Bears game 16: January 2 @ GB, 3:15 on Fox

[UMFan83]

The more I think about it....Guys, this wasn't the Bears offense today. They may have "tried" by keeping their starters in all game, but that play calling was not what we'll see in 2 weeks. This really did look like the offense of the first part of the season. Cutler took a ton of deep dropbacks, was looking to push the ball down field, was using checkdowns when nothing was happening down the field. And furthermore, for the first time in a long time the running/passing play calls were really uneven in favor of passing. I think someone pointed out that since the bye, the Bears have run the most running plays in the league I think. Today they maybe ran 20 times to 39 passes. I think it's pretty obvious that the Bears decided to try, but tried to win using a style of offense that isn't suited for them to score a lot of points, and they didn't. Give credit to the Packers defense of course, but I would think we'd have more points scored had we been doing the things that got us to 11-4.

 

I hope that was the real defense at least.

 

Yeah I think it was the real defense. The Bears have been running the same formations on defense for years. There is no point in trying to mask our defensive gameplan because everyone knows what defense the Bears are gonna run.

[Soul]

I didn't see the Bears offense experimenting. I saw them running pretty vanilla, like they did very early in the year.

 

The defense played as per usual, and held a great offense to 7 points.

 

Basically we played one side of the ball today.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I think the Bears offense was playing conservative, just trying to gut out a win and not show their cards. the defense came to prove something

[UMFan83]

I didn't see the Bears offense experimenting. I saw them running pretty vanilla, like they did very early in the year.

 

The defense played as per usual, and held a great offense to 7 points.

 

Basically we played one side of the ball today.

 

They weren't necessarily experimenting. They were just dropping back and trying to get the ball downfield. This is the first week the Bears passed more than run since the bye, according to CSN, and it was drastically in favor of passing (39-20). That is the kind of difference we saw in September and October. There were probably more 7 step drops today than in the previous 8 games combined

[Soul]

I didn't see the Bears offense experimenting. I saw them running pretty vanilla, like they did very early in the year.

 

The defense played as per usual, and held a great offense to 7 points.

 

Basically we played one side of the ball today.

 

They weren't necessarily experimenting. They were just dropping back and trying to get the ball downfield. This is the first week the Bears passed more than run since the bye, according to CSN, and it was drastically in favor of passing (39-20). That is the kind of difference we saw in September and October. There were probably more 7 step drops today than in the previous 8 games combined

 

Yes. It felt like the Giants game again, which was the last time we saw this before Martz made his adjustments.

 

Everyone knows those plays like the back of their hands, but they also can't execute the pass protection needed for them.

 

Maybe Martz just wanted to re-convince himself that he can't do this in the playoffs. But I didn't appreciate seeing Cutler hung out there like that.

[JonJayCutler]

Most important thing is no serious injuries and I'm sure we highlighted a few things on offense to improve, a benefit we wouldn't have necessarily gotten had we rested the starters. We pretty much got the most ideal result from this game that we could have gotten with a loss.

 

Oh and someone forgot to tell Johnny Knox there was a game today. That's alright, better it happened this week than in two weeks.

[JonJayCutler]

This is the first week the Bears passed more than run since the bye, according to CSN, and it was drastically in favor of passing (39-20).

 

A lot of those throws came on the final couple possessions when we really didn't have time to run. This has really been the first time since the bye week that we trailed for almost the entire 4th quarter with a chance to still win the game (unlike the NE game). The Bills and Lions games we trailed but then scored and ran the ball to drain the clock. I thought we used the run appropriately today for the most part.

 

With Forte's recent success, I'm not worried at all that we'll abandon the run come playoffs.

[Soul]

Most important thing is no serious injuries and I'm sure we highlighted a few things on offense to improve, a benefit we wouldn't have necessarily gotten had we rested the starters. We pretty much got the most ideal result from this game that we could have gotten with a loss.

 

Oh and someone forgot to tell Johnny Knox there was a game today. That's alright, better it happened this week than in two weeks.

 

Just show Johnny the game tape and tell him, "yes, as you suspected, you can't sleepwalk through games and be good."

[UMFan83]

They just said on CSN that the Bears playoff game will be on Sunday, January 16th at Noon.

[UMFan83]

This is the first week the Bears passed more than run since the bye, according to CSN, and it was drastically in favor of passing (39-20).

 

A lot of those throws came on the final couple possessions when we really didn't have time to run. This has really been the first time since the bye week that we trailed for almost the entire 4th quarter with a chance to still win the game (unlike the NE game). The Bills and Lions games we trailed but then scored and ran the ball to drain the clock. I thought we used the run appropriately today for the most part.

 

With Forte's recent success, I'm not worried at all that we'll abandon the run come playoffs.

 

That's somewhat the cause, but there were a crapload of passing plays and no runs during those 2nd half drives. Those last 2 drives dont make up 19 more throws. Either way, it was uneven play calling after the first half.

[UMFan83]

I'll highlight the breakdown by drive just because it interests me.

 

-1 pass, 2 run

-3 pass, 0 run

-1 pass, 3 run, 1 sack

-6 pass, 2 run, 1 sack

-1 pass, 2 run

-1 pass (halftime)

-4 pass, 4 run

-2 pass, 1 run (cutler scramble)

-3 pass, 0 run

-1 pass, 0 run, 2 sack

-2 pass, 1 run

-1 pass, 2 run, 2 sack

-12 pass, 3 runs

 

First half: 13 pass, 9 run, 2 sacks

Second half: 25 pass, 11 run, 4 sacks

 

First 3 quarters: 24 passes, 14 runs, 4 sacks

4th quarter: 15 pass, 6 run, 2 sacks

[JonJayCutler]

They just said on CSN that the Bears playoff game will be on Sunday, January 16th at Noon.

