Oct 18, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) throws a pass against the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Alex Smith has been the good soldier as he’s been left behind while Colin Kaepernick has taken center stage as the San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback, leading them all the way to the Super Bowl.  Smith went out with a concussion and has been relegated to the bench.  Move over Wally Pipp.

Smith hasn’t made himself into a distraction as his Niners prepare to take on the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII, but he’s made it clear that he will seek his release after the season.   Alex Smith is owed $8.5 million in 2013 so that pricey contract could make him a little harder to trade.  If they can’t trade him, the Niners will most likely will give Smith his release.  If Smith makes it onto the open market as a free agent, would he make sense for the Chicago Bears?

Before you think I’m running Jay Cutler out of town, read on.   (more…)

The Chicago Bears were thoroughly beaten down by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, losing 32-7.  The 49ers shut down what little offense the Bears thought they had, led by LB Aldon Smith who registered five and a half sacks on QB Jason Campbell.

For once, the Bears defense looked completely inept facing 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, a second-year guy making his first start of the season.  They forced zero turnovers and chauffeured the 49ers into 20 first half points, the most they have given up this season.  The worst performance of all was by the offensive linemen, who were collapsing the pocket on Campbell even before the 49ers rushed in.

Let’s hand out some failing grades as the Bears fall out of first place in the NFC North.

Quarterback – F
Campbell was under pressure all night long, but couldn’t make anything happen even when he had time to throw (14-for-22, 107 yards).  Two interceptions and a fumble in the end zone pretty much summed up his performance, despite one nice touchdown pass to Brandon Marshall.  Bears fans expected much more from their $3.5 million backup.

Wide Receivers – F
Once again Devin Hester and Earl Bennett failed to perform, combining to catch four passes for 29 yards.  Fresh off of a hand injury, Alshon Jeffery looked ready to breathe some life into the offense before going down with another injury (knee).  He could miss a majority of the remainder of the season.  Brandon Marshall caught the only touchdown pass, but was otherwise shut down by the 49ers (two catches for 21 yards).  Someone needs to step up when Marshall is being double and triple-teamed.

Running Backs – C-
Matt Forte received a bulk of the carries (21 rushes for 63 yards), but couldn’t break any big runs.  The most disappointing part was that he only caught three passes for four total yards.  He could have been utilized much more, since Campbell looked afraid to throw anything downfield.  Michael Bush only touched the ball six times for 27 yards, but at least he didn’t fumble this week.

Tight Ends/Fullback – D-
Kellen Davis made two catches for 20 yards, but once again looked weak in the blocking game.  Even so, offensive coordinator Mike Tice should have left him in to block more, since 49ers linemen Aldon Smith easily beat single blocks all night.  Fullback Evan Rodriguez dropped once pass on a nice hit by the 49ers linebacker, but looks like a capable blocker for his size.  Matt Spaeth didn’t do much all night, positive or negative.  Something needs to change at the tight end position quickly.

Offensive Line – F-
Giving up five and a half sacks to one guy explains it all.  Gabe Carimi fell on his butt all night and J’Marcus Webb was a revolving door once again.  How does Roberto Garza play next to these guys without teaching them a thing or two?

Defensive Line – D+
This was probably the worst game of the season for this group, which makes it an average, at best, night for most.  They recorded only one sack, while allowing big run after big run early in the game.  They stiffened up towards the end, but the damage was already done.  With little pressure on him all night, Kaepernick tore up the Bears defense with short and medium passes leading to many first downs.

Linebackers – D
Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs missed too many tackles and were blown up by 49er fullbacks and linemen all night.  These two are better than this, letting a few trick plays fool them.  Briggs and Nick Roach combined on a nice sack in the second quarter.

Secondary – F
You know they had to have a stinker eventually.  This one was it.  Charles Tillman, Tim Jennings, Chris Conte and Major Wright combine for zero takeaways, one pass deflection and 25 tackles.  That means too many receivers were making catches downfield and 49ers RB Frank Gore was gaining lots of yards.  We will have to hope this game was an anomaly against a type of quarterback they haven’t seen before.  Nonetheless, they are much better than how they played.

