So Bears fans

[JoeyTourettes]

You are misunderstanding me here.............

there are only a few big names and not everyone can pick them.
But i tend to think if we were gonna take a qb in one of our picks,why not take a chance with Manziel or T.B. when they were there for the taking?
i think we kinda missed out.....
I know we really needed a db,but also db is easier to replace than a qb.especially when it is one of those mentioned.
JM and TB will be longer remembered than Fales or Fuller ever will.

Wood What are you talking about? I may have missed this in the past, but can you just come out and say that you don't like Cutler. That's fine, have an opinion. But gotta ask you this: would you have liked any of the "Big Name" QB prospects over the past few years that you would have taken?
How have these guys worked out? EJ Manual? Brandon Weeden? Gabbert? Jake Locker? Even RG3... would the Bears be better now if we took one of those guys instead of Oline help then or DB's now?
All first round picks.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Week 17 , we lost to GB. And I believe Conte had a pick in that game . Should have had 2, but let 1 go right between his arms , into a WR's waiting hands.
1 of my arguments for better safety play.
Need I remind about that last 4th & 7.

You mean the 4th and 7 with no pass rush? Yes, I remember it. Vaguely and angrily.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Forgive me for disagreeing. Game 1 ,everybody is healthy (supposedly). Peanut gets burnt 2xs by Green. He had good coverage on both plays. But a frickin safety was nowhere to be found.
And when Peanut was on the sidelines. His replacement got burnt for long TD. Again by poor safety play.
Don't tell me our pass D was good. They weren't. And when injuries hit the D-line. It just exposed the secondary for what they were. I think our CBs are average at best in coverage. But our safeties sucked both against the run & pass, if they could even figure out what was coming.
I think Phil realized this also.
Why else would he sign 2 or 3 FA Safeties, not resign Wright, and move up in the draft to draft 1.
Not saying all our D woes is the fault of the DBs. Just saying they didn't offer much help.

Our pass defense was mediocre, not "good." Mediocre is not the same as good. Statistically, they were a middle of the road pass defense. And we were at the very bottom in sacks. That should tell you something.

Yes, there were plays they gave up, but then there were a lot of plays they didn't. Anyone can cherry pick examples to make an argument, but when looking at the whole package, the coverage was mediocre, it didn't suck. If it had sucked, considering we had zero pass rush, we would have blown away records for passing yardage and passing TDs surrendered.

I'm not crying over letting Wright go or drafting safeties, that's fine. It's not like we were getting All-Pro play out of them. But improvement this year in the Bears will be primarily because of the D line signings, not because of any change in safeties. It is a blatant misdiagnosis of the Bears' defensive problems last year to think it was because of the previously-adequate safeties. No doubt Emery wants to get above average play from all his defensive position groups, that's fine, it's awesome, he should. But given his vastly higher investment in position groups other than safety, I'd say he weighed in on where he thinks the defense sucked more with his actions than anything else can.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

You mean the 4th and 7 with no pass rush? Yes, I remember it. Vaguely and angrily.

in fact...I just went back and re-watched this play. This play perfectly captures two serious problems with the Bears defense last year. One (dead horse beaten) no pass rush at all. Blah blah blah let Rodgers sit there all day and pick his target.

But the other problem it so wonderfully illustrates is Zack Bowman. Having gotten to the said 4-and-8 only because of a previous successful 4th-and-1 completion to...wait for it...Zack Bowman playing outside leverage on a short yardage situation....we come to the aforementioned 4th-and-8. Do you realize what happens on this play? Cobb is initially covered up by Conte in the slot. Bowman is lined up against the outside receiver. Play starts, Cobb streaks downfield, and since the instructions for the secondary governing Bowman (going back to 2012 when he was on Bears) were for Bowman to play outside leverage, Conte and Bowman have to switch so that Conte can play the inside of the outside receiver and Bowman starts running downfield with Cobb. Who of course beats him badly. The Packers knew the Bears would be employing this type of coverage which is almost certainly why they called the play as they did....when they needed it most...with the season on the line.

