Quarterback Kyle Orton celebrates with reciever Marty Booker
after the connected on a 51-yard touchdown pass in the 3rd quarter.
( AP Photo)
How many of you at the beginning of the season thought the Bears would actually win a football game when they surrender 41 points? I’m going to guess zero, because I sure as hell didn’t.
When you score a whopping 48 points, you still win the game. The Bears won 48-41 and scored every way possible.
They scored on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and on punt coverage when it deflected off the Viking’s return man.
Kyle Orton looked like Brett Favre out there, making every throw imaginable. Orton finished 21/32 for 283 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He has made tremendous strides since the beginning of the season and looks so much better than Grossman ever did.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN NFL QUARTERBACK BABY!
Orton’s been even more impressive since he has had no running game. Forte finished with only 56 yards rushing and averaged 2.8 yards a carry.
One thing the Bears need to work on over their bye week is reviving the running game. It has been non-existent the past 3-4 weeks.
I’m concerned with the Bears pass defense and the secondary in particular. I know the Bears picked off Frerotte four times, but he’s one of the worst quarterbacks in the league.
The Vikings moved the ball at will in the passing game. If not for all those interceptions thrown, the Vikings would have won the game. Frerotte threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns.
Even Mike Brown can’t explain the poor defensive play. “We're not playing very good defense right now. It seems like we're lost, can't find a rhythm."
When the captain of your defense tells the media that “we’re lost” half-way into the season, that doesn’t bode well.
It is crucial that starting cornerbacks Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman get healthy and get back on the field. They make the Bears secondary a lot tougher to pass on.
3 Things to work on over the bye week.
1. Get healthy. This will make the Bears a better team the second half of the season.
2. Revive the running game. Forte rushed for over 100-yards two of the first three games. Since then he’s had zero 100-yard rushing games.
3. Figure out how to play better defense and not look lost out there. I’m making that your responsibility Mike Brown.
On another note: Devin Hester injured his quadriceps in the 3rd quarter and did not return.
For highlights from the game click here.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Bears win shootout against Vikings
Posted by UISJMC Chiakulas at 4:34 PM
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
I was amazed that the bears were able to keep up in a shootout. It shows that this team is much better than a year ago and they seem to be a totally different team that isn't completely screwed if they can't run the ball. It's nice to see Orton step up and making great plays. Hopefully with the bye week they are able to get some guys back and healthy for the rest of the season.
I can't believe I'm going to use the word exciting to describe a Bears game, but that was one exciting game. It was just back and forth and when the Vikes looked dead in the water they kept fighting against a depleated Bears secondary.
I have to agree with prieboy on the shootout. How they managed to win a shootout was beyond me, especially against a Vikings defense that is supposed to be good. The only bad thing for the Bears now is that they may have to keep it up because if the lowly Vikings offense can put up that many points on that secondary, it's going to be scary when they go up against some better passing attacks. They just don't have anyone back there.
I think the problem with the Bears D is less in the play and more in the play calling. It's why they have lost so many close games in the 4th quarter. They get ahead and then sit back in that girly cover 2 and don't put any pressure on the quarterback. If you play to keep the lead, in a sense, playing to not lose, then your going to blow a whole hell of a lot of leads. They need to keep up the pressure and play like it's the 1st quarter all game.
It's truley shocking to me, to see how well Orton is playing this year. He must have done something different in the offseason. Or maybe he's just not drunk every Friday night anymore. I mean we're all aware of his drunken frat boy antics, but maybe he's grown up a little bit and realized his god-given talent.
Seriously, something had to have changed for these results to happen! There's no way that the Kyle "dancing on the bar at Union" Orton of a couple years back, would be playing this well.
Maybe Orton watched some game film from his playing days at Purdue...that's the Orton I fear and the one that helped smash Iowa in 2003. I can't believe you like this guy after what he did to Iowa in 2003 :p
Anyways, I'll concede defeat for now. The Bears took advantage of every Viking miscue including the gift-wrapped muffed punt and Kluwe's brain fart. As a veteran that mistake was almost inexcusible. I still don't know wha he was trying to do there. It reminded me of Minnesota-Wisconsin a few years ago.
Peterson still gives the Bears headaches, but he didn't hurt them that much this time around aside from the 54 yarder.
Frerotte's not the worst quarterback in the NFL considering his passing numbers have continually improved with each week (can't be the worst if you're getting better now can you...). Plus he's 37. He's a VERY poor-man's Brett Favre.
I agree though the Bears need to shore up their run game and pass defense if they want to keep winning games. Although I wouldn't feel too bad about not being able to run against the Vikings.
They're like the Hawkeyes: run well and stop the run.
This is what happens when the quarterback gets time to pass from the offensive line. I should also give Orton props for becoming a more confident passer. When he was starting two years ago, I don't remember him being quite as decisive as this year.
I should also mention that Orton has put up these good numbers the last three weeks against teams with poor passing defenses. He didn't have big numbers against Atlanta, but did lead them down the field at the end of the game. The real test will be if the Bears' offense can move the ball against Tennessee, the best scoring defense in the league and a very good defensive line.
Exciting is a great word to describe this game. I predicted a score of 20-17. Man was I off.
"Kyle dancing on the bar at Union" was when Orton was an immature quarterback who was only playing because Grossman was injured. At that time, Orton knew Grossman was the Bears quarterback of the future. Now, Orton looks like he is.
He's matured, grown up and evolved. It's been an amazing turnaround. I had more confidence in our offense scoring points yesterday than our defense stopping the Vikings which is truly amazing.
I was in the press box several years ago when Orton the rookie threw five picks against Cincinnati. A few games later he was replaced by Rex Grossman (returning from injury -- a shocker, I know), and the pressbox erupted in laughter at Grossman's first pass: a 20-plus-yard completion. Why so funny? It was the Bears' longest completion in 10 games. Orton was that awful. ... I'm impressed by how he's worked on his game and has made Grossman's presence on the team pointless.
Attention Sports Fans:
Hey guys, just wanted to extend everyone an invite to my house (923 e. Jefferson) this Saturday for an awesome day of tailgating, lawn games, and football watching. There’ll be games on multiple large-screen TVs starting at 11am and leading up to the big primetime match-up (No, not PSU/OSU, Notre Dame v. Washington!). I have a pretty big yard so all day we’ll have games going on (Bags, Australian Frisbee, Pong/Flip Cup, etc), and we’ll also grill plenty of meat. Feel free to bring friends/girlfriend/boyfriends/dogs (the yard is fenced in and my dog could use company). I’ll probably get a keg from John’s of something decent, let me know if anyone has any particular requests. Hope you guys can all make it!
P.S. Dave you don't have a blog I can post this on, but you're expected to make an appearance as well.
Post a Comment