BryanJayyy's Chicago Bears Franchise

[bryanjayyy]

Hey guys, I am new to this site and looking to start up my Chicago Bears dynasty on Madden 11. After not buying Madden 08 - 10, I still have no idea why I bought Madden 11. Back in the day I used to post dynasties on Dynasty Central, but after they shut down I just stopped playing sports games. I think it's because without doing a dynasty, I don't have the drive to play seasons out. I'm stoked to be back in the game and hope you all will enjoy my thread. I will be working on a training camp wrap up, as well as, offensive and defensive previews today and tomorrow. Check back as you will and that's about it.

Thanks,
BryanJayyy

[bryanjayyy]

2010 Training Camp Wrap-Up
By: BryanJayyy

Bourbonnais, IL - After a 7-9 season last year, the Chicago Bears' front office made sure to find the missing pieces to the puzzle in hope to return to the strength of the 2006 team that came up short in Super Bowl XLI. To do this, they went out and hired Mike Martz as their new Offensive Coordinator and moved Rod Marinelli from defensive line coach to Defensive Coordinator. Throughout these past weeks of training camp, the Bears have been hard at work learning the new schemes from the new coaches and players are getting a good feel under the new management.

Coach Smith had this to say about how training camp has been as it draws to a close, "Our work is far from over. We've been coming out here day in and day out hard at work preparing for San Deigo. I've seen great intensity and drive with all the guys so far and we just need to carry that over to the season and take it from there." Lovie clearly is very focused on what he expects out of his players this season and the players agree that last season can not happen again.

Much worry has come from the offensive line. The Bears are returning 3 of the 5 linemen this season as they welcome RT Frank Omiyale and RG Lance Louis. This uncertainty on the right side of the line will pose problems for RB Matt Forte. Add on the unstable play of LG Roberto Garza, LT Chris Williams and the past problems of working together as a line, look for this spot to be a big question mark as the preseason rolls around.

Standouts at camp have come from the Bears young receiving corps. WR Devin Hester and WR Johnny Knox look to be the "big two" come game day and offensive coordinator Martz is very excited about these two. Martz stated, "It will be nice to see how [Hester and Knox] will progress throughout the preseason. They are both quick and can stick to their routes; it's nice to have a group our guys that are so young and have the potential to be so good. One thing we have to work on is their ability to bring in the pass and secure the catch and once that is down, who knows what they will do."

A week from today the Bears head to San Diego to face the Chargers in game one of preseason action. Coach Smith said, "It will be good to see these boys play in a game-like atmosphere. The starting offense will only play about a series or two and the defense will play one. We wanna take it easy to avoid injury, especially since we have a history with losing guys early." The game is scheduled for August 14th at 8 o'clock CT.

[bryanjayyy]

2010 Offensive Preview
By: BryanJayyy

Chicago, IL - Being the 13th quarterback to start for the Bears since 2000, QB Jay Cutler has a lot on his plate. After coming to the Bears before the 2009 season after a trade with the Denver Broncos, Cutler put up decent numbers in his premier season in Chicago, throwing for 3,666 yards, 27 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. In order for the Bears to make any noise in the NFC North, Cutler has to step up and lead this team; not to mention cut down on the interceptions. Feeling confident in the pocket and getting the ball where it needs to be are Cutler's main problems as of now and if he can be the quarterback this city needs him to be, we can expect great things to come.

Also returning in his third season is RB Matt Forte. Forte suffered the "sophomore slump" last season as his numbers dropped from 2008 in total yards, touchdowns, and attempts. A drop in numbers should not cause for great alarm because of his impact on the field. Forte is a threat both as a rusher and a receiver. In his two years as a bear, Forte has racked up 121 receptions and 4 touchdowns. His ability to run routes makes him a solid halfback to have on the field. However, sometimes solid is not good enough and the Bears made that clear when they signed HB Chester Taylor. The past few seasons have been rough for Taylor as he had to share carries with Minnesota Vikings HB Adrien Peterson, but in 2009 Taylor did rush for 338 yards and one touchdown. Taylor's best season came in 2006 when he rushed for 1,216 yards and 6 touchdowns. Having Forte and Taylor in the backfield can be a deadly 1-2 punch.

