Rock Fight

I've often been accused of being too negative about things. I'm confident I'll be accused of it again after this post. While most people will choose to focus on the thuggish play of the Lions and the ensuing fight that took place, I feel the way that I feel, and at this moment I feel the Chicago Bears got away with a win over the Detroit Lions today, when they should have lost.

I mentioned it to a couple of people throughout the game : thank goodness that fight happened because it took my mind off of how poor the offense played. I understand that it's impossible to be perfect week in and week out in today's NFL. I also understand that Detroit, despite exposing themselves as nothing but dirty cheap-shot artists that try to injure rather than defeat opponents, still has some very talented football players on their team. I also understand the lesson Bill Parcells taught us that "you are what your record is".

With all that said, the Bears cannot continue to rely on superb Special Teams and opportunistic Defensive performances if they wish to reach the Super Bowl. Here's what I had a problem with :

Offense : The main source of my consternation involves the dramatic step back this unit took today. The Detroit Lions front 7 absolutely blew up the Bears pull-blocking based running scheme the entire game. The Lions spent plenty of time in the Bears backfield on passing situations as well, as Jay Cutler was hurried all game. As we know, when Jay feels pressure, most of the time he plays really, really stupidly. Today's game was no exception.

The stats reflected the offensive impotence as Cutler was 9 of 19 for a paltry 123 yards and no TD's. Mister "Pay Me" Matt Forte, was a pedestrian 18 carries for 64 yards 40 of which were gained on one play. Only one offensive touchdown happened on the day, and it was a 6 yard run by Forte early in the first quarter. Other than that, there were occasional fumbles combined with a whole bunch of "3 & outs".

Earlier in the week Mike Tice had warned us that the Offensive Line was far from where it needs to be, and the Lions proved Tice's assessment was correct. Too many times it seemed that the Lions front four were playing on field turf, while the Bears linemen were playing on mud. The O-Line needs to be doing their jobs quicker, and with more aggression than today's performance if they're going to go anywhere.

Defense : On the surface, it would appear that this unit was the very definition of dominant. In many respects that is true. Julius Peppers continues to show how versatile and vital he is to the defense's success. His early forced fumble on Calvin Johnson paved the way for the Bears first touchdown on the day. Peppers also spent a lot of time lined up at the 3-technique and got great penetration through the A-gap all day, while adding an extra dimension to the line stunts the Bears like to use. The most amazing part of Peppers play, was that he's doing it on one leg! I'm of the opinion that his knee is more injured than he and the Bears are letting on.

Henry Melton and Anthony Adams also played well on the defensive line while Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs played even more aggressive than usual to fall in line with the overall chippiness of the game. The secondary had a notable day as well with 3 picks on the day, 2 of which were "Pick 6's".

I'm not fooled by this performance however, and neither should you. It was obvious the Bears took advantage of Matthew Stafford's injured right hand. Stafford was oddly inaccurate and sailed a lot of wobbly passes that I know for a fact he normally connects on. Not to mention there were plenty of open receivers, many of which dropped a lot of balls they normally catch.

Despite those factors however, the Lions still had little trouble moving the ball on the Bears. Not convinced? How about the fact that the Bears STILL gave up 393 yards to the Lions on the day? How about the 4.2 yards per carry the Lions averaged on the ground? How about Nate Burleson having 8 catches for 83 yards? Calvin Johnson having 7 for 81 yards? How about 7 different Lions receivers having receptions on the day?

In my odd football world, those numbers are not reflective of a dominant performance by the defense.

Special Teams : No complaints here. Devin Hester continued to add to his NFL Record total of Returns for Touchdowns. Gould missed a field goal, but made three others while having several touchbacks on the day. Dave Toub's unit picked up the slack in the  points department for the offense.

Where Do We Go From Here?: For as much as I'm bitching, the Bears have won four in a row. They are now tied for second place in the NFC North at 6-3. If the playoffs started today, the Bears would be a #6 seed against the #3 New Orleans Saints.

