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When you don't have a running game... what's your next option? Punting?

You can't talk Superbowl without the running game..Passing offense is no where near Arizona was last season so don't just say "arizona did it last year without a running game"

WR's speed is awesome..fastest in the league. Just you have to think, how much gas is there when the run game isn't doing it's part?

Overall, I do like what I have seen from the WR's simple improvements after each game... Not sure how far it's going to take you tho?

I think the numbers are misleading. With the running game being pretty much non existant, Cutler has to throw the ball ALOT, so its hard not to have high numbers. I do agree their speed is very impressive and someday the combo of Bennett, Knox, and Hester has the chance to be one of the best WR cores in the league....if they keep improving. Also, the O-line must do much better for any of them to see great dividends.

QUOTE(#2):

Originally posted 06:40 PM ET  10.04 by Tweeder024

I think the numbers are misleading. With the running game being pretty much non existant, Cutler has to throw the ball ALOT, so its hard not to have high numbers. I do agree their speed is very impressive and someday the combo of Bennett, Knox, and Hester has the chance to be one of the best WR cores in the league....if they keep improving. Also, the O-line must do much better for any of them to see great dividends.

Are you even looking at the right numbers? The bears have attempted 101 passes thus far, according to week 3 stats. Good enough for just about middle of the league in attempts. Not sure how you get the Bears throwing the ball A LOT?

How does the O-Line need to improve for them to see better numbers? They are already top 5 in the league for WR cores. Care to explain that comment?

Agreed, the receivers are performing very well. The Bears are still running the ball, attempts matter. Even if they get 3 yards..the threat of run is just enough to open up the pass. As far as the O-Line..yes they need to improve, but they are on a week to week basis..much like the team is. But again, the numbers don't lie..Bears receivers are putting up and shutting up critics.

With the speed at which Knox and Hester play at in combination with Bennetts possession ability coupled with Olsen, Clark and Davis T.E. abilities and Forte getting on track and Jay at Q.B. this Offense has big play ability.

In my opinion while it's still early the W.R. core are legit, I'm leaning towards the notion a Q.B. makes a W.R. it can't hurt if you have a Q.B. that can deliver the ball accurately and on time while being able to throw the deep ball and I have to ask would this group of W.R.'s have the production they have so far with Orton or Grossman at the helm.

I agree with the article that the route to the Superbowl doesn't require a #1 W.R. a team needs talent to go to the big dance but it doesn't have to be the best in order to get there.

The Bears still have an absolutely huge problem on offense. Its 3rd downs. While the receivers have played well we DO NOT have a possession guy to move the chains. It drives me crazy when people call Bennett a possession receiver. Possession receivers help you maintain POSSESSION, i.e. catches on 3rd downs. You can't be a possession receiver making catches on 1st and 2nd down. The Bears were only 2/10 yesterday on 3rds dropping to only 33% 21st in the league. Last year we were at 36% (20th)That why even with improved passing the overall offensive numbers are the same. Don't get me wrong I love having Jay and what our receivers have done, I believe its much more the system problem, but a true possession guy would help drastically. No one is getting open on 3rd downs.

As for who makes makes who? The Broncos offense with Kyle Orton is 9th in the NFL. Ours is with Jay Cutler is 22nd. The SYSTEM makes both!

P.S. The Cannon armed Jay Cutler is averaging 7.0 yards a pass play 15th in the league. Meanwhile noodle armed Kyle Orton is averaging 7.8 yards per pass, 9th in the NFL. They are virtually identical total yards 906 for Kyle, 901 for Jay, meanwhile Jay is at 65% completion rate and Kyle is at 59% If this isn't enough evidence that Ron Turner needs to be canned I don't know what is. McDaniels is maximizing Kyle's talent, Turner is limiting Jay and the whole offense really.

Bennett is a possession receiver, or at least that is where he is developing towards. If he can keep showing the hands like in the game against the Lions, he can be counted on. I mean his catch where he fully extended and caught it all with his hands was..impressive.

Oh and Ron Turner doesn't need to be canned..he has done a pretty decent job with play calling. His best calls have come on goal line PA, which seems to be the strength of the passing game. But it helps when Cutler can also throw any pass..with good mechanics or off his back foot. Orton is the product of Marshall/Royal after the catch, both "game winners" were underthrown and either involved incredible luck (Bengals) or Marshall stealing the ball out of the cowboys DB's face..

