On Pace for a championship (A FOF7 Gameplanning exploration)

[Olsson]

Background

I've played a ton of FOF through the years, but I've never dived into gameplanning besides a couple of seasons. I've often rexed or used gameplans from the BELCO library. It's time to evolve.

The team

I'm gonna be playing as the Chicago Bears. I'll take the role of newly appointed GM Ryan Pace.

I like the Bears because of their lack of talent. It will be a challenge from day one. Also I have a preference for great defences. The history of great RB's was a plus as well.

Other info

I'll be using 60-90 cap level as well as 200 injuries.

I will not be using cap constraint to start with, but I might bring it into play later on.

I'll be posting as time allows. Which means most of my posts will come in bunches.

Let's get it on!

[Olsson]

Preseason update:

We went 1-3 through the preseason. I rexed through the preseason which will probably become the norm in this career.

The defense have played well. And held every team to under 300 yards. Of course no team needed more as our offense really struggled. While Cutler actually played well our running game was non-existing.

Injuries:

We thankfully went through the preseason without any major injuries.

The team:

Our offense looks okay on the skill positions. Of course Jay Cutler isn't the greatest option on QB but he will do. He will have a good supporting cast with Forte, Bennett, White and Jeffery. Giving us enough strings to use from week to week.

The glaring weakneses on our offense is clear. The offensive line is one of the worst in the league.



Defensively we have some of the pieces for a good defense. But our lack of quality pass rush will become a problem when facing great QB's. Let's hope the games aren't decided in the trenches as our defensive line is just as weak as our O-line



Succes:

This season is all about chemistry. Hopefully we can find the right gameplans and anything above 6 wins will be a succes in a tough division.

[Olsson]

Game 1 - Packers

Outlook:

Their defensive front looks shaky. DE Peppers has been ruled out and that leaves only SLB Matthews as a quality player up front. In the secondary they seem okay. We're gonna run it down their throat while trying a west coast style offense as our recievers are good at getting yardage after the catch.

RB Starks beat out RB Lacy in camp and will be lining up in the backfield. We're not afraid of him, so we'll key on stopping Rodgers. Hopefully his subpar recievers will have a bad game.

We won't be playing overly aggresive as their O-line is dominant. We will sent Lamar Houston on occasion. We'll line up CB Fuller on one WR and double the other much uf the game.

The Game:



Offense:

Passing: 141 yards
Rushing: 122 yards
QB Cutler, 10 of 21 for 143, 1 TD
RB Forte rushed for 104 yards on 27 attempts, 2 fumbles
G Slauson, 4 KRB

Defense:

Passing: 186
Rushing: 154
S Rolle, 9-5 tackles, int
S Jones-Quartey, 2-1 tackles, Int, TD

Special Teams:

K Robbie Gould missed an XP

[Olsson]

Game 2 - Arizona(1-0) @ Bears(1-0)

Notable injuries:

Starters out for Bears: FS Amos is out with a concussion
Starters out for Cardinals: WLB Golden, LT Veldheer, WR Fitzgerald, FB Fulton

Arizona are banged up. Their offensive line pretty much all have small issues. As does QB Palmer. The right time to play them I guess.

Outlook:

We're actually satisfied with our gameplan last week, so we want to keep much of it.

Offensively we'll actually stay much the same. We'll stay with the short passing game. We do not want to force passes against a pretty strong secondary.

Defensively we're gonna drop a bit further back as Palmers deep ball scares us. So does the deepball skills of their reciever core. We're not gonna depend on Fuller alone against John Brown because of this. We're gonna blitz a lot more than last week. Hopefully this leaves less time for the deep ball.

The Game:



Offense:

Rushing: 108
Passing: 230
QB Cutler, 15 of 28 for 230 yards, 4 TD's
RB Forte rushes for 72 on 28 carries
TE Bennett, 3 catches for 26 yards, 2 TD, 1KRB

Defense:

Rushing: 75
Passing: 244
OLB Houston, 5-3 tackles, 1 sack
OLB Young, 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 int
OLB McPhee, 1-2 tackles, 1,5 sacks, 1 pd

[Olsson]

Game 3 - Bears(2-0) @ Seahawks(0-2)

Notable injuries:

Starters out for Bears: SS Rolle (Broken ankle), FB Rodgers (Seperated shoulder), FS Amos (Concussion)
Starters out for Seahawks: WR Lockett, DE Avril, SS Chancellor(Doubtful)

Outlook:

Once again our gameplan worked the last time. It wasn't pretty but also it was never close.

