Eagles – 24

Bears – 20

The Bears failed to close out a winnable game last night at home against the Eagles.  Ahead 20-17 late in the game, the Bears defense allowed the Eagles to march down the field for a go ahead touchdown drive.  With the offense given one final chance to lead the Bears to a win, a second down throw by Jay Cutler was tipped by a defender and picked out of the air by another Eagle for his only interception of the game.

The Best thing about Cutler’s performance last night was that he only threw one interception.  Other than that, he was awful.  He finished 24/43, with 171 yards, one touchdown and one interception.  Hidden in the stats however is the fact that Cutler horribly missed three wide open receivers throughout the game.  One of those misses came on what could have been a go ahead touchdown pass to Johnny Knox, who had sped past the defender and into the open field only to see the pass from Cutler sail over his head.  Cutler’s confidence appears to have disappeared.  Hopefully it can return in the near future, especially after some staff changes such as an offensive coordinator change.  With Turner gone next season, Jay would be under his third coordinator in 3 years and it’s a possibility that his development may suffer.

Matt Forte continued to struggle while Kahlil Bell, the recently promoted practice squad player, ran for 81 yards on 4 carries.  Bells first career carry came early in the second quarter and he broke through the line and raced for 72 yards before being tackled deep in Eagle territory.  He continued to run hard in limited action after that and raised questions as to whether Matt Forte is a featured back like previously thought.

The defense gave up 24 points while creating three turnovers.  They allowed the Eagles to take a lead late in the game but redeemed themselves when they got the ball back for one more offensive drive.  Briggs continued his pro bowl level season as he recorded 11 tackles and a sack.  Also, Zack Bowman is developing into quite the ballhawk, recording an interception in his third straight game.  Unfortunately, he is still a below average cornerback and gets beat too much.

Lovie Smith continued to spew his typical optimism after the game and reiterated to the media that there is still plenty of football to play.  Someone needs to tell Lovie that there are only 6 games left and the Bears essentially finished in what turned out to be a pathetic season.  On the bright side, Lovie only has two years left on his contract and Ron Turner is almost certain to be gone after this season.  The Bears need to bring in a competent staff quickly and get this team playing at a high level.  Right now, the current regime is not getting the job done.

Cardinals – 41

Bears – 21

The Bears took the field today in a game that would likely determine what they were all about this year.  Instead of coming out of the gates and making a statement, the Bears defense came out looking unprepared and pathetic.  This scene has become all too familiar for Bears fans this year, as the Bears defense failed to stop the Cardinals offense on their first 6 possessions.  Once again, it appears that Lovie did not have his team ready to play when the game started.

Lovie is proving how ineffective he really is and that he has completely lost his players.  This was never more evident than when Tommie Harris punched a down Cardinal lineman on the fourth play of the game.  Tommie was subsequently ejected and will likely be fined and even suspended.  The Bears should consider suspending him for the rest of the season for his attitude today and his overall play this year.  He is worthless for this Bears team now.

Lovie Smith, like against the Bengals, did not have the defense ready to play.  The Cardinals came out and hit the Bears right in the mouth, scoring easily on the first drive.  The defense gave up first down after first down while the Cardinals league worst running game ran wild.  By halftime, the Cardinals had 21 first downs.  The Bears had 20 first downs in the game in which they had a good offensive performance.

Lovie also failed to call any double coverage on Larry Fitzgerald.  Instead, he left Charles Tillman alone to cover and get dominated by one of the best receivers in the league.  It is mind boggling how the Bears did not double Fitzgerald on even a few plays to try to slow him down.  With Lovie calling the shots on defense this year he needs to be held accountable because this defensive playcalling and execution is awful.  There are no excuses right now.  Lovie simply can’t get the job done as a head coach or defensive coordinator.

The Bears responded quickly after allowing the first touchdown though.  Jay  Cutler drove the Bears down the field and hooked up with Olsen on a beautiful pass in the end zone.  Ron Turner did not call a single run play on that drive and only ran the ball with Forte 5 times in the game.  However, the Bears defense was unable to hold onto the tie as the Cardinals again marched right down the field for an easy score.  The Cardinals continued to score on their next 4 possessions.

The only good thing from today’s game was the success of the passing game.  Cutler finished with a 98.6 rating, 369 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a pick.  Devin Hester and Earl Bennett each had over 90 yards receiving and Greg Olsen found the endzone for all 3 of the Bears touchdowns.  The young group of receivers combined with the talented Jay Cutler continues to improve ever week.  This will be a good group to watch in the upcoming seasons.

