It’s all a dream come true.

Now imagine running for all those touchdowns as Matt Forte against Matt Forte.  Thanks to former Bear Hunter Hillenmeyer and his new endeavor OverDog, that dream scenario will soon become a reality. (more…)

I’ve heard many people who were critical of Hunter’s performance on the field and specifically pointed to his filling in for an injured Brian Urlacher in the 2009 season.  He didn’t play to Urlacher’s level.  Geez, big surprise; not many people could.

On his way out, he sent a letter to the Chicago Tribune.  I’ll let you judge how he took the news of getting cut: (more…)

As I took a look back at the 2010 Chicago Bears season to date, I found myself wondering, how did this rag tag group of players win seven games?  Then, as I read about the Eagles CB Ellis Hobbs being out for the season and CB Asante Samuel possibly out this week, it hit me.  The Bears have been unbelievably healthy all season and the familiarity they have had with each other has bred success.  That worries me the most.

The only significant injuries that the Bears have sustained were LB Hunter Hillenmeyer’s concussion, which landed him on the IR during the preseason, and a finger injury to untested, but talented rookie S Major Wright, who has missed five games.  Other than that, a guy or two have missed a game here or there, every once in awhile.  To put it simply, the football gods have been nice to the Bears this year.  To me, it just sounds a little too good to be true, don’t ya think?

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Hunter Hillenmeyer shows off his new mohawk. (Photo courtesy of NBC5)

Hunter Hillenmeyer’s season came to an abrupt end on Tuesday, as the Bears put him on IR due to lingering effects of concussion.  I knew something was up when he was reported to have an “illness” after Sunday’s 19-14 win over the Lions.  Here’s what Jerry Angelo told the Bears official website:

“Player health and safety has and always will be a priority with our organization,” said general manager Jerry Angelo.  “Unlike other injuries, there is no defined timetable for a concussion. After consulting with our doctors and Hunter, this was the best way to proceed. We will miss his contributions this year, but it is the right decision given Hunter’s circumstances.”

Hillenmeyer was none to pleased with the situation:

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We'll get to see if Pisa is more reliable this season after an injury-plagued 2009. (Photo courtesy of chicagobears.com)

So much for one bloggers’ hope that the Bears and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa had parted company.  Why?  Because I am sick to death of trying to remember how to spell Tinoisamoa.

Tthe Bears bring back Tinoisamao after an injury plagued 2009 season where he hurt his knee in the season opener against the Packers and aggravated the injury in Week 6, when he went on IR.

Pisa adds some depth to the linebacking corp.  He will compete with Hunter Hillenmeyer, Nick Roach and Jamar Williams for playing time on the strong side.

Here’s what PT had to say about coming back tot he Bears in 2010:

“Hopefully I’m not the same player; hopefully I’m better,” Tinoisamoa said. “That’s my goal. I’m at a point in my career where I’m smarter, and physically I feel like I’m in some of the best shape I’ve been in a long time. So hopefully I can be better than I was before.”

His 1-year deal provides some insurance since neither Roach nor Williams have signed their tender offers.  Now if only the Bears could get this kind of depth in the secondary, they’d be in great shape.

Lovie let's his guard down to show his excitement.

Try as they might, the Bears couldn’t squander a 16-point halftime lead to keep the Vikings in the mix for the #1 seed in the NFC.  Instead, they somehow they managed to hang on to pull off the 36-30 upset win and help the Saints back into home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Brett Favre led a second half Vikings comeback where he picked apart Lovie Smith’s Cover-2 defense to tie the game up on a last gasp 4th and goal play with under a minute to go in the game.  Had Izzy Idonije not blocked a Ryan Longwell PAT earlier in the game, the Vikings may have very well prevailed.

Lovie Smith apologists will try to use this win as a reason to keep Smith and his staff, but don’t be fooled.  There are still plenty of reasons to pass out the pink slips at the end of the season.  Be sure to check out FIRE LOVIE SMITH for lots of coverage as the walls cave in around Lovie.   Let’s look at the memorable moments of the game:  (more…)

The offense looked good coming out of the blocks early, with Jay Cutler stretching the field with some deeper throws.   Then, the Bears jump-started that broken down bus that they got off of running and actually moved the ball on the ground.  A little bit.  They toted the rock 38 times for 120 yards – barely over 3 yards per attempt.

On the other side of the ball, the Rams offense was in way over their heads, even against the banged up Bears defense.  It seemed like the Bears did a decent job holding Steven Jackson in check, but when you look at the final stats, he totaled 112 yards on 28 carries.  Jackson is a complete BEAST and is truly the only thing going for the Ram offense.  Kyle Boller is really bad and consistently missed easy throws.  Let me thumb through my notes and see what else jumped out at me.  (more…)

Lots of news from Halas Hall as OTA’s are in full swing.  Brad Biggs was Twittering has ass off, sending frequent updates throughout the day on Wednesday, as the media was allowed to observe workouts for the first time in a couple of weeks.

Matt Forte limped off the field toward the end of practice, but Offensive Coordinator Ron Turner doesn’t seem concerned.   According to Twitter, Chitownforte22 tweeted “I’m good!!” Let’s hope so.

Newly acquired linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa ran with the 2′s behind Nick Roach, while Hunter Hillenmeyer sat out, recovering from sports hernia surgery.  A sports hernia just sounds painful.

Frank Omiyale was holding down the starting left guard spot while last year’s starter Josh Beekman ran as the second team center.

Trumaine McBride was cleared to practice while Peanut Tillman sat out, still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.  Apparently, Tillman spent his time on the sidelines mocking the offensive plays.

Tommie Harris participated in practice.  It’s good to see him getting some work.  Harris is as important as any other defender for the Bears’ D to regain Super Bowl form.

It looks like Jarron Gilbert’s deal is close to getting done.  His agent, Frank Bauer (no relation to Jack, but I heard he uses some interesting negotiating tactics) was on hand for OTA’s on Wednesday.    Now about the Iglesias guy.  Let’s get it done!

I hate to even write these words, but it appears Mike Brown took another step closer toward becoming former Bear Mike Brown as the safety visited the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jay Cutler continues to impress, making some nice throws throughout  offseason workouts and drawing the praise of his biggest fan, Jerry Angelo.  On the Bears’ official website, Larry Mayer sat down with the GM.

LM: Jay Cutler hasn’t missed a single day of the offseason program since he was acquired by the Bears on April 2. How pleased are you with the attitude and leadership skills he has displayed?

JA: I’ve been very pleased with his day-to-day attitude, and obviously it’s reflected with his work ethic and how he’s approached things. He’s rolled up his sleeves and he’s gone to work. He’s certainly not resting on any laurels. He’s come in here to prove himself and establish himself. I think we’re all impressed with that-I’m talking about coaches and players-because that’s the right way to do it. He’s got to earn his stripes here, and by showing up and doing the things that he’s doing every day, he’s doing it the right way.

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