Bears Blitz

Published by Brett Lyons on September 20, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Losing is never a good thing in the National Football League. In certain circumstances, though, how a team lost can be more daunting that the actual outcome.

This is especially true for the Chicago Bears (1-1) following their 30-13 loss at the New Orleans Saints (1-1) this last weekend. The Bears lost to a playoff team on the road. That aspect of the game is at least understandable.

Many are speculating that the offensive play-calling in the second half may have contributed to the defeat.

Last season, offensive coordinator Mike Martz ran a Jay Cutler pass-happy offense and neglected the running game. It wasn’t until the bye week that the Bears saw a more balanced attack, which resulted in a 7-2 finish to complete the season.

This year, the Bears hope to avoid déjà vu with similar game plans. The team got their first taste of the Martzian way in the loss at New Orleans.

Chicago ran the ball just two times in the second half, when the game was 16-13 at halftime in favor of the Saints. Over the entire game, the Bears called rushing plays just 11 times for 48 yards, 42 of which came from one Matt Forte explosion.

Head coach Lovie Smith acknowledged that the Bears did not execute a balanced offense when he spoke with the media Monday. He told reporters that he talked with Martz following the game, and that the product would be different this upcoming Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

This calls to mind the question of why the Bears abandoned the running game last weekend.

Forte stated Sunday that the Bears were in a western shootout and had to go pass-for-pass with the Saints. He understood why the Bears threw as often as they did, but he wished they ran a little more occasionally.

Cutler might have summed it up best following the defeat when he told reporters, “Ask Martz,” in response to why Chicago passed so often.

Cutler finished the game 19-of-45 for 244 yards and a touchdown. He turned the ball over only once on a fumble. Tight end Kellen Davis blew a blocking assignment on that specific play, allowing a blind-side pass rush to hit Cutler unexpectedly.

Why is staying with the run something so critical to offensive success?

Especially in the case of the Bears, running takes pressure off of Cutler and the offensive line. Cutler, in just two weeks of play, has already been sacked a league-high 11 times.

Rushing also keeps defenses from blitzing regularly and effectively. The Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was able to go for the kill shot every snap in the second half last weekend. Being able to run the football keeps defenses honest and takes away from how well blitzing works.

It’s important to remember that this is only Week 2 of the season. There is still plenty of NFL football left to play. The Bears are 1-1 and have not lost within their division yet.

Sunday’s fallback to passing every down may have been a road bump moving forward. There’s plenty of time to smooth things out before the season ends.

If Martz gets his annual talking-to this early in 2011, then the Bears should have a balanced attack the rest of the way. Sometimes, occasions like this can be called blessings in disguise.

Brett Lyons is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand or from official interview materials.

Follow Brett Lyons on Twitter @BrettLyons670.

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