Bears 34 - Seacrows 3

[FlaHawker 24]

Doesn't read what I write...yet keeps crying and claiming others are whining and crying.

Its always everyone else...never you.

What a focking moronic turd you are.

And going and going and going? Coming from the guy who keeps responding over and over and over again. Pot...kettle...black.

geez a retarded energizer bunny who keeps going and going and going...

 

[Puddleglum 0]

geez a retarded energizer bunny who keeps going and going and going...

 

Hey the crying joke got old like 20 posts ago. Time to get over it.

[FlaHawker 24]

Hey the crying joke got old like 20 posts ago. Time to get over it.

It's not a joke.

[sorrycharlie 0]

I'm not sure what I think about this game.

Chicago played 6 games against Playoff Teams, 5 of those 6 games were at home, they went 3-3,(all the wins at home), including a loss to the Hags in their own house.

I think they should win, but I'm not a real believer in that Chi team.....something is not right there.

[phillybear 366]

Hey, Walt tell me I'm wrong, but...

 

Cutler has NEVER started a playoff game.

This is Hasselbeck's 11th playoff start.

 

That is very significant. With Seattle's run defense playing almost as well as the first few weeks before being devastated by injuries, Martz might be forced to make Cutler throw 50-60 passes. And Seattle is a statistical anomaly with how few INTs their secondary generated.

 

The more I dig into this game, the more I'm scratching my head why Chicago is even favored in this game. Bring on the Packers next week.

[donhaas 19]

Hey, Walt tell me I'm wrong, but...

 

Cutler has NEVER started a playoff game.

This is Hasselbeck's 11th playoff start.

 

That is very significant. With Seattle's run defense playing almost as well as the first few weeks before being devastated by injuries, Martz might be forced to make Cutler throw 50-60 passes. And Seattle is a statistical anomaly with how few INTs their secondary generated.

 

The more I dig into this game, the more I'm scratching my head why Chicago is even favored in this game. Bring on the Packers next week.

 

Cutler is by far the worst starting quarterback in the history of the NFL playoffs..... but he's also by far the best quarterback in the history of the Chicago Bears

 

Verrrry interesting...

[The Hood 9]

Hey, Walt tell me I'm wrong, but...

 

Cutler has NEVER started a playoff game.

This is Hasselbeck's 11th playoff start.

 

That is very significant. With Seattle's run defense playing almost as well as the first few weeks before being devastated by injuries, Martz might be forced to make Cutler throw 50-60 passes. And Seattle is a statistical anomaly with how few INTs their secondary generated.

 

The more I dig into this game, the more I'm scratching my head why Chicago is even favored in this game. Bring on the Packers next week.

 

 

It might be more significant that your QB doesn't think they can win.

"For us to sit back and say, 'Oh, hey, we beat them at their place. We can do it again,' that would be a dangerous way to feel because [linebacker] Lance Briggs did not play in that [first] game," Hasselbeck said.Going into that game, we fully expected him to play," Hasselbeck said. "He didn't play, and that was a big deal. He's huge. I think he's arguably one of the best defensive players in the game. He is a big, big-time difference maker and a great football player. So as hard as this game is going to be, the fact that he's back takes it up to a whole other level."

[phillybear 366]

It might be more significant that your QB doesn't think they can win.

 

I don't get that meaning at all from the quote. I think Hass is choosing his words carefully not to give bulletin board material to the Chicago defense, which I respect. But Seattle comes into the game statistically with the better offense. Statistically, this is a close matchup. And if Chicago doesn't run the ball early, Martz is going to have Cutler chucking the ball, as I don't see Martz as a model of patience in big games. Bad things could happen. Bad things.

[Bishop82 61]

Cutler is by far the worst starting quarterback in the history of the NFL playoffs

 

 

How quickly you forget about Rex Grossman.

 

 

 

I'm really enjoying this pro-Seahawks talk, it's almost as if Seattle should be favored right? Then again you put anything under a microscope and it looks completely different.

 

I just hope this talk is still around come Sunday after the game, and hope its not about "the refs screwed us" or whatever.

[The Hood 9]

I don't get that meaning at all from the quote. I think Hass is choosing his words carefully not to give bulletin board material to the Chicago defense, which I respect. But Seattle comes into the game statistically with the better offense. Statistically, this is a close matchup. And if Chicago doesn't run the ball early, Martz is going to have Cutler chucking the ball, as I don't see Martz as a model of patience in big games. Bad things could happen. Bad things.

Oh that's the meaning. He can't come out and say it but there's nothing in there that sounds like confidence in his team.

