Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on August 25, 2010
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Bears are preparing for their game against the Arizona Cardinals this Saturday night and hopes are high that they won’t suffer from the same afflictions that plagued them in their game against the Raiders on Saturday.

So what do the Bears need to do to win this game against the Cardinals? Let’s find out as we look at five things that the Bears have to fix or do right this preseason, not only to win the game against Arizona, but to also succeed during the regular season.

No. 1: Protect the Quarterback

This is a given and the Bears aren’t really doing much of it.  In their game against the Raiders, starting quarterback Jay Cutler was sacked five times in one half.  If the Bears continue to play like that, Cutler isn’t going to make it through a full season. 

The problem lies mainly on the left side, where third year offensive tackle Chris Williams sits.  Williams, although a three year player, still hasn’t had a ton of starting experience and doesn’t really understand the nuances of the system.

He will get better as the season goes on, but do the Bears have the time it’s going to take for him to get better?  No. 

He will get help blocking during the season, but as offensive line coach Mike Tice has stated, the Bears aren’t really going to give Williams any help to see how he does, but even with help, can he and the rest of the team get the job done?

No. 2: Stop opponents on Third Downs

Not being able to keep opponents from converting third and long situations killed the Bears last season.  As we saw in the Raiders game, they were right back at it, allowing opponents to convert long third downs, so what’s changed? 

It looks like the same old defense from a year ago even though Julius Peppers is there and Rod Marinelli is calling the plays.

The thing that will solve the Bears problem here is to get more pass pressure on the quarterback. 

That’s always been an issue with this team (in recent years) and that is why they brought in Peppers.  He is there to put pressure on the quarterback, sack him or force him to make mistakes. 

Can Peppers live up to his billing? Will he be able to help a defense that was horrible against third down offenses last season? 

We shall soon find out.

No. 3:  Can the Bears Still Succeed on Special Teams?

This is a great question, seeing as the special teams have suffered so far this preseason. 

However, one thing that we must keep in mind is that the special teams (aside from the long snapping issues that they had against Oakland) is going to be made up of the best first team unit people on this team. 

Typically this preseason, when mistakes have been made, it’s been made with a lot of second unit players.

Special teams coach Dave Toub will not let his special teams unit play like they have so far this preseason.  We have seen these kinds of problems rear their ugly head in the past and Toub has managed to fix them and make the Bears special teams units one of the best in the NFL. 

So don’t worry, things will get better on special teams and this unit will continue to be one of the best.

No. 4: Will the Running Game Be Effective?

You can’t judge anything from Matt Forte’s 89 yard run the other night.  It was one play in a year that will be full of plays. 

But it did show us two very important things. 

The first is that the Bears are getting better at run blocking, as we saw in the Oakland game.  That’s usually the easiest to attain (between run blocking and pass blocking), so the line does have that basic fundamental down it appears.

The second thing that was noticed was the speed that Forte has.  Heading into this training camp, Forte was completely healthy and relatively well rested, and he showed it during his long run against. 

He even seemingly kicked it into an extra gear and gained significant separation from those defenders chasing him.  As long as he can stay healthy (and with a running back like Chester Taylor there to help he should), he could have a great season.

No. 5: Is the Coaching Staff Willing to Try Something New?

This is a huge question. 

We know from conversations that have been printed or broadcast on the airwaves that some players (in particular Chris Harris) have stated that the defense really hasn’t changed much. 

Harris, a former safety who was brought back from the team that he was traded to, had been gone three years and said that the defense really hadn’t changed that much.

Three years and the defense hasn’t changed?  A defense can’t not change from year to year, but the proof is there. 

Head coach Lovie Smith really has a lot of faith in his defense, so he’s run it consistently since he’s been in Chicago. And now that most teams have already figured out the cover two defense, why does Smith keep using it and why doesn’t he change?

Conclusion

The Bears are a team that could be stuck in the never ending mire of mediocrity and playoff absence if they don’t get things moving in the right direction soon. 

Granted they are, for the most part learning a new offense and getting their defensive calls from a new coordinator, but you would think that after all of this, they would have been able to at least show some improvement this preseason. 

But so far they have failed to do so.

Their next preseason game against the Cardinals is critical.  In order to prepare for the season properly, this game, the third game of the preseason, is generally looked up on as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming season.  The starters play well into the third quarter on both teams, giving us a preview of how this team should look in the regular season.

If the Bears end up playing bad football, this could be a bad omen for fans, as well as coaches.  It may signal what many of us have feared, which is that things may not be working right in Chicago. 

Will Lovie Smith’s 2010 season be his worst?  Will this be his last hurrah?

Bears fans want the coaching staff to get this team into a position to win.  We were close to winning it all just three seasons ago, but have fallen hard since. 

Can they get the Bears back to respectability?

We will soon find out.

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