Bears Defense Continues to Garner Praise

As they should be, loads of people are abuzz about the goal line stand by the Chicago Bears on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.  The Bears stopped the Eagles on the one yard line three times, in a time in the game when the touchdown would have given the Eagles the lead with just minutes left.  The stand was even more important considering the Bears had faltered in final minutes of the past few games. Defensive lineman Israel Idonije recalled the stand saying, “It was just, ‘do your job. Your back’s against the wall. You’re right there inside the 1. Just everybody do your job and don’t give at all.’ It was just that kind of attack mentality and focus, and when [McNabb] snapped the ball, you could just feel the tension on the line from our defense, and everybody just went all-out. “

The defense and others are mentioning that this game could be the turning point for the Bears’ defense.  Next Sunday, the Bears will be up against the Detroit Lions, who have already told the media that they are looking to turn around their own season by beating the Bears.  Find your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 30, 2008 - Post a comment

Bears Show They Can Finish With Eagle Win

Late in the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Chicago Bears looked like they could be in the same boat as the last two weeks, where they lost in the final minutes.  With only minutes to go, the Bears were up 24-20, but the Eagles had driven down the field and were now only a yard short of the goal line on second down.  The Bears had no problems finishing this time, keeping the Eagles out of the end zone three times when it mattered the most, and the game ended with the same 24-20 score.

Although the Bears defense lived up to their reputation as a unit to be feared, the offense also came together for the win.  Although quarterback Kyle Orton had two interceptions, he also was 18 for 34 with 199 yards and three touchdowns.  The best part about his touchdowns is that he didn’t connect with one receiver twice in the end zone, handing Greg Olsen, Devin Hester and Marty Booker each a touchdown pass.  The last dive after the defensive stand, the Bears needed to get out of harm’s way, which was accomplished by rookie running back Matt Forte.  Forte had 43 yards rushing and 42 yards receiving.  Get your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 29, 2008 - Post a comment

Bears Defense Aiming at McNabb

As the Chicago Bears are trying to turn their momentum toward winning, they are up against the Philadelphia Eagles and Donovan McNabb. McNabb has been having a great season so far after returning from a knee injury suffered last season. The Bears had trouble containing quarterback Brian Griese last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and McNabb is only going to be tougher. The defense has been working hard this week to hone their skills getting to the quarterback and will have a lot to prove on Sunday.

Defensive end Adewale Ogunleye talked about last week and facing the Eagles this week, saying, “They did a good job of chipping, which we’re gonna see a lot this week. You didn’t see a lot of guys having free rushes on the quarterback. They were very quick passes. They were getting the ball off quick. We were blitzing, guys were hitting him, but the balls were coming off quick. There are going to be games like that when you play West Coast offences, which we’re going to see this week.”

Containing McNabb will have to happen if the Bears want to give their offense a fighting chance at keeping up. Reserve your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 26, 2008 - Post a comment

Williams Starting to Practice

Up until now, Chicago Bears fans haven’t gotten to see much of this year’s first round draft pick, Chris Williams.  The left tackle has been out for the last seven weeks after having surgery on his back for a herniated disc, but the time of being off the field may be coming to an end soon.  For the first time since his surgery, Williams has been participating in limited practices and trying to get back in shape.  Like usual, coach Lovie Smith is staying pretty coy about when the Bears anticipate Williams to return to full strength, but he did make a point of saying that Williams is nowhere near ready.

Smith said, “I think it’s about when we expected him to start practicing on a limited basis, and I have to put that in there. It’s one step. It’s not like he was out there going full speed in team and all of that. We’re just working him back in. He still has a ways to go.”

Even if he doesn’t see playing time in the next few weeks, it is a good step having him practice at all. Hopefully, he will be in by the time the Bears start focusing on tough NFC North opponents, like Green Bay in week 11.  Get your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 25, 2008 - Post a comment

Bears Pick Up Hamilton, Drop Bradley

After suffering one tackle and two pass breakups at the hands of of Tampa Bay’s cornerback Marcus Hamilton, the Chicago Bears decided to turn foe into friend by adding Hamilton to their roster. The Bucs waived Hamilton on Monday, who had spent the 2007 season on the practice squad, along with the first two games this season. The Bucs took Hamilton in the seventh round of the 2007 draft from Virginia. He was added to the active roster for last Sunday’s game because Bucs cornerback Elbert Mack was suspended for a game and cornerback Aqib Talib had a hamstring injury that took him out of the match.

To make room for Hamilton on the roster, the Bears waived wide receiver Mark Bradley. Bradley was chosen in the second round of the 2005 draft and played in seven games his first year in the league for 18 catches and 230 yards. He tore his ACL, which sidelined him for the rest of the season. He had 14 receptions, 282 yards and three touchdowns in 2006, but had an ankle injury that sidelined him for five games. He wasn’t injured last season, but had only 71 yards and one touchdown. Reserve your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 24, 2008 - Post a comment

Bears Say Bucs Played Dirty

The Chicago Bears dropped to Tampa Bay 27-24 in overtime, and one of the game-deciding plays was an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Charles Tillman that would have forced the Buccaneers to punt and instead gave the Bucs a first down.  After the game, the Bears knew that the second man always gets caught, but a few of the Bears players pointed fingers at the Bucs Jeremy Trueblood as intentionally trying to hurt the Bears defense.

