Defense Determined To Be On Top
Chicago may not be known for great quarterbacks, but they are known for a tough defense. That is what made last year such a tough year to swallow for players and fans alike as an season filled with injuries left the Bears with a 7-9 record and the defense allowing an almost record number of yards. This year’s defense is ready to change that. Pro Bowler Lance Briggs told the RR Star, “We need to be the best defense in the league. We need to be dominant. We need to have a high turnover ratio. And we need to score. This is the city of Chicago. In Chicago, we are known for Dee-fense. Hats off to the offense. I want them to play well and be the top offense in the league, but as far as I’m concerned, the buck stops here. This is where we need to be dominant. “
Lance Briggs and the rest of the offense are ready to step up and bring back the title of top defense back to Chicago, and they have an offense who might actually help them instead of hurt them this season. In years past, the defense had to spend the majority of the game on the field because of a weak, turnover-prone offense. See both sides work their magic by getting Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.
Orton Readies For Colts
When Kyle Orton won the starting quarterback job from former golden boy Rex Grossman, he may have already guessed that the win didn’t mark the end of the discussion. There has been much speculation about how Orton will do this season, especially as he is up against the formidable Indianapolis Colts in the first game of the regular season on September 7. Orton doesn’t seem to be balking at the challenge, however, and told the Associated Press, “I’m excited. This is a great chance for not only myself but the offense to go out and make a statement against a very good defense.”
The last time the Bears fans got a good look at the skills of this quarterback, he was a nervous newcomer who had to fill in for an injured Grossman and not fumble. This time, there are bigger expectations. The Bears have completely shuffled their offensive line and injected a shot of new talent. Both Bears teammates and the coaching staff have seen how Orton has matured over the years and see a quarterback who is ready to bring some big plays to Chicago. All are hoping that the personnel change equals bigger numbers for the Bears’ offense. Find your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.
Bears Add Buenning
With first round draft pick Chris Williams iffy with a back injury, the Chicago Bears padded their offensive line by trading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for guard Dan Buenning. In return, the Bears gave the Bucs a draft pick in 2009. Cornerback Zackary Bowman was released to make room for Buenning on the roster, but the deal will not be finalized until Buenning passes a physical. This is especially important considering Buenning’s past. He started every game as a rookie in 2005, but then tore his ACL midway through the 2006 season. Because he wasn’t quite healed last season, the Bucs had him inactive for the entire season.
Buenning is adamant that he is ready to perform and told Larry Mayer, “I’m right there now, healthy as a horse. It was an ACL and that’s usually a year. They didn’t feel I was ready to go last season and besides, Sears was doing a good job.”
He is referring to Arron Sears, who took over the starting guard position for Buenning after his injury. The Bears need depth in their offensive line thanks to a less-than-ideal quarterback situation and a rookie running back. If Buenning stays healthy, he could be just what the doctor ordered. Find your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.
Forte Weighed Down with Opener, Storm
While it would seem like rookie running back Matt Forte has enough to worry about, this weekend added another level of concern for the young player. On top of preparing to be the first rookie running back since Walter Payton to start in the season opener, Forte was also plagued with thoughts about his friends and family in his home state of Louisiana. As Hurricane Gustav charged toward the coast, the Tulane alum waited for the worst. He told the Chicago Tribune, “I just felt nervous that something like Katrina would happen again. I’ve just been praying that the storm gets weaker and there’s not as much damage as last time. I think about it a lot. I’ve been calling my old teammates, making sure they evacuated.”
Luckily for Forte and everyone else in the state, the storm weakened and didn’t blast the cities as was predicted. With relief, he can now turn his attention to the opener against the tough Indianapolis Colts on September 7. The preseason wasn’t exactly rosy for the Bears, but they are looking to show the league what they are really made out of at Sunday’s matchup. Get your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.
Bears Win Last Preseason Game, Ready For Cuts
The Chicago Bears avoided the dreaded winless preseason last night by beating the Cleveland Browns 16-10 last night. While the outcome was what the Bears wanted, many of the players from that game remain uneasy in the aftermath. The reason is that the game was their chance to show they deserve a spot on the 53-man roster before the final cut on Saturday. The Bears have to let go some 21 players by tomorrow, so even the stars of last night’s game aren’t restful with their spot. Wide receiver Brandon Rideau scored the Bears’ only touchdown and had three catches for 63 yards.
Even with his impressive game, Rideau is still holding his breath a little. He told the Chicago Tribune, “I proved enough to know I can play. Whether I stick on this team or not, that’s totally up to the coaching staff, deciding where they need me or where they would want to put me. It used to be tough, not knowing. Now I just feel it’s not in my hands, that I just go out there and make plays and have faith.”
Luckily, he and the other players don’t have long to wait to find out. Get your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.
