Why all the love?

maybe they're trying to build up his confidence, make him feel like an integral part of the team (which he IS).

but he has yet to prove anything to me.... ANYTIME.

the man has no moves, no shake/bake and though I understand that's not his running style, I'm not particularly impressed by his "power running" either though I will admit having watched for this last night, the offensive line is providing previous FEW running lanes and openings.

but it's sad when the pedestrian Packer RB's look more lively and impressive than Cedric, not to even mention the likes of Minny's Adrian Peterson.

Benson has never looked like anything more or better than Ron Dayne.

think about that one.

Is it just me...or does anyone else kinda Miss Dick Juroun?

Roman responds: It's you. Although Dick Jauron is a truly good man. I've done stories about he used to visit Children's Hospital on the Sat. before each home game. He never told anyone, but the PR person at the hospital told me. He befriended a young man who was a true inspiration and told me Jauron became a genuine friend. Great guy.

anyone know the combined record of the teams we have played so far? romes? you got the stats handy? beka?

Also, what are the defenses we have played so far currently ranked?

Just curious...

Roman responds: 16-8 and nfl.com

hey...watch how everyone praises TRomo for manufacturing that win and say nothing of the 5 INT's

we all know that most runningback's success is coincidental. It is mostly due to the o-line. Especially this day and age when a football team is a micromanaged system with easily replaced parts. Very rarely do runningbacks that are special come along...Like Walter Payton. Perhaps Cedric has shown flashes of being special. It will only truly be revealed with maturity. I do remember Neal Anderson having to mature somewhat. Since he really did have big shoes to fill,we didn't really apreciate him until we played Madden '91 or '92. Then we realized..he was no Walter but was special. There really are no 'special' running backs to overshadow Cedric now(Tomlinson is definitely a benefactor of a system). So maybe this praise,and why they kept him instead of T.J. is because of those 1 or 2 flashes of greatness per game people see right now. Let's see where we are at the end of the season with him. I think he will definitley mature.

Roman responds: Go back and check, Neal Anderson came out strong, from the first game and had a really good first season as the featured back. And I don't think Neal was "special."

Great game we won,got out of town with your shirt on....RB wasn`t the brightest spot of the night....but like the whole team he made his contribution and like it or not it is what it is.
Chicago fans always have to play CSI.
Take the win and be happy.The Bears realize they have a problem at that position.....But you won`t find special running backs on trees or waiver wires,so we are stuck now....so lets dance with the player we came to the dance with,for now....you should be use to that...remember Curtis Ennis,R.Salaam,The A train?...Keep the wins coming Baby,by any means neccesary!!!!!! GO BEARS!!!!!!

I was wondering the same thing. You would think his "27 carries" won the game singlehandedly.

Jones will be miss! Benson is a fraud!

agreed. while i don't think thomas jones was all that great a back either, i'm greatly disappointed in cedric benson's inaugural season as featured back. corey dillon, anyone?

No, he shouldn't fumble, but it's something that happens sometimes, and it's nice to see that Benson didn't do it Sunday.

Also, that 2.4 yards per carry is hurt significantly by the fact that he got tackled for a loss a couple of times immediately after getting the ball from Griese, a pure fault of the O-line.

Granted, not a great game for Benson, not even a good game, and that time he ran out of bounds instead of trying to struggle for a couple more was so blatantly dumb that even barely-competent John Madden was able to point it out. I'm sure everyone would be focusing on what Benson did wrong if the Bears had lost, as you say, but it was a game where Benson didn't make any major mistakes and actually had a few nice runs. We aren't going to see him morph from what we've seen into LT in a week. Baby steps.

Then again, because I watch ND play football all year, looking for the bright spots in struggling players is pretty much all I do football-wise these days.

Roman responds: Good post.

i THINK THE BEARS MADE A BIG MISTAKE WITH BENSON.THEY JUST CANT JUDGE RUNNING BACKS OR QUARTERBACKS.THEY GOT RID OF A GOOD RUNNING BACK.NOT A GREAT ONE BUT HE DID THE JOB LAST YEAR.THEY WILL NEVER BE MORE THAN A 500 TEAM WITH BENSON AT RUNNING BACK,GRIESE IS A SERVICEABLE QUARTER BACK.WITH AN AVERAGE RUNNING BACK THE BEARS COULD STILL BE A THREAT.GRIESE IS NOT (GOOD REX)
WHO COULD ON OCCASION TAKE OVER A GAME,PETERSON IS NOT THE ANSEWER EITHER OR THE SCAT BACK WOLFE.i HATE TO SAT IT BUT THOMAS JONES COULD HAVE MADE THIS TEAM A CONTENDER.
FRANK

i THINK THE BEARS MADE A BIG MISTAKE WITH BENSON.THEY JUST CANT JUDGE RUNNING BACKS OR QUARTERBACKS.THEY GOT RID OF A GOOD RUNNING BACK.NOT A GREAT ONE BUT HE DID THE JOB LAST YEAR.THEY WILL NEVER BE MORE THAN A 500 TEAM WITH BENSON AT RUNNING BACK,GRIESE IS A SERVICEABLE QUARTER BACK.WITH AN AVERAGE RUNNING BACK THE BEARS COULD STILL BE A THREAT.GRIESE IS NOT (GOOD REX)
WHO COULD ON OCCASION TAKE OVER A GAME,PETERSON IS NOT THE ANSEWER EITHER OR THE SCAT BACK WOLFE.i HATE TO SAT IT BUT THOMAS JONES COULD HAVE MADE THIS TEAM A CONTENDER.
FRANK

I fully agree. Adrian Peterson always runs with more heart and explosiveness. It is high time that he be given the ball more frequently. Like it or not, Benson does not seem to respond unless he is in competition for getting snaps.

You are right on! Benson is over 6'-0" so if he falls down it should be a two yard gain. He does fall down a lot.

First of all, you could have molded Jim Brown, Walter Payton, O.J. Simpson and Emmitt Smith into one body and they would have faired not much better with that blocking. I think given his ability, which is above average at best, he did well with what was given.

Second, does sticking with the run to open play action, FOR ONE PLAY (albeit key), merit Ron Turner a nod. I don't think so!

Play action should start early and often. That'll take some of the load off our aged line and open up the running game. Though Benson isn't what I would call a premier back, He did run HARD through the line at all times. Can't ask for more than that.

As for Turner, run, run, pass, punt, run, run, pass, punt, run, run, pass, punt is all too often the verse.

to some degree Benson's poor average yards per carry can fall on the line's failure to create an opening, but to a larger degree it's Benson's lack of patience and vision in looking for an opening or bouncing to the outside when there is none. he lacks the instinct that great running backs have in finding where the hole is and not just plowing into the line where it's supposed to be. then again maybe if more plays were called for him to run outside the tackles it would help open up the middle. as far as him getting any praise or love? none coming here, just thankful he held onto the ball.

In his defense about running out of bounds Roman,

The great L.T. runs out of bounds all of the time, in fact, a lot of backs now in this league run out of bounds instead of cutting up the field (went the way of a midrange jumper), that is the way it is now.

But the rest of your post is on the money. Ced, watch the hole open up and blast through, don't try to make the hole, let the rest of your team earn their money, too. All that being said, I would rather have 2.4ypc and a win then 8.4ypc and a loss anyday.

Roman responds: LT gained over 1,800 yards last year. Let Cedric come close before making comparisons. All I hear is how bruising he is, then lower shoulder and make one of the corners or safeties pay instead of trudging out of bounds.
I agree a lot of backs run out of bounds now. I grew up watching Walter. Whatever happened to that model?

