Tag: Mike Martz (Page 2 of 6)

      Cutler lifts Bears to Divisional win over Seahawks, sets up rematch with Packers

      January 16, 2011 /
      Chicago Bears’ quarterback Jay Cutler celebrates after his touchdown pass to teammate Kellen Davis in the fourth quarter of play against the Seattle Seahawks during their NFC Divisional NFL playoff football game in Chicago, January 16, 2011. REUTERS/Frank Polich (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Here are five thoughts on the Bears’ impressive 35-24 victory over the Seahawks in the Divisional Round on Sunday.

      1. What inexperience?
      Jay Cutler did Sunday what Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan couldn’t this weekend: Elevate his game when it mattered most. For all the talk about his lack of postseason experience, Cutler played like a 10-year playoff veteran on Sunday. He set the tone early with a picture-perfect 58-yard touchdown pass to Greg Olsen on the Bears’ third offensive play from scrimmage and then showed pure grit and determination on his 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. On the day, he was 15-of-28 passing for 274 yards with four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) and zero interceptions (although he came close to throwing a couple of picks, including one at the goal line). Cutler has really put a lot of his past troubles behind him and deserves praise for his unflappable play on Sunday. He was highly impressive.

      2. Cutler also got a lot of help from his offensive line.
      The Bears’ O-line has taken a lot of heat for its play over the last couple of years, and deservedly so. But they’ve been a transformed unit since midway through the season and a lot of credit goes to Mike Tice and Lovie Smith for moving guys around to better match their strengths (and quite frankly, hide their weaknesses, too). Cutler was excellent but he also had plenty of time to survey the field and pick apart Seattle’s overmatched secondary. His front five did an outstanding job swallowing the Seahawks’ pass-rushers and keeping them out of the backfield.

      3. That’s Bear defense right there.
      The final score doesn’t do the Bears justice. Their defense played out of its mind for three quarters and that’s about as aggressive as I’ve seen Chicago’s secondary play all season. Unlike other teams who like to play their corners 10 yards off the ball and give opponents easy yards via slants and screens, the Bears’ DBs suffocated Seattle’s wideouts all afternoon. Granted, nobody outside of Brandon Stokley fought back, but credit still goes to the Bears’ corners for bringing the fight to them right from the start. Once again, Julius Peppers failed to record a sack but he got pressure on Hasselbeck all day. You have to focus on him to really appreciate what he does for that defense. He helped paved the way for fellow linemen like Tommie Harris, who did rack up two sacks. Without a doubt, J-Pepp was worth the money the Bears spent this offseason.

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      External Sports, NFL

      Five Questions: Seahawks vs. Bears

      January 13, 2011 /
      Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler stands on the field before game against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field in Chicago on October 24, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey

      Matchup: Seahawks (8-9) @ Bears (11-5)
      Kickoff: 1:00PM ET, Sunday

      1. Will inconsistency doom the Seahawks again?
      There have been seven separate occasions this year when the Seahawks have played at home and then gone on the road the following week. In those seven games, they went 0-7 and lost by an average margin of 23.6 points. Last week the Hawks played at home and pulled off the upset of the year by knocking off the defending champs. But they won’t have home field advantage or the element of surprise this week when they travel to Solider Field. Can Seattle finally put together back-to-back solid performances and pull off another upset? Or will their issues with consistency burn them again?

      2. How will Cutler play in his first-ever postseason game?
      The Seahawks do have one distinct advantage over the Bears this weekend, which is that their quarterback has postseason experience and Chicago’s doesn’t. Matt Hasselbeck has played in a Super Bowl. Before this season, Jay Cutler never had a winning seasons at either the college or pro level. Will his lack of inexperience cost the Bears this Sunday or will he rise to the challenge like he did against the Eagles and Jets earlier this year? Seattle ranks 29th in total defense and 30th against the pass. This is a unit that Cutler has to torch. He can’t throw three interceptions and have Devin Hester and his defense bail him out. He’s had a great season but now is the time to elevate his game.

