Moving on...Atlanta Falcons are next.

[anotheridiot]

Your analysis of Cutler being a QB who hangs his receivers out to dry is just… strange.

Cutler does not have a history of WR's who have been hurt due to being hung out for big hits.

Hester didn't like Cutler because Jay was hard on him, period. Hester consistently ran wrong routes. He was a dumb, dumb WR. This is a well known fact. Jay would stay on his ass for it. Hester did not like that.

It's that simple.

And if you think Hester not being here has made the difference in this teams three losses, I don't think you're watching the same games as I am. This team needed to spend on defense. Not on a 30 plus year old return man, that didn't have another position. Who is, and was also past his prime.

Hester has one run back on a punt return that was blocked perfectly. Good for him. He also has a couple of scores on reverses, and screen plays.

He really hasn't been anything all that special in Atlanta, and if you think he was worth the cash… well… I pity you.

Dont pity me because you cant see thru the cutler glasses.

Devin hester has 8 punt returns for 115 yards
12 kickoff returns for 290 yards. no TD, long was 36, so he is averaging around 30 yard line start position for the falcons when he brings the ball out.

Dont you believe in importance of starting field position at all? I think our average is about the 18 yard line.

No, marshall or Jeffrey were not hurt this year. You watch the games, how many passes has cutler hit a receiver in stride? How many were two feet over their heads where only they can catch them, jumping two feet in the air? A receiver leaps to catch the ball, the YAC are not available without two or three tacklers already there. Might as well be playing flag football, they are down when they catch it.

The only reason hester does not have another position is because of Jay not wanting to get him the ball. Its all about hester when he catches a pass, its all about jay when the 6'5 receivers catch the ball.

14 receptions for 212 yards, I expect him to catch for another 100 tomorrow.

Yeah, we get it, Hester is a moron, he couldnt learn an encyclopedia of plays. Jay always blames the receiver for running the wrong route. Go back to Marshall getting blamed for not stopping and turning where the DB was for Green Bay when the DB was on the inside waiting for him to turn. Jay could have thrown that thru the DB for a catch for marshall. Funny how Marshall has been quiet since he was blamed for that. Kinda dont think he was wrong.

 

[Wounded Bear]

Dont pity me because you cant see thru the cutler glasses.

Again, it's like arguing with a couple of condescending idiots. Two things that are, by themselves, offensive, but when put together, exponentially offensive.

And Joey wonders where everybody went....just adorable.

 

[nomoreshoop]

the QB from Notre Dame looks like an heir apparent to Jay Cutler, he has like 10 turnovers this year, lol.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

The problem is the amount of injuries to starters, c'mon name me another NFL team that has had as many starters go out with injuries.

One other team? Seriously? Looking at starter games lost, there are many. More than half the league. Arizona, Baltimore (my God), Carolina, Detroit, Houston (nearly double what we have lost), Indianapolis, Jacksonville (though admittedly their "starters" are of more dubious quality), Miami, NY Giants, Oakland (again, debatable that their "starters" are equivalent), San Diego, and Washington all have considerably more starter games lost.

Atlanta, Dallas, KC, Minnesota, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and St Louis (including, not incidentally, their QB) have lost just about as many starter games as we have.

The 2014 Chicago Bears are definitely NOWHERE NEAR considerable as an "injury riddled" team. My God. Let's hope that at least continues.

It's the NFL. It is a tough league. This is why roster depth - which the Bears have suffered with for years - is so crucial.

 

[JoeyTourettes]

Blaming injuries is a pathetic excuse. It makes me sick seeing people trying to do that. The 2014 Bears are not seeing an especially unusual amount of injury

To say that you can't blame injuries is stupid!!! OF course you can. Was the bears defense as good when Urlacher lost a full season in 09?

When Rodgers was lost for 7 games- they lost games because of it.

Can you tell me that if Briggs, DJ, Melton, Peanut- all played a full season last year the Bears still post the worse defense in team history?

These starters are paid BECAUSE they play well- when they can't play because of injury, your TEAM isn't as good. I don't know what your point is. Why is it a "pathetic excuse"?

