Their last four games were against Carolina, Green Bay, New Orleans and Minnesota. 3 of 4 have top-5 pass offenses, and they played 2 1/2 of those games without Louis Delmas.
And? If they want to make and advance in the playoffs, they will need their defense to play better. After the Raiders game this week, they face the Chargers and Packers, and in the playoffs they will likely face a team with a pretty potent passing offense. To beat good teams, their defense will have to play better than they have. I’m sure there’s a ton of reasons why they haven’t been playing as well, including injuries, but if they want to make the playoffs and advance, they have to play better than they have. If they continue to give up 30+ points a game, it will be pretty rough for them to win.
There’s more than just scoring totals.
This past week, the defense had 6 turnovers and scored 2 TDs. They were also missing 5 starters and the 2 backups that see the most playing time.
The 2 previous weeks they faced Green Bay and New Orleans. They score around 30 points on everyone. Considering all the injuries I thought they did fine at keeping those teams in check.
The 35 points they gave up to Carolina wasn’t impressive. Although 7 points came from a kickoff TD. And the defense still came up with 4 INTs.
The week they gave up 37 to the Bears the defense played great. The Bears had 3 defensive/ST TDs. Detroit’s 6 TOs put Chicago in great field position all day. The Bears had around 200 yards of offense on low efficiency.
I’ve watched all of the Lions games this year. To me, it’s quite obvious that the defense needs to get healthy, while the offense needs to get consistent.
Footballoutsiders.com, which is my favourite of the advanced statistical football sites agrees with me. It has the Lions offense ranked 14th and the defense ranked 8th. It has the special teams ranked 29th (mainly due to terrible punt/kick coverage). Those long returns the Lions have given up this season have forced the defense into some tough situations.
Advanced NFL Stats, the only other free advance stats site I know of also ranks the Lions defense above their offense (7th vs 11th)
I agree with this. Sometimes it’s just frustrating to hear all about how the Bears are missing Cutler/Forte when the Lions were down to 5th and 6th string players at both RB and CB last game with a WR playing S.
I have no arguments that if their play doesn’t improve or if they don’t get healthy they will be in trouble the next few weeks and/or in the playoffs. But really it’s the offense that has to step up and be consistent, IMO.
This article gives an interesting angle on Hurd. Certainly doesn’t give you anything like the stereotype you might have expected. This is just one mans opinion, but maybe this really was a complete shock to everyone.
And there goes the perfect season and at least all the distracting talk that goes with it. The Pack looked very much out of sync and I am sure the Chiefs had a lot to do with that. While I am not worried about the loss (after all, everybody loses, the Saints lost to the Rams earlier this year, so it happens) as much as the injuries on the Offensive line. Some folks seem to think the Pack will waltz to the Super Bowl, but there is still a lot that can happen.
It’s been reported that Johnny Knox recently came out of surgery. He’s obviously out for the season, but they are saying that his NFL “future is bright”. Presumably they expect him to make a full recovery and be back on the field in 2012. This is very good news, hopefully he’s able to rehab and come back without losing a step. A bigger question will be if he can get into the game psychologically. He’s already been a pretty soft and timid player, this might and up making him too scared to be effective at all even if he retains all his speed.
Interesting week for the old NFC North.
The Packers lose. I didn’t get to watch the game, but from what I could gather, the defense couldn’t stop the Chiefs from marching (but did stop them scoring too much, which was good to see) and eating the time of possession, the receivers couldn’t catch a cold, and Rodgers was off for him. Not a good combination.
Moving on from the loss, the biggest concern is that O Line. The injuries were a bear, and they now need an old and tired Clifton to come back and help out, as well as some reserves to make a difference. And that defense needs a boost. Their linebackers are very susceptible in coverage, and with Pickett out, that D Line couldn’t get much pressure at all.
I’m a bit sad that the streak was broken, but it’s a long ass season and injuries can really take a toll on a team. I’m hopeful they’ll get home field throughout next week, and so they can spend some time getting healthy for the playoff run.
