There wasn’t anything good about this game. The Bears faced a much better team than they did on Sunday. I am writing this as the Bears have just went down 20 points in the fourth. I am sure that I will forget a few things in this short recap but feel free to add what I missed in the comments section.
Offense: Cutler sucked. Marshall dropped a touchdown pass. Other receivers dropped passes. J’Marcus Webb sucks. Gabe Carimi is an idiot. Forte got hurt. The Packers defense made Jay Cutler their bitch.
Defense: They actually didn’t play all that bad. However, Rodgers did just enough to get the job done and that’s what great quarterbacks do. What started the scoring for the Packers was Nick Roach not getting off the field in time in which it would have been fourth down when it was still scoreless. The Packers challenged that play and it paid off.
Special teams: Well, the Bears did an excellent job of letting the Packers score a touchdown on the fake field goal as the guy ran down the field untouched. Mason Crosby nailed three field goals. That guy never seems to miss.
The Bears are 1-9 in their last ten games against the Packers. So needless to say, it’s just like the 90’s all over again for this rivalry. Isn’t the other team actually suppose to win games in a rivalry? Well, at least they have one in those ten.
(I just wanted to throw in that the one win the Bears have had against in the Packers in the last ten games was that Monday night game in 2010. If it wasn’t for some penalties that weren’t suppose to be called in favor of the Bears and a blocked field goal, the Bears easily lose that game. Take that for what it’s worth.)
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Matt Eberflus 
September 13, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Yea, I’m not going to argue. If they played a remotely decent game (the Bears) they would have had a chance. Bad offense ruined them.
September 14, 2012 at 7:48 am
Here we go again. A host of bad sports journalists and ignorant fans keep blaming Cutler.
Once you read the stat that he was sacked seven times (not to mention the knock downs, hurry ups, etc.) anyone with half a brain should be able to deduce that this is STILL an offensive line problem.
The Bears organization STILL refuses to admit that they have a talent deficit on their O-line.
If you put Jay Cutler on the Pats or Giants, you have 4,000 passing yards.
If you put Manning or Brady on the Bears, you get what happened last night.
As the Giants have taught the Pats–in TWO Super Bowls now–if we keep knocking your QB on his ass, we win, no matter who he is.
A new offensive scheme is nice–anything is better than Mike Martz’s thirty-year-old system– but that STILL does not negate that football is a game of one-on-one matchups.
If you look at this weeks SI, there’s an article on offensive linemen. In the sidebar, they feature Uche Nwaneri of the Jags (1st round pick), Eric Woob of the Bills (!st round pick), Amini Silatolu (2nd Round pick)……and J’Marcus Webb. Seventh round draft pick.
You cannot coach lack of talent. You cannot make a player have more talent by working and working what’s not there.
The Bears have come out of a decade where they had the worst GM in football. He virtually ruined whatever potential they had by his incompetence. In picking talent, he was the anti-Belichick.
This is NOT a QB problem. Let me repeat that: This is NOT a quarterback problem. This is a magic thinking problem. A denial problem. Your offensive line stinks and you refuse to admit that your organization made mistakes and you won’t do anything about it.
In what looks to be Lovie Smith’s last year as coach of the Chicago Bears, expect more of the same. Against lesser quality teams, they will score. Against tougher teams with a good pass rush, expect Cutler to get sacked, hit, and run for his life.
September 14, 2012 at 8:42 am
Yeah, I can’t argue Joes point here. This goddamn O-line sucks. Put Cutler behind a REAL line and let’s see what he does. Seven sacks is complete bullshit. And Joe is right in pointing out the hurries, knock downs and the Packer D being in Cutlers face all night long.
Both teams looked like shit last night. The difference was Green Bay made some adjustments to get an advantage. What adjustments did Lovie Lee Baker make? What adjustments did the genius Mike Tice make? If they made one I missed it.
Bottom line: This team was not ready to play this game. That falls on one guy. Lovie fucking Lee fucking Smith. Period!
September 14, 2012 at 8:45 am
One more thing. Joe…you said that against tougher teams with a good pass rush, expect Cutler to get sacked, hit, and run for his life.
