We know you're busy, so here's a roundup of some of the recent stories featured right here on Bolingbrook Patch.
Too busy last week to stay up to date on all the news happening in and around Bolingbrook? Not to worry. Patch has your back. In case you missed them, here were some of the top headlines from the last few days:
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So much for first-game jitters. Jay Cutler threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bears to the NFC Championship game.
It took all of three plays for Jay Cutler to validate his presence in the playoffs. Cutler's first postseason pass was a 58-yard missile to tight end Greg Olsen that went for six, setting the tone for the laugher that was to come at the lake front. Let that sink in for just one moment. The history of Chicago Bears quarterbacks isn't steeped in lore, which makes it odd for ESPN columnist Rick Reilly to question Cutler's lack of a quarterbacking idol as a child growing up a Bears fan. Cutler would be throwing a football in a parking lot today had he modeled his game after Dave Krieg, Steve Stenstrom, Peter Tom Willis or Shane Matthews. The franchise's most decorated quarterback retired in 1950. Its top receiver was a running back. Bears …
The Bears are a different team since the loss to the Seahawks and have a chance to prove it on Sunday.
It almost feels as if the Chicago Bears are entering a trap game with the underwhelming Seattle Seahawks coming to town this weekend. Of course, that whole win-or-go-home thing that comes with playoff football changes the feeling slightly. When Seattle last came to Chicago, the Bears were flying high with a 4-1 record while the Seahawks were stumbling out of the gate to start 2-2. Judging by how the game ended, you would have thought the roles were reversed. It's rare when an NFL gets a chance at redemption. Throw in the incentive of a spot in the conference championship—in Chicago no less—and the Bears should be considered fortunate to be facing a team that would need to finish with a Super Bowl win to have a record above the .500-mark …
Jay Cutler's mechanics will be an afterthought as long as he continues to win games.
Sixty minutes. Seventy-two points. More than 700 yards of total offense. And all I can take away from the Chicago Bears' 38-34 win against the New York Jets are three simple words. Mechanics, be damned. Quarterback Jay Cutler was throwing across his body, completing passes left and right to move the chains. He threw off his back foot and landed the hands of Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Matt Forte which led to touchdowns. He scrambled out of the pocket, released the pigskin from more angles than a crafty left-handed middle reliever and still had enough zip to get it to his open receivers before a defensive back could get to it. And the end result was 215 passing yards, three touchdowns and a second consecutive Bears victory. The throws …
Despite a disheartening loss in snow, wind and sub-freezing temperatures, the Bears are still knocking on the door to the playoffs.
The New England Patriots debunked the old adage that suggests it is better to be lucky than good. And all it took was 30 minutes. The Chicago Bears, who sported one of the NFL's five best defenses, allowed 273 total yards and 33 points en route to an embarrassing 36-7 loss Sunday at Soldier Field. And that was just in the first half. Pats quarterback Tom Brady effortlessly picked apart the Bears' defense, throwing for 193 yards, while his counterpart, Jay Cutler, managed only 19 yards through the air. Again, that was only in the game's first two quarters. Not much to analyze after that. Chicago outscored New England 7-3 in the second half, and no key offensive players were sent off the field on a stretcher. Other than that, the game was a …
It's time for Bears fans to credit the Lovie Smith for making adjustments and transforming the Bears into a winning football team.
A season that started with questions about Lovie Smith's job security has had its focus shifted to whether or not Smith and his Chicago Bears can secure a playoff spot. Lovie has been anything but loved by most Bears fans, despite a 60-47 career record and .561 winning percentage as the team's head coach coming into Sunday's action. Sunday's 24-20 victory over the Detroit Lions clinched the Bears' fourth winning season under Smith—one more than predecessors Dick Jauron and Dave Wannstedt had in the 11 seasons before Smith strolled into town. And if the Bears can avoid a late-season collapse, Smith could lock up his third playoff appearance as Chicago's head coach. That would place him behind George Halas and Mike Ditka in regard to playoff…
Jay Cutler proved to be the Pro Bowl caliber quarterback the Chicago Bears were looking for while beating Michael Vick and the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles. Meanwhile, across the country, Cutler's former team continues to struggle under Josh McDaniels
Jay Cutler was more Mike Vick than Vick was himself at Soldier Field Sunday. The much-maligned Chicago Bears quarterback threw four touchdown passes to three different receivers, posted a career-best 146.2 quarterback rating and—perhaps most importantly—threw no interceptions in a 31-26 win against the Philadelphia Eagles. Remind me again who was supposed to be the Pro Bowl quarterback coming into Sunday's tilt? And say what you will about the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty Cutler drew in the fourth quarter. As it turns out, it might have been the best penalty the Bears have taken all season. With that exchange between Cutler and the officiating crew, the Bears quarterback asserted himself as the clear leader of the Bears. By standing up…
With six weeks remaining in the season, the Bears-Packers rivalry could actually provide some late-season drama, unlike other Chicago sports rivalries.
Chicago's classic rivalries have been lacking in the drama department in recent years, but that will change as we come down the stretch of the current NFL season. Because something of substance will be on the line over the next six weeks, the rivalry between the Bears and Green Bay Packers will finally get its time in the limelight once again. The Bears and Packers have all the makings of a headline-stealing rivalry. Contrary to popular belief, the two NFC North foes have more than a long-time feud going for them. Both teams feature quarterbacks overcoming obstacles not usually associated with being an NFL signal caller. Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers is finally receiving full acceptance from a fan base that has come to grips with Brett Favre…
Sunday's game will be headlined by Jay Cutler and Brett Favre, a pair of quarterbacks who are strong-armed and hard-headed.
Like laws in old Western movies featuring John Wayne, conservative playbooks will be ignored Sunday at Soldier Field when Jay Cutler and Brett Favre square off. Sunday's game between the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings is headlined by a pair of quarterbacks who are strong-armed and hard-headed. It might not be pretty. In fact, it will likely turn ugly if Cutler and Favre exchange interceptions at a high rate. But no one watches Westerns for the plot; we're all watching to see who has the quickest draw and to confirm our hero is the last man standing. Favre has made a career of improvising, chucking and praying. And for the most part, it has worked. However, there is a reason he is the NFL's all-time leader in touchdowns and …
The Chicago Bears found their missing rushing attack during their trip to Canada, while also rediscovering the win column by beating the winless Bills.
There should be no shame in making a change. Barack Obama won a presidential election on the platform of change. The Tampa Bay Rays have won 277 games, made two playoff appearances and won the 2008 American League pennant after taking the "Devil" out of their name following the 2007 season. Now, the Chicago Bears are the latest entity to grasp the concept that change can be a good thing. After rushing a grand total of 30 times in back-to-back losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins, offensive coordinator Mike Martz succumbed to the passionate requests of a riled-up fan base to commit to a running game by calling 31 running plays. As a result of a balanced offensive attack, the Bears avoided becoming the first team to fall to…
Richard Calloway
8:03 pm on Monday, December 6, 2010
If the Bears offensive line protects the quarterback and give him time to throw the ball, they will continue to be a winning team. more ›