1 month ago, the Bears were 2-3 and looking very much out of the playoff picture. They needed to win the next four games, and they've done so. In that respect, I'm very impressed and I give them all the credit in the world.

My issue however, is that the way the NFL is set up in 2011, you must pass the ball to win in January/February. The rule changes alone, dictate the importance of the passing game. Anybody who tells you differently, is not living in this century. If you look at any of the past ten Super Bowl winners, you will largely see Hall Of Fame caliber Quarterbacks hoisting the Lombardi Trophy (Rodgers, Manning, Brees, Brady, etc).

Today's game showed that the Bears passing game, largely the pass protection, is still a work in progress, after showing promise the last three games. I'm confident they can adjust starting next week against the San Diego Chargers.

Still, these types of offensive performances cannot stand, and must never be repeated again.

Monster

It’s over Jerry Sandusky. It’s over Joe Paterno. It’s over Penn State University. It’s all over. You are all finished. You are guilty of something way beyond a sports scandal, or a college football scandal, or anything we’ve seen in the past. Not only are you guilty of committing one of the most sickly acts a human being is capable of, but you are also guilty of allowing it to continue when you could/should have stopped it.

In case you’ve been enjoying a vacation on the planet Mars the past 72 hours, you have no doubt heard that longtime former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has been charged by a Grand Jury on 40 counts, all centering around his rape and sexual assault of young boys ranging in ages of 8-14.

Hopefully, you have read the actual Grand Jury Finding Report, rather than just some of the websites devoted to the scandal. If not you can read it here, but I must warn you it is very graphic and tough to read. It took me a couple of attempts before I finally got through it all.

As someone who considers himself a largely cynical person who tries to avoid hyperbole and overreaction as much as possible, I still come away with a feeling that this is completely unforgiveable. Jerry Sandusky was a Monster, plain and simple. He used his position with Penn State Football to set up a charity called “Second Mile” which provided a pipeline of young boys to become victims of Sandusky’s demented and criminal sexual desires. As I type this, the current number of victims that have come forward now stands at 20, up from the original 8 in the Grand Jury Report. I have a feeling more victims will follow shortly, as Sandusky had access to these boys since 1977-when Second Mile was founded.

Sandusky is the kind of person that vigilante justice was invented for. He deserves to experience every possible definition of the words “pain”, “suffering” and “anguish”. Sandusky is the reason parents stay up at night worrying where their kids are. He is the reason we are instructed to not trust strangers. He is also the reason innocent young boys had their lives shattered before they even truly began as he fondled, assaulted and raped them for goodness knows how long. In short, Sandusky is an absolute SONOFABITCH of the lowest order. Death is almost too good for him, and he deserves to spend the rest of his remaining life in prison.

Unfortunately and tragically, I should have been writing this in 2002 versus 2011. 2002 is when Sandusky was caught by graduate assistant Mike McQueary, raping a 10 year old boy in the Penn State Locker Room Shower,  Did McQueary call the police when he caught Sandusky?  Did he find the nearest blunt object he could grab and put a stop to what Sandusky was doing immediately? Nope, McQueary instead called his dad. Then McQueary met with “Saint Joe” himself, Joe Paterno, to ostensibly discuss what should be done about the situation.

Did Paterno immediately release Sandusky from his emeritus status and ban him from all Penn State facilities? No. Did Paterno call the police and try to contact the boy immediately? No. Instead Paterno, the “living legend” of college football who has made an entire image and career out of standing for integrity, did the BARE MINIMUM of what he was legally required to do, and informed his Athletic Director Tim Curley of the incident.

Obviously as we now know, there was ZERO contact with the police, and nothing happened to Sandusky. He kept his emeritus status with Penn State. He still has his office in the locker room, and was seen working out in Penn State’s facilities as recently as LAST WEEK. As for Athletic Director Tim Curley and his assistant Gary Schultz, they’ve stepped down from their positions with Penn State this week, as they are now charged with lying to a grand jury in their ridiculous attempt to cover up for Sandusky.

