NFL FanHouse

Winfield Should Be Back Sunday

JJ Cooper — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:20:00 EST

Antoine Winfield played it safe last week sitting out a fourth straight game with his foot injury. He wasn't needed as a nearly perfect Brett Favre led the Vikings to an easy win over the Seahawks.'

Well it's more accurate to say that the Vikings decided for Winfield that he was going to sit that one out, something that Winfield told the Star-Tribune that in hindsight was a wise choice. But with the division rival Bears on the schedule this week, Winfield is ready to promise he'll be back in action this Sunday.

It's impressive to see how the Vikings have managed to survive without their best cornerback. Pass defense has been one of the Vikings' weakest links for years, but even without Winfield they've managed to go 3-1. Minnesota still gives up plenty of pass yardage (they're 21st in the league in pass yardage allowed), but they have avoided big plays.

Winfield says his foot finally feels 100 percent for the first time since the injury. It's a good week for the Pro Bowl cornerback to return -- with Jay Cutler on the field a cornerback never knows when he'll have a chance for a pick.

Winfield Should Be Back Sunday originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Martz to Chicago Rumors Swirling

Matt Snyder — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFC North, NFL Coaching

With the Chicago Bears struggling through a season which began with such lofty expectations, many names are bound to be connected to the Bears. Most notably, people will start speculating about head coaches, defensive coordinators (to take pressure off Lovie Smith) and offensive coordinators who could replace the maligned Ron Turner.

A name that would make sense is Mike Martz -- who was head coach when Smith was the defensive coordinator in St. Louis for three seasons earlier this decade. Martz presently works as an analyst for the NFL Network, but -- according to the Chicago Sun-Times -- he would welcome being hired as the Bears' offensive coordinator.

"Martz would love to work with Jay Cutler," said the source, who cited the close relationship between Smith and Martz in sharing the information.

Martz didn't find much success in his last job as a coordinator, last season with the 49ers, but he has enough pedigree in the role that he could represent an upgrade to Turner and generate some creativity into a rather bland offensive plan.

Martz, 58, has expressed his desire to get back into coaching on the air several times this season. He has a 53-32 record as a head coach and took the Rams to the 2001 Super Bowl. He was the offensive coordinator for the Rams' 1999 Super Bowl championship.

Mike Martz to Chicago Rumors Swirling originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sunday Night Football Live Chat: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears

Adam Gretz — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Eagles, NFL Live Blogging

A week after tossing five interceptions in a 10-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears return home to take on Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. As always, the FanHouse live chat will be rolling along, so please stop in and join us as we discuss all of the action.

Party begins at 8:15 PM ET.

&amp;lt;a href=&quot;http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&amp;amp;task=viewaltcast&amp;amp;altcast_code=7fb3187b08&quot; &amp;gt;Sunday Night Football Live Chat&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Sunday Night Football Live Chat: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Chicago Bears originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bears Shun NBC for Sunday Night Game

Matt Snyder — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFC North, NFL Media Watch

As the Chicago Bears look to break a skid which has found them losing four of their last five games, they are apparently not in a very outgoing mood. As NBC gears up for Sunday Night football this week -- which pits the Bears against the Philadelphia Eagles -- they requested "access" to Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, head coach Lovie Smith and quarterback Jay Cutler. The Bears declined.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the reason a Bears spokesman gave for the denial is that the team needs to focus on winning games instead of talking to the media.

Refusing to be made available to the weekly NBC broadcast is not without precedent. Reportedly New England quarterback Tom Brady did the same thing last week.

It's a bit odd the Bears would decide to do this, because they aren't normally tight-lipped about talking to the media in general and they haven't been silent this week. Cutler and Smith have had normal press conferences and interviews.

I can say this, though: NBC is not missing anything in not getting sound bites from Smith. He's vanilla from a can. We'd hear some rendition of, "we're not where we want to be right now, but there are seven games left and we're still in the thick of the playoff race. We just need to move forward and keep playing hard. We'll keep working to get where we need to be."

Not that there's anything wrong with it, it's just that he's not exactly Jim Mora Sr. or Herm Edwards in terms of soundbites. He's bland.

Whether or not the Bears seemingly generic excuse as to the snub of NBC is true, we can't be sure. Maybe they are upset with how they've been playing and simply don't feel like talking about it? Regardless of the reason, they have the right. Now let's see if it translates into different results on the field. Jay Cutler has been pathetic in prime time this season (0-3, three touchdowns, 11 interceptions) and it all starts with the signal-caller.

Bears Shun NBC for Sunday Night Game originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steelers Fan Claims He Was Poisoned, Blinded in Chicago Bar

Adam Gretz — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:33:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Steelers, NFL Fans

If you've ever seen the Pittsburgh Steelers play a road game, it's not uncommon to see thousands of fans in black and gold in the stands (much to the chagrin of the local fans/writers), while you can probably find a "black-and-gold-bar" in just about every major city in the United States.

Needless to say, if the Steelers are playing, there's going to be a lot of fans with Pittsburgh-ties in the area. Their Week 2 game in Chicago, a 17-14, loss was no different, and one fan, 46-year-old Zack Eddinger, claims he was poisoned (and blinded) in a Chicago bar after an altercation with a group of Bears fans.

According to WTAE in Pittsburgh, Heddinger said his friends were involved in some trash talk with a group of Bears fans, and eventually the Bears fans offered a drink as a "peacemaker."

That's when Heddinger claims things started to go terribly wrong.

From WTAE:

Not long after taking the drink, Heddinger passed out and was rushed to a nearby hospital, his heart stopping four times.

At first, doctors thought he had too much to drink, but realized there was more to it.

"They thought it was antifreeze or something like that ...because it was so strong," said Heddinger.

Heddinger's family rushed to Chicago to be with him after doctors told them he wasn't going to make.

"I literally watched him say, within a matter of hours, 'I'm getting really scared. I can't see anything,'" said sister Lisa.

According to the report, doctors believe the drink may have been spiked with toxic grain alcohol, while Heddinger added: "I don't think they tried to kill me. I think they tried to hurt me, but the killing came pretty close."

Steelers Fan Claims He Was Poisoned, Blinded in Chicago Bar originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mel Kiper: 'I Was Right' on Jay Cutler, Mike Mayock Was Wrong

Michael David Smith — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:39:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFL Draft, NFL Media Watch, NFL Video

Although ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper and NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock always say nice, pleasant, cordial things about each other, they have an undeniable rivalry. And Kiper took a bit of a swipe at Mayock on Friday morning.

Although Kiper didn't mention Mayock by name, he made comments about Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's ugly game on Thursday night that were clearly intended to serve as a reminder that Mayock was Cutler's biggest supporter prior to the 2006 NFL draft.

"I was one that was, I guess, people would say negative," Kiper said. "I could just read you what I wrote back before he came out ... a guy who was over-hyped at Senior Bowl week, over-hyped at the Combine."

Everyone who follows the draft remembers that one of the sharpest disagreements Kiper and Mayock have ever had was over Cutler. Mayock called him the best quarterback in the draft and a future NFL superstar, while Kiper was significantly less enthralled with Cutler. Mayock is the one who was hyping Cutler at the Senior Bowl and the Combine.

So now that Cutler is coming off a five-interception day, it's fun for Kiper to say "I told you so."

Of course, it's less fun when you point out that Kiper's criticisms of Cutler were based mostly on Kiper's belief that Vince Young and Matt Leinart would be better NFL quarterbacks. For as bad as Cutler looked last night, he still has more passing yards in the NFL than Young and Leinart combined. So Kiper is free to gloat all he wants, but in the Mayock vs. Kiper battle over the 2006 quarterback class,Mayock comes out on top.

Mel Kiper: 'I Was Right' on Jay Cutler, Mike Mayock Was Wrong originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cutler Haters, Apologists: Meet Halfway

Matt Snyder — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFC North, NFL Quarterbacks

As with any polarizing figure, Jay Cutler brings about strong emotions on both sides of the fence. Many people believe he's the worst thing that ever happened to professional quarterbacking, someone who sucks so bad he'll be in the UFL in a few years. Others believe his golden arm will carry him to the Hall of Fame eventually and every mistake he's ever made has been someone else's fault.

As with most extreme arguments, the best answer lies exactly in the middle. Cutler has tons of talent, but he has very large strides to make before he can be considered the franchise quarterback many believe him to be.

In a Thursday night 10-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, we saw a wide variety of failures on his part in addition to things happening to him that weren't his fault.

His first interception was one of the worst passes I've ever seen a quarterback make. And I officiate elementary football. How in the world Cutler thought he could throw a football, literally, through three defenders and get it to Kellen Davis in the end zone is beyond anything I can comprehend. I can't even use the proper language to describe what an egregiously brutal decision that was. Throw it away and take the three points -- especially in a game that was scoreless and already into the second quarter. Cutler's last interception was ill-advised and equally bad in his physical placement. He could have placed it high and to the left of Greg Olsen and possibly completed the game-winning touchdown. Instead, he threw right to Michael Lewis for a loss-clinching interception.

