How Bout Dem Bears?

Pernell McPhee beasting early.

Run game is struggling.

Mixed bag, but thought it was encouraging overall.

Starting front 7 was excellent I thought, McPhee set the tone early with a sack and near-sack, and then when the Colts switched up their protection, others like Jared Allen got in on the act. Run-stopping was good, and they pressured Luck to get rid of it quickly each time.

Secondary was pretty crap, didn't stop anything that went down there. As good as the front 7 played, it should've been better, and the Colts TD drive was pretty much all on them.

O-line has a poor day. Bushrod got bull-rushed into Cutler, Jay Leno, starting at RT, looked out of his depth, got beaten badly twice. Long called for an obvious hold. Run-blocking was poor for Forte.

Cutler did well, and again I liked the variation in offensive alignments. Jacquizz Rodgers did excellently when he came in. Fair to say he's better than Forte at those inside runs? Seems to get up to speed quicker and has a quicker change of direction.

@ChrisBurke_SI: "Jay Cutler losing his helmet while lowering his shoulder into a defender on a preseason play negated by penalty. That's something."

I was trying to decide if this was cool, or stupid to do in a pre-season game. I think I liked it though.

Agreed, a mixed bag.

-The tackle spot is weak. Very weak.
-Secondary still looks crap. Fuller now a big concern.
-Jay was good, very disciplined. The dive was moronic though.
-Front 7 was good. Even Allen and Shea look decent.

The one thing you missed was special teams. Can't believe what I'm watching. They're exceptional.

Ratliff has been suspended for the first 3 games.
https://twitter.com/BradBiggs/status/635848891733180416

https://twitter.com/ZachZaidman/status/635850311006089216

https://twitter.com/wiltfongjr/status/636608161412202496

Good Jaysus...

Back to the glory days.

It's a shame John Fox will still find a way to get 4 or 5 wins out of this team and have us picking further down. Just blow it up and have us picking first at the draft which is in Chicago again.

Also, Ray McDonald was charged with rape yesterday for that thing that happened in December that led to the Niners releasing him.

Anyone going to watch tonight? Could be very interesting really. Fox is still saying nothing about the extent of the WR injuries, but Jeffery does seem to be serious enough, whereas by some accounts Eddie Royal isn't. Obviously this being the third preseason it's an important dress rehearsal, it'll be interesting to watch a probable situation where Forte and Bennett are the 1 and 2 options in the passing game.

Other than that...wincing and praying for no more injuries, and especially praying that our scary looking O line doesn't leave Cutler open to being hit too much. But on more optimistic note, I've actually been impressed (just from highlights) with how the new D is developing in the front seven area. Less optimistic, our whole secondary has looked like garbage, hopefully Fuller in particular can give us some reason for hope tonight.

Please let Goldman's injury just be a stinger. He's badly needed out there with Ratliff out too.

..And he's walking gingerly to the locker room. Nice...

Nothing to be optimistic about tonight. Forte and Bennett weren't injured. Everything else, especially our total inability to convert on third and the ease with which they did it, was horrible. And much of the damage was done after Dalton left the game. Our O line was a sieve. Our secondary was atrocious, McClellin started OK but then made mistakes in key situations. I dunno, maybe we'll get first pick next year, but other than that...nothing to like so far. Preseason or not, missing Jeffery or not, we have nothing much beyond Forte and Bennett to be happy about.

EDIT Just posted that and then Pickles went down badly. Fcuk.

Saturday was irredeemably awful. D was crap and the offense won’t function with tackles that bad.

Jennings cut last night. It’s a decent cap hit but the guy is terrible so not upset by it.

There's not a huge amount to be positive about;

- We suck at tackle (RT is a turnstile)
- Our WR's are all injured. White won't be seen again this season imho (they'll be mad to rush him)
- Our best safety last year is on the IR now and we are wafer thin at the position
- Our CB's look dire. Ball is worse than Jennings and Jennings ended up cut, which says a lot. Mitchell looks the best of them (:eek:).
- Our ILB's can't cover
- Ratliff misses the first 3 games
- Goldman got a concussion
- Grasu looks woeful and would be in line cut if he wasn't a mid round draft pick (you clearly give him time to develop but his talent level is worrying)
- Jon Bostic is atrocious and should be cut
- Cutler is still the QB and that's the least of our issues
- The roster overall is very weak and unbalanced.