The Vikings looked awful, to absolutely no one’s surprise. That secondary is simply atrocious and Brees had a field day out there against them. Their biggest issues now are getting Peterson healthy, checking out the younger players, and trying to develop Ponder into an NFL quarterback.
The Lions came back from the grave with a big win in exciting fashion. The Raiders simply didn’t have a solution to Calvin Johnson. Of course not many teams can or do, but he looked all kinds of awesome out there. There are still issues with the Lions, but it was a good, important win.
And then there are the Bears. First, I hope Johnny Knox has a full recovery, because that was one of the most brutal things I’ve ever seen. Here’s hoping he recovers. Outside of that, boy is it fun watching the Bears suck so hard. Not just losing, but getting creamed by a 7-7 team at home is just plain awful.
I’m shocked at how they have handled (or more precisely didn’t handle at all), the injuries on their team. A few games ago, they were in the hunt for the playoffs with a great defense, and all they really needed was a QB who wouldn’t kill the team and a RB who won’t cost them games. And they didn’t have either. The personnel guys there are apparently awful at finding/developing offensive talent. The Texans are still in the hunt despite losing their QB and stud WR, but the Bears have catastrophic failures without Cutler and Forte. And how they didn’t replace Hanie earlier is beyond me, he is a bad QB. I was a bit worried there with Lovie looking good and Angelo seeming to get good play out of the guys he drafted, but damn, now they just look awful.
Having said that, I’m worried to watch what happens on Christmas night. With the Packers losing their offensive tackles like Sam Hurd loses … something cocaine related … I’m worried Peppers will have a field day with Rodgers. I’m not so worried about getting a win (it would be nice though), I’m more worried about more injuries to our players. Still, I can hope Hanie starts again.
Next week is going to be weird. The Packers protection is in shambles and the Bears pass rush should make plenty of plays. However, the Bears secondary is riddled with injuries and it looks like both our starting safeties will be missing. The Packers WRs looked pretty shabby without Jennings which would have given me confidence, but if Conte and Wright are out again it’s probably back to advantage Packers. Peppers is going to have to step it up along with the rest of the line. For a change it might be wise for the Bears to go nuts and blitz all game long. That’s usually a recipe for disaster for both this defense and anyone against Rodgers, but the timing seems right. It’s not like we have anything to lose.
Offensively I can’t imagine Hanie gets another chance, but I’m not filled with any confidence in McCown either. Enderle doesn’t seem like an option either. We’ll see, it sounds like Martz is really constraining what Hanie is allowed to do. I understand the urge to limit mistakes and be conservative, but Hanie seems to be better freelancing and going downfield. Again, we have nothing to lose so I think I’d opt for starting Hanie one more time and just opening up the play book. If he throws 4 picks so be it, but at least give the defense something to worry about and let’s see if we can get some plays/calls with Hester and Bennett.
As an aside, I love that Orton beat the Packers. It’s like he’s wearing a Bears uni under those Chiefs reds.
I think you’re right. If the 49ers lose tonight, the Packers will clinch the #1 seed in the NFC, and home field throughout the playoffs. If so, with the loss last week, there wouldn’t be much reason for the Packers to play hard. The most important things are to get healthy and protect Aaron Rodgers. If they’re playing behind a makeshift line (it appears they will be down to two regular starters on the line next week), I don’t think I’d mind seeing Matt Flynn back there. The Packers may have nothing to gain, outside of the regular joy of beating the Bears, by beating the Bears.
I’d be surprised if the Bears blitz, they just don’t, and they’re not really good at it.
I try to imagine just how bad McCown and Enderle have to be to not be able to unseat a horrible QB in Hanie, but I just fall down laughing when I do.
Better? From what I’ve seen, there is nothing Hanie is “better” at. The only time he looked like he was good enough to maybe be a backup was against Denver when he didn’t have a single completion past 20 yards.
Desperate times, I guess. But if Hanie is the guy who gives them the “best chance to win”, then that’s a really sad comment on Jerry and Lovie.
