Thread: What did we learn today?

1. Our cobbled-together oline did a decent job in protection, but couldn't convert key short yardage run play situations.

2. The "D" ran out of gas.

3. Urlacher looked old and gassed.

4. Injuries are mounting up at a frightening rate.

Originally Posted by Alf The Ref

Bears were a little under-manned before the season started . With the injuries they're even more under-manned now . A good team , but not a great team that is still a few pieces short of being a true contender .

Part of the difference between us (a good team) and a great team is that we make too many mistakes that a truly great team won't make. We beat ourselves. I know it seems like some of these drops, penalties and missed tackles are not THAT big of a deal. But when you add all of them up, it equals lost games like today.

Even our veterans had some brain farts today.

Urlacher looked old and tired.

I saw some good and some bad. They got Forte involved more in the passing game (hopefully be design and not because they had to with injuries). I liked that and it paid off. The D was generally good (even great), but just allowed too many yards today. They break down more than I like.

I loved the fact that with 20 seconds left we were able to tie the game. I thought the game was lost and then they pulled that off. It shows what the team is capable of. We did not use Sanz, and honestly I was not keeping track of him so I don't know if it was because he couldn't get open or because we were treating him like Bennett and ignoring him.

Bennett dropped two important passes that hurt us. The coaches once again got outcoached - a continuing and disturbing trend.

One of the things that disturbs me though is that this is the second time that Cutler really has had good protection. He stayed clean all game except for I think one hit. If we can only score 2 TDs with that kind of protection, that is not good. We have one of the very best WR's in the league, and I think the best RB tandem. I don't think that we took advantage of that talent in tems of innovative plays centered around them. We do always throw to Marshall, so in temrs of the number of throws we do, but we use him mostly on mid to short stuff (where he is very effective). I'd like to see plays that can get him in a position to score -- longer plays when Cutler has protection like today.

TE's would have been effective today and for once we didn't target our big TE's. It seems like we use them when we shouldn't and don't when we should. And normally they drop the ball anyway, but today we should have gone to them more.

Someone said Bush played badly, but what I saw that when we started to feed a steady diet of Bush (not a bad diet by the way), that he started to hammer through.

All in all, I thought it was a very good game and we were in it. We had some key guys hurt, but we did well. This game reinforces to me that we are a very good team but will not be able to play with the really good finalist teams. We have all hoped they could score almost at will given adequate protection for Cutler, but I don't think they can even with the protection -- but they should be able to.

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Booch, we were 7 points behind until we threw the ball to Forte; who set up field position w/a decent run. This team does not need 1 player to be 40% of the O anymore, it should be 20-25 w/Marshal, 20-25 w/Forte, and the rest should be spread out to Bush, Bennett, Hester, Dane, Weems, TE's.

G4B, yep they were more interested at getting to Russel, then keeping containment and it constantly cost them.

Alf, welcome aboard. The team lacked depth, but I don't think it was really undermanned. It was again a team where the O wanted to be/prove it was something it wasn't. They so desperately want to be the 90's Rams w/a explosive O that runs through the passing game, and they just aren't there, and Marshal/Jeffery were not going to make it that way b/c the OL limits it.

Offense was not hurt by Marshall at all today. Marshall was the reason Forte got open for the TD. Did you see Cutler's numbers today? outstanding performance by him. Defense and coaching deserve 110% of the blame today. btw losing 3 of your top 4 Wide receivers kind of limit your options to Marshall. Bennett got hurt during the second quarter and we were already missing hester and AJ.

Booch, the Offense scored 20 points today. That is not enough for a team w/Cutler, Marshal and Forte on it; along w/the supporting cast of Bush/Bennett etc. This is a team that should easily score in the mid to high 20's. Jeffery was the only thing they could not replace on O regarding WR, every other WR besides Marshal is not a huge upgrade over the backups. Same w/the OL, the OL w/3 backups played decent today, it didn't hurt them to lose their starting G's, nor does it hurt the team to lose Hester/Bennett. The best thing that did was get Forte back involved in the pass game, and help Hernandez get in there too; why did he only get one look btw?

I'm not saying the D doesn't deserve blame, but the O should have scored more, and held more time on the field to rest that D.

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Booch, the Offense scored 20 points today. That is not enough for a team w/Cutler, Marshal and Forte on it; along w/the supporting cast of Bush/Bennett etc. This is a team that should easily score in the mid to high 20's. Jeffery was the only thing they could not replace on O regarding WR, every other WR besides Marshal is not a huge upgrade over the backups. Same w/the OL, the OL w/3 backups played decent today, it didn't hurt them to lose their starting G's, nor does it hurt the team to lose Hester/Bennett. The best thing that did was get Forte back involved in the pass game, and help Hernandez get in there too; why did he only get one look btw?

I'm not saying the D doesn't deserve blame, but the O should have scored more, and held more time on the field to rest that D.

I agree it's not all on the D. There were blown plays by our players on BOTH sides of the ball all game long. Those brain farts and failures add up to a loss. We didn't deserve to win today because the players failed to make basic football plays. You know, like tackling, catching the ball (not B.Marsh, but others), not being able to pick up a few inches rushing for a 1st down, false starts & off sides, and on and on and on and on...

Seattle's players made enough plays to win. Our players made enough bad plays to lose.