Charles Tillman

n drive, but a throw off the hands of Toby Gerhart fell right into the lap of first-time Pro Bowler Charles Tillman, who ran it right back for 22 yards and six points. From there Chicago’s defense locked down, picking off Minnesota’s quarterbacks two times (a total of three) to secure the win.  

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However, the most significant match-up in this game is clear: Dwayne Bowe versus Charles Tillman. Tillman shut down Megatron in their latest meeting but was torched by Vincent Jackson with regularity. If Peanut can control Bowe (with some over-the-top help), then the Chief offense has little hope to put several scores on the board aside from rarely-used tailback Dexter McCluster. Palko just isn’t that good. Don’t be surprised if he struggles and we see Kyle Orton get in the game at some point. (Orton may even hand off to ex-Bear Thomas Jones at some point.)

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His onside kick wasn’t that bad either, thanks to a complete jacking by Charles Tillman. Corey Graham almost made a game-shifting recovery, but failed to bring it out of the pile. Johnny Knox even had a nice 59-yard kick-off return filling in for Hester (who barely saw the field), but the Bears were outplayed on the special team front, a rare occurrence. The Oakland Raiders made their case for the best punter/kicker combination in the NFL. As previously mentioned, Janikowski made a case for his first Pro Bowl ever (which sounds ridiculous) by connecting on all six of his attempts. As great a performance as that was, he may have been outshined by punter Shane Lechler, who proved that great kicking can take any great return man out of the game. He even kicked an 80 yarder. Eighty. Yards. Even with the touchback, he netted a cool 60. Hester didn’t even know what to do with it. Oakland dominated the field position game all day, putting Hanie in terrible spots where his mistakes had maximum negative impact.

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Getting the ball back quickly off a Charles Tillman force and recovery, Cutler went for the jugular on a 24-yard bomb to Knox at the back of the endzone. That put the Bears up 31-17 and all but shut the door on the Chargers’ hopes of getting to .500. Jay was on his game and clearly one-upped Philip Rivers, who looked downright awful. We should all write Philip a thank you letter, by the way. He gift-wrapped this one.

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e.

While I’m not sure how much press he’s going to get, I want to sing the praises of Charles Tillman, who had one of the best games of his career. He completely blanketed Calvin Johnson in man coverage all day, letting only one pass beat him deep, a 40-yarder late as the game was completely out of reach. He took points off the board as he delivered the old “ball-punch” to Johnson and separated him from the ball before crossing the goal line in the second quarter. A Peppers sack later and the Lions had to settle for a field goal to make it 20-6. Tillman added to the defensive fun with a pick-six of his own (on the drive directly following a Wright’s pick-six), lighting 34-6 on the board and sealing the win for certain. It was a Pro Bowl-caliber game from Chicago’s best corner.

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Expect Charles Tillman to get that assignment all day with safety help over the top. Just as big is tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who has 22 catches this year but has yet to find the end zone. After Jermichael Finley’s success, Stafford may try to get his tight end going. Julius Peppers should have the edge over right tackle Gosder Cherilus, but Jeff Backus is a dependable left tackle who could be left alone on occasion. Peppers HAS to win those battles. Jahvid Best is a danger out of the backfield, but the Lions are only averaging 3 yards a carry on the year. I’m not intimidated by their ground game.

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me group as last year, swapping Tim Jennings in for Zack Bowman as the opening day starter opposite Charles Tillman. Aside from Tillman, the Bear corners are vastly undersized. D.J. Moore, Corey Graham and Time Jennings are all six feet or under. (I don’t believe Zack Bowman is 6’1”.) This will cause to more issues as teams put their beastly receivers on the field for red zone or downfield plays.

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Just saying.

Areas of concern for Chicago? The cornerbacks. Sure, Charles Tillman did a great job of shutting down and pressing Mike Williams, but the Seahawks only have one go-to wide-out. The Packers have five. Tim Jennings and Daniel Manning can’t afford to lose anyone deep or over the middle. Also, that dumb wildcat call where Forte actually threw the ball (and got it intercepted) was ridiculous. When you’re up 28-3 that play is greedy and unnecessary. Chicago has never been able to run the wildcat effectively, but passing out of it? No sir. Let your franchise QB pass it please.

