Matt Forte and the Bears ran away from the Lions, hanging on to win 24-20. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune)

It was another one of those games that looked on paper like the Bears could not lose.  This is why they play the games.  The Detroit Lions gave a tremendous effort and actually led 17-14 at halftime.  Only after the Bears defense buckled down in the second half were the Bears able to take the lead and eventually outlast the Lions for a 24-20 win.  (more…)

Peppers got hit for roughing Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford, but not on the play that knocked the Lions’ QB out for the foreseeable future.  Here’s what Pep had to say about the fine:

“I’m not going to appeal that,” Peppers said. “My hand got high. I’d do the same thing again. I’m coming around his body to swipe the ball, and my hand hit his head.”

Meanwhile Urlacher got tagged for $5k for pushing Lions’ guard Stephan Peterman after the whistle on a Tommie Harris fumble recovery.  Urlacher plans to appeal his fine:

“I don’t want to pay it. It shouldn’t be a fine, in my mind,” Urlacher said. “First of all, I didn’t hear the whistle. If they would have blown the whistle, I would have stopped. (Peterman) said he didn’t even hear the whistle.”

A third Bear got hit in the wallet on Friday too, but this wasn’t by the league.  Brandon Manumaleuna was fined $22,000 for missing a mandatory meeting the Saturday before the Lions game.

Last year, the Bears sent two first-round picks (and more) to the Broncos for quarterback Jay Cutler. To date, the move has been a failure — and it has left coach Lovie Smith and GM Jerry Angelo on wafer-thin ice.

The situation has created sufficient desperation to prompt the Bears to overpay for a trio for day one free agents – Julius Peppers, Chester Taylor and Brandon Manumaleuna — which in the short term has removed the sense of gloom and doom that had taken over Halas Hall.

So with the Broncos looking to unload receiver Brandon Marshall, why don’t the Bears try to get him? Sure, the Broncos want a first-round draft pick and the Bears already sent theirs to Denver in the Cutler deal. The Bears should instead dangle their 2011 first-rounder, and possibly throw in a conditional selection based on Marshall’s performance in the coming season.

If the Marshall plan fails, Angelo and Smith likely won’t be there to not use the first-round pick in 2011 anyway. If it works, Angelo and Smith would gladly give up the pick for the ensuing job security.

Though the Broncos may not want to enable a Cutler-Marshall reunion, they may not have many/any other options for unloading a guy they clearly don’t want.

(more…)

Marconi Hot Giardiniera - not the hottest peppers in Chicago any more.

The Bears got them some hot Peppers on Friday.  No, not Marconi’s hot peppers, but maybe there’s a new spokesman for Chicago’s best giardiniera in the newest Bear, Julius Peppers.

Then again, Peppers doesn’t need the money after inking a 6-year, $92.5 million dollar deal with $42 million guaranteed.  Not a bad little Friday for the prize of the 2010 Free Agent Class.  Here’s what ESPN’s John Clayton said about Peppers’ motivation to come to the Bears:  (more…)

Here’s what Manu had to say about joining the Bears:

“I played for Mike Martz (in St. Louis) and Lovie Smith was the defensive coordinator. It was a great situation,” Manumaleuna said Friday morning at O’Hare Airport after arriving on a flight from Los Angeles. “This team has a chance to be real successful. It was difficult (to leave San Diego). I had a lot of friends and it was close to home, but the business is what it is.”

While it’s been widely speculated that signing the big blocking tight end might mean Greg Olsen is on his way out, Biggs speculates that the signing could mean the end for veteran Dez Clark.  I hope that doesn’t happen, since Dez is a class guy and a true professional – we here at BGO know firsthand.

A better move would be to move Olsen while his perceived value is higher.  The Bears won’t get much for him if his role and production drop off in Martz’s system, as is widely believed to be true.

In any case, the Bears are in the free agency mix and it figures to be a busy day at Halas Hall.

You’ll hear big names like Julius Peppers and Antrel Rolle bandied about, but those would be practical choices to address glaring needs for a struggling Bears defense.  If I asked you what position is pretty well set from last season, you might answer tight end.

Even though Greg Olsen failed to live up the lofty pre-season expectations, he led the team with receptions (60) and touchdowns (8), the tight end position is hardly a glaring need on a team with many.

Yet, here we go reading that the Bears are targeting Brandon Manumaleuna, the former Chargers tight end who was drafted by Mike Martz’s Rams back to 2001.  Manumaleuna is a “hand on the ground” blocking tight end.  Sounds like it’s right up Mad Scientist Martz’s alley.

So if the Bears bring in the 295 pound tight end, what does that mean for Olsen?  Ever since Martz was brought in, #82′s role on the team has been in question.  This directly from Martz on a radio appearance shortly after he was brought on board: (more…)