Category Archives: chicago bears

2013 NFL Week 12 – Betting Picks Against Spread

In a week with little value in any points spread, I managed to go 11-4 week with my picks against the spread last week. I have a 84-54-8 record against the spread this year.

I like a lot of road teams this week in many of the marquee games. The schedule is boom or bust. You have horrible games like Jacksonville at Houston or great games like Denver at New England. I’m sorry if you’re stuck with one of the bad games this Sunday (I suggest you buy NFL Sunday Ticket).

There are four teams on bye this week. That will finally end soon and we will have sixteen games every week. This week, I suggest keeping an eye on injury reports and weather conditions from this point forward.

We pick every NFL game against the spread and throw out a few upsets in Week 12 of the NFL season.

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2013 NFL Week 7 – Betting Picks Against Spread

Need betting advice for the NFL games this weekend? We pick every game against the spread in Week 7 of the NFL season.

Say goodbye to any value in the points spreads. The value is now in the decent teams with a bad record (Atlanta, NY Giants, Pittsburgh). Those plays are risky, but they’ll payoff this week. Keep those teams in mind in the coming weeks. You could hit on a few home underdog moneyline plays.

We pick every NFL game against the spread and throw out a few upsets in Week 7 of the NFL season.

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2013 NFL Week 5 – Betting Picks Against Spread

Need betting advice for the NFL games this weekend? We pick every game against the spread in Week 5 of the NFL season.

Now that fantasy baseball season ended (I won four out of the five leagues), I’m waist-deep in fantasy football and college & pro football point spreads…I can’t complain. It’s better than writing about June baseball games.

I had some nice wins last week, but missed on the Browns and Redskins.

We pick every NFL game against the spread and throw out a few upsets and moneyline plays for Week 5 of the young NFL season.

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2013 NFL – Week 3 Betting Picks Against Spread

Needed betting advice before the Thursday night’s NFL game? Sorry about that.

My life is seriously fantasy football, college football betting lines and doing research for NBA team previews. I watch the NFL while I do all those things, so my plate is a little full, which explains why I’m posting the NFL betting picks against the spread post on Friday.

I had some nice wins last week, but missed on the Dolphins and Jets.

Can Seattle cover a 19-point spread against Jacksonville on Sunday? It’s one of the largest NFL point spreads in recent memory.

We pick every NFL game against the spread and throw out a few upsets and moneyline plays for Week 3 of the young NFL season. Continue reading →

2013 Fantasy Football: Top 15 Defense/ST Rankings

Over the past ten seasons, it’s rare that the preseason favorite DEF/ST team ends up on top at season’s end, but we do our best to rank the top 15 defenses and special teams for the 2013 NFL season.

With the addition of Percy Harvin, the Seattle Seahawks will be a tough team to pass up in the mid-rounds of your fantasy draft. I know defenses shouldn’t normally picked before the late, late rounds, but I expect big things from Richard Sherman and the rest of the defense…oh, and Percy Harvin possibly running back kickoffs & punts.

Here are our top 15 defense & special teams rankings for the 2013 NFL season. Continue reading →

2012 NFL Team Preview: Chicago Bears

Before I go into the Chicago Bears 2012 team preview, let’s breakdown the two biggest stars’ girlfriends. Jay Cutler is still with Kristin Cavallari and now Brian Urlacher is dating Jenny McCarthy. Should I be worried that these guys will be a bit distracted this season? Jim Carray didn’t exactly put out his best work while dating McCarthy. Urlacher may put out a “Fun With Dick and Jane”-type of performance. Yikes!

I may need to dig deeper into both of these relationships later, but I have a lot of team previews to knock out before the NFL season begins.

Now that I got that off my chest, we can get into the Bears preview.

Chicago was one of the best teams in the NFC before Cutler and Forte went down with injuries. They missed the playoffs and realized Mike Martz wasn’t working as their offensive coordinator, so he’s gone.

How will Brandon Marshall perform when he is reunited with Cutler? Will Michael Bush be the complement to Forte they were missing last season?

