Packers @ Bears GDT: Sunday Sep 10th, 3:25pm CST

[Scott4Pack]

I mean unless MLF is just doing some gamesmanship in terms of being coy, it seems like they want us to believe both that Bakhtiari is just getting veteran rest and that Bakhtiari’s status is at any given time unknown.

I’m annoyed by it.

Based on the big article in The Athletic yesterday it the day before, this is just like Clifton or other veterans who later in their career only did walkthroughs but played every week. If that’s the case, his status shouldn’t be in any question.

Yeah. It seemed like Clifton could barely walk on Mondays thru Saturdays. But when Sunday came he was still a great blind side blocker. Looks like 69 will be like that. I love Bahk and all. But I’m not crazy about one of your top cap figures only doing walk through most of the time and then playing “most” of the game on Sundays. Is he really that much superior?

[Scott4Pack]

I don’t like Watson being out. But I don’t know if that changes our offense much. We won’t have the guy burning down the sideline or using his 4.3 to do a jet sweep that’ll pick up five yards. This doesn’t remove the need for all the WR corps (with Musgrave in there too) to produce something workable. They don’t need to be elite. They just need to help Love get his 225+ yards and no INTs. A steady dose of short passes will suffice. We might be surprised who can still work downfield further as well.

Part of my belief is that a smidgen of me still thinks that Watson has more to prove than most people assume. He can clearly burn grass and make the big catches. But has he shown to be a consistent guy yet, like getting 6+ catches/game and more than a handful of TDs/season? I really, really want him to succeed. He still needs to prove that he can. He’s doing better than Corey Bradford did. But that still isn’t saying a whole lot.

[APB]

I’m beyond exhausted with Bakh. We should not need “gamesmanship” to beat the worst team in the league. We should plan on going to Chicago and kicking their a** in short order and going back home.

Bakh has either reached the stage where he doesn’t need practice (even with new qb, weird but ok)

Or he is still affected by his knee…and if that’s the case we should not have restructured him. We should ship him to his buddy and the desperate jets for a haul.

I think this is MLF exposing him less to the rest of the team and having him poison them with his bad attitude. I don't think it is about needing/not needing practice or about the knee.

The sheer number of suppositions in this post are somehow impressive...

[Drj820]

Thing is..Watson has done nothing..dating all the way back to college…to allow us to assume that this is just gonna be a one game thing. I think this or something like this will be an all season thing. My guess is he plays about 9 games. We have to factor that in when we think about expectations for the year. And we have to wonder if a reliable vet would have been smart to have in Loves first year.

We’ve had 3 years to plan for Loves first year…giving him rookie TEs, toure, wicks, and heath is a joke

[YoHoChecko]

I don’t like Watson being out. But I don’t know if that changes our offense much. We won’t have the guy burning down the sideline or using his 4.3 to do a jet sweep that’ll pick up five yards. This doesn’t remove the need for all the WR corps (with Musgrave in there too) to produce something workable. They don’t need to be elite. They just need to help Love get his 225+ yards and no INTs. A steady dose of short passes will suffice. We might be surprised who can still work downfield further as well.

Part of my belief is that a smidgen of me still thinks that Watson has more to prove than most people assume. He can clearly burn grass and make the big catches. But has he shown to be a consistent guy yet, like getting 6+ catches/game and more than a handful of TDs/season? I really, really want him to succeed. He still needs to prove that he can. He’s doing better than Corey Bradford did. But that still isn’t saying a whole lot.

Disagree entirely. Not about Watson still having more to prove--he does.

But the numbers guys said the Bears were among league leaders in single-high safety looks that left themselves vulnerable specifically to deep outside passes.

Watson is a 4.35 guy. Doubs is a 4.50 guy. Heath, Wicks, and DuBose are 4.6 guys.

Reed and Musgrave now become our speed and they're primarily inside guys; not likely able to exploit the spots on the field where the Bears leave themselves more vulnerable. Doubs certainly has shown a penchant for the deep ball and his speed is more than adequate. But we had a WEAPON that pairs with an opponents' schematic weak point. And now we don't. I think it matters tremendously.

[Drj820]

I don’t like Watson being out. But I don’t know if that changes our offense much. We won’t have the guy burning down the sideline or using his 4.3 to do a jet sweep that’ll pick up five yards. This doesn’t remove the need for all the WR corps (with Musgrave in there too) to produce something workable. They don’t need to be elite. They just need to help Love get his 225+ yards and no INTs. A steady dose of short passes will suffice. We might be surprised who can still work downfield further as well.

Part of my belief is that a smidgen of me still thinks that Watson has more to prove than most people assume. He can clearly burn grass and make the big catches. But has he shown to be a consistent guy yet, like getting 6+ catches/game and more than a handful of TDs/season? I really, really want him to succeed. He still needs to prove that he can. He’s doing better than Corey Bradford did. But that still isn’t saying a whole lot.

Having one person who can stretch a field is absolutely massive to an offense whether the guy catches many passes or not. It demands attention, and that helps other receivers and the running backs

[YoHoChecko]

Thing is..Watson has done nothing..dating all the way back to college…to allow us to assume that this is just gonna be a one game thing. I think this or something like this will be an all season thing. My guess is he plays about 9 games. We have to factor that in when we think about expectations for the year. And we have to wonder if a reliable vet would have been smart to have in Loves first year.

We’ve had 3 years to plan for Loves first year…giving him rookie TEs, toure, wicks, and heath is a joke

Wait do reliable vets not get injured?