Offensively we'll keep on working our west-coast offense. That Seahawks secondary sure is good! We'll run towards their DE's as that the only weakness on their defense.

Defensively we'll rely on Fuller to take WR Baldwin out of the game and then send a lot of double coverage on Kearse. Overall we'll adjust our gameplan to stop RB Rawls(And the running of QB Wilson). We'll stand back a bit on our blitzing today.

The Game:



Offense:

Rushing: 28
Passing: 163
QB Cutler, 21 of 43 for 204 yards, 2 TD's
RB Forte rushes for 27 yards on 13 carries
TE Bennett, 3 catches for 26 yards, 2 TD, 1KRB

Defense:

Rushing: 160
Passing: 193
OLB McPhee, 7-1 tackles, 1 sack, 1 ff
DT Hood, 3-0, 1 sack, 1 ff

Seattle:

QB Wilson, 20 of 22 for 216 yards, 3 TD's, 2 fumbles
RB Lynch, 90 yards on 13 carries
TE Graham, 8 catches for 65 yards, 2 TD's
DE Bennett, 7-1 tackles, 4(!!) sacks

[Olsson]

Game 4 - Raiders(0-3) @ Bears(2-1)

Notable injuries:

Starters out for Bears: SS Rolle (Broken ankle), FB Rodgers (Seperated shoulder)
Starters out for Raiders: RB Murray, WR Crabtree, C Hudson, OLB Smith, G Jackson

Outlook:

We're gonna continue our westcoast offense. Cutler hasn't turned the ball over, and if we limit our turnovers today we will win. We'll run towards the raiders right side of the D-line. That's the weak spot.

With Murray out their starter is Roy Helu. We don't fear him. We're gonna let him beat us and close down on QB Carr. We'll double WR Cooper as he's the real threat on this offense. Also we'll blitz a fair amount.

The Game:



Offense:

Rushing: 89
Passing: 218
QB Cutler, 17 of 27 for 221 yards, 1 TD, 1 int
RB Smith rushes for 62 yards on 32 carries :-/

Defense:

Rushing: 111
Passing: 91
OLB Houston, 5-2 tackles, 1 sack
CB Callahan, 7-5 tackles, 1 ff
CB Fuller, 4-1 tackles, 1 int, 3 pd

Oakland:

QB Carr, 20 of 38 for 118 yards, 1 int
RB Helu, 52 yards on 11 carries
WR Cooper, 5 catches for 34 yards

[Olsson]

BEARS 2015 QUARTERLY REPORT:

Standings:



We're at the top of a strong division


Team stats:



2nd in the league in scoring defense!

Bears offensive player of the year candidates:

QB Cutler, 63 of 113 for 798 yards, 8 TD's, 1 int, 93.0 QBR

Bears defensive player of the year candidates:

OLB McPhee, 15-4 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 1 ff

Around the NFL:

No return TD's through 4 weeks
Panthers & Patriots undefeated (Sound familiar?)
Jaguars, Raiders, Buccs and 49'ers still looking for a win

[Olsson]

Game 5 - Bears(3-1) @ Chiefs(2-2)

Notable injuries:

Starters out for Bears: SS Rolle (Broken ankle), RB Forte (Hyperextended knee), FB Rodgers (Seperated Shoulder), DE Sutton (Stress fracture in the foot)
Starters out for Chiefs: OLB Hali, CB Smith

Outlook:

Offensively we're not gonna change anything. We're confident the current gameplan is getting the best out of Cutler. The absence of Forte will be a challenge though.

Defensively we'll try stopping WR Maclin. The Ciefs' offense is wellrounded with RB Charles and QB Smith. the weak spot on the offense is their offensive line. Also Smith has thrown 5 int's the first 4 games. Let's hope our blitzes make him throw some more!