With everything that has happened, and is continuing to happen here is my bottom line.  Penn State deserves The Death Penalty. This isn’t SMU paying kids to play football. This isn’t Ohio State and USC with their “lack of institutional control”. This isn’t Notre Dame putting Declan Sullivan in harms’ way. This is the RAPE of CHILDREN taking place by Penn State staff at PENN STATE’S ATHLETIC FACILITIES!

Not only that, Penn State KNEW ABOUT what Sandusky was doing and did NOTHING to stop it. NOTHING. Mike McQueary knew it. Joe Paterno knew it. Tim Curley knew it, and Gary Schultz knew it. I don’t know about you, but I believe the NCAA should take exception to children being raped in the facilities of a major NCAA program, while the very administers of the program fail to notify the authorities. If you believe the NCAA has any conscience, you will agree that they need to act swiftly and immediately by blowing up the Penn State Football program and starting it over again from scratch two years later.

If anyone who has a problem with that punishment, I’d like to remind them that they should remember that their precious football program and its’ old fart, hypocritical legendary coach are responsible for raping and molesting boys. No record amount of wins will override this, and there is nothing more pathetic than someone defending a head coach that allowed this to continue versus showing vitriol at what was done to these young boys.

We may never know how many victims Penn State/Curley/Paterno could have spared had they acted correctly, or with any sense of DECENCY, when they first knew about Sandusky’s rape. All we know for sure is that they failed to use that supposed integrity they are so eager to flout to anyone who listens.

“May no act of ours bring shame”.  Not only are they bringing shame, but currently 40 criminal counts with more on the horizon.

"Dream Team" This!

How's a come-from-behind win on the road sound? That's what happened on Monday Night's nail-biting win for the Chicago Bears over the Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams are already fighting for their playoff lives at the midway point, and the Bears scored a crucial win to up their record to 5-3 on the season. This game was vintage Lovie Smith in terms of it being far from perfect, but with an effective result. The main cause of victory as I saw it, centered around both the Bears' offensive and defensive lines performing exceptionally. Here's the rest of what I saw :

Offense : It's hard to really summarize this groups effort tonight. Overall, they played well, but the few mistakes they made were very costly. Matt Forte's case for not getting the contract he wanted, got a couple of dings in it tonight with two fumbles - one of which directly resulting in 7 Philadelphia points. Sure Forte ended up with 133 rushing yards on the night, but not before being benched for a while after his second fumble. Hopefully Matt starts to realize that fumbling is not an option when pissing and moaning about getting "only" a $14 million in guaranteed money contract offer from the Bears - which he rejected.

Jay Cutler was his usual blend of brilliant and maddening. Cutler certainly took advantage of the time his offensive line provided, and despite a couple of wide open drops from Roy Williams and "Doe-Eyed" Dane Sanzenbacher, hit 9 different receivers on the night. Cutler will never be confused with Aaron Rodgers, but there's no denying his ability anymore. Anybody who still thinks he sucks, clearly isn't paying attention, and anyone who still treats him like he's an axe-murderer is clearly overstating things.

It can't be overstated however, the huge lift Earl Bennett gave the Bears tonight. Playing in his first game back since New Orleans, Bennett hauled in 5 receptions for 95 yards, including the go ahead TD catch late in the 4th quarter. Bennett's touchdown is significant because it was not the play that was called from the booth. Cutler and Bennett checked each other at the line and each knew the fade was on despite the huddle call. That tells me that no matter what happens the rest of the way, come next season Mike Martz is out of a job.

None of tonight's performance happens without the play of the Offensive Line. They get a game ball. Despite hearing all the worry about the Eagles "Wide 9" technique, they still didn't allow any Eagle sacks of Jay Cutler. The line also displayed their Power O blocking scheme, and are getting much better at pulling their guards on both sides of the line of scrimmage, while opening up bigger holes for Forte and an emerging Marion Barber. This unit has showed continuing improvement in the past three games, especially with the odd combo of Chris Spencer at right guard, and Lance Louis at right tackle. It's gotten to the point, where rookie first round pick Gabe Carimi might find himself not starting when he's fully healthy...

