Who would have thought?

Hey dude, I told you this is the worst Colts team in quite some time. And you laughed at me!

Seriously, great job by the defense and running game. Very satisfying victory.

I heard Dan McNeil and Dan Bernstein say on the post game show that this is likely a one game abberation. I really disagree. Going into Indy and dominating is no easy task, and if the defense stays healthy and keeps playing like that, the Bears should be the team to beat in the North.

I thought.

You are so correct! That was a dominant win. So I don't want to hear all of the crap about Manning not being 100%. Da Bears played a very good game. All phases of the game. They had a very good gameplan, in which they actually stuck with, this time. I'm happy with the outcome of the game. And I'm so happy to shut the naysayers up. Now maybe this blog will have more positive feedback. Speaking of blogs, I spent the evening watching the game and chatting on the new live game blog. To my surprise, it was pretty fun. I usually don't do anything to distract me from the game. It was my first time and I had a good time. I didn't particular like how the chat would lose focus and start talking about other things. And I hated the Will Ferrell pop-ups. All in all, it's a pretty good device, so Roman keep up the good work. All of you other readers should check it out, at least once. And who is Julie B.? A writer or just another blogger? Just asking!

You are so correct! That was a dominant win. So I don't want to hear all of the crap about Manning not being 100%. Da Bears played a very good game. All phases of the game. They had a very good gameplan, in which they actually stuck with, this time. I'm happy with the outcome of the game. And I'm so happy to shut the naysayers up. Now maybe this blog will have more positive feedback. Speaking of blogs, I spent the evening watching the game and chatting on the new live game blog. To my surprise, it was pretty fun. I usually don't do anything to distract me from the game. It was my first time and I had a good time. I didn't particular like how the chat would lose focus and start talking about other things. And I hated the Will Ferrell pop-ups. All in all, it's a pretty good device, so Roman keep up the good work. All of you other readers should check it out, at least once. And who is Julie B.? A writer or just another blogger? Just asking!

Bears Nation? Ick, Roman. We are no such thing. Pit Vipers, maybe, but not Bears Nation. Save that 'nation' stuff for the wusses that sing "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park.

A great game, played by - let's hope - a great team.

I won't miss Jay's Monday morning column, dissing the team and calling it luck that they won.

Yeah, great point Roman. If someone would have told me that the Bears dominated the Indy Colts with Hester being a either a nonfactor or costing them, I would have politely told him that the "funny farm" is just down the road.

I'm flabbergasted and, all of a sudden, excited to be a Bears fan.

Go Bears!

I THOUGHT!

What a game...what a game. I never wanted it to end. Not to mention the Live Chat was moving faster than the Chainsmen moved the first down markers for Forte'.

Alex Browns sack on Manning was a signal to the league.
WATCH YOUR Q-BACKS!

Headline Contest Entry

BEARS SMASH COLTS IN THE MOUTH!

For the most part, no one thought that the Bears would have played like they did. Definitely fooled me. Let's see, Nationally televised game, brand new stadium, Payton Manning able to play, Bears starting a rookie RB, O-line having a terrible preseason. Colts win this one easily right? Wrong!

It was so obvious that John Madden and Al Michaels were disappointed. You could tell that they couldn't wait to gush over their perennial darlings. In the end, the Bears exposed the Colts as a team on that may be on the decline and not to count the Bears out! Have to give credit to Culzie for being on the Matt Forte bandwagon since day 1 of the season.

Re-Fortefied!

D-Bunked!

Is there a bandwagon for Kyle yet?

10-6/11-5 especially if Orton continues to use his tight ends like he did last night.

Olsen creates more mismatches than any other Bears receiver (including Hester). The Bears would be smart to continue going to him until opponents figure out a way to stop Olsen. My money says they won't be able to do it.

I told you the Bears Defense would not let them fail. Mike Brown is back and he is the Bob Sanders of our defense. Just takes them to another level.

Just goes to show what I last said about the Bears a few weeks ago... PRESEASON GAMES MEAN NOTHING and does not accurately measure how good or bad a team will be in the regular season. I said that to Tim from Denver and to many of the paranoid Bears fans out there. Now I'm not saying that this team is on their way to another Super Bowl appearance, far from it, but as long as they can stay healthy as an entire unit, we should do ok. Of course that's a big IF with staying healthy and that this is only 1 game, but it's a good sign seeing the defense play like they're expected to perform. Bottom line, this team is what it is, a running team with a great defense and an unflashy QB who can manage the game well with limited turnovers. On the negative side, I still think Urlacher is not the same All-Pro player that the Bears unjustifiably reworked his contract for and I still don't think Kevin Payne is as good as the coaches continue to say he is at the safety position, but I'm glad to see Dvoracek playing again and I think we got a steal in that rookie beast, Marcus Harrison.

As for Matt Forte, he looks like a good one, but health is the key. I've seen too many Bears running backs showing promise early on and then all of sudden get hurt and are never the same again, hence the label "bust", but I call it bad luck. That offensive line has to continue to prove itself. I disagree that the O-Line was dominant. I thought they played well, but not dominant. That's a bit of an overstatement. Give credit to Forte for showing some unexpected breakaway speed in his 50 yd TD run that we didn't see from him in preseason. However, it goes to show that's what happens when an O-Line plays well, the entire offense looks good. The Bears can win many games like this, but without true playmakers on offense (especially at the wide receiver position), they're still not a Championship caliber team.

