Jared Allen should be keeping Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice awake at night.
The 6’6″ 270 pound end Allen already has 4 sacks and 26 tackles, and is a sizeable mismatch for Frank Omiyale to guard on Sunday when the Bears play at home.
At times Omiyale has looked more “LOST” trying to figure out what end or blitzing linebacker to pick up for a block than the entire fanbase of the popular ABC television show after the season finale.
Lost fan 1: ‘So did they die or didn’t they die?’
Lost fan 2: No, you have it all wrong it was an alternate reality and Jack was Jesus.
Lost fan 1: I’m glad I wasted my life on six seasons for that.
But Mike Tice has bigger problems than misplaced polar bears and killer black smoke. That’d be how to stop number 69, the three-time pro bowler, and his linemates brothers Pat and Kevin Williams and Ray Edwards.
Naturally, if the offensive line collapses, as it has since week 3, it will be a long day for Jay Cutler.
However, the line can’t be the only one at fault for the offense’s poor play as of late. Jay Cutler must learn when it is time to get rid of the football and not force a bad pass off his back foot into coverage. When the gunslinger has time in the pocket and can step up, he is among the most dangerous passers in the game. When the pocket collapses and he makes Rex Grossman-like decisions, viewers can tune into fox to see Mike Martz actually pop his own a nerve.
My questions is how quarterbacks coach Shane Day hasn’t fixed Cutler’s back foot problem. Quarterbacks who tend to throw off their back feet tend to be rookies or backups without much game experience. It often gets corrected with semi-decent coaching and game experience.
If Joe Buck could pin point the problem, shouldn’t Day be able to?
Even though the Bills on paper appear better than their record, the Bears should be ashamed by their performance last Sunday. It’s time for a statement. ESPN is calling the Bears out as the worst 5-3 team in the league.
Turning that mindset around starts up front. With good protection Cutler can be effective though the air, and their run game, which has been pitiful, can finally get going.
Matt Forte and Chester Taylor – who will reportedly be splitting carries evenly this week – better hope Tice dreams up a scheme for his line that will help figure out a pressure-packed Vikings defense, or else the two might be seeing a lot of number 69.
–Ethan Asofsky
Ethan Asofsky is a beat reporter for the Daily Illini. His profile can be seen here. He can be reached at easofsky@gmail.com