This is how it feels to be a Bears fan this morning
Last October, the Bears traveled to face the upstart Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome, turned the ball over twice in the red zone, and lost a game they should have won- one that eventually cost the Monsters of Midway a playoff spot. I am not sure if this loss will keep the Bears out of the postseason, but the other three components were front and center last night. The Bears (3-2) coughed up the ball twice- both inside the ten yard line- and shot themselves in the foot with needless penalties that eventually gifted the game to the Falcons. Let me be clear, Atlanta (4-1) is a great team, but they did not win the game, the Bears lost it. Some reaction-
1) I hate to say it, but the Bears may have the worst offensive line of all time. I said this last night, and may have spoken out of emotion, but after a day to marinate on the disaster in Atlanta, I must reaffirm my disgust. Of the five big uglies, only two had good nights- Roberto Garza and Olin Kruetz. Chris Williams seemed overmatched- putting more pressure on right side-mate Garza, but at least utilized some good footwork to give Jay Cutler time to throw. On the other hand, the left side of the line (Orlando Pace and Frank Omilaye) can stay in Georgia for all I care. To be fair, Pace performed decently in pass protection until the critical final possession, where the 13-year veteran lost his man twice and jumped the gun on the fourth down and one play- marching the Bears back five yards and ending the game. As for Omilaye, I have no desire to see him play in Chicago again. Apparently, other fans and Lovie Smith agree. The former Carolina Panther was penalized seven times, blocked like a ghost, missed assignments that led to both Matt Forte fumbles, and cost the Bears 20 penalty yards during the final drive. Many football analysts are wondering why running back Matt Forte cannot seem to get going- perhaps it is because every time he touches the ball, he is met by a defender running full force past Omilaye. Forte carried the ball fifteen times last night- nine on Omilaye’s side of the line for a total of two yards. Coincidence? I think not.
2) Despite the offensive line’s best sieve impression, Jay Cutler was once again heroic. True, the Vandy alum came up short in the Chicago comeback bid and did throw a pair of interceptions, but his 300 yard/two touchdown night was the only reason the Bears were even in the game. Much has been made of former-Bear Kyle Orton’s 6-0 start in Denver, comparing him to the man for whom the Chicago GM traded. Last season, Cutler had to overcome a terrible defense and no running game to win games- something he did more often than not. Conversely, the Bears utilized Orton and a mediocre defense to win nine games. Without question, the 2009 Chicago offensive line is worse than the 2008 version. Most of Cutler’s passing yards come while he is off balance or on the run, while Orton is able to camp out behind the stonewall of an o-line in Denver and wait for a play to develop- if nothing is there, he can rely on the improved Broncos’ defense to get the ball back. If Cutler were in Denver, the Broncos would perhaps be the best team in football, while Orton’s Bears would be tied with the Lions at 1-4. Put another way, the Bears are asking Jay Cutler to do things- like throw on the run or fire deep down field- of which Orton is incapable. Yes, Cutler threw a pair of interceptions- one after being drilled by Frank Omilaye’s man and another when Greg Olsen ran the wrong route- but he also made a series of pinpoint throws that only a handful of people on the planet could complete. Perhaps, Jerry Angelo knew the line would be a collection of phantoms this year and he is preparing for Cutler’s prime (he’s only 26 after all). Either way, if Kyle Orton were still in Chicago, we would be talking about a 35-3 beating instead of the heartbreaker we witnessed.
3) I was happy with the overall defensive effort, but last night was the first time the Bears really missed Brian Urlacher. After injuries to solid reserve Hunter Hillenmeyer and outside linebacker Piso Tinoisomoa, Chicago was already scraping the bottom of the barrel for linebacking help. However, faced with the prospect of defending future Hall of Fame tight end, Tony Gonzalez, the Bears desperately needed an outstanding effort from their linebacking corps in pass coverage. Overall, Nick Roach performed admirably- showing substantial improvement in the second half. However, the third year defender’s biggest mistake played a critical role in costing the Bears the game. On a third down and long play, Roach bit on a mediocre fake from Gonzalez- freeing the tight end for a wide open grab in the end zone. The catch put the Falcons up 14-7 heading to the half. If Urlacher were healthy, I have no doubt the future Hall of Famer would have at least broken up the play and likely would have avoided the mental breakdown that freed Roddy White for a touchdown earlier in the quarter. As football is a full contact sport, injuries are a part of the game and Urlacher’s absence is not an excuse. But it is worth noting that last night was the first time the Bears noticeably missed their defensive leader.
4) Finally, the most disappointing facet of the game (offensive line notwithstanding) was the horrendous special teams play. Arguably, Dave Toub’s unit was due for a down game and played less of a role in the loss than Lovie Smith’s failure to prepare the defense for Matt Ryan’s no huddle passing attack that accumulated fourteen quick points in the second quarter. However, the defense turned around and did not surrender a score until after the Falcons’ 61 yard kickoff return in the waning minutes of the game. All night, the Bears special teams unit missed tackles and there was the palpable sense that a big return was forthcoming. Following the late field position swing, the home crowd smelled blood and the Falcons took advantage. Even more frustrating is the fact that such a return is exactly what led to the Bears gut-wrenching defeat in the Georgia Dome last season. Regardless, the unit had a chance to make amends on the ensuing kickoff- responding with a thud (season low ten yard return). Without a doubt, Dave Toub did not orchestrate this loss, but his unit held the nail in the coffin whilst Matt Ryan raised the hammer.
The season is not over. There I said it. That is a sentiment the Bears players must take into practice this week and moving forward. At 3-2, Chicago is in a five-way tie for the final playoff spot with two-thirds of the season left to play. Over the next seven games, the Bears will likely win anywhere between four and six. At worst, the Monsters of Midway will head into the season’s stretch run at 7-5, which should be sufficient to have a shot to make the playoffs. To have a realistic shot at the division title, I said Thursday the Bears needed to split the games against the Falcons and Bengals. At heart, I felt the Falcons, playing in Atlanta, would win- and they did. That said, the Bears outplayed a great team at home and lost because of correctable mistakes, so all is not lost. Following a similar loss in Week 1, Jay Cutler and crew responded with a rousing win over the Super Bowl champion Steelers. Hopefully, Lovie Smith works his magic again to get us back on a winning track. BEAR DOWN!!!
Keep your head up Jay, we wouldn't be close without you