True... but what do you expect from a slow bruising runner that gets has to run sweeps and cutbacks??? Let him run up the middle even if it's 2 yards gain... he'll break a few, or atleart hurt the DT or MLB's by the end of the game.... If all else fails get a faster running back.

Roman responds: See, this is what I meant. If Griese doesn't throw that touchdown pass to Clark, none of you - NONE - is telling me Benson's style is effective. We'd all be saying he averaged 2.4 in another loss.

I have a few friends in NY who think Thomas Jones is brutal. They are already tired of his "tippy toe" style.

Bottom line is that neither Jones nor Benson is a top flight runner in this league. The Bears made a mistake by drafting Benson when Jones was still serviceable (good for 70-80 yards per game). I don't understand how anyone can think Benson should get props for the GB game...I also can't understand the whining about how we miss Jones.

Michael Turner anyone???

Roman responds: Yeah, I'm done mentioning Jones. He's not doing anything in N.Y.

When he "plays angry" -- he's a big back who can punish opposing defensive lines, wear them down and in the fourth quarter run wild. This is wholly consistent with Lovie and Ron T's offensive philosophy -- play not to lose the game. The only problem has been his fumbles -- which have been over-reacted to by Lovie, fans, et al. He also is hampered by an old, slow offensive line and he gets hit too often behind the line of scrimmage because of it.

One of the reasons to play Olsen, Hester, Wolfe and others more is because they are match-up problems for opposing defenses. Putting them in the game along with Benson might mean that Benson isn't running against 8 guys in the box.

100-yard rushing days are over-rated. Especially in Lovie's scheme. He wants to control the game -- the guy's entire life is about control -- and having a big back who can run the ball 20-25 times (and not fumble) is part of that strategy. Lovie needs Benson to wear down opposing defenses so the offense can take control in the 3rd and 4th quarters. It's not pretty. It's not sexy and it may not work. But that seems to be the offense's strategy.

Roman responds: See, this is what I don't get: "When" he plays angry. Why doesn't he play angry all the time. He was the No. 4 pick and gets a lot of money. And no matter how you spin it, 2.4 ypc stinks.

I completely agree with you, Roman, which is worrying me a bit. There were opportunities for some bigger gains if he noticed the crease and for some extra short yardage with a solid push at the end of the run. Jones is not doing much in New York, but I still think he would be nice to have back there blocking for pass protection. Anthony Thomas looked great blocking last night for Edwards.Too bad Buffalo let one slip away at the end--hate those Cowboys. At least Romo looked worse than Rex for a change.Maybe that will stop the invidious comparisons.

Roman: I can live with 2.4 ypc depending on when it happens. If Benson has a hole, gets thru it and gains 5-6 yards. That's what he is supposed to do -- and that's what Lovie is looking at. However, if the O-line gets blown up by the defense and Benson gets hit behind the line of scrimmage and gains no yards, then is it really all his fault? Those two plays will earn him the 2.4 ypc average. But on one play, he did exactly what was expected. In the other, he made the best of a bad situation. If the O-line plays more consistently, then Benson's YPC will go up.

If, however, Benson is missing holes, making bad decisions, etc. Then he sits. But I don't get that impression.

The leading Rusher in the league only has 3 more TDs than Ced. There are like 10 RBS, who everyone one of us would take over Ced, who are doing worse this year so far....check it! (by the way...Reggie Bush looks stellar).

Rk Name/Team Att Yds Avg TD Long Fumbles 100-Yd Gms
1 Willie Parker, Pit 121 507 4.2 1 25 2 4
2 Travis Henry, Den 102 498 4.9 1 33 1 3
3 Willis McGahee, Bal 102 464 4.5 0 37 0 1
4 Edgerrin James, Ari 107 442 4.1 3 27 2 1
5 Ronnie Brown, Mia 83 425 5.1 4 60 0 3
6 LaMont Jordan, Oak 84 424 5.0 2 33 0 2
7 Derrick Ward, NYG 86 409 4.8 1 44 0 0
8 Joseph Addai, Ind 84 407 4.8 5 17 0 2
9 Adrian Peterson, Min 76 383 5.0 1 55 1 3
10 Jamal Lewis, Cle 77 382 5.0 2 66 2 1
11 Shaun Alexander, Sea 102 378 3.7 2 22 1 2
12 Marshawn Lynch, Buf 100 373 3.7 3 23 0 0
13 Sammy Morris, NE 75 370 4.9 3 49 0 2
14 DeShaun Foster, Car 80 361 4.5 1 20 2 1
15 Marion Barber III, Dal 56 334 6.0 4 54 0 1
16 LaDainian Tomlinson, SD 98 329 3.4 2 37 0 1
17 Frank Gore, SF 84 306 3.6 3 43 2 0

18 Cedric Benson, Chi 101 303 3.0 2 16 3 1

19 Clinton Portis, Was 66 299 4.5 3 19 2 0
20 Brian Westbrook, Phi 51 291 5.7 2 27 0 1
21 Thomas Jones, NYJ 88 290 3.3 0 12 1 1
22 Larry Johnson, KC 84 275 3.3 0 37 0 1
23 Chris Brown, Ten 52 274 5.3 1 42 0 1
24 Justin Fargas, Oak 43 261 6.1 0 48 0 1
25 Kenton Keith, Ind 51 255 5.0 2 22 1 1
26 Laurence Maroney, NE 54 252 4.7 0 19 0 1
27 Warrick Dunn, Atl 74 249 3.4 1 18 1 0
28 Steven Jackson, StL 69 233 3.4 0 14 2 1
29 Julius Jones, Dal 63 217 3.4 1 21 0 0
30 LenDale White, Ten 62 212 3.4 2 13 2 0
31 Carnell Williams, TB 54 208 3.9 3 20 1 0
32 Fred Taylor, Jac 55 207 3.8 0 29 0 0
33 Tatum Bell, Det 44 182 4.1 1 24 1 0
34 Maurice Jones-Drew, Jac 42 182 4.3 1 52 1 0
35 Brian Leonard, StL 38 181 4.8 0 31 0 1
36 Ron Dayne, Hou 62 179 2.9 1 25 0 0
37 Rudi Johnson, Cin 58 177 3.1 0 20 2 1
38 Michael Pittman, TB 35 169 4.8 0 29 0 0
39 DeAngelo Williams, Car 43 168 3.9 0 16 0 0
40 DeShawn Wynn, GB 36 165 4.6 3 44 0 0
41 Correll Buckhalter, Phi 29 154 5.3 1 24 0 1
42 Ahman Green, Hou 35 149 4.3 1 18 0 0
43 Reggie Bush, NO 50 147 2.9 2 13 2 0
44 Earnest Graham, TB 36 147 4.1 3 28 0 0
45 Jerious Norwood, Atl 35 147 4.2 0 26 0 0
46 Vince Young, Ten 29 123 4.2 1 21 1 0
47 David Garrard, Jac 25 108 4.3 0 19 0 0
48 Ladell Betts, Was 38 104 2.7 0 13 0 0
49 Brandon Jackson, GB 38 97 2.6 1 9 0 0

The only reason Benson is still in the league is because of where he was drafted and how much money they are paying him for this year. There is no way he'll be the starting running back for the Bears next year. I can't remember the last time Benson broke a run of over 20 yards. He always seems to go down on the first hit.

Cedric disappointed me very much. For a back who wanted to be the workhorse he sure looked tired and beat in the 4th quarter. I don't know his exact carries but i think @30 carries(i'm guessing) is not enough to tire someone out especially when none of those carries went more then 10 yards. I look for a blowout this week against the viqueens and it won't be because of benson.