Mongo think last 2 post too many words give Mongo headache

Knox could be the next Steve Smith minus all the off-field issues. Hester is okay. He's got the speed but needs to work on the hands.

I must be slow but watching the Vikings DL on Monday made me realize why Lovie wants Omiyale on the Bears OL so bad. He thinks Omiyale is the only one that can block the Williams's effectively. I'm encouraged that Lovie can still learn new tricks in deciding that a reciever only needs to learn 1 position to start (IE now a rookie can start.) and to put his best player defensively on the opponets best wr. GO BEARS

Scout.com week 5 Rookie Rankings list 5th Round pick Johnny Knox as the #11 ranked Impact Rookie.

http://chi.scout.com/a.z?s=25&p=2&c=907133

Why couldn't the Bears pick up Edwards..what could have been..

QUOTE(#14):

Originally posted 12:37 PM ET  10.09 by itsatrap

Why couldn't the Bears pick up Edwards..what could have been..

I read the Bears were involved in talks w/ Browns for B.Edwards. Browns wanted Johnny Knox + draft picks package and Bears were not willing to budge on Knox.

So then they settled for Stuckey/some bum LB and like 2/4th round picks? Still though, good..great move to keep Knox over Edwards.

QUOTE(#11):

Originally posted 09:15 AM ET  10.08 by GoCubsGoBears

Knox could be the next Steve Smith minus all the off-field issues. Hester is okay. He's got the speed but needs to work on the hands.

Okay, this is driving me nuts now...obviously people are still watching games from a year or two ago...Devin Hester HAS worked on his catching and it's SHOWN!

He has (through the first 4 games this year) 20 Targets, 14 catches (70% catch pct) and ONE drop!!! And several of those 14 catches have been tough jumping, stretching out and over the shoulder PRO style catches. Oh, and although he is not the prototypical 'possession receiver', he has a 45% 1st down pct, meaning that 9 of his receptions have been for a first down.

Now, how does that compare with some of the 'elite receivers', you might ask yourself?

well, Steve Smith (Car) 35 targets, 42.9% (15) receptions, 3 drops, 22.9% 3rd pct
Roddy White 26 targets, 57.7% (15) receptions, 3 drops, 26.9% 3rd pct
Terrell Owens has 20 targets, 40% (8) receptions, 4 drops, 25% 3rd pct
Brandon Marshall has 26 targets, 61.5% (16) receptions, 1 drop, 38.5% 3rd pct

okay, okay, I know what you're going to say...I'm cherry picking big name receivers who haven't been incredible this year...how about comparing him to say...Reggie Wayne and Wes Welker, arguably 2 of the absolute best in the league? Well, let's take a look....

Wes Welker 26 targets, 69.2% (18) receptions, 1 drop, 34.6% 3rd pct 141 yds 0 TDs
Reggie Wayne 40 targets, 65% (26) receptions, 2 drops, 52.5% 3rd pct 399 yds 3 TDs

seems to me that his stats are fairly in line with top tier receivers in the league this year, the only difference being that he has fewer targets because the Bears are spreading the ball around to 8 or 9 different targets per game and have many fewer passing attempts than New England and Indianapolis.

Sorry for going off like this, but it bothers me when people talk out of their **** and make comments based on a couple of years ago, not the current season.

all that being said....GO BEARS!!!

Oh, before people start in on me about the 1st down pcts, those are from stats.com where they calculate by number of first downs per TARGET, not per reception (which I think is a better gauge, personally) so if you look up 1st % on NFL.com or somesuch, they show higher because they calculate % of 1st per reception.

Also, as a note about the 'possession receivers', I'd consider our TEs (Olsen and Davis) to be for that...they catch as well as wide receivers, outsize all DBs and most LBs, have height and can jump -- now, while I think that Ron Turner's play calling has gotten better this year, I think that it is his 3rd down play calling that needs serious work...and if I see one more Garret Wolfe run between the tackles, especially on 3rd down...I am going to vomit. I hope Turner gets his crap together during this bye week and figure out which plays just DO NOT WORK and REMOVE them from the playbook, dammit!!!

*sigh* /rant=off

GO BEARS!!!

Really..did nobody watch the Seattle game..Hester made great, not good, great catches on all of the balls thrown his way. The last touchdown he had to expose himself to the safety and he still went up and made the catch.