Cedric Benson Facing Tough Road

Today, as the Bears move into another must-win Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive, i have an article from the Chicago Sun-Times detailing just how costly this injury could be for Benson.  The Bears’ running back has yet to earn many of the bonuses on his rookie contract, and now with his season ending prematurely, he won’t be able to amass the 27 yards he would have needed to earn a 1.73 million dollar bonus.  Benson, according to the articles, has earned a bit more than 13 million dollars from his rookie contract, or roughly half of what it could have been worth.

Benson may well be done for good, unfortunately.  The injury he suffered is extremely severe, and the rehab is long and intense.  It’s the same injury, coincidentally, that sidelined Bears’ QB Rex Grossman in 2005.  It took Grossman nearly five months of rehab to come back and play.  And Grossman hasn’t exactly been stellar since his return, though i don’t see how a leg injury and an inability to make proper decisions are related.  However, the fact remains that as a running back, Benson must be able to rely on his legs to cut, break tackles, and pound the ball.  Here’s hoping he makes a full recovery and comes back better than ever.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 30, 2007 - Post a comment

Bears Rise in Power Rankings

ESPN.com has once again released their weekly Power Rankings, and the news is extremely good for Bears fans.  Or at least, the news is very good relative to the type of news Bears fans may have become accustomed to hearing lately.  The Bears jumped a full six spots this week, from 22 to 16.  While being ranked 16th in the Power Rankings may not have been what Bears fans were picturing in the preseason, the fact remains that the Bears have been stuck squarely in the 20s for a good portion of this season, and a jump in to the teens of the Rankings bodes well for them.

The people at the Power Rankings are wondering - as was I - whether the loss of Cedric Benson is good news or bad news.  I still say it’s good news, as Adrian Peterson, though not a superstar in the league, has shown more grit, intensity, and heart in his running so far this year than Benson, as I see it.  Agree or disagree with me if you like, but I still say that Benson just doesn’t have what it takes upstairs to get it done.  He, much like Rex Grossman, seems to lack the mental toughness to bear down and really get it done when times get tough in the NFL.  Peterson, in  my opinion, gives the Bears a better chance to win.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 29, 2007 - Post a comment

Comparing the Bears to the Pats

No, not this year.  That would just be embarrassing. I’m taking about a Page 2 article on ESPN.com, written by Ted Kluck, comparing the classic 1985 Bears to this year’s insanely dominant New England Patriots team.  Kluck, an insanely biased Bears fan, waxes on and off about the many amazing virtues of that 1985 Chicago team that won it all, giving them the edge in all categories, including coaching, running backs, quarterback, and defense.  It should be noted that Mr. Kluck is not actually comparing these teams based on football merit, but upon something much more important and intangible - personality.

While the jury is still out as to which team is honestly the better squad, and that debate will likely rage on whether the Pats go undefeated or not, the fact remains that Mr. Kluck’s article is certainly an interesting read.  He makes some truly funny points, and I have to say that I do agree with him.  While the Patriots team of this season may be displaying an almost unprecedented dominance, they are a bit bland as individuals.  The 1985 Bears team had a real personality.  They had charisma.  They were a motley crew of hilarious characters.  I mean, come on.  Do you see this year’s Pats team doing a Super Bowl Shuffle?  Exactly.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 28, 2007 - Post a comment

Benson to Have Season-Ending Surgery

Bears starting running back Cedric Benson will have season-ending surgery on his injured ankle, according to reports from ESPN.com.  Benson, the Bears first round draft pick in 2005, had been coming on strong as of late in his first year as the primary ball-carrier for the Bears until being derailed by this most recent setback.  Though Benson had not performed at the level the Bears were hoping when they traded Thomas Jones in the offseason, he had been showing improvement in recent games.  The play in question in which Benson injured his ankle was a 20+ yard run, indicative of the types of plays Benson was finally making for the Bears.

While on the surface this certainly seems like yet another huge blow to what feels like a cursed season for the Bears, it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.  Part of the problem the Bears have had this year is that Rex Grossman is just not a “Put the game on me, I got it” type QB.  He needs to know he has help to be comfortable.  I believe Adrian Peterson (the OTHER Adrian Peterson) provides the type of veteran running back that Grossman needs to lean on.  While this may sound like a bash on Benson, it’s not meant to be.  I just think this may actually benefit the Bears in the short term for the rest of this season.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 27, 2007 - Post a comment

Hester Makes History in Bears Victory

The Chicago Bears defeated the Denver Broncos in overtime on Sunday, and their 37-24 gritty win has kept their playoff hopes alive.  The Bears were all but dead in water if not for two amazing returns by Devin Hester.  Hester returned a punt for a touchdown early in the game, and later returned a kickoff when Broncos coach Mike Shannahan inexplicably kicked the ball back to Hester after a Bronco touchdown.  This gave the Bears new life and sparked their come-from-behind victory.  The Bears still need to win out to make the playoffs, but this was certainly a step in the right direction.

Shannahan was contrite in his press conference, doing everything but apologizing outright for having the hubris to believe that he should ever kick the ball to Devin Hester.  Hester is on pace to shatter the runback touchdown record, and may be the first player in NFL history to solidify his place in the Hall of Fame in only three seasons.  Why anyone would ever kick the ball to this physical freak of nature, I have no idea.  If you didn’t see the video of these runs, go find them.  It’s not just that he’s getting TDs, but how he’s doing it.  He makes it look so easy.  It’s truly history in the making.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 26, 2007 - Post a comment

Bears Stay Low in Power Rankings

ESPN.com has released their weekly Power Rankings.  In many ways, not much has changed since the last time these rankings were released.  However, for some teams, the change has been drastic.  No change has been more dramatic or surreal than the drop of the San Diego Chargers, once again finding themselves on the outside of the top 10.  Other notable changes were the Packers (from 4 to 3), the Colts, (3 to 4) and the Texans, who jumped from number 22 to 17 after getting their starting QB and WR1 back from injury.