Wide receivers have always been an issue for the Bears, but this year's team has a few young guns that hope to add a whole new dynamic to the game. WR Devin Hester has been known as arguably the most dangerous punt returner in the league, but he has also been slowly transitioning to a credible wide out. His best season came last season with 757 receiving yards on 57 catches with three touchdowns. Speed certainly has an advantage with Hester, but his receiving skills are uncertain. If Hester works on making more grabs, he will definitely be a go-to guy for Cutler. Alongside Hester is second year man, WR Johnny Knox. Coming off of a Pro Bowl season in his first year in the NFL, Knox is a bright spot in the Bears group of receivers. Like Hester, Knox is a speedy individual who can make game changing plays. Last season Knox racked up 45 receptions for 527 yards and 5 touchdowns. Also, he excelled as a kick returner averaging 28.9 yards per return. Knox will be a nice deep threat for the Bears, both as a receiver and a kick returner.

The Chicago Bears have always had solid tight ends throughout their history and that tradition continues this season with Greg Olsen. Olsen has always proved to be a dominant red zone threat, catching 15 touchdowns in his previous three seasons. At 6'5" 255 pounds, Greg has the body of a linebacker and the grace of a receiver. His ability to block and create space down field for big gains is what separates him from other tight ends around the league.

A consistent theme that has plagued the Bears for what seems like forever has been that of a poor offensive line. If the Bears want any shot at reaching the post season, C Olin Kreutz must take charge of his line and stress the importance of solid run and pass blocking. Returning to the line are veterans G Roberto Garza and T Chris Williams. In his 10th season, Garza has started 64 consecutive games for the Bears and knows that the line as a whole needs to step up. Garza also needs to be a veteran to some of the new faces to the line and help guide them on the field. G Lance Louis remains the biggest question mark on the line. In his second season, Louis looks to make his first ever regular season start. This line needs to be the backbone of this offense. They need to give Cutler time in the pocked, as well as, make space for Forte and Taylor to run. As the preseason sneaks up on the Bears, look for the line to play a crucial role in the teams outcome.

Overall, the Bears have a very quick, young team which will either do wonders for them or make them falter. The vets on the team must step up and be leaders to the younger guys and the younger guys must provide the spark that the team needs. There are good things to come and the offense will have its work cut out for them in the coming weeks.

[bryanjayyy]

2010 Defensive Preview
By: BryanJayyy

Chicago, IL - For years the Chicago Bears have been known as the Monsters of the Midway and year after year the team and fans alike look to the defense to win them games. However, due to injuries that have plagued this once unstoppable defense, the team's swagger has been missing in recent years. Could this season mean the return of the Monsters of the Midway?

The biggest acquisition the Chicago Bears made this off-season came though the free agency in DE Julius Peppers. Peppers adds a huge threat on the right side of the defensive line and looks keep his streak of 10+ sack seasons. In his previous two seasons at Carolina, Peppers racked up 26 sacks and forced 10 fumbles. Those types of numbers will surely be welcomed by the Bears and fans alike. Aside from Peppers, the Bears are returning 3 of 4 starters to the defensive line. DE Mark Anderson and DT Anthony Adams and Tommie Harris will solidify the rest of the line, but need to step up and make more appearances in the backfield. Anderson has not been able to return to his form from 2006 when he shocked the league with 12 sacks in his rookie season. Since 2006, Anderson has only sacked opposing quarterbacks 9.5 times. Having Peppers along side him may be the jump start Anderson's play. This line has potential to be as scary as it was in seasons past, but there needs to be some serious effort made.

For the longest time, LB Brian Urlacher was considered one of the top linebackers in the NFL. A season ending wrist injury ended Urlacher's season after one game last season, but he is back and better than ever now and will look to be a dominant linebacker once again. LB Lance Briggs is another player opposing offenses should worry about. Briggs is looking to make it 7 straight seasons with 100+ tackles and will continue to be a threat to quarterbacks and receivers. New to the Bears starting linebacking corps is LB Pisa Tinoisamoa. Tinoisamoa missed most of last season due to injury, but has had successful seasons with the St. Louis Rams. In 7 seasons in the NFL, Pisa has racked up 457 tackles, 7 interceptions and 9 forced fumbles. If the Bears' linebackers can remain healthy, nothing will be able to slow this group down.

The Bears' secondary has always been an issue and this year's team is no different. Made up of mostly young, experienced players, the secondary must be addressed in order to be a threat. The stand out on the team is CB Charles Tillman who consistently puts up solid numbers. Last season Tillman grabbed 2 interceptions and returned one for a touchdown. He has been averaging 3.6 interceptions over the past 5 seasons and looks to continue to be a ball shark in the coming season. CB Zackary Bowman will look to improve on his stellar numbers from last season in which he intercepted 6 passes and knocked out 67 tackles. Bowman is entering his third season and although he is young, he is a great player to have in the secondary. The Bears' safeties have a big season ahead of them as another poor season may result in the loss of a job. S Danieal Manning and Chris Harris are coming off of mediocre seasons and need to play on a higher level to keep their starting jobs at safety. Harris spent the past two season at Carolina and now re-joins the team in hopes to start a new slate and contribute to this team. This secondary needs to be tighter than ever if they want to prevent offenses like Dallas and Green Bay early in the season.

