The Chicago Bears lost to the better team in week three. The defending champion Green Bay Packers are simply better. Top to bottom, from the Pro Bowlers to the practice squaders, the team with more talent resides in Wisconsin.
But that’s not to say the Bears didn’t have their chances to win. They still play a style of defense and have enough play-makers that historically has given Packer QB Aaron Rodgers fits, but in order for the Bears Tampa 2 defense to be effective, the front 4 has to get after the QB. Even though Chicago mustered 2 sacks, they failed to fluster Rodgers for much of the day, and they failed to take advantage of the injury to Green Bay’s starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga.
Where was left defensive end Israel Idonije? The stat sheet says he had a couple tackles, but playing against Bulaga’s replacement, 2nd year pro Marshall Newhouse, I was expecting some more from the Bears veteran defensive lineman.
The Fox Sports crew mentioned that Derek Sherrod was #2 on the depth chart that they had, and they wondered who would step up and play right tackle after Bulaga went down. Newhouse not only stepped up, he shut down any Bears defender that rushed against him.
Which brings me to my next question; Where was Julius Peppers? Why didn’t he switch over to left defensive end to go against the inexperienced Newhouse? Lovie Smith didn’t want to alter his gameplan because of 1 injury to the opposition, but that’s ignorant, because that’s exactly what you do.
The Bears should have had Peppers flip sides more often than he did. They should have ran a few more stunts than usual against the right side of the Packers o-line. And while I’m not a big fan of blitzing Rodgers, the Bears should have zone blitzed at Newhouse. Send a defensive back or a linebacker and drop the LDE into coverage.
The season is still too young to panic, but at 1-2 the week 4 battle against the Carolina Panthers is looming as a must win.