While these two don’t quite have the numbers of Hester, Danieal Manning and Johnny Knox were two of the best return men in football on kickoffs. However, Hester is one of those guys you drop everything you’re doing to see with the football in his hands.

Robbie Gould has been one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL. While he didn’t have his best season, he’s been a stabalizing force in that position for the Chicago Bears. For us Bears fans, we’ve lived through some horrific kickers and Gould really is one of the best. Brad Maynard is a solid punter who’s specialty is kicking it within the 20-yard line. However, it looks as if Maynard’s days with the Chicago Bears are coming to an end.

Patrick Mannelly deserves a shout-out as well. He’s been one of the league’s best long-snappers for many years now.

I give this unit an A. It would have been an A+ except there were times where they gave up returns and failed to create open holes.

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Let’s start of offense. While Jay Cutler and Matt Forte are two newer guys, Olin Kruetz has been the leader of the offensive line for a long time. While Mike Tice has done a wonderful job molding this unit, teammates will tell you that Kruetz is the one who gets in your face if he feels you’re not giving a full effort. He’s an effort guy and demands the same from his teammates.

I’ll never forget in his rookie season the Bears were playing against Washington. One of the Redskins taunted a Bear and Kruetz took a shot at the guy and was penalized. It was right then his reputation was beginning to be established. He’s a tough SOB and demands respect. We even saw that against Seattle last week. Toward the end of the game, he defended a teammate that was on the ground.

On special teams, Patrick Mannelly has been the long-snapper for a long time. He’s one of the best in football. He also covers kicks and sets the tone for this group. While he’s not as well known outside of Chicago, he’s one of the most respected Bears.

I’ve met Mannelly and seen the type of work he puts in off the field. I actually was rehabbing a broken ankle at the same gym where Mannelly trains. Holy crap! According to others in the facilities, he is always an extremely intense worker. If you don’t think that a guy who’s asked to do something maybe five times a game working his tail off doesn’t earn him respect, then you’ve got another thing coming. He wears a “C” for that reason.

On the defensive side of the ball, the list includes Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and Julius Peppers. These guys play at a high level and can all make game-changing plays. There’s a reason why this unit is strong and it is large part to talent and leadership.

In the defensive huddle, there are seven guys that played in the 2006 Super Bowl for the Chicago Bears and one that got there with the Carolina Panthers (Peppers). In other words, eight of the 11 starters won an NFC title. Think that doesn’t motivate you a little more to get back?

I haven’t even mentioned guys like Israel Idonije, Roberto Garza, Brad Maynard and Rasheed Davis. These are veteran role players that certainly make an impact as well. All of these guys have made a huge impact at a point of the season.

While I’m not discounting the leadership on the Packers, I feel its an edge for the Chicago Bears.

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So does this mean it’s a bad win? Not at all…but I wouldn’t be fair if I said it was impressive.

In the first half, the Chicago Bears forgot how to tackle. Lions players were gaining way too many yards after contact. At the end of the first half, the Chicago Bears gave up two long plays leading to a touchdown. The scoring play was an exploited mismatch with DJ Moore covering Calvin Johnson.

While Moore has been solid this year, he isn’t the defensive player I want on Johnson. For those that don’t think Lovie Smith doesn’t show emotions on the sideline, he looked as if he wanted to kill somebody. Moore, to his credit, made some huge plays in the game including a sack of Drew Stanton, a pass break-up on fourth down and several key tackles.

Football is a game of adjustments, and credit needs to go to the coaches. The defense shored things up in the second half. When Jay Cutler fumbled on his own nine yard line on the second play of the half, the defense held the Lions to a field goal. This was the turning point for the defense. From that point forward, they held the Lions scoreless.

Offensively, the line had issues once again. While they were able to move the ball, Cutler took way too many hits. The play selection was consistently even between running and pass, so the commitment to the run didn’t waiver even when playing from behind. I’m a fan of running the damn football.

Earl Bennett is becoming a player. Not only is he catching passes, his blocking is as good as any receiver in the league. Kudos also go to my target Greg Olsen. His blocking was much better yesterday. Once again, Jay Cutler did a solid job of taking what the defense gave him. He made some good throws and was a solid field general. Brandon Manumaleuna finally is showing his value as a blocker. In a new twist he’s becoming a reliable short-yardage guy.

On special teams, kudos to the Lions for containing kickoffs. However, they decided to punt to Devin Hester. He almost broke it. While he just missed setting the all-time punt return for touchdown mark, he gave the Bears good enough field position for Robbie Gould to nail a 54-yard field goal. It was a thing of beauty.

Brad Maynard continued his strong season and consistently put the Lions deep in their own territory. The Chicago Bears had some lapses in tackling on returns, but shored things up as the game moved along.