      3. Will the Seahawks kick to Hester?
      The answer to this question should be no, but sometimes special teams coaches and punters think that they’re smarter than everyone and kick to him anyway. If he gets an opportunity to return a punt, it’s not a question of “if” he’ll put the Bears in good field position but, “at what yard line are the Bears going to start in their opponent’s territory?” Brian Schneider has a tough job this week in trying to figure out a way to neutralize Hester the best he can. If it were me, I’d be telling punter Jon Ryan to get as much distance on the kick as possible but to make sure the ball eventually lands out of bounds. There’s no reason to give Hester a chance to return the ball, even for a team like Seattle, which has had good special teams play this season.

      4. Will Martz stay balanced?
      This is right around the time of year when Mike Martz wants to go back to proving to people how smart he is. But he must keep his offense balanced. Following back-to-back losses to the Seahawks and Redskins in Weeks 6-7, Lovie Smith tightened the reins on Martz during the Bears’ Week 8 bye. The team also shuffled its offensive line around to take advantage of his personnel’s strengths and hide their weaknesses. The result was a six-game winning streak for Chicago, which only ended when the Bears ran into the buzz saw that is the New England Patriots. Martz is a better playcaller when his offense remains balanced. Cutler is a better quarterback when Matt Forte runs the ball more than six times a game. Now isn’t the time for Martz to go off script: he needs to stick to the game plan and to continue feeding Forte in order to keep defense’s on their heels. There’s also no need to try to throw vertical every down when Cutler is more efficient throwing short-to-intermediate passes. Even though they’re playing a Seattle team that only won seven games this season, the Bears still need to be at their best, and that includes Martz.

      5. Can Seattle attack Chicago’s weakness?
      The Bears rank 10th in total defense, second in rushing defense and fourth in scoring. But if there’s one area where they can be attacked it’s in the secondary. The Bears have given up an average of 224.2 yards per game through the air this season, which ranks them 21st in the league in that category. That said, they’re actually pretty good defending the deep pass. They’ve only allowed nine pass plays of 30-plus yards this season, which leads the NFC. But Hasselbeck actually fared well against Chicago earlier this season while completing 4 of 7 passes for 85 yards with one touchdown and a 139.9 rating on throws traveling at least 15 yards. Hasselbeck understands the Tampa 2 defense that Chicago runs better than any quarterback in the league because he has loads of experience and has played against that scheme many times before. The Bears may humiliate inexperienced quarterbacks, but chances are Hasselbeck will hold his own this Sunday. But can his offensive line protect him from Chicago’s nasty front seven? And can he beat the Bears without the threat of a running game?

      External Sports, NFL

      We’ll find out on Sunday if Mike Martz has evolved

      December 9, 2010 /
      CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Offensive coordinator Mike Martz of the Chicago Bears watches a play against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      It’s been almost nine years since Bill Belichick got the best of Mike Martz in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game, the Patriots held the explosive Rams in check on third downs (5-of-13) and despite St. Louis’ 427 total yards of offense, they scored just 17 points.

      But some forget that Martz’s Rams did beat Belichick’s Patriots 24-17 earlier that season in Foxboro. And while Belichick has beaten Martz when the latter was the offensive coordinator for the Lions and 49ers, it’s important to note that Martz didn’t have the personnel he now has in Chicago (not that his personnel is that great with the Bears, but it’s better than what he had in Detroit or San Fran).

      This Sunday will mark a rematch of Belichick v. Martz when the Patriots travel to Solider Field to take on the Bears. After New England wiped the floor with the Jets on Sunday, many people expect the Pats to bring the 9-3 Bears back to reality.

      And if Martz gets away from what has helped the Bears be so successful over the past month, then the Patriots will.

      Chicago’s success of late is part great defense, part great Devin Hester, part improved offensive line play and part a near-flawless Jay Cutler. But one of the reasons Cutler has been so good is because Martz isn’t trying to force the ball downfield every play. According to ESPN.com, Cutler has the NFL’s third-best passer rating (106.3) on passes that travel 10 or less yards in the air. On attempts that cover 11 or more yards, Cutler has completed just 41 percent of those passes (41 of 100), which includes six of his 10 interceptions.

      He may deny it, but Martz has an ego the size of Conan O’Brien’s head. He used to buy into the “mad scientist” moniker and he probably still does. But with the Bears’ playoff hopes hanging in the balance over these next four weeks, now isn’t the time to start taking shots downfield in hopes to get the best of Belichick. Because if there’s one thing Belichick does extremely well (besides video tape opponents’ practices…sorry, had to get that one in there since I brought up Super Bowl XXXVI in the intro), it’s patiently waiting for his opponent to show its weakness and then attacking that weakness.

      The Bears can beat the Patriots on Sunday. As previously noted, New England is coming off an emotional victory over a divisional opponent and now has to travel to a non-conference foe’s domain. Even though the Bears are 9-3, it would be human nature if the Patriots suffered a bit of a letdown and again, it’s not like Martz hasn’t beaten Belichick before.

      But Martz must stay within himself and do what’s best for Cutler, who has responded well to excellent playcalling. If Martz makes this game about getting the best of Belichick, he and the Bears may suffer.

      External Sports, NFL

      That win is on you, Mike Martz

      October 10, 2010 /
      Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte warms up before before a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at Soldier Field in Chicago on August 21, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey Photo via Newscom

      With Jay Cutler out and the I-can’t-believe-dude-is-this-bad Todd Collins in, Mike Martz knew he had to change his offensive philosophy for Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

      So for the first time ever in his career, Martz ran the football. And he ran the football. And he ran, and ran, and continued to run until the Bears managed to scoop up a dominating 23-6 win. And thanks to Martz’s dedication to the run game, Matt Forte had an opportunity to be the hero and that’s exactly what he was.

      Forte rushed 22 times for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns, which included a score on the first drive of the game on an 18-yard scamper. He also added a 68-yard score later in the first quarter to give Chicago a 14-3 lead.

      It was rather impressive that the Panthers knew the Bears had to run to win and they still couldn’t stop Forte. Collins was just as bad as everyone feared (he completed only 6-of-16 passes and threw four interceptions), but it didn’t matter because Chicago grabbed an early lead and never looked back. Collins kept Carolina in the game, but thanks to Forte and Jimmy Clausen, the Bears never trailed.

      At 4-1, the Bears now have sole possession of the NFC North.

      External Sports, NFL

      Jay Cutler out for Sunday – will Mike Martz be forced to rely on the run?

      October 7, 2010 /
      Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz stands on the field during warmups before a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders at Soldier Field in Chicago on August 21, 2010. UPI/Brian Kersey Photo via Newscom

      Mike Martz has long established that he would rather sit next to a crying baby on an airplane than run the football any more than he has to on Sundays. In fact, if it were truly up to him, he may scratch the run entirely and throw the ball on every down.

      But he has a problem this week. The Bears are in Carolina to take on a winless Panthers team and Jay Cutler is still feeling the affects of the concussion he suffered last Sunday night in New York. That means Todd Collins will have to start, which doesn’t bode well for Martz’s pass-happy offense.

      Collins was beyond putrid last weekend and it would behoove the Bears to keep the ball on the ground and allow their defense to win the game. Chicago has two capable running backs in Matt Forte and Chester Taylor, but thanks to Martz’s pass first and ask questions later approach, Da Bears are gaining only 68.8 yards per game on the ground this year.

      If Martz can’t adjust, the Bears are in trouble. The Panthers may not be in the win column yet and they certainly don’t have the pass rush that the Giants (Chicago’s opponent last weekend) have, but they hung with the Saints last Sunday and have two running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart that can wear down a tired defense late in games. If Chicago’s defense is on the field for long periods of time thanks to the ineptitude of Collins, then Carolina can take the game out of rookie quarterback Jimmy Claussen’s hand and lean on their ground attack.

      I don’t know what’s least likely to happen, Collins actually throwing the ball for more than 2.5 yards per pass or Martz changing his offense to a run first approach.

      Or Carolina winning a game.

      External Sports, NFL

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