Defense : You heard it all week long. Julius Peppers, Henry Melton, and the rest of the line had to show up for this game, and they did. Peppers, while tweaking that gimpy knee he's had all season, got back on the field and was incredibly disruptive.

Most importantly though, Peppers finally wasn't a one-man gang as Melton, Amobe Okoye, and Izzy Idonije got great push up front, while showing excellent contain and pursuit. Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher also played outstanding, as they continued their career excellence against Michael Vick aka Ron Mexico.

Even though the front 7 got gashed by LeShon McCoy a couple of different times, the unit did what they needed to do in limiting a vaunted Philly offense while generating a key turnover in the second quarter.

Special Teams : The return game never got going, as Philly didn't allow the Bears to set up their blocking the entire game. They also got away with not being prepared for a fake punt, which if the Eagles punter Chas Henry didn't throw like a girl, probably would have gone for a touchdown.

Still Robbie Gould was excellent, particularly when he nailed a 51 yard field goal in the first half. For as much as I didn't think Robbie was anything special when he first joined the Bears, he really has blossomed into a legit NFL Kicker. I give him all the credit in the world for working as hard as he has.

Where Do We Go From Here : As I mentioned earlier, this was a huge win for the Bears and their playoff chances. Next week is an even bigger test, as they have a rematch against the resurgent Detroit Lions. A win against Detroit puts the Bears in a tie with the Lions for second place in the NFC North.

Can the Bears do it? It will still depend on the play of both lines, of course, but there's something else that's starting to really bother me and that's the play calling of Mike Martz in short yardage situations. Something really needs to be done about this, as there have been at least three different games now, where Martz tries to be too cute around the goal line, calling plays that have little to no chance of success i.e. throwing a play action fake to a double covered Kellen Davis on 3rd & 1, near the end zone. It makes me long for the Gary Crowton-style wide receiver screens we saw so much of a generation ago.

Either way, it's clear to this observer that Martz is being completely phased out by the rest of the players and coaching staff, and it's with just cause. How long can we trust Martz to not be Mike Martz? He still wants to run what he wants, despite everyone else knowing that what he wants to run will get Cutler killed, aka "Mark Bulger'ed".

Despite the Bears winning three in a row, the question must still be asked, "Do you fire Martz  right now?" My answer hasn't changed, has yours?

I'm Done : One Man's Divorce From The NBA

A funny thing has happened to me. I officially dislike the NBA, and if I put my mind to it, basketball overall. To understand why I consider this development "funny" is to understand a couple of things about me -if you care to. Otherwise feel free to skip ahead, or stop reading altogether.

I've been playing basketball since I was 9 years old. I've watched countless hours of college and NBA basketball for as long as I can remember. I'm old enough to have been dazzled by the likes of Magic, Kareem, Bird, Olajuwon, Isiah, Erving, Drexler, Barkley, Ewing, and Moses. Later on, the play of Shaq, Iverson, Kidd, and to a lesser extent Penny and Karl Malone were enough to captivate a young "Luzinskis Beard".

None of those players however, reached the level of respect and admiration from me the way Michael Jordan did. Jordan and the Chicago Bulls were "appointment television" every time they played, and I considered myself not only a big fan of the Bulls, but of the NBA as well. I also thought my love for the league and the sport would never wane....yet here I am, ACTIVELY rooting for the NBA to cancel their season.