Wow it couldn't be that running Benson 27 times, despite his yds per carry, had anything to do with the Packers biting on the Play Action fake to win the game? No of course not. All you experts that read boxscores have it all figured out. While you are at it go check out TJ stats so far this year.

Keep in Mind...with a Back like Ced, you need to bash him against their line for 20-25 times, and then he runs rough shot for the 4th quarter. Mix in a little lil AP and Hester. (screw wolfe, we should use Hester more).

Im also for the record....100% behind Griese...since he is our GUY!

The Bears O-line is brutal. I would like to see Benson run behind a decent line for a full game. Message to Olin Kreutz... Try blocking someone before the whistle blows for a change. The only one that seems to get after people anymore is Roberto Garza.
By the way, Thomas Jones is, was and never will be anything more than slightly below average. The Bears did the right thing by drafting Benson. Whether or not it works out is another matter.

While early indications are that Benson is not cutting it. IT IS WAY TOO EARLY TO JUDGE HIM!

We have seen Bear players come out of the gate looking like future Hall of Famers, only to become complete busts the next year. We have also watched players begin their careers very slowly and then become very productive.

The offense is just beginning to gel. Give Benson the next few weeks carrying the ball within a competent offense and then begin to decide if he's the man. Benson has been treated like an outsider by the offense since his arrival (due to his own personality and Thomas Jones working against him), let's see how he does once he's accepted by the offense and gains some confidence. He's not lacking talent, he seems to be lacking confidence.

You got me on that one Roman, I will keep my mouth shut on the comparisons. I watched Walter, Tony D, and the others too, man, I miss the backs who just wanted contact.

I was saying this exact thing to a guy yesterday...and I swear...he validated by saying Ced didn't fumble....

If you flip Benson's 2.4 yards per carry....that's what AP has...4.2

hmmm, 42...the meaning of life

Hey, Ced tried to warn us before draft day.......and in big, bold, friendly letters, too (link)... we still picked him....

http://www.brianbehrend.com/archives/images/cedric-espnmag.jpg

Here's the problem with Benson: as soon as he gets hit, his feet stop moving. He has the same problem as Michael Pittman in Tampa. Big strong guys but as soon as they get hit they stop moving their feet. That's why he shouldn't be a full time starter just like Pittman isn't a full time starter. Oh yeah, and stay in bounds and hit a defender instead of looking for the sidelines. Sissy.

I think Benson is a bust but the Bears are stuck with him. I think he's a head case and the coaches are trying to stroke him. The line is not as good as they used to be and the Bears were not throwing downfield enough to help him though. The Bears need to attempt 1 or 2 bombs a game, and if Griese can complete enough 15 -20 yard passes, that might be enough to open up the box more and help out the running game. The Bears are stuck with him and need to give him all the help they can to get better production out of him. Is he running with his eyes closed sometimes. He can see the sideline alright, but even on the TD he scored, he ran right into Clarks block at the goal line when Clark and the defender were the only guys there. The Bears may need to get him a seeing-eye dog to find the holes and open lanes.

Hey, Mr. Modrowski. Is our Marathon tainted now....the stories..no water until 6 miles...no gatorade until 11 miles(boo-hoo-no sugarade). Lot's of people wanting their entrance fees back. Will they ever enter again? I sure will miss that walk-athon. Maybe I won't....I didn't run this year....Boston still is far worse -even with perfect temperatures. You think the airlines treat you like cattle?

Everyone is complaining about Benson's ypc, but what happens God forbid if the guy gets hurt. Are we ready to go with AP for more than 15 carries a game. I have no problem trading Jones, the situation in the locker room merited that someone had to go, my problem is that the GM has not brought in someone that is capable of playing full time if Benson goes down. The Bears have had so many injuries that losing Benson is not out of the question. We have more problems if we lose him than a QB right now.

All points taken here are good points.

2.4 YPC does stink.

A committed pro runs hard and dedicated ON EVERY PLAY.

You step out of bounds after a long play that has gained a first down and a bruising linebacker flying at your legs, not after a six yard gain where two or three extra yards gives your struggling offense second or third and one.

The line is struggling and none of us are the ones running behind it. For all we know, Benson may have waited a couple times for the hole to open, only to be thrown for a loss. If that's me, I'm not waiting either and going all out at the hole called. He bounced to the outside a few times late when the 'D' was held at the line (finally), and I've also noticed on runs to the outside our receivers are doing a poor job of blocking.

Cedric has done nothing to show me he's a committed starting running back, but the total blocking scheme makes the picture much more blurry than it actually should be.

Share the wealth, spread the fault, as should be. I still think the key is off-balance play calling and I've seen it in one pre-season game and not since. Or is Ron Piniella saving that script for game four of the playoffs?

What I want to know is, why have I only seen 1 or 2 posters mention the fact that the offensive line is ABSOLUTE GARBAGE?! They cannot push ANYBODY off the ball if their miserable lives depended on it. But you know what's so great about you, Roman, and the rest of the fans? When they finally bench him and somebody else gets their hat brought to the hospital, you all are gonna wait until THEN, to say the Offensive line is horrible. The same thing happened with Grossman when he was benched. Nobody said anything about the Line until Griese got lit up in Detroit. As a matter of fact, Roman, you gave them a C against KC and then gave them an F against Detroit even though they scored way more points! This is ridiculous.

Roman, what percentage of the Bears first down plays were runs?

It was painfully obvious that they weren't getting first downs in the first half, but all I kept seeing was Benson running on first down. As you said, the playaction touchdown pass to Clark changed the tune of the fans and writers, saying that Benson's running set up the pass. However, if it wasn't for Tillman's two forced fumbles, we're not in the game during the second half. That argument is ludicrous.

Benson's lack of desire is disturbing, but I still feel that Ron Turner is to blame. If they passed on first down more often (again, a good mixture is optimal), and gained even 5 yards, then run Benson and 2nd and 5. Turner's play calling was so predictable that the Packers knew what was coming. Run, Run, Shotgun Pass, Punt. Turner needs to mix up the play calling in order to get both the running game and the passing game in gear.

What's wrong with the Bears is their offensive philosophy. They allow the media and fans to dictate what type of scheme they will run. What Superbowl winning team over the last 20 years ever talked about just "managing" a game? New England, St. Louis, Dallas, 49ers, Colts or Redskins never talked like that. Only teams to win with that philosophy are the Ravens and Steelers. And the Raven won because they had one of the greatest defenses EVER! You noticed they haven't won since then. I just wish they would be as aggresive on offense as they are on defense.

First off, I am not sure who is giving a lot of praise to Cedric Benson for his performance, but I can only assume that it is the Chicago Bears organization trying to pump up their fragile young running back's ego. Everything that I have read in the media points out the obvious that Benson is just not cutting it for the Bears.

I wonder at what point Jerry Angelo is going to admit that he made a mistake in drafting Benson at #4. Granted Angelo and his team of scouts are among the best in the business when it comes to evaluating defensive talent, they cannot seem to find the stars on the offensive side of the ball. If you look at most of the current starters on offense, most were acquired via free agency:

Brian Griese
John Tait
Roberto Garza
Rueben Brown
Fred Miller
Muhsin Muhammad
Desmond Clark
Jason McKie

to be exact.

