Bears – 25

Seahawks – 19

A week after beating the defending Superbowl champion Steelers, the Bears looked to get on a roll with a tough match up in Seattle.  After falling behind 13-0 early in the game, the Bears got on track and battled back for a victory.

With the running game struggling again, Jay Cutler stepped up and threw 3 touchdown passes while completing 21 of 27 passes for 247 yards.  He finished with an excellent quarterback rating of 126.4 after overcoming an early interception off a tipped ball.  He saved his best for last however, as Cutler completed 5 of 5 passes for 60 yards and a game winning touchdown to Devin Hester during the 4th quarter.  Seattle got the ball back and had enough time to move the ball into Bears territory, but the Bears defense made the necessary plays to force a turnover on downs, sealing the victory for the Bears.

The Bears got good play from their receivers again today as Devin Hester and Earl Bennett both had productive games.  Hester took a throw from Cutler late in the 4th, broke through two defenders, and sprinted to the end zone for the 36 yard game winning score.  Greg Olsen as well was able to find the end zone to record his first touchdown of the year.  Johnny Knox also found the end zone again.  Hopefully both Knox and Olsen can continue their success throughout the season.

On defense, the Bears still have some room for improvement.  Seneca Wallace was consistently able to find wide open receivers with ease on third downs, allowing for easy conversions.  The Bears pass D needs to step up their game a bit if they want to become a force this season.  In addition, the defense needs to learn to wrap up the ball carriers.  Too many times Bears players were trying to strip the ball as the runner ran right through the tackles for extra yards.  Turnovers are great to have, but sure tackling is a necessity.  On that note, the Bears did force 2 turnovers via a Daniel Manning strip and a Lance Briggs interception.  Manning’s forced fumble came at a crucial point early in the third quarter as the Seahawks looked to expand their 13-7 lead.

Offensively, the line is simply not getting the Job done as they fail to open holes for Forte to run though.  They shouldn’t take all the blame though.  Matt Forte has not looked like the same back as he did in his rookie year.  In the limited times where he found some brief daylight, he seemed sluggish to accelerate and make progress.  Although he struggled to run the ball, he quietly finished with 106 total yards.

After a tough start to the season, the Bears should be very happy to come out 2-1 since things could have been a lot worse at this point.  Next week the Bears take on the Lions in Chicago as they look to improve to 3-1.

Bears – 17

Steelers – 14

This week 2 match up against the Steelers definitely proved to be a good test for the Bears after a disappointing week 1 loss to the Packers.  After a sluggish first quarter on offense, Jay Cutler and the Bears stepped up their game and got the ball moving a bit.  Timely offensive production and solid defense paved the way for an important Bears victory.

Cutler did exactly what he needed to do today to have a nice bounce back game.  He made safe throws to open receivers as he completed 27 of 38 passes for 236 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions.  Cutler’s accuracy and his elusiveness in the pocket today were key factors in today’s victory over the Superbowl champs.  The receivers and tight ends struggled with some drops early on, but after the first quarter the hands became reliable.

The Bears defense looked shaky on the Steelers’ opening drive.  Big Ben Roethlisberger led the offense right down the field for a opening drive touchdown as the Bears secondary seemed unable to stop the pass.  However, the D improved greatly as the game went on.  They got pressure on Ben at the right times and forced timely 4th downs.  Certainly two missed field goals by Steelers kicker Jeff Reed in the 4th quarter helped, but overall the Defense kept the Bears in the game all day.

On the offensive side, rookie receiver Johnny Knox showed he is a reliable target in the passing game, hauling in 6 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.  He made some really good grabs and showed he has the hands to make an impact this year.  Cutler will undoubtedly look his way more and more as the season progresses.  This may become an important connection since running the ball again proved difficult for Matt Forte and the offensive line.  The line again failed to open any holes for Forte to run through as he finished up with 29 yards on 13 carries.

Finally, the game was put away by a late Robbie Gould field goal.  After a field goal miss by Jeff Reed, Cutler and the Bears quickly moved into position to setup Gould for a 44 yard attempt.  Surprising no one, Gould drilled the kick, leaving the Steelers with only a few seconds remaining.  On the subsequent kickoff return, the Bears forced a fumble and Craig Steltz dove on the ball, sealing the victory for the Bears.

As always, there is room for improvement.  The offensive line really needs to do a better job opening holes for Forte.  The Bears can’t rely on the passing attack all season long and become one dimensional.  They need to establish an effective running game to make that passing attack even better.  Also, Tommie Harris was again a non-factor.  He made a great play as he burst through the line to record a tackle for loss, bringing his season tackle total to two.  He simply isn’t effective right now and should be on the bench.

The Bears were in need of a win today and they got it.  Starting 0-2 would not have been the end, but it would be a tough hole to climb out of.  Fortunately the Bears played a well rounded game and improved to 1-1 on the year.  The Bears need to carry this momentum into Seattle next week and get rolling with some wins.