Reasons to be positive:

- We'll be picking high, thanks to the lack of talent & schedule
- Our coaches are miles better than the previous 2 years and we should hang onto our co-ordinators if we suck
- Special teams is much better and given the value it deserves
- Cutting the likes of Jennings shows they are interested in youth and developing players for the future

Overall poor drafting, poor FA acquisitions and lack of talent has caught up with the roster and team. It's hard to win with a bunch of rookies on the field and guys playing positions for the first time in their lives.

The bad luck with White just compounds it and is salt in the wounds stuff.

Good article here

This has been swirling around in my head for a while. Fox & Pace want to rebuild - however they also need to not get fired/massively tarnish their records which is such a hard balancing act.

They got rid of Jennings saying they wanted to get young yet signed Rolle (32) in the offseason. Now you can't just get rid of loads of experienced players as they need to help develop younger players. So I guess they had Rolle in mind to mentor a rookie they drafted.

They talk about building through the draft yet give up a 2017 6th for an UDFA who has done well with the Texans. I really wish we were acquiring picks not losing them.

There seems to be a lot of opposing information & moves. I honestly wish they'd just blow it up and be done with it.

I'm getting worried.

They waived terry Williams, Brandon Dunn, Michael ola, David bass and Matthew wells.

They also cut mason foster.

They only traded for wells, who looked an excellent special teams player at least. Better hope Ryan groy doesn't amount to anything.

Yet kept bostic, Leno and Washington. Bostic should have been gone long before foster. Not only is he terrible but he's rarely fit. Move on please!I'd actually much prefer to have foster starting than Shea, so to simply cut him - well I don't know.

Terry Williams should have been kept over Washington as we need a back up nose tackle for Goldman (as Ratliff rarely stays fit and this year could be his last anyway). It was the Browns back ups but Williams looked an absolute force throwing oline men around.

Ola is better and more versatile than Leno covering guard and tackle. I'd have actually given him a shot starting at RT at some stage.

Overall I worry. These moves don't seem to fully match tape and they better hope johnatan Anderson makes it through waivers.

Mills released this evening. It started so well for him..

Looks like we will be seeing Long at tackle with the team claiming G Patrick Omameh.

Oat23 wrote: »

Mills released this evening. It started so well for him..

Looks like we will be seeing Long at tackle with the team claiming G Patrick Omameh.

Surprised Mills was cut ahead of Leno, he was at least effective in the run game. Leno is effective in neither.

Thought they'd try him at guard - he is a mauler.

Omameh played on a horrible bucs line (worse than ours and gave up a lot of pressure).

I'm surprised they let the Oline turn into such an issue/mess - moving Long at last minute, no starting right guard. They drafted a centre they are essentially going to red shirt.

edit: Mills must have taken the been benched badly or something. I can't make sense of it otherwise (well apart from his lack of versatility). He played RT with the 1's all through OTA's, all through training camp and now is cut? Not sure what was going on evaluation wise through camp?

I guess something had to be done at RT, because you got Bushrod on the left side who's apparently playing through a back injury, and if you're weak at both ends of the offensive line, you've no chance.

Wonder how Long will do at RT (assuming he goes there now)? I'm not too sure of the exact technical differences....I guess going up against faster, more athletic guys, and differences in blocking technique?

padraig_f wrote: »

I guess something had to be done at RT, because you got Bushrod on the left side who's apparently playing through a back injury, and if you're weak at both ends of the offensive line, you've no chance.

Wonder how Long will do at RT (assuming he goes there now)? I'm not too sure of the exact technical differences....I guess going up against faster, more athletic guys, and differences in blocking technique?