On the flip-side, the offensive line was pathetic, as usual. Cutler rarely had even three seconds to throw the football and constantly had to quickly dump it off into the flats. The run game was, once again, non-existent as the sorry line couldn't give Matt Forte any running room -- and if you doubt Forte's running ability, watch him on the screen passes. Cutler did check down well, which is a step in the right direction. His second interception was clearly not his fault, as Devin Hester fell down after the pass had already been released. You could make a case the third and fourth interceptions weren't his fault if you wanted, too. I'm not going to bother, because -- even if you make the case -- his first and last interceptions were ultimately what cost the Bears the game.

The amazing thing is Cutler's ineptitude in the red zone. He drove the Bears down the field with ease, after getting a very generous illegal contact penalty to extend the drive, and had them in position to win the game. He worked beautifully on the drive, pre-pick, hitting eight consecutive (excluding the two spikes to stop the clock) passes and moving the Bears 70 yards in just over two minutes. Then he fell apart when the team needed him most.

It's the way things have gone thus far in his career. This is where the haters proclaim he's not a winner and he sucks. Which is where they lose my backing.

He's 26, not 36. This wasn't a one (or two) year rental like the Vikings are doing with Brett Favre. The team acquired Cutler to make him the long-term answer and build an offense around him, not to be a quick fix. Sure, many thought he catapulted the Bears to the Super Bowl discussion, but that doesn't mean he needs to be dumped after one sub-par season. Let the Bears find him a line, let the young receivers grow rapport with Cutler and -- most of all -- please get someone to coach Cutler.

The errant red zone passes have to stop. Someone needs to teach him to throw the ball away. Someone needs to tell him his attitude is not acceptable (seriously, what the hell was with taking the helmet off to scratch his head and put it back on? That was embarrassing). Someone needs to coach him to shut the hell up instead of screaming at officials after he throws a pick (he was even called for unsportsmanlike conduct against Arizona). Someone needs to make him accountable for all his mistakes, not just blame them all on someone else. And being accountable -- by the way, Cutler did personally apologize to the defense in the post-game press conference -- isn't enough. He has to learn from his mistakes and change the way he plays.

Of course, the masses also need to realize the problems on the Bears are much more complicated than simply blaming their favorite whipping boy.

Is it Cutler's fault that the defensive line can't line up properly (four off-sides penalties, including one that nullified an interception in San Fran territory)? Is it Cutler's fault that the Bears decided to leave Greg Olsen on the sideline and instead use their third-string tight end and a tackle-eligible on a pivotal goal line third down (which resulted in the aforementioned first interception)? Is it Cutler's fault that a lineman was downfield illegally, which nullified a 40-yard completion to Earl Bennett? Is it Cutler's fault that Chris Williams drew a foolish unnecessary roughness penalty on the last drive, taking them backward 15 yards when time and yardage were at a premium? Was it Cutler's fault last week when the defense couldn't stop Arizona, even on the ground?

Blame Cutler for his ills, just not for the entire team's ills -- including coaching. Thursday night, we witnessed an undisciplined mess of a team on offense, defense and special teams (a delay of game on a field goal attempt? Seriously?). There's plenty of blame to go around right now, so place it properly.

While you're at it, remember this is Year One of the Cutler era in Chicago, not the one year of it.

Cutler Haters, Apologists: Meet Halfway originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Between the Lines: Who's Allowing the Most Sacks?

JJ Cooper — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Chicago Bears, Packers, Panthers, Steelers, NFL Analysis

Every week FanHouse looks at some aspect of NFL line play for the weekly Between The Lines feature.

Because of bye weeks, most teams are halfway through their season even as we're getting ready to watch Week 10. The halfway point seems like as good a time as any to roll out complete sacks allowed stats.

These stats were culled by watching each and every sack that has occurred in the NFL this season (with the exception of a couple of minutes of a Redskins-Chiefs game that was lost because of a broadcasting problem). In going back and watching every sack, I timed the time from the snap to the initial hit on the quarterback (then rewound it and timed it a couple of more times to confirm the time) and tried to assign blame to the person responsible for giving up the sack.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm sure a couple of these sacks are assigned to the wrong person. Assigning blame for sacks isn't as cut and dried as adding up rushing yardage--sometimes a blitzer may appear to be one lineman's man, but because of the blitz pickup rules on that particular play, he was actually someone else's assignment. But I do believe those are few and far between, and on most sacks it's pretty easy to figure out who's to blame--he's the offensive lineman shaking his head after the play after his man beat him head-to-head.

If you take the time to add all these sacks up, you'll notice that this list is missing more than 120 sacks. Those are sacks that were blamed on the play call or the quarterback. If a team keeps five in to block against a seven-man blitz and one of those unblocked blitzers hits the quarterback, blame the QB for not getting the ball out or blame the offensive coordinator, but there was nothing the line could do. Also, when a quarterback takes off to try to run after dropping back to pass, it's still charged as a sack if he doesn't get back to the line of scrimmage, but an offensive tackle did his job if he walled off his man, only to see him turn around and run the other way to tackle the QB at the line of scrimmage -- that goes on the quarterback. The same can be said for the rare times that a quarterback just runs out of bounds instead of throwing the ball away (well it's rare for everyone but Seattle's Seneca Wallace, who seems to make it a habit of his).

As you will notice and probably not be surprised to see, a pair of Packers rank among the league's worst. It's worth noting that Green Bay's Allen Barbre lost his starting right tackle job while Daryn Colledge's experiment as the team's fill-in left tackle has also been quickly ended and he was moved inside to the less demanding guard position. San Francisco's Adam Snyder has also lost his job at right tackle although like Colledge he was moved inside to guard.

I've included the median time of each sack to demonstrate that all sacks are not created equal. With seven sacks allowed, Duane Brown seems to be having a bad year for the Texans, but Matt Schaub is not doing him any favors. On five of Brown's sacks, Schaub had 3.5 seconds or more to throw, but his tendency to hold the ball meant that Brown's man eventually got the sack. With Peyton Manning at quarterback, Brown would likely have two sacks allowed at most this year. Carolina's Jordan Gross, on the other hand, wins the award for the big-name offensive lineman having the most problems in pass protection.