 

True.......I've certainly seen things get bad for Cutler in those situations. But I really don't think it will be like the first game. Martz was still calling lots of 7 step drops for Cutler and the O-line was horrific in recognizing that guys were blitzing from the secondary. Martz has been calling for a lot more shorter drops and quicker passes and the O-line while still bad.........has been much better at atleast not totally blowing their assignments and letting blitzers go untouched to sack Cutler. Like most of the Seattle sacks in the first game were. If Bears can totally not run the ball again it will be very close. Would take a TD return for Hester or the D for the bears to win the game I would think. But if Bears can run and pass well...........I see no way they are losing.

 

Don't know if Seattle can count on staying balanced with the run and pass themselves. They were terrible running all year and while looking great against bad defenses in the Rams and Saints they now face a excellent D against the run. Bears shut Lynch completely down in the first game but Forsett somehow ran through them quite well on a number of plays. Interesting to see if he gets more than the token reps he's been getting or they stay with Lynch.

 

When Seattle has been unable to run the ball this year Hasselback's play has been absolutely focking putrid.

[phillybear 366]

As far as Hasselbeck, I know the hip was the latest injury, but he is still playing with a broken left wrist. The cast is smaller now, but it's still injured. You could see how awkward it was for Hasselbeck whenever he got hit in his trying to fall down without re-injuring himself. As a result, he would throw a lot a quick passes into tight spots just to get rid of the ball and avoid falling. It's human nature, whether subconsciously or not. But you can see he is more confident in hanging in the pocket and going through his progressions. He hurt his wrist after the Bears game, so some may not think it's relevant. But the team played it's worst football when he was the most injured, down the stretch.

[FlaHawker 24]

How quickly you forget about Rex Grossman.

 

 

 

I'm really enjoying this pro-Seahawks talk, it's almost as if Seattle should be favored right? Then again you put anything under a microscope and it looks completely different.

 

I just hope this talk is still around come Sunday after the game, and hope its not about "the refs screwed us" or whatever.

What do you expect? Do you think Hawk fans should sit around biting our nails because we are playing the Bears? PFFFTTT! Get real! And yes we'll be here after Sunday win or lose! We don't have any Sweetness34's in our fan base!

[FlaHawker 24]

Oh that's the meaning. He can't come out and say it

That's the point. It has nothing to do with confidence or a lack thereof. C'mon now, this is absurd nonsense. Matt Hasselbeck has played in the NFL for 12 years and has gone to a SB. He's not afraid of the Bears nor does he lack confidence as a starting NFL QB!

[Phurfur 70]

Seattle has lost their last 7 road playoff games.

[Puddleglum 0]

That's the point. It has nothing to do with confidence or a lack thereof. C'mon now, this is absurd nonsense. Matt Hasselbeck has played in the NFL for 12 years and has gone to a SB. He's not afraid of the Bears nor does he lack confidence as a starting NFL QB!

Yeah, the idea that Hasselbeck thinks he can't win and is wetting his bed at night over Lance Briggs is a bunch of codswallop. He was doing the standard flatter-the-upcoming-oppenent-with-praise that we get 90% of the time in QB interviews.

[Bishop82 61]

Pete Carroll Concedes Defeat

[DrJ 0]

Pete Carroll Concedes Defeat

 

It's just a cover for the fact that he plans on coming out in desperation mode like the Packers and onsiding the opening kickoff.

[donhaas 19]

It's just a cover for the fact that he plans on coming out in desperation mode like the Packers and onsiding the opening kickoff.

 

That was a brilliant move.... on the road with a quarterback never starting in the NFL before.... nobody expected it..

 

It set the tone for the game -- expect the unexpected... Unfortunately, it ended with a very narrow Packer road loss...

 

 

Quite a different story than the 46-6 butt-rape the Pats put on the Care Bears at Soldier Field the week before..

[Cruzer 1,996]

Regular season numbers do not mean squat today, but they do show trends:

 

Offense rankings

 

Yards: Seattle ranks 28th, Chicago 30th

Points: Seattle ranks 23rd, Chicago 21st

 

Somebody has to win this game, have to figure Chicago is looking pretty if for no other reason than their defensive numbers are so much better than the Hawks. Seattle's defensive numbers are as bad as their offensive ones.

 

 

 

[The Hood 9]

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Seahawks quarterbacks coach Jedd Fisch has accepted the accepted the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach job at the University of Miami. Fisch used to be the coordinator at the University of Minnesota.

 

Seahawk coaches already abandoning ship.............more proof of their confidence in the game this week?

[Joey Gladstone 33]

Seahawk coaches already abandoning ship.............more proof of their confidence in the game this week?

