But in the Pros if the D backs cant cover then the QB doesnt have to hold the ball too long thats why they call them coverage sacks.We did it in the 80s all the time with Ryan but we had the talent to cover from the LBs @ the DBs and the QBs always went down ball in hand.:) But you have to have a healthy secondary that can make the QB hold the ball.Wich means you have to be able to cover man to man so you can use the safeties over the top.[/quote]
I agree, the DB's have to be able to cover. However, I don't care what league you're in, the QB should NEVER be allowed to have the ball in his hand 5 seconds after the snap. The D-line or someone coming through on a blitz should be in the QB's face long before that. Once the QB has the ball for 5 seconds or more, the play almost always results a completion. The best cover corners in the league can't be expected to cover a receiver for more than 4 or 5 seconds. Most receivers hit the end of their route by then, and if the QB is scrambling around they'll break off that route and try to find open space. Cornerbacks know the routes just as well as the receivers do, and once they see what route the receiver is running, they know exactly how to cover it. Once that receiver starts improvising to get to open space, there's no way for the corner to have any idea where he might decide to go. Coverage sacks generally happen when the defense drops 2 or more defenders into coverage than the offense has eligible receivers. If there's more people covering than the offense has to throw to, chances are they're not going to get open. If you run straight-up man coverage with one DB/LB on each WR/TE/HB, and the QB has enough time, someone's going to get open. It's a fact of football. In Cover 2, it's even easier. So the D-line has to be improved this offseason, or it won't make a hill of beans difference who our corners and safeties are.


By the way, the Bears' all-time franchise leader in sacks happened to play DE in the 80's. Not to mention the two DT's he played with most of those years were absolute beasts, and one of them is in the Hall of Fame (Hampton). The Bears had the best D-line in the league, hands down, that's why nobody could run OR pass on the Bears then.

:D I think Harris did well while playing injured the last 2 years he will be faster and meaner than ever before.He will lead our d-line to the next level.:) From what i saw this season he had at least 5 sacks and put alot pressure in the backfield but when coverage breaks down and the pass gets off then they blame our line.:D[/quote]
The problem is the line isn't getting ANY pressure. That's why the coverage breaks down. I'm currently playing for a semi-pro team and our team has the exact same problems that the Bears suffer from: Great defense, but the offense is only on the field for about 25% of the game because our o-line can't block and we go 3-and-out almost every series, and our D gets burnt because our DE's can't get to the QB. I don't care who lines up behind center, if you give him 4-7 seconds, someone's gonna get open. 1-3 seconds, not so much. The Bears give the opposing QB's the 4-7 seconds, but only give theirs 1-3... translation: the defense is on the field the whole game.

Harris will do better when the Bears get a real #2 DT and an ends who can actually rush the QB. Until then, he'll be an above average DT who sucks against the run. That's been this line's problem all along, Smith built this line strictly to go after the QB, but without that run stuffing #2 DT, opponents can draw and dive them to death.