See List of Sacks Allowed Sorted by Team

SACKS ALLOWED BY PLAYER
Player	Team	Sacks Allowed	Median Time	Player	Team	Sacks Allowed	Median Time
Adam Snyder	SF	7	2.6	Jerome Harrison	CLE	1.5	1.9
Allen Barbre	GB	7	2.6	Jamaal Jackson	PHI	1.5	2.1
Jordan Gross	CAR	7	2.6	Jason Brown	STL	1.5	2.3
Daryn Colledge	GB	7	2.9	Louis Vasquez	SD	1.5	2.3
Duane Brown	HOU	7	3.6	Geoff Hangartner	BUF	1.5	2.4
Stephon Heyer	WAS	6.5	2.8	Anthony Fasano	MIA	1.5	2.5
Levi Brown	ARI	6	2.8	Chris Snee	NYG	1.5	2.8
T.J. Lang	GB	5	2.4	Logan Mankins	NE	1.5	2.9
Mike Gandy	ARI	5	2.5	D'Brikishaw Ferguson	NYJ	1.5	3.1
Sean Ryan	KC	5	2.6	Dan Koppen	NE	1.5	3.1
Jeff Backus	DET	4.5	2.5	Donald Lee	GB	1.5	3.1
Jermon Bushrod	NO	4.5	2.6	Matt Birk	BAL	1.5	3.3
Mario Henderson	OAK	4.5	2.7	Jon Jansen	DET	1.5	3.9
Jeromey Clary	SD	4.5	2.8	Heath Miller	PIT	1.5	4.2
Max Starks	PIT	4.5	3.7	Chester Pitts	HOU	1	1.6
Julius Jones	SEA	4	2	Cadillac Williams	TB	1	1.8
Lousaka Polite	MIA	4	2.2	Cedric Benson	CIN	1	1.9
Erik Pears	OAK	4	2.4	Kenneth Darby	STL	1	1.9
Jason Peters	PHI	4	2.4	Knowshown Moreno	DEN	1	1.9
Eugene Monroe	JAX	4	2.5	Damion McIntosh	SEA	1	2
Demetrius Bell	BUF	4	2.55	Hank Fraley	CLE	1	2
Marcus McNeil	SD	4	2.55	Chester Taylor	MIN	1	2.1
Wade Smith	KC	4	2.65	Brandon Manumaleuna	SD	1	2.2
Chris Chester	BAL	4	2.7	D'Anthony Batiste	WAS	1	2.2
Gosder Cherilus	DET	4	2.85	Felix Jones	DAL	1	2.2
Alan Faneca	NYJ	4	2.9	Joseph Addai	IND	1	2.2
Jake Long	MIA	4	3	Ladell Betts	WAS	1	2.2
Joe Thomas	CLE	4	3	Reggie Bush	NO	1	2.2
Eben Britton	JAX	4	3.05	Zach Miller	OAK	1	2.2
Flozell Adams	DAL	4	3.05	Jahri Evans	NO	1	2.3
Sam Baker	ATL	4	3.25	Keydrick Vincent	CAR	1	2.3
Bryant McKinnie	MIN	4	3.5	Ryan Lilja	IND	1	2.3
Chris Kemoeatu	PIT	3.5	2.7	Stephen Peterman	DET	1	2.3
Floyd Womack	CLE	3.5	2.7	Steve Vallos	SEA	1	2.3
John St. Clair	CLE	3.5	2.7	Vernon Davis	SF	1	2.3
Jonathan Scott	BUF	3.5	2.7	Corell Buckhalter	DEN	1	2.4
Branden Albert	KC	3.5	2.8	Jeremy Zuttah	TB	1	2.4
Chris Williams	CHI	3.5	3.6	John Gilmore	TB	1	2.4
Chilo Rachal	SF	3	2.1	Kyle Kozier	DAL	1	2.4
Michael Oher	BAL	3	2.2	Marc Colombo	DAL	1	2.4
Anthony Collins	CIN	3	2.3	Mark Mason	WAS	1	2.4
Larry Johnson	KC	3	2.3	Matt Forte	CHI	1	2.4
Kyle Williams	CLE	3	2.5	Matt Stinchcomb	NO	1	2.4
Mike Goff	KC	3	2.5	Scott Mruckowski	SD	1	2.4
Tra Thomas	JAX	3	2.5	Casey Rabach	WAS	1	2.5
Harvey Dahl	ATL	3	2.6	Jeff Faine	TB	1	2.5
Joe Staley	SF	3	2.6	Adam Goldberg	STL	1	2.6
Michael Roos	TEN	3	2.6	Brent Celek	PHI	1	2.6
Mike Sellers	WAS	3	2.6	Damien Woody	NYJ	1	2.6
Tony Pashos	SF	3	2.6	Matt Spaeth	PIT	1	2.6
Jeremy Trueblood	TB	3	2.7	Max Jean-Gilles	PHI	1	2.6
Cooper Carlisle	OAK	3	2.8	Tyson Clabo	ATL	1	2.6
Eric Wood	BUF	3	2.9	Aaron Brown	DET	1	2.7
Jeff Otah	CAR	3	2.9	Brandyn Dombroski	SD	1	2.7
Ray Willis	SEA	3	2.9	Chris Johnson	TEN	1	2.7
Donald Penn	TB	3	3.1	Eric Winston	HOU	1	2.7
Stacy Andrews	PHI	3	3.1	Kevin Smith	DET	1	2.7
Travelle Wharton	CAR	3	3.1	Steve Hutchinson	MIN	1	2.7
Kareem McKenzie	NYG	3	3.3	Tim Hightower	ARI	1	2.7
Rashard Mendenhall	PIT	3	3.3	Ben Grubbs	BAL	1	2.8
Phil Loadholt	MIN	3	3.5	David Bass	SF	1	2.8
Andrew Whitworth	CIN	3	3.6	King Dunlap	PHI	1	2.8
Winston Justice	PHI	3	3.7	Max Unger	SEA	1	2.8
Richie Incognito	STL	2.5	2.3	Michael Bush	OAK	1	2.8
Mike Williams	WAS	2.5	2.5	Omar Gaither	BAL	1	2.8
Kirk Chambers	BUF	2.5	2.55	Roberto Garza	CHI	1	2.8
Justin Hartwig	PIT	2.5	2.7	Russ Hochstein	DEN	1	2.8
Chad Clifton	GB	2.5	3	Andy Alleman	KC	1	2.9
Jon Stinchcomb	NO	2.5	3.2	Maurice Williams	JAX	1	2.9
Ben Hamilton	DEN	2.5	3.4	Brandon Pettigrew	DET	1	3
Chris Samuels	WAS	2.5	3.4	Chad Rinehart	WAS	1	3
Ryan Harris	DEN	2.4	3.35	Jacob Bell	STL	1	3
Jason Smith	STL	2	2.05	Justin Smiley	MIA	1	3
Vernon Carey	MIA	2	2.15	Jake O'Connell	KC	1	3.1
Leonard Davis	DAL	2	2.3	Jason Witten	DAL	1	3.1
Brandon Frye	SEA	2	2.35	Kevin Walter	HOU	1	3.1
Chris Kuper	DEN	2	2.35	LeSean McCoy	PHI	1	3.1
Steven Jackson	STL	2	2.35	Reggie Wells	ARI	1	3.1
Naufahu Tahi	MIN	2	2.5	Cornell Green	OAK	1	3.2
Chris Morris	OAK	2	2.55	Jordan Black	JAX	1	3.2
Fred Davis	WAS	2	2.55	Korey Hall	GB	1	3.2
Nick Kaczur	NE	2	2.55	Kyle Cook	CIN	1	3.2
John Sullivan	MIN	2	2.6	Todd Herremans	PHI	1	3.2
Ryan O'Callagahan	KC	2	2.6	Vince Manuwai	JAX	1	3.2
Charlie Johnson	IND	2	2.65	Brad Butler	BUF	1	3.3
Ronnie Brown	MIA	2	2.65	Carl Nicks	NO	1	3.3
Mike Pollack	IND	2	2.65	Deuce Lutui	ARI	1	3.3
Scott Wells	GB	2	2.65	Gary Russell	OAK	1	3.3
David Diehl	NYG	2	2.7	Tony Stewart	OAK	1	3.3
Frank Gore	SF	2	2.75	Kris Dielman	SD	1	3.4
Donald Thomas	MIA	2	2.8	Ray Rice	BAL	1	3.5
Greg Olsen	CHI	2	2.9	Ryan Kalil	CAR	1	3.5
Jason Spitz	GB	2	2.95	Sebastian Vollmer	NE	1	3.7
Fred Jackson	BUF	2	3	Casey Wiegmann	DEN	1	3.8
Jared Gaither	BAL	2	3	Jeff Saturday	IND	1	3.8
Rich Seubert	NYG	2	3	Chris Spencer	SEA	1	3.9
Ryan Clady	DEN	2	3	Mike Brisiel	HOU	1	4
Alex Barron	STL	2	3.05	Tony Richardson	NYJ	1	4
Stephen Neal	NE	2	3.05	Ryan Grant	GB	1	4.2
Trai Essex	PIT	2	3.05	Derek Fine	BUF	0.5	2.3
Deon Anderson	DAL	2	3.15	Derrick Dockery	WAS	0.5	2.3
Todd Light	NE	2	3.15	Greg Jones	JAX	0.5	2.6
Dennis Roland	CIN	2	3.2	Maurice Jones-Drew	JAX	0.5	2.6
Dominic Raiola	DET	2	3.25	Justin Fargas	OAK	0.5	2.7
Will Heller	DET	2	3.25	Shaun O'Hara	NYG	0.5	2.7
Eric Heitmann	SF	2	3.3	Brian Waters	KC	0.5	3
Garrett Wolfe	CHI	2	3.3	Jake Scott	TEN	0.5	3
Daniel Loper	DET	2	3.4	LaDainian Tomlinson	SD	0.5	3
Khalif Barnes	OAK	2	3.45	Nick Cole	PHI	0.5	3.3
Davin Joseph	TB	2	3.6	Frank Omiyale	CHI	0.5	3.6
Orlando Pace	CHI	2	3.6	Nick Hardwick	SD	0.5	3.8
Kasey Studdard	HOU	2	4

Between the Lines: Who's Allowing the Most Sacks? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jay Cutler's Five Picks Doom Chicago

FanHouse Newswire — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:50:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Chicago Bears

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Mike Singletary didn't exactly hand it to his old team. That didn't matter - Jay Cutler handed the desperate San Francisco 49ers a much-needed win.

Frank Gore ran for 104 yards and a touchdown, Cutler threw a career-high five interceptions with his last coming in the end zone on the game's final play and San Francisco snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Chicago Bears 10-6 on Thursday night.

Cutler showed up for his postgame news conference still dressed in his uniform, minus his pads and jersey and quickly apologized.

"It was tough. I have to apologize to the defense,'' Cutler said. "I think the offense as a whole has to apologize. They played a great game and kept us in there even through all the turnovers.''

After Singletary elected to punt against his former team on fourth-and-6 from the Chicago 34 with 2:53 left, Cutler drove the Bears to the San Francisco 12 with 13 seconds remaining. After an incompletion on first down, Michael Lewis picked off Cutler's next attempt in the end zone as time expired. That sealed San Francisco's first win since a 35-0 rout of the Rams back on Oct. 4.

The game was far from a pretty display by two struggling teams still hoping to make the playoffs.

Four days after the 49ers (4-5) committed four turnovers that led to 24 points in a 34-27 loss to Tennessee Titans, they were penalized nine times and Smith threw an interception and was sacked twice. San Francisco did just enough right to win.

Cutler took chances away all game from Chicago (4-5), which had 10 penalties and lost its second straight and fourth in five. Patrick Willis wreaked havoc on the Bears with 11 tackles, one of few bright spots for the 49ers.

