Rafer Madness

Bears Weekend at Wembley, another step in the right direction.

Back from London with the jet lag finally wearing off.  Sometimes a far-away trip across the world can be therapeutic.  And after the Bears “Beat, play, Lovie” weekend at Wembley it seems they got their groove back after losing their Mojo in Motown.

 

Three things I learned from the trek across the Pond.  You can’t get a regular coffee there.  It’s called an “Americano”.  You’re taking your life into your hands if you get into a cab.  And the wrath of Lovie Smith scares me.

 

It’s tough to dispute what Smith said after the Bears bout with the Buccaneers near Big Ben:

 

“We feel like our arrow is pointed in the right direction.  I think our best ball is ahead of us.”

 

The Bears have found an offensive rhythm and with Jay Cutler’s top target Earl Bennett coming back along with right tackle Gabe Carimi things could get even better for that unit.  The Bears defense is the Bears’ defense again and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford is starting to show injury-prone tendencies. 

 

Should the Bears get a win against Philly next Monday night and then follow it up with one against the Lions the next week at Soldier Field, the wild-card would seem like a lock for the once spiraling Monsters of the Midway.

 

That’s why the release of veteran safety Chris Harris this week was such a surprise.  True, third-round pick Chris Conte showed his potential and upside Sunday stripping the ball away from Mike Williams at the goal line for an interception.  But Brandon Meriweather and Major Wright are more pure free safeties.  And Harris while he may not be as fast could have been at the very least a solid back up to the young Conte and a mentor for him. The man is after all a former pro-bowler.

 

Harris says he wasn’t given a good explanation as to why he was released but many suspect it was the way he spoke about it the first time he was benched when he rolled his eyes and says “nothing surprises me anymore about this place.”

 

Lovie Smith seems very intent on keeping things in-house and Harris seemed to violate that code of silence with our post-practice interview with him that day.

 

But I’m not going to go out and criticize Smith for his hasty move because it appears he keeps tabs on his critics.  And right now, while I will miss Harris for his spirit, personality and the fact that he was always available to us the media, I can’t say Lovie hasn’t been proving the critics wrong so far.

 

So I’ll just keep my mouth shut and say, good luck Chris.  I for one will miss what you brought to the locker room.  I can only hope the decision to let you go won’t come back to bite the Bears in the proverbial bottom.

 

These Bears just aren't right

The Bears locker room felt like a morgue.  Their loss in the Lion's Den left them lifeless, stunned and soul-searching. Roy Williams sat with his head in his hands. Devin Hester just stared into his locker. 

The Bears know what everyone else knows even if they're not saying it: this team isn't going to go any farther than last year with this roster. 

By itself that wouldn't be a problem for a team with low expectations or in re-building mode. The problem is the Bears believed this was the team that would get them back to the promised land and teams are huffing and puffing and blowing their house down. 

"We played like $h!t," Brian Urlacher said. 

"We need to find our identity," added Tim Jennings. 

Its not like they Bears are being blown out. Their defense goes from looking like it has teeth to long-in-the-tooth on the next play.  Jay Cutler had a 99 passer rating and almost 250 yards. Matt Forte had over 100 yards rushing and over 5 yards a carry. 

But 14 penalties including 9 false starts and big plays given up on D were the key. Its not just that this team is undisciplined and unfocused, they're over-matched. While the Packers and the Lions have loaded up on talent the Bears continue to believe their system is what will take them there. But the players though don't seem to believe it now. 

Roy Williams sounded a lot like T.O. when I asked if the offense should have taken more shots downfield.

"We just go with the plays that are called," Williams said with a clenched smile.

"Mike Martz gets the big bucks. If he calls a play its because he sees something."

The Lions were daring the Bears to throw deep and only a few times did they connect downfield.  The 77-yard touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson reminded fans what the Bears are truly lacking--a legitimate downfield threat. 

Devin Hester is the best return man in the history of the game. But his second half drop on a deep ball from Cutler confirmed it. They won't win with just him stretching defenses. 

The Bears may still make the playoffs. They had a slow start last year. But after coming together at the end of last season they should be farther along than they are. 

Their talent level may be comparable to their division-wining team last season.  The problem is everyone else-it seems-is better.

"These Bears Just Not Right"

The Bears locker room felt like a morgue. Their loss in the Lion's Den left them lifeless, stunned and soul-searching. Roy Williams sat with his head in his hands. Devin Hester just stared into his locker.

The Bears know what everyone else knows even if they're not saying it: this team isn't going to go any farther than last year with this roster.

