Since I'm in a crunch for writing time tonight, this will be a speedy preview of the Bears' fourth and final preseason outing! If you actually like watching scrubs fight for jobs (purest form of competition if you ask me), be sure to tune in tonight and cheer for players you'll never see again! Here's what else to watch for tonight before the roster cuts on Saturday:

Who needs starters?

Jay Cutler, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Olin Kreutz, Earl Bennett, Hunter Hillenmeyer, Major Wright, Nick Roach, Caleb Hanie and Craig Steltz. That's the list of Bears that will be sitting out tonight's contest. I've heard some hubbub about not seeing Cutler tonight, but I don't care in the slightest. I don't want to see him take unnecessary sacks in a meaningless game for one series. Here's to scrubs!

Continue reading "Joe's Preseason Preview: Bears at Browns"

The preseason is finally over! With the final game in the books (a 13-10 loss to the Browns, if you even care), the Bears have decisions to make before Saturday's 5:00 PM deadline to cut the roster to 53 players. Here's what I saw during this fairly lackluster contest.

 

Collins to the rescue...sorta 

After bringing him in less than two weeks ago, the Bears started veteran back-up Todd Collins in Cleveland Thursday night. He did not disappoint. Collins was crisp and clean in the half of action he saw, showing no rust of a player who hadn't seen a practice field in months. He's a career back-up who knows how to play the game and find the open receivers well. That being said, playing well against Cleveland's second team defense doesn't mean all that much. So no one should be calling for Jay Cutler's benching after seeing this ONE game. He'll make Lovie Smith sleep better at night, but let's hope nothing else.

Continue reading "Collins impresses in Bears' final preseason game"

Ugh. Do we really have to talk about the AFC West? Aside from the Chargers, there isn't a legitimate contender in the bunch. (And even San Diego will just crumble in the playoffs as usual.)  Oh well. Here's what I see from the worst division in football.

Kansas City Chiefs

During the offseason the Chiefs installed Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel as the offensive and defensive coordinators under head coach Todd Haley. We might as well call them the Kansas City Patriots with ex Pat Matt Cassel at QB. Signing veteran RB Thomas Jones will give Jamaal Charles some competition and provide some leadership in that locker room. Chris Chambers came on strong after being traded to the Chiefs and should put up heftier numbers, especially if Dwayne Bowe decides to live up to his first round selection status.

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: AFC West"

 

Billed for years as the most competitive division in the league, the NFC East looks on its way back to fulfilling that claim this season with four legitimate playoff contenders. I throw my predictions into the crazy mix!

Washington Redskins

After struggling under first time head coach Jim Zorn, the Redskins turned to Mike Shanahan to revamp their image and bring success back to D.C. They acquired Donovan McNabb in a trade with the division-rival Eagles to lead Kyle Shanahan's offense. After a competition of elder running backs, Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson will share carries with Keiland Williams out of the backfield. Santana Moss is still the speedy outside threat, but it gets thin beyond him at receiver. Devin Thomas has shown flashes but little else. Mike Furrey is dependable but not intimidating. Joey Galloway is old. I mean, seriously old. The 'Skins also drafted Trent Williams fourth overall to be their left tackle for years to come and traded for Jammal Brown from New Orleans, giving some stability to a wavering offensive line.

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: NFC East"

 

No division in football may be as physical as the AFC North. Even though the Steelers have the rings to back them up, QB woes leave the division in doubt. Can Baltimore claim the throne or Cincinnati repeat? Here's my take on each team's chances: 

Cleveland Browns

Winning the last four games in 2009 surely saved Cleveland coach Eric Mangini his job as new team president Mike Holmgren took charge. Now in 2010, Mangini has work cut out for him in a brutal division with far superior teams. The team released Derek Anderson and trading Brady Quinn, instead signing the semi-awful Jake Delhomme to run Holmgren's west coast offense and trading for Seneca Wallace to back him up. Delhomme threw over twice as many interceptions (18) as touchdowns (8) last season in only 11 games. Yikes. James Davis turned some heads last season at running back, but he won't catch anyone off-guard this year. Their receivers are awfully young, with second-year men Mohamed Massaquoi and Brian Robiskie the likely starters. The always-dangerous Josh Cribbs should get 6-10 touches on offense per game. Coming from a guy who witnessed Devin Hester's decline, Mangini would be wise to not overuse him and waste his special teams energy. While the offensive line isn't putrid thanks to tackle Joe Thomas, they need a lot of work.

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: AFC North"

Formerly known as the "Black and Blue" division, the NFC North is now the "Air and Space" division, with four legitimate quarterbacks and each team's ability (on paper anyway) to score bundles of points. Will Brett Favre and the Vikes repeat as division champs or will the Pack catch up with them?

