By
Michael Nudo

OFFENSE

QB: Jay Cutler (22-36-276, 4 TD) was brilliant. He had few mistakes, and put up super numbers in spite of a few drops. It was a refreshing relief to see Cutler hit on 4 red zone touchdowns versus 0 interceptions. This is the guy they thought they were getting. He had 8 touchdowns against 1 interception over the last two games. His season-ending flourish allowed him to finish with more touchdowns (27) than interceptions (26). GRADE: A

RB: Matt Forte (16/101, 3-23) had one of his best games of the season. He broke off a 53-yard run over left tackle. Forte broke a few tackles as well. However, he struggled in pass protection at times, leading to some crushing hits on Cutler. Kahlil Bell (11/44) provided steady relief for Forte and had a few strong runs up the middle. Jason McKie proved that he could miss a pass protection assignment as well. GRADE: B-

REC: Tight Ends were very involved on Sunday. Greg Olsen (5-94, TD) had one of his best games as a Bear. He was able to get open for big chunks of yardage on numerous occasions. He made an excellent catch on his 7-yard touchdown reception. Desmond Clark (2-7, TD) added a touchdown to end his season. Devin Hester (3-75) returned to action and provided some big plays for the offense, in spite of dropping a deep over-the-shoulder bomb up the right sideline from Cutler. Devin Aromashodu (5-46, 2 TD) hauled in two touchdown passes and could have had a third when he let a rope from Cutler ricochet off him in the end zone. Earl Bennett also chipped in 3 grabs for 27 yards. GRADE: B

OL: The majority of the pressure on Cutler was due to poor pickups by Bear running backs. Run blocking was solid, with good push coming from all. The unit seems to have come together since Chris Williams moved to the left tackle and Kevin Shaffer was inserted on the right side. The ground game was very effective with 28 carries for 150 yards (5.4 ypc). There were mistakes, where Frank Omiyale had two false starts and Olin Kreutz was caught holding. Overall, the pluses far outweighed the minuses. GRADE: B

DEFENSE

DL:  Defensive end Alex Brown had a sack to finish the season with six. He also drew a holding penalty. Brown was suckered once on a reverse. Mark Anderson and Gaines Adams played on the other side. Anderson had a sack and Adams had a hit on Culpepper. Anderson missed a sack that Brown later picked up. Anthony Adams and Tommie Harris didn’t put up big statistical numbers, but were very active, getting tackles for losses. Jarron Gilbert played some tackle but was not a factor. The pass rush was a bit inconsistent and run defending (25/100) was weak at times. GRADE: C

LB: Lance Briggs had 12 tackles to lead the team but I couldn’t really remember him being much of a factor. I distinctly recall him and his linebacking cohorts getting blocked on a play over right tackle in the early going for a nice chunk of yardage. He dropped his head and fell down to miss a tackle on Felton that went for over 20 yards. Hunter Hillenmeyer had his legs cut out from under him on a sweep. Isn’t that illegal outside the tackle box? Jamar Williams made an excellent tackle, sniffing out a screen for a loss. But he made a less than half-hearted effort to hold up Bryant Johnson at the line of scrimmage on Johnson’s touchdown. Nick Roach made a nice stop on a reverse. He suffered an injury before halftime. GRADE: C

SEC: Zack Bowman picked off his sixth pass of the season. That’s a pretty good number for a first-year starter. He was later beaten for a touchdown in the right corner of the end zone by Calvin Johnson. It looked like the Lions may have gotten away with offensive interference on that one. Nathan Vasher started at the other cornerback with Corey Graham playing nickel. Josh Bullocks was late getting over on the touchdown pass to Bryant Johnson. Safety Craig Steltz dropped a potential interception late in the contest. Kevin Payne missed a tackle in coverage. The secondary has been banged up, and it showed. Daunte Culpepper, who had only 1 touchdown against 5 interceptions going into Sunday, finished 23-34-262, 2 TDs and 1 INT. GRADE: D

Special Teams

Robbie Gould hit all 3 of his field goals and had good kickoff depth. Brad Maynard didn’t show much leg on several kicks that he should have kicked deep. Devin Hester returned both kickoffs and punts. He broke off a 44-yard kickoff return, but his other efforts and decisions were very pedestrian. In kick coverage, Tim Shaw put an exclamation point on his time as a Bear, collecting 5 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He was a difference-maker. Adrian Peterson was whistled for holding. GRADE: B+

COACHING

Leave it to the Lions to make the Bears’ coaching look like they knew what they were doing. However, it’s clear the defense is lacking, especially when you see a previously inept Lions’ offense put up respectable numbers. And yes, yet another quarterback was able to complete a high percentage of passes (68%) against the Bears’ soft coverage schemes. GRADE: C

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Delmas on Bell
Graham on Northcutt