The Game:



Offense:

Rushing: 99
Passing: 142
QB Cutler, 11 of 31 for 146 yards, 1 int (2 drops, 3 bad throws, 4 defensed and 9 hurried)
RB Langford rushes for 78 yards on 14 carries

Defense:

Rushing: 198
Passing: 193
OLB Houston, 8-3 tackles, 1 sack
DT Goldman, 1-2 tackles, 4 hurries

Oakland:

QB Smith, 24 of 29 for 196 yards, 1TD
RB Charles, 122 yards on 22 carries, 1 TD
WR Maclin, 5 catches for 20 yards

[Olsson]

Game 6 - Bears(3-2) @ Lions(2-3)

Notable injuries:

Starters out for Bears: SS Rolle (Broken ankle), TE Bennett (Strained Foot ligament), RT Leno (Hyperextended knee)
Starters out for Lions: LT Reiff,

Outlook:

A crucial game for us. Are we gonna be in the mix for the playoffs or will it turn into a long and hard season?

Our offense will be much the same.

Looking at the Lions RB Abdullah seems like their strongest weapon along with WR Johnson. We'll stop the run and try covering Johnson with two most of the game. We'll blitz regularly as their O-Line looks shaky.

The Game:



Offense:

Rushing: 69
Passing: 102
QB Cutler, 18 of 39 for 129 yards, 3 int's
RB Langford rushes for 23 yards on 8 carries

Defense:

Rushing: 57
Passing: 348
OLB McPhee, 4-0 tackles, 2 sack

Lions:

QB Stafford, 27 of 35 for 305 yards, 3 TD's, 1 int
WR Johnson, 8 catches for 190 yards, 3 TD's
DT Ngata, 5-2 tackles, 2 sacks

[Olsson]

Game 6 - Vikings(3-2) @ Lions(2-3)

Notable injuries:

Starters out for Bears: SS Rolle (Broken ankle), RB Forte, Doubtful (Hyperextended knee)
Starters out for Vikings: None

Outlook:

They have a wellrounded offense, but we'll bring pressure all day as Bridgewater is not good against the blitz. We'll double WR Wallace much of the day. Also we'll try stopping Adrian Peterson.

Offensively we'll try to attack the intermediate routes due to the coverage abilities of their linebackers.

The Game:



Offense:

Rushing: 58
Passing: 231
QB Cutler, 21 of 39 for 231 yards, 1 TD, 1 int
RB Langford rushes for 23 yards on 13 carries

Defense:

Rushing: 212
Passing: 197
DT Goldman, 5-0 tackles, 1 sack, 1 ff
CB Callahan, 4-0 tackles, 1 int

Vikings:

QB Bridgewater, 18 of 25 for 207, 2 TD, 1 int
RB Peterson, 31 carries for 145 yards, 5 catches for 63 yards, 1 TD
O-Line combined for 22 Key run blocks

[Olsson]

Game 6 - Bears(3-4) @ Chargers(6-2)

Outlook:

We travel to San Diego to visit a wellrounded Chargers team. We need to play to the best of our ability to get away with anything.

We're gonna rely on a simple passing game and a simple setup on defense. We'll force Rivers to beat us with men in coverage.

Our entire secondary is injured with Fuller, Ball and Rolle all out. It's gonna be a long game!

The Game:



Review:

The game wasn't really close as Chargers outgained us by 250 yards. Somehow despite us giving them first downs by penalty (5 times) we held it close. Primarily due to their low 3rd down percentage.

Jay Cutler had the opportunity to manage a 62 yard drive with 1:53 to go. Unfortunately his final drive was ended by an offensive holding call and by not connecting with Jeffery on three consecutive plays.

Overall a decent performance. I had feared much worse!

Notable Bears performances:

TE Zach Miller, 2 fumble recoveries
P O'Donnell, 9 punts, 50.0 average (Kept us in the game through field possesion)

[Olsson]

BEARS 2015 QUARTERLY REPORT:

Standings:



Started of strong, but 4 losses in a row and we're last in the division.


Team stats:



Bears offensive player of the year candidates:

WR White, 42 catches, 491 yards, 2 TD's
TE Bennett, 15 catches, 196 yards, 4 TD's

Bears defensive player of the year candidates:

OLB McPhee, 29-7 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 6 hurries, 1 ff
DT Goldman, 19-13 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 9 hurries

Around the NFL:

Patriots are still undefeated
Adrian Peterson reached 1045 yards in 8 games
Richard Sherman has 7 picks in 8 games.

[Olsson]

Game 9 - Bears(3-5) @ Rams(5-3)

Outlook:

After a pretty good showing against Chargers we continue on the road against St. Louis.

Matt Forte is back in full and we still battle injuries in our secondary. Also G Slauson is out for the game.

