The Bears looked pretty good until they put their scrubs in the game as they were leading 31-14 after three quarters. Rex Grossman looked pretty good for most of the game. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 211 yards with 2 TD passes and 1 interception. The problem with Grossman is that he makes big mistakes that cost the Bears points. He did it again against the 49ers as his interception was returned 52-yards for a TD by Niners’ CB Walt Harris. Brian Griese finished up completing 3 of 4 passes for 10 yards. The Bears finished up with a los of rushing yards but it took a lot of carries to get them. Cedric Benson looked pretty awful carrying the football 19 times for 33 yards (1.7 ypc) with 1 TD run. Adrian Peterson looked the best of the running backs with 6 carries for 27 yards (4.5 ypc) with 1 TD run. Rookie Garrett Wolfe had another rough game with 13 carries for 41 yards (3.2 ypc). WR Bernard Berrian looked awesome again with 3 grabs for 79 yards (26.3 avg) with 1 TD grab. TE Desmond Clark also had a good game with 2 catches for 23 yards (11.5 avg) with 1 TD. The Bears finished with 146 yards rushing on 45 carries (3.2 ypc) and they completed 16 of 25 passes for 205 yards.

The Bears defense played good despite the Niners scoring 28 points as Rex Grossman handed them 7 on a platter. The Bears held the 49ers to 67 yards rushing on 24 carries (2.8 ypc) and the Niners completed 13 of 20 passes for 139 yards.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=270825003

The Bears prevailed last night in spite of Rex Grossman’s sloppy play and the defense’s inability to stop the Colts’ passing game. Rex Grossman completed 9 of 11 passes for 59 yards and he carried the ball 3 times for 1 yard (0.3 ypc) with a TD. But he also fumbled the football 3 times (losing 1) and he also threw an interception. Brian Griese replaced Grossman and he looked razor sharp connecting on 10 of 13 passes for 131 yards with a TD. Kyle Orton did an allright job in the game completing 3 of 6 passes for 45 yards. The running game again had issues as none of the running backs looked too good against the Colts. Cedric Benson got the most work with 10 carries for 24 yards (2.4 ypc). Rookie Garrett Wolfe also got some quality work carrying the football 8 times for 28 yards (3.5 ypc). Second stringer Adrian Peterson didn’t get far on his 5 carries gaining only 8 yards (1.6 ypc) but he did have a TD run. WR Bernard Berrian was a force last night with 4 grabs for 49 yards (12.3 avg) and a TD. The Bears only finished up with 68 yards rushing on 32 carries (2.1 ypc). They did throw the ball well however completing 22 of 31 passes for 211 yards.

The Bears defense was sharp against the running game holding the Colts to 75 yards rushing on 19 carries (3.9 ypc). The Colts did move the ball well passing against the Bears defense as they completed 28 of 46 passes for 280 yards.

http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/boxscore?gameId=270820011

The Chicago Bears have waived fullback Jon Goldsberry. They had claimed him off of waivers from the Tampa Bay Bucs in the off season but he didn’t impress enough in Training Camp to get a job.

Now the Chicago Bears have two impressive tight ends on their roster. The Bears selected Greg Olsen out of Miami (Fla) in the first round of the NFL Draft to compete and sometimes play alongside veteran Desmond Clark. Clark was a huge surprise for the Bears last season as he unleashed a career year in 2006. He played in 16 games (all starts) and he caught 45 passes for 626 yards (13.9 avg) with 6 TD grabs. Look for his numbers to take a slight hit with Olsen stealing some of his playing time. Clark has now played in 114 games (66 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 218 passes for 2,522 yards (11.6 avg) with 20 TD grabs.

Greg Olsen has a few qualities that Desmond Clark lacks as he is faster and has better hands. When the Bears send their WRs on deep patterns Olsen is going to tear them up on the short stuff. Make no mistake Olsen is an upgrade on Clark both now and in the future.

John Gilmore returns to the Bears as their #3 TE. He played in 16 games (3 starts) last season for the Bears and he caught 6 passes for 38 yards (6.3 avg) with 2 TD grabs. Look for the Bears to use him as a blocker in the running game and as a red zone threat. He has now played in 71 games (9 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 18 passes for 180 yards (10.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs.

The Chicago Bears might not have one of the best WR corps in the NFL but they have a fast one. Bernard Berrian stepped up as he stayed healthy last season as he was Rex Grossman’s favorite receiver deep because of his speed. Berrian played in 15 games (14 starts) for the Bears last year and he caught 51 passes for 775 yards (15.2 avg) with 6 TD catches and he also carried the ball 2 times for 5 yards (2.5 ypc). Look for Berrian to improve on those numbers as long as he stays healthy. He has now played in 42 games (17 starts) and he has caught 79 passes for 1,246 yards (15.8 avg) with 8 TD grabs and he has carried the football 12 times for 64 yards (5.3 ypc) over his career.

Mushin Muhammad is the tough guy of the receiving crew. He no longer has the speed to stretch a defense but he still knows how to get open and he has a solid set of hands. He also is an exceptional run blocker in the open field as he can turn a good run into a TD. He played in 16 games last season (all starts) and he caught 60 passes for 863 yards (14.4 avg) with 5 TD grabs. Look for Muhammad to have similar numbers in 2007. He has now played in 156 games (144 starts) and he has caught 702 passes for 9,364 yards (13.3 avg) with 53 TD grabs and he also has carried the ball 11 times for 64 yards (5.8 ypc) over his career.

The Bears are crossing their fingers hoping that Mark Bradley can stay healthy because he has a similar skill set as Bernard Berrian and he could bust out with a big year. Bradley played in 10 games (0 starts) last season for the Bears and he caught 14 passes for 282 yards (20.1 avg) with 3 TD grabs. He will likely be the Bears #3 WR this season if he can stay on the field. He has now played in 17 career games (4 starts) and he has caught 32 passes for 512 yards (16.0 avg) with 3 TD grabs.

Rashied Davis is likely to be either the #3 or #4 WR for the Bears this year. He played in 16 games (2 starts) last season for the Bears and he caught 22 passes for 303 yards (13.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs and he also returned 32 kickoffs for 753 yards (23.5 avg) but he likely won’t have that job again with Devin Hester around. He has now played in 28 games (2 starts) in his NFL career and he has caught 22 passes for 303 yards (13.8 avg) with 2 TD grabs. He also has returned 43 kickoffs for 1,004 yards (23.3 avg) and 5 punts for 31 yards (6.2 avg).

Devin Hester is the secret weapon of the offense this season as he is converting from cornerback to receiver and the results could be huge for the Bears. Hester has a boatload of moves and speed to burn in the open field. Most of his plays will probably be long balls but he could also be lethal on the short stuff if he can find a seam. He played in 16 games last season and he made 9 whole tackles. But, he returned 20 kickoffs for 528 yards (26.4 avg) with 2 TD returns and he also returned 47 punts for 600 yards (12.8 avg) with 3 TD returns. He’s the most dynamic return man in the game already and he really proved that when he returned a missed field goal 108 yards for a TD against the New York Giants in Prime Time. The sky is the limit for Hester.

The Chicago Bears scored 13 unanswered points in the 4th quarter under Kyle Orton to snatch a close victory last night. All three of the Bears QBs looked pretty good last night. Rex Grossman started the game and he was very efficient hitting 8 of 10 passes for 50 yards. Brian Griese replaced him and he looked outstanding completing 6 of 7 passes for 72 yards and a TD. But it was Kyle Orton who led the Bears to victory as he completed 16 of 25 passes for 151 yards and a TD. Cedric Benson was the only running back that looked good for the Bears last night as he carried the ball 5 times for 23 yards (4.6 ypc). Backup RB Adrian Peterson had a night to forget as he carried the ball 6 times for 10 yards (1.7 ypc). Rookie Garrett Wolfe found the NFL a little harder than the MAC Conference as he carried the ball 7 times for only 15 yards (2.1 ypc). WR Mark Bradley looked outstanding as he caught 2 passes for 47 yards (23.5 avg). TE John Gilmore (4 rec, 43 yards) and WR Brandon Rideau (3 rec, 43 yards) were also standouts last night. The Bears running game looked stuck in neutral last night as they carried the ball 21 times for 57 yards (2.7 ypc) but they were exceptional throwing the football as they completed 30 of 42 passes for 264 yards.

The defense looked sharp as they held the Texans to 75 yards rushing on 25 carries (3.0 ypc) and they completed 20 of 38 passes for 160 yards. The Bears looked good as it only seems like they need to work on their running game on offense in the next three weeks to be ready for the season.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/live/NFL_20070811_CHI@HOU

Jason McKie did a good job of paving the way for Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson to get all the glory that comes with effective running. McKie played in 15 games (12 starts) with the Bears last season and he carried the ball 8 times for 18 yards (2.3 ypc) and he also caught 25 passes for 162 yards (5.9 avg) with 2 TD grabs. Look for him to be a little more involved with the offense this season because of the lack of depth at tailback for the Bears. He has now played in 45 games (16 starts) in his NFL career and he has carried the football 12 times for 41 yards (3.4 ypc) and he also has caught 43 passes for 254 yards (5.9 avg) with 2 TD grabs. McKie has also returned 7 kickoffs for 105 yards (15.0 avg). Obafemi Ayanbadejo will be the #2 fullback when he returns after 4 games due to a league suspension for substance abuse. He played in 14 games (0 starts) last season for the Cardinals and he carried the ball 9 times for 37 yards (4.1 ypc) and he caught 17 passes for 139 yards (8.2 avg). Ayanbadejo also made 9 tackles on special teams last year. It’s possible that he could push McKie for the starting job at fullback when he returns. He has now played in 101 games (18 starts) and he has carried the football 123 times for 413 yards (3.4 ypc) with 5 TD runs and he also has caught 130 passes for 885 yards (6.8 avg) with 3 TD grabs. He also is a special teams ace with 62 career tackles. Jon Goldsberry will be the #3 fullback on the roster for the Bears. They picked him up after the Bucs released him. He has played two seasons in the NFL but he has yet to appear in a regular season game.

The NFL has suspended fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo for 4 games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Bears new about the suspension before they signed him so this shouldn’t effect his standing with the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have traded reserve cornerback Dante Wesley to the Patriots for an undisclosed draft pick. Wesley was expendable as he played in 13 games for the Bears last season and he made 10 tackles. The Bears likely won’t miss Wesley much.

Robbie Gould covered up for a lot of bad offense last season for the Bears with his strong leg. He made 88.9% of his field goals and he nailed all 47 of his extra points last season as he finished with 143 points which led all NFL kickers in points. Goould nailed 20 of 22 field goals of 39 yards or under and he converted an amazing 12 of 14 on kicks of 40+ yards.

Gould has now played in 29 NFL games and he has scored 225 points for an average of 7.8 points per game. Gould has now hit 53 of 63 (84.1%) of his field goals and 66 of 67 extra points. Look for Gould to have another monster season in 2007.