Nudo’s Kudos
Cutler
Aromashodu
Shaw
Olsen

Horns
Lovie Smith

By
Michael Nudo

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

(holiday edition)

By
Michael Nudo

OFFENSE

Jay Cutler—more red zone picks. Stinko. Rotten play call on short pass in flat to useless fullback is deflected and picked off. Serves them flippin’ right. Are you kidding me? Season is over, you’ve got nothing to play for but pride, you’re trying some fourth and short plays, and you’re going to sprinkle in a 3-yard flat pass to Jason frakin’ McKie? Ron Turner should go sit on a football (cleaned up for public consumption). Devin Aromashodu was targeted ten times. Two of them were completed. Oh, and Rashied Davis still can’t catch.

Matt Forte—more fumbly. More fumbly. Sluggish. Slug-like. Heaven help us. That’s enough. At least Earl Bennett is breaking tackles on the USELESS 1-yard pass plays they’re calling for him. From the center to the left tackle, there isn’t a run block to be had. There were actually several plays where the battle at the line of scrimmage was won at right guard and right tackle. They were pushing people off the ball. Must have been a few plays where they forgot what they were supposed to do and improvised. My guess is Shaffer won’t get a whiff of a chance to start on the line next year. Makes too much sense.

Five turnovers and 220 total yards says it all. GRADE: F

DEFENSE

Adewale Ogunleye is out for the season. Really? I didn’t realize he had been playing since the bye week. Then again, the same can be said of Alex Brown as well. Oh look, yet another quarterback throws for a 70-plus percent completion percentage and really the only thing that stops their offense from going down and scoring every time is an occasionally poorly-throw ball. Guys were wide open even on the incompletions.

Ravens receivers were running untrammeled through the Bears’ secondary all afternoon. It was especially true for tight end Todd Heap, who made nickel back Corey Graham look as fluid in coverage as William “The Refrigerator” Perry. No that’s harsh. Perry could occasionally flip his hips and might have been adept enough to look back for the ball. Pathetic.

Give credit to the linebackers coach Bob Babich and his innovation. Linebackers Lance Briggs and Hunter Hillenmeyer took turns finding new ways to get blocked, fall down, over run plays and generally MISS running back Ray Rice.

Charles Tillman and Al Afalava had double coverage on career nth receiver Demetrius Williams and yet he still came up with a touchdown against their joint efforts, which included pass interference. Do you get the picture? GRADE: F

Special Teams

Earl Bennett was the lone bright spot, weaving his way for a 49-yard touchdown on a punt return. Excellent stuff. He doesn’t possess the speed of Devin Hester or Johnny Knox. He’s just a good football player. He’s smart. He’s reasonably tough. There’s your lone bright spot on a dismal day. Yippee. GRADE: B

COACHING

All I can say is that I hope this one ices it for this pathetic collection of coaches. The only question left to ask is whether or not they stubbornly stupid or stupidly stubborn? Either way, BAD! GRADE: F

Nudo’s Kudos
Earl Bennett
My new friends Lexi and Dana, who watched the game with me at the bar in Lake Geneva. Thanks for your moral support and the suggestion of Sambuca for the sore throat.

Horns
All Coaches
Jay Cutler
Rashied Davis
Corey Graham
Probably a lot more, but they don’t merit the keystrokes…

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS
Chicago Bears (5-8) at Baltimore Ravens (7-6)
By
Michael Nudo

You have to stop Rice to stop the Ravens (Photo by Larry French/Getty Images).

BEARS OFFENSE vs. RAVENS DEFENSE

The calf injury that kept Devin Hester out last week allowed unheralded Devin Aromashodu to have a standout game against Green Bay’s tough defense. It will be interesting to see how he’s utilized this week if Hester’s ready to go. It’s not a given, however, that Hester will be available. Orlando Pace’s groin injury has allowed Chris Williams to switch from right to left tackle, and for Kevin Shaffer to start on the right side. Pace should be fully ready for Sunday but has been working with the second team. With the playoffs out of the picture, there’s no time like the present to plan for the future.

The Ravens welcomed back pass rushing linebacker Terrell Suggs last week after he had missed the previous three games with a knee injury. They’re a different defense when Suggs is putting the heat on opposing quarterbacks. Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed has missed the last few games and has assorted aches and pains (hip, groin, foot). He has 3 interceptions and 3 forced fumbles this year. Former Bear linebacker and special teams standout Brendan Ayanbadejo is on Injured Reserve. Massive defensive lineman Haloti Ngata has had a hard time getting to practice this week because of a painful ankle injury.

The Ravens present yet another challenging 3-4 alignment for the Bears. Veteran defensive end Trevor Pryce has thrived in this scheme, and will be a key matchup for Kevin Shaffer provided he still has the start at right tackle. On passing downs, keep an eye out for a 2-4-5 lineup as well.

