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I am a multimedia nut, journalism, photography, videography, radio broadcasting and production. I’ve done it all, but I love to write and have a lot to say. I live in the Chicagoland area now and have always had an extreme love and passion for the Chicago Bears
Blogburst Contributor
 
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Written by Brett Solesky
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Thursday, 12 November 2009 12:43 |
The term monsters of the midway was a term coined in the early days of the Chicago Bears franchise. The nickname came from opponents fear in the Chicago Bears dominating defense. The Bears' defenses of old used to punish opponents physically and had an undeniable mystique that would strike fear into the rest of the NFL. One thing that was a near guarantee, was that the Bears may not always win the game but they would come out and physically hurt you.
Those days are long gone and the defenses of now look like a group of fuzzy furry little meerkats on the hunt. If you've ever seen the documentary Meerkat Manor you know precisely what I'm talking about. The meerkats run around in a group all going to the same spot, and when they get there they typically stand up and look around waiting for something to happen.
This is the most simple way to describe the Bears' defense of late. They all attack the same gap, rather than maintaining gap responsibility and they seem to be standing around looking for answers as to why they are performing so poorly. They're not ferocious, they're not aggressive and they certainly aren't intimidating like the Bears of old used to be.
Rod Marinelli was rumored to get his defensive lineman fired up before games by showing animals such as lions hunting and attacking in groups, completely destroying their prey. He used this technique as a way to motivate his rush men move in attack and make the kill and do it as a pack. Now however one has to wonder if someone has replaced those tapes with episodes of the meerkat manner, because the uncanny parallels between the Bears defense and the furry little creatures is almost hard not to laugh at.
The meerkat show itself is a bit of a tragedy in the same way the Bears' season has been a tragic soap opera of emotion and failure. The weakness isn't only limited to the defense, the offense as well more resembles a cute fluffy little creature. The Bears have the worst efficiency rating in the league in the stat category of running the ball on first down. The Bears run the ball around 43-percent of the time on first down and their success is last in the league.
Again the monsters of the midway of old used to line up and play smash mouth football. They're known for some of the greatest running backs in the history of the game. Red Grange, Bronko Nagurski, Gale Sayers, Walter Payton are just some of the hall of famers that used to line up and punish teams via the run.
Now the Bears are becoming a passing team focused on getting the most production out of their new found star quarterback. Sure you like to see the Bears utilize their best play maker, but at the same time the formula for the best success in the NFL has always been to set up the pass via the run. Play-action pass out of run fakes, a relatively simple formula the Bears will likely face versus the 49ers tonight.
The question now becomes will the Bears ever go back to being monsters? Will they have the chance to step up and maul their opponents physically. The Bears used to not get dominated at the point off attack, they used to get that surge, they used to beat down and demoralize their opponents.
Now it's a former Bears player who coaches the old school way that will match up with our fuzzy and cuddly Bears. The Bears ha ve to stop three top notch players on the 49ers' defense. Aubrayo Franklin, Takeo Spikes and Patrick Willis, three large members of the 49ers front seven who can make huge plays for their defense. The Bears have to be able to establish Matt Forte today. Don't be afraid to go out and get off the bus running, not get lost running to the bus. Remember the true blood of what it means to be a Chicago Bears team and come out and attack the 49ers.
It used to be that the Bears loved to get out there and attack in the running game because it naturally put the offensive line at an advantage. They need to do this today against the 49ers, get out there line up and punish them with Matt Forte. Set the idea of a physical tone not just for the defense but for both sides of the ball. Let Cutler operate out of the play action and feel more relaxed and in control instead of the pressure of having to make plays.
On defense the Bears need to do one simple thing, stop Frank Gore. Sell out to stop Frank Gore, come together as a unit and beat the 49ers up. Play together like they haven't all season because best way for the 49ers to succeed will be to run Frank Gore down their throats. The best way to set a physical tone would be to shut down Frank Gore and his 5.6 average yards per carry in the run game. Step out onto the field on the road and prove to everyone that you're not the meerkats of the midway, but the monsters of the midway.
They need to get out there and show they can be equally as physical or even more physical than the Monster of the Midway coach Mike Singletary. Now would be a good time to see if the Bears can answer their critics, step up and stop Frank Gore, get pressure on Alex Smith, get big hits on Vernon Davis when he makes his catches. Intimidate the quarterback Alex Smith a player struggling to gain his confidence as the 49ers' starting QB. Put a physical beating on the kid, get pressure, hits, sacks, knockdowns, just set out to legally and physically punish him for ever stepping foot on the football field.
Back during the 1985 super bowl run season the '85 Bears defense did just what I am asking of them. They went on the road to San Francisco and put a major beating on a franchise that has always been known for it's finesse.
The Bears need to reclaim the intimidation factor and they can shut down the 49ers' best weapons by being the team they should be capable of being. Fast, tough and punishing. The Bears have eight games to be the team we all know they are capable of being, if not the season is lost and that would make Papa Bear Halas roll over in his grave.
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