Saturday Dec 8 News & Tweets

Bears confident in reshuffled LB trio Premium Story

By Jeremy Stoltz
Bear Report Publisher
Posted Dec 6, 2012

Brian Urlacher’s hamstring injury forced Nick Roach to middle linebacker and thrust Geno Hayes into the starting role. What can we expect from Chicago’s reshuffled linebacker corps?

The Chicago Bears were given the bad news this week that Brian Urlacher would be out the next 3-4 weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain suffered late in last week’s contest.

"[We'll miss Urlacher] in all phases," Lovie Smith said. "Great player. He's one of the leaders. He makes all of the calls. Just him being in the huddle helps. We're going to miss him. I can't belittle that at all. We're missing a great player. But you just have to look at Plan B. Plan B for us is pretty good if you do lose a guy like that."

Urlacher and Lance Briggs, who have a combined 15 Pro Bowl appearances, have started 180 games together since Briggs’ rookie season in 2003. It will be the first time Briggs has played without Urlacher since 2009, yet Briggs said it won’t change how he plays on the field.

“No. Just play. Play your game. Do what you do best,” said Briggs.

Briggs’ responsibilities won’t change, as he’ll stay on the weak side. Yet Nick Roach, who has started the past 28 games for the Bears at strong side, or Sam, linebacker, will have entirely new set of duties filling in for Urlacher.

“I wish that Brian was in there, obviously. It’s unfortunate to see him go down,” said Roach. “But I’ve been prepared for [the switch] for a while.”

Roach has started 55 games in his six-year career but only three of those at the middle linebacker, or Mike, position, where he’ll now be in charge of making the calls on the field.

“On the outside you really don’t have to begin any of the communications,” Roach said. “Playing in the middle you have to be the one to initiate all the checks and start all the adjustments. It starts with the Mike letting everybody know something is going to change once we get set, or just in general getting the call to the defense, and everybody else’s job is just to echo.”

Briggs said the experience of the defense together will make Roach’s job as traffic cop much easier.

“Communication is not going to be a problem,” said Briggs. “Even if guys don’t hear, we’ve been in the system long enough where we understand, we should all understand, by recognizing formation and seeing what [sets] teams are in.”

Playing inside also changes Roach’s gap responsibility against the run, which will be crucial this week when Chicago faces arguably the best running back in the game in Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson.

“It will be different just because I’ll be in different spots,” Roach said. “We have different gaps depending on which linebacker spot that you’re lined up in. So the different types of tackles that you would be able to make at Sam won’t come up at Mike because you’re in a different position. In terms of stopping [Peterson], you’ve still got to get everybody to him to get him down.”

Replacing Roach on the strong side will be Geno Hayes, whom the Bears signed this past offseason. He played his first four years in the league in Tampa Bay’s version of the Cover 2 defense. Hayes spent the entire preseason in the starting lineup next to Roach and Briggs, while Urlacher was recovering from knee surgery.

“This is not my first time around. It’s not my first rodeo,” Hayes said. “It was great getting good experience in the preseason, getting accustomed to the defense, accustomed with the guys. I was out there playing ball day in and day out. So, it was great.”

The opportunity for Hayes to get first-team reps in the preseason, learning on the fly his responsibilities alongside Briggs and Roach, should make it an easy transition for him come Sunday afternoon at the Metrodome.

“It helps plugging Geno in because coaches have seen what he can do, not only just here in training camp but what he did in Tampa Bay,” said Briggs. “He’s a very good linebacker. And this is a great opportunity for him.”

Hayes was signed to a one-year deal this offseason. The next four games will be his chance to prove he deserves a long-term deal.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Hayes said. “Any time you get the opportunity to step on the field and make plays, it’s always that chance you’ve got to go out there and take. It’s big.”

No one can replace Urlacher but Hayes believes, as a group, the current linebacker trio is good enough to help guide the Bears into the playoffs.

“Yes, we can,” said Hayes. “We have guys in position. Nick is going to be a great guy. He can step in to that role and make those plays that we need to make at middle linebacker, so we’re not really worried about that. We’re going to still have Urlacher on the sideline giving us tips and things of that nature, so we’re not too worried. We’re going to do what we came to do.”

