Systems of Football: The All-Purpose Bears Game Thread

[Internet Apex]

The Bears ran several packaged plays this Sunday, one of which led to the Forte 50 YD TD run and another that led to the Marty B TD, I believe. It's a shame the defense sucks, but the guy running the offense sure knows what the fuck he's doing. It's amazing to see this team led by an offensive innovator rather than a reactionary.

Remember what it was like to have that on special teams, too?

DAVE TOUB, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US?

I like Joe DeCamarinelli or whatever his name is. I don't really blame him for the coverage fuckups because they've got backups to the backups in their STs now, too, and I think the surprise onside was a good call, and they've set up some great Hester returns so far.

Who made the call on the Music City Miracle play Sunday?

Yeah that one I didn't like. Burned like 15 seconds they could have used for an extra play against a really shitty defense.

Also: did someone forget to tell Hester that the play was off if Washington squibbed the ball to one of the up-backs like they did on nearly every other kickoff that day?

That play almost worked. I don't really have a problem with it. One more broken tackle and that could have been six.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

The Bears ran several packaged plays this Sunday, one of which led to the Forte 50 YD TD run and another that led to the Marty B TD, I believe. It's a shame the defense sucks, but the guy running the offense sure knows what the fuck he's doing. It's amazing to see this team led by an offensive innovator rather than a reactionary.

Remember what it was like to have that on special teams, too?

DAVE TOUB, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US?

I like Joe DeCamarinelli or whatever his name is. I don't really blame him for the coverage fuckups because they've got backups to the backups in their STs now, too, and I think the surprise onside was a good call, and they've set up some great Hester returns so far.

Who made the call on the Music City Miracle play Sunday?

Yeah that one I didn't like. Burned like 15 seconds they could have used for an extra play against a really shitty defense.

Also: did someone forget to tell Hester that the play was off if Washington squibbed the ball to one of the up-backs like they did on nearly every other kickoff that day?

That play almost worked. I don't really have a problem with it. One more broken tackle and that could have been six.

And it almost went disastrously wrong.

It certainly wasn't the worst thing that happened on that field. But it was a pretty risky play call against a team with a shit defense.

[CubFaninHydePark]

The Bears ran several packaged plays this Sunday, one of which led to the Forte 50 YD TD run and another that led to the Marty B TD, I believe. It's a shame the defense sucks, but the guy running the offense sure knows what the fuck he's doing. It's amazing to see this team led by an offensive innovator rather than a reactionary.

Remember what it was like to have that on special teams, too?

DAVE TOUB, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US?

I like Joe DeCamarinelli or whatever his name is. I don't really blame him for the coverage fuckups because they've got backups to the backups in their STs now, too, and I think the surprise onside was a good call, and they've set up some great Hester returns so far.

Who made the call on the Music City Miracle play Sunday?

Yeah that one I didn't like. Burned like 15 seconds they could have used for an extra play against a really shitty defense.

Also: did someone forget to tell Hester that the play was off if Washington squibbed the ball to one of the up-backs like they did on nearly every other kickoff that day?

That play almost worked. I don't really have a problem with it. One more broken tackle and that could have been six.

I agree with this - even a shitty defense is going to stop a team from going 70 - 80 yards in less than a minute with no way to stop a clock.  Even if it didn't go the distance, it almost got good enough field position to make pot shots at the end zone viable.

[Internet Apex]

The Bears ran several packaged plays this Sunday, one of which led to the Forte 50 YD TD run and another that led to the Marty B TD, I believe. It's a shame the defense sucks, but the guy running the offense sure knows what the fuck he's doing. It's amazing to see this team led by an offensive innovator rather than a reactionary.

Remember what it was like to have that on special teams, too?

DAVE TOUB, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN US?

I like Joe DeCamarinelli or whatever his name is. I don't really blame him for the coverage fuckups because they've got backups to the backups in their STs now, too, and I think the surprise onside was a good call, and they've set up some great Hester returns so far.

Who made the call on the Music City Miracle play Sunday?

Yeah that one I didn't like. Burned like 15 seconds they could have used for an extra play against a really shitty defense.