Special Teams – D
It may be time to consider the fact that Devin Hester is the best returner of all time, but that means nothing if the 10 other guys on the field can’t block for him.  Sure, returning a punt negative nine yards is bad, but the blocking was worse.

Adam Podlesh may have saved his job, averaging 46.8 yards per punt (43.0 net yards per punt).  It’s not great, by any means, but he was averaging less than 38 net yards per punt coming into the game.  Take your victories when you can get them, no matter how small.

Coaching – F
Tice needs help.  A lot of help.  The man just doesn’t know how to make adjustments and get creative.  The biggest problems I saw were that he wasn’t leaving tight ends in to block very often, and the Bears offense grossly lacked short screens and slants.  If Lovie Smith was a little less passive, I would have hoped that he could do something to figure out this offense.  However, we all know how he is … and I don’t want to hear people saying that he can’t help because he is “defensive-minded.”  If that’s the case demote him to defensive coordinator already. The 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh is better than every coach on the Bears sideline.

Overall – F

November 19, 2012; San Francisco, CA, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jason Campbell (2, left top) is sacked by San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith (99, left bottom) and defensive end Justin Smith (94, right) during the first quarter at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

They say a picture is worth 1000 words.  The photo above says it all.  The Bears were obliterated by the 49ers to fall 32-7 in a game in which the score was not indicative of the beating they took.  There are not many bright spots to discuss, so I won’t bother to list any except to say thank God Jay Cutler didn’t play.  He may have gotten a concussion just watching that game.  (more…)

The Chicago Bears face an uphill battle on Monday night as they face the 6-2-1 San Francisco 49ers in prime time.  They’ll do it without starting quarterback Jay Cutler, who’s recovering from a concussion suffered last week in the first half of the Bears’ loss to the Houston Texans.

Can  the Bears pull off a win under the lights to fend off the hard-charging Green Bay Packers and maintain control of the NFC North?  Well of course they can.  What are my keys to a Chicago Bears victory?  Let’s see.

(more…)

Nov 4, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) warms up before a game against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-US PRESSWIRE

This week on Monday Night Football, the Chicago Bears (7-2) and San Francisco 49ers (6-2-1) will battle for NFC supremacy at Candlestick Park for the 62^nd meeting in the team’s histories.  The 49ers hold the series edge with a record of 31-29-1.  The Bears have won three of the last four games, but have lost the last seven in San Francisco.

The Bears have already ruled out QB Jay Cutler with a concussion, so we are going to see how well backup QB Jason Campbell can perform after a full week of preparation.  He has played six games on Monday night (3-3) and started 70 career games (31-39) since 2006.  Bears fans will be keeping a close eye on him after last year’s backup debacle with Caleb Hanie.  If Campbell struggles early, look out for chants for Josh McCown echoing through the Bay.

The 49ers QB Alex Smith also suffered a concussion last week but will most likely get the start.  He is finally living up to the potential of a first overall pick, leading the 49ers to a 19-5-1 record since the beginning of last season.  This year, he is completing 70 percent of his passes and has thrown 13 touchdowns to go along with only five interceptions.  The Bears defense may have trouble forcing turnovers by a stingy Smith, but he has been sacked 24 times with only 217 pass attempts.

Let’s take a look at some fun facts for the showdown in San Francisco.

0-5:  Combined career record of Jay Cutler, Jason Campbell and Josh McCown in games played in San Francisco.

1985: The last time the Bears won a game on the road against the 49ers.

0:  Touchdowns scored by the Bears the last time they played against the 49ers in San Francisco on November 12, 2009.

57.0:  49ers QB Alex Smith’s quarterback rating in two career games against the Bears.

54.3:  Bears QB Jason Campbell’s quarterback rating in two career games against the 49ers.

120:  Receiving yards by Matt Forte the last time the Bears played against the 49ers in San Francisco.

5:  Number of interceptions thrown by Cutler the last time the Bears player against the 49ers in San Francisco.

1:  Number of times that Campbell has thrown more than two interceptions in a game.

170.2:  Average rushing yards per game by the 49ers this season, first in the NFL.

9:  Number of turnovers by the 49ers this season, sixth in the NFL.

28.8:  Average yards per kick return by 49ers opponents this season, second worst in the NFL.

35.92:  Average yards per kick return by Devin Hester against NFC West opponents (13 returns), including two touchdowns.