Here’s our 2012 team preview for the Chicago Bears.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 8-8

Key Additions: WR Brandon Marshall, RB Michael Bush, QB Jason Campbell, CB Kelvin Hayden, LB Blake Costanzo, LB Geno Hayes, DT DeMario Pressley, OG Chilo Rachal, WR Devin Thomas, WR Eric Weems, CB Jonathan Wilhite, RB Lorenzo Booker, TE Evan Rodriguez, LB Shea McClellin, WR Alshon Jeffery and S Brandon Hardin.

Key Losses: S Brandon Meriweather, WR Roy Williams, DT Amobi Okoye, OT Frank Omiyale, QB Caleb Hanie, CB Zack Bowman, DT Anthony Adams, CB Corey Graham and RB Marion Barber.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC South and NFC West

Fantasy Sleeper: TE Evan Rodriguez – Mike Tice is the new offensive coordinator in Chicago and he will not ignore the tight end position like Martz. Kellen Davis will be the starter, but expect plenty two-TE sets. Cutler checked down to tight ends in Denver and Chicago’s tight ends will be more productive in 2012. Alshon Jeffery will be an interesting sleeper as well. Johnny Knox may start out the season on the PUP list and Cutler will need a big target other than Marshall and his tight ends.

Team Analysis: The NFC North will be the toughest division in the NFL. Detroit and Green Bay will be fighting Chicago for the division crown. The division will all see an easier non-divisional schedule by facing the AFC South and NFC West in 2012. Cutler will be more horizontal this year with quicker plays that won’t take long to develop. He will be thanking God that Martz is no longer calling plays and Marshall is back receiving his passes. Forte and new addition Michael Bush both have great hands. Chicago will have a very good rushing attack. Lance Briggs and Urlacher are another year older and they are still producing like Pro Bowlers. Their defense looked old at times last season, but they added a few younger pieces to help this squad regain their past dominance. You will see Chicago in the playoffs this season, but they may not get in as a divisional winner. The NFC North will be a fun division to watch play out this season.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 9 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 12-4

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2012 NFL Team Previews

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Dolphins Trade Brandon Marshall To Bears

The Chicago Bears finally have an elite wide-receiver. Jay Cutler should be happy, because it is a player that he knows very well. The Miami Dolphins traded WR Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for two 3rd-round draft picks. Even though he is coming off his best season with the Dolphins (81 receptions for 1,215 yards with six touchdowns), the price went down for Marshall’s services. The Dolphins gave the Denver Broncos two 2nd-round picks in 2010.

Cutler and Marshall put up some impressive numbers together in Denver. The last three seasons that they were in Denver, Marshall eclipsed 100 receptions each year. The Bears have lacked a prototypical wide-receiver for many years. The last receiver that put up consistent numbers was Bernard Berrian. I’m not saying that Devin Hester and Johnny Knox are bad receivers, but neither of them are a #1 receiving option on a championship contending team.

The Bears still need help on the offensive line and they look to add a few pieces in the upcoming NFL Draft. They should have a chance to add depth to a line has given up a lot of sacks over the past two seasons. They have other needs, but using the draft to pick up a few young offensive linemen is in their best interest.

Marshall is under contract through the 2014 season and has a contract around $9 million dollars per season. This signing could end all of the Mario Williams rumors that have been floating around. Williams is projected to receive a contract that averages at least $15 million per season. A pass rush combo of Julius Peppers and Williams would rival the Giants for the best pass rush in the NFL. Even if they aren’t able to sign Williams, the Bears took a step in the right direction by trading with Marshall.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

How To Fix The Chicago Bears

At the beginning of the year, I predicted that the Bears would win the NFC North and the Bears would finish 11-5. I was way off and many experts are left with pie on their face. What went wrong with the Bears? How could this team possibly have trouble scoring points? What happened to Matt Forte? Is Jay Cutler a turnover machine the next Jim McMahon? Does Lance Briggs love McRibs? I answer these important questions.

