Results tagged “thomasjones”

Things are not looking very good for the Bears. With Sunday's 37-27 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Bears showed their weaknesses on both sides of the ball. The first game of the Brian Griese era was no more successful than the Bears under Rex Grossman. Supposedly the safe game manager, Griese threw three interceptions — two while the Bears were in the "red zone." The other one was returned 64 yards for a touchdown....

Nobody expected the Bears to go 16-0 this season, or even to start 7-0 like last year. And it's not too shocking that they would lose to a team that went 14-2 last year. But we're still plenty disappointed that the Bears lost to the San Diego Chargers 14-3 on Sunday in their season opener. The Bears' defense looked like it was in midseason form on Sunday, holding the high-scoring Chargers offense in check most...

The Bears played their third preseason game Saturday night, hosting the San Francisco 49ers. With the Bears taking the field at home for the first time since last year's playoffs, all eyes in Soldier Field were squarely on Rex Grossman. Even before the game, camera crews and Chicagoist ourselves focused in on Rex's practice snaps. We wanted to see any signs of progress after Grossman's three fumbles against the Indianapolis Colts last Monday, of which...

Here are some things in the news while we do spit takes at the ticket prices for the upcoming Van Halen tour. A $300-a-year parking permit created for realtors, home health care providers, and social workers to plug a $2.4 million hole in the city's 2007 budget only generated $15,900 in revenue. Facing increasing criticism in allowing BP to increase the amount of pollution it can discharge into Lake Michigan, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels...

With the Bears opening training camp on Friday, it's time to dust off the blue and orange, refresh our memories of last year's Super Bowl XLI appearance, and then start figuring out what to fret about come Week One. The Tribune points out their five areas of concern, while the Sun-Times gives us their ten things to watch for. 1. At the top of both lists is the quarterback situation. Can Rex Grossman be the...

Just as the local sporting goods stores have finally moved out the last of their Bears NFC Champions merchandise, it's time for the Bears and the NFL teams to restock their roster during the NFL draft, which takes place Saturday and Sunday in New York. The draft begins at 11:00 am on Saturday, but there's no need to get up early to watch. The Bears don't draft until the 31st pick in the first round,...

The Bears' offseason thus far has been a pretty unbearable affair for fans. We watched the tension grow between team management and head coach Lovie Smith before Lovie finally got the extension and raise he deserved for taking the Bears to the Super Bowl. We saw defensive coordinator — and member of the 1985 Super Bowl team — Ron Riviera fired. Thomas Jones traded. Lance Briggs telling anyone and everyone he's upset at the Bears'...

Just days after Bears management redeemed themselves by locking up Lovie Smith for the next five years, they once again have us scratching our heads. They traded Thomas Jones, the team's starting running back, to the New York Jets along with their late second-round pick for an early second-round draft pick. Are we missing something? Jones ran for over 1,200 yards in 2006, carrying the ball 296 times and averaging 4.1 yards a carry. He...

There was no late-night shopping for championship T-shirts on the way home from our Super Bowl party. We had our intended course home charted out — one that would give enough time for the delivery trucks to drop off the first of the Super Bowl Champs apparel by the time we passed the Sports Authority on the way home from a party in the 'burbs. But there was no need to stop, because the...

After two weeks of hype and Bears-coverage overload by the media (we didn’t even know that was possible!), the big game is almost here. In a little over 48 hours, the Bears and Colts will face off in Super Bowl XLI. The Bears remain seven-point underdogs according to most major sports books. But we think they may surprise some folks — just like they did against the Saints. Most of the experts picked the Saints...

If Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is any indication of how the defense has been weakened due to injuries and legal troubles, the Bears could be in trouble come January. While they eked out a 34-31 win, they needed overtime to do so in a game that looked wrapped up at halftime. After missing a field goal attempt earlier in OT, kicker Robbie Gould connected on the 25-yard game winner. Rex Grossman had...

While the game was reminiscent of last year's team, the Bears won yet again on Sunday by beating the Jets 10-0 at Giants Stadium. The defense was in top form, creating key turnovers and holding the Jets when it looked like they were close to scoring. Brian Urlacher intercepted the ball in the end zone when the Jets looked poised to open the scoring. The teams went into the intermission tied at 0-0. Perhaps the...

Chicagoist was amazed that, as quickly as the national sports media jumped on the Bears bandwagon, they leapt off even faster following the Bears' loss to Miami last week. Maybe they'll realize those leaps were premature after the Bears defeated the New York Giants 38-20 on national TV Sunday night. For the first 28 minutes of the game, it certainly didn't look like the Bears would win. The Giants dominated the game and held a...

While the Bears had to come from way behind to steal their last victory against the Arizona Cardinals, the Bears win was never in doubt against the San Francisco 49ers this week as they took a 41-0 lead into the locker room at halftime en route to a 41-10 win. The Bears scored a field goal on their opening possession and then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff. A Thomas Jones TD run gave...

The last time the Bears opened up 5-0, they were coming off their victory in Super Bowl XX. They opened up the 1986 season 5-0 on the way to a 14-2 finish (and untimely departure from the playoffs). With their 40-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills, the Bears are 5-0 for the first time in 20 years. Could they also match that 14-2 record? Certainly looks possible, and an 8-0 start looks darn right...

