Feeling The Love

The Bears bandwagon is about to be really crowded.

Under the leadership of Phil Emery, the arrow is pointing straight up for the Bears and the national media is due to take notice. Considering the off-season that the Bears just had their way with, I think they're going to become the popular pick this year. You know, that team that that all of the analysts start hyping up as a team that "may surprise you." Like when the Eagles signed Nnamdi Asomugha (and Vince Young) and everyone picked them for the Super Bowl. Even when they lost four of their first five games, the national coverage never slowed down. They still had the media believing that they would turn it around. The coverage that the Bears are going to end up getting this season is going to be something comparable.

While there's not going to be a lot of analysts taking the Bears as their Super Bowl favorites, the Bears have enough going for them that would deserve to stay on the national radar. They have a defense that's been known for carrying them them for as long as we can remember. They have a QB who finally won over the nation's heart last season even before he tore his thumb apart. They also have a top 10 RB coming back from surgery who wants to cash in on this bizarre trend of teams overpaying at the RB position. They have new blood in the front office that came in and immediately made their mark without hesitation.

When you factor all of these different elements in, it seems as if the timing is right for the Bears to be the "it" team. But I think the most important factor in all of this is their potential to have an explosive offense. With the addition of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, the Bears finally have playmakers at the WR position. Defenses just won't be able to key in on Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery all at the same time. The NFL has shifted to an offense-based league, and this is the first time the Bears are bringing a qualified offense to the table.

This has been the missing link. They've had the great defense. They've had the great special teams. It's always been the offense who hasn't carried their weight, and now that they've begun to address that part of the roster, the national media will be ready to start claiming them.

The Bears have been scheduled for thirteen prime time games in the past three seasons and are slotted for another five in 2012. They've had plenty of national exposure over the past three season, but they haven't had very much support from NFL experts in that time. Throughout the 2010 season, while they marched to the NFC Championship game, the Bears were always billed as lucky rather than deserving of their success. While the Bears continued to rack up wins, nobody seemed to believe in them.
This is going to be the year when that all changes. With what has quickly become an impressive arsenal of offensive weapons, the Bears are finally going to have an offense that we can believe in... an offense whose primary function is to score points, rather than to give the defense a breath... an offense that's going to make the highlight shows and demand national attention.

I love hearing national analysts say positive things about the teams I like. I'm so used to them not believing in the Bears -- not believing in the Bulls -- and I'm ready to hear them acknowledge that they finally do. I'm ready for them to stop calling the Bears "lucky" and start calling them "legitimate." This is going to be the year when the Bears are finally likable throughout the country and non-fans start wanting the Bears to win. It's going to be a fun season and the national love is going to start soon... right around the time training camp gets here. Can't wait.

I Choose You

This is the first off-season since 2008 that the Bears biggest need is not the offensive line. While they are far from a finished group, there is a fair amount of depth at 4 out of 5 positions on the offensive line. They clearly still need a LT, but I am comfortable saying that they have enough talent at LG, C, RG and RT to expect, at the least, satisfactory play from these positions next season. I expect Mike Tice to use the strengths of his offensive linemen with his play calling, which should allow them to keep rushing effectively but also better protect Jay Cutler in the passing game.

And the passing game is exactly the one area where the Bears need to improve most next season. Adding a LT to replace J'Marcus Webb would do wonders for the offense, but the way to make the greatest impact before Week 1 would be to upgrade the WR position.

In order for Phil Emery to bring the Bears up to current NFL standads, he's going to need to add two impact WRs. If he's only able to add one, I think the off-season would have been a failure.

There is no guarantee that the Bears will be able to sign one of the three free agents that are legitimate #1 WRs, which is why they need to draft somebody who they think can become that option. Ideally, you want to not only draft a future top WR, but you want to be able to sign one of these guys in free agency too.

There are a handful of WRs in this year's draft that have the potential to become the best WR on their team. The Bears need to draft one of these receivers with the #19 pick. There's no way that all five of these guys will be off the board by the time the Bears pick, and they have to take one. The goal is to draft somebody who can produce like a #1 WR before he gets to the end of his rookie contract.

The best possible outcome of this off-season is the Bears sign either Vincent Jackson, Marques Colston or Dwayne Bowe and they draft a WR with the #19 pick. The second best outcome is to sign one of these three WRs and also sign a second-tier WR. The only other acceptable outcome would be to draft a WR with their first pick and sign a second-tier WR in free agency.

This offense could do some very nice things if the Bears were able to add two WRs that are at the top of the depth chart when playoffs start.

Earl Bennett is the only receiver on the team that Cutler has real trust in... The only receiver who he can throw open because he knows he Bennett will beat the defender to the ball. The Bears need to add more pieces that Cutler can trust. They need WRs that have the physical tools to make catches even when they are not wide open.

Devin Hester, when used properly, can be a productive WR. In each of the two seasons before Mike Martz took threw his playbook at Hester's face, Hester caught over 50 passes. He can make plays on offense, but you can't ask him to be a complete receiver for 40 or 50 snaps per game.

