Week 5: Detroit Lions

Coming into week 5 against the Lions, it was critical for the Bears to come out and play well and get a win in order to stay on pace with Green Bay and Detriot in the NFC north. The game started well for the Chicago Bears as the forced a three and out on Detroit's first offensive series. However, things took a turn for the worse when the Bear's headed out on offense and was only a precursor to what was to come. Out of the first seven plays the Bears ran on offense, they were flagged for four false start penalties, three of which went against tight end Kellen Davis. I'm sorry, but when your offensive line needs to consistently rely on tight ends to help protect the quarterback you are doing something wrong. Throughout the game the Bears offensive line, especially J'Marcus Webb and Frank Omiyale, got dominated by the Lions defensive line and looked as if they didn't stand a chance to protect Jay Cutler. The line did however run block well, but continued to get worked in the passing game and I will be thoroughly shocked if the Bears win many games this season with the line as it was tonight. The Bears need to make a consistent effort to go out and draft and sign linemen that are going to work in the Mike Martz offense. I feel as if the Bears are putting these linemen in situations that they can't succeed in and either need to change personnel on the line or get a new coordinator. We have seen this endless turnstile on the offensive line for almost a season and a half now and things need to change. With all the negatives throughout the game, Matt Forte still found a way to be productive and was the shining star for the Chicago Bears. He carried the ball 22 times for 116 yard and continues to carry the entire offense on his back. I just can’t quite understand why the Bears haven't locked this man up and I now feel like they will be paying a heftier price once the season is over to retain Forte. The offense overall just looked horrible. Jay Cutler did not have time to set his feet and throw and the unit as a whole was contently out of sync.
On the defensive side of the ball, things started out well for a unit that had struggled the last few weeks. They held the Lions scoreless in the first quarter and seemed to be looking like the Bears defense of old. However, it was only a matter of time before the Lions struck on a big play and reminded us of the defense we have seen this season. Matthew Stafford hit Calvin Johnson on a 73 yard bomb that once against pointed out the Bears weakness at the safety position. Charles Tillman failed to jam Johnson at the line and gave him a free release and Chris Harris simple could not keep up with Johnson. If the Bears continue to play like this in the secondary, look for it to be a very long and painful season for Bears fans. And on a final note, the Bears defensive line that was touted as one of the deepest and best units on the Bears has simply been horrible. They have not been able to consistently put pressure on any quarterback lately and have been blown of the ball on many running plays. I am really starting to question this unit and have even started to wonder if Julius Peppers is on the downside of his career. He has not been making the plays he once did and it is really affecting this Bears defense. By the way the Bears have played lately, it’s very hard to be optimistic about this team and many things will need to be changed if they have any hope of making it to the playoffs. So until next time Chicago, Bear Down.