How the hell did this happen? For the life of me I can't come up with a clear definitive answer. I've gone about this process of self-reflection by asking the following questions that reflect some of the most common laments I hear :

1. Is it because Buzz Bissinger is correct when he wrote there are no good white players for white fans to watch/identify with? No because my favorite basketball player of all time (Jordan) is black, and I never cared what color a player was in determining my level of basketball enjoyment. Anybody who does has serious issues. If a guy was the best, he was the best regardless of what color he was. I have the same policy in other sports that I watch too. Furthermore, I still maintain Larry Bird is one of the most overrated basketball players who ever existed. So it's not a black-white issue for me...
2. Is it because the tattoos, headbands and "thug culture" that seems to permeate throughout the league are off-putting? Nope. The Tattoos and thug-culture certainly don't stop me from watching and enjoying the NFL on a regular basis. So that's not it.
3. Is it because the "quality of play" has dipped over the years, and the 18 foot jump shot is rarely seen? No because today's players have never been bigger, stronger, faster, and certainly not more vertical than are currently versus any other era. If you need proof of that, tune into any "Hardwood Classic" which took place before 1990 on NBA TV, and you'll see quality of play reminiscent of a pick-up game at any YMCA.
4. Is it because the Bulls haven't won the title since Jordan? Not really because not only did the Bulls finish with the best record in the league last season, but they also had the Coach Of The Year in Tom Thibodeau, and the MVP of the league in Derrick Rose. The Bulls are also in a position of contending for a title for at least the next four years. While that's hardly the same as winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Bulls are as close to successful as it gets without winning....yet I still feel the way I that I do.
5. Is it because the NBA doesn't have anybody worthy of "Star Power"? No league with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, and LeBron James can be said to be absent of star power. Those four, and a few others I forgot to mention, are some of the most skilled players the NBA has ever seen. They've also managed to make a few bucks here and there with endorsements.....IN CHINA. The NBA has plenty of star power that spans not only the country, but the globe. So that's not it...

In case you were wondering, no, I don't care that the NBA has a lockout. The NFL had one this year too, yet it didn't sour me on the league. Not even close.

All of this puts me in a weird place. As someone who takes pride in always having an answer, explanation, rationale, or theory on why things are they way they are in sports, I'm obviously in a real pickle here.

I can't come up with anything as to why I am so indifferent to the NBA. I honestly can take it or leave it. I know I should be excited about wacthing Derrick Rose and the Bulls again, but it's just.not.there. If I never watch LeBron, Kobe, Derrick, Durant, Howard, or Dirk play another basketball game again I am perfectly fine with it, and I have no clue why.

More importantly though, I've stopped trying to figure out why, and I've fully accepted the fact that I don't want there to be NBA basketball anymore. Just go away, is how I feel. Begone, scram, adios, don't let it hit you in the ass, etc. I just don't care anymore, more importantly I don't need you anymore, would be my sentiment to the NBA.

The way these negotiations are going, there's a glimmer that I might get my wish, although I unfortunately have a feeling the two sides will work something out.

Either way I think an anecdote involving former Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden sums up my feelings the best. He asked a player what his main problem was, ignorance or apathy. He responded, "Coach I don't know, and I don't care".

Well said...

Ugly But Effective

A win is a win, right? The Chicago Bears 24-18 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday helped the Bears chances of reaching the postseason, as they are now featuring a 4-3 record. The game itself wasn't really memorable, but the results may prove to be quite memorable when the regular season concludes.

The novelty of the contest was predominant, as the game was yet another display of NFL Marketing gone awry with the game being played in London before a largely indifferent and uninformed British crowd. Irony was not absent however, as the British got to hear a performance of The Star Spangled Banner - a poem/song written about the Defence of Fort McHenry FROM the British, during the war of 1812. Irony was also on display as Roger Goodell hinted at the possibility of an NFL Franchise in London someday, while the #2 television market in his own country is teamless. In the end none of that matters because what the Bears needed to do to keep their postseason hopes alive was accomplished. Here's my tale of the tape :

Offense : I guess we don't have to wait for after the Bye Week to realize that Martz has been neutered again. For the second week in a row, the Bears offense featured Double Tight End, and Max Protect formations, with Matt Forte heavily featured on the ground. Forte had another great game, amassing 145 yards carrying the ball and scoring the games first touchdown early in the first quarter.