Devin Hester - we have to get used to this because opponents are game planning against him now on special teams. No teams are going to give him any space at all to break another long one for a long time. He may not give us the stats that we all crave for, but his presence alone impacts the game in terms of field position. Whatever we get out of him from the WR position is a bonus. We're just going to have to live with that for now.

All in all, a good victory last night, but as the saying goes, it's only 1 game. I never thought that the team would be horrible, but they have to just play consistently well every week with a "chip on their shoulder" and stay healthy somehow.

I told you the Bears Defense would not let them fail. Mike Brown is back and he is the Bob Sanders of our defense. Just takes them to another level. And Orton and Forte is just what the defense needed - an efficient, clock-chewing, non-turnover-causing offense.

I thought my boys would show and prove, I watched all these so called Bear fans destroy my team just following the lead of the media. Watched people say how terrible we are have no talent. Please don't get on bandwagon now that the team is HEALTHY I say again HEALTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you so call experts and fair weather fans kill me and to those that know football and don't depend on a bias media to explain your team to you THE BEARS ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!!

Da Bears certainly look great especially on defense . Orton & Forte both showed they can step up . Hopefully Rex stays on the bench. That is one place he can't hurt the team! Only one game versus a Colts team that is not 100% ,but a good convincing win regardless. Cubbies must straighten it out soon! Cedeno & Kerry both choke big time versus Reds. I lean towards Chisox in baseball but like to see both clubs make playoffs. Sox could of easily pick up a game versus Twins but 2 of 3 isn't bad. But rather see Wise get more playing time than Swisher. Nick has power but batting just above Mendoza line hardly gets you excited when he's at bat in a crucial situation. Hopefully he can take his bozo act to some other club in 09. Wise hasn't played allot of late but has shown at least he can make contact . If you make contact the ball just might find its way for a hit. Not standing at plate with bat in your hands like Swisher usually does.

How sweet it is to have a chance to be at least momentarily optimistic about the Bears' chances. Forte really did look solid. I'm not sure I agree that the defense did all that much pressuring of Manning. He still had time but settled for shorter passes because of good coverage. Receivers dropping a couple of passes also helped, as did the strip and defense touchdown. Carolina next week should be a real test and give the Bears another chance for revenge. They were lucky against San diego but still played solid football there. At home they should be confident, which is not good for he bears, who may be a little too cocky going in.

Rex Grossman was not on the field to foul things up! Yeah!

Games can be won or lost based on the players psychological perceptions. That said, Matt Forte gives the boys a confidence boost to ride on and they think that they have a way to win - which is 80% of the magic formula to win - thinking you can! We should have a very good season so long as we stay healthy!!!

I imagine that's what Amerigo Vespucci probably looked like.

Does anyone else have a live blog hangover?

yowza! yowza! yowza! Even seen fromdown here in san luis potosi mexico it looked like a great win... I am a die hard chicago sports fan for all it´s teams and yes I always cross my fingers and sometimes it works.. I really think if they can keep up with the pace they will be in the playoofs and once again I am crossing my fingers..especially for the Cubbies...adios amigos

The defining drive of the game. Indy had just scored a TD to make it 15-13 Bears in the 3rd qtr. Hester's 28 yd return set up a 13 play drive chewing up over 7 min on the clock. Indy took over at their 16.

That's Bears football. No score, but a lot of time to rest the D so you can turn them loose at the other end. Briggs returned a fumble for a TD.

Rem, it's just one game. Are the Bears a playoff caliber team? We'll know next week at Carolina. The Panther's played very well in defeating the Chargers. They are not afraid to use screens to setup play-action. That has been the Bears biggest weakness in the Smith era. It's the main reason why the Vikes are fav's to beat the Bears this season.

The defining drive of the game. Indy had just scored a TD to make it 15-13 Bears in the 3rd qtr. Hester's 28 yd return set up a 13 play drive chewing up over 7 min on the clock. Indy took over at their 16.

That's Bears football. No score, but a lot of time to rest the D so you can turn them loose at the other end. Briggs returned a fumble for a TD.

Rem, it's just one game. Are the Bears a playoff caliber team? We'll know next week at Carolina. The Panther's played very well in defeating the Chargers. They are not afraid to use screens to setup play-action. That has been the Bears biggest weakness in the Smith era. It's the main reason why the Vikes are fav's to beat the Bears this season.

Roman responds: Hey Juan, you too, where were you? Join the chat next week. We had nearly 400 chatters.

A shocker for sure! ND and the Bears both win openers? Rashad Evans KOs the crap out of iron jawed Chuck Liddell? Whats next the Cubs win a pennant? What a crazy weekend!

GO 22 wooooooo

Roman responds: Where were you last night? Why didn't you join our chat? We had like 400 people in there. Be there next week.

I agree with Edgar concerning Hester. He is effective because he is a magnetic decoy until others step up. He is to the Bears what Deion Sanders used to be for SanFrancisco/Atlanta an electric game changer. Hester has been told not to press, but trust me, he has another gear and is trying to stay within himself.