RAVENS OFFENSE vs. BEARS DEFENSE

Wide receiver Mark Clayton has had a hard time getting on the field of late because of a knee injury. Kelley Washington received the start last week. At left tackle Jared Gaither missed last week’s game (foot). Oniel Cousins started. This could prove to be a favorable matchup for defensive end Alex Brown, who is stuck on 4 sacks. Brown is due for one of his breakout games.

The Bears’ defense looks to be relatively healthy. Linebacker Jamar Williams showed up on the injury report on Wednesday with an ankle injury. Defensive tackle Tommie Harris, who has had knee issues for quite some time, has shown some signs of life over the last few weeks. It will be important for him to finish the season on a high note. With the playoffs out of reach, it will be interesting to see if rookie lineman Jarron Gilbert is active and gets any repetitions of note, and if they’re at tackle or end.

Ray Rice is having the kind of season that gives defensive coordinators nightmares. He has amassed 1693 yards of offense between 1041 rushing and 652 receiving yards. This will be a huge challenge for the front seven and their ability to maintain gap discipline. Look for the Bears to keep an extra safety in the box more often than usual to keep Rice at bay. If quarterback Joe Flacco is on his game, he will have opportunities to work tight end Todd Heap over the middle.

By
Michael Nudo

You can hang this loss right here (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images).

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks:
Jay Cutler’s performance (23-36-209, 2 TD, 2 Int) was a microcosm of his season. He made some remarkable throws, including the touchdown passes to Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu. But he also had quite a few costly errors, including one interception that was taken back far enough to set up an easy Packer touchdown. There were also some apparent miscommunications between Cutler and his receiving corps. And lastly, there were at least 2 or 3 other passes that could also have been intercepted. He also had an excellent scramble to convert a long third down that was called back on a penalty. GRADE: C-

Running Backs:
Matt Forte (12/51, 4-17) showed a few signs of life. He was hardly given the chance by his coaches to carry the ball, and maybe they had a point. On one particular play off right tackle, he hit the edge soft he managed to be taken down by an outstretched arm. Really? Yeah, Really. Bell had a few carries but nothing to write home about there, either. McKie was isolated as the lone back on a few sets where Forte motioned to the slot. In those cases, he made some decent pass blocks. GRADE: D

Receivers:
With Devin Hester sitting this one out (calf), Devin Aromashodu (8-76, TD) finally had a chance to start. He did not disappoint. He broke tackles, made great back shoulder catches showing balance and hands, and overall presented a great target for Cutler. Johnny Knox (5-83, TD) also had a solid day, including a 28-yard catch later followed by his 19-yard touchdown reception. Knox and Cutler didn’t always appear to be on the same page, however. Earl Bennett only had one catch for six yards. He just missed coming down with a touchdown in the back of the end zone and had yet another play where he was mugged on third down and didn’t get the call. Greg Olsen (2-14) couldn’t come down with a big catch over the middle. He continues to be a deficit in protection schemes. At one point, he stood still while blitzers ran inside and outside him. He blocked nobody, and then did a cute pirouette after they passed him by. No style points there. GRADE: D+

Offensive Line:
Wow, this one was bad. The line SHOULD play better at home. Frank Omiyale committed a false start and also had a holding penalty (to negate a long scramble by Cutler). Chris Williams had a false start, illegal hands to the face and then a facemask. Olin Kreutz committed another false start. Has there ever been a center in NFL history with more of these? He also had a poor block on a screen. Not much to be said about the right side of the line today, and considering the 3 guys to their left, I guess that’s a compliment. Overall run and pass protection was its usual middling to below middling. When you add in all the mental errors, it’s hard to find a way to take their side. GRADE: F+

DEFENSE

Defensive Line:
Ryan Grant took the first handoff from Aaron Rodgers and blasted through a natural hole over left guard for a 62-yard touchdown run. Pass rush was spotty, highlighted by a rare Tommie Harris sack. Anthony Adams turned in the performance of the day, with six tackles and a fumble recovery on what could have just as easily have been an interception. Ends Adewale Ogunleye and Alex Brown had some rare pressures, but the Packers did just enough holding to keep them at bay before Rodgers could move around and find the open man. After the initial damage was done on Grant’s first carry, the run defense was actually solid, but the offense put them in some dire field position. GRADE: C-

Linebackers:
Lance Briggs had a sack and a pressure. Hunter Hillenmeyer was particularly active. Nick Roach and Jamar Williams made a few plays. Hillenmeyer was blocked up on Grant’s long run. The linebackers had a few plays, but not enough to change the game. GRADE: C

