Lori Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 BUFFALO BILLS (2-2) at CHICAGO BEARS (4-0) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2006 – 1:00 PM EDT SOLDIER FIELD, CHICAGO, IL CBS / CBS HD: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket: Channel 709 / Channel 723 (HD) RADIO: Buffalo Bills Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso SIDELINE REPORTER: Paul Peck Chicago Bears Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: Jeff Joniak COLOR ANALYST: Tom Thayer SIDELINE REPORTER: Zach Zaidman Sirius Sunday Drive: Channel 130 (Buffalo feed) / Channel 119 (Chicago feed) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Bears lead, 5-4. Buffalo is 0-4 in Chicago, 0-3 since the Bears moved from Wrigley Field to Soldier Field in 1971. PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: September 29, 2002 – Bills 33, Bears 27 (OT) Drew Bledsoe had one of his best games in a Bills uniform, throwing for 328 yards and four touchdowns, including the 28-yard game-winning catch-and-run by Travis Henry in overtime. With the score, Henry atoned for a first-quarter fumble returned 62 yards for a touchdown by Bears safety Mike Brown. The Buffalo defense, gashed for 449 rushing yards in their first three games, held Bears RB Anthony Thomas to 48 yards on 23 carries. The throw to Henry was Bledsoe’s fourth career overtime touchdown pass, breaking the NFL record he had previously shared with Terry Bradshaw. ”I guess I just don’t do enough in regulation. I need to get more done in regulation so I don’t have to keep dealing with this.”—Shout! magazine, October 6, 2002 LAST TIME IN CHICAGO: December 7, 1997 – Bears 20, Bills 3 Only 39,784 fans showed up at Soldier Field to watch the 2-11 Bears take on the 6-7 Bills. The Buffalo offense was definitely offensive on this day; they managed a mere 55 rushing yards, Todd Collins was a dreadful 13-32 for 138 yards and was sacked five times, and only a 43-yard Steve Christie field goal as time ran out in the first half averted the shutout. For the Bears, Erik Kramer tossed touchdown passes to Ryan Wetnight and Ricky Proehl, and Jeff Jaeger added two field goals to cap the scoring. The loss officially put an end to Buffalo’s playoff hopes. They finished the season (and the first Marv Levy era) 6-10, while Chicago split their final two games to end up 4-12. ”Surprised? No, I’m not surprised, just tremendously disappointed. We played badly. I don’t believe in being flat, I believe in being outplayed. I do not remember a worse game, not in the 12 years that I’ve been here. Todd had a bad day, but so did the whole team. We played with our heads in the sand, to put it nicely.”—Relentless (Vol. II), page 116 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BEARS OVERVIEW (2006 RANKINGS) OFFENSE (#8 total yardage, #21 rushing, #5 passing, #4 scoring): A team historically plagued by mediocre quarterbacking -- their career passing-yardage and touchdown records are still held by Hall of Famer Sid Luckman, who retired in 1950 -- may have finally found their franchise signal-caller. With eight touchdown passes in his first four games, reigning NFC Offensive Player-of-the-Month Rex Grossman is well on his way to becoming only the second Bears QB in the last forty years to hit the 20-touchdown mark… and might even have a shot at becoming the first 4,000-yard passer in team history. (Answer to the obvious trivia question: Erik Kramer set the team single-season record with 29 TD passes in 1995.) Brian Griese was signed to back up Grossman, although some Bears fans seemed to think that based on preseason results, Griese should be starting. (One assumes they’ve since changed their minds.) Kyle Orton is the #3 QB. Unbelievable stat of the week, courtesy of the Bears’ press release: “WR Muhsin Muhammad has an active streak of producing a first down on 52 consecutive third-down receptions, including two in each of the first three games this year.” Two more successful conversions against Seattle extended the streak to 54 and counting. ‘Moose’ is on pace for a 96-catch, 1,296-yard season, which could be enough to earn him another Pro Bowl bid. Third-year speedster Bernard Berrian is developing into a consistent deep threat opposite Muhammad; Berrian leads the league with four receptions of 40+ yards and a 21.1 yards-per-catch average. Rashied Davis, the #3 WR, pushed Berrian for playing time in the preseason and caught the winning touchdown pass against Minnesota. Mark Bradley and Justin Gage round out the receiving corps, although Bradley was inactive against Seattle with an ankle injury and may not play again this week. Even the tight ends are getting into the act; Desmond Clark and John Gilmore totaled 3 touchdown receptions against the Lions. Clark has been hampered by a sprained foot and missed practice Wednesday, though; his status for Sunday bears watching. One of the keys to the passing game’s success has been the performance of the offensive line: despite facing two of last year’s top ten sacking defenses, including a Seattle squad that led the league in 2005, Grossman has only been taken down three times in the first