Bears struggling on OL and DL

[Dabaddestbear]

I'm gonna place a couple bets on the Packers this year. I think they're very underrated. I think they're going to shock and awe this year. Best team since the SB IMO. But I could be wrong and I'll lose a couple hundred bucks if I am.

Well at least for week one people have more confidence in them over the Bears. So the Bears are the underdogs here. Needless to say I am putting a few down on the Bears in week one.

[The Shadow]

How 'bout dem Bears? I am hearing that Tommie Harris is a shell of his former self, and that the O-line is, the Bears are hoping, serviceable.

And - this is off thread topic - the Bears' secondary sure ain't what it used to be, either.

Exactly right.
I live down in Bears territory, and have seen Tommie Harris. Where once he had a tremendous first step, the best way to now describe that first step is 'lumbering'.
Also watched the O-line. Pace looks old and slow - and, with the exception of Kreutz and perhaps Garza (a very average-at-best type), the rest of the line appears, to be kind, suspect.
The secondary - esp. without Tillman - is extremely shaky. Losing Mike Brown was a tremendous hit.

[RashanGary]

They think Cutler is the magic remedy. They will be wrong. Football is a team sport. Their TEAM is getting worse even if their QB got better.

[retailguy]

They think Cutler is the magic remedy. They will be wrong. Football is a team sport. Their TEAM is getting worse even if their QB got better.

Huh? Did you watch Cutler play in Denver? How can you say they regressed?

I don't see them as "better" yet, but at this point, there is no evidence to show the team got worse.

[RashanGary]

Their DL is aging and declining
Their OL is aging and declining
Their secondary is very thin
Their WR's are very thin


Their QB got better.


They think that is the answer. OK. I don't think it will be. Football is a team sport.

[RashanGary]

The Packers remind me of the 2006 Chargers. They were a young, up and coming team that year. The were tearing through the regular season and tearing through the playoffs before they lost to the cheaters on a mistake late in the game.

I remember that year, the Chargers starters kicked our ass in the preseason, I remember reading about how physical they were, how impressive they were. The quotes remind me exactly of what teams have said about the Packers this year. Same situation, similar age team rising, same strength coach (redding is with us now).

The Bears are the opposite. They're an aging team at a lot of important positions. Football is a young man's game. The Bears will get beat up and beat down by the Packers. 2009 is going to be shock and awe and it will start on week 1 with the aging Bears.

[mmmdk]

...you know that expression "Zebras sans stripes"?
I think we're looking at "Bears with no fur - at all" !

[retailguy]

Their DL is aging and declining
Their OL is aging and declining
Their secondary is very thin
Their WR's are very thin


Their QB got better.


They think that is the answer. OK. I don't think it will be. Football is a team sport.

In my opinion, you're overestimating the impact of the OL and de-emphasizing the impact of the skills positions. Forte is a flat out stud, might be the best power running back in the league. The TE is solid if not spectacular, and if Cutler has time, he'll make the most of the mediocre WR's. If the OL struggles, the coaches can focus on roll outs or better utilization of the FB or the backup TE, and offense might look like the Packers circa 2002, when the "best" receiver they had was Terry Glenn.

As to the defense, are you intentionally forgetting about Rod Marinelli? He was an integral part of the Tampa defense in it's heydey, and oh yeah, they still run that Tampa 2 in Chicago.

I agree with you that the secondary is suspect, but if the front 7 is still capable of penetration, then, that secondary won't be fully exposed.

are they beatable? Sure. Are they a bad team? No. Nothing indicates that.

Put the kool-aid down.

[mmmdk]

Their DL is aging and declining
Their OL is aging and declining
Their secondary is very thin
Their WR's are very thin


Their QB got better.


They think that is the answer. OK. I don't think it will be. Football is a team sport.

Put the kool-aid down.

NO ! Thirsty too !!

[retailguy]

Their DL is aging and declining
Their OL is aging and declining
Their secondary is very thin
Their WR's are very thin


Their QB got better.


They think that is the answer. OK. I don't think it will be. Football is a team sport.

Put the kool-aid down.

NO ! Thirsty too !!

enjoy but don't get drunk. You lose rationality, that doesn't help with the mood swings during the tough weeks.

This is going to be a long year. It could be a very great year, but it isn't going to be easy.

[mmmdk]

Their DL is aging and declining
Their OL is aging and declining
Their secondary is very thin
Their WR's are very thin


Their QB got better.


They think that is the answer. OK. I don't think it will be. Football is a team sport.

Put the kool-aid down.

NO ! Thirsty too !!

enjoy but don't get drunk. You lose rationality, that doesn't help with the mood swings during the tough weeks.

This is going to be a long year. It could be a very great year, but it isn't going to be easy.

So true but I'm easy! That didn't come out right - I feel so cheap

[RashanGary]

The Bears are that classic team trying to hold on while it slips away. Decent? yeah. Scary? No.

The Vikings are a bigger challenge. They're not dropping off yet. They're right in their primes. They made the playoffs last year with Gus Frerrotte. If Favre is even slightly below average, they should be a really tough team. Favre is going to have to be the single worst QB in the NFL for that team not to make the playoffs, or serious injury.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

I'm gonna place a couple bets on the Packers this year. I think they're very underrated. I think they're going to shock and awe this year. Best team since the SB IMO. But I could be wrong and I'll lose a couple hundred bucks if I am.

Well at least for week one people have more confidence in them over the Bears. So the Bears are the underdogs here. Needless to say I am putting a few down on the Bears in week one.

We should just save the juice and bet amongst each other then. I love the Packers -3 because at the very worst I could see a push happening. However, the line is now 3.5 so unless I buy the hook I might stay away. There are better matchups on the board sunday. I'm pretty confident the Packers can take this by 4 or more, as you can tell, I'm pretty back and forth on this game right now. In the end I might just put a small homer on my team and enjoy the game.

[CaptainKickass]

Their DL is aging and declining
Their OL is aging and declining
Their secondary is very thin
Their WR's are very thin


Their QB got better.


They think that is the answer. OK. I don't think it will be. Football is a team sport.

Put the kool-aid down.

NO ! Thirsty too !!

enjoy but don't get drunk. You lose rationality, that doesn't help with the mood swings during the tough weeks.

This is going to be a long year. It could be a very great year, but it isn't going to be easy.