We don't know how Johnny Knox is going to recover, but even if he gets back to 100% health he's just another role player like Hester. Knox is a vertical threat, but not much else. Johnny Knox will never go for 1000 yards in a season, unless he moves to an offense like New Orleans. But Knox could be a very good asset if you added two more options to this WR corps that are better than he is.

The Bears need to target a WR who has three very specific characteristics. Somebody that has a physical advantage over defenders, who can catch a high volume of passes and also be able to find the end zone. The Bears don't have any WRs that fit this description, but it's exactly the type of player that Cutler needs in order to reach his full potential.

• Cutler needs somebody big enough to win a ball that isn't thrown perfectly on target, who can be the primary target in the red zone. 
• Cutler needs somebody who can catch at least 70 passes and will lead the Bears in targets. 
• Cutler needs somebody who can score at least 7 TDs this season, which means they can not only catch the deep ball but they can also make a play after the catch.

There are three free agent WRs that meet all three of these criteria and the Bears need to focus all attention on signing one of them until all three are off the market. If they're not able to land one of these guys, they absolutely have to come out of free agency with one of the second-tier WRs.

Top 3

1. Vincent Jackson - 6'5, 241 lbs

Vincent Jackson is the best option for the Bears in free agency. With a great physical stature, Jackson is the type of receiver that can outjump anyone on the field for a ball. He is a big play receiver who has 31 TDs in 68 games since 2007. Jackson is not only an elite deep threat, his size also makes him an ideal target in the red zone. Last season, Jackson had 60 catches but was part of a talented receiving corps who all had to take turns sharing the ball. If Jackson were brought to the Bears, he would be the clear #1 and likely become Cutler's favorite target if they could get on the same page.

Jackson has very good hands and excellent leaping ability. He can make the difficult catch in traffic and does not usually shy away from contact. He finished 2011 with 60 catches for 1,106 yards and 9 TDs. I'm confident that he would bump up his production to 70+ catches as the best receiver in Chicago. Jackson is the exact kind of WR that could take Jay Cutler to the next level.

The biggest drawback to Vincent Jackson is his history of off-field issues. Thanks to his multiple DUIs, Jackson is one mis-step away from a year suspension. However, this same exact punishment was hanging over his head for the entire 2011 season and he stayed out of trouble. With Jackson looking for a large, multi-year contract, he knows how much money he figures to lose if he were suspended for an entire season, so I don't think the Bears would have to worry about him getting in trouble. Vincent Jackson is well worth taking a chance on, because of the playmaker that he is on the field.

2. Marques Colston - 6'4, 225 lbs

Marques Colston is a player who really stands out when the Saints line up before the snap. His long arms and big hands add to already large frame which provides an enormous target for his QB. Colston is a player that is very effective over the middle and excels catching the ball in traffic. He also has the leaping ability to make plays downfield by snatching the ball from a point that is higher than any of the DBs can reach. Colston is a remarkable talent after the catch and will try to run over defenders that are in his way. 

The biggest concern with Colston is his injury history. He's had microfracture surgery on each of his knees and has missed eight games in the past five seasons. He missed two games in 2011 and one game in 2010. But when he's on the field and he's healthy, Colston is a big time playmaker. The lowest TD total in his career was 5 TDs in 2008, when he only played in 11 games. In those 11 games he caught 47 passes for 760 yards. In the three seasons since then, he has never gone for less than 70 catches, 1,023 yards and 7 TDs.

Being in a pass-happy offense, his numbers are slightly inflated, so if he came to the Bears, it would be too much to expect him to catch 80+ passes like he did in 2010 (84) and 2011 (80). But if he played 16 games in this Bears offense in 2012, Colston would very likely reach 70 catches and 8 TDs. So the question is whether he's worth the type of multi-year investment he's seeking, when there's a strong possibility that he doesn't play 16 games in any season for the rest of his career. Personally, I say he is worth the risk, because when he is on the field, he is guaranteed to produce.

3. Dwayne Bowe - 6'2, 221 lbs

At 6'2, Dwayne Bowe does not have the exaggerated size advantage like Jackson or Colston, but he is still bigger than any CB or S that is going to be lined up against him. Bowe is an excellent red zone option with good leaping ability to snatch a ball thrown high. He works very well over the middle and has the ability to make a play after the catch. 

Bowe is not always the best route runner but will usually win the fight for a 50/50 ball. Bowe tied for the lead league with 12 drops in 2011, but he also hauled in 81 receptions for 1,159 yards and 5 TDs in an offense with questionable QB play. If you pair him with a more talented QB like Cutler, Bowe has the ability to increase his TD numbers, but it would be a stretch to expect him to repeat his 2010 season when he caught 15 TDs. Despite his lack of elite top-end speed, Bowe can still make plays downfield but he's better at making defenders miss than he is at outrunning them.

The biggest reason I have Bowe ranked third out of these three top-end WRs is mostly his size. The size advantage that Jackson and Colston each have just make it so much more difficult to cover them than Bowe, who is 6'2. He does a good job of playing a little bigger than he is, but it still doesn't match what the other two WRs can bring to the table. Having gone for 70+ catches and 1,100+ yards in each of the past two seasons, Bowe would be a welcome addition to the Bears offense. If he could focus in a little more and reduce his number of drops, Bowe could become the best WR in Chicago in recent years.

