CBS Sports: "Chicago Bears 5 biggest questions heading into regular season"

The "Big 5" worries:

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LINK to the article

Chicago Bears: 5 biggest questions heading into regular season

By Gene Chamberlain | CBSSports.com

September 2, 2012 12:44 pm ET



1. Offensive line -- In particular, the left tackle position remains the biggest question mark. Only once in preseason -- against Washington -- did the Bears display an all-around offensive line effort from starters. J'Marcus Webb hasn't proven he can handle the good NFL pass rushers consistently. In most games the offense will be operating in handcuffs because extra backfield or tight end blockers will need to be devoted to protection on the side he blocks. If anything, the line actually became worse as left guard became a quesitonable position, as well. Ironically, after seeing the line's inability to pass block and run block, the Bears cut third QB Josh McCown and went with just Cutler, Jason Campbell and rookie practice squader Matt Blanchard. Hopefully they have McCown on speed dial.


2. Brian Urlacher's knee -- This drama has gone on since last winter, but intensified with the revelation he had to go to Europe and have a non-invasive procedure before geting it scoped. Lovie Smith and Urlacher insist it's going to be full go from the start of practice this week, even though waiting four more days for the Thursday night game at Green Bay seems to make more sense.


3. Aging defense -- Urlacher's injury aside, the concern over age on the defense remains as great as ever. Cornerback Charles Tillman comes off his first Pro Bowl season and had a third preseason game against the Giants to forget. The over-30 club includes Lance Briggs, Urlacher, Julius Pepper and Israel Idonije. Can they remain as effective as in the past? There is a line of thinking that says the offense will be more explosive now and the defense won't have to be as good. When a defense becomes less effective, often the slide from top to bottom becomes very steep and fast in the NFL.


4. Safety -- The question about them coming into camp was inexperience. Now it's health and inexperience. After rookie Brandon Hardin's season-ending neck injury and Chris Conte's shoulder injury, the depth has been challenged. Conte is expected to be ready for the opener. Craig Steltz and Anthony Walters back up Conte and Major Wright. The Bears will need a pass rush to help out this group.


5. Brandon Marshall -- He can be the best wide receiver the Bears have ever had, and teamed with QB Jay Cutler can open up the offense in ways Chicago has never seen. On the other hand, he has also been disruptive and dangerous in the past due to his borderline personality disorder. It appears everything is under control and working in the proper direction, but volatility is the danger with this situation.

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

The "Big 5" worries:

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1. Offensive line -- In particular, the left tackle position remains the biggest question mark. Only once in preseason -- against Washington -- did the Bears display an all-around offensive line effort from starters. J'Marcus Webb hasn't proven he can handle the good NFL pass rushers consistently. In most games the offense will be operating in handcuffs because extra backfield or tight end blockers will need to be devoted to protection on the side he blocks. If anything, the line actually became worse as left guard became a quesitonable position, as well. Ironically, after seeing the line's inability to pass block and run block, the Bears cut third QB Josh McCown and went with just Cutler, Jason Campbell and rookie practice squader Matt Blanchard. Hopefully they have McCown on speed dial.

(He makes a good point relative to the LG spot. LT has always been questionable and will continue to be as we begin the 2013 season but by removing CWill to play OT in favor of Spencer or Rachal we just made LG more questionable too. The other issue he brings up isn't one. Keeping a vet like McCown on the outside chance that both Cutler and Campbell would be lost to injury is a pretty poor way to manage personnel when you barely have enough roster spots for the other guys you need to keep. I guess that's why Chamberlain is a writer and not a HC or GM. It would have been overkill to keep McCown under the present circumstances.)

2. Brian Urlacher's knee -- This drama has gone on since last winter, but intensified with the revelation he had to go to Europe and have a non-invasive procedure before geting it scoped. Lovie Smith and Urlacher insist it's going to be full go from the start of practice this week, even though waiting four more days for the Thursday night game at Green Bay seems to make more sense.

(This looks like it makes more sense on paper than it does in reality. Brian Urlacher is not gonna sit if he can play. That's not the way he approaches the game. It's time to find out now, as quickly as we can, just how his knee injury is gonna affect his play as the season goes on and what his recuperative powers are in between games. While he can still play Brian Urlacher will give 100% always. I don't see him nursing this thing along. If he just can't do it anymore (and there's no proof of that so far) then I can see him retiring even as early as the end of this season although I'm keeping my finger crossed that isn't the case. Holding him out of the first game isn't gonna help when there are 15 more to play at a minimum. He's either healthy of he's not. If he's gonna continue to have problems that affect his play or availability let's find out ASAP and make the needed adjustments.)

3. Aging defense -- Urlacher's injury aside, the concern over age on the defense remains as great as ever. Cornerback Charles Tillman comes off his first Pro Bowl season and had a third preseason game against the Giants to forget. The over-30 club includes Lance Briggs, Urlacher, Julius Pepper and Israel Idonije. Can they remain as effective as in the past? There is a line of thinking that says the offense will be more explosive now and the defense won't have to be as good. When a defense becomes less effective, often the slide from top to bottom becomes very steep and fast in the NFL.

(He seems to be overlooking the fact that we added some youth to the DL and the LB core on the fly. We're actually getting younger on defense overall. Yeah we have some key players who are aging but with the exception of Urlacher these guys are 31 or 32 not 35 or 36 so in any event they should have at least another year or two of higher level play in them. That last sentence is just and overly obvious very trite comment. Duh!)