Cutler’s record against the Packers 1-5. Orton’s record against the Packers: 3-1. Just sayin’
There was a time when they were good at it. Urlacher and Briggs when younger were great at penetrating up the middle and Tillman was really dangerous coming off the corner. Mike Brown was a terror coming from deep too. As they’ve gotten older it seems like they’ve lost the edge and the scheme has changed to forget about it altogether. 2 years ago the Bears were one of the teams with the highest ratio of blitzes and they were relatively terrible as a result. It was the spur that led to the Peppers signing. I think things changed when Rivera left and Lovie took over the defensive play calling.
I actually missed the game, but McCown got some snaps in in the 4th quarter this week and was basically useless. The stat line only shows 2 attempts, one of which was a INT, so it’s a small sample size but there’s little reason for excitement there. For some reason the Bears are treating Enderle as a red shirt. I can’t imagine that there’s any upside to it contractually or from a roster standpoint but to hear the team talk he’s not an option. Maybe he’s been that underwhelming in practice. No idea, the Bears aren’t talking about it.
The few throws he’s made that were effective came on the run. For some reason that’s more comfortable for him. Maybe he just can’t handle having the line in front of him or something. He’s also had a lot of success scrambling. I think I’d bootleg him like every other down and see what happens. It’s not like we need to protect his health.
I hope you weren’t expecting me to defend the front office here. I think my track record has been pretty steady on that count.
Hey, anyone trying for a free car?
Considering there have been 4 shutouts this year, the game is in Lambeau, the Packers offense is scary good, and I think the guy is pretty safe he won’t have to rebate any money.
Maybe not. The Packers might have the #1 seed locked up and could choose to bench/protect Rodgers in the face of a tattered O line. The Bears defense is capable of stepping up. We shut the Packers out in Lambeau back in 2006. It’s a long shot for sure, but I don’t think it’d be a total shock if this game ended up 10-0 on the frozen tundra. Rivalry game, good defense, cold weather, nothing to play for…that’s a recipe for something unexpected.
I guess that didn’t happen.
Well, the NFC North has a couple of teams in the postseason, including the Number 1 team in the NFL, your Green Bay Packers.
The Lions clinch a playoff spot with a very impressive win against the resurgent Chargers. They’ve been an up and down team all year, and are heading into the playoffs with a strong run at the end. There are still issues with their running game and they may have to face the Saints in New Orleans as their first game, but they’ve gotten the Stafford/Megatron connection going again, which makes them dangerous. Next weeks game is meaningless to the Packers, so, in an odd turn, the Packers can really help the Lions by phoning it in. I still think this team can just as easily beat themselves than win against good teams, but still, it’s been 12 years since they made the playoffs, kudos to them.
The Packers secured home field throughout the playoffs and made me very happy last night embarrassing the Bears. It was no fun watching that run defense suffer without Pickett, and with Raji not living up to his draft position, but they just annihilated the Bears. I think that game was pretty good evidence that the NFL has really changed and that “run the ball and stop the run” isn’t the recipe for success anymore.
And Aaron Rodgers is simply amazing. If he’s not the MVP, I’d be shocked. They’ll likely phone it in next week, and give Matt Flynn a chance to showcase his wares for any NFL teams looking for a QB next season.
The Bears meanwhile. Well, really breaking them down would seem like kicking a dog or taking candy from a baby. Injuries and a lack of quality depth were huge for them this season. After last seasons’ miracle run of health, they could make it a game, but this season showed that they may have a bit of rebuilding to do. But it’s the same thing anyone who follows the Bears already knew (or should have known). Their WR crew is garbage, their O Line, especially at the tackle positions, is horrid in pass protection, and their safeties need a ton of work. Still, if Forte and Cutler get back to health and can make the rest of the players around them look better than they are again, they may be able to make one more run before that defense gets too old.
