Hi gang. Just checking in. I have a few thoughts on the final throes of this GM search. I see there is some concern about Phil Emery being too easy of a choice, because he was here before, and that perhaps it implies there won’t be much change. The other area of concern is with Lovie Smith being involved in the GM search.

I am holding out hope for something good in this hire. What if Emery, through his experience in Atlanta and KC’s organizations has seen enough of how “modern” clubs are run, and now, with the power to bring his own visions to reality can truly bring the best talent and structure to the Bears? He would have the ability to make things right, and know enough about what works and doesn’t work to bring that vision back to the Bears and correct the flaws he had seen when he was actually down in their own trenches. Who better to empower to do such a thing? He would be a man who could see the big picture yet already knows what is happening at the front line.

Regarding the retention of Lovie Smith, I think you really had to keep him. You look at his overall coaching record, and then keep in mind how poorly the previous GM had helped him talent-wise. Lovie did more with less. I can think of quite a few times where the Bears pleasantly surprised me and beat some pretty good teams that I thought had more talent than they had.

The other notion to keep in mind is ownership. Pro Football Weekly’s Hub Arkush was on local radio saying that it was clear that Ted Phillips, Jerry Angelo, and Lovie Smith are no longer tied together. This firing of Angelo was handed down by George McCaskey. Make no mistake; Lovie and Ted are on the hot seat if they continue to falter. It also explains why even with Angelo whacked, they needed to keep Ruskell around at least another year. They needed to prepare for this draft, and the entire organization that scouts talent needed to still be doing their jobs, to see it through free agency and the draft. The ripples are starting now, but keep in mind they couldn’t yank the entire carpet out and be completely pantsed…as much as most of us kinda had hoped for that, it’s a bit of a myopic view.

So, Lovie got to interview the GM candidates. I agree there is a bit of a fox-henhouse thing with that. But remember, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith had to be on the same page to get the right personnel for the scheme, the present roster, and the future. This is natural. Further, when you think of the guys who ran the interview process and realize they’re more businessmen than football people, I think you NEEDED Lovie to be involved to ensure someone can cover a lot of that material. If anyone should feel uncomfortable in this scenario, it should be Lovie Smith. So, how would you like to interview the guy that will be able to fire you, albeit a year from now?

So Phil Emery cannot fire Lovie for a year. So what? Lovie deserves/has earned another year. I’m saying this and will admit I’m clearly not his biggest fan. His in game management has often been a problem. But as I mentioned before, he’s prepared the team extremely well and often has surprised me when I thought the Bears were going to get beat. You have to think about how they managed to get to the playoffs with Kyle Orton as the QB most of the year. So much could have gone wrong but didn’t. They went to the NFC Championship last year, and eventually lost to one of the hottest teams we’ve seen in ages. This year they came right back and went 7-3 outta the gates, but the season goes in the toilet with Cutler and Forte out. It’s not Lovie’s fault that Caleb stunk. It is plenty Mike Martz’s and it sure was Jerry Angelo’s. So they need to be ushered out, and they are. Yeah, he gets another year. And anyone with eyes could see that the offensive line was not all that good, but did enough things to make you see that Mike Tice belongs as an integral part of the coaching mix. They elevated him as well they should have. These were the right decisions to make.

Back to Emery for a moment. Phil Emery has a background that includes a stint at the Naval Academy where he was such a taskmaster as their director of strength and conditioning that he was nicknamed “Satan.” He has taken that work ethic with him to scouting, where his reputation for being thorough and tireless was unquestioned. Emery ultimately won out over Marc Ross, Jason Licht (also a finalist), Jimmy Raye and Tim Ruskell.

I have no predisposition for this guy, but have indeed liked everything I’ve read and heard about him. I plan to scrutinize his every move just as much as the previous GM. All of that said, let’s give him a chance. We can be fair as Bear fans. That’s not asking a lot. Just don’t ask us to be too patient.

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS – HOLIDAY EDITION
Chicago Bears (7-7) at Green Bay Packers (13-1)
By
Michael Nudo

---

The Packers will be without their top 3 offensive tackles for their game Christmas Night with the Bears.

---

BEARS OFFENSE vs. PACKERS DEFENSE

Josh McCown takes over for an offense that has fallen off the tracks since Jay Cutler and Matt Forte went down. Caleb Hanie was largely ineffective during his 4-game tryout. Yeah, I’m in the Christmas spirit and being too kind with that statement. The injuries have piled up on this side of the ball. Wideout Johnny Knox is recently done for the year, after suffering a horrific-looking back injury. We’re all thankful that he appears to be ok after surgery. Long gone are linemen Chris Williams (LG) and Gabe Carimi (RT). Edwin Williams and Lance Louis have taken those spots. Louis’ play has fallen off after a good start. He’s out of position, but was forced to move there when the team realized that Frank Omiyale was the second coming of Qasim Mitchell. Likely to miss this game is running back Marion Barber (calf). The workload falls to Khalil Bell, who shined a week ago. Wideout Sam Hurd was released when it was discovered that he was trying to buy enough drugs to corrupt the youth of the entire Great Lakes region. Wideout Devin Hester is questionable, but hasn’t looked like he has been interested in playing contact football in about 3 weeks.

Defensive end Ryan Pickett is out with a concussion. Safety Nick Collins has been on IR since the beginning of the season. And they’ve rolled on. For those of you keeping score at home, Charlie Peprah is second on the team in interceptions with 4 and fourth in tackles. It’s easy to cover up for a 31st ranked defense when you have the top offense in the league, led by the most efficient passer.

Auditions in play here for Khalil Bell and Josh McCown. If, for some reason, Mike Martz is back as Offensive Coordinator next year, McCown’s audition here has significant meaning. Separately, if this turns into a blowout, there is every reason for Nathan Enderle to be brought into the contest to get his feet wet. Look for the Packers to pressure McCown to force turnovers and get this game over as quickly as possible. If the Bears are going to be successful, they must capitalize on this aggressive play. Draws more than screens should be in order. The timing of screens isn’t likely to be good with all the different players involved due to injury.