"It's nice to be on the other sideline of that, that's for sure,'' Smith said.

The five interceptions by Cutler are tied for the most by a Bears quarterback since Zeke Bratkowski threw seven in a 42-7 loss to Baltimore on Oct. 2, 1960.

Cutler threw four or more interceptions for the second time this season and has an NFL-worst 17 in all. He became the first Bears quarterback since Billy Wade in 1962 to have two four-interception games in a season.

"I've played Thursday games before and been successful,'' Cutler said. "It didn't affect us. We saw everything coming. They didn't have any surprises for us. We just didn't execute.''

The Bears got field goals of 50 and 38 yards from Robbie Gould in a game that quickly became about who could keep possession of the ball and make the fewest mistakes.

It marked the first time Singletary faced his former team as a head coach. The Hall of Fame linebacker spent all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Bears, capturing two Defensive Player of the Year awards, being selected to 10 Pro Bowls and winning the Super Bowl following 1985 season.

Singletary wanted little to do with the hype of him facing the Bears, insisting he couldn't think about anything but coaching the 49ers to victory to save the season.

"They're just another team on the schedule,'' Singletary said afterward.

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San Francisco 49ers safety Michael Lewis waves after intercepting a pass in the end zone from Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on the last play of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. The 49ers defeated the Bears 10-6. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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San Francisco 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown (25) celebrates with safety Dashon Goldson (38) after a 51-yard interception return on a pass thrown by Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler in the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler walks off the field after throwing an interception to San Francisco 49ers safety Michael Lewis in the end zone in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. The 49ers won 10-6. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler reacts after throwing an incomplete pass in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. The 49ers won 10-6. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith (11) is sacked by Chicago Bears defensive tackle Marcus Harrison (94) as defensive tackle Anthony Adams (95) follows in the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Chicago Bears cornerback Zack Bowman (35) intercepts a pass intended for San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree (15) in the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (21) scores a touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler reacts after being hit by the San Francisco 49ers in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009. The 49ers won 10-6. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

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SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 12: Jay Cutler #6 of the Chicago Bears hangs his head against the San Francisco 49ers at Candlestick Park on November 12, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay Cutler

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SAN FRANCISCO - NOVEMBER 12: of the San Francisco 49ers against the Chicago Bears at Candlestick Park on November 12, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

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San Francisco won its seventh straight home game against the Bears, including one in the playoffs. Chicago's last victory at Candlestick Park came during the Bears' '85 Super Bowl season with Singletary leading the defense. The Bears had won the last three in the series.

Gore ran for a 14-yard touchdown run one play after Cutler's second interception late in the second quarter as the Niners took a 7-3 halftime lead.

"Everybody has a bad day at work, that's just it,'' Bears defensive end Alex Brown said of Cutler. "We have to be there to have his back and we do.''

Joe Nedney added a 21-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter after missing a 39-yarder wide right on San Francisco's opening drive -- his first miss of the season from inside 40 yards.

Neither quarterback had impressive numbers. Smith was 16 of 23 for 118 yards and Cutler 29 of 52 for 307. Chicago outgained San Francisco 350-216.

Niners tight end Vernon Davis fired up the Bears with his trash talk Tuesday, saying: ``I think we can destroy their front.'' Davis and Bears defensive lineman Adewale Ogunleye got into a pregame jawing session and some of the Chicago captains intentionally avoided shaking Davis' hand before the coin toss.

Davis dealt out his own punishment when he bowled over Bears linebacker Nick Roach, sending him to the sideline briefly on his only catch of the half. Davis committed two false start penalties.

"It was a big relief,'' Davis said. "It's truly a blessing to be able to get this. We just have to keep winning.''

San Francisco punted with 2:53 left to give the Bears a final chance.

The Bears lost tight end Desmond Clark to a neck injury and cornerback Zackary Bowman to an abdominal injury. Niners linebacker Takeo Spikes left the game in the second quarter with a strained left hamstring and didn't return.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Jay Cutler's Five Picks Doom Chicago originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday Night NFL Live Chat: Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers

Chris Burke — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Chicago Bears, NFL Live Blogging

Get. Excited. The NFL's Thursday night schedule is back and, well maybe not better than ever -- the Week 10 combatants, Chicago and San Francisco, have lost seven of eight combined -- but it's certainly back.

Both teams could desperately use this one. The Bears (4-4) find themselves three games back of the NFC North-leading Vikings, and quite frankly, have been extremely mediocre lately. Chicago lost at home to Arizona last week, 41-21, and it's only win since a Week 5 bye came against Cleveland. San Francisco, meanwhile, has fallen hard since an impressive 3-1, capped by a home loss to Tennessee last Sunday. Despite winning in Arizona earlier this season, the 49ers are two games back of the Cardinals in the NFC West.

Thursday night's game kicks at 8:20 PM ET, and we'll be here just prior to that -- 8:15 -- for our live chat. Join us, won't you?

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=ca5bdadae4" >Thursday Night Football</a>

Thursday Night NFL Live Chat: Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Has Mike Singletary Lost His Team?

Nancy Gay — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: 49ers, Chicago Bears, NFL Analysis

After the quarterback-challenged 49ers (3-5) lost to Tennessee last Sunday at Candlestick Park, the reality of a four-game losing streak began to sink into the booing, frustrated crowd at the stadium by the bay. Fans in San Francisco have seen these collapses and experienced this disappointment all too often in recent years.

So have too many 49ers players. And that could be a problem for Mike Singletary, whose fiery rhetoric may lose its steam if the Iron Mike style of coaching and leadership doesn't start producing victories.

Mike Nolan (18-37 as the 49ers head coach) lost his job to Mike Singletary in 2008 on the heels of a four-game losing streak and a Week 7 loss to the New York Giants.

More Coverage: Follow Bears-Niners

For awhile, the switch from the tightly controlled but unsuccessful Nolan regime to the pants-dropping, feisty enthusiasm of Singletary, the Hall of Fame linebacker, seemed to ignite a once-proud franchise that hasn't been a winner since Steve Mariucci was coach from 1997-2002.

Singletary reigned in me-first tight end Vernon Davis. He dumped Alex Smith for Shaun Hill. He got influentual players and locker room leaders such as Patrick Willis and Takeo Spikes to buy into the hard-hitting practices and "my way or else" regiment.

But this week, a once-compliant Davis broke rank from Singletary's disciplined army and called out the 15th-ranked defense his team will face Thursday night at Candlestick Park, saying the Chicago Bears' front seven doesn't impress him.

"I think we can destroy their front," Davis said. "The guys up front, I think we can destroy them. I don't see anything spectacular about their front line."

A year ago, Singletary benched Davis in the middle of a game for being too demonstrative and selfish.

On Wednesday, Singletary -- who has been very defiant and testy this week following the Niners loss to the Titans last Sunday -- was pressed by reporters for his reaction to Davis' latest headline-making incident.

"I'll put it this way, I talked to him about it, and I know what he meant. I'm a little frustrated, and I think if you really translate or if you read through the lines, read between the lines, I don't think he was being disrespectful at all," Singletary told the Bay Area media. "I think basically he was saying, 'You know what, we can do this. Let's not sit back and talk about what the Bears are going to do. Let's go out there and do what we can do.'

"You have grown to know Vernon as well. He can get a little excited and that is what he did. As a team, we just have to be ready to go tomorrow night, but I know what he meant."

Could Davis' words be damaging to a 49ers team already is a state of disarray?

"I am going to leave that alone," Singletary said. "I just think he said it, it's out there. Some things you wish you could say differently, but we will roll with it."

If Singletary can't find a way to regain traction and reverse the streak of 49ers' losses, the current two-game division lead by the Arizona Cardinals will become insurmountable. Singletary may end up losing more than games. He could lose the confidence of his locker room, which is the ultimate failure for any coach.

Has Mike Singletary Lost His Team? originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Awful Bears, Packers Making NFC North Title Easy for Minnesota

Matt Snyder — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Packers, Vikings, NFC North

Though most had the Minnesota Vikings as the favorites to win the NFC North heading into the season, nearly everyone agreed that either the Chicago Bears or Green Bay Packers -- or both -- would at least pose a challenge to the Vikes' second straight division crown. Instead, we're taking this division race off life support and putting it to rest after Week 9. The 2009 NFC North champions will be the Vikings. They can now focus on securing home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The reason for the above sentiment is that both the Bears and Packers were abysmal, in different circumstances, Sunday afternoon. The Pack went into Tampa Bay and lost to the formerly winless Buccaneers, while the Bears were absolutely manhandled for the majority of the afternoon by a fickle Arizona squad.

