Poor Offensive Line Play Threatening Bears’ Postseason & Beyond

If Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo aren’t careful, Jay Cutler could be demanding a trade by the end of this season.

Sure, the Bears have just paid their new quarterback handsomely with a generous contract extension, and unlike Pat Bowlen and Josh McDaniels, Smith and Angelo haven’t said so much as a word about trading him for someone else.

But the truth is that if Cutler continues to get bulldozed by opposing defenders at the rate he has been this season, he might just ask the Bears to show him to the door so he doesn’t have to spend his glory years eating and breathing through tubes in Cook County Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.

The ineptitude of the Bears offensive line is shocking and downright dangerous considering that this franchise has placed all of its eggs in Cutler’s basket.

Protecting the most important player on the team should have been a priority in the draft, yet the Bears didn’t take a single offensive linemen until drafting tight end gone guard Lance Louis in the seventh round.

Angelo even traded away the 49th overall pick despite the availability of solid prospects like Max Unger and Phil Loadholt (both of whom have started and played well as rookies), and passed on any number of solid interior line prospects in the third round when they instead took a shot on pool-jumping defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert.

When asked if the pounding Cutler was taking was a concern, Lovie Smith answered saying that “you need big, strong, tough guys playing quarterback for you.”

Apparently these same gridiron virtues are no longer required for Chicago Bears offensive linemen. Since Smith and Angelo rolled into town, the Bears have been unable or unwilling to develop any players who can block with the consistency and mean streak necessary to help win championships.

It’s no secret folks. When you refuse to draft big, strong, tough players in the meat of several consecutive drafts and instead choose to start washed up veterans and journeymen who couldn’t cut it on other teams, you lose football games and your skilled position players end up getting leveled and ultimately injured with painful regularity.

You can’t expect any better production when that’s how your organization does business. Garbage in, garbage out.

While Cutler’s numbers haven’t been stellar this year, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt because I saw what he did in Denver with solid protection and an offensive system suited to his skills.

Watching the Bears’ offense get turned away four times in the red zone by the pitiful Cleveland defense was bad, but praying for Jay Cutler to get up after being repeatedly laid out was much worse.

The Bears’ offensive line simply cannot protect Cutler, and if their play doesn’t improve soon, missing the playoffs this year could end up being a minor setback relative to a possible season/career-ending injury to their star quarterback.

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Simple Guide to De-Clawing the Bengals’ Defense

Putting last Sunday’s loss to Atlanta behind them, the Bears face off against the Bengals this Sunday in Cincinnati. The “Cardiac Cats” are, arguably, the Bears’ toughest opponent so far this season.

The Bengals present a challenge to the Bears on both sides of the ball. Their stout offensive line has paved the way for ex-Bears running back, Cedric Benson. Benson is seeing success behind this line like he never saw in Chicago.

The Bears’ defense has done well against the run this season, and their improved pass rush should give them a chance to keep the Bengals’ playmakers off the field.

Despite success on defense, the Bears’ offense has had to play catchup in nearly every game this season. Things won’t be any easier this week against Mike Zimmer’s Bengal defense. They are big, physical, and allow only 19.7 points per game (14th in the NFL). 

There is room for hope for the Bears, who played well coming off of their embarrassing loss in the season-opener. They look to do the same this week.

Anyone who caught this season’s edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks or has watched the Bengals play this year will tell you that Cinci has a greatly improved squad.

They have already matched their win total from last season, and impressive wins over the Steelers and Ravens have given them a solid foothold in their division. Last week’s loss to the Texans figures to have them feeling ornery and ready for another statement game against a respectable opponent.

Mike Zimmer’s defense hopes to put on a clinic Sunday, even without their sack leader Antwan Odom. If the Bears’ offensive line can’t make space for Matt Forte, Jay Cutler could spend most of Sunday evening either on his back or on the sideline.

My hope is that Ron Turner decides to swallow his pride and let the Bears’ passing offense open up the running this game, not the other way around.

By utilizing short screen passes and getting Matt Forte, Devin Hester, and Greg Olsen open in space, they can tire out the Bengals’ defense early on by forcing them to pursue. Cincinnati will be keying in on shutting down the Bears’ inside running game and getting to Cutler on 3rd-and-long situations because that’s been the blueprint for beating the Bears this year.

