[CBFF] Wearing out early? (Pierson)

[Steve Behrens]

They'renot wearing out....

They're wearing thin.

There's a difference.

-Behr


On 12/26/06, Victor Waldron <victor19 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> (I know this has come up before, but what is the cause of the Bears D
> giving up more later in the season? Them wearing out could definitely
> be a factor but you also have to look at the injuries, especially this
> season. Pierson also doesn't address the Mike Brown factor........he
> was out after Thanksgiving last season and this year's bleeding began
> with the Miami game, his second out after his injury.)
>
> Wearing out early?
> Like last season, Bears defense vulnerable near season's end
> Don Pierson
> On Pro Football
>
> December 24, 2006
>
> The Bears are celebrating Christmas because they have wrapped up
> home-field advantage in the NFC. But if they need incentive to finish
> the regular season strong in so-called meaningless games against
> Detroit and Green Bay, they need to look closely at another holiday,
> Thanksgiving.
>
> Thanksgiving usually marks the time when the NFL season begins its
> stretch run. It's when contenders start separating from pretenders.
> It's when the best teams get better. But in the last two years, the
> Bears defense has worn down after Thanksgiving at an alarming rate.
>
> In 20 games before Thanksgiving over the last two seasons, they have
> allowed more than 300 yards only once. That was to Washington in the
> 2005 opener.
>
> In 11 games after Thanksgiving, including last year's playoff loss,
> they have allowed more than 340 yards nine times, including all four
> post-Thanksgiving games this season.
>
> The two seasons are remarkably similar. Last year, the Bears gave up
> an average of 252 yards per game before Thanksgiving, exactly the same
> as this season. After Thanksgiving last year, they gave up an average
> of 346. This year, the post-Thanksgiving average has ballooned to 372.
>
> Rick Odioso, former Tampa Bay public relations director, noticed this
> after the bedraggled Buccaneers went above the 300-yard mark last
> week. He noted that in the Bears' 31 games over the last two seasons,
> their eight highest yardage-allowed totals all came after Dec. 1.
>
> Bears coach Lovie Smith and defensive coordinator Ron Rivera stress
> points allowed over yards, but there is a disturbing trend there too.
>
> Before Thanksgiving last year, the Bears were allowing 11 points per
> game. After Thanksgiving, it went up to 19. Before turkey this season,
> it was 12 points. After turkey, it has been 22.
>
> Whether the Bears wear down because of Smith's desire for lighter,
> quicker players, or whether they let down after clinching a playoff
> spot, giving up more than 100 yards more per game plus nearly twice
> the points after Thanksgiving doesn't seem like a recipe for success.
>
> In case you're wondering about the 1985 Bears for comparison, their
> defense allowed an average of 257 yards per game before Thanksgiving
> and 212 yards per game after Thanksgiving,
>
> including their stifling playoff run when they gave up 181 yards to
> the Giants, 130 to the Rams and 123 to the Patriots. They were on such
> a roll that if the playoffs had lasted much longer, they would have
> held teams to minus yardage.
>
> Their only loss, 38-24 to Miami, came on their first game after
> Thanksgiving, so it skewed their point totals. Before Thanksgiving,
> they gave up 11 points per game. After Thanksgiving, they gave up 12
> points per game. Throw out the Miami game, and they gave up only seven
> points per game after Thanksgiving, including two playoff shutouts.
> Clearly, they were getting better as the season progressed.
>
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