I’m a hockey fan and while its been tough to admit it the last few years, I’m a Blackhawk fan. Fortunately, once being a glutton for punishment (i.e. a Cubs fan) now seems to be heading in a different direction. Maybe its the fact the many people bought Blackhawk tickets for friends and family at a (somewhat) discount for the holiday season or the fact that the Hawks have young and bright youth leading the team into the right direction. In either case, the United Center is near full capacity and its not just against Detroit. The team is still young and experiencing some up’s and down’s, but here’s a quick take as to why they’re now becoming a formidable force in the NHL:

1. Robert Lang: You’d probably expect Jonathan Toews or Patrick Kane to be the primary reason for the Hawks re-entry into a competitive NHL organization, but I can’t think of another veteran in the league who’s been a focal point for a team looking to rebuild. Then again, any veteran who has played with Detroit can help a team get the edge on offense, but Lang has taken his role seriously and allowed younger Hawks offensive players to grow as he’s directed traffic. He’s helped the team actually become a threat on the power play (currently 13th) and has passed the puck exceptionally well in all occassions. The Hawks thought Martin LaPointe would be their guiding light veteran, but Robert Lang has received the torch and not looked back.

2. Patrick Sharp: Philadelphia thought he’d be a good 3rd or 4th line winger, but he’s now considered an outside chance for an all-star appearance. He’s been outstanding on the penalty kill (7, yes 7 short-handed goals) and has scored on just about every chance when given the opportunity. He’s made the departure of Martin Havlat and Jason Williams liveable.

3. Dustin Byfuglien: Surprised? I am too. Last year, he was just an up and coming Hawk youth and the same was said heading into this year. The difference has been his ability to man the power play at the point and also his talent to play defense and shift to a winger on the fly. He can bring the puck up on the power play and dump it in, then pinch in and switch to a forward to give the Hawks the ability to keep the puck in and set up shop. Don’t forget his size and powerful slapshot.

4. Duncan Keith: We’ve waited and waited, but both Keith and Brent Seabrook have developed into good NHL defensemen. I often watch Keith and see comparisons of him with a younger Sandis Ozolinsh. He plays great defense, yet can give the Hawks a seemingly fourth forward when needed. His speed allows him to come up ice, yet he has great awareness and ability to get back to defensive objectives at any point in the play.

5. Nikolai Khabibulin: I thought he was just another Hawks acquisition on his way out, yet he’s had a catharsis this year and enables the Hawks to sustain leads when they’re up. Sure, he can make a game that looks easily won more interesting than needed, but he has the experience come playoff time if the Hawks get there. Finally, he’s earned his paycheck.

You could argue both Toews and Kane in the top five reasons why the Hawks are back to business, but they’ve gained success mostly due to the play of the top five mentioned. Most of all, Denis Savard is owed a lot of gratitude. He’s guided this team and coached them in large part to his dedication and experience in a Blackhawks uniform.

There is caution, especially with a young team and a lot of expectations, however, the Blackhaws look like a team that could propel into a lower seed in the Western Conference come playoff time. If that happens, hopefully Hawks fans can remember the roar that once gave this organization a name back in the nineties.

Technorati Tags: Chicago Blackhawks, Denis Savard, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Dustin Byfuglien, Robert Lang, Patrick Sharp

I don’t remember the last time I didn’t care if the Bears won or lost a game, especially on Monday night. It also didn’t help that I was in a fantasy football semifinal against someone who had Greg Olsen as their last active player for the week and I was up 20 points (and yes, the other person did have Brian Westbrook). The need to recap the Bears from week-to-week has become ultimately unnecessary for the 2007 season and with games against Green Bay (looking to secure the #1 spot in the NFC) and New Orleans (looking to obtain a wild card berth), the Bears should finish 5-11 this year. It’s been disappointing, but if you read between the lines, it was so cut and dry as to why the Bears are simply not that good of a team. Then again, if you’re going to lay an egg for a season, this couldn’t be a better year. I don’t think anyone has a shot at beating New England or even Indianapolis for that matter. Here’s the storyline of the 2007 season and what the Bears look forward to next in 2008…

Offense

If you’re looking for one reason why the Bears have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, it has to be the offensive line. Yes, all Bears fans know how bad the line is, but it goes a lot farther than anyone could have imagined. They accounted for the revolving door at QB and more than likely created problems for Cedric Benson in terms of demonstrating his value as a first-round pick. The combination of Grossman/Griese/Orton were dead in the water due to the fact they never really got any protection (especially from the tackle position) and Benson/Peterson/Wolfe never had anywhere to run because there was nowhere to go. The run sets up the pass and the pass sets up the run. If you fail at one of these aspects, you have a problem. If you fail at both, you have a crisis. Tait was acquired in 2004 and Miller in 2005 to help solidify the offensive line and allow a young quarterback to progress and have the necessary protection to excel in the passing game. In some cases they did just that, but for the very most part, their performances in a Bear uniform could best be summed up as below average. They’ve seriously aged before our very eyes and while other teams such as Green Bay suffered with young and inexperienced lineman, the Bears depended on older veterans to carry them and never looked towards the future in terms of replacements (no, John St. Clair is not the answer). Now the Bears look to the draft or possibly an expensive free agent market to acquire average tackles that will take a season or two to fit into the system. If there is one guy who is the cornerstone of the Bears offensive line, its always been Olin Kreutz. Unfortunately, 2007 maybe a year he’d like to forget. Also remember he’ll be in his eleventh year as the 2008 season starts.