More: Week 9 Scoreboard | Updated Standings

With both Green Bay and Chicago falling to 4-4, the 7-1 Vikings, who were idle in Week 9, have a cushy three-game lead atop the division, but the gap is much larger than three games -- that much was evident Sunday.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw three interceptions and completed less than half of his passes. The combination of his penchant for holding the ball too long and Green Bay's lackluster offensive line just proved to be too much, as the Bucs' six sacks were easily a season high (they only had 11 in their previous seven games). The Packers also allowed a punt to be blocked, while their defense gave up three touchdown passes to rookie Josh Freeman, who was making his first NFL start. The Bucs' 38 points were, by far, another season high for a team that came into the game averaging 13.7 points a game.

After a certain period of time, it's almost not even worth asking if Packers coach Mike McCarthy is in over his head anymore. He was out-prepared by a rookie head coach, Raheem Morris, who had never won an NFL game. I don't care about the extra week of preparation, either, because McCarthy's team is infinitely more talented than the crew Morris won with. Worst of all for the Pack, it just seemed like the Bucs -- who, again, were 0-7 before the game started -- wanted it more. The game's last interception was pretty indicative of the whole game.

The Bucs' defender who took it to the house, Tenard Jackson, definitely should have just fallen to the ground instead of chancing a fumble. Instead, he refused to be tackled and the Packers just played like bullfighters ushering him to the end zone. It was a good illustration of how the entire fourth quarter played out.

Speaking of a team wanting it more, I'm surprised the Bears even took the field for the second half. The first half was as miserable an attempt at playing football as I've seen in a long time from them. Oh, wait, they just did that two games ago in an embarrassing loss at Cincinnati. Apparently the Bears don't care, period. It's easy for the masses to pick on Jay Cutler -- after all, the quarterback is the only player who helps his team win or lose, right? -- but the story here was the sieve that was masquerading as a defense.

The Arizona Cardinals set a season-high in rushing yards before halftime. Steve Breaston took a second-man-through reverse 25 yards, and about half the Bears defense gave up on the play after less than five yards. Tim Hightower entered the game averaging 3.3 yards per carry, but the Bears made him look like a Pro Bowler every time he touched the ball -- Beanie Wells also had his way. Larry Fitzgerald is always a man among boys, but he looked like he was facing high school competition in his dominance over Charles Tillman -- before Tillman retreated with injury, and I wouldn't be surprised if the injury was a bruised ego. Kurt Warner appeared to be yawning through much of his five-touchdown effort, not missing injured Pro-Bowl receiver Anquan Boldin for one second. And, of course, you have Tommie Harris getting ejected for a disgraceful action -- blatantly punching an Arizona offensive lineman a mere two minutes into the game. I'm not sure what was more despicable: Harris' punch or the Bears' attempt at defense.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Carnell Williams (24) is hit by Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett (56) as Packers' Nick Collins (36) moves in during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

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Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew, right, catches a fourth-quarter pass from quarterback David Garrard, left, during an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 24-21.(AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell is attended to by members of the training staff after being injured in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 31-17. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Washington Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, center, wide receiver Antwaan Randle (82) and wide receiver Santana Moss (89) wait on the sidelines as their NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons nears an end, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 31-17. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Chicago Bears defensive ends Adewale Ogunleye (93) and Alex Brown (96) force Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (13) to fumble in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Chicago, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. The Cardinals recovered the fumble. The Cardinals won 41-21. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry (15) grimaces after injuring his left forearm in the first half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel, right, avoids a sack from Jacksonville Jaguars' Bryan Smith, left, in fourth-quarter action during an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (8) lays on the ground after being sacked by Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney in the first quarter of an NFL football game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

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Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (82) catches a fourth-quarter pass in front of Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Rashean Mathis during an NFL football game on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jacksonville won 24-21. (AP Photo/Phil Coale)

Houston Texans' Kris Brown reacts after missing a 42-yard field goal as time expires in an NFL Football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. Indianapolis won 20-17. (AP Photo/Tom Strattman)

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Kansas City head coach Todd Haley, right, shakes hands with offensive guard Brian Waters after a late touchdown in fourth-quarter action during an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)

Of course, the defense wasn't supposed to be a concern this year, because Lovie Smith was taking over as the play-caller, and the Bears brought Rod Marinelli onto the staff. If this was Lovie's way of holding himself to a higher standard of accountability, he should be given his walking papers quite soon.

Also, the offensive play-calling was very suspect -- the Bears passed the ball 47 times compared to just 12 rushing plays. Obviously, once they fell behind by a large margin, they were forced to start chucking it, but they didn't run the ball until the eighth play from scrimmage. The entire first drive went without a rushing attempt. Sure, the Bears scored a touchdown in six plays, but there's something to be said for taking some time off the clock and keeping Warner and company off the field. I wonder if Smith will try to reiterate this week, again, that the Bears are a "running team?"

Chicago was provided a glimmer of hope when Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt inexplicably pulled Warner far too early in the fourth quarter. A Matt Leinart interception then set up the third Cutler-to-Greg Olsen touchdown of the game, and the Bears trailed 34-21 with more than nine minutes left. Of course, the next drive ended prematurely when Cutler tossed a pick -- it appeared Earl Bennett cut off his route early, but Cutler was still throwing into double coverage.

All in all, it was a dreadful day for the pair of teams who would be challengers to the Vikings in the North. Minnesota fans can start buying tickets for at least one home playoff game. The team can start playing for the right to host more, because this division "race" is, for all intents and purposes, over. In fact, the Bears and Packers are probably better suited to avoid falling behind the Lions. The gap between those two and the last-place Lions is much closer than it is between the struggling duo and the top.

Awful Bears, Packers Making NFC North Title Easy for Minnesota originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bears' Tommie Harris Ejected for Punch

Chris Burke — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears

Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris was ejected from Sunday's Chicago-Arizona game after throwing a punch to the face of Cardinals guard Deuce Lutui.

The incident occurred just four plays into the contest. Lutui, who was blocking Harris on a running play, was lying face down on the Soldier Field turf when Harris grabbed him, lifted him slightly and landed an uppercut to Lutui's facemask.

More: Cardinals Clobber Bears | Bucs Stun Packers | NFL Photos

The punch occurred right in front of referee Ed Hochuli, who immediately threw a flag. Harris was given a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and tossed.

After the game, free safety Danieal Manning said Harris apologized to the team.

"We understood," Manning said. "I've been ejected before; it was high school. You've just got to try to get away from the guy when you can, but we understand where Tommie was coming from. I think the guy was shoving him, but I really don't know."

Harris, who had been suffering from a knee injury, was unexpectedly inactive two weeks ago for Chicago's loss in Cincinnati. Bears general manager Jerry Angelo declared Harris healthy a couple of days prior to that game, then called Harris out after he sat.

Harris later said that his knee wasn't why he missed the game, leading to some speculation that head coach Lovie Smith had benched his starting defensive tackle in hopes of motivating him. Harris has just nine tackles and no sacks this season, despite starting seven games, counting Sunday's brief cameo.

"I know the result," Smith said. "There's nothing Tommie can really tell me."

The NFL will no doubt take a second look at Harris' haymaker on Lutui, and a suspension seems probable. Chicago plays again Thursday at San Francisco.

Bears' Tommie Harris Ejected for Punch originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bears Love Lovie, Even if Fans Don't

Matt Snyder — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:25:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFC North, NFL Coaching

Lovie Smith has a 49-38 record as the head coach of the Chicago Bears. In his first five seasons, he guided the Bears to two division titles and one Super Bowl. The Bears are currently in the 2009 playoff race at 4-3. Yet, among fans and Chicago-area media, Lovie is just as maligned as the pathetic offensive line.

The complaints range from Lovie's penchant to avoid showing any emotion on the sideline to his not properly preparing players for games to his almost scripted non-answer answers in press conferences. Regardless of the reason, Lovie is not particularly loved, at present, in Chicago ... except by his Bears.

"I was here when coach Smith wasn't here," veteran defensive end Alex Brown said. "So, I remember how it was. Not to say anything bad about coach (Dick) Jauron, but it's a lot different now.

I agree with that, but is it really a great vote of confidence to say someone is a better coach than Jauron? The only winning record of Jauron's career came in the fluky 2001 season where the Bears received more gifts than a spoiled toddler at Christmas. If you toss out that season, Jauron is an abysmal 31 games under .500 ... in nine seasons! That's some futility. Anyway, I digress. There is more support for Lovie Smith in the locker room from Desmond Clark and Charles Tillman.

"Lovie, as a coach, is what this team needs," Clark said. "We need that steadying force. ... To have that steadying voice with the same message coming every week is good for this team."

"The thing about coach Smith is that I trust him," Tillman said. "I trust his decisions. I have faith in him, I have confidence in him."

I don't doubt that one bit. You can tell the players all have the utmost respect for Smith as a coach and as a man. And that's important, because -- in theory, at least -- it should mean the players will always do whatever it takes to win for their coach. Look at the Browns with Eric Mangini as the antithesis of this theory.

But the Bears didn't appear to play hard in Cincinnati. They've made tons of mental mistakes in losses to the Packers and Falcons. They weren't sharp at home against the hapless Browns, in a game following the embarrassing loss to the Bengals. The Lions played with them, in Solider Field, mind you, for a half.

