Game 7 - Carolina Panthers @ BEARS - 12 PM

[bukie]

The objective rankings love the Bears.

So the Bears will be like #3 in the BCS this week? We control our own destiny because we play Houston and San Francisco, so I'm not complaining much.

Ahh yes, the old "rankings are meaningless" adage. Sure, it doesn't affect playoff positioning, but at least the objective rankings are reflective of teams' actual abilities at this point in the season.

 

More interesting to me are the teams that have the most discrepancy between subjective rankings and objective, like Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Philly.

[CubInOK]

The objective rankings love the Bears.

So the Bears will be like #3 in the BCS this week? We control our own destiny because we play Houston and San Francisco, so I'm not complaining much.

Ahh yes, the old "rankings are meaningless" adage. Sure, it doesn't affect playoff positioning, but at least the objective rankings are reflective of teams' actual abilities at this point in the season.

 

More interesting to me are the teams that have the most discrepancy between subjective rankings and objective, like Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Philly.

Weren't the Bears one of the most underrated teams based on that discrepancy last week?

[Banedon]

Reminder: Bears will wear throwbacks this Sunday.

[Smack]

Reminder: Bears will wear throwbacks this Sunday.

 

Which ones again?

[Banedon]

Reminder: Bears will wear throwbacks this Sunday.

 

Which ones again?

 

Similar to this...

 

http://c-product.images.fansedge.com/46-23/46-23958-Y.jpghttp://distilleryimage5.instagram.com/97a81b06196011e2bfbf22000a1e9be6_7.jpg

[bukie]

The objective rankings love the Bears.

So the Bears will be like #3 in the BCS this week? We control our own destiny because we play Houston and San Francisco, so I'm not complaining much.

Ahh yes, the old "rankings are meaningless" adage. Sure, it doesn't affect playoff positioning, but at least the objective rankings are reflective of teams' actual abilities at this point in the season.

 

More interesting to me are the teams that have the most discrepancy between subjective rankings and objective, like Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Denver, and Philly.

Weren't the Bears one of the most underrated teams based on that discrepancy last week?

Yes, and still are, largely, although the Monday game helped jog some pundits' memories as to how good the Bears' D actually is.

[Brian]

Reminder: Bears will wear throwbacks this Sunday.

 

Which ones again?

 

the good ones.

[Magnetic Curses]

And the "mediocre" game last night was playing half the game with bruised ribs. He had a pretty good first quarter. They had some struggles in the 2nd quarter and then boom. Cutler still made some nice plays in the second half, but the Bears struggled in the red zone.

 

I disagree with the way tice called the game, instead of pouring it on a blowing the lions out, we stalled and played chicken [expletive]

[Banedon]

And the "mediocre" game last night was playing half the game with bruised ribs. He had a pretty good first quarter. They had some struggles in the 2nd quarter and then boom. Cutler still made some nice plays in the second half, but the Bears struggled in the red zone.

 

I disagree with the way tice called the game, instead of pouring it on a blowing the lions out, we stalled and played chicken [expletive]

 

Well Jay was hurt for the entire 2nd half, so that was part of it. I don't think it's a really fair game to judge him from.

[Guest]

And the "mediocre" game last night was playing half the game with bruised ribs. He had a pretty good first quarter. They had some struggles in the 2nd quarter and then boom. Cutler still made some nice plays in the second half, but the Bears struggled in the red zone.

 

I disagree with the way tice called the game, instead of pouring it on a blowing the lions out, we stalled and played chicken [expletive]

 

Cutler said that there were some throws he just could not make and that the game was called the way that it was out of necessity.

[JonJayCutler]

Forte's last two games against Carolina:

 

2010: 22 car, 166 yards, 2 TD

2011: 25 car, 205 yards, 1 TD

 

Cutler shouldn't have to do too much this game.

[ctcf]

Patrick Daugherty ‏@RotoPat

This is sort of what the Bears defense is beginning to remind me of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman's_March_to_the_Sea

 

Hahahahahaha

[Guest]

Bears move down slightly to #4 overall in FO rankings, still #1 defense.

 

http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/teameff2012

 

Chicago has had defensive DVOA of -15% or better in every game this year, and it's time to start tracking where the Bears stand historically. It's particularly interesting to do so since this is the first year we'll be tracking a team's historical ranking using the new DVOA that is normalized for each season's offensive level. The Bears end up with the fifth-best defense tracked by DVOA since 1991, and the best defense since the 2002 Bucs.

[jersey cubs fan]

And the "mediocre" game last night was playing half the game with bruised ribs. He had a pretty good first quarter. They had some struggles in the 2nd quarter and then boom. Cutler still made some nice plays in the second half, but the Bears struggled in the red zone.

 

I disagree with the way tice called the game, instead of pouring it on a blowing the lions out, we stalled and played chicken [expletive]

 

Cutler said that there were some throws he just could not make and that the game was called the way that it was out of necessity.