 

Merely evidence of how good this coaching staff is.

 

That and the whole lockout thing.

[sorrycharlie 0]

Seahawk coaches already abandoning ship.............more proof of their confidence in the game this week?

 

Gotta cash in before the bottom falls out?

[donhaas 19]

I always thought that Cutler looked like a drunken idiot privileged frat boy (along with looking like Harland Williams )

 

 

I didn't know the degree he acted like one

[Joey Gladstone 33]

I always thought that Cutler looked like a drunken idiot privileged frat boy (along with looking like Harland Williams )

 

 

I didn't know the degree he acted like one

 

I've been as harsh of a critic of Cutler as anybody, but I have to commend him and the Bears for really turning it around this year. I thought Cutler + Martz + The Bears O-line was a recipe for disaster, but they ended up winning their division. He even came off as more of a cool, misunderstood douche in the Riley article.

 

However, even Jeff George had a big season with the Falcons (95 or 96, I can't remember) running a gimmicky offense (June Jones' Run and Shoot). We'll see how long The Bears can keep this up.

[DrJ 0]

That was a brilliant move.... on the road with a quarterback never starting in the NFL before.... nobody expected it..

 

It set the tone for the game -- expect the unexpected... Unfortunately, it ended with a very narrow Packer road loss...

 

 

Quite a different story than the 46-6 butt-rape the Pats put on the Care Bears at Soldier Field the week before..

 

It was a desperate move by a team that knew it had no hope. I expect a similar gameplan from the Gulls this week.

[Puddleglum 0]

I've been as harsh of a critic of Cutler as anybody, but I have to commend him and the Bears for really turning it around this year. I thought Cutler + Martz + The Bears O-line was a recipe for disaster, but they ended up winning their division. He even came off as more of a cool, misunderstood douche in the Riley article.

It was and is a recipe for disaster. The Bears success this season has everything to do with their defense and special teams, and very little to do with the offense. The reason the Bears are where they are right now is that at some point in the season I believe Lovie took Martz into a back room in the training facility, smacked him around, and told him to run the ball more, stop getting the franchise QB killed, and let the defense and special teams win it - the Chicago way (nothing wrong with that). I present some statistics for your consideration of the Cutler + Martz + Bears O-line combo:

 

Sacks: 1st in the NFL with 56, leading even lowly Arizona and Carolina by 6.

Giveaways: Tied for 8th most in the NFL. Masked by the defense which got the 3rd-most takeways in the league.

Yards: 30th in total offense in the NFL, averaging 289 yards per game.

 

The offense isn't particularly scary - the best that can be said of them is that they are very opportunistic, doing a good job of capitalizing when the defense and ST set them up in opposing territory. If I'm Seattle, my first, second, and third concern is ball security and kick coverage.

[phillybear 366]

It was and is a recipe for disaster. The Bears success this season has everything to do with their defense and special teams, and very little to do with the offense. The reason the Bears are where they are right now is that at some point in the season I believe Lovie took Martz into a back room in the training facility, smacked him around, and told him to run the ball more, stop getting the franchise QB killed, and let the defense and special teams win it - the Chicago way (nothing wrong with that). I present some statistics for your consideration of the Cutler + Martz + Bears O-line combo:

 

Sacks: 1st in the NFL with 56, leading even lowly Arizona and Carolina by 6.

Giveaways: Tied for 8th most in the NFL. Masked by the defense which got the 3rd-most takeways in the league.

Yards: 30th in total offense in the NFL, averaging 289 yards per game.

 

The offense isn't particularly scary - the best that can be said of them is that they are very opportunistic, doing a good job of capitalizing when the defense and ST set them up in opposing territory. If I'm Seattle, my first, second, and third concern is ball security and kick coverage.

 

That's all well and good, but Seattle's special teams is outstanding and better than Chicago's. Leon Washington and Devon Hester are a wash. Both have the same amount of TD returns, both contribute on offense, yadda, yadda. Olinde Mare, K and Jon Ryan, P were pro bowlers last year and were outstanding again this year. A major reason Seattle beat St Louis and New Orleans was that they consistently had superior field position based on punts, coverage on kickoffs and punts, decent kickoffs, etc; to me clearly Seattle dominated that part of the game the past two weeks. Seattle will have the special teams edge.