Looking back at last season, the Bears put up some of their best numbers when operating out of a no-huddle offense. Considering Jay Cutler’s prowess in two-minute situations, the Bears have an opportunity to catch Zimmer’s defense offguard early.

That could cause mental mistakes in coverage, which could open up running lanes for Forte. It could also allow speedster Jonny Knox to find seems in a shaky Cincinnati secondary. The Bengals d-backs give up 254.8 yards through the air per game, ranking them No. 28 in the league.

If the Bears are able to exploit an aggressive but flawed Cinci defense early in the game, they can string together long drives. Thus, keeping Chad Ochocinco off the field where he’ll be free to tweet to his heart’s content.

Should Ron Turner decide to utilize the same tired game plan of run, run, pass, punt, it could be a long night and a longer plane ride home. This is a Bears team that can’t afford to drop to 3-3 if they hope to keep pace with the undefeated Vikings in the NFC North.

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Should the Chicago Bears Take the Plunge into the Fountain of Youth?

Any fan of American pro football knows that Brian Urlacher is one of the Chicago Bears’ marquee players; the kind of stalwart middle linebacker that might someday have his name enshrined in the Hall-of-Fame, alongside other Bears greats like Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus, and Bill George.

Losing Urlacher for the season hurts, there’s no question about it. Not only are the Bears losing a captain and leader on and off of the field, but more importantly, you can bet that the Bears’ remaining 2009 opponents are going to look to capitalize on his absence any way they can.

The extent of the negative impact of losing Urlacher for the season is like a dark, bottomless pit; it’s uncharted territory since he has been a fixture on the Bears’ defense for a decade.

But at the same time, even Urlacher’s most staunch proponents must admit that his career is approaching its end. The next time Urlacher suits up to play, he will be 32-years-old.

Pro football can be a cruel game to aging veterans, and it’s hard to think of a position more unforgiving of a player’s age than middle linebacker. While placekickers, punters, quarterbacks, and even some offensive linemen can get away with playing at a high level well into their 30’s, the physical punishment delivered to and by linebackers on a weekly basis takes a huge toll on their bodies, especially in a defensive system built around the “Mike” position like the Bears’ scheme is. 

It might hurt us to admit it, but at some point, a player like Urlacher inevitably will reach a point where his on-field production no longer warrants the huge investment in cap space dedicated to him. Tough decisions like that simply have to be made, and while the Bears are probably one of the more loyal organizations, when it comes to rewarding star players regardless of their long-term potential for future success, at some point, money talks and loyalty walks…along with veterans on the wrong side of 30.

So maybe it’s time for Jerry Angelo and the coaches to start trimming the Bears roster and build a solid foundation of younger players who will be the future of the franchise.

On defense, this might mean cutting ties with players like Nate Vasher, Adawale Ogunleye, and even Tommie Harris to clear the way for guys like Zachary Bowman, Mark Anderson, and Marcus Harrison who have all shown tremendous potential and have at times surpassed their older and higher-paid counterparts, when given the chance to play.

If the thought of doing this seems scary to coaches or fans, they should first ask themselves if they truly noticed Mike Brown’s absence in Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. Personally, I didn’t, because while Brown remains one of my favorite Bears of all-time, Al Afalava and Danieal Manning played more than well enough to make up for the loss of the injury-plagued Brown at the conclusion of the 2008 season.

Finding someone to fill Urlacher’s shoes might only happen in one of the next couple of drafts, but make no mistake, it needs to happen.

If they opt to stick with the players they currently have on their roster, then perhaps Jamar Williams’ contract with the team should be extended so that he could be eased into the “Mike” role for the long-term. After all, Williams performed very well throughout the last couple of offseasons and has been a solid contributor on special teams since his arrival in Chicago.

Offensively, the infusion of youth seems to be underway already.

Younger players like Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Chris Williams, Greg Olsen, and Devin Hester should comprise the backbone of the Bears’ offense in coming years. But an offense is usually only as good as its line. Olin Kreutz is approaching his final year under contract with the Bears, Orlando Pace is on his way out, and probably on his way to Canton as well, while Roberto Garza has certainly seen younger and more productive days.

