By Michael Nudo

How is this guy not starting? (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

OFFENSE

Wide Receiver:

They’re telling us the starters today are Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. Knox has amazing receiving skills and blazing speed. Hester can turn any missed tackle into six points. Mike Martz’s system is dependent upon receivers being where they need to be and at the right time. Quarterback and receiver need to make the same reads when seeing the same alignments and adjustments. This is a relationship built on trust. If you were going to ask me who fits that mold best for the Bears, I’d say your starting receivers would be Earl Bennett and Devin Aromashodu.

Earl Bennett was the Bears’ most consistent wide receiver last year. He doesn’t have great speed. He just runs excellent routes and catches just about everything. Further, he has a great knack for making the first guy miss after he makes a catch. Also in his favor is the relationship with Cutler from their days in college. Aromashodu was the Bears’ best receiver during the final month of the season. This came after Cutler’s campaigning for him to see the field ever since training camp. Yeah, I’m pretty sure Jay trusts Aromashodu. Am I making too much of this? Martz’s offense should have enough 3 and 4 wide sets to keep everyone involved. DA and Bennett should see plenty of action, and perhaps there will even be a time for Joaquin Iglesias to see some action.

I don’t have so much of a problem with Knox being anointed as one of the starters. The point here is simple. Although Devin Hester has great speed and decent hands, there hasn’t always been a great level of confidence in his ability to make quick decisions at a position that’s still pretty new to him. He’ll be learning a new offense, and that might come easier to guys who have learned several offenses before. How many times has Hester needed to learn an offense from the ground up, going all the way back to college?

By
Michael Nudo

OFFENSE

Left Guard: They’re being coy about who has the lead here. Why isn’t this Josh Beekman’s job to lose? Was his play there over the last two seasons so poor that he clearly doesn’t belong? Beekman’s role has been defined as the heir apparent to the center position that Olin Kreutz is holding down. If Kreutz’s surgery is as successful as they’re saying, Beekman may be already on a new team by the time Kreutz finally hangs ‘em up. Frank Omiyale (he of the sizable contract) was handed the job last year, in spite of negligible experience at guard. Anyone who watched saw Omiyale struggle to sustain even the most simple of blocks.

As it stands now, Johan Asiata and Lance Louis have been getting the majority of reps. Asiata seems to have the inside track. Louis is a guy who has gone from tight end to tackle to guard in just a few years. I’m not sure where he projects, but he is clearly a project that I wouldn’t want to see pushed into starting until he’s had at least a season of practice at the position he’s going to play. Did they learn NOTHING from Frank Omiyale’s square peg? Beekman’s detractors say he’s undersized. He’s actually heavier than both Asiata and Louis. Ah, those rosters must be full of lies. Beekman’s numbers are whipped up full of air like a good milkshake then, right? I guess I’m more apt to have confidence in the guy who actually played interior line at Boston College. Kevin Shaffer has seen some time there this off season as well. It’s pretty clear that they’re thinking of Shaffer as the backup at both tackles, however.

I’ll be keeping a close watch on this position as the preseason unfolds. In Mike Martz’s offense, pass protection is that much more important. The winner here needs to be able to hold his own and not distract from what Kreutz is doing. And when he’s uncovered, he’ll need to be smart enough to give help to Chris Williams or Kreutz but have the awareness to know when there’s a delayed blitz sneaking around from the other side. Let’s keep an eye on who can provide positive push for Mike Tice and is smart enough to get all the protection assignments correct. If it’s not going to be Beekman, I truly hope we see some convincing evidence of a better football player winning the job outright.

The summer’s heat is now broiling
The mouthpieces fitted by boiling
Scent in the locker room is clean
So just what do I mean?

Should we be concerned if we would
And maybe we could
Experience a season smelling like old tuna?
Look, a rhyme with Brandon Manumaleuna

The season is beginning
Will the Bears be winning?
So many questions to ponder
As the Bears head yonder

To Bourbonnais and Bradley
I can make that drive gladly
For practices and golf courses
And maybe some words from my sources

So on with the queries
So many I could make a series
But I’ll spare you the many-parter
As it’s not in my charter

Can we trust in Mike Martz?
And the healing of Brian Urlacher’s parts?
Will Jay cut down on his picks?
Will the line save him from licks?

Was Forte a flash in the pan?
Can Taylor lend him a hand?
Will we force things to flow through Hester?
Can Lovie be more of a jester?

What are the other receivers to do?
Especially Devin Aromashodu
And what of Greg Olsen
Will he be pining and drinking a Molsen?

Come on, it shouldn’t be so hard
To find a guy who can play left guard
This line quandary is getting old
At least we still have Robbie Gould

We’ve seen a fixing of Kreutz
And nobody’s questioning his noots
Can he come back as a plus
And solidify a line Jay can trust?

At safety we need just two
The big question is just who
Peppers will rush from one end
But is Tommie’s knee on the mend?

