They beat the Patriots in Foxboro, and that makes them dangerous. Period. They got beat by the Browns, and that makes them very beatable. Which Jets team will host the Bears Sunday?
If the Bears play their game, it won't matter which Jets team they face. The Bears are much more talented and because of a quirk in the schedule, they're somewhat familiar with the Meadowlands after beating the Giants there Sunday.
The Jets have been both awful and impressive on both sides of the ball. It's this inconsistency that makes them dangerous.
But the Bears have more talent and should win this decisively.
I agree. Bears should win by at least 20.
Roman, I think you hit it on the head. The Bears need to play their game. Strong red zone defense and special teams. The O-line and backs need to pick up the blitz to help Rex make the correct reads and T-Jones just needs to keep doing what he's been doing. If that happens, its a blowout and Rex is an MVP favorite...again.
I see so many comments on this blog ignoring how different this Bears team has been since the Arizona game.
The Cardinals exposed the Bears weaknesses - Grossman can't handle consistent pressure and the defense can't stop the short passing game. And in the last three games the Bears can't stop the run. How do you think the Jets beat the Patriots? Short passes, strong running and consistent pressure on the quarterback. That is exactly the formula for beating the Bears.
Too many Bears fans are getting lost in this 8-1 record in which the Bears have beaten bad teams or good teams with key players missing. Come playoff time the lack of consistent and quality (i.e. yards per carry above 4.0) running and the inability to stop the run is going to come back to haunt them. There won't be any wide open receivers with strong winds, snow and sloppy fields come January.
Okay the run defense is an obvious concern....not much to say about that except that I'll bet it gets better.
I also agree that the Cardinals showed that putting consistent pressure on the QB is the way to beat the Bears, or any team in the NFL. However, Rex has been better every week since in handling that pressure. THat includes the Miami game. Yes he sucked but he was still in the game. NY game he recovered very well.
Complete disagreement on stopping the short passing game. They basically stopped the Cardinals in the second half of that game and Miami's passing game was not that great. They benefited a lot from playing on a short field. And what did NYG's passing game look like again...non-existent?
Say what you will about their schedule and key injuries they are learning something every week and (usually) getting better the next week.
Miami didn't have to pass because they ran for 161 yards - I wouldn't pass either if I didn't have to.
Pressuring good quarterbacks in the NFL is a BAD idea because they will burn you repeatedly by knowing where the blitz is coming from (unlike Grossman), moving in the pocket to avoid the rush (unlike Grossman) and hitting receivers with one-on-one coverage. Pressuring quarterbacks that cannot read the blitz, cannot avoid the rush and have poor mechanics (think Grossman)is a GOOD idea and frequently works in the NFL.
The Bears are a fundamentally different team without Mike Brown both from a run defense and pass defense standpoint and no one here seems willing to accept that. That is why recently demoted Chris Harris was in for Todd Johnson in the Giants game because Johnson can't get the job done.
From my perspective, Arizona stopped themsleves with poor pass blocking on one play, one stupid fumble, bad punt coverage, and a badly missed field goal. All of that and the Bears only won by one point.
Overall, I think the other NFL teams are learning how to play the Bears and the Bears are not changing anything, just sitting back in their cover two defense and giving up big runs. Why haven't they run more screen passes, why is Tommy Harris no longer dominant, why do they have to be dragged kicking and screaming to use the shotgun? I think the Bears coaches are stubborn to a fault and all they are doing is setting the team up for failure come playoff time.
If all goes well the Bears should handle the Jets like they handled the Bills. The Jets have a mediocre running game, a quarterback that isn't trusted, and a defense that gives up points in bunches.
Yet this is the NFL. There is no way everything will go right. It comes down to Thomas Jones and how he can run all over the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. If he runs like he did in the second half of the Giants game, the Jets will have to bring 8 or 9 in the box and Mushin and Bradley will have a field day.
I also see Pennington getting harrased by a defense who is dying to prove they should be feared in all aspects of the game.
I see a Bears win, 27-13
Some good discussion. I think a team trying to rise from the middle of the pack has a good chance of being a bit flat after a big win. The Bears have to be itching to put their awful performances behind them and play very well this week. The Bears have superior talent on the field too. I don't see the Jets staying with them. Bears by 24.
They did not give us a chance either and I returned a pic for a td, gave grossman fits, my teammate ran for over 150 yds and joey harrington looked like joe montanna!!!! Don't take anything for granted.
John, your right again. Miami ran for 161 yards...but that really meant not much in the outcome of the game. Miami's scoring drives were 3 plays for 6 yards (td), 3 plays for 12 yards (td), 1 play for 24 yards (td), and 10 plays for 56 yards (fg). With the exception of the last drive which was their only sustained drive (that they couldn't put in the end zone) it was all short field passing td's due to turnovers with no effective rushing on Miami's part. 6 turnovers and a pumped up Miami team killed the Bears in that game. For that matter Chicago lets a lot of rushing yards up...between the 20's. It's stopping teams in the red zone that counts.
