Chicago Bears vs Indianapolis Colts Game Thread

And to be clear, there's no explanation for this. You can't block no one. You can't let a guy inches away from you walk by you.

That said, this is zone to the left, ideally the LB in question is being blocked by the LG or C depending on who passing off the initial combo block and then goes to the second level to get that LB. So the RG shouldn't be blocking that LB, if we're just talking about the play on a whiteboard. However, they run an unnecessary motion back to the right prior to the play - no fake to the motion man, you're not fooling a LB because it's zone and it's a receiver in motion, so it doesn't change their assignments, etc - and that motion then shifts the LB's / S to the right. Now you've changed your blocking assignments, because you've moved a S into the box, when they wouldn't have been part of the run fit prior.

So, the design of the play fucks up the blocking in the first place, and then #79 decides to not block anyone at all. If they don't do the motion and everyone blocks up the way they're supposed to, here, this is a huge play.

Good times.

 

Marcedes Lewis is our best offensive lineman. That is not a joke. He has more 1 on 1 wins against edge rushers - as an inline blocker without motion, cracks, etc - than any OL. Maybe Braxton Jones is an exception, but I'd have to count, because it's close but not assumed. So... give that man his paycheck. He's the best OL you've got.

 

Here's something I missed watching the game in real time:

On the goal line series where they ran out of gun / wildcat 4 times and got their asses handed to them, on the 1st down play out of wildcat, #11 was blocking a defensive end. Predictably, got blown up.

On 3rd down, the play that we all saw and called it out in real time, #11 is tasked with setting the edge against a DE, and then a SS is trying to shoot what would be that gap if not for the fact that the DE has carried #11 with him like he's a fly on a windshield.

So, I now need two hands to count the times that they've asked a WR to block a DE in the first half alone. And it has worked 0 times. What in the fuck are we doing????

 

Mind you, they've gone with 3 TE's three times in the first half, and mixed in both pass and run to try and make it less predictable. You've been able to run behind those bodies. So now, when you need four yards and are determined to run four times, you ask your smallest WR to block a DE on two separate plays, and don't go 3 TE's one single time??

Marcedes Lewis is on your roster for these situations. I am just in disbelief. This is not a serious coaching staff, this is not a serious front office, this is not a serious team. These are not people that understand how to be successful at football at this level. They just can't be.

Edit: Marcedes Lewis is in the game on 4th down, on a wing with Kmet to the right. You run a speed option to the left, away from your in-line blockers, and can't block up the guys to the left even at the pre-snap look. Cool.

 

@BearsWillWin - We debated in the game thread whether that late strip sack on Caleb was due to him holding the ball too long, or the blocking not holding up. Was impossible to tell for sure with what the broadcast was showing us.

On replay, I'd say that it's partially that Caleb's late, but moreso that the blocking didn't hold up. However, I think there's a shitty reason for both things that indicates the larger level of dysfunction we've seen with this offense / team.

On the blocking, Kmet and Lewis have been tasked with holding up either side of the OL together all day long. Paired together on the wing, hand in the dirt, numerous pass and run plays have them both blocking together on one side. In fact, to that note, I'm surprised Kmet has 10 receptions on the day (or whatever number it was - it was a lot) when he spent so much of the day blocking. On this play, Lewis is staring at another second level defender and just kind of half commits to the block on Laitu, the DE. In doing so, Lewis gives him a shove - outside, away from Kmet, hard enough to basically slingshot him past and around Kmet.

This is something I've heard OL talk a lot about in the past, specifically when discussing chip blocks from RB's and TE's. Chip your man into the block, not away from it. Don't help them by hitting them hard and moving them further away from whoever is supposed to be blocking them. That's what I saw happened here. Kmet could've had better feet to set on this one, but it was the shove from Lewis that gets the DE around Kmet.

At the same time, Caleb did hold onto the ball a hitch too long, but that's not really on him, either. He has no one to throw to. No one is open. They're running max protect, so he's only got three guys to throw to, and coming off the PA it's a two person read. Neither of them are open, and neither of them are at the top of their routes when Caleb is ready to throw. Theoretically, Caleb's clock should've had him moving off of them and onto the checkdown, but I don't expect a rookie QB to do that, and I also don't think Caleb was particularly late. Ideally, you're throwing off that first hitch, and the second goes to the checkdown. But a better block on the wing here gives him all the time he needs. Just unfortunate, because the Kmet / Lewis duo is the best thing the blocking unit has had going all day.

 

Ha! Great work dline, thanks

 

The play where Caleb threw his 2nd pick, i went back and looked at it like i said i would in the game thread. At the time blang and I thought it was a forced pass, i believe bww, and someone else(pat?) felt the pick was more on Odunze and the throw was good.