I knew on that fateful day in April when the Bears selected Benson that it would be a huge mistake, especially when he started crying after the Bears called his name making it seem like he was so excited to have his chance to play in the big show and then to turn around and holdout on a contract dispute because he wasn't making enough millions. On top of that he shaved his dreadlocks the day before the NFL draft so that he would give the impression that he was "all business" and so that he would not be compared to another nfl failure from Texas ala Ricky Williams.

When you talk about contract disputes, I gotta give Lance Briggs a lot of credit when you compare him to Benson. At least Briggs came ready to play for opening day and was not a distraction like Benson was all last year in the locker room by not being able to co-exist with Thomas Jones and pretty much being the only reason that Jones left. Because the money was definitely not the reason.

For the sake of our remaining regular season games, I hope that it is only a matter of time before Peterson and Wolfe are splitting the carries for us. I personally would like to see Benson cut after this season and let's move on, but that's just my opinion.

Even if you take a way the 3 to 4 plays he was stuffed immediately, his average would have been barely over 3 yards. Our line is struggling, and defenses are crowding the box and run blitzing, so he doesn't deserve all the blame. However when you are the 4th pick in the draft you aren't supposed to be just a starter, you are supposed to be a good one... at least. If he cares about more than his paycheck, he better pick it up. Maybe he would rather be racing cars, he is already set for life financially.
We can only hope that he line gets it together, because with strong O line play he can atleast be a decent RB.
Urlacher's back might be a bigger problem anyway!
GO BEARS!!!

I really think Benson is a bust. Watching the GB game and the others from this year, you see a tentative Benson tip-toeing towards the line and along the line. He needs to just keep plowing. And the out of bounds running is just stupid. He did get 16 mil guaranteed so play properly. If he hasn't figured it out by now, he just doesn't get it. Cut Benson, bring in Dillon or someone from Euro or Canadian league with some speed and size. The "o" line is not responsible for the tip-toeing. Look at the tape for the game......

Frank. Would you explain what you mean by Griese is not (good rex)??? Are you telling us that you think that grossman would have won that game??? Do you think for a minute he would have thrown that TD pass to Clark? NOT HARDLY! Even blatherhead Madden noticed that grossman chooses his receivers BEFORE the snap.

That pass to Clark was not the play that was called. Just about everyone this side of the moon, knew that. Griese changed the play when the Packer Defense closed off the first option. When have you EVER seen grossman change a play????????

Roman is right of course. Masked in his poor performance was Griese's good performance and the tight ends. Turner mixed it up with Hester on offense and they kept Farve on the sidelines long enough. Benson had the maximum amount of carries he needs (15?). You feed him all game (with his rhino running style) and he is bound to fumble at the end of the game at least twice. We HAD two glaring problems with the Bears and now its just one. Offense has a fighting chance now - and so does Benson since the Vikings will not be stacking 10 in the box. As long has he doesn't fumble and goes foward, I can suffer him, especially if we win and continue to spread the ball to the WEAPONS of Mass Destruction: Olsen, Clark, Hester, and Wolfe.

fyi - I say go with "Roman's Blog-oseum".

I don't like Benson, and never have. But a generally bad passing game leads to more defense focused on the running game. And the o line is below average, which makes it even harder. I think Benson doesn't solve anything for the Bears, but I also don't think it's his fault that they got 2.4 yards @ GB. With a top notch RB I would expect MAYBE a 3 yrd average with the o line that he's running behind.

I think it's also important to remember that the Bears started like this last year...with T Jones as the starter. Let's hope that the Bears start gaining some steam w/the running game as the season goes on like it did last year.

These complains about the running game were made about the same time last year as well.

Remember? Both Jones and Benson got off to slow starts. They both had low YPC averages.

The difference was, the team, with the help of Good Rex, was able to go up top to make plays.

I frankly think the fact that they have not been able to do this is a major part of the problem. When Rex was still in there, teams would blitz, blitz, blitz, and that cut down on running lanes.

But if the team committed more to the deep ball, and if they could cut down on interceptions, teams would have to back off a bit from the blitz and stack packages. That's exactly what happened last year after Berrian burned all comers.

Don't believe this theory? Ask TJ. A major reason his average is garbage is because noodle-arm Pennington poses no deep threat. Therefore, teams can just play tighter on the line.

While I don't expect miracles from Benson, I think he should improve as Griese gets more comfortable with the recievers, and if they can hit more deep passes with Berrian, Olsen and hopefully Hester.

Until then, I see no reason whining about Benson. It's not as if Peterson is really a better option, and its not as if better options exist in free agency.

Play-calling and the return of a healthy Tait are the best remedies for the problem.

Roman, you're right that we wouldn't be saying his style was effective if the Bears had lost. But sticking with the run throughout the game set up that pass to Clark. Everyone was expecting a running play, and that's why it worked. His average sucks, he goes down after the first hit, he's a prima donna that doesn't know the playbook very well - whatever. Everything we've all said before is still true, but he did get the ball more and we won.

Culzie, I've now heard Romo referred to as "Grossman-like" 3 separate times on ESPN. Which is true, 5 INTs and a fumble lost is quite reminiscent of our ol' pal Rex. But Romo managed to get his team a win. Big difference. I thought the Bills played pretty Bears-like if you ask me. 24 points all from defense and special teams - no offensive touchdowns.

Cedric Benson is not at this point a premier back in this league obviously....it takes time to build confidence and chemistry with the o-line and the rest of the offensive set to have this happen...he has been far arom outstanding to this point, but slight improvements have been noticed..........the Bears do need to continue posing matchup problems with Olsen spread wide and Devin HEster and even a little Garrett Wolfe now and then.....for a change Ron Turner was not predictable with his play calling against the Packers....it was nice to see I form 2 TE sets mixed in with 4 wideout sets for a change, whereas a year ago you knew on 3rd and long that they were going with Rashied as the 3rd receiver in the same predictable set, keeping a variation of sets mixed in with MAtchup problems will allow Cedric's running game to improve and keep defenses honest

oh my God, now we have definite proof that being "stuck in Wisconsin" has a degenerative effect on one's brain cells.

".....There really are no 'special' running backs to overshadow Cedric now(Tomlinson is definitely a benefactor of a system). .."

so there aren't any better RB's than Benson in the NFL to any significant degree, and LT is a "benefactor of the system".

(why isn't Benson a benefactor of the Bears system which Lovie says .. we are a running team?")

yup. Ced's as good as everyone else out there.

This comment is so effing banal, I don't even know where to begin!

(though I will say he gets NO holes to run thru, the run blocking blows)

why all the love for thomas jones. In NY he is just avg 3.3 yards per carry compared to 3 for benson, it is the same. The line needs to make holes or nothing will change. And as long as griese is in there with his weak arm they will never manage to stretch the field to make the defense take the extra man out of the box. Bottom line the offense is in for a long season.

Cedric Benson reminds me of a 1994 Chicago Bears running back. Lewis Tillman!!! Like Tillman...Benson likes to run into his offensive line rather than finding holes for himself. This back is just pathetic. Put in Garrett Wolfe!!!

Cedric Benson is another bust running back drafted by the Bears. He has no moves and rather run out of bounds instead of turning it up the field. He is soft and has no heart. He doesn't deserve to be the chicago bears running back. We should have never let Thomas Jones go, I bet he is laughing his head off now. Will someone send Lovie Corey Dillons phone number cause Cedric Benson sucks!!!

There were about 4 runs that Benson had where I was impressed. There were about 24 where I was wondering why he didn't run like he did on those other 4 runs. I think he's a complete headcase, and they need to coddle him in the hopes that he turns it around. Hopefully he does. But to hang our hopes on C-Ben and B-Grease is a reciepe for disaster.

