greylion

Gilmore and Reid May Be Needed at Tight End
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John M. Crist
BearReport.com Sep 27, 2006

After years of clamoring to get the tight end position more involved in the Bears passing game, Desmond Clark emerged as a legitimate weapon the first two weeks of the 2006 season. But after suffering a sprained foot last week in Minnesota, all of a sudden, a crucial element of Rex Grossman's success may not be available on Sunday. It's time for John Gilmore and Gabe Reid to step up.

Desmond Clark has always been a quality receiving tight end, but for some reason, he was not utilized in the Bears offense very much. He caught just 24 passes each of the last two seasons, so many experts felt GM Jerry Angelo would target a tight end in the 2006 NFL Draft. But he chose not to do so, and after training camp, Clark was still the starter with John Gilmore and Gabe Reid backing him up.
Little did we know, however, that this was going to be the new-and-improved Desmond Clark.

The former Demon Deacon lost 15 pounds in the offseason and was a shining star in Bourbonnais. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner seemed to be making a concerned effort to finally make the tight end a bigger part of the passing game, and Clark was looking more than capable of handling his increased role. Still, many fans were skeptical and still wanted to see this rediscovered weapon get it done in the regular season.

Clark has responded with 12 receptions for 193 yards and a touchdown through the first three games. He has done wonders in the middle of the field and appears to be getting behind linebackers down the seam with relative ease. While Muhsin Muhammad looks to be his old self again and Bernard Berrian has shown his skills as a big-play threat, much of quarterback Rex Grossman's early-season success has to be attributed to his tight end.

But after suffering a sprained foot in the third quarter last Sunday in Minnesota, Clark is listed as questionable for this Sunday's primetime showdown against Seattle at Soldier Field.

Second-stringer John Gilmore made headlines in the home-opener against Detroit, reeling in two short-distance touchdown passes. Known much more for his blocking than his receiving, those are his only two catches this season. If Clark is not able to suit up and play, Gilmore would most likely get the start at tight end.

Gilmore knows he and Clark are different players, but he seems confident that he can get the job done should he be needed.

"The difference between me and Dez in a nutshell is I'm a better blocker than Dez," Gilmore said. "Dez is a good blocker. I'm a better blocker. Dez is a better route-runner. I'm a good route-runner. So that's the difference between us. We both catch the ball well. We'll see what happens."

Although Gilmore prepares like he's going to be the starter every week, he is comfortable with his role as a reserve and recognizes what Clark brings to the offense.

"I don't even know what his status is," Gilmore said. "I'm going out there preparing like I'm going to start, and if he does, that's a plus. I want him to play. Not that I don't want to start or play more, but what he's been doing in the passing game has obviously been helping us."

Reid showed some very soft hands in the preseason and through the exhibition games, but he has battled some injuries of late and is yet to record a reception this year.

"I just had a few back spasms, but nothing too serious," Reid said. "I'll be ready this week. I'll get lots of reps this week at practice."

Working the middle of the field is what Clark has done best so far, but Reid knows he needs to do what the coaching staff asks him to do as opposed to emulating Clark.

"Yeah, you know, I'm going to try," Reid said. "I'm going to try my best to get down there. Whatever they want me to do, whether to block or to stretch the field, I'm going to try my best to get that job done. I mean it's big shoes to fill when Dez is gone. He's having a great year."

Since Grossman has done such a nice job of checking down to his secondary targets, both Gilmore and Reid need to pick up the slack if Clark isn't ready to go Sunday night.

JC

__________________
If you can't break your nose at it, it ain't a sport.

greylion

I suppose they can always use Rashied Davis more in the slot but that won't help the running game?

__________________
If you can't break your nose at it, it ain't a sport.

greylion

Mark Anderson Rookie Diary: Entry 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beth Gorr
BearReport.com Sep 27, 2006

The Bear Report Curse is upon us once again. This publication has a horrible history for featuring players in print and online that get injured almost immediately thereafter, with Jamar Williams proving to be the last victim. But Mark Anderson was more than happy to take over the role of Rookie Diary author and share some of his experiences with us. Just be careful, Mark. Watch your step.

