Bears Weekly Injury Report
As if it’s not bad enough having your Super Bowl quarterback pulled after three weeks of looking like a scared and fragile teapot in favor of a career journeyman who had one good year and has been dropped by three different teams, the Chicago Bears must also deal with rampant injuries. Now, on top of all the injuries you’ve probably already heard about, it seems that according to Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com, Da Bearss may have to play the pass-happy Detroit Lions without either of their starting corners. Nathan Vasher is out with hip and groin injuries from last week’s game against The Cowboys. On the opposite site, Charles Tillman may have to sit out with a sprained right ankle.
Much as it pains me to say, it would appear that the Bears have fallen under the curse of the Super Bowl runner-up. It seems that lately in the year following a trip to the Super Bowl, the loser always seems to tank. While no one can explain this strange phenomenon, it would certainly be tough to argue that it hasn’t afflicted the Chiacgo Bears. Of course, you could also argue that the Bears have signed too many aging defensive players while letting too many young players leave, that they never solved their problems at QB and now it’s come back to haunt them, and that they made the wrong decision at running back. But a curse sounds a lot better than all that to me.
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Bears Fall Seven Spots in NFL Power Rankings
The Bible of NFL supremacy, the NFL Power Rankings on ESPN.com, have been released this week. The Bears, for all their problems, have seen their stock plummet no less than seven spots this week, from six to 13. This fall from the top 10 can of course be attributed to the fact that the Bears score offensive touchdowns almost as rarely as the Notre Dame football team. Add to that the Bears’ defensive players showing an amazing dedication to getting injured in almost every way imaginable, and you have a true recipe for disaster in the Windy City right now.
The Bears are hoping that their amazing slide stops with Brian Griese at the helm. To be honest, I think they might be right. The fact of the matter is the Bears locker room was divided, no matter what kind of sound bytes the players were feeding the media. Players don’t like it when one guy keeps costing them football games, especially when that team is coming off a Super Bowl season. Last year they won despite Grossman’s insane ineptitude. This year is not last year. If the Bears have any hope of climbing back into the top 10 in the Power Rankings, or of just making the playoffs, they are going to need to get it together fast.
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Griese to Start
According to published reports from NFL.com, multiple Chicago papers, and ESPN.com (all citing anonymous sources), the Chicago Bears will bench Rex Grossman in favor of backup Brian Griese this Sunday. Grossman has limped out of the gate this season, posting absolutely horrible numbers on the way to a 1-2 start. With the surprising Green Bay Packers surging to a fast 3-0 start, the Bears have to start winning and winning fast if they hope to make it to the playoffs and defend their NFC Championship. Griese, a one-time Pro-Bowler, will take over in week four.
While Griese isn’t exactly Tom Brady, he is a 10-year veteran who should at the very least cut down on turnovers. With all the injuries riddling Chicago’s defense, it’s becoming increasingly important that the Bears offense put up some points and keep possession of the ball for more than a minute or two at a time before giving the opposition another chance to score with great field position. While this move does not guarantee a turnaround for the Bears, who still have big problems with injuries to the defense and with a nonexistent running game, this does at least get them moving in the right direction.
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The End of Chicago’s Rexperiment?
I’m not the type to throw players under the bus, or at least I like to think I’m not. However, though I have no personal problem with the man, I must write that it appears the end is nigh for Rex Grossman as the quarterback of the Chicago Bears. After another terrible performance this season (his QB rating was less than 30), even Len Pasquarelli must concede that it just isn’t working out. Rex, for whatever reason, is just not a starting NFL quarterback. He throws too many picks, loses too many fumbles, and just cannot seem to get his head into the right space to make proper decisions and plays. And now, it seems, the Bears will be forced to move in a different direction.
Though Chicago fans may rejoice at the news that they will finally be free of the Turnoversaurus, your team is not out of the woods yet. With injuries all over your defense and a running game that has yet to show up and play, the Bears may find themselves in a complete free fall very soon, no matter who lines up under center. Benson is going to need to prove to the Bears that they made the right decision is sending Thomas Jones packing. The Bears have the young kids in place to at least field a passable defense, but if they don’t start scoring at least 20 points a game, they’re just not going to win in today’s NFL.
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Bears Lose Another Game, More Players to Injury
The Bears are dropping like flies. Chicago lost linebacker Lance Briggs, offensive lineman Ruben Brown, Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris, and cornerback Nathan Vasher this week. The extent of their injuries will be made clearer later in the week. Briggs, Chicago’s Franchise Player and two-time Pro-Bowler, left the game in the second half with a groin injury. Vasher left the game in the third quarter, also with a groin injury. Brown left with an ankle injury and Harris left after sustaining a knee injury. This is all extremely bad news for the Bears, who lost two of their defensive leaders for the season in game 1 versus the San Diego Chargers.
Things continue to get worse for the Bears. Though it is only week 3, people are already crowning the Dallas Cowboys the new kings of the NFC, and who can blame them? The Bears continue to fall to injuries, looking less like a veteran team and more like an old team every day. Also working against them is the human turnover machine they refer to as The Grossman. Rex had no passes for touchdowns in this week’s loss to the Cowboys. He did, however, throw three interceptions. Chicago fans are just hoping the next Bear to sustain a season-ending injury is Rex.