And the Vikings get a nice win against a bad team. But what a huge cost. They lose their best player for what could a long time, and, thanks to another injury, may have a QB controversy. They too will have to do a fair amount of rebuilding. I’m convinced Leslie Frazier shouldn’t be overseeing that rebuilding though. I do think that, if they got a good, creative offensive co-ordinator, it could be fun to see if a dual QB situation can work in the NFL (Ponder and Webb). Ponder showed flashes, and could really develop given an entire off season in the NFL, and Webb has some playmaking potential. Combined with Harvin, some potential in Rudolph, and a return of AP later next year, I’d love to see that team given over to one of those mad genius OC’s to see what he could make work. But that defense needs to rebuild along that line, and they need a ton of help in the secondary.
Next weeks games are pretty meaningless. I think the Bears should see what they have in Enderle, and decide if Martz is their guy next year (I hope so!), the Vikes can get their young guys some reps, but neither team is really battling for anything. The Lions will want the win more next week, and I think the Packers should give Rodgers limited reps and rest up/get healthy for the playoffs.
Playoffs. Hot damn!
Well, can’t say I went into that game with high hopes, but it’s still disappointing. This season I went from “Just going to enjoy the season” to “Bears are a lock for the playoffs” to “They can still make it” to “I’m ready for next year.”
One interesting thing I noticed this game was that of the Packers 9 possessions, 5 ended in touchdowns and 3 ended in 3 and outs. I’m not sure if that says more about the Packer’s offense or the Bear’s defense, but that seems to happen a lot when those two meet up. Either the Bears stop the Pack early, or they march down the field.
Also, 4 of the 5 GB touchdowns came from nearly the exact same short pass to the left play. that was just plain annoying.
I found it interesting that the pack had no penalties [dio]obvioulsy the ref bribing worked[/dio]
Brian
I was at Lambeau for the game on Christmas Night. I figure an in-depth review is on tap.
Took the family up there as a holiday present for their virgin Lambeau experience. The parents are big football fans but have never been to a real tailgate and have never been to an opposing stadium before. It was an unconventional Xmas for sure, the parents spent Xmas Eve at The Drake and we shopped, had lunch and dinner downtown. I rented a Suburban for the drive up to Green Bay on Xmas Day. We piled in with all our warmest clothes, table and chairs, a cooler full of food, liquor and beer and a crockpot of chili for the tailgate. We made the drive up on deserted highways and had our Christmas day lunch at a Gas Station featuring cold pre-made sandwiches and day-old Garretts popcorn because even McDonald’s was closed for the holiday. We checked into the Holiday Inn by the stadium ($500 a night!) around 2pm and settled in at the bar for pre-pre-game beers while we watched Packers and Bears fans filter into the hotel for the night. The ratio at the hotel was probably 70-30 in favor of the Cheeseheads, though we did meet a pair of English Bears fans who flew in from somewhere outside London.
Around 3:30 we started layering up. The weather forecast was pretty mild for the “frozen tundra” with daytime highs in the upper 30s and overnight lows forecast in the low 20s. Still, the wind was a bitch and it felt a heck of a lot colder than that when you were exposed to it. We headed to the lot in our Bears jerseys and hats and got a good spot right next to the Hutson Center. The chairs were laid and the chili was served up piping hot. All was right with the world. Some rowdy drunk twenty-something Cheeseheads were partying nearby in a shabby RV with a Xmas tree decorated with beer cans and lights and the crappiest stereo system I’ve ever heard. A quiet family of Bears fans were parked next to us with their own tail gate. All in all the ratio was much worse than I anticipated, I suspect a lot of Bears fans who would have normally made the trip cancelled it when Cutler and Forte went down and they rattled off 4 straight ugly losses. If I had to guess the ratio outside the stadium dipped to 5% tops. For the most part everyone was well mannered and behaved. As gametime neared and people funneled by we got heckled a bit, a few of which were really crass, homophobic and ignorant. I like some good-natured trash talk and will embrace mean-spirited stuff so long as it’s at least creative and funny. This was just classless, doubly so since my not-quite elderly parents were the targets. I do find it heartening that the most beloved of Packers’ songs is “The Bears Still Suck”, I take solace knowing that in spite of multiple Championships they are preoccupied with us in their little-brother complex.
