Even in a loss, the Bears show they're the most COMPLETE team in a league.

Even with Hanie puking all over himself and throwing 3 game-breaking interceptions, the Bears almost pulled off a win against a quality team on the road with only their special teams, defense and running game clicking. The quarterback killed them and they almost won anyway.

If Hanie would simply stop trying to "make things happen" and learn he is NOT Jay Cutler and can't fit balls into tight windows, I have no doubts we'll win our next 3 games.

KC, Denver, Seattle. This game was actually a blessing in disguise because now Hanie knows what he CAN'T do. He'll make better decisions and won't throw picks in the red zone which costs us 3 points and gave Oakland 3 (6 point swing, we lost by 5). That one pick alone killed us but we almost survived.

I don't come away from this loss down in the dumps. It actually made me hopeful that we'll finish with 11 wins.

I think Hanie already knows what he can't do but Martz put him in some can't win spots today and Hanie wanted to please Daddy Martz. That backside screen to Spaeth that was picked was the perfect example. That's a reaaly high risk call in that spot and while Hanie should have pulled it down and thrown to the endzone or away he's trying to execute a play that should never even been called for him or Cutler today. The Raiders were reading and anticipating screens all day. It's Martz's refusal to use his TE's in a more conventional way on first and goal plays that always create a problem. When he uses them like he should we score but then he always goes back to getting too cute again. That pick was at least 50% Martz's fault.

Hanie will get better over the next few games but Martz needs to do a much better job of helping him out than he did today. That pick right before the half basically cost us this game.

Most complete team? Hate to break it to you, but we STILL need WRs and OL. Our OL was getting credit for weeks now for being "improved," so today was a fine chance for them to continue that. Instead, the Raiders got plenty of pressure on both Hanie and the Run game. WRs...yeah, Knox had a decent game, when he wasnt dropping passes. Same goes for the rest of our WRs, seemed like they were dropping passes right and left. They certainly werent doing much to help out Hanie.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmors

Most complete team? Hate to break it to you, but we STILL need WRs and OL. Our OL was getting credit for weeks now for being "improved," so today was a fine chance for them to continue that. Instead, the Raiders got plenty of pressure on both Hanie and the Run game. WRs...yeah, Knox had a decent game, when he wasnt dropping passes. Same goes for the rest of our WRs, seemed like they were dropping passes right and left. They certainly werent doing much to help out Hanie.

---

I was deciding whether or not to respond because I know you're one of the fans on here that I usually ignore. You think your post was a "knowledgable" post. But it's just another example of a Bears "fan" seeing a dark cloud around every silver lining.

Those wide receivers? The ones that have been making play after play during our streak? One of them, the on I criticize the most, Johnny Knox caught close to 150yds with a TD. Our O-line was FANTASTIC yesterday. If Cutler were behind center, he would've easily sliced Oakland for over 300yds and multiple TDs. And even with the Raiders stacking the box, the Bears still had way over 6 yards per carry. The defense was MONSTER all game. They gave up big plays at the end out of pure fatigue. They kept the Raiders out of the end zone, even on short fields until the end.

The main difference was our QB turning it over 3 times. Any TRULY knowledgeable sports fan would be able to see that. Any Bears fans that watched the last 6 games have watched the Bears DOMINATE teams in all 3 phases of the game week after week. But I swear, I will never respond to one of these Super Cynical Bears Fan posts. I said my piece on this crap in a thread a few weeks ago. So go ahead with your "well-thought-out" response. I'm no longer in the defending-the-Bears-from-their-own-"fans" business.

Our OL was fantastic? Serioulsy? The RB's were struggling to get back to the line w/out 3 DL's knocking them down. Haine rarely had a chance to step into his throws b/c the pressure was coming up the middle. Knox had a good game; but had another costly slip; and the WR's(yes knox is one of them so he's in there too) yes those wrs that have been making plays, instead were dropping passes and lots of them; which put haine in bad positions. And the D/ST's struggled to give our O decent field position. WTF game did you watch? And do you watch any football outside of the Bears games? b/c the most complete team is still undefeated.

