Saturday, October 16, 2010

Chicago Bears Week 6 Preview: Offensive Line mk. XIV

Along with other things blog-related I've let the football suffer.  Sorry, and to think, despite my almost complete lack of hope that this season would be any good for a Bears fan, the Bears are 4-1, tied for best record in the NFL.  Never mind that the one loss was historically bad football (9 sacks in a half, and a dazed and confused Jay Cutler out with a concussion), and two of the wins made you feel like you didn't really win.  It's the NFL and winning ugly is just as good as winning pretty, kinda anyway.

Tomorrow we have the Seahawks (2-2), who, for all intents and purposes, suck.  They can apparently pass okay, and they can also, evidently, stop the run very well.  From what the radio's been saying, they're awful at everything else.  That's fine, the Bears can't run the ball anyway, and Cutler's back off the deadpile.  Martz is the coach so I expect a healthy dose of the passing.  On the defensive side, one question going into the game has to be the health of Lance Briggs.  If he's healthy though, I expect a Bears defense to continue a healthy dominant streak through this game. 

That leaves the storyline of the season: o-line.  Pre-season I figured the Bears had some nice talent, but none of it would matter because the o-line and d-line wouldn't be able to get it done.  Thanks to all-universe defensive end/monster Julius Peppers the d-line's been okay.  The o-line has, on the other hand, been bad at best.  It's been terrible since the preseason, and as a result been in a near constant state of flux.  Personnel changes have been on-going week to week and even series to series.  Mike Tice, however, says that's all done with.  Chris Williams (erstwhile first rounder and LT heir apparent) is back from his week 1 injury and will take over LG duties from Roberto Garza.  Garza's looked bad this year, and maybe it's been due to injury, because they've decided to scope his knee.  In steps Williams, who will join LT Frank Omiyale, C Olin Kreutz, RG Edwin Williams, and RT J'Marcus Webb.

I'm an optimistic guy, and sometimes these line changes work.  Williams has been kind of underwhelming at LT, ostensibly because he has short arms for the position.  Some pundits are saying this isn't a big deal at the inside guard position.  Sign me up, I need some good news for the line.  Williams is adequately sized for the guard, and supposedly very athletic.  Hopefully it all works, because a twice-concussed Cutler means that the Bears are going to waste a season that seems intent on positioning them to win their division.

Prediction: Williams does okay and Bears win 28-10.

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