When we headed to the game we found our seats everything settled down. We were mostly surrounded by Packer fans as you’d expect. Some lame Bears fans sat in front of us, showed up 30 minutes late and left 30 minutes early and didn’t hardly pay attention to the game. I think they scooped up the tickets for a song when some jaded Chicagoan was giving them away. There was a bizarre number of people wearing both Orange and Green in some grotesque display of a lack of social mores. All in all we had a decent experience once we sat down. We were on the East side so the wind was blocked by the suites which kept us nice and toasty. The Packer fans behind us were knowledgeable and we gave and got plenty of good trash talk. Everyone knew the outcome was a foregone conclusion and I think they were more worried/angry about how well our offense played than we were about the actual score. Anyways, enough foreplay, on to the actual game.
The Packers opening drive was really demoralizing. It set the tone for the whole game. Bears fans were pretty much quieted throughout and the Packers fans settled into a quiet confidence. We tackled really poorly. Made mistakes and got no pressure on Rodgers then entire possession. The completions to Finley were far too easy. Expecting Roach to handle him alone was a bad strategy. The Bears always give up a lot to quality TEs and this was no exception.
On the subsequent drive the Bears offense was surprisingly effective until it was stalled by a really sloppy penalty that negated a big play. They ran the ball 6 consecutive times to start the game and were really effective. After a pair of penalties we settled or a FG which Gould uncharacteristically missed. This was the first of many let downs by the Special Teams. The return game was practically non-existent all game. We didn’t give up much to Cobb either, but Hester was pretty obviously limited out there. He didn’t have his usual quickness and often settled for running out of bounds when his first cut was ineffective.
The Packers followed up with a 3 and out, one of several the Bears forced during the game. On the next possession, the Bears went back to the run attack with 4 more straight runs by Bell who was looking like Arian Foster at this point. Disaster was averted when a deflected pass intended for Roy Williams was nearly intercepted. We settle for a punt, this game is starting to look like it has the makings of a grind it out low scoring affair.
The Bears forced another 3 and out from the Packers who are running the no huddle, typically a strategy that gives the Bears issues for some reason. At least thus far we’re holding them down and Rodgers can’t get any of his deep balls on target and they can’t run the ball at all. On the next drive undrafted golden domer Armando Allen, who the Bears activated off their practice squad this week, get’s a series to spell Bell. He’s small and quick and half the crowd thinks it’s Garrett Wolfe (who was never even close to this quick and effective). 6 more runs on this drive and the Packer fans are getting legitimately worried about their run defense and this game. McCown makes his first big play to Roy Williams who had his first of a few big catches to extend this drive on the first series. Bears fans are both heartened and pissed about Hanie at the same time after watching McCown make a clutch throw. Bell loses a fumble which is miraculously recovered by McCown. I’m officially developing a man-crush on McCown at this point, but understand that I was tipsy and vulnerable. It all came crashing down a couple plays later when Matthews makes an athletic interception on a zone blitz call that resulted from a terrible missed block from Clutts. Clutts had a pretty bad game here. That’s 2 golden opportunities to score blown by the Bears. The game should be at worst 7-6 right now.
The Bears defense bowed its back and forces another 3 and out. Packer fans are looking terrified at this point. They’ve seen this offense struggle to score against he Bears before and they know they’ve been fortunate to still be winning. Bears fans are feeling confident but know that we must put points on the board this drive. They go back to ground and pound with 6 runs, 1 middle screen and one pass on a 9 play scoring drive capped by a Gould FG. Both Allen and Bell are running wild, but on a crucial 3rd and 4 from the 13 the Bears got timid and called another run. With nothing to lose you’ve got to go play action here and try and get 7, it almost felt as if the Bears were settling for 3. Understandable considering how the last red zone trip worked out, but we missed an opportunity to put the Packers on their heels. The fans were legitimately pumped they held us here.
