Bears - Packers: Let's GO! - Boilerbuzz's Blog

Boilerbuzz's Blog

Bears - Packers: Let's GO!

Posted on September 13, 2012 at 01:18 PM.

(5)

I just have SO many thoughts on tonight's game, that I just had to unload them some place where I felt there would be enough folks that I respect in terms of passion and/or knowledge of the game. But I decided to blog it on OS instead...

Just kidding!

I'll try to keep it short, but I just wanted to jot down some random thoughts based on the pre-game buildup from the media. It's mostly about our offense against their defense.

Some of you may know I'm 100% Chicago. Born and raised in the Chi-town area. So if the team has Chicago in front, then I'm in. I live for this time of the year. I love football; played it at a high level (not the highest), and I work in a field that let me use that knowledge and passion for the game. So, for personal and professional reasons, I've studied football for a long time. I've especially studied my team. So what's my point? Well, I think that this is the most talented Chicago Bear offense I've ever seen on paper. And glimpses of what I saw Sunday, for now, seem to back that up.

This offense can play the speed game AND the power game equally and effectively. Think about this: the 85 Bears had an underrated offense. It was effective. McMahon had possession receivers and a guy that could stretch the field. And a hall of fame running back. (The greatest of all time, btw.

But Barry was good too.) But NONE of the receivers on that team were better than Marshall or match the potential of Jeffrey. Gault was fast, but had below average hands. McKinnon was no better than Bennett and Bennett is MUCH faster. But I really don't want to get into player by player comparisons. I'll just say this: Jay Cutler is the most talented QB is Bears history. Hands down. Is he the best - we'll know in a few years. But the talent is undeniable. Brandon Marshall is already THE best wide receiver to wear a Bear uniform. No one can dispute that. Matt Forte is only bested by two HALL OF FAMERS! In short, we're loaded at the skill positions.

With that out of way - I have some worries. The biggest worry is the offensive line. Not that I think it's a talent issue. Garza was an upgrade from an aging Kruentz and he's graded out as one of the better offensive linemen in the league over the last 3 years. Look it up. No, he's not a dominator. But he's smart, technically sound, and makes very few mental errors. Webb's a beast. Stupid sometimes, but a beast. Carimi is a future anchor. Louis is underrated and versatile, and Spencer is at a position he should have always been. He's not "smart" enough to be the center. The question, though, is - are these guys GELLED enough to pick up the Capers's crazy blitz packages? Are Tice's blocking schemes ready for this. I will say this - Martz's schemes put a LOT of stress on linemen NOT just because of the long pockets (time) and 7/9 step drops (angles on the edges). His pass blocking schemes were designed to create SPECIFIC throwing lanes and that lead to 2 issues:

1. The linemen were FORCED to block to certain areas and angles. If a defense was able to exploit the creases created by this, they had a free runs to the QB. This happened a LOT!
2. The linemen were required to reach and slide quite a bit in this scheme, so if you had a guy that wasn't especially quick, timing would be TOTALLY f*cked up. Same for if he hesitated. Indecision lead to quite a bit of hesitation. This is a big reason why teams like Dallas and Green Bay wrecked shop. Giants were just better.

In short, it came down to this - if the defense knew what passing lane was desired in the offense, they could USE THAT PASSING LANE AS A RUSH LANE! And that was a double win because not only did you have an easier path to the QB, but you could close that passing lane. And people wonder why Cutler would hold the ball so long or throw picks because he was throwing blind.

Another huge change was the audible system. We HAVE one. You see that TD pass to Jeffrey? That was a 2 receiver route, and I'm 90% certain is was a audible. When Indy keyed the blitz, we shifted Rodriguez. That was no accident. With the single high safety on the weak hash (Marshall's side), Cutler knew Jeffrey was basically 1 on 1. That play doesn't happen under Martz.