Defense just needs that breather that the offense is providing. Forte is opening up the throwing lanes and will make play-action effective. Orton is not the exciting 3 second Mike Tyson that everyone loved to watch, but the boring Evander Holyfield that clutches, holds and does what it takes to win. Bears have a decent shot. 10 win season.

Amerigo Vespucci?

That's Culzie singing.

What a great way to start the season!!! I'm still on such a high from last night (shut up Roman, et. al.). We really only had the Hester hiccup, but other than that, we looked pretty good - pretty, pretty good! I think we'd have to go back a few seasons to find a 100-yd game from a Bears running back, and the defense looked dominant like they did 2 years ago. I'm upping my preseason prediction to 8-8.

And I agree with my blog-Momma. Bears Nation? No thanks. Just go with "Chicago."

Here's my headline:

BEARS SOIL LUCAS OIL

Dan Bernstein is the new Jay Mariotti.
It was a good win over a very good team. If they can play like this week after week remains to be seen so why not just enjoy this one for now but......

If they can man handle the Colts like this then who says that they cannot win a division with two over rated teams in the Packers and Vikings and the always stinky Lions?

And one more thing, if you didn't watch the hairy guy (deemed not to be Kyle Orton, only b/c he was doing something else) sing "Bear Down," you really must. But to get the full effect, have someone pop it up on your computer like 75 times in 3 hours without warning while you're trying to do something else - like watch the game, chat and turn down dates.

And you'll never be a true Pit Viper if you didn't already know the words!!!!

Good to see everyone had this game pegged...too funny

Before we get to gah-gah over this, Manning looked like he hadn't played in months - he could not have played any worse. Still say 6 wins for this team.

I have been as hard as anyone on the coaching so far this season, especially the defensive coaches. I have to say that I was very impressed with the effort last night on both sides of the ball. Both play calling and execution were excellent. Great game plan by Lovie and both coordinators. They went after a rusty QB and forced mistakes. The defense looked more like '06 than '07, thank Halas. And the O-line was spectacular (except for maybe Kreutz's lack of concentration)for the level of talent on the field. Running game, outstanding. Tight ends, tremendous. So far I love Forte; any word on whether Garrett Wolfe will change the pronunciation of his surname to 'wolf-ay' to elicit more production? Yes, I'm still terrified of Carolina, but another effort like this one gives us a shot.

This isnt WILL FERRELL..its some Lyric Opera's named Bryan Griffin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sct9igr7wMA&eurl=http://blogs.suntimes.com/fullcourtpress/

come on people.

Edgar...dude...I hate the fact that you are almost wishing for injury of Forte'....ALL PLAYERS need to stay healthy, that just GOES WITHOUT SAYING. Get it, you dont say it!

Jae. What the F dude? Dont hate on the non haters bro. I am swimming a bathtub full of Rookie of the Year flavored Kool Aid. And its MATT FORTE BLUE!!!!!

This team is the best in the NFC, period. And I am not just a wishful thinker or adoring fan; I am a realist. FACT: Our defense was at less then 50% most of last season, so last year is not a good barometer. I think at one point we had 8 starters out. FACT: Our defense was/is one of if the the most dominant in the league when healthy (i.e last night, '06). FACT: with a solid run game (Forte looked an aweful like Adrian Petersen of the vikings, did he not?), great defense, reasonable pass game, and a quarterback that can stay in the moment, we will be tough to beat. This team is far better than the '06 team. Far better. Forte alone makes us much better. I know everyone is saying he's only played one reg season game, and they said that about the vikings Adrian last year too.

Regarding Manning playing at less than 100%: WEAK excuse Tommy! He passed for nearly 300 yards. And even Madden and Michaels said at the onset that he looked just great, like the Manning they know. Manning had nothing to do with our nearly 200 yards on the ground, or our striping the ball of Harrison, or our taking down Rhodes or Addai (can't recall who it was) in the end zone. if anything Manning escaped some pressure that almost certainly would have nailed other q-backs. He could have been sacked 6, 7, 8 times. No, we have a special defense, period. Any objective viewer can see that. To Rodgers and Jackson: Good luck with our pass rush. even with Manning at 50% they are no Manning.

THANKS ROGER PARK KRIS...NOT
TO PAD MY OWN COMPLIMENT, BUT I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN RIDING HIGH ON FORTE SINCE HIS SOPH YEAR @ TULANE.

I'd say ask Hitman, but he must be in Tent City or something...cause he is MIA.

I was just cleaning out some old stuff from my files...and ooops...look what I found.

So to answer your question...Who would have thought Matt Forte needed one game to get Bears Nation more excited about a running game than Cedric Benson did in years?

The answer...I did.

=================================================================
What about Matt Forté ?? From Tulane?? Is he coming out this year?

I saw some Hi Lights of him...and I was STUNNED. More so than when I first saw Adrian Peterson (the real one)his frosh year.

Hitman....is this kid even on your Radar?
=================================================================
Posted by: culzie | December 20, 2007 09:40 AM
=================================================================

Man, my arm is tired....are the Bears hiring?

