"NFL Football is Back!" 2011 Season Thread

[Al B. Sure!]

The O-line was inexplicably horrible in pass protection yesterday. And Hanie got rattled.
Even with all that, it took a miracle play for KC to score -- plus huge missed opportunities by the Bears:

-Barber fails to line up on the LOS when shifting out to WR, so illegal formation negates touchdown
-Hanie overthrows a wide-open Bennett for easy TD.
-First and goal at the 8 in results in a rare gould miss from 41 (after 2 sacks)
-Roy Williams fails to catch a short bullet pass for TD; deflection results in INT/touchback.

Some basic execution and the Bears win maybe 24-3, even with Hanie being that bad and Forte being out.
Very difficult game to watch, but with Bears at home, we didn't have a Fox option.

24-3 with a QB who throws 3 picks? That orange kool-aid sure is strong

And every game has their moments like that. Hanie overthrows a WR for easy TD... every QB does that at least once a game and strutting a bad QB like Hanie out there, means that's the least of what you expect. Roy Williams not catching a short TD pass... that's what happens when you have a trash WR like Roy Williams.

Any team can say we would have won if X, Y, and Z happened, and it's true, but not meaningful at all. The Bears don't have much talent, especially not now. The world outside of Chicago knew it 2 weeks ago.

[-Jrabbit]

Dude, I'm pretty realistic about the Bears. I was just sharing the most obvious of yesterday's woulda/coulda/shoulda's, since I knew that the game wasn'b broadcast out of market. Hell, all it takes is the hail mary miracle at the end of the first half to fall incomplete and it's 3-3. KC was every bit as incompetent on offense as the Bears were.

Oh, and those 3 picks? Only one was arguably Hanie's fault -- a fly pattern into deep coverage. One was the Williams drop (which fell literally into the lap of a guy laying on the ground), and the third was a hail mary on the last play of the game.

But you'd have to watch the game to know that.

[Demonbinder]

Absolutely correct!! Roy Williams has to catch that pass but that is what you get with him. Since he has been with Bears he has dropped a pass each game (IIRC) and usually the first one. I do expect Hanie to overthrow a pass at least once a game but don't expect Barber to not line up correctly. And the missed FG, besides the two sacks also was after another stupid penalty. But usually Gould makes that and without the INT for TD at end of half, it's a Bears win. KC got lucky.

And I would rather have McNabb than Favre.

[Al B. Sure!]

Dude, I'm pretty realistic about the Bears. I was just sharing the most obvious of yesterday's woulda/coulda/shoulda's, since I knew that the game wasn'b broadcast out of market. Hell, all it takes is the hail mary miracle at the end of the first half to fall incomplete and it's 3-3. KC was every bit as incompetent on offense as the Bears were.

Oh, and those 3 picks? Only one was arguably Hanie's fault -- a fly pattern into deep coverage. One was the Williams drop (which fell literally into the lap of a guy laying on the ground), and the third was a hail mary on the last play of the game.

But you'd have to watch the game to know that.

To quote Tony Kornheiser: "Number 4 or number 5?" Which QB should the Bears sign?

[Al B. Sure!]

nm

[Donegeal]

I agree with Jrabbit. Hanie didn't loose this game. Roy Williams lost it. Hanie was throwing the ball well. Knox and Bennet for 15+ yards multiple times. Then one time he throws to an open Roy Williams on the goal line. Right to his hands. Good throw. Crappy WR. Cut the ****er now, please, so he doesn't hurt the team anymore.

[Demonbinder]

Alby - your comment about us Kool-Aid drinkers - we weren't expecting the loss of Forte either.

[Al B. Sure!]

So any Bears' fans think they have a shot against Tim Tebow's Broncos at Mile High?

Broncos are 3 point favorites, which I think is the first time they haven't been underdogs during the Tebow administration.

[-Jrabbit]

Bears might not win another game. But if they do, next Sunday would be sweet.

I'm no Tebow fan, but that has more to do with preaching religion when I'm trying to watch sports. But I've gotta hand it to him: when the game's on the line, he finds a way to win. Just hoping the Bears can do to him what they do to Vick, and that the D/ST find a way to put some points on the board.

It's a classic gut check. But without their top two threats (and arguably, their only quality skill position guys), I give them about a 5% chance.

BTW, radio chatter in Chicago today is that Martz is gone.

[Donegeal]

When? Right now or do we have to suffer through the rest of this season with him?

[-Jrabbit]

After the season. My guess is Tice will be promoted and we'll be back to the old "Bears football" offensive philosophy.

[Demonbinder]

It can't be soon enough for me.

[-Jrabbit]

I see it as a total failure by Jerry Angelo to acquire anything even faintly resembling the kind of O-line and WRs needed for Martz' preferred system to suceed. The approach may be a bit dated by modern offensive standards, but with this personnel group, they had very little chance of success.

[Al B. Sure!]

CBS and NBC fighting over the rights to air Tim Tebow's coming victory* over the New England Patriots:

The Week 15 Sunday night NBC game is currently scheduled to be the Baltimore Ravens against the San Diego Chargers. NBC, despite the fact that the Chargers were so dazzlingly brilliant on Monday night, would like to exercise its flex scheduling option and show something else.

In this case, that something else is the New England Patriots vs. the Denver Broncos, or, as it will be hyped endlessly by NBC in the event that it get its paws on it, Tom Brady(notes) vs. Tim Tebow(notes). The Golden Boy vs. The Chosen One is currently slated to air on CBS at 4:15 p.m. ET. NBC wants to yank it out of there. Mike Klis of the Denver Post reports that there's some conflict there.

NBC's contract with the NFL gives the partners a "flex" schedule to switch to a more compelling game than the one originally scheduled for prime time.

CBS, which has the game in its afternoon slot, has been fighting the move, as has Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

*okay, I think this will be a Denver loss


EDIT: Doesn't matter. It's moot now. The NFL will not flex it.


Tom Brady is 1-6 against the Broncos, by the way.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The hatred against Tebow confounds me. I'm not a huge Tebow fan, but the fact he drops to his knees to say a prayer of thanks after ever TD is a complete non-issue. Plenty of players have done that. And it isn't forcing anyone to listen to anything, its in the place of a goofy TD celebration. So what?