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Bears vs NFC Playoff Teams

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Bears owner Virginia McCaskey
Bears owner Virginia McCaskey

The McCaskey’s decided to clean house last week again after their Chicago Bears missed the playoffs for the 4th straight year. Ex-Bears GM Phil Emery brought in Marc Trestman 2 years ago to close the gap between the Packers and the Bears. That decision had the reverse effect, by widening the talent gap and costing Emery/Trestman their jobs.

For a synopsis of a possible reboot plan for the Bears, check out Ryan Horvat’s article by clicking here.

The Bears had the opportunity to play against 4 of the 6 teams that made the playoffs for the NFC this year during the regular season… they went 0 – 6.

The Bears are now in a rebuilding mode, but how would this Bears squad fair against this year’s NFC playoff teams?

Bears vs Panthers: The Panthers are a sub .500 playoff team that the Bears would have a shot of beating if they met this year in the playoffs. Even though the Panthers are on a 4 game winning streak and beat the Bears in their week 5 matchup, they would be able to contend with the Panthers. Even with Carolina getting healthy and with Luke Kuechly and co. are returning to form, the Bears should have been able to beat the Panthers if they met in the playoffs.

Panther LB Luke Kuechly
Panther LB Luke Kuechly

Bears vs Cardinals: The Cardinals are the surprise team of 2014, as they were able to replace the 49ers in the playoff picture in the NFC. The Bears would not have been able to play with this team if Carson Palmer was healthy but with Drew Stanton/Ryan Lindley throwing the rock, the Bears could have competed. Although, a Patrick Peterson pick-6 or a Calais Campbell sack fumble of Jay Cutler could throw this Bears team into a downward spiral, the Cardinals are the only other team the Bears “could” beat if they met them in the playoffs.

Bears vs Cowboys: The 2012 Cowboys are the Bears of today, an underachieving franchise with no identity. The 2014 Cowboys decided to assemble one of the best o-lines in the NFL and hand the ball off to DeMarco Murray 25+ times a game to relieve pressure on Tony Romo. Dallas was another team the humiliated the Bears on primetime and I see no reason why they wouldn’t do it again… The Cowboys have the blueprint for the Bears to follow but is it too late to turn this circus around?

Bears vs Lions: The Lions are the Bears but have a way better defense… and can run the ball. The Lions start a questionable QB who makes dumb throws but gets bailed out by the best WR in the game, Calvin Johnson. The Lions are still the Lions and I expect them to reveal themselves this weekend against the Cowboys, but they have the Bears number in 2014 and would make easy work of them if they were to meet again. Not only do the Bears have to worry about the Packers, the Lions have leapfrogged the Bears to become the 2nd best team in the NFC North.

Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers

Bears vs Packers: When you have the best QB in the game and he rarely turns the ball over, it makes football easy. The Packers were laughing at the end of their last matchup with the Bears and I would expect the laughs to get louder, if they were to meet in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers owns the Bears and Jay Cutler, even with a sore calf, Rodgers would put up 5 TDs. It is disheartening for Bears fans to watch their neighbors to the north have so much success, but what do they expect when their ‘Beloved’ draft and sign the wrong players?

Bears vs Seahawks: This game would be a massacre. The Seahawks are better at every phase of life… the Bears would have their teeth kicked in and lunch money stolen before Jay Cutlers sideline demeanor was questioned by the broadcasters. I personally thank my luck stars this game never happened.

Best case scenario, the Bears could have contented with 2 out of the 6 playoff teams but the reality is they are exactly where they are supposed to be… at home.

@WesEvans24

 

Time for Bears to Start Over ( Again)

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The Bears will once again search for a new Head Coach.
The Bears will once again search for a new Head Coach.

Black Monday escalated rather quickly and before you could even finish your breakfast the Bears had fired General Manager Phil Emery and Head Coach Marc Trestman. The only person who may have been surprised by this move would be Trestman himself.

After Sundays season ending loss to the Vikings, Trestman told reporters he expected to be back next season and in his usual soft, shaky tone made a case why he should be back in control.

