Blogster of the Midway

Future of the O-Line

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:13:00 +0000

I've been meaning to write about the future of the offensive line for a while now, and the hiring of Mike Tice gives me a perfect opportunity to do so.

First, I have to say that I am very pleased with the Bears' most recent hiring. Tice is overly qualified and is a great football mind. Tice's experience as a head coach as well as his success as an O-line coach ensure that he understands the big picture of the offense in addition to being able to excel as a position coach on the line. Tice's resume takes precedence over any worries that his hiring will make it more difficult for the Bears to fill the offensive coordinator opening.

We will see if Tice endorses the Bears' idea to obtain tackles to convert into athletic guard; even if he doesn't, it's a good bet Tice will have a better idea of what to do with the likes of Frank Omiyale than his predecessor did.

Anyway, here is how I envision the offensive line ultimately shaping up: Chris Williams at left tackle, Frank Omiyale at left guard, Josh Beekman at center, Roberto Garza at right guard, Kevin Shaffer at right tackle. This lineup will prove to be the best for the Bears moving forward, barring a major offseason acquisition.

If Orlando Pace does choose to return next season, he certainly doesn't have much gas left in the tank. Williams showed some signs at LT and I would like to see him continue to work at becoming the anchor of this line in the future; we need to see if he can fill that role long term. Omiyale looked worlds better blocking late in the season and my guess is that he will earn the starting job next season.

Don't get me wrong about my forecast of the center position; Olin Kreutz is a better center than Beekman and as long as he stays that way, he should keep his position as leader of the line. I have all the respect in the world for Kreutz, but i have noticed his play slip a little in recent years and that will continue to be the case. At 32 Kreutz is no spring chicken while I expect him to play through next season, it wouldn't be shocking if Beekman found his way into the lineup sooner rather than later.

Roberta Garza is going nowhere and really has no challengers at this point.

That leaves Shaffer at RT. I admit I didn't watch him as closely as I should have, but when you don't notice an O-lineman that generally means he is doing his job. One other possibility is that the Bears try switching Pace on the right side, opposite Williams.

The lineup that I mentioned earlier would essentially be accepting that the offensive line has become a rebuilding project; with offensive line being about a decade younger than the opening day lineup of 2009. The Bears would be parting ways with 'trusted' veterans in favor of investing in the future. What better time to retool the line than with the start of a new offensive regime and an shiny new offensive line coach? The Bears need to give Tice the freedom to forge a line to his liking.

Lovie Safe In Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:00:00 +0000

As you probably know by now the Chicago Bears relieved Ron Turner of his duties and Lovie Smith stepped down as de facto defensive coordinator. The Bears also gutted the offensive assistants.

Before we get into the Lovie debate, let's all breath a sigh of relief that Turner is finally out of Chicago.

Ahhhh

Now then...

I need to say that I was in favor of ousting Smith AND getting a proven, successful head coach. That's why it may surprise you that I am not (that) upset about the Bears' decision. My reasoning is that while I did want Lovie to go, I was not in favor of change for the sake of change. Is replacing Lovie with some young, inexperienced, cheap coach really better than keeping Smith around another year? Maybe, but I doubt it. Basically Lovie is here because while there are better coaches available, it wasn't likely the Bears would be able to get them.

Shanahan was all but married to the Bills (it is now official), Cowher is unlikely to return to coaching this year, Rivera wouldn't want to return to Chicago. That leaves fewer coaches that you could really hang your hat on available than most thought. I, for one, didn't have faith that the Bears would have been able to get a top tier coach this offseason so that leaves Smith as the top option; if you can't upgrade, change makes no sense.

We have to remember that Lovie has had a pretty good tenure in Chicago. He turned the franchise around, posting a .537 win percentage. The Bears qualified for the playoffs in back to back years under Lovie and a had Superbowl appearance. of course, he has been mediocre since the Superbowl loss.

There is another angle of this move that isn't being talked about. How can you bring in a new head coach and expect him to build a roster he is comfortable with if you have no draft picks. It makes sense to let Lovie and Angelo deal with the situation they have created. If they succeed, great. If they fail, get rid of them and let your new football minds have a real chance at building a team through the draft.

Bringing in two new coordinators not only brings about changes next season, it also provides an avenue for finding HC replacements. If Smith proves he still doesn't have it next season, the team will already have some familiarity with the new coordinators. If one of the new assistants proves himself worthy, he could find himself promoted to head coach.

