Chicago Bears Offense…the H-Back Explained
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I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am so glad that the days of Jason McKie are over. I was so sick and tired of watching him not gain yards or drop short passes. Now that Ron Turner is gone, so are the days of the boring fullback that does little but take up space. To this day, I am trying to understand exactly what McKie brought to the table, and I am still not quite sure. He really never seemed to block anyone and when he would actually catch a pass, it would be for very little yardage. This was one of many things that Turner seemed to do well…have eligable receivers that teams knew darn well were not getting the football. Or if that player did, bad things would probably happen.
Now let’s welcome Mike Martz. Martz’s offense specifically requires each eligable player to do a specific task on every play. Working within a cohesive unit, each receiver’s responsibilities opens up opportunities for a teammate.
One of the key’s to his offense is the use of the H-Back. What is an H-Back you might ask? Well an H-Back traditionally serves as a player with the combined skills of a fullback and tight end. The H-Back will line up in the backfield in a spot similar to where the fullback would line up or in support or on the line of scrimmage. The H-Back may also go in motion to the desired location. So the player is not exactly a fullback but can play that roll…he is also not a traditional tight end but can play that roll as well.
Don Coryell, who is considered by many to be the father of the modern passing game, in one of his many innovations identified that the tight end could be used as more than just a blocker. While Martz has varied this approach a little bit, it still comes from this general concept. In fairness to Ron Turner, he tried some of these things too, but seemed to favor McKie over more athletic type players that Martz has had a tendency to favor in this roll.
During the St. Louis Rams great runs, Ernie Conwell was that type of player. He would line up in the backfield and find his way into the short-to-immediate passing zone and create an option for Kurt Warner. This would open everything up for the “Greatest Show on Turf” to work its way downfield.
[picappgallerysingle id="3838048"]Based on this, the Chicago Bears have two great candidates for this type of player…Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark. Both are guys that have shown some receiving skills and in the case of Clark, a guy that can block when he has to do so. Brandon Manumaleuna will play the roll of tight end (that is known for blocking first in the Martz offense), but the other two guys will fill the roll nicely at H-Back.
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Chicago Bears Profile…Desmond Clark
[picappgallerysingle id="3258173"]What does Desmond Clark need to do to get respect around here? He has been one of the most productive Chicago Bears over the past few seasons, and yet all the organization wants to do is replace him. Greg Olsen may have better “pure” receiving skills and Brandon Manumaleuna is a better blocker, but Clark does everything pretty well.
During the first few days of training camp, he has been one of the top offensive players. He has made some impressive catches and found ways of getting open.
For a change, tight end has become a position of strength for the Chicago Bears.
Going forward this season, look for Clark to have a strong season in the red-zone due to his size and deceptive skills. Additionally, he is a strong blocker that will help Manumaleauna on the opposite side. Clark will be the unsung hero this season.
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T-Minus Four Days Until Chicago Bears Training Camp
OK, things are starting to get exciting around here. We can almost taste the start of football season. Yesterday, I started highlighting story lines for training camp.
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.
Week 4 Preview: Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
The only thing looking positive for the Chicago Bears match up against the Philadelphia Eagles is the injury to Brian Westbrook. The Eagles remain unclear whether Westbrook will play this week, but as of Monday Westbrook was seen limping around with a strained ankle. The Eagles are a different team without Westbrook and it could be a tough test for Donovan McNabb if Westbrook doesn’t play Sunday night.
The last two games have been a big disappointment to Bears fans everywhere. During the last two games against the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bears have managed to let a significant lead disappear late in the game. Week two was gut wrenching in week two, but to have the same outcome in week three was heartbreaking.
If the Bears hope to have any chance this Sunday, Kyle Orton can’t afford to make any careless turnovers and Matt forte will need to average over five yards a carry, as in week one. If Chicago can get the run game going, look for Orton to take some chances deep to his favorite receiver Brandon Lloyd and hopefully find his tight ends Greg Olsen and veteran Desmond Clark.
Bears fans should be nervous this week, but hope for a week four turnaround.