"Getting the win against Minnesota last weekend was a great experience. You've got to believe that we were really enjoying it from the sidelines. The crowd in the Metrodome was incredible. The noise level was amazing.
"It's difficult to communicate under circumstances like that, but that's why we practice, so things turn out well despite the distractions. The way that the Bears coaches do that is to have a noise machine going during our practices before we are playing any place like the Metrodome. The sound is actually the recorded noise of jet engines. You'd be surprised at how similar that sounds when you're on the field to the noise that a large crowd can make.

"Some of our players were saying that the Minnesota stadium staff had amped up the sound level in the facility to make it even worse for us to hear each other. I doubt that they went to that trouble. Believe me, it was loud enough without any additional amplification.

"The trip home from Minnesota was great. After a win like that, you really want to savor the moment because you know that you'll be getting back to work preparing for the next game really soon. That is the good thing about 'Victory Monday', the day that Lovie Smith gives us to relax and decompress after we get a win. It's important to get the time to recover physically and also to have the opportunity to refocus mentally before going into the next week of practice.

"It felt as if the game was on the line for all four quarters last weekend. Players like that kind of pressure, at least I do. It is what you've put all the work in to accomplish. When a game is on the line and it's getting near the end, you count on everything you've ever learned to get that win. When it all works out in your favor, it's a wonderful feeling.

"Now we are focusing on the Sunday night game against Seattle. It will be fun to have this one on national TV. As a rookie, I've never had the experience of being in a pro game that the entire country will see. I suspect that it will be like the first home game, where the crowd really got into it. We know that there's a lot on the line, so we'll be practicing accordingly.

"This has been an interesting season so far. This time last year, I was in college just hoping for a chance to play in the NFL. Now I'm here, and it's strange to realize all that has happened.

"The biggest change is the mental transition from football as part of school where you have other things like classes to be thinking about to football as a job where it requires 100% of your attention. As a college player, you dream of a situation like this, and when it becomes a reality, you almost can't believe it. Every day is fun, even going to the meetings. But that doesn't mean football at this level doesn't require a lot of work. We put in long days.

"I started playing football in third grade. It was something I always wanted to do and seemed to be good at. I'm glad that I followed this path. To be here is really exciting.

"As a rookie, the first time in the locker room or on the field, you find yourself looking around and thinking, 'Hey, it's Brian Urlacher, NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and he just said hello to me.' But pretty soon it all seems normal. You realize that although these players are household names, they are just guys like everybody else.

"What I've found is that the veterans have been very patient when I've asked for advice on technique or had some other kind of a question. This is a close football team. Everybody looks out for everybody else. I think that is part of the reason for their success.

"This upcoming week, I am going to be concentrating on my technique as usual. I felt that I was able to make some good plays last week, and I'd like to continue that. My speed needs improvement. I also need to work on my reaction time. The common rookie mistake is to spend too much time thinking about a play instead of just going out and doing it.

"Seattle has some very accomplished offensive linemen, so there will be no margin for error. I think it is going to be an intense game because a lot is on the line. That means we'll all be out there working hard and doing our best. It should be fun."

The Rookie Diary appears every Wednesday exclusively at BearReport.com. If not Jamar Williams, then Mark Anderson. If not Mark Anderson, then we'll find somebody.

__________________
If you can't break your nose at it, it ain't a sport.

greylion

Hasselbeck Not Crazy About Facing Bears D
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John M. Crist
BearReport.com Sep 27, 2006

Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck was head coach Mike Holmgren's hand-picked choice to run his version of the west coast offense. After some growing pains along the way, the former boston College Eagle has emerged as one of the best QBs in football. Hasselbeck talked with the Chicago media via conference call at Halas Hall on Wednesday, and Bear Report was there to hear what he had to say.

