Corey Graham vs Craig Steltz at Free Safety

Corey Graham began working out at Free Safety during OTA’s.  That signals a couple of things.  #1 – it shows that Nathan Vasher may be coming back healthwise and also gaining the confidence of the coaching staff once again.  #2 – it may speak to some of the depth at the CB position between 2nd year man Zackary Bowman coming back after showing some flashes during an injury-shortened 2008 and the newly drafted D.J. Moore exuding confidence right out of the gate.  I like the playmaker Graham to get the nod.

Caleb Hanie vs Brett Basanez for backup QB (more…)

Smith will handle play-calling duties this coming season with Bob Babich remaining the defensive coordinator while returning to his roots as the team’s linebackers coach. The staff was filled out Tuesday morning with the addition of Jon Hoke as secondary coach.

“I have been involved a little bit,” Smith said this afternoon on a teleconference. “My involvement will be a lot more now. For some reason offensive coaches, there are quite a few offensive coaches that [call plays]. There are not a lot of defensive guys. I think this is what will help us get back to where we need to be.”

There’s a lot that one could read into from this seemingly innocuous announcement:

1. Lovie has placed the bulls-eye squarely on his back.  If the defense is bad, there is no one else to blame but himself.  This is the coaching equivalent of going “All In” in Texas Hold ‘Em.

2. Babich is and has been in over his head.  Lovie saying “I think this is what will help us get back to where we need to be” is an indictment of BFF Bubba Babich and his lack of ability to handle in-game adjustments and run the defense when it counts.

3.  Lovie may have been put on notice by Angelo that it is put up or shut up time.  He figures if he’s going down, at least he’ll be at the wheel.

Whatever else you want to read from this, know this.  At the conclusion of the 2009 season, there will be only Lovie Smith to blame.   Hopefully Lovie’s not bluffing.

Defense

Bob Babich led the 21^stranked Bears defense that has been in decline ever since he took it over after the 2006 Super Bowl season.  What bothers me most about the Bears’ D is that we make the same mistakes over and over again.  How many times can Danieal Manning not know the coverage?  I could forgive the Reggie Wayne touchdown in the Super Bowl.  Manning was a rookie back then.  As a third-year player, how could he pull the same boneheaded maneuver against the Texans best receiver in a must-win, season-on-the-line, win or go home game?  Let’s not forget the record-tying 99 yard bomb to Bernard Berrian.  Another blown coverage.  I blame the coaching staff for not correcting these errors.  Babich needs to be held accountable. (more…)

While I’m doling out praise, let me tip my cap to Matt Forte, who surpassed Gale Sayers on Sunday for most total yards from scrimmage for a rookie running back with 106 total yards on Sunday to pass the Kansas Comet’s 1374 yards set back in 1965.  That’s some pretty rare air for the Bears rookie.  Nice going Matt! 

Another bright spot on Sunday was the play of the tight ends, as Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark combined for 60 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns.  It’s amazing how much better the offense seems to work when the TE’s are involved in the game.  Note to Ron Turner – DO MORE OF THIS!!!

Devin Hester led all receivers with 80 yards on 5 catches, but for me, the most exciting Hester moment was a punt return late in the second quarter.  Devin fielded the punt in Jags territory and showed a burst that I haven’t seen much this year.  It was as if he could smell the end zone.  While he did step out of bounds at the 23 yard line while trying to plant and sharply cut back to the inside, maybe it’s a sign that he’s getting his confidence back.  It could also be a sign that the Jags are just that bad.  All I know is that if the Bears are serious about making a playoff push, they will need the Ridiculous One to return to form.

On the defensive side of the ball, it was nice to see the D-line get some pressure on Garrard.  Coach Babich must’ve read my Pre-game thoughts.  Glad I could help, Bob.  It was nice for Mark Anderson finally to show up this season.  Besides his second half sack of Garrard, he really showed some impressive closing speed on a Garrard bootleg early in the game.  Anthony Adams and Israel Idonije also showed well for the defensive line, while Peanut Tillman and Mike Brown led the secondary with 8 tackles apiece.  I can’t overlook the Danieal Manning interception and fine return work that set the tone for the game. 