I don’t expect that. I expect that he will get killed. Literally. They’re gonna cart him off in a fucking body bag. This is so….PATHETIC!
September 14, 2012 at 8:46 am
Good post Joe, lots of good points.
I heard one hack on ESPN (don’t remember which one, there are so many) say the Bears could be looking to replace Cutler if they don’t go “deep into the playoffs”…that would be yet another big mistake, IMOP.
Let’s see what Cutler can do when he has a solid o-line protecting him. IF that happens before he’s injured again….
As for Lovie….I just threw up in my mouth.
September 14, 2012 at 9:02 am
The coaching staff made no adjustments. How long does it take to figure out that they need to help out on Matthews? We shut down there verticle passing game so they adjusted. Quick hitters, crossing routes, screens etc… We just keep on running plays that take the recievers 2 minutes to run the route!! Why do we never get Hester the ball in situations that utilize his talent? Reverses, quick slants, screens etc. I don’t balme Cutler at all!!! He felt like he had to do it all and he forced some things. I am also sick of us trying to pass on nearly every first down. Establish the run and that brings those safeties up so that Marshall is not blanketed the entire game!! I guess we will just keep asking the defense to win the game all by themselves! Some things never change! I don’t know that I can stand to look at Lovie standing on the sidelines with that stupid look on his face for another entire year and he can take that dip shit Tice with him. And not that this had anything to do with how bad we played but those fucking replacement refs SUCK!!!
September 14, 2012 at 9:15 am
“Rodgers did just enough to get the job done and that’s what great quarterbacks do.”
See, that’s what makes great quarterbacks great: doing “just enough”.
September 14, 2012 at 9:45 am
November 19, 2012: Bears @ 49ers.
That’s… gonna be scary.
September 14, 2012 at 10:10 am
I am guessing that “JoeFroFan” is an idiot. But what I am trying to say is that Rodgers wasn’t playing that great either but he made adjustments and found a way to get his team to score points. When a great quarterback isn’t having his best game, he finds ways to win. Rodgers did that. He did just enough on that night. Anybody arguing against that is indeed, an idiot.
September 14, 2012 at 10:59 am
Pie…that will be beyond scary. It’s a trainwreck waiting to happen.
September 14, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Scott,
I forgot to mention this in my last post but it was Keyshawn Johsnon who said the Bears will start looking for another quarterback if they don’t make the playoffs. I heard him say that while trying to fall asleep last night and I couldn’t believe he even mentioned that. As most of us know, ESPN is full of dumbasses. You have to see who they have during the daytime to talk football. PATHETIC.
September 14, 2012 at 4:34 pm
For you stat geeks out there, I heard something this morning on The Score. They mentioned that the Bears under Lovie Smith are 13-42 when trailing at halftime. Now, I will say that not even Lovie could have saved this team from this losing this game but a bunch of those other losses were on him.
September 14, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Cubs Fans:
Theo Epstein has recently praised Dale Sveum, saying he has done a fantastic job. What do you think about this? Here’s the quote:
“We told him that based on where we are as a franchise, we’re going to try to win but we’re not going to evaluate him on wins and losses the first couple of years, to be honest, because it wouldn’t be fair,” Epstein said. “We knew we would be putting out a team that had too much developing talent to be evaluating him strictly on wins and losses. We will evaluate him on a number of other criteria that we shared with him, and I think he has done a fantastic job to be honest with you.”
http://espn.go.com/chicago/mlb/story/_/id/8378766/chicago-cubs-president-theo-epstein-levels-fans-future
September 15, 2012 at 1:19 am
Really? Well, I’d love to know what the criteria are. I assume it’s “private” (?)….
September 15, 2012 at 1:49 am
Supposedly, these first two years are being evaluated on “Teaching” and not “Wins-Losses.”
September 15, 2012 at 8:51 am
Hey guys, caught this little tidbit in the paper this morning in the “transactions”; “Baltimore Orioles- released RHP Kevin Gregg”. Goodbye Mr. Serviceable!