We're gonna key on stopping Todd Gurley as Foles does not seem to have the quality to beat us with his arm. We're gonna blitz a bunch on passing downs.

The Game:



Review:

A great comeback win. We wanted to stop the run and did just that. Well... not really. Gurley ran for 250 yards and a score, but we managed to overcome it.

Down 26-10 late in the third Jay Cutler led us to three scores including a Gould 48-yard FG with under a minute left. Prior to this St. Louis attempted a 47-yard FG with 2 minutes remaining which was BLOCKED! And yes.. This is the same Cutler who managed to throw for a whooping 9 yards in the first half.

Yet again we was outgained by nearly 150 yards but once again we did not have a turnover, and that provided crucial.

Notable Bears performances:

QB Cutler, 15 of 31 for 167 yards and 3 TD's
WR Jeffery, 8 catches, 123 yards, 3 TD's
OLB McPhee, 7-1 tackles, 1 sack, 1 block, 2 hurries

[Olsson]

Game 10 - Broncos(3-6) @ Rams(4-5)

Outlook:

After a tight win in St. Louis we host the 3-6 Broncos. I have no idea how this team is only 3-6 they look way better than us on paper.

We're trying a balanced attack and a balanced defense in this one.

Luckily Von Miller is out for Broncos, we're still without our lockdown corner Fuller.

The Game:



Review:

Cuter went out injured on the second drive of the game and on came Marc Carter. We had a comfortable lead but we threw it away in the second half. Peyton Manning who had been rubbish all day somehow orchestrated a 80-yard TD drive ending with under a minute left. Classic Peyton :-(

Marc Carter did well and we couldn't ask for much more from a QB behind Cutler on the Depth Chart :-)

Unfortunately we lost 3 starters to injury this game. That of course also helped the Broncos comeback.

Notable Bears performances:

QB Carter, 19 of 30 for 182 yards, 1 TD - 5 rushes, 30 yards, 1 TD
DE Unrein, 3-0 tackles, 1.5 sacks, despite playing under half the game
G Slauson, 4 KRB
C Montgomery, 3 KRB, 2 pancakes

[Olsson]

Game 11 - Chicago(4-6) @ Packers(7-3)

Outlook:

Packers were set back when they suffered defeat to us in Chicago, they'll make sure they don't get swept by their bitter rivals.

We'll try the same gameplan as last time as this obviously had something good in it. Carter played well last time and we'll be confident he can manage the gameplan to the extend Cutler did.

Starter Injuries:

Packers: OLB Matthews, T Bulaga
Bears: QB Cutler (Doubtful), T Leno, CB Fuller (Doubtful), WR White


The Game:



Review:

Once again we won against Green Bay. Helped immensely by a 97 yard interception return TD by SS Rolle. Rodgers threw three picks,

Offensively Cutler and Carter split time as Cutler went out midway through the 2nd quarter. While none of them shined Carter did have a run for a TD. Once again we were outgained by nearly 200 yards, but as many times before we limited our turnovers, and our opponents didn't.

At 5-6 the playoffs aren't out of the picture and a home win against the 49'ers should put us right back in it.

Notable Bears performances:

S Rolle, 5-4 tackles, 1 int, 1 TD
OLB Houston, 4-1 tackles, 1 int, 1 hurry
C Montgomery, 3 KRB, 1 pancake

[Olsson]

Game 12 - 49'ers(2-9) @ Bears(5-6)

Outlook:

After two wins in a row we're going to get one of the easier games on our schedule. If we loose this, it's bye bye playoffs.

49'ers are led by Zach Mettenberger, a player that shouldn't pose a problem..... But on any given sunday!

We'll stack the box defensively and offensively we'll try to limit our turnovers once again.

Starter Injuries:

49'ers: QB's Kaepernick, Gabbert, CB Burley
Bears: CB Fuller*, T Leno, WR White

The Game:



Review:

A close game that shows that we might be 6-6 but are still ages behind the top teams.

Cutler had a one of his best performances this season and the defense held Mettenberger to under 100 yards passing.

Still this was not an impressive performance. But hey... It's a win

Notable Bears performances:

QB Cutler, 21 of 27 for 204 yards, 2 TD, 1 int
S Rolle, 8-1 tackles, 1 int
OLB Houston, 4-1 tackles, 1 int, 1 hurry
DT Goldman, 3-3 tackles, 1 sack, 2 hurries
C Montgomery, 3 KRB, 1 pancake

[Olsson]

BEARS 2015 QUARTERLY REPORT:

Standings:



6-6 after a strong showing the last couple of weeks. We're definately helped by the fact we're the team in the league with the fewest turnovers.