I have been a Bear fan since 1960 and will stay one until I hit the Ghost Lodge. I hope they do not let the players start thinking the other teams are going to be afraid of them. If they stay focused on the way they played last night they are going to be O.K. If they start reading the Headlines and acting like they have in the past like the are the Bad Boys they try to be with the cheap shots and the trash talk that usually comes.with a win like this it will be the same old BEARS.

I have been a Bear fan since 1960 and will stay one until I hit the Ghost Lodge. I hope they do not let the players start thinking the other teams are going to be afraid of them. If they stay focused on the way they played last night they are going to be O.K. If they start reading the Headlines and acting like they have in the past like the are the Bad Boys they try to be with the cheap shots and the trash talk that usually comes.with a win like this it will be the same old BEARS.

It was only one game people. Stop slobbering over yourselves. In a few weeks some of you will want to kick the television.

By the way Roman, I stated earlier in the year after the baseball season began, I would congratulate the Chicago Cubbies if still in first place come September. Yeah, it sucks to do it, but Congrates Cubbie Fans. Now try to make it to the World Series such as my beloved White Sox team is going to do.

Who knows maybe we can have an all-city World Series if your team does not fail in the playoffs.

See ya in the Word Series Cubbie Fans. MAYBE!

Matt Forte, it was nice to see you do something that Bear Fans literally begged Cedric Benson to remotely TRY to do. Nice way to start your NFL career, NOW KEEP IT UP!

Kyle Orton - SIMPLY THANKS!

I was just cleaning out some old stuff from my files...and ooops...look what I found.

So to answer your question...Who would have thought Matt Forte needed one game to get Bears Nation more excited about a running game than Cedric Benson did in years?

The answer...I did.

=================================================================
What about Matt Forté ?? From Tulane?? Is he coming out this year?

I saw some Hi Lights of him...and I was STUNNED. More so than when I first saw Adrian Peterson (the real one)his frosh year.

Hitman....is this kid even on your Radar?
=================================================================
Posted by: culzie | December 20, 2007 09:40 AM
=================================================================

http://blogs.suntimes.com/fullcourtpress/2007/12/finding_the_next_great_bear.html#comments

The Bears did come out and put on a dominant performance. They obviously exceeded everyone’s expectations. And no one is happier than me, a die hard Bears fan living in Indy. However, the season is long and the Bears schedule is not an easy mission. They need to keep the intensity up and play like this consistently. The Bears dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and that was very encouraging but you can’t forget the Colts were down 3 offensive linemen and Peyton was rusty. Still a great way to kick off the 08 season with a lot of promise. Forte is the key and he has the right attitude. Bear Down!!

I loved that we won and thought our defense was great and our line and running backs played great but I do not think Orton played that good. I know his stats looked okay but there were about 3 passes that should have been picked and he did have 2 fumbles and luckily did not lose those. If it was not for the luck factor there would of been alot more trash talking on Orton. I am not saying I don't like Orton but I am definitely not sold on him. I hope he does alot better the rest of the year and not rely on defenders to drop passes that are thrown right at them. But I do definitely have some hope for the season after seeing the defense and running game. The big test will be playing against the really tuff Panthers defense next week.

BEARS HAVE FOUND THEIR FORTE'

lets calm down its only 1 game against a quarterback who missed the entire preseason coming off of knee surgery! and a traditionally weak defense!

Great game. I loved every minute of it, and am paying the price as I type.

I would have signed on for the chat, but I wasn't sure that the game would be interesting enough to keep me awake into the 4th quarter.

Turns out that it was.

Anyway .... I doubt that I would have been able to watch the game, watch my PC monitor, and type as fast as Culzie all at the same time, while drinking mass quantities of vodka.

I noticed someone compared Dan Bernstein to Jay Mariotti. This prompts me to ask you fellow bloggers if you've heard Bernstein over the years and made the following summation although I haven't listened over the past three months or so:

Dan Bernstein is my favorite sports talk show host, without question, IF he isn't with Terry Boers. Terry is palatable if he isn't with Bernstein. Together? I think they are mean, juvenile, negative, obnoxious and downright assanine. I've even heard it said that those who hate their show just don't get their show. I think I get it. There's not that much to get. Basically, the premise is that sports isn't to be taken seriously. However, how does that premise give guys the right to be all of that?

Getting back to Dan Bernstein. I think he has the intelligence, glibness and comedic talent to be a national phenomenon IF he stayed away from Terry Boers.

Ive been a Bears fan since i was 10 and i thought last night was the best game i ever seen were our offense didnt lose poise and our defense looked like it should. yeah we didnt have no amazing devin hester but who needed him with a team so dominant like that..coach lovie smith mad the right descision when he made the choice of starting kyle orton instead of rex, yes i am a grossman fan but kyle orton couldnt of did the job any better. matt forte on the other hand amazing i wish this guy would have been on our team years ago, great selection from the bears for picking him up. and to end it our defense it like if martin luther king was standing in chicago telling all the bears fan he saw he had a dream. who would of saw that coming..very good. The chicago bears will be the team to beat in the NFC this year

The Bears TOTAL vanilla defense in the preseason had me beleiving Babich had something up his sleeve. I couldn't have been more right. I was excited and impressed. If you have a stable, use it! Forte has excellent field vision for a rookie and the Bears, in my eyes, may have won the Super Bowl if they don't give up that early, out of position, long touchdown pass.

