How Bout Dem Bears?

Take a bow Josh McCown and Marc Trestman. Great gameplan, I loved that they came out throwing the ball. Other teams talk about how they have confidence in their backup, but the Bears showed it yesterday in their gameplan, and McCown delivered.

Didn't get much help from the running game in the first half, but McCown showed great poise in the pocket. Didn't run out too early, stayed when the pressure was there and made the throws. Have to give the guy credit for that, you don't see many backup QBs with that much coolness in the pocket.

Got good protection, but still had to trust it. Jeffery had a big first half, he's having a great season. Pass-rush was great, even before Rodgers went out. Didn't see that coming at all. Run-defense we'll gloss over (don't know how they missed so many tackles stacking the box). Special teams we'll also gloss over (unblocked rusher on a punt).

Got the run-game going in the second half and Forte had a big game to take it home. Actually didn't like the call to go for it on 4th-and-inches from their own 30. Packers offense was perfoming pretty badly at that stage, and with a 4-point lead, I thought a punt would be a better option. Forte had a big play there because it looked like he was going to get stopped.

But that was about the only one I disagreed with in a brilliant gameplan. I'm really enjoying having a good offensive coach on the sideline. Just all the little things he gets right, the variation in the plays, the little wrinkles you see. I was thinking before the game 'this is when you find out about your coach, not when you have everyone healthy, but when you're without key players'. And a win in Lambeau is a pretty good result in that respect.

Regarding mccown, we can also be fairly confident that if anything else happens to Cutler during the season we won't be hitting the panic button.

I'm delighted with yesterday same as everyone but coming back down to earth, where does this leave us? A win next week (whichever QB we are using) seems possible but we will be facing a better offense...but IF we won, and with AR out for a few weeks, wouldn't it be nice to start thinking that a playoff spot might be a very real possibility again, maybe, just maybe, even finishing top of NFCN?

But my realistic side is telling me this is one win against a depleted team and the bear fan tendency to lose the run of ourselves needs to be kept in check.

At least til next week...

Any thoughts on player of the season?

Forte is on course for 2k in yardage and 14 tds. Probably the indispensable in that offence. Marshall has cemented himself a top 5 WR- given the amount of options in the passing game his production is impressive. Long has been a flat out revelation. Honourable mentions to Jeffery (Stud), the Black Unicorn and Mills (A 5th round rookie ffs). Briggs may have had a shout but for the injury. He was the last trace of blu-tac holding that D together before Monday night.

All things considered I'll plum for Chris Conte, the unsung hero of the flourishing Chicago safety unit.

Massive game tonight and probably a must win, although with the Packers without Rodgers for a few weeks they might lose a few. Our Defence must tighting up especially with the Lions running game. High scoring game but Bears to just shade it I hope.

Can't believe Cutler played the whole game. First time I've been pissed with Trestman. He should have been taken out in the 3rd Q after the first series.

edit: McCown in for the final series. Too f*ckin late now Trest.

Yeah it was a poor call. We've been horribly unlucky in the red zone today though, really have left it behind.

SameOleJay wrote: »

My god could Trestman have had a worse day?

Shame, great shame.

Sickened by that loss tbh, we had a great chance to take control of the division and some bad decision making threw it away.

Miller1 wrote: »

Watched this online and the laptop nearly went out the window a few times...Cutler second half had no protection at all..spent most of his time on his arse.Should have been pulled along time before he was.Was impressed with the defence tonight.

I actually thought the protection was ok, he got a lot of late hits that the refs didn't call. Funny that once it happened to mccown it was called. Maybe we just need a more personable QB to get those calls...(joke btw, I like Cutler)

I think Jay's contract has taken a pretty big hit these last few weeks. With the quality of this draft class he'll fall well behind Stafford's I'd say.

Watching last night's game and we're miles behind the Panthers in all honesty. I think 9-7 is par performance this season and may still scrape a playoff spot.

Tillman done for the season is a massive, massive loss. Yesterday's defeat definitely lies with Trestman. Should have pulled Cutler at half time at the latest, shouldn't have even plated yesterday in fairness. Probably going to go down to the wiredown for the playoff spot.

SameOleJay wrote: »

Feel bad for Peanut. Reality is he was a broken man every week we forced him out- he clearly has Chicago at heart so it's a shame to say this is probably the end. There's a shedload of cap space coming this off-season so it's interesting times.

The more I think about yesterday the worse it gets.

It's just one thing after another with this D, but Tillman was still doing ok so I dunno about writing him off. But yeah, as defeats go, this one particularly damaging. No reason to despair yet though. It's a crazy league. Let's bear down! (yeah I'm drunk)

SameOleJay wrote: »

Forget the playoffs- it won't do your health any good.

The Lions have us in the division and 49ers are an absolute lock. Carolina are not losing 4 more games with that D- it's outrageous.

If McCown plays out managing a well oiled offence then there's serious questions over Jay's future. He's my favourite player in the league but we can't be throwing 14 odd mill a year at him when an average QB can manage the Trestman offence. Keeping McCown and drafting a project early may end up the best bet at QB.

Josh throws the ball with anticipation, no matter how ugly the ball is passed it is catching the defender AND the WR off guard when it comes. The difference is the WR knows when it should be coming. Josh may get into trouble if the initial read is covered and then he must go to the second or even third read.

There's been some very dodgy throws that he's gotten away with, I don't dispute that. I don't believe him to be of a starting calibre. But, the O has been very fluid for the most part with him under centre. The Rams may be his acid test- he'll be under the cosh all night.

Well, it wasn't pretty, we coughed up a huge number of penalties, and struggled with the run as expected, but it's a very valuable W.

Mccown continues to manage the game nicely, and it's interesting that even on a day when Marshall isn't performing well we were very good in passing (Jeffrey had more receptions again). Despite having far fewer plays we got way more yards than Baltimore. I thought it was odd we didn't run it more especially in the red zone, we had six downs within five yards at one stage and didn't run it at all.

On D way too many penalties. I'm starting to like Bostic but really the main plus was peppers, who was great. Conte is really poor...for all of that, they only coughed up twenty points. I know the weather helped...

Speaking of the weather, anyone else think we would prob have lost without the delay? Really got ourselves organised at the break. The ravens really don't like breaks...

I know it is a post about his wacky dance moves but lads in the gif on the main forum in this with Long celebrating Forte's TD; it is good to see the first three guys to get to Forte after his TD were Slauson, Long and Mills - good sign of the OL in my uneducated opinion...