Dec. 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Fans sit in the snow covered seats before a game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills are up next in our Reader’s Mock Draft with the 8th selection.  I had prepared a whole spiel about the Bill need to get a quarterback, but then they go and sign Kevin Kolb, so I don’t know what they’re going to do in the draft.  (more…)

A special thanks to Matt for sending me this pic.

In the rat race that is the Chicago Bears season, there is one guy that Bears fans hate to see on field.  Brad Maynard.  Of course, it means the Bears are punting and I, for one, have seen enough of him.  The worst part is that quality of most of his punts has been awful.  I know that distance doesn’t tell the whole story but he is averaging a career low 38.7 yards per punt, netting only 34.7 yards, both lingering near the bottom of  the NFL.  Also, keep in mind that 36 of his 47 punts have come from the Bears side of the 50.  His below average numbers can only lead me to believe that at age 35, Brad is, well, getting old.  And he’s going to need more than Dr. Scholls to fix the problem.

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Izzy Idonije's blocked PAT may have proven to be the difference in the game. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune)

It’s one of the most routine plays in football.  We take it for granted all the time.  In fact,when Fred Jackson scored, I already assumed a tie game.  Oops, spoke too soon.

To a very casual observer (like my wife who knows virtually nothing about football), they might think that touchdowns are worth 7 points.   As a matter of fact, touchdowns are only worth 6 and it’s the Point After Touchdown (PAT) that makes virtually all touchdown effectively worth 7 points.  On Sunday, Ryan Lindell had a long streak of consecutive PAT’s snapped thanks to an Israel (Izzy) Idonije block in what proved to be a critical play in the game.  Why do I think this was such a key play?  Why is a blocked extra point the difference in a 3-point game?  Follow me after the jump to find out.

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And in case he does, he’d better keep his head on a swivel.  Garrett Wolfe could flatten him like MJD did a couple of years ago:

Marc Bulger's relationship with Mike Martz makes him a great fit for the Bears (Photo: AP/Finley)

With as many hits as Jay Cutler took last season, it was a miracle that he finished the season in one piece and we never saw Caleb Hanie take any meaningful snaps.   Now that the Rams have released longtime quarterback Marc Bulger, it would make all of the sense in the world to bring him in to be Cutler’s backup.

Bulger spent time with Mike Martz and knows his system cold, making him a valuable asset for the Bears as they adopt Mad Mike’s voluminous playbook.  (Yes, voluminous is a word.  Look it up!)

One thing I haven’t heard much about is the other side of the coin.  To us, it makes perfect sense, but what about Bulger?  What makes sense for him?   Maybe wearing a baseball cap and holding a clipboard until the unthinkable happens to Jay Cutler is not how he plans to spend the “golden years” of his NFL career.

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If you get a warm tingly feeling thinking about a former Super Bowl Champion coach patrolling the sidelines along Chicago’s lakefront, take note:  the Chicago Bears coaching job would “excite” former Steelers coach Bill Cowher.  Sure, the source from the NFL Network lumped the Houston Texans in with the Bears, but who would choose the expansion Texans over the Beloved Bears?  Seriously?

You want fire?  You want passion?  You want “the jaw?”  You want the anti-Lovie?  Then you want Cowher.  Only one problem: Ralph Wilson and the Buffalo Bills are sniffing around Coach Cowher.  The former Steelers coach is basically throwing himself at the Bears, begging for them to come a-callin’.  There’s a problem though. (more…)

Bears fans will remember the stone-faced Jauron from his days in Chicago.  Nice guy.  Solid guy.  Just not the guy to take your team to the Super Bowl.  Or the playoffs.  Here’s what Jay Glazer had to say about the firing:

Defensive coordinator Perry Fewell has been named interim head coach.

Now if only the Bears would wise up and provide Dick with some company in the head coaching unemployment line.