The wild card teams are Packers and Cowboys. Both at 8-4. It's possible but we need to continue our run!

With Rolle in the lineup we are 5-1!

Team stats:



Bears offensive player of the year candidates:

QB Cutler, 171 of 328 for 1923 yards, 16 TD's, 7 int's, 77,3 QBR
WR Jeffery, 49 catches, 656 yards, 6 TD's (8 drops)
G Slauson, 18 KRB, 33,3 BPct, 1 pancake, 2 Sacks allowed

Bears defensive player of the year candidates:

OLB McPhee, 42-9 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 11 hurries, 1 ff
OLB Houston, 48-24 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 2 hurries, 1 int, 6 def
DT Goldman, 30-18 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 12 hurries
S Rolle, 45-13 tackles, 3 int's, 1 TD, 7 def (Only 6 games)

Around the NFL:

Patriots are 12-0
Only 7 kickers haven't missed an XP
Jacksonville currently holds no. 1 pick. They're worst in scoring offense and defense.

[Olsson]

Game 13 - Redskins(8-4) @ Bears(6-6)

Outlook:

Redskins come into the game as favourites. However we believe they're not as good as their record.

We'll key on stopping the run and let Griffin III beat us through the air.

A win here and we're in the hunt for a wild card spot. Dallas and Green Bay are in front of us and meet each other.

Starter Injuries:

Redskins: WR Jackson
Bears: CB Fuller*, T Leno

The Game:



Review:

Not really close at any time. We jumped to a 20-0 lead at half and never looked back. Cutler had a great day. Helped by a bunch of solid performances on defense we're 7-6.

Even though the score was lopsided it was actually a pretty even game. We just took our opportunities. Once again Cutler was without turnovers as we won the turnover battle 3 to 1.

Our running game was poor, but our defensive front had a great day with 5 sacks.

Notable Bears performances:

QB Cutler, 20 of 33 for 264 yards, 3 TD's
WR White, 7 catches, 122 yards
DT Goldman, 5-2 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 hurries
S Rolle, 3 tackles, 2 int's

[Olsson]

Game 14 - Bears(7-6) @ Vikings(10-3)

Outlook:

A tough away game. We've been playing well as of late and will need to continue this streak. We'll need to show we want it more.

We'll key on stopping Peterson. He's questionable but the Vikes would like to beat us and win the division with two games to go. I think he'll play.

S Rolle has been dominating this season. Having the best pass defense percentage in the NFL. Unfortunately he's out for at least 1 game. Let's see how we cope.

Starter Injuries:
Vikings: DT Floyd,
Bears: CB Fuller*, S Rolle

The Game:



Review:

We got manhandled in the trenches. 154 yards on 35 carries for Peterson, and Vikings totaled 244 on the ground. We managed 32 :-/

Although Cutler didn't play well he once again managed not to turn the ball over. I really like the game-manager approach he's had this year.

Notable Bears performances:

OLB Houston, 5-3 tackles, 1 int

[Olsson]

Game 15 - Bears(7-7) @ Buccs(6-8)

Outlook:

Last chance to get a late season push going. We need to win and a washington loss. There's 4 teams on 7-7. Bears, Lions, Eagles & Cardinals.

We need to stop Doug Martin who's had 1275 yards rushing. If we stop him, we should have a chance. Rookie QB Winston has one of the lowest QBR in the league and if we force him to win the game we have a chance.

Starter Injuries:
Buccs: S Conte
Bears: CB Fuller*, DE Jenkins, WR White

The Game:



Review:

A close game where both teams couldn't really move the ball. Once Buccs found the recipe it was too late.

Doug Martin was held to 34 yards and Winston played well but threw a pick that ended in 7 points for us.

We're still in it!

