Post by jamaisvu on Dec 19, 2016 14:07:05 GMT -6
The Good
Seems as good of a time as any to give some credit to the Bears' Offensive Line. I was so worried by the end of the Eagles Monday Night Game back in September, but they did a great job of coming together and playing like the strength of the offense.
With all due respect to Jordan Howard, I really think you have to give Bears Rookie of the Year to Cody Whitehair. A rookie lineman that has played three completely different positions in the last calendar year, may have found a permanent home at Center to anchor this line for another decade or so. Incredibly sound technique and better strength than you would think for his size. Must be a smart kid too because he took to making line calls like a natural.
Could you do better than Leno at LT? Maybe. You sure could do a lot worse. Especially when you look at the team's last two shots at addressing OT in the first round. I would love to see some competition behind him, but Leno has been solid at the position. He has even improved greatly on his run blocking this season. Getting beat like a mule by Old Man Peppers yesterday was ugly as sin, but he is still having a good season and has not missed a start since coming in to steal an injured Bushrod's job last year.
I also do not know what to say about Bobbie Massie. I hate to admit it, but I keep waiting for his PED suspension because the last seven games compared to his first seven games could not be more night and day different. Not only am I seeing some of that mauler in the run game talked about in the offseason, but his pass protection is actually becoming a strength rather than the glaring weakness it was for all of September. Comeback Player of the Season for me.
Sitton has been kind of inconsistent, but has been battling injuries. He did have a great outing against his former team. Kush was impressive in relief duty while Larsen still plays stupid too much and leads the line with seven penalties in eight starts. Otherwise, Larsen holds his ground more often than not. Not a total liability, but will not miss him when Kyle is healthy again.
There still needs better depth at the ends because Mike Adams never looked 100% and just ended up injured again, but Leno/Sitton/Whitehair/Long/Massie is a solid group that Jordan Howard should be the first to vouch for.
(Good enough to put a young QB behind too...hint, hint)
The Bad
Really Bear Defense?!?
You gonna let Ty Montgomery do you like that?
And don't get me started on the TD by that Pete Carroll reject.
Bad enough the secondary could only keep Rodgers at bay for so long, but to let the Green Bay Packers have over two hundred yards rushing with three rushing touchdowns is not the Bear Defense I have been watching this last month. Apparently it was too cold for these Bears to move their arms enough to wrap up a tackle. I imagine the coaching staff is going to load up on their heart medication before hitting the film room with these guys.
Seems like every time Goldman sits out...we get gashed in the run game. Hope he gets healthy this off-season so this defense can hit the ground running next September. Nick Kay had a few slips, but was more solid than Timu. Nick Kay has actually been more impressive than Danny Trey. Kind of sad when you look at Danny's contract too. Hope Danny has a far better 2017 because this kid is going to be breathing down his neck for playing time now.
I don't know how much I want to blame LeBlanc. He has been stellar over the last month and it just kind of fell apart for him yesterday. For as well as he had played previous to yesterday...leaving him one on one with Jordy Nelson happened too often and ultimately cost the Bears, at least, a trip to OT. He is a good find, but nowhere good enough to be in that situation. Problem is, no one in the secondary is. Hope it is a serious focus this offseason because it is not just the corners...these safeties suck. Amos was terrible yesterday and Bush is not much better.
McPhee had a nice day, but Leonard Floyd got absolutely owned yesterday by Green Bay's left tackle.
Overall a day that Fangio's Boys fell flat with poor tackling and poor coverage assignments.
The Ugly
And so the Chicago Bears let the Green Bay Packers pull the all time head to head record even for the first time since 1933. Can Ryan Pace build a team that bullies the winning record back or do the Bears just free fall on the only remaining piece of bragging rights they had left on their oldest rival.
(Maybe one day the Bears can get a HOF QB or three too)
Once again, John Fox's management of the clock at the end of these games is making me pine for the days of Lovie Smith's stupid challenges. I will understand if you do not want to have the balls to go for the win on the goal line and settle for a FG and OT, but declining the ten second run off on the final Green Bay possession when they were out of timeouts is too little too late. You already settled for OT when you kicked that ball...don't give Aaron Rodgers another second, let alone ten.
Then boom. 3-11. Locked into a worse record than Year One. In two years as head coach, John Fox will be lucky if he can get to ten wins. When asked post-game about the one on one coverage that cost the Bears the win, the ever guarded Fox says, “I am not going to play the blame game.”
That is coach speak for “take it up with Fangio”. Makes me wonder if these rumors about a rift between Fangio and Fox may have legs after all. I really hope not, because this defense is really starting to believe in itself and losing their coach has a good chance of stunting all that.
Still, in a three win season...you expect changes to be made. Bear Nation can only cross their fingers that the most meaningful change will be the end of the losing seasons in Chicago.
