Saturday, September 24, 2011

Draped Up and Dripped Out

Roy Will is coming back from his week 1 injury at a time that the Bears really need him. The WRs created absolutely no separation last week against the Saints. Hester led the Bears with 9 targets but almost all of those passes were forced while he was draped up by the defense. Earl Bennett went down with an injury early as Cutler led him into a big hit from a defender for the second straight week. Johnny Knox was on TV maybe twice all day which shows what kind of impact he had on Sunday. And that's why Roy Williams needs to come back and hopefully step up.

The packers are going to play a lot of press coverage against the Bears and that's not a good thing. Hester and Knox both struggle when they're jammed at the line. Roy E is obviously the Bears' biggest receiver and he needs to prove that he can win battles at the line of scrimmage. I can't say I've ever seen Roy Will beat a jam at the line but since he's adequate at run blocking, hopefully it's something he can do relatively well.

Even if he's draped up by the secondary like the other WRs were last week, he at least provides a bigger target for Cutler. The assumption is that Roy E can win a an up-for-grabs contest with a cornerback who is guaranteed to be smaller than him. If Cutler is forced to throw to a WR that is covered tightly, he would be better off throwing to Williams instead of Hester, Knox or Dane Sanzenbacher because of his size advantage.

With Earl Bennett out, this is Williams' chance to step up and make plays for this team. We already know that Jay Cutler trusts Bennett but the question is whether he trusts Roy E Will enough to throw it to him repeatedly throughout the entire game. He's going to need to earn that trust quickly and he can't leave Cutler hanging like he did in the preseason when a dropped pass resulted in an easy interception. Over the course of the season, if he can turn into a receiver that Cutler trusts he stands to become the beneficiary of a high number of targets.

Whether Roy E Williams is going to step up or not remains to be seen, but he will get his first chance against the packers. With Earl Bennett's impending absence and the likely ineffectiveness of Hester and Knox, Williams' ability to produce against the Bears' rivals can mean the difference between a win and a loss.

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Monday, September 12, 2011

Trill Playas Don't Die

There is absolutely no question what the highlight of Sunday's game was. I'm not talking about Jim Cornelison's incredible rendition of The National Anthem, because that happened before kickoff. The kickoff wasn't the highlight either, even though it officially began BEARS season. And it wasn't when the clock hit 0:00 and the Bears had their first win of the year. Nope. The single greatest moment of the game on Sunday was what we've been waiting for since July 29... Roy E. Williams' first ever 1st down celebration in a Bears uniform.

On his very first catch as Chicago Bear, Williams consummated it with his signature move. Coming into the season, I was curious whether he would give up the first down celebrations. I'll even admit that I was hoping he would give them up after coming to the Bears. But my opinion has completely changed. I am being 100 when I say there was not a single moment on Sunday that we got more buck for at this house than when he celebrated his first 1st down.

It was also an important catch, as it was good for a 3rd down conversion that kept a drive going and resulted in a field goal. Roy Will definitely had an impactful game as his second career first down celebration, or FDC, came on another 3rd down on a different scoring drive. Unfortunately for him, on the third snap of the 4th quarter, he tweaked his groin and exited for the remainder of the game. Fortunately for us, he still managed to pick up his 3rd FDC of the game as he treaded lightly to the bench, wrapping up an impressive display of celebration in his first game with the Bears.

Bear Down Roy Will.

Roy E Williams Career FDC Count: 3


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