Favre a Big Believer in Cutler's Future
Wednesday, 2:27 p.m.
QB Brett Favre
AP Images |
Jay Cutler was supposed to put on a Bears uniform and immediately make them a contender again, but the transition has been far from smooth – the 4-6 record speaks for itself – with the Pro Bowler leading the NFL with 17 interceptions.
There are many excuses out there, what with him moving to a new city and playing for a new team and learning a new offense and being surrounded by new teammates, but can't the same be said for Brett Favre, who has directed the Vikings to a 9-1 mark and might be having the best season of his career at the tender age of 40?
Granted, Favre is running essentially the same system he ran all those years in Green Bay, and while he looks as good as ever in Viking purple, he sees his situation being much different than Cutler's.
"I think all those excuses are good excuses," Favre said Wednesday via conference call at Halas Hall when asked why he has had success and Cutler hasn't. "For me, I don't know which one would be tougher, the situation I went through last year [with the Jets] or this situation now. But obviously Jay was brought in, and it's one of those things when everyone says, 'Alright, we're good at quarterback for 10, 15 years.' Whereas it was kind of a quick fix for me last year, at least from the outside in, and maybe to a certain extent this year as well. Because at 40 years old, you're not looking to get 10 years out of a guy."
Both fan bases want a winner and want it now, but Favre believes the Vikings simply need results from him this season, while the Midway Monsters have a bigger window of opportunity to do well with Cutler.
"I think the pressure that Jay puts on himself to do it right away is no different than what the fans and the team expects from him," said Favre, "but there is a little time to get things in order this year, next year. You can draft guys and build around him, and so on and so forth. Where with me, the pressure obviously to win now is huge, and that's no different in Chicago."
With their 2010 first- and second-round draft picks already traded away, the first as a part of the Cutler deal and the second in exchange for defensive end Gaines Adams, Favre is apparently misinformed about how the Bears are prepared for the future.
JC
Cutler Not Exactly Captain Comeback Yet
Wednesday, 9:31 a.m.
QB Jay Cutler
Getty Images |
Not that anyone's keeping track, but Sunday night's loss to the Eagles was the second game in a row that "franchise quarterback"
Jay Cutler had a chance to lead a fourth-quarter comeback and came up short.
That makes four times this season that Cutler has had an opportunity to lead the Bears to a game-winning or game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter but didn't get it done. In fairness, Cutler did direct fourth-quarter, game-winning drives against the Steelers and Seahawks in Weeks 2 and 3.
But it's fair to expect a better record than 2-4 in those situations from a Pro Bowl quarterback.
After the Eagles went ahead 24-20 Sunday night with 5:31 left, the Bears failed to get a first down for the third consecutive possession.
Then when Chicago got the ball back with 1:51 left, Cutler picked up one first down before he was intercepted trying to force a ball to Greg Olsen, who was tightly covered.
In the previous game, the loss at San Francisco, Cutler and the Bears went three-and-out immediately after falling behind 10-6 with 10:11 left. They got one more chance, but Cutler was picked off in the end zone, again trying to get the ball to Olsen.
In Week 6, Cutler led a 92-yard, fourth-quarter drive that tied the Falcons 14-14. But after Atlanta went back ahead 21-14 with 3:06 left, Cutler and the Bears went 78 yards but gave the ball up on downs at the Falcons' 10-yard line with 29 seconds left.
In Cutler's defense, the Bears committed three offensive penalties in the final 65 seconds of that game, which hindered the last drive.
And let's not forget the season opener. With 1:11 left, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers connected with Greg Jennings for a 50-yard TD and a 21-15 lead after the two-point conversion.
Cutler's first pass after the kickoff was intercepted by Al Harris.
Courtesy of The Sports Xchange
Bears Sign Tight End to Practice Squad
Tuesday, 3:06 p.m.
TE Kevin Brock
Getty Images |
After promoting rookie running back
Kahlil Bell from the practice squad last week, the Bears signed tight end
Kevin Brock on Tuesday to take his place.
An undrafted rookie free agent out of Rutgers, Brock originally signed with the Panthers. After being waived by Carolina, the 6-5, 255-pounder spent some time with the Jets and Steelers before being picked up by Chicago. Once considered a raw prospect with a lot of natural ability when he was a college player, Brock was a receiver at first for the Scarlet Knights after playing only two years of high school football.