By itself that wouldn't be a problem for a team with low expectations or in re-building mode. The problem is the Bears believed this was the team that would get them back to the promised land and teams are huffing and puffing and blowing their house down.

"We played like $h!t," Brian Urlacher said.

"We need to find our identity," added Tim Jennings.

Its not like they Bears are being blown out. Their defense goes from looking like it has teeth to long-in-the-tooth on the next play. Jay Cutler had a 99 passer rating and almost 250 yards. Matt Forte had over 100 yards rushing and over 5 yards a carry.

But 14 penalties including 9 false starts and big plays given up on D were the key. Its not just that this team is undisciplined and unfocused, they're over-matched. While the Packers and the Lions have loaded up on talent the Bears continue to believe their system is what will take them there. But the players though don't seem to believe it now.

Roy Williams sounded a lot like T.O. when I asked if the offense should have taken more shots downfield.

"We just go with the plays that are called," Williams said with a clenched smile.

"Mike Martz gets the big bucks. If he calls a play its because he sees something."

The Lions were daring the Bears to throw deep and only a few times did they connect downfield. The 77-yard touchdown catch by Calvin Johnson reminded fans what the Bears are truly lacking--a legitimate downfield threat.

Devin Hester is the best return man in the history of the game. But his second half drop on a deep ball from Cutler confirmed it. They won't win with just him stretching defenses.

The Bears may still make the playoffs. They had a slow start last year. But after coming together at the end of last season they should be farther along than they are.

Their talent level may be comparable to their division-wining team last season. The problem is everyone else-it seems-is better.

The Bears went back to their Forte

Mike Martz definitely got the memo.

 

Ron Rivera apparently did not.

 

The Bears 39-24 win over Carolina was a “welcome back” moment for both ball clubs.  Ron Rivera was coming home to face his former team.  And the Bears went back to who they were, you know, before Mike Martz tried to make them a pass-happy attack on shoddy grass near the winds of Lake Michigan.

 

The Bears literally got back to their Forte.  Matt Forte had 25 carries for 205 yards joining him with Hall of Famers Gale Sayers and Walter Payton as the only Bears to rush for over 200 yards.  The Bears ran the ball nine straight times to start the game.  Jay Cutler didn’t throw a pass until the second quarter.  Mike Martz probably called most of it through clenched teeth.

 

“It was fun,’’ Chris Williams said. “It was a good time.’’

 

Give credit to Martz for calling a game-plan that worked.  The debate is whether it came from him or was forced on him by Lovie Smith.

 

“Running the football was the plan,” Lovie Smith said.  “And today the plan worked.”

 

And give credit to the offensive line and Mike Tice for fixing what didn’t work last week.  Tice has taken a group of guys—most of them playing out of position, and got them to open up holes for Forte so big he thought he was back in the bayou. 

 

“It reminded me of my senior year at Tulane, every weekend getting 200 yards,’’ he said. “All the credit goes to the offensive line. The holes were huge.’’

 

The problem for this particular game-plan is that it seemingly runs upstream of GM Jerry Angelo’s off-field game plan.  Angelo has refused to grant Forte an extension on par with what most think he’s worth—including Forte.  But if this keeps up everyone will be clamoring for the Bears to pull the change out of their pockets.  Angelo will likely “franchise tag” Forte which would be underhanded but within his right.

 

“Pay the guy,” D.J. Moore said after the game probably not getting on his bosses good side.  “Pay him a lot.  If you got money to pay him, pay him.  It doesn’t really make sense for you to wait all year. 

 

“The guy’s been doing for what? Four years?  So he’s been doing it good every year.  You even brought running backs in and paid them more than he gets.  It doesn’t really make sense.”

 

While the Bears offense answered the clue phone Ron Rivera has no excuse for punting to Devin Hester.  Hester’s 69-yard touchdown return in the 2^nd quarter put him in the record books for the most in history.  And I’m guessing it’ll be the last one we see go his way.

 

“He’s fun to watch,” said a surprisingly upbeat Jay Cutler despite his stat line: 9 of 17 for 102 yards with one interception.  “They guy’s so electric.  As soon as he touches the ball you know something fun’s going to happen.  So, I’m glad he’s on our squad.”

 

The problem for the Bears is the Packers look unbeatable after Aaron Rodger scored six touchdowns in a 49-23 win over Denver.  And the mean ol’ Lions keep roaring along as well.  If the Bears can pound the rock like they did at Ford Field and get a win next Monday then it will be clear they are contenders and not pretenders. 

 

It will be tough for Martz as he’ll be back in a dome where he loves to open things up.  But as long as he keeps the Bears grounded and doesn’t pretend the Bears are something they’re not, they should have a chance.