month of the season. The front five is anchored by perennial Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz, the only Bears lineman to start all sixteen games last season. Ruben Brown and Roberto Garza flank Kreutz at guard, with John Tait (left) and Fred Miller (right) manning the tackle spots. The Bears used the #4 pick in the 2005 draft on RB Cedric Benson (Texas), and seem inclined to give him every chance to win the starting job… but Thomas Jones shows no signs of cooperating with that plan, consistently outperforming Benson on the field. (Factoid: last season, Jones joined the legendary Walter Payton as the only Bears RBs to surpass 1,300 rushing yards in a season.) Neither back is off to a great start this year, though; as a whole, the team is averaging a mediocre three yards/carry. Backup Adrian Peterson can break the occasional twenty-yard run and is a decent receiver out of the backfield, but hasn’t had many opportunities this season. Jason McKie is a typical block-first FB who will probably also catch a swing pass or two on Sunday. DEFENSE (#4 total yardage, #7 rushing, #7 passing, #1 scoring): The new Monsters of the Midway have allowed fewer than ten points in nine of their last ten regular-season home games. (The exception: Cincinnati, aided by 5 Kyle Orton interceptions, gave the Bears their only home loss of 2005 by a 24-7 score.) The current eight-game streak is the longest in the league since the Green Bay Packers teams of 1934-36 held twelve consecutive foes to single digits. Last February, second-year DT Tommie Harris made the first of what will probably be many visits to Hawaii; he’s currently tied for the league lead with 5.0 sacks. NT Ian Scott and reserves Tank Johnson and Alfonso Boone combine with Harris to give the Bears one of the nastiest tackle rotations in the league. Left end Adewale Ogunleye finished with ten sacks last season, the first Bears DE to hit double digits since Richard Dent did so in 1993. (As of Wednesday he’s listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, but is expected to play Sunday.) On the other side, Mike Gandy will see plenty of Alex Brown. Fifth-round pick Mark Anderson (Alabama) is already making his presence felt; his 3.5 sacks lead all rookies. Reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year Brian Urlacher and fellow Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs both have speed to burn, and share the team lead in tackles. Strong-side ‘backer Hunter Hillenmeyer rounds out a quality starting trio, with Brendon Ayanbadejo in reserve. Cornerback Nathan Vasher leads a secondary that has yet to give up a passing touchdown this season. Vasher is a playmaker, leading the team with eight interceptions last year and scoring three return touchdowns in his two-year career. Charles Tillman is the other starting CB. Free agent pickup Ricky Manning, Jr. (Panthers), the nickel back, picked off a pair of passes against Seattle. (Situation to keep an eye on: there are rumors a suspension might be forthcoming, following Manning’s recent no-contest plea to an offseason assault charge.) Second-round pick Danieal Manning (Abilene Christian) moved into the lineup at FS against Minnesota, replacing last year’s starter, Chris Harris. Mike Brown, the longtime starter at SS, holds the franchise record with six return touchdowns (four interceptions, two on fumble recoveries). SPECIAL TEAMS: Solid all around. Robbie Gould is tied for the league scoring lead, and has yet to miss a kick this season (13/13 FGs, 11/11 XP). Veteran Brad Maynard’s 40.9-yard net punting average is good for fourth in the league, and he’s landed 6 of 15 kicks inside the 20. Another 2006 second-rounder, Devin Hester, has already made a significant impact on punt returns: his 10.2-yard average includes an 84-yard touchdown against Green Bay in the season opener. Rashied Davis handles kickoff-return duties, averaging a respectable 25.6 yards per attempt. The kickoff-coverage unit is one of the best in the league, allowing opposing teams a mere 20.0 yards per return. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OUTLOOK: The Bills have to work the traditional ball-control/defense gameplan for this game; they can’t let Chicago get off to a fast start and give their great D a chance to tee off on Losman. That may well be easier said than done, though – Grossman has thrown a first-quarter touchdown pass in three of their first four games. The Bears are looking for their first 5-0 start since the 1986 squad began the season with six straight wins. The young Bills are exceeding expectations so far this year, but coming out of Soldier Field with a win over one of the current Super Bowl favorites might be too much to ask. Go Bills, anyway. Links: NFL.com: injury report / Bears depth chart / Bears team stats / Bills depth chart / Bills team stats Ourlads.com: Bills depth chart / Bears depth chart Official team website: ChicagoBears.com DaBearz.