Another in a long line of starting NFL quarterbacks who cut his teeth backing up Brett Favre in Green Bay, Matt Hasselbeck has developed into one of the premier signal-callers in football. He got Seattle all the way to the big game last year, posting a career-best 98.2 passer rating in the process. Anxious to get back to center stage after losing to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XL, Hasselbeck & Company are the chalk team to win the NFC once again.
The Seahawks rode their high-powered offense and destroyed the barely-competitive NFC West a season ago. Hasselbeck may have been the man calling plays in the huddle, but it was tailback Shaun Alexander who was named MVP of the league and ultimately became the coverboy for Madden NFL `07. But with Alexander now furthering the myth of the Madden Curse and suffering a cracked bone in his foot, Hasselbeck doesn't know how much of an effect his main weapon's absence will have on the offense.

"I'm not sure," he said. "Probably not a whole lot. There's certain things that he does for our offense, and there's certain things that he doesn't do. He's not even on the field. In some areas it's not a big deal, but in others it is because he's been the guy here. He's gotten every snap, every rep, every carry. The next guy is going to have to step up. Whether that's Mo Morris or Mack Strong or somebody else, that guy just has to be ready to go, and hopefully we do the best we can with it. But it's never easy when you lose a player like that, and I think we just got to find a way to overcome it."

Seattle had the best offense in the NFC a year ago while the Bears featured the best defense, and although the irresistable-force-versus-immovable-object playoff game never materialized, Hasselback was not looking forward to that challenge.

"No way," he said. "Not me. I was not rooting for that matchup. They're a great defense, and why would you want to go to Chicago, or even have them come (to Seattle). That would be a very tough way to go. We don't have the choice this year. We have to go there. We have to play them. So we're going to do the best we can."

Seattle shredded the Giants a week ago through the air using a lot of formations featuring four wide receivers - Hasselbeck threw five touchdown passes - so he was asked if having that personnel on the field gives his offense and advantage.

"I don't know if that's going to be as big of a part of our plan as it was last week," he said. "Certainly, the element of surprise helped us last week. There's no way the Giants could have spent the amount of time necessary preparing for that because they're most likely preparing for what we've always done, and that's to be a pretty balanced, multiple-formation, multiple-personnel group offense. Because of our injury situation last week, I think we tried to surprise them a little bit and take advantage of some things early, and we were able to do that. I don't know that we still have that element of surprise on our side anymore, so I'm not sure if that's going to be as big of a deal as it was last week. But it worked last week for us, and hopefully we can come up with something this week to give us an advantage."

The addition of Deion Branch could have caused quite a stir in the Seattle receiving corps, but according to Hasselbeck, the former Super Bowl MVP's arrival hasn't disturbed the depth chart all that much.

"Really, the only guy it's changed is Nate Burleson. We haven't touched Bobby (Engram). We haven't touched Darrell (Jackson). Nate and Deion are sharing reps from time to time in our four wide receiver package that we were in last week. We just kept Deion at one spot so he could learn that, but now he's much more comfortable, and I think we got the ability to be a little bit more exotic that way. I think those guys have done a great job adjusting."

It would be understandable if Hasselbeck put some additional pressure on his own shoulders since it appears that Alexander may miss a few games, but according to head coach Mike Holmgren, he thinks his QB won't try to do too much.

"I hope not," Holmgren said. "One of the things I talked to the quarterback about that's no different over the years is that you don't have to win the game by yourself. I think when a quarterback goes into the game thinking that, any quarterback, then he doesn't play so well. There are other guys on this team that can play football. I would hope he wouldn't view it that way. I'm certainly going to talk to him about it. Mo Morris is a good football player. Mack Strong is having a good year. We have some receivers that can run some routes and so on. He doesn't have to win the game by himself."

The Soldier Field crowd is bound to be in a frenzy by the time NBC's prime time coverage kicks off on Sunday night, but with last season's Super Bowl experience under his belt, Hasselbeck should be tough to rattle.