 

Meh, I would have preferred Saturday as it might have given the Bears a chance to play a team on short rest, but whatever. Noon is a hell of a lot better than 3 PM though. I hate waiting all day for football, especially playoff football.

 

I can't remember the last time the Bears played a playoff game on Saturday. I'm pretty sure they haven't since the 90s.

[Hall7810]

They just said on CSN that the Bears playoff game will be on Sunday, January 16th at Noon.

 

Meh, I would have preferred Saturday as it might have given the Bears a chance to play a team on short rest, but whatever. Noon is a hell of a lot better than 3 PM though. I hate waiting all day for football, especially playoff football.

 

I can't remember the last time the Bears played a playoff game on Saturday. I'm pretty sure they haven't since the 90s.

 

2001 Div Playoffs v. Eagles.

[JonJayCutler]

They just said on CSN that the Bears playoff game will be on Sunday, January 16th at Noon.

 

Meh, I would have preferred Saturday as it might have given the Bears a chance to play a team on short rest, but whatever. Noon is a hell of a lot better than 3 PM though. I hate waiting all day for football, especially playoff football.

 

I can't remember the last time the Bears played a playoff game on Saturday. I'm pretty sure they haven't since the 90s.

 

2001 Div Playoffs v. Eagles.

 

Yeah close enough. It's still been 10 years since we've seen Bears playoff football on Saturday.

[erik316wttn]

have fun losing to the eagles next week

 

Nope.

 

If we lose, it'll at least be close. Vick scares the crap out of me, but I think we can hang with them otherwise.

 

The Packers are dangerous, and this is the deepest NFC playoff pool (West winner excluded) I can remember in a long time.

 

If we do lose, then just build for next year and hope the injury bug doesn't bite so hard. The thing I think I'm most pleased with this year is just how deep this team turned out to be. Get the regular starters back next year and keep them healthy and look out.

Edited January 3, 2011 by erik316wttn

[UMFan83]

have fun losing to the eagles next week

 

Nope.

 

ok?

[erik316wttn]

have fun losing to the eagles next week

 

Nope.

 

ok?

 

Maybe?

[abuck1220]

man, i would have been pulling my hair out if i was a bears fan. this is the same group of fans that loses their [expletive] if a cubs manager leaves a SP in for five pitches too many, right? does it really mean that much to bears/bears fans to knock the stupid packers out of the playoffs????

[UMFan83]

Bears playoff tickets are going on sale Wednesday at 10am

[BigSlick]

Yeah I dunno if they were playing it close to the chest but Cutler had a rough day and the receivers had an especially bad day. (Without Bennett, who has turned into Cutler's favorite target lately)

 

O-line and Forte both played a decent game, and the protection even wasn't all that bad most of the time, but Cutler either didn't see anyone or everyone pulled a Knox on the receiving end.

 

The most encouraging thing was that our defense played a hell of a game. With any offensive output, we win this game handily. I'm sure the Packers feel the same way.

[Careless]

They just said on CSN that the Bears playoff game will be on Sunday, January 16th at Noon.

 

Meh, I would have preferred Saturday as it might have given the Bears a chance to play a team on short rest, but whatever. Noon is a hell of a lot better than 3 PM though. I hate waiting all day for football, especially playoff football.

 

I can't remember the last time the Bears played a playoff game on Saturday. I'm pretty sure they haven't since the 90s.

 

2001 Div Playoffs v. Eagles.

 

Yeah close enough. It's still been 10 years since we've seen Bears playoff football on Saturday.

9

[Wilson A2000]

I didn't see the Bears offense experimenting. I saw them running pretty vanilla, like they did very early in the year.

 

If the offense was going to be vanilla and the Bears really didn't play to win like they had the last few games, there was no reason for the starters to play. You weren't going to beat the Packers being vanilla and you increased the likelihood of injuries.

[JonJayCutler]

They just said on CSN that the Bears playoff game will be on Sunday, January 16th at Noon.

 

Meh, I would have preferred Saturday as it might have given the Bears a chance to play a team on short rest, but whatever. Noon is a hell of a lot better than 3 PM though. I hate waiting all day for football, especially playoff football.

 

I can't remember the last time the Bears played a playoff game on Saturday. I'm pretty sure they haven't since the 90s.

 

2001 Div Playoffs v. Eagles.

 

Yeah close enough. It's still been 10 years since we've seen Bears playoff football on Saturday.

9

 

C'mon, seriously?

[sweetpeteman]

 

C'mon, seriously?

 

The game was played 1/19/2002.

[UMFan83]

I didn't see the Bears offense experimenting. I saw them running pretty vanilla, like they did very early in the year.

 

If the offense was going to be vanilla and the Bears really didn't play to win like they had the last few games, there was no reason for the starters to play. You weren't going to beat the Packers being vanilla and you increased the likelihood of injuries.

 

But they almost did.

 

Like it was pointed out before, the Bears wanted to try to run the offense like they did earlier in the season with 7 step drops and forcing the ball downfield. They wanted to see if that could be an added wrinkle in the playoffs. They learned that it won't work. The positives are that the team got reps and stayed fresh, which will help them with 2 weeks between games. Also, I now feel pretty confident that Martz won't regress into pre-bye play calling tendencies. You have to believe that if the Bears had any kind of success with this playcalling today, we would probably see more of it in the playoff game. This is the true Martz system and you have to think Martz is dying for it to work in Chicago. Unfortunately it just won't with the personnel we have here right now. Also, we gained confidence that we are better than the Packers (at least the Packers as constituted now with injuries). They shut down their offense almost all game, and while the offense mostly sucked, they were able to have good field position against the Packers for a lot o the game. In a game that matters, the bears take advantage more often than not.