Holmes: Five Things (+1) I Miss About Bears Football
By Laurence W. Holmes-
(WSCR) By now, I should be a couple practices deep into Bears training camp. I should be getting to know the rookies or looking for nuggets that'll give you an idea of how the Bears season is going to go, but I can't. I'm a lockout casualty. It has us all stuck waiting for the game we love (and some of us cover) to come back. That's the last complaining I'm going to do about the lockout. It looks like at this time next week, my blog will be about the sights and sounds of Bourbonnais. Like you, I've missed the NFL game, but particularly things that have to do with the Bears. So to whet your appetite, I thought I would list some of those things.
The Ridiculousness of Devin Hester: In a game filled with speed, power and fury, there's a lot to focus on. I feel confident in saying this: NO ONE in the NFL makes you stop and stare like Devin Hester waiting for a punt or a kickoff. After falling into a funk two years ago, he took three punts to the house in 2010 and set the all-time record for returns for touchdowns. He was on the show a couple of weeks ago and even though the new rules have moved kickoffs up to the 35, he does not seem deterred. When he gets the ball, he is a magician. He is the wind. He is ridiculous.
Cat and Mouse with Urlacher and Briggs: The job affords me the opportunity to see some things that the tv doesn't. We're used to seeing the Quarterback scream and point. Peyton Manning has turned it into an art-form. On the other side of the ball there are things that happen that cause quarterbacks to go crazy. In the last couple of years, I've been fixated on watching Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs jump in and out of the A-gap (either side of the center). Are they blitzing? Are they dropping into coverage? Which one? What's my hot read if they come? These are the questions that opposing QBs have to contemplate pre-snap. I personally like the plays when 54 & 55 fall back into coverage. When they guess right and trick the offense into trying to go into an area that they thought was going to be vacated, it's pretty cool. They play and react like mischeivous brothers.
Jay Cutler The Athlete: Cutler is blessed with tremendous tools. He's got a laser arm. He's got nimble feet. He's got the prototype QB frame. If you took every QB in the NFL and had a combine based purely on physical ability, Cutler would grade out near the top. The NFL game isn't the combine, but there have been occasions when that talent has been on display. Remember when he first got here and went "Helicopter Man" vs Detroit? Or last year when he made the Jets pay for a botched fake-punt with a 40-yard bullet to Johnny Knox.? In the playoff game vs Seattle, I thought we saw the vision of Cutler that we have in our head. He threw for two touchdowns. He ran for two touchdowns. He was in full control of his talent. When he wants to be, he can be so good that it's scary.
The Physicality of Charles Tillman: I wouldn't call Tillman a shut-down corner and the Cover-2 limits the amount of freelancing a CB can do, but he can be an intimidating guy on "the island". He likes taking on the big challenges of re-routing guys like Calvin Johnson, Sidney Rice and Greg Jennings. Last season he had five interceptions. To put that into perspective, in the '08 and '09 seasons, Tillman combined for five picks. In his career, he's forced 24 fumbles. There aren't many things better than watching Tillman change a game by taking the ball away. The dude should teach a clinic on the ball-punch.
Matt Forte as a Dual Threat: Last year, Forte became the only Bear not named Walter Payton to have over 1,000 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving. When the deep passing game wasn't working, or when Cutler was hurt, Forte stepped up. When Mike Martz finally decided to give Forte more touches, the Bears found their balance and won more consistently. Basically, if Forte gets around 20 touches, it's a pretty good bet that the Bears will win. I scoffed at the idea that Forte could be the Bears version of Marshall Faulk, but I have to admit, he does a really good impression.
That's five... Here's the +1...
My Lovie Smith Decoder Ring: There's no love lost between myself and the Bears' head coach. That being said, I wouldn't be entirely truthful if I said that I don't enjoy sparring with him in press conferences. It keeps me sharp and reminds me of what my job is. I look forward to his state of the union address under the gazebo at Olivet Nazarene as soon as all this lockout business is settled.
Follow me on twitter (@lholmes670) and remember to send in your questions to my email (laurence.holmes@cbsradio.com) for my Bears mailbag tomorrow and every Tuesday through the season.