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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.

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ainly a good one.

Oh, it's on. 

A stalwart on the defense ever since he was drafted, Charles Tillman was demoted after the 2009 season. Lovie Smith has taken Zack Bowman and given him the top corner spot, putting Tillman on the left side. Bowman is slightly under-sized, but has better coverage skills and is more physical at this point in his career. (Tillman could be a safety, just saying.) Unfortunately, neither player is a lock-down corner that will shut off one side of the offense. Bowman will be tested early on the opponent's top targets unless Tillman's size is more useful. (Like with Detroit's Calvin Johnson.) D.J. Moore will get looks early on at the nickel spot, but his 5'9" size is a problem. This group will see its fair share of problems over the course of the season, but how many remains to be seen.

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This ain't Central Michigan and the MAC anymore buddy.

-Good to see Charles Tillman get an interception at his new slot. He should continue to improve at his positioning.

-Peppers showed a slight glimpse of what he adds to this team when he strip-sacked Jason Campbell. Drool.

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on the field.

Crossing corners:

Zack Bowman has risen to the number one corner slot, replacing Charles Tillman. A natural ball-hawk, Bowman has had trouble staying healthy and in the line-up. On the other side, Tillman is still struggling to pick up the nuances of the switch and hasn't had a great camp so far. The top two corners on this defense need to be at their best if the Bears are to create turnovers like they have in years past.

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(I hope anyway.) Marred by injuries (Charles Tillman and Israel Idonije out, Danieal Manning doubtful), Lovie Smith's defense will need to fill their gaps and avoid giving up big plays. If they

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In this frustrating loss, we saw the Bears make play after play on defense, especially Charles Tillman, whom I've rewarded the moniker of "Master of the Ball-Punch." His forced fumbles kept the Bears alive, but the offense could not generate the points to overcome Donovan McNabb, DeSean Jackson and the Philly offense. I look to Ron Turner's play-calling, with plenty of backwards passes and wide receivier screens as a reason for the offense's ineptitude. That play should just be ripped out the playbook and removed from Turner's memory banks.

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What didn’t help was losing corner Charles Tillman and safety Al Afalava through the course of the game, leaving an already struggling secondary without key performers.

  

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Another Forte run and a Charles Tillman interception return put the game far out of reach, securing a 4-3 record for Chicago. Still, the victory was not without its major flaws, as Jay Cutler’s battered body can attest to. Chicago’s franchise QB was sacked five times, not including a “Jay-Roughing” penalty on massive Shaun Rogers which left Cutler’s mouth bloody. I’m officially coining the term “Jay-Roughing” to be used on roughing the passer calls. So I should get a quarter every time you say it. I hope I don't make too much money off it though, as Cutler needs to stay mostly upright during his lengthy stay under center for Chicago.

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Not that I would know, I would never follow his tweets or buy his freakin’ iPhone app. Charles Tillman should see plenty of Chad this Sunday and should get the better of that match-up. Ochocinco isn’t as fast as he once was. Still, the defense should be able to stifle Benson enough to make the Bengals one-dimensional. Of course, that will be an easier task if Jay Cutler and the offense jump out to an early lead.

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Still, big plays are a problem, and anyone not named Charles Tillman has been routinely exposed in pass coverage. I loved the graphic they showed of QB rating and completion percentage against the left and right side of the Bears defense that showed how awesome Tillman has been this season. 

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When they went to Charles Tillman in the second half, Johnson was limited until he went out with a leg injury of his own. 

Ron Turner still did not call a solid offensive game. Some of his decisions are plain idiotic, like the screen pass to Devin Hester at the goal line. When you’re four yards away from the endzone, why pass it backwards? The defense only has so much field to cover, it’s not going to take them long to reach the receiver. It also doesn’t help that Hester also injured his shoulder on that play. Turner needs to get this offense right, because with Cutler at the helm there are no more excuses. 