I agree something had to be done - for like the last 6 seasons. Why have they not invested a high draft pick or a FA spend on a glaring weakness for years? (that's obviously not entirely on this FO)

As for this season I just don't get not giving Long at least a quarter there in preseason, or more reps in training camp. He practised there like 2/3 days? What were they watching all training camp in Mills & Leno? I genuinely feel sorry for Long having to go against Peppers & Matthews next week with only his athletic traits to fall back on.

Guffy

kennyb3 wrote: »

As for this season I just don't get not giving Long at least a quarter there in preseason, or more reps in training camp. He practised there like 2/3 days? What were they watching all training camp in Mills & Leno? I genuinely feel sorry for Long having to go against Peppers & Matthews next week with only his athletic traits to fall back on.

they are generally taller and faster on their feet to pick up the outside guy. A tackle can make up for a lack of speed with a good punch though. Was long a tackle in college?

gufc21 wrote: »

Was long a tackle in college?

He was barely a guard - he played 10 games total (had to look that one up, thought it was less).

I don't doubt that trying Long at tackle is a good idea, just not sure why they haven't given him sufficient practice at it. They'll have to give him 3/4 games now at least to evaluate him. It's hard to tell if his feet will be quick enough.

It's one thing lining up with a DT opposite you, another trying to block a corner or safety on a blitz.

In summary, I want Long to try tackle but it's a huge f'uck up by Fox & Pace roster evaluation wise that it's happening at the 11th hour. Also why not just go all the way and move him to LT? We'll need one of those very shortly anyway.

kennyb3 wrote: »

As for this season I just don't get not giving Long at least a quarter there in preseason, or more reps in training camp. He practised there like 2/3 days? What were they watching all training camp in Mills & Leno? I genuinely feel sorry for Long having to go against Peppers & Matthews next week with only his athletic traits to fall back on.

Yeah it's a fair point, and they had tape on Mills from last year too.

Hub pretty confident of Long being fine at RT though not immediately

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/641318720493735937

Some possibly good news...

I know nobody is optimistic, but obviously Jeffery would give us a much better chance of staying respectable. I also don't think Fox and Gase have shown much of their offense in the pre-season. The betting only has us losing by 7, personally I'd be happy with a loss anywhere below 14. We're a long way from being a team the Packers don't actually simply enjoy playing against.

So Alshon is into week 4 of his “day-to-day” injury.

I don’t even know what to feel going into this. For the first time ever I backed against Chicago because, as realt says, Green Bay should be far bigger favourites. We have no discernible home advantage and they’re better in nigh on every area.

There’s plenty I’m excited for though so fingers crossed we don’t dissolve into another dumpster fire. Improvement from the young players, decent strategies, a handful of wins, no all out routs and I’ll be happy enough

SameOleJay wrote: »

So Alshon is into week 4 of his “day-to-day” injury.

To be fair on that, Fox has said repeatedly that he will only say exactly as much about an injury as he is contractually obliged to say, and in pre season that isn't very much. A lot of bloggers etc are complaining that he is witholding information, but I don't think there's any benefit in telling the media the full story. If Fox feels that helps the opposition, then so be it, leave him at it. FTR I think he'll play.

Realt Dearg Sec wrote: »

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/641318720493735937

Some possibly good news...

Good news if that's the case, I hear Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson will be good to go as well.

Bushrod still sounds a bit dodgy, missed practice this week. I'm sure he'll suit up, but just doesn't sound great in general with him.

Huawei Gallagher

Just got an email from NFL UK News, its seems Bears vs Green Bay will be shown on Pick TV (Sky 152), Sunday 5:30 . I assume its Freeview:) For anyone like me too poor for Sky Sports/gamepass! Other games may be shown, see below:

Quote from EMail below:

Even those without access to Sky Sports can catch some action, with Sunday’s game in Chicago also aired live on Pick TV. That will be the first of several games on an occasional basis to be shown across non-sports channels during the season, including the final six Sunday Night Football games on Sky One. You can find Pick TV on these channels; Freeview (11), Freesat (144), Sky (152), Virgin Media (123).