Second-tier

4. Stevie Johnson 6'2 , 210 lbs

Stevie Johnson has had a rocky career so far. Known for his excessive celebration penalties and his odd post-game remarks, Johnson is considered a selfish player by some. But he has consistently produced since becoming a starter in 2010 when he grabbed 82 catches for 1,073 yards and 10 TDs. Last season he caught 76 balls for 1,004 yards and 7 TDs in an offense that was wildly inconsistent.

Johnson has great athleticism with good size and strength. He has excellent speed and knows how to find his way behind the defense. He's a home run threat who can also be effective in the red zone. As with all of the other WRs on this list, Johnson would be the Bears best WR if he were to sign with them.

It is believed that Johnson will likely end up signing a long term contract with BUF, but if he were to test free agency, he's the first WR I would target outside of the top three.

The Bears are not a team who get flagged for excessive celebration, so I believe they would send that message loud and clear to Johnson if he were to come to Chicago. With such great veteran presence in the locker room, it wouldn’t be hard to keep Stevie Johnson in check. I think he could be a big time playmaker for the Bears.

5. Brandon Lloyd 6'0, 188 lbs

Brandon Lloyd is a player that Bears fans are somewhat familiar with, as he spent the 2008 season in Chicago. The popular opinion around here seems to be that Brandon Lloyd wasn't very good when he was on the Bears, but I disagree. The biggest problem that he had was he couldn't play through injury after being hurt early in the season. He started his one year in Chicago well with five catches in Week 2 and 6 catches in Week 3. But then he got hurt in Week 4, took too long to come back, and was less effective once he got back.

The next season he was at the bottom of the depth chart in DEN but broke out in 2010. He caught 77 passes for 1,448 yards and 11 TDs in an offense that let Kyle Orton throw 34 times per game. Lloyd played in all 16 games for the first time sine 2005 and finally showed return on his talent. The next year Josh McDaniels was gone and the offense was completely different. Lloyd got traded STL where he caught 51 catches and 5 TDs in 11 games. In an offense that was not good at all, Lloyd was able to put up pretty good numbers.

Brandon Lloyd will be 31 when the season opens, but still has good football ahead of him. The concern with Lloyd is always injuries, but he will make plays if he's healthy. He has great hands and can make the difficult catch in traffic. He does not have elite speed but can make plays downfield.

Lloyd would be the best WR on the Bears if he was to come here, but he's not an elite player. If you could sign Lloyd, as well as draft a WR with the #19 pick, you would have good collection of options on offense. Lloyd has been strongly linked to the Patriots this off-season and might not even listen to other offers.

6. Mario Manningham 6'0, 185 lbs

Mario Manningham is not a big receiver but he is a playmaker. He was expected to become the complimentary WR to Hakeem Nicks but he struggled with injuries this year. Victor Cruz was able to step up and build a rapport with Eli Manning which took away opportunities from Manningham. Manningham is a good route runner with but he struggles with drops. In 12 games in 2011, he caught 39 passes for 523 yards and 4 TDs. 

Manningham is not a good enough receiver to be the best option in an offense and would not provide enough of a boost without the Bears adding a WR with their first round pick. He is capable of making big plays, but is not a go-to option that will you can look for on every play.

With his clutch performances in the playoffs, Manningham's asking price is probably much higher than he's worth and I'm sure there will be a team (such as TB) willing to overpay for his services. Manningham is not an ultimate solution to the Bears WR problem, but could offer a weapon slightly better than what they already have.

7. Reggie Wayne 6'0, 198 lbs

Reggie Wayne isn't getting any younger. He had a quiet, yet productive season in 2011 with terrible QB play. He pulled in 75 catches for 960 yards and 4 TDs. While clearly not the WR he was a few years ago, Wayne can have a couple more very productive seasons ahead of him. 

Wayne has played in all 16 games in each of the last 10 seasons, which is incredible, but also means that he has a lot of miles on his legs. Still, with no history of major injury, Wayne should be able to stay on the field and keep producing. He could still be a good option if paired with a young talented WR and, at the very least, be somebody who Cutler can trust to catch the ball when it's thrown to him. He could be a guy Cutler looks for throughout the game, even if he's not finding the end zone.

Others

Most Bears fans cringe at the idea of bringing in either Randy Moss or Terrell Owens. Both players have caused their share of controversy over the years, but they have both been extremely productive as well. After a short-lived retirement, Moss is looking to make a comeback in 2012. I do think he could be an effective player, but he’s not much more than a deep threat. He’s no longer the guy that you can throw the ball to 9 or 10 times per game.

Owens is very intriguing to me. Known for keeping himself in tremendous shape, Owens never caught on with a team last season because he was returning from knee surgery. Despite being 38 years old, I absolutely believe that Owens will be in the NFL producing at a respectable level in 2012. He might not get picked up until after the season already starts, but I think he has plenty left in the tank. 