We should have a vote
..here is what we have so far...

Roman's Forum
Locker Roumors or Locker Roomers
Roman's Blog-oseum (what the f?)
Blogrowski
Keiths Place (my personal fav)
ChicagoOwnersSuck
Full Court Press (ie no change)
SunTimesFunTimesBlog
Come Wid It
Bears&Bulls
Tbe Sports Exchange
The Daily Racer
The Fifth Quarter (my new favorite)
....

oh..and...Franks..

Roman's Sports Arena
aka
Sports Blogging With Roman Madrowski

potential is the greatest aphrodisiac for fans, coaches and general managers. it is why unproven players get huge sums to join a team. it is a gamble every time. when a player fails how much blame can be placed on him and how much blame can be placed on the team? Benson has been inconsistent on the field this year and worse of all has not yet shown that he has the mental focus to be the running back that the Bears need. on his behalf the Bears have made many mistakes handling his development. the reason he was drafted is because it was determined that TJ lacked the skills to fit the offense the Bears wanted to run. why draft a workhorse back with a tremendous pedigree who is used to being "the Man" and have him sit on the bench? if you draft a running back that high get his ass on the field and give him the ball or admit early on that you made a mistake. in 29 games he has only carried the ball 325 times, an average of 11 carries a game. it is a poor way to develop a player that nfl scouts say needs the ball more often to be productive. players need playing time to succeed or fail. so far this year when Benson runs for 24 or more times a game the Bears are 2-0. sunday night was the first time the Bears showed a true commitment to using Benson in a power running game. it is one of the main reasons that we won the game sunday. don't look at the number of yards or averages, look at how it wore out GB's defense, forced them to defend the run which opened up the passing game and controlled the clock. bash Benson when he doesn't finish runs or when he plays without fire, but jumping all over him for getting hit at or behind the line of scrimage is unfair. that is mainly a result of poor play calling and an O line that is injured, old or out of sync. if Benson sucks than so be it, in the mean time keep giving him the ball.

Benson is a bust,but,Angelo has to stick with him to try and prove that he was worth the #4 pick.Problem is it's going the other way...getting worst ! Can we package Ced. and Rex for a decent RB ? The A-Train is everything Benson is without the high price. Let's go with our PET-WOLF combo in the backfield, nobody knows the playbook as well as PETerson ! GO BEARS GO !!!

One more thing I'd like to add, the Vikings lead the league again in rushing defense. They are 30th in pass defense. It will be interesting to see how many times they rush Benson Sunday. Could be a recipe for disaster. I think the Bears will win, especially if Tarvaris Jackson starts like I heard today.

Man I think alot of people on here really look at the stat line and never watch a single game in their life. Fantasy Football has ruined it for everyone. First of all cedric benson while his stats dont show it, played a good game. He ran hard, tried to hit the hole and move the pile but thats hard to do when as soon as you get the ball there is 2 or 3 defenders already in the backfield. What you madden players fail to realize is that Our O line stinks. And as long as they keep missing assignments, making wrong reads, and not getting a body on a body it wont matter if we have LT, Portis, Turner, or whoever. There wont be holes to hit, and no running room. Did you ever think about this, the main reason TJ had the holes he had last year was because Rex liked to throw deep? How many deep balls have been thrown in 5 games so far?? 2? The real issue is with the Oline and the predictible play calling. Fix both of those issues and I promise the running game would be more productive.

I see there are plenty of questions about the play to Desmond Clark that won this game for us.

The Packers were playing run all the way knowing Ron Turner would use his running back 99 out of a 100 times in that situation (the one exception being the first game of the pre-season).

Griese DID NOT change the play at the line of scrimmage. It was a pass play called all the way; he just went to the second option (tight end) after the primary receiver (fullback) was blanketed.

The ONLY MOMENT in the fourth quarter either offensive coordinator played for the win and not the tie. Two 'SHAME ON YOUS', one 'THANK GOODNESS IT WAS US'.

"Roman responds: See, this is what I meant. If Griese doesn't throw that touchdown pass to Clark, none of you - NONE - is telling me Benson's style is effective. We'd all be saying he averaged 2.4 in another loss."

Benson didn't save the game, it was Charles Tillman who got us the win. Those punches were timed perfectly.

Well, I guess just about all has been said,I can't add too much more. Benson really does run like a ballerina on tippy toes,as awkward as the Michelin Man just waiting for someone to touch him so he can fall down. I can't even say he's a power runner.Did someone really say get Ricky Williams?
Big Big Big mystakes were made
keeping C.B. letting T.J. go.
Not grooming Orton, after Wrecksie got injured second time. Orton is the answer to our long term solution at quarterback, and now we have to start allover at Q.B. Griese is not too bad, bit not long term he's too old, probably has one or two seasons left.

Kudos to Joe Obvious for stating the obvious (re the play action pass that won the game).

Cedric's the man and will prove so over the course of the season.

Biggest challenge the Bears running game faces is that it wants to play smash mouth football, but lacks the linemen to do it (outside of Garza).

For all of you who want to see Cedric replaced, don't worry. The pounding he is taking this year means that the Bears will need to draft a healthy running back next year.

And, uh, no, Adrian Peterson is not the answer. He's a good back that allows Benson to catch his breath, but not one that can carry the load of 20-25 carries per game over a 16 game season.

Nice win Chicago. Maybe they can straighten out their season and take a trip over to Texas stadium in the playoffs. If you wonder why there is a hole in the roof its so that God can watch them play and after watching the Bears and Cowboys on Sunday, I'd say he offered some assistance to both teams. Seriously, they are the two best teams in the NFC and it's only fitting they meet again.

P.S. Don't even try and compare Romo and his horrible game to Rex Grossman...please don't put that hex on him. He was clutch when it counted...so was Griese. Good Luck.

Cedric? I was trying to become a big Cedric fan last year after the NFC Championship game. My belief was that the combination of both him and Jones in the Super Bowl would work very nicely. That was until he fumbled and then took a seat for the rest of the game. I never recall hearing anything about that injury after that though. Did he wuss-out, or was he possible benched? I'm not saying he would have made Rexy any better but it could have at least made things a bit more interesting.

I appreciated it when Madden criticized Benson for running out of bounds on Sunday against the Pack. I also recall Madden taking a shot at Benson last year. Well done.

I am enclosing a link to a youtube clip. Here was a guy that NEVER ran out of bounds and would not have come out of the Super Bowl if his leg had been broken. Still gives me the chills...

Enjoy

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GO2d8aUvHNg&mode=related&search=

So Julie, what you're saying is Green Bay bit on the play action in a "cool, I cant believe they're actually gonna run" sorta way?

I can see that..GB thought they'd take the play off and make the tackle

Forcing turnovers and tough to cover TE's won this game...and our defense stepped up....Lovie poo'ed himself at half-time

Adrian Peterson should be running our football...I'm thinking one more fumble ought a do it

BLAME THE OFFENSEIVE LINE! Benson is a good running back and would be an elite running back if he had run blocking support. He hardly goes down on the first hit, which is usually coming at the line of scrimmage, no one talks about the line and how bad they are.

Roman responds: Everyone, including me, has talked about how bad the line is. But what has Benson done to make you say he'd be elite with better blocking? Absolutely nothing. That's pure speculation. Just because a line stinks doesn't mean the back would be much better elsewhere.