With the Green Bay Packers winning, the Chicago Bears maintain a one-game lead in the division. The Detroit Lions proved to everyone they’re hoping to play spoiler. With the New England Patriots coming to town this week and the Packers heading to Detroit, this is the week the Packers are hoping to make their move. The Patriots have an emotional game tonight with the Jets, so we’ll know more about the boys from the Boston area tomorrow.

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The biggest story line for the Eagles is play of dog killer Michael Vick. He has been a scoring machine and has not turned the ball over this year. He has played under control and really has orchestrated the Eagles offense. Wide Receiver DeSean Jackson is one of the NFL’s most explosive players capable of making big plays at any time.  LeSean McCoy is a solid NFL running back.

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While the Eagles have some weapons on offense, the Chicago Bears defense is playing as well as any group in football. Julius Peppers recorded three sacks last week against the Dolphins, and while it was against a depleted group for the Fins, he has been causing problems for opposing backfields. His pressure and pursuit have been something special this season. Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs continue to play at a high level as well. The secondary for the Chicago Bears has been playing much better as of late.

Defensively, the biggest news for the Eagles is the loss of cornerback Asante Samuel for this game. He didn’t make the trip with the team, and this depletes an already suspect secondary. Trent Cole is the Eagles best lineman and can get after the quarterback. He will have Jay Cutler in his sites.

The Chicago Bears need to run the damn football against this team. It’s pure and simple. They’ve been doing it the last few weeks and have seen results. Last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins proved to be a textbook game plan for the Chicago Bears to be successful. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz has this offense complementing the defense by controlling the clock and not turning the football over as often.

In my estimation, this game will come down to special teams and the Chicago Bears are superior in this department. Devin Hester is striking fear in the opposition again. Brad Maynard has been punting brilliantly this year and Robbie Gould found his form again last week.

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With all of the above being said, I believe the Chicago Bears will win this game due to the superiority on special teams and by running the damn football. While the Eagles can move the ball on offense, the Chicago Bears will create turnovers. I am looking for Vick to have a few of those today.

My final score prediction is Chicago Bears 21 Eagles 17.

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Quarterbacks (C-)

Jay Cutler has made some good throws and some bad ones. Todd Collins made no good throws and Caleb Hanie hasn’t done much of anything. While the line hasn’t been good, the quarterbacks haven’t been either.
Running Backs (C)

Matt Forte isn’t very good at blocking of holding onto the football. Chester Taylor is the consummate professional. While Forte has had some spectacular plays and a good game against Carolina, he allows his quarterback to get killed. Taylor is consistently above-average. This needs to improve.

Offensive Line (D)

They’ve been bad, but the running backs and tight ends haven’t helped. Does Olin Kruetz actually block anyone? So a “D” is given out of my frustration to other people not helping a weak unit.

Tight Ends (F)

This has been the most disappointing group. Greg Olsen may make a play once in a while, but his lack of blocking and inconsistent play make him a bad player.  Brandon Manumaleuna for a guy that supposedly can block…hasn’t. Desmond Clark and Kellen Davis ain’t worth hot either.

Wide Receivers (C+)

Johnny Knox is coming into his own. Earl Bennett has been solid and Devin Hester has made some plays. Devin Aromashodu is a non-factor.

Defensive Line (B)

Julius Peppers is a dominant football player. Israel Idonije has played well since being slotted as a starter. Tommie Harris isn’t any good and the others are just there.

Linebackers (A)

The best unit on this team and maybe in football. Enough said.

Secondary (B)

Receivers haven’t been going crazy and they cause turnovers. I wish they had a shut-down corner, but this unit has been solid.

Special Teams (B+)

Devin Hester is back. Robbie Gould is awesome and Brad Maynard is solid. Good coverage and Early Bennett’s block on the Seattle punter was one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Coaching (C)

Lovie Smith not challenging Jay Cutler’s TD last week along with Mike Martz’s inability to stop a blitzing corner are bad. Rod Marinelli has done a good job with the defense. At 4-3 this team is still in it, but things have to change next week or we will be in for a crappy final nine games.

Overall (B-)

As of this morning, the Chicago Bears are a first place team. Doesn’t mean there a good one, but who in the NFC really is that good?

Mike Tice, obviously not pleased with last week’s results, made a bold move and started rookie J’Marcus Webb at right tackle and Edwin Williams at right guard. Both did a decent job at providing protection and getting a push upfront for the running game. You obviously cannot change the past, but it was good to see the Chicago Bears coaches making adjustments to personnel.

Mike Martz proved that an old dog can learn new tricks. The Chicago Bears ran the football yesterday to the surprise of Carolina and it paid off with two impressive runs by Matt Forte in the first quarter for touchdowns. Those were all the points the Chicago Bears would need. He is always known for the pass first, but to use the run the way he did was solid coaching.