Brock is no threat to get promoted to the 53-man roster any time soon with Greg Olsen, Desmond Clark and Kellen Davis ahead of him, but Clark is 32 years old and only signed through 2010.
JC
Week 11 Report Card: Eagles 24, Bears 20
Tuesday, 9:04 a.m.
S Danieal Manning
Getty Images |
PASSING OFFENSE: D –
Jay Cutler had open receivers all night but missed them in his most inaccurate game of the season. Cutler was only intercepted once but his poor performance was more about the big plays that he missed, like overthrowing wide open
Greg Olsen and
Devin Hester on back-to-back plays that would both have been touchdowns. He also missed
Johnny Knox late in the fourth quarter on a streak route that could have been a 70-yard TD. Cutler's 15-yard TD to
Kellen Davis on a sweet fade route was perfectly thrown. The Bears had just one pass play of longer than 16 yards, a 23-yarder to
Earl Bennett.
RUSHING OFFENSE: B – Rookie Kahlil Bell burst upon the scene with a 72-yard run on the first carry of his NFL career. But the Bears' other 19 carries produced 54 yards, and featured runner Matt Forte had another disappointing game with 34 yards on 14 carries.
PASS DEFENSE: D – The Bears pressured Donovan McNabb frequently and sacked him three times, but they couldn't cover DeSean Jackson (eight catches, 107 yards) when it mattered, especially on a 48-yard TD. McNabb still wound up with a 101.6 passer rating, just the latest in a long line of elite, veteran quarterbacks who have torched the Bears. Cornerback Zack Bowman had his team-best fourth interception but on many occasions provided too much cushion.
RUSH DEFENSE: C-minus – It wasn't as bad as it looks on paper if you throw out a 34-yard run by Michael Vick. That gallop could have been curtailed after a few yards, but Danieal Manning whiffed on his tackle attempt. Lance Briggs was once again the Bears' best player on the field, hitting double figures in tackles for the third straight game in addition to a sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C – K Robbie Gould connected on four of five field goal attempts, but the 48-yarder that was blocked helped set up the Eagles' winning drive. Hester's punt returns were uninspiring, but Knox and Manning returned to form on kickoff returns, averaging 32.3 and 28.5 yards, respectively. Coverage allowed a 53-yard punt return by Jackson.
COACHING: C – The Bears got beat by a better team, but the team that has always placed an emphasis on running the ball again failed to commit to it. The Bears ran just 20 times but had 44 pass plays.
Courtesy of The Sports Xchange
Bears Finding New Ways to Lose Ballgames
Monday, 7:25 a.m.
TE Greg Olsen
Getty Images |
What's wrong with
Jay Cutler?
Even he doesn't seem to know after the Bears lost for the fifth time in six weeks, and he turned in another non-Pro Bowl performance.
"I don't know," Cutler said when asked what was wrong. "We have to go back and look at the film."
The Bears keep finding new ways to lose.
Sunday night on national television, they came up with a new formula in a 24-20 loss to the Eagles. At 4-6, the Bears can forget about the playoffs.
The defense forced three turnovers and at times put pressure on Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, sacking him three times. But late in the game, it couldn't hold a 20-17 lead, and Chicago native McNabb finished with a 101.6 passer rating.
Robbie Gould, the second-most accurate field goal kicker in NFL history, hit four in a row but had a fifth, from 48 yards, blocked in the fourth quarter, and it led to the Eagles' winning touchdown.
The offense? Cutler was sacked just once, but he was unsuccessful connecting with receivers who, at times, were as wide open as they've been all season.
"I missed some throws early," Cutler said. "It can't happen. We're not scoring enough points. We're not helping the defense."
After spotting the Eagles a 10-0 lead, the Bears got on the board with Gould's 45-yard field goal on the third play of the second quarter. But on the two previous plays, the Bears wasted touchdown opportunities. First, tight end Greg Olsen was wide open in the red zone, but Cutler's pass barely brushed his outstretched fingertips. On the next play, Devin Hester was even more open, but Cutler's pass was way overthrown deep in the end zone.
Cutler finished 24 of 43 for just 171 yards, one touchdown, one interception and a passer rating of 63.2.
"I have no explanation why," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "He missed some throws early. It's as simple as that."
Cutler has played horribly in the Bears' four night games, all losses. In those games, he's tossed 12 interceptions and just four touchdown passes. Cutler was asked if his diabetes had any effect on his play at night.
