+'s and -'s post game thoughts

[dll2000]

1. O line.  Light years better.

2. QB.  About same really.

3. RBs.  Monty about same.  Cohen better.  Patterson better.

4. TEs. Not great, but light years better in blocking and Graham is a legit red zone target. 

5. WRs.  Arob. Same.  Miller better.  Mooney is a nice addition.  

 

1. D line.  Looked out of shape.  Back ups played poorly for most part. Especially in pass rush.  We may need to sign Snacks if he is in shape and hungry.  

2. LBs.   Trevathan looked slow. 

3. DBs.  Fuller, Jackson and Johnson are 3 pretty talented football players.  Johnson looks talented.  Probably make some mistakes, but he looks good.   Looking at MN and Detroit we have to feel pretty good.  

4. Edge.   Quinn we need you!!!!

Overall I am really encouraged by the better execution in run game.    I have always said if you get two good players from  a draft that was a good draft.   Mooney and Johnson look good so far.   TEs are notoriously bad as rookies so we'll see about Kmet.

I am excited about finding ways to use Patterson.   I am excited about Johnson and Mooney.   Like I said all off season I think our interior OL will be much improved and it was.   Massie played well too though.  Which was a nice surprise.  Massie and Ifedi were a load to deal with.   Hope that continues. 

Trevathan is troubling.  Interior DL play is troubling.  Lack of separation by our WRs is troubling.   Pass rush so far is troubling.  But super early in a shortened offseason.  

We'll see how it goes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dll2000]

Oh and we made all our kicks!

[Nads786]

I thought Monty looked better and the player I expected last year. We are still missing an elite WR who can burn and create a ton of separation. I expect our defense to improve as time goes on but our run D will be a concern for the rest of the reason. This will not be a top 5 D more like top 10-15. 

[dll2000]

12 minutes ago, Nads786 said:

This will not be a top 5 D more like top 10-15. 

I very much disagree if we can get Mack and Quinn at 100% (and Hicks).  

Johnson will be upgrade over Prince it is looking like.   Fuller and Jackson are playing in their prime now.  Roquan looks fast.

Those are very talented players at every level.   Some guys just need to get healthy and in game shape.

Now if Quinn, Mack and Hicks remained banged up all bets are off.

If they all are healthy defense will be very, very good.  Big IF though.

 

 

[dll2000]

I knew it.

People should keep this in mind when bashing MT's play.   It isn't that easy to drop back and throw downfield in a couple of seconds when everyone looks 'covered.'  You have to trust your guy is going to outfight their guy for ball.  Bears have very good receivers for that, but much nicer to throw to an open guy.  

Nagy sent everyone downfield too much with just one outlet.  I have no stats on that, just impression I got from watching live.

 

 

[dll2000]

Lets see ...  illegal contact, holding, then pass interference.  

 

 

[soulman]

Trevathan:  Looked slow and out of shape.  Hope it's only temporary

Quinn:  This guy is getting on my nerves. Out most of camp for "personal reasons"?  WFT personal reasons?  Then an ankle injury?  Earn your money bro! 🤬

I'm also all for finding someone else besides Jenkins to play NT.  Now that week one is over and vet deals aren't guaranteed I'd be knockin' on some doors of other NTs including Harrison.  Be a nice fit for him and for us provided he's not unwilling to sign for something reasonable.  The bigger question is though is he healthy and in shape?

CP needs to be used at RB each game.  Unlike Monty he's a big play long run waiting to happen.

Gotta hunch Johnson and Mooney will both prove to be steals.  Both already showing the NFL game isn't too big or fast for them.

Mitch:  I'd like to ***** but why?  Mitch is still Mitch.

[abstract_thought]

I was a bit surprised that Kmet was a non-factor in the passing game. Hopefully he can get involved.

I agree that this did not look like a top 5 defense. Hicks looks out of shape and Gipson may not keep his job much longer. Trevathan has certainly aged and can be exploited.

Mitch started poorly but took advantage once Detroit lost several DBs to injury. It was an improvement from 2019 but the Bears will need him to play even better if they want to make the playoffs this season.