According to ESPN 1000’s Waddle & Silvy show, Brian Urlacher reported through text message that his season is over.  The Chicago Tribune has reported the same news here.

This is a huge blow to the Bears on a Painful Monday morning as they are still getting over their embarrassing loss to the Packers.  If these initial reports are true, what do the Bears need to do?  For one, Derrick Brooks is available as a free agent.  If he has anything left in the tank, the Bears should at least consider grabbing him and inserting him in the lineup ahead of Hunter Hillenmeyer because Hunter is nothing but a liability as a linebacker.

The other option is to move Lance Briggs to the middle.  However, taking one of the leagues best linebackers out of his position and moving him might just be even worse for the Bear defense.  Briggs needs to stay put.

If these initial reports hold true, the Bears are in for a long season.  The Bears pass defense is weak and the good run defense was helped by the excellent play of Urlacher and Briggs.  Without Urlacher’s defensive leadership and playmaking ability, players like Briggs may have a tougher time shouldering a heavier load.

Regardless, the Bears need to step up on defense now in order to keep themselves in competition for the 2009 season.  It is still early on in the year, and this is a huge setback, but there is still time to right the ship and get on track.

Packers – 21

Bears – 16

With so much anticipation and excitement surrounding the Bears season opener, could there be a more pathetic way to start off?  From the start Jay Cutler and the Bears offense looked rattled.  Cutler couldn’t pass, the line couldn’t block, and Forte had no room to run.  Meanwhile, the Bears defense looked excellent as they kept the team in the game the entire night.  The good, the bad, and the ugly aspects of the game are discussed here.

The Good:

Defense: The Bears defense played very well tonight due to the play of the D-Line.  Aaron Rodgers was pressured early and often as the Bears recorded multiple sacks including a safety for the team’s first points of the season.  Ogunleye was consistently creating pressure while recording 2 sacks and hitting Rodgers numerous times.

Robbie Gould: For lack of other good aspects tonight, Robbie Gould gets the nod here.  He was perfect on two attempts, both of which gave the Bears the lead.  It’s always to see Robbie drilling kicks with perfect accuracy each and every week.

The Bad:

O-Line Blocking: Matt Forte could not find a hint of daylight tonight and Cutler faced pressure all night long.  Omiyale looked awful tonight as him and Orlando Pace were eaten alive all night on the left side.  The offensive line looked horrible tonight and must improve if the Bears are too be successful.

Jay Cutler/Receivers: The Bad Jay was clearly present in the first half tonight, throwing 3 horrendous interceptions.  2 could be credited to miss-communication and receiver error, but nevertheless they were bad throws.  Jay needs to learn when to eat the ball and not make the risky throw.  With these inexperienced receivers, risky throws are not going to have a happy ending very often.  Cutler seemed to settle down in the second half when he hooked up with Devin Hester for a 36 yard touchdown pass.  However, he quickly threw an interception on the first play of an attempted game winning drive to finish with 4 picks on the night.

Nathan Vasher: Vasher blew the coverage late in the game as Aaron Rodgers hit a wide open Greg Jennings for a game winning score.  Nathan Vasher needs to be benched. Also, he is officially stripped of the nickname, “the Interceptor.”  The old Vasher is gone and he isn’t coming back.  When your starting corner back stumbles on his most crucial coverage of the game, you know it is time to take him out.  What is the harm in putting in Zakary Bowman or Corey Graham?  They could not possibly be any worse than Vasher.

The Ugly:

Ron Turner Play Calling: Turner relied heavily on the pass early tonight as he failed to utilize the running game early.  Having a big arm quarterback does not mean the team needs to abandon the run.  Running the ball helps win games and in tonight’s case, might have resulted in less picks for Cutler.

Partick Mannelly: If long-snappers made the Hall of Fame, Mannelly would have been a certain first ballot entrant.  Until now.  Tonight he made possibly the most bonehead play any Bears fans have ever seen, and that says a lot.  With the Bears in their own territory on a 4th and long, Mannelly tried to take advantage of the Packers having 12 men on the field by quickly snapping the ball to the personal protector, Garrett Wolfe.  That 12th man had left the field prior to the snap and Wolfe ran for a handful of yards before being tackled.  Then, challenge happy Lovie Smith made his second bad challenge of the night and contested that the Packers had 12 men on the field.  The play stood as called and the Packers took over, leaving Bears fans everywhere scratching their heads and shouting obscenities.

Nathan Vasher: Vasher is both bad and ugly out there on the field.  It is as simple as that.

