Sunday night’s battle for first place completely reversed direction over the course of five consecutive plays. The Chicago Bears, up 7-3, had first-and-goal inside the five-yard line of the Vikings and looked ready to take a 14-3 lead in what could be a defining game of their season. Following an incompletion over the middle to Greg Olsen, a Matt Forte run off left tackle, a Jason Davis run up the middle, and a Forte run up the middle, the Bears turned the ball over on downs. On the very next play, Gus Frerotte found ex-Bear Bernard Berrian on the sideline behind broken Charles Tillman coverage for a 99-yard touchdown pass. Minnesota went up 10-7 and proceeded to humiliate the “Mediocre of the Midway” for the rest of the night. 

You knew Kyle Orton would have another bad game this season. I don’t mean one of those 15 for 31, 130 yards and no touchdown or interception games either. Kyle completed only 11 of his 29 attempts with two touchdowns. His streak of pass attempts without an interception extended to 205 through the first half, but that streak ended violently after halftime. Through a stretch of only seven attempts, Orton threw three interceptions, all of which can be placed squarely on Kyle’s poor decision-making. Matt Forte ran the ball 22 times for 96 yards, which is solid output against a defense that makes its living off of stopping the run. Forte still didn’t have a legitimate back-up, with Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe adding only one carry apiece. Kevin Jones was not even active for this contest, making it all but certain he won’t be re-signed in the off-season. The biggest issue besides Orton’s interceptions was the sloppy play of the wide receivers and tight ends. Too many times they were hit in stride by Orton passes and failed to bring in the catch. Hester and Olsen each had throws hit them in the hands or arm but couldn’t focus on making the reception amidst tight coverage. When your best playmakers can’t get the ball in their hands, it proves to be problematic. Chicago’s offense never really asserted itself in this one, scoring two touchdowns, one in the first and the other in the third quarter. Hester claimed one of those scores, burning three Viking defensive backs on his way to a 65 yard play to the end zone. It was one of the few impressive feats the Bears managed. Defensive end Jared Allen accounted for all of Minnesota’s 3 sacks, beating left tackle John St. Clair on a routine basis with his speed. It wasn’t pretty. (Neither is Jared Allen’s mullet. Have you seen this atrocity? He’s balding, has the bulk of his head buzzed, but with this area at the back of his head that’s grown out. I can’t really look at it.) 

Continue reading "Bears get Roasted in Minnesota"

 A few division races may have been settled, and the Jets have been dethroned as the best team in the AFC after only one week. How about the Giants you ask? Well they're just fine. Week thirteen is in the books and online in this Final Drive!

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23, New Orleans Saints 20

The Bucs needed to fight off a fourth quarter rally with a late field goal and two interceptions in the final four minutes, but they managed to come out on top over Drew Brees and the Saints. Tampa’s secondary picked off the MVP candidate Brees three times in total and held the Saints to 44 rushing yards to prove their defense is still one of the best on football. Jeff Garcia had a sub-par outing, going 9 for 23 and one touchdown, but Jon Gruden’s squad found a way to win. The Saints would need to win out and get a lot of help in order to get into the playoffs, so they’ll need to start looking at ways to improve that defense… again.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 13"

If you’re looking to predict the outcome of the Bears match-up this weekend, take a look at the last three contests for Chicago. They were stomped by Green Bay, then did the stomping against St. Louis, and were underfoot again versus Minnesota. Following that pattern, the Chicago Bears should whip out their steel-toed boots when the Jaguars come to town this Sunday. Then again, when do these Bears ever follow the formula?  

If Lovie Smith and the offensive coaching staff have even a rudimentary football acumen (and I’m not confident they do), they’ll realize that an effective rushing attack is the key to beating the Jaguars. Normally a strength, Jacksonville’s rush defense has sagged this season, dropping to 20th in the league and allowing 115 yards a game and 4.3 yards a carry. That plays into the hands of Matt Forte and the offensive line, who rush for the same 115-yard average, which ranks 17th in the NFL. Pro Bowl caliber cornerback Rashean Mathis is out for the Jaguars, which will make throws into the secondary safer for Kyle Orton after unleashing his inner Grossman last week. Now it’s on the wide receivers and tight ends to get separation so Orton can find them downfield. Otherwise it won’t matter who is playing across the line of scrimmage. There’s only one offensive injury of note for the Bears: Fullback Jason McKie has missed every practice so far this week, making it more likely that undrafted rookie Jason Davis will start his second NFL game.  

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars at Chicago Bears"

It may not have been a lop-sided blowout, but it certainly wasn’t a heart-stopping, vomit-inducing rollercoaster either. The Bears came out on top of the Jacksonville Jaguars 23-10 in what ended up being a relaxing Sunday afternoon competition. Chicago put themselves on top early and held firm against the Jags, careful not to blow another fourth quarter lead this season. 