[Puddleglum 0]

That's all well and good, but Seattle's special teams is outstanding and better than Chicago's. Leon Washington and Devon Hester are a wash. Both have the same amount of TD returns, both contribute on offense, yadda, yadda. Olinde Mare, K and Jon Ryan, P were pro bowlers last year and were outstanding again this year. A major reason Seattle beat St Louis and New Orleans was that they consistently had superior field position based on punts, coverage on kickoffs and punts, decent kickoffs, etc; to me clearly Seattle dominated that part of the game the past two weeks. Seattle will have the special teams edge.

Well I wasn't intending to draw any contrast between the Bears and Seahawks special teams since I haven't followed the Seahawks much this year, more just giving my assesment of the Bears offense as the weakness of the team. But since you brought it up I learned something, I didn't realize the Seahawks had been playing so well on special teams - according to FO the Bears are #1 and the Seahawks #3 in special teams. When it comes to starting field position specifically (which is a result of both defense and ST play), the Bears are #1 and the Seahawks #11 according to this post.

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/31413/short-fields-helped-bears-hurt-others

 

Anyways, I now feel a bit dirty for articulating the merits of the Chicago Bears.

[Walter34 3]

I've been away for most of the week on family matters. It's good to see the Seahawk fans have been enjoying themselves pre game as there won't be much festiveness during and after.

 

Any stats for Chi need to be viewed pre and post bye. sacks against, running game, turnovers etc tell two different stories. The season aggragates are misleading.

 

Did someone above post that Hester and Leon W are a wash? Silly people ...

 

Has there been a swamp dog siting since GB won a playoff game?

[Sho Nuff 720]

 

 

Has there been a swamp dog siting since GB won a playoff game?

Its the postseason, why would a Lions fan be around...especially that one?

[FlaHawker 24]

I've been away for most of the week on family matters. It's good to see the Seahawk fans have been enjoying themselves pre game as there won't be much festiveness during and after.

 

Any stats for Chi need to be viewed pre and post bye. sacks against, running game, turnovers etc tell two different stories. The season aggragates are misleading.

 

Did someone above post that Hester and Leon W are a wash? Silly people ...

 

Has there been a swamp dog siting since GB won a playoff game?

This is how disconnected you are. It doesn't matter what happens on Sunday. The Hawks, not even expected to make the playoffs, not only made the playoffs, but knocked out the SB champs in stunning fashion. We are playing with house money. We have already won!

[Puddleglum 0]

Any stats for Chi need to be viewed pre and post bye. sacks against, running game, turnovers etc tell two different stories. The season aggragates are misleading.

I acknowledged that Martz was forced to cut the monkey business mid-season. But it's not like there was some magical transformation into a good offense.

 

The Bears offense went from low production + obscene amount of sacks + lots of turnovers, into low production + above average amount of sacks + below average number of turnovers. But's an improvement for sure, and absolutely the right move given the way the Bears are playing on defense and ST.

 

Even if they had played at their post-bye sack rate all year, they still would have been 5th in the league. In fact, the sack problem was mostly just masked by attempting fewer passes. Cutler's sack percentage on the season was 10.7%, and post-bye it was 9.9% (That would have tied him for first with Jimmy Clausen). Here are the pre/post numbers:

 

Pre-bye

Ypg: 290

Pass Ypg: 202

Rush Ypg: 88

TOs/gm: 2.5

Sacks/gm: 4.3

 

Post-bye

Ypg: 289

Pass Ypg: 178

Rush Ypg: 111

TOs/gm: 1.4

Sacks/gm: 2.8

[Walter34 3]

I acknowledged that Martz was forced to cut the monkey business mid-season. But it's not like there was some magical transformation into a good offense.

 

The Bears offense went from low production + obscene amount of sacks + lots of turnovers, into low production + above average amount of sacks + below average number of turnovers. But's an improvement for sure, and absolutely the right move given the way the Bears are playing on defense and ST.

 

Even if they had played at their post-bye sack rate all year, they still would have been 5th in the league. In fact, the sack problem was mostly just masked by attempting fewer passes. Cutler's sack percentage on the season was 10.7%, and post-bye it was 9.9% (That would have tied him for first with Jimmy Clausen). Here are the pre/post numbers:

 

Pre-bye

Ypg: 290

Pass Ypg: 202

Rush Ypg: 88

TOs/gm: 2.5

Sacks/gm: 4.3

 

Post-bye

Ypg: 289

Pass Ypg: 178

Rush Ypg: 111

TOs/gm: 1.4

Sacks/gm: 2.8

 

Good summary of the numbers.

 

Improved run game and less mistakes is what was needed and accomplished.

[FlaHawker 24]

Good summary of the numbers.

 

Improved run game and less mistakes is what was needed and accomplished.