"No," he said. "We've had good [blood-sugar] numbers. Diabetes has never been as issue and never will be."
After a promising 3-1 start, the Bears are all but dead, at least as far as the playoffs. They still have to play the NFC North-leading Vikings (9-1) twice, including Sunday at Minnesota.
Courtesy of The Sports Xchange
Good Jay or Bad Jay? Which Will We See?
Sunday, 5:39 p.m.
QB Jay Cutler
Getty Images |
Former Bears quarterback
Rex Grossman became a two-headed monster known as "Good Rex" and "Bad Rex" during his six-year stint in Chicago based on his tendency for being sensational one week but atrocious the next week.
The same can be said so far for Jay Cutler, who was supposed to be the answer to the Windy City's prayers under center, but instead he's leading the league with 17 interceptions – an extra-alarming 11 of them coming in three prime-time performances. The Monsters of the Midway will again be on stage for a national-television audience in Week 11, when they welcome hometown hero Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles to Soldier Field. "Good Jay" likely leads the Bears to a victory and a 5-5 record, while "Bad Jay" inevitably sends Chicago to defeat and a 4-6 disaster.
Fortunately for Cutler, Philly is beaten up on defense – all three linebackers expected to start back in training camp are on injured reserve. The Eagles are going to do what they do and bring pressure from every angle in every situation, so it will be up to the receiving corps to adjust routes on the fly and makes big plays facing one-on-one coverage. However, if Cutler keeps turning it over, especially against an opportunistic and aggressive opponent like this one, then it probably won't matter what the other 21 members of the Bears offense and defense do.
You can talk about running the ball, stopping the run, making plays on special teams and all that jazz, but at this level, the victor on any given Sunday tends to be the club that wins the turnover battle.
JC
Rookie RB Activated from Practice Squad
Friday, 5:06 p.m.
RB Kahlil Bell
Getty Images |
As was predicted right here at BearReport.com 2 hours and 34 minutes before it actually happened – check out the blog entry and corresponding time stamp below for the evidence – the Bears activated rookie running back
Kahlil Bell from the practice squad.
Despite the fact that starter Matt Forte was driven into the ground as a rookie, plus the franchise making an effort to lighten his load in Year 2, Chicago lost second stringer Kevin Jones for the season in the exhibition finale. Adrian Peterson then missed some time with a bum knee earlier in the schedule, and Garrett Wolfe was moved to injured reserve Friday because of a lacerated kidney. Bell could be active Sunday against the Eagles since the Bears need bodies, and it would be the first live game action for the undrafted free agent out of UCLA.
While the Bears won't miss him much on offense since Forte is the bellcow of the backfield, the coverage units better watch out because Philadelphia has a dynamic punt returner in DeSean Jackson, and Wolfe is a top tackler on special teams.
JC
Wolfe Finishes Yet Another Season on IR
Friday, 11:24 a.m.
RB Garrett Wolfe
Getty Images |
After missing the last three games of the 2008 season because of a pulled hamstring, Bears reserve running back and special-teams ace
Garrett Wolfe is headed to injured reserve again thanks to a lacerated kidney.
A third-year pro out of Northern Illinois and a Chicago native, Wolfe suffered the injury in Week 9 during the Bears' 41-21 defeat to the Cardinals at Soldier Field. Although he has done little on offense since being selected – most experts thought prematurely – in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft, Wolfe is a terrific contributor on the coverage units and led the club in special-teams tackles a year ago. The organization has made mention time and time again about wanting to get him more touches as a runner and receiver, but in 34 career games as a Bear he only has 68 carries and 11 catches.
With Kevin Jones already on IR and Adrian Peterson out a few weeks earlier in the schedule with a bum knee, the Midway Monsters must consider adding another ball carrier or perhaps promote rookie Kahlil Bell off the practice squad.
JC
Bears Refuse to Follow Philly's Example
Friday, 7:40 a.m.
Andy Reid
Getty Images |
The Eagles are one of the league's best examples of a team that can be productive on offense without the benefit of a strong running game. The Eagles are 23rd in rushing yards but 13th in total yards and fifth in points.
Andy Reid's version of the West Coast Offense works well in Philadelphia, where the pass sets up the run, but Bears coach
Lovie Smith isn't eager to use the same formula.