People will point out his troubled past and his reputation as a locker room cancer. Earlier in his career, that might have been true, but these exact worries were talked about before he made his last two stops (in BUF and CIN). Owens kept his mouth shut the entire time in BUF, despite being in a poorly ran offense that underachieved. The next season he went to CIN, where he clearly outshined Chad Johnson. Again, Owens got through the season without causing any problems and was able to be the best option in their offense. 

I would much rather take a chance on Owens than I would Moss at this point. I think if the Bears signed him, at the end of the season, we would all be happy with how much he produced. He’s definitely not a #1 option like he was in his prime, but he’s more than capable of making plays. You can tell by recent interviews that he’s done that Owens has been humbled by his inability to land a job last season. He is reportedly hurting for money and knows that the best way to help himself out is to keep his nose clean and make plays on the football field. I think the fear of losing all of his assets is enough motivation for T.O. to stay focused and play football. He’s not someone who would require a multi-year investment, so he would be playing for another contract in 2013.


Draft

1. Michael Floyd - 6'3, 220 lbs

Michael Floyd is clearly the best WR in this draft right now that isn't named Justin Blackmon. He has very good size with long arms and big hands. He was a big time playmaker at the college level and put up impressive numbers. In 2011, he caught 79 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 TDs. His off the field issues are overstated. He got a DUI, which is never acceptable but the other times that he "got in trouble" were simply for underage drinking. Floyd is known as a hard worker and should continue to improve as a receiver.

He has good initial quickness and is capable of beating press coverage. He will sometimes run sloppy routes and clearly needs work in that department, but he has good hands and is very capable at adjusting to poor throws. He is willing to go over the middle and catch the ball in traffic, but he’s most effective when used outside. Floyd is a home run threat that could add a dimension to this team that we were hoping Knox or Hester could have brought. If he can stay on a straight path off-the-field, Michael Floyd could turn out to be a great draft pick.

2. Alshon Jeffery - 6'4, 215 lbs

Alshon Jeffery has tremendous upside thanks to his great size. He has excellent hands and a very large catch radius. He is slow to get moving but once he gets going he has decent speed for his size. He tends to be sloppy with his route running and really needs to improve this facet of his game. He is typically known as a hard worker, but it was reported at the combine that he had clearly stopped lifting weights while dropping more than 15 lbs since school ended. Some teams have put red flags on him, but with a lot of work, Jeffery could eventually end up as the best WR in the draft.

Jeffery is a former basketball player who has great leaping ability. He can make plays down field and does a good job of shielding the defender with his body. While he is a home run threat, he is not great at making plays after the catch. If Jeffery can develop his route running he could turn into a dominant receiver based on his size, athleticism and sure hands. I think Alshon Jeffery would be a very rewarding draft pick despite the risk associated with him.

3. Kendall Wright - 5'10, 188 lbs

Kendall Wright is the only little WR on this list. While he's not the ideal big receiver that the Bears need, it's impossible to ignore his incredible production in 2011. He caught 108 balls for 1,600 yards and 14 TDs from a talented QB who’s projected to go #2 in the draft. Wright's best attribute is his speed, despite his disappointing 40 time at the combine. His worse than expected combine showing might worry some teams, but he plays very fast on film, which is far more important.

Wright is an undersized WR who desperately needs to get stronger. He may struggle to get off jams at the pro level. His hands are not consistent enough so he struggles with drops. He's not afraid to catch the ball in traffic and is an excellent home run threat. I would rather the Bears draft a big bodied WR, but Kendall Wright could have a very good NFL career.

4. Rueben Randle - 6'3, 210 lbs

Rueben Randle is another WR with ideal size. At 6’3 with long arms, Randle has the look of dominant WRs in today’s NFL. He has great hands and works well over the middle. At LSU, he was in a run-first offense with terrible QB play, so he didn’t put up eye-popping numbers. However with a legitimate QB like Cutler, Randle could explode on to the scene with his size and athleticism. Many believe that the #19 pick is a bit of a reach for Randle, but he won’t be around by the time the Bears pick in the 2nd round, so it would be worth it to secure him when you can. The point isn’t to get the greatest value possible with this draft pick, it’s to improve your team as much as you can.  Randle could develop into an elite WR if he were to work on his route running and physicality. He needs to add weight to his frame, but that will come with time.


5. Mohamed Sanu - 6'2, 211 lbs

Mohamed Sanu was a very productive player in college. In 2011, he caught 115 passes for 1,206 yards. He is more of a possession receiver than he is a home run threat. He has great hands and does a good job of using his size. He’s is not afraid to catch the ball and take contact, but he needs to be more physical to get off the press. He will initially struggle to get off the line at the NFL level. A very good route runner, but he sometimes gets sloppy with his footwork. He makes up for his lack of ideal speed with a large catch radius. Sanu could develop into a go-to WR, even if he never comes around as an elite downfield threat.

