Can the Olympics play cornerback?

It’s Olympic mania here in the Windy City. Everywhere you turn in Chicago, there’s a ‘We Support the Bid’ sign, a newspaper article discussing something to do with today’s announcement or somebody talking about our chances at the 2016 games. It’s the biggest day the city has seen in 11 months, since Nov. 4, 2008, when Barack Obama won the election and a half-million people, myself included, jam packed into Grant Park to watch him speak to his supporters. To put it simply, today’s decision will impact Chicagoans for many years to come.

But this is a football column, not an Olympics one. But that doesn’t mean we can’t borrow from the spirit of the games and translate it to pigskin. So without further ado, here are your medalists for the first three weeks of the Bears season.

OFFENSE

Bronze- Ron Turner, offensive coordinator

I’ve been critical of the Bears’ offensive play calling before and will continue to do so if Turner continues to be clueless on how to attack opponents. In last weeks game at Seattle, with the Bears down 19-17 during the fourth quarter, Turner called not one, not two, but three consecutive runs for backup running back Garrett Wolfe. I understand giving Matt Forte a breather, but do it earlier in the game and not when the team has a 3rd-and-2 and is trailing by two. With wideouts like Hester, Knox and Bennett (more on them later), and a tight end like Olsen, I’d hope Turner one day wakes up, realizes its 2009, and starts putting some spread offense principles in the Bears attack.

Silver- Jay Cutler, quarterback

When looking over Cutler’s stats, I can’t help but wonder one thing: Why is he so bad in the first quarter? In 2009, he’s thrown for only 126 yards during the game’s first 15 minutes, by far his lowest of the four quarters. He’s also thrown no TD’s and two picks during that time frame, a bad sign for a team that wants to get off to a good start. Yet for all that, he’s been great at the end of games these past two weeks, leading the Bears to consecutive come-from-behind wins.

Gold- The wide receivers

Before the Green Bay game, if you’d told me, Lovie Smith or anybody else that cares about football that Matt Forte would be rushing for 2.5 yards a carry and have no touchdowns through week three, the Bears bandwagon would be as empty as Karl Malone’s trophy case. Yet those stats are real and the team is 2-1. How? Because of the improved play of the Bears wideouts. Devin Hester has turned into a real receiver, not just a speedster who runs fly routes. That game-winning TD grab was a very difficult catch, as the Windy City Flyer had to reach behind his head for the ball, maintain his balance and then take off for the end zone. Earl Bennett has matured into a dependable option, both on the outside and over the middle. And every ones new favorite player is Johnny Knox, the fifth round pick who is looking more and more like a future #1 receiver every time he touches the ball.

DEFENSE

Bronze- The secondary

When a secondary makes Seneca Wallace look like a legit NFL quarterback for three-plus quarters, there’s trouble. Pass coverage was a concern for the team coming into the season, and it has proven itself to be an issue through three weeks. The safeties are constantly out of position on pass plays, and have been lucky that the last two weeks, the Steelers and Seahawks have had a case of butterfingers. Cornerback isn’t much better, with Zach Bowman, Nate Vasher and Corey Graham each struggling on one side and Charles Tillman looking like he’s at 75% health on the other. Also, here’s a suggestion for Peanut: I love when you strip the ball and force fumbles, but don’t do it unless you have the tackle wrapped up. The only Seattle TD was a result of you not tackling.

Silver- The line

They come to play every week, but only occasionally do they make big plays. And that’s a problem. Week one, it was Adewale Ogunleye. Week two, it was Alex Brown. Last week, Anthony Adams and Mark Anderson got into the act. If they can all play well at the same time, the defense will go back to their dominant ways. Also, has anybody seen Tommie Harris. Maybe he’ll dive across the line of scrimmage for old times sake this Sunday and remind everybody how good #91 used to be.

Gold- The linebackers

Brian Urlacher’s done for the year. Pisa Tinoisamoa has missed the last few weeks. Hunter Hillenmeyer is banged up. So far, none of that has mattered. Everybody on the second level has stepped their game up, so much so that I don’t even think the announcers mentioned Urlahcer’s absence until they showed him on the bench during the third quarter. Lance Briggs was all over the place, as usual, causing havoc and forcing turnovers. Nick Roach has played both inside and outside well, and Jamar Williams has shown some promise. It’s good to know that at least one unit on the defense is playing as well as they can right now.


Now onto week four picks, with my winners in bold. Last week I went 11-5, pushing my overall record to 35-13.

Detroit at Chicago

Cincinnati at Cleveland

Seattle at Indianapolis

New York Giants at Kansas City

Baltimore at New England

Tampa Bay at Washington

Tennessee at Jacksonville

Oakland at Houston

Buffalo at Miami

New York Jets at New Orleans

Dallas at Denver

St. Louis at San Francisco

San Diego at Pittsburgh

Green Bay at Minnesota


And in my survival pool, with the Saints, Redskins and Ravens no longer eligible, I’m going with a city that starts with C, ends with O and has HICAG in the middle. DAAA BEARS