There were a lot of good things that happened yesterday, but Martz puked all over haine; and per usual when you get puked on, you normally puke yourself. The playcalling on O was atrousious. Haine/Martz share the majority of the blame, the OL/WR's take the next big chunk. And the D takes the rest; this game is the perfect example of why giving up yards can hurt you. This game shows why not getting 3 and outs can hurt the team. They also, much like the WR's dropped passes, also dropped a lot of INT's that would have negated Haine's. The D/St constantly put Haine in poor field position to start, and in turn gave the D bad field position.

A truly knowlegable fan would know that you don't ask a qb that has started 1 qtr of 1 game to throw a cross field screen in the rz; or anywhere else. That int is on Martz and Martz alone. Other 2 picks, pretty much on Haine; but he also had 2 TD's. A truly knowlegable fan would know that you don't ask a qb w/1 qtr of experience to fake the spike, let alone w/20 sec's left, that again is on Martz. Haine sailed a few passes; it happens to guys w/no experience against really good D's.

You constantly come in here and post some of the least insightfull garbage, yet bag everyone else. You claiming knowledge is like Haine thinking he's a playmaker; both are wrong. You need to stop being so F'n full of yourself, your as football stupid as the rest of us in here; and probably more so when you state things like the Bears are the most complete football team in the NFL right now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimmors

Most complete team? Hate to break it to you, but we STILL need WRs and OL. Our OL was getting credit for weeks now for being "improved," so today was a fine chance for them to continue that. Instead, the Raiders got plenty of pressure on both Hanie and the Run game. WRs...yeah, Knox had a decent game, when he wasnt dropping passes. Same goes for the rest of our WRs, seemed like they were dropping passes right and left. They certainly werent doing much to help out Hanie.

---

A lot of the drives were stalled because they couldn't catch what was thrown to them. Think It's time to can Darryl Drake, the WR coach.

They are a ways away from "complete". That definition would revolve around the fact that problem areas have been solved, constant sustained improvement has been made, and talent levels have risen. That isn't a negative Nancy talking that is just the criteria I would use to describe a team that went from sub-standard in many areas to "complete".

I think the Bears COULD be the most complete team, but rarely do all three phases click in the same game. Seems like it's only one phase (sometimes two) playing well on any given week. If they could find a way to consistently get all three phases clicking on one day they would be hard to beat.

I will say that football is a game that has so many interrelated elements that it's hard to say the true effect of Hanie. I do agree that we would have won the game had Cutler been there. A few extra yards here, a first down there, and I think a couple of those FG's wouldn't have happened. Also, as we all know, with a bit more rest, the defense wouldn't have been as winded late (and wouldn't have given up the last TD, IMO). We also wouldn't have seen 8/9 in the box all game.


It's clear to me that Hanie didn't have the touch I'd expect to see next week. Given how he reacted to similar circumstances in preseason, I'm expecting a much improved showing next week (not to mention a weaker opponent - better field position).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Papa Bear

I think the Bears COULD be the most complete team, but rarely do all three phases click in the same game. Seems like it's only one phase (sometimes two) playing well on any given week. If they could find a way to consistently get all three phases clicking on one day they would be hard to beat.

---

True.

Until then ..... they are FAR from a "complete team". They have to "complete" consecutively. Consistently.

And they don't.

But, let's also remember that this was Hanie's 1st REAL game...ever.
This was the 1st time that the receivers really had to work with him.
This was the 1st time it really counted for him. Other then last years' Championship game...which he actually did fairly well in....in almost the same situation.

He got excited. Wanted to impress. And blew it. That's all. He knows what he did, and I'm sure he'll calm down. Sometimes you just have to get threw that 1st horse shit experience to really step back, look at yourself...reevaluate.....and shine.

Didn't the GREAT Billy Joel actually write a song, criticizing himself for exactly the same thing?
.... "Just Had To Be A Big Shot...Didn't cha .... ????"

..... and then went on to win how many Grammy's?



Hell, even the mighty Cutler was a complete FK UP his first year here. And he came from DENVER where he was a Pro-Bowler....with LOTS of experience.

Hanie's had what? .... 14 completed passes in 4 years?

He'll be fine. :-)

.