NFL Monday: Da Bears, Brett Favre, and New NFL Rules

Da Bears ...

Notice: It is not accurate to say that the Bears stink, that they are pretenders. The defense has been very good. Special teams are very good. The offense -- stink would be over-the-top praise. The coaching and management -- horrible beyond belief.

A huge problem with this season has been that the Bears got off to an undeservedly good record. Even now with two losses in a row, they are 4-3. Amazing.

The offensive line is the worst I have ever seen in all my years of watching football. Defensive players blow past them virtually untouched. With no line to block, the rest of the offense falls apart. Running backs have few holes to run through. Jay Cutler has had the crap beat out of him. And I have to believe he has been as terrible as he has since he knows the offense won't work as it is. But he has been terrible.

The management and coaching? They are the biggest culprits. General Manager Jerry Angelo cannot judge talent. Drafts produce virtually nothing. He did not get any help for this terrible o-line.

Lovie Smith? The local press is so tired of him. No real answers. Stubborn and won't make adjustments. Is totally clueless about the offense. Makes mistake after mistake.

Mike Martz? How about you consider a few three-step drops, roll outs, or running plays when you have no o-line? You adapted against the Cowboys -- what has happened since?

The season will continue to get worse as the Bears start to play some very good teams in a few weeks. There is a possibility that the Bears will not win a game after November 7.

Sigh.

Favre is Scrambling ...

Now that Brett Favre has reportedly admitted sending text messages to the bimbo ... uh ... Jenn Sterger, the whole thing makes sense to me. He sent the messages and when the story broke, he knew he would be busted by his wife. I am guessing that the pictures were not of him and were not sent by him.

Maybe I have this right, maybe not. Regardless, he is still fun to watch. He makes these great plays that remind you of the old Favre, then, like the quarterback he has become, he makes the bonehead play toward the end of the game.

I get the feeling that he will really retire after this year. It is a tough situation for the elite athlete -- do you retire when you are no longer elite but still better than most? How low do you go?

More NFL Issues

What is with the new rules and penalties regarding hard hits? Players are bigger, stronger, and faster, so the potential for injury should be greater. But ahhh ... I did hear that the NFL is doing this to try to position itself as best it can in case of lawsuits. Sounds like the NFL ...

On Chicago Bears, Barely Winning, and Unbearable Future ...

Since it looks like the Chicago White Sox are all but dead in the water in their quest to make it to post-season play (and the Cubbies -- haven't even watched them in several weeks), it is time to shift the focus toward football. In this area of the country, pro football is king, and the biggest kings are the Chicago Bears.

As I write, the Bears sport a 1-0 record, but it sure doesn't feel like I root for an undefeated team. Some observations from yesterday's 19-14 "victory" over the Detroit Lions:

1) "The Call" was correct as far as the rules regarding pass completions currently stand. But the rules sure do suck. The NFL, in an attempt to make the rule as black and white as possible, set up a very high standard for what classifies as a catch when the receiver hits the ground. Let's face it -- officials are there in part to make judgment calls. By making this convoluted rule, the NFL took judgment out of the hands of the officials, but in a way that just seems wrong. Johnson deserved the catch. The Lions deserved the comeback victory (unless the Bears pull off a miracle finish). The NFL looks foolish.

2) The Bears had a first down at the Lions one yard line late in the game. They decided to run Matt Forte straight into the line three times and attempted a botched pass another. Did they even consider a fast count quarterback sneak? And how about going for it on fourth down when they were behind? Wasn't there any thought to actually kicking a field goal to take the lead and then depend on the defense, which had shut down Detroit's back-up quarterback all second half, to close the door?

3) The defense, which has always been the trademark of the Bears, played a good game. The offensive line wasn't as offensive as it had been last season. However, running plays straight up the middle just won't be happening, and Jay Cutler had better keep his feet moving since roll outs will become a way of life if he doesn't want to get sacked several times a game.

4) I am certainly willing to give the new offense a try. However, Lovie's call on fourth down and one to go will not be adding any new people to his already small fan base. Sadly, I do not think this team will go anywhere until Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo are both history. I have a hard time seeing them win more than seven games this season. I hope I am wrong.