Rookies Look Forward to Final Preseason Game
The last preseason game is often a chance for the starters to get a week off before the first regular season game. That will more than likely be true for the Chicago Bears against the Cleveland Browns tonight, which opens up an opportunity for the rookies to show their stuff. While top picks like Matt Forte and Chris Williams know they are guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster, later picks are not so sure.
One such player is offensive tackle Kirk Baron, who the bears chose in the seventh round of the draft. He told Larry Mayer, “It’s definitely a huge opportunity because we’re going to play the majority of the game. There are going to be a lot of guys out there fighting for their lives. That’s the thing about the fourth preseason game. A lot of people think it’s meaningless, but for guys like us, it means everything.”
The Bears have to make their final roster cuts by Saturday, meaning tonight’s game is the last chance for Barton and others to prove their worth. This will be a good game for the rookies to make a difference, too. Both the Browns and the Bears have lost every preseason game leading up to today, making it look like a pretty even matchup. See who makes the final roster by getting your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.
Bears Bid Farewell to Manning Jr.
The Chicago Bears are whittling down their roster to come up with their final roster for the season opener on September 7, and that led to the release of Ricky Manning, Jr. yesterday. Manning is a veteran cornerback who joined the team in 2006. His first year with the Bears, he registered five interceptions for 113 yards and a touchdown as well as 53 tackles. He played in all but one game and also tallied two sacks. His stats weren’t as high last year, although he did play in every game. He notched 44 tackles, one sack and no interceptions.
Manning made his feelings apparent before the Bear’s decision. He wasn’t given a starting role last season and was replaced by another Manning, Danieal. The position as backup didn’t sit well with Manning. He told the Chicago Tribune, “Not being a part of their plans, that’s fine with me. If that’s the mistake they want to make, hey, so be it.”
Before Manning came to Chicago, he was with the Carolina Panthers, who selected him in the third round of the 2003 draft. In his rookie season, he had three interceptions and 57 tackles as well as a touchdown. He had similar stats his next two seasons at Carolina before coming to Chicago for a better deal. Find your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.
Grossman Getting Used to New Role
During training camp and the first part of the preseason, quarterbacks Kyle Orton and Rex Grossman battled for the starting position. In the end, the job fell to Orton and changed Grossman’s title from starter to backup. It took Grossman awhile to speak out after the decision, and he told Larry Mayer, “My mindset hasn’t changed, just my role from everyone else’s standpoint has changed, and that’s taken a little bit of time to get over. I’ll never fully get over it and I don’t think anyone would expect me to. My motivation is to be a great player in this league and a starter again, but for right now I’ve got to be the best quarterback ready at a moment’s notice. That’s my goal and that’s my job.”
Grossman had a rough time during last Thursday’s preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, but that was his first game as a backup. Hopefully all of the glitches are behind him, and he is ready to be what a backup quarterback should be. Every player wants to be a starter, but the honor only goes to a select few. Grossman had his turn as a starter at Chicago but failed to prove he should keep the job. To see Orton in action, get Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.
Bears Knew About Williams Injury Before Draft
Rookie tackle Chris Williams’s herniated disc turns out to be no surprise for the Chicago Bears. When the Bears drafted him in the first round, they already knew of his injury, but the concern increased when he further injured it in practice. After the training camp incident, Williams had to have surgery on August 6, which will take him 10 weeks to recover from. Williams told reporters, “I had a herniated disc before I got here. I knew that. Everyone knew that. It just was a thing where most people it doesn’t affect. It wasn’t affecting me so if nothing is broke, you don’t fix it. Then something happened in practice that second day, the disc started moving and that caused some problems.”
Like other rookies on the Bears’ roster, Williams comes from Vanderbilt, where he started 33 consecutive games. Williams was chosen 14th overall in the draft and was signed to a $16 million contract that locks him in for the next five years. If the Bears did know about his injury prior to the draft, they must have been assured that he would be worth the money even if his back had to be fixed. Now that they are in that position, fans are hoping they were right. Get your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.
O’Sullivan’s Brilliance Downs Bears
Although preseason games are hardly an indication of what a season will hold, Chicago Bears fans saw an interesting game against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday where the Niners downed the Bears 37-30. Kyle Orton did exceptionally well and showed the Bears why they chose him as the starting quarterback, but the Bears defense seemed unexpectedly lackluster. Coach Lovie Smith told Larry Mayer, “On the defensive side of the football, I was just completed disappointed with the entire effort. We’re a better defense than that. I thought after last week we would get that swagger back and come out strong. Every indication I got this week said that we would do that, but we didn’t get it done. We’ll go back, make the corrections and try to go from there. “
It didn’t help that the come-out-of-nowhere 49ers quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan had a nearly perfect game, completing 7 of 8 for 126 yards, a touchdown and a quarterback rating of 158.3. Both Bears backup Rex Grossman and 49ers backup Alex Smith faltered. Both were supposed to be stars at the helm of their teams by this point in their careers. See how the Bears comeback from a slow preseason by getting Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.