As for addressing the interior offensive line, the Bears’ coaches would have us believe that Josh Beekman will eventually step in as Kreutz’s replacement when his number is called. However, seeing as how they replaced him with Frank Omiyale at the starting left guard position this season, they haven’t exactly shown fans or Beekman himself that they realistically see him as anything more than a decent backup. After watching him struggle with the likes of Pat Williams and Albert Haynesworth last season, I’d tend to agree.

Since the Bears have very little young depth on the offensive line, addressing this in the draft becomes a priority. To some analysts, the prospect of having too many young players on the offensive line is a frightening proposition.

But anyone who watched the performance of the Buffalo Bills’ offensive line against Bill Belechick’s vaunted defense, on Monday Night Football, will tell you that young offensive linemen can indeed make an immediate impact. Dick Jauron had three rookies starting up front who were downright dominant at times against the Patriots’ front seven. 

The time for the new era is rapidly approaching, if it isn’t already upon us.

Clinging to the past and the last vestiges of the 2006 squad that went all the way to the big dance can do nothing, but hurt this team. Some of the pieces are in place already, and the organization seems to have learned its lesson. After all, this time around, the Bears have a franchise-caliber quarterback, the lack of which proved to be the Bears’ undoing in the damp and dreadful waning minutes of Super Bowl XLI.

But the team’s metamorphosis shouldn’t stop there. Sure, there will be growing pains along the way as young players adjust to their new roles and to the spotlight. That’s inevitable, but it’s also a necessary rite of passage for any team that wants to be a consistent playoff contender.

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Locked in on Lambeau: One Bear To Watch Sunday Night

It’s been a long time coming Bears fans.

All the analysis, combine statistics, OTAs, and anticipation for this season has finally come to fruition and the new season is upon us. For Chicago, it’s a season rife with optimism and verve.

But don’t worry. I won’t bore you with another article highlighting the importance of Sunday night’s showdown in Green Bay. I’m not going to compare Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers and predict which signal-caller will perform better.

I won’t even talk about which defense needs to make more of a statement either. At this point, those tired, worn-out stories and debates yield only a hearty yawn from me.

I expect Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Lance Briggs, Robbie Gould, and Brad Maynard to deliver solid performances this week and throughout the season, so they aren’t really of great concern to me.

No, when I sit down to watch our beloved Monsters of the Midway on Sunday night, I’ll be watching one more than any other: Orlando Pace.

Pace’s signing with the Bears got somewhat lost in all of the hoopla surrounding the Cutler trade, but after the dust settled, most people both inside and outside of the organization seemed to believe Pace would upgrade the offensive line and be able to protect Cutler’s blind side, while also providing veteran leadership to the younger players.

Additionally, much was made of his probable future-Hall of Fame status.

Yawn.

As cute as this sentiment is, watching the former St. Louis star get manhandled by Denver’s Elvis Dumervil in the third preseason game did nothing to quell my suspicions that Pace may be too far past his prime to be considered a viable left tackle for a quarterback of Cutler’s caliber.

At least not if Ron Turner wants to keep the star quarterback out of Chicago-area intensive care units. 

Dumervil’s dominance of Pace exposed a major flaw in the Bears’ offensive metamorphosis this offseason: If Pace can’t take care of business against the likes of Dumervil, how will he fare against James Harrison and the rest of the Steelers defense?

How can he possibly come out on top against Jared Allen twice this year?

Sunday Night figures to be a coming out party of sorts for Dom Capers’ blitz-happy defense. The Packers have no reason to hold back at all when it comes to pressuring Cutler, but the silver lining seems to be that besides Aaron Kampman, Pace shouldn’t have to line up across from any elite pass-rushers. 

The Packers defense should be a good litmus test for how the Bears will perform against some of the potent 3-4 defenses they will face later on this season.

For Pace, it may be just another game in the twilight years of an illustrious career, but for long-suffering Bears fans, it’s more than just another season-opener.

It’s the first time most Bears fans have seen a star quarterback under center for their team, and to have his first game end in a loss to the Packers on national television is about as bad as it can get for us Bears fans.

If the Bears win, hardly anyone in the media will make note of how well Pace blocked. If they lose, he may be asked to shoulder the blame.

That’s the nature of being an offensive lineman, and Pace is no stranger to it. But he will need to play better than anything he has shown us since coming to Chicago in order to keep Cutler on his feet and off his back.