That play was designed specifically to deal with the Bears strategic coverage issues. It has nothing to do with Conte. Conte's instructions are clear, he does what he was supposed to. It was a D coordinator decision for how to play coverage, and the reason for that was to cover up Bowman's weakness. Of course, fans see Cobb blow past the guy he is lined up with initially (Conte) on the replay and assume it's Conte's fault, but that's because most of them don't know any better.

Conte did have a really bad play in that game, it was when he let the interception go right through his hands on the red zone Quarless reception. But it wasn't the 4th-and-8.

 

[Jim Rome is Flaming]

You are misunderstanding me here.............

there are only a few big names and not everyone can pick them.
But i tend to think if we were gonna take a qb in one of our picks,why not take a chance with Manziel or T.B. when they were there for the taking?
i think we kinda missed out.....
I know we really needed a db,but also db is easier to replace than a qb.especially when it is one of those mentioned.
JM and TB will be longer remembered than Fales or Fuller ever will.

We just signed our franchise QB to a long term deal, and you want us to take a QB in the first round? Not to mention, how is Teddy Bridgewater's baby hand going to grip the ball playing in 35 degrees in November and December? The way the NFL is trending, a good secondary is going to be crucial to being competitive. Yeah, according to Mel Kiper, Fuller was a reach. I bet if we hadn't taken him at 14, there's a good chance he would have been gone by 15.

 

[wood20ks]

Wood What are you talking about? I may have missed this in the past, but can you just come out and say that you don't like Cutler. That's fine, have an opinion. But gotta ask you this: would you have liked any of the "Big Name" QB prospects over the past few years that you would have taken?
How have these guys worked out? EJ Manual? Brandon Weeden? Gabbert? Jake Locker? Even RG3... would the Bears be better now if we took one of those guys instead of Oline help then or DB's now?
All first round picks.

Okay....I hate the s.o.b........Good enough for you? Everyone on here actually knows this.I liked him from the get go,but as the seasons have past.......pfft.

Now I will say this,I cheer for him every weekend cause he is a BEAR and he is BETTER than anyone we have had in a long time.

My knock on him is he gets hurt,never shows up in the big games and his poutiness.(and please don`t tell me about the lines he has had in the past.cause last season was the best o-line he has had in Chicago and gets hurt not once but twice.The first time after the 10th sack of the season.)

And would I have liked any of the big name qbs over the past few seasons?.......Never thought we needed one.besides,I was talking this past draft.
If their game plan was to take a qb with one of our picks,then why would they wait till a late rd`er to grab Fales when JM and TB was there for the taking?
I know our bigger need was a db,but cmon when those two qbs were there,we should have taken one of them. Competition never hurts.........

 

[wood20ks]

We just signed our franchise QB to a long term deal, and you want us to take a QB in the first round? Not to mention, how is Teddy Bridgewater's baby hand going to grip the ball playing in 35 degrees in November and December? The way the NFL is trending, a good secondary is going to be crucial to being competitive. Yeah, according to Mel Kiper, Fuller was a reach. I bet if we hadn't taken him at 14, there's a good chance he would have been gone by 15.

Who cares whether it was the 1st or 4th or whatever round we got we got Fales in.We still drafted one.............

And who knows............I really thought we were gonna draft Pryor or Dix to tell you the truth.

 

[beardown07]

I don't like a Safety in the first round. Not a high enough value.

 

[anotheridiot]

Who cares whether it was the 1st or 4th or whatever round we got we got Fales in.We still drafted one.............

And who knows............I really thought we were gonna draft Pryor or Dix to tell you the truth.