Others

Stephen Hill 6'4, 215 lbs

In the unlikely event that there's a run on WRs in the first round, before the Bears pick, there is one last WR that I'm interested in the Bears drafting. Stephen Hill is a player who impressed a lot of people at the combine. He has great size with elite speed, but is far from a finished product. If Floyd, Jeffery, Wright, Randle and Sanu are somehow all drafted before the #19 pick, I would be ok with the Bears selecting Stephen Hill. He's more of a second or third round pick than he is a legitimate first rounder, but it's essential that the Bears bring in somebody who projects to be a #1 or #2 receiver.

The Bears have a terrible history of developing WRs, so Hill is not an ideal fit at this point in his career. But his combination of size and speed could allow him to become a big time NFL WR, if he were to drastically improve his route running and ability to read defenses. Hill will most likely take longer than the other five WRs before he produces at a consistent level, but he could contribute during his rookie year if he's utilized properly by a smart play caller.

When They Talk 'Bout Me

It's been a wild ass year for the Bears in 2011. After opening strong in week one, they played inconsistently the next four games, leaving us scratching our heads while trying to figure out who these Bears were. They lost their starting RT for the season after 2 games and also cut their starting SS during the bye week. But I think they most shocking aspect to the 2011 season is the way that the national perception of Jay Cutler has completely flipped from what it used to be.

For some bizarre reason, the national media has had something against Jay Cutler for as long as he's been a Chicago Bear. He was a rising star in Denver before being traded by the short-lived Josh McDaniels regime, even making the Pro Bowl in his final year there. At the time, it was being reported that he demanded a trade and forced his way out of Denver, so the media started calling him petulant. At that point in my life, and after 23+ years on this Earth, I had never even heard the word "petulant" come out of anybody's mouth. But all of a sudden, it was the hottest buzzword in all of sports, so everybody was saying it, trying to act smart. Some of you had never heard of it either and, to this day, would struggle to use it in a sentence.

Cutler didn't have the hottest start to his Chicago Bears career. His first appearance was a nationally televised game against the Packers where Cutler did not play well and was deservedly ripped for it. The very same week, the local media starting criticizing Cutler's body language on the sideline. Now this didn't come out of nowhere... the Denver media attacked his body language near the end of his time in Denver, however the Chicago papers ran with it -- and ran hard. They kept talking about it and talking about it, and with the Bears playing in five prime time games in 2009, the national media took their cue from the local rags and pushed this angle too.

During the 2010 season, the focus didn't change much. With the Bears playing in four prime time games, ESPN and NBC ran through the same, tired storylines that they used the year before. With the Bears being an up-and-down team, it was easy for the national media to continue to negatively portray Jay Cutler. It wasn't until after Cutler got hurt in the NFC Championship game that the Chicago papers really started to support him. The national coverage was absolutely destroying Cutler, but the local writers did a good job of defending him and refuting any claims that he wasn't tough.

And then this year, something funny happened when the Bears went to DET to play on Monday Night Football. No, the offensive line didn't finally read their job descriptions which all begin with, "Protect your fucking QB." They actually did the opposite. Cutler was almost bludgeoned to death, but still managed to throw for 249 yds and a TD without throwing an INT. All of a sudden, people recognized that Cutler was behind the worst offensive line in the NFL every week, and he started getting sympathy for it.

Was it suddenly becoming the cool thing do to stand behind Jay Cutler?

It sure seemed like it. One by one, the national analysts would step up and mention how Cutler never had a chance and that he did everything he could do against the Lions. Where were those idiots the two years before that?! They were finally saying what plenty of knowledgeable Bears fans and many bloggers had been saying the whole time, "It's not Cutler. It's the offensive line."

After that game, the offensive line decided to make their 2011 debut and kept Cutler relatively clean. He finished with 267 yds, 2 TDs and no INTs and showed what he can do when he's not running for his life. More and more analysts lined up behind Cutler, waiting for their turn to say something nice.

The next week Cutler had a pretty bad game in London versus the Buccaneers. But the Bears came out with a win and they were scheduled to play on MNF the next week. Throughout the week on ESPN Radio, Row Jaworski had a commercial where he previewed the matchup, specifically talking about how great Cutler had been playing recently. So Cutler had just come off a poor outing, yet he was being praised nationally.

And that's when I realized something had changed.

This was the complete opposite of what we'd seen and heard the prior two years. During those seasons, even when Cutler played well, people like Trent Dilfer continued to bash Cutler. But now, in 2011, Cutler was being overly praised when he didn't even have a good game. He went on to have a good game versus the Eagles, but then another poor outing against the Lions in week 10. But since the Bears kept winning, all of the analysts were talking up Jay Cutler like he was carrying them to victory every single week, when it was should have been more attributed to the defense and run game.

Of course, I have no problem with the love that Cutler's been getting nationally; it's just something I'm not used to. I almost don't trust the national guys, as if they're just waiting for Cutler to slip up so they can jump off his bandwagon before everyone else does. But now that he's out for at least the next six weeks, there's a ton of media attention finally recognizing how important Jay Cutler is to to this team. And while we know that Cutler is never going to publicly admit that he notices a difference with the way he's been covered lately, I hope that, privately, he can take these next few weeks and enjoy what it's like to finally get the benefit of the doubt.

