| 22 August 2010
In the 2009 season (and for much of Lovie Smith’s tenure) the Chicago Bears have been terrible at the start of games. They gave up points on the opening drive of six contests last season. That’s why Saturday’s slow start against the Oakland Raiders wasn’t a total shock. Still, many Bears fans had to be scratching their heads, thinking: “Really? We’re looking this bad against the Raiders?”
A 10-0 deficit appeared to be getting worse, until Jason Campbell floated a pass into the hands of Charles Tillman near the Chicago 11. On the next play, Matt Forte gave the 60,000+ in attendance at Soldier Field a brief case of amnesia with an 89-yard touchdown gallop. A second Oakland mistake—this one a botched shotgun snap that was recovered by Israel Idonjie—gave the Bears great field position for their second score, a 22-yard touchdown strike from Jay Cutler to Johnny Knox. That would be it for the first-string offense, as Cutler gave way to Dan LeFevour for the rest of the game.
Aside from the two turnovers, the starting Chicago defense turned in a lackluster performance. Oakland moved the ball willingly on the Bears, even converting on a third-and-17 with a screen pass. Brian Urlacher left play early with a calf injury that isn’t believed to be serious, but his absence is no excuse for the terrible performance of this unit. Julius Peppers was unblockable at times and earned a sack and forced fumble on the same play, but his efforts were a brief flicker of promise on an otherwise bleak night.
The second half was a lesson in ugly football, even for a preseason game. The offense threw a pick, the special teams gave up a touchdown with a muffed punt and a safety on a blocked punt and the defense continued to allow Oakland’s offense to drive. No position battles were won on Saturday, but there were certainly a few players who just ended their careers in Chicago.
And one more thing: can we find a legitimate long snapper for next Saturday? Pat Mannelly is one of the best in league, but if he can’t play, the Bears need to be able to run their special teams. Having a professional football team spoil that many plays is absurd.
Let’s revisit Friday’s game preview and see how the Bears did:
Better run blocking: The great run by Matt Forte was set up by two terrific blocks: one from pulling guard Lance Louis and the other from pulling center Olin Kreutz. Each displayed the athleticism to get around the end and lead a play up the field—a great sign for the run game. Overall, the Bears racked up 174 yards on 25 carries, averaging just under seven yards per carry. The run game certainly improved, but it’s hard to praise an offensive line that allowed Cutler to be sacked five times in the first half. Anytime Chris Williams wants to return to the player that shut down Jared Allen last season is fine with me. A few simple stunts on the Oakland defensive line seemed to befuddle the Bears blockers—not a good sign with the regular season just three weeks away.
More big plays by the receivers: Devin Hester hauled in pass on a corner route, converting a third down early in the game, and Cutler bought enough time with his feet to allow Johnny Knox to break open for that touchdown pass in the first half. Outside of that, the receivers were quiet in this one.
Pressure from a 4-man rush: The sack-and-fumble from Peppers was about the only time Oakland start Jason Campbell saw pressure. He often had all day to pick apart the Bears secondary, and did so with relative ease. The biggest way for the Bears defense to succeed in 2010 is to muster pressure with their four man rush. That hasn’t happened yet in the preseason.
Better tackling: Much like the last game, the tackling wasn’t terrible, but there’s still room left to improve. Cutting down the receivers on those screen passes before they go 40 yards is of particular importance, considering the Packers have always been great at that play.
Improved kickoff coverage: Check. Dave Toub proves again that he’s worth every penny.
Take it to the Raiders: Not even close. It took the Bears nearly an entire quarter to wake up, and they were already trailing by 10 at that point. Against a team that hasn’t been successful in nearly a decade, the Bears underperformed.
Six days to get ready for a team that shellacked the Bears at home last season. Matt Leinart is no Kurt Warner, but the Arizona Cardinals still have plenty of offensive firepower. The defense had better be ready.
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