Me too, I am surprised Pryor got past the bears. We just dont know who would have taken any of these three if Emery tried to trade down, but honestly, if he traded down to late first round, didnt get fuller, nix or Pryor and still got Jernigan, we still would have bought that was the guy he wanted and picked up an extra second or third rounder in the process. Nobody projected him going 48 overall.

 

[63bears40]

Our pass defense was mediocre, not "good." Mediocre is not the same as good. Statistically, they were a middle of the road pass defense. And we were at the very bottom in sacks. That should tell you something.

Yes, there were plays they gave up, but then there were a lot of plays they didn't. Anyone can cherry pick examples to make an argument, but when looking at the whole package, the coverage was mediocre, it didn't suck. If it had sucked, considering we had zero pass rush, we would have blown away records for passing yardage and passing TDs surrendered.

I'm not crying over letting Wright go or drafting safeties, that's fine. It's not like we were getting All-Pro play out of them. But improvement this year in the Bears will be primarily because of the D line signings, not because of any change in safeties. It is a blatant misdiagnosis of the Bears' defensive problems last year to think it was because of the previously-adequate safeties. No doubt Emery wants to get above average play from all his defensive position groups, that's fine, it's awesome, he should. But given his vastly higher investment in position groups other than safety, I'd say he weighed in on where he thinks the defense sucked more with his actions than anything else can.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=JMEQo_do8OJNEb5AqqeE0A&bvm=bv.66699033,d.aWw
This is what I meant by sucking. The Bears had 2 TD lead w/ 2 min. or so on the clock. Playing a PREVENT D, and this shit happens.
Yeah the CB got his wheels blown off . Just think he was expecting help, which again . Got there 2 steps slow. Just don't think Conte has a mind for this game.

 

[63bears40]

You mean the 4th and 7 with no pass rush? Yes, I remember it. Vaguely and angrily.

Actually Pep had a good rush, which chased A-Rod out of the pocket. Unfortunately Pep was was picked up on great block by the FB. And unfortunately Conte had no idea what D was called.

 

[63bears40]

in fact...I just went back and re-watched this play. This play perfectly captures two serious problems with the Bears defense last year. One (dead horse beaten) no pass rush at all. Blah blah blah let Rodgers sit there all day and pick his target.

But the other problem it so wonderfully illustrates is Zack Bowman. Having gotten to the said 4-and-8 only because of a previous successful 4th-and-1 completion to...wait for it...Zack Bowman playing outside leverage on a short yardage situation....we come to the aforementioned 4th-and-8. Do you realize what happens on this play? Cobb is initially covered up by Conte in the slot. Bowman is lined up against the outside receiver. Play starts, Cobb streaks downfield, and since the instructions for the secondary governing Bowman (going back to 2012 when he was on Bears) were for Bowman to play outside leverage, Conte and Bowman have to switch so that Conte can play the inside of the outside receiver and Bowman starts running downfield with Cobb. Who of course beats him badly. The Packers knew the Bears would be employing this type of coverage which is almost certainly why they called the play as they did....when they needed it most...with the season on the line.

That play was designed specifically to deal with the Bears strategic coverage issues. It has nothing to do with Conte. Conte's instructions are clear, he does what he was supposed to. It was a D coordinator decision for how to play coverage, and the reason for that was to cover up Bowman's weakness. Of course, fans see Cobb blow past the guy he is lined up with initially (Conte) on the replay and assume it's Conte's fault, but that's because most of them don't know any better.

Conte did have a really bad play in that game, it was when he let the interception go right through his hands on the red zone Quarless reception. But it wasn't the 4th-and-8.

Just to put an end to this conversation.
There's nothing you can say or point out, that'll change my mind about our safeties sucking .
Conte is a meat head. Who just looks to make plays after the whistle. Wright & Bowman ( who I thought was improving, though marginally ) , are gone . Doubt Conte starts for the Bears again, unless an injury dictates that he start. Hate Steltz as well @ safety, but he is a gamer on STs.

 

[63bears40]

I understand what you're trying to say... I think.
I also think that a solid front 7 will mask a weaker secondary. I think we can all agree with that notion. And when you have a great pass rush...(2005-6) the corners won't have to cover very long and have more chances for pick on hurried throws. Vasher was IMO the great example of that.

Just saying our safeties sucked. Is that plain enough?
Why settle for weak secondary, even if you have a good pass rush?
We're still playing w/ JA busts.
Just like the way Phil is cleaning it up.

 

[JoeyTourettes]

Just like the way Phil is cleaning it up.

Yes... me too. I think I only counted 10 guys on the whole roster that still have a connection to JA.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Actually Pep had a good rush, which chased A-Rod out of the pocket. Unfortunately Pep was was picked up on great block by the FB. And unfortunately Conte had no idea what D was called.

if Conte doesn't cover the outside WR, then NO ONE WOULD BE COVERING HIM. Conte and Bowman were the only two DBs on that side of the field. Who did you want covering the other WR? Trestman? The long snapper? In what football universe should Conte's play have been to completely abandon any vestige of coverage on the outside WR?

 

[leomaz]

if Conte doesn't cover the outside WR, then NO ONE WOULD BE COVERING HIM. Conte and Bowman were the only two DBs on that side of the field. Who did you want covering the other WR? Trestman? The long snapper? In what football universe should Conte's play have been to completely abandon any vestige of coverage on the outside WR?

Its useless Cali........the old timer just doesn't like Chris Conte and will never be enlightened by your wisdom and knowledge of the game.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Actually Pep had a good rush, which chased A-Rod out of the pocket. Unfortunately Pep was was picked up on great block by the FB. And unfortunately Conte had no idea what D was called.

I wouldn't say Pep had a good pass rush. The Packers designed the play for Peppers to come in unblocked and get chip blocked by the RB, after which Rodgers rolled to the side of the play he was designed to throw to. It's a classic way of clearing the left side of the pocket. Watch the replay...the Packers left tackle does not even bother to try to block Peppers, Peppers simply comes running in, the RB blocks him as designed, and Rodgers just skirts left.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Its useless Cali........the old timer just doesn't like Chris Conte and will never be enlightened by your wisdom and knowledge of the game.

I don't know about knowledge or wisdom, I'm just seeing the obvious. Which is that Bowman sucked.

I don't even particularly like Chris Conte, believe me if one of the newcomers wins out the free safety spot I am not going to shed any tears. I just think there are a lot of times people incorrectly blamed Conte because he was the last Bear people saw on a replay of the 2013 Bears bad defense getting burned.

Fortunately I am pretty sure the Bears coaching staff and GM saw things the same way, based on their approach to the offseason roster.

 

[63bears40]

if Conte doesn't cover the outside WR, then NO ONE WOULD BE COVERING HIM. Conte and Bowman were the only two DBs on that side of the field. Who did you want covering the other WR? Trestman? The long snapper? In what football universe should Conte's play have been to completely abandon any vestige of coverage on the outside WR?

Sorry Cali, I don't know what play you're talking about.
I'm talking about GB's last possession and last play of that drive.
Where Conte didn't cover anybody. He played a zone D , while every other member of D was playing man to man.
Again he didn't cover anybody on that play. And just looked liked the dumb ass he is, protecting 10 to 15 yrds . of unoccupied grass. While his guy is catching the game winning pass. The pass that knocked us out of the play offs.

 

[leomaz]

Sorry Cali, I don't know what play you're talking about.
I'm talking about GB's last possession and last play of that drive.
Where Conte didn't cover anybody. He played a zone D , while every other member of D was playing man to man.
Again he didn't cover anybody on that play. And just looked liked the dumb ass he is, protecting 10 to 15 yrds . of unoccupied grass. While his guy is catching the game winning pass. The pass that knocked us out of the play offs.

Losing to St.Louis and Minnesota knocked us out of the playoffs as well