Briggs said that, if Chicago can make the playoffs this year – which will likely require the team winning three out of its final four games – he expects Urlacher to return in the postseason.

“We’re fortunate that Brian went down and we’re 8-4 with four games to get into the playoffs,” Briggs said. “It’s our job now to get ourselves into those playoffs. To make sure we get into the playoffs. Once we get in those playoffs, Brain will be ready, and he’ll come back and he’ll lead us the way he always has.”

Next man up: Kelvin Hayden Premium Story

By Jeremy Stoltz
Bear Report Publisher
Posted Dec 7, 2012

With Tim Jennings likely to miss this Sunday’s contest against the Minnesota Vikings, the Chicago Bears will turn to Kelvin Hayden to take over the starting cornerback role.

Chicago Bears cornerback Kelvin Hayden has started 47 games in his career. In place of Tim Jennings, who won’t play due to a shoulder injury sustained last week, Hayden will make his 48th start this Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. It’s familiar territory for a player that sealed Super Bowl XLI for the Indianapolis Colts with a pick-six of Bears quarterback Rex Grossman.

“[Hayden] has done it in this league. He’s a veteran corner,” said coordinator Rod Marinelli. “And it’s not a new system for him. It’s the same system he’s been brought up in. Tim and him played together in Indy and they know it. And I’ve got a lot of confidence in him.”

Hayden was signed to a one-year deal this offseason, with the expectation that his experience playing in Tampa-2 systems would allow him to be the primary backup to all three starting cornerback spots. As the season progressed, though, Hayden began to siphon more and more snaps from D.J. Moore at nickelback, eventually taking over the starting role in Week 9.

He’ll now move out wide, covering split end and flankers instead of slot receivers. It’s a positional change that requires a significant shift in formation location, keys and technique.

“At corner, everything is front of you but at nickel, you have things on the inside and outside. I think that’s the main difference,” Hayden said. “At corner, most of the time the sideline is right next to you. Sometimes that can be beneficial. At nickel, everything happens a little bit faster. Playing the nickel, you’re kind of like a linebacker.”

He’ll make his first start in a Bears uniform this week, yet Hayden said his preparation hasn’t changed.

“I prepare the same way as I usually do. I prepare as a starter,” he said. “I prepare like I’m a starter any other week. In this game, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. If a guy goes down on the second play of the game, you want to be prepared and ready to go. That’s my whole job is just to be ready when my number is called. I’m going to try to continue to do the same.”

Luckily for Hayden, he won’t have to cover Minnesota receiver Percy Harvin, who was placed on injured reserve this week with an ankle injury. Harvin is one of the most dynamic receivers in the league, a big-play threat that can score every time he touches the ball. Losing him is a huge blow to the Vikings.

Since originally suffering the injury a month ago, no other Minnesota receiver has stepped up to fill Harvin’s shoes. As a result, quarterback Christian Ponder has taken a step back in his second season, leaving running back Adrian Peterson to do the heavy lifting for Minnesota’s offense.

“We don’t look at it that way,” said Hayden. “Anytime you look at it as ‘they’re just going to try to run the ball,’ you get a surprise. We’re just going to continue to be on the details, read our run and pass keys as a secondary and fly around and make plays when our number is called.”

He did admit the Bears are likely to put eight men in the box the majority of the game.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure [it will be eight men],” he said. “The main thing that makes their offense tick is Adrian Peterson. So our main goal is to stop him and force them to go to their second option.”

The 29-year-old Hayden now has an opportunity to earn himself a new contract with the Bears after this season. If he can show up and make plays over the final quarter of the campaign, something he has struggled to do the past few weeks, he’ll get paid.

For his part, Hayden said he’s not looking any farther ahead than this week’s contest.