In the past, we've been able to slow down the Packer offense. Stop it? No way. Slow it down? Yeah. Until, of course, things got out of hand and we turn over the ball. Giving Rogers MORE chances to pick us apart. I'll say this right now; as a Boilermaker - Drew Brees is my guy. I'm also a HUGE fan of The Surgeon, who is now going to make Denver a COMPLETE beast of a team to beat. But I'll admit - if I had Aaron Rogers, I wouldn't envy ANY team. That dude, is the absolute truth. If I was starting over from scratch, he's the #1 pick. Hands down. I think he's had a few bad games (for him) and at some point, he's going to come out of that little funk. So, of course!! he'll have a great game tonight. That always happens. The Green Bay offense will be affected if Jennings isn't playing, but it will still be powerful. Finley is still out there and he's been a Bear KILLER. Let's not get it twisted.

The Green Bay defense, on the other hand? I just don't know. They are getting criticized left and right, and there is an argument. Right now, Woodson is playing safety. It's a good move, but he's still adjusting. Puts him in position to make even more plays, but it's not easy. Talent is not an issue with this defense. The scheme, however, has it's advantages, but it also has it's disadvantages. If guys are not in sync, there are a MOUNTAIN of holes in that defense. And I think that's the issue right now. Youth, and a key guy in a new position. I'm glad we're facing them in Lambeau now instead of later. That would be a much tougher matchup. I think they will be better tonight than they were against SF. And I don't think they were as bad as people being made to believe. Give Smith credit. He didn't make the mistakes that the GB defense feeds off of.

But I need to note one thing: in the past, the Packer defense has been able to get in Cutler's face and force him into bad decisions. They've been able to jam our smurfs and knock them off of their routes at minimum if not take them out completely. The only guy they had to pay extra attention to was Bennett. Now? We have The Beast and his protege. Throw in the fact that CWood is at safety now, like Culter said - good luck trying to jam those guys. Instant fail, guaranteed. Green Bay will have it's hands full with this new offense and the new weapons.

So, who wins the game. I really don't know. I'm not going to pretend think that all of a sudden, we're going to go out there and just smack on a great team. No one does that. They are at home. It's a divisional game. They need to win to not fall 2 back... And, did I mention, it's THE BEARS!? Many times, it doesn't matter which team is better. I know this, the Bears have everything it is ever going to need to walk into Green Bay, and stomp the Packers. But the Pack has too much pride for that. I'm looking for a dog fight with an over/under of 49 points. I'm going to give the edge to Green Bay because we still a lot to prove. The "champs" always get the benefit of the doubt.

...

But don't be surprised IF we whoop that a**! So much for keeping it short huh?

PS: Normally I never write "Packers". I write "Peckers". It wasn't easy to refrain. :P

Comments

# 1 Steve_OS @ Sep 13

I actually have Jeffrey on my FF team.

I think the Bears are a solid team for sure. If Forte can stay healthy, they are going to be trouble for a lot of teams. I've always thought Cutler was a good QB. Oline just need to give him some time, last year it was a jailbreak. Good luck tonight. I'm all for GB going 0-2 to start the season!

# 2 Boilerbuzz @ Sep 13

Forte staying healthy really hasn't been an issue until last year. And he's taken quite a few shots. With Bush in there now, that's a hell of a 1-2 punch and we can go easy on Forte. He tends to slow down over the year as the hits accumulate. Getting Bush has MULTIPLE benefits.

Thanks for the GL.

# 3 ProfessaPackMan @ Sep 13

Great writeup....but the Bears still suck.

#RivalryWeek

In all seriousness, GL(can't believe I'm wishing a Bears Fan in a Packers-Bears game, good luck)and I hope you guys don't suffer any injuries...but I hope we still beat ya'll.

# 4 Boilerbuzz @ Sep 14

Yeah, you're right PackMan. Tonight, we suck. Harder than a friggin' Kirby vacuum. Great game by your defense dude. Some fans are blaming calls and whatnot. No. Your defense just took the offense out of the game. At SOME point, the defense was going to wear down. See you in Soldier Field. As for the injuries - thanks. But, of course, when you lose like this, it isn't complete without an injury to one of your stars.

# 5 Boilerbuzz @ Sep 14

Funny how this game plays out EXACTLY as it has the last few years. Even matchup until sacks and turnovers take their toll and Green Bay capitalizes.