This is why many of the fans are clamoring for someone who shows a little fire on the sidelines. To some, Lovie Smith just seems too nice to be a great football coach. These are fans who haven't seen real fire from their head coach since Mike Ditka (Dave Wannstedt and Jauron were the others between Ditka and Smith), a man still legendary in Chicago for his leadership of the 1985 Super Bowl Shufflin' Crew.

Smith doesn't have to behave on the sidelines like "Iron Mike" would have (I mean, could you ever picture Lovie doing this?), but he does need to win. No one was calling for his job following the 2006 season, after he led the Bears to two straight NFC North titles and their first Super Bowl since Ditka's '85 crew. Since then, though, the Bears are only one game above .500 and haven't really capitalized on all the expectations for the new Jay Cutler-era.

As far as the fans are concerned, you can't rest on the laurels of the 2005-2006 seasons. There is no time like the present for Lovie Smith, for as much as his players might love him, the only thing the fans -- and management -- love are wins. A few more important losses and the cries of fans begin to become much more intriguing to the front office, especially with such a talented crop of head coaches waiting in the wings for 2010.

If the players love Lovie so much, they'll start playing better, because missing the playoffs for the third straight season just won't cut it. Not for fans, not for the media, not for Jerry Angelo and most certainly not for Lovie Smith.

Bears Love Lovie, Even if Fans Don't originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Win Hides Bears' Offensive Line Woes

Matt Snyder — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFC North

It would be easy to look at the 30-6 final score in the Bears' victory over the hapless Cleveland Browns and think everything went well for the home team. It would be easy to see Matt Forte's 90 yards and two touchdowns rushing and think the running game is back. Let's not do things the easy way and fool ourselves into thinking there wasn't something problematic on display Sunday in the Windy City, because the offensive line is flat-out horrible.

The pass protection was porous. Jay Cutler was sacked four times. He was hurried all day and had to scramble five additional times. The Browns entered the game with just 12 sacks in seven games.

They also couldn't open up any holes. Forte averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against a team that entered the game allowing 170.6 yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry on the ground. He did get two touchdowns, but failed on two tries to punch the ball in from the one-yard line late in the game. The line push was nonexistent on both of those attempts.

So, yes, the Bears got a win Sunday. What they also got was an illustration of how badly the front five-some needs to be fixed. Orlando Pace used to be a good player and is likely headed to the Hall of Fame when he's eventually eligible. Unfortunately, he's terrible now. He's not overly old, as he turns 34 this week, but he's certainly broken down and washed up. Olin Kreutz is also a shell of his former self and Frank Omiyale isn't doing much to earn the contract he was given in the offseason. Meanwhile, Josh Beekman -- who was serviceable last season -- was sitting on the bench and finally regained his starting job this past Sunday over Omiyale. It didn't seem to make much difference.

While the Bears should definitely enjoy the win -- which was mostly due to the offensive ineptitude of the bumbling Browns -- they need to continue to work on finding a way to fix the offensive line. At 4-3, they're in the playoff mix, but that offensive line isn't getting them more than three more wins playing like this.

Win Hides Bears' Offensive Line Woes originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Walter Payton: Sweetness and Sorrow

Dave Goldberg — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears

Jim Finks knew the Atlanta Falcons would use the first pick of the 1975 draft on Steve Bartkowski, the California quarterback -- then, as now, "franchise'' quarterbacks were a premium item.

What the general manager of the Chicago Bears didn't know as he waited on at New York's Hilton Hotel on Jan. 28 of that year was whether or not Dallas would use the second pick on the player he desperately coveted: Walter Payton, a running back from Jackson State who had finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, despite playing for a historically black school that never competed on national television.

"We didn't know who we were going to take either,'' says Gil Brandt, then the personnel director of the Dallas Cowboys. "I guess the draft started at noon and we didn't make our decision until maybe an hour before. It was Walter or Randy White and we went with longevity -- defensive linemen are supposed to last a lot longer than running backs.''

George: Jeff Fisher Remembers Payton, the Teammate
Moore: Payton Was Supposed to Live Forever

White, a defensive tackle, did last longer -- until 1988, one year more than Payton. And like Payton, he's in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But his impact on football wasn't close to what "Sweetness'' had -- 16,726 yards rushing, a record that held up for 18 years until Emmitt Smith broke it in 2002; 125 touchdowns, even eight TD passes. "The best football player I've ever seen,'' said Mike Ditka, who coached Payton for the last six seasons of his career.

Also one of the best human beings: the NFL's citizenship award is named after him for his many good works, including gallant efforts in his last months to try to save others from the liver disease that was sapping away his life.

Sweetness.

"There may not have been a better nickname for a player," said Jim Harbaugh, who was a rookie quarterback in Payton's final NFL season and now coaches at Stanford. "He meant so much to the city of Chicago. And to the rest of the country.''

Citizenship, of course, wasn't what Finks had on his mind on that draft day 34 years ago. After the Baltimore Colts chose Ken Huff, a guard from North Carolina, with the third pick, Finks didn't pause one second to take the running back from Jackson State. "I never saw anyone run to the stage more quickly than when he took Walter,'' Brandt says.

Walter Payton died on Nov. 1, 1999, from cancer that developed from primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease that had been diagnosed a year earlier. It was expected -- Payton was far more than just an athlete, and his illness and efforts to obtain a kidney transplant had been followed all over the country, not just in Chicago, where he lived and played. As with many things Payton did, it still has ramifications -- according to his son Jarrett, Illinois has moved from the bottom to the top in organ donations.

Walter Payton knew the value of his name.

Jarrett recalled that when Joe Paterno arrived at the Payton household to recruit him for Penn State, Paterno relegated his own son Jay to Jarrett and turned to the youngster's father. Then Joe Paterno and Walter Payton talked for more than two hours.

"It was amazing,'' Jarrett says. "Mr. Paterno and my father just talked about the people they knew. Two legends talking about football, about life, about all the people they had in common. Jay and I just sat and listened."

Walter Payton was not recruited to play at Penn State. Or any of the Southeastern Conference schools, despite an outstanding high school career (both in football and band) at two high schools in Columbia, Miss. He only started playing as a junior at Jefferson High School, then was all-state at Columbia High School when the schools were integrated for his senior season in 1971.

"He meant so much to the city of Chicago. And to the rest of the country."
-- Former Bears quarterback Jim Harbaugh But the SEC was just beginning to integrate in those days, and no one in the conference was interested in Payton, not even the state university, which had just lost a quarterback named Archie Manning to the NFL.

So he turned down offers from schools in the Big Ten and on the West Coast and followed his brother Eddie, later an outstanding NFL return man, to Jackson State, where he played with another future NFL Hall of Famer, offensive tackle Jackie Slater. During a four-year collegiate career, Payton scored 65 touchdowns, averaged 6.1 yards per carry and was fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, unheard of for a player from a historically black school.

The Bears were dismal in those days -- why else would they be picking fourth? They didn't get much better, even with Payton, because they were challenged at quarterback. In his first 10 seasons, the Bears were 61-70 with only two winning seasons and two playoff berths -- in 1977 when they went 9-5 and two years later, when they were 10-6.

That 1977 season may have been Payton's best.

He rushed for 1,852 yards, an average of 132 per game in the NFL's final 14-game season. On Nov. 20, he carried 40 times for 275 yards, then an NFL record, in a 10-7 victory over Minnesota that started a six-game winning streak and earned Chicago a playoff berth. Remarkably, it was the only season he led the NFL in rushing -- he led the NFC three more times -- and earned his only Most Valuable Player award.

But consistency defined Payton, not awards. He missed just one game in his 13-season career -- the fifth game of his rookie year -- when coach Jack Pardee, against Payton's objections, sat him down with a sprained ankle. It didn't matter if the Bears were bad or good -- he was always among the NFL's best backs.

As the team got better, he started becoming part of the national consciousness. Ditka succeeded Neill Armstrong as coach in 1982 and by 1984 they were a legitimate contender.

The heart of the team was Buddy Ryan's "46'' defense and Payton's running -- the Bears still had problems at quarterback, although a youngster named Jim McMahon showed promise. A typical loss: 38-9 in Seattle on Sept. 23, Franco Harris' first game as a Seahawk. Seattle gained just 203 yards on offense but scored three touchdowns on defense off five turnovers, leading Ditka to remark of Bob Avellini, his QB that day: "Walter is a better quarterback than that guy.''

In fact, he might have been. His eight career TD passes came both on option plays and what was the Wildcat formation of his era -- Payton lined up in a shotgun formation.

Dikta called him the best football player and athlete he'd ever seen, even at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds.

His only contemporary rival for that title might have been 6-foot-3, 245-pound Lawrence Taylor, who came along six years later. In fact, one of the great athletic shows never seen occurred at the Pro Bowl following the 1984 season, a punt-off between Taylor and Payton after Brian Hansen, the NFC's punter, sprained his ankle and was questionable for the game.