“It’s always good to be out there every play, out there having fun, making plays and enjoying the moment,” he said. “These guys put in so much work, so much time and so much effort trying to win and have one goal. I just want to continue to have fun and fly around. In this defense, you just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Moore has chance to redeem himself Premium Story

By Jeremy Stoltz
Bear Report Publisher
Posted Dec 7, 2012

After a long layoff, induced by poor play and landing in Lovie Smith’s doghouse, D.J. Moore will be back in his familiar role as Chicago’s nickelback on Sunday against the Vikings.

Everything started great for Chicago Bears cornerback D.J. Moore this year. After two seasons as the team’s starting nickelbck, Moore had a strong camp and beat out newcomer Kelvin Hayden to retain his position.

Things went downhill from there.

Moore led the team in interceptions in 2011 (4) and, according to Pro Football Focus, did not allow a single touchdown all season. Yet this year, he allowed two touchdowns in Chicago’s first three contests and was sketchy in both coverage and against the run during the first half of the campaign.

“If your play isn’t exactly what we think it should be, then you open the door for someone else to get an opportunity,” said Lovie Smith. “What you have to do is make plays. Simple as that.”

Moore’s poor play opened the door for Hayden, who stepped in and claimed the nickelback gig in Week 9. Since then, Moore has played in just two games and was a healthy scratch in two contests.

Not helping his cause were Moore’s comments after Chicago’s Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers, in which Jay Cutler was seen pushing J’Marcus Webb on the sidelines.

"I just think it's wrong, honestly," Moore said of Cutler the week following the Packers loss. "I would feel some kind of way if he were to do me like that and make it seem like 'well, the reason that I'm having a bad game is because what you're doing' and not me taking accountability for myself because I'm throwing these types of passes or doing this type of read.

"So it's a tough situation. When you act like that with your own teammates on the sideline, it's just something different that you normally wouldn't do. So you might say it in the locker room or something, but to do it like he did it, it's just weird."

Publicly, Smith said he was fine with Moore’s comments. Behind closed doors, Moore was reprimanded for throwing a teammate under the bus. Moore then turned around and almost immediately told a reporter that Smith chewed him out. Since then, Moore has been buried in his coach’s doghouse.

This week though, the Bears will have no choice but to put Moore back on the field. Starting cornerback Tim Jennings has been ruled out for the Vikings contest. Hayden will move outside into the starting role and Moore will move back into his familiar nickelback position.

“It’s all based on performance on the football field,” said Smith. “D.J. is a pro. When he did take a step back, he was doing everything he possibly could behind the scenes to help this team. He’s a good player. Hopefully, he’ll get another shot.”

For his part, Moore never lost confidence in his abilities.

“The whole situation is kind of funny to me. I never took it as another guy was better than me. That’s never the case,” Moore said. “I just know I’m good enough to play. I look forward to showing that.”

Moore’s contract is up after this season and, due to a rough final year in Chicago, it’s unlikely he’ll re-sign with the Bears. Which means the next four games will serve as his last chance to build some good game film heading into free agency, while also helping the Bears make a push for the playoffs.

“We’re very confident in him,” said coordinator Rod Marinelli. “He’s been practicing extremely well. We expect a great performance from him.”

Bears-Vikings Keys to the Game Premium Story

By Jeremy Stoltz
Bear Report Publisher
Posted Dec 8, 2012

Chicago and Minnesota will square off for the second time in three weeks this weekend. We break down everything the Bears must do to pick up an NFC North victory on Sunday.

The Chicago Bears (8-4) currently hold the fifth seed in the NFC. On Sunday, they will play their fourth NFC North matchup of the season, squaring off against the Minnesota Vikings (6-6) in Minneapolis. It will be the second of four divisional contests for the Bears over the final six weeks of the season, and the fourth of seven consecutive games against NFC opponents to close out the year.

Chicago is on a six-game win streak over Minnesota, which includes a 28-10 victory two weeks ago at Soldier Field. It is the Bears’ longest win streak against the Vikings. In the all-time series, Minnesota has a 52-49-2 advantage. The home team has won 17 of the last 21 meetings.

The Bears have the same record as the Green Bay Packers (8-4) atop the NFC North, yet Green Bay holds the tiebreaker. The Packers host the Detroit Lions this weekend.