Secondary:
Charles Tillman was fortunate that a replay review upheld an incomplete pass ruling on what appeared to be a 36-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings deep over the middle. Zack Bowman was flagged for interference and also allowed a long third down conversion to tight end Jermichael Finley. Al Afalava and Kevin Payne started at safety. Neither was in position to make a play on Grant’s long run. Afalava was flagged for hitting a player out of bounds.
GRADE: C

Special Teams

Robbie Gould didn’t have any opportunities for a field goal. Brad Maynard could only put one of his six punts down inside the 20-yard line. He didn’t have much distance on his punts. Kick and punt returns were unspectacular. Coverage was solid on both kickoffs and punts. Corey Graham was flagged for holding at the end of game on a critical punt return. Patrick Mannelly was also flagged for unnecessary roughness. GRADE: D

Coaching

Hello stubborn, I’d like you to meet Stupid. Well acquainted? I cannot believe they’re playing an athlete like Bowman 12 yards off a tight end like Finley on 3rd and 11. I cannot believe they can continue to blitz but play soft on the corners. I cannot believe they continue to throw twice as much as they run, even when they’re within a touchdown for most of the game. On Grant’s long run, there’s a natural gap there in the defense that the Packers ran to and blocked. It was too easy. The Bears defense, which is coordinated by Lovie Smith, continues to consistently give things away too easily. How can Smith call a timeout and THEN throw the review flag? So he loses the review and is quickly out two timeouts. Should we be surprised that Aromashodu would shine when finally given his opportunity to contribute? Somebody make this broken record stop…please! GRADE: F

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Mark Anderson on Ahman Green

Nudo’s Kudos
Anthony Adams
Devin Aromashodu

Horns
Chris Williams
Frank Omiyale
Lovie Smith
Ron Turner

By
Michael Nudo

Bennett breaking away (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images).

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks:
Jay Cutler (8-17-143, TD) only completed 8 passes but had some very big plays within that set. He connected with Devin Hester for a 48-yard play action pass in the early going. He hit Early Bennett over the middle for 71 yards and later the two hooked up for a 3-yard touchdown. Cutler did fumble a shotgun snap but was able to recover it. He made enough big plays and avoided key mistakes to ensure a victory over the lowly Rams. GRADE: B

Running Backs:
Matt Forte (24/91, TD, Fumble, 1-5) had the ball stripped away on the Bears’ first possession. He had struggled to find running lanes in the first half, but settled in as the game wore on. Kahlil Bell (11/35) took on a complementary role and provided a spark. Fullback Jason McKie had an up and down game, picking up some key blocks but also missing one on a fumble. GRADE: C

Receivers:
Earl Bennett (2-74, TD, Fumble) took in a short pass over the middle on third down and broke away for a 71-yard reception. Bennett might have had another catch later, but was clearly interfered with—and there was no call. Devin Aromashodu saw plenty of action but was held without a catch. He dropped a zero route. Devin Hester made a leaping 48-yard reception between defenders. He also appeared to have a touchdown catch later, but replays overturned it, because he only had one foot in bounds. Johnny Knox’s (3-15) biggest play won’t show up in the statistics. He drew pass interference to set up a first and goal inside the 5-yard line. Greg Olsen (2-1) had a pass deflect off his fingertips that nearly resulted in an interception. GRADE: B-

Offensive Line:
A new look on offense had Chris Williams at left tackle and Kevin Shaffer at right tackle. Williams allowed a sack when Chris Long was just too fast for him to stop. Shaffer blocked well at right tackle for both the run and pass, and flinched once for a false start. Olin Kreutz and Frank Omiyale were inconsistent in run blocking. Hang a star on Roberto Garza’s play. He made numerous key blocks pulling to lead the way for Bear running backs. GRADE: B-

DEFENSE

Defensive Line:
Against a makeshift offensive line, the Bears’ defensive line needed to dominate. Adewale Ogunleye (3 tackles, sack, TFL) had numerous pressures and missed two sacks. But he did get a key sack on a third down play, and he had Boller wrapped up to force an incomplete pass on third down at the end of the game. Alex Brown took a poor angle on an end around, but also drew holding and had a nice pass break up on a short throw to Steven Jackson (28/112, 4-9) over the middle. Anthony Adams (4 tackles, sack, TFL) did a decent job of keeping Jackson under wraps. Israel Idonije (3 tackles, sack) made a few plays against the run and rushing the passer. Tommie Harris, Mark Anderson and Marcus Harrison didn’t make much of an impact. GRADE: B

Linebackers:
Jamar Williams (18 tackles, 2 PDs) started on the weak side for Lance Briggs and was all over the field. He had two pass deflections in coverage and made numerous plays at the line of scrimmage against the tough-running Jackson. Hunter Hillenmeyer (5 tackles, INT, PD) had a pressure and also an interception. He has made some big plays over the last two games. Nick Roach (7 tackles, TFL) had a huge tackle for a 4-yard loss on a swing pass to Jackson. He was active and provided good run support. Overall, this group played very well. GRADE: A-

Secondary:
Cornerback Zack Bowman (3 tackles, FF) forced a fumble on a pass to Gibson that Al Afalava (3 tackles, FR) picked up in mid air and returned 43 yards. Kevin Payne (8 tackles, 2 PD) had the start at strong safety, with Afalava moving to free. Payne’s physical presence helped keep Jackson reasonably in check. He also played well in coverage. Charles Tillman drew a facemask penalty and had a less than memorable game. There were some opportunities to pick up yardage against the Bears’ secondary, but Kyle Boller’s inaccuracy did not allow the Rams to capitalize.
GRADE: C+

Special Teams

Robbie Gould hit on his only field goal attempt, from 27 yards. His kickoff depth was good. Brad Maynard didn’t put any of his 7 punts down inside the 20, and had a few real head-scratchers that were quite short. Kick and punt coverage was spotty, including a 30-yard punt return and a 43-yard kickoff return. Maynard had to make the tackle on one of the punts. Adrian Peterson committed a holding penalty that negated a long return for Knox. Kahlil Bell failed to get on the field for a punt and cost the team a time out. Kickoff returns were decent, but punt returns were an adventure of bad judgment, fumbles and backward running that spanned numerous players. Do I need to mention the ill-fated fake field goal attempt? I guess I just did. This was one of the few contests in a long time that special teams nearly cost the Bears the game in terms of mistakes and field position. GRADE: D

Coaching

The offensive balance was much better. It was tilted toward running, but against a team allowing nearly 150 rushing yards per game, this was the route to success. It also made the most sense since you were looking at new people at both offensive tackle positions. With Boller at quarterback, it made sense to try to contain Jackson and dare the Rams to beat you with the pass. This worked. There were a few mistakes of discipline, but overall the effort was good and the plan was executed. There were a few rough spots, but the result at the end was decent. The special teams coaching left a lot to be desired. GRADE: C

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Shaw on Amendola

Nudo’s Kudos
Jamar Williams
Roberto Garza
Adewale Ogunleye
Earl Bennett
Kevin Payne

Horns
Brad Maynard
Dave Toub

By
Michael Nudo

Just a big Viking party at the Bears’ expense (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien).

OFFENSE

How can you assess an offense that was only on the field for 20 minutes, to the opponents’ 40? They gained 169 yards. Jay Cutler threw two interceptions, but one of them was a deflected pass. That deflection came on what should have been pass interference. It wouldn’t have made much difference in the outcome. Matt Forte had few chances to run. His 8 carries weren’t very impressive. Jason McKie made a nice block on Forte’s long of 7 yards. Anthony Adams lined up at fullback for a short yardage play. They failed to convert the first down, and Adams failed to report as eligible. Ineptitude compounded by stupidity. That summed up the offense for them right there. GRADE: D

DEFENSE

Let’s see…Favre completes 32 of 48 for 392 and 3 touchdowns. The defense allows 537 yards. The Vikings converted 12 of 18 third downs, many of them 8 yards and longer. Tillman and Briggs left with injuries, but it didn’t matter. I had the feeling it would have been a double-digit loss even if they were playing with Jackson at quarterback and Taylor at running back. I can no longer blame the players for this messterpiece. They’re not playing well, but it’s clear as day that the coaching has let this team down. Hillenmeyer should not be expected to cover the deep middle. The cushion given to wide receivers is ridiculous. Nice play by Afalava on the sack. Lack of discipline leading to numerous offside penalties.
GRADE: F

Special Teams

Robbie Gould made his one field goal and kicked well. Brad Maynard put a punt down inside the 5-yard line. Johnny Knox had a 77-yard kickoff return. He and Danieal Manning had good returns. Coverage on kicks and punts was solid. Hester didn’t do much returning punts. GRADE: B

Coaching

Never a contest for them at the venue that could have been renamed “Maul” of America. The Bears are not learning from their mistakes. They’re an open book that is easy for anyone to read. Can anyone on their OWN coaching staff see this? When you see them run near the end of the half and end of the game you just wonder what they’re thinking. At the end, you have to wonder why Cutler is still playing. It’s like watching a Greek tragedy every Sunday. A common motif there is the violated prohibition, in spite of the knowledge of the consequences. Keep doing the same things, and teams will pick you apart. GRADE: F

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Payne on Peterson
Ogunleye on Berrian
J. Williams on Taylor

Nudo’s Kudos
Knox
Hillenmeyer

Horns
The entire coaching staff

By

Michael Nudo

Opportunities squandered (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh).