I agree 2.4 ypc sucks, but lets not judge Cedrick soley on this. My first thought is, how does a team like the Denver Broncos produce running backs and rush for big numbers with less talent than Benson has? Coaching? More then likely. Play calling? Sure. Good schemes? That's it. Turner sucks has a o-coordinator. No creativity. Benson to me compares to running backs like Ricky Williams and Corey Dillon, both of whom, had monster years at some point in their respective careers.

Yes, Hitman, exactly. Now if only we had a running back who could gain more than 2.4 yards a carry, we'd be in pretty good shape. I don't know if that guy is Adrian Peterson, but I'd sure like to see him get more opportunities as well. Good things tend to happen when he's on the field. I've been saying that for a year.

Roman, I don't think you should change the name of your blog. But I have to admit, "Blogrowski" made me laugh!

I totally agree with you Roman.
Benson's performance had me yawning and I have already written him off as a bust.
I was hoping that they would not run Benson on the play that Clark scored the winning touchdown and they were right not to do so.
When you are running out of bounds with defenders yards away from you then how is that the O lines fault?
Start playing Peterson because he has done nothing but deliver every time the Bears call his number whether it is running the ball, being used as a receiver or on special teams.
He has 10 times more heart than Benson will ever have.

Roman responds: Everyone, including me, has talked about how bad the line is. But what has Benson done to make you say he'd be elite with better blocking? Absolutely nothing. That's pure speculation. Just because a line stinks doesn't mean the back would be much better elsewhere.

Same line AP is running for 4.2 yards per carry....AP's a better blocker....better receiver...better vision....better in space.....harder to tackle...still has his dreads...

Alright everyone, enough about how bad the O-Line is. I watched Walter Payton gain thousand of yards from 1975-1983 with essentially no line, no quarterback, no tight end and no receivers. He gained over 1800 yards in 1977 basically by himself. I watched him carry the ball in a game 40 times for 275 yards with the FLU and again no blocking. he created the holes, ran people over or stiff-armed them to make his yards. He ran like Jim Brown and Earl Campbell even though he was about 5'10" and maybe 200lbs soaking wet, not much bigger than Garret Wolfe. In fact enough about small running backs period. Haven't Warrick Dunn 5'9" 187lbs and Tiki Barber 5'10" 205lbs proven you don't need to be a giant to be a great running back? It's all about heart, desire and a refusal to quit. Three qualities that Cedric Benson completely lacks. So no more crap about Benson having no holes to run through. The fact is he sucks and has to be benched. He cannot break one tackle, create a hole, cutback or anything. He is not an NFL Running back no matter how much Lovie or Angelo tries to hype him. Giving him the ball 27 times just gives him 27 opportunities to fumble. He is a complete bust and the Bears need to cut their losses now. Run Peterson and Wolfe 30 times and I guarantee they will get more than 64 yards. Where is R.J. Pope? He looked good in Training Camp, let's use him. Anyone but Benson. Pick up Corey Dillon and use him until next year, anything to get Benson out of the line up and off the payroll. Hell let Hester carry the ball some as well. Just stop this madness and get rid of Benson now!!!! Last but not least we find out from Angelo that Cedric was a locker room cancer because he couldn't get along with T. Jones!!! What else do we need to know??!! Get rid of him fast! We dropped Rex now drop Ced.....or watch him kill the rest of the season!! Act now Lovie!!!

I think the point is, we just havent seen ENOUGH of Benson Carrying the LOAD (aka 25+ carries a game) to know for sure one way or another.

I think we have all seen flashes of potential.

A bad line makes a big difference, but a good back should be able to still bust one every now and then.

How good is Minnesota's line? AP still was able to break off some big runs, and he is a rookie.

I like whoever said that our AP is not an every down back, that is very true.

USE them all..Ced, AP, Hester, Wolffe.....

but make sure Ced gets his cracks in.

cause...Trying to tackle that guy 30 times a game cant be fun!

When it is clearly apparent that the odds of picking up more yardage are close to nil, I have no problem with a guy running out of bounds.

On that play, Benson's momentum was headed toward the sideline. While he probably could have cut inside for maybe all of a half-yard, it was clear he wasn't going to get much more.

More often than not, fumbles and other negative plays are created when players try and fight for an extra yard. The same happens with QBs when they force passes, especially short ones.

Cedric Benson is not Barry Sanders or Devin Hester. His extra effort in trying to bounce a play back inside with three defenders charging isn't going to result in a big play. What its more likely to do is lead to a fumble or injury.

If anything, running out of bounds when you really can't get anymore yardage will more likely PROVIDE a positive play, since late hits are as prevelent as pass interference calls anymore.

Bucks 93, Bulls 88
Oct. 9, 2007

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) -Yi Jianlian made his debut for the Bucks, but fellow rookie Joakim Noah looked more like a polished pro in Milwaukee's 93-88 victory over the Chicago Bulls in the exhibition opener on Tuesday night.

Noah, who led Florida to back-to-back titles in college, was just as intense as he had been in his final game with the Gators when he entered late in the first quarter. The ninth pick of the draft opened with a slam and blocked Andrew Bogut's shot on the ensuing possession.

Noah finished with six points, four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in 23 minutes.

Yi, who fouled out in 16 minutes, came in with 59 seconds left to play in the first quarter to a raucous ovation and chants of "EE!" He altered a shot by Thomas Gardner, who later dunked over him, but he struggled to defend the energetic Noah.

Yi, the 6-foot-11 power forward selected sixth, looked overmatched in his four minutes of play in the first half and picked up three quick fouls, the last for an illegal screen that sent him to the bench for a counseling session by Desmond Mason.

In the second half, Yi hit a 9-foot jumper and scored four points, but didn't have a rebound or an assist. Too often he looked tentative on offense, such as when he made a nice steal and had only Noah to beat. Instead of going to the basket strong, he neither hit the shot nor drew a foul.

Noah, meanwhile, heard his own name chanted among the hundreds of Bulls fans in the sellout crowd of 6,118 at the former CBA venue, the first time the Bucks had played there in eight years.

Bogut scored 14 points for the Bucks, Charlie Bell 13 and Royal Ivey 10. Chicago got 13 from Andres Nocioni and 10 apiece from Luol Deng, Ben Wallace and rookie Aaron Gray.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Roman you are right..2.4yds.just won`t cut it.
I wanted him here in the worst way during the draft..base on what I saw him do in Texas.Thinking back they only showed end zone runs.In Philly I would start Peterson.Benson is trying to act like Ricky Williams got every thing down but the running part.
He seams in a daze all the time.
I think the business part of this sport messed up his mind.

Roman responds: Everyone, including me, has talked about how bad the line is. But what has Benson done to make you say he'd be elite with better blocking? Absolutely nothing. That's pure speculation. Just because a line stinks doesn't mean the back would be much better elsewhere.

Come on, Roman. This is about schemes and offensive strategies. The Bears want to play smash mouth football and need a big back to do it (that's why TJ is gone, gone, gone). If the line can't block, then the big back is going to suffer because Benson or any other big back is not the type to juke and jive their way to turn negative gains into Oh My God moments.

Think back to John Riggins with the Redskins. He is the prototypical big back that ran behind the prototypical large line that defined smash mouth football. However, Riggins was nothing before he got to the Redskins. He was booed out of NY when he played for the Jets. Riggins fit the Redskins' scheme/offensive philosophy just as Benson fits the Bears. The only problem is the Bears O line is faltering at executing its part.

Roman responds: Two things:
1. To me, it's as simple as heart. You, me, everyone who watched that game could see the difference between when Cedric wants to run hard and when he doesn't. When he does, he's a bull to bring down. When he doesn't, it seems he falls without being hit. That's not strategy or schemes.
2. TJ stinks this season, but say what you want, he averaged over 4.0 last season and helped lead the team to the Super Bowl. One lost fumble all season, compared to two already for Ced.