My main complaint about keeping Smith is that it means the defensive scheme will not undergo an overhaul. It seems apparent if the scheme is not broken, the personnel are certainly not getting it done. Neither of those is likely to change dramatically next season. All we can do is hope the new coordinators can whip this group into shape or it will be a long season. In that case we will be discussing who will be our new head coach at this time next year.

Glimpse of Greatness

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Jay Cutler and company pulled out their crystal ball Monday night to show us what could have been by stunning the mighty Minnesota Vikings 36-30 in overtime. The offense was balanced and effective and the defense played better than anyone could expect considering the plague of injuries in the secondary. It was by far the best game Bears fans have seen all season and it showed what a terrible waste of talent this season has been.

More on that later, for now here are a few observations on the game:

Chris Williams was beyond impressive. Jared Allen hasn't exactly been on fire recently, but being held to no sacks and one QB hit after the way he embarrassed Orlando Pace is impressive. I did see Williams give up a sack on a LB blitz where Allen dropped into coverage, but can you blame him for focusing on Allen? With his performance, Williams single-handedly gave a glimmer hope for the not-to-distant future in Chicago.
With both starting safeties inactive and Tillman being carted off the field in the third quarter, the secondary became a major liability in the second half. If Zack Bowman hadn't let two Brett Favre passes bounce off his hands, it would have been a much better day for the Chicago's pass defense.
Speaking of near interceptions, Brett Favre's stats do not tell the truth of his performance. As I said, Favre deserved at least two interceptions as well as another fumble. What was ruled an incomplete shovel pass could have been called a fumble and, at the very least should have been intentional grounding. I guess that makes up for the missed Bowman facemask that would have negated Adrian Petersons overtime fumble.
Brett Favre's worst move of the night came after the final whistle. According to Kevin Seifert of ESPN Favre said that he played "about as good a game as I can play." This statement proves Favre's selfish, me first attitude. No player, especially a 'mature', leader of a team should ever say something that shifts the blame entirely away from themselves. What Favre said infers that there is no room for improvement in his play and that he had no hand in the loss. That, my friends, is not a team player.
Israel Idonije has been impressing me for weeks and he made a hug impact Monday. Idonije blocked an extra point (helping the game into overtime), hit Brett Favre to force a fumble, and collapsed the pocket leading to a sack in overtime.
Devin Aromashodu had a huge night with 7 receptions for 150 yards including a 39 yard touchdown to win the game in overtime. You can't help asking why it took so long for him to see the field, especially since Cutler has been promoting him since training camp.
While I was watching the first quarter, I mentioned that Antione Winfield is overrated. Just because he is the best player in the Vikings secondary doesn't mean he is a great player. Sure enough, Winfield was burned twice, including the above-mentioned Aromashodu TD.
A strong showing by the defensive line helped cover up the weakened secondary. Marinelli's crew really stepped up in overtime. Here are the Vikings offensive snaps after regulation: incomplete pass, sack, sack, punt, rush for no gain, lost fumble.

Favre comes to town

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:37:00 +0000

Feels like the old days again with Favre visiting Chicago in the dead of winter. I don't think I'll hear much dissension if I say that Favre is the only thing giving the Bears a chance in this one. Everyone remembers the last time Favre played at Soldier Field: a 35-7 drubbing that lead to the unforgettable Favre quote, "It was cold as hell...I’m not going to lie to you. I haven’t thawed out yet." The forecast certainly looks promising.

If Favre has a similar performance this time around, 17 of 32 for 153 yards no TDs and two INTs, Chicago might have a prayer. Of course this Vikings team is superior enough that they may be able to absorb a bad-Favre day. And Chicago would need a good day from Cutler and Forte so don't hold your breath.

There are a few trends on Chicago's side, courtesy of Kevin Seifert. Chicago has won 10 straight games when the temperature is below freezing, doubling their opponents scores in that span. Favre has lost seven straight when the mercury drops to 38 degrees or lower.

No one will try to tell you that Chicago should win this game on paper, but we can always hope that the weather will come to the rescue. On the other hand, if the Bears pull this upset will it give management an excuse to stand pat with it's coaches and GM? Is it worth that risk?

We're Back

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:04:00 +0000

Apologies for my long silence, I've been busy with finals and holiday hoopla; I'm sure you understand. It's not like our Bears have been particularly inspiring anyway. So here's the plan, I'm gonna give a quick quip about each game I've missed covering.

Minnesota 36, Chicago 10

Not much to say about this one. As expected, Minnesota gave Chicago their fourth consecutive loss. The Bears were dominated in every aspect of the game.