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Jay Cutler (24-43-171, TD, INT) missed on consecutive passes to Olsen and Hester early in the game for what would have been touchdowns. His accuracy was poor the entire game. The one bright spot was a sweet lob to Kellen Davis for a touchdown while staring down a blitz. He saved his one interception for the end of the game. He was nearly picked off 3 or 4 times, and left probably 3 touchdowns on the field. He’s too locked in on Olsen, and defenses are keying on it. GRADE: D

Running Backs

Kahlil Bell (4/81) was activated from the practice squad for this game. He responded with a 72-yard run over left guard to set up a field goal. He ran with burst and energy and it makes you wonder if there really is something wrong with Matt Forte (14/34, 4-20, 2 Point). Forte over ran his blocking on a screen pass. He didn’t run with good vision on several occasions. Sounds like we need more K. Bell. Jason McKie delivered a crunching block to set up Bell’s big run. He had a holding penalty. GRADE: C-

Receivers

Earl Bennett (5-57) had a couple of good run after the catch plays. Johnny Knox (2-16) had another leaping grab. He got open deep a few times but Cutler could not connect. Devin Hester (4-18) also broke open deep a few times but was overthrown by Cutler. Tight end Greg Olsen (6-42) just missed a fingertip grab for a touchdown in the early going. Kellen Davis (2-17, TD) missed a block and was called for holding before later redeeming himself with a touchdown. GRADE: C

Offensive Line

Olin Kreutz allowed the only sack on a blitz by Trent Cole. He also had a holding penalty. Orlando Pace had a false start. Josh Beekman made some nice run blocks. Chris Williams didn’t get in any trouble in spite of being manhandled a few times. Pass protection was decent. How should we assess run blocking, when we see other runners with vision cut back and find holes? Forte is not helping the cause. GRADE: C

DEFENSE

Defensive Line

Alex Brown had his way with Jason Peters. He continually caused pressure and broke up potential passing plays including screens. Adewale Ogunleye deflected a pass at the line, resulting in an interception. Israel Idonije had some pressure but also committed a facemask penalty. Tommie Harris had a sack and then a big tackle for loss near the 2-minute warning. Mark Anderson (6 tackles, 0.5 sack) was very active at end and tackle. Marcus Harrison stopped a screen play from happening. Anthony Adams (5 tackles, FR) played the run well. Gaines Adams played but was not a factor. GRADE: C+

Linebackers

Lance Briggs (11 tackles, sack) made some nice plays, including a sack on a delayed blitz. He got lost on a few running plays. Hunter Hillenmeyer (3 tackles, 0.5 sack, FR) had half a sack and a fumble recovery. But he allowed a 10-yard touchdown run to McCoy. Nick Roach only had two tackles. GRADE: B-

Secondary

Charles Tillman (7 tackles, 3 FF) was a thief, picking the pockets of the Eagles 3 times. Zack Bowman (6 tackles, INT, PD) took advantage of a deflection by Ogunleye to pick off McNabb. DeSean Jackson beat Al Afalava for a 48-yard touchdown over the middle in the third quarter. He had good position but timed it very poorly. Danieal Manning stood passively as Mike Vick ran right past him for a 34-yard gain. Corey Graham (7 tackles) played extensively and did a decent job. Craig Steltz saw some action but was not a factor. GRADE: B

Special Teams

Robbie Gould connected on 4 of 5 field goals, making it from 45, 28, 28 and 49. Brad Maynard put 2 of 6 kicks inside the 20, but coverage allowed a big return. Corey Graham was whistled for a questionable penalty. Linebacker Tim Shaw was a demon on coverage. Kickoff returns were good, but Hester’s punt returns were nothing special. GRADE: B

Coaching

How many third and long plays are they going to allow? This is purely bad coaching. Too many stupid penalties yet again. Bad football teams don’t get the calls from the refs. There were no breaks. You have to make your breaks. The team lacks discipline in many areas. It has finally spilled over into a home loss. GRADE: D

Noots’ Nut Crackers

Kreutz on Cole

Shaw on Harris

Nudo’s Kudos

Alex Brown

Robbie Gould

Charles Tillman

Kahlil Bell

Horns

Danieal Manning

Jay Cutler

Noots’ Notes-Game 9: 10-6 Loss at San Francisco

By
Michael Nudo

A picture says a thousand words (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez).