@1stdownroywill

Straight Killa, No Filla

The Bears put on an impressive offensive display in their week 11 win over the San Diego Chargers. Jay Cutler made some incredible throws and three different receivers each had big games. Cutler was the clear player of the game, but I want to give some well deserved credit to Mike Martz for calling a brilliant game vs SD.

The Bears tried running the ball early, but were faced with 8 man fronts which prevented them from finding success. So Martz opened the passing game to take advantage of the defense that was keying on Forte. It was clear that the Chargers didn't want Forte to beat them, so Martz called on his receiving corps to step up and make some plays. Still, he never fully abandoned the run, making sure to control the clock after gaining first down after first down.

Martz also did a good job of mixing in short passes with the deep ones to keep the coverage honest, and put Cutler in a position to make plays downfield. He was able to spot a weakness in defense when the Bears threw for first downs on three consecutive plays in the 1st quarter. And then again in the 3rd quarter, the Bears went for three consecutive 1st downs through the air (all to Roy Williams). Martz saw the advantage his offense had at this point and went for a bomb to Johnny Knox who was tackled near the goal line.

Even though the Bears were having a lot of success, Martz stuck with that straight killa and didn't filter it out with some bullshit trick plays. This is two weeks in a row where he didn't call the wildcat at a critically bad point in the game. The Bears were able to do anything they wanted on offense versus the Chargers and Mike Martz was a big part of that.  He called a brilliant game today, so we'll see if it goes to his head. It likely will.

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@1stdownroywill

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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Watch The Thrown

Despite the fact that the Bears' biggest name WR acquisition this off season was Roy E Williams, they have improved their WR corps considerably. Even though Williams is very inconsistent with his game, he has the size that Jay Cutler likes in his receivers. Williams will likely lead the team in targets because he'll usually be the biggest option on the field and that's exactly what Cutler needs. That's exactly what Greg Olsen was before he was Martzed from the game plan last year. Williams is the kind of receiver that can help make up for a poorly thrown ball.

But he's certainly not without his faults. The worst characteristic of a Roy E Williams is his excessive celebration on first down catches. It doesn't matter what the game situation is, if he's catching a first down he's letting the crowd know it. Hopefully with him being on his third team trying to salvage his NFL career, he will save the celebrating for clutch first downs... Unlikely. Williams has been known for not being a hard worker on the practice field in his career. We saw glimpses of it down in training camp earlier this summer, while he was wearing a Crocodile Dundee hat and not running hard. He's very experienced at coasting on his talent, which shows when he disappears in games. But on a one-year contract, I do expect Williams to lose some of the antics and to be one of the biggest contributing factors in whether the Bears succeed or fail this year. Being a Martz guy like Brandon Manumaleuna, expect Williams to get every shot at staying on the field and having his number called this season.

Devin Hester will be the second most important receiver on this team. When Williams was brought in, many expected him to take snaps away from Hester, but instead it will take snaps away from Johnny Knox. I am one hundred percent on board with this decision to bump Knox instead of Hester. Hester is a better receiver in my opinion. I know that Knox has put up much better numbers than Hester has, but Knox'impact on the game is minimal. Devin Hester has been overly criticized the last few years since he has made the transition to WR. He has good hands with the ability to catch bad throws, especially low ones. He does have lapses where he will drop an easy pass, including blown TD opportunities, but he has improved his hands every offseason since becoming a full time receiver and reports out of camp are that the trend has continued. What Hester needs to improve most is his route running. He's had problems in the past where he tips his routes at the line of scrimmage and he also doesn't run crisp routes which affect timing with Cutler. After a year of the Martz offense under his belt, Hester has shown an improved confidence in his overall game. He is a full year familiar with the playbook and it should show in his number of targets and overall production. I fully expect Hester to have the best year of his career statistically as well as impactfully as an offensive weapon.

Earl Bennett should continue to be the steady factor that he is. While he's the least gifted athletically, Bennett is still the Bears' best overall WR and often gets overlooked. He is a great safety valve for Cutler when he needs to dump the ball over the middle. He has very sure hands and an already established chemistry with Cutler. Bennett does not have very good speed but he has good understanding of the WR position. He knows how to get open enough and provide a good target for his QB. Bennett may not lead the Bears is any statistical categories this year, but it's very possible that he makes the biggest plays every week.

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of Johnny Knox. I think he is ridiculously overloved by the fans and is a liability when he's on the field too much. Even after gaining some solid weight in the offseason, there is still not very much mass to Knox. He is easily knocked around and overpowered and he avoids contact because of it. When jammed at the line of scrimmage, Knox has trouble starting his routes and is eliminated as an option for Cutler. But his biggest flaw is still his unwillingness to go after the ball in traffic. This has led to interceptions and plenty of incompletions when Knox is asked to run towards the middle of the field. If he doesn't improve this aspect of his game, he will never reach the potential that his speed implies. Knox has very poor hands actually does not use them when he catches the ball. Knox likes to catch the ball with his stomach or chest, choosing to corral the ball with his arms. And even though I'm very glad that Knox was bumped to the #4 WR, I do expect him to play a big role in the offense. With Olsen gone, the Bears will often line up 4 WRs this year. Knox's speed automatically makes him a threat down the field, so hopefully he can continue to convert on long completions. If Knox can sustain his high yards per reception average and big play ability, it won't matter that he's not capable of being a high volume receiver.