Chicago 17, St. Louis 9

Another unsurprising outcome, this time leading to a Bears victory. Cutler and company really did the bare minimum in this one; they got an unimpressive win. The defense looked solid against a very bad team. The only highlight of this matchup was that Cutler didn't throw an interception, only the third time that happened all season.

Green Bay 21, Chicago 14

This outcome was what everyone expected, but this was one game where the Bears actually impressed. Other than Ryan Grant's first carry (a 62-yard TD run) the defense played very well, holding Rodgers to a season-low 180 yards. Chicago seems to have Rodgers number, in their first game this season they held him to just 184 yards. In the end, Cutler threw his 2nd INT that turned into a go-ahead score for the Packers. Aromashodu performed well in his first extensive action, catching 8 passes for 76 yards and a TD.

Baltimore 31, Chicago 7

Among the worst games of the season for Chicago and that's really saying something. The lone touchdown came on an Earl Bennet punt return. (Maybe Dave Toub should take over as head coach.) The offense was the main culprit, failing to score a single point and giving the ball away six times. The defense deserves its share of the blame as well, they made Joe Flacco and Heath Miller look unstoppable. With 25 interceptions, Cutler is in range of Sid Luckman's franchise record (31).

New look on O-line

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:09:00 +0000

An injury to Orlando Pace helped usher in a change that some thought should have happened weeks ago; Chris Williams has taken over at left tackle. Kevin Shaffer will fill in on the right side, where is was originally brought in to play. With Omiyale reclaiming the left guard posisition, this line will look like many anticipated prior to the Pace signing. While there is not much left to be positive about this season, there is always hope that this new lineup shows some potential.

If the current line continues to prove that it has no business in the NFL, the Bears will be in big trouble, long-term. Good lines are generally built through the draft because teams don't like letting go of young, quality linemen. As we all no, Chicago lacks a first and second round draft pick this year; that leaves free agency. Have a look at this site, that keeps up to date on the future of the free agency. There may be some options in free agency who aren't resigned by their current team, but Chicago should expect heavy competition for any top FA prospects. Given their failure to build a successful line through free agency last year, I am not overly optimistic about it happening this offseason.

At this point it is fair to wonder if Jerry Angelo made a mistake in bringing Cutler to town and sacrificing draft picks to garner a supporting cast.

The Bears signed LB Cato June

Eagles - Bears Recap and Looking Forward

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 01:49:00 +0000

By now you all know the outcome of last weeks game so I won't take to much time recapping. Here are a few thoughts and observations relating to the Eagles game and tomorrows matchup in Minnesota:

Cutler was bad, awful. In my opinion, Cutler played worse in this game than he did against the 49ers. His accuracy was as bad as I have seen. He was overthrowing his targets all night, literally. I saw him overthrow a ball in warmups and his last throw of the night, a bobbled pass to Olsen, was way too high. Cutler missed open receivers behind the defense on three separate throws, all three would have been touchdowns. He overthrew Olsen and Hester early in the game on back to back plays in the endzone on what looked like identical routes. Later on Cutler overthrew Johnny Knox on a deep route, Knox had several steps on the nearest defender. On the positive side, Cutlers decision-making seemed improved, he simply wasn't making the throws. Jay absolutely must get his mechanics under control and improve his accuracy, the Bears are going to need a big game from him this week.
The defense got 3 turnovers against Philadelphia, including two forced fumble by Charles Tillman. The unit is going to have to take the ball away from what has become a very potent Vikings Offense. In his last six games against Chicago, Favre has thrown more touchdowns to the Bears (3) than his own team (2) as well as another ten interceptions. If that trend continues, Chicago just might have a chance this week, but don't hold your breath Favre is having the best season of his career with 21 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.
Ron Turner will not give up on his ridiculous attempts at wide receiver screens. I don't know what else to say; they are absolutely worthless plays. On the bright side...maybe it will help usher in the post-Turner era.
Chicago only allowed one big passing play to Philly, but that was one too many. The Bears will need to play disciplined, nearly flawless defense to contain the explosive Minnesota passing game.
The Bears did not play very well against the run last week. Peterson may be questionable, but against this offensive line, Chicago needs to play the run tough.
I wouldn't make too much of Khalil Bell's big day. Minus his 71 yard run, Bell averaged only 3 ypc. Still, maybe being outperformed by Bell will give Forte some extra motivation. I can't help but wonder why Chicago hasn't been using Adrian Peterson on offense.
The pass protection seemed improved, Cutler was only sacked once and was pressured less than he is accustomed to. The offensive line, especially Orlando Pace, will need to play lights-out against an impressive Vikings front seven.

