In the 8th game of the year, Urlacher makes his first appearance!

Benji... I asked this in the first BU discussion thread here.

You haven't noticed him play, but have you seen him fail on a big play against? I can't remember if it even happened this season.

Actually I thought he looked horrible at the beginning of the year. But he's played A LOT better since then. Obviously he had no off season or preseason so that's not entirely unexpected. It was nice to see him get a couple big plays because that was the one thing lacking from his old self.

But yeah, when he was running up the sideline I thought "wow, he lost his wheels". The interesting thing about that was early in his career, he was ALL about speed. Chasing down guys sideline to sideline. He's evolved his game and is still a good (not great) LB using his instincts and being in the right place when he needs to be.

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Originally Posted by GermansbombedPH

Benji... I asked this in the first BU discussion thread here.

You haven't noticed him play, but have you seen him fail on a big play against? I can't remember if it even happened this season.

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Not really no, which gets back to the original post, he finally made an appearance. Being a great field general is great, having someone who can quickly recognize the play and change things up is great. But sooner or later you need him to make the big plays, and he finally did that.

With his ability to recognize plays, if he can do so from the side lines, I could easily are him becoming a great DC when his playing days are over

I think I just watched the most entertaining first quarter...

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Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Not really no, which gets back to the original post, he finally made an appearance. Being a great field general is great, having someone who can quickly recognize the play and change things up is great. But sooner or later you need him to make the big plays, and he finally did that.

With his ability to recognize plays, if he can do so from the side lines, I could easily are him becoming a great DC when his playing days are over

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I think you are right. Could become a coach for us as soon as next year. I hate this situation with him and going into next offseason. Not sure if he can play next year too.

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Originally Posted by loki520

If you ACTUALLY believe that BU didn't make an appearance until the 8th game, I think you're misunderstanding what his mere presence on the field also means.

Has he lost a step or two? Sure, no doubt. But his leadership on the field and his still somewhat formidable skill-set forces the O to take him into account on each and every play. You can't simply disregard him because his skill-set goes BEYOND the physical. He's smart. He has a knack for being in the right place (or at least area) at the right time, and even when he's not, his presence allows other members of the D to excel in ways they may not normally. It's called TEAMWORK. Not sure why some of you are so focused on individuals instead of how each individual strengthens the team.

He's not yet at the point where any negative physical ability totally offsets any positive presence and what that means to the defensive effort.

Maybe in another year or so, barring another injury, it'll be a different story.

It is beyond time, however, to be grooming the next bad-ass.

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Well said brother. And what I bold faced is exactly what allowed him to get that pick six. I posted an entire thread where Matt Bowen analyzed the play and what made it happen.

Urlacher hasn't ever been a run stuffing style MLB and he's even less so now. He's lost a step and he's not as loose and athletic as he used to be but who is at age 34 after playing MLB for 12 or 13 years? The guys still knows the game, how to run his defense and how he fits into it.

He still plays the pass better than any other MLB in football ever has.

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Originally Posted by GermansbombedPH

Urlacher wasn't bad this year... just not a Top3 MLB anymore. Average Starter with great leadership.

Not sure about next year...

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That all depends on how you view his role GbPH. As Loki pointed out what he brings to the field mentally and his ability to lead his defense is probably better now than it ever was. He needs more support and than he needed in that past and he's getting it. All or that counts for something.

There also isn't another MLB in the game that plays the pass and rules those middle zones better than he does. One reason were getting picks out of others is that QBs usually know better than to throw the ball into an area where he's covering. Hasselbeck should have known yet he did it anyway and six points is what happened.

Urlacher has never been a run stuffer. Not before and not now but he's dangerous to pass against and he can still play the run well enough to stop the big play and even make a few at or behind the line when he gets more aggressive.

In comparision to all the other starting MLBs, he isn't that great BEAST anymore. That's ok, but he is still in the middle of them and average as player. Great as leader

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Originally Posted by GermansbombedPH

In comparision to all the other starting MLBs, he isn't that great BEAST anymore. That's ok, but he is still in the middle of them and average as player. Great as leader

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I don't know that he ever was that "Beast" type. More of a "Freak" who could make plays all over the field including defending the deep middle 20 yards or more down field.

He never has shed blockers well because he's never had to. He's better at avoiding them and being a playmaker than he ever was as a "stack and shed" kind of guy. I don't think there's ever been a MLB in the game that could do as much as well as he's done for so many years.

At 34 he can still shoot gaps and take guys down in the backfield or get into coverage and take a pick almost 50 yards to the house. It's his instincts and his all around play that make him as effective as he is. This defense can't play the way it does without what he can do that others can't.