When the Bears traded for Jay Cutler, it was the greatest day in Chicago since Michael Jordan was wearing the number #23. You didn’t hear anyone thinking that this was a mistake. You heard things like “Chicago has never had a great quarterback” and “Chicago is a lock to win the NFC North.” You didn’t hear things like, “Chicago still haven’t had a great quarterback” and “Chicago looks just awful out there.” The Bears paid a great price for Cutler and they don’t have a #1 pick for the next couple years to help replenish their aging roster.

Why has Jay Cutler looked so bad this year? It’s easy, he has no one to throw it to. It seemed like he was getting a groove with TE Greg Olson, but defenses made note and stopped that from happening. Cutler had to try and make things happen out there with receivers that can’t get open. It’s as simple as that. Cutler was so used to Brandon Marshall, who could get open in a gaggle of geese, to these receivers that couldn’t get open against Verne Troyer. If the Bears can get a few veteran receivers or maybe even Brandon Marshall, Cutler will go back to his “golden boy” status.

I know it’s not as simple as I’m describing it. The Bears are clealy one-dimensional right now. Cutler has to face seven dropping back in coverage because Matt Forte went from stud rookie to old sophomore in a matter of one off-season. Forte hasn’t really had that one great game to help us forget how mediocre he has been this season. I don’t want to blame him completely, because the offensive line hasn’t given him much to run through. It’s a clear collapse of the entire offense, it’s a hard thing to watch.

I can’t fully blame the offense, because the Bears defense have looked just as pedestrian as the offense this season. You can point to the season-ending injury of Brian Urlacher as a possbile blame for their insufficient play. There’s talk that if the Bears keep Lovie Smith as the head coach, they could strip his defensive play-calling, since he has done for the past few seasons. If you had Urlacher this season, it still wouldn’t helped the pass coverage much. You could see this team start to decline defensively last year, but if you need another excuse for the Bears, the offense has left them with horrible defensive field position.

Here is how you would fix the Chicago Bears. It starts with the head coach. The Bears offense had one good season under Lovie Smith, they went to the Super Bowl that year. They had a reckless quarterback, Rex Grossman, and a stout defense. They still have a reckless quarterback, but not the defense or offensive production to match. You hire a big name ex-coach like Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan to fix everything and give them full control of personnel. You have to get rid of Lovie Smith and offensive coordinator, Ron Turner, as well.

The next step, since you don’t have first-round picks for the next few years, you have to trade a couple pieces to get younger and more athletic. You would have to trade a player like Brian Urlacher for a young left tackle or a high first round pick. You can fix your receiving corps by signing a veteran receiver and using a 2nd-round pick on a possession receiver. You can also get steals in the late rounds to help your secondary. These are steps that need to happen for the Bears to rebuild in a hurry. You have to build your team around Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, and Lance Briggs, those are immovable pieces that you can use as building blocks.

If the Bears want to make a change, just do it. Don’t go in the Washington Redskins route and start stripping the head coach of duties. You need to rip the band-aid off in one motion, don’t make it slow and painful. The Bears have a good quarterback and that isn’t something that Chicago fans are used to. A complete change in philosophy needs to happen and it starts with the head coach and trading Brian Urlacher and move this team in a new direction. Sometimes it’s better this way, even if you know that it will hurt.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NFL Football – Week 4 Betting Picks

We had a good Week 3 with our betting picks against the spread. We went 10-6 and went with the money line in the Detroit game. We are liking a lot of road teams to win ATS this week. It could be a recurring trend this season, since home-field advantage doesn’t seem to be holding up this year. Could the Lions win two in a row? Could the Steelers go 1-3 to start the season? Here are our Week 4 NFL betting picks against the spread.

I don’t think home-field advantage is as important so far this season as it has been in the past. It will change later on in the season when snow and heavy winds may sway the momentum of the game. This early in the season, teams are still tweaking with the offense and many lack an identity. The good teams will win on the road and the bad teams will lose at home.