If you read this blog, you know that I considered the Bears playoff hopes dashed when they lost to San Francisco two weeks ago. While Chicago isn't mathematically eliminated from the playoff race, their chances have only gotten slimmer as they have continued to pile up the losses. With only four wins, Chicago essentially has to run the table to make the playoffs. Considering tiebreakers, I find it unlikely that Chicago will win a wildcard berth with less than ten wins. If the Bears are able to upset the Vikings they will be able to keep games meaningful. I wouldn't bet on it.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:10:00 +0000

I haven't posted in a while because the last Bears loss made me sick, literally. The minute I got out of the car after driving home from watching the game I fell ill and was practically bedridden for several days. I am currently in the process of recovering and trying to catch up with all my school work.

I will try to get a preview post up before I leave for fall break... and the Bears, Eagles game! I will be watching the game in person Sunday and then be out of town the rest of the week, so I can't make any promises about posting. Though I will do my best.

Cutler Throws the Game away

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:33:00 +0000

Five interceptions by Rex Grossman Jay Cutler, sealed the fate of the Chicago Bears and wasted a dominant defensive performance.

Both red zone attempts ended in interceptions, ridiculous interceptions. Despite triple coverage, Cutler refused to target anyone other than Greg Olsen in the red zone. On several of the picks, some of the blame could be shifted away from Cutler, but anytime you turn the ball over FIVE TIMES you are responsible for the loss. Cutler ended the game with a passer rating of 33.6 while completing 29 of 52 passes for just over 300 yards; that is a bad game by any standard. Turnovers weren't their only problem, Chicago also had ten penalties for 75 yards.

I'll try to focus on the positive now. It was good to see the defense play well; any time you only allow 10 points when the offense turns the ball over 5 times, you have to be pleased. San Francisco accumulated only 216 yards, 110 on the ground.

I was extremely impressed with the defensive line, particularly Tommie Harris. He and fellow tackle, Marcus Harrison, each registered a sack, Harris also had two tackles for loss. Harris was getting a good jump of the line of scrimmage, helping to disrupt running lanes and helping collapse the pocket. Almost every time Alex Smith dropped back he was under duress. It was encouraging to see how the line, and the defense as a whole responded to Vernon Davis' comments; they played with a passion that hasn't been around since 2006.

Back to the negative...

I called this game a must-win, and I don't feel that was hyperbole. Chicago may have just played itself out of the playoff race. The Bears are now in line behind five teams vying for the two wild card slots: Philadelphia (5-3), Atlanta (5-3), New York Giants (5-4), Green Bay (4-4), and San Francisco (4-5).
note: The Packers and 49ers both own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bears

Needless to say, the Bears playoff chances are slim.

Bears Within a Point

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:27:00 +0000

Chicago stopped a 4th down attempt, leading to another Gould field goal. Chicago 6, San Fran 7.

The defense forced the 49ers to punt again, Bears have another chance to take the lead.

Chicago's defense has played very well so far, limiting San Fran to 135 yards.

Halftime

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:45:00 +0000

Chicago 3, San Francisco 7

Chicago outplayed the 9ers for most of the half, but San Fran took advantage of their mistakes, unlike the Bears.

Chicago had several major blunders:

Cutler's first INT was ridiculous and inexcusable. He tried to force a pass to Olsen who was triple-covered. It landed right in the arms of a defensive lineman.
Blame for the second INT rests solely on Hesters shoulders. Had he not fallen, it would have been a safe pass. He already has a holding penalty in the game.
The coaching staff almost costed the Bears a field goal when they failed to call a timeout to avoid the delay of game penalty. Inexcusable

Other Notes

Forte has run the ball 13 times for 37 yards. Beekman has made notable blocks on several plays.
Chicago has failed to take advantage of Clemens' absence.
Screen passes have been very succesful. Forte has 5 catches for 57 yards, leading the team.
Olsen has been a presence, though almost all of his catches came on one drive.
The defense gave up after Cutler's 2nd INT. No one watching doubted the 9ers would get in the endzone after that play. Hopefully that doesn't continue.

Succesful (barely) 2 minute drill

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:45:00 +0000

Cutler lead the Bears into field goal range but ran out of time. Gould hit his first attempt, but it was nullified by a delay of game penalty. Gould was good again after the penalty. 7-3 San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:43:00 +0000

Cutler's second INT of the game was caused by a big Hester blunder. He was on his face as the ball was coming his way; the pass hit the defender in the numbers and was returned deep into Bears territory. Frank Gore ran in the touchdown.