Solidifying depth charts
While Martz is practicing dark arts
Patterns and route running
In the Bourbonnais heat they’ll be gunning

The annual pilgrimage is beckoning
Another middling Bears team I’m reckoning
In spite of all the eternal hopes
A season full of slippery slopes

But bring on this season and hope for the best
Win one at a time and don’t worry about the rest
Here’s to them keeping their health
While Mike Martz’s playbook is guarded with stealth

Here’s to a Superbowl run
Boy that would be fun
Like a mirage, they recently made it there
So let’s have a hope and a care

Noots

By
Michael Nudo

Peppers is a Bear

TE Brandon Manumaleuna:
This was the first signing of the day, and a critical one. When it was announced, I kept thinking about how I was going to have to type up his name correctly in future articles about the Bears. Maybe I can just use his initials BM in reference going forward. The very childish part of me quickly thought up a headline for Friday’s activities: “Bears Start off Busy Day with Healthy BM.” Yeah, that’s catchy. Well, it did lead to a day of very regular Bears activity.

This is not the sleek Ferrari tight end that is Greg Olsen. He’s not fast. He’s not tall. He’s not a great pass catching target. What the heck do we have here? This is a slightly undersized tackle given a jersey in the 80s. He’s a gas-guzzling Escalade who is built to carry a run game in his back seat and frequently eat up 260-lb. defensive ends for Sunday afternoon supper. Further, he’ll be able to line up next to the tackle and stay home on passing plays to help protect Jay Cutler. Far too many sacks were allowed last season by Greg Olsen. It remains to be seen what the impact will be on the tight end group. Olsen may be the odd man out or used as trade bait. Someone will be gone by the start of training camp, and it may even trickle down to fullback where Jason McKie’s effectiveness has steadily declined over the past two seasons.

DE Julius Peppers:
The gem of all free agents. The most physically gifted defensive end in the NFL. He could be even more productive than he has shown. And yet his productivity has not been much to scoff at when you see he’s averaging 10 sacks a season. He’s been such a dominating presence that he regularly commands a double team. This should make things better for those next to him on the line. However, is anybody they line up next to him good enough to take advantage of a one-on-one matchup?

The same Bears’ coaches are still around on defense. The last few years, they weren’t smart enough to play the corners tight when they blitzed, thus negating any pass rush they generated. So, is the money spent on Peppers going to get wasted against teams smart enough to run the short drops or provide the double teams on Peppers? He’s 30 years old. How much longer will he be dominant? Is he already on the down side of his career? Well, the other big option was former Packer Aaron Kampman, who would have come at a less hefty price. But is that money well-spent if he’s coming off a major injury? Hey, it’s not our money, and there is no salary cap. Bully for the Bears in identifying a key element for their defense and going out there and getting him.

RB Chester Taylor:
Taylor is a solid player. He’s well-rounded. Is a heck of a pass catcher and pass blocker. It’s hard to argue why he wouldn’t be on the field. It seems fair to assume he’s going to at least split time with Matt Forte. Further, there’s every possibility that he could be winning the starting position sooner than later—especially if Forte plays like he did last season. There is nothing not to like about this move. The investment was just right, unless they relegate him to under 10 touches per game. The Bears should finally have a two-pronged backfield attack. The big question here will be where the footballs go. Mike Martz is not known for running the ball twenty times per game, let alone thirty. Hmm…

Taylor’s impact on the rest of the backfield will be huge. There will be little room left for fringe players like Kahlil Bell, Adrian Peterson and Garrett Wolfe. It seems likely the Bears will cut bait with one or even two of them. Wolfe’s draft status, special teams excellence and occasional burst of speed make him a favorite to stick, but he he’s someone to wonder about from an injury standpoint.

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

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS
Chicago Bears (6-9) at Detroit Lions (2-13)
By
Michael Nudo

Drew Stanton’s status as starter for Sunday is in question (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez).

BEARS OFFENSE vs. LIONS DEFENSE

It was surprising that Devin Hester (calf) wasn’t able to go on Monday night. They’ll need him against the Lions and quite possibly to return kickoffs. Johnny Knox suffered a badly sprained ankle that will keep him out. The injury looked a lot worse than it actually was. He should be fine in time. Devin Aromashodu has stepped up while Hester has been down and really looks like a keeper. He has 17 catches for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns in the last 3 games.

The Lions’ defense is littered with injuries. The two most severe are to two of their best players. Safety Louis Delmas has a knee injury and linebacker Larry Foote has a foot injury (no puns, please). Delmas and Foote lead the Lions in tackles. Cornerback Phil Buchanon (shoulder) has been limited in practice this week.

The Lions are in last place in just about every defensive category. They’ll face a Bears offense that finally flexed its muscles last week against Minnesota. Which Bears’ offense will show up? The Bears have had their struggles on the road this year, so it will be interesting to see if they can keep their positive momentum going on the road against a division rival.

