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Matt Bowen Give Us His Perspective on the Game..................
MNF: Bears beat up the Cowboys
My game notes from Chicago's 34-18 win. Matt Bowen
October 02, 2012, 12:02 AM EST
Let’s run through my notes from the Bears’ 34-18 win over the Cowboys down in Dallas. Some Xs and Os, personnel, etc. Here’s what I saw tonight…
US PRESSWIRE
Cutler targeted Marshall on inside breaking cuts in the Bears' Monday night win.
Cutler to Marshall: The Bears used the Slant, the Spot (7-Curl-Flat combo), Swap Boot, etc. to get the ball to Marshall (7-138-1TD), giving him open field to work with. Think leverage here with the Bears' WR. Routes breaking inside of the numbers (Smash route on the TD) where his size/length come into to play. The 9 (fade) route in the 4th quarter? That’s a veteran push-off from Marshall that will never be called. And this is exactly what QB Jay Cutler (18-24-275-2TDs) wants—a WR that will go get the ball.
Bears’ Cover 2: Look at the turnovers Lovie Smith’s unit produced vs. Tony Romo in their two-deep shell. Get after the QB with your front-four and drop seven into coverage. Nothing new from the Bears. Let’s talk about two (of the five) interceptions Romo threw...
- On D.J. Moore’s pick, this is how you play the “seam-hook” vs. an inside vertical seam. Get depth, carry No.2 and read the QB. Easy play for the Bears’ nickel back to roll under the route and step into the throwing lane.
- On Major Wright’s pick, he has to play two verticals. The CB will sink with No.1 (and cushion the safety), but this is Wright’s play to make. Align at 15-18 yards off the ball and put yourself in a position to drive at a downhill angle vs. both vertical concepts. Great break off the numbers.
Dez Bryant’s drops: That was undisciplined football from the Cowboys’ WR all night. Start with the missed “hot read” vs. Chicago’s open (weak) side zone pressure. In that situation, the WR has to convert to a Slant, Hitch or Fade based on the QB. Bryant runs the wrong route and it leads to a “basket” INT (and score) for Charles Tillman. Now move on to the dropped balls. Those are plays you have to get from your WR. Finish. Move the sticks. Protect your QB....Bad football from Bryant.
Hester’s TD: I’m calling this a “Dino” route from the Bears’ WR on the 34-yard TD. Stem up the field, shake to the out and then work vertically to the post. With rookie Morris Claiborne playing with an outside shade (and looking in the backfield) he had no chance to recover on this route. Where was the FS? Looked like a “cut” call on the backside vs. a WR in a reduced split (close to the formation). Solid execution from both Hester and Cutler on the play.
Cowboys' lack of production in the run game: Dallas only generated 41-yards on the ground. And we have to understand that the Bears played a 7-Man box (Cover 2) for the majority of the game. When a defense wants to keep both safeties removed from the run front, you have to establish the line of scrimmage and force the SS to walk down (Cover 1, Cover 3). That needs to improve when you have DeMarco Murray in the backfield.
Follow me on Twitter: @MattBowen41
Last edited by soulman; 10-02-2012 at 04:54 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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Just a few comments the first of which is that I really like the way Matt Bowen breaks things down. Of all of the writers who cover the Bears he's by far the most astute when it comes to understanding the game whether it's verbally describing the plays or diagramming the Xs and Os.
First of all Tice finally wised up and started working Marshall to the inside. After the Packer Game I was wondering how long that would take. I said in a post earlier this week just how much open space there should be over the short middle and anyone who watched Marshall's TD catch could see that on the replay. He waltzed in to the endzone untouched. Now imagine Hester running some quick slants into that area as well with all that open space to perform his magic in. Congrats to Mike Tice. He finally got his offense back on track.
Hester made a nice layout and catch on his TD but he always leaves me wondering that if he actually finished his routes maybe he would need to make such acrobatic catches all of the time. I think Cutler puts the ball right where he expects Hester's speed will take him but Hester seems to want to downshift right before he catches the ball. It's like he can't or doesn't know how to judge his catching spot when he's running at full speed. Still a very nice play though you have to wonder whether or not there shouldn't be at least two or three chances for that to happen every game. Nobody can stay with him on that kind of a route and unless they bring a Safety over it's gonna be a TD or a big gain 9 times out of 10.
The defense was awesome again. We should have had at least three or four more sacks on plays where I thought they had him dead but somehow he slipped out just before the rush hit him. But I saw at least on blatant hold on one of his completions that wasn't called right before Dallas's first TD. But we did keep pressure on him and that lead to the picks so from what little I saw of it the line did it's job.