On the next series everything went pear shaped. Robbie kicked a short kickoff, a very rare occurrence for him, and we surrendered a 35 yard return putting Rodgers is a strong position with 2 minutes to play. It’s at this point that the Bears pass rush needs to step up. We know Rodgers is throwing and they have a patchwork offensive line. By all accounts we should have been hounding him all game long. Instead we get no pressure on him and he absolutely cuts us up. He goes to work on the middle of the field and our LBs and Safeties aren’t even remotely up to the task. The TD drive is capped off with the first of 3 embarrassing quick slants from the goalline that abuse Bowman, and the Bears do nothing to account for it. Why aren’t we playing man press here? Why aren’t we dropping a LB in the zone against a team that has no running attack? After a really strong 2nd quarter the Packers drive at the end of the half was crushing. It felt like the defense almost quit after this.
At the half everyone is feeling good in Packerland. We were feeling pretty chesty after running for 150 yards in the first half before that last drive even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect it. The Cheeseheads were worried and we had all the Mo. A bad kick, no pass rush and bad coverage unraveled that in no time. At least we had brats and beers to keep us warm.
The Bears receive to open the second half and it really couldn’t have gone any better. Following that last effort I had no hopes, but McCown and the offense decided they weren’t done. The dedicated running attack continues, McCown catches the defense with their pants down on a scramble that leads to a huge gain for Earl Bennett down to the GB 1. It’s a little embarrassing that Bennett didn’t score on this play (evidence of a terrible WR group), but it all worked out in the end. Bell gets the carry off tackle and fumbles on what should have been a easy TD. The Bears catch a break and OG Edwin Williams scoops up the TD. This makes for 2 fumbles by Bell, he looked outstanding for the second week in a row but he’s not going to get taken seriously as a potential feature back or platoon guy with Forte if he keeps coughing it up on soft hits. He needs to run with the same intensity without sacrificing ball security. At this point it’s 14-10 Packers and the Bears have the potential to recapture the momentum against all odds with a solid defensive series.
That potential lasted all of about a minute, as Rodgers connected with Nelson for a way-to-easy 55 yard bomb. This was TERRIBLE coverage by Major Wright, he bit badly on a play fake and didn’t recover at all. If I thought I was demoralized after the end of the half it’s two fold now. It’s not common that it’s the Bears defense that absolutely gives a game away, and few would have expected it this week with so few known names on offense, but they played like dogshit down the stretch.
The Bears “responded” with a 3 and out. Rodgers comes back and engineers another methodical drive ending in another easy short goal line pass that exploits Bowman, this time to the outside. Again, no press, a passive inside technique that gives away the corner. Game, set, match.
McCown tossed an INT on a desperate 3rd down heave. Rodgers and Nelson hook up again to get into the red zone, against Bowman, and then Bowman get abused for another quick slant on the goal line. Well, I guess we know where Bowman stands this offseason. 35-10 Packers at the end of the 3rd quarter. Rodgers gets sent to the bench and Flynn comes in. McCown does some nice things as do several of the other young guys in garbage time but it doesn’t matter.
The Packers had no penalties, no turnovers and the Bears were only credited with 1 sack and 1 QB hit. They were basically flawless. The Bears did some things well, but if you can’t get any pressure on Rodgers and the Packers make no mistakes you’re dead meat. None of us went to Lambeau expecting a victory and we frankly got more than we hoped for from our skill position players, but that defensive effort was really discouraging. It only highlighted the fact that the window might be closing on this group sooner than we anticipated.
It was a fun and unique way to spend Christmas for sure. The family had a blast and the loss wasn’t too much of a damper considering our modest expectations. One more meaningless game for the Bears and a then a long cold winter which will probably feature a whole bunch of changes for the Bears. As usual this ended up being was longer than I anticipated. Next week, a 2011 Bears post-mortem.