Week 9

[cubzzzfanincali]

I can't see Detroit winning more than six games. AT ALL. They suck.

Last year I thought they would be better. Then they had a rash of injuries and lost a whole mess of one score games (9 of their 12 losses). I was wrong, because I thought they would win more. But they sure don't suck. We beat them by a total of 8 points over 2 games.

The Lions have the best O and D lines in the conference. Their WRs are supposedly healthy finally, and they actually have (on paper) a decent secondary for the first time in about a decade. Their core high draft picks are coming into their prime years.

Go ahead, discount them. I'm not. I hope they lose. But I'm not banking on it.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Ok, I thought about this a bit more, they don't have the best O line this year (on paper). Minnesota does.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

My bad I guess the guy who has started at LT for the last 2 seasons is the back up now because the new guy is worse...

Thing is Steve, other teams have seen your offense enough to game plan more effectively. Teams know they can go full bore after AR because you have no run game to keep them honest. Now that may change if Lacy gets going. But your run blocking is bad and let's face it, you'll always be a passing team with a QB like AR. I guess well find out soon enough who is right and who is wrong. To me GB has gotten weaker and weaker every year, the last few seasons.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Ok, I thought about this a bit more, they don't have the best O line this year (on paper). Minnesota does.

They don't have the best D line either, we do. But it's moot because they have the dumbest coach and that has not changed. Why do you think they always lose the close games.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

How did GBs oline get worse when their starting LT from last year has been benched for a better player and everyone else is the same?

You lost your best Olineman for the year and replaced him with a late round rookie pick that is avg in pass blocking and below avg in run blocking. And he may not even be avg in pass blocking once the real season starts.

 

[LambeauLegs]

My bad I guess the guy who has started at LT for the last 2 seasons is the back up now because the new guy is worse...

I guess it is hard for Bears fans to understand that Buluga did not even play the last half of last season and that Newhouse played left tackle to fill his spot for the remainder of the season. Then it must be hard for them to figure out that if last years starting tackle Newhouse is now not a starter that the person replacing him must be better.

The Packers Oline has the same players as last year except one the improved player who replaced Newhouse.

 

[LambeauLegs]

You lost your best Olineman for the year and replaced him with a late round rookie pick that is avg in pass blocking and below avg in run blocking. And he may not even be avg in pass blocking once the real season starts.

The oline we had last year did not have our best tackler Buluga either so this year is considered better because the player replacing him is better than the person who replaced him last year. Now do you see how that shows the Packers oline is better?

 

[Tainthappening]

I guess it is hard for Bears fans to understand that Buluga did not even play the last half of last season and that Newhouse played left tackle to fill his spot for the remainder of the season. Then it must be hard for them to figure out that if last years starting tackle Newhouse is now not a starter that the person replacing him must be better.

Newhouse did not replace Bulaga last year... Newhouse played LT last year and Bulaga started at RT for first 9 games. When Bulaga went down he was replaced by Lang a bit who moved over from guard and was a disaster and later by Barclay who did very well in run blocking, but needed some help with pass blocking.

Packers OL issues are far from resolved, but they could be somewhat better than last year. There is also the possibility of improved running game that could help pass blocking.

EDS is improvement over Saturday at center, Barclay in 2nd year should be better... a lot will hinge on Bakhtiari (he is mid round pick... not late) how much improved if improved over last year.

 

[Trudem]

Every year Noon hypes some move the Bears did and always says the Packers are getting worse. I like Long long term but like Bahktiari you should temper your expectations.

This time last year he was telling us how bad Hester would make our defense look

 

[nebearsfan70]

This is true, but I do agree with Noon on a point he made... To sum up: GB's window does seem to be closing over the last few years (just like the Bears' window closed in 2010).

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

They don't have the best D line either, we do. But it's moot because they have the dumbest coach and that has not changed. Why do you think they always lose the close games.

I definitely agree they have the dumbest coach. But I would call the Bears D line third, not first. The Lions have two of the best DTs in the league, and one of the best pass rushing prospects. Idonije is a backup on that team, and he would probably still be starting for us.

 

[Stevein2012]

Thing is Steve, other teams have seen your offense enough to game plan more effectively. Teams know they can go full bore after AR because you have no run game to keep them honest. Now that may change if Lacy gets going. But your run blocking is bad and let's face it, you'll always be a passing team with a QB like AR. I guess well find out soon enough who is right and who is wrong. To me GB has gotten weaker and weaker every year, the last few seasons.

It's not like the offense sucked last year. If that's what being figured out means then that's fine with me.

 

[LambeauLegs]

The same logic says the bears defense will be as good as it was last year because Urlacher is gone. He was slowing down so is the person replacing him worse than him making the Bears defense worse off this year or is the guy replacing him better than what Urlacher was.

Will Urlacher being retired have a positive or negative effect on the Bears or will it not make a difference?

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

The same logic says the bears defense will be as good as it was last year because Urlacher is gone. He was slowing down so is the person replacing him worse than him making the Bears defense worse off this year or is the guy replacing him better than what Urlacher was.

Will Urlacher being retired have a positive or negative effect on the Bears or will it not make a difference?

Bears Def should be better, more pass rushers this year and better overall LB play with DJ Williams & J Anderson replacing BU and Roach. Plus the 2 rookies for depth. Also there will be some new stuff run from Tucker (DC) so we won't be as predictable.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

It's not like the offense sucked last year. If that's what being figured out means then that's fine with me.

Sucked no, but not the dominate group of years past.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

I definitely agree they have the dumbest coach. But I would call the Bears D line third, not first. The Lions have two of the best DTs in the league, and one of the best pass rushing prospects. Idonije is a backup on that team, and he would probably still be starting for us.

I guess well have to agree to disagree. I think our Dline is better and deeper. Idonije was not good enough to be a backup here. That is why he is not here.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Every year Noon hypes some move the Bears did and always says the Packers are getting worse. I like Long long term but like Bahktiari you should temper your expectations.

This time last year he was telling us how bad Hester would make our defense look

Hester??? Ya lol not me. And GB has gotten worse each of the last 3 years. So thanks for noticing that I called it right.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

So they are worse than last year because their tackle that didnt even play in the last 8 games is out? What changes, the line is exactly what they finished the season with last year but with an upgrade at the most important spot.

Ya but they finished as one of the worst Olines in the league last year and now lost their best player for the year. You can't call a late round draft pick a upgrade, you can hope tho. Me I think Lacey is the wild card in the Div. If he plays solid then ????

 

[Trudem]

Hester??? Ya lol not me. And GB has gotten worse each of the last 3 years. So thanks for noticing that I called it right.

in fairness it is hard to improve on a 15-1 season

 

[MajorPackersFan]

Can someone explain how teams have seen enough of the Packers offense to have it figured out? The only time Lacy has been on the field at the same time as Rodgers was game two against the Rams where he had his 40 yards on the ground and 11 in the air...all in the first half. Last week Lacy never took a single handoff from Rodgers. Rodgers has only played five possessions this preseason. I'd be willing to bet that's less film than any other starting QB in the NFL.

As for the Packers defense, Datone Jones is getting healthy and has looked every bit the first round draft pick when in there. Nick Perry is healthy and looks great. Mike Neal is healthy (and not suspended) and looks really good. Johnny Jolly has exceeded everyone's expectations and looks like he will contribute. I just can only see the Packers front seven being much improved over last year. Once Williams and Hayward are 100%, the secondary should be top 10.

I haven't seen enough of the Bears to make an effective evaluation of them, but they will have needed to take many steps forward to surpass the steps forward the Packers have taken. As I said in an earlier post, I definitely see the Bears as the Packers toughest NFC North opponent, but I just can't imagine them doing enough to pass up the Packers this year.