2011-12 NFC North Division

[NavinRJohnson]

Lovie didn't want his starters to have 2 full weeks with no action prior to their first playoff game so he went into the final week of the season planning to play the starters for an indeterminate amount of time. Considering the Bears were keeping things basic, hoping to stay healthy and trying to get Johnny Knox 1,000 yards receiving, they assumed that the Packers, with their season on the line, would likely get ahead by a couple scores and the Bears would pull the starters.

That is a criminally stupid comment even for this board. There is not an NFL player or coach alive who goes into a game thinking that way.

[GGGG]

Are you at all familiar with the Mike Martz offense? There's not much vanilla about it. It sure isn't the Ron Turner or John Schoop offense.

Mike Martz was not running his traditional offense by the end of the year.  He reverted to a much more conservative style.  This article is from January 15...before the NFCCG.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/sports/football/16bears.html

"After a late October bye week, the Bears regrouped to win five straight and seven of their last nine games. But by leaning more on running back Matt Forte, the Bears became one of the N.F.L.’s most-balanced offenses in the final nine weeks: 258 running plays and 276 passing."

After they lost the NFCCG, people for all over him for ditching this balanced approached for his more wide-open style.

[MerrittsMustache]

That is a criminally stupid comment even for this board. There is not an NFL player or coach alive who goes into a game thinking that way.

I did word that poorly. It has been re-phrased.

[MerrittsMustache]

Mike Martz was not running his traditional offense by the end of the year.  He reverted to a much more conservative style.  This article is from January 15...before the NFCCG.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/sports/football/16bears.html

"After a late October bye week, the Bears regrouped to win five straight and seven of their last nine games. But by leaning more on running back Matt Forte, the Bears became one of the N.F.L.’s most-balanced offenses in the final nine weeks: 258 running plays and 276 passing."

After they lost the NFCCG, people for all over him for ditching this balanced approached for his more wide-open style.

True, but balanced and conservative do not necessarily mean it's not complex.

[wadesworld]

Da Bears looking good early on.  First observation from this game is the Falcons draft Julio Jones and are now going to try to get into shootouts with teams?  Don't get me wrong, Matt Ryan is a good QB, but he is a possession QB, a QB who doesn't really make that many big, homerun type plays, but one who also doesn't turn the ball over.  Their strength was in the running game and the possession game.  They ran clock, kept other teams' defenses on the field for long periods of time, and made you earn the win by not turning the ball over.  Now all of a sudden they're not only going no huddle, but it really is a hurry-up offense?  As a Packers fan who thinks the Falcons are still a threat to them in the NFC, I love to see that.  It's taking away from their strengths big time.

[DegenerateDish]

I thought the Bears would win a close one, surprised how much they are dominating. The Bears are giving up sacks (which they will a lot again this year), but they are in 100% control. It's 23-6 right now, could just as easily be 31-6.

[wadesworld]

I thought the Bears would win a close one, surprised how much they are dominating. The Bears are giving up sacks (which they will a lot again this year), but they are in 100% control. It's 23-6 right now, could just as easily be 31-6.

Yup.  Although it is only 1 week and teams are surely effected by the shortened offseason due to the lockout, it looks as though this division may not be "very mediocre," as some here thought it would be.  The Packers beat one of the top threats in the NFC in the Saints and the Bears beat one of the top teams in the NFC in the Falcons.  The Lions are also on their way to a nice win over a team many consider to be the "other" up and coming team out of the NFC, the Bucs.  Again, this is a division that had 2 teams playing for the NFC Championship last year.  Will it happen again?  Probably not, but it could.

[DegenerateDish]

TB still has a chance to pull off a miracle, but looks like NFC North>NFC South.

Some other quick observations...

Even with Peyton, I thought this was the beginning of the end (8-8 type season). Colts are going to be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes at this rate.

Rams got beaten up literally today. I think literally half their offensive starters left that game due to injury.

I didn't think the Chiefs were going back to the playoffs, but shocked how bad Buffalo destroyed them.

[wadesworld]

Well, after week 1 the Vikings are right back where they were at the end of last year...in the basement of the NFC North.  They will most likely remain there for the next 3+ years.  Solid start to the McNabb era in Minnesota...a whopping 39 yards through the air today.  This is 2011.  THIRTY NINE YARDS.  That is a bad quarter for NFL quarterbacks.  Wow.  And this is with the best running back in the game creating 8 men in the box.  Did not expect them to be this awful.  Wow.

[Jay Bee]

Great job, Vikes.  We've got them where we want them.  Covered the spread, had a good chance to win in a game where everyone wrote us off.  Played too conservatively on offense in the second half with the lead.

Get rid of some of the absolutely stupid penalties that hurt us bad on the last San Diego scoring drive (late hit, multiple offsides due to Rivers screaming like a girl) and that may have been enough.  Defense played well for the most part - better than expected in most cases.  Penalties (which were from the interior line guys, including Kevin Williams' fill in) and not attacking the check down passes well, but we did a lot of good things.  Allen had  great game... Greenway is a stud.  Offensively, we'll be fine - AD is the man, Jenkins will help, McNabb will be fine, Percy is a delight.

Looking forward to the rest of the season.  The NFC North is ours again!  SKOL VIKINGS!!

[tower912]

Perhaps you mean    LOL VIKINGS!

[JimmyB!]

Looking forward to the rest of the season.  The NFC North is ours again!  SKOL VIKINGS!!

I tried to warn you guys on the first page...

Not another NFC north thread... pretty soon we'll all have to see that guy yelling "SKOLL VIKINGS" in random intervals. Can't we just make a Pack/Bear/Lion thread and discuss the relevant teams?

[LON]

I thought the Bears would win a close one, surprised how much they are dominating. The Bears are giving up sacks (which they will a lot again this year), but they are in 100% control. It's 23-6 right now, could just as easily be 31-6.

Falcons are frauds - GB proved that last season in the playoffs.  And Matt Ryan epitomizes the nickname "Captain Checkdown."

Bears looked pretty good.

[wadesworld]

SKOL VIKI...wait a minute...

[tower912]

Perhaps you mean    LOL VIKINGS!

Just as appropriate 13 days later. 

[GGGG]

I *still* haven't seen that holding.

[MUEng92]

21 grabbed Bush's shoulder pad from behind on the run down the field before Knox even caught the ball.  The back judge seemed like he had to reach all the way down his pants to get his flag for how long it took him to throw it.

[wadesworld]

This game shouldn't have even been within 20 points.  Packers let the Bears back into that game with uncharacteristic turnovers.  What an awful day for Starks.  Grant played a nice game.  Finley is as big of a matchup nightmare as there is in the NFL.  He's scary good.  Cutler, however, is not very good.  Admittedly I haven't watched the first 2 Bears games, but the protection was good for him today.  The sacks were all (with the exception of 1) on Cutler holding onto the ball too long.

Falcons and Eagles go to 1-2.  That's nice.

Vikings could actually be a semi-decent team...if they only had to play 30 minutes of football.  Old Man Donovan McNabb gets his 100 yards in the 1st half, gets tired, and calls it a day.  They sure do love their old men as their quarterbacks there.  They are an embarrassingly bad 2nd half team.  Wow.

Denver comes into Lambeau next week.  I like the chances of the Packers opening up 4-0.

[GGGG]

21 grabbed Bush's shoulder pad from behind on the run down the field before Knox even caught the ball.  The back judge seemed like he had to reach all the way down his pants to get his flag for how long it took him to throw it.

Thanks...and no one seems to be complaining.

[MerrittsMustache]

21 grabbed Bush's shoulder pad from behind on the run down the field before Knox even caught the ball.  The back judge seemed like he had to reach all the way down his pants to get his flag for how long it took him to throw it.

Being a Bears fan, I didn't want to see the hold but it was pretty clear when I re-watched the live shot. The ref just took a long time to throw the flag. The hold, itself, was completely unnecessary especially given the play that was called. I still have no idea how Woodson wasn't called for PI on the deep pass to Hester. Likely wouldn't have mattered anyway, the Packers were clearly the better team and Cutler played really poorly - too many unforced errors.

[GGGG]

I thought Woodson should have been called there.  I think the referee thought they just got mixed up...but that should have been at least illegal contact right?

The Bears need some grown up receivers.  I honestly don't think a single Bear WR or TE would even make the Packers' roster.

[MerrittsMustache]

I thought Woodson should have been called there.  I think the referee thought they just got mixed up...but that should have been at least illegal contact right?

The Bears need some grown up receivers.  I honestly don't think a single Bear WR or TE would even make the Packers' roster.

No argument here...although Kellen Davis could be a dangerous red zone target if he were on a team that knew how to use an athletic 6'7" TE.

[DegenerateDish]

Pretty clear who the better team was, 10 point outcome didn't really show the true step up in class Green Bay was.

Atlanta clearly isn't as good right now, making that Bears Week 1 victory a bit of a mirage.

Lions secondary hasn't been the achilles I thought it would be (yet). Lions have great schedule coming up too. Thanksgiving Day could be a hell of a game.

[cheebs09]

I thought Woodson should have been called there.  I think the referee thought they just got mixed up...but that should have been at least illegal contact right?

The Bears need some grown up receivers.  I honestly don't think a single Bear WR or TE would even make the Packers' roster.

Greg Olsen.........

Still don't understand that trade. He had a big game against the Packers with the Panthers and it seems the Packers have a tough time covering the Tight End. I know Martz hates the TE in his offense, but he was a solid weapon for Cutler, especially if you are replacing him with Roy Williams.

[GGGG]

The problem with Olsen is that he is a TE and as you said, they don't like TEs in this offense.  You split him out wide in this offense, and the Packers would cover him with a corner or safety because none of the others would hurt you.

It's just the wrong offense for today's NFL.  QB drops too deep...not enough short controlled passes...  Martz has been living on his Ram success for almost a decade with nothing to show for it.