Also: did someone forget to tell Hester that the play was off if Washington squibbed the ball to one of the up-backs like they did on nearly every other kickoff that day?

That play almost worked. I don't really have a problem with it. One more broken tackle and that could have been six.

I agree with this - even a shitty defense is going to stop a team from going 70 - 80 yards in less than a minute with no way to stop a clock.  Even if it didn't go the distance, it almost got good enough field position to make pot shots at the end zone viable.

That Washington kick coverage unit is the worst in professional football including the Canadian Football League. You can talk about going after their shitty defense with one timeout and a quarterback who hasn't taken a single snap of two-minute offense since Christ was in Chicago if you want to. But I support trying for a home run on special teams there, especially with the Skins so worried about Devin. They traded that Hail Mary for the one McCown never got to throw after the game-ending sack.

[CubFaninHydePark]

Can we firebarn Major Wright?  If this run defense weren't horrible, this is probably a 2TD game right now.

[Bonk]

JOSH MCCOWN > MIKE TOMCZAK!!!!

[Internet Apex]

Can we firebarn Major Wright Wrong?  If this run defense weren't horrible, this is probably a 2TD game right now.

I'll be open to any sort of activity that leads to this goof and his counterpart leaving the team forever once the season is over and Craig Steltz can no longer threaten every football sensibility I've ever possessed.

[Brownie]

JOSH MCCOWN > MIKE TOMCZAK!!!!

DAT ANGELO NEVER SHOULD OF TRADED MCCOWN WHEN HE WAS A BEAR THE FIRST TIME. I KNOW SHEA N. MATTHEW AND JIMMY LER WERE TO OF THE GRATEST CUBE BEES IN HISTORY, BUT MCCOWN SHOWED HE IS A CHAMPION WIT THE HEART OF PAPA BEAR.

[Saul Goodman]

Was there a game today?

[Bort]

Was there a game today?

Signs point to "no."

[R-V]

I admit it...I'm not completely dismissing the idea of

• letting Cutler walk after this year and instead spending the franchise QB money to upgrade the defense
• drafting a QB
• letting (gulp) McCown start at least a portion of next season until Scheelhaase is ready to play

I don't like that I'm thinking it, but I'm thinking it.

[Tonker]

I admit it...I'm not completely dismissing the idea of

• letting Cutler walk after this year and instead spending the franchise QB money to upgrade the defense
• drafting a QB
• letting (gulp) McCown start at least a portion of next season until Scheelhaase is ready to play

I don't like that I'm thinking it, but I'm thinking it.

I admit it, what I know about football and fifteen quid wouldn't get my hair cut, but this seems like a reasonable idea to me.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

letting (gulp) McCown start at least a portion of next season until Scheelhaase is ready to play

Trading up in the draft to secure him?

[Saul Goodman]

I admit it...I'm not completely dismissing the idea of

• letting Cutler walk after this year and instead spending the franchise QB money to upgrade the defense
• drafting a QB
• letting (gulp) McCown start at least a portion of next season until Scheelhaase is ready to play

I don't like that I'm thinking it, but I'm thinking it.

Why not save the Scheelhaase money and sign Juice Williams for cheap?  I'm sure he's available.

[SKO]

I admit it...I'm not completely dismissing the idea of

• letting Cutler walk after this year and instead spending the franchise QB money to upgrade the defense
• drafting a QB
• letting (gulp) McCown start at least a portion of next season until Scheelhaase is ready to play

I don't like that I'm thinking it, but I'm thinking it.

The cap next year will be about $120 Million. The Bears currently have about $80 million committed for 2014, and that's including paying Peppers $18 million if they keep him (not likely) vs. $8 million if they cut him. So looking at about $50+ million in cap room, I'm not really worried about them paying Cutler. I'd probably franchise tag him at this point, and you can bring back McCown for cheap. Dude is 34 and has never had any kind of success anywhere except in Trestman's offense. He'll be cheap to backup Jay or start Jay if you want the meatballs to win the revolution or whatever.

I still think your best chance as a serious contender in 2014 is keeping Cutler at QB and keeping the rest of that offense (sans Garza, natch) together next year and using your FA money and your draft picks to re-tool on defense.