Cover 2 killer Smith awaits Bears again

If we can shut this guy down, we're set. I'm going to this game with my son. Hope we contain Smith. I've grown to hate what this guy does to us. He makes it look easy against our defense. I will always remember him gutting us in the playoff game.

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LINK to the article

Cover 2 killer Smith awaits Bears again


LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Steve Smith is the definition of a Cover 2 killer.

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The Panthers' Steve Smith burned the Bears for 181 yards receiving last season at Soldier Field.


No matter what the Chicago Bears have tried over the years, it hasn't worked.

No player, with the possible exception of theMinnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson, has caused more trouble for Lovie Smith's defense than Carolina's star receiver.

Three of Smith's four lifetime meetings against the Bears have come against a Lovie Smith-coached team. In those three games, Steve Smith has caught an outrageous 34 passes for 568 yards and two touchdowns.

No game was bigger than the 2005 playoff game when he caught 12 passes for 218 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-21 victory, one of the most dominant individual performances in Soldier Field history.

Earlier in the 2005 regular season, Smith hit the Bears for 14 catches for 169 yards. Last season he went off for eight receptions for 181 yards at Soldier Field.


But the Bears do hold an edge over Smith in one important area.

"We've won the games though, right?" Bears cornerback Charles Tillman noted on Thursday.

That's mostly correct. The Bears have won two of those three games and are 3-2 overall against the Panthers since 2005. Smith missed the 2008 and 2010 games due to injuries.

However, that fact doesn't make Smith any less dangerous.

"He's just a heck of a football player," Lovie Smith said. "You start with that. As we said, he's got great speed, he can catch the ball, he's a competitor. Every coverage has been tried against him. But you have to have a plan for him, and we do."

But will that plan result in the Bears stopping Carolina's No. 1 receiver on Sunday?

"I don't know," Tillman said. "We'll see Sunday what our success is. Maybe we can change that and prove you wrong."

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jennings!!!!!

Pass Rush!

Enjoy the game 99. If they were playing @ Carolina I'd probably be going to the game as we live around 3 hrs from Charlotte. Smith will more than likely make some plays against us as usual, but this is a good chance to see how far our young safeties have come.

Smith is a good crafty WR but I'm not going to use the metric from 2005 to think he will do that again. Too much has changed. Cam will get contained, chased down by Wootton, Pep, and Shea, and we have the luxury of shadowing him with Jennings or Peanut.

Smith may have a good day but I don't think he torches us.

This Defense is far from any Defense the Bears have had in years, so what another player on some other team has done in the past, doesn't equal the same play they will have this year.

If we can cover Calvin Johnson, we can cover this guy. Calvin Johnson is a far superior receiver to Steve Smith, who seems to not be quite as deadly as he's been in recent years.

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Originally Posted by JJ-30

This Defense is far from any Defense the Bears have had in years, so what another player on some other team has done in the past, does equal the same play they will have this year.

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You meant doesn't I'm guessing.

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Originally Posted by Dagan81

If we can cover Calvin Johnson, we can cover this guy. Calvin Johnson is a far superior receiver to Steve Smith, who seems to not be quite as deadly as he's been in recent years.

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I agree CJ is better than Smith, but Smith is a completely different type of receiver. Tillman has always matched up great with bigger, slower receivers. Not these little, fast guys. Still gonna be tough.

Damn computer, doesn't like to type what I am thinking only what I type.

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Originally Posted by short faced bear

You meant doesn't I'm guessing.

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