If there was no salary cap- sure I can see your point- but you pay the starters- and the backups get scraps and are inexperienced. When you put inexperienced players on the field, they make mistakes...mistakes lead to losses. Thus Injuries are cause for losses.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

To say that you can't blame injuries is stupid!!! OF course you can. Was the bears defense as good when Urlacher lost a full season in 09?

When Rodgers was lost for 7 games- they lost games because of it.

Can you tell me that if Briggs, DJ, Melton, Peanut- all played a full season last year the Bears still post the worse defense in team history?

These starters are paid BECAUSE they play well- when they can't play because of injury, your TEAM isn't as good. I don't know what your point is. Why is it a "pathetic excuse"?

If there was no salary cap- sure I can see your point- but you pay the starters- and the backups get scraps and are inexperienced. When you put inexperienced players on the field, they make mistakes...mistakes lead to losses. Thus Injuries are cause for losses.

Because every team in the league deals with injuries. Every one. Rosters are more than 22 guys for a good reason. Do injuries affect the game, sure. But they affect every single team. If some teams are less prepared than others, then tough shit, it's their fault.

Now, if a team suffers a really unusual rash of injuries, then that's kind of hard luck. But you can't possibly try to characterize this team in that way. It's just weak and lame. Or, to put it another way, pathetic.

 

[NCChiFan]

One other team? Seriously? Looking at starter games lost, there are many. More than half the league. Arizona, Baltimore (my God), Carolina, Detroit, Houston (nearly double what we have lost), Indianapolis, Jacksonville (though admittedly their "starters" are of more dubious quality), Miami, NY Giants, Oakland (again, debatable that their "starters" are equivalent), San Diego, and Washington all have considerably more starter games lost.

Atlanta, Dallas, KC, Minnesota, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and St Louis (including, not incidentally, their QB) have lost just about as many starter games as we have.

The 2014 Chicago Bears are definitely NOWHERE NEAR considerable as an "injury riddled" team. My God. Let's hope that at least continues.

It's the NFL. It is a tough league. This is why roster depth - which the Bears have suffered with for years - is so crucial.

Yea, I looked it up, there are some teams with more injuries... But the Bears are up there, high enough to consider being injury riddled. We will have to agree to disagree. Word is DJ won't be playing Sunday, he was just downgraded... time will tell.

 

[55briggs]

worse thing is we were already short handed at linebacker, we needed more depth, now with Briggs
out we are hit in the middle.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Yea, I looked it up, there are some teams with more injuries... But the Bears are up there, high enough to consider being injury riddled. We will have to agree to disagree. Word is DJ won't be playing Sunday, he was just downgraded... time will tell.

My friend, no really, we aren't. Injury-riddled? No more than most teams.

We have lost two guys for the whole year. Zach Miller and Charles Tillman. That's virtually nothing compared to most other teams in the league. Miller was a second rate TE, and Tillman was practically expected even by many of us to go down at some point this season (see post drafted discussions).

We have had a fairly normal set of mis-season mid-length injuries. Guys like Slauson, Garza (really: improvement by subtraction), Bushrod for two, Shea (is this really such a loss? really?), Conte (oh, I didn't realize concussions were so rare), Ratliff (typically aging vet missing some games), now Briggs and Bostic for a bit (again not particularly rare), Marshall mildly hurt but playing (unusual? really? come on)...that's really a pretty typicaly set of injuries that most NFL teams have experienced both this year and every year in the history of the league. There are worse.

Last year, while we took some injuries to our D, we got pretty fucking lucky on O and had almost no injuries. McCown stepped inwhen Jay was out a few games and won. Think that was just McCown? Nothing to do with otherwise healthy offense and playing defenses that had suffered injuries? Why do Bear injuries seem to bother board posters as being excuses but when the Bears win injuries to opponents almost never get discussed unless maybe a reference to a Pro Bowler here or there?

To me, Bears fans are obnoxiously forgetful that every team in the league has these problems. They are injuries. Quarters end, winds blow, refs make mistakes, and injuries occur. Ours are not happening out of proportion. Quit crying about it.