I’m waiting for some of my friends to jump all over me on here (including the one who picked the Chicago Bears to lose), but considering the worst quarterback in Bears’ history tried to give Carolina the game, the score is not an indication of how dominating the Chicago Bears played yesterday.

Defensively, this was a total dominating effort. Israel Idonije played his best game as a Chicago Bear. Julius Peppers was Julius Peppers. Despite an ankle injury to Lance Briggs, the linebackers also played great. It’s safe to say that this defense is playing as well as any unit in football.

Let’s not forget Robbie Gould and Brad Maynard. Gould really is one of if not the premier kicker in the NFL. Maynard consistently kicks the ball within the 20. The return game also continues to shine as well.

With Green Bay losing yesterday and the Vikings playing at the New York Jets this evening, the Chicago Bears may have two of the early favorites looking up. Plus, with the news that Aaron Rodgers may have suffered a concussion after Sunday’s game, it may get uglier for the Pack. Couldn’t happen to a nicer fan base…

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Building to The Chicago Bears Strength

It is fairly easy to find the things the Chicago Bears do not do well. In fact, the pro-White Sox media (OK, had to throw this in here…) seems to find many things wrong that the Bears do. But, this is not the worst football team on Earth. Here are a few areas of strength for the Chicago Bears.

Special Teams

Brad Maynard and Robbie Gould are one of the premier kicking duos in football. Both kick in one of the toughest venues in football and do it at a high level. The Bears also have a strong group of returners. The best of all of these dudes is Devin Hester (will the old Devin Hester please stand up). Johnny Knox and Daniel Manning have both proven valuable in this roll as well. The Bears also cover kicks and block very well. Kudos to this group!

Starting Quarterback

Jay Cutler is a gifted quarterback. He has a cannon for an arm and can move out of the pocket. While he made some bad throws last year, he didn’t get much help. With a new system in place and more experience for his wide receivers, Cutler is due for a strong season.

Tight Ends

Finally the curse of Coach Ditka is gone. The Chicago Bears are blessed with good tight ends. While I am not the biggest Greg Olsen fan, he does bring some things to the table. Desmond Clark is a solid tight end and the most valuable of the group is Brandon Manumaleuna. Having this guy will help with the blocking on the offensive line. And when you are not looking, he will slip out and catch a pass.

Linebacker

You have one Hall-of-Famer (Brian Urlacher), one possible Hall-of-Famer (Lance Briggs), and a really solid player (Pisa Tinoisamoa) starting in this group. In addition, there is one solid backup (Nick Roach) and a veteran (Hunter Hillenmeyer) in this group.

In Closing…

I wanted to give us all some good thoughts for the day. It is easy to be negative, but today, its all about the love.

1. Neil Anderson

Following up a legend is hard to do. Neil Anderson was a great running back and the second best one I saw in a Bears uniform. He had great speed and was a tough runner on the inside. It is too bad his career got cut short by personal issues off the field.

2. Lance Briggs

Brian Urlacher steals all the headlines and Briggs did himself no favors by complaining about his contract, but Briggs is a great linebacker who has never gotten the credit he has deserved around the league. Sure he has made a few Pro Bowls, but this guy deserves stronger praise.

3. Matt Suhey

Guys are crossing my lists, but Suhey was an awesome football player. Notice people do not often mention the drought of fullbacks in Chicago, but the Bears have not had one since number 26.

4. Brendon Ayanbadejo

Lovie loves talking about the four phases of the game, and Special Teams are on of these. So why did the Bears let this guy go. He was one of the best in football and the Bears rewarded him by not paying him what he deserved.

5. Jeff Graham

Erik Kramer had an awesome year with the Bears, and Graham was a huge part of it. He was a good receiver that was not afraid to go over the middle and make plays. For some reason, the Bears did not see his value and let him go.

6. Peanut Tillman

For some unknown reason many Bears fans seem to take issue with Tillman. He is a great cornerback and has proven his talents with the team. I just wish people would cut him some slack.

7. Brad Maynard

He is unspectacular but amazing. He always seems to come up with big punts and puts the opposing teams in poor field position.

8. Leslie Frazier

Its too bad he got hurt on a trick play in the Super Bowl because he was getting to be a really good player for the Bears. Still not sure why Ditka decided to risk his top corner on a punt return with a big lead.

9. Bernard Berrian

I really liked Berrian as a Bear and was upset the team let him go. I am not sure why a team that is so far under the cap would not match the Vikings offer. He was a really nice football player.

10. Jim Morrissey

A last round pick with the Bears in 1985 and played several productive seasons with the Bears, a guy that never really got credit for being a good football player.

Your thoughts???