It took place in front of a few reporters and a few players at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu -- Payton and Taylor standing side-by-side on the field vying for Hansen's job. Taylor boomed one 55 yards (counting the dropback); Payton boomed one 60. They went again with similar results. Payton got the punting job, but Hansen made it to the game, so he never got to kick one for real.

That was the year that Payton broke Jim Brown's rushing record in a game against New Orleans. It also was the year that the Bears won their first playoff game since 1963, beating Washington, 23-19, a game in which Payton threw a touchdown pass. They lost 23-0 to San Francisco in the NFC title game (a 24-year-old fledgling PR guy named Roger Goodell handed out media credentials for that contest).

But that gave them momentum -- the 1985 Bears were one of the NFL's most remarkable teams, finishing 15-1 and outscoring the Giants, Rams and Patriots by a combined 91-10 in the playoffs, leading to what remains Chicago's only Super Bowl victory.

Ryan's defense included Hall of Famers Dan Hampton and Mike Singletary plus Richard Dent, Steve McMichael, Wilber Marshall, Otis Wilson and the 350-pound rookie, William "the Refrigerator'' Perry, who became a cult figure in a media-challenged era when cult figures were much harder to come by.

Payton, at 31, was the offense. McMahon was a competent quarterback -- the best the Bears had had since Sid Luckman in the 1940s. "Sweetness" rushed for 1,551 yards and a 4.8 yards per carry average, his second-best mark next to his MVP season.

The playoffs were a breeze for the Bears -- the 21-0 win over the Giants is remembered for New York's Sean Landeta fanning on a punt at snowy and windy Soldier Field and Chicago's Shaun Gayle picking it up and dancing in for a score. They were less a breeze for Payton, on whom every defense keyed.

That was most evident in the Super Bowl against New England. The focal point of the Patriots' defense, he gained just 61 yards on 22 carries in a 46-10 blowout sparked by Hampton, Dent and the defense.

But what was most remembered after the game was the final touchdown -- a 1-yard run by Perry, who had become a sideshow by lining up in the backfield on short-yardage situations. Why, people asked, wouldn't Ditka give the ball to Payton, an NFL icon in what might be his last chance to score a Super Bowl TD?

Ditka shrugged it off, although he later apologized, saying he got caught up in the excitement of the game. So did Payton -- "Sweetness'' also in his demeanor. After his retirement, as he became a successful investor in restaurants, real estate and other businesses, people would ask him about it and he would shrug.

His family knew better.

"I remember once when I was about 14 I went down to his private office and was watching his television,'' says Jarrett, a running back at Miami, in the World League, in Canada and for one year with the Tennessee Titans. "That play with the Fridge was on TV. Then I heard [Walter] behind me. He made this sound like he was upset. As an athlete, I was never in position where I was 'the man,' except in high school. That's the biggest show on earth. Any time you're the starter, you should get a chance to score. I'd be kind of upset. I can only imagine what Ditka was thinking about.''

Then he paused.

"Everything happens for a reason,'' he added. "Now it's part of his legacy. It's what people think about and talk about. They always get mad. It's 'Why didn't Walter Payton score a touchdown in the Super Bowl?' "

Walter Payton accounted for 133 touchdowns in his career, and his impact both on and off the field went well beyond stats.

One touchdown he didn't score can't tarnish all that.

Walter Payton: Sweetness and Sorrow originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Payton Was Supposed to Live Forever

Terence Moore — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, FanHouse Exclusive

Some things make no sense.

Just take the way Walter Payton played, for instance. Season after season, game after game, down after down, he destroyed folks. He did so as a running back for the Chicago Bears, and he spent 13 years as one of the most explosive hitters ever at any position, despite wrapping just 200 pounds around his frame of 5-foot-10. After he would belt a heftier defender toward the parking lot with his famously potent stiff arm, he would return to his preferred status of mellow.

Which brings us to the way Payton lived. Only a power higher than all of the former and present NFL commissioners combined knows the true essence of a man's heart. But to mere mortals, Payton wore a halo as well as a helmet. He was eternally polite, and he was a constant giver. To charities. To strangers. To society as a whole. I mean, did he have any enemies? If he did, they were invisible, or they were just teasing along the way to wrapping loving arms around the guy called "Sweetness" for a reason.

Then there was the way Payton died.

This really made no sense. The way Payton played and lived, he was supposed to become a modern-day Elijah and Enoch, and never experience death. Instead, Payton died, all right, and he died at 45. Sunday will mark a decade since terminal liver disease became about the only thing Payton could not overcome.

Then again, upon further review, everything involving Payton did make sense, but only if you understand this: Never has an athlete so extraordinary been so ordinary.

The way Payton played and lived, he was supposed to become a modern-day Elijah and Enoch, and never experience death.
As for the extraordinary, see the paragraphs above. Now add to that Payton's journey past Jim Brown for more rushing yards than anybody in history (a record that stood until Emmitt Smith came along). And, for the bulk of that stretch, Payton had no offensive line, no quarterback, no head coach -- and no team worth mentioning. He never complained. He even kept his mouth shut when he was inexplicably slighted by Coach Mike Ditka after the Bears got powerful enough at the end of Payton's career to shuffle their way to a blowout victory in the 1985 Super Bowl. On a short touchdown plunge, Ditka gave the ball to a gimmick (William "Refrigerator" Perry) instead of to a legend (Payton).

In addition, Payton never got hurt, and he never greeted the public with much less than a smile. He also never lost the hidden strength of a bulldozer that he still possessed during the early years of his retirement after the 1987 season.

"It was like shaking hands with a brick," said my brother, Darrell, chuckling and recalling his occasional lunches with Payton after the NFL Hall of Famer stopped wearing a No. 34 Bears jersey on a regular basis and switched to business attire. They worked in the same office building in a Chicago suburb. While Darrell was a regional marketing manager for his company on the third floor, Payton was operating as Payton on the fourth. From there, he sought to bring a team to St. Louis, which was NFL-barren at the time. He would have been -- and should have been -- the first primary owner in the league who was African-American.

He oversaw his slew of charities. He ran a couple of Chicago nightspots. He also tried to enter the world of auto racing as a driver and an owner.

According to Darrell, his office had as much NASCAR stuff as NFL stuff.

What else?

Darrell chuckled again. He was about to give the ordinary side of Payton, and the ordinary side still made Payton bigger than life. Said Darrell, "He could have had a pink elephant in his office for all I know. That's because, whenever you talked to Walter, you didn't look around, because he gave you this great eye contact. He always was focused on every single word that you said. I can't recall meeting too many people who listened to you as intently as he did, and it didn't matter how well he knew you. He was passionately involved with every conversation. And at times, it almost was as if he could tell what you were going to say before you even said it.

"But the biggest thing was that no matter how often I talked to Walter, I couldn't believe how pleasant he always was to you. He was one of the nicest persons I've ever met, and that's why it was such a shock about his death.

"Actually, it was more shocking to find out he was sick."

How does a Walter Payton ever get sick? He was more durable than Dick Butkus and certainly Gale Sayers, the other sainted Bears who reached national fame despite the darkness around them. At best, Payton's nearest challengers as an iron man came from the leather-helmet days of Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski.

I'm mentioning Bears history, because Bears history is as good as it gets when it comes to football history regarding toughness, and nobody from any team or from any era tops Payton in that category. In fact, if you find any footage on NFL Films that shows Payton running for the sidelines, it will be the first.

He was the anti-Franco Harris.

Then, out of nowhere, you had Payton's version of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech at Yankee Stadium and Magic Johnson's announcement about contracting HIV.

February 2, 1999. With pounds leaving Payton's body faster than one of his old dashes through somebody's front seven, tears flowed from everywhere and from everybody inside a Chicago-area restaurant. Payton called this news conference to address rumors about his rapidly failing health. Near the end of his talk, with dark shades in place and family members all around him, Payton said with emotion, "To the people that really care about me, just continue to pray. And for those who are gonna say what they want to say, may God be with you also."

Nine months later, Payton was gone, and it didn't make sense.

Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.

Payton Was Supposed to Live Forever originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jeff Fisher's Picture of Walter Payton? As Perfect Teammate

Thomas George — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, FanHouse Exclusive

One picture of a football player hangs in Jeff Fisher's office. It is of his former teammate, Walter Payton.

Ten years after Payton's death, he still serves as an inspiration to Fisher. That was true last season at this juncture when Fisher's Tennessee Titans were 6-0. It remains true this season with Fisher's team 0-6.

"It is the only picture in here, other than of the stadium and some family pictures," Fisher said in a recent interview from his office at the Titans' facility in Nashville. "I had so much respect for him as everyone did. Players come in and it's good for them to see his picture in my office. Especially young players. When they first come in here to talk, it's one of the first things they see."

Payton's Chicago career spanned from the 1975 season through 1987. Fisher was a Bears defensive back from 1981 through 1985.

He witnessed up close a portion of Payton's Hall of Fame career -- the bruising yet ballet-like running style; the Super Bowl XX championship shuffle during the '85 season.

The sweetness.