 

[NCChiFan]

Sorry, but when you're pulling guys off the street to play, your injury riddled. We are pulling both DB's and LB's off the street right now. We've been playing short handed at O line until recently, boggs is out, De La Puenta filled in well for Garza (and no matter what you and I think, Garza will start if healthy), but we've been playing a Ola too much, he did not do so well last game. Slauson should be up to speed a bit more this week, lets hope, cause he didn't play that well last week. We better all pray Bushrod gets better in a week or so. D-Line has suffered with 2 starters out/injured, lets hope J/A gets a bit more strength and weight back, good to see Ratliff back.


So to recap, O line is a mess, LB's are a mess (and yea Shea was playing well in that last game), Safety is a mess (Dixon is out now, Conte is out that leaves us 2 on the roster, McCray and Vareen, and McCray has been out this year with injury). Couple of injuries and we could be playing guys out of position in the LB and S spot. Lets not forget CB and Nickle, this position is a mess. Say what you want about Tillman, but we are still short quality due to injury... Teddy Williams? Really? Moving guys up from the practice squad?!?!?! Don't forget Vareen our Safety had to play Nickle due to injury this year already. We don't have a shot at this today, to few safeties. We literally can have one of these, bring up from somewhere CB's, starting at safety at some point today.


Look at the falcon's, they have 1 guy out... 1 guy, just 1. We show 5 out, they show 1.


So to recap, we have a bunch of rookies playing LB, Safety, CB and nickel... And you don't consider this injury riddled? I'm not crying, just pointing out reality.

 

[anotheridiot]

Again, it's like arguing with a couple of condescending idiots. Two things that are, by themselves, offensive, but when put together, exponentially offensive.

And Joey wonders where everybody went....just adorable.

Think you used the wrong login for this response.

 

[wood20ks]

Don't blame injuries for our misfortunes....They happen.
it happens to all teams.The only way I blame an injury is say a Qb or perhaps a rb.They handle the ball all the time.An injury to a Qb is a lot worse than any other position. And I have not seen that yet. So it happens get over it already.

 

[toooverbearing]

In a weird way, I'm looking forward to seeing whether Khaseem Green, Christian Jones and Dede Lattimore can play. Succeed or fail it should lead to more informed decisions next offseason. I just hope it doesn't cost us a victory.

The one area this can kill us this week is special teams. We're facing Hester on a fast track and picking up guys off the street to play on coverage units who may not be coached up could be a disaster. I hope Pat keeps booting it out of bounds.

 

[richig07]

I don't even understand how Conte keeps playing.

 

[NCChiFan]

In a weird way, I'm looking forward to seeing whether Khaseem Green, Christian Jones and Dede Lattimore can play. Succeed or fail it should lead to more informed decisions next offseason. I just hope it doesn't cost us a victory.

The one area this can kill us this week is special teams. We're facing Hester on a fast track and picking up guys off the street to play on coverage units who may not be coached up could be a disaster. I hope Pat keeps booting it out of bounds.

Didn't see Lattimore much, but the kid, Sharpton, they signed off the street represented well.

 

[NCChiFan]

I don't even understand how Conte keeps playing.

Yea, but only till he was injured again. Bet he takes a week off. Depending on how bad Dixon is hurt, probably sign another guy off the street, 2 safeties aren't going to cut it.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Sorry, but when you're pulling guys off the street to play, your injury riddled. We are pulling both DB's and LB's off the street right now. We've been playing short handed at O line until recently, boggs is out, De La Puenta filled in well for Garza (and no matter what you and I think, Garza will start if healthy), but we've been playing a Ola too much, he did not do so well last game. Slauson should be up to speed a bit more this week, lets hope, cause he didn't play that well last week. We better all pray Bushrod gets better in a week or so. D-Line has suffered with 2 starters out/injured, lets hope J/A gets a bit more strength and weight back, good to see Ratliff back.


So to recap, O line is a mess, LB's are a mess (and yea Shea was playing well in that last game), Safety is a mess (Dixon is out now, Conte is out that leaves us 2 on the roster, McCray and Vareen, and McCray has been out this year with injury). Couple of injuries and we could be playing guys out of position in the LB and S spot. Lets not forget CB and Nickle, this position is a mess. Say what you want about Tillman, but we are still short quality due to injury... Teddy Williams? Really? Moving guys up from the practice squad?!?!?! Don't forget Vareen our Safety had to play Nickle due to injury this year already. We don't have a shot at this today, to few safeties. We literally can have one of these, bring up from somewhere CB's, starting at safety at some point today.


