The Return of The Chicagoist Reader Meet-Up
Cubs Combat Casino
Notre Dame Fan Takes It Too Far, Allegedly Punches Clausen
County Sales Tax Rollback Vetoed - Here We Go Again
PHOTOS: Peaches And Amanda Blank At Metro
Sure, we're all anxious and upset about the supposed cuts to the CTA service. However, there is one bus route we wouldn't mind see being cut.
"We're a team that gets off the bus running the football,'' Bears coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday. ''I have it memorized, and that's what we are, period.''
Has he been watching the same offense we we've been watching this year? The only thing separating this team from a 1-6 start is a decent passing game with Brian Griese under center. Cedric Benson was virtually MIA in both the Green Bay and Philly wins.
Benson is a bust. In his third year in the league, he's averaging 3.1 yards a carry -- 48th out of the top 50 rushing yard leaders. Those kinds of numbers do not carry offenses. Certainly not to the playoffs or Super Bowl. Will Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions -- ranked 19th in rushing defense -- be his last chance to prove himself?
Brian Griese's comments made a little more sense when he spoke to the media on Wednesday, saying, "You can go in and bang your head against the wall if you want to, or you can take advantage of the matchups in your favor. The key is if you move the team and you score."
Since banging our head against the wall is exactly what it's like to watch Benson try to run the ball, does this mean that while Lovie's saying one thing, the Bears really are becoming a passing team? The Bears offense ranks 30th of 32 teams in rushing offense. No matter what Lovie wants to call it, that ain't a rushing offense. We can only hope that Bears' offensive coordinator Ron Turner isn't in denial like Smith is, or else let's pray that Griese really does call his own plays.
Image via ChicagoBears.com
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For the life of me, I can't figure out why Benson is so bad. It's like he doesn't actively look for openings or something, and then can't break through any tackles like he's supposed to do either. He just looks like he has no heart and doesn't care what happens. I'd be interested to know what Benson's averages were when Jones was here, seemed like he had a little more fire power when he had to prove himself.
I guess I could look it up myself, I'm too lazy this morning.
Benson averaged 4.1 yards/carry in both of his first two seasons. But most of those yards and carries came late in games where the defense was tired and Benson was fresh. And, the Bears had already put the game away... Really, though, Benson's one good career game -- New Year's Eve against the Packers -- boosted his season average from 3.7yds/carry to the 4.1yds/carry.
I do not think we can accurately call Benson a bust yet. He probably is not a top 5 or 10 back, which sucks since we wasted a #4 pick, and #4 money on him. But I think he still has potential to be a solid workhorse back. The truth of the matter is RB's are pretty disposable. They have the shortest career span of any position in the league. Look at what the Patriots have done the past 7 years or so with essentially no top tier RB. And the Colts got rid of Faulk, for James, and James for Addai. And Addai has still been splitting carries with Keith. Now of course they have hall of fame QB's at the helm which helps tremendously.
I think Lovie's mantra of we get off the bus running the ball is spin. Make teams think that and use it against them.
The running game does need to improve, but I think its premature to call Benson a bust. I would like to see Wolfe get some more "scatback" touches though, a la Dennis Gentry.
Put the little guy in! The little one!
It does seem like the days of Payton and Sanders and Walker are over. As someone pointed out RBs have a short career. Just look at the last 5 years, how many different running backs have been anointed "the best in the game" at that moment? it's ever-changing.
I don't really get the whole thing about Benson being a hard-nosed back that runs guys over since he doesn't even seem interested in doing that. he doesn't turn a corner, he never lowers a shoulder into a guy to get an extra yard or two. he just runs out of bounds or goes down.
I saw Wolfe in against detroit when Benson had a miserable failure of a game. I almost felt bad for him. There he was lined up behind the quartback staring down the gut of a 350+ lineman who he knew he was going to have to either block or run into. His only hope for survival was to go after the knees, which he did somewhat succesfully. But, he probably has the same avg as Benson does with the number of carries being in the teens.