The Bears are a solid defense when all the pieces are together. One loose leg can hamper ANY 'D' and ours is no exception. Is it me or does our line shine when Orton is out there? Just asking.

Let's all pray for health and hurry up Sunday!

Bears' Forte Running Rampant!

10-6, 11-5 if mike brown stays healthy, he's the one that gets the d off the field.

Orton looked solid, forgot what a team can look like without queezy quarterbacking. time of possession was big.

I honestly have to say I did not see that coming. I really hope they play like this the entire year. Orton looks like a much improved version of himself from 2005. I'll take results (orton) over potential (Grossman) anyday. I mean the guy was just cool the entire game. Grossman always had you on your toes the entire game, because you did not know what to expect. Orton, I tell you man he was just chillin in the pocket! "Okay I'm waiting...lineman coming... Okay.. I'll just roll out to the right... Nobody open..okay cool, I'll just run it..." I was very impressed with his poise. Hopefully he can play like this the rest of the year. The only person I'm concerned with right now is Vasher. He doesn't seem like himself. He missed at least 3 tackles last night.And he seemed a step slow (maybe its just me). Otherwise the 'D' played great. I gotta give Lovie and the coaching staff props for the gameplan. They are the first team (I know of) to stack the LOS with 7 guys so Manning couldn't tell who is coming, what was the coverage, and how can we counter it right away. People said he was rusty. I don't buy that. I think the 'D' and the gameplan had a lot to do with how he played.

How many fumbles is that for Kyle Orton now? Ima check back in a few weeks when the Bears are 3-0, and it is all because of Orton, and his pedestrian QB rating, and anemic passing offense. He'll be an upgrade over even Tom Brady in these parts, what Big Ten homers on this blog. Orton is still not that good, not that Rex is a probowler, but Orton still sucks.

Oh, and thanks for removing the stupid encryption codes Roman.

Roman responds: I love how angry you are through the entire message and then the thank you at the end. Good stuff. And btw, that was not an Orton fumble. That was a Kreutz false start.

Gig - YOU ARE RIGHT ON about Bernstein when he's with BOers! Boers is a buffoon.

Bernstein is very smart. His pompousness gets old FAST, so after about 10 minutes of listening I"m usually done. He also bullies callers mercilessly and can't hide his disdain for them.

I am wondering if Bernstein has 2 personalities - one on TV when he's on someone else's show, where he's polite, and then one on the radio when he's a pr--k.

Jermaine, dont go jumping in the "Orton Stretch Limousine" just yet.

Although he managed a good game on Sunday, he still seemed a bit shaky out there, and was one near Sack/Fumble away from pulling a Rex Special.

I would still like to see someone a bit bigger back there...Orton just looks frail.

but, he is our Guy, and I support him while he is at the Helm.

BC

Wait a sec, Culzie.

If you are allegedly right about Forte after one game, then give Orton and all of his supporters their due.

Why do we heap praise and "the second coming" on Forte, but reserve judgment on Orton?

Btw, you want a bigger quarterback back there after your five years of supporting the midget (aka Rex Grossman)? Orton is 6'4". In other words, he is half a foot taller than the midget and all of his receivers (except the tight ends).

He had good presence in the pocket, moved his feet, found his receivers, and managed the offense. That's what was needed against the Colts. In other words, he took what the Colts defense gave him and won. Not much more you can ask from a QB.

If Orton has to win us games, then it's a different story. But the same was true of Rex. Still, I would rather have Orton on the field morning, noon and night instead of the midget man.

Culzie, where in the world did you come up with me implying that I am wishing Forte will get hurt this season? All I'm saying is that the team has to stay healthy to continue playing well. They can't afford another running back to go down again. And for all the "busts" the Bears have had with running backs over the years, they usually originated from an injury. Benson was plagued with injuries from the start and those injuries scrambled his brain because he had no heart to play the game through injuries. A-Train's career in Chicago ended because of an injury. Raymont Harris played well as a Bear and then suffered an injury. People make fun of the Curtis Enis draft selection, but he ran well for the Bears as a rookie early on before he suffered his degenerative knee condition. All these running backs had talent and ran the ball well, but suffered injuries which derailed their careers. I'm just keeping things in perspective, I'm not trying to jinx anyone. It's easy to say staying healthy applies to everyone on the team (of course that's true), but the point was to emphasize staying healthy at key positions.

And stop applauding yourself about Matt Forte. Don't think you're the only fan to think that he'd do well. He's not a low round draft pick who came out of nowhere. He may have come from a small school, but scouts had him pegged among the top 5 running back coming out of College last year. Plus, it's only 1 game! I mean, I think the kid's gonna be good also, but "Walter Payton" good like what I've been hearing and reading from in the news and other blogs? Man, I know this city is starved for a star running back, but too many are getting way too carried away. It's 1 game, folks. The Bears basically had 1 entire preseason to prepare for this Colts game. Let's see what happens when this coaching staff now has only 1 week to prepare for games this time around. I'm still not a fan of Lovie, Turner and Babich. They may be able to prepare well for games weeks ahead of time, but it's the in-game adjustments that I have a problem with this coaching staff.