On their third defensive play of the day, the Bears forced their only turnover, and what a valuable one it was. Nickel corner Danieal Manning intercepted David Garrard at the 47-yard line and brought it all the way back to the Jacksonville five. Two plays later Kyle Orton found Desmond Clark in the end zone to give Chicago a 7-0 lead. Chicago would go on to score 13 more in the first half, thanks to two Robbie Gould field goals and a stretching Greg Olsen touchdown. The score was 20-3 at halftime so it was all but over for the offensively-challenged Jaguars. Devin Hester had another sound performance at wide receiver, pulling in a 31 yard reception, as well as a punt return for 22 yards to the Jacksonville 22 that set up one of the first half field goals. Conversely, he also fumbled twice on punt returns, which is unacceptable whether he recovered them or not. Kyle Orton threw an interception early in the third quarter, but the Jags couldn’t capitalize, keeping the victory intact. Matt Forte only rushed for 69 yards on 21 carries, but he also caught five passes for 37 yards as he passed Gale Sayers for most scrimmage yards by a rookie in Bears history. So even on a quiet day, Forte made a loud statement. Still, even amidst a solid outing, the Bears had their troubles. They only converted on 5 of 15 third downs, a growing concern for Ron Turner and the offensive staff. The second half was an offensive dry spell, as the Bears had one interception, one field goal, and four punts. They won’t defeat playoff opponents if they can’t keep drives alive late in games.  

Continue reading "Bears Avoid Drama by Handily Defeating Jaguars"

It was an odd but exciting weekend in the NFL; we saw both New York squads score 14 and lose as well as thrilling division upsets in the NFC South and NFC East. Let’s get to the best of week 14 in the latest edition of the Final Drive.

New Orleans Saints 29, Atlanta Falcons 25

The Saints aren’t exiting the NFC South playoff hunt without a fight. Matt Ryan of the Falcons may have been the better quarterback on the field, but Drew Brees had a better running game backing him up. New Orleans racked up 184 yards rushing thanks to 102 yards from Pierre Thomas and 80 from the now healthier Reggie Bush. Atlanta still has a shot at a wild card spot since Dallas lost, but they didn’t do themselves any favors.

Philadelphia Eagles 20, New York Giants 14

The Giants’ schedule in the second half of the season was too rough to go undefeated, but I’m sure they’d prefer not to lose to a surging division rival. Eli Manning was under fifty percent in completion percentage while the Giants converted only 3 of 11 third downs. The Eagles physically asserted themselves by rushing 41 times for 144 yards, going 12 for 18 on third down, and winning the time of possession battle with 35 minutes. Philly needs to win out and get some help, but their post-season hopes aren’t dashed yet.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 14"

The Saints are marching in to Solider Field tonight. Ugh. (That exclamation is directed at both the overused lyric reference and the impending contest.) In the midst of a fight for their playoff lives, the Bears and Saints can ill afford another loss on their records. One team is going to walk off the field wondering what went wrong this season while the other will keep fighting to extend theirs. If the Bears expect to defeat the top-ranked aerial assault that is Drew Bress and the Saints, Lovie Smith’s defensive expertise must be in full effect.
 

Shutting down Brees has not been an easy task this season, and his numbers serve as the evidence. He is tied with San Diego’s Philip Rivers for the league lead in touchdowns with 26 and ranks first in passing yardage with 4100 with three weeks remaining. He completes just over 65% of his attempts and has been sacked only ten times through his thirteen outings. It doesn’t bode well for the Bears, whose defense has been particularly vulnerable to air attack. Corners Charles Tillman and Nathan Vasher have underperformed this season, with Tillman being burned on numerous big gains and Vasher plagued by injuries. The only statistic that plays into their favor is that Brees is tied for second most interceptions in the league with 14, a sign that turnovers may be had on the windy field of Chicago. The Bears will surely get their opportunities since the Saints are not a threat to run the ball, in spite of the 180 plus yards they gained on the Falcons last Sunday. Drew Brees will drop-back quite a bit, ensuring that two or three throws will be up for grabs. Chicago needs only to do the grabbing. If they can’t capitalize on their chances, the Bears will be overwhelmed by the weaponry Coach Sean Payton has at his disposal. Jeremy Shockey, Marques Colston, and Reggie Bush all have the ability to break down defenses in various ways, but it is Bush that will be the x-factor for the Saints. His triple threat as a running back, wide receiver and punt return specialist could expose the Bears’ defensive schemes if utilized correctly. Lovie Smith must ensure his defenders are put in the best position to make plays in order to give his offense enough possessions to match the Saints’ point output. 

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: New Orleans Saints at Chicago Bears"

Well, they’re alive for another week. They needed two clutch Robbie Gould field goals in a comeback effort to survive, but the Chicago Bears defeated the New Orleans Saints in overtime last Thursday night. It was by no means a pretty victory, but when you’re in the midst of a playoff race, winning is the only thing that matters. 