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Will the NFC North Be the NFL’s Most Competitive Division?

For quite some time now, the NFL’s Black and Blue division has been viewed by many as one of the league’s least consistent and competitive. It seems that in any given season in recent memory, the NFC North has been characterized by a clear division leader with the remaining three teams straggling at the middle or toward the bottom of the pack in the league.

The last time two NFC North teams made the playoffs in the same season was five years ago, when Minnesota stumbled their way into the playoffs after ending the 2004 season losing seven of their last ten games during the regular season.

What’s even more amazing seems to be that despite the lack of division parity during the season, in the last three years, the NFC North crown has changed hands three times. That means from one year to the next, no team has been able to establish a foothold the way teams like the Patriots or Colts have in their respective divisions.

But this division’s overall mediocrity could be coming to a end. With t 2009 season is fast approaching, the general consensus among NFL experts and analysts seems to be that all four NFC North teams have made serious improvements this offseason.

The main reason for this would have to be the turnover at the quarterback position in three of the teams in the Black and Blue.

Teams with the NFC North on their schedule this season will have to contend with potentially having three new faces starting under center, with all three new quarterbacks widely projected to be vast improvements over their predecessors.

Unless Brett Favre’s recovery doesn’t go as swimmingly as Brad Childress has been indicating, it would appear that the Bears, Lions and Vikings are all going to see a changing of the guard at the all-important position.

Meanwhile, the Packers are undergoing an arguably bigger transformation to a 3-4 defensive scheme.

This unprecedented level of projected improvement has left fans scratching their collective heads to determine who the clear frontrunner is to win the division crown in 2009.

Post-OTA Thoughts: Three Questions The Bears Need To Answer

Much has been said about the Chicago Bears’ 2009 offseason so far. It would seem that no other team in the league has gone through such a radical transformation, and the consensus seems to be that the Bears’ new additions to the roster and coaching staff should put them over the double-digit win mark this coming season.

But fans and Bears personnel alike need to take a step back and look at what their goals are for 2009.

Of course, every year, every player and every coach on every team says that their goal is to win the Super Bowl.

Likewise, every year, millions of Americans make the New Years Resolution to “get back in shape”. But everyone knows these kinds of goals are more realistic for some than they are for others.

If you went 0-16 one year earlier/weigh 400 pounds, I think it’s pretty safe to say you won’t be holding up the Lombardi Trophy/showing off your six pack abs the following February.

But the Bears were a team on the cusp of the playoffs in 2008 and their offseason moves should put them into the playoff-caliber category without needing to change much else. But there are three issues that need to be addressed if they want to be a team that can win in the playoffs and realistically compete for a Super Bowl.

After all, over a third of the league will see playoff action, and when we think of this season’s expectations in those terms, it gives us some perspective into what makes a playoff team versus what makes a great team.

1. Defensive Line

The Bears’ pass rush was all but nonexistent throughout much of the 2008 season. The front four does not appear to change much in terms of position. The company line seems to be that the addition of Rod Marinelli to the coaching staff will suffice in re-establishing consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

But most fans understand that the success of the defensive line, and the entire defense by extension, walks hand in hand with the performance of Tommie Harris. If Harris cannot revert to Pro-Bowl form, expect the Ghosts of 2008 to continue to haunt this once-stellar defense.

2. Wide Receivers

The addition of Jay Cutler figures to improve the Bears passing game, but questions surround the largely-unproven receiving corps. Many NFL analysts are predicting that the lack of a viable No. 1 downfield threat on the roster will be the team’s Achilles’ Heel.

Yet the GM, coaches and even Cutler himself have all been steadfast in their answers to questions from the press that have begun to circulate since news of star wideouts Plaxico Burress and Brandon Marshall’s possible availability this season first surfaced.

It’s fairly safe to say that Marshall, while probably the better of the two options given his age and existing rapport with Cutler, will not be on the Bears’ roster come September.

The organization already gave up so much to acquire Jay Cutler from Denver, it appears that they lack the ammunition needed to snag a star player who’s still under contract with another team. If the Bears had enough left to sacrifice by way of draft picks, they probably would have already made a play for Arizona wideout Anquan Boldin.

But Burress is a free-agent and the team should seriously consider bringing Burress in for a workout. His impact on the Giants was massive, best evidenced by their fall from grace last season when he was no longer playing.