Oakland Raiders (+9) at Houston Texans (-9) – My pick is Oakland

I might be insane, but the Raiders can still run the ball and Houston is the worst in the league at stopping the run. Oakland may not win this game, but should keep it close, with or without JaMarcus Russell.

Tennessee Titans (-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+3) – My pick is Tennessee

Jacksonville looked good last week, but the Titans are hungry for their first win. The AFC South games are usually closer than most games, but the Titans will win this game by more than 3 points.

Baltimore Ravens (+2) at New England Patriots (-2) – My pick is Baltimore

I missed on the Falcons beating the Patriots last week, but the Ravens are a better team than Atlanta. Joe Flacco may not have many weapons, but they have a dual-threat running game that will cause New England’s D-line to struggle. I like the Ravens to out-right win this contest.

New York Giants (-9) at Kansas City Chiefs (+9) – My pick is New York

The Giants faced a large spread last week and they easily covered. I think it will happen again this weekend. They will shutdown Larry Johnson and force the Chiefs to throw on their secondary. The pass rushers for the Giants will have a field day on Matt Cassel.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7.5) at Washington Redskins (-7.5) – My pick is Tampa Bay

The Bucs will be forced to rely on Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward in this game. Albert Haynesworth is hurting, so the Bucs will be able to run all over Washington. I don’t care who Tampa Bay has at quarterback, it won’t matter much in this game.

Seattle Seahawks (+10.5) at Indianapolis Colts (-10.5) – My pick is Seattle

The Colts will win this game, but they don’t normally beat opponents by much. Seattle will be without Matt Hasselbeck, but Seneca Wallace is a good back-up. Julius Jones will have a good game, but the Colts will make defensive stops when it counts.

Cincinnati Bengals (-6) at Cleveland Browns (+6) – My pick is Cincinnati

The Bengals looked great against the Steelers last week and the Browns were their usual horrible Browns. The Bengals defense has improved a lot from last season and I see them winning this game by a lot. The Browns can’t score on any NFL team this year, Derek Anderson won’t change anything for them.

Detroit Lions (+10) at Chicago Bears (-10) – My pick is Chicago

Could the Lions possibly win two weeks in a row? I doubt it, the Bears looks to finally have things starting to mold. Matt Forte must have a big game, the Bears need him to get going this season or their hopes of making the playoffs could end soon. The Bears win this game easily, by two touchdowns.

New York Jets (+7) at New Orleans Saints (-7) – My pick is New York

The Saints always start off looking unbeatable, but when they face a good defense, they don’t seem so powerful. Bart Scott and the rest of the Jets defense will make Drew Brees work for their yards. I’m not sure if the Jets wins this game, but they will keep it within seven points.

Buffalo Bills (-1) at Miami Dolphins (+1) – My pick is Buffalo

Miami will have to rely on Chad Henne and their running game to put points on the board, but the Bills have more weapons on offense than the Dolphins. I look for Terrell Owens to finally get going and Fred Jackson to dominate in this game. The Bills will win this game, in a close one.

St. Louis Rams (+9.5) at San Francisco 49ers (-9.5) – My pick is San Francisco

The Rams could be the worst team in the league. Kyle Boller adds a better passing option than Marc Bulger, but the 49ers came into their own against the Vikings last weekend. Vernon Davis finally has his head screwed on straight and is a physical beast. Shaun Hill will keep targeting him against the Rams and win this game and cover the spread.

Dallas Cowboys (-3) at Denver Broncos (+3) – My pick is Dallas

Denver has not played any team that did not make the playoffs last year and Dallas has played three games against teams that finished over .500 last season. I know what kind of team the Cowboys are after three games, I have no clue if Denver is any good yet. This game will prove it and Denver is a hoax, the Cowboys will run all over them and win this game and cover.

San Diego Chargers (+6.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) – My pick is San Diego

I am not sure if many people saw the Bengals/Steelers game last week, because this line has moved a lot in the Steelers favor since it has opened. Troy Polamalu isn’t going to play and Antonio Gates will be free to catch everything win sight. The Chargers will go into Pittsburgh and win this game. This is my upset of the week.

