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Spencer Surprises at Right Guard............
November 2, 2011
Spencer excelling in new role at right guard
By: Larry Mayer | Last Updated: 11/2/2011 12:21 PM
After starting 70 games the previous five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Chris Spencer concedes that it wasn’t easy to begin his Bears career on the bench. “I’m a competitor and I want to be on the field,” said the veteran offensive lineman, who signed with the defending NFC North champions at the outset of training camp.
“I’ve been on the field since I’ve been in the league. It was a tough situation for me at first. But I knew at some point I was going to get an opportunity, and I knew I had to make the most of my opportunity.”
Spencer is doing just that. After making 66 starts at center and just four at guard with the Seahawks, the 6-3, 309-pounder is excelling at right guard with the Bears. Spencer has helped solidify the line since being inserted at that position in the season opener after Lance Louis exited with an ankle injury.
“[Spencer] has done a really good job of adapting to the style of play that we’re trying to teach,” said line coach Mike Tice. “It’s totally different than a lot of the things that he was asked to do in the west coast offense. He didn’t do a lot of pulling or a lot of double teams. “He has started at guard, but hasn’t played extensively there. He’s worked diligently on the technique things. He’s a good cut blocker. He’s smart; he doesn’t make a lot of mental errors and he’s helped settle things down in there. Having two centers on the field is usually a pretty good thing.”
Spencer impressed his new teammates and coaches when he returned to start the second half of a Week 4 win over the Carolina Panthers after breaking his hand in the first quarter of the game. “He showed me some toughness to want to be in the game with the hand injury,” Tice said. “I’ve been very pleased with him, with how he’s handled himself and how he’s played, most importantly. He has played good solid football for us. I couldn’t be happier that he’s in the group.”
Spencer has helped the Bears win their last two games by delivering key blocks. He created an immense hole on Marion Barber’s 3-yard touchdown run Oct. 16 against the Vikings and cleared a path with a textbook cut block on Matt Forte’s 32-yard TD dash Oct. 23 versus the Buccaneers.
“It’s just a testament to the things that I’ve been able to take from coach Tice and take into my game onto the field,” Spencer said. “It’s been improving week to week. I’m pretty excited about how things are going, and I’m just trying to continue to get comfortable at the position.”
With rookie right tackle Gabe Carimi close to returning to game action for the first time since suffering a knee injury in a Week 2 loss to New Orleans, it's possible Spencer could be headed back to the bench. It's a scenario that likely would unfold if the Bears choose to slide Lance Louis back from right tackle to guard. But Spencer isn’t worried.
“I don’t get paid to make those decisions; I get paid to play,” he said. “Whatever decision they make is their decision. I’ve just got to continue to work on what I’ve got to work on to get better.”
Last edited by soulman; 11-03-2011 at 03:17 PM.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. 
Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Spencer is becoming a more effective player than we ever expected him to be. Maybe we should look at his game as opposed to Webb's to understand the effect a good coach can have on a talented player. Spencer the career underperformer come to the Bears and becomes a performer.
J'Marcus Webb is kind of and athletic dodo an maybe we're expecting progress from him faster than he can accomplish it. That has nothing to do with Tice's abililty to coach and everything with Webb's ability to learn. That's been the rap on him all along and probably why instead of being a 1st round pick out of the U of Texas he was a 7th round pick out of West Texas A&M (or Bumfuck State if you prefer).
Last edited by soulman; 11-03-2011 at 05:56 PM.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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am i the only fan of j'marcus webb on this site?
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Originally Posted by
Henry Burris 
am i the only fan of j'marcus webb on this site?
I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I don't hold the hatred of him that many do. I think he has potential if he can clean up some stuff. He was a 7th round pick and thrown to the wolves way too early. I've seen significant improvement from him since he was in training camp his rookie year, 15 months ago. He improved as the season progressed last year. He has improved so far this season at LT. People want instant gratification from these guys, this isn't a Madden game. He has the size, he has the athleticism, he needs to mature. IMO, the only thing that can stop Webb from being a good NFL tackle is J'Marcus Webb. Any comparisons to Q. Mitchell or Omiyale are idiotic.
Fault the front office and coaching for having us in this position to need to put a 7th round project in the mix prematurely. I won't hate the guy.
Last edited by Butka; 11-03-2011 at 03:48 PM.
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High Fives / Like - 1 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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Originally Posted by
Henry Burris am i the only fan of j'marcus webb on this site?
I don't think my criticism of Webb is based on any kind hatred for him. I don't hate him at all, in fact I think he has the potential to be a fairly good OT. The point I was making is that a lot of posters blame Tice for Webb not being a wall at LT when part of the problem resides with Webb. He's just not the brightest guy around which means it takes longer for it to sink in when he is being coached.
Read Spencer's comments about what he's taken from Tice's coaching and how he's put it to work. Look at his play compared with Webb. Spencer got good at a position he's really never played in just a couple of game and he credits Tice with helping him to achieve that. Webb has had a year and a half as a starting OT and is still struggling. He's improving slowly but he's not there yet.
This was meant more to show that Tice is a very capable coach when he's working with the right talent. It's just that a slower thinking 7th rounder will take longer than a quick thinking 1st rounder to develop. There's a reason why Spencer plays OC.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Webb fucking stinks I guess that makes me an idiot
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Originally Posted by
motownbear Webb fucking stinks I guess that makes me an idiot
Why does Webb's inability to grasp the nuances of his position quickly make you an idiot? What does one have to do with the other? I don't think Webb is very good yet but I don't think he stinks. Frank Omiyale stinks. Webb is just inconsistent. At least he can block rushers some of the time.
I'm getting to that age where a lifetime warranty just doesn't mean as much to me anymore as an afternoon nap. Honey Badger Don't Care. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit.
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Originally Posted by
motownbear Webb fucking stinks I guess that makes me an idiot
If it makes it any better, you were an idiot before you thought that.
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High Fives / Like - 2 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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