Chicago Bears Week 11 Milk Carton
After a humiliating loss, the list of candidates to appear on the Chicago Bears Week 11 Milk Carton is long and distinguished. If you’re new to the site, the Milk Carton is reserved for the Chicago Bear that went Missing or disappeared in the last game. Like I said, there are plenty of choices when you lose 32-7. Let’s see the nominees:
November 19, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jason Campbell (2) is slow to get up after taking a hit against the San Francisco 49ers in the third quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Bears 32-7. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE
The Offensive Line
It’s easier to lump the whole group together than to single out a bunch of individual performers. When the offense performs as poorly as the Bears did, there is plenty of blame to go around. Gabe Carimi and J’Marcus Webb head up the list of poor performers, but Chilo Rachal, Lance Louis and Roberto Garza didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory.
November 19, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jason Campbell (2, left top) is sacked by San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith (99, left bottom) and defensive end Justin Smith (94, right) during the first quarter at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE
Jason Cambell
The Bears signed Campbell to serve as an insurance policy in case Jay Cutler got injured. They seemingly learned their lesson after the Caleb Hanie Experience in 2011, where they went from 7-3 and riding a 5-game wining streak to 8-8 and missing the playoffs. Campbell was deemed as a starter-caliber quarterback and the thought was getting him to hold a clipboard for most of the season at $3.5 million was a boon. He looked like more of a bust after Monday’s performance.
It’s hard to judge when he spent most of his night looking up at the stars, but there were still opportunities for Campbell. He was supposed to be careful with the ball and limit mistakes. His two interceptions didn’t help that cause and it certainly looks like he’ll be a one-and-done with the Bears after his 1-year deal ends this season.
Sep 09, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears free safety Chris Conte (47) and strong safety Major Wright (21) tackle Indianapolis Colts tight end Coby Fleener (80) during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field. Chicago defeats Indianapolis 41-21. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-US PRESSWIRE
The Safeties
I was debating which safety to single out this week, but decided I couldn’t pick just one. Both Chris Conte and Major Wright played poorly and collectively it was their worst game of the season. They let Colin Kaepernick carve them up like a Thanksgiving turkey. Conte opened the game with a foolish personal foul penalty and is gaining a reputation around the league for some cheap shots. Major Wright missed tackles, took poor angles and got beat in coverage. Sort of the trifecta of poor safety play.
Oct 22, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice before the game against the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE
Mike Tice
Besides the piss poor offensive line play, for which he is directly responsible, the offense was in total shambles. The Niners employed the same two-man or bracket coverage on Brandon Marshall that the Packers used and all but took him out of the game. His first target wasn’t until less than two minutes left in the half, when the outcome had all but been decided.
If Tice can’t find a scheme to defeat this two-man, it’s going to be a long rest of the season for the Bears. They’re going to be seeing a lot of that coverage over the coming weeks.
Nov 19, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith reacts during the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE
Lovie Smith
In a total team failure, who better to blame than the guy responsible for the whole team? Lovie’s guys seemed to be ill-prepared for the game. Was it overconfidence or was Lovie just plain outcoached. Jim Harbaugh employed some new running plays with some wham blocks that destroyed Lovie’s gap-control based Cover-2. He opened up the playbook against the Bears with Kaepernick when most would have expected him to go run-heavy with Frank Gore. Lovie got pantsed on national TV two weeks in a row. At some point, he needs to share some of the blame.
So, what do you think? Who should we put on the Week 11 Milk Carton? Post your comments after you vote in our poll.