The fact that the Bears only had to fall one spot to get to number 22 this week tells you all you need to know about their season.  Things are dire in Chicago, and one more loss will likely knock the Bears out of playoff contention.  If it is any consolation, the Seahawks achieved the same feat just last year, so it is not unheard of for the Super Bowl losers to fall into a slump.  However, no one in Chicago saw this free fall coming.  All that matters now is winning every week and keeping those playoff hopes alive.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 21, 2007 - Post a comment

Bears Need to Win Out

I never like to bring you all bad news, and I do actually try to find the silver lining to every cloud.  In that vein, I give you this story all about the fact that the Bears can still make the playoffs if they win out.  That’s right, Bears fans.  If your beloved Chicago Bears can simply get through the rest of the season without losing another game, you still have a shot to make the playoffs in the NFC.  It doesn’t matter that you’re 4-6 right now, or that your season up to this point has been a jumbled mess.  All that matters is that if this team can summon the strength, they could still earn a chance to defend their NFC Crown.

Of course, there’s a lot to be done to win those games.  The Bears have yet to put together back-to-back wins this season, so saying they can win out might be a statistical stretch.  They also don’t have the luxury of obviously being the best team in a weak division of a bad conference this year either.  There are a great many NFC teams who can make a case for being better than the Bears this season.  The Bears will need one of their QBs to step up.  They need Cedric Benson to run like a starting NFL halfback.  They need their defense to step up.  And they  need a lot of help.  But don’t lose hope yet, Bears fans.  If you win this week’s game, you’re still alive.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 20, 2007 - Post a comment

Bears Misuse Benson

The Chicago Bears fell to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, and this one should fall squarely on the coaches.  Somehow, with Benson finally running as if his life depended on it, the Bears took the ball out of their starting halfback’s hands as the game progressed.  Brad Briggs of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an article detailing the Bears’ coaches horrible misuse of Benson, especially late in the game.  The coaches have said they were trying to get (the other) Adrian Peterson more involved in the action, but Peterson didn’t do much to support this decision, taking his five carries for little more than 10 yards on the day.

I’m fully aware that Cedric Benson hasn’t had the season the Bears hoped for when they let go of Thomas Jones in the offseason.  I know that Adrian Peterson has shown flashes of great potential when he’s had the rock in his hands.  But at the end of the day, you have to be able to trust your first-team guy, especially when he’s rattling off huge runs to start the game.  I don’t know who dropped the ball here, but by forsaking their ground game and putting the competition in the hands of Rex Grossman, the coaches severely handicapped the Bears in this game.  Now, the Bears are going to need a lot of good fortune to make the playoffs.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 19, 2007 - Post a comment

Bears Hester and Harris Lead Pro Bowl Polls

According to the Chicago Bears website, Bears kick returner Devin Hester and defensive tackle Tommie Harris lead their respective positions in Pro Bowl voting.  Pro Bowl voting will last until December 11, 2007, during which time fans can vote online of via a text message for their favorite players to go to the Pro Bowl, where they will play in Hawaii after the season has concluded.  Devin Hester was 10th in the NFL in voting at any position, holding company with players like Brett Favre, Tony Romo, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, LaDainian Tomlinson, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, and Joseph Addai.

While this is certainly good news for Hester and Harris, and I’m sure they’re very proud (as well they should be), the fact remains that both players would surely trade in their Pro Bowl votes for more wins.  The Bears should have more than just two Pro Bowl-caliber players on this team.  The fact that you see nary a QB or running back from the Bears organization even sniffing the Pro Bowl goes a long way toward explaining the Bears’ woes this season.  While a kick returner and a defensive tackle in the Pro Bowl is nice, you can just look at the list of other players in the top 10 in voting to see that the most important positions in which excellence pays huge dividends are QB, running back, and wide receiver.  If the Bears could start drafting some elite skill players, they might win a few more football games in the National Football League.

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 16, 2007 - Post a comment

Bears to Start Rex Grossman

The news is now official.  Rex Grossman will be the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears in this Sunday’s game vs. the Seattle Seahawks.  The Bears were 1-2 with Grossman as their starter before they benched him in favor of Brian Griese.  Griese has started the last six games, during which the Bears are 3-3.  Griese had to leave last week’s game against Oakland with a shoulder injury, and in his absence Grossman led the team to a come-from-behind victory, sparking nearly immediate talks of a QB controversy.  Coach Lovie Smith added fuel to the fire by refusing to name Griese’s injury as the primary reason for the switch.

For some reason, Lovie Smith just can’t quit Rex Grossman.  After all the horrific turnovers in Rex’s career, still Smith will go back to the well once more.  Here’s a really scary thought for all you Bears fans out there, though.  If Rex does come back and play extremely well in the second half of the season, it could mean more Rex for the Bears for years to come.  Rex is in a contract  year, and if he leads the Bears into the playoffs after they year they’ve had, it could blind management to the point that they give him a new contract.  Can you imagine four (or more) more years of Good Rex/Bad Rex?

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Permalink - Posted in General on November 15, 2007 - Post a comment


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