Week 3 of the 2009 NFL season saw the Detroit Lions pick up their first win since 2007, snapping a 19-game streak that allows them to avoid making history for the wrong reason a second time by breaking Tampa Bay's infamous record of 26 straight losses. The Cincinatti Bengals defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers to go 2-1, and if it wasn't for a freak play against the Denver Broncos they could easily be 3-0 (What!?).
But the game most of you probably didn't see took place on the West Coast between the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks, two teams that made it to the Super Bowl a few years back and seem to have taken on chronic cases of Super Bowl hangover, either failing to make the playoffs or facing an exit far too early for their liking (anyone who remembers Seattle's 42-20 drubbing at the hands of the 2007 Green Bay Packers knows what I'm talking about). Both teams entered the game banged up, the Bears on defense and the Seahawks on both sides of the ball, but most fantasy league owners were probably praying that Matt Forte would run away with the game. Alas, they would be disappointed as he carried 21 for only 66 yards against a Seattle defense lacking star linebacker Lofa Tatupu, but quarterback Jay Cutler made up for it with a stellar performance, completeing 21 0f 27 passes for 247 yards and three scores while only turning the ball over once.
Seahawks Verdict - Injuries = Losses: It's hard to get any more simple than that. Without Tatupu, the Seahawks defense performed valiantly in holding Forte to 66 rushing yards, but they also allowed their first points through the air of the season against the Bears, who are not yet known for their flashy pass attack. The injury that probably hurt the most was Matt Hasselbeck's; Seneca Wallace made too many mistakes in his absence, and the hole left by Hasselbeck is starting to show itself once again as the Seahawks struggled to move the ball when it counted, settling for Olindo Mare field goals and failing a last, desperate fourth down conversion.
Bears Verdict - Cutler going strong, Forte not so much: After a dismal Week 1 showing against the Green Bay Packers, the Bears QB has demonstrated an increased rapport with his recievers, particularly Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. Meanwhile, Matt Forte (who accounted for 36% of Chicago's offensive yardage last year) has continued to struggle, rushing for a poor 2.6 yards per carry through the first three games. While Cutler was able to carry them past Pittsburgh and Seattle, Lovie Smith has made it clear that he is not happy with the offense's lack of balance. When the cold weather comes to the NFC North, the Bears will need to pound the rock, and Forte's production must be better if they are going to sustain their success.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
"Da Bears" Off Defending Champion Steelers
On a day where Brett Favre broke the all-time NFL record for consecutive starts by a non-kicker, a potentially bigger story emerged as the Chicago Bears returned to Soldier Field for their home opener to play the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Jay Cutler's four interceptions against Green Bay and the news that star linebacker and defensive captain Brian Urlacher would miss the rest of the season on Injured Reserve after having surgery on a dislocated wrist, there wasn't too much to be excited about in the Windy City.
That being said, the Steelers were coming into town after a close and hardly convincing win over AFC rival Tennessee with problems on the offensive line and no Troy Polomalu. This setup brought about a clash of young ace quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Jay Cutler. At first, the Bears offense looked benign, going 3 and out on their first two possessions while Pittsburgh scored on their opening drive. But after cornerback Charles Tillman intercepted an underthrown Roethlisberger pass, Cutler reinvigorated the offense with a 97-yard drive to end the first half capped off by a 6 yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis. The game took on the appearance of a slugfest later on as the Steelers scored again and Chicago responded, but two missed field goals by Jeff Reed proved to be the difference as Chicago's kicker, former Pro Bowler Robbie Gould, hit a strike from 44 yards away.
Bears Verdict - Resilient defense ailing, but offense shows signs of life: The Bears injury woes continued as defensive end Alex Brown joined Urlacher and outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa on the list of Bears defenders to go down with injuries. On the bright side, however, Jay Cutler looked much more like the player Chicago knew he could be when they traded two first round picks to get him. The Bears also seem to have struck gold with seventh round pick Johnny Knox, a rookie out of Abeline Christian with blazing speed and good hands who led the Bears with 70 recieving yards and the second Chicago touchdown. Knox also showed off his speed on a 50 yard kickoff return that was called back for a holding penalty.
Steelers Verdict - Inconsistency badgers the defending champs: Last week, the Steelers capitalized on two misses by Titans kicker Rob Bironas, but this time it was Jeff Reed who felt the sting of cracking under pressure (it was hard not to feel sorry for him after seeing his expression on the sideline). Even so, the Steelers D performed admirably even without Troy Polomalu, producing an unforgettable highlight in the form of Tyrone Carter's bonecrunching hit on Bears tight end Greg Olsen. Their offensive line also showed flashes of their championship quality as Willy Parker rushed for more than twice as many yards as he did last week. Regrettably, his tally remained a paltry 47 yards as he was dogged by Bears defenders on multiple occasions.