Even with the situation, coach Lovie Smith did not excuse Tillman, saying, “I think everyone knows that’s unacceptable. Me just saying, ‘Hey guys, don’t do it anymore,’ it’s not that easy. Charles knew when it happened. It’s something that in the heat of passion, sometimes you do things that you regret later. That’s one play out of a lot of opportunities we had.”

Smith and the players know that the game still should have been won by the Bears despite any penalties.  With two disappointing losses in a row, the Bears are looking toward week three to gain momentum back in their favor.  They will have to top the Philadelphia Eagles to do so, whose only loss is against the seemingly-unstoppable Dallas Cowboys. Reserve your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 23, 2008 - Post a comment

Bears Drop Second in a Row

The Chicago Bears dropped their record to 1-2 yesterday after a 27-24 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in overtime. After coming back from behind to lead by a touchdown with only minutes left, the Bears let the Bucs, and former Bear quarterback Brian Griese, drive down the field and score the tying touchdown. The Bucs finished the game in overtime by nailing a 21 yard field goal. Safety Mike Brown said, “They just made plays and we didn’t. We had opportunities to make them and we didn’t do it. You’ve got to give them a lot of credit. Griese’s a hell of a quarterback. He’s a great professional and he ripped us apart. They were making plays all over the field and we weren’t able to stop them when we needed to.”

The loss makes the second in a row where the Bears have collapsed in the final minutes. Even with the loss, there were some positives. Orton threw for the highest yards of his career with 268. Running back Matt Forte showed he could also help the receiving game for Chicago with 7 receptions for 66 yards and one touchdown. Make sure and reserve your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 22, 2008 - Post a comment

Hester May Be Out for Bucs

The word is finally out about kick returner extraordinaire Devin Hester: he has torn cartilage in his rib area. It is not yet known whether he will be playing Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Bears will likely not take any chances on this star that they are hoping to turn into a wide receiver.

Hester told the Chicago Tribune, “I’m feeling a lot better so I’m hoping by the end of the week I’ll have no pain or nothing like that…I was told that if you go out there and it’s not healed all the way, then you could damage it even more. I’m just going to get as much treatment as I can, and hopefully I’ll be ready.”

Running backs coach Tim Spencer and quarterback Kyle Orton have both had past injuries like Hester’s, so Hester picked their brains about his options as well.  The Bears will be looking to erase the memory of last week’s disappointing 20-17 loss against the Carolina Panthers.  Tampa Bay is also 1-1 after a 14-20 loss during week one to the New Orleans Saints and a 24-9 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week.  Get your Chicago Bears tickets from StubHub.com.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 19, 2008 - Post a comment

Bears to Face Former QB This Sunday

The Chicago Bears are set to face Tampa Bay this weekend, which also means a matchup with former Bears quarterback Brian Griese.  Griese was named the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers and led the Bucs to a 24-9 win over the Atlanta Falcons last week with a passer rating of 82.7. He had one touchdown and 160 yards on 18 completions.  His stats weren’t nearly that good for the Bears. In fact, in his last start at Soldier Field, he threw four interceptions as the Detroit Lions topped the Bears 16-7 on October 28 of last year.

One of the concerns with facing Griese is the fact that the quarterback knows the Bears’ defense better than almost any other quarterback the Bears will face this season.  Even with the familiarity, Griese has said the Bears’ defense looks different and more intimidating since he was with the team.  He said, “There may be an advantage in knowing the personnel, but the way they’re playing defense right now doesn’t resemble quite what they played last year or the past two years for that matter. I have to get ready for their scheme and their defense just like any other opposing quarterback. It just so happens that I know a bunch of the personnel and am friends with them.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 18, 2008 - Post a comment

Bucs’ Mack Out for Bears Game

The Chicago Bears passing game got a (needed) boost with the news that Tampa Bay cornerback Elbert Mack was suspended for one game because of a helmet-to-helmet hit he put on Atlanta Falcon quarterback Matt Ryan, meaning he will not be playing when the Bucs face the Bears this Sunday.  The hit was Mack’s second flagrant violation of player safety rules already this season.  In a letter to Mack, NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson said, “Your actions are of particular concern in light of the emphasis that our office has placed on developing and enforcing rules designed to protect players from injury, including concussions. The safety of our players is paramount to all of us in the NFL.”

Mack is the second string cornerback behind Ronde Barber.  The Bears need all the help they can get with what happened last game against the Carolina Panthers.  Although the short pass worked well for quarterback Kyle Orton, he was unable to get the big plays the Bears needed to make things happen on offense.  With Devin Hester, who the Bears are trying to make into a wide receiver, possible out, the Bears will have even less depth in that position.  Reserve your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com to see them play live.

Permalink - Posted in General on September 17, 2008 - Post a comment


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