Because Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb have something to say on the matter.

[APB]

Thing is..Watson has done nothing..dating all the way back to college…to allow us to assume that this is just gonna be a one game thing. I think this or something like this will be an all season thing. My guess is he plays about 9 games. We have to factor that in when we think about expectations for the year. And we have to wonder if a reliable vet would have been smart to have in Loves first year.

We’ve had 3 years to plan for Loves first year…giving him rookie TEs, toure, wicks, and heath is a joke

Have you considered the plan may extend beyond this year...?



Also, is it fair to ignore an above average O-Line, superior running attack, and three years of individual attention (among other things) when casting judgment upon the failed plan for Love's ascendancy?

[BF004]

I guess all things considered, we got all our preferred starters other than Watson, that isn’t too bad for week 1.

[go pak go]

Just think though if Love is able to produce an offense where half season Romeo Doubs is the most experienced pass catcher.

That will be an impressive feat indeed.

[APB]

In other news, Charlie Behrens is at it again...

[Yoop]

where playing the Chicago Bears, now I know "any given Sunday" and upsets happen, but again this is the Chicago Bears, and we've had a lease on the life of the Chicago Bears forever, bring on our running attack and kiss these cubbies good night

[Drj820]

Thing is..Watson has done nothing..dating all the way back to college…to allow us to assume that this is just gonna be a one game thing. I think this or something like this will be an all season thing. My guess is he plays about 9 games. We have to factor that in when we think about expectations for the year. And we have to wonder if a reliable vet would have been smart to have in Loves first year.

We’ve had 3 years to plan for Loves first year…giving him rookie TEs, toure, wicks, and heath is a joke

Wait do reliable vets not get injured?

Because Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb have something to say on the matter.

Maybe you don’t know what reliable means. No one thought hammy Watkins was “reliable” when we threw paint on the wall and hope it stuck with him

[Yoop]

Thing is..Watson has done nothing..dating all the way back to college…to allow us to assume that this is just gonna be a one game thing. I think this or something like this will be an all season thing. My guess is he plays about 9 games. We have to factor that in when we think about expectations for the year. And we have to wonder if a reliable vet would have been smart to have in Loves first year.

We’ve had 3 years to plan for Loves first year…giving him rookie TEs, toure, wicks, and heath is a joke

Wait do reliable vets not get injured?

Because Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb have something to say on the matter.

Maybe you don’t know what reliable means. No one thought hammy Watkins was “reliable” when we threw paint on the wall and hope it stuck with him

I couldn't find a injury history of Watson back in college, since the draft he's had that knee surgery, a Hamstring pull, and concussion, and now this groin pull ????? whatever, I don't see the reliability connection you are, hope thats not the case

plus these Hammy and groin pulls tend to be more common early season, and mostly WR's and DB's, players with super good cod grades I think are most susceptible, and Watson is surely in that group of players, hopefully this heals up quick, very explosive player.

[williewasgreat]

where playing the Chicago Bears, now I know "any given Sunday" and upsets happen, but again this is the Chicago Bears, and we've had a lease on the life of the Chicago Bears forever, bring on our running attack and kiss these cubbies good night

Sorry Yoop, but I was a teacher in the Chicago area in the 1980s. The Bears owned us during those awful years and I had to live with their insufferable fans, many of whom were my students.

[Scott4Pack]

where playing the Chicago Bears, now I know "any given Sunday" and upsets happen, but again this is the Chicago Bears, and we've had a lease on the life of the Chicago Bears forever, bring on our running attack and kiss these cubbies good night

Sorry Yoop, but I was a teacher in the Chicago area in the 1980s. The Bears owned us during those awful years and I had to live with their insufferable fans, many of whom were my students.

The Walter Payton years were just horrible for us. But that was, what, over 30 years ago now.

[Labrev]

So long as Doubs or Watson play in a game, I feel alright. Not having both is brutal.

[YoHoChecko]

So long as Doubs or Watson play in a game, I feel alright. Not having both is brutal.

This is why, for me, having a guy like Wicks or Heath (or Lazard) on the team is all fine and dandy, but having 2 or 3 of them fills the depth chart and leaves you incredibly lacking in speed given injury risk.

It's weird having all the speed options from the slot (Reed and Melton as a PS promotion)

And I know speed isn't everything in a WR--nor is it even the main thing. But the offense works better when there is speed on the field, targeted or not. The threat of deep balls is enough to change how defenses play the other guys.

[wallyuwl]

Watson has not proven anything yet. I was hard on him last year. He deserved it. This year he is proving fragile again. Track/speed guys get a lot of muscle injuries. That is what Watson is as of now.

[Drj820]

Thing is..Watson has done nothing..dating all the way back to college…to allow us to assume that this is just gonna be a one game thing. I think this or something like this will be an all season thing. My guess is he plays about 9 games. We have to factor that in when we think about expectations for the year. And we have to wonder if a reliable vet would have been smart to have in Loves first year.

We’ve had 3 years to plan for Loves first year…giving him rookie TEs, toure, wicks, and heath is a joke

Have you considered the plan may extend beyond this year...?



Also, is it fair to ignore an above average O-Line, superior running attack, and three years of individual attention (among other things) when casting judgment upon the failed plan for Love's ascendancy?

“The plan may extend beyond this year”

Great. But this is the nfl. Stands for not for long. If love looks awful because he’s throwing to 7th round rookies either his own seat or Gutes seat gets hot after just one year.

Do you defend everything the team does?