Linebacker Lance Briggs (ankle) is questionable, as is defensive tackle Henry Melton (shin). The Bears have their greatest depth at Melton’s position, where Amobi Okoye and Stephen Paea have flashed during regular rotation. But behind Briggs, and any of the linebacker spots, there isn’t much. Untested special teams players Patrick Trahan, Jabara Williams and Dom DeCicco are the depth players at linebacker. Another possibility is moving Nick Roach to that spot, since he’s normally off the field in nickel packages.

They have great depth at wide receiver, but clearly suffered a blow in losing stud wideout Greg Jennings for a few weeks. He’s still out for Sunday night’s game. The Packers are down 3 offensive tackles. Bulaga and Clifton are out, while rookie starter Derek Sherrod was placed on IR with a broken leg last week. T.J. Lang is expected to move to tackle from guard, while Marshall Newhouse will have the other tackle position. Green Bay has already allowed 37 sacks.

Look for Peppers and Idonije to try teeing off on the Packers’ sorry tackle situation. It won’t be enough. Green Bay should be able to do just enough running and max protect to win out. Aaron Rodgers, back when he had no protection a few years ago, showed that he’s one of the few quarterbacks that can be extremely effective, even when he’s getting hit regularly. He’s not prone to turning the ball over. What for him to challenge the Bears’ sorry safety situation over the middle of the field. Jermichael Finley (45-683, 6 TDs) will be the man.

I don’t know how to see this any other way than Packers in a blow out of biblical proportions. To win, the Bears will need to have one of those Julius Peppers games where he has 3 sacks and gets the rare INT return for a touchdown…oh, and the Bears will also need to return a kick for a touchdown as well. Ho Ho Ho….I don’t think so. If Mike Martz couldn’t find a way to craft an offense around what Caleb Hanie can/cannot do, even when he had him for two years, do you really expect him to be able to do that with McCown in just a few weeks? Someone is going to have to explain to me why McCown and Enderle weren’t also getting some first team snaps in practice the last few weeks. I don’t care how commonplace it is for the #1 to get all the reps. It was plain for everyone to see that Hanie held the ball too long and was locked in on Knox. He was clueless out there.

Packers 38
Bears 9

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

The Bears (7-7) fell apart after leading 14-7, seeing the Seahawks (7-7) score 24 unanswered points. Caleb Hanie threw three interceptions, two of them were returned for touchdowns. The game was a microcosm of the season. Off to a good start, and then it quickly unraveled. The Bears have lost 4 in row since Jay Cutler left with a thumb injury.

Everyone is hoping Johnny Knox will be fine (Tribune Photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (10-23-111, TD, 3 INT, 5/34) had another memorably bad game. Two pick sixes quickly erase some nice things he did with his feet to pick up some first downs as a scrambler, and to buy himself time to find open receivers. So sure, there was some good, but it was far outweighed by the bad. He was sacked four times. The sack at the end of the half was on him for holding the ball too long. I think he didn’t want to put the ball up and risk yet another interception, when this was probably the only time he could risk it. Some of his passes appeared to be thrown into triple coverage. The interception that wasn’t returned for a touchdown was an underthrown pass to Kellen Davis. He’s still missing some very short throws that are costing the team in terms of picking up first downs. His most perfect-looking pass was probably the strike he threw to 323-pound defensive end Red Bryant, who gathered the ball in and lumbered 20 yards for a touchdown. Josh McCown (1-2-12, INT) came in at the end and added an interception of his own. This was a real horror show. GRADE: F

Running Backs
Khalil Bell (15/65, 5-43, TD) had his best game as a Bear. He continually ran for tough yards and made some decent cuts. Hanie found him for a 25-yard touchdown pass on a route that broke from the right seam to the left sideline. Marion Barber (11/33) picked up a few nice first downs and had a 10-yarder called back on a holding penalty by Kellen Davis. Tyler Clutts had some good blocks leading up in the hole. GRADE: B

Receivers
Johnny Knox had a 15-yard reception and then fumbled the ball away to Denver. What happened next left everyone feeling awful. As he scrambled for the loose ball, he was hit head-on by a defensive lineman and was bent over his back at nearly a 90-degree angle. He was subsequently carted off the field on a board and taken immediately to a hospital. It was reported that he had movement in his extremities. Everyone is hopeful for him to have a full recovery. Dane Sanzenbacher (2-26) had a key first down reception but couldn’t hang on to a pass in the flat. Earl Bennett and Roy Williams only had one reception each. GRADE: D

Offensive Line
Today was J’Marcus Webb’s turn to have a horse bleep game. He allowed two sacks and was flagged for holding twice. Webb was continually beaten to the inside. Lance Louis held his own until he also allowed a sack in the second half. Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz is taking advantage of his athleticism, calling him to pull on counter plays from right tackle to left tackle. The interior three of Williams, Garza and Spencer were average. Run blocking was average as a whole, but pass protection, which was good early, eventually broke down. GRADE: D

Defensive Line
The front 7 really did a great job to hold Marshawn Lynch to 42 yards rushing on 20 carries. Julius Peppers had a sack and forced fumble of Tarvaris Jackson in the end zone. The fumble was recovered by Israel Idonije (5 tackles, FR, TD) for a touchdown. The defensive tackles, especially Matt Toeaina (5 tackles) and Anthony Adams (3 tackles, TFL) came up big against the run. Rookie Stephen Paea even had an early tackle for a loss. There was some pressure, but there was only the one sack. GRADE: B

Linebackers
Lance Briggs (4 tackles, 2 TFL) recovered from an early missed tackle to play well the rest of the way. He had great pressure on a blitz, and one of his tackles for a loss was of Jackson (19-31-227, TD) on a busted play. Brian Urlacher (6 tackles, TFL) didn’t really make many impactful plays. In fact, it appeared he had a clear shot at a fumble recovery but somehow couldn’t come up with it. Nick Roach had a tackle for a loss and a pressure/qb hit. GRADE: B

Secondary
Craig Steltz again made the most of his start, leading the team with 8 tackles. His sure tackling prevented a third down after Briggs couldn’t wrap up. Steltz was making plays from sideline to sideline and very near the line of scrimmage. Chris Conte took a bad angle and left his feet on one of Seattle’s big plays. He later suffered a foot injury and had to leave. Brandon Meriweather (6 tackles) replaced Conte. Cornerback Tim Jennings (2 tackles) was beaten for a 43-yard completion by Obomanu and also committed pass interference. Charles Tillman had some issues wrapping up on his tackles, and was beaten by Morrah the tight end for 20 yards. Tillman appeared to be injured and had to leave the field. Nickel back D.J. Moore allowed a third and 9 conversion to happen in front of him. He was also beaten deep but the pass was incomplete. There were too many third and long conversions that they allowed in front of them, they didn’t produce any turnovers, and the tackling was poor. GRADE: D

Corey Graham was flagged for using his teammates to propel him on a field goal block. This turned 3 points into 7 as this is an automatic first down. It looked to me like he leaped OVER the defensive linemen. Marshawn Lynch ran it in for a touchdown on the next play. Graham redeemed himself by expertly downing an excellent Adam Podlesh punt at the 4-yard line. This field position set up the Peppers/Idonije sack/forced fumble/touchdown. Returns were below average. Devin Hester was eventually pulled from returning kicks as he could not be counted on to make a good decision. He kept signaling for a fair catch, and then would run away from the ball. Bennett replaced him on punts. Knox and then Bell replaced him on kickoffs. Punts were otherwise average, kickoffs were good and field goals were nonexistent. Punt return coverage had a buster, where Podlesh needed to knock Leon Washington out of bounds after a 36-yard return. GRADE: C

I cannot argue with the offensive play calling. Martz ran it enough. He continually put Hanie into manageable third down situations. How do you coach around a quarterback who cannot hit a checkdown pass, and throws the ball out late into triple coverage? The defense, which put 7 points on the board, played well for a half and then must have been disheartened as the offense surrendered 14 back on two pick sixes. But the coverage was too loose. It’s unacceptable to see so many third and longs get converted. Who do these coaches need to talk to about the holding penalties? It seems ironic that the Bears would get called for holding 3 times this week, when a week ago, Peppers was held on almost every play. Full-on nose dive mode here, and there seems to be little hope of pulling up. GRADE: D

I picked the right winner and picked a blowout (24-3). I wish I was wrong more often, but it’s going to be hard to pick the Bears again unless Cutler can return.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Johnny Knox, we are thinking hopeful thoughts about you.

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Craig Steltz
Israel Idonije
Khalil Bell

Horns
Caleb Hanie
J’Marcus Webb
Tim Jennings
Devin Hester

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS
Seattle Seahawks (6-7) at Chicago Bears (7-6)
By
Michael Nudo

---

Matt Forte's knee injury means more action for Barber.

---

BEARS OFFENSE vs. SEAHAWKS DEFENSE

Since Caleb Hanie took over for the injured Jay Cutler (thumb) 3 weeks ago, the Bears offense has only put up 40 points. He piled up six interceptions in his first two starts before going pick-free a week ago. Second-string running back Marion Barber started for Matt Forte (knee) last week after taking over early two weeks ago. During that time he failed to line up properly to take a touchdown off the board against the Chiefs and then against the Broncos he failed to stay in bounds during the four-minute offense with a lead, and fumbled in overtime. The mental errors overshadowed a strong running effort (27/108, TD) a week ago. Wide receiver and special teams’ ace Sam Hurd was released on Friday after federal drug charges were brought against him.

Defensive end Chris Clemons has 9 sacks. He’ll be lined up over Lance Louis, who has struggled the last few weeks. It was reported that Louis injured both his ankles recently, but is not on the weekly report. In winning 4 of their last 5 games, the Seahawks have allowed only 74 points. Before you pooh-pooh the teams they were playing, the first of those wins was against the Baltimore Ravens (22-17).

Caleb Hanie has shown little ability to deliver the ball accurately or on time. The Bears should expect to see 8 men in the box with the corners jamming the wide receivers at the line. To succeed, they must find a way to convert third downs. Tight ends and receivers must get off the line and hold on to the ball. Hanie’s best friend is going to be a receiver who can break a tackle and make a play. Psst….Earl Bennett. The best way to help Louis against Clemons would be to run right at him. He’s more of an undersized speed player.

Safety Major Wright (shoulder) is expected to be ready for action. He may be eased back into the lineup with Craig Steltz playing well the last two weeks. Add in the likelihood of Seattle running the ball with Lynch. Defensive tackle Henry Melton (shin) is questionable. Melton has had his ups and downs, but it’s difficult to argue with 7 sacks through 13 games from the defensive tackle position. His loss might be rookie Stephen Paea’s gain. Paea had the most disruptive game of his rookie season last week. He and Amobi Okoye have provided some pass rush in spurts.

Marshawn Lynch needs just 31 yards to reach 1,000. He also has 9 rushing touchdowns. He is their offense. Over the last 6 games, Lynch is averaging 118 yards rushing. Tarvaris Jackson only has 11 touchdowns versus 12 picks, but has still completed 60 percent of his passes. This should be just enough to outscore the Bears, no matter how well their defense is playing. The Seahawks’ Injured Reserve has recent additions in tackles Russell Okung and James Carpenter as well as wide receiver Sidney Rice. Wide receiver Doug Baldwin is expected to play despite a bothersome ankle.

The Seahawks have allowed 41 sacks. This could be another game for stat padding for the defensive line. But Seattle runs the ball about 43 percent of the time, and Lynch can wear down a defense and then break off a long run. If the Bears are going to break their losing streak, they’ll need the defense and special teams to put the offense into field goal position at a minimum. Discipline and tackling form is critical again from the safeties, to ensure Lynch does not to go all the way if he breaks through the second level.

These are two teams going in completely different directions. The Seahawks, winners of 4 of their last 5, are coming together. The Bears are falling apart at the seams. They’ve lost their top QB and RB and now have a massive controversy swirling over Hurd’s drug arrest. My heart tells me it’s going to be even more of a rout than I am predicting.

Seahawks 24
Bears 3

The Denver Broncos (8-5) outlasted the Bears 13-10. Tim Tebow continued his magic, leading his team back from a 10-0 deficit to a 13-10 overtime win. Matt Prater tied the game with a 59-yard field goal at the end of regulation and then delivered again from 51 yards in overtime. The Bears’ (7-6) playoff chances are very, very slim.

The Bears saw a 10-point 4th quarter lead go Into Thin Air (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (12-19-115, 2/11) continues to be very late with his throws when he isn’t first zeroed in on Johnny Knox. The second sack was on him, as he should have recognized the overloaded right side and thrown the ball out hot. He missed a wide open Marion Barber on a short route in the left seam that could have gone for big yardage. Hanie had a couple of nice passes along the sideline to Knox, and appeared to put the Bears in good position in overtime when he connected with Barber up the right sideline. His pocket presence and mental clock are alarmingly bad. It’s an uncanny skill to be able to run directly into defensive linemen. On the bright side, Hanie did not turn the ball over and did a better job of checking down to the running backs. He has a long way to go, but there was some progress. GRADE: D

Running Backs
Marion Barber (27/108, TD, Fumble, 2-32) and Khalil Bell (9/40, 5-24) were the offense throughout the game. Barber picked up a numerous first downs with his tough running up the middle. He broke a tackle for a 9-yard touchdown run. Defenders were actually getting hurt trying to tackle him. Sadly, all memory of what was a really strong game went out the window after the two-minute warning. Just inside of two minutes, Barber started to break a run off left tackle and was knocked out of bounds, which stopped the clock at a time when they needed it to keep running. The play allowed Tebow enough time to put together a game-tying drive. In overtime, just inside of field goal range, Barber started to break free up the middle but was stripped of the ball, and Denver recovered. Barber also failed to pick up a blitz up the middle for one of the sacks on Hanie. Bell broke off a decent run off right tackle and also caught a slant for a first down when he motioned out to the slot. They get an A for their tough running against stacked fronts but an F for the turnover and the out of bounds play. GRADE: C

Receivers
Devin Hester dropped a pass in his numbers that easily could have gone for 15-20 yards. Johnny Knox (3-37) had a few decent plays along the sideline. However, he didn’t extend with both hands for a pass over the middle. Roy Williams made a beautiful fingertip grap for 17 yards. Special credit should also go to Williams for a nice block on Barber’s 9-yard touchdown run. Earl Bennett was thrown to once, very late, after the defense had converged on him. Kellen Davis only had one pass in his area as well. GRADE: C

Offensive Line
Lance Louis is getting beat. He’s committing false starts. Von Miller ate him up today. Chris Spencer added a false start as well. Run blocking was decent on most downs, especially against a defense that knew Hanie couldn’t be trusted to make plays down the field. J’Marcus Webb also allowed a sack when he was beaten to the inside by Elvis Dumervil. Roberto Garza was blown up on one play, resulting in a 6-yard loss for Barber. Edwin Williams left for a series and was replaced by Frank Omiyale. The Bears rushed for 159 yards and 4.2 yards per carry despite the defense knowing it was coming. That’s pretty good. Four sacks are too many, but the timing of the passing offense with Hanie is dreadful. GRADE: D+

Defensive Line
The line did a tremendous job of bottling up Denver’s top-ranked rushing attack (34/124). They held McGahee to 34 yards on 17 carries. They gave up some pass rush in order to contain Tebow (21-40-236, TD, INT, 12/49, Fumble). They were doing their best to keep Tebow in the pocket while also applying pressure. Despite it, they still had their share of sacks. Defensive tackle Stephen Paea had two sacks. Melton added another. Toeaina had some pressures, and swallowed up McGahee up the middle. Julius Peppers had another sack. Defensive end Israel Idonije had a sweet tackle for a loss on a Tebow option. He had another where he traveled 3 gaps to make the tackle a yard behind the line. But Idonije couldn’t stop himself from hitting Tebow below the knees after the ball was thrown, resulting in a penalty. Wootton, Okoye and Davis all were rotated into the game and made plays. There were tons of non-calls on what should have been holding. GRADE: A-

Linebackers
This was a huge game for the linebackers. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs combined for 20 tackles. Most of them were right at the line of scrimmage. Briggs was not able to prevent himself from hitting Tebow after the ball was thrown and he too was flagged for roughing the quarterback. Nick Roach only had one tackle, despite the Bears not being in too much nickel. GRADE: B+

Secondary
With Major Wright out (shoulder), Craig Steltz got the start. He came up big, with 5 tackles, a tackle for a loss, a sack and a forced fumble. One of his biggest plays was a stop of Tebow just two yards short of converting a third down. Cornerback Charles Tillman made a picturesque tip-toe interception along the sideline. He was fortunate that Thomas dropped the ball on a deep pass behind his coverage over the middle. Tim Jennings was too deep in his coverage and allowed a key completion down the stretch that set Denver up. Zack Bowman and Chris Conte combined to blow the coverage on Tebow’s lone touchdown pass. Bowman later fell down in coverage to allow a big pass in overtime to set up the field position. GRADE: B-

Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije combined to block a field goal, keeping the game tied at zero through the half. Robbie Gould connected on a Chicago Bears’ record long 57-yard field goal. He drilled it down the center and it looked like it could have been good from another 10 yards. None of his kickoffs were returnable. Nick Roach alertly grabbed an onside kick before the 2-minute warning that clearly could have been caught by Denver. But the bobble stayed up long enough for Roach to gather it in. Devin Hester again showed rotten decision making in determining when to return punts. This game could easily have been won by the Bears if they had just two more possessions with better field position. Adam Podlesh put 4 kicks down inside the 20. He had 11 punts. Punt coverage was decent. Massey, the snapper, led the team with 3 special teams tackles. GRADE: A-

I was glad to see a run-heavy plan. But if you’re going to do that, why not set up some play action? Why is the passing game so disassociated with the running game? Hanie’s timing is terrible. Don’t they coach him at all? Don’t they have hundreds of reps per week to get him to run some simple timing plays? Is he really this bad? How many reps does he need before he can get rid of the ball at the bottom of his drop? There is no way that Earl Bennett suddenly stopped being a good receiver, and that Johnny Knox is the only guy who can get open. The defense was wired perfectly, pitching a shutout. And then the 4th quarter happened. They did some different things down the stretch. How can you do such a nice job coaching for 3 and a half quarters and then just pee down your leg? They blitzed and Tebow made them pay. False starts. Roughing the quarterback. Running out of bounds when they should kill the clock. Not protecting the ball. They showed off their lack of football IQ down the stretch. That’s discipline. That’s coaching. GRADE: D

I picked the right winner. I was wrong about the score. It would probably hurt less if it was a blowout. The way they lost is just plain nauseating.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Trahan on Cosby
Jennings on Ball
Barber on everyone

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Craig Steltz
Israel Idonije
Julius Peppers
Stephen Paea
Lance Briggs
Robbie Gould
Henry Melton
Adam Podlesh

Horns
Marion Barber
Zack Bowman
Devin Hester
Caleb Hanie
Lance Louis

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS
Chicago Bears (7-5) at Denver Broncos (7-5)
By
Michael Nudo

---

Von Miller is expected to be back after thumb surgery. He has 10.5 sacks (Getty Images).

---

BEARS OFFENSE vs. BRONCOS DEFENSE

Caleb Hanie makes his third start this Sunday, while Jay Cutler tries to rehab his way back from a broken thumb. Hanie has three interceptions in each of his starts. Running back Matt Forte took a helmet to the knee last week and has a grade 2 MCL sprain. With Forte out for at least this game and maybe one or two more, Marion Barber will get the start with Khalil Bell spelling him at times. Barber’s inexperience in the passing game cost the Bears a touchdown last week when he was not properly aligned before the snap. Lost in that miscue was the inexperience of the quarterback. Do you think Jay Cutler would have seen this presnap and would have aligned Barber before the play? Yes, some responsibility must also fall on Hanie for that play.

The Broncos are expecting to get strong side linebacker Von Miller (thumb) back on Sunday. He already has 10.5 sacks this year. With Miller sidelined last week, Mario Haggan stepped in to lead the team in tackles. He added three tackles for a loss and an interception return for a touchdown. Meanwhile, defensive end Elvis Dumerville has 6.5 sacks. J’Marcus Webb will get to battle Dumerville on every down. Miller will likely be blitzing from outside Lance Louis and perhaps the tight end. It’s important to note that these are blitzes and the Bears will need to be assignment sound and the responsibilities of the running back and tight end come into play. Since Mike Martz arrived last season, there have been quite a few sacks that have also been the responsibilities of units other than the offensive line.

Denver’s defense is very aggressive. However, it’s masking their 23rd – ranked passing attack and 20th – ranked rushing attack. If the Bears fail to run 30 times on Sunday to protect Caleb Hanie, they will have no chance. Communication will be a key on the road, as well as conditioning at Mile High. Let’s hope Mike Martz can set up play action for the deeper drops, while using quick passes, draws and screens to counter the aggressiveness of the Bronco front. Expect the Bronco to load up the box, and to press the wide receivers.

Nickel back D.J. Moore is expected to return after missing the last 3 games with an ankle injury. Corey Graham played well in Moore’s absence. With as little as Denver passes, it’s expected that strong side linebacker Nick Roach will rarely leave the field for a nickel back. At safety, Major Wright injured his shoulder last week. Craig Steltz stepped in and had the best game of his career. With Wright ruled out, Craig Steltz will get the nod. This means Steltz has surpassed Brandon Meriweather on the depth chart. Steltz is a special teams standout that excels against the run, but isn’t as fluid of a pass defender as his teammates. However, he’s a veteran of Lovie Smith’s defense and is smart with his assignments.

With Knowshon Moreno on the Injured Reserve, the bulk of the carries have fallen to veteran Willis McGahee. McGahee has responded well, and has put up close to 900 yards rushing so far. He and tackle Ryan Clady have sore knees but are expected to play. Wide receiver Eddie Royal (questionable) is trying to recover from a concussion. Royal has just 18 receptions after having 59 a season ago. He clearly has been impacted by the change in offensive philosophy to support Tim Tebow’s skill set.

Denver runs an option offense, with Tebow running quite a bit. He’s not a runner like Michael Vick. He’s more like a cross between Larry Csonka and Rex Grossman. Discipline and assignments are more important than ever when facing the option. Safeties Steltz and Conte must take good angles to the ball. Corners Tillman and Jennings have proven to be above average run defenders. It sounds like a good matchup for the Bears’ defense. The overall speed of the front seven makes this an appealing matchup, especially with Nick Roach on the field. Trampled Under Foot: Will the first man to the ball be disciplined enough to give up his body to bring down Tebow? If he thinks he can tackle high or go for the strip, he’s going to get churned up and used for mulch.

Denver does not make many mistakes. They’ve won 5 in a row and boast the league’s top rushing attack. Tim Tebow, for all the criticism, has only thrown 1 interception. I don’t like this being a road
game, where the Bears’ suspect offensive line will be challenged by one of the best pass rushing defenses in the league. I hope I’m wrong, but I cannot see Hanie surviving this game, whether it’s due to injury or ineffectiveness. I am very concerned that a loss here will send the Bears’ playoff hopes Into Thin Air. More than ever, they’ll need a big game from Devin Hester on special teams to keep this one close.

Broncos 24
Bears 9

The Chiefs (5-7) did just enough to beat the Bears (7-5) at Soldier Field. They outplayed and outcoached the Bears in an historically bad game.

The Bears may have lost more than just the game Sunday (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (11-24-133, 3 INT) regressed in his second start. His timing was not better. Every time he went back to pass it was 1-2-3-4-5…pat…pat…sack. He has to get rid of the ball at the bottom of his drop. It’s just not happening. He completely missed Earl Bennett on a breakaway that easily could have been a touchdown. Then Hanie underthrew Knox for an interception. TV announcers wanted to blame Knox for not fighting more for the ball. That’s pretty hard to do when you’re running full speed in the other direction. The second pick was Roy Williams’ fault. The third pick was simply a failed Hail Mary pass. Just a quick reminder…you’re allowed to throw the ball to the running backs, too. GRADE: F

Running Backs
Matt Forte (5/12) took a shot to his knee early and did not return. Let’s hope he’s back fast. He was in long enough to miss a blitz pickup right through the middle. Marion Barber (14/44) had a few nice runs and broke some tackles. But the box was stacked when the Chiefs saw Hanie couldn’t hit a bull in the ass with a banjo. Khalil Bell broke off the best run of the day, a 26-yarder and made some nifty moves. Tyler Clutts had an up and down game. GRADE: C-

Receivers
Johnny Knox (5-53) continues to be the focus of Caleb Hanie’s reads. Knox made a beautiful leaping catch of a high pass over the middle in the fourth quarter. Devin Hester had a few catches along the sideline. Kellen Davis (2-40) had a sweet 28-yard reception. Roy Williams managed to take a pass that he appeared to cradle near the goal line and find a way to bobble it away to the Chiefs, ending any chance the Bears would have had of tying the score. I cannot fathom how he can still be allowed to wear a Bears uniform. GRADE: D

Offensive Line
Sure, Hanie held the ball too long. However, the line didn’t block well, either. Lance Louis, who had been playing lights out the last month or so, was caught holding and allowed sacks on consecutive plays. J’Marcus Webb was caught holding but the penalty was declined. Chris Spencer failed to recognize a delayed linebacker blitz for another sack. They averaged just under 4 yards per rush, which was decent. The Chiefs came into the game with only 13 sacks. They now have 20. Unreal. GRADE: F+

Defensive Line
Israel Idonije (6 tackles, 3 TFL, sack) had his best game of the year. Julius Peppers didn’t have any sacks but drew holding and was a force against the run. Henry Melton picked up a sack but had a tough time against the run. Stephen Paea (4 tackles) had one of his better games. Amobi Okoye had a tackle for a loss. Pressure was decent. Run defense was fair. GRADE: B

Linebackers
The linebackers were largely neutralized, which is saying quite a bit about luminaries such as Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher. The play of the game was a Hail Mary at the end of the first half. Brian Urlacher batted but could not come down with an interception. The ball ricocheted off his hands and into the awaiting arms of Dexter McCluster for Tyler Palko’s first touchdown pass of the season. GRADE: C

Secondary
Safety Major Wright (5 tackles) put a hit on Palko on a flea flicker play. He left with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Craig Steltz (10 tackles, FF). Steltz did a really good job of taking the right angles to the ball when the Chiefs looked like they were going to break a long run or two. It was probably Steltz’s best game as a Bear. Rookie Chris Conte (2 tackles) had a few big tackles on third down. Charles Tillman (9 tackles, PD) was flagged for a questionable hold. He had a leaping attempt that nearly resulted in an interception. Tim Jennings (4 tackles, TFL) had another good game. Nickel back Corey Graham had a quarterback hit as well. GRADE: B

The Chiefs outplayed the Bears on special teams. Robbie Gould missed a 41-yard field goal. Devin Hester’s decision-making on punt returns was brutal. He kept calling for fair catches and then didn’t return the ball. It would have helped if he had fielded some of them to make up for lost yardage. He did have a 43-yard punt return. Adam Podlesh will be icing his leg after this one. The Bears were 0-11 converting third down. Coverage was decent. Dom DeCicco made a few play. GRADE: C-

They have to do something to execute the offense. Any kind of production would have resulted in a win. It’s time to part ways with Roy Williams. They have to minimize turnovers. NOW. That means no more Roy Williams. That means you run the ball 30-plus times. That means you pick your spots to throw. It means you throw a few screens and run a few draws. They lost a touchdown because they didn’t have the correct alignment on the field. They were outcoached and outplayed. The Chiefs lost their quarterback, stud running back, starting tight end, and best defensive back. All of them were lost quite a while ago. And yet they looked like the more competent team. The defensive game plan was fine. They allowed just one touchdown, on a fluke play. Even special teams coaching was bad. They messed up a pooch punt/fake field goal because they couldn’t line up correctly there, either. They are delusional if they think they shouldn’t split the practice reps for the first team among the quarterbacks. I would not let Hanie play beyond halftime of next week if he cannot show some accuracy and timing. GRADE: F

I could not have been more wrong about the outcome. It will be hard to pick them again unless Cutler can return.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Trahan on Arenas
Peppers on Horne
Belcher on Barber
Conte on McCluster

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Craig Steltz
Israel Idonije

Horns
Roy Williams
Caleb Hanie
Mike Martz
Lance Louis

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS
Kansas City Chiefs (4-7) at Chicago Bears (7-4)
By
Michael Nudo

---

Tyler Palko has 0 TDs and 6 INTs in relief of Matt Cassell (Getty Images).

---

BEARS OFFENSE vs. CHIEFS DEFENSE

Caleb Hanie is set to make his second start after Jay Cutler injured his thumb. Hanie will look to cut down on the 3 interceptions he gave to the Raiders. Left guard Edwin Williams makes his third start after Chris Williams (wrist) was lost for the season. The transition has been relatively smooth. All has been quiet at right tackle since Lance Louis settled down the position when Frank Omiyale was shown the bench (after rookie Gabe Carimi knee was injured). Carimi has recently been place on Injured Reserve (knee), officially ending his season.

Sabby Piscitelli has been starting at safety since Eric Berry was lost early in the season. That’s a huge drop off, but the Chiefs have been able to get by without too many defensive breakdowns. Kansas City is ranked 12th against the pass, but that might also be because they’re allowing 133.7 yards rushing. With only 13 sacks as a team, the player to focus on is Tamba Hali, who plays outside linebacker in the 3-4 and has 7 sacks. He’s usually lined up over J’Marcus Webb’s side of the field.

The Chiefs are 26th against the run. Caleb Hanie is making his second start. It’s time to get the Matt Forte train going again. Look for the Chiefs to expect this and load the box. It will be up to Forte and Marion Barber to break through the loaded fronts, and for Hanie to make blitz-beating throws like his quick slant to Johnny Knox for a touchdown a week ago. If Hanie keep the turnovers to a minimum, the Bears should be able to treat their fans to a victory.

Nickel back D.J. Moore (questionable-ankle) is making progress and is getting ready to return. It’s likely he’ll still need another week. With Moore out, Corey Graham made the most of his chances with interceptions in 3 straight games. On special teams, veteran long snapper Patrick Mannelly (knee) was lost for the season two games ago. Chris Massey was signed to replace him. His snaps last week didn’t result in fumbles or blocked kicks, but they were far from perfect. Defensive tackle Anthony Adams (back) showed up on the injury report. He and Matt Toeaina (knee) have taken turns being dinged and inactive. All this has meant more time for rookie Stephen Paea, who flashed early but has struggled of late, especially keeping his pad level down.

Kansas City has lost their starting quarterback (Matt Cassell) and starting running back (Jamaal Charles). They’re expected to start Tyler Palko at quarterback, although they did put in a waiver claim on former Bear Kyle Orton this week. Orton is expected to play soon, possibly as early as some time Sunday against the Bears. The Chiefs have only scored one offensive touchdown in their last 4 games. Palko has thrown zero touchdowns versus 6 interceptions. Neither he nor Orton poses a threat to scramble. At running back, Jackie Battle, former Bear Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster share the load. They’ve been steady if unspectacular, with a longest run from scrimmage of only 34 yards. Leonard Pope gets the majority of snaps at tight end, where Tony Moeaki (on the IR since the end of preseason) had 47 catches a season ago.

The Chiefs are 11th in rushing yards, in spite of losing Charles early. Look for more of that, but keep in mind that if Orton gets in the game, the Chiefs have a talented receiver corps led by Dwayne Bowe (55-819, 4 TD).

The Chiefs have lost 4 in a row, and while last week they looked game against the Steelers, it was still a loss and is just as easily disheartening. I look to see the Bears run a bit more, and for Caleb Hanie to start making some progress in his second start. Rediscovering Earl Bennett could go a long way as well. Bennett, who was just signed to a 4-year contract during the week, was not a big focus against Oakland. I’m expecting the Bears’ defense to force turnovers and put the offense in good field position.

Bears 30
Chiefs 10

The Bears (7-4) were not able to overcome 3 interceptions by Caleb Hanie, making his first start as a pro. Oakland (7-4) kicked six field goals and had one touchdown.

Caleb Hanie was not able to avoid mistakes in a loss at Oakland (Tribune photo).

Quarterback
Caleb Hanie (18-36-254, 2 TD, 3 INT, 5/50) looked like he was making his first professional start. He was intercepted as he was short trying to drop a pass in to Forte up the sideline. He was too high over the middle for Forte, which was also intercepted. He held the ball too long, most evident on a pass over the middle to Roy Williams that was initially open and ended up looking like double coverage by the time the ball got there. He was wildly inaccurate on a sideline route to Earl Bennett in the fourth quarter. The interception before halftime on the throwback screen to the tight end was more of a rotten play call than a bad throw. Hanie did some good things. He scrambled for first downs. He hit Johnny Knox on a beautiful 81-yard bomb. His touchdown pass to Knox at the end of the first half was a great throw against a blitz. The touchdown pass to find Kellen Davis was right on the money. The most concerning element of his debut was the poor timing. Timing can get cleaned up with reps. If it doesn’t, it’s telling about the quarterback. We will know, and very soon. GRADE: D

Running Backs
Matt Forte (12/59, 6-25) put up some decent stats but was disappointing. He broke one excellent run for 33 yards off right tackle on a draw. However, a disturbing tendency to pitter-patter has developed instead of hitting the hole. He also isn’t following his blockers. Forte’s lack of hitting the hole becomes magnified when you contrast him to Marion Barber (10/63), who gave the offense a spark when it was needed. I hope they get Forte back on track. The Bears need him now more than ever. Fullback Tyler Clutts cost the Bears critical yardage when he was flagged for a personal foul. Barber and Forte combined for 122 yards on 22 carries. GRADE: B

Receivers
Johnny Knox (4-145, TD) had a mercurial day. He made a brilliant 81-yard one-handed reception to keep the game close. His touchdown catch at the end of the first half on a quick slant was text book against the blitz and showed off his great speed. But he also had a drop on a 3rd and 3, went to the ground and let the ball pass through his hands over the middle when he wasn’t being hit, and dropped a simple zero route on the left sideline. That’s 3 drops. Roy Williams (3-37) had a solid game. Earl Bennett was rarely targeted, and when he was, the throw was ridiculous. Matt Spaeth had one catch to convert a third down. Kellen Davis caught two passes. His 9-yard touchdown reception showed great concentration as the ball was deflected as it got to him and could have bounced out. The receivers made some big plays, but also let a few routine opportunities go through their fingers. GRADE: B

Offensive Line
The Raiders were credited with 4 sacks. I still thought they had a pretty good game. Of the 4, I thought the only one you could really lay at their feet was when right guard Chris Spencer was beaten to the inside. He was flagged for holding on the play as well. Hanie held the ball so long, and some of the sacks came when he decided to take off and then couldn’t make it to the line of scrimmage. I was amazed at how long they were giving Hanie to throw the ball. J’Marcus Webb had a false start. I thought he allowed too much pressure on one of Hanie’s picks. Lance Louis made a touchdown-saving tackle on Hanie’s interception at the end of the first half. It was ruled a horse collar. It could have gone either way. Regardless it was a tremendous hustle play and showed off his athleticism. I have no problems with the way Edwin Williams played in his second start. GRADE: B-

Defensive Line
The defensive line had a tremendous game. They got to Carson Palmer (21-37-301, INT) repeatedly. Julius Peppers had 2 sacks and should have drawn at least half a dozen holding penalties. I was shocked when the referees called the Raiders for holding Briggs, when the way they were hanging all over Peppers and Paea was many times worse all game. Henry Melton had his best game since the beginning of the year. He had a sack and a tackle for a loss. Amobi Okoye had a sack. Matt Toeaina was stout against the run, with 3 tackles. Newcomer Chauncey Davis had 4 tackles and a tackle for a loss. He and Corey Wootton flashed, while Israel Idonije continues to struggle making an impact. The line had 4 sacks and held the Raiders’ excellent ground game to 73 yards rushing on 27 carries. GRADE: A-

Linebackers
Lance Briggs (6 tackles, TFL) was a beast. He had some vicious hits on the Raiders’ running backs, especially in pursuit off tackle and around end. Brian Urlacher (5 tackles) had one as well. He also had excellent coverage to prevent the conversion of a 3rd and 18 pass over the middle. Nick Roach (4 tackles, TFL) made the most of his opportunities and did just enough early on to not get beaten on a deep pass to the fullback. GRADE: B

Secondary
Last week it was Charles Tillman. This week it was Tim Jennings who had the tough game. Jennings was beaten deep up the right sideline for a huge gain. He also dropped two passes that should have been intercepted. In this defense, you MUST capitalize on the mistakes. Charles Tillman (5 tackles) had good coverage and also made first contact on what eventually became a sack for Peppers an instant later. Safety Chris Conte took a bad angle on the Raiders’ long run of 14 yards by Michael Bush (24/69, TD, 4-24). He was also late in getting over to help Jennings. Major Wright (7 tackles, TFL, PD) had one of his better games. He had a pressure and also made a strong open field tackle on a checkdown at the end of the game to the fullback. Nickel back Corey Graham came up with his third interception in as many games. Brandon Meriweather saw significant action and deflected the pass that resulted in Graham’s interception. GRADE: B+

Robbie Gould connected on two 50-plus yard field goals (50, 53). His kickoffs were mostly deep. Adam Podlesh netted 44.8 yards on his 5 punts. More importantly, he did an excellent job of holding for Gould’s kick attempts as the new snapper (Massey) put several snaps wide of the placement target. Coverage was solid. Johnny Knox had a 56-yard kickoff return. Devin Hester didn’t do much. In fact, he let a ball drop in front of him that he should have fielded, resulting in a horrible starting field position. Too many penalties by this group of late on returns. Craig Steltz held on the opening return and Zack Bowman added a hold on a return as well. GRADE: B-

The coaching, much like the play, was very uneven. Martz’s draw for Forte was excellent. The mix of run to pass was good. The throwback screen, deep in Raider territory was tragically bad. That play works against overpursuit, both horizontally and vertically. When you’re that deep up against the opposing goal, there is no vertical overpursuit. So, the lobbed throwback hangs up in the air for any defender on the left half of the field to steal. It ended up being a decisive play in what was mostly a taffy pull of a contest. The defensive game plan was sound. In spite of having terrible field position because of turnovers, the Bears kept the Raiders out of the end zone until the fourth quarter, even though they had an average field position of the 40 –yard line. Good challenge on the reception along the sideline. Bad no challenge on a pass play where Hanie was ruled to have stepped out of bounds. The team fought hard and to the end. GRADE: C-

I predicted 13-10 Oakland. I had about half of the scoring but the correct winner. I wish I was more wrong than I was.

Noots’ Nut Crackers
Briggs on Bush TWICE
Mitchell on Knox
Lechler on the football (80-yard punt)
Tillman on Bush

Nudo’s Kudos
Julius Peppers
Henry Melton
Lance Briggs
Robbie Gould
Johnny Knox

Horns
Tim Jennings
Caleb Hanie

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS
Chicago Bears (7-3) at Oakland Raiders (6-4)
By
Michael Nudo

---

Since McFadden's injury, Michael Bush has picked up the slack.

---

BEARS OFFENSE vs. RAIDERS DEFENSE

The Bears have lost quarterback Jay Cutler for a significant amount of time with a thumb injury. Caleb Hanie will get an opportunity to show what he has learned from the sideline over the last two seasons. Josh McCown, who has played under Mike Martz, was signed on Wednesday. Edwin Williams had a solid game in his first start for left guard Chris Williams, who is lost for the season with a wrist injury. Meanwhile, nobody even thinks about right tackle anymore, where Lance Louis has settled down a position that was a problem when rookie Gabe Carimi was lost for the season in game two (knee) and journeyman Frank Omiyale couldn’t cut it. Wide receiver Earl Bennett has been a big part of the offense since missing much of the first half of the year with a chest injury.

Richard Seymour has a knee injury (questionable) but should be ready to play. Starting defensive end Jarvis Moss (hamstring) is out and Lamarr Houston (knee) is questionable. Free safety Michael Huff (knee) is questionable. Matt Giordano is the backup and has 3 interceptions to lead Oakland. Cornerback Chris Johnson (hamstring/groin) is questionable but expected to play. Defensive tackles Richard Seymour and Tommy Kelly along with outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley have been getting to the quarterback with regularity.

The Raiders are 25th against the run and 20th against the pass. Look for them to load up against Forte and the run and dare Hanie to beat them. With all those players in the box, you can also expect they’ll blitz against run and pass. Communication among the line will be critical. Draws and screens can help against this, as well as hitting the intermediate routes. It will be especially important for the receivers to get off the line and into their routes quickly. Expect the Bears to have plenty of double tight end max protection for Hanie as well as utilize fullback Tyler Clutts. From this personnel they can assure Hanie better protection as well as have the extra blockers for Forte’s running.

Safety Brandon Meriweather is recovering from a concussion but should be ready to play. Julius Peppers (knee) appears to be healthier than he has been in a few weeks. Nickel back D.J. Moore (ankle) is still not quite ready to return. With Moore out, Corey Graham made the most of his chances last week with a big interception. He has one in each of the last two games. On special teams, veteran long snapper Patrick Mannelly (knee) was lost for the season. Chris Massey was signed to replace him after Jake Laptad was signed and then released over the period of just a few days.

In spite of Darren McFadden missing considerable time with a foot injury, the Raiders are third in the NFL in rushing. Michael Bush (139/599, 5TD) is a big reason for that. The other element is the offensive line. The Raiders have only allowed 15 sacks. Sure, they run more than they pass, but the numbers are still low, considering they’re on their third quarterback (Jason Campbell, Kyle Boller). Carson Palmer has played his way into shape as well as familiarity with the offense. Wide receiver is a problem position as far as injuries are concerned. Jacoby Ford (foot) is out. Darrius Heyward-Bey (neck) and Denarius Moore (foot) are questionable. Heyward-Bey, Moore and Ford rank 1-2-3 in receptions for the Raiders. The injuries to Ford and Moore impact punt and kick returns. Taiwan Jones can do quite a bit of damage returning kickoffs as well but he is also banged up (hamstring).

With all the injuries at wide receiver, and with Michael Bush churning out big yardage, it would stand to reason that the Raiders will look to run on the Bears and then set up play action. Rookie safety Chris Conte has been unspectacular, but has done a decent job of not allowing plays to get behind him. Will Major Wright flinch when he needs to fill in the box against Michael Bush?

I don’t like this one at all. The Raiders have a ton of injuries but the potential for a flame out on the road is high. Palmer is just finding his groove. The physical running of the Raiders could spell trouble for the speed of the Bears. Caleb Hanie faces a difficult challenge on the road, as does his offensive line. The Raiders have 28 sacks. Matt Forte has not been as productive the last two weeks as teams have begun stacking the box. I see the Bears coming up short here on the road in a loud stadium against one of the more underrated pass rushes in the NFL.

Bears 13
Raiders 16