Bculz,

you are a history man, I am a math man. Spread your coulmns out man, I could hardly read it.

And stop making me laugh talking about Butch B.

I kinda like Turner too actually...I may pick him up in my FFleague

culzie I sure don't miss Dick Juron, the Bills had 5 INT'S and a fumble recovery and still lost the game because their offense was impotent (not 1 offensive TD and just 1 FG after getting good field position from a turn over) leaving the defense on the field too long wearing them down to allow Romo to execute the comeback. had it not been for 2 of the INT'S being returned for TD's the score would not have been close.

Does no one think that running on first down the majority of the time is part of the problem? Roman, you didn't answer my question. How many times did the Bears run on first down and how many times did they pass?

The play calling was too predictable

Roman responds: Hey Pete, blogging isn't my full-time job. I don't have time to go check all these stats. Go to nfl.com and follow links to the game and there should a play-by-play link. With Rex earlier this season, they threw at least 50 percent of first downs, but Sunday it was more balanced with the run.

I don't know Romo...but I think there are a few flaws in your view here.

First - who is giving Benson all this "love"? Not the Sun night announcers, not most of of talk radio, and I don't think many sportswriters but I haven't read them all. Certainly nobody I talked to about the game thinks Benson did anything special.

Second - I think sports writers have their favorites (the Sun Times beat writers included). Let's face it...Benson is moody, not overly friendly and has not performed up to a #4 pick expectations. That makes him an easy target and pretty much rightfully so.
But why should Olin Kreutz (block someone) be any different? or Muhammed (please get some separation)? Or Ogunleye (ughh)? Urlacher (miss another tackle yet)? WHY??? In my opinion your writers won't pick on them and tell the truth because they are the ones that always give the quotes. Benson???? Who needs him right?
Rex continues to get killed and he's not playing - especially by the national media who could never understand why the Bears (Lovie and Angelo) treated him like a franchise QB when in fact he was an under-sized QB who many people thought might go early in the 2nd round.
There is usually a good explanation why athletes get buried in the press...and an equally logical one why many under-performing ones are skipped over.

Roman responds: Two things:
1. To me, it's as simple as heart. You, me, everyone who watched that game could see the difference between when Cedric wants to run hard and when he doesn't. When he does, he's a bull to bring down. When he doesn't, it seems he falls without being hit. That's not strategy or schemes.
2. TJ stinks this season, but say what you want, he averaged over 4.0 last season and helped lead the team to the Super Bowl. One lost fumble all season, compared to two already for Ced.

Okay, I'll concede the first point. But Cedric "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it" Benson is just warming up.

On pt #2, I believe last year was the only year TJ was over a 4 ypc average.

One last thought (so you can say it was posted on your blog first) -- the Cubs should not go after A-Rod in the off season. I repeat -- the Cubs should not go after A-Rod. 1) He does not improve the teams he is with and 2) there aren't enough mirrors in the clubhouse for A Rod and A Ram to share.

Johnny T.

to be fair..

If I remember correctly, the Packers were salivating at the chance of getting Grossman at 22. or thereabouts. So he would not have lasted into the 2nd.

he was the annointed "Favre" successor.

and frankly, it may have been a better place for him... he could have learned from a guy whose mentality he shares.

Bears first down stats.

16 rushes for 35 yards-

10 passes; 3-inc., 1-int., 5-positive yds. (1TD), 1-0 yds.

Johnny T, I could have not said it any better....It would be scary if Grossman ended up there when Favre is done and kicks the Bears ass for a few years.....he has the talent does Grossman, its just the decision making aspect of it that he hasnt learned yet...sitting on the sidelines for a change while he IS ABLE TO PLAY, not like when he was injured, will definitely give Grossman a chance to watch things from the outside and see what he did wrong and make him not squander whatever chance he may ever get again in this league.....I dont buy into the people that say, "He's only 6'1", hes too short".....oh please, look at Doug Flitie or Jim McMahon for christs sake.....

If ya look at the scouting report on Benson...which I've posted....all of these things being complained about concerning Ced are in black and white...Surprise!!??

Not that I care... as a side note, tho...

Ced's a hypocrite, too..during his rookie season, he said it should be easier to run in the NFL cuz he wouldn't face as many 8 man fronts (Jason McKie interviewed him on Chicagobears.com)....then today's article, he's stating he never thought running in the NFL would be easy...what's changed?..Baylor, Rice, and North Texas aren't on the schedule?...oh darn...Confusion

stay tuned for his helmet-wearing interview...

and wake up, peeps.. Ced could never beat TJ out ....facts are facts

and quickly.. cuz TJ deserves our attention and gratitude..

In regards to Thomas Jones...

New York Jets RB Thomas Jones said the team has not run the ball enough the past few weeks to show he is a featured running back. "Most feature backs in this league, they get the ball 20 or 25 times a game. Just by you getting the ball that many times, you get a feel for what the defense is doing and you can get a feel for how the offensive line is blocking. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to do that the last couple of weeks," Jones said.

professional, baby..(and a guy like that punched Cedric?)

as I said before recently... Mangini needs to wisen up...he has the back he needed...time to use him on all 3 downs...

and now for the RB on Our Roster...

Just give AP 25 touches....Just to see...please....Besides 16 million wasted dollars.... why not?

I've seen people say in this blog Ap's not an every down back......why, I ask?...

Cuz Cedric(putz)is so valuable he won't play special teams?

OR...

Cuz AP's 5'10" and 210lbs.?.... not a break away runner?..hmmm...but you'll agree, tho... he has the best vision and is the hardest to bring down due to that vision and great feet...right? Blocker...Receiver..Nice open field runner...the best at that too, huh?...but he runs a 4.6-ish

Maybe you should think back to a RB we had who was 5'10" and 202lbs...who wasn't very fast....had the best vision... and was the hardest to bring down due to that vision and great feet...Blocker...Receiver...Complete?...but he runs a 4.6-ish

I thought we had that as a Template to follow in Chicago..

Jackson State...Georgia Southern shoulda been a clue....ok, that 'might' have nothing to do with it

Benson has never done anything on the football field to make me sit back and say, "wow that was special..."

In the open field... Ced can't make anyone miss ...and sorry..he's not running over anyone...unless it's a smaller DB...he's only 220 lbs and bad feet? Come on..get real (This is not the North Texas Sreaming Eagles Scrimmage Jamboree Soap Bowl)

When I see AP run, maybe I'm blind... I've said wow many times...he's a something outta nothing type of guy...he's not flashy...won't break it...but if you have ever been or been around a RB with good vision and feet...you might know what I'm talking about....4 ypc = 1st downs

AP isn't a home run hitter......but he keeps drives alive...moves chains...time of possession...blah blah blah..all that little stuff

I'm not saying AP is Walter...nobody is or ever will be, I think....it's a pretty darn good Template, though...just sayin...signs, signs, everywhere are signs....

As you can see Roman, nobody will ever accuse me of Lovin on Cedrex Bensman...
*singing, "Without RexandCed"*

I think I'm done talking about it, tho...until the next fumble

or if Kyle doesn't go in if Griese gets hurt...I'll probably snap then too

DaBears..

Here is my insider FF preview for Benson this week....

When RB Cedric Benson has 10 or more carries, the Bears are
13-5 (.722), however three of those losses have come this season. Benson ran for 60 yards on nine carries and had 24-yard TD in his last meeting against the Vikings.