Defense Showing Up

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:16:00 +0000

Zack Bowman intercepted a deep pass from Alex Smith, Bears ball.

Marcus Harrison recorded a sack on the drive.

Another Red Zone TO

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:08:00 +0000

The Bears red zone woes continue. After driving the field, Cutler throws an INT from the 2 yard line.

The offense moved the ball very well on the drive, Greg Olsen was especially impressive with almost 50 yards on the drive.

Where's the Offense?

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:45:00 +0000

Another 3 and out by Chicago. They have 9 yards passing and 1 yard rushing on two possessions.

Harris shows up.

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Harris gets a sack on 3rd down to force San Francisco to kick a field goal. Nedney missed the 39 yard attempt.

Walk the Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:34:00 +0000

Vernon Davis made his first step to back up his talk from earlier this week, running through Nick Roach. Roach was injured on the play.

Bears Not off to a good start

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:27:00 +0000

The Bears received the kickoff and promptly punted.

But seriously, Cutler went 2 of three for four yards. Forte caught both passes.

Bears Must Win

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:38:00 +0000

With their only win in the last three games coming against the lowly Cleveland Browns, Chicago faces a must-win game in San Francisco on Thursday. The Bears defense is reeling after allowing Cincinnati to score on their first seven drives a few weeks ago and the Cardinals scored on their first six last week. Chicago is giving up an average of 43 points per game against opponents who aren't the Browns over the last three weeks. The scary part is that not only have the Bears been getting dominated in the passing game, but their normally solid run defense has been bad lately too.

The Chicago Bears Defense is awful.

Frank Gore is much better than any back on the Cardinals roster, and they averaged six yards a carry Sunday. Alex Smith is not an intimidating presence at QB, but the Bears have shown that almost anyone can throw on them. Jay Cutler shouldn't bank on getting much help from the defense.

Fortunately, the 49ers are on a skid of their own, losing four straight after starting the season 3-1. San Fransisco is not, generally speaking, an explosive team, and if the Bears defense can at least play like they belong in the NFL, the offense has a good chance of getting a win.

Ron Turner should look to have Cutler take advantage of the absence of Nate Clemens, who is out with a shoulder injury. I would say that Chicago has the best chance of winning if they force the game into the hands of Alex Smith by containing Gore and scoring early if the defense hadn't been so putrid lately. Not only is Gore tough to control, but lately the defense has looked like they would be outmatched by Smith too.

So, my revised strategy is this: Hope the defense shows some semblance of competency and pray that Jay Cutler gets a chance to lead a comeback.

Critical Stretch at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:49:00 +0000

The Chicago Bears are 4-3. They have been frustratingly inconsistent. We have seen flashes of why Jerry Angelo went and got Jay Cutler; we have also seen why Josh McDaniels didn't consider him invaluable. The defense has had some brilliant stints despite major injuries; we have seen Lovie Smith field a defense that had no business being on an NFL field. What we haven't seen is the Chicago Bears play a solid game.

We haven't seen them play well on both sides of the ball for four quarters. The closest we've gotten was the upset of Pittsburgh in week 2 when they didn't get on the board until the end of the half was breathing down their neck and it took two missed field goals to secure the win.

Starting in week 9 Chicago has a very tough four-game stretch against Arizona, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Minnesota. If the Bears are going to have any chance at a playoff berth, they need come out of this stretch above .500 In order to do that, they need to start playing consistent, mistake-free football; they need to get four quarters of good football out of both the offense and defense. The one bright spot is that the next three games are at Soldier Field and the Bears are a perfect 3-0 at home.

Cardinals Come to Town

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:33:00 +0000

The week 9 matchup between the Chicago Bears host the Arizona Cardinals game features two very inconsistent teams that still find themselves above .500 and in the playoff race halfway through the season. It all depends on which teams show up.

Will we see the Cardinals that upset the Giants in week 7 or the Arizona squad that was pushed around by Carolina last week? Which Chicago team will show up? The embarrassment we saw in Cincinnati, the complete team that upset Pittsburgh, or something in between like we saw last week?

Arizona provides a huge challenge for the Bears. The Cardinals dangerous receivers match up perfectly against Chicago's weak pass defense, but will Arizona be able to take advantage? Kurt Warner and Co. haven't looked the same this year. Arizona has the tenth ranked passing offense, but Warner has only 11 touchdowns to go with 11 interceptions (matching Cutler's totals exactly). Danieal Manning is expected to play; he and the defense will look to build on the momentum from their five-turnover outing against Cleveland.

