Week 5: Bears @ Lions, 12:00 Central time FOX

[rawaction]

Big win last week. This has the potential for a big letdown game. Back on the road vs. a Detroit team that will have 2 weeks to prepare for this one. The Lions will also be very desperate as they try to move on without Matt Millen. Also, another loss and their season is effectively over.

 

The good thing for the Bears though, is to use the new cliche, the Lions "are who we think they are". The Bears should be able to win this game if they play "Bear Football". The Lions have allowed 5.6 ypc on defense and have only forced 1 turnover. Offensively, their line has allowed 12 sacks in 3 games and Kitna has turned the ball over 6 times. They don't have particularly good special teams either.

[Derwood]

Chicago has to be the last team left to have not played a division game yet

[bukie]

Chicago has to be the last team left to have not played a division game yet

 

Actually, Buffalo doesn't play a division game until week 8. Then, 2/3 of their remaining games are divisional.

[Derwood]

Chicago has to be the last team left to have not played a division game yet

 

Actually, Buffalo doesn't play a division game until week 8. Then, 2/3 of their remaining games are divisional.

 

that's so piss-poor scheduling right there

[soapy]

forte and jones really should have a field day.

[Jon]

NU grad Nick Roach has apparently skipped over Jamar Williams and will get more reps with the defense with Hillenmeyer struggling.

[UMFan83]

NU grad Nick Roach has apparently skipped over Jamar Williams and will get more reps with the defense with Hillenmeyer struggling.

 

 

Wow, it seems like only yesterday when my friend and I were saying that we should let Briggs walk because we had Jamar Williams waiting in the wings.

[Soul]

Watch the letdown effect, boys.

[stuy119]

It's time to see if the Bears can play well in a game that isn't a national telecast. They seem to treat smaller games with disdain.

[UMFan83]

It's time to see if the Bears can play well in a game that isn't a national telecast. They seem to treat smaller games with disdain.

 

Haha, the general public must think that the Bears are an awesome team, having watched them dismantle Indy on the road and then Philly.

[Soul]

It's time to see if the Bears can play well in a game that isn't a national telecast. They seem to treat smaller games with disdain.

 

Haha, the general public must think that the Bears are an awesome team, having watched them dismantle Indy on the road and then Philly.

 

Actually, I think you're right. Many people do think we're pretty good this year.

[UMFan83]

It's time to see if the Bears can play well in a game that isn't a national telecast. They seem to treat smaller games with disdain.

 

Haha, the general public must think that the Bears are an awesome team, having watched them dismantle Indy on the road and then Philly.

 

Actually, I think you're right. Many people do think we're pretty good this year.

 

I'm not saying we aren't. They've proven a lot to me. Honestly we're talking about the Colts, Eagles, and 2 3-1 teams (Bucs and Panthers), and the Bears have either won, or held a double digit second half lead against all of them. They aren't great, but they are good. No whether good means 8-8 or good means 10-6, that remains to be seen. They still have the Jags, Titans, Saints and all our divisional games left.

[Butterscup1679666578]

We actually have a legit chance of going 3-0 going into the Bye. Hopefully this isn't a letdown game for us.

[Soul]

It's time to see if the Bears can play well in a game that isn't a national telecast. They seem to treat smaller games with disdain.

 

Haha, the general public must think that the Bears are an awesome team, having watched them dismantle Indy on the road and then Philly.

 

Actually, I think you're right. Many people do think we're pretty good this year.

 

I'm not saying we aren't. They've proven a lot to me. Honestly we're talking about the Colts, Eagles, and 2 3-1 teams (Bucs and Panthers), and the Bears have either won, or held a double digit second half lead against all of them. They aren't great, but they are good. No whether good means 8-8 or good means 10-6, that remains to be seen. They still have the Jags, Titans, Saints and all our divisional games left.

 

I'm trying to decide if I should stick with my original ".500 is a successful season" line, or get greedy and start expecting playoffs. With the Packers looking more & more flawed each week, I'm starting to get my hopes up.

[UMFan83]

I'll get my hopes up when I see the Packers lose to an iffy team. The Bucs and Cowboys are pretty good.

 

However, this isnt the 13-3 Packers team of a year ago.

[jersey cubs fan]

Big win last week. This has the potential for a big letdown game. Back on the road vs. a Detroit team that will have 2 weeks to prepare for this one. The Lions will also be very desperate as they try to move on without Matt Millen. Also, another loss and their season is effectively over.