Forte was also one of six different receivers quarterback Jay Cutler completed passes to on the day, on his way to 226 yards passing. Even though Cutler found the end zone once to wide receiver Roy Williams, Cutler did not have one of his best days. Along with two interceptions (one of which clearly wasn't his fault), Cutler seemed out of sync in general as he threw some passes that were the result of a combination of bad decisions and bad footwork. Still, Cutler was good enough when he needed to be overall in leading the team to victory.

While I won't say they're out of my doghouse yet, the Offensive Line has made noteworthy improvements in the past couple of games. Yes Matt Forte makes a lot of would-be tacklers miss, but overall the O-Line is getting out of their stances much quicker, and they're better at the Power O, Pulling Guard running plays which provide the biggest holes for Forte. The O-line has also gotten better at giving Cutler time, which in turn has allowed for more Roy Williams sightings to take place. Roy is the closest thing the Bears have to a legit NFL receiver, so getting him more interested in football can only be a positive for the Bears.

Defense : Even though they went to sleep a little in the fourth quarter, overall this unit played well. A major sign that they're returning to their once dominant, stingy ways are the four interceptions they had on the day, including a fourth quarter, game clinching pick by cornerback DJ Moore. As any Bear fans who actually watch the games know, this defense is predicated on generating turnovers, which is an aspect that has been largely missing this season. Hopefully this is a sign that all the corrections Lovie Smith has been mentioning are finally happening.

The Front Seven was noticeably improved as they were stout against the run, and the front four generated plenty of hurries of Bucs QB Josh Freeman - at least for three quarters. While only registering 1 sack on the day, the Front Four took advantage of a depleted Bucs Offensive Line while in the process knocking out Bucs running back Earnest Graham early in the game.

The guy that really has caught my eye is Chris Conte. Ever since he's started in place of Chris Harris in the Free Safety spot, Conte has made an impact. I'd actually be very optimistic about him if Al Afalava, Craig Steltz, Danieal Manning, and Kevin Payne didn't happen already. Still, it's tough to ignore that Conte has facilitated the Bears defense no longer giving up passing plays of 25 yards or more.

Special Teams : Safe to say this unit disappointed. Robbie Gould missed a makeable 41 yard field goal in the third quarter that would have made the ending a little less nerve-wracking. Devin Hester couldn't get off the launching pad in the return game as well.

For a team that goes out of it's way to mention how vital their return game is to their success, they cannot be happy with the results today.

Where Do We Go From Here : A much needed Bye Week is next on the schedule. Hopefully that should give the Bears/Martz more time to develop a makeshift playbook based on the Double Tight End formations they've decided on. While the Bye Weeks suck for us as a fan base, they are to be taken advantage of . Last season's Bye Week ended up being the catalyst for a season turnaround resulting in an NFC Championship Appearance.

Will that happen again? Maybe Better this time? Maybe Worse? We'll find out. First on the menu after the Bye Week will be a pivotal game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Every game is essentially a playoff game for the Bears from here on out anyway. So there's no need to worry about the Bears not realizing the gravity of this one .

Interesting...

Well that was different wasn't it? Dare I say, that's more like it? To say that the Chicago Bears emerged victorious against the Minnesota Vikings tonight, would be an understatement. A more befitting description would say that the Bears routed the Vikings tonight, as the Bears took control of this game from the opening possession, and never looked back.

Tonight's victory over the Vikings was such a dramatic contrast versus the previous three weeks of Bears Football. The Bears looked especially sound in all three phases, as some familiar faces found themselves in new positions, and some new faces finally found themselves dressed and on the field. Let's commence lighting the victory cigar...

Offense : When he screws up, I need to call him out. When he does well, I must give him praise. Mike Martz has earned praise after tonight's game. Granted, the re-tooled offensive line helped a tremendous amount, but the key was Martz finally acquiescing to more 3 and 5 step drops for Cutler tonight to go along with the Double Tight End formations. Cutler did take some shots deep, specifically in the opening possession where he hit Devin Hester on a 48 yard TD strike on the Bears first possession.