Notable Bears performances:

WR Jeffery, 6 catches, 84 yards, 1 TD
OLB McPhee, 6-0 tackles, 2 sacks
DE Sutton, 3-0 tackles, 1 sack, 1 ff

[Olsson]

Playoff picture going into week 17:

AFC:

1st - Patriots 15-0
2nd - Chargers 13-2
3rd - Bengals 12-3
4th - Colts 10-5
5th - Jets 9-6
6th - Bills 9-6

In the hunt: Steelers(8-7)

NFC:

1st - Vikings 12-3
2nd - Dallas 10-5
3rd - Seahawks 10-5
4th - Panthers 10-5
5th - Washington 9-6
6th - Packers 9-6

In the hunt: Lions (8-7), Bears (8-7), Cardinals (8-7)

Bears will clinch a playoff spot if:

Bears win
Packers/Redskins loss

We've swept the Packers and have wins against both Cardinals and Redskins. we get in if one of those teams stumble.

[Olsson]

Game 16 - Lions(8-7) @ Bears(8-7)

Outlook:

Homefield in a crucial game against Lions. If we win and get some help we'll get in. And if you're in everything can happen!

We have been good the last couple of games and will continue to stop the run as Abdullah is healthy and looked good last week.

Last time out Calvin Johnson burned us for 190 yards. We'll gameplan him out of the game today.

Starter Injuries:
Lions: OLB Levy, S Quin
Bears: CB Fuller*

The Game:



Review:

A goog game in which we were our own worst enemy. 4 fumbles (1 lost) and 1 interception. We limited the dangerous Lions offense to 283 yards. Greatly aided by our 6 sacks.

We couldn't control Megatron, but he 'only' got 105 yards. Much of this on the final two drives of the game.

We took care of business at home and awaited results from the other two games.

Green Bay .... Won .. 27-6 against Minnesota
Washington .... LOST .. 30-3 to Dallas

We're going to the playoffs!!

Notable Bears performances:

QB Cutler, 16 of 24 for 239 yards, 2 TD's, 1 int
WR Royal, 4 catches, 88 yards, 1 TD
C Montgomery, 4 KRB
DT Hood, 2-0 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 hurry
OLB Houston, 6-2 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 ff

[Olsson]

The 2015 NFL playoff teams:

AFC:

1st - Patriots
2nd - Chargers
3rd - Bengals
4th - Colts
5th - Jets
6th - Bills

NFC:

1st - Vikings
2nd - Cowboys
3rd - Seahawks
4th - Panthers
5th - Packers
6th - Bears

[Olsson]

Wild Card Weekend || Bears @ Seahawks

Teams:



Starter injuries:

Seahawks: WR Lockette, CB Sherman, S Thomas
Bears: Fuller*

Outlook:

A depleted Seahawks defense takes on secondworst offense in the NFL, yardwise. We'll continue our gameplan on offense and hope our defense will do enough to win the game. We have Kevin White back and should be able to make some yardage.

The Seahawks use their ground game to setup the playaction. We want to attack the run and hope Wilson doesn't come up big. We'll blitz a lot to the inside to stop it, and because that's where the weaknes is in pass protection.

I'm afraid Jimmy Graham will become a major problem.

The Game:



Review:

Turnovers come, turnovers go. 3 interceptions from Cutler and the Seahawks offense was rolling. Wilson played well and they ran for 176 yards.

The pressure Seahawks put on Cutler all day killed us. 5 sacks and 11 hurries.

Well... No one expected us to go this far!

Notable Bears performances:

WR White, 9 catches, 186 yards, 2 TD's
OLB Houston, 3-4 tackles, 1 ff, 1 frec
S Amos, 6-0 tackles, 1 sack

[Olsson]

2015 NFL Playoffs:

Wild Card Weekend:

Buffalo 20 @ 12 Bengals
Jets 10 @ 18 Colts

Bears 14 @ 42 Seahawks
Packers 20 @ 17 Panthers

Divisional playoffs:

Buffalo 7 @ 20 Patriots
Colts 36 @ 14 Chargers

Packers 24 @ 0 Vikings
Seahawks 14 @ 34 Cowboys

Conference championship:

Colts 21 @ 37 Patriots

Packers 6 @ 31 Cowboys

SUPER BOWL

Cowboys 20
Patriots 28

MVP: DE Rob Ninkovich, 2 sacks, 1 ff, 1 frec, 1 TD

[Olsson]

Season Summary:



MVP: QB Tom Brady
OPOY:QB Tom Brady
DPOY: OLB Lamarr Woodley
OROY: RB Todd Gurley
DROY: OLB Bud Dupree

