I receive a lot of emails regarding Cedric Benson. The biggest question following Benson’s latest injury is whether he has a future in Chicago.
Does Jerry Angelo have to start over at the running back position?
Yes.
The Bears are built around a strong run game and aggressive defense. That’s why they can’t count on Benson filling such a key role within their philosophy.
Benson has displayed very ordinary run skills and has been very tentative most of the season. The two most critical issues that disturb me is a running back that gets nicked up easily and lacks mental toughness.
The bottom line to Jerry Angelo: You can’t trust building the future of your football team around Cedric Benson.
The “other” Adrian Peterson will now be counted on to help the Bears remain competitive in December. Peterson lacks the speed and burst to scare opponents with big plays, but he’s a tough, dependable back who can keep the chains moving. He displays adequate run skills and is reliable in most facets of the passing game.
The Bills go back to rookie Trent Edwards at quarterback.#### Jauron likes to plays clean football by eliminating mistakes on the offensive side of the ball and play strong defense. J.P. Losman flashes some talent, but coaches are frustrated by his uneven performances – especially his inability to make good decisions with the football.
The teams remain in playoff contention at 5-6, so the players aren’t excited about going with a rookie at quarterback right now. That means one of the biggest challenges for Edwards at this point is to win over his teammates.
It will be interesting to see how the St. Louis Rams respond following their devastating loss at home against Seattle. Scott Linehan has his work cut out for him this week in terms of lifting the offensive side of the football. Linehan must make sure the players don’t quit on him at this point. But one area of the Rams that remains underrated is their defense. Jim Haslett is doing a tremendous job getting this defense to play hard. Will Witherspoon has been a monster at linebacker. O.J. Atogwe is developing into a presence at free safety. And rookies Clifton Ryan and Adam Carriker have proven they are building blocks inside along the front line.
Are the New York Giants suspects? Yes. Eli Manning has taken a step back again. The offense wasn’t on the same page against Minnesota. I was very disappointed by the inconsistent effort of Jeremy Shockey at times. The biggest concern down the stretch has to be the mental makeup of this team. Remember, this is the same core of players of I have questioned in the past in regards to their leadership. Can they handle adversity heading into the December playoff run? Quick frankly, I have serious doubts.
I was disturbed at Philip Rivers telling off his home fans on Sunday. The Chargers need more poise from their quarterback on and off the field. This was a problem during the stretch last season and it’s carried into this season. Rivers seems to crumble under pressure when things aren’t going his way. It’s resulted in a very erratic season where’s he’s struggled to protect the football. This isn’t a great sign for a playoff team. That is why a few of their core veterans – LaDainian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, and Lorenzo Neal must take control of this team. They miss veteran leaders like Donnie Edwards and Randall Godfrey on the other side of the ball. Their core of best players must take accountability towards being an intense, focused football team down the stretch.
Look for Bill Callahan coming to a sideline near you next season since he’s been fired by Nebraska. Callahan should draw a lot of interest as an offensive line coach and possible coordinator next season. Seattle and San Francisco could be possibilities. Callahan also has strong ties from the past with Jon Gruden. But Gruden has one of the top offensive line coaches in Bill Muir.
Yo. Pretty spot-on blog, but I must ask, was the paragraph spent on the New York Giants skipped over when it came to edits, or was it lifted from the sports section of a current NY Post newspaper?
Phillip Rivers is a pansy. I feel weird about it because I like the Chargers and I like Drew Brees but the Chargers just seem to be sending people who contribute to winning away at an alarming rate.
I think the Bears should probably go after a 2nd-round caliber RB in the draft, but I also think their O-line isn't very good, and the lack of a consistent passing game doesn't help any of the RBs out. The Bears are headed downhill quickly.
As far as the Giants, they have overperformed to date, and the defense will get worn out as the last weeks go along. I'd love to see them sign alen Faneca as a free agent this off-season.
Last edited by DRKNOW28 on November 27th at 8:45 AM.
Benson never did impress me. Any RB that runs out of bounds when the clock is not an issue can go somewhere else> Afte all that bantering he did while Jones was still here, is and was just talk. Put up or shut up! he did neither!
Sorry that he is hurt. Not sorry that he is done for the year.
Peterson here is your chance to Step up and take the reigns>>
GO BEARS!!
enough of the bears bashing!their season has more to do with injuries and an offensive co. who doesn't have clue more the superbowl jinx.benson was hurt on a play where he had just ripped off a 21 yard gain,not bad for a bust. and please enough of the they should not have traded jones stuff to.he turned 1 good year in tampa to a big payday from the bears and was an average back that first year. then they drafted benson and he was lights out and wanting a bigger payday had another great year and got the big bucks from the jets and look at the year he is having with them. I am not saying benson was goinna be the greatest but he was just starting to turn it around when he got hurt and playing behind a old line and in that let's run it anyway even though they have 10 men the box offense what more could he do? and it realy helps your career when you get taken out of the game after having the longest run of your nfl life by that great coach of their offense. and how bout that great play calling against denver sun. yea wait untill overtime to let rex do what he does best and throw it deep to set up the game winner. the man must go and smith needs to change his views about offense or even tom brady couldn't win there.
I agree about the offensive line for the Bears. I mentioned back in June that the offensive line could get old quickly this season as a major concern. That turned out to be true. The offensive line and running game are key factors in Chicago.
Metalhead...you are to deep in the forest to see the trees. Benson is an enormous bust. Jones fit the Bear system perfectly. He could catch the ball out of the backfield. How many drops to Benson have this year? How many fumbles? He never earned the job, it was given to him because he was a high pick period. After his 2 carries in the Super Bowl, one fumble and one knee injury, the Bears were still dumb enough to get rid of Jones. Now they have no NFL starting qb or rb on the roster. It doesn't matter what the bears do on offense, their defense is getting shredded. That's Lovie's pride and joy and their giving up boat loads of points at Soldier Field to the likes of the Broncos and Vikings? The Bears are in deep trouble. The O-line is getting old, they have no clue who their qb is going to be next year, they have to deal with Briggs, Urlacher may never be the same and they don't have any cap space. After next year the biggest weapon they have (Hester) will be a free agent. How much do you suppose he will command?
Brian DeLucia has been a widely respected NFL Analyst for several years including six-years on FOXSports.com
Brian analyzes players, coaches, and personnel guys from a unique front office perspective. You can email Brian DeLucia at bjd@enter.net
The Bears are built around a strong run game and aggressive defense. That’s why they can’t count on Benson filling such a key role within their philosophy. 
