Bears preseason week 2; Monday August 22nd at the Giants

[jersey cubs fan]

http://twitter.com/#!/vxmcclure23/status/103948661037334528

 

@vxmcclure23

vaughn mcclure Lance Louis was sick today, Lovie Smith said. Urlacher had general soreness.

[Derwood]

Urlacher had general soreness.

 

Is he the superior officer to Major Suckage?

[Banedon]

http://twitter.com/#!/vxmcclure23/status/103948661037334528

 

@vxmcclure23

vaughn mcclure Lance Louis was sick today, Lovie Smith said. Urlacher had general soreness.

 

That's some bad timing for Louis.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://twitter.com/#!/vxmcclure23/status/103948661037334528

 

@vxmcclure23

vaughn mcclure Lance Louis was sick today, Lovie Smith said. Urlacher had general soreness.

 

That's some bad timing for Louis.

 

Between him and Webb there's almost a sense that the young guys don't want to step into the roles for some reason.

[Banedon]

http://twitter.com/#!/vxmcclure23/status/103948661037334528

 

@vxmcclure23

vaughn mcclure Lance Louis was sick today, Lovie Smith said. Urlacher had general soreness.

 

That's some bad timing for Louis.

 

Between him and Webb there's almost a sense that the young guys don't want to step into the roles for some reason.

 

Tice was speculating that Louis' illness might be heat related, but was it really that hot? Tice was saying it was "lucky" because they could try this out without creating a "saga" but I think it's still a big enough story. Brad Biggs says to expect the same Oline linup from the Bills game this week against the Giants.

[Banedon]

Angelo quotes:

 

We’re not going to be the Greatest Show on Grass,” Angelo said Thursday during a visit on "The Mully & Hanley Show" on WSCR-AM 670. “I don’t see that. We have shifted a little bit in terms of our player philosophy, but not just about running the football, it’s about protection, too. Our tight ends have to be able to pass protect -- sometimes they’re going to be on an island with the defensive end and we feel like they have the girth to do that.

 

“We did want to bring in a bigger back (Marion Barber) in those short-yardage, red-zone situations. Hopefully, Marion delivers in that area and then you could create some better play action, obviously better in protection. It’s another way to get the ball downfield with helping protection. So it just gives us more flexibility to do more things on offense to create that balance that all great offenses have.”

 

“It used to be the old adage: offense sells tickets, defense wins games. Defense keeps you in the games, offense has to win you games,” Angelo said. “You have to score points. You’ve got to move the football. We’ve won in a lot of different ways, mostly we’ve won with our defense. Our offense not getting us beat is what you’re touching on with a good special teams unit. You can win that way. It’s tougher to do, but you can win that way. Good defense, good special teams will always be our mantra, but we need to play better offense.

 

“We’ve done a lot to our offense. We’ve brought in a lot of players. We’ve made coaching changes and we feel real good about our offense having the potency to go out and put points on the board. You’ve got to put points on the board. It’s historic, when you look at the Super Bowl teams, it’s got to be driven by that quarterback and you’ve got to be able to score. We feel real good about going into this year with our offense. Obviously, our offensive line is still a work in progress but that is what the preseason is about and we have good expectations for that to happen this year.”

 

“If we really feel we need to go out and do something, we will providing there is somebody is out there. Everybody, when things aren’t going well, ‘We’ll go out and get somebody,’” Angelo said. “There are 32 teams. At this point, really all the players that are in their prime, all the players that people feel you can win with, they’re pretty much gone. The players that are out there now, obviously I would look at more as Band-Aids. That’s just a fact. They’re probably well into their career and/or there are some issues with one thing or another.

 

“So for us to go in and think that we’re going to find that player that is going to save us so to speak, I don’t see that happening. That’s why we really have to put teeth in right now the players that we have, hey we bought ’em, we drafted ’em, we believed in ’em. It’s incumbent upon them, it’s incumbent upon the coaches to make it happen and I have a lot of confidence that that is going to happen for us.”

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/chi-angelo-addresses-bears-offensive-approach-martzs-motivational-methods-fortes-contract-20110818,0,2258450.story

[UMFan83]

You gotta love the "What can I do, there's no one left to sign that would help us" statements. There were people that could help us like 2 weeks ago, but you didn't go after them, and now the 2nd largest market in the NFL is going to play the season $10 mil under the cap (assuming Forte extension) and hope people don't notice it.

[jersey cubs fan]

I like the general tone of acknowledging the need to score and moving off the defense/special teams style. But I disagree about them bringing in a lot of people.

 

As for the lack of players available now, that is why he had to do a better job addressing the line weeks ago.

[tfarks]

The LT position is going to destroy them this season. I wonder if signing McKinnie or Max Starks and forcing them to live on a treadmill could have helped.

 

Webb is still too raw. If Tice makes this work this season then he's a miracle worker, indubitably.

 

I would put Carimi on the left side now and let him work through it. He did just spend the last 4 years there. And a move to RT in the NFL will be easy for him whenever it happens. Barring that, they better draft a LT in the 1st round next year.

[Banedon]

The LT position is going to destroy them this season. I wonder if signing McKinnie or Max Starks and forcing them to live on a treadmill could have helped.

 

Webb is still too raw. If Tice makes this work this season then he's a miracle worker, indubitably.

 

I would put Carimi on the left side now and let him work through it. He did just spend the last 4 years there. And a move to RT in the NFL will be easy for him whenever it happens. Barring that, they better draft a LT in the 1st round next year.

 

You've gotta think that Carimi will move to LT at some point, barring Webb turning into a total stud that none of us think he'll become.

[CubColtPacer]

The LT position is going to destroy them this season. I wonder if signing McKinnie or Max Starks and forcing them to live on a treadmill could have helped.