Passing yards: Eli Manning, 4494
QB Rating: Tom Brady, 113,2
Rushing leader: Adrian Peterson, 1642
Recieving leader: A.J. Green, 1778
Tackles: Luke Kuechly, 134
Sacks: Rob Ninkovich, 18
Interceptions: Richard Sherman, 9

[Olsson]

2015 Bears Summary:



Team Honours

Offensive MVP:

QB Jay Cutler

Defensive MVP:

OLB Pernell McPhee

Rookie of the year:

DT Eddie Goldman

[Olsson]

2016 Bears coaching staff:

Head Coach:

Pat Shurmur replaces John Fox

Pat will be instrumental in the hunt for a new QB. He has worked wonders with QB's in the past. Also he has a nice eye for talent. We believe he will have a much better stint here than in Cleveland.

Offensive Coordinator:

Tom Cable replaces Adam Gase

Another former HC brought in. We believe Tom did a good job his last season as a Raider. We need a better playcaller and a coach who can find the talent we need to take us further. Also Cable's experience with the O-Line will become vital in our hope to become a better offense. The only bad thing about Cable is his development of young players.

Defensive Coordinator:

John Mitchell replaces Vic Fangio

John Mitchell is a product of the Bill Cowher/Dick Lebeau era of nasty defenses in Pittsburgh. He comes in with a great eye for talent and a good player developer. We suspect he'll become a good playcaller as well.

Assistant Coach:

Terry Andersen replaces Jeff Rodgers

A good talent/player developer. A good eye for talent as well. This is Terry's first job in the NFL.

Strength Coordinator:

Jason George returns from last year

[Olsson]

Off-season 2016:

Primary needs:

QB, DE, CB/S

Secondary needs:

FB, RG, RT, ILB

Summary:

We'd like to replace Cutler, but honestly we won't sell the farm to get a QB. We have so many holes that going BPA is probably the best option at this point.

[Olsson]

2016 Free Agency:

Primary Targets:

QB Osweiler - Signs with DEN
FB Clay - Signed!
LG Thomas - Signed!
RT Bell - Signed!
DE Winn - Signs with IND
DE Thornton - Signed!
ILB Robinson - Signs with WSH
CB Bethel - Signs with ARI
FS McLeod - Signed!

Top-5 Key Signings:

LG Dallas Thomas 41/49

Comes in competing for the starting job. Had a great year in limited snas with the Dolphins. Can be on the field all day due to his great work ethic in practice

RT Byron Bell 48/48

A good pass blocker will probably become a instant starter on our weak O-Line

DE Cedric Thornton 31/36

Not considered a great DE. Here in Chicago his primary goal is to stop the run. And he can do that. Had 4.5 sacks in 0 starts last year.

MLB Danny Trevathan 45/45

Run-stopper. Perfect fit for our scheme.... We hope :-)

FS Rodney McLeod 48/48

Didn't have the best of seasons for the Rams. But he'll fit in our system!

[Olsson]

2016 NFL Draft:

Round 1:

1. San Francisco - Delgado, Ivan, DT, Arizona
2. Jacksonville - Plyler, Abraham, T, Mississippi
3. Oakland - Richmond, Jackson, CB, Central Oklahoma
4. Tennessee - Boone, Darrin, DT, Lafayette
5. Atlanta - Whetmore, Anthony, ILB, Cal. - Poly SLO

At 20th we have the following players that are interesting:

RB Martin Evjen
WR Bert Kemp
RT Skip Thompkins
ILB Bruce Paulson
CB Jonah Chelios

While Bert Kemp looks intriguing we already have White and Jeffery, we cross him out. Martin Evjen should be there in the second as he's only the 6th rated RB. While it would be nice with some new faces on our defense we can't pass on Skip Thompkins who'll be a beast.

21. Chicago - Thompkins, Skip, T, West Virginia

Round 2:

Bruce Paulson fell to the second round and we consider moving up to get him. Oakland picks him up at 35th. We never make a move as Evjen is still on the board.

The upside to this guy is simply too good to ignore. He's the 4th rated RB, but we're concerned we're not the only ones high on him.

53. Chicago - Evjen, Martin, RB, Austin Peay


Round 3:

In the third round we have two players on the radar:

G Glenn Van Caeyzeele
S Jumbo Malinsky

It's time to get some people to help our secondary.