Week fifteen in the NFL started off with a bang as Danieal Manning took the game’s opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown, proving that he is extraordinarily effective as a replacement for the struggling Devin Hester. Manning has made huge plays in the past two contests, setting the table for his teammates by giving them early points on the board. Kyle Orton had another rough night, throwing two interceptions and fumbling the ball away once. In all fairness however, one of those picks bounced off of Rashied Davis’ hands into the waiting hands of a Saint defender and the fumble was really the fault of center Olin Kreutz, who snapped the ball early as the Bears were backed up at their own goal line, so I can’t place all three turnovers on Orton’s shoulders. Still, Orton has thrown six interceptions in three games after throwing only four in his first ten outings. His ankle injury may be troubling more than he lets on, but he still found a way to lead his team on late scoring drives that set up the win. Greg Olsen made plenty of key grabs, catching eight of Orton’s 24 completions. Matt Forte left the field after his very first carry with a toe injury, but returned to score a touchdown in the second quarter. Chicago only rushed for 55 yards total, choosing to abandon the run as the game progressed. Devin Hester was the real threat for Chicago, despite catching only four passes for 46 yards. He drew two significant pass interference calls on Saint defenders downfield, the last of which put Gould in perfect position the kick another game-winner. The Bears only scored six points in the final half plus overtime, continuing their trend of letting up on beaten squads. Ron Turner needs to get creative in these final weeks. 

Continue reading "Bears Rebound in OT to Beat Saints"

Week 15 featured some tremendous divisional games with major playoff implications, while the AFC East contenders all won to reach 9-5, ensuring superb action down the stretch. Last weekends outcomes set up two tremendous contests in week 16 that will be for the top seeds in each conference. The Final Drive of week 15 fills you in.

Atlanta Falcons 13, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10

If the Falcons are going to make it into the playoffs, this will be the win that propelled them. Matt Ryan played one of his worst games of the season, throwing two interceptions against a hard-nosed Tampa defense. Coming to his aid was running back Michael Turner, who posted 152 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Atlanta abused Tampa QB Brian Griese by sacking him four times, three of which came from defensive end John Abraham. Griese filled in for the injured Jeff Garcia, who sat out with a calf injury. If Garcia is out for any significant period of time, it could spell doom for the Bucs’ playoff chances after being in the driver’s seat only a few weeks ago.

Continue reading "Joey A's Final Drive: Week 15"

We have match-ups in each conference that will decide the number one seed and a number of teams looking to secure their seat at the postseason table. Week sixteen’s Opening Drive begins right now!

Baltimore Ravens (9-5) at Dallas Cowboys (9-5)

As each team sits at a 9-5 logjam with other wildcard hopefuls, Saturday night's contest will go a long way in fulfilling their postseason aspirations. The main difference is that while Dallas is in contention for either wild card slot, Baltimore is fighting for only one, as Indianapolis will likely end up with the fifth seed. Dallas made a “Giant” statement by beating the NFC’s best last Sunday night and can’t afford a let-down versus the Ravens. Tony Romo is assured a few bad throws, but if he can put up enough points the Ravens won’t be able to recover. Joe Flacco is looking to rebound from a terrible showing against Pittsburgh, needing a big game to outscore the Dallas offense. The Ravens’ defense won’t have much room for error, as their offense will not explode against a stout Dallas defensive front.

Continue reading "Joey A's Opening Drive: Week 16"

It seems only fitting that what could end up as the Chicago Bears’ final game of significance this season comes against their biggest rivals the Green Bay Packers. If you choose to recall week 11’s trouncing at Lambeau Field, revenge would be that much sweeter. Oh, I hear revenge is a dish best served cold. Well, with an expected high of only seven degrees in Chicago, it could be on the menu Monday night. This time around, the Packers have been eliminated from playoff contention, and the Bears are the team fighting to stay alive. Since the Vikings chose to lose four fumbles to Atlanta yesterday, the Bears are playing with a purpose. 

Running back Matt Forte is listed as questionable with that toe injury he suffered last week against New Orleans, so the running game could be in a spot of trouble. If Kevin Jones doesn’t see action tonight, he must be truly abysmal in the eyes of the coaching staff. Attacking the Green Bay defensive front by establishing the run will keep Aaron Rodgers and the offense on the sidelines where they belong. Controlling the time of possession will be important in the frigid weather, and an effective rushing attack will speed the game up, of which I’m sure all the players would be in favor. Kyle Orton’s bothersome ankle should be completely healed by now, giving him the power and velocity back in his throwing motion. He’ll need it to get passes past this aggressive Packer secondary that plays mainly in man-coverage. Hopefully Ron Turner will take it out of Orton’s hands by rotating running backs in an attempt to maintain healthy production handing the ball off. The offensive line will play an integral role in dominating the Packers’ front seven if Forte is to have any success. Whatever strategy they employ, they certainly need to score more than the three points they mustered in week eleven. 

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears"