What kind of defense will we see tomorrow?

[Wounded Bear]

Is it going to be more of the same inept linebacker play vanilla-ass defense we saw in the preseason or we going to see a dynamic defense with tons of Dline stunts with linebacker and Dback blitzes?

Maybe some hybrid packages since a lot of people think that Mel Tucker was playing close to the vest during preseason....



Any predictions on Rushing D, Passing D, Sacks? Performance of our new DLine? Linebackers? Safeties?


I fear that if the D doesn't do well against the Bills, it's going to be a nightmare against San Francisco...and for the rest of the season. (that was my "no shit, Einstein" statement)

Thoughts?

 

[anotheridiot]

I want to see something completely different. I dont want to hear the term cover two any more. Most of the experts are expecting Bostic to play alot, which means the bears will be in the nickel alot. I think that closes down alot of the blitz options with difference makers, usually just see little guys blitzing.

I expect the D line to be much better, and if they think they can get to the QB by themselves, Tucker will shy away from putting the pedal down.

 

[beardown07]

I just don't want to see every back in the league average over 5 yards a carry against us.



Strop the run. Strop the run. Stop the run.



This D severely lacked "toughness" last season, particularly up front and on the back end....they need some dog in em. I think the D line should be nastier. I think the rookie, Fuller, has got the dog in him. I think Bostic still has the potential to be a force in this league.

They need reps together, and SHOULD improve with every game.

There is only one place to go from last season's abortion, and that is up. They HAVE to be better than last year...couldn't possibly be worse.

 

[NCChiFan]

As long as it isn't the French Defense used in WW II, it will be fine.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

We'll see a plain jane def tomorrow. We'll be playing a very basic def to stop a very basic run offense. There will be no real reason to stunt and blitz. We will maintain gap control and have sound fundamentals. There will be games where we get exotic, but not here, not against a strait forward run offense.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Now I expect to see some new wrinkles next week against SF.

 

[anotheridiot]

I just think they need to get exotic in game situations before expecting them to just turn it on next sunday night.

 

[richig07]

My honest feeling.

There will be drives they look good. Get a good rush on Manuel, sack him. Force 3rd and longs. Then there will be a few drives in which our LB's get pushed around, and Jackson/Spiller run the ball seemingly at will.

I think Buffalo will hang around with us into halftime, and then we'll pull away slowly in the second half.

Buffalo's offense is just inept enough to hopefully give this D a confidence boost. I think they play serviceably, and the D-line plays well.

Bears 37 Bills 24

 

[Wounded Bear]

I just don't want to see every back in the league average over 5 yards a carry against us.



Strop the run. Strop the run. Stop the run.



This D severely lacked "toughness" last season, particularly up front and on the back end....they need some dog in em. I think the D line should be nastier. I think the rookie, Fuller, has got the dog in him. I think Bostic still has the potential to be a force in this league.

They need reps together, and SHOULD improve with every game.

There is only one place to go from last season's abortion, and that is up. They HAVE to be better than last year...couldn't possibly be worse.

+1 on the entire post, but an emphasis on stopping the run.

 

[Wounded Bear]

Just to throw my glass half-full two cents in.....I believe CJ Spiller will tear us up tomorrow. Fred Jackson will work our LB's like they're little girls.




I hope to hell I'm wrong.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

We'll see a plain jane def tomorrow. We'll be playing a very basic def to stop a very basic run offense. There will be no real reason to stunt and blitz. We will maintain gap control and have sound fundamentals. There will be games where we get exotic, but not here, not against a strait forward run offense.

Noon, I respect you as a poster, but sometimes I think you don't really know much about football. And posts like this are a big reason why. Well see a defense doing a lot of the things they do during the regular season that they don't show in the preseason. Well do stunts to exploit weak players on the Oline. Well see blitzes to get to manuel faster and keep him guessing. The buffalo bills may not be a very good team, but if you play vanilla defense against just about any nfl team, the offense will put points on the board and make the game interesting. I can see the defense easing up a bit if it's a blowout in the second half, but the defense is preparing special wrinkles for this buffalo bills offense that they will use out of the gate. As the saying goes, you must respect everyone, but fear no one. Coming out with a vanilla preseason defense isn't respecting the opponent and it will end up burning the bears if that's the case.