Green Pay Packers (+3.5) at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) – My pick is Minnesota

Brett Favre will be pumped up to play his old team on Monday Night Football. Green Bay’s new 3-4 defense will cause Farve some trouble, so look for Adrian Peterson to run amok. Ryan Grant will have a good game and Aaron Rodgers will have a lot on his shoulders if the Packers plan on keeping this one close. Give me the Vikings ATS in this game.

I hope you enjoy our picks. They are for entertainment purposes and please bet responsibly.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Is Matt Forte In A Sophomore Slump?

Matt Forte was 2/3rds of the Bears offense last season and he has been a ghost of himself this year. He was non-existent in the first two games against Green Bay and Pittsburgh. He was expected to have a great game against Seattle, but he barely averaged three yards per carry. Frank Gore ran all over the Seahawks last week and this could be a huge red flag for the Bears. Forte wasn’t expected to be a huge part of the passing game, but they need him to be a force in the running game. Is Forte in a sophomore slump or is this just a case of him facing good teams?

It doesn’t matter what team you play for in the NFL, if you only have 150 yards and averaging 2.5 yards per carry in the first three games of the season, people will start talking. Forte averaged 3.9 last season, but he also had 63 receptions, which may have been due to Kyle Orton dumping the ball off in a hurry. He does have 11 receptions so far this season, so he is near his usual pace. He didn’t catch any balls the first came, so you have to give props to Ron Turner for recognizing that he needs the ball in his hands.

I know Forte’s performance hasn’t been what the Bears have wanted, but they still need to keep feeding him the ball. He is their playmaker on offense and they can’t give up on the running game. When the Bears offense becomes one-dimensional, Jay Cutler will become predictable. He already tries to force passes in where he has no right to throw them. If you take away the running game, safeties will be spying the quarterback and the defense can play nickel and deep dime all game long.

Much have been made of Michael Turner’s large number of carries and the affect on the running back the next season. If you add Forte’s carries and receptions last season, it equals the amount of work that Turner received last year. I guess if you have the mindset that Turner will have a down year, you’re not surprised that Forte’s numbers have taken a hit. The Bears rode him last year and it has took its toll on him. He may turn it around and for the Bears sake, I hope he does.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NFL Football – Week 3 Betting Picks

There are some nice NFL games out there to bet on this week. I see a few must-bet games out there and even a few upsets in Week 3’s games. Can the Jets keep up their winning ways? Are the Panthers really that bad? Are the Lions ready to win a game? Here are my picks against the spread for the NFL games in Week 3 of the season.

Tennessee Titans (+3) at New York Jets (-3) – My pick is Tennessee

The Titans have lost two close games against potential playoff teams this season and they have a very potent offense. The Jets have beaten two potential playoff teams, but won those games. If the Titans lose this game, their season could seem to be over, so they are desperate for a win. The Jets beat the Patriots and they will not be as pumped up as last week. The Titans will win this game in a close one.

Cleveland Browns (+13) at Baltimore Ravens (-13) – My pick is Baltimore

I know that 13 points are a lot for a game between two NFL teams, but at this point, the Browns barely qualify as an NFL team. Baltimore have looked great and they have an offense this season. Joe Flacco will have a big game and cover the spread.

New York Giants (-6.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+6.5) – My pick is New York Giants

It doesn’t seem like home-field advantage means a lot this season so far, if you take away the Patriots/Jets game last week, I can’t think of a game that it mattered. The Giants are a better team than the Bucs and Leftwich will be on his back most of the game. The Giants will get their running attack going and cover the spread.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+3.5) at Houston Texans (-3.5) – My pick is Houston

Jacksonville aren’t anything near the team that made the playoffs two seasons ago and the Texans looked great against the Titans last week. Jones-Drew may have a good game, but I like the spread in this game and think Houston will win by at least a touchdown.