The Injury Bug: The Bears suffered some bad injuries tonight.  Pisa Tinoisamoa left the game early with a knee sprain and Urlacher soon followed with a dislocated wrist.  Desmond Clark went down as well later in the game but he said after the game he should be fine.  Trumaine McBride also went down with a knee sprain.  The key here are starting linebackers Urlacher and Tinoisamoa.  Comcast SportsNet just reported Tinoisamoa is suffering from a similar injury to Greg Olsen last year where he missed about 3 weeks.  Hopefully that is the worst it is for Tinoisamoa.  Regarding Urlacher, he needs to do whatever it takes to be out there next week.  However, early reports indicate he may need surgery.  This is obviously bad news and a big blow to the Bears defense if true.

With the exception of good defensive play, this was a really ugly game for the Bears.  This makes one wonder what the Bears were doing all preseason long.  So many of these mistakes tonight should have been worked out weeks ago.  Receiver/QB miss-communication is unacceptable when they have 4 exhibition games and all of training camp to work this out.

The Bears need a quick bounce back win next week, but unfortunately they take on the Superbowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.  The Bears have the home field this time and the Steelers will be without the elite Troy Polamalu, but this is still a very difficult game for the Bears.  The Steelers are a good team where ever they play and they have enough talent on defense without their star safety to still cause problems for the Bears.

There is no need to panic just yet, but there are big improvements to be made for next week and for the remainder of the season if the Bears want to be competitive.

It feels like forever but finally the Bears will again take the field for regular season action.  Tomorrow’s prime time showdown will feature the best rivalry in the NFL as the Bears travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers.  This week 1 match up is crucial for both teams as both are expected to compete for the top of the division.  Expect this game to be an offensive battle as both teams have their problems on defense.

This game will provide immediate insight on how the Bears secondary can play against a high powered passing attack.  With Aaron Rodgers at the helm of a talented and proven receivers corp, this Packers offense will be difficult to stop by the Bears weak secondary.  If the Bears can get a solid pass rush on a weak Green Bay offensive line, the secondary will certainly have an easier day.  This is absolutely a key to victory tomorrow.

On the offensive side the Bears should be able to run wild against the Packers.  Look for Matt Forte to have a big day on the ground as he gashes through the Packers new 3-4 defense like it’s nothing.  Maintaining a solid running game and thus keeping the defense on their toes will open the doors for Jay Cutler to look downfield for some nice completions.

Another important issue to watch for tomorrow is the play of the Bears wide receivers.  One of the WRs needs to step up and emerge as a legitimate go to receiver.  Greg Olsen will certainly be Cutler’s go to guy this season but defenses will key in on that quickly, leaving Cutler to look elsewhere.  Earl Bennett will likely be the one who steps up and solidifies himself as a wide receiving threat in key situations.  He looked good in preseason action while Cutler looked his way often.

Special teams will also be key in tomorrow night’s matchup.  The Bears are consistently excellent on special teams play and they get the edge here.  If Devin Hester can re-emerge as an elite returner, look for him as an X-Factor tomorrow.

The Pick:

Both teams should be able to put up some points with high powered offensive attacks tomorrow.  While the Packers passing attack will likely expose the Bears defense, the Bears D will make the necessary plays late in the game in order to seal a victory.  This game will be a close offensive battle, but the Bears get the edge on defense in this one and that will be the deciding factor in what would otherwise be a even match up.  The Bears defense may not be great but they get the edge on the Packers.

Bears – 31

Packers – 27

The NBA Hall of Fame now includes the greatest player to ever play the game.  Looking back, it is amazing how lucky us Chicago fans were to witness Michael Jordan and his Bulls win 6 NBA titles.  Clearly in another league on the court, MJ consistently brought an array of excellent defense, acrobatic dunks, and clutch game winning shots to the fans throughout his career.

Chicago Bulls fans again are truly privileged and honored to have seen him light up opposing defenses like it was nothing.  Those opposing players and fans are lucky as well.  While Jordan certainly brought pain and nightmares to other teams and fans, they should be honored to have witnessed his amazing moments.  The flu game, the final shot, and his 6 first half three-pointers are just a few of the amazing moments that Jordan brought to the game.

Congratulations to Michael Jordan.  His on court performance and dedication to the game will likely never be matched.

It’s too bad he had to play a few seasons in Washington.  How perfect would it have been to walk away from the game after this moment:

According to Bears great Dick Butkus, Jay Cutler can only do so much to get the Bears back to the playoffs.  He feels that the defense needs to make some improvements from last year in order to be in contention in this upcoming season.  Check out the article on ESPN Chicago:  Butkus: Bears need defense to step up

Butkus’ observations are no secret.  The Bears ranked 30th against the pass last season as opposing quarterbacks sat comfortably in the pocket and completed passes all over the field.  The problem last year was the lack of a pass rush.  Unless the defensive line can generate some pressure in 2009, the Bears secondary will continue to allow receivers to get open and make catches.  Also, an effective Tommie Harris  is important for that line to perform well.

If the line struggles to get pressure and opposing QBs are able to pass against the Bears at will, it certainly won’t matter that the Bears have Jay Cutler leading the offense.  The defense needs to step up and stop the passing attack that killed the Bears in 2008.