Injuries

-Chicago will be without WR Earl Bennett (concussion), LB Brian Urlacher (hamstring) and CB Tim Jennings (shoulder).

-RB Michael Bush (ribs), DT Stephen Paea (foot) and G Chris Spencer (knee) are questionable. Bush is expected to play; Paea will be a game-time decision.

-Wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Devin Hester are both listed as probable and expected to play.

-The Vikings placed WR Percy Harvin (ankle) on injured reserve this week. Everyone else on Minnesota’s injury list is probable.

Bears on Offense

Chicago’s offensive rankings
Points scored: 13th (24.5)
Total offense: 30th (304.0)
Rushing offense: 10th (122.8)
Passing offense: 31st (181.3)

Minnesota’s defensive rankings
Points allowed: 18th (22.7)
Total defense: 13th (344.8)
Rushing defense: 14th (115.1)
Passing defense: 14th (229.8)
Turnover ratio: 22nd (-6)

Matchups to Watch

LT J’Marcus Webb vs. DE Jared Allen
Against Minnesota, this is always the biggest matchup for Chicago’s offense. In the past, Allen has made mincemeat of Webb, including a 3.5-sack performance in last year’s season finale. Yet two weeks ago, Webb didn’t give up a single sack. That had as much to do with the play calling – which utilized a quick-passing attack – as it did Webb’s performance. Still, Webb has shown a lot of improvement this season. If he can again step up and keep Allen at bay, QB Jay Cutler should have plenty of time to pick apart Minnesota’s 14th-ranked pass defense.

WR Alshon Jeffery vs. CB A.J. Jefferson
The Vikings will put their best cornerback, Antoine Winfield, on Brandon Marshall for most of the game. That leaves Jefferson to cover Jeffery, who is returning after a three-week absence following arthroscopic knee surgery. He has missed six games his rookie season, yet no one has stepped up in his absence. Expect him to see plenty of reps in his first game back, with the Bears trying to quickly work him back into the fold as the No. 2 option in the passing game. If Jeffery can get going, things will open up for Marshall, which should be a recipe for success.

Keys on Offense

-While Allen gets most of the publicity, Minnesota’s other starting defensive end, Brian Robison, is no slouch. He’s a quality pass rusher – he has 5.5 sacks this season – as well as a strong run stopper. Bears RT Jonathan Scott has been hit or miss the last two games, his first as a starter with the team, while Gabe Carimi will be starting only his second career game at right guard. These two must be able to communicate and work effectively as a tandem to keep Robison, as well as DT Kevin Williams, out of the backfield.

-On each and every play, Chicago’s offense must be aware of LB Chad Greenway, who leads the league in tackles. The Bears have struggled to run the ball the past few games, averaging less than 3.0 yards per carry. Establishing RB Matt Forte will be a priority in this game, which will allow Chicago to keep control of the ball and Vikings RB Adrian Peterson, as well as a banged up defense, off the field. The offensive line, particularly G Edwin Williams, must get better on their pulls and traps in order to open holes in the run game and help win the time-of-possession battle. That all starts, though, with making sure Greenway is accounted for.

-The passing attack starts and ends with Brandon Marshall. Two weeks ago, the Vikings had no answer for him, allowing Marshall to catch 12 passes for 92 yards. The Bears utilized a short and intermediate passing attack that slowly chewed up Minnesota’s Cover 2 shell. The Vikings will obviously be keying on Marshall again, which could create some opportunities to capitalize on the aggressiveness of the secondary. Double moves could get Marshall open for some big plays down the field, as Minnesota might be quick to jump on the underneath stuff. If the Bears can convert a few of those plays, that should be enough for the victory.