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill from NYC Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 Honestly Lori, I felt a little better about this game before reading about their defense. Thanks for a great report as usual. I my ever so humble opinion (extra humble after reading a great report like yours ), I think that our chances in this game will depend a lot on our DTs. I think that Triplett, and perhaps even the rookies stand a great chance of kicking the a$$ of Ruben Brown and either getting or causing sacks. Grossman IS good, but nobody plays well when they are getting crushed. He hasn't been sacked often this season, so I guess I am reaching. In any event, GO BILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill in Livonia Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 BUFFALO BILLS (2-2) at CHICAGO BEARS (4-0SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2006 – 1:00 PM EDTSOLDIER FIELD, CHICAGO, IL CBS / CBS HD: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms DIRECTV NFL Sunday Ticket: Channel 709 / Channel 723 (HD) RADIO: Buffalo Bills Radio Network PLAY-BY-PLAY: John Murphy COLOR ANALYST: Mark Kelso SIDELINE REPORTER: Paul Peck Chicago Bears Radio Network Good Job as always Lori. Looks like a rough game but our improving BILLS can Beat them. GO BILLS! PLAY-BY-PLAY: Jeff Joniak COLOR ANALYST: Tom Thayer SIDELINE REPORTER: Zach Zaidman Sirius Sunday Drive: Channel 130 (Buffalo feed) / Channel 119 (Chicago feed) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REGULAR-SEASON SERIES RECORD: Bears lead, 5-4. Buffalo is 0-4 in Chicago, 0-3 since the Bears moved from Wrigley Field to Soldier Field in 1971. PLAYOFF RECORD: none LAST MEETING: September 29, 2002 – Bills 33, Bears 27 (OT) Drew Bledsoe had one of his best games in a Bills uniform, throwing for 328 yards and four touchdowns, including the 28-yard game-winning catch-and-run by Travis Henry in overtime. With the score, Henry atoned for a first-quarter fumble returned 62 yards for a touchdown by Bears safety Mike Brown. The Buffalo defense, gashed for 449 rushing yards in their first three games, held Bears RB Anthony Thomas to 48 yards on 23 carries. The throw to Henry was Bledsoe’s fourth career overtime touchdown pass, breaking the NFL record he had previously shared with Terry Bradshaw. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ BEARS OVERVIEW (2006 RANKINGS) OFFENSE (#8 total yardage, #21 rushing, #5 passing, #4 scoring): A team historically plagued by mediocre quarterbacking -- their career passing-yardage and touchdown records are still held by Hall of Famer Sid Luckman, who retired in 1950 -- may have finally found their franchise signal-caller. With eight touchdown passes in his first four games, reigning NFC Offensive Player-of-the-Month Rex Grossman is well on his way to becoming only the second Bears QB in the last forty years to hit the 20-touchdown mark… and might even have a shot at becoming the first 4,000-yard passer in team history. (Answer to the obvious trivia question: Erik Kramer set the team single-season record with 29 TD passes in 1995.) Brian Griese was signed to back up Grossman, although some Bears fans seemed to think that based on preseason results, Griese should be starting. (One assumes they’ve since changed their minds.) Kyle Orton is the #3 QB. Unbelievable stat of the week, courtesy of the Bears’ press release: “WR Muhsin Muhammad has an active streak of producing a first down on 52 consecutive third-down receptions, including two in each of the first three games this year.” Two more successful conversions against Seattle extended the streak to 54 and counting. ‘Moose’ is on pace for a 96-catch, 1,296-yard season, which could be enough to earn him another Pro Bowl bid. Third-year speedster Bernard Berrian is developing into a consistent deep threat opposite Muhammad; Berrian leads the league with four receptions of 40+ yards and a 21.1 yards-per-catch average. Rashied Davis, the #3 WR, pushed Berrian for playing time in the preseason and caught the winning touchdown pass against Minnesota. Mark Bradley and Justin Gage round out the receiving corps, although Bradley was inactive against Seattle with an ankle injury and may not play again this week. Even the tight ends are getting into the act; Desmond Clark and John Gilmore totaled 3 touchdown receptions against the Lions. Clark has been hampered by a sprained foot and missed practice Wednesday, though; his status for Sunday bears watching. One of the keys to the passing game’s success has been the performance of the offensive line: despite facing two of last year’s top ten sacking defenses, including a Seattle squad that led the league in 2005, Grossman has only been taken down three times in the first month of the season. The front five is anchored by perennial Pro Bowl center Olin Kreutz, the only Bears lineman to start all sixteen games last season. Ruben Brown and Roberto Garza flank Kreutz at guard, with John Tait (left) and Fred Miller (right) manning the tackle spots. The Bears used the #4 pick in the 2005 draft on RB Cedric Benson (Texas), and seem inclined to give him every chance to win the starting job… but Thomas Jones shows no signs of cooperating with that plan, consistently outperforming Benson on the field. (Factoid: last season, Jones joined the legendary