Detroit Lions

With a total two wins over the last two seasons, things have nowhere to go but up for the Detroit Lions. Matthew Stafford seems to be a legitimate NFL quarterback, showing the leadership skills and toughness you want at the position with the arm to back it up. He'll be throwing at an abundance of targets this season, as the Lions signed receiver Nate Burleson and traded for tight end Tony Scheffler. Add them to the freakish Calvin Johnson and second-year tight end Brandon Pettigrew and you have the makings of a 28-points-a-game offense. Rookie Jahvid Best may be the kind of running back the Lions haven't seen since Barry Sanders, but the offensive line is still suspect. Trading for guard Rob Sims from Seattle helps bolster the interior, but Jeff Backus is a serviceable left tackle at best in a division with Julius Peppers and Jared Allen. Whoops. 

Continue reading "Joe's NFL 2010 Season Preview: NFC North"

 

Finishing off my previews for the 2010 NFL regular season, my Chicago Bears take center stage for an in-depth look at the team's make-up and prospects. This first installment will feature the Bear offensive and the special teams unit. 

It's been a busy offseason in the windy city, with new faces on the roster as well as on the coaching staff in what would seem to be a make-or-break year for head coach Lovie Smith and GM Jerry Angelo. Coordinator Mike Martz brings his ballyhooed playbook with him to Solider Field while Mike Tice takes his hard-nosed approach to coaching the offensive line. Martz's "genius" was not on full display during the preseason, but I don't doubt he will unveil his best when the season starts. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely convinced it will work exactly the way he intends. With the offense asking the quarterback to throw at a spot on the field rather than technically at the receiver, I expect to see some growing pains and miscues early.

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 Chicago Bears preview: Offense & Special Teams"

In this second part of my Chicago Bears season preview, I turn the spotlight on the defense and how they'll look this season. I'll also look at the schedule and give you my prediction as to the Bears' win/loss record for the 2010 season.

The Defense 

Looking at the defensive line, it's easy to see that the Bears felt they needed an impact player, hence the signing of Julius Peppers the day free agency started. Happy Julius Peppers Day! Peppers instantly brings a pass-rusher the likes of which Chicago hasn't seen since Richard Dent. They'll move him wherever they feel they'll have the advantage in order to put pressure on the opposing quarterback. He should get to double digit sacks, but if he doesn't it shouldn't seem a waste to Bears fans. He's the real deal. Anybody that talks about his motor and drive for the game hasn't seen enough of him on tape. His presence is hopefully going to ease the pressure of tackle Tommie Harris, who is far removed from the dominant force he was in his early seasons. Always with knee troubles, Harris doesn't have long to redeem himself before he's a lost cause. With Peppers, Harris will see far less double teams and must make the most of his opportunities to wreak havoc. Anthony Adams, Marcus Harrison and Matt Toeaina will fill the other tackle spot and give Harris rest on occasion. None are game-breakers, but they play the run well and serve as a quality three-man rotation. At the left end position, Mark Anderson and Israel Idonije must fill the void left by Alex Brown, whom the team let go in the offseason. Brown was always stout against the run, but his pass rush was never more than decent. If the two of them can tally between 8 and 10 sacks, I'd say they did their job. 

Continue reading "Joe's 2010 Chicago Bears Preview: Defense & Record Prediction"

It's finally upon us. The Chicago Bears are opening up their season on the lake front and are welcoming in the Detroit Lions on Sunday. Despite winning only two games last year (and none the year before) the Lions are slowly progressing towards respectability. A win in Chicago on Sunday would go a long way. Can the Bears fend them off in the windy city or will their preseason woes continue in the regular season?

(0-0) Detroit Lions at
(0-0) Chicago Bears 

Showing no signs of explosiveness in the preseason, the Chicago offense should have a chance to get on track against the Lions. Jay Cutler should be able to pick apart a porous Detroit secondary that might be without starting safety Louis Delmas, the only real play-maker in the back seven. Where the Bears may run into trouble is in the trenches. Chris Williams is going to need some help against end Kyle Vanden Bosch, likely in the form of a tight end or running back chip-block. Freakishly strong Ndamukong Suh is going to give Roberto Garza and Olin Kreutz fits up the middle and shouldn't see many single blockers if the Bears intend on keeping Jay upright. If I ran the Bear offense, I would establish Matt Forte and Chester Taylor early and bring the Lions into tight coverage to guard against the run. If they're expecting the pass, then gash them with the run. Since the Lion secondary is so weak, the downfield throws will eventually open up and Cutler will be able to take advantage on play-action throws if they've made a concerted effort to set-up the defense. If they don't score in the high 20's, Mike Martz's offense should feel ashamed.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears"

 

After an offseason of hold-outs, firings and signings, the NFL season is back in full force and so is my Opening Drive! Here are the games to watch for during this first weekend of football. (I'm not bothering to put their records down. They're all 0-0.)