 

[averagejoe]

E.J. Manuel is terrible. Maybe to some the preseason means nothing. But Manuel's preseason completion percentage was ranked 55th. 55th! He was 50 of 81 with 1 TD and 2 INT. No one attempted more passes in the preseason than Manuel, and he was down right terrible.

If the Bears' offense scores on every other possession, even every third possession, the Bills will not have the ball enough to make the game close. Bears win convincingly - which is how it should be against a team like the Bills.

 

[anotheridiot]

well buffalo has a head case in Schwartz running the defense and he knows this bear system. They still have three all pro players on defense. I think its gonna be closer than most think, especially since our special teams suck, we probably lose that phase.

 

[anotheridiot]

Just to throw my glass half-full two cents in.....I believe CJ Spiller will tear us up tomorrow. Fred Jackson will work our LB's like they're little girls.




I hope to hell I'm wrong.

I think our two draft picks come up big against the run and at least keep linemen off our linebackers.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I think our two draft picks come up big against the run and at least keep linemen off our linebackers.

That would be huge. I wouldn't mind if Fred Jackson got a TD or two since I'm starting him in a money fantasy league this week, but I hope we win 49-14.

 

[yutch]

I'm sticking with my hunch that Tucker treated whole preseason as a sort of stress test, and that we'll see something different against Buffalo. But I think that that something will be even more vanilla in a way than what we've seen so far.

Figure we're not going to see the LBs take the deep drops they often did this offseason, and that we'll blitz very seldom. If anything, we might see lots of sets that have our LBs playing mostly downhill: no lining up shallow and bailing out at the snap, no real or feigned zone-blitz stuff. We'll lean on our front four for a pass rush and devote our LBs mostly to run-stopping.

 

[cubzzzfanincali]

Won't be able to watch it, still in Spain, but here is what I would be watching. The bills line is strong at center and left tackle. But they have some youth and have been switching around a lot, so as someone else suggested i would think lots of stunts makes some sense. However there.is one reason to not stunt so much and that is the presence of Chris Williams at left guard. He should be engaged directly in power/bull rushes, go right at him. Eric wood is a very smart center and so blitzing May not be as effective, although Manuel has some troubles reading blitzes. The line play is clearly the main thing to focus on in game 1. Especially against the run. I expect the bills to run right at shea when he is out there often. Watch for this.

 

[noonthirtyjoe]

Noon, I respect you as a poster, but sometimes I think you don't really know much about football. And posts like this are a big reason why. Well see a defense doing a lot of the things they do during the regular season that they don't show in the preseason. Well do stunts to exploit weak players on the Oline. Well see blitzes to get to manuel faster and keep him guessing. The buffalo bills may not be a very good team, but if you play vanilla defense against just about any nfl team, the offense will put points on the board and make the game interesting. I can see the defense easing up a bit if it's a blowout in the second half, but the defense is preparing special wrinkles for this buffalo bills offense that they will use out of the gate. As the saying goes, you must respect everyone, but fear no one. Coming out with a vanilla preseason defense isn't respecting the opponent and it will end up burning the bears if that's the case.

It's a strait run offense we'll be facing. There is no reason to get fancy. There gonna play smashmouth football and we'll have to match that.

 

[JoeyTourettes]

Haven't read all these- but as long as we can stop the run or should I say slow it down. Get off the field on 3rd and 8 or longer...should be fine. I'm excited to see the "real" Dline play a whole game. I Don't Think that EJ is going to be running a no-huddle and that will set up for a nice rotation for our dline.

Also- If they can get a lead- and force EJ to throw more, that will also be a nice opener for Jared, Lamarr and Willie.

 

[anotheridiot]

Haven't read all these- but as long as we can stop the run or should I say slow it down. Get off the field on 3rd and 8 or longer...should be fine. I'm excited to see the "real" Dline play a whole game. I Don't Think that EJ is going to be running a no-huddle and that will set up for a nice rotation for our dline.

Also- If they can get a lead- and force EJ to throw more, that will also be a nice opener for Jared, Lamarr and Willie.

That was one of Thayers comments on GDL. He showed how they have EJ take a 7 step drop to get away from the rush, but then showed him missing two open targets and checking down to a back at the line of scrimmage too soon. He then said we need to make him make his decisions quicker. Quicker might get more yards.

So far defense looks the same, other than Mundy flying around. After the third play of the game watching briggs and bostic both go over center and both backing off into coverage, it was a bad sign for change.