No time to celebrate with a quick turnaround this week with a Thursday night nationally televised game for the few dozen people that have the NFL Network.  More news and notes to come on Monday as we look ahead to the next opponent – the Drew Brees led New Orleans Saints.

I’ve gone over it in my head over and over again and I just can’t see a game plan that would allow the Bears to take advantage of any weaknesses on the Eagles.  The only possibility would be if Eagles back Brian Westbrook has to sit out and Devin Hester is cleared to play.  Even then the Bears would need some breaks, a little luck, and a great game plan to get a win tonight. 

The Eagles are one of the best teams in the league right now on both sides of the ball.  There is no doubt the offense will struggle against a great Eagles defense and a majority of points may come from field goals.  Anything is possible from rookie back Matt Forte to break some plays and create points but I don’t expect anything great from Kyle Orton. 

The Bears have a great defense but they have fallen apart two weeks in a row and they need to look inward to find their identity.  The normally smother the run and force the quarterback to make throws that can turn into interceptions and fumbles.  In every game they have been successful in making the quarterback throw the ball to beat them, but in two of those games, the quarterback did beat them.  Changes may be made in the defensive starters to generate a spark.  However, it appears that the problem has more to do with coaching than the caliber of players.  The Bears have one of the most talented, highly paid defenses in football and there is no excuse for them not performing.  Defensive coordinator Bob Babich needs to figure out why his defensive scheme allows opposing offenses to figure them out in the fourth quarter. 

Perhaps its as simple as making more half-time adjustments so the opposing team cannot make adjustments with their offensive game plan that over powers the Bears.  I still think the Bears have an extremely talented team, but they are lacking leadership at the end of games.  Maybe the Eagles are exactly what the Bears players need to test themselves and prove to themselves that they can hang with the big dogs.  If they can hang in with the Eagles, they can hang with anyone.  However, most of that hinges on their performance in the fourth quarter.

If the Bears drop to 1-3 when they had a golden opportunity to start the season 3-0 coming into this game, fans may already start to sour on this season.

More importantly, the Bears are trying to figure out what chemistry is leading to losing games late.  Last week the Bears opted to start cornerback Corey Graham instead of veteran Nathan Vasher for what they called personnel matchups.  I’m a bit perplexed since Vasher is probably the most talented corner the Bears have had in a while and has shown a great ability to get interceptions.  Perhaps it served as a wake up call to Vasher that he needs to step up his game if this defense is going to continue to do well.  The passing defense has looked horrible and opposing quarterbacks are doing whatever they want, leading to easy touchdowns late in the game.

The scapegoat appears to be linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer, who is the player responsible for giving up key touchdowns late in both losses.  Hunter is an extremely smart, capable linebacker, but it is obvious teams have found a way to exploit his weaknesses.  Coaches have a tough decision if they will continue with Hillenmeyer or give capable backups Nick Roach and Jamar Williams more playing time. 

The Bears seemed perfectly healthy a week ago but now that the losses are piling up, so are the injuries.  There is no reason the Bears shouldn’t be 3-0 right now except for the complete breakdown of the defense late in the game.  The starting point for me is lack of pressure on the quarterback.  The Bears have always prided themselves on good defense and a strong rotation of players to apply constant pressure on the quarterback.  There is something wrong with the Bears front four, they should be more productive and producing more sacks. 

There are rumors that Tommie Harris is having knee problems again and he is attempting to play through the pain yet again.  Whether its true or not, that doesn’t excuse the rest of the men on the line for getting taken out of the game.  Brian Griese may be accurate but he sure is not nimble and the Bears should have been able to get at him with the blitz.  Instead he tore the Bears defense up for the winning drive. 

The penalties late in the game that cost the Bears were probably pure frustration for the sudden inability to hold the lead late.  That isn’t the identity the Bears defense has carved for itself and they have not changed any of the players from previous years.  Fans are starting to turn to coaches for answers and more specifically, defensive coach Bob Babich.  His defenses and blitzes are working good throughout the game, but opposing teams are making easy reads and finding ways to beat them late.  More needs to be done to change up the defensive attack late in games to keep offenses confused and maintain the win.  If not, the murmurs are already starting in Chicago for a change in coaching staff if this trend continues.