OFFENSE

Quarterback
Jay Cutler (29-52-307, 5 INTs, 1/2) continually threw interceptions to negate the good plays he was making. His first red zone interception was into heavy coverage and should have been thrown away. Instead, we’re watching a defensive tackle running with the ball. It wasn’t his fault that Devin Hester fell down on a route, leading to one of those picks. It didn’t help that his center had trouble getting the ball back to him at points higher than his shoelaces. Five picks is nearly impossible to overcome. This was a debacle of Rex Grossman-like proportions. The Niners could have had two or three more. There are no excuses for him. GRADE: D-

Running Backs
Matt Forte (20/41, 8-120) was able to pick up huge chunks of yardage on screen passes. However, Forte is leaving yardage on the field when he runs. He’s not seeing cutbacks just off tackle. He’s cutting back when there’s nothing there. He’s not pressing the perimeter on the stretch. It’s not pretty. Fullback Jason McKie was in there more to help block but he wasn’t a factor. GRADE: C-

Receivers
Devin Hester (7-48) ran a string of truly awful plays together, where he had a false start, was whistled for holding, and then fell down on a route that led to a pick. Earl Bennett (3-27) had a few nice catches but still hasn’t found the end zone. Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu each caught passes. Greg Olsen (7-75) had a few key receptions early and a nice third down conversion late. He also was blown up on a running play. Cutler is holding the ball a long time back there. Is anybody getting open? GRADE: D

Offensive Line
No sacks allowed in 52 attempts. Wow. Let’s be real here. Chris Williams was trucked in the early going. He had a roughness penalty late. Josh Beekman made some nice downfield blocks, especially on screens. But he was beaten by Justin Smith late and replaced by Frank Omiyale. Olin Kreutz made some decent downfield blocks as well, especially on screens. He still can’t shotgun snap. Roberto Garza was flagged for holding at the end. Looked like a bad call. Orlando Pace isn’t slowing pass rushers very much. He was knocked silly and had to be replaced by Kevin Shaffer. Protection was better, but run blocking and penalties cost this group and the team. GRADE: D

DEFENSE

Defensive Line
Tommie Harris (3 tackles, sack, 2 TFL) finally showed up. Well, it’s game 9. He was awake enough to get a sack when the outside pressure pushed the quarterback into the middle. He held up better on the run as well. Harris was offsides once. Adewale Ogunleye (5 tackles) was a factor against the run, but went offsides to negate an interception. Ogunleye and Alex Brown were working on backup tackles and didn’t get a sack. They were getting help, and that may have led to the sacks by Harris and Marcus Harrison (sack, TFL). Harrison was trapped on Frank Gore’s touchdown run. Mark Anderson made a few plays but wasn’t a big factor. GRADE: C+

Linebackers
Nick Roach (4 tackles, PD) deflected a pass on a blitz. He had to leave the game after a collision with Vernon Davis left him incapacitated (he wasn’t wearing a cup). Lance Briggs (12 tackles) and Hunter Hillenmeyer (8 tackles) played well. Briggs was a force against the run. Hillenmeyer was a little too deep on a few of the coverages. They prevented Gore from beating them. GRADE: B

Secondary
Zack Bowman (1 tackle, INT) made an interception and then left with an abdominal injury. Charles Tillman (4 tackles, TFL, FF) forced a fumble but the Bears weren’t able to recover it. He stopped Gore for a loss of 2 yards on a swing pass. Tillman and Danieal Manning (8 tackles) took turns tackling too high. Corey Graham (2 tackles) saw some action when Bowman went out. Josh Bullocks started for the injured Al Afalava but only had two tackles. Coverage was better, but tackling was still poor. GRADE: B

Special Teams

Robbie Gould connected on field goals from 50 and 38 yards. His kickoffs were decent. Brad Maynard put 2 of his 4 kicks down inside the 20-yard line. Coverage on punts and kickoffs was solid. Kick and punt returns were poor. The Bears averaged only 14 yards per 3 kickoff returns. Hester was bottled up returning punts (2 for 4 yards). Adrian Peterson was flagged for an illegal block in the back. GRADE: C+

Coaching

The way teams are selling out to rush Cutler, it’s no wonder the screens are there. Psst…hey Ron, ya think the draw might be there as well? You are allowed to use the draw in times other than the two minute drill at the end of the first half. Delay of game on the offense at the end of the first half? Delay of game on a field goal of 45 yards, meaning that you have to go back and try again from 50? Too many penalties. Bad tackling form. How do you rein in your quarterback so he doesn’t lose the game, without messing him up? I don’t know, but then, I’m not paid to coach him. There’s lots of folks over there who are. Somebody needs to do that, because Cutler looks like a rookie out there. They turned it over 5 times and still had a shot to win. So how do you measure this Bears team? San Francisco is not a good football team. They’re just a little better than the Bears. That says it all. GRADE: D-

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Davis on Roach

Nudo’s Kudos
Tommie Harris
Robbie Gould
Lance Briggs

Horns
Coaching staff
Jay Cutler

Noots’ Notes-Game 8: 41-21 Loss to Arizona

By
Michael Nudo

The Cardinals had a fun time at the expense of the Bears on Sunday (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast).