At 6'3" Sam Hurd is also a player to watch. If he sees any time on the field, I would expect Cutler to like him as a target. Even though it's just practice, he did stand out when we saw him at training camp this year. He is a big body who hasn't seen much playing time in his career, but has shown the ability to make plays in limited opportunities. His greatest impact will most likely be on special teams, but I hope that he gets a fair shake on offense because in a pass happy system, you want the type of WR that your QB is comfortable with, so size is good.

There are two young receivers that have the ability to make a good impression this season. The first is Dane Sanzenbacher. Sanzenbacher has been the biggest surprise in camp so far this year, but failed to do anything in the first pre-season game. There have been many camp legends in the Bears' past that go on to do nothing once the games start. Hopefully Sanzenbacher doesn't turn out to be one of those players, but I do expect the Bears to give him some opportunities to step up.

The second rookie WR to keep an eye on is Kris Adams. Adams made a big impression against the 2's and 3's of the Buffalo Bills, but I wouldn't put too much stock in that. What I do like about Adams is his size. At 6'4" Kris Adams definitely stands out on the field. I don't know how well he runs his routes or how consistent he is with his hands, but with limited exposure to him I am intrigued. I think that if he were able to find a roster spot and a shot at playing time, Cutler would like to throw his way.

With the departure of Rasheid Davis, the veteran free agent WR acquisitions the Bears made and the signing of undrafted free agents, I absolutely believe the position has been improved. There is competition for playing time and that simply means the players who step up should be able to get on the field. Hopefully the addition of size to the WR corps will allow Jay Cutler to be more comfortable throwing the ball in tight coverage. While the Bears will still need to add a Larry Fitzgerald type true #1 in the future, they have at least pretended to address the position this year.

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Let's Play The Blame Game, Fa Sho

After burying my head in sand for the majority of Depression Monday, I've cautiously approached allowing Bears talk back into my life. In breaking my two year old routine of listening to Waddle and Silvy on an almost daily basis; I've managed to clear my head, gather my thoughts, and focus my energy on one important task: revealing the ignorance of the common Chicago sports fan.

Now I don't mean ignorance in the traditional eyes of Webster. I'm talking more about the way we use the word "ignorant" in our daily lives. When someone says or does something so incredibly stupid that you just need to call them an ignorant ass MF, whether or not this person has been properly educated on the topic at hand.

"The topic" I speak of is, of course, the Jay Cutler situation. As we all know by now, Cutler sprained his MCL at some point during the NFC Championship game. Some believe he was injured early in the game (during his attempted jump pass to Matt Forte out of the end zone), while others believe he was hurt shortly before halftime. The truth is, it doesn't matter when or how he was hurt. What matters is that he was hurt and the decision was made to pull him from the game.

Since I haven't been able to shut the sports world out completely over the past 3 days, I have a general idea of the venom that's been spewed at Cutler by local callers, and it makes me sick.

If you're anything like me, you like to make quick judgements on a situation and it's hard to go back on that intial evaluation. This is a natural part of being human. However, where we may differ is that after I make my quick judgement, if I find out new information contradictory to my original thought, I have no problem changing my mind as long as this new information makes logical sense.

When Cutler was taken out of the game Sunday, we weren't given any information from the fine people at Fox. I don't know if this is related to Fox's overall theme of painting the Bears in a negative light during the broadcast, or if it's that they simply didn't get any word from the Bears as to what's going on. Regardless, I understand why people would come to the instant conclusion that Cutler simply isn't toughing it out. But then early on Tuesday, we find out that the MRI came back showing a Grade 2 sprained MCL aka a tear in his MCL.

This didn't stop the angry calls from coming in.

While listening to the Afternoon Saloon for a brief 15 minutes, I heard one caller stating that "all I know is that Ben Roethlisberger or Brett Favre would have shot up and gone back in the game." Really? And how do you know this Mr. Caller Man? Have you been inside of Ben R's head at the same time that he's suffering from an identical injury to Jay Cutler? I'm sorry, what was that? You're just making a generalization on Ben R because you see him as a big tough guy since he gets away with R'ing broads on bar stools? You think because Brett Favre has been abusing pain killers for 20 years that he's tough just for continuing to go out there?

The point is that nobody is inside of Jay Cutler's head besides Jay himself. You don't know what level of pain tolerance this man has. And if you want to take a guess, you'd be stupid to think that he doesn't have a high pain tolerance. I've never met Cutler nor picked his brain, but I have seen him get sacked 87 times over the past 2 regular seasons, behind the worst offensive line in the NFL. Then when you add all the times he got rocked on plays that didn't end up recorded as a sack, you're well over 100 hits on your QB. And how many times did he complain about these hits? Zero.