I like these numbers even better:

 

The Bears field one of the worst offenses in the NFL. Cutler leads the league in sacks taken. After being sacked in only 1.8% of all pass attempts in 2008 as a Denver Bronco, and 5.9% as a Bear in 2009, Cutler was sacked in 10.7% of all attempts this season under Martz. And all that for a passing attack that's 4 of 14 on pass attempts over 31 yards, and 12 of 49 with five touchdowns and five interceptions on passes of 21 or more yards.

 

The Bears faced quite a few truly bad quarterbacks, and in seven games, those quarterbacks and the teams they helmed accounted for 19 of the Bears 35 turnovers on defense. Maybe Chicago just exploited the competition they faced, and maybe the competition they faced made Chicago look like a much better defense than it actually is.

 

http://www.fieldgulls.com/

 

[Bishop82 61]

27 hours and counting.....

[Walter34 3]

I acknowledged that Martz was forced to cut the monkey business mid-season. But it's not like there was some magical transformation into a good offense.

 

The Bears offense went from low production + obscene amount of sacks + lots of turnovers, into low production + above average amount of sacks + below average number of turnovers. But's an improvement for sure, and absolutely the right move given the way the Bears are playing on defense and ST.

 

Even if they had played at their post-bye sack rate all year, they still would have been 5th in the league. In fact, the sack problem was mostly just masked by attempting fewer passes. Cutler's sack percentage on the season was 10.7%, and post-bye it was 9.9% (That would have tied him for first with Jimmy Clausen). Here are the pre/post numbers:

 

Pre-bye

Ypg: 290

Pass Ypg: 202

Rush Ypg: 88

TOs/gm: 2.5

Sacks/gm: 4.3

 

Post-bye

Ypg: 289

Pass Ypg: 178

Rush Ypg: 111

TOs/gm: 1.4

Sacks/gm: 2.8

 

Interpretation of the same numbers can be different based on how you slice and dice and emphasize.

 

Note: most of the numbers below are borrowed from a poster at the other football site that we done speak of around here ...

 

- In the 7 games before the bye, Cutler had 7 TDs and & 7 INTs - in the 9 games following he had 16 TDs and 9 INTs - while his INT ratio stayed the same, his TD:INT ratio almost doubled. He was sacked an average of 3.86 times per game before the bye - afterward, only 2.78 times per game. As a result the number of times he had a passer rating of 85 (a "respectable NFL QB" number) or higher before the bye was only 2, yet he did that 6 times in the 9 games following the bye.

 

- Matt Forte had a mere 90 rushing attempts (that's 12.8/game) pre-bye. He had 147 rushing attempts (16.3/game after the bye). Forte had 5 games after the bye where he had 90 or more yards rushing. Before the bye? 1...against Carolina...when Cutler was out. Over 700 of Forte's 1069 rushing yards came after the bye.

 

- The Bears are #1 in the NFL in starting field position. Robbie Gould is one of the most accurate kickers of all time (currently 6th in career FG%). Maynard is an extremely accurate kicker. In summary the Beaars have probably the best special teams unit in the NFL right now.

 

- Defensively, they ar 4th in the NFL in points allowed - the only teams ahead of them are the Ravens, Packers and Steelers - and of those 3 only the Steelers allow fewer yards per play than the Bears. The Bears defense is 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (only the Steelers offense has allowed fewer rushing yards). The Bears defense has forced 15 fumbles - that's highest in the NFL. The Bears defense is 3rd in the NFL in passer rating against. So other than the Steelers and possibly the Packers, the Bears have one of the best defenses in the league to go along with their great special teams.

[Dawgoneit2 6]

The Bears have the #1 ranked red-zone defense as well... They might bend a bit, but rarely break.

[IMMensaMind 462]

As a Green Bay fan, I see this game as a win-win. If the Seahawks pull off the upset, I'll be deliriously happy (assuming Green Bay wins, of course). If they lose, Green Bay gets to shut Chicago up on their home turf.

 

Either way - I'm up for it!

[Walter34 3]

As a Green Bay fan, I see this game as a win-win. If the Seahawks pull off the upset, I'll be deliriously happy (assuming Green Bay wins, of course). If they lose, Green Bay gets to shut Chicago up on their home turf.

 

Either way - I'm up for it!

 

it would honestly be great if we can settle things once and for all in the championship game.

[listen2me 23 1,952]

How quickly you forget about Rex Grossman

 

This guy nailed it. You can't just say Shane Cutler is the best QB in Bears history. It really is a coin flip between the 2.

 

If you want to talk winnahs look no further than Shane though. 24-29 as a NFL starter. 11-34 at Vandy. The guy knows how to win some games.

 

Tough to pick.