4:  Number of times the Bears have turned the ball over in the second half this season.

32:  Longest kickoff return by a Bears opponent this season (Darius Reynaud in Week 9).

10:  Number of interceptions by Tim Jennings since the beginning of the 2011 season, the most in the NFL over that span.

27:  Number of interceptions by the Bears in the 15 games that Chris Conte and Major Wright have been the starting safeties.

14-3:  The Bears record when they lose the coin toss since 2010.  They are 12-12 when they win the coin toss.

4:  Number of Bears defensive linemen (Israel Idonije – 4, Henry Melton – 5, Julius Peppers -6, Corey Wootton – 4) who have at least four sacks this season, the most in the NFL.

10:  Consecutive field goals of 50+ yards made by Robbie Gould, one shy of the NFL record held by Tony Zendejas (1988-1993).

7:  Number of games this season where the Bears defense has forced their opponent to punt at least five times.

125.7:  Average net passing yards per game by the Bears in the seven games Cutler has missed since joining the team in 2009.

2:  Number of United States presidential elections since the last time a Bears quarterback, other than Cutler, threw more than two touchdowns in a game (Kyle Orton – 9/28/08).

This game is going to be all about Jason Campbell.  He will need to get every ounce out of a Bears offense that hasn’t shown much outside of throwing to Brandon Marshall.  The positive is that Alshon Jeffery should be returning after missing the last four games.  The negative is that the Bears always play terrible in San Francisco.  Let’s hope the defense puts some points on the board and makes life easy for the newest “Jay” at QB.

Nov 11, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jason Campbell (2) throws a pass during the second half against the Houston Texans at Soldier Field. The Texans won 13-6. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-US PRESSWIRE

The worst kept secret is now officially out of the bag.  Jay Cutler is out this weekend and Jason Campbell will be your starting quarterback Monday night by the Bay.  Two years ago Cutler only missed one game after suffering a concussion while being assaulted by the NY Giants. Hopefully Cutler with almost two weeks away from football will be healed and ready to play again November 25 at home against the Minnesota Vikings.

This will not only be a big night for Campbell but Phil Emery as well.  His plan has worked for the most part as the Bears are now 7-2, but he signed Campbell to be the anti-Hanie so with a full week of reps Campbell must produce in a stadium that has been plenty unlucky for the Bears throughout the years.  Hopefully Campbell will have more than check downs up his sleeve Monday Night to beat one of the best defenses the Bears will play all year.

Get well soon Jay… We need you!

Da Bears!

The Chicago Bears (7-2) were outplayed by the Houston Texans (8-1) on a rainy night in Chicago, losing 13-6.  When Jay Cutler went down at halftime, there was little hope that the Bears struggling offense could right itself against one of the best defenses in the league.  Cutler, who has a 135.0 QB rating in the fourth quarter this season, was replaced by Jason Campbell, who checked the Bears down to defeat.

The defense actually played very well, holding the Texans to 215 total yards, and were led by Tim Jennings, who intercepted his seventh and eighth passes of the season.  The offensive line even looked like a capable group of NFL players.  But turnovers, dropped passes and no Jay Cutler were too much for the Bears to overcome.

Let’s hand out some grades for a night Bears fans have experienced twice before since Cutler joined the Bears.

Quarterback – F
The Cutler roller coaster started off on a downhill slope once again, but this time he hit rock bottom courtesy of an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Tim Dobbins.  Two sloppy first half interceptions inside the Texans 30-yard line also deprived the Bears of scoring opportunities on a night where points were hard to come by. (However, one interception was apparently after the concussion happened.)  Hopefully, the concussion knocked his turnover-prone nature out of him, and he will be able to return soon.

Campbell finished the game going 11-for-19 for 94 yards, but was way too conservative late in the game.  We’ll have to chalk this one up to knocking the rust off.  This was his first game played where he attempted more than one pass since October of 2011.

In the end, both quarterbacks failed to reach the end zone or lead the offense on a drive over 46 yards against a tough defense, swirling winds and a rain-soaked field.  Offensive coordinator Mike Tice also didn’t do them any favors with his predictable play-calling.

