Bears Gameplan

[mmmdk]

...can Mike Martz talk to Cutler...all the time during games? Then I'm really worried

[outflow]

The Packers should go 5 wide, ALL NIGHT LONG.

[Joemailman]

By five wide, I assume you mean 4 wide + Finley. Problem is when you do that, you take away the threat of play action. Five wide has its place, but why be predictable?

[RUnuts]

I don't pretend to be as knowledgeable as some of you, but would a few draw plays make sense to stop the rush in the beginning.

[ThunderDan]

Man, really? The optimism in this thread is intolerable. I don't think there is a snowball's chance in hell this team can go 6-2 here on out. This team has way too many problems...terrible o line, a non anticipative qb, no pass rush, bad offensive game planning, and a horrendous special teams outfit.

There is a whole lot of kool aid guzzling going on here.

TT must have done a complete turn of the roster since last October!

[Joemailman]

Well, he was sort of right. They went 7-1.

[Gunakor]

I don't pretend to be as knowledgeable as some of you, but would a few draw plays make sense to stop the rush in the beginning.

That could work, but we'd need a back who could make that work. I think if we throw a couple early screens at them that would accomplish the same goal, and Jackson is much more capable of doing damage on screen plays than draw plays.

[rbaloha1]

I don't pretend to be as knowledgeable as some of you, but would a few draw plays make sense to stop the rush in the beginning.

5 wide means no rbs. Bears secondary is questionable.

[Fritz]

I don't pretend to be as knowledgeable as some of you, but would a few draw plays make sense to stop the rush in the beginning.

Well, if the Bears are rushing only four, maybe not. It's not a play that has worked well for the Pack in the recent past, though I don't think they use it much.

if the Bears are pinning their ears back, screens might work better. And since catching the ball is Jackson's forte (yuck yuck), that could work.

[Waldo]

There might not be a WR corps in the NFL that are a better matchup for us than the Bears. What they lack in prowess they make up for with speed, against most teams.

If there is one thing GB's secondary can do, its run. Our safeties are easily the fastest pair in the NFL, and Woodson is our slowest CB. Taking GB deep on the outside, hoping to win a foot race, is a waste of time. Even if the CB's get beat, the S's have the range to get over the top.

What GB's CB's lack in savvy (sans Wood/Collins), they make up for with speed.

Tramon has darn near been a shutdown CB thus far this season, and Chicago doesn't have the type of WR's that I think can beat him (the big fast guys with vet savvy, the Larry Fitz's and Andre Johnson's will give him fits). He can be left alone on an island all game. Shields will likely always have a S over the top. I look for Wood to spend a lot of time in the short zones, trying to take a dumpoff to Forte the other way and /or keeping Bennett and Olsen under control. Forte has been their most targeted receiver thus far.

Our DL is going to give them fits. A big reason for Matthews fast start has been Raji. Teams have to roll protection to him, and even then he is collapsing the pocket fast. Pressure up the middle is much worse than pressure off the edge. There might not be a bigger mismatch on the field on either side of the ball than Raji-Kreutz (Kreutz is tiny, like 290). Raji is much bigger, and Kreutz has no leverage advantage over him. They will have to help him with the RG, who is a little raw. At the other G spot, Garza is an old savvy vet. He has decent size, but is slowing down. And explosive interior rusher like Jenkins is exactly the type of player he will struggle with the most. I don't see a guy on their interior that Bam Bam wouldn't drive back with authority. They don't have any 330 lb mosters at G, the guys that will give Bam Bam trouble. The right side of their OL doesn't have the experience and power to move Pickett off the ball, especially since Kreutz will need help with Raji on run downs.

Chicago has a lot of speed on D in the front 7. Finley will set the defense. How they play him will determine how we will attack. If they are putting a LB on him in man, I expect our primary attack to be with a FB and HB in the backfield (smacking their small-fast defense around with Johnson is exactly what the doctor ordered), splitting Finley wide will give a good box count, we should be able to run effectively (no matter who the HB is). If they are playing Finley with zone coverage, Finley will get a lot of action, especially in the deep middle. If they man up with a CB, look for Jones/Nelson to get some looks, and if they man up with a S look for us to challenge them deep on the perimeter or with sluggo routes. Driver has always been very effective against Tampa-2 defenses in the intermediate area.

Kuhn and/or Nance could have a nice day running the ball. Their style works well against the Bears style of defense. The Bears have been tough to run against, but we tend to run with a FB a lot more than the teams they have faced (Det/Dal), FB-HB running is a lot more effective against a speed defense than TE-HB running. I don't think though that the run will be there unless they grow overly concerned with Finley, if they do look for us to try to pound it and run PA off ot it. If they are playing us with Tampa-2 coverage (they've done it A LOT thus far this season), I look to see a game of AR in shotgun playing it like a shootout.

[Smidgeon]

Thank you for these insights. I always get bored with the newspapers' published pieces regarding for what to look forward.

[RashanGary]

Nice insights. I agree.

[vince]

For those who like the descriptive and verbose old-time journalistic style, here's an erudite preview of the game from a Bear fan.

So you've been forewarned, here's just the opening.

As the war drums of Halas pound and as the faithful line up for joyous reward, a dark, smoldering cloud of glowering fury descends from the NORTH. Caution, Bears faithful. Here be the dragon that is Green Bay.

http://gapersblock.com/tailgate/2010/09/footballic-ramblings-here-be-dragons.php

I thought this was pretty good...

Jennings has not fallen off that pace and with the emergence of half-pachyderm/half-man, Jermichael Finley at the tight end spot, Jennings is evermore a constant threat to get loose on a deep catch. Finley in the open field is akin to attempting to tackle a 'roided up giraffe, bison hybrid. He's just monstrously proportioned, impossibly fast and so sure-handed. Good luck, Bears secondary in containing the aerial attack.

[Fritz]

Now there's some good old fashioned sports writing!

[The Shadow]

I really think 2 keys will be Jennings & Raji.
I'd be shocked if the Bears didn't learn from the Philly game & be all over Finley at the start. With that attention on Finley, Jennings should be a focus for Aaron.
If Raji can consistenly generate pressure in Cutler's face, he should flush him right into the waiting arms of Mathews or Jenkins.

I really hope McCarthy does not come out too conservatively; a strong start is essential.