Walter Payton as the only Bears RBs to surpass 1,300 rushing yards in a season.) Neither back is off to a great start this year, though; as a whole, the team is averaging a mediocre three yards/carry. Backup Adrian Peterson can break the occasional twenty-yard run and is a decent receiver out of the backfield, but hasn’t had many opportunities this season. Jason McKie is a typical block-first FB who will probably also catch a swing pass or two on Sunday. DEFENSE (#4 total yardage, #7 rushing, #7 passing, #1 scoring): The new Monsters of the Midway have allowed fewer than ten points in nine of their last ten regular-season home games. (The exception: Cincinnati, aided by 5 Kyle Orton interceptions, gave the Bears their only home loss of 2005 by a 24-7 score.) The current eight-game streak is the longest in the league since the Green Bay Packers teams of 1934-36 held twelve consecutive foes to single digits. Last February, second-year DT Tommie Harris made the first of what will probably be many visits to Hawaii; he’s currently tied for the league lead with 5.0 sacks. NT Ian Scott and reserves Tank Johnson and Alfonso Boone combine with Harris to give the Bears one of the nastiest tackle rotations in the league. Left end Adewale Ogunleye finished with ten sacks last season, the first Bears DE to hit double digits since Richard Dent did so in 1993. (As of Wednesday he’s listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, but is expected to play Sunday.) On the other side, Mike Gandy will see plenty of Alex Brown. Fifth-round pick Mark Anderson (Alabama) is already making his presence felt; his 3.5 sacks lead all rookies. Reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year Brian Urlacher and fellow Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs both have speed to burn, and share the team lead in tackles. Strong-side ‘backer Hunter Hillenmeyer rounds out a quality starting trio, with Brendon Ayanbadejo in reserve. Cornerback Nathan Vasher leads a secondary that has yet to give up a passing touchdown this season. Vasher is a playmaker, leading the team with eight interceptions last year and scoring three return touchdowns in his two-year career. Charles Tillman is the other starting CB. Free agent pickup Ricky Manning, Jr. (Panthers), the nickel back, picked off a pair of passes against Seattle. (Situation to keep an eye on: there are rumors a suspension might be forthcoming, following Manning’s recent no-contest plea to an offseason assault charge.) Second-round pick Danieal Manning (Abilene Christian) moved into the lineup at FS against Minnesota, replacing last year’s starter, Chris Harris. Mike Brown, the longtime starter at SS, holds the franchise record with six return touchdowns (four interceptions, two on fumble recoveries). SPECIAL TEAMS: Solid all around. Robbie Gould is tied for the league scoring lead, and has yet to miss a kick this season (13/13 FGs, 11/11 XP). Veteran Brad Maynard’s 40.9-yard net punting average is good for fourth in the league, and he’s landed 6 of 15 kicks inside the 20. Another 2006 second-rounder, Devin Hester, has already made a significant impact on punt returns: his 10.2-yard average includes an 84-yard touchdown against Green Bay in the season opener. Rashied Davis handles kickoff-return duties, averaging a respectable 25.6 yards per attempt. The kickoff-coverage unit is one of the best in the league, allowing opposing teams a mere 20.0 yards per return. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OUTLOOK: The Bills have to work the traditional ball-control/defense gameplan for this game; they can’t let Chicago get off to a fast start and give their great D a chance to tee off on Losman. That may well be easier said than done, though – Grossman has thrown a first-quarter touchdown pass in three of their first four games. The Bears are looking for their first 5-0 start since the 1986 squad began the season with six straight wins. The young Bills are exceeding expectations so far this year, but coming out of Soldier Field with a win over one of the current Super Bowl favorites might be too much to ask. Go Bills, anyway. Links: NFL.com: injury report / Bears depth chart / Bears team stats / Bills depth chart / Bills team stats Ourlads.com: Bills depth chart / Bears depth chart Official team website: ChicagoBears.com DaBearz.com 795962[/snapback] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill in Livonia Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 WTF?? My reply above was cut out. I said "Good job Lori" and that "the BILLS can beat them" GO BILLS! BEAT THE BEARS!!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acantha Posted October 5, 2006 Share Posted October 5, 2006 WTF?? My reply above was cut out. I said "Good job Lori" and that "the BILLS can beat them" GO BILLS! BEAT THE BEARS!!. 796256[/snapback] It's there. Right under Chicago Bears Radio Network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SactoBillFan Posted October 7, 2006 Share Posted October 7, 2006 Great job again Lori. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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