Bears Blitz

Published by Jake Perper on September 12, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

If you look at the box score, you would think the Bears destroyed Detroit today, but that wasn’t the case.

The Bears out-gained the Lions 463 yards to 168 and the Lions were leading going into the fourth quarter. That is just amazing to me. I watched the game and was still confused on how the Lions were winning. Predictable play-calling and turnovers cost the Bears some easy points.

In the first half the Bears saw Jay Cutler throw an awful pass into triple coverage that was intercepted, Matt Forte fumble a ball away and Greg Olsen fumble a ball away. The Bears didn’t convert a single red-zone opportunity, a problem that hurt them last season. They had the ball on the one yard line in the second quarter and settled for a field goal.

Then with 10:37 left in the game, Lance Briggs stripped Lions backup QB Shaun Hill, who came in for injured starter Matthew Stafford. The Bears took the ball at the one and ran four predictable runs and then tried to get it Devin Aromashodu on fourth down, but Cutler overthrew him.

The play-calling on those two drives was horrendous. It seems like Mike Martz and Ron Turner both have the same predictable play calls in the redzone.

The game winning touchdown for the Bears came with 1:32 left when Jay Cuter hit Matt Forte for his second receiving touchdown of the day.

Then the big play of the game came with 24 seconds left when Lions backup QB Shaun Hill hit Calvin Johnson on what looked to be a 25-yard TD.

Officials ruled the pass incomplete and called for a booth replay, which seemed to show Johnson clearly coming down with the ball in the endzone.  Officials upheld the call on the field, and the Bears won the game.

Brian Urlacher had eight tackles and a sack, Julius Peppers forced a fumble with a sack and Charles Tillman had an interception. The defense had a solid day besides the last drive of the game. The offense was high flying besides the turnovers and the poor red zone efforts.

My players who must step up segment in my preview for the game were Tommie Harris, Greg Olsen and Charles Tillman. I said Tillman would have six tackles, an INT and force a fumble. He actually made three tackles and did reel in an interception. I said Olsen would have seven catches for 65 yards and a touchdown, he actually had four catches for 37 yards and lost a key fumble.

Lastly, Tommie Harris had one tackle and a fumble recovery, but I predicted him to have five tackles and two sacks. My Tillman and Olsen projections were close, but Harris was very quiet today against the Lions.

If you don’t understand the rule on the Calvin Johnson touchdown controversy then read this.

The Bears need to get there offensive line in sync for next week because the Cowboys will bring all kinds of pressure. Cutler needs to get Knox and Hester more looks because Aromashodu can’t do it all. Urlacher, Briggs and Peppers need to play as well as they did today, if not better.

Look for Lovie Smith to make some changes this week. Hopefully he fixes up the redzone offense. The playcalling needs to be much better if the Bears want to have a chance against the Cowboys.

Jake Perper is the creator of www.BearsBacker.com and also covers the Bears for www.NFLTouchdown.com.

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