JC

__________________
If you can't break your nose at it, it ain't a sport.

greylion

I'll be there Sunday, should be exciting.

__________________
If you can't break your nose at it, it ain't a sport.

WaltsOrangeCBears

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(greylion @ Sep 27th ) [snapback]1723790[/snapback]</div>you luck Devil.

i will be Watchin on my P.C. No Coverage on Brittish T.V The *******s.

__________________

cheers Megatron

http://www.freewebs.com/waltsorangecbears/
My Bears Website please check it out.

greylion

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(WaltsOrangeCBears @ Sep 27th ) [snapback]1723797[/snapback]</div>Boy, I sure hope you don't have to work on Monday morning, the game must start around 1:00 A.M.? At least you guys in England can actually watch the game some how. Todays technology sure allows a lot more fans to enjoy the game, no matter where they're at. Good for you.

__________________
If you can't break your nose at it, it ain't a sport.

drkcldrsn

kinda concerned me that Clark only caught 2 passes in the min game, think Rex only passed it in the Clarks direction like 4 times....and with Clark out no passes attempted at all to the TEs that I can recall......

__________________
Pass it underneath? You know who the **** I am?!? Im Rex Grossman Biatch!!
-Rex Grossman

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!!
- Me after the Sopranos series finale

I killed Harry Potter....

BULLITT

from Bears.com;

Bears hopeful ailing Clark will play Sunday
By Larry Mayer



LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Desmond Clark missed practice Wednesday with a sprained foot and was listed as questionable on the injury report, meaning that there’s a 50 percent chance he’ll play in Sunday night’s showdown against the Seattle Seahawks. But the Bears are hopeful that their starting tight end will be able to suit up.

The eight-year veteran hurt his foot in the third quarter of last weekend’s comeback win over the Minnesota Vikings while making a 17-yard reception. Clark returned for one play, then limped off the field and was carted to the locker room.


The Bears' Desmond Clark leads NFC tight ends with 193 receiving yards this season.
“Hopefully we’re not going to lose him,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “Hopefully, he’ll be ready to go. If he can’t go, then (backup tight ends) John (Gilmore) and Gabe (Reid) are going to have to step up and play. Obviously it would be a loss because Dez is playing great.”

After catching 24 passes each of the past two seasons, Clark has 12 receptions and one TD in three games. His 193 yards receiving rank second among NFL tight ends, trailing only the Cleveland Browns’ Kellen Winslow, who has 197 yards on 19 catches.

“He’s been playing great football through the first three games in the passing game, obviously making some plays, but also blocking,” Turner said. “So if he’s not there, like I said, it’ll be a loss. But that’s part of football. Somebody else has to step up.”

That responsibility would fall on Gilmore and Reid. Gilmore is considered a better blocker than receiver, but his last three catches have all been TDs, including 5- and 3-yarders in a Week 2 win over the Lions. Reid’s only three NFL receptions came last season.

“We still will have a tight end position we’ll try to get the ball to,” coach Lovie Smith said when asked about how Clark’s potential absence would impact the offense Sunday night. “It’s not the same, of course, when you don’t have your starter. (Clark) is playing as well as just about any tight end that’s out there right now. But we’ll move on without him if we have to.

“We still should be OK. We won’t take the tight end out of the game plan or anything like that. Hopefully Rex (Grossman) will still feel comfortable throwing to whoever we have out


Sit him down for this game, it's a long season, and the Bears shouldn't risk turning this into a season hampering injury.

d00kd00k

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(greylion @ Sep 27th ) [snapback]1723790[/snapback]</div>me too grey. do you have season tickets yet?

i got moved to the north endzone this year, my seats are sweet.

here's a pic i took from my new seats:

i love being in the north endzone compared to the west side of the stadium as you can see wr routes open up, holes in the line of scrimmage, it's great.

__________________


from NFL Films at SB41: Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck can be heard saying: ''Stay alive on this guy. He's scared to death.'' ... that "guy" is Turnoverasaurus Rex Grossman.