4 Turnovers, 3 Points, and another Brown-Out

By Mike Maguire | Sep 10, 3:09 PM

The title of this article says it all; the Chicago Bears opened the 2007 campaign by coughing up the football more times (4) than the total number of points they scored (3) against the Chargers.  To add insult to injury, the Bears also may have lost Mike Brown for the season to yet another leg injury.  As far as opening day ceremonies are concerned, the Bears celebration didn’t last very long.

With expectations as high as ever at Halas Hall and beyond, it’s safe to say that there are some serious concerns after the Bears week one loss.  Below is a list of the top 5 reasons that the Chicago Bears (and their fans) might have some trouble sleeping until next Sunday.

1)      Cedric Benson’s 2.2 yards-per-rush

Cedric Benson wanted to be the man and now he is… and now he is in the hot seat and has to perform.  There has been more than a few Monday morning QBs on the AM airwaves in the Chicagoland area expressing their longing for Thomas Jones (not to mention some quick handed work on the bleep-button); and after Sunday, the concern for the running game is understandable.  With all of the heat that Benson is getting (from all media platforms) I am somewhat surprised that the offensive line hasn’t fallen under question as well.  For the most part, the Bears O-Line got pushed around up front on Sunday (albeit, by a great defensive unit).  I am not saying that there is no blood on Benson’s hands, but the entire Bears team looked overmatched and out of sync against San Diego’s D.   

Was that interception the fault of Grossman or Berrian, you may wonder?  Who cares, both of them (and all of their teammates) have to do it better if the Bears are serious about returning to the big dance.

2)      Turnovers

When you watch your hometown team fumble away a chance to beat one of the best teams in football, you can understand why many Chicagoans miss the ultra-reliable services of Thomas Jones.  Perhaps the Bears need to make Stickum mandatory, but something needs to be done; this team is not going anywhere if they fumble a couple of times a game.  And just think… the Bears caused all of that damage without Grossman botching a snap. 

3)      Special Teams

Obviously, the turnover off of Brandon McGowan’s shoulder was the most glaring problem on Sunday (and it was a backbreaker), but the long term special-teams concern is an issue that effects the whole team.  McGowan was hit because the Chargers did not want to let Devin Hester beat them.  In a way, the Chargers didn’t kick to Hester all day long.  The long hang-time of the punts from the Chargers Mike Scifres forced Devin Hester to throw his hand up for so many fair catchers that I thought he was trying to say hello to someone in the stands.  If other teams can follow the Chargers blueprint (hang-time and punting away from Hester) the Bears could lose a lot of their special-teams edge.  If the Bears lose their advantage on special-teams, then that means that the fragile balance of the offense will have to take more weight on its uncertain shoulders.  

4)      Mike Brown

If Mike Brown is done for the year, it could be a crushing blow.  Brown was flying around the field like a man possessed before injuring his knee.  The Bears are a better team with Brown on the football field, period.  I still have nightmares about Bears safeties chasing people around in the rain during Super Bowl XLI to reinforce that fact.  Adam Archuleta will be great in run support (as he was on Sunday), but he is no where near Brown in coverage ability and can’t fill that void.  Danieal Manning is going to have to step up… but the Bears will be better off if he only has to step up for a few weeks, as opposed to the entire season. 

5)      Play Calling

I’m sure I am not the only Bears fan concerned about the play calling after Sunday’s loss.  Ron Turner’s game plan was conservative enough to make Bob Dole smile politely with joy, and what’s worse, Lovie allowed it all to happen.  Sunday’s game was a dogfight between two of the top defenses in the NFL.  Neither team was able to find the end zone for 44 minutes of football, the Bears shutdown LaDainian Tomlinson, and the Bears were losing the turnover battle and still had every chance to win.  Sunday’s game had all of the makings of a stalemate between two powerhouses, and the team that won the game was the team that realized that fact, made some adjustments, and pulled some tricks out of their sleeves. 

To crack the pressure of the Bears relentless defense in the second half, the Chargers ran a number of well designed screen passes, misdirection plays, draws, and yes… one very timely half-back option pass for a touchdown.  To crack the pressure of the Chargers equally vicious defense, the Bears came out of the gates with the same old, same old, they stuck with it through the half, and they dragged it back with them into the locker room after the game.  It’s not very fair to blame a QB for losing a game when you give him just 10 chances to complete a pass in the second half.

The Chargers out-coached the Bears on Sunday.  If the Bears offense is going to work this year, it’s going to take effort and performance from the entire unit… and that starts at the top.  With any luck, Sunday’s loss to the Chargers should be a good wake up call for everybody.