Chicago Bears Week 3 Milk Carton

When a player or coach doesn’t really show up during a Bear’s game, they get put on the Milk Carton. As most of you know, people’s pictures used to be put at the back of milk cartons when they went missing. So the Milk Carton for the Bears is more about who went missing or played terribly during the game.

For the first time all season, Julius Peppers does not find himself on the Milk Carton. He came to play last night. The defensive line as a whole, in my opinion, looked a little better. They were occasionally able to get pressure on the best sack-avoiding quarterback in the game. Peppers almost hit Roethlisberger’s hand on the first touchdown pass. There was definitely at least a small amount of improvement, and I think things can continue to get better. Of course we will all miss Henry Melton, but the Bears will have to move on without him. I like what I see out of Nate Collins, and hopefully he will contribute greatly to an already below adequate pass rush.

Sep 22, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) catches a touchdown pass in front of Chicago Bears cornerback Charles Tillman (33) during the second half at Heinz Field. The Bears won the game, 40-23. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

As for the carton. There are three specific candidates I have in mind, and only two of them are people. The first person is Charles Tillman. I don’t feel as though Tim Jennings deserves to be on the carton, given that he came extremely close to tipping that first touchdown. The coverage on that play was not bad. But as for Peanut, he looked a little off in this game specifically. He had a bad knee, and now he has a bad groin. I think he will come through, and I’m not worried yet, but I’m definitely a little concerned.

Anthony Walters was the Gob Bluth of the game; he made a HUGE mistake. That is why he is the second nominee for the Milk carton. His roughing penalty was massive. It almost cost the Bears the game, and it may have ended up costing Henry Melton his season. His error changed the momentum and almost the entire course of the game. My biggest problem with that play, however, was not the penalty. I, personally, was questioning the play call. When your team is up 24-3 in the first half, and you have arguably the greatest return man of all time back to receive the punt, why on earth do you send almost everyone after the punter and risk a foul?! Blocked punts are somewhat of a rarity. I think Hester is more likely to take a punt to the house than for the Bears to score on a blocked punt. That being said, there is not excuse for the terrible penalty coming from a guy who hasn’t earned his stripes.