Chi … 850.43
Ind … 102.06
The Chicago Bears ran the ball and stopped the run against an Indianapolis team that is not the same up-front that it has been in the last few years of championship runs. That's not to say that the Colts will struggle all season, necessarily. The Colts have been resilient to changes in their lineup over the years, jelling as a unit at the right time like in their championship run when they had let teams run all over them before the postseason. However, Indianapolis may certainly face its share of challenges early in the season.
Speaking of championships, it was the Bears that Indianapolis faced in the Super Bowl when it made its storied run. But it was not the "same" Bears they played Sunday. Which may be one of many factors that kept the Bears out of the playoffs last season following the year they won the NFC Championship.
++++++++++Chicago Bears++++++++++
The Bears retooled the interior of their defensive line in following their appearance in the Super Bowl. They brought back DT Tommie Harris, of course, but most of his sidekicks on the inside were gone by 2008. They also battled injuries and other challenges in 2007 that allowed their younger players to grow and gain experience. They bring most of those players back for the 2008 season.
The offensive line has a new face in OG Josh Beekman who takes over for the departed Ruben Brown. Veteran OT John St.Clair steps in at left tackle but is not exactly inexperienced as he has been in the lineup often over the past several seasons. Judging by the rushing performance of Rookie RB Matt Forte, the new look on the offensive line was a success in the opener at Indianapolis. DE Alex Brown was no stranger to action on the field on the defensive side of the ball---with DE Mark Anderson substituting in to rush the passer. Young DT Anthony Adams was not activated for the game.
Here is how Chicago looked up-front against the Colts on Sunday. As usual, changes from 2007 are highlighted in Bold.
Defensive Front:
Lance Briggs......Brian Urlacher......Hunter Hillenmeyer
Adawale Ogunleye..Tommie Harris..Dusty Dvoracek..Alex Brown
Offensive Line:
John
St Clair..Josh Beekman..Olin Kreutz..Roberto Garza..John Tait
++++++++++Indianapolis Colts++++++++++
The Indianapolis Colts rose to be one of the perennial winning teams in the AFC by developing an offensive line that is dominant in pass protection while still maintaining a balanced and efficient rushing attack. The further the defense molded to Head Coach Tony Dungy's Tampa Style Defense after he arrived in Indianapolis, the further the team advanced into the playoffs. The offensive line saw its first change in 2007 after years of stability with the retirement of pro-bowl tackle Tarik Glenn. Also gone from the regular lineup was OG Rick DeMulling. This past offseason, free agency claimed longtime starter OG Jake Scott--now a Tennessee Titan. The defensive side saw the loss of DT Anthony McFarland and LB Rob Morris among other contributers to the defensive front. To make matters worse, OL Ryan Lilja has been placed on IR on the PUP list while C Jeff Saturday is currently nursing an injured knee at the start of this season. Anthony McFarland is not the only loss on the interior defensive line, however. Unfortunately, the Colts were forced to cut their emerging young DT Ed Johnson this week due to off-field conduct.
Here's how they looked on Sunday versus the Bears--with changes from 2007 highlighted in BOLD.
Defensive Front:
Clint Session......Gary Brackett......Freddy Keiaho
Robert Mathis...Keyunta Dawson...Ed Johnson...Dwight Freeney
Offensive Line:
Tony
Ugoh..Charlie Johnson..Jamey Richard..Dan Federkeil..Ryan Diem
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