Chicago Bears Chester Taylor Receives Praise from Coaches and Brett Favre
One of the big off-season acquisitions was Chester Taylor. Not only was he helping improve the depth of the Chicago Bears at running back, but weakening a division foe in the Minnesota Vikings. As my pals with Packers blogs will point out, Chester Taylor always finds a way to get big yards on a regular basis.
[picappgallerysingle id="10138862"]For those of you that know me and have read my work in the past, I am not a fan of current Chicago Bear Matt Forte. I think he’s a lot of sizzle and very little steak. Taylor, on the other hand, is a tough north and south runner that can fight his way for the tough yards. I do not see the same from Forte, who also doesn’t enjoy blocking or holding onto the football.
The Chicago Bears coaches need to use Taylor more in this offense. Mike Martz was understands Taylor’s value and plans on using him more as the season moves along. Lovie Smith also expressed how valuable Taylor is to this team with his style of play.
Even Brett Favre had good things to say about Taylor. Despite only playing with him for one season in Minnesota, he felt that Taylor was an all-around back that was under-utlilized last season. Perhaps there is some truth to this, or perhaps this is another shot at coach Brad Childress. Either way, Taylor was a valuable member of the Vikings. Taylor is still close with some of his old teammates and has some extra incentive to play for this Sunday at Soldier Field.
With all of this being said, why does Taylor not play more often? While Forte does have more speed, he isn’t a great runner between the tackles. Taylor can do that…so here’s a concept…play both? With Greg Olsen not blocking anyone as an H-Back, why not let Taylor take on that roll? Plus, Taylor might be enough of an inside running threat to open up the outside for Forte. With the offensive line being a weak link, doesn’t it seem logical to have better blocking from the skill positions? While Brandon Manumaleuna has finally began to learn the art of blocking again, perhaps Taylor can help as well.
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Grading the Chicago Bears
At 4-3, the Chicago Bears find themselves in a tie with Green Bay atop the NFC North. While on paper this looks pretty good, the Chicago Bears have managed to look pretty bad in losing three of four games. Two of those losses came to teams they should have beaten. Without any further buildup, here are my grades for the 2010 Chicago Bears…
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?
Chicago Bears Greg Olsen and Matt Forte…Can You Spell Overrated?
I’ve been Greg Olsen’s biggest critic. While he once in a while makes a catch, he’s an invisible blocker. During the preseason contest against the San Diego Chargers, Matt Forte missed a block during the first series that caught my attention. I wrote about it at the time questioning Forte. Based on his inconsistent running, propensity to fumble and lack of blocking skills he’s now another Olsen.
On paper, both look like they should be top players. Both have speed, size and have shown play-making abilities. However, the fumbles, missed blocks and moments of being non-factors overshadow any strengths these two may bring to the table.
As much as people want to blame the offensive line, and they deserve blame, it doesn’t help when they’re isn’t anyone picking up a blitzer. Plus, considering these two don’t block, shouldn’t they be open more often?
While Jay Cutler is struggling, he isn’t getting much help. It would be nice of it was from two of his top offensive players?
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Prediction for the Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
The day is finally here! Thank goodness because I do not think I could have waited any longer. It seems like a year ago that the Chicago Bears defeated the Dallas Cowboys. By the way, are the same pundits that discredited the Chicago Bears win over Dallas still saying how overrated Dallas is this season after the Cowboys dismantled the Houston Texans yesterday? Just as a reminder (and a boost of my ego), I picked the score to be Chicago 28 Dallas 20 last week (in reality, it was 27-20).
I’ve played this game several times out in my head. Obviously being a Chicago Bears fan, I tried to identify how the Chicago Bears can win this game. What are Green Bay’s weaknesses and the Chicago Bears’ strengths? After doing this review in my head, I came to the realization that there is no reason why Chicago shouldn’t win this game.
What Plays in the Chicago Bears Favor…
Here are the things that should help the Chicago Bears…
- It will be quite a whipped up crowd at home. I am not one of theses home-field advantage guys, but this rivalry will add some fuel to the fire.
- Green Bay has no running game.
- Over his last four games (going back to last season), Jay Cutler is beginning to show why he is a franchise quarterback.
- Matt Forte is getting his burst back from his rookie season.