Having watched it back, its def a forced pass cos the window in miniscule, but there are caveats too imo. With hindsight, and coaches film, the ball should've been checked down to Swift. He wasn't left on his own cos there was a defender nearby, and it prob would've been only a small gain, but it would've kept them on the field. Now some caveats:

- There were only 3 people out on a route, all on the same side of the field. Watching much of the game back, they were in 2 TEs a LOT and in a variety of ways(i almost wanna give credit here but F Waldron). If its decided that the only way they can protect Williams most of the time is with max protect/minimal routes being run....personally im on board with that cos i dont want him getting killed. If there's only 2 or 3 people on a route then there's gonna be more defenders per receivers, thats simple. The throws are probably gonna be harder. There will always be checkdowns but you can't checkdown every time, at some point in these scenarios you're gonna have to rely on your QB making some big throws.

- Following on from point 1, Caleb is a guy who knows he has an insanely talented arm and he's gonna trust it. Yes sometimes he'll take the checkdown, but there's times he's gonna rip it and i think we need to have a level of acceptance of that. I know im gonna try and do that. He forced that throw, he's gonna force some. And he's gonna make a lot cos he's that good. They'll make a difference. They swing important games. But you can't have one without the other. I'm thinking back now to all those times Jay threw into double/triple coverage. Personally i see this differently to that.

- I've watched it over and over and i cant tell how much Odunze gets both hands on the ball and how much the defenders hand is in there making a play. What i will say tho is imo Odunze could've got his hands up a shade earlier. Sometimes it looks to me like these guys don't think the ball is gonna come their way and are slightly surprised when it does. Well you better be ready cos what you think re you being open and what he thinks re you being open might be two different things. And when it comes it might have plenty of sauce on it cos he can do that too.


So yeah, forced pass, but its something im gonna try and be at peace with cos its gonna happen. Also, Odunze could've been at fault as well. He's a rookie too and will get better.

 

I have been massively unimpressed with Lewis myself, he's missed plenty of blocks(does he lead the team in FS's too?), but i don't hold him accountable for this sack. The motioning man brings a DB right over Lewis. For Caleb it signals zone and he should have Odunze for a nice gain. For Lewis tho he has to respect the fact the DB could blitz which changes this to two potential 1 on 1s for the TEs. In any event it doesnt matter to Lewis cos even without this DB i dont know how he gets in on this block re Latu. Kmet didn't move wide enough to cover the outside move, thats what killed the play.

Here's the question tho: Did that DB also play on Kmets mind? If he has to respect blitz there then he also can no longer overcommit to the outside cos he might not have help inside anymore. Kmet then would have to play this block straight up. In that situation knowing Kmet's blocking he's at a clear disadvantage now in the matchup. Maybe im giving Kmet too much cover, don't know.

Yeah i put no blame for this on Caleb at the time and basically don't now either. You are right, there is an extra hitch in there and in the strictest sense maybe the ball should be coming out on the first. But its not like he's hanging onto the ball. The was a PA 7 step drop in which the ball woulda came out in about 3 secs. As you say no one was open yet. One day that ball may come out before anyone's open, but two rookies in their 3rd game? They did fine, the block has to hold up better.

 

I absolutely agree, and to this point - there were a couple times in this game where, had Caleb trusted his rookie WR and thrown the ball with anticipation, it's a pick. The deep ball where he airmailed it to Rome in the endzone, that ball SHOULD have been thrown toward the middle of the field, ahead of the safety - because that's where Rome should've run (more than likely). But he turned upfield and ran behind the safety. So if anything, until Caleb's on the same page as these WR's and vice versa, anticipation might hurt in some scenarios more than it helps.

Still something he and WR's need to develop, but definitely not something I expect to see now, regardless of the high expectations for these kids.

They've got to do something to get DJ Moore involved, because right now he's a non-factor except for a few screen-type throws. Give him crossers, give him whip routes, I don't care. Let him run away from people, let him flash in Caleb's vision, let him be an early read. Because boy, they need to use the guy they're paying. And no, I don't mean Swift.

 

Yep, he may have gotten away with a lot of that in school, with so few interceptions, but he moved up in class, and the class is in.
That's his identity right now, he's not afraid to pull the trigger, well at least why he still has the confidence to do so.
That was probably part of Justin's problem, not trusting his arm enough, and the coaches reinforcing that behavior as a positive.

 

Very good point.

Justin also had a big problem with his feet. Not sure if that's improving in Pittsburgh or not. That'll tell us a lot about whether Chicago or Justin was the problem (it's both, but I mean as to which of the two was more to blame).