Wide Receivers – C
Marshall once again makes the receiving core, as a whole, look better than it was.  He hauled in eight catches for 107 yards, but dropped a pass right in his hands in the end zone.  Earl Bennett seemed to be open often but only caught one pass for nine yards.  Devin Hester had two catches for four yards, but had a nice 42-yard reception called back because of a blown call by the officials.  Cutler’s entire body was not over the line.

Overall, this group needs to help Marshall out more, especially if Cutler misses any time.

Running Backs – D+
You can’t fault Matt Forte and Michael Bush for only getting 19 rushes on a night where the weather begged for a running game.  You can fault Bush for his fumble on fourth down.  The Bears were bouncing back nicely after turning the ball over on their first possession, but Bush coughed up the ball trying to gain one extra yard after he already had the first down.  What a shame.

Forte only averaged 2.4 yards per rush, but would have surely broke at least one big run (like Arian Foster, who had 29 carries, did), if it weren’t for Tice making zero adjustments.

Tight Ends/Fullback – F
For weeks, I have been expressing my deep seeded hatred for Kellen Davis.  Hopefully, everyone else sees it now.  He fumbled, missed blocks and missed passes that went right through his hands, once again.  Can we just cut him and be done with him already?  Or maybe trade him for some cheerleaders … they will have more of a positive impact on a game than he does.

Matt Spaeth was the Bears second leading receiver with three catches for four yards.  That’s never a positive thing.  Check downs to the rookie fullback Evan Rodriguez would have been much more productive.  Look for more of him in the upcoming weeks.

Offensive Line – A-
Except for two holding penalties and a false start, these guys played a really solid game.  They completely shut down one of the best defensive linemen in the league, J.J. Watt, and didn’t allow a single sack for the first time this season.  The Bears yardage and points may not show it, but the offensive line did their job very well.

Defensive Line – B
Not their best performance of the season against the run (127 rushing yards given up, 3.6 yards per carry), but they did a nice job against the pass.  Henry Melton is an absolute beast and Julius Peppers registered the Bears only sack of the night.  Nate Collins made a few nice plays but also looked to be out of position on a few long Texan runs.

This group continues to play at a high level.  However, someone will need to step up if rookie Shea McClellin misses more time with the concussion he suffered early in the game on Sunday.

Linebackers – B
Brian Urlacher has improved just about every week this season.  He had eight tackles (2 for loss) on Sunday night.  Lance Briggs made a few nice tackles but didn’t factor in as many plays as he normally does.  He played great coverage on Texans RB Arian Foster when he scored the game’s only touchdown, but the throw was too perfect.  Nick Roach was on the field more often than normal but missed a few key tackles himself.

Anytime you allow a running back over 100 yards rushing, you have to put some blame on the linebackers.

Secondary – A
There isn’t much more you can ask for out of a secondary.  Jennings had two interceptions and three passes defended, Charles Tillman had six tackles and two passes defended, Major Wright/Chris Conte combined for nine tackles (one for loss), and the Texans only had 95 passing yards.  I guess a touchdown would have been nice.  C’est la vie.

Special Teams – C
Devin Hester had a few shots at breaking a big return, but came up short.  At least he didn’t cough up the ball on a slippery evening at Soldier Field.

Robbie Gould missed his third field goal attempt in the last four games, but the weather conditions didn’t help him any.  His two successful field goals were the only thing that kept the Bears in the game.

A bad holding penalty by Anthony Walters took some field position away from the Bears on their final drive of the first half.  Punter Adam Podlesh didn’t allow any of his punts to be returned, but only averaged 38.8 yards per punt.

This group isn’t playing poorly, by any means, but they aren’t playing up to the high level we are used to from Dave Toub’s crew.

Coaching – F
Mike Tice proved that he is a rookie offensive coordinator.  His play-calling got to the point where even I, from my couch, knew what the Bears were going to do.  When Jason Campbell came in to start the second half the Bears ran the same running play three consecutive times (twice on first down and once on second down).  The players were in the same formation each time and there was only one wide receiver, who was sent in motion.  The play worked twice, but then the Texans caught on and stopped Forte.  A few plays later, on first down, they ran the same stupid play yet again and what happened?  Forte was stuffed again.  That type of play-calling mentality isn’t going to work in the NFL.

Overall – D+