- Johnny Knox and Devin Hester are getting better each week with Greg Olsen making important catches as well.
- Teams with strong running games through two weeks have not been able to run the football on the Chicago Bears defense.
- There are very few missed tackles.
- The linebackers are playing great.
- The secondary is creating turnovers.
- The kickers are playing up to their high standards.
- Mike Martz and Mike Tice really have shown an ability to adjust when needed.
Here is what plays in the Green Bay Packers Favor…
- Aaron Rodgers is an elite quarterback with a strong group of receivers.
- The defense has been dominant at times.
- Green Bay’s coaching is strong.
- The Chicago Bears are suspect on the offensive line and secondary.
- The betting-line on this game has moved to Green Bay’s favor (getting three points).
The Verdict…
I spent my afternoon watching other games from around the NFL. I saw some things that amazed me. For example, New Orleans losing in overtime because their kicker Garrett Hartley couldn’t hit a 29-yard field goal (missed really badly). Or the number of poor passes and play calling in the red zone by teams like the San Diego Chargers. The Washington Redskins lost to the St. Louis Rams. The New York football Giants getting their rear ends kicked at home against Tennessee. So, with all of this, I began to realize that perhaps the Chicago Bears may be a very good team. While it has only been two weeks, some of the mistakes that plagued other teams just don’t happen with the Chicago Bears (minus a certain Calvin Johnson play…GULP). For example, Robbie Gould is an elite kicker. Can you see him missing a 29-yard field goal?
After much consideration, the final score of this game will be…
Chicago 27 Green Bay 24
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Chicago Bears Tight Ends…Not so Good…
[picappgallerysingle id="9580961"]For those of you that know me, you know that I have never been a fan of Greg Olsen. He has never seen a block that he likes. Additionally, while he makes catches there are many occasions when he is out of a play before it begins. He will get caught up in interference or not be able to shed a defender. The Chicago Bears have claimed that he is now a recognized target, but so are Dallas Clark, Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates. However, the difference is that the three guys not in a Chicago Bears uniform make plays on a regular basis.
[picappgallerysingle id="9469343"]Speaking of Gates, the Chicago Bears signed his former teammate Brandon Manumaleuna as one of the big three with Julius Peppers and Chester Taylor. Manumaleuna is supposed to be a devastating blocker and will occasionally catch a pass when he’s open. Well this preseason, he hasn’t caught a pass or blocked very well. Now in his defense, he was hurt. For a guy that is considered by many to be such a great blocker, I ain’t seeing it. He was a key player for the Mike Martz offense in St. Louis, so let’s hope this is just him getting his legs back after an injury. But like with Marv Cook, the Chicago Bears haven’t had the best track record of bringing in tight ends from free agency.
[picappgallerysingle id="3196792"]Desmond Clark has been one of the more underrated Chicago Bears during his career. This season, he has made the transition to h-back as well as playing some tight end. H-back is a combination between the two positions, but one of the primary jobs of an h-back is to block for both the quarterback and running game. Clark has struggled with both of these tasks. In his defense, it is a new season and he is learning a new position. However, it better improve really quickly or this could be a disaster.
[picappgallerysingle id="9580886"]Kellen Davis isn’t a lock on this roster. He is used primarily as a special teams player and catches occasional short passes. Quite honestly, he has looked the best of the four this preseason (although I have to say that Olsen is a far superior pass catcher, but I think blocking is as big of a part of the tight end position as catching passes…unless you’re Jay Novecek). He seems to get a pad on someone and helped with the running game. That does not mean I think he is more talented than the other three (well more than Olsen in the blocking department, my two-year old son can block better), I just am giving him credit for being the best of the tight ends this preseason.
Closing Preseason Thoughts…
I think one of the dangers of the preseason is the ability of us fans to gripe about something. When teams play four games, fans want to see what his or her team can do. In the case of the Chicago Bears, we saw very little from this squad. If this team finishes 13-3, people will forget the preseason fairly quickly.
I have no issue with Lovie Smith holding out some of his star players. That being said, it would seem that learning a complicated offense like Martz’s one require a lot of practice. The lack of blocking really did not allow this group to find a rhythm. Maybe this is getting done at Halas Hall, but based on the results (and I am sure most of you would agree), we do not have much to feel good about at this point. This can all change a week from Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
