color. He saw himself in his black uniform racing down the field as the black version of the mythical creature.

GM Phil Emery noted that these two acquisitions will allow the Bears to focus on the drafting players to fill the remaining team needs, presumably a backup quarterback included.

Coach Marc Trestman praised the front office staff for making the signings a reality and looks forward to working with them.

Both players spoke of wide receiver Brandon Marshall and his role in their choosing to come to the Bears.  Maybe Marshall will have a future career as an ambassador after his playing days are over.

Listen to comments from Emery, Bennett, Trestman, and Bushrod.