OFFENSE

Quarterback
Jay Cutler (29-47-369, 3 TD, INT, 3/17) played well in spite of trailing in score for the entire game. He had one bad interception very late in the contest, when the game was clearly over. Cutler connected for three touchdowns with tight end Greg Olsen. He also spread the ball around well to wide receivers Devin Hester and Earl Bennett as well as hitting Matt Forte for big chunks of yardage underneath. He’s still holding the ball too long on occasion and did miss Desmond Clark on a skinny post, but we’re going to have to forgive a few mistakes when there are 47 passing attempts. It wasn’t because of Cutler that the Bears were in such a bad position. I also can’t blame him for throwing a piston when there was a no call when Olsen was tackled before the ball arrived on a critical pass attempt. GRADE: A-

Running Backs
Matt Forte (5/33, 6-74) didn’t get much of an opportunity to be a running threat. He was an excellent receiver, picking up huge chunks of yardage on screens and dump offs. Garrett Wolfe suffered an injury and didn’t return in the second half. Adrian Peterson saw some action in garbage time and had a couple of decent carries. Jason McKie played some at fullback but wasn’t much of a factor considering there were only 7 running plays for the backs. Pass protection from this group was much better than in previous weeks. GRADE: B

Receivers
Devin Hester (6-94) and Earl Bennett (7-93) had good games. Hester ran under a sweet 42-yard bomb from Cutler up the right sideline in the early going. His only miscue was a deflected pass he let slip through his hands. Bennett made people miss to pick up big chunks of yardage on short passes and screens. Johnny Knox (4-30) dropped a deep pass that was thrown a bit short. Greg Olsen (5-71, 3 TDs) finally looked like the player many were hoping he’d be. He continually found his way open in the middle of the end zone for touchdown grabs. Desmond Clark (1-7) dropped a short pass for a potential first down. The receivers played well overall, and they too did a better job of helping out in pass protection. GRADE: B+

Offensive Line
It’s tough to make excuses for these guys when they’re committing false start penalties in front of their home crowd. The blocking overall was better for run and pass. Chris Williams made some good blocks on screen plays. Olin Kreutz had a false start and a holding penalty go against him. How does a center have a false start? A few of the sacks on Cutler were because the ball was held too long. Williams and Garza got beaten a few times in protection as well. GRADE: C-

DEFENSE

Defensive Line
Tommie Harris was freed up on a blitz and put a hit on Warner (22-31-261, 5 TD) in the early going. He was soon ejected for punching an opponent. Harris took offense when a lineman lay on top of him when he had fallen. That is how the game is played. It went downhill from there. Apart from Alex Brown (2 sacks, 2 FF) having his way with former Bear Mike Gandy, there wasn’t much pressure outside of an occasional push from Adewale Ogunleye. Run stopping was minimal, as the Cardinals ran for 182 easy yards against the soft Bear defense. GRADE: F+

Linebackers
Did any of these guys play? Hunter Hillenmeyer had 11 of the least memorable tackles on record. Lance Briggs was very quiet. Nick Roach disappeared. They were picked apart via the pass and on the ground. It was a real horror show out there. GRADE: F

Secondary
The entire secondary should be sent back to tackling school. Charles Tillman left the game with a shoulder injury. Before he left, Larry Fitzgerald put on a clinic against him. Tillman and Danieal Manning took turns trying to tackle receivers and rushers by the head and shoulders, giving up costly yardage and touchdowns because of shoddy technique. Al Afalava, who also left with an injury, dropped his head and missed a tackle. Zack Bowman had the lone defensive highlight with an interception. He was beaten repeatedly as well. The entire secondary seems to have an issue with preventing third down conversions. The Cardinals were 6 for 6 on third down in the first half. GRADE: F

Special Teams

Robbie Gould had a long field goal blocked at the end of the first half that was returned far enough to set up a Cardinals field goal. There were plenty of penalties to go around in the return game. Coverage was decent. Punter Brad Maynard had a below average performance. GRADE: D

Coaching

Defensive Coordinator/Head Coach Lovie Smith still cannot properly scheme a defense. There is no sense in blitzing the efficient Warner if the corners are going to play 8 or more yards deep. A typical example was a 3rd and 5 screen pass that was completed against defenders who were 8 yards deep and in a heavy back pedal. The Bears also received what they deserved at the end of the first half. What is the sense in kicking a long field goal when you’re down 28-7? They had the time outs to try to convert 4th down. The offense, which certainly wasn’t good enough to earn a pass, gets a small pardon because of the incredible hole the defense put them in. The penalties on the line are not forgivable. Harris’ ejection is an example of what happens when a team is lacking discipline and is spinning out of control. GRADE: F

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Shaw on Breaston
Dansby on Forte
Payne on Hightower

Nudo’s Kudos
Cutler
Olsen
Hester
Bennett

Horns
Harris
Lovie Smith