| 03 October 2009
With the Bears game quickly approaching, I exchanged questions with Brett of Bloguin's Chicago Bears blog, "Midway Illustrated."
My replies to Brett's questions can be seen over at "Midway Illustrated."
On to the good stuff...
TWFE: For 3 years, we heard Rod Marinelli spew such drivel as "Pad level," "I believe in the invisible," My shovel is sharp," "Dig towards the light." "Pound the rock," and "Teach, teach, teach" over and over and over, to the point where it first became laughable, then infuriating. In Detroit, Marinelli is viewed as a combination of buffoon/set in his ways curmudgeon/God awful football coach. How is he viewed in Chicago as the Bears' defensive line coach and assistant head coach?
MI: This bit of cliche may get old in some cases but I think it applies to Marinelli a former Marine, some coaches are better sergeants than they are generals.
Marinelli will always be "The Shoveler" to me!
Marinelli is that, he's a great teacher as a defensive line coach and a great motivator of men. The Bears defensive linemen have completely responded to Marinelli as a teacher. No better evidence can be found in the play of the defensive ends who are getting a lot more pressure than they did last year. Mark Anderson who had 12 sacks as a rookie and three in the two years since is playing at a much higher level than he has the past two years. Thus far the pass rush that was so severely lacking the past two seasons, is performing at a much more acceptable level than in years past.
TWFE: Much like Detroit, Chicago hasn't exactly been a haven for good QB's...or even average QB's. Jay Cutler has shown he has plenty of talent, but hasn't yet been able to consistently win games. Is Cutler finally the Bears' answer at QB, or can he still be considered a question mark?
MI: The talent Cutler possesses in undeniable and the leadership he has shown over the last 10 quarters of football has been some of the best seen in Chicago history from a field general. Thus far Cutler has made the receivers better and has led the team on two fourth quarter comeback wins.
Emo QB wanted a trade...and got it
Probably the most surprising aspect of Cutler's play is his ability to feel the pressure, escape the pressure and make plays down the field in the process. Against Pittsburgh he took their defense apart and took precisely what they gave him which was everything underneath. He's completing over 70-percent of his passes since the four INT game against the Packers. So long as he wins football games and plays at a high level, he'll be in Chicago for a number of years.
TWFE: Matt Forte had an excellent rookie season with 1700 yards from scrimmage. Through 3 games this season, he's been a factor in the passing game, but has only 150 rushing yards and is averaging a woeful 2.5 YPC. Is it a sophomore slump, or is there something else causing Forte's drop in production?
MI: Matt Forte still has that ability to be a good running back in the NFL. Will he ever be on the same level as Adrian Peterson? Nope not even close, Peterson is redefining the position with his size power and speed, on a level seen since Jim Brown. At least you could make that argument. Forte is not on that level as a running back and will never be, however if the offensive line comes together as a better run blocking unit his production should go back up.
TWFE: Has Devin Hester taken the leap from All-World return specialist (and occasional deep threat in the passing game) to legit number one receiver?
MI: Is Hester at the same level as Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Terrell Owens, and Randy Moss as number one receivers? Nope nor do I suspect he ever will be.
Hester scares me. You should be scared too...
However Hester is steadily improving and is making solid catches in the passing game, in traffic and is learning to find the soft spots in zone coverage to make big plays. Right now the Bears are benefiting from having three players capable of catches as if they are number one receivers on this team. When Cutler calls on them to make plays, thus far they have all stepped up and made plays to win games.
Would the Bears love to have a go to guy in the mold of those aforementioned players? Damn straight they would, but to this point it appears Cutler can be productive with Hester as one of his best options and everyone else contributing when the ball comes their way.
TWFE: The Bears tried to rebuild their offensive line in the off season with 3 new starters, including '08 number one pick Chris Williams. Is the o-line still a work in progress, or is what you see is what you get?
MI: None of the three lineman are really good run blockers, new guard convert Frank Omiyale especially. Orlando Pace obviously on the downside of his career was talked about as being a good enough pass blocker but not much of a run blocker anymore.
That is true to this point with, and second year OT Chris Williams switching positions to RT has also been an adjustment period for him. Williams' scouting report out of college was he wasn't much of a run blocker but a really good pass blocker with good athleticism. That too has been true of Williams, so with three guys who are struggling to come together as stout run blockers, it has hampered Forte's production to this point.
Right now a case can be made that the Bears should bench Frank Omiyale the left guard in favor of third year player Josh Beekman who was the full time starter last year and performed well enough in helping Forte get his yards.
TWFE: We know the Bears have enough talent to win the NFC Central. Will they?
MI: Based on the three games I have seen this far I will say right now that the Bears will not win the NFC Central.
Despite their questionable taste in music, these Bears did win the division.
There hasn't been enough consistency from the defense with it's level of play and the offensive line's lack of run blocking ability could force the Bears to be pretty one-dimensional this season. The key lies in improving in those areas, finding a better balance on offense could be the real key. The defense has improved from last year and if Forte finds his groove then the offense could end up being one of the best in the league by the end of the season.
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