The Bears players should be embarrassed after today’s loss and about their recent performances lately.  The Bears have been blown out twice in the last 3 games and have a tough next 3 games ahead including a Thursday night game in San Francisco.  The Bears will only have 3 days off until then and they’ll have to make the trip out west.  Expect the Bears to look tired and unprepared again as they battle the 49ers.  After San Francisco, the Bears return home to face the Eagles and then head to Minnesota for the Vikings.  We could easily see the Bears with a 4-7 record after this stretch unless some big changes happen with the team.

Bears – 30

Browns – 6

After a disappointing loss to the Bengals last week, the Bears bounced back for an easy win against the Browns today.  The Bears defense played well against a pathetic Browns offense, forcing 5 turnovers, blocking an extra point, and returning an interception for a touchdown.  The Bears offense on the other hand proved they shouldn’t be feared by any team in the league.

Although they took the loss, the Browns defense gave the Bears problems in the trenches today.  Cutler was sacked 4 times and rarely had time to make good throws.  The Browns defensive line was consistently getting good pressure against the poor Bears O-Line.  Meanwhile, Cutler was taking an absolute beating and is lucky to have walked off the field alive.

Josh Beekman got the start at left guard over Frank Omiyale today but the offensive line still failed to get a good push against the opposition.  Forte managed to find the endzone twice but was held to just 3.5 yards per carry in the game.  However, he looked a bit quicker today than he had all season long.  Hopefully his explosiveness starts to return as the Bears try to get rolling in the second half of the season. The move to Beekman was long overdue as Omiyale looked pathetic for far too long this season.  This was the right move and

Overall, the Bears offense put on a mediocre performance.  Again, they struggled in the red zone and were forced to settle for field goals early on after taking the ball deep into Browns territory.  Although the team did a better job of protecting the ball in the redzone today, the playcalling and execution inside the 20 was just sad as the Bears scored only two touchdowns on six trips.  Ron Turner is really struggling to call effective plays when the Bears get near the endzone and that is really going to hurt the Bears in the long run this season.

Devin Hester continued to make great strides as a receiver, hauling in 7 catches for 81 yards.  He showed excellent hands and explosiveness as Jay looked towards him often throughout the game.  Hester has clearly emerged as the Bears go-to receiver this season.  His play has improved since the start of the season and it should only get better as the season continues.

On the defensive side, the Bears were in control all game long.  The Browns had success with the run but the Bears were able to contain the running game when necessary while completely shutting down the passing game.  Cleveland’s quarterbacks completed 7 of 20 passes for 74 yards and looked absolutely awful in the process.  Derek Anderson threw two interceptions.  Daniel Manning made a great diving catch on the first interception and Charles Tillman took the second one to the endzone.  Manning also forced and recovered a fumble, one of three fumble recoveries on the day for the Bears.  Daniel has been criticized in his career for his safety play but he can silence the critics with more performances like this.

The Bears were fortunate to get the Browns at home after two straight losses.  Although the Bears offense looked a bit lethargic against a pitiful Browns team, a win is a win and right now the Bears need them.  The team needs to step up their game next week however as the Cardinals come into town with a high powered pass offense.  The Bears secondary better be ready for Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

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.

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

Bears – 27

Broncos – 17

Rarely do preseason games pack this much emotion and intensity into a match up.  But, after one team trades away their franchise QB to another team, an exhibition match up between the two is certain to include a little something special.  Also, rarely do crowds boo so hard and loudly that the cameras shake during the game.  This was clearly the case as Jay Cutler took the field as the Bears squared off against Kyle Orton and the Denver Broncos.

The Good:

Jay Cutler: There is no way Jay was able to ignore those boos early in the game as he got off to a shaky start.  However, he quickly rebounded and was able to lead the offense to 17 points.  He connected on 15 of 21 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown.  The highlight of the night for Jay was late in the second quarter when he led the offense on a 98 yard touchdown drive that ended with a TD pass to Matt Forte.  He was poised and determined throughout the entire drive as the offense marched almost effortlessly down the field.  The only downside of the drive was that Jay under-threw an open Devin Aromashodu for a sure touchdown.  Although the completion would have been nice, it did not hurt the offense as they continued to roll down the field.