As a fan of Jay Cutler press conferences, I've never heard him complain that Frank Omiyale is his starting LT. I've never heard him complain that J'Marcus Webb couldn't block a speed rusher if he had a twin conjoined to his right hip. He has stood up at every post-game presser and taken accountability for Jay Cutler needing to play better.

Every injury is different and everyone's body responds differently to injury. Just because Drew Brees played part of 2010 with a sparined MCL himself, doesn't mean that every MCL injury can be played on. There is no golden rule saying that if your knee injury is limited to the MCL, you need to suck it up and go back in. Jay
Cutler is a professional athlete and a competitor. He doesn't endorse any products because he wants to prove himself as a winner before his face is plastered all over the city. He doesn't open up to reporters because he wants you to judge him based on his ability to win football games. You honestly think that someone who keeps
it 100% about football with you and me would just quit on his team?

Then you must have never played sports at any resemblence of a high level.

We're taught it's all fun and games growing up, but when you reach a certain age, everything is thrown out the window except winning. You don't get participation trophies when you're 12. That's about the time the real athletes start to emerge and the "good effort! good try!" chatter starts to die down. You don't get to Nationals by trying harder than the other teams; you get there by winning. You are judged by how much you could help a team win, not how nice you are to the akward lefty who doesn't see the field except in blowouts. As you continue to grow older, the focus is more and more on winning. It is instilled in your brain that if you don't win, you are a loser. By the time you're grown up, you either have the desire to win or you step away from the game for good.

Last time I checked, Jay Cutler is not pursuing a career related to his degree in Human and Organizational Development; he is a football player. A football player who is paid on his (perceived) ability to win games. It's not a question of being tough enough. If he would have been healthy enough to play effectively, he would have been in the game. End of story.

Trent Dilfer: Big Douche or Biggest Douche Ever?

I have a problem (well many problems but let's stay focused). My problem is with ESPN "Analyst" Trent Dilfer. This clown is a cereal Bears hater and more specifically a Jay Cutler hater.

I live by the moto "to each his own." I could care less what your opinion is, but if you believe in it then stick to your guns. If your thing is to rip into a player or team any chance you get, go for it. I do this all the time, I'm as guilty as anyone but that is what makes America the best country in the world. You can say and write whatever the fuck you want about almost anything. I just used the word "fuck" in a sentence, THAT'S FUCKING AWESOME!

What I don't like about this is when doucher Trent Dilfer pounces on Jay Cutler whenever anything is wrong with the Bears. His latest gem:

"Jay Cutler was introduced to this offense last spring in organized training activities. He went through an entire training camp with it. He was force-fed all of the information by Mike Martz and shown clearly what this offense is about. They use complex protection schemes and utilize one back in the backfield most of the time. It puts a tremendous burden on the quarterback to know who's blocked and who's not blocked. Ultimately, it's Jay Cutler's responsibility, when secondary people are coming, he needs to know they're either being picked up by my offensive line and my backs, or I'm responsible for them with hot throws. Regardless of what the issue is, ultimately it falls on Jay Cutler to get the ball out of his hands and to prevent these sacks and the turnovers that come with them."

Listen here Difler, you were a terrible football player. I don't care that you were part of a Ravens team that won Super Bowl XXXV. As far as I'm concerned, you did next to nothing helping Ray of Light and the Ravens win that game. 12-25 for 153 yards would win you nothing without playing with the 2nd greatest single season defense of all time. All you did was not fuck things up, good for you. I bet the 29 other backup QB's in the league that year would have killed to be in your position. But I regress...

I'm not saying that terrible football players such as Dilfer are all bad analysts. There are loads of sub-par ex-football players that are enjoyable to listen to while breaking down a situation: Charles Davis, The Bears very own Tom Waddle, Mike Golic and Ron Jaworski are players that had varying levels of success in the league but are knowledgeable and present information as well as any analyst around. The afore mentioned analysts do not step out of their comfort zones and attempt to analyze situations they were never exposed to. Example: Tom Waddle is never going to tell you what it's like to have to work against bracket coverage on the outside like Randy Moss. Sure, he'll be able to explain the concepts of it but as we all know, Waddle excelled over the middle and was less of a downfield threat. If he wanted to tell me what it's like to have your bell rung going across the middle, the guy has vast experience doing that and you know he's speaking from real-life experience. Bottom line, you need to take everything these guys say with a grain of salt.

This brings me back to Dilfer. This guy has never know what it's like to be a QB that is counted on to win games and make everyone better. While I'm not disputing that it is ultimately Cutler's responsibility to know where pressure is coming from, the O-line and Mike Martz need to have idea as well. This last week there were at least 5 sacks that were a direct result of the outside tackle blocking down on a double team instead of picking up the blitzer coming free off the edge. The tackle needs to be more aware of possible pressure. Last week doesn't fall on Cutler. When you're forced to have to make plays for your team to be successful, you need to take chances and hold the ball to let receivers get open. You also need to be confident in knowing the O-line will be able to pick blitzers up. Last time I checked, all these offensive lineman were in mini/training camp as well and were "force fed" the offense just like Cutler. Don't pin all the blame on him. While I can admit he needs to do things better, this one is on the line and Martz.