That being said, the Steelers were coming into town after a close and hardly convincing win over AFC rival Tennessee with problems on the offensive line and no Troy Polomalu. This setup brought about a clash of young ace quarterbacks Ben Roethlisberger and Jay Cutler. At first, the Bears offense looked benign, going 3 and out on their first two possessions while Pittsburgh scored on their opening drive. But after cornerback Charles Tillman intercepted an underthrown Roethlisberger pass, Cutler reinvigorated the offense with a 97-yard drive to end the first half capped off by a 6 yard touchdown pass to tight end Kellen Davis. The game took on the appearance of a slugfest later on as the Steelers scored again and Chicago responded, but two missed field goals by Jeff Reed proved to be the difference as Chicago's kicker, former Pro Bowler Robbie Gould, hit a strike from 44 yards away.
Bears Verdict - Resilient defense ailing, but offense shows signs of life: The Bears injury woes continued as defensive end Alex Brown joined Urlacher and outside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa on the list of Bears defenders to go down with injuries. On the bright side, however, Jay Cutler looked much more like the player Chicago knew he could be when they traded two first round picks to get him. The Bears also seem to have struck gold with seventh round pick Johnny Knox, a rookie out of Abeline Christian with blazing speed and good hands who led the Bears with 70 recieving yards and the second Chicago touchdown. Knox also showed off his speed on a 50 yard kickoff return that was called back for a holding penalty.
Steelers Verdict - Inconsistency badgers the defending champs: Last week, the Steelers capitalized on two misses by Titans kicker Rob Bironas, but this time it was Jeff Reed who felt the sting of cracking under pressure (it was hard not to feel sorry for him after seeing his expression on the sideline). Even so, the Steelers D performed admirably even without Troy Polomalu, producing an unforgettable highlight in the form of Tyrone Carter's bonecrunching hit on Bears tight end Greg Olsen. Their offensive line also showed flashes of their championship quality as Willy Parker rushed for more than twice as many yards as he did last week. Regrettably, his tally remained a paltry 47 yards as he was dogged by Bears defenders on multiple occasions.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Steelers Top Titans In Overtime Opener
While many may consider today to be the unveiling of the 2009 National Football League, the NFL season kicked off last Thursday with a narrow 13-10 contest as the Tennessee Titans took on the defend Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Defense ruled the day as the game went into overtime before a winner could be decided. Facing dominant defenses, both teams had trouble moving the ball downfield. But no one struggled more than Titans kicker Rob Bironas, who squandered his chances to win the game with two missed field goals (one of which was blocked by Pittsburgh). The Steelers paid for the blocked kick, however, as star safety Troy Polamalu left the game with what was later diagnosed as a sprained MCL, which will likely sideline him for anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks. All in all, the overtime battle between two of last year's best teams proved a dramatic and exciting way to start the season.
Titans Verdict: Albert who? The Tennessee defensive line looked impressive even without Pro Bowler Albert Haynesworth, who inked a $100 million free agent deal with the Washington Redskins. On the negative side, their schedule doesn't seem to get any easier as they host a Houston Texans team that looks to take their division by storm. The next three games, however, will likely seem to be a cake walk before they Titans must play Indianapolis and New England back to back.
Steelers Verdict: Pittsburgh looked like their old selves. This is both good and bad for Pittsburgh. While the defense looked in midseason form against a proven Tennessee team, their offensive line looks as shaky and inconsistent as they did last year. Ben Roethlisberger was hit hard several times, and the running game was sub par just like they were last season. While they might have won the Super Bowl last year, I do not see their chances of a repeat looking too bright if they continue to play as they did Thursday night, especially after the Madden curse struck again in the form of Polamalu's injury.
Titans Verdict: Albert who? The Tennessee defensive line looked impressive even without Pro Bowler Albert Haynesworth, who inked a $100 million free agent deal with the Washington Redskins. On the negative side, their schedule doesn't seem to get any easier as they host a Houston Texans team that looks to take their division by storm. The next three games, however, will likely seem to be a cake walk before they Titans must play Indianapolis and New England back to back.
Steelers Verdict: Pittsburgh looked like their old selves. This is both good and bad for Pittsburgh. While the defense looked in midseason form against a proven Tennessee team, their offensive line looks as shaky and inconsistent as they did last year. Ben Roethlisberger was hit hard several times, and the running game was sub par just like they were last season. While they might have won the Super Bowl last year, I do not see their chances of a repeat looking too bright if they continue to play as they did Thursday night, especially after the Madden curse struck again in the form of Polamalu's injury.
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