The jury is still out on Cedric Benson, but based on his status as a first round pick, he’ll be around a few more years to the shigrin of Bears fans. Adrian Peterson didn’t solidify his ability to be a number one back, but then again look who he had blocking for him. Garrett Wolfe at times has demonstrated that he could be another Warrick Dunn, but he may never get a real shot at a number one role with the Bears and with Ron Turner as offensive coordinator. As for Turner, I hope he moves on and is let go by the Bears. He calls a game and schemes like its 1994 and not 2007. He shouldn’t take all the blame, but his play calls have been VERY suspect. His inability to use Devin Hester more in the offense (besides screens and reverses) took one of the biggest weapons in the NFL out of the equation on offense. He found out his tight ends were key components of the passing game against Green Bay, then we never really saw them again (and no, routes in the flats are not what we were envisioning). He used the no-huddle to perfection, then opted not to use it late in the game against New York who was suffering from injuries in their defensive personnel. Instead of using Olsen more on every down, he stuck with Desmond Clark who often drops passes, accounts for stupid penalties, and runs like a goose. Using Olsen was the gameplan, but despite his proven ability to catch tough balls, he was often left unused.

In terms of receivers, let Muhsin Muhammad leave. He’s old, has no speed, or even the ability to even catch the ball at times. He’d probably still make a good #3 or #4 receiver on another team and its no doubt he has value as a possession receiver, but the Bears need a number one type guy. I like Bernard Berrian as he’s developed into a decent wide receiver, however, not at the money he’ll be asking for in the offseason. I think he’s replaceable, but the Bears depth at receiver may force him to re-sign at a contract well above his talent. As for Mark Bradley, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

The biggest question will be at quarterback. Do they keep Grossman or let him delve into the free agent market and attempt to acquire someone like Derek Anderson or Donovan McNabb? Getting either of the two will be a hard bargain and nearly impossible with Anderson more than likely signing a mega deal with Cleveland and it doesn’t help that they’re playoff bound. McNabb may be drawn to his hometown, but in reality, may be more suited going to the Vikings or simply remaining an Eagle as either of those two options put him in reality check of making the playoffs. I say keep Grossman and if possible, provide a deal with heavy incentives versus a long term and inflated contract. The Bears more than likely wont be able to sway a good free agent quarterback to Chicago and the learning curve for a draft pick or up-and-coming free agent quarterback could be 2-4 years. The problem may be that other teams will find good use in Grossman and may find some attributes which may help their team excel in the passing game or at a minimum, let him compete for a starting job in camp. If the Bears do keep Rex, they better make revamping the offensive line their number one priority in the draft and in free agency. He may never be the gunslinger he was at Florida, but he’d be a better game manager and has more development than someone like Tavaris Jackson (who has a running game). Besides Olin Kreutz, I would hope that all of next year’s lineman would have different names and numbers on the back of the jerseys.

Defense

You could say the defense created their own monster from their 2006 performance and developing a mirage in thinking they could be the “best ever” as Adam Archuleta pointed out in training camp. Things never started in the right direction and it all happened in week one with the loss of Mike Brown and then Nathan Vasher in week three. Then injuries to Dusty Dvoracek, Darwin Walker and a partially injured Tommie Harris hampered any hope at the tackle position. Mark Anderson was fabulous in 2006, yet disappeard in 2007. The one bright spot the Bears had this year was Adewale Ogunleye who showed he still can be a force to be reckoned with at end. The Bears defense proved that when you’re too overagressive, it can easily be schemed to create big plays for an offense. The blitz packages used never worked (until last night) and due to the lack of pressure from the defensive line, Urlacher/Briggs/Hillenmeyer were often left exposed to be blocked by offensive lineman and in one-on-one situations with running backs or worse, receivers.

Two words can easily sum up the Bears defense: poor tackling. Looking back, just think of how many big plays were given up due to missed tackles. Maybe the Bears should be in pads all week in 2008.

