By Jim Coffman
Many have noted it is awfully tough to be a No. 1 receiver and a return man at the same time, especially a guy who returns kick-offs and punts. A guy runs one back 20 or 30 or 50 or 60 yards isn’t going to be ready to line up at receiver for a play or three. Unless he takes it to the end zone of course – then everything is peachy.
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But here’s the rub (and the really good news for the Bears): teams have decided not to kick to Devin Hester. Ever. They have their punters kick the ball out of bounds and they chip little squib kick-offs to spots well up the field from where Hester lines up. So at the start of any given Bears possession, Hester can go back there and watch his team reap the field position that comes with less-than-booming kicks. Then he can head into the offensive huddle with the energy he needs to turn what I’m sure will be the huge variety of innovative pass routes that Ron Turner’s offense will employ this fall into touchdowns.
Here’s to Jerry Angelo by the way. He could have taken a very dim view of Hester’s remarkably short-sighted holdout (he wanted to be paid like a No. 1 receiver but for a little while at least, he refused to go to camp to continue to learn how to actually become a No. 1 receiver). The conditions were ripe for a “we don’t negotiate with hold-outs” or a “take our final offer or leave it” type showdown and it didn’t happen. Angelo continued to negotiate a contract extension for Hester when he was out of camp and he continued to do so when he was back, sort of. I guess I’m just cynical but Hester’s hamstring injury (that kept him out of practice even after he returned to camp until Sunday, when his contract extension had been signed and he enjoyed a miraculous recovery) was about as legit as the ailments they used to dream up for down-the-bench Bulls who had to be put on the injured list because of the roster limit.
But even with Hester signed and sealed, I still can’t muster a great deal of optimism about the Bears (and I’m trying! I’ve noted before that it simply doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to be a sports fan if you can’t marshal at least a few positive thoughts about your team in the offseason). It all comes down to: How can a team with all this stability (22 players on the roster have signed contract extensions with the Bears, i.e. have settled in for the long haul) have so many fundamental questions marks on offense? I’ve noted before I think the quarterback situation, while far from perfect, is better than most have made it out to be. It was noted in the Trib on Sunday that both Grossman and Orton have career win percentages above .600, for goodness sake.
But the Bears are counting on a rookie at left tackle, only the most important spot on the line for a right-handed quarterback. And Chris Williams at left tackle would make more sense if the Bears had a stud at left guard. But the competition for that spot in the lineup leaves a ton to be desired, with underwhelming Terrence Metcalf (a backup for most of his undistinguished career) getting most of the first-team snaps so far.
You can make an argument for the running back position as a potential strength, even if it is still in flux. Rookie Matt Forte clearly has all sorts of potential and he and Kevin Jones could be a strong one-two punch when Jones returns to full health. But the receivers – come on. Devin Hester could develop into a consistent deep threat but they tried to do that with him in college at Miami and failed. The news this weekend is that Brandon Lloyd has the best shot at the No. 2 receiver spot. Lloyd washed out of Washington in a big way last season and despite his Illinois ties (love the locals!) doesn’t seem a great bet to become a force on his side of the field.
But what about the tight ends? I’d be more excited about what Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark could do for the offense if a Ron Turner offense had ever even begun to truly utilize multi-faceted performers at the position. Turner’s ideal tight end blocks, and blocks again, and again, and then maybe catches a five-yard pass on third-and-7.
Pitch Count
Hey Geo Soto – we love ya’ but you’ve got to be a little sharper with your pitch calls late in games. It isn’t a good idea to throw a big-league hitter the same pitch in the same (approximate) spot three times in a row, let alone four (OK, OK, if it’s Carlos Marmol throwing his slider that’s really a slurve – I can see three or four in a row . . . otherwise, no). In three different critical situations on Friday and Saturday, you had your pitchers throw the same thing four times in a row. And all three times good Marlins hitters nailed No. 4.
In the ninth on Friday, Bobby Howry faced red-hot Jeremy Hermida. Outer half fastball, outer half fastball, outer half fastball, outer half fastball, game-winning solo home run. Saturday’s eighth inning saw Sean Marshall take his shot at the left-handed hitting Hermida (who had already hit a second home run in two days earlier in the game). Marshall’s slow curveball is almost impossible for most left-handers to hit even when it comes in right over the plate, unless they see it four times in a row. Then they time it, rip it, and then circle the bases yet again. Hermida’s second home run of the day and third in 24 hours was what eventually sent the game into extra innings.
Finally in the top of the 12th, Chad Gaudin took on Jorge Cantu with the lead run on second. Low sliders seemed like a good idea but Cantu went down and got the fourth, lining it down the left-field line for what held up as the game-winning double.
If this were the Cardinals, where the over-involved coaches – they may be ridiculously good but they’re still over-involved – call many of the pitches, plenty of the heat for these sorts of screw-ups would accrue to the guys on the bench. But Lou Piniella has always said he lets his catchers call their own games. So until I hear different, this stuff is on Soto and Soto alone.
Brew Crew
The Brewers’ four-game sweep of the Cardinals last week looked bad for the Cubs in terms of the top spot in the Central Division (Milwaukee moved within a game of the lead when it won on Thursday) but it probably moved the Cubs closer to a playoff spot. Even if the Brewers move into the top spot in the division, there is still the wild card and going into action this week, the Cubs lead the wild-card runner-up Cardinals by five big games. I know we want to win the division but I would very much take just making the post-season for the second year in a row for the first time in how long is it again? Yes, there’s that wonderful 100-year answer again. Isn’t it special.
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Jim Coffman appears in this space every Monday with the best sports wrap-up in the city. You can write to him personally! Please include a real name if you would like your comments to be considered for publication.
Posted on July 28, 2008