I’m defensive because the Bears got “jobbed” by that rule many times over the years, and no 'outrage". Suddenly they benefit from it and it’s a “bad rule”. It was a “bad rule” on 12-26-04 IN DETROIT but you didn’t hear all the whining from the players, fans, and media.
We beat Dallas, asd the media says it was because Dallas wasn’t a good team. We beat the “holy” Packers, and they say it’s ALL because of the penalties. Who CAUSED the holding calls?
And yes I hate the Packers, so we can agree on that, but I also think Favre as surpassed even Deion (Toe Boy) Sanders as the most overrated player in NFL history. When Drama Momma throws TWENTY-NINE picks in 05, he’s “just trying to win”. When Cutler throws 26 last year with a new system and green recievers he’s “just not the QB chicago paid for”. Bah!
Its just amazing how so many fans of any team think they are somehow the most victimized team in history. And that goes for every team…except the Packers of course, our fans are all reasonable, smart, and very good-looking.
My POV: the Bears played hard last night, and, overall, executed pretty well. The Pack got some pressure on Cutler early, but the Bears generally managed to keep Clay Matthews out of his grill, which is saying quite a bit. Urlacher and Briggs were on a mission. And, yes, some of the Packers’ penalties were a direct result of the offensive line (over-)reacting to what the Bears’ defense was doing.
That said, what put the game over the top for the Bears, IMO, was the Packers shooting themselves in the foot time and again. Two interceptions wiped out by penalties, and another two interceptions dropped. The holding penalty which wiped out Finley’s TD, followed by the blocked FG. The line-drive punt directly at Hester, followed by outpunting the coverage and giving Hester a chance to set up his return (which he did, spectacularly well). The stupid, STUPID pair of unnecessary roughness penalties on the Bears’ winning drive (particularly Collins’ upending of Forte after the whistle blew).
In the end, the Packers came across, to me, as undisciplined and poorly coached, which is not the first time they’ve seemed that way under McCarthy.
Well, jeez…MY team is 3-0, and beat two teams picked to go to the Super Bowl.
Just saying, maybe you should pay attention to who is winning here.
Could they lose the rest of theoir games? Sure, anything is possible, but going by what is true RIGHT NOW, maybe you should rethink your choice of Kool Aid flavors.
I’m not looking to be all punchy here, and I’m sure I’ve been guilty of similar stances in the past, but I don’t think that argument is fair.
First off, the vast majority of the Pack’s killer penalties were a direct result of the Bears pass rush. The Packers seemed to make a conscious effort to hold the Bears as opposed to letting Rodgers get beat up. Not sure if that’s a coaching choice or if it was just accidental, but every one of those false starts and holds were a direct result of the Bears playing well up front. You can’t say that was “sloppy play” by the Packers, penalties like those are a specific part of a teams game plan and why you want guys like Peppers.
The Packers run game was completely and totally eliminated. They were hopeless at running the ball which put additional pressure on the pass protection and allowed the Bears to pin their ears back. That wasn’t poor coaching or sloppy play, that was the lack of any talent at RB and the quality of the Bears run defense this game and all season.
The big pass interference on Burnett wasn’t a sloppy play either. Martz called an excellent play that got Bennett matched up on a linebacker and Cutler read the play properly and made a good throw. Burnett was badly beaten on the route and the PI is one of the expected results when you get favorable matchup. That Collins made the exceptional athletic play to get the INT was incidental. It’s not like Burnett could see that coming any more than Cutler could. The result was mostly decided when the Bears caught the Packers in that blitz.
The Hester punt return TD wasn’t a fluke either. Remember that play came on the heels of the Bears turning the ball over on downs following Clark’s drop. Nevermind the fact that that drop would have and should have scored a TD, the Bears took the risk on 4th down because they knew even in failure they’d have the Pack pinned to the goalline and would force great field position. The held for a change and forced the Pack to kick from the Shadow of their goal posts. Hester was ending up with excellent field position no matter what the Packers did. The return TD just shortened the outcome. It wasn’t as if the Bears returned a kick off out of the blue due to a Packer tripping.
Remember that the Bears got screwed by a much less clear roughing the passer call in the first half that salvaged a scoring drive for the Packers.
The Packers didn’t play well. They got beat repeatedly at the point of attack and the Bears DBs played exceptionally well against the Packers wide outs. They allowed the Pack to throw the ball underneath and played the frustrating bend-but-don’t break style they have for years. They always give up big passing stats, but they tighten up in the red zone and had they tackled better the Packers offense would have been stifled more totally.
The Lions can’t win unless Stafford gets back. Hill sucks royally. With Stafford playing they have a punchers chance.