Look at the falcon's, they have 1 guy out... 1 guy, just 1. We show 5 out, they show 1.


So to recap, we have a bunch of rookies playing LB, Safety, CB and nickel... And you don't consider this injury riddled? I'm not crying, just pointing out reality.

NC, you are obviously reading just injury reports, which don't include the guys put on IR. You are missing a collosal amount of the picture.

The Falcons were missing two of their starting offensive linemen, both of whom were a) better than either of the Bears O linemen who were out, and b) they are out for THE ENTIRE SEASON. They have also lost two of their initial 7 but backup offensive linemen also FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. Blalock has also been out the last couple of weeks a la Bushrod, though I saw him playing some today.

Have the Bears lost 4 of their top 7 O line guys FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON and their best remaining guy for the last few weeks? No, they haven't. You need to change you injury sources.

The Falcons also lost their best linebacker FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON, a linebacker who at this point was playing better than any of our injured guys, debatably Briggs. They also lost their second best LB, Spruill, FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. They are also missing their #3 WR (Douglas), a proven veteran WR unlike our WR who is out but is basically just a hope at this point. Motta and Moore, two key parts of their secondary, are also probably OUT FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON, but there is a small chance Moore returns and they are so desperate they didn't put him on IR because of it.

One guy NC? Dude, you need to start paying more attention. They are missing most of their defense and offensive line.

 

[toooverbearing]

Didn't see Lattimore much, but the kid, Sharpton, they signed off the street represented well.

Yeah... Sharpton came out of nowhere! I was really impressed with 53. I thought all three LBs (Jones and Greene) looked good. Also, the DL looked great. I'm noticing a pattern with them batting down passes. I heard Ego Ferguson last week talk about Pasquolini preaching to mirror the passer's arm and it paid off for him. This week Sutton swatted one down. Paea is quietly having a good season at DT.

We got lucky with a lot of those drops, but Cutler was clutch (I loved seeing him throw the ball away or running and sliding when nothing was available... hopefully being rewarded with a win will keep those habits going) and the coverage units on special teams did a WAY better job than I expected. I was impressed with all three phases.

And was I the only one thinking that Robbie Gould's missed XP was going to let the air out of the team and bite us? I think Cutler connected on the following 2pt conversion was pretty darn clutch.

I still think Miami is a must win. But I'm glad we got this one.

 

[beardown07]

Yeah... Sharpton came out of nowhere! I was really impressed with 53. I thought all three LBs (Jones and Greene) looked good. Also, the DL looked great. I'm noticing a pattern with them batting down passes. I heard Ego Ferguson last week talk about Pasquolini preaching to mirror the passer's arm and it paid off for him. This week Sutton swatted one down. Paea is quietly having a good season at DT.

We got lucky with a lot of those drops, but Cutler was clutch (I loved seeing him throw the ball away or running and sliding when nothing was available... hopefully being rewarded with a win will keep those habits going) and the coverage units on special teams did a WAY better job than I expected. I was impressed with all three phases.

And was I the only one thinking that Robbie Gould's missed XP was going to let the air out of the team and bite us? I think Cutler connected on the following 2pt conversion was pretty darn clutch.

I still think Miami is a must win. But I'm glad we got this one.

Are you referring to Atlanta's drops? Cuz those weren't the results of luck, but the result of fear.

Bears will KILLING their receivers from the opening whistle. Those guys tapped out by the 2nd quarter. No, luck was not a part of that. That was a good, old fashioned whooping they gave out, and it affected the whole game.

 

[JoeyTourettes]

Are you referring to Atlanta's drops? Cuz those weren't the results of luck, but the result of fear.

Bears will KILLING their receivers from the opening whistle. Those guys tapped out by the 2nd quarter. No, luck was not a part of that. That was a good, old fashioned whooping they gave out, and it affected the whole game.

Agreed... but man, I could NOT believe they picked up the flag on Mundy. I think that gave the DB's less fear of penalty to keep hitting them too. AND the WR's and TE KNEW that too.
But absolutely, the D came to play. Lots of credit to the young guys, and position coaches to get them ready.

I knew with Allen and Ratliff back and healthier the Dline could do some damage.