Bears on Defense

Chicago’s defensive rankings
Points allowed: 2nd (16.5)
Total defense: 5th (319.7)
Rushing defense: 10th (103.5)
Passing defense: 7th (216.2)
Turnover Ratio: 2nd (+14)

Minnesota’s offensive rankings
Points scored: 18th (21.8)
Total offense: 22nd (335.5)
Rushing offense: 3rd (154.9)
Passing offense: 32nd (180.6)

Matchups to Watch

S Major Wright vs. RB Adrian Peterson
Peterson leads the league in rushing (1,446 yards) and is running like a man possessed. The best running back in the league is even stronger this year after blowing out his knee late last season. He’s a one-man wrecking crew whom the Vikings will lean on during Sunday’s contest. With a reshuffled starting linebacker crew – WLB Lance Briggs, MLB Nick Roach and SLB Geno Hayes – the Bears will want to keep an eighth man in the box to limit Peterson. Wright will be that extra player. He’s been very good against the run all year and will again need to step up and be a sound tackler if Chicago has any hope of stopping AP – who ran for 108 yards against the Bears two weeks ago.

LB Geno Hayes vs. TE Kyle Rudolph
Since Harvin first went down with his ankle sprain a month ago, Minnesota’s passing attack has been in shambles. No wide receiver has stepped to fill the void. Only Rudolph has raised his level of play. He’s now QB Christian Ponder’s favorite target, having caught 18 passes for 170 yards and 3 TDs the past three weeks. Hayes steps in as the strong-side starter with Urlacher on the shelf. On 1st and 2nd down, Hayes will be called upon to cover Rudolph. By limiting Minnesota’s biggest threat in the passing game, the Bears will be able to comfortably keep an eighth man in the box throughout the contest.

Keys on Defense

-Nick Roach’s play in the game will be huge. He’s been the strong-side starter the past two years but will step inside to middle linebacker in place of Urlacher for the remainder of the season. In only his fourth ever starter at MLB, Roach gets the task of trying to stop AP. If there was ever a week in which Roach needs to be sound, it’s this one. He must be confident in his reads and play smart, physical, gap-control football. If he gets pushed around, misreads or overruns plays, Peterson could have a field day. Roach must quickly adapt to his new position.

-Minnesota’s best run-blocking offensive lineman is C John Sullivan, who can maul with the best of them. NT Stephen Paea is suffering from a foot injury and is questionable. If he can’t go, that puts extra onus on defensive tackles Henry Melton and Nick Collins to hold their ground against Sullivan. If they fold and holes open up in the middle of the field, that will allow Peterson to get a full head of steam heading into the second level, which is a surefire way for Chicago’s defense to get horribly gashed. If Paea sits, NT Matt Toeaina will likely be active for the first time in eight weeks.

-With Harvin out, the Vikings have a serious lack of talent at wide receiver. Michael Jenkins is the leading receiver behind Harvin, with 30 catches for 324 yards. If there was ever a good game for Tim Jennings to miss, it’ll be this one. Starting cornerbacks Charles Tillman and Kelvin Hayden should be able to corral the wide players. In the slot though, D.J. Moore will have his hands full with Jarius Wright, who has taken over Harvin’s role as Minnesota’s slot receiver. Wright was targeted 10 times against the Bears two weeks ago. Expect him to again see a lot of looks, with the Vikings using his speed to try and exploit the middle of Chicago’s defense. Moore, who has been benched since Week 9, must be solid in his return to duty.

-Chicago’s pass rush has tapered off recently. The Bears haven’t had a game with more than two sacks since Week 6 against the Detroit Lions. During that six-game stretch, Chicago has fallen from first in the league in total sacks, down to eighth. Every front-line player deserves some of the blame. A strong performance against the Vikings will not only rattle Ponder and force some errant throws, but it will also give the Bears’ defensive line confidence heading into next week’s crucial matchup against the Packers.

PREDICTION: Bears 23, Vikings 13

xer0h0ur said:

“The intermediate passing game, I mean, it’s tough,” Allen said during his conference call with the Chicago media this afternoon. “We went back and put a clock on it. I think there was only two or three times the whole game he held the ball more than about two and a half seconds. That intermediate passing game was clutch for them. And then they did some things boot-legging and max protecting from different looks, chipping in and out with the tight ends and the running backs, and that makes it tough.”

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Fucking A.

Tice figured out short passes work. I fucking love Alshon humble, but confident MF