Ummm, no. Their killer penalties were the pass interference that negated Collins’ interception on the last Bears drive, the unnecessary roughness on Collins that led to the Bears’ game tying field goal, and the roughing the passer on Zombo that negated yet another interception. Only the holding one Tauscher on Finley’s TD catch was a killer one on the O Line. The Pack moved the ball well most of the other times (except on their own 1 yard line).
Of course false start and holding penalties are the result of players trying to stop a pass rush. That’s pretty evident. But you do have a point. The pass rush the Bears brought certainly contributed to the holding/false start calls.
Yes, the Bears stopped the run making the Packers one dimensional on offense. Good on them.
Now you’re just reaching. Bennett was matched up with the guy who committed the PI, Burnett. Who isn’t a linebacker, he’s their strong safety. I haven’t seen the replay anywhere, but his coverage wasn’t that bad either.
Oh for fucks sake, this is getting fucking ridiculous.
Would it help if I admitted that there wouldn’t have been a PI if the ball wasn’t somehow catchable? Or that Cutler threw a pretty pass?
How about if I agree that the mistakes the Packers made were, in part, because of the Bears? Could we have a meeting of the minds without having to make outlandish claims like getting a PI call was nigh but inevitable because the Packers blitzed? Would an agreement that the Bears defense played very well stop you from making these ridiculous conclusions.
THE PASS WAS INTERCEPTED. Getting a PI call was not anywhere near decided when the blitz came. Cutler was blitzed, and threw into double coverage, like he had been all night. One of the guys covering INTERCEPTED THE BALL, while the other, who by my recollection was right there with Bennett, and actually in front of him a bit, committed what got called pass interference.
Sheesh.
Hester is a very good return man. Kudos to him and the Bears special teams crew, they whupped up on the Packers’ special teams.
The Packers put up 379 yards of total offense and over 300 through the air. Even though everybody and their mother knew the Pack would be passing, they still got those yards.
The Packers made some huge, game changing mistakes and the Bears defense played very well, so the Bears won. Kudos and congratulations to the Bears. But you take away those mistakes the Packers made, and they beat the Bears. Take away the roughing the passer, and the interception stands. Take away the PI, the interception stands. Take away the holding, the Packers get a touchdown.
But, as I said, congratulations Bears on your victory. Best of luck.
The Bears made huge, game changing plays on defense and special teams that made the difference on the scoreboard and won the game. I don’t know why it’s so hard for Packer fans to just admit their team got beat, but the Packers got beaten fair and square. Hester beat them. Peppers beat them. Even Cutler beat them.
Because it’s the Bears, and they are Packer fans. When the Packers win, they give us grief for making excuses. It’s hard to be beaten by your biggest rival.
For Packer fans in’t even worse, because their hero now plays for another rival, so they have to critisize someone they spent 15 years admiring and defending, AND they have to lose to him.
I would say, imagine Walter Payton going to the Packers, but that would never happen. Walter had class, and knew how to retire with dignity.
Let me know when you rewatch the amazing “they’re blitzing so I’ll throw into double coverage, have it intercepted, but get a pass interference call” play. Sheer genius that call.
The interception happened only as a result of the receiver being tackled by one of the DB’s. The INT was caused by the penalty. And it wasn’t double coverage. Collins was not in the area when the throw was made. He ran in and dove to make the catch after Burnett drove Bennet out of the play. Without the interference, there would have been no chance for a pick. The Packers did not make a play and have it taken back. They committed a foul to keep from having a play made on them. Collins diving to catch the ball is no more meaningful than when a basketball player sinks a shot after committing a charge.
Vikings didn’t play. I had familial commitments, so I didn’t get to watch the Packer/Lions game (nor get my fantasy football rosters in order, but that’s a different thread).
But I did get to see the Bears game. Wow. That was an ugly, ugly game.
Once again, their defense looked good, especially Peppers. But they wore down as the game went on. But they got the turnovers the Bears need. Unfortunately, their O Line just flat out stunk, Cutler held the ball to long (and missed a wide open Hester that woulda gone for a TD), Forte was useless, any adjustments were minimal and ineffective. Just a bad game by the Bears Offense (fun fact: Ahmad Bradshaw rushed for more yards than the entire Bears Offense totalled for the game, both passing and running).
I was tad bit upset that the Bears didn’t put up a good showing for the NFC North, but I’d be lying to say I didn’t enjoy watching them just get pummelled.
And the Packers lose another starter for the year. Morgan Burnett, starting SS (and a rookie), is done for the season with a torn ACL. With Atari Bigby on the PUP list after ankle surgery and Charlie Peprah nursing an injury, that leaves the Packers even thinner at the safety position. Sigh.
