Week 10 Wrap Up: Have We Mentioned That We Hate Ed Hochuli?

By Brett | Permalink | No Comments | November 13th, 2006 | Trackback

We’re back from overseas, a bit earlier than expected. After we heard about the what happened at Soldier Field in Week 9, we changed our flight to get back early for the Bears-Giants game, knowing our boys would need all the help they could get. And, after seeing how poorly they played in the first half, we’re glad we came home. We’re pretty sure that was the difference maker in the second half.

Some things we’re marinating on in the wake of week 10:

• Ed Hochuli has a reputation as a great referee in the NFL, and while he clearly has a solid mastery of the rules (although someone may want to explain to him what a horsecollar tackle is), it’s flat-out awful to watch the games that he officiates. Why? The guy gets more screen time than the Wilson brothers. Hochuli and his crew call games tighter than just about any crew in the league, which makes for slow, boring games where the refs get more attention than the players.
• Eli Manning obviously still has a long way to go, and still struggles quite a bit with his accuracy. One thing that really impresses us, though, is his ability to evade the pass rush, particularly given the fact that he’s not exactly a fleet-footed guy. There were several times last night where we thought he was dead in the water, and he was able to get rid of the ball. Say what you want about the guy, he’s got great pocket presence.
• As expected, the Bears really miss Mike Brown. Replacements Todd Johnson and Chris Harris both look a little lost, and the Bears have given up 3 consecutive 100 yard rushers. That shouldn’t be placed all on Johnson and Harris, but the fact is the strong safety position is one of the key run defenders in the Cover 2 system (think John Lynch in Tampa Bay). Teams would be smart to look to exploit this weakness come December and January.
• Why it took the Bears eight games and two full quarters to really commit to running the ball is completely beyond us. Ron Turner obviously has a man-crush on Rex Grossman and his ability to throw the ball down the field, but he really hasn’t been doing the kid any favors this year. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: The Bears need to consistently run the ball between the tackles to be effective on offense. Last night, particularly in the second half, was the first time they’ve done that all season. Pounding the ball is the single best way to take the heat off of a young, inexperienced, streaky QB like Grossman. If the Bears want to win games in the playoffs, they need to revisit their second gameplan from last night. If Ron Turner puts it all on Grossman, they’re looking at another early playoff exit.


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