In the end, the defense suffered more from personnel moves. Giving up on Tank Johnson (although understood), letting Dante Wesley go to New England, and trading Chris Harris to Carolina at first seemed to be non-important deals, but in the end, it seemed to be one more factor in the defense’s demise. I don’t see Lance Briggs coming back next year, but hopefully the Bears can utilize Jamar Williams at his position and allow him to mature just like Briggs did. Hopefully, Bob Babich will learn from this year and scheme a bit better next year. I’m also hoping the defensive play from last night was something the Bears can look upon going into next season. If there was one bright spot, it was at the corner position. Unfortunately, Vasher has been out since week 3, but he made an impact immediately last night and Tillman has been exceptional all year.

One last thing….Danieal Manning Jr. IS A BUST. He is absolutely horrible. Please, please, please either get rid of him or release him immediately. He is not a long term answer at free/strong safety and is one of the primary reasons the Bears had trouble stopping the run this year. Whether it was his missed tackle last night on Robert Ferguson or going the complete opposite way on Maurice Morris’ touchdown run against Seattle, the guy CONTINUALLY makes mistakes. Unless the Bears can acquire another experienced safety in free agency, they may have to keep Mike Brown despite his past with injuries.

Special Teams

Special teams can haunt teams or simply cause them to be just average. Fortunately, Bears are exceptional at it. Devin Hester is the primary reason and is already a Hall of Famer. He did his job by either returning punts/kickoffs for touchdowns, forcing teams to kick short to avoid him, or simply kicking the ball out of bounds giving the Bears superior field position. Robbie Gould was as good as gold like last year and delivered when needed. Brad Maynard may look like an old man, but he still is one of the best punters in the league with his placement and usage of the sideline. The Bears don’t have any problems here and they just need to make sure Dave Toub stays….forever.

Overall

You could say Bears fans should have seen the writing on the wall last year and the fact that this team got a tad lucky in making it to the Super Bowl. They easily could have lost that game against Seattle and put the NFC Championship in New Orleans and we may never have seen them in Miami. What the Bears did in 2006 is what the Packers (and even Vikings) are doing in 2007. The difference is that both Green Bay and Minnesota are young teams and more than likely will continue to grow as the Bears look for answers. Hint: This could be a long and drawn out rebuilding phase.

The Bears need to react and react fast. Minnesota, Green Bay, and even Detroit are going to be formidable opposition for the next few years and have made strides while the Bears have taken one step forward and two steps back. The mantra was all about the Super Bowl appearance in 2006, but the reality of their problems in 2007 became more and more evident from week to week. Unfortunately, it took forever for this team to adjust and make necessary changes. Instead of gift wrapping positions, let guys compete for them in training camp. We’ve already seen that draft status means nothing on this team. Let’s hope 2008 is a much better season.

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As inconsistent as the Bears are, they’ve been consistent in one category: not being able to win consecutive games this season. After the first drive, it looked as if the Bears were going to exemplify the growing problems with the Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, and the New York Giants. Instead, the Bears lost a game they easily should have won. Here’s what I saw:

Offense: The offense didn’t turn the ball over, yet one stat easily sums up how a team that wins the turnover battle can still lose the game: 10 penalties for 71 yards. The biggest penalty was Terrance Metcalf’s personal foul when the Bears had a manageble third down coming there way and near the end zone. The other penalties on offense were usually drive killing false start penalties. These are unacceptable when at home. If you look at the stats, the running game wasn’t any better with Adrian Peterson than it was with Cedric Benson, but Peterson does give the Bears a majour option in the passing game and with screens. In the passing game, Grossman looked pretty decent and didn’t have an interception. The problem is his inability to throw the ball away or step up in the pocket when he feels pressure. The offensive line was absolutely dismal and never seemed to figure out how to stop any pressure from Strahan or Umenyiora.

The biggest problem offensively was coaching and play calling. Why ditch the hurry up? It worked and worked well against a team that was suffering from defensive injuries. As fate would have it, the Bears had six posessions in the second half that amounted to one field goal and only one of those started inside their own 40 yard line.

Grade: C

Defense: The defense obtained 4 turnovers and created decent pressure on Manning for most of the game, however, gave up 154 yards to Derrick Ward. When the defense was needed to stop the Giants they couldn’t in their typical “prevent” defense that let Manning and the offense march down the field. Once again, the defense comes back to haunt the Bears.

Grade: D

Special Teams: As predicted, Hester didn’t get the opportunity to become a game breaker, but he didn help give the Bears great field position on kickoffs. Robbie Gould had 3 tough field goals with the wind being a factor.

Grade: B

Overall: You can pretty much officially count out the Bears for a playoff berth in the NFC. After last week’s come from behind win and knowing they had to win out, the Bears left their playoff hopes on the field. This team still doesn’t realize that a football game consists of two halves. And if you’re wondering, Eli Manning is a heck of a lot worse than Rex Grossman.

Technorati Tags: Chicago Bears, New York Giants, Rex Grossman, Devin Hester, Eli Manning, Derrick Ward, Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer