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Marc Trestman

Marc Trestman’s firing is because of…

by Jermaine Lockett October 10, 2016

marc_trestman-wiki

Everyone in Ravensnation is currently raving about the firing of Marc Trestman for the Baltimore Ravens‘ loss to the Washington Redskins. Hair is on fire; babies are screaming! Sirens are going off! Let’s face it; people are pissed. Your anger should not stem from his firing but from the lack of reps for the Baltimore Ravens’ top rusher Terrance West, which may have caused the pink slip to come.

I think everyone knows about my full on repugnance for Dean “Swiss” Peas and his lack of defensive blitzing schemes. I believe he should have been the one dismissed today. However, I’ll save that fuss for another day. I am 100% sure the lack of Terrance West in the 4th Quarter game plan was the reason for this loss.

This game was a six-point loss. There was no reason for the ground game exclusion with 10:57 left on the clock. I get that there are passing packages and Kyle Jusczyk had to be involved in them. My question is why were they involved so early? Two drives earlier in the third quarter West, had just busted off a 28-yard run. The Towson product was having a stellar day, averaging 8.6-YPC on 11-rushes for 95-yards. There was no reason to veer away from the rushing attack. Sure, without the two big runs of 28 and 35-yards, the former Cleveland Brown, was on pace for 3.5-YPC. However, those big runs did happen. This leaves you thinking what if…? What if the Ravens used their bell-cow just a little more that came. Could it have affected the outcome?

The game was in hand on the ground and through traditional special teams gameplay i.e. ignoring the itch to fake a field goal when you have one of the most accurate kickers in football. Additionally, a defensive touchdown ended up being a touchback for the Redskins does not help matters much either. However, you can’t be mad at C.J. Mosley trying to help his team. There were many mistakes in coaching, but the main one that led to the dismissal of Trestman was the disappearance of the ground game so early in the 4th. In my opinion, it was not the right choice to fire Trestman since there were also screw-ups on defense and special teams. However, due to the “good ole boys” approach that John Harbaugh has, we know Pees and Special Teams Coach Jerry Rosburg are safe, FOR NOW.

Jermaine Lockett is a Writer and CEO for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

October 10, 2016 0 comment

Chicago Bears NFC North NFL Uncategorized

Chicago Bears: Keys for Week 2

by Chris Kazmierczak September 13, 2014

written by Chris Kazmierczak

John Martinez Pavliga-flickr

After a messy start to the season the NFC North is like Bizarro World. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are starting from the bottom of the division after their respective losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills. Meanwhile, the beleaguered Minnesota Vikings decimated the St Louis Rams on Sunday, and the Detroit Lions look ready to finally make the jump to playoff contender after drubbing the New York Giants on Monday. Looking ahead at Week 2, Chicago has a tough match-up to assert themselves in against the San Francisco 49ers. Here’s a some key points Sunday night’s prime time battle.

Be Smart: There’s no dancing around it, Chicago must be smarter on offense. The Bears turned the ball over 3 times against Buffalo and gave the middling Bills offense 13-points in the process. One was an uncharacteristic fumble by Brandon Marshall and can probably be dismissed, but 2 of those came off ugly interceptions that fall on Jay Cutler. Cutler made a lot of progress last season; he took what defense gave him and stayed calm under pressure, but he regressed last week trying to force plays under pressure. He needs to be smarter with the football this week, especially since they will not only be without starting Offensive-linemen Matt Slauson and Roberto Garza, but both Alshon Jeffery and Marshall may possibly be out as well. The dynamic receiving duo is listed as probable this week and will be a game time decision. If Marshall, Jeffery, or both are out, expect to see a lot of Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett in the passing game. Both had very good games against the Bills and are surely ready to take charge.

Be Ready: On the defensive side of the ball things don’t look much better for the Bears. The reconstructed front-7 were steamrolled for 193-yards on the ground against the Bills and the pass rush was practically nonexistent. Actually, aside from Willie Young and Jerimiah Ratliff the entire line was invisible. Highly touted free-agent acquisitions Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston accounted for a single tackle each and the rest weren’t much better. Also, the Safety position looks just as weak as it did in years before. Chris Conte and Ryan Mundy piled up tackles to lead the team in that category, and Conte even came up with a crucial interception that kept the Bears in the game. Unfortunately, more often than not, Conte and Mundy were both beaten on the throws in their direction. This was all against a Bills unit that is middle of the road at best. This week they will have to stop a much better group featuring a consistently great Running Back in Frank Gore, a group of recievers lead by Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree, one of the best in the business in Tight End Vernon Davis, and the dual threat of Colin Kapernick under center. Failure by the defense to show up a second consecutive week will spell disaster for the Chicago faithful early on against an offense with this many weapons.

Come Together: Tradition is not on Chicago’s side in this one. The Bears haven’t won in San Francisco since 1985. Fortunately, this isn’t Candlestick or San Francisco anymore; it is a new stadium in the midst of a new era for the Bears. Chicago certainly has the tools to win this one but they all need to be functioning correctly for it to happen. First and foremost, the Old Jay that showed up against the Bills needs to go back to wherever he came from. In Marc Trestman and Aaron Kromer’s offense, Cutler can have great success regardless of his options at Receiver, but he needs to play smart and make good decisions with the football. The defense has to show up and play like they are capable of playing as well. They won’t be the monsters that we used to see in the Lovie Smith era, but they are more talented than their pathetic showing thus far indicates. The Bears need to force Kapernick in to making mistakes and keep Gore in check by getting good penetration and controlling the gaps. I see Chicago either getting blown out or in a shootout on Sunday. Which one largely depends on how much they have corrected this week. We’ll see this Sunday Night if that is the case and I will be back here with the aftermath on Monday.

Chris Kazmierczak is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on twitter or Facebook.

September 13, 2014 0 comment

Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears NFC North NFL

Chicago Bears: Week 1 Wrap-up

by Chris Kazmierczak September 8, 2014

written by Chris Kazmierczak

Jason Thomas – Flickr

This week’s season opening game against the Buffalo Bills looked like a surefire Chicago Bears victory for exactly one series on either side of the ball. The game started off looking great. First, the new Bears defense took the field and held the Bills to a 3 and out. The Bears offense then took to the field and we saw a short run by Matt Forte, then 3 consecutive passes to Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, and Martellus Bennett for a quick score. After that it was pretty much all downhill. Why? Well, let’s take a look at the rest of this match-up and see what the heck happened out there.

Decisions, Decisions: A fumble by Marshall and 2 interceptions by Jay Cutler sealed the Bears fate in this one. To give credit where it’s due, the Bills have a very good defense that should likely be in the top 5 this year. However, while the fumble was a solid strip that we probably won’t see on Marshall again, the 2 interceptions both boil down to bad decisions by Cutler. The first one was a pass to Bennett, who wasn’t turned and had coverage up top with former Bear Corey Graham coming underneath. Whether it was bad route running or poor decision making is debatable but the second pick thrown was not. Rolling out to buy himself space and time Cutler threw the ball to the short middle into a sea of white shirts, where it became the 1st career interception of defensive tackle Kyle Williams. This again looked like Cutler forcing the ball where there’s no play to be made. Forcing the ball, in this game resulted in 10 of the Bills regulation points, with Marshall’s fumble accounting for another 3. Turnovers win games and, without those poor choices and mistakes, the game ends differently.

Defense: The new defense was hit and miss during this game. The Bears defense made a couple 3 and out stops, and Chris Conte even came away with a crucial pick that kept the Bears in the game. However, more often than not they were susceptible to big passes and unable to stop the run. CJ Spiller, Fred Jackson, Anthony Dixon, and EJ Manuel gashed the defense for 193 yards on the ground. Big free agency acquisitions, Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston, were almost non-existent accounting for only 1 tackle each. The only two people who really stood out was Willie Young, who got the team’s sole sack and 2 of their 3 tackles for loss; as well as, Conte’s interception. Buffalo does not have a great offense, and to say they are average may even be a bit generous. It can’t be certain whether it is growing pains from the transition to Mel Tucker’s scheme, unit cohesion, or just being out matched. Whatever it is, Chicago has one week to figure it out because the San Fransisco 49er’s will be a much tougher group to stop, and things won’t get any easier as the year rolls on.

Got Your Back: With the Bills defense focused on Jeffery, Marshall, Bennett, and Santonio Holmes in the passing attack, it left an opening for another head of the Chicago hydra, Matt Forte. Forte ran for 82 yards and caught another 87 in short passes and screens for 169 of Chicago’s 427 total yards. He has 18 games with over 150 yards from scrimmage, second to Walter Payton in Bears history and Sunday was his 7th highest total in his career. Forte truly was the one, consistent high spot for them this Sunday. Chicago’s offense is predicated on passing early and often, as evidenced by 49 passing attempts to 18 rush attempts. However, adaptability is the key too success when it comes to ensuring the Chicago Bears offense can receive those passes. And if it is not getting done by the quarter back, then he should have the ability to change it up. A balanced attack of run and passes are crucial to keeping a defense off guard and with a player like Forte it would not be wise to keep him sitting in your backfield.

Bottom Line: Matt Forte was very good; however, the entire Defense did not do very well through out the game. If the Bears want to succeed and move a head then they need to have a bigger presence on the ground. Even though Cutler threw 341 yards, they stalled out on the drives when they favored the pass too frequently. The Bears defense needs to show up during the game. Allen and Houston were the big names that were expected to do well this season; however, they have not demonstrated talent yet. The same can be said for most of the defense, safeties Conte and Ryan Mundy. Finally, Marc Trestman needs to sit Cutler down and get him back to where he was a year ago. Jay was making pretty sound decisions with the ball last season, taking what the defense gave and not forcing it.

September 8, 2014 0 comment

Buffalo Bills Chicago Bears NFL

Chicago Bears: 2014 Kickoff, Week 1 Preview

by Chris Kazmierczak September 4, 2014

written by Chris Kazmierczak

John Martinez Pavliga – FlickrChicago Bears

Finally, it is week one of a new NFL season, where hopes are high and we who love the sport finally have something of substance to talk about. The pointless speculation and preseason prognostication can finally be laid to rest and actual competition and performance can take over. The season officially kicks off Thursday with the Green Bay Packers facing off against the Seattle Seahawks. However, for Chicago Bears‘ fans, we’ll be waiting for Sunday when the Bears host the Buffalo Bills. Here are some of the key elements to look for in the season opener:

Defensive Debut: The Bills should be a good first test for the new and improved Bears’ defense. Buffalo has been mostly a running offense in the past with CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson coming out of the backfield, so Chicago’s defensive front should get plenty of opportunities to prove they are no longer the league’s worst run defense that stunk up stadiums all last season. The Bills aren’t a one trick offense anymore, though. With the 4th overall pick in the draft they added athletic wide receiver Sammy Watkins, whose play-making ability should make him a favorite target of EJ Manuel this Sunday and for the foreseeable future. Watkins is recovering from a preseason rib injury that may make him a little more cautious going for the risky one-handed grabs and jump balls that defined him in preseason. Manuel has been inconsistent thus far in his career as well, and if new defensive ends Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston can pressure him early then we could see the havoc wrecking, turnover causing, Bears of old show up.

Under Pressure: What the Bills may lack elsewhere, they make up for with a very good pass rush. Mario Williams had one of his best seasons last year with 13 sacks. He will mix in with the rest of the front 4, that consists of no slouches either. It could be a tough test for the Bears O-line to hold and control this group and keep Jay Cutler upright. Most under the spotlight will be second year right tackle Jordan Mills. Mills missed the entire preseason with an injured left foot, so he hasn’t played a game since the heartbreaking season finale against the Packers when he first fractured the foot. Mills is cleared for Sunday’s game but he’ll have to get back up to speed in hurry against this group. On the positive side, if Mills and the rest of the guys can control the line of scrimmage they don’t have to worry about the Bills leading tackler from last year, linebacker Kiko Alonso, who is out for the season after tearing his ACL during off-season workouts. Regardless, the key will be keeping Cutler protected and opening holes for Matt Forte to run through. If Chicago’s front 7 can do that, much like they did last season, then the Bills defense can be beaten readily.

Better Safe Than Sorry: Chicago looked all over for help at both safety positions this offseason, bringing in just about any free agent they could to upgrade the group. Coach Marc Trestman has announced he now plans to rotate Ryan Mundy, Danny McCray, and Chris Conte at both positions during the game, with rookie Brock Vereen expected to see some time as well. Mundy and McCray are listed as the starting strong and free safeties, respectively, but because they also have roles on special teams the rotation will be in effect in order to avoid overworking them. Conte is recovering from a concussion suffered during the preseason debacle against the Seahawks but should be cleared and ready to go on Sunday. The use of Conte and Vereen is going to be interesting with Conte’s experience and Vereen’s lack thereof, but depending on who makes the plays and shows overall consistency at the position, this rotation method may force the coaches to reevaluate moving forward or make changes to the depth chart accordingly.

Final Words: History tells us Chicago has the Bills number, especially at home, as the Bears lead the series 7-4 overall and are 5-0 at home. History is not a sole determinant of success though. Offensively, the Bears need to be strong up front. The Buffalo defense is tough all around so the offensive line needs to pick up where it left off in 2013 and give the playmakers time to do what they do best. Let Cutler take his time and make good choices and give Forte room to run. Defensively, while the safety rotation may be a questionable decision, a strong showing in the trenches may be able to cover for any inconsistencies resulting from the safety-by-committee. I fully expect the Bears to struggle a little but they should win this one handily.

September 4, 2014 0 comment