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sing on Lovie Smith’s defense, this contest should play right into their strengths. Charles Tillman should be matched-up with the dynamic Calvin Johnson for most of the game. Tillman is much better-suited against bigger receivers and Johnson certainly is a beast. Zack Bowman’s youth will be pitted against veteran receiver Bryant Johnson, so he should have the speed to make-up for any mistakes. If he plays, Lions running back Kevin Smith will not be 100% due to a shoulder injury, which could give more opportunities for a fumble-forcing defensive unit.  

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Corner Charles Tillman looked to be close to 100% and back to his old self. Zack Bowman is definitely a step up from Nathan Vasher. Knox could turn out to be a steal out of the fifth round with his speed and game-breaking ability. His six receptions led the team, breaking the typical “rookie receivers can’t make an impact” rule. Hunter Hillenmeyer filled in admirably for the injured Urlacher, perhaps lessening the need to sign a bigger name free agent.

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man returned to the starting line-up in a role he is expected to fill on opening day, especially if Charles Tillman is unable to go in week one. Nathan Vasher may start week one against Green Bay, but don’t expect a very long leash.

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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. 

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Lance Briggs snagged two interceptions, and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman each added with one of their own. St. Louis only ran the ball for 14 total yards on 19 carries, so the defense did its job on both fronts. No one should be pounding their chests over thumping a two-win team though. 

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Taking the Rams offense lightly would be a foolish mistake. Corner Charles Tillman will most likely be matched up with Holt for the bulk of the game, but he’s not the focus in the secondary. Nathan Vasher has looked timid in his attempts to tackle the ball-carrier, so much so that writers around Chicago are calling for his benching. Back-up corner Corey Graham is the better corner for run coverage, and his tackling skills are above average. If Vasher continues to underperform, Smith shouldn’t waste time in showing him the bench for a stretch of time. It won’t fix all of the defense’s issues, but it could be a step in the right direction. 

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Cornerbacks Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman, along with receiver Marty Booker are listed as probable, as they were limited in mid-week practices. Devin Hester also left that game with a quad injury, but appears to be fine, as he doesn’t even appear on the injury report. Tommie Harris was the only active Bear to sit out of Wednesday’s proceedings, which is aggravatingly status quo for this season. I know players are going to get hurt and play hurt during a season, but Harris has been playing hurt for his entire career it seems. It significantly detracts from his on-field production, as has been the case in 2008. He’s also listed as probable for Sunday, but obviously won’t be at 100%. Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer is recovering from the thumb surgery he had after the Minnesota game and is questionable, with back-up Nick Roach prepared to fill-in. Wide-out Brandon Lloyd and corner Danieal Manning join Hillenmeyer as questionable, as each will most likely be a game-time decision. 

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Nothing makes Bears fans forget about a tough loss better than a win against a division opponent. The Bears will get the chance this Sunday when they host the Minnesota Vikings in the first of their two meetings this season. Both teams, along with the Green Bay Packers, are tied atop the NFC North with matching records of 3-3. One team must make a move to get ahead of the pack now (no pun intended), or they will still be trapped in a three-team dogfight for one playoff spot. If the Bears intend to claim that spot, beating the Vikings at Soldier Field is they way to start.

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The Bear defense stopped Kevin Smith for no gain on the ground, Charles Tillman broke up a pass intended for Roy Williams (the first of many), and then came a sack of quarterback Jon Kitna on third down. It was a foreboding series for events for the Lions, who never got anything going offensively. They only mustered 185 yards of total offense, most of which came in the second half after Chicago had established a healthy lead. Jon Kitna was benched early in the second half, which was later said to be the result of back spasms. At the time, it seemed to be simply a coach’s decision, as Detroit’s offense desperately needed a spark. Back-up Dan Orlovsky entered the game and fared no better versus the Bears’ intimidating defense.

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Obviously, this starts an old-fashioned scrum. Entering late, Bears cornerback Charles Tillman got involved with a Buccaneer trying to helmet him in the back. Tillman throws that player to the ground and gets flagged for unnecessary roughness, giving the Bucs new life in the form of a first down. Brian Griese then methodically leads his offense down the field and sets up the game winning field goal.

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