Chicago Bears Greg Olsen on the Market…or is He
The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday Morning that Greg Olsen’s agent Drew Rodenhaus sent an email to all of the NFL teams suggesting that the Chicago Bears are looking to move Greg Olsen. Within minutes, the email was rescinded. Attempts to reach Rodenhaus by the Tribune were unsuccessful for comment on this strange situation.
All of you should know by now where I stand on Olsen. He should have been on my overrated list, but you have to be actually rated before you can be overrated. Most fans are onto how much this guy is a soft blocker, pass dropper and generally crappy football player. In order to be an elite tight end, you have to be able to at least do something. Doing nothing makes you a disgrace to the Chicago Bears.
I am sure by now the other NFL teams know what brutal football player Olsen is by now as well. This does not mean that a team may not take a shot at him, but his value has plummeted. Too bad the New England Patriots pulled the second-round draft pick off the table last season. That would have been larceny.
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Chicago Bears Interception Problem
We all know about Jay Cutler and his ability to find players not wearing Chicago Bears uniforms. It has become the running joke of will we see Good Jay or Bad Jay is always on the minds of Bears fans.
I decided to do some investigative journalism and see exactly where the problem exactly lies. After reviewing my notes and watching game films, I’ve decided the fault here spreads through the offense.
While Johnny Knox had a fine season statistically, I found at least three occasions where Knox didn’t work for the football. On more than one occasion, he let a defensive back out-muscle him for the football. On another occasion, if you recall the Redskins game and DeAngelo Hall’s monster game. On one of his interceptions he returned for a touchdown, Knox just gave up on his route and didn’t react. This is something that Knox improved upon, but something that he’ll need to address. But, I’m a Knox fan and I love the way he commits to block. He just needs some more time to get better.
Devin Hester had an all-pro year as a returner and improved as a receiver. But, Hester ran several routes incorrectly and still at times lacks the instincts to be a top receiver. Most of his catches come on simple routes. While Hester doesn’t get muscled as often as Knox, he still doesn’t react as quickly as needed.
Don’t even get me started on Greg Olsen. Besides being a crappy blocker, he fails to get open. And when he does, its anyone’s guess what will happen next if he gets a pass. I’ve been on the Olsen being overrated bandwagon for a long time. The other tight ends are blockers.
The best fundamental receiver on the Chicago Bears is Earl Bennett. He doesn’t have Hester or Knox’s speed, but he’s a tough SOB and runs great routes. Notice that Cutler got better when Bennett established himself in the passing game. It’s not exactly a coincidence. They were college teammates and it has translated to the NFL. Watching Bennett work for the football as well as laying guys out on blocks is fun. I wonder if the Seattle punter will look around on Sunday?
Devin Aromashodu and Rasheed Davis round out the receiving core. Aromashodu just doesn’t quite click and Davis is a veteran who’s value is obvious on special teams and as an occasional receiver. Aromashodu has been in the dog house a long time since dropping passes including a touchdown against the Lions on opening day. Davis played more than normal the last few games and did a solid job.
Matt Forte is a great receiver out of the backfield. Chester Taylor will catch the ball as well. This helps Cutler as well.
So here’s my conclusion. The Chicago Bears need to run the damn football. That is the first place that cuts down on interceptions. For obvious reasons, its not a throw. But it pulls safeties out of coverage and helps his receivers to get more open. When Cutler establishes Bennett and Forte in the short-to-intermediate passing game, it opens up the deeper throws. If Olsen would man-up and actually catch the ball, that helps as well.
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Chicago Bears Monday Morning Quarterback
The Chicago Bears won yesterday 24-20 over a Detroit Lions team that I felt they should have dominated.
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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Chicago Bears Midweek Thoughts
It is amazing that the Chicago Bears are 7-3, because the record gets discounted more than any other team in football. For example, it has been pointed out how the Chicago Bears have the weakest schedule of any 7-3 team. Despite defeating Green Bay and Dallas (when Dallas was considered a contender), the Bears are considered the weakest of the 7-3 teams in the NFC.
This Sunday becomes a must-win game for the Chicago Bears. With losses against other NFC East squads including Washington (which should have been a win) and New York, the Bears can ill-afford a fourth loss against an NFC squad. While losing doesn’t signal the end, it puts even more pressure on the Chicago Bears. With Green Bay also having a difficult test against the Atlanta Falcons (which is a noon kick0ff, so the Chicago Bears will know how the enemy has done before starting its contest), this is a crucial week for the the whole conference.
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The Chicago Bears have proven to be an excellent defensive team. They also are strong on special teams. Devin Hester continues to strike fear in opposing teams. This will give the Chicago Bears an edge down the stretch. If the offense continues to run the damn football, the Chicago Bears become that much more dangerous. By using the run to set up the pass, teams will be forced to leave guys like Greg Olsen open in the 10-15 yard range. As crappy of a blocker as Olsen is, he can kill teams in the intermediate passing area.
One thing is for sure, this is the way we all want it. Nothing is more pure than having the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers fighting it out in the NFC North.
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An Interesting Perspective on the Chicago Bears
I was having dinner with my friend and Bears Headquarters’ fan Jason last night. Besides being a Packers fan, he’s also knows his NFL. He shared with me something he heard…one of the reasons why the Chicago Bears don’t get the respect of people around the league is because this is not a team with much fantasy or “Madden” value.
This is an excellent point. For example, Julius Peppers has made the Chicago Bears defense better. However, until last Thursday, he wasn’t getting sacks.Because it wasn’t showing up on paper, Peppers has been considered to be an under-achiever to those that don’t watch this team every week.
[picappgallerysingle id="9704749"]The same can be said about Lance Briggs. He’s one of the best linebackers in football, but because he doesn’t get the “sexy” stats like sacks and interceptions, he doesn’t always get full credit. If you asked the casual fan to pick between Clay Matthews and Lance Briggs, the answer probably would be obvious. Taking nothing away from Matthew’s performance this season, but Briggs is as good if not better. Want proof…remember Briggs shooting the gap on opening day against the Lions on the goal line. Matthews is helped by the system.
Offensively, Jay Cutler’s statistics are down. But the Chicago Bears are winning. So the assumption becomes that because of this, the Chicago Bears are taking the game away from him. They’re not allowing Cutler to throw as often. This is certainly correct. I’m sure owners of Cutler in fantasy leagues would like Aaron Rodgers like numbers, but that’s not how this team is going to make the playoffs. Rodgers has a better offensive line and receivers, but the Chicago Bears have a better running attack.
To the casual fan, Cutler has lost it and Mike Martz isn’t using him properly. It’s quite the opposite. Cutler manages the game quite well and teams still have to respect his throwing ability. So instead of forcing things, he can set up the passing attack with the run. This isn’t “Madden”, but it’s the reason why the Chicago Bears are playing better since the bye week.
[picappgallerysingle id="10210096"]One Chicago Bear that does get some headlines for being a great player is Greg Olsen. For those of you that know me, you know that I think he’s overrated. Why do people think he’s so good? Because he does have good statistical games. And yes, he does make plays. However, Olsen cannot block to save his life and if he’s bodied-up, will not get open. Let’s go back to my original point above. Martz recognized this and is now using the run to force linebackers off of Olsen. This will allow him to release and become open.
The Chicago Bears host Mr. Fantasy this weekend. Michael Vick will always be the king of statistics. He’s having an amazing year, but keep in mind that Andy Reid had doubts earlier in the year. Individual statistics don’t always equal wins. Just look at the Cincinnati Bengals. On paper, they would probably scare a team more than the Chicago Bears.
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