Matt Forte continued to play very well both on the ground and catching the ball, on his way to 123 yards from scrimmage on the night. There were a couple of Roy Williams sightings as well, as Cutler found 8 different receivers for completions.

None of it's possible without the offensive line. Lance Louis played very adequately at right tackle, but considering he was replacing Frank "OMIGODISUCK" Omiyale, he looked like Damien Woody! Chris Williams received (just) praise from Chris Collinsworth. Chris Spencer played well at right guard, while J'Marcus Webb benefited from plenty of chip's from the backs and tight ends to help contain Jared "Meth-Face" Allen.

While this newest line arrangement played better than I expected, it remains to be seen if they can continue this success, particularly when Gabe Carimi returns and when they face teams that run a 3-4 based defensive scheme. The good news is that they at least played like they knew what the snap count was...

Defense : It's hard to assess or conclude how good this unit played tonight, considering Donovan McNabb looked like Daunte Culpepper post 2005. Julius Peppers played awesome considering he hadn't practiced and is practically playing on one leg at this point.

The surprise of the night was rookie Stephen Paea however. After not even dressing for the first 5 games, Paea busted out with a safety in the first quarter, to go along with 2 tackles and 1 sack on the night. If you want to feel good about Paea's performance go ahead, but keep in mind the Bears coaching staff concluded that he couldn't play before the season began, and Paea's success is a direct reflection of their inability to assess who can play, and who can't.

As far as the new starting safety tandem of Major Wright and Chris Conte go, again it's hard to say. Wright played better than I thought, particularly when lined up in the box, while Conte did his best to not look like Craig Steltz, in which case he was successful. Still, if this defense is going to do anything I believe Chris Harris will eventually need to be the starting Strong Safety.

Special Teams : I guess that Devin Hester guy is still pretty good. With a 98 yard kickoff return in the third quarter, Hester showed that the NFL remains an Ego over Common Sense league. You would think that after 5 years of unparralled success teams would stop kicking to him. Especially in light of the new kickoff rules which diminish Hester's chances of success. Nevertheless, the Vikings kicked to him, and Hester took advantage of the futile attempt to arm-tackle him.

Where Do We Go From Here? : A Foggy Day In London Town is the Bears next destination as they will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Forgive me for refusing to get caught up in the novelty of playing a game in London. I think it is completely silly that the NFL does this in the name of "marketing" or "prospecting" for the possibility of an NFL franchise being located in Great Britain someday. The NFL can't even get a friggin team in Los Angeles for goodness sake, yet they continue to beat the dead horse that is London.

Be that as it may, the Bears are at .500 again, after winning a game that was vital to their already slim chances of making the postseason. The Bears are still looking down the barrel of the Lions and Packers, but there's still plenty of football left.

Here's hoping they've finally found an offensive line combo, and a play-calling template that works, because if they have, they (gulp) still have a chance at the playoffs.

Finger On The Button Now?

How does the worst start to a season since 2007 sound? Reason I ask is because that's what we've officially got on our hands, fellow Bears fans. The real irony is that while most Detroit Lions fans are destroying their livers at the moment, a cerebral Lions fan has to be asking him/herself, "Are we that good, or are the Bears that bad?" I think I can help them answer that question...

Overall, despite my low expectations going into this game, I still can't help but feel even worse about this Bears team. The Bears might need to start pushing some figurative Panic Buttons after this game, to try and salvage this ever-growing catastrophe of a season. Something similar to how they had to rein Mike Martz in a year ago, only this time these Panic Button moves might need to be on a grander scale. More on that in a minute, but first lets get to the TPS Report on tonight's game:

Offense : I'm really struggling to come up with a worse Offensive Line in Bears history than this group? This unit is flirting heavily with the 2004 bunch that gave up 66 sacks. All night long, Jay Cutler was running for his life, and that was when they got the play off! The Bears committed 6 False Starts in the First Half, an NFL Season High according to Stats, Inc. That's OK though because they made up for it by not picking up blitzes while letting Detroit's Front 7 set up shop in the Bears backfield.