Overall, this defense has the potential of being a great aspect of this team again. However, injuries need to be avoided, youngsters need to step up, and the line needs to make plays. If this team does that, you can guarantee that the Monsters of the Midway will be back in Chicago.

[bryanjayyy]

Matt Forte Ready to Take Leadership Roll
By: BryanJayyy

Chicago, IL - Chicago Bears HB Matt Forte is mentally ready for the upcoming football season. After taking the starting roll in 2008, Forte has been a consistent rushing threat for the Bears. Now in his third season, Forte wants more responsibility and to rise up as a leader for the offense. This confidence boost is just in time for the preseason and will hopefully carry over into the regular season.

Forte is coming off of a 929 yard season and looks to improve on his numbers and help carry this team. "[Forte] is an all around great athlete," stated head coach Lovie Smith, "He shows up everyday, works his butt off and is just an all-around great guy to have in the locker room."

"I think this offense needs a strong leader. Someone to tell us we need to step it up," stated WR Devin Hester. "If there's anyone who can do that, it's Matt. He rags on me and [Johnny Knox] all the time if we ain't hustlin' and his work ethic gives him the right to."

This Bears' offense is very young and in need of a wake up call this season. Is Forte the answer? He seemed very confident in a recent interview saying, "I just know we need someone to step up and actually do something. We have a great team and with a little direction we can make a name for ourselves again. I know I'll do all I can to help turn this team around because I know what we can do and its scary. We ready to do some damage."

The Bears are heading to San Diego tomorrow and with their first preseason game a couple days away, look for Matt Forte and the rest of the Bears' offense to show up ready to play.

[bichettehappens]

The work you seem to be preparing to put into this looks promising. Although if I may make a suggestion, adding stuff more visually appealing might entice more people to follow rather than simply text. Although maybe that's just because this is the preview/build-up part

[bryanjayyy]

Thanks man, I'm not too good at HTML and stuff but I was going to put like the box score in game results posts. Hopefully I can find some time to learn HTML and integrate it into my stories. But, alas, I will definitely try to add some more flair.

[bryanjayyy]

Pre-season Week 1 Preview: Chicago @ San Diego
By: BryanJayyy

San Diego, CA - Pre-season football is finally upon us and the Chicago Bears are headed to San Diego for the first match-up against the San Diego Chargers. These upcoming games are a continuation of training camp with a more "game like" atmosphere. The Bears are looking to dust off the cobwebs and see how they have progressed since last season. Head coach Lovie Smith has already made it clear that the first string offense will only see one or two series as avoiding injuries is a top priority to the team.

"[Jay Cutler] and the guys will only see limited playing time. We want to get them out there for about two series so they can get a feel for each other in a game like setting," stated Smith. "We want our first sting healthy and ready for opening day, when it really matters."

No one is as anxious to play as Bears' QB Jay Cutler, "It's going to be nice just being on the field again working against a defense that's coming after you full speed." Cutler has to limit his mistakes in Saturday's game and stay focused for the few plays he will lead. He will have is work cut out for him as LB Shawne Merriman and S Steve Gregory look too disrupt any chance at progression.

The Bears' defense will need to contain HB Ryan Matthews and Darren Sproles from creating too much damage on the ground. This is Matthews' first NFL game and is looking to make a name for himself and solidify his spot as the Chargers number one halfback. He is a quick player who can easily find holes in a wall of defenders, so keeping him behind the line of scrimmage is a priority for Bears' defenders.

Although a win or loss means nothing right now to either team, the Bears are using today's game as a practice test. There are a lot a questions the team needs to look at; can the O-line hold it's own? will Cutler step up as the quaterback this team needs? will HB Matt Forte be as dominant as in 2008? and are the Monsters of the Midway back? All these questions will be answered in the coming weeks and Saturday's game versus the Chargers will be the first test.

Player to Watch
The 1st Team Offensive Line

Although we will only be getting a small glimpse of how the starting 5 offensive linemen will work together, we must see how they protect the quarterback. Last season the line gave up 35 sacks throughout the year, which is a number that must be heavily cut. T Chris Williams must prevent LB Shawne Merriman from penetrating the line. If these five can stand their ground in the first quarter, the coaching staff should count it as a victory.

Prediction
In this meaningless game, the Chargers will prevail 24-17.

Injury Report
SD - None
CHI - None