Fisher broke his ankle in training camp before the 1985 season, and was placed on injured reserve. But, back then, such players could later practice with the team -- Fisher did just that, taking a spot on Chicago's scout team defense.

The Bears forbid anyone in practice to tackle Payton. "And he knew that,"' Fisher said. "But that didn't stop him from running over you."

Fisher marveled over Payton's precious talent. He remembered Payton standing at midfield, throwing a football to the end zone and purposely nailing an upright. He remembered him walking across the field on his hands, feet high, never touching the ground.

Explosive. Tremendous vision -- eyes always on that second or third defender, always downfield. A punishing runner. A guy that induced a myriad of missed tackles. A forearm that would knock you out.

Those things, said Fisher, were only a portion of Payton's gifts.

"I kept bugging our trainer about in-soles for my cleats," said Fisher (pictured in his Bears days). "One day the trainer said, 'Come with me.' So, we walk over to Walter's locker. He had 8 1/2 Spot-Bilt shoes in there. They had screw-in cleats, about seven of them. The trainer had me put my hand inside the shoe. There was no in-sole. He said Walter always wanted to feel his cleats, the spikes coming through underneath his feet. His feet were calloused. I stopped bugging the trainer for in-soles.

"Walter set the single-game rushing record while playing with a 102 [degree] fever. When I hear one of my players is under the weather, the first thing he hears from me is 'Walter Payton played the best game of his life with a 104 temperature!' Sometimes it's 106. I use him as an example a lot.''

Anyone who was around Payton remembers his soft-spoken manner.

Fisher remembers the jokester in the man. The goof. Fisher said during his playing time that most of the Bears' rookies were in a locker room a floor below the veterans. Players might nap between training camp practices, only to be awakened by an M-80 firecracker dropped into the room from above. Pure Payton.

Love for his teammates was real for Payton, Fisher said. He said Payton gave respect -- and he received it.

"I was a late-round draft pick, sort of on the perimeter,'' Fisher said. "But Walter and I had in common that we liked to hunt. We would go duck hunting in northwestern Illinois. The last game I spent as his teammate was the Super Bowl. There was some frustration by everyone who wanted to see him score a touchdown in that game. Walter was OK that he didn't. His championship was the most important thing.

"I remember his heart and passion for the game. His love for the game. His consistent approach every day. It was the greatest experience for five years to stand on the sidelines with the defense and watch Walter run.''

Every day in his office, Fisher glances at the wall and remembers how hard Walter Payton ran through the winning seasons and the losing ones.

It inspires Fisher, as a coach, to do the same.

Jeff Fisher's Picture of Walter Payton? As Perfect Teammate originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brutal Effort by Bears in 45-10 Thrashing

Matt Snyder — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Bengals, AFC North, NFC North

Bengals 45, Bears 10. It was 45-3 before the Bears finally got into the end zone, but the game had long been over at that point. It was one of those games that makes you wonder -- were the Bengals that good or the Bears that bad? As is usually the case when you ask that question, it was a combination of both. You have to give the Bengals credit, especially Carson Palmer for his precision passing. Well, really, the entire team deserves loads of credit.

Still, this game was more about how pathetic the Bears played. For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, that was a simply despicable attempt at playing football on nearly every front. More games like that, and the playoffs won't even be a possibility come late November.

More: Check Box Score | Saints Rally, Stay Unbeaten | 'Boys Pound Falcons

The offensive line is awful, just downright atrocious. Jay Cutler has about two seconds to throw before being hit, and this was against a team who just lost its best pass rusher. Matt Forte has maybe six inches of running room on any given play. And make no mistake about it, Cutler made some awful passes, while Forte is running like he's planning on living off his rookie reputation for the rest of his career. Receivers are playing volleyball (Cutler's second pick was batted upward by his intended receiver before being intercepted) and losing fumbles (Devin Hester, though he otherwise had a nice stat-line).

The defense was an absolute sieve. Palmer had more touchdown passes (five) than incompletions (four), which sounds like a video game stat. Chad Ochocinco schooled Charles Tillman, just like he said he would. Cedric Benson proved his point, I guess (don't even get me started on him, he's still a joke of a man -- even if he's a good running back now). The defense as a whole misses tackles with alarming frequency, mostly due to trying to rip out the football instead of simply making the tackle (which is Lovie-ball -- he wants takeaways, after all). There was no pass rush.

The stats look pretty bad as well, not surprisingly. The Bears were outgained by 169 yards, earned only half as many first downs as Cincy did and turned it over four times. They allowed the Bengals to convert on eight of 12 third downs. And they can't run, rushing for just 35 yards.

Did the team not know they had a game Sunday? Were they unprepared? Were they satisfied with only losing to the Falcons by seven the previous week?

Whatever the reason, that wasn't a playoff-caliber team Sunday. Lovie Smith was outcoached, the offense sucked and the defense sucked. That wasn't even the work of a six-win team. Beating the Browns at home next week won't mean things are all of a sudden better, either. The Bears have some serious work to do in order to live up to expectations.

Brutal Effort by Bears in 45-10 Thrashing originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cedric Benson Says Bears Tried to 'Blackball' Him From NFL

Matt Snyder — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:03:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Bengals, AFC North, NFC North

Cedric Benson's time in Chicago was a tumultuous one. He was drafted by the Bears in the first round -- the fourth overall pick -- of the 2005 draft and proceeded to hold out for 36 days. After arriving, he constantly complained about being mistreated by teammates. That may have been true, as the incumbent starting running back, Thomas Jones, was well-liked by teammates. Maybe it was because Jones worked hard, cared about the team and didn't have a sense of entitlement -- all opposite traits displayed by Benson in Chicago.

Now, Benson is becoming the player many thought he could coming out of college, due to -- in my opinion -- having received a wake-up call when the Bears cut him. Although, if you hear it from him, that isn't the case at all. In fact, he claims the Bears attempted to blackball him from the NFL.

Blackball? Wow, so the Bears went to the trouble of calling every other team and telling them specifically not to sign Cedric Benson?

''No doubt,'' Benson said. ''I heard all the rumors that were said coming out of Chicago. Even the Bengals told me that they would call and inquire about me and get nothing but negative things.''

Such as?

''That I didn't work hard, that I was, I guess, a prima donna, just wasn't focused,'' he said. ''Just anything negative that they could say was said. I'm sure that contributed largely to me not getting picked up right away.''

Um, Cedric ... that's not attempting to blackball a player. That's a former employer giving an honest assessment of what you were (and, for the record, Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has said Bears coach Lovie Smith "vouched for" Benson when the two discussed the Bengals possibly bringing him in).

Look, the Bears ran Jones out of town for Benson -- and, by the way, Jones is still better here in 2009. Benson rewarded them with poor work ethic, a sense of entitlement and obvious apathy. He mocked disgruntled fans in the front row behind the Bears bench during the incredibly disappointing 2007 campaign, at times shrugging his shoulders and laughing when people accused him of not caring about the team. He got arrested twice within a matter of weeks in the 2008 offseason. At that point, there wasn't a person in the world who thought the Bears should have kept Benson around. They turned the page.

Benson needs to do the same.

He is third in the NFL in rushing. He's playing for a really solid team. He's running hard, his teammates like him and he appears to care. Good for him. He's changed -- just not near as much as he needs to. You see, when I was in my early 20s, I didn't work hard at my job. If my current employers called my employers from those years to ask about me, I'm sure they'd hear I wasn't committed to the job, because I wasn't. In my current gig, I am. There are people all over the world with a similar circumstance. People can change. It's apparent Benson has morphed into a hard-working No. 1 NFL running back. It's a shame he can't just be accountable for his past indiscretions instead of levying ridiculous accusations (seriously, does he even know what "blackball" means?) against the team who did everything they could to give him a chance. You can't come full circle as a changed human being without a little accountability.

Instead, all you hear from Benson is excuse-city. He's better for the Bengals because they cleared a path for him instead of having him come in and compete, he has recently said. What a joke. If you want to compete for a job, how about not holding out for more than a month? How about just going out on the field and proving you are better than the other back? You have to earn respect, it's not a God-given right. It's just sad he still can't look back and realize his myriad mistakes during his stint in Chicago.

And has he ever done anything wrong in his life, in his own eyes? If he's sincerely apologized for any past indiscretions or admitted he could have done something even a tad bit better, I've never seen it. It's always what someone else is doing to him or who is trying to keep him down. How about being truthful with himself and trying to better himself as a person?

Of course, it still doesn't appear he's being fully truthful with himself. He claims this weekend's game against the Bears isn't about revenge or showing them what mistake they made to let him go. It's just another game. I'm not going to call him a liar, because he may be telling the truth. But, if he really doesn't care about this game more than any other, what's with all the whining and negativity toward the Bears? If it's just another game, go play it without the accusation-hurling. People don't complain about things if they don't care. Benson's grown as a player and now it's time he grew as a man.

The Bears turned the page, now it's time for Cedric to do the same.

Cedric Benson Says Bears Tried to 'Blackball' Him From NFL originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:03:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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