Greg Olsen: Olsen is ready for a monster year.  Tonight he brought in 3 catches for 47 yards as Cutler looked to him often.  The best part about Olsen is his reliable hands.  He has the ability to make any catch and secure that ball before he cuts upfield with his great speed.  Bears fans should look forward to seeing this connection often throughout the 2009 season as Greg Olsen makes a run for the Pro Bowl.

The Defense: The Bears starting D put up another great performance while holding Denver to only a field goal in the first half.  Orton was able to complete some underneath throws but the Bears were able to limit those yards as well as the rushing yards.  This resulted in 5 punts and 1 field goal on the Broncos first half possessions.  If the Bears D can play like this in the regular season this team will be hard to beat.

The Bad

Orlando Pace: Pace has openly admitted that he struggles blocking against small defensive ends.  This was clearly evident tonight as he was consistently beat by the 5′11″ Elvis Dumervil.  Hopefully this handicap doesn’t hurt Pace too much in 2008 as he should have the experience and skill to adjust and protect the QB better than he did tonight.  Although Denver did not record any sacks, Cutler was under some great pressure from that left side early in the game.

Trumaine McBride: After tonight’s performance, McBride should not be allowed on the field while the Bears are on defense.  On 3 different occasions he missed big tackles as he dove at the ballcarriers and completely missed.  He is a liability as a tackler and lucky for the Bears defense is pretty far down on the depth chart.

The results of the game were not much of a surprise.  Cutler clearly proved what he and the offense are capable of last week and the defense has been excellent all preseason long.  With this great combination of a scoring offense and excellent defense the Bears will be seeing lots of wins in the 2009 season.

Bears- 17

Giants- 3

What a difference one week and two offensive starters can make.  After another week of practice the Bears took the field, this time with Matt Forte and Greg Olsen in the starting lineup.  The improvements from last week were noticeable right from the start.  The Bears third offensive play featured Cutler hooking up with Earl Bennett with an absolute strike on 3rd and long to pick up a first down.

The Good:

Jay Cutler: Cutler finished up completing 8 of 13 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.  He threw a few risky passes and one almost ended up in an interception, but overall he had an excellent performance.  Also, while rolling out, he hurled a ball 60+ yards to a wide open Devin Hester who misjudged the ball and could not catch up to it as it landed incomplete.

Earl Bennett: Bennett finished up with 2 catches for 42 yards and looked like a legitimate #1 receiver throughout his time on the field.  His first reception was the previously mentioned strike from Cutler on 3rd down and his second catch was just as impressive as Cutler was rolling out.

Matt Forte: Forte was back in action tonight after missing last week’s game but he seemed to pick up right where he left off last season.  He broke through for 2 great carries of 17 and 32 yards (TD) and finished up with 9 carries for 58 and that one touchdown.  He seemed to have the same great vision that led to his success last year and also brought in a 9 yard reception.

Offensive Line: The run blocking looked poor at first but quickly improved to provide great holes for Forte to run through.  In pass protection they were just as good, providing plenty of time for Cutler to make his throws.

Defense/Defensive Play Calling: It looks like Lovie Smith called a great game on D tonight.  The Giant’s starters could not get anything going on offense aside from a few good Brandon Jacob runs.  There was consistent pressure from the D-line, especially from Alex Brown and Adawale Ogunleye.  Brown forced Eli Manning to fumble early on as he came around behind him on the rush and tipped the ball out of his hand.  Eli also was not able to find wide open receivers on short routes each time he dropped back.  Overall it was a great performance by the D as they allowed only 3 points in the game.

The Bad:

Devin Hester: There seemed to be some miscommunication between Cutler and Hester on a 3rd down in Giants territory early in the game.  It appeared that Hester broke the wrong way on a comeback route and Cutler threw it wide of him.  Later, as mentioned previously, a wide open Hester misjudged a deep pass thrown by Cuter.  This is unacceptable for a “#1 receiver.”  Hester continues to look lost while running routes and tonight he was clearly outperformed by Earl Bennett.

Brian Urlacher: On two instances early in the game Urlacher was ran over by Brandon Jacobs.  While Brandon Jacobs is an absurdly huge running back, Urlacher is no slouch himself.  He needs to be the guy who can bring down those big backs instead of getting trucked like it’s nothing.

Overall this was a great performance by the Bears.  The offense seemed to gel nicely with Cutler at the helm and the defense looked to have their act together as well as they wreaked havoc upon the Giants offense.  There is still room for more improvement before they take the field next week in Denver and hopefully the Bears bring the same intensity then as they face off against former Bear Kyle Orton.