"We're a running football team, but we'll do what we need to do to win football games," said Smith, whose team has won just one of its last five. "If that's passing to help our running game, I think they go hand in hand on what you do. I still think this time of year you need to have a running game."
The Bears' run game has been absent since the bye week. While losing four of five games since then, they averaged just 58 rushing yards in the defeats but had 170 yards on the ground in the victory over the Browns.
"It's a lot easier preparing when you know a team's going to come out throwing the football," said Smith, speaking as a defensive play caller. "It's a lot easier than defending a team able to do both. We would like to be able to do both. We need to do both to win games."
The Bears weren't all that good running the football last season, finishing 24th in yards and 27th in average gain per carry, but at least they did it well enough and frequently enough to have a balanced attack.
In only three games last season did the Bears fail to run fewer than 22 times. This season they've already rushed fewer than 22 times in five games, and they're 30th in rushing yards, 31st in rushing attempts and 27th in average gain per run.
"We have to execute better," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "We have to cut down on mistakes. We've done some good things all year. What I'm looking for, and I've been saying this every week, is the consistency, for us to eliminate mistakes, whether it's a turnover or a mental mistake or a penalty. Things like that, we're hurting ourselves, and we talk about it all the time.
"We have to give each play a chance, and when we do we're successful. We've done that very well at times, but we have to get all 11 [players] doing the right thing, and it has to come very quickly."
If not, the Bears can kiss away their already-slim playoff chances.
Courtesy of The Sports Xchange
Players Finally Asked About Smith's Job
Thursday, 3:13 p.m.
LB Lance Briggs
AP Images |
Perhaps for the very first time since he took the job as head coach in 2004, players in the locker room have been forced to answer questions about
Lovie Smith's status for the long term in Chicago.
The Monsters of the Midway were supposed to make it back to the playoffs after a two-year layoff, with newly-acquired quarterback Jay Cutler prepared to take the offense to new heights and Pro Bowlers like linebacker Lance Briggs in the prime of their careers on defense.
But Cutler has thrown a league-high 17 interceptions, Briggs isn't getting much help around him and all of a sudden a vocal minority of Bears fans – it doesn't feel like a majority yet, but it might – is calling for Smith's ouster after a 4-5 start.
"It's what's going to happen," Briggs said Thursday before practice at Halas Hall. "In this game, everyone is trying to figure everything out. You going to have to point fingers somewhere, and fingers always go to the head coach and the quarterback."
Briggs went on to say that coaches can't do anything about players not making plays and failing to execute the gameplan properly, although firing the man sitting in the big chair is more realistic than cutting the entire 53-man roster in today's NFL.
"This is a team sport," said Briggs, "and it falls on us all. No one is not to blame and, as far as I'm concerned, everyone is to blame when we have success and when we lose."
The biggest concern for Smith right now in terms of job security is his decision to take play-calling duties away from defensive coordinator Bob Babich and do it himself, which hasn't made much of a difference – on the stat sheet or in the win column.
JC
Beekman Expected to Remain at Left Guard
Thursday, 7:31 a.m.
G Josh Beekman
Getty Images |
Even though he wasn't injured,
Josh Beekman finished Thursday night's game on the sideline.
Beekman started against the 49ers and in the previous two games at left guard in place of Frank Omiyale, who started the first six games. But Omiyale was in the game for the final possession, which consisted of 11 pass plays.
"We just liked Frank's ability to pass block," coach Lovie Smith said. "We were in a different mindset there at the end of the game when we had to pass the football. We like Frank a little bit more in that situation."
Beekman said he practiced with the starters on Monday but declined to speculate beyond that.
"Coach [has] the final say," Beekman said. "So we'll see what happens and just come out and improve and get better."
Beekman's blocking helped spring Matt Forte for a total of 68 yards on two screen plays, but he's had trouble dealing with bigger tackles.
"I watched the tape, and I just have to do a little better battling big guys," Beekman said. "Olin [Kreutz] showed me some techniques [Monday] of bull rushing and things like that, and I was just working on that and getting better. That's my job.
"I had pluses and minuses [Thursday], but the ultimate job is to go out there and have no minuses, be like the Pro Bowlers that I play next to. That's the goal."
Beekman plays between six-time Pro Bowler Kreutz and seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Orlando Pace.
Courtesy of The Sports Xchange
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John Crist is the Publisher of Bear Report and a member of the Professional Football Writers of America. To read him every day, visit BearReport.com and become a Chicago Bears insider.