September 15, 2012 at 2:48 pm
Hmmm….how’s Marmol doing with his lessons/assignments?
September 17, 2012 at 10:24 am
A friend checked on that trailing at halftime tidbit. In 2010, teams were 58-198 when trailing at half. That’s a winning percentage of 22%. Lovie’s percentage is 23%. Right on par with what the league does in general. So, I would venture to guess that if one looked at others’ “When trailing at the half” numbers, they’d likely be pretty similar.
As far as Marmol, he was bad for the first 2 months of the season (about 22 games). Not just bad, but really bad. Well, since June 13th, he has had a 2.20, 12.7 K/9, and 18 saves. Given that Sveum gets yelled at for being a “shitty” manager when Marmol sucks, he ought to get a good amount credit for the fact that Marmol has been good for the last 3 months. So, I gather that Marmol is doing well with his “lessons/assignments”.
September 17, 2012 at 11:20 am
“In 2010, teams were 58-198 when trailing at half. That’s a winning percentage of 22%. Lovie’s percentage is 23%. Right on par with what the league does in general.”
So, in other words, he’s serviceable. Right?
“Well, since June 13th, he has had a 2.20, 12.7 K/9, and 18 saves. Given that Sveum gets yelled at for being a “shitty” manager when Marmol sucks, he ought to get a good amount credit for the fact that Marmol has been good for the last 3 months.”
No, he doesn’t get a pass. Neither does Epstein, Hoyer, Fanboy, or anybody else you can come up with. And I still don’t trust Marmol. Anyone who does is a fucking moron. There is still a load of shit at Wrigley.
Yeti…if you’re happy with mediocrity, fine. But don’t expect anybody else around here to feel the same way.
September 17, 2012 at 9:09 pm
ALL kidding aside: How does it feel to embrace MEDIOCRITY, Yeti?
I wouldn’t know…but I’d like to hear your take on it. Because when you defend Lovie (as in your previous post) — and Sveum with the Cubs 58-88 record — that exactly what you are doing, as far as I’m concerned.
Congratulations to Marmol for his rising stats…but don’t be fooled by those numbers as they don’t tell the whole story…had Marmol’s improved performance occurred during the heat — and PRESSURE — of a pennant race, I’d be more impressed…
Based on what we’ve seen to date, is there any reason to believe that Marmol can ever remain focused and perform at an elite level under real pressure? I for one am not betting on that horse…
I remember when the Cubs were out of it a couple of years ago — WAY OUT OF IT — and then got “hot” for a minute after Lou walked and Quade took over for the remainder of a meaningless (at that point) and PATHETIC season….there was no pressure and it didn’t matter!
…the throngs of sheeple were so excited, and bleated BAAAAH BAAAAAAAH BAAAAAH….MikeD soiled his urine-soaked diapers…and Crane Kenney ran around the office in his Cubs uniform with a big sock stuffed down his pants. It was a great day in Wrigleyville!
September 17, 2012 at 9:12 pm
Hell, I’d settle for mediocrity from the NFL replacement refs tonight. This is horrendous.
September 17, 2012 at 9:30 pm
Did someone mention a horse? I had a few at one point in my managing career. Then, they all went away…
September 17, 2012 at 10:59 pm
Thanks for the memories Dusty…chomp chomp!
September 17, 2012 at 11:43 pm
Yeti,
I don’t mean to pick a fight…okay, yes I do…but why the fuck did you quote stats from 2010? You only ran numbers for 1 year? 2 years ago? You’re slipping! You’re usually better than that. So, I’m guessing that the numbers didn’t support your post in 2011. Now, I don’t want you to pull up the numbers because I’m not going to give two shits either way. I’m just curious why you would do that. God knows, if Chucky (or anyone else for that matter) would leave a little wiggle room in their argument, you’d lambast them…wouldn’t you? You really are a tiresome douche!
Later,
Jimmy D.
P.S. It’s correct either as lambast, or lambaste.
September 18, 2012 at 9:41 am
Jimmy D….I don’t mean to pick a fight….but Yeti has been slipping for quite awhile! Douchecopter may be more appropriate…