Carolina Panthers at
New York Giants

If the Giants are going to make strides in the NFC East, this is the type of game they need to win. Unfortunately the Panthers' running game has made better defenses than the Giants look pedestrian. If the G-men don't slow them down early, don't be surprised if the Panthers sneak out of the Big Apple with a victory.

Atlanta Falcons at

Continue reading "Joe's NFL Opening Drive: Week 1"

Well that was fugly. Fans may say a win is a win, but I'm awfully concerned with the results of Sunday's 19-15 win over the Detroit Lions. For a team that completed dominated their opponents statistically, the Bears just barely found a way to win in the final two minutes. Oh yeah, and they almost gave that slim lead up to an offense that hadn't scored or even netted a first down since the second quarter.

Four turnovers kept the Bears from completely blowing the doors off the Lions Sunday at Soldier Field, despite Jay Cutler throwing for 372 yards and two scores. The offense moved the ball well early and often, with only a few miscues from the receivers (mostly Johnny Knox) and one poor decision made by Cutler to throw into triple coverage. Greg Olsen, Matt Forte and Cutler all fumble during the course of the game, killing drives in Detroit territory on a regular basis. What kept the offense going were screens and short passes to the running backs, one of which accounted for Forte's 89-yard touchdown. Forte had 201 all-purpose yards and the final game-winning grab on Sunday, more than making up for his one lost fumble. Cutler showed great mobility in the pocket, evading the rush and gaining first downs. However, taking four sacks and seven hits is unacceptable for the offensive line.

Continue reading "Controversial call helps Bears squeeze out ugly win over Lions"

Week one of the NFL is in the books, with plenty of upsets and last-minute finales. Here are the games that grabbed my attention over the first NFL weekend. Overreactions begin!

(1-0) New England Patriots 38
(0-1) Cincinnati Bengals 24 

Don't let the final score fool you, this one was over in the third quarter when it was 31-3. That Patriot offense came in and blew the doors off the vaunted Bengal defense, led by Tom Brady and his favorite target, the miraculously-healthy Wes Welker. What was the biggest surprise however, was the play of New England's defense. Holding the Bengal offense in check is a strong start for a young unit. For the Bengals, let's keep an eye on T.O. and Ocho if they start to lose. Drama!

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 1"

  Following a slew of off-performances and odd endings in week one, teams will start to establish their identity in week two, whether it be good or bad. Here are the games story-lines you should keep an eye on as the NFL kicks off! (1-0) Pittsburgh Steelers at
(1-0) Tennessee Titans Tennessee and Pittsburgh are remarkably similar in this week 2 match-up. Both teams work to establish their ground attack while playing tough defense and will start quarterbacks that have the ability to make plays with their legs at any given moment but aren't the most prolific of passers. Chris Johnson may only get one or two opportunities to break long runs against the always-highly ranked Steeler D, so he needs to make the most of them. This just screams low-scoring.  (1-0) Miami Dolphins at

Continue reading "Joe's NFL Opening Drive: Week 2"

 

With an ugly win over the Lions in the rear-view mirror, the Bears are heading down to Big D for a noon kick-off against the Cowboys. Not wanting to waste your time, let's get right into some analysis!

(1-0) Chicago Bears at
(0-1) Dallas Cowboys

Ignoring the four ridiculous turnovers, the Bear offense looked fluid and functional against the Lions last week, an odd change-up from recent years. Jay Cutler was on target with his throws and made great decisions with the football. However, that was against the Lion defense. If the they could muster four sacks on Cutler, how much is the line going to struggle to block exceptional tackle Jay Ratliff, end Marcus Spears or linebackers Anthony Spencer, Bradie James or All-Pro DeMarcus Ware? I'm not thrilled at their prospects. Chris Williams will have his hands full. Look for plenty of Mike Martz screen passes to the running back to off-set and take advantage of the 'Boys' rush, but eventually he'll have to take his shots downfield. Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins have speed and toughness at the corner position, but they will be out-of-place on occasion. Devin Aromashodu should be able to take advantage of his size as Knox may struggle to get open if Newman's on his back.  As much as he avoids it, Martz can't ignore the running game today, or Jay Cutler will get smacked around even more than he already will. Hand-offs and screen passes will be Jay's Best friend. Getting Greg Olsen in mismatches against safeties or 'backers will be another outlet for Jay if he's in trouble.

Continue reading "Joe's Gameday Preview: Bears at Cowboys"

It certainly didn't start pretty, but the Chicago Bears offense showed up and came out of Dallas with a much deserved win. Jay Cutler looked phenomenal in a 27-20 win over the Cowboys on Sunday, leading the the Bears to a 2-0 record. If you missed this great game, here's what you didn't see.