Oh, and I also failed to mention about Rashaan Salaam also. if you're a real die hard Bears follower, you'd remember that he was a victim of injuries also. The casual fans only know about his history with fumbling footballs, but few rememeber that he rushed over 1,000 yards in his rookie season and then he suffered an injury which led to all his fumble-itis problems and cut short his career with the Bears as well. It happens, what're you gonna do? You just hope for the best with Forte and hope that the Bears don't get rid of him too early like they did with Thomas Jones!

By culzie on September 9, 2008 9:17 AM
Good Post Culzie. I know it must've killed you to post that. I was cracking up when I read it. The last part shows that unity that we all need to move forward as one united bears family even though your record indicated that you voted for Grossman 95% of the time. Now that's change we can believe in: LOL!

Yeah Edgar, you are right about the injuries, but each of those backs had other problems you didn't mention that played as big a role as any. Forte does not have their problem.
#1 Salaam(since you named him last)-1 to 2 week holdout....it was the evil weed man, he couldn't get over it, caused his fumblitis, and ruined his career.
2) Enis-4 week holdout, meet Eugene Parker, held out almost all of training camp then signed that stupid 3 year contract, holding out for less years. Came into camp way out of football shape and ran out of gas halfway through the first game, blew his knee by week 8, just not the same after that.

3) Raymont Harris--Ultraback already had one broken collarbone in Ohio State, Bears were warned another one in the same place would be career threatening. He had two I believe. If you are a receiver, different story, but as a RB all you do is drop your pads and hit, shoulder exposed.

4) Anthony Thomas-Cannot really call him a bust, didn't expect much from him, he didn't really do much. David Terrell is more of the bust from that draft.

5)Benson-holdout We all know his story, it's not even worth printing.

What I'm saying is the Bears RB's holdout, not ready to play then get hurt, and waste their careers. Forte didn't holdout, you are right about the injuries, but they cannot be controlled. Culz sometimes toots his own horn a little too much, but he was the first I can recall to bring up Forte, and I have to admit I said 'who'. I didn't watch the game, but I'm gonna bet my lunch money that he's no Payton, I really doubt he's that dynamic a runner, but in this NFL with these new rules about the linemen and positioning and holding, you can be a good runner and still look great. Hope Forte is at least that good.

I said Shaky....shoot Seedy, you coulda done well with Forte busting loose and Olsen drawing double teams and Hester in the slot.

Rex had Ced....BOOOO..

and Orton is only 6'1 if you cut the beard!

edgar, havent you ever heard of the book THE SECRET?

it says in there...that WHATEVER THOUGHTS you put out into the universe, you get back and it doesnt conotate pre-fixes...

so, if you say...I DONT WANT TO GET INTO A CAR ACCIDENT TODAY....

the universe only hears...CAR ACCIDENT.

If you say, I dont want to be POOR, the universe just hears POOR and manifests more poorness into your life. I am not saying that you are wishing Forte hurt, but come on dude...NO DUH...lets not jinx the mother jammer???! Deal?

also edgar....dont try to take away my glory...i didnt just say he would be good during the draft last year...

I CALLED HIM OUT AS A STUD AFTER SEEING HIM PLAY AS A SOPHMORE.

NEWSFLASH EDGARDO...THATS WHAT SCOUTS DO TOO!

TOOT TOOT..THANKS CHUCKERS!

good post Chuck...and comparing anyone to Sweetness may be a bit pre-mature....or...just mature period.

i will say this though...

I WOULD OFFER THAT 3 OF THE LEAGUES TOP 5 RUNNING BACKS ARE IN THE NFC NORTH!?

Chuck,
haha... yes, good points about the holdouts and the history of weed from Salaam. You got me there for sure. Rule of thumb with these NFL teams when making high draft picks... make sure those players don't hold out! These NFL rookie contracts are out of control, but all that Collective Bargaining stuff is story and discussion for another day.

Anyway, I agree with you about Forte also. he'll be as good as that offensive line takes him. The O-line played a great game for sure, but I'm not jumping on that bandwagon either until several more good games. I'm glad to see Beekman step up his game amidst some of the mental errors on a couple penalties and Garza continues to be a medical marvel. I liked what I saw in Forte's cutbacks and some of the breakaway speed, but he's not Barry Sanders or Walter Payton, period. I hate hearing the comparisons. It's not even close and it's unfair to place those kind of expectations on him. Those holes the O-Line made last Sunday were rarely there last year. I guarantee you Forte would never have had that 50 yd TD run with our O-Line last season. They were that bad. I'm really counting the days when Chris Williams finally plays so we can see how good the kid really is.

Keith,
Its not hard, because I am nothing if I am not about unity!

If you have ever read that book the Secret Language of Birthdays...(great book by the way).

Feb 12th is the day of the Unifier! Lincoln, Darwin, Bill Russle, Eddie Robinson, Ray Manzerek....culzie?

also....i say...BRING BACK THE PASSWORD REMEMBERER!!

