Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Top Ten Bears’ Notes/Surprises from Week One

I have quite the random work schedule, so when I am able to watch a Bears game it is usually one half or another, if I’m lucky. However, this time I was able to watch the entire game. Here are the Top Ten Notes/Surprises from the game.

10. Kevin Jones

http://beat.bodoglife.com/wp-content/uploads/kevin_jones_injured_1.jpg
http://beat.bodoglife.com/wp-content/uploads/kevin_jones_injured_1.jpg

After major knee surgery in the off-season, Jones was kind of a question mark for this season. Nobody was really sure what kind of back he would be. After one game it appears that he will be a good second back that can take some of workload off Forte. Even though Forte looked awesome, he was shaken up after a big hit by Bob Sanders and it seems his running style may lead to big hits – he continues to look for extra yards instead of protecting himself like a former Bears running back with a small drinking and driving problem.

9. Peyton Manning

http://holydogwater.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/bears-attacking-peyton-manning.jpg
http://holydogwater.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/bears-attacking-peyton-manning.jpg

Manning was good, but not Manning-good. The Bears kept Manning in check and did not let him take over. Three dropped passes in major spots by his big three receivers also played a major part, but the Bears D kept the Colts in front of them and made Indy earn every point by forcing them into long drives – the Colts did not have a play over 20 yards. If the Bears can force average offenses and quarterbacks, like I don’t know, Aaron Rodgers, into this kind of scheme the Bears will be very strong this season.

8. Lovie Smith and Bears coaches


http://www.amarillo.com/images/012907/42779_512.jpg
http://www.amarillo.com/images/012907/42779_512.jpg

Smith believed the Bears would have won the Super Bowl if they had just stopped the run. Unlike in February 2007, the Bears pressed the line of scrimmage and shut down Joseph Addai, keeping him to 44 yards and giving up a grand total of 53 yards on the ground. By pressing the line the Bears also forced Manning to check down and call blitz pickups, only to watch as the supposed blitzer fall back into coverage, disrupting the offense and limiting receivers because of the check downs, keeping tight ends and running backs in pass protection.

7. Robbie “good-as” Gould

http://www.thefantasykickoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/robbie-gould-chicago-bears-kicker_nc.jpg
http://www.thefantasykickoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/robbie-gould-chicago-bears-kicker_nc.jpg

It appears that the world’s highest paid guy that kicks pointy brown balls between yellow polls was well worth it. As expected, Gould was perfect, nailing two field goals and three extra points. Gould needs to be, well, Gould for the Bears to continue to win. Without a stud at QB, Chicago will rely on his right leg for most of their points on offense and he needs to have another nearly perfect year for the Bears to look as dominate as on Sunday night.

6. D-Hester

http://xark.typepad.com/my_weblog/images/2007/04/08/hester_412x232.jpg
http://xark.typepad.com/my_weblog/images/2007/04/08/hester_412x232.jpg

On special teams, Hester looked pretty much like he always does – nice returns and something stupid. However, I thought the Bears would look his way more on offense. It might be because they ran the ball so well, but the Bears early estimations of 30 offensive plays was way above reality. I hope that they include him more in the offense when teams crowd the line even more than Indy did to stop the run.

5. Kyle Orton

http://www.tremendousupsidepotential.com/ko99999.jpg
http://www.tremendousupsidepotential.com/ko99999.jpg

He did everything and I mean EVERYTHING that the Bears need a QB to do to win. HE DID NOT TURN THE BALL OVER. He may not throw for a 60-yard bomb or throw for three touchdowns, but he definitely can manage a Jim Miller-like offense and that’s fine by me.

4. Matt Forte

http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2008-05/38504161.jpg
http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/photo/2008-05/38504161.jpg

I am going to pat my own back on this one. I WAS RIGHT. THIS GUY IS AWESOME. He showed he had Barry Sanders-esk shiftiness in the preseason, its just the line did not give him the holes to operate properly. Well Sunday they did and Forte got to show off his skills. Forte might end up running for nearly 1,500 yards if the line plays as well as it did on Sunday verse a pretty darn good Indy defense. To put it in perspective, Ced-Ben never had a run of 50 yards in three years. My boy Forte had one in his first night.

3. No Turnovers

http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/rex-grossman-screwed.jpg
http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/rex-grossman-screwed.jpg

With the Sex Cannon behind the helm, the Bears were one play away from a HUGE mistake. However, the sober-ish Orton is a reliable QB that will take what the D gives him and not force a 15-yard out into double coverage. It was sick my friends.

2. Bears Defense

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m238/ascotello/bears-1.jpg
http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m238/ascotello/bears-1.jpg

After looking quite pussy-ish in the preseason, many, including everybody at this site, thought the Bears D had seen the last of their dominance. We were wrong. They looked very strong, holding the Colts to 53 yards rushing and kept Manning’s right arm in front of them. Allowing one touchdown and two field goals to a high powered Indy offense hopefully shows that the Bears D is back to their old ways.

1. The O-Line

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/359169104_fedbf3f178.jpg?v=0
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/359169104_fedbf3f178.jpg?v=0

What can I say, the O-line probably played above their heads. But allowing only two sacks to a team with Dwight Freeney is a success in my book. They also provided large holes in the running game for a two-headed Bears running game. All in all if the O-line plays this strong, the Bears will be very tough to beat. I still remain skeptical, though.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I couldn't even stand to read the remainder of this list after you:

a. Compare Matt Forte to Cedric Benson.

Do you even watch football?

b. PEYTON Manning is going to go down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history and you couldn't even spell his name right.

c. And I don't know anything about this Joseph ADDIA kid, but he sounds great. Wonder if he knows that Joseph ADDAI cat on the Colts.

Inexcusable. I understand spelling a random word here and there incorrectly, a few grammar mistakes.

But the players' names?

What a load of b.s.

Aaron Morgan said...

really? this is your comment... spelling errors? i remember you in high school, you were the guy who corrected the teacher for technicalities, acne, and loves to tally the pitch count at MLB games with your walkman and headphones.

Zach Martin said...

A). I was not comparing them, more of a Benson was terrible thing.

B. You are right. should have used an "E" there

C. Sorry i switched the letters. My bust

If you have anything to say about the actual notes, please let me know

Anonymous said...

"he continues to look for extra yards instead of protecting himself like a former Bears running back with a small drinking and driving problem."

That sounds like a comparison of their running styles to me and not so much of an insult to Benson.

Actually, just more of an insult to Forte.

Try again.

Zach Martin said...

I think the key word there is instead. Or, unlike Benson, Forte continues to look for holes instead of falling down and protecting himself from a hit.

Zach Martin said...

I guess that is a comparison of a good verse bad back. No? I don't know, I guess it doesn't really matter in the end. All I was saying was that Forte looked good. Anything else mr anonymous?

Freddy in the Chi said...

Curtis? Are you back as anonymous commenter, friend? If so, we missed you. If not, and Mr. Anonymous is a new commenter here at TTCS, welcome aboard. The grammatical bashing is always a high point here. Never mind the points that are trying to be made, just get all over the poster, in this case Dubs, for minor errors made as he typed his post furiously.

But if you couldn't even stand to read beyond after the Forte/Benson comparison, how'd you know that, both, the douche bag QB and that cat from the Colts names were spelled wrong?

Just sayin'.

Scott Phillips said...

comparing anyone to Barry Sanders shiftiness besides maybe Reggie Bush once in a great while is absurd, and Jim Miller could actually put up a solid deep ball once in awhile, something Orton will never ever do.