 

They definitely slammed on the breaks but it would more out of necessity than anything else, as others noted.

[Magnetic Curses]

And the "mediocre" game last night was playing half the game with bruised ribs. He had a pretty good first quarter. They had some struggles in the 2nd quarter and then boom. Cutler still made some nice plays in the second half, but the Bears struggled in the red zone.

 

I disagree with the way tice called the game, instead of pouring it on a blowing the lions out, we stalled and played chicken [expletive]

 

Cutler said that there were some throws he just could not make and that the game was called the way that it was out of necessity.

 

They definitely slammed on the breaks but it would more out of necessity than anything else, as others noted.

 

i just don't want them getting into a habit of shutting it down whenever they get a lead and then relying completely on their defense to win the game, as they've done in the past.

 

it puts undue strain on the old defensive players that could otherwise benefit from a blowout.

[bukie]

Considering their previous three games were won by an average of 23 points, and they outscored Jacksonville 28-0 in the fourth, I don't foresee it being an issue.

[Sammy Sofa]

And the "mediocre" game last night was playing half the game with bruised ribs. He had a pretty good first quarter. They had some struggles in the 2nd quarter and then boom. Cutler still made some nice plays in the second half, but the Bears struggled in the red zone.

 

I disagree with the way tice called the game, instead of pouring it on a blowing the lions out, we stalled and played chicken [expletive]

 

Cutler said that there were some throws he just could not make and that the game was called the way that it was out of necessity.

 

They definitely slammed on the breaks but it would more out of necessity than anything else, as others noted.

 

i just don't want them getting into a habit of shutting it down whenever they get a lead and then relying completely on their defense to win the game, as they've done in the past.

 

it puts undue strain on the old defensive players that could otherwise benefit from a blowout.

 

But as it's been pointed out, they clearly didn't do it out of a sense of "oh, we've got this in hand, let's just let the defense finish things up." They did it because they had to because their QB was playing injured.

[Guest]

From PFFs NFC Pro-Bowl Cheat Sheets

 

NFC Offense (starter’s name first)

 

Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers (GB), Eli Manning (NYG) and Matt Ryan (ATL)

 

After back-to-back games against the Texans and Rams that were every bit as good as any two games you’re likely to see, who else would you expect to see leading this unit. As well as Manning is playing, it almost seems as if he really doesn’t want to show too much until the game is on the line. Maybe he just likes the challenge and having a decent offensive line in front of him for a change is taking away the thrill.

 

Halfbacks: Adrian Peterson (MIN), Marshawn Lynch (SEA) and Frank Gore (SF)

 

It almost felt disrespectful to not have Peterson as our NFC Starter last year because of his injury and subsequent missed games — 2.9 yards after contact, 23 tackles avoided and all is right again with the world. That said, Lynch is doing his level-best to make things difficult. His identical average yards post contact and 27 missed tackles means only Peterson’s superior skills as a receiver are separating the pair.

 

Wide Receivers: Percy Harvin (MIN), Roddy White (ATL), Vincent Jackson (TB) and Brandon Marshall (CHI)

 

The ‘Most Explosive Player in FootballTM ’ is as dangerous a player as there is in football when he gets his hands on the ball. He’s avoided 20 tackles — the next best WR has nine. The hardest fought battle across both squads was for the fourth WR berth. In the end it went to Marshall, although I’d have zero issues with anyone slipping the name of Victor Cruz (NYG) on their ballot in his place.

 

Fullback: Henry Hynoski (NYG)

 

Kevin Gilbride does like a fullback, and as Hynoski has shown he’s worthy of the job he’s been rewarded with extra snaps. He’s now averaging 41% of all plays and doing a fine job with them as a traditional lead blocker.

 

Tight Ends: Vernon Davis (SF) and Tony Gonzalez (ATL)

 

Of all the tight ends in the league, Davis probably has the most all-around talent and that makes it all the more annoying when he fails to make use of it. This year he’s doing everything at a high level, including not giving away a single penalty. Almost as frustrating as watching Davis for the last few years is listening to another commentator tell us what a great blocker Gonzalez is — “no” I scream at the TV, “he used to be”. Now he’s a fabulous receiver that got his selection in this group because colleague Khaled Elsayed persuaded me his skills in the passing game outweighed his negatives. He is right, but I still like Greg Olsen (Car) who’s made a decent fist of his blocking in 2012.

 

Tackles: Trent Williams (WAS), Todd Herremans (PHI) and Joe Staley (SF)

 

Balance was the key to Williams over Staley at left tackle. Of the tackle position, only Joe Thomas (back in 2009) has graded as well as a run blocker as Staley — he may even set a new PFF standard that will be hard for anyone else to beat. When it came down to it, for the time being at least, William’s superior pass protection numbers got him our job. It will be interesting to see how this one progresses.