The Bears made their first prime time appearance of 2006 on Sunday night againt the Seattle Seahawks. In addition to being the defending NFC Champions, the Seahawks entered the game as the only other undefeated team in the NFC besides the Bears. We expected a close game, but instead the Bears took the opportuntity to demonstrate to a national audience just how dominant they can be. They pounded the Seahawks, winning by a final score...

This game was a good bit closer than their previous two, and Chicagoist even feared for a while that they might actually lose, but the Bears won again on Sunday! In beating the Minnesota Vikings 19-16 in the Metrodome, the Bears won up there for the first time since 2001 and have started a season 3-0 for the first time since 1991. More importantly, this win gives the Bears a 3-0 record against the NFC...

Did anybody bother to ask Roy Williams what the payoff would be if the Lions didn't live up to his guarantee? Because Chicagoist has learned that sometimes, when a guarantee is hyped, that the payout ain't all that great. When our bicycle wasn't ready in an hour? A kickstand. When our suit alteration wasn't right? A free pair of dress socks. Maybe a hanky would be an appropriate payout, given that the Lions were killed...

Well, that sure looked easy! Opening up at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, the Bears made it perfectly clear who controls the NFC North this year, shutting out the Packers 26-0. This was the first time in Brett Favre's career that the Packers had been held scoreless. The Bears put together a complete effort, winning this game because of their offense, defense and special teams. Rex Grossman looked like a real QB, compiling a 98.6...

The Bears open their 2006 season on Sunday against the Packers up in Green Bay. What a way to kick the season off! While the Bears look to figure into the playoff picture, the Packers are focusing on the Brett Favre farewell (maybe) tour. The Bears should open with a key road victory against a division opponent, but in these big rivalries, one never knows. So just how good are the Bears this year? That's...

Chicagoist knows better than to read too much into the preseason games. The starters play only a couple of possessions and don't suit up at all if nursing even minor injuries. The guys getting the bulk of the plays are those just looking to make the roster. So we take whatever happens with more than a grain of salt. Nonetheless, we certainly do prefer to see the Bears win, even when it is meaningless. They...

The Bears played their third preseason game on Friday night and again did not look like a team expected to win the NFC North. And this was the game that the starters tended to play more of the game. Granted, some starteers continue to sit because of injuries, but the team needs to improve if they expect to match expectations for the regular season. While Lovie Smith again reiterated that Rex Grossman is the starting...

Last year's Super Bowl champs had a running game lead by The Bus. One of this year's Super Bowl hopefuls, our own Chicago Bears, begin the season by throwing their supposed starting running back under the metaphorical bus. Prior to the opening of training camp, coach Lovie Smith announced that Thomas Jones, who ran for over 1,300 yards last year, had been supplanted in the starting lineup by last year's first round draft pick, Cedric...

The Bears open up their preseason schedule tonight, as they play the 49ers in San Francisco. The preseason doesn't mean much in terms of how a team will play once the games count, but it'll be interesting to watch some new additions and some guys battling for starting jobs. The biggest questions seems to center around the number two wide receiver. Will Mark Bradley be the same reciever we got glimpses of before his injury...

As we alluded to the other day, the Bears open their training camp today at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Unlike last year's opening of camp, there will be little controversy this year. All of the Bears' draft picks have signed and will be in camp. All the veterans are expected to report on time, even those -- like Lance Briggs -- who have expressed the desire for new deals. So no holdouts to...

The Bears magical season came to an end Sunday evening as the Carolina Panthers beat the Bears 29-21 in front of a packed Soldier Field. There will be no trip to Seattle for the Bears next weekend and no trip to Detroit. Steve Smith gave the Bears a preview of what to expect the rest of the game when he scored on a 58-yard touchdown reception within the first minute of the game. He ended...

While they still don't know whether they'll be visiting Detroit later this winter, six Bears will be going to Honolulu. The Pro Bowl Teams were announced on Wednesday with six Bears mading the NFC squad. Not really a surprise, five of the six are on defense. Brian Urlacher makes his 5th trip to the Pro Bowl and will be joined by safety Mike Brown, cornerback Nathan Vasher, linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive tackle Tommie Harris....

Any true Chicagoan knows the true origin of the Windy City nickname, but when events like Sunday's Bears-49ers game are broadcast nationwide it's no wonder that people think it has to do with our weather. Playing in winds gusting to nearly 50 mph, the game saw a number of unusual plays that impacted both teams. The Bears overcame kicking difficulties, an interception in the end zone and three Bobby Wade fumbles on punt returns...

The Bears traveled down to Baton Rouge this weekend to play the nomadic New Orleans Saints, and returned to Chicago with a 20-17 victory, improving their record to 5-3. In front of a stadium 2/3 empty, the Bears won in spite of a subpar first half and the loss of Thomas Jones in the second half. the win gives the Bears their first 4-game winning streak since 2001. "Good football teams find a way to...

The Bears and Detroit Lions faced off yesterday in Detroit with first place in the NFC North at stake. While they couldn't finish the job in regulation, the Bears eventually beat the Lions -- winning 19-13 when Peanut Tillman ran an interception back for a TD in overtime. After Tillman picked off Lion QB Jeff Garcia, safety Mike Brown pointed him towards the end zone. Just in case he didn't know where it was,...