If (and that’s a big if) the defense can do its part, there’s no reason the Packers can’t go all the way.
Yesterday against the Bears, our offense surprised me on how easily they moved the ball. All I kept hearing was how great the Bears defense was.
Now, our defense.,...the Bears moved the ball too well in the 4th quarter. Was it because it was garbage time? I don’t know.
The 3 turnovers were huge. The 2 INTs stopped Bears drives. But what would have happened on those drives had we not had the INTs? The strip sack got us 7 points. But they could have called it a face mask penalty. At least that’s how I saw it on the replay. Of course I’m glad it went our way.
Originally Posted by: Cheesey
Yes most of the bares points (22 of 25) came when the defense was playing soft. The 7 before halftime and the 15 points in the 4th quarter.
Why are you focusing only on what might have been in the negative? There were several plays the refs could have flagged the Bears and didn't. Let's take away Montgomery's 57 yard run while we are at it too.
The turnovers. On the first one the Bears were at the Packers 38. (The Bears had moved 41 yards in 5 plays and used up a whole 2:31). I was not worried. Even though they were at the 38, their red zone offense is putrid. They get a td only 52% of the time. That's good for 28th place. Just in case someone says that's mainly because of Foles has been the QB, last year they were @ 52% as well. Keep in mind the Bares still needed 18 yards just to get to the outer edge red zone.
Next is the strip, sack, fumble, td. (3 plays -11 yards 1:23) It's 3rd and 17 from the GB 18. Just when would you expect GB to dial up the pass rush pressure? If not on this play, when? They did exactly what they were supposed to do. Get to the QB. If they do, many many good things can happen. A sack, fumble, an interception or at the very least an incompletion which will be followed by a punt and GB would have excellent field position. You complain about the defense not living up to expectations but when they actually do their job, you still complain, "What would have happened if they DIDN'T get to Trubisky? LET IT GO. ENJOY THE VICTORY.
Last turnover, another int. (3 plays -1 yard and 0:50 seconds.) They were at their own 25. That's a long long long long long long long way from being in scoring position. There is no reason whatsoever to say the Bears would have scored if not for the int.
Another factor is that Savage made two outstanding plays to get those interceptions. You sort of ignore his effort in your "what if" worrying. I skipped over it, but all 3 edge rushers factored into the sack/fumble play. Gary picked up 6'3" 316 pound Leno and tossed him into Trubisky. That was a genuine Reggie move if there ever was one. Trubisky then had to step up. Right into the arms of Z who forced the fumble that Preston recovered and ran back. That was no small task in itself. Linemen on both offense and defense typically have heavily taped hand and wrists. They don't bend over and pick up the loose ball. They are taught since jr high to fall on the ball not pick it up and try to run. The whole play was a series of individual A+ plays.
Here's the Bears drive chart:
FG
Interception
Fumble / GB TD
TD on soft coverage before the half. 87 yards on 14 plays a 6.2 avg. It started with 3:11 left in the half and used almost 3 minutes. It made the score 27-10. The game was already well in hand.
Punt
Interception
Punt
By the time the Bears get the ball back it is 41-10. The game is over. These guys are professionals but you can not expect them to play at 100% effort every single play for every single game. They coast. You may hate it but if you were on the field you would probably be doing the exact same thing they did.
TD on soft coverage 65 yards in 13 plays for an average of 5 yards a play. It took 4 1/2 minutes. This is not big chunk plays. They are burning the clock and the Packers let them do it.
Last driver another TD. Even more time consuming. 82 yards on 15 plays and average of 5.5 yards using up over 5 minutes of time.
I don't want to hear, "Well that can't do that if they are playing ... Tampa, Rams, KC, Steelers or whoever" Yes they can. If they are up by 31 points in the 4th quarter I don't mind the defense focusing on keeping the play in front of them and burning the clock. If the Packers are not up by that much in the 4th, don't worry, playing a soft D isn't an option.
Enjoy the moment. They really and truly kicked the bare butts.