 

The thing about Millen leaving is that he was the GM/President, not the head coach. A coaching change may have inspired this team, but Millen's influence on the team was basically done once the season began. Detroit stinks. But they stunk last year and the Bears lost to them. Meltdowns against Detroit essentially cost the Bears a decent season. I don't think they are going to have a letdown game and I don't think Detroit is going to be effectively motivated by Millen's departure, even if the fans are on cloud nine. Bears are 4 point road favorites right now, not a small number. They are also 4-0 against the spread, and I'm inclined to think they cover, and cover easily this week.

[bukie]

Stats:

 

Team Efficiency Ratings:

- Bears 11th overall in efficiency. They won last week despite being clearly outplayed.

- 21st offensively, 9th defensively, 5th ST. Same as ever, really. Although the defense is better than it was last year.

 

Team Offense Ratings:

- 21st overall offensively, but 25th in passing and 10th in rushing. They were actually projected to be worse offensively at this point, which is promising, but the passing game was much worse this week than it was overall after last week.

 

Team Defense Ratings:

- 9th overall, 12th passing, 9th rushing, above average efficiency in both. Slightly worse than projected, but still adequate.

 

Team Special Teams Ratings:

- 5th overall, which is lower than projected. The Bears have traditionally dominated special teams efficiency (as in, first by a long ways), so there's been a dropoff here to this point.

- They're slightly above average in point-kicking (FG/XP) efficiency, second in the NFL in kickoff efficiency, upper third in kickoff returns, upper third in punting, 5th worst in the NFL in punt returns. Hopefully will improve with a healthy Hester actually running forward.

 

As for individuals, Orton has been....bad. 28th among QBs in overall value, 30th in value per play.

Forte is middle of the pack, 20th in overall value, 18th in value per play. His success rate (rate of successful running plays to overall running plays) is near the bottom of the league, though.

As Wide Receivers go, Lloyd has actually been very good, 16th in the league in overall efficiency, 15th per play. He'd certainly be missed if he's out for an extended time. Rashied Davis is right about at the bottom of the list of qualified receivers (12 catches). Hester has been slightly above average to this point, with hopes that he can pick up the slack if Lloyd is down. Booker has been more useless than Davis.

Tight Ends have been a huge disappointment thus far, as both Olsen and Clark are right at the bottom of the qualified TE list in efficiency, both far below average.

The Offensive Line is pretty poor, 24th in the NFL in run blocking efficiency, 22nd in pass blocking efficiency. Run blocking is much better on later downs, but abysmal on first downs.

The Defensive Line is very good at run stopping (9th), not so good in pass rushing (20th, an NFL average 8 sacks overall).

[David]

Aren't the Packers pretty much screwed if Rodgers is hurt at all seriously?

[Guest]

Petition for this game to be on NBC.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I expect nothing less than 500 yards rushing from Forte

[Soul]

Aren't the Packers pretty much screwed if Rodgers is hurt at all seriously?

 

I think so. But from what I'm hearing up here, there's hope that it isn't serious, at most he would miss next week. They play the Falcons next week -- a team they can probably beat by running the ball and dinking & dunking with Flynn provided they play defense, maybe get a couple key turnovers.

 

If it's more serious though, all bets are off.

[rawaction]

Aren't the Packers pretty much screwed if Rodgers is hurt at all seriously?

 

I think so. But from what I'm hearing up here, there's hope that it isn't serious, at most he would miss next week. They play the Falcons next week -- a team they can probably beat by running the ball and dinking & dunking with Flynn provided they play defense, maybe get a couple key turnovers.

 

If it's more serious though, all bets are off.

 

He says he's going to play Sunday, but I don't imagine he can finish if his shoulder was seperated this past Sunday. GB is probably done if Rodgers is out for a long period of time. They don't have a running game, defense, or special teams that can carry them.

[Handlebar McSkullet]

Watch the letdown effect, boys.

 

If this team lets down after last years howryfests, then we should just pack it in. Just let that set in, we got swept by the Lions last year.

[Soul]

Watch the letdown effect, boys.

 

If this team lets down after last years howryfests, then we should just pack it in. Just let that set in, we got swept by the Lions last year.

 

I hate losing games like this. Don't even think about it, Bears.

[Sorianos hop]

Time to get back on top of the NFC North