Sam Francisco (+6.5) at Minnesota Vikings (-6.5) – My pick is Minnesota

The Vikings can stop the run and at this point the 49ers can only run the ball. It sounds like a simple pick, the Vikings will ride Adrian Peterson to a victory and cover the spread.

Atlanta Falcons (+4) at New England Patriots (-4) – My pick is Atlanta

Tom Brady is skittish in the pockets and their defense lacks playmakers, it could be a long season in New England. Matt Ryan went to Boston College and it is a little homecoming for him. I see him have a big game and targeting Tony Gonzalez all game long. I like the Falcons not only to take the points, but to win the game.

Washington Redkins (-6.5) at Detroit Lions (-14) – My pick is Detroit

It has been 19 games since Detroit has won a game and this one could be winnable for the Lions. Washington looks confused out there and their offense is stagnant. If the Lions can get a couple turnovers, they can win the game. If they can’t win the game, the Redskins barely squeak by, but give me the points and the Lions.

Green Bay Packers (-6.5) at St. Louis Rams (+6.5) – My pick is Green Bay

St. Louis looks like they could be this year’s Detroit Lions. I haven’t seen one good thing about that team. The Packers have revamped their defense and Marc Bulger will have a long day. The Packers will win this game easily and cover the spread.

Chicago Bears (-2) at Seattle (+2) – My pick is Chicago

It’s official, I have picked the entire NFC North to win against the spread this week. Frank Gore ran all over Seattle last week and it looks like they will be without Matt Hasselbeck this week. Qwest Field is an extremely tough place to play, but Matt Forte will carry this team and win this game by at least a field goal.

New Orleans Saints (-6) at Buffalo Bills (+6) – My pick is New Orleans

The Saints have put up some ridiculous offensive numbers the past two weeks and the Bills have looked good. This line is pretty close to where I believe the score may be, but I feel that the Saints will be able to win this game by more than 6 points. They will be one-dimensional, with their running backs banged up, but Brees is a special player and it won’t matter.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-4) at Cincinnati Bengals (+4) – My pick is Pittsburgh

The Steelers own the Ohio teams and it doesn’t matter that this game is being play in Cincinnati. The stadium will be filled with Steeler fans and I see Willie Parker finally have a good game against the Bengals defense. The Steelers win this game easily and cover the spread.

Denver Broncos (-1.5) at Oakland Raiders (+1.5) – My pick is Oakland

Denver is 2-0, but they played the Browns and Bengals, while Oakland is 1-1 and could have beaten the Chargers if they didn’t lose their minds the last 5 minutes of the game. I believe Oakland will win this game and they will keep feeding the ball to Darren McFadden and Michael Bush.

Miami Dolphins (+5.5) at San Diego Chargers (-5.5) – My pick is San Diego

The Chargers will be out for blood this weekend after losing to the Ravens last week and squeaking out a win against Oakland. The Dophins ran the wildcat, but it wasn’t enough to win against Indianapolis. The wildcat will not work against the Chargers defense and they will have a hard time scoring points. The Chargers will win this game big and could embarrass the Dolphins.

Indianapolis Colts (+2.5) at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5) – My pick is Indianapolis

The Colts are 2-0, but the games have been close. Arizona lost to a possibly good 49ers team, but bounced back and embarrassed Jacksonville last week. The Cardinals are good at home, but they have trouble with non-divisional teams. I like the Colts to go to Arizona and win this game, Boldin isn’t 100% and Tim Hightower is not an every-down back.

Carolina Panthers (+8.5) at Dallas Cowboys (-8.5) – My pick is Carolina

Dallas is on Monday Night Football and Tony Romo have had some rough games on Mondays. “The Death Star,” the Dallas Cowboys stadium’s nicknamed by Bill Simmons, could be a bad luck charm, since Carolina will be desperate and show up to play. Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams will have big games and make this game close. Give me Carolina and the points in this game.

I hope you enjoy our picks. They are for entertainment purposes and please bet responsibly.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Is Jay Cutler To Blame For Chicago’s Loss?