The only reason that peyton wasnt able to be 100% was because we blitzed almost every play. Of course that would put any offense out of sync whether or not the starting QB hadn't played in pre season. Most starting QB's only play one series in pre season anyways so that excuse does not cut it. The bears were dominant in all aspects of the game, except hester in the endzone of kick off. GO BEARS

Alright Culzie, never mind then. I feel like we're unnecessarily going back and forth on a topic that we should all take as a positive for the Bears team. Don't be mistaken, I'm HAPPY that we won the first game of the season! I hope you're right about Forte. I think he's a good one also, but you make it sound like if healthy, he'll be better than Tomlinson and Sir Walter one day and that, I don't see, but just my opinion, that's all. It's not a knock on Forte at all, but to boast it like you are after 1 NFL game is awfully bold of you. Not that I'm surprised coming from you, but we'll see...

I don't know the exact stats, but I believe tha actuarial tables show that the average lifespan of an NFL player from draft day to "D Day" (as in DONE) is about 4 & 1/2 years.

I'd be willing to wager that it's even less for starting running backs.

For every RB that has a ten year career, there are probably five that don't collect the last check of their rookie contract.

Great game. I don't feel like crabbing so I won't point out any mistakes. Good calls made by the fans on assorted things, so don't hate on anyone's parade if you weren't impressed with anything in particular. And Roman I don't chat much because my typing stinks. When I get around to submitting something from the first quarter it's halftime. My typing is from P.U. Pecker University.

All this hoopla aside, Angelo, Lovie and Turner are still on the clock, but it's now four minutes to midnight (it was at three).

They had four weeks to game plan for the Colts. Now they only have a week. Let's see if we look so freaking awesome against Carolina.

Chuck -- what's with the anger management issues re Orton?

To paraphrase Dennis Green, we know exactly who he is. Not the most talented, not the most accurate, so what? When he walks on the field and kneels in the huddle, the players respond. He didn't have that "deer in the headlights" look that so frequently plastered itself across Rex's pie-hole. Plus when he finished his 10 yard run and delivered a blow to the Colts corner, that was freaking priceless. Rex would have broken his ankle, torn his ACL or had some other catastrophic injury -- in the open field before anyone touched him.

Btw, no limo for the Orton ride. We go big or we go home. So I'm thinking the H2 will be our rig. It's Bears blue with orange and white leather seats. Orton can afford the gas. We don't need no stickin' shotgun either; we have an M134 minigun mounted on the roof. We just put our first notch in the barrel. Poor, poor Colts. Anyway, the tank is full, the cigars are in the glove compartment humidor and we have stocked the onboard fridge with "restoratives."

Sit back. Enjoy the season. It's going to be an awesome, but bumpy ride.

hey gig and bubba's mom:
whaddya talkin about, where do you guys hide your sense of humor?
terry boers is possibly the most hilarious host- radio - tv - etc-- there has ever been.

it's about humor, cracking up, and david hochberg.

bycrackie !

god bless terry boers and dan bernstein-- best radio hosts EVER!
(followed closely by holmes and hampton! )

WAY TO GO BEARS!!!! WAY TO RETURN PRIDE TO HALAS HALL AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO!!!

KEEP IT UP!!!

ORTON has outplayed rex for many years.. its about time he gets to be the main man .. im gonna throw it out there that GROSSman cost the bears the superbowl... i mean, hester does his job and that should of gave us the win because of all the momentum... but rex likes to give it all back.. anyway orton has always been better and he can hit the TE great.. people give him crap because he doesnt like throwin deep.. u shouldnt need to as long as u hit beasty TE across the middle for 20 some yards.
olsen needs to play more .. dont get me wrong clark is awesome but olsen is the future... also .. bears need a strong WR .. and did anyone see earl bennett play in preseason.. he has potential to become great- fast... like in half the season.

Seedy,

You know my position on Orton and Grossman, I've stated it quite frequently, that's why I ride on the Rexwagon. But seriously, Orton is not a bad QB (05' does play in my head at times, and he sucked then) but on this blog, there are some homers who act like Orton does no wrong, and Rex is a horrible QB (both inaccurate.)

Rex does have his tendencies to get a little skittish behind the line when there is a rush, but he didn't cost us the SB, our bad coaching, and porous D cost us that game, as well as no one could block Freeney. Sorry, I digress.

My main problem with Orton is he has trouble hitting his players in stride, and he can also fumble the ball as well. His strengths outweigh his weaknesses for now, because he is better this time. These haters though, you'd swear Grossman beat their High School football team 4 years in a row, he slapped their mama, and stole their car, they see no right in him. As for Orton, he does seem more level-headed this time, with a better control of the offense. Rex probably didn't deserve to start this season, but this is what they should've done last year, instead of sending him off, and making it look like the first few games were his fault. I just hope people on this blog are looking at the whole picture, and not just the score, or Mariotti's opinion, Kyle is no saint, he has weaknesses and they will be exposed (5 int Cincinatti game anyone?)

His career passer rating is what it is because he's about on the same level as Rex, not good, not bad, average. Didn't matter who started this year, the Bears will have a good year because they are healthy, cut Griese, and our DC had 1 more year to actually learn the NFL, he's finally growing up I see. Go Bears.

