Noots’ Notes Game 15: 36-30 OT Win against MIN
Noots’ Notes-Game 15: 36-30 Win over Minnesota (holiday edition)
By
Michael Nudo
The Bears (6-9) gave up a 16-0 halftime lead to a Vikings team that needed the win for home field advantage. But the Bears prevailed in overtime, led by the arm of Jay Cutler.
The Aroma of victory (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images).
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks:
Jay Cutler (20-35-273, 4 TDs, 1 Int) played like the guy we thought we were getting. Four touchdown passes, all to different receivers. Had one pick and a few others the Vikings dropped. But he bought himself time and made plays. His 39-yard rope to Aromashodu to win it in overtime will not be forgotten any time soon. Could have had an even better game, missing a few open targets deep. GRADE: A-
Running Backs:
Matt Forte has not been playing well. This didn’t change. The line had good push, and opened some running lanes. Forte didn’t hit them hard. On other occasions, he had the edge but never saw it or never took it. The Bears need to fix this problem. GRADE: C-
Receivers:
Devin Aromashodu had a career game (7-150, TD). He picked up big chunks of yardage up the sidelines and cutting over the middle. He also made some nice run blocks. Tight ends Clark and Olsen each caught touchdowns and combined for 8 catches and 86 yards. Earl Bennett (3-35, TD) was the recipient of a 20-yard touchdown bullet from Cutler on a post pattern. GRADE: A-
Offensive Line:
The line was the key. Cutler had plenty of time for most of the day, and the run blocking, especially on the right side, was positive. Left tackle Chris Williams completely neutralized Jared Allen. This was a building block game for him. His play gives hope for the future of the line. Meanwhile, if I have to see any more close-ups of left guard Frank Omiyale in his stance I’m going to throw up. Can someone, preferably his line coach, inform him that you need to see the defense before you can block it? The guy’s head is always down. The Bears benefitted from Pat Williams being out. It’s a lot easier to block JFK (Jimmy Fat Kennedy). Overall, a strong offensive performance against one of the league’s best defenses. GRADE: B+
DEFENSE
Defensive Line:
Defensive tackles Anthony Adams and Tommie Harris played very well. There was just enough pressure from Harris and then Mark Anderson and Alex Brown to keep Favre off his game, especially in the first half. Anderson and Brown stepped up and got sacks in overtime, with the game on the line. Israel Idonije did a great job of applying pressure, and it was one of them that disturbed Favre into a fumble. GRADE: C
Linebackers:
Hunter Hillenmeyer had his best game as a Bear. He had 15 tackles, 2 PDs and a game-changing forced fumble on Adrian Peterson in overtime. Hillenmeyer played the run well. Oddly, I thought Lance Briggs didn’t have a strong game. He was out of position in coverage on several occasions and wasn’t much of a factor against the run. Nick Roach had a fumble recovery and a tackle for a loss. GRADE: B-
Secondary:
Craig Steltz and Josh Bullocks started at safety. Bullocks made a nice play in overtime, but had a few expected lapses in tackling and coverage. Steltz knocked cornerback Charles Tillman out of the game with a shot to the ribs. Tillman committed pass interference in the end zone, and was trucked and stiff-armed by Adrian Peterson. Zack Bowman had a couple of chances to get additional interceptions but came up short. Corey Graham allowed Sidney Rice to catch a touchdown over him. GRADE: C-
Special Teams
Big plays here. This game never makes it to overtime if Idonije hadn’t blocked a PAT. Robbie Gould connected on 3 straight field goals before missing in overtime from 45. Danieal Manning had two 50-plus yard kickoff returns. GRADE: B+
COACHING
Where were the rollouts all season? The sugar huddle/hurry up? Both used some on Monday night to great effect. Oh, and the second tight end. You’ll recall that Kellen Davis had a few touchdowns early in the year when things were going well. They finally have their best offensive tackles on the field and in the right positions and it showed.
This was a tale of two halves. In the first, they shut out the Vikings. In the second, it quickly went to hell. They gave up scoring drives on five consecutive possessions in the second half. You gotta stop someone at some point…no?
Someone has to answer for the five straight scoring drives. Take your pick. Head Coach or Defensive Coordinator? Oops. Same guy. I have to give them credit for knocking these guys off. GRADE: C
Noots’ Nut Crackers
J. Williams on Harvin
A. Adams on C. Taylor
Greenway on Aromashodu
Steltz on Tillman
Peterson on Manning
Nudo’s Kudos
Chris Williams
Hunter Hillenmeyer
Jay Cutler
Devin Aromashodu
Horns
Josh Bullocks
Charles Tillman
December 30th, 2009 at 1:32 am
One of the great games. Your appraisal of the defense letdown in the 2nd half was sterling. Appeared they were giving too much room on the short passes according to the tv comments but is that seems a continuing problem. It was great to see Jay’s elusiveness and escapes from the pocket. You were right about the running but still think they should alternate more with second back and also ,in a few situations,use the fullback for some power runs. Hope this win can build momentum for a win in Detroit and improvement for next year. Happy New Year,Mike to you and your family and thanks for your insights.Leigh U.Smith