LIONS OFFENSE vs. BEARS DEFENSE

Drew Stanton (knee) stepped in at quarterback after rookie Matthew Stafford suffered a knee injury. Stanton threw 6 interceptions without a touchdown. Daunte Culpepper is expected to get the snaps this week. He has only been a little better with 1 touchdown and 5 interceptions. The Lions have been relatively healthy on offense apart from quarterback. However, that’s the one position most teams cannot afford to lose.

Mark Anderson and Israel Idonije made impact plays last week in Adewale Ogunleye’s absence. Ogunleye is done for the year. Idonije got dinged up (foot) and he’ll miss the final game as well. Gaines Adams and Jarron Gilbert have yet to take advantage of increased playing time. At cornerback, Corey Graham is expected to start for Charles Tillman, who suffered a rib injury when safety Craig Steltz’s helmet smashed into him on a tackle. Tillman and Idonije were put on Injured Reserve this week. Safety and kickoff return specialist Danieal Manning left Sunday’s game with a calf injury. Safeties Craig Steltz and Josh Bullocks started last week for Al Afalava (knee) and Kevin Payne (ankle). Payne is showing improvement, but Steltz (foot) is a concern. Hopefully Payne is ready if Steltz cannot go.

It doesn’t seem likely that the Lions will be able to present many problems for the Bears’ defense. However, there hasn’t been any level of consistent play from any unit on the squad. Detroit should be able to look at what worked for the Packers, Bengals and Cardinals and see how well they can emulate their attacks. The Bears will need to get big step up games from their substitutes in the secondary and at defensive end.

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

INJURY REPORT AND IMPLICATIONS
Minnesota Vikings (11-3) at Chicago Bears (5-9)
By
Michael Nudo

BEARS OFFENSE vs. VIKINGS DEFENSE

Wide receiver Devin Hester’s calf should be healed up enough for him to play on Monday night. His return to action will impact the rotation at wide receiver, where Devin Aromashodu had gotten the majority of Jay Cutler’s attention over the last two weeks. Orlando Pace’s groin injury allowed Chris Williams to switch from right to left tackle, and for Kevin Shaffer to start on the right side. Pace is expected to remain in a reserve role. Keep an eye on how Williams fares against top pass rusher Jared Allen, and how much help is given to him by the tight end and running backs. If Williams is going to be the future at left tackle, he’ll need to show something against Allen. Meanwhile, Shaffer’s matchup with Ray Edwards is worth checking in on as well.

Massive defensive tackle Pat Williams has an elbow injury that shouldn’t keep him out for Monday. He’ll face off again with Olin Kreutz. Williams has been openly disrespectful of Kreutz dating back to his days as a Buffalo Bill. If he is limited at all, Jimmy Kennedy will see some action. Kennedy spent a few games with the Bears in 2007. Penn State teammates Kennedy, Michael Haynes and Anthony Adams have all modeled the navy and burnt orange at one time or another.

The Vikings defense are in the top 10 in rushing yards allowed, total yards allowed, and points allowed. While many will focus correctly on Jared Allen’s 13.5 sacks, keep in mind that they have 43 for the season, and can get to the quarterback with Kevin Williams (6 sacks) and Ray Edwards (6.5 sacks). The Vikings’ pass defense has been average. If the Bears are going to have any chance, they’ll need to find matchups in the passing game they can exploit, and make sure Jay Cutler stays clean and keeps a cool head.

VIKINGS OFFENSE vs. BEARS DEFENSE

Wide receiver Percy Harvin is trying to get over a bout with migraines to return as a game-breaking receiver and return specialist. Former Bear Bernard Berrian has been a disappointment this year (50-510, 4 TDs), suffering from a lingering hamstring injury. The breakout performer for the Vikings has been Sidney Rice. Rice has 71 catches for 1144 yards and 5 touchdowns. The South Carolina product has really blossomed in his third season as a professional.

Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye was lost for the season in last week’s game with a leg fracture. It’s not saying much, but he has been the closest thing the Bears have had to a dominating pass rusher since Roosevelt Colvin. Ogunleye is a free agent after the season and may have played his last game as a Bear. His injury will allow an audition for Gaines Adams, Mark Anderson and possibly rookie Jarron Gilbert. Safeties Al Afalava (knee) and Kevin Payne (ankle) are banged up. If either cannot play, Danieal Manning is likely to return to the lineup.

How many ways are there to die? Brett Favre should have no problem exploiting the Bears’ soft coverage at the line or the gaping holes in the zones. Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson will be looking to have a dominant game down the stretch to put an exclamation point on another fine season. The Bears’ 25th ranked run defense isn’t likely to pose many obstacles. In the red zone, keep an eye out for tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and his 9 receiving touchdowns.

]]> http://www.nootsnotes.com/2009/12/24/injury-report-implications-min-chi/feed/ 0 http://www.nootsnotes.com/2009/12/21/146/ http://www.nootsnotes.com/2009/12/21/146/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 02:29:42 +0000 Noots http://www.nootsnotes.com/?p=146 Noots’ Notes-Game 14: 31-7 Loss at Baltimore

(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.