Before week 8, Arizona boasted the top run defense in the league. After giving up 270 yards to the Panthers, they dropped to number eight in that category. Look for the Bears to try to establish the run. It will be interesting to see if the Arizona made the necessary adjustments this week or if Chicago discovered just how this defense can be had from watching Carolina. It may be a moot point; Chicago's offensive line has given no reason to believe they are capable of playing like Carolina's.

This one may turn into a shootout, but for the first time in years the bears feel confident they can win in that situation.

Walter Payton Highlights

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:13:00 +0000

A Walter Payton highlight video from chicagobears.com, commemorating the greatest football player to ever play the game. No matter how many highlights I watch, they never cease to amaze me. Enjoy.

Changes in Chicago? update

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:29:00 +0000

Check out Jeff Dickerson's blog for news that supports some of my predictions I made in my last post about tweaks in the roster for this week's matchup against the Browns.

It seems promising that Josh Beekman will replace Frank Omiyale at left guard; he is getting practice reps with the first team offense.
Nathan Vasher will continue to see more playing time as a safety.
Hunter Hillenmeyer will take over at MLB, while Nick Roach will slide over to strong side linebacker.
Adrian Peterson is healthy enough to practice and his return could help boost the running game, as well as special teams.

Changes in Chicago?

noreply@blogger.com (Zach Magnuson) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:30:00 +0000

A loss like the Bears suffered in week 7 is the kind that can cause a shake-up in an organization, but don't hold your breath for major coaching changes. I agree with David Haugh's assessment of the coaching situation; Lovie Smith has earned himself some wiggle room with division titles a Superbowl appearance and his exceptional record. I would guess that if the Bears consider their recent antics, Lovie could be in trouble. Due to Smith's contract situation, it makes a lot of financial sense to keep him. Unless this team completely falls apart Smith will be back in 2010; even then, McCaskey may keep him around.

So, while this kind of embarrassment is probably not enough to get Lovie fired, it is certainly enough to worry him. Smith needs to shake things up this week because it already needed to be done, and to send his team a message. Here are a few areas where changes may be on the horizon.

Offensive Line

What could happen:
Chris Williams switches to left tackle, Shaffer or Pace fill in at RT, Beekman replaces Omiyale at LG.

What should happen:
At the very least, Josh Beekman needs to be worked into the line-up. If Omiyale wasn't so awful we would probably be talking about Beekman replacing Kruetz, but we don't have that luxury. The situation at Tackle is probably as good as it will get this season.

What will happen: (probably)
I don't see how the coaching staff can ignore offensive line woes any longer, Beekman will see the field this week.

Secondary

What could happen:
Graham, Vasher, Payne, Steltz, and Bullocks all have a shot at getting more playing time.

What should happen:
Corey Graham played decently last season. He wasn't the best in coverage, but he was a sure tackler. Graham should get the start opposite Tillman if for no other reason than to try to spark the secondary. Afalava hasn't played too bad for a rookie, but Kevin Payne played very well at Strong Safety last season; he should get another shot.

What will happen: (probably)
The staff had the right idea trying to get Vasher on the field more; they will continue to get him on the field. Tillman and Manning are locks to keep their playing time. Their is about a 50% chance of seeing Payne at SS and even less than that of Graham starting at CB.

Linebackers

What could happen:
Injuries leave the Bears thin at what was considered a position of strength in the off season. Nick Roach, Jamar Williams, and Hunter Hillenmeyer will fill the MLB and strong side LB position.

What should happen:
Hillenmeyer knows this defense best. After the past two fiascos, Lovie needs a veteran presence getting the defense aligned. Hillenmeyer should start in the middle of this defense. Roach played very well for a few weeks before the entire defense forgot how to play football; his athleticism should be used on the outside.

What will happen: (probably)
Lovie won't be trying to get cute with his thin LB corp; Hillenmeyer will be the MLB. Roach will most likely start next to him, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Williams get a shot.

Other changes that should happen:

Greg Olsen has been disappointing. Desmond Clark has made plays and is a better blocker, he should be given his old spot atop the depth chart.
Matt Forte has done nothing this season. (Running on the Lions is nothing) Garret Wolfe and Adrian Peterson, assuming he is healthy, should be used liberally. This will send a message and could give the running game a spark.