“ I don’t have to go into the reasons that I expect to be back, I couldn’t look at it any other way or with any other kind of focus” Trestman said in his last post-game interview as head coach of the Bears, and while it was the right decision it should and will not be the only change we see.

The Bears should have paid attention to the 3:25 slot after their embarrassing loss. The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions were in a week 17 war for the NFC North crown and a first round BYE in the playoffs. The Bears were playing in a similar matchup just one year ago, week 17. The Bears went from a team on the rise to the embarrassment of the league in the matter of 12 months.

To once again be competitive and taken serious throughout the league, the Bears need to cut ties with the players who are not willing to buy into (yet) another new system and start over. That does not necessarily mean Jay Cutler will be gone however.

While Cutler is clearly not an elite quarterback and will most likely never lead a team to a championship on talent alone, is it worth giving up a top draft pick just to trade him elsewhere? Since the Bears have chosen to go through the rebuilding process, they will want to keep as many picks as possible and does it really matter who’s behind center during a losing season anyway? Not to mention Cutler gives the Bears the best opportunity to win if they are going to attempt to rebuild on the fly. The 2015 quarterback draft class is full of prospects and no proven stars and the Bears most likely wont have a shot at landing Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. I would be very surprised if Cutler was throwing interceptions anywhere else next season and expect him back in Chicago with another new coordinator and head coach.

The Bears should consider cutting ties with Brandon Marshall, unless they can find a head coach who can control his antics. Marshall called out Cutler after a loss to the Lions earlier in the season and has challenged two people publicly to boxing matches in the last few months. Trestman clearly could not control Marshall, allowing him to fly to New York to do a weekly appearance on Showtime’s “ Inside the NFL” and sign his contract extension on “ the View.” If the Bears want to start fresh they need to get rid of all the off the field drama and antics that were never in the locker room during the glory days of Bears football.

While Marshall is one of the top receivers in the league when healthy and mentally prepared, the Bears need to start building their team from within— through the NFL Draft and with guys who understand the concept of playing “ team football” and don’t concern themselves with outside careers or restaurants ( Lance Briggs) during the season.

Football is the ultimate team sport and for the Bears to succeed they need to add a coaching staff with some experience to preach that. It is time to stop hiring guys with no head coaching experience and pray that they learn on the fly. If that option is not available and the Bears cannot land a former head coach, they should at least consider a coordinator who’s last job was in the United States… Personally I feel Rex Ryan never had any backing in New York and would be a great fit for Chicago.

The past two seasons the Bears have lost their identity and forgotten what kind of football team they are. While the defense came into the year with low expectations everybody expected some improvement. What we witnessed was a total catastrophe and possibly one of the worst defensive units in Chicago Bears history. The offense never clicked and the players clearly checked out a few months ago. For the Bears to be relevant once again and have a shot at competing with the Green Bay Packers they have to once again find their identity and fix their putrid defense that gave up back-to-back fifty point games.

So now begins the future for the Chicago Bears. It will be interesting to see what kind of moves are made throughout the offseason and what kind of team takes the field next August. It is almost surreal that a team that had such high expectations and an offense that was predicted to be tops in the league fell to obscurity so fast -but that is just the way it goes in today’s NFL. Hopefully for the people of Chicago they make the right choices this time and we aren’t talking about this same subject in another two years with another head coach packing his bags.

Weekend Sports Report – 12/29/14

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Marc Trestman and Phil Emery, fired by the Bears
Marc Trestman and Phil Emery, fired by the Bears

with Dave Rusch and Steve Leventhal

….mercifully, the last podcast of the year, looks at Black Monday in the NFL with firings in Chicago and New York, as well as a parting of the ways in San Francisco. Plus a look at the first round of the NFL playoffs.

Hear interviews from Aaron Rogers, Mike McCarthy, Jim Caldwell, Pete Carroll, and Phil Emery, fired as Bears GM. Also we dig into the archives for an old chat with Hall of Famer and former Packer Bart Starr from 1998.