The Chicago Bears lost to the Green Bay Packers tonight in a pretty ugly game. Aaron Rodgers out-played Jay Cutler and the Green Bay secondary made Cutler look terrible. Was it Jay Cutler’s fault that the Bears lost tonight or is there a bigger picture? I look at the big picture and I lay the blame on someone else.

If you look at Jay Cutler’s line for the game tonight against Green Bay, it looks like either Jeff George or Rex Grossman were under center. He threw for 277 yards, completed less than half of his passes, and threw four interceptions. He did throw one touchdown tonight, but the night was plagued by Cutler throwing ball after ball to one of Green Bay’s defenders. He should have thrown more than four picks, since there was a period in the first-half that Cutler threw five straight passes that should have been picked off.

I watched the game from coin toss to post-game show and I don’t blame Jay Cutler for the 21-15 loss tonight. The pair of balls that were intercepted could be blamed on him, but he’s dealing with receivers that quit on routes and aren’t very good at running them. His top non-tight end receivers are Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, and Johnny Knox, not exactly establish receivers. Hester runs sloppy routes and still lacks the ability to beat double-teams when the safety is in front of him. Earl Bennett looked decent, but he’s still catching up to the speed of the NFL. Finally you have Johnny Knox, he’s fast, but that’s about it. He looks completely lost out there, although he did show a flash of brilliance when he beat Charles Woodson on a play. If you run that play ten times, I doubt Knox will beat Woodson, on that exact play, more than once. If Cutler had an elite receiver, or even a veteran possession receiver, he could have a good year with the bears, but this team lacks that piece. The tight ends didn’t help Cutler out either. Greg Olson and Desmond Clark both dropped balls and didn’t do a good job of getting open.

Matt Forte caught over 60 balls last year and there wasn’t many balls thrown in his direction today. The one that I remember was actually intercepted by a defensive tackle, Johnny Jolly. Forte did carry the ball 25 times for 55 yards, but that’s only 2.2 yards per attempt, not up to par with his ability. He is a good running back, but you need to pass him the ball on the flat and let him work against cornerbacks and outside-linebackers more. It will open up the deep ball, which Cutler loves to throw. Forte wasn’t used properly against the Green Bay Packers.

Patrick Mannelly didn’t help the Bears out with his fake-punt audible in the 2nd-half. The Bears were up at that point and he thought he caught the Packers ill-prepared and sent a direct snap to Garrett Wolfe. He wasn’t ready for it and barely gained four yards on a 4th and 11 attempt. That kind of play isn’t going to win games when you just giveaway great field position so late in the game.

After saying all of that, I lay the blame of this loss on Offensive coordinator Ron Turner and General Manager Jerry Angelo. Clearly this team needs an actual wide receiver. Devin Hester would be a great slot receiver on a team, but he has yet to show the ability to be a solid #1. If they went out and signed a veteran wide receiver like Torry Holt or Marvin Harrison, maybe Jay Cutler wouldn’t have to guess where his receivers would be. A precise route-running wide-receiver can make play quarterback pretty easy. Brandon Marshall, Eddie Royal, and especially Brandon Stokely are great route-runners and you have seen what he can do with those kind of receivers. Ron Turner’s blame would lay on his lack of screen passes to Forte. I know Kyle Orton passed so many balls to him last year because he had to dump the ball off, but he did a great job after the catch. If would bring the defenses in and make them defend against it. The safeties and linebackers would play in and you could utilize the speed of your receivers and run a streak or deep post pattern with a higher percentage of success.

I thought the Bears would be good this season and it’s only the first game. Brian Urlacher and Pina Tinoisamoa were out for a good portion of the game, but if they played as sloppy as they did tonight, it could be a long season.

This may be a horrible end to this story, but can someone please tell me what the Bears’ obsession with players from Vanderbilt is? They have five players on the team and the last time I checked, the Commodores weren’t exactly a perennial BCS Bowl team.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.