Say whatever you want about Jay Cutler, but he played his ass off tonight, as he constantly had to throw on the run, took a ton of hits, and did his best to make Chicken Salad out of our Chicken Shit Offense called by our Chicken Shit Offensive Coordinator. More on "The Mad Genius" Mike Martz in a moment, but most importantly Cutler maybe had time to plant his back-foot....what....9 times? Maybe 10? Not.Enough.

Again, I know everyone loves Matt Forte and thinks the Bears should give him a gagillion dollars. Even though I like Matt Forte, I'm  not one of those people who feels the Bears should commit long term money to him, but he had a terrific game once again.

I also can't wait for Roy Williams to come off the injured list and be active! Oh wait, he was active wasn't he? Didn't somebody say Williams would have 80 catches this year in this dynamic offense? Wonder who that "genius" was???

Defense : Somebody said "We'll get that corrected" when addressing all the big plays of 30 or more yards his defense had given up. Don't know about you guys, but I didn't see a whole lot of things "corrected". Especially when Calvin Johnson burned the Bears deep for a 73 yard touchdown pass, and the great Jahvid Best ran right up the middle for an 88 yard TD run, on his way to 163 yards rushing on the day. Not too cool, Lovie...

Julius Peppers injured his knee, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that he might have been hurt in the games prior to tonight's, as Peppers has been invisible all year. It's also not a coincidence that the Bears defensive line has been invisible on Passing Situations ever since the opener against Atlanta as well.

Oh before I forget, the Brandon Merriweather Experiment needs to end. He's a free-lancing headhunter, which is completely the opposite of what the Bears defensive scheme requires from it's Free Safety. Chris Harris' return to the lineup did very little to help the pass defense, as Matthew Stafford found plenty of his receivers in the open holes that the Tampa 2 allows, on his way to 219 yards and 2 TD's.

Special Teams : Robbie was Robbie, and Adam Podlesh did a wonderful job kicking the Bears into good field position. Devin Hester couldn't get off the launching pad on both the kick and punt return opportunities he got tonight.

Where Do We Go From Here : I'm not going to sing the same song every week, where I lament that Jerry Angelo has done an abysmal job in giving Jay Cutler the weapons he needs to succeed, both on the Offensive Line and the receiving corps. I'm not going to howl about the predictability and antiquity of Lovie Smith's Tampa 2, or Mike Martz's version of Air Coryell. I'm not going to continue to whine about how Jay Cutler is being wasted by continuing to take beating, after beating, after beating in every game he plays.

I believe we're beyond that point now, because of a very frightening reality that the Bears face. The reality being, that this Bears team as presently constructed, is supposed to go to the Super Bowl THIS season. Not in 2013-2020, but NOW, simply because there is ZERO talent in the pipeline. These past three drafts that have occurred on Jerry Angelo's watch have produced next to nothing, at best! Please don't make me have to mention Jarron Gilbert, Al Avalava, Marcus Freeman, Major Wright, and Steven Paea. With the absence of good draft picks, combined with the fact that outside of Cutler and Forte, the best players on this team are on the wrong side of 30 years old.

That being the reality of this season, the question must be asked if firing Mike Martz this week would be something worth considering? It's more than obvious that Martz is unwilling to make the changes he made a year ago. Would launching him and appointing Mike Tice as Offensive Coordinator be a step in the right direction?

I guess it would depend on what Tice wanted to do if he were to be OC. Personally I wouldn't care if it's Tice or Dave Toub or Shane Day or some random dude I've never heard of. All I want is a coordinator that knows the strengths and weaknesses of his personnel, and will make the necessary adjustments to give his team the best chance to win! That's not too much to ask is it?

According to Mike Martz....it is.