4. Safety -- The question about them coming into camp was inexperience. Now it's health and inexperience. After rookie Brandon Hardin's season-ending neck injury and Chris Conte's shoulder injury, the depth has been challenged. Conte is expected to be ready for the opener. Craig Steltz and Anthony Walters back up Conte and Major Wright. The Bears will need a pass rush to help out this group.

(Hardin wasn't gonna start immediately anyway so except for STeams we won't miss him all that much for now. Conte should be back, Wright looks like he has improved a little and has SS wrapped and Steltz is one of the best reserve Safties in the league. He can play either Safety position and he's a smart instinctive player who tackles well and can always find the ball. Walters is inexperienced but he's had a year to observe now and he played pretty well in the preseason. Still, I'm hoping he never see the field in a regular game. We did well enough playing just Conte, Steltz and Wright last year and they're all a year more experienced now so I don't see Safety as a huge problem right now)


5. Brandon Marshall -- He can be the best wide receiver the Bears have ever had, and teamed with QB Jay Cutler can open up the offense in ways Chicago has never seen. On the other hand, he has also been disruptive and dangerous in the past due to his borderline personality disorder. It appears everything is under control and working in the proper direction, but volatility is the danger with this situation.

(Another one of those sentences that didn't need writing. Here Gene, here's your second DUH!)

A question that I keep asking myself is "How long before Jeffrey averages more targets/game than Hester?" I'm liking the look of Jeffrey oppo Marshall with Bennett in the slot, defenses WILL worry.

Ever notice how much slower some of these guys are getting up after a tackle tho ? Saw a sign once , said something about Signs Ur Getting Older and 1 of the lines said something like : When you fall down you take a minute and see whats down there .

I was channel surfing tonight and came across the Seattle/Raider game in the first half.

Anyone watch Omiyale in the 1st half of the Seattle game tonight? He's playing LT and looking like a complete stud. Pass and run blocking. Putting on a clinic. Maybe he's going against the #2's (I don't know) but regardless the guy looks like a complete stud.

So. Why didn't he do that for us? Looks like Seattle has a solid tackle. Makes you wonder about that Tice pixie dust. Maybe that box of dust is past its expiration date and gone bad.

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I was channel surfing tonight and came across the Seattle/Raider game in the first half.

Anyone watch Omiyale in the 1st half of the Seattle game tonight? He's playing LT and looking like a complete stud. Pass and run blocking. Putting on a clinic. Maybe he's going against the #2's (I don't know) but regardless the guy looks like a complete stud.

So. Why didn't he do that for us? Looks like Seattle has a solid tackle. Makes you wonder about that Tice pixie dust. Maybe that box of dust is past its expiration date and gone bad.

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Did Howie Long announce that game? JABF you said Raiders!

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Originally Posted by Blue Horse-shoe

Ever notice how much slower some of these guys are getting up after a tackle tho ? Saw a sign once , said something about Signs Ur Getting Older and 1 of the lines said something like : When you fall down you take a minute and see whats down there .

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That's because us old guys are just stopping to smell the roses we overlooked when we were younger Blue! :lol-027:

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Originally Posted by JustAnotherBearsFan99

I was channel surfing tonight and came across the Seattle/Raider game in the first half.

Anyone watch Omiyale in the 1st half of the Seattle game tonight? He's playing LT and looking like a complete stud. Pass and run blocking. Putting on a clinic. Maybe he's going against the #2's (I don't know) but regardless the guy looks like a complete stud.

So. Why didn't he do that for us? Looks like Seattle has a solid tackle. Makes you wonder about that Tice pixie dust. Maybe that box of dust is past its expiration date and gone bad.

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I have an idea but it has nothing to do with pixie dust and it's the same reason that if we let Webb go someone else will finally make a LT out of him. Part of it's Tice's handling of these guys and the other is that both of these oafs got way overpaid way too soon.

Now that OMG is playing for his paycheck for once and not living off of the guaranteed couch JA had reserved for him maybe he's finally showing whatever potential some one saw in him to begin with. Olin Kruetz said he had a lot of talent but he also said that he was lazy and uncommitted. Sound like someone else we know?

Honestly, This is an offensive team, not defense anymore. That doesn't mean our offense is great, it just means that's who we gotta rely on due to circumstance. Also, if you notice, some of the SB teams of late have not had great o-lines, and as long as cutler and co. can figure ways around the weaknesses, we should be fine in that regard; I have my reservations about the line, but i'm also not gonna worry about what transpired in the preseason either.

Back to defense, I think Conte is gonna get better, but I'm not seeing Mike Brown here. I think Wright is just about at his ceiling, and I have no reason to believe otherwise. Urlacher's *****d, but we gotta ride him out this season. What we need, first and foremost (and it makes ya wonder if Url's knee had something to do with McClellan over Reiff) is the pass rush to be outstanding. Like the Giants being superior only in the trenches, that's where we need to make our mark.

Back to offense, I still believe in tice, and I don't believe every blocking scheme was on full display in the preseason. YEah, that's the part you look for, but there was only one bootleg, which we were promised would be more prominent, and that play was vanilla as hell, going for 4 yards. I think there's some reason to be concerned, but until we start losing 2-3 games in a row, I'm okay with the state of the franchise. I AM having more faith in Alshon. Dude's lookin' like a beast, coming back for underthrown passes and catching over dudes heads and shit.

Coaching should be a worry because I think this is the make or break season with this staff.