William Hillock

In an interesting turn of events, it was the Bears offense who were the stars of last night’s pre-season game against the San Francisco 49ers.  The defense…well thanks to them the Bears are now 0-3 in pre-season play.  Even with the Bears starters seeing extended action last night, some major gaffs by the defense resulted in the 49ers winning 37-30.  There were, however, some positives that the Bears can take away from this week:

Orton Impresses

So far so good for Lovie Smith’s starting QB selection, Kyle Orton looked very impressive last night, going 10/17, 147 yards, with 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.  Within the first four possessions, the Bears had 2 touchdowns and 2 field goals (courtesy of solid K Robbie Gould).  Orton played over half the game, before being replaced by T-Rex Grossman and Caleb Hanie.

A note on Hanie, this guy is really making a push for himself, as he was 3/7 with 59 yards, and a huge 51 yard touchdown pass to Brandon Rideau.  Even with Hanie’s impressive pre-season, don’t expect the Bears to release Grossman, because if Orton goes down, they will need someone with knowledge of the offense to step in.

Davis Continues to Make His Case

Now with the QB position decided upon, it is time for Lovie Smith to decide on the running game and receivers.  WR Rashied Davis continued his pre-season dominance, bringing in 2 touchdowns and leading all receivers with 58 yards.  I didn’t give him much consideration early on, but it is now clear Davis is almost a lock for a starting position come opening day.

As for the other potential starters, Brandon Lloyd and Marty Booker were non-existant last night, and multi-million dollar man Devin Hester….1 reception for -2 yards.  Hopefully this changes…and soon.

Bears Develop A Running Game!

Yes it’s hard to believe, but the Bears running game last night looked very strong last night.  Rookie Matt Forte had a much better week, leading all backs with 11 carries for 44 yards, and veteran-looking-to-make a comeback Kevin Jones also woke up, gaining 30 yards on 3 carries.  Garrett Wolfe, the longshot faltered this week, only getting 12 yards on 2 carries.  Adrian Peterson was given the night off, as this was Kevin Jones’ pre-season debut.

There are many questions to be answered this week in regards to the Bears defense, always the core of this team, they looked very week last night, allowing 2 touchdowns in the span of only 2:50 minutes.  Hopefully Urlacher and the boys can rebound in their final pre-season match-up next week.

It’s also interesting to note, Kickoff Returner Danieal Manning had 3 solid returns of 75, 60, and 36 yards last night.  The next Devin Hester anyone?

From the deep dish pizzeria,

Will

William Hillock

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?STORY_ID=5015

All I can add to this folks, is here goes nothing.  Thoughts?

Will

William Hillock

As the quarterback battle continues, QB Rex Grossman will get the opportunity to prove his worth tonight when the Chicago Bears play their second pre-season game against the Seattle Seahawks.  Grossman was able to score last week, hopefully he can continue the trend in addition to the Bears offense improving as a whole.  It will be interesting to see 3rd string QB Caleb Hanie’s performance this week.  Although there is a very slim chance Hanie would surpass Orton and Grossman, another quality performance will benefit him greatly in the long run.

In an interesting turn of events, Adrian Peterson may not be the incumbent RB come the start of the season.  Rookie RB Matt Forte and Garrett Wolfe have been very impressive in camp, which could significantly cut the amount of reps Peterson will see during the season.  Word has it Peterson could become a kick returner with his reduced RB duties.  Kevin Jones is still kicking around, however he has not stood out as some had come to expect.

Looking at the Wide Receivers, the positions are still wide open, however Rashied Davis is making a name for himself in camp, which could affect the playing time of veteran WR Marty Booker.  However, at Booker’s age, he is more of a leader in the dressing room than an impact player.  Devin Hester has been consistent in camp, although he did not receive many passes against the Chiefs (hopefully he is used more often so the Bears can get their money out of him.)

The Bears defense, an admiration across the league, got off to a very slow start in the first pre-season game, however by the second half they looked to be in fine form.  There are no new injuries to report for the Bears, and by the looks of it, there is only one way to go and that is up!

Check out the articles by fellow blogger Terry Shilton for a Seahawks perspective on tonight’s game and the team’s status.

From the deep dish pizzeria,

Will