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Bears Shamed even in Victory
Gene Wojciechowski has written an interesting piece on the state of Bears Nation after their team’s first win of the season. Bears fans, their team 1-1 with no real formidable NFC rival yet emerging, are freaking out. And not just a little. I thought it was bad in San Diego after a 1-1 start, but people in Chicago are straight up calling for total overhaul of the team. No one is safe. It’s not just Grossman either. It’s the running game, the o-line, the d-line, the linebackers, the coaches - people in Chicago are just brutally killing their team in public and private discussions.
I understand, to a degree. It has to be disheartening to know you have a quarterback who does his best Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde impression nearly every Sunday. Beyond that, though, Bears fans need to chill out. It’s early in the season, and you don’t have much in the way of actual competition. Just sit back and allow things to play out, and trust an organization that made it to the Super Bowl last year. The odds that the Bears miss the playoffs are slim to none, and once you get to the playoffs, you should be able to ride your defense over every crappy offense in the NFC all the way back to the big game in Phoenix. Don’t panic (yet).
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Bears First in Clayton’s First and Ten
John Clayton’s weekly First and Ten article features the Bears game as the game of the week to see. The Bears will face their first real NFC challenge in the form of the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys and Bears could not be more polar opposites on the field of play. The Cowboys have an amazing offense that puts points on the board in big chunks and is absolutely killing my fantasy football league. Their defense, however, is awful. Chicago this year is same song different verse. The offense is off to what could be described as a “slow start” if you live in a place called Understatement World. Grossman looks terrible. Cedric Benson isn’t doing much. The Bears’ time of possession is terrible.
So it is the Cowboys stellar offense versus the Bears lockdown D, and the Bears anemic offense versus the Cowboys wimpy D. Will the Bears actually be able to score some points on a defense that seems to have no problem allowing teams to drive on them at will? Will the Cowboys offense be able to score all those points on a truly great NFL defense? Will Rex Grossman make it through any one game this season without a turnover? If you want the answers to these questions and more, you’re going to have to watch the game.
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Ex-Bear Signs with Cowboys
According to ESPN.com, Ex-Bear Tank Johnson has signed a 2 year contract with the Dallas Cowboys. While Johnson is still serving an 8 game suspension due to off-field problems he had during last season with the Bears and in the offseason, that has not kept him from finding new employment since being cut by the Bears before the start of the season. Johnson will not be paid until the suspension ends, nor will he be able to fully join the team until he has fulfilled all of his obligations to the League for his transgressions. Johnson must also apply for reinstatement at midseason before being allowed to join the Cowboys.
Johnson seems intent on proving that the Cowboys made the right decision in signing him. To Tank’s credit, since being cut by the Bears, he has kept his name completely out of the news. And with a troubled NFL star, no news is good news. Though Tank is no longer a Bear, I would like to think that Bear Nation would wish him only the best in his endeavors moving forward. I know the Bears did their best to give Tank all the chances the could, but here’s hoping Tank has truly found his path to redemption, and a long and prosperous NFL career.
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Bears Fall Two Spots in Power Rankings
ESPN.com has released its weekly power rankings, and the Bears have fallen two spots from number four to number six. The Bears have only scored one offensive touchdown so far this season, though they will have a chance to score some points this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys, who seem unable to stop anyone from scoring at the moment. The Chicago defense will get another big test, as the Cowboys have won their first two games with a high-powered offense that has shown no problems putting points on the board so far in 2007.
The Bears Rex Grossman threw a pick in the game last weekend against the Chiefs that was absolutely atrocious. His footwork, something he supposedly worked on all offseason long, has been just awful so far. He’s been mistake-prone, and looks scared out there. The Bears may soon have to face the fact that they don’t have a top-tier NFL quarterback, and until they do, they’re going to be one piece away from winning a Super Bowl. If Rex doesn’t wake up and start posting solid numbers soon, the Bears may have to finally abandon the mistake-prone QB in favor of a backup who can at least manage the offense without screwing up and giving the other team extra opportunities to win.
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Hester Returns a TD in Bears Victory
The Chicago Bears rode solid outings from from their defense and special teams to a 20-10 victory over Kansas City in their home opener. Though Rex Grossman had yet another shaky day under center, the Bears running game showed up, allowing them some offense. The Bears avoided an 0-2 start by beating up an obviously inferior Kansas City team. The Chiefs looked awful yet again, with the offense showing definite rust and chemistry problems. However, the Bears certainly did not look like a championship-caliber team in this victory. The Colts, Chargers, Patriots, and probably even a few NFC teams would have completely destroyed the Chiefs. The Bears were lucky to escape with a victory.
This information should be troubling to Bears fans. I know it’s only week 2, but you’re talking about a Kansas City team that the Houston Texans lit up in week 1. When the Houston Texans are beating up a team that the Bears are struggling to defeat, something is wrong in Chicago. The Bears need to find their offense, and they need to find their offense quickly. If Rex Grossman doesn’t start producing quickly, then it may finally be time to end the Rexperiment and go with a quarterback who can at least manage a game without all the turnovers. The Bears can’t win out in the NFC without a real offense if they’re also losing the turnover battle. It just won’t work. However, as long as they have that defense and those amazing special teams, they’ll be in the conversation in the horrible NFC.
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