[abstract_thought]

5 hours ago, dll2000 said:

People should keep this in mind when bashing MT's play.   It isn't that easy to drop back and throw downfield in a couple of seconds when everyone looks 'covered.'  You have to trust your guy is going to outfight their guy for ball.  Bears have very good receivers for that, but much nicer to throw to an open guy.  

Nagy sent everyone downfield too much with just one outlet.  I have no stats on that, just impression I got from watching live.

While Miller's number is alarming, I'm not sure we can expect much separation from Graham, Wims, or Robinson. The Bears have built their passing offense mostly around big, possession type players.

Edited September 15, 2020 by abstract_thought

[dll2000]

10 hours ago, abstract_thought said:

While Miller's number is alarming, I'm not sure we can expect much separation from Graham, Wims, or Robinson. The Bears have built their passing offense mostly around big, possession type players.

Which is why they wanted Mooney and signed Ginn I think.  They want both.

I think the routes where there are no crossers and everyone is going deeper are tough with that crowd.   Because everyone looks covered and you have to trust your guy is going win a 50/50 ball.

Don’t misinterpret.  I am not bashing Bears WRs.   They win those 50/50 balls more often than not.   

[WindyCity]

Re-watching the game, the offense was not nearly as bad as it was made out to be.

They had 2 3 and outs in the entire half.

They had drives of

3

8

8

7

7

3

[abstract_thought]

2 hours ago, dll2000 said:

Which is why they wanted Mooney and signed Ginn I think.  They want both.

I think the routes where there are no crossers and everyone is going deeper are tough with that crowd.   Because everyone looks covered and you have to trust your guy is going win a 50/50 ball.

Don’t misinterpret.  I am not bashing Bears WRs.   They win those 50/50 balls more often than not.   

Another interesting point is that this is Separation at the time of the completion or incompletion.

That means the timing of the QB and receiver contributes to separation. Any hesitation can close windows of separation.

I also think the stat ignores things like offensive play design, the types of plays a team runs, etc. We need to be careful in using stats by understanding what they can tell us and what context they potentially ignore.

[dll2000]

46 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Re-watching the game, the offense was not nearly as bad as it was made out to be.

They had 2 3 and outs in the entire half.

They had drives of

3

8

8

7

7

3

The first 3 and out was upsetting.   I honestly think teams need to practice Qb sneaks.  Brady is a master at it.  Study way he and Patriots did it.  O line needs to come low and wedge as well - you can't block normal tech.

If team is ready for you on a quick count abandon the quick count!   Make those fat bastards stay in that uncomfortable high butt leaning stance for another 20 seconds until they relax.   They can't hold it.   Then go. 

Fake kill the play.   Use some gamesmanship.

 

 

 

 

[dll2000]

So this evidence of how teams play Bears and a reason why they struggled last year and why they brought in Mooney and Ginn.  
 

If you have no players on field that can run by you, it is a factor on how you play as a DB and how group plays and what coverages you play.  

Miller is relatively fast, but not fast enough to scare anyone in that sense and Robinson, Ridley and Wims are not fast. 

Doesn’t make them bad receivers.  

[dll2000]

Who said Ifedi was going to be good at Guard?  

I did.   That’s who.

Again though.  Another failed OT who makes an outstanding or at least above average guard.  When are people going to learn?  It doesn’t always work, but it works a lot.  

Draft OTs because that’s where coaches at every lower level put their best O linemen.   When they fail at OT they still usually better than whoever you have at G.   

This has not shown to be doable at NFL level but yo could take it further ... Coaches actually they put their best O linemen on D line first and then O line.   So if you could find a way to switch D line to O line then that would be way to go.  But no one can figure it out because they have no farm teams or system to do it with.  And O line is highly skilled position.   

Same with many TEs.  Many lumbering college or HS TEs would make great O linemen.    Turn big WRs into TE.  Turn LBs to DL or Edge and safeties to LBs.   All would be possible with a farm system of some sort.

In fact Lou Holtz and Jimmy Johnson used to do exactly all of that when they dominated college football.    Where I got the idea.  Everyone copies everything that works in football, I don’t get why more coaches didn’t copy that.