WEEK 5: Bears at Panthers OFFICIAL GAME-THREAD

[beardown07]

Good analysis, but you seemed to have omitted Cutler's first pick. That cost us at the very least 3 points (potentially 7 points) since I believe we were in field goal range. It seems that Cutler gets a little loose with the ball in the red zone, which I can understand from a field position standpoint, but if you do turn the ball over, it eliminates the possibility of getting a field goal.

Really liked our defense's performance. Looked really good in the first half, but looked like they were getting tired in the 2nd. Offensively, we looked unstoppable in the first, but looked incompetent in the 2nd. Trestman's play calling looked tired and uninventive, Cutler's passes and selection of receivers puzzled me.....what the hell happened to these guys during halftime?

To me, this indicates that the Rivera and the Panthers made adjustments, and we did not.

 

[toooverbearing]

I watched the game in Charlotte sitting on the 40 yard line 15 rows up. My observations... No one was open. Their CB's did an amazing job 1 on 1 vs. Marshall and AJ, especially in the second half. Luke Keukly (sp?) was his usual monster self when it came to shadowing our RB's and the dump off game we ran. It was really eye opening to see how well Carolina CB's played especially in the second half.

Kuechly impresses the hell out of me.

 

[toooverbearing]

Good analysis, but you seemed to have omitted Cutler's first pick. That cost us at the very least 3 points (potentially 7 points) since I believe we were in field goal range. It seems that Cutler gets a little loose with the ball in the red zone, which I can understand from a field position standpoint, but if you do turn the ball over, it eliminates the possibility of getting a field goal.

Really liked our defense's performance. Looked really good in the first half, but looked like they were getting tired in the 2nd. Offensively, we looked unstoppable in the first, but looked incompetent in the 2nd. Trestman's play calling looked tired and uninventive, Cutler's passes and selection of receivers puzzled me.....what the hell happened to these guys during halftime?

You're right... I thought about including that first one but I didn't because it just didn't seem to have changed the tenor of the game the way the other four things did. But ultimately, you're right. Points are points and that self inflicting wound cost us 3 at least putting us up to 27 in a 7 point game.

There is no way around it... Green Bay just kicked our asses. They were better than us and we couldn't keep up. The other two losses, the Bills and Panthers... those were self-inflicted losses. Games we pissed away.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Toooverbearing. Glad to have you around. You always make good sense in your posts. And your even keeled about things.

 

[toooverbearing]

Toooverbearing. Glad to have you around. You always make good sense in your posts. And your even keeled about things.

Thanks Noon.

 

[richig07]

I watched the game in Charlotte sitting on the 40 yard line 15 rows up. My observations... No one was open. Their CB's did an amazing job 1 on 1 vs. Marshall and AJ, especially in the second half. Luke Keukly (sp?) was his usual monster self when it came to shadowing our RB's and the dump off game we ran. It was really eye opening to see how well Carolina CB's played especially in the second half.

Well, Keuchly was great, but in all honesty… Forte ran wild in the short passing/screen game.

I thought we did pretty well in that area. Later on, it just looked like Cutler was forced to check down a lot.

 

[richig07]

The Falcons just look like a pretty crappy team to me, who caught lightning in a bottle against a TB team that just seemingly gave up that evening.

Their Oline is completely decimated by injuries (again). And their defense is quite possibly the worst in football.

I think as long as the Bears don't implode like they did in Carolina, this is a game they "should" win.

It will be interesting to see if Allen looks any healthier, and can get anything done versus a depleted Falcons O-line. If not, it's time to seriously start worrying. IMO

I also read a few other Falcons fans on other forums saying that they can't rush the passer at all either. In it's entirety, and outside of SPT's. This looks like a favorable matchup for us. But then again, Atlanta is good at home.

 

[beardown07]

Allen led the team in tackles with 7, FWIW

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

I thought Allen looked like shit, frankly. He had seven tackles because they ran at him all game long, presumably because they saw the same thing any halfwit can see on film, which is that Allen looks like shit against the run.

I hope he picks it up. Maybe he needs some time to recover from his illness. But so far, he looks terrible.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

You're right... I thought about including that first one but I didn't because it just didn't seem to have changed the tenor of the game the way the other four things did. But ultimately, you're right. Points are points and that self inflicting wound cost us 3 at least putting us up to 27 in a 7 point game.

There is no way around it... Green Bay just kicked our asses. They were better than us and we couldn't keep up. The other two losses, the Bills and Panthers... those were self-inflicted losses. Games we pissed away.

I'm not sure I agree with you. The Panthers....TOTALLY a self-inflicted loss. But if I had to pick a game we lost more due to self-inflicted errors, I would choose the Green Bay game over the Buffalo game. Buffalo's team is better than maybe some think. I thought the Bears played the Packers more or less evenly except the stupidity-laced end of the 2nd quarter (on the Bears) and then the terrible playcalling and pass rushing of the third (again, also on the Bears) after which point the game was gone.

So, no, I don't agree with you.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Let me put this to you guys another way. Allen had way more tackles than LaMarr Houston. Do you know why? It's because they ran at Allen instead of Houston for most of the game. So who is going to wind up with more tackles?

This is one of the many flaws with defensive statistics, and Fantasy doesn't help due to leagues that actually reward players for tackles. The best run defender in the game is often the nose tackle, and if he really good, he won't get any tackles at all.

 

[averagejoe]

The Falcons just look like a pretty crappy team to me...

I think as long as the Bears don't implode like they did in Carolina, this is a game they "should" win.

IDK. I was sure the Carolina game was a winnable game. Newton has bad ribs & a bad ankle. They were down to their 3rd, 4th & 5th-string RB. Plus their WR were anything but elite (or even average). Yet the Panthers won.

Our O-line is banged up. And our D is just as banged up if not more so. (Ratliff, Bostic, McClellin & Conte are hurt.) And to think it gets worse as we have to reach deeper into the defensive depth. We resign DJ Williams (who remained unemployed), and have to scrape up Ahmad Dixon who was released by the Boys.

I'd like to be optimistic, but there's no way these guys stop Julio Jones and Roddy White in Atlanta.

Right now, Las Vegas has the Bears-Falcons game as the highest scoring game of the week at 53.5 total points.

 

[toooverbearing]

I'm not sure I agree with you. The Panthers....TOTALLY a self-inflicted loss. But if I had to pick a game we lost more due to self-inflicted errors, I would choose the Green Bay game over the Buffalo game. Buffalo's team is better than maybe some think. I thought the Bears played the Packers more or less evenly except the stupidity-laced end of the 2nd quarter (on the Bears) and then the terrible playcalling and pass rushing of the third (again, also on the Bears) after which point the game was gone.

So, no, I don't agree with you.

We couldn't stop Green Bay at all. The only two drives that weren't tds for Green Bay ended at our 35 yard line and our 20 yard line. That's 55 yards away from being a perfectly efficient offensive football game. We lost to the Bills because a mistake down the stretch gave them one more chance to get their running game going. We lost to the Panthers because of 4 or 5 mistakes which netted the other team 24 or 27 points. Green Bay wasn't a self-inflicted loss.... That was them handing our asses to us. We couldn't even force a punt. At least we had some control in the outcome of the Bills game down the stretch. I'm not saying we DEFINITELY win if Jay doesn't throw that late pick, but we probably win. The Bills would need so much more to go their way in order to win. No?

 

[blh7068]

I watched the game in Charlotte sitting on the 40 yard line 15 rows up. My observations... No one was open. Their CB's did an amazing job 1 on 1 vs. Marshall and AJ, especially in the second half. Luke Keukly (sp?) was his usual monster self when it came to shadowing our RB's and the dump off game we ran. It was really eye opening to see how well Carolina CB's played especially in the second half.

Always nice to hear observations from those that attended the game. Full field views and being able to see plays unfold cant be had from watching games on TV.

That would explain why there were so many underneath throws. Despite the good coverage on the WRs- they still have to try and stretch the field. They really didnt do that and it made them predictable, thus making it easier for Kuechly to do a nice job of shadowing Forte/stay at home underneath.

 

[anotheridiot]

Kuechly impresses the hell out of me.

I liked the story they told about Morrisey calling his old bear linebacker buddytelling him to draft the kid comparing him to Singletary and Urlacher.

 

[wood20ks]

You're right... I thought about including that first one but I didn't because it just didn't seem to have changed the tenor of the game the way the other four things did. But ultimately, you're right. Points are points and that self inflicting wound cost us 3 at least putting us up to 27 in a 7 point game.

There is no way around it... Green Bay just kicked our asses. They were better than us and we couldn't keep up. The other two losses, the Bills and Panthers... those were self-inflicted losses. Games we pissed away.

Well we tried keeping up,but I don`t really think they kicked our ass,it just seemed that way.
Forte absolutely ran right thru them whether it was the run or pass.
Marshall was hurting and bennett was a monster.

It had to do with more of a lackluster defense which we know we have,although we held lacy in check, and downright terrible plays from our qb that should not be happening.Its his job to get these points we desperatley needed.
What more could we have done on the offensive side of the ball other than jay`s boneheaded plays.
although the matthews int was luck,it still should`ve been picked of by the other guy.and this deep in GB territory.
and maybe just maybe the 2nd int was BM`s fault,but if you lok at the replay,JC still had the ball in his hands when BM cut straight up field.........Thats not getting our asses handed to us.Thats stupidity.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

We couldn't stop Green Bay at all. The only two drives that weren't tds for Green Bay ended at our 35 yard line and our 20 yard line. That's 55 yards away from being a perfectly efficient offensive football game. We lost to the Bills because a mistake down the stretch gave them one more chance to get their running game going. We lost to the Panthers because of 4 or 5 mistakes which netted the other team 24 or 27 points. Green Bay wasn't a self-inflicted loss.... That was them handing our asses to us. We couldn't even force a punt. At least we had some control in the outcome of the Bills game down the stretch. I'm not saying we DEFINITELY win if Jay doesn't throw that late pick, but we probably win. The Bills would need so much more to go their way in order to win. No?

No, I really don't agree. First of all, the Bears were matching everything GB was doing, we scored every drive in the first half, and then we totally botched the plays at the end of the half of our own doing. Then for no good reason, and entirely within our control, we stopped running the football and threw two interceptions. Green Bay doesn't make the Bears offense playcalls. It was only then that the game became out of reach. If one describes "self-inflicted" as things you just do to yourself and it has nothing to do with the other team, then those were the types of things that we did purely to ourselves. Green Bay was much more self-inflicted in my book.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Always nice to hear observations from those that attended the game. Full field views and being able to see plays unfold cant be had from watching games on TV.

You need to sign up for GameRewind. It is the only way to understand a game from a TV. Why the league doesn't offer a premium channel with the All-22 and end zone views offered live I cannot understand.

 

[toooverbearing]

No, I really don't agree. First of all, the Bears were matching everything GB was doing, we scored every drive in the first half, and then we totally botched the plays at the end of the half of our own doing. Then for no good reason, and entirely within our control, we stopped running the football and threw two interceptions. Green Bay doesn't make the Bears offense playcalls. It was only then that the game became out of reach. If one describes "self-inflicted" as things you just do to yourself and it has nothing to do with the other team, then those were the types of things that we did purely to ourselves. Green Bay was much more self-inflicted in my book.

OK. I still disagree but I respect your opinion. Unless we could have scored TDs on all but one possession, we couldn't win. I'm not saying there were no mistakes by the Bears, I'm just saying the mistakes weren't the reason we lost. Rogers feasting on us was the prevailing factor.

 

[toooverbearing]

Well we tried keeping up,but I don`t really think they kicked our ass,it just seemed that way.
Forte absolutely ran right thru them whether it was the run or pass.
Marshall was hurting and bennett was a monster.

It had to do with more of a lackluster defense which we know we have,although we held lacy in check, and downright terrible plays from our qb that should not be happening.Its his job to get these points we desperatley needed.
What more could we have done on the offensive side of the ball other than jay`s boneheaded plays.
although the matthews int was luck,it still should`ve been picked of by the other guy.and this deep in GB territory.
and maybe just maybe the 2nd int was BM`s fault,but if you lok at the replay,JC still had the ball in his hands when BM cut straight up field.........Thats not getting our asses handed to us.Thats stupidity.

I don't know about a different result, but I suspect the game in Lambeau will be more competitive down the stretch. Hopefully we're healthy and motivated.