Thread: Film breakdown-Packers' blitz adds to Cutler'

Streaking/Slumping: Week 17

STREAKING





1. Lance Briggs, LB: What’s new, right? Briggs was credited with a team-high nine tackles in basically a meaningless outing to finish the season with 89 stops. The team hasn’t yet released tackle statistics done after “coaches’ review”, but Briggs entered Sunday’s game with 113 such tackles. The Bears are one of the 28 teams that don’t acknowledge tackle statistics compiled by NFL stat crews at games as official. One of the most consistent performers on defense, Briggs is one of just five linebackers in the NFL to produce 10 or more interceptions and force 10 or more fumbles since 2003.






2. Tommie Harris, DT: Pundits kept counting him out, but the truth is Harris is playing arguably his best ball of the season. Knee issues slowed down Harris earlier in the season, and played a role in the team taking him out of the starting lineup for nine games. But he’s since regained full health, and has started four consecutive games. Harris appears to have fresh legs, and his quickness has returned. Against the Packers, Harris contributed a sack and a quarterback hurry, drawing praise from coach Lovie Smith. Harris’ resurgence comes at seemingly the perfect time.






3. Matt Forte, RB: Forte reached the 1,000-yard mark rushing for the second time in his three-year career in the regular-season finale, and truthfully, the Bears probably could have defeated the Packers had they not stopped handing the ball off to the running back. Forte has rushed for 91 yards or more in three consecutive games, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Forte blends versatility with big-play elusiveness to significantly open up the already-diverse offense. The running back said he’s never felt as fresh as he does at this point of the season, which probably doesn’t bode well for Chicago’s opponents in the playoffs -- especially with him getting an additional week of rest because of the bye.

SLUMPING





1. Jay Cutler, QB: Problems in protection against the Packers once again significantly affected Cutler’s production. Consistency seems to be Cutler’s main issue. This season, the quarterback hasn’t put together more than two consecutive games in which he’s generated a passer rating of 100 or better. He has finished with three 100-plus passer-rating games in a row just once in his career. By comparison, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady -- who is on fire right now -- finished the regular season with eight such games in a row. Cutler closed the season with four consecutive games in which he threw at least one interception. So for this team to be successful in the postseason, Cutler needs to get it together.






2. Johnny Knox, WR: Knox needed just 60 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career, and was limited to no catches against the Packers. Coming into the game, Knox appeared to be a receiver on the rise, having scored three touchdowns in the two previous games. But the Packers completely took Knox out of the game, and the receiver’s absence took a toll on the unit’s production. Cutler targeted Knox on eight throws (not all of them were accurate), and still the receiver couldn’t come up with a catch. The team can’t afford for Knox to disappear from games in the playoffs.






3. Greg Olsen, TE: It’s not his fault that Mike Martz’s offense renders tight ends nearly useless in the passing game as receivers. Olsen finished the season having caught just one pass in four of the last six games. Then, when Olsen received opportunities in the regular-season finale, the tight end didn’t make the most of them. Olsen managed to haul in five of the six passes thrown his way, but dropped a perfectly-thrown pass for a potential long gain in the third quarter. Olsen’s size and athleticism present matchup problems the Bears can take advantage of in the playoffs, but the tight end needs to capitalize on every opportunity because in Martz’s offense, they’re certainly limited.

"Sure, the Bears were forced to pass on the final drive that began with 4:49 remaining. There were 15 plays on the drive and if you remove them from the count, there were 34 pass plays called and 16 runs, still the kind of ratio that got Martz and the offense in trouble in September and October. During the third quarter, with the Bears leading and then tied, Martz called nine consecutive pass plays.

Was Martz trying to hide something for the playoffs? That doesn't mesh with the explanations given that the Bears played to win the game Sunday. They didn't use the formula they had been winning with and if they get out of whack in the playoffs, this has proved to be a recipe for disaster."

This. stupid stupid stupid game plan, and stupid HC for thinking no one else was at the game watching this happen.

It was a very poor game plan and very poor play selection period and their was no excuse for it. Saving Matt Forte's legs? I call Bullshit!!!! When your defense keeps you in the game for as long and as well as the Bears did there was no excuse for not pulling out all stops and trying to win the game.

We'd won 8 of our last 9 games because we finally started running a balanced attack yet we totally abandoned it on Sunday. The Packers weren't stopping Forte in either the running or the passing game and with the way that the Packers were blitzing continuing to call his number would have been the smart thing to do.

Why didn't Lovie call on Martz to run more and pass less! Why is because, among his many other deficiencies, he is and always has been a terrible game day coach. He fails to challenge plays when he should and his clock management could be improved upon by a grade school coach. Case in point! He calls a timeout just before a successful 3rd down conversion because he thought they were in a wrong alignment. What's wrong with that picture? He's a defensive specialist not an offensive specialist. Then he doesn't call a timeout with less than a minute to go on the final drive. The results; in scenario #1 Cutler gets sacked on the next play and the drive comes to an end, in scenario #2 after burning about 15 seconds needlessly while Cutler hurries the team to line he them throws a pick on the next play. That may not have happened if he had more time to reason out the play call and get his wits about him before having to take the snap.

I'm still gonna hang a lot of the reason for this loss on Lovie and his all too casual attitude surrounding this game. I'm real tired of hearing him say that we were out to win this game when by his own coaching decisions he failed to do what was minimally necessary to accomplish it!

Originally Posted by dabears54

exactly they weren't no matter what pounding forte in the game, do enough to keep fresh, not enough to risk injury/overworked

I actually agree that this is what they were doing, but I think the case of running Wolfe and Bell and Taylor after a while would have served us better than not running Forte, and keeping him in there. We were gashing them for runs and I think, EVEN if it had not continued with those 3 backs, it wouldhave taken the heat off of Jay and the WR.

Keep them all rotating, like they do the D line, then you keep punding the rock, running the clock and winning the game keeping the puke out of the playoffs.