AP Photo

The defense created turnovers again with third corner D.J. Moore picking off two Tony Romo passes. The first came after Charles Tillman hit Miles Austin and caused him to lose the ball right into Moore's waiting hands. That turnover led to the Bears' first field goal, in spite of Cutler taking multiple hits early in the game as Dallas relied on the blitz to get pressure.

Continue reading "Cutler out-duels Romo as Bears win in Dallas"

Week two is in the books and that means it's time for a Final Drive! What teams surprisingly fell to 0-2 and which ones made the 2-0 leap! Let's get it on!

(2-0) Pittsburgh Steelers 19
(1-1) Tennessee Titans 11

Even after passing for only 21 freaking yards, gaining only 127 in total and losing starting QB Dennis Dixon, the Steeler offense played good enough to win, especially since the Titans decided to hand out seven turnovers. Seven! Jeff Fisher had no choice but to put Kerry Collins in the game to try and spark his offense, but Collins was almost just as horrific. The real trouble for Tennessee was the lack of a running game as Chris Johnson gained a paltry 34 yards. With 3rd QB Dixon out three weeks, Charlie Batch or the newly re-signed Byron Leftwich is the man for the job... until he gets hurt.

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 2"

 

Week three is here y'all! We have some great division games on the docket and a few 0-2 teams that desperately need to dig out of their hole. Here are the games to watch this Sunday!

(1-1) Tennessee Titans at
(1-1) New York Giants

Both teams were embarrassed last week at the hands of the AFC's elite, so this game has to be a bounce-back win for somebody. Look for Chris Johnson to get back on track running the ball against a Giant defense that still hasn't clicked up front. That should keep Vince Young from making too many mistakes. As highly-ranked as the Titan defense is, they haven't gone up against a decent offense yet, beating Oakland and losing to a Roethlisberger-less Steelers. Eli Manning is the best QB they've faced so far.

Continue reading "Joe's NFL Opening Drive: Week 3"

Week three is in the books, and there was plenty of drama to go around. Teams that we thought were playof bound still haven't gotten it together and some teams are surprisingly still unbeaten. Here are the scores and stories that caught my eye from Sunday's action.

(3-0) Kansas City Chiefs 31
(0-3) San Francisco 49ers 10

Let's just say it already. The Niners aren't very good right now. Their offense is predictable and Alex Smith is wildly inconsistent. Frank Gore and the running game haven't gotten started yet which means Mike Singletary has to rely on Smith more than he should. KC's Matt Cassel still didn't complete a high percentage of his passes, but his three touchdown throws and the production of Dexter McCluster and running backs Jamaal Charles (97 yards) and Thomas Jones (95 yards) gave the Chiefs a complete offensive performance. That's exactly what they needed. (That gadget play was pretty fun too.)

Continue reading "Joe's Final Drive: Week 3"

It is the longest-running rivalry in the history of the NFL. We've waited eight days for this showdown at Soldier Field and the time is finally upon us! Here's my breakdown of tonight's meeting between the 2-0 Chicago Bears and the 2-0 Green Bay Packers.

(2-0) Green Bay Packers at
(2-0) Chicago Bears

With the best QB rating in the NFL through two weeks, Jay Cutler is handling the Mike Martz offense as well as could have been expected. Tonight that offense faces its toughest test in a Green Bay defense that features stand-outs at key positions. Starting up front, B.J. Raji will cause all sorts of trouble for center Olin Kreutz and guards Roberto Garza and Lance Louis. Defensive ends Cullen Jenkins and Ryan Pickett are coming off of injuries and won't be 100% if they can make it on the field tonight. With Chris Williams out with a hamstring injury, Frank Omiyale will again start at left tackle with Kevin Shaffer replacing him at right. Where line coach Mike Tice and the Bears are going to be preoccupied is with Clay Matthews, the stand-out second year linebacker that has racked up six sacks in the first two games of the season. Keeping him off of Cutler will be integral in the offense's success, but there may not be as much max protection as you'd expect. Martz may continue his gameplan from last week with more quick passes to the receivers and tight ends to take pressure of the offensive line and to keep the flurry of Dom Caper's blitzes away.

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

We were wearing throw-backs. On Monday Night Football. Against Green Bay. And were picked to win by the majority of ESPN personalities. Bears fans know these are all bad signs. Ignoring them all, the Chicago Bears held serve at home and defeated the Green Bay Packers in an ugly contest 20-17 to stay undefeated and stand atop the NFC as the last unbeaten team.

From the opening drive and Robbie Gould's missed 49-yarder, it was obvious the Bears were going to have to earn this victory. Falling into a 10-0 hole towards the end of an ugly first half, the Bears drove back down the field to the goal line after a good return by Devin Hester, where Jay Cutler dropped it into Greg Olsen for their first score of the game.

Continue reading "Bears stun sloppy Packers on Monday night"