 

Webb is still too raw. If Tice makes this work this season then he's a miracle worker, indubitably.

 

I would put Carimi on the left side now and let him work through it. He did just spend the last 4 years there. And a move to RT in the NFL will be easy for him whenever it happens. Barring that, they better draft a LT in the 1st round next year.

 

You've gotta think that Carimi will move to LT at some point, barring Webb turning into a total stud that none of us think he'll become.

 

The question is-do you put your best lineman at a position he's probably going to fail at but is still better than the alternatives or a less important position that he'll probably succeed at? The reason Carimi fell in the draft in the first place was because people thought that he was the best right tackle in the draft but probably wouldn't be able to play left tackle in the NFL.

[jersey cubs fan]

The reason Carimi fell in the draft in the first place was because people thought that he was the best right tackle in the draft but probably wouldn't be able to play left tackle in the NFL.

 

I don't really think that's entirely accurate. People thought he could start at RT from day one but might take time to become NFL caliber LT. It wasn't that nobody thought he could play it.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

The reason Carimi fell in the draft in the first place was because people thought that he was the best right tackle in the draft but probably wouldn't be able to play left tackle in the NFL.

 

I don't really think that's entirely accurate. People thought he could start at RT from day one but might take time to become NFL caliber LT. It wasn't that nobody thought he could play it.

It was an extremely popular opinion around the league that he was a RT that could potential move to G.

[sneakypower]

i think you guys have got it all wrong with the LT/RT fixation

 

correct me if i'm wrong, but Cutler's not a QB where you worry about blindside hits, because he's usually pretty parallel to the LOS with his shoulders, and even with pressure coming from his left he can still step into a throw. also consider the two best pass rushers in the division he'll face (Matthews and Avril) come from the right side of the field, and i'd probably consider putting my better pass protector over there

[Banedon]

:banghead:

 

Roy Williams was inserted into the starting lineup, replacing Johnny Knox for a variety of reasons. But Williams admits he is not in shape at this point, and that has been increasingly apparent watching the veteran go through practice at sometimes less than peak speed.

 

Williams acknowledged that the biggest thing for him to work on at this point is “my conditioning. Getting my wind right. You have to be able to run in this offense. Run all day long.”

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/08/18/11/Williams-among-Bears-offensive-problems/landing_moon_v3.html?blockID=550554&feedID=9399

[Banedon]

Zach Bowman won't play on Monday.

[UMFan83]

:banghead:

 

Roy Williams was inserted into the starting lineup, replacing Johnny Knox for a variety of reasons. But Williams admits he is not in shape at this point, and that has been increasingly apparent watching the veteran go through practice at sometimes less than peak speed.

 

Williams acknowledged that the biggest thing for him to work on at this point is “my conditioning. Getting my wind right. You have to be able to run in this offense. Run all day long.”

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/08/18/11/Williams-among-Bears-offensive-problems/landing_moon_v3.html?blockID=550554&feedID=9399

 

LOL wow. What a free agent signing.

[Mark Priors Calves]

How can Martz talk about Williams getting 60+ when he's not even in football playing shape.

[tfarks]

How can Martz talk about Williams getting 60+ when he's not even in football playing shape.

 

It's certainly not good to hear. But he should be in shape by the time the season starts and he has to play a full game. Make him play a lot in game 4 of the preseason if necessary.

[Pushfrog98]

How can Martz talk about Williams getting 60+ when he's not even in football playing shape.

Hope that EVERY opponent is also out of shape?

[Soul]

:banghead:

 

Roy Williams was inserted into the starting lineup, replacing Johnny Knox for a variety of reasons. But Williams admits he is not in shape at this point, and that has been increasingly apparent watching the veteran go through practice at sometimes less than peak speed.

 

Williams acknowledged that the biggest thing for him to work on at this point is “my conditioning. Getting my wind right. You have to be able to run in this offense. Run all day long.”

 

http://www.csnchicago.com/08/18/11/Williams-among-Bears-offensive-problems/landing_moon_v3.html?blockID=550554&feedID=9399

 

LOL wow. What a free agent signing.

 

Come on, man. Ease off just a tad.

 

It's still pretty early. Lots of teams are dealing with players who are still getting into peak conditioning.

 

Am I a Williams fan-boy? Of course not. But I'm sure he'll whip himself into game shape. The real questions for me are the same questions he's always had. Will he catch all the throws in his direction? Will he create the space, be the reliable big target he needs to be in order to have value in this league?

 

I don't think conditioning should be a *real* concern, at least not yet. Not when we've only just played our first preseason game.

[UMFan83]

Yes part of me is just waiting to see him fail (tho ultimately I'd rather him not of course). Just seems like a strange thing to admit.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Well I mean, there was a lockout. Not that he couldn't have been working out on his own, but still, as a FA, you aren't going to get the training you would with a team/conditioning coach.

[WrigleyField 22]

Well I mean, there was a lockout. Not that he couldn't have been working out on his own, but still, as a FA, you aren't going to get the training you would with a team/conditioning coach.

Psh, going to training camp with the rest of the team and coaches used to get Walter Payton out of shape. Obviously few will ever touch Walter in that regard, but grown men being paid millions should be able to get work in on their own just fine.

[Banedon]

Well I mean, there was a lockout. Not that he couldn't have been working out on his own, but still, as a FA, you aren't going to get the training you would with a team/conditioning coach.

Psh, going to training camp with the rest of the team and coaches used to get Walter Payton out of shape. Obviously few will ever touch Walter in that regard, but grown men being paid millions should be able to get work in on their own just fine.

 

Reportedly Cutler and Knox both came into camp in better shape than usual. It's all about how much you want it, honestly.

 

Briggs has a bruised knee and will not play on Monday. Iwuh will start in his place.