3. Free Safety

With the departure of veteran Mike Brown, the Bears are left with a massive whole right in the middle of their beloved Tampa-2 defense. Not only do they lack a consensus starter at the position, but they’re also missing an emotional leader who can take command of the secondary.

Since Brown was released, the discussion over who will play where in Bears’ secondary has been like a game of musical chairs. Charles Tillman, Josh Bullocks, Corey Graham, Zack Bowman, and Craig Steltz have all been seriously considered for the starting free safety position, but none of them has much, if any, NFL experience at the position.

One player who may emerge in training camp as the Mike Brown of the future is rookie Al Afalava. Clearly Afalava has a checkered past, and his sixth-round draft status, and sub-BCS collegiate competition may raise a few eyebrows. But his workout was as good as any safety in the draft, and lest we forget, four years ago the Bears drafted another safety in the sixth round who went on to make an interception in the Super Bowl.

 

Clearly the Bears have vastly improved on paper. But as Lovie Smith said following their last OTA, they still need to come together as a team.

If they can answer these questions before or during training camp, the sky could be the limit for this team, and Bears fans could be rejoicing next February. While Lions fans make up their minds to “get back in shape”.

A Friendly Warning to All Jay Cutler-Crazed Chicago Bear Fans

As the Bears take their offseason program into the summer months, Chicago fans young and old are celebrating the acquisition of the franchise’s first franchise-caliber quarterback since the advent of the league’s modern era.

And they have good reason to rejoice. After all, long suffering Bears fans have had to endure the heartache that comes with watching their proud, storied franchise be regularly humbled by teams with star quarterbacks.

Maybe it’s the wind in Chicago, or the fact that the team has always made having a stout defense and solid running game the chief priority, or just the reputation that the city has grown for chewing up promising quarterback talent and spitting it out a few injury and interception-plagued seasons later.

For whatever reason, Bears fans have seen more than their fair share of signal-callers come and go without ever developing into the kind of players who can lead the Bears to the postseason Promised Land.

But I want to offer a warning to the Bears’ faithful who still celebrate Jay Cutler’s coming after so many years enduring the Krenzels and McNowns.

While Cutler’s talent and performance has been on another tier entirely from that of Kyle Orton, to say that Orton was the reason why the Bears didn’t make the playoffs shows a startling lack of awareness or denial about some more serious problems with the Bears’ roster.

Let’s be honest folks. The team’s biggest problem a year ago was not the quarterback or even the offense. No, the reason the Bears failed to make the playoffs last season was the decline in production and/or desire on defense.

Few Bears fans want to admit to it, but the defense may be just too old to cut it anymore. It was apparent in their inability to hold onto cushy leads late in games and get off the field on third downs.

The team’s lack of quality depth on defense is of equal concern, because it spells big trouble in the future. Whether you choose to admit it or not, there will come a time when Brian Urlacher’s and Tommie Harris’ performance will no longer warrant their massive paychecks, and the front office will act accordingly.

But even more frightening is the team’s refusal to acquire defensive stalwarts early in recent drafts. This more than anything will almost certainly come back to bite them down the road. After all, how can you neglect an entire side of the ball during the meat of several consecutive drafts and hope for success later on?

To be fair, the Bears have made some solid late round picks in recent years. But the fact that the youngest starter on defense who was also a first-day draft pick joined the team in 2004 speaks to the potentially painful future that may lie in store for a team that has always prided itself on its defense.

I just want to go on the record saying that I’m truly glad Jay Cutler has joined the Bears, and I think that he will prove to be a successful quarterback for years to come. But apart from working against them in practice, Cutler can do very little to help shore up the holes on a once-proud defense.

Even if his play can keep the defense off the field longer than Orton ever could have, sooner or later the problems there will be exposed by opposing offenses. There’s just no place to hide in this league.

So my advice is to cheer for Cutler, and expect solid play from him. If what you want to see is more touchdown passes, keep celebrating. But if you want to see your team consistently make the playoffs and win championships, you should be hoping against hope that the defense will revert to the form it showed two years ago.

History has already shown us that without a solid defense to help him, Jay Cutler spends his Januarys watching the playoffs on TV, no matter how many touchdowns he throws.

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