Don’t miss cameos from Mr Baseball, Bob Uecker and Dick Vitale on this week’s Weekend Sports Report.

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.

Bears Final Grades

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trestman_emory_inside2_010214

The Chicago Bears came into the 2013 season with a new idenity  and a lot of question marks; while some of those questions have been answered ,some still need to be adressed.

Bears head coach Marc Trestman and general manager Phil Emery held a press confrence on Thursday to address the media after the season ending loss last Sunday to the Green Bay Packers 33- 28 at Soldier Field.

The Bears wasted no time announcing the contract extensions of quarterback Jay Cutler,  cornerback Tim Jennings, and guard Matt Slauson . They hinted at what prevented them from winning the NFC North this season. The Bears defense was the biggest issue as apparent by Emerys press confrence

“We were at least one defensive lineman short at the tackle position going into the season. For that fourth tackle, we felt like we had a tackle signed in Sedrick Ellis. That didn’t work out. That’s on me.

“The fact that we couldn’t replace Sedrick, that’s on me. We didn’t have enough pass rush from the outside or the inside. We needed one more. (Rookie) David Bass came in and did a very good job against the run, but he’s a young rusher. We needed one more there.” Emery said Thursday.

On a positive note, Emery also discussed the improvement of Jay Cutler and talked about the teams descion to go foward with him as the starting quarterback.

“We’re pleased; it works for both parties,” Emery said of the deal. “lt rewards Jay and it enables us to continue to build a championship team.”

As we look foward to next season, here is my final grade for the 2013 Chicago Bears

 

OFFENSE- B+   

 

 

offense

 

The Bears took on a new idenity this season with first year coach Marc Trestman bringing a new look offense to a team that has relied on defense to win for the last two decades.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler suffered through an injury riddled campaign, but still put up solid numbers throwing for 2,621 yards and 19 touchdowns in only 11 games. Cutler did throw 12 interceptions which is high for only 11 games, but his descion making definetly improved ,and he has one of the best arms in the NFL.

When Cutler went down, Josh McCown filled in and suprised many people by leading the Bears back into the playoff race with a win against the  Green Bay Packers  on Monday Night Football. McCown earned the respect of his teamates and caused many arguments between Bears fans over who should be the starting quarterback. All McCown did in Cutlers absence was throw for 1,829 yards and 13 touchdowns with a 109.0 qb rating,

Both quarterbacks played well  and benefited from having arguably the best recieving core in the NFL in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey, as well as key free agent addition Martellus Bennett.

Marshall and Jeffrey both had 1,000 yard recieving seasons and helped give the bears the passing game they have been trying to find for years. Marshall once again caught 100 balls and had 12 touchdowns, remaining one of the most consistent players in the league.The emergence of Jeffrey helped Cutler by giving him another target. Jeffrey made a name for himself with his unbelivable acrobatic catches this year and should only get better next season. Earl Bennet added 32 grabs and four touchdowns to boost the Bears new passing attack.

Martellus Bennet gave the Bears a pass catching threat at tight end ( 65 catches) but was used more to block late in the season, which affected his recieving numbers. However, he still finished with career highs in catches and yards. He will continue to be a solid player for the Bears in the future as they hope to use him in the red zone more next season.

Matt Forte had the privelage of running behind a much improved offensive line and had another solid season. Forte finished with 1,339 yards and added 74 receptions. Forte seems to be a great fit in Trestmans system for the next few seasons.

As mentioned, the Bears offensive line was much improved and was a big reason for the offenses sucess.  Left tackle, which was a huge issue for Chicago in the past,  was much improved with the addition of Jermon Bushrod, who had a very good season solidifying the blind side for Jay Cutler and Josh McCown. Rookie Kyle Long silenced most of the critics, who questioned the Bears for taking him with their first pick, by bringing a no nonsense attitude to the team. The other rookie lineman Jordan Mills wasn’t taken until the 5th round but was still outstanding in pass and run blocking. Center Roberto Garza had a bounce back year and provided leadership and Matt Slauson did a great job locking down the left side of the line.