85. Chicago - Malinsky, Jumbo, S, Morgan State

Rest of the draft:

117. Chicago - Pinkerton, Efrain, DE, Baylor
149. Chicago - Hoffman, Bruce, C, Northwestern
181. Chicago - Hall, Eli, ILB, New Mexico State
213. Chicago - Willoughby, Raul, T, South Carolina


Undrafted free agents:

QB Skip Moorthy
TE Bert Godfrey
WR Ian Fuller
ILB Levon Oliver
SLB Jonathan Franklin

[Olsson]

Training camp watch

Rookies:

QB Moorthy 20/38 -> 23/41
RB Evjen 48/70 -> 52/73
TE Godfrey 16/29 -> 17/26
WR Fuller 19/41 -> 21/33
C Hoffman 20/44 -> 22/38
T Thompkins 29/77 -> 34/75
T Willoughby 19/38 -> 25/35
DE Pinkerton 24/48 -> 26/41
ILB Oliver 16/23 -> 18/23
ILB Hank 22/40 -> 25/38
OLB Franklin 15/25 -> 19/30
S Malinsky 26/50 -> 30/49

Other notables:

RB Forte 51/51 -> 40/40
WR White 60/68 -> 64/71
C Montgomery 49/49 -> 40/40
G Slauson 40/40 -> 31/31
OLB McPhee 41/42 -> 35/35
OLB Houston 51/51 -> 40/40
CB Fuller 66/68 -> 72/72

Preseason update:

We go 2-2.

At QB rookie Moorthy has been outplaying Cutler, however we're not gonna change him this soon. We are however intrigued by the play from the rookie.

Our defense looks really leaky. Many new faces need to gel. Let's hope it doesn't take too long.


Injuries:

Only one starter out. G Ducasse has a Broken wrist and will miss a couple of games at least. CB Fuller and WR White are probable for the season-opener.

The team:




Succes:

While I do not believe last year was a fluke we're not playoff ready yet. A decent .500 season will be satisfying for us at this moment. If we're as healthy as last year we want to make a playoff push.

[Olsson]

Game 1 - Bears @ Vikings

Outlook:

An important division matchup to start the season.

Offensively we've changed a bit but not much. We're gonna run a little more this year than last. Also we won't use a lot of double TE sets as our backup TE isn't very good.

Defensively we'll key on stopping Adrian.

Starter Injuries:
Vikings: WR Johnson, DT Floyd
Bears: G Ducasse, CB Fuller (Q)

The Game:



Review:

Last year we had the worst run defense in the league... We start of the season allowing Vikings 188 on the ground. We got manhandled at the line.

Turnovers killed us. 5 interceptions thrown. 3 by Cutler, 2 by rookie Moorthy. The one on our first posession set the tone for the game. The 4 other came on our final 4 drives.

Rookie RB Evjen looked good with 97 yards and a score on 13 carries.

A horrible start to our campaign.

Notable Bears performances:

RB Evjen, 13 carries for 97 yards, 1 TD
T Long, 3 KRB, 1 pancake
OLB Houston, 3-1 tackles, 2 sacks
S Rolle, 9-4 tackles, 1 ff

[Olsson]

Game 2 - Bears(0-1) @ Texans(0-1)

Outlook:

A wellrounded Texans team on the road. There's not many weaknesses on the team besides the O-Line. We'll be challenging them with blitzes all day.

Starter Injuries:
Texans: T Brown, FB Prosch, G Allen
Bears: G Ducasse, CB Fuller (Q)

The Game:



Review:

A much better showing than last week. We held Houston to 277 yards of total offense. 96 of which came in garbage time on the last TD drive as time expired. So a much improved performance from our defense including a pick and 5 sacks.

Offensively we had a rough start but Cutler and the guys bounced back after yet another opening drive interception. We never got the running game going, but got just enough to get by.

I'm worried by the interceptions thrown by Cutler this season. He had 9 last season and is already up to 5 after this game.

We got the win though and overall I'm satisfied with the team.

Notable Bears performances:

QB Cutler, 16 of 26 for 266 yards, 2 TD's, 2 int's, 1 Rushing TD
ILB McClellin, 7-2 tackles, 2 sacks
DT Goldman, 3-0 tackles, 1 sack, 1 hurry, 1 Tackle for loss resulting in a safety

[KSUChiefs]

Although it looks like you gave up on this, I hope you didn't because I'm enjoying it so far. I'm on the fence about buying FOF7 and this is pushing me towards doing it.