I will respond to your comments about Rex like this. He plays brilliant at times and crappy at other times (not always his fault - e.g. o-line and backs not blocking). But that is because he is basically a rookie quarterback. I will add though through his first 16 games he has put up equivalent numbers to Bret Favre in his first 16 (12-4 record, 3305 yards, 56% completion rate, 21 td's, 16 ints). Scary thing is he keeps getting better. Not bad kid...
I am very much looking forward to the NYJ game this weekend and your comments on Monday after the game...
If Ron Turner hasn't figured out by now that the key to success for the Bears' offense is sticking with the run, especially after the Giants game, he won't ever learn. If either Jones, Benson, or both (doesn't really matter)get a big workload and the Bears avoid turnovers that will allow the defense to keep the Bears in the game, even if they fall behind. The defense is a solid unit without Mike Brown, it's just not a brick wall without him. The offense should do fine with a balanced attack, and the Bears could win by 2 touchdowns or more if the defense starts forcing fumbles or getting picks.
However if Turner abandons the running game as he has a tendency to do, that will put Rex and the offense in a position to fail by risking turnovers. Too many turnovers can get this game out of control, and will put pressure on the defense to stop the Jets on a short field, and positive turnovers won't be a factor. The Bears will lose in an ugly game if that happens (I don't think it will, though).
I agree with Kieth. The Bears need to establish the run against the Jets. The Jets did beat the Patriots last week by blitzing constantly. However the Patriots went away from running the ball. They easily ran for over 140 yard during the game but chose to pass against a blitzing defense. The Jets rank 31st im total defense and 27th against the run. They rank worst against the pass. What does that mean? The Bears need to run the ball and catch them with the play-action pass. If the Bears don't turn the ball over, and are successful with the run, they should win easily.
Which team is inconsistent? If the jets were coached by Tom Coughlin too, the bears would win easily. But they are not. And I think the bears lose this one, outcoached again i'm afraid. After the big win last week against depleted giants team coached by head brick, i doubt this bears team will remain focused. Probably be doing pregame comedy skits and worrying about their respect, the bandwagon riders, how they're treated by the media and all their other favorite distractions. The jets are hungry and will be back at home after their pats win. Do you think they'd like to one up the giants??? Do you think their coach will have them ready and will have schemed for the bears predictable defense and offense? I just don't have that much confidence in lovie to get the bears ready, or to bother to adjust much to what the jets do. just keep trying the same thing over and over until you get beat again which will happen. If Berrian is back and the jets turn the ball over, maybe the bears can pull out another win but I doubt it.
I don't know JohnF, last year in January weather was not a factor.Who can say that it's gonna be Bear-weather or 50 degrees.The Bear do give up a serious chunk of real estate but the point total is what really matters.I think Rex is improving and the line has to be called out because even Ditka remarked how Tait wasn't looking so hot.We really have to establish the run and stick with it.I love Turner and I've been positive about him for 2 years.I haven't forgotten what he did when he was here last time,but I think he leans a little too much to the passing.He's not a mad scientist as much as he's an offensive savant.Every coordinator on offense wants to put up huge numbers and I think he's no different.He just abandons the run too much.I remember so many guys said that Mike Brown wasn't much of a factor this year before he got hurt.It just goes to show that we sometimes don't recognize the contribution a guy gives until he's not there anymore.I guess it's a lot harder to play safety than it is to be a critic.Sometimes we get on these guys not knowing what their job entails.Now,we can see why some guys are starting and some are just backups.WE have to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.That goes without saying.I hope it's a cakewalk but this is the NFL.GO BEARS!!!
Good comments all of you so i guess i'll put my 2 cents in.I honestly feel if they call for more shotgun plays here and there to mix things up that will ease the pressure off rex a little bit.He seemed to look a lot more relax back there.Second i read an earlier post that tommie harris hasn't been dominant.If ya notice he's been doubled team 7 out of ten plays,and its up to one of the ends to pick up the slack which i think alex brown did a good job of.Our recievers are better overall and we do have 3 legitimate NFL starting wideouts i believe.The jets are gonna have to respect that, so i don't think they will continue to blitz if we burn them a couple of times. Looking forward for more comments from ya guys.
The Bears need to use the draw play more often then they do.It gives the running back more options. And the shotgun is an advantage for Grossman, his vision down the field is better.
tele... I know how you feel. But considering the Bears have failed to prepare, adjust and remain focused adequately so many times since last season I think even the densest of coaching staffs would eventually "get it" and start doing the right things every week. I think the Bears have finally reached that point or are getting close to figuring it out. Maybe from now on we can do that every week like we're supposed to. I expect a good game all around. If we revert to our awful habits of the past then maybe I'm giving the staff too much credit, we'll see.\
Yes that's one thing. They need to do some things a lot more and some a lot less. When they do the right things they are very successful. Just need to do that every game and not just sporadically.