 

Guards: Mike Iupati (SF), Alex Boone (SF) and Evan Mathis (PHI)

 

Our all-49er guard combination is the most dominant pairing since Carl Nicks and Jahari Evans drove the Saints to Super Bowl glory in 2009. Among guards, their run blocking ranks second and third, with only Marshal Yanda grading higher. Not one trick ponies, they’ve both put in solid pass pro numbers too. That’s something they’ve got in common with backup Mathis, who’s just struggling a little with penalties this year — his four being the same number as he gave up in the whole of 2011.

 

Centers: John Sullivan (MIN) and Jonathan Goodwin (SF)

 

After shocking all the PFF analysts with his breakout season in 2011 after years of mediocrity, Sullivan is going out of his way to prove it was no fluke. Although he struggled with his protection a little against the Cardinals last week, his run blocking has been improving week on week. After a mixed season for the Saints in 2010, Goodwin also took time to find his feet in San Francisco. Now, along with the rest of the line, he’s showing just how good he really is.

 

NFC Defense & Special Teams (starter’s name first)

 

Defensive Ends: Calais Campbell (ARZ), Chris Clemons (SEA) and Jason Pierre-Paul (NYG)

 

Following a year where his ability to get pressure clearly out-stripped his run defense, Campbell has put it all together this year and is behind only J.J. Watt among 3-4 defensive ends. Clemons continues to be the key to the Seahawks getting pressure and is the sixth-most productive 4-3 DE in our pass rush productivity (PRP) rankings. On the Giants defensive line all is not as it should be, and as his teammates struggle to get pressure Pierre-Paul’s performances are deteriorating. He’s still worth this place at the moment, but it’s a lot to ask even JPP to hold the thing together on his own.

 

Defensive Tackles: Gerald McCoy (TB), Justin Smith (SF) and Brandon Mebane (Sea)

 

In between the injuries, McCoy showed flashes of what he was capable of. Greg Schiano now gets to reap the rewards of a guy who is getting pressure (fifth DT in PRP), stuffing the run and, most importantly, staying on the field (he’s played 90% of all defensive snaps). While Smith isn’t getting the same amount of pressure as he did last year, it’s still enough when you throw in his brilliant run defense. Rounding out the unit, Mebane has our third-best run stop percentage (10.1) at his position, though his performance against the 49ers lost him a starting spot (can you say Mulligan?).

 

Inside Linebackers: NaVorro Bowman (SF) and Sean Lee (Dal)

 

Forever will these two linebackers be linked — by their college (Penn State), by their draft status (36 selections apart in the same year) and by their superb play.

 

Outside Linebackers: Clay Matthews (GB), Lance Briggs (CHI) and DeMarcus Ware (DAL)

 

Clay Matthews didn’t take too kindly to being told he had a sub-par season last year. It’s good to know that he’s in the same boat as us when it comes to sacks being an overrated stat. As if just to stir the debate, he then went and got a load of them (seven more than this time last year) while playing broadly the same. Someone who’s definitely improved is Briggs. Consistently good in every game, it’s his pass coverage which has driven his excellence — so far QBs have a 46.0 rating when throwing at him.

 

Cornerbacks: Richard Sherman (SEA), Antoine Winfield (MIN) and Charles Tillman (CHI)

 

While Sherman has carried on from where he left off last year, Winfield has just improved. His 13 stops in run defense is five more than the next best player, and coordinators need to learn that running to his side when he’s in the slot is suicide. As for Charles Tillman, it was a very close call between him and teammate Tim Jennings — both had identical QB ratings when thrown at (43.3), but in the end Tillman allowing 147 less yards was the difference.

 

Safeties: SS – Major Wright (CHI) and FS – Dashon Goldson (SF)

 

Similarly to the way Weddle was robbed in the AFC, Vikings rookie Harrison Smith can consider himself ‘let down by the system’ here. Goldson was our top NFC safety, with Harrison next on the list. Unfortunately, with both playing free safety a player designated as a SS was required. Step up Major Wright who, although having not quite as good a season in coverage, is a more accomplished run defender and has got better week after week. Maybe things worked out as they should anyway.

 

Special Teams: K – Greg Zuerlein (SL), P- Andy Lee (SF), KR – Leon Washington (SEA) and ST – Lorenzo Alexander (WAS)

[Guest]

lol at the fullback position

[Guest]

Poor Tim Jennings.

[Guest]

Poor Tim Jennings.

 

Was surprised to see Major Wright make it. Didn't think he was getting noticed.

[UMFan83]

I thought for sure Cutler would make it at the [expletive] position.

[Magnetic Curses]

major wright? hmmmm, another angelo defensive pick rises.

[scarey]

I'm surprised Henry Melton isn't on that list. I wonder if it is because he is used situationally. He has to be leading NFC DTs in sacks with 4.5, right?

[Soul]

major wright? hmmmm, another angelo defensive pick rises.

 

We're finally getting to see him over the course of several games. And it's looking pretty good.