OK Edgar, im with you.

Seedy, I like the Hummer Imagery...the only problem is, I am not sure if Ortons signature Giant Champagne Bottle will fit in the small fridge.

also...love the coinage of the word "restoratives" ...thats good. Im sure we are thinking of many different things that could count as a restorative, but im sure we have some same things in there too.

WRD...your a pretty funny guy, when you want to be.

B

"Bear Nation" no way...that's too Boston for us.
Chicago. One City, One Team.

The Bears looked fantastic on Sunday, and I hope we can keep this going. We will be better than in 06 if we stay healthy, and continue to work as a team. This showing was fantastic, but it needs to continue. Orton is proving why he was chosen over Grossman, Forte is exactly what we thought he would be, Devin Hester is still very much a factor, and our defense looks like it should.

Rest assured, Chicago, DA BEARS will make us all proud!

OR...WE CAN JUST KEEP IT

'PIT VIPER NATION'

I agree with Chuck. I've said many times before that I'm a Rex fan as well, even going back to his successful days in Florida, but I grew tired with all the Rex bashers over the past couple of years so I pretty much stopped the blog posts on any Rex topic until now. Look at the current busts in the NFL so far who were much higher draft picks (Vince Young, Alex Smith, Matt Leinart...). Neither of those 3 has the great throwing arm that Rex possesses and still, Rex gets more hate comments, boos and jokes from local and national fans and media columnists and talk show hosts who sneak in a Rex joke any chance they get. Look at now, even when things are finally looking up for the Bears with this first victory, there have already been several posts in this very blog topic calling out Rex and how much he stinks again! Irritating. Pathetic fans, get over it and get a clue! Bottom line, Rex has the arm to play in this league and start for other teams. I said before he should never have returned to the Bears, even for a 1-year contract, but that's the competitor he is. He wasn't about to run away from critics and haters, but the fact is, his talents doesn't suit this Bears offensive scheme. The Bears want a ball control quarterback, but Rex is a gunslinger who needs wide receiver playmakers around him to be successful. Chuck's exactly right, Rex didn't blow the Super Bowl in 2006 on his own, the coaches didn't game plan well and the defense lost key players like Tommie Harris and Mike Brown at the time. I'll never forget Danieal Manning getting burned on that one play downfield. Total rookie mistake. It's really sad that people continue to point their fingers to Rex, but whatever, I'll pick and choose those battles when I feel like it.

As for Orton, he's "good enough" to manage this offense. Nothing flashy, nothing great and that's fine. He won't go to the Pro Bowl anytime soon, but he's a smart enough guy to realize that himself, I'm sure.

Big game against the Panthers on Sunday. Now we'll see if game 1 was a fluke or not. Just stay healthy! Go BEARS!!!

By Keith Lifetime Southsider on September 9, 2008 11:48 AM

even though your record indicated that you voted for Grossman 95% of the time. Now that's change we can believe in: LOL!

This.

Make a mental note of this so that when I eventually say, "I told you so" a few years down the road, all you Rex-Wagon fanatics won't develop collective amnesia:

Rex Grossman will NEVER, EVER be a steady starting QB in this league. And if he is pressed into service by the next team that pays him to hold a clip board, it will only be until they can find an NFL caliber replacement for their injured starting quarterback.

Why are we still talking about Rex? Rex bashers; get over it please! He is on the bench where you guys want him. LEAVEIT ALONE ALREADY! Its like kicking a dead horse, sooner or later you'll realize you'll get the same results. Talk about him if/when he gets an opportunity to play again. And if that happens lets hope he plays well. Instead you guys act like the kid slept with your wives or something! It's pathetic and OLD!I was reading about Vince young letting his frail ego get cracked because the fans were booing in little old Nashville. Anything less than stellar, Rex get booed by drunken fans in big 'ol Chicago. Does he complain? No he gets out there and play and answers questions to the media whether he plays well or not. Sometimes he does get a little intimidated out there, but he's not the worst QB in the league. I realy hope he finds a team that is better suited for him next year, cause Chicago treated him like crap. I hope Kyle Orton continue his Steady play. I can buy into that as long as he can protect the ball. My question is, if/when Kyle starts throwing picks, will Chicago fans bash him too?

The impressive thing about Sunday was the defenses ability to keep the Indy offense off balance all night. No easy task against a Manning led team and it usually is the other way around regardless of which teams are on the field. I know it's only one game, but if a half healthy Manning had trouble with the scheme, I'm sure most everybody else may too. My hat's off to Babich. Did not, in the least, think he had it in him, but it may be like the 'Ol 46 defensive situation; you need the correct personnel to run the show. Even one weak link collapses the whole. I look for other teams to blitz and stack the line a little more, but both Orton and Forte look like they can handle the task at hand. Actually they may burn these schemes a little, which is quite alright by me.

Go Bears!

Jermaine...as usual, you hit the nail on the head.

What an amazing point to make.

Can you imagine....what this blog woulda done to Vince Young?

After seeing how inVincible reacted to being boo'd for the first time in small market Tenn, it does make you at least appreciate how much crap Rex went through...some deserved, and some not, but either way.....you gotta respect that little chubby cheeked bastard a bit more now dont you?