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
soulman 
Just a few comments the first of which is that I really like the way Matt Bowen breaks things down. Of all of the writers who cover the Bears he's by far the most astute when it comes to understanding the game whether it's verbally describing the plays or diagramming the Xs and Os.
First of all Tice finally wised up and started working Marshall to the inside. After the Packer Game I was wondering how long that would take. I said in a post earlier this week just how much open space there should be over the short middle and anyone who watched Marshall's TD catch could see that on the replay. He waltzed in to the endzone untouched. Now imagine Hester running some quick slants into that area as well with all that open space to perform his magic in. Congrats to Mike Tice. He finally got his offense back on track.
Hester made a nice layout and catch on his TD but he always leaves me wondering that if he actually finished his routes maybe he would need to make such acrobatic catches all of the time. I think Cutler puts the ball right where he expects Hester's speed will take him but Hester seems to want to downshift right before he catches the ball. It's like he can't or doesn't know how to judge his catching spot when he's running at full speed. Still a very nice play though you have to wonder whether or not there shouldn't be at least two or three chances for that to happen every game. Nobody can stay with him on that kind of a route and unless they bring a Safety over it's gonna be a TD or a big gain 9 times out of 10.
The defense was awesome again. We should have had at least three or four more sacks on plays where I thought they had him dead but somehow he slipped out just before the rush hit him. But I saw at least on blatant hold on one of his completions that wasn't called right before Dallas's first TD. But we did keep pressure on him and that lead to the picks so from what little I saw of it the line did it's job.
DH, the return man, is use to standing still when he catches PR / KR , maybe thats DH thinking? I agree, DH seems to slow/ downshift, when he's about to catch. The number of attempts and routes DH had is about what I ( ME ) think it should be. Maybe a few more IF the D is ignoring him.
The passion of a few, to rule the many, that's Washington D.C.. Where else was that said before, about whom?
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Originally Posted by
soulman
First of all Tice finally wised up and started working Marshall to the inside.
Exactly. If they had played the Pack like they did Dallas, they would have beaten them soundly. I blame Tice more than the offensive line for that loss.
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Originally Posted by
JustAnotherBearsFan99 Exactly. If they had played the Pack like they did Dallas, they would have beaten them soundly. I blame Tice more than the offensive line for that loss.
I can add in alittle JC, for he wasn't the QB we seem in Dallas
EDIT then again the OL was giving him time in Dallas
The passion of a few, to rule the many, that's Washington D.C.. Where else was that said before, about whom?
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Originally Posted by
soulman
Hester made a nice layout and catch on his TD but he always leaves me wondering that if he actually finished his routes maybe he would need to make such acrobatic catches all of the time. I think Cutler puts the ball right where he expects Hester's speed will take him but Hester seems to want to downshift right before he catches the ball. It's like he can't or doesn't know how to judge his catching spot when he's running at full speed. Still a very nice play though you have to wonder whether or not there shouldn't be at least two or three chances for that to happen every game. Nobody can stay with him on that kind of a route and unless they bring a Safety over it's gonna be a TD or a big gain 9 times out of 10.
Yes you would think Drake could smooth out the edges on finishing routes. KDavis made a nice acrobatic catch. If just a small thing like going slant route like that can contribute so signifigantly I hope Tice starts upping his tactical game working on combo routes.
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Restore the roar!
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Junior Member
K Davis, AJ, and Devin all helped make this game much more balanced.
BTW An injured Matt Forte, looks more capable of breaking one than a healthy Bush. I'm still glad we have Bush, but he is not as explosive as Matt.
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Ya a lot of love went Bushes way this offseason as if he would/could carry the load if Forte held out into the season; I think we all see that was just not the case. He's better at the goal, but he's not capable of exploding into the next level like Forte is.
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I look at Bush and Forte as two completely different weapons. Like the difference between golf clubs. A driver is different from a putter - but you need both. Bush is one heck of a solid short yardage back (between the tackles) where Forte is not so hot. Forte is a great weapon for everything else, running and receiving. But Forte is simply not as good as Bush at short yardage. It would be like using your driver for a 10 foot putt. Use the putter.
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That's how I see him JABF, but many bought the hype that he could be a #1 if Forte went down and we wouldn't see a loss in production, it's just not the case. Bush IS a short yardage/goal line guy, that can also come in for a few series and rest the starter; he's no starter and you saw that in the lack of interest he got from other teams.
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