For the first time, in what seems like forever, the Bears are stacked on offense, the defense on the other hand…..

 

DEFENSE – D+    briggs and tillman

Harsh I know, however injuries caused this team to turn to guys, who in my honest opinon, should be on someone elses practice squad or at home. The Bears allowed a franchise-record 6,313 total yards and looked nothing like the great Bears defenses of the past.

The Bears could possibly switch to a 3-4 defense in the future to better fit  Shea McClellin, the team’s top draft pick in 2012 who again looked out of place at defensive end in 2013. While it may be too early to call bust, Shea looked lost again this season .He had one mentionable game,the game at Green Bay where he recorded a career high 3 sacks and won the NFC defensive player of the week.

McClellin was not the only under achiever on the Bears defensive line. After the loss of defensive tackle Henry Melton, September 22,the Bears took a chance on Jeremiah Ratliff, who played decent considering he was coming off an injury. Julius Peppers had his worst statistical season in over 5 years and I would be suprised if he was still on the team next year.  Corey Wooton played through injuries, so it was hard to see what he could really do when healthy.

Injuries didn’t only hit the defensive line,  the Bears linebackers also caught the injury bug. Already with the loss of former middle linebacker and future hall of famer, Brian Urlacher, the Bears had to find a new signal caller. When both DJ Williams and Lance Briggs went down, they looked lost and out of place.

Rookie Jon Bostic stuggled and couldnt adjust to the speed of the NFL game at times and it is clear he is not ready to start right now. Bostic will need to improve in the offseason, he finished with 56 tackles and an interception.

James Anderson filled his role decenly, although he didn’t jump off the screen or really do anything that really impressed you. Anderson recorded 102 tackles, but when your defense gives up that many yards, obviously you have something to do with it at times.

With the return of Briggs and the 14th pick in the upcoming NFL draft, the bears do have an opppurtunity to draft another linebacker or pass rusher to help get pressure on the quarterback, something that will be needed if the Bears ever hope to stop Aaron Rodgers and beat the Packers. With Briggs back healthy next year and Bostic another year older and wiser the Bears can only improve.

The Secondary was atrocious and possibly the worst I have ever seen. The loss of Charles Tillman to injury hurt the Bears who not only lost a great player but also a great leader. Before the injury to Tillman ,he looked like age was catching up to him and his time might be up with the Bears. Tillman did have three interceptions but he was getting burned by recivers.  AJ Green torched him week 1.

Tim Jennings was a lone bright spot for the secondary, which explains why he got a new deal right away Thursday. A season after leading the NFL in interceptions, Jennings picked off four passes returning two for touchdowns.

The safety position was the worst in Chicago Bears history; no matter who you ask, they will agree. Chris Conte and Major Wright combined for 160 tackles but only because the run defense couldn’t stop anyone. They combined for 5 interceptions and were burned on key plays throughout the year, including the final defensive play of the year, a 48 yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Randall Cobb to beat the Bears.

The Bears will have to look to the draft to add a safety I would figure, but as said earlier they also need to get a better pass rush established. I always say the teams that win in January are the teams who have a great offensive line and a great pass rush ; the Bears definetly do not have the pass rush and that is why they are sitting at home.

 

SPECIAL TEAMS – C   Devin_Hester_2011_2

It was another solid season for Robbie Gould which included a career high 58 yard field goal, but also included a career low when he missed the game winning kick against Minnesota on second down in overtime.

Punter Adam Podlesh is up and down but when hes down he kills the Bears by giving up poor field position. I think they need to look somewere else, especially after the game in Philadelphia when his terrible punt started the whole mess that became.

Devin Hester had a few nice moments but it was clear we have seen the last of the ” superman” he once was. I would be suprised if he was in a Chicago Bears uniform next year, i see him somewere else, possibly reunting in Tampa Bay with former coach Lovie Smith

 

 

 

 

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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.