If they are still re-treading Rattay, then Grossman is going to be in the NFL forever. He may be a smug little punk, but he did have a cannon. Too bad he wasnt a few inches taller. If he leaves Bears, he will go somewhere and get another chance. If he goes to the Pack and kills us for the next 10 years, ill never forgive you guys.

Thanks Chuck, sorry, not the best format here for cut and pasting. I should talk to Butch about setting up an alternate blog or has anyone heard of VLOGS? Video Blogs?

That would be scary for this bunch.

pictures would be cool though~!

Is Lance Briggs the biggest hypocrite or what? Regardless of what he said in the past, he claims he always wanted to play here and wants to stay in Chicago in the future? That's weird, because I remember him being a "franchise tag" baby and saying he'll never play another down in a Bears uniform. Good thing he's doing his job on the field, otherwise I'd really be pissed at him.

Blogrowski or Romans' Forum get my vote.

For the sake of brain usage during a lull I would like to submit:

ROMAN THE BLOGOSPHERE

Roman, I do not believe TJ would have done any better behind this line than Ced has. It's just not a power-running O-line. Turner deserves more of the blame than Ced.

When you don't have the power you need to use finesse. In a running game that means more play-action & screens. The Bears have quick guards and should be able to pull that off. Play-action works both ways: you can fake the run to set up the pass, & fake the pass to set up the run.

Where is Hester in this O? That was the BIG deal this summer. Fans decided that with Hester being a play-maker we could overcome Grossman's weaknesses. Why isn't he being featured on slants, screens, & a reverse now & then?

The guy might be the best play-maker in the game right now. Why can't Turner see that?

Bogey

Teams send up smoke screens every year, especially those picking in the middle to late 1st round to try to get teams to pick someone that they really don't want.
Based on Rex' performance, mission accomplished by the Pack. Would they have taken him...maybe. It still does not explain the Bears treating him like a Carson Palmer from day 1.

You like any of these?

Times New Roman
Roman, Inc.
Real-time Observation Monitor and Analysis Network
XLI
Pontifex Maximus
Roman pot (it's a physics term)

Time for you guys to stop with the CEDRIC BENSON party.
He is a good back not a great one. He will step up his game but the line must also produce.Benson style demands blocking up front.
The Bears knew that when they picked him. He will never create his own hole,he is not a scatback type or has great speed to get to a certain spot. Wrong guy for this pitiful OL.
Let this LINE earn their checks and see him go up the middle it will be a beautiful thing.
P.S.Forget Thomas Jones,You the same guys who said he was to slow after being run down after a 5yd run.
Benson is starting io get the picture...no blocking!
Go Bears!!!!!

Benson will have a big test this Sunday. I think what we see of him Sunday, will probably be the way he plays the rest of the season. Although last season it took him a while to get going, the Bears need production from him now. His average ypc last season monthly:
September 2.8
October 3.4
November 4.0
December 4.9
I don't expect a 100 yard game from him, against this Viking defense, but I just want to see him run with heart or emotion the whole game. Especially when he's colliding with the Vikings defensive tackles, if the Bears try running at the middle of the line.
It is funny how so many fans used to get down on Thomas Jones, saying that he would go down with the slightest contact. Benson does deserve to get criticized, but some fans are never happy with anyone.

Roman pot (it's a physics term) ....Sure it is;)

Times New Roman is pretty clever.

Blogrowski is leading with 2 votes.

Juan:

"Where is Hester in this O? That was the BIG deal this summer. Fans decided that with Hester being a play-maker we could overcome Grossman's weaknesses. Why isn't he being featured on slants, screens, & a reverse now & then? "

He's not good at playing wide receiver.

Hester Should start to get worked into the OF with a assortment of packages.
You have to be patient and careful so not to lose our return weapon.
But I agree we can spring him.
Wolfe has a hammie problem now,so he can`t suprise no one.
Get AP more involved SUNDAY say 11Touches.
Keep hitting those tight ends.
No arm tackles please.
Go Bears!!!!!!!

Put Hester at Running Back or in the flat where they line up Reggie B.

bculz, you just want Hester to beef up your fantasy points. I told you he was a wasted waiver wire pick up. He's not going to make an impact offensively this year for the Bears at all. He is most dangerous doing what he does best and I think they should keep it that way for now.

Julie B., I have to agree with bculz, play-action with Hester lined up in the backfield will instill more fear than play-action to Benson. Hester gives you the fear factor to the rest of the Offense. And another half second to separate at WR, and we all know Berrian and MM need at least 1/2 sec. more to separate.

As far as motion to the flat, only if he is running fly or post patterns, with Olson, and Clark on the other side. Berrian wide with him, and MM opposite with the two TEs.

The best part of this is you can run this formation out of the two TE package.

Blogrowski gets my vote too.

About Benson,

he did have 41 yards on 10 carries until the line collapsed. Still think he does not follow the correct hole at times, but he had 37 yards after 11 carries, and it was downhill from there.

By the way, he did have some nice runs in the 2nd quarter as well. Still, I am not impressed with his vision or the line play.

Good Call Julie!

I knew I'd hear from you, BC. I didn't anticipate Hester being part of the offensive game plan very much, but I like seeing them try new things! By the way, how's your fantasy team doing? I'm playing my husband this week, and we are currently tied at 70, each with a player in tonight's game. Wish me luck - and go Giants D/ST!!!!!

They sprung him 81yd TD.
BLess you Hester.
Go Bears!!!!!!!!

Of course I must admit,

I tried to play RB before, it is a lot harder than it looks on TV. You never really know who is blocked, or who if faking being blocked unless you watch your offensive line play all day.

I had about 15 yards on 8 carries, got hit in the backfield a few times, and could never really hit the hole at the right speed, so when I see a runner like Benson show the impatience to let the hole develop I think of my great game at RB and I say, damn I shoulda stayed on defense.

My fantasy team is currently 4-2 and I am tied for first in my division and tied for first in wild card spot.

I have been banking on Peyton,Braylon and Edge all year. Last week I picked up Brees and fell 3pts short of a win.

Cedric needs to have a break out game for me...but all I have as backups are DomRhodes & Maurice Morris.

With Braylon out this week....I am going with Bowe, Curry and Calvin Johnson..

with Gould and Heath Miller and the TitansD to round me out.

Im pretty good to go for the rest of the year, but could use one more stud WR or few break out games from Edge and Ced.

Cant complain being in first and all though.

How about you?

I'm in 2 leagues: 1st place in one (the one I just joined this year) and 5th place in the other. I've been rolling with Tom Brady - he is HOT! - and surprisingly the Bears. In my other league, Romo and T.J. Housh have been my studs, and Reggie is (dare I say) full of upside at this point. Dallas Clark has been huge for me in both leagues. I just traded for Selvin Young, so if Stoner, I mean Travis Henry gets suspended, I should still be okay. The only problem I have in that league is that my 2 defenses are the Packers and the Giants, which fantasy wise is great, but personally, it sucks.

Benson straight up sucks, and there are no two ways about it. He's never been any good, and his only possible use is as a big RB who can break through the middle while the opponent is preoccupied with covering our good RB, except we got rid of him with no replacement.

Thank god Tank will come back and help firm up our desperately flopping defense... oh wait.

Well... at least we kept the game kid-friendly by getting rid of Tank, and who cares about winning anyway?

With Thomas Jones getting 280 yards( or thereabouts) collectively in the past 2 weeks are we more compelled to see Benson for a fraud? Will we still show him the love? He's this year's Rexster with the support.