I'm suffering from a little comment fatigue here so this will be my last post before the game.
My comments have been directed towards long-term trends, not game-by-game performances. What I see is:
- Grossman's game suffers when pressured. That is not true for all NFL quarterbacks, the good ones make the other team pay and eventually the blitzing stops. Grossman is currently rewarding teams when they blitz him.
- The Bears are giving up significant rushing yardage on defense since Mike Brown went out. Whether teams have short fields or not, when you can't stop the run, you can't get the ball back enough to overcome Grossman's mistakes.
- The Bears cannot consistently run the ball. They are 10th in rushing average in the NFC. When you can't run, especially late in a close game you increase your chances of losing. Most playoff games are close and this lack of running will hurt the Bears later. The 1985 Bears led the NFL (by wide margins) in both rushing and run defense (although I realize the Bears had a decent running back at that time).
Finally, I am a Bears fan, I want them to win. But I am deeply disturbed by these long-term trends that don't appear to me to be fixable. The Bears this year look a lot like the 1998 Vikings who went 15-1 and lost the NFC Championshp to the Falcons who were ranked in the top five for rushing offense and rushing defense.
Most of these posts are pretty good except the obvious one from the Jets fan who feels slighted. The Bears should easily win this game but they should have beat the Dolphins too, so who knows what will happen. If they can keep the chains moving with Jones than this should be no contest. That should open the play-action pass for Bradley or Berrian, if he's able to go. According to Tele the Jets coaches have already formed their gameplan for the predictable Bears D. Well just like every other team let's see you do something about it. What happens when we put pressure on Pennington? He will just short-arm to the Bears defenders. The Bears have showed that they are finally adjusting to what other teams do to them so I really don't see this game being very close. Win the turnover battle and this will be a blowout. Bears 31-10
Jets by more than 17 points? Yes.
They have a better coaching staff, a better QB, and are on a roll.
I have the beaten every team the Bears have played so far this year using Madden 06' and updated position and rating statistics. Every team, that is, except the Dolphins.
It took me 5 restarts to beat them on All-Pro level, 7 minute quarters. On the other hand, the Jets didn't get over 50 combined yards against a combo cover2, man defense.
Pennington should take a blanket onto the field. He's going to be on his back a lot.
According to my game plan, if the Bears open up with short passes and play- action passes instead of the run, the running game will have a lot of success later in the game.
On another note, Todd Johnson's lack of anticipation against the run makes the strong side run very effective for the Jets against any Bears zone coverage. Not Good..!!
Rain makes for turnovers. I'm a little concerned about Hester fielding punts with a slick ball as well as Jones coughing it if he's overworked. Using the fullback on inside runs from passing formations also yeilded good results.
Oh Well.....
Final Score:
Bears 27, Jets 6
DOMINO49, Why don't you jump ahead on madden 06' and tell me if we are going to win the superbowl ? To WARE ADAMS, jets by 17? your nuts, and how do you figure the jets have a better coaching staff, a better QB, and are on a roll. 8-1 is a roll. Pennington is one hit away from watching his arm fall off, not that it was ever that strong anyway, and if your coaching staff is so great why are you 5-4? saving the best for last so you can sneak up on new england ? We will be sure to send you a postcard from miami in feb.
We are 2/3 of the way through our east coast trip that so many people were worried about.We've had Jones put away the doubt that so many people had about him.I always said that he would pull through once he wasn't looking over his shoulder.This was a "winning ugly" game but once we scored the field goal I said game over.I knew we had enough to win 3 to 0.Again we gave up a good chunk of real estate in the running game but we came through when it mattered most.Rex will keep having the up and down games but I think after he get more experience he'll respond better.If Bradley's man make that tackle I'm not sure if the final score would've been 3-0.Capitalizing on someone's mistake is how you win, some.I have great faith in this team being the representative of the NFC in the Superbowl.You have to ask ;who's left?That said GO BEARS!!!
I think it was absolutely great that the BEARS were so successful with the run.When it was obvious that we were not gonna have much success passing we really established the run.Now,we have to put them both together and play a complete game.Just a question;did the BEARS have Hester back on kicks-off after the half ended?I know that the onside kick was asinine,but maybe they were scared to kick to him.It was the only kick-off they had.I really think that the KING of Queens guy just wanted to catch us sleeping.It was aggressive, but now it looks kind of stupid in hindsight or any sight.Also I think it's safe to say that Benson can take his place on the bench.When he was in, what happened to his explosiveness?Again,he was getting up after being tackled like he was in so much pain or just disinterested.Suck it up and play like you want it!!The guy is just giving the job to Jones without a fight.I'm just glad that Jones is responding like a veteran.He seems to get better after he fumbles.Just a crazy thought.GO BEARS!!!