What is wrong with Chicago

There is trouble in the windy city.  The Chicago Bears are having a rough year.  Today's loss to the Patriots was just plain ugly.  The defense could do nothing to stop Tom Brady and company.  The offense didn't really get started until they were almost 40 points behind.  Brandon Marshall probably had a meltdown in the locker room.  Jay Cutler does look to Matt Forte an awful lot.  Forte has 58 receptions this year almost double Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall with 38 and 34 respectively.  Instead of hitting one of his two star receivers downfield he's dumping the ball short to Forte.  Either he's not getting enough protection from his offensive line or he's just running scared and making bad decisions. 

It's not just the offense that is having problems.  The defense gave up 487 yards and 51 points to the Patriots, anyone will have trouble digging out of that kind of hole.  The defense isn't what it was last year and that's not saying much.  Last year the Bears finished 30th in the NFL in points allowed, 30th in yards allowed, 28th in sacks and were by far the worst run defense in the league, allowing 5.3 yards per carry.  They lost Julius Peppers but gained Jared Allen this year.  Something has to give someone has to step up and take charge of this team.

Marc Trestman in his second season as head coach has his hands full.  The offense is struggling, the defense is giving up yards like water through a sieve.  The Bears are 11-13 under his leadership and the team has no direction.  There is no discipline and sloppy play.  Stupid mistakes that just makes things harder.  Defensive end Lamarr Houston will undergo an MRI on Monday after hurting his right knee while celebrating a sack of Jimmy Garoppolo during the fourth quarter.  The fourth quarter, when there was no chance of winning on the backup quarterback none the less.  No discipline, stupid mistakes.  Something has to give.

Trouble in Seattle

The defending world champion Seattle Seahawks are having some trouble this year.  On the field they've started 3-3 and off the field there's locker room drama.  

Bleacher Report's Mike Freeman wrote earlier this week about the ongoing drama in Seattle in the wake of the Percy Harvin trade. Apparently some Seahawks players think quarterback Russell Wilson is too close to the front office, and doesn't always take blame for his mistakes.

"There is also an element of race that needs to be discussed," Freeman wrote. "My feeling on this -- and it's backed up by several interviews with Seahawks players -- is that some of the black players think Wilson isn't black enough."

On Thursday's SportsCenter, Kenny Mayne added this to Freeman's story:

“Two sources one inside the team, one outside of the underachieving 3-3 Seahawks tell me that much of what was written in Mike Freeman’s Bleacher Report column is true,” Mayne said, via PFT. “(Freeman) wrote of turmoil involving since-traded Percy Harvin and the quarterback Russell Wilson that led to a more widespread internal battle pitting those for Russell Wilson and those against.

"And Freeman surmised on his own an issue among some teammates regarding Wilson that quote, 'he isn’t black enough.' A certain expected behavior based on color, apparently. One of the sources told me, quote, I don’t know how he got all that stuff, but it’s pretty much true. We do have a divide. We’re working on it. Thursday that notion was not presented to Wilson, but over and again, questions came about Harvin’s departure.”

These issues are coming out as Seattle is struggling this year.  We didn't hear this last year as the Seahawks were on the way to the Super Bowl, it's easier to ignore the problems when you're winning.  However the idea that Wilson is not 'black' enough is absolutely stupid.  To think that a man is supposed to act a certain way because of the color of his skin is not only stupid but also racist. 

Insurance For Your Fantasy

Insurance for your fantasy football team, now I've heard it all.  Apparently this isn't a new thing.  I first saw this a few weeks ago when Adrian Peterson was indicted on a child abuse charge.  Fantasy owners were calling their insurance companies wondering if they could collect on their policies.  The idea is you take out an insurance policy on your top players, if they get hurt and can't play a certain percent of their games then you can file a claim to recover some of the money you pay into your league.  This goes along with NFL teams that take similar insurance policies on players to recover contract money if they can't play. 

Insurance companies will apparently sell a policy on anything.  Home insurance, car insurance, life insurance, sure most people have these but fantasy insurance?  This is too much.  Well I guess if there is a demand then someone will supply the goods. 

By the way from what I understand the insurance companies wouldn't pay on the policies.  They're not paying because Peterson is missing the season because of the criminal charges against him and not from injury.

Michael Sam Cut Again

The Dallas Cowboys have waived defensive end Michael Sam from their practice squad.  Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team, signed with the Cowboys on Sept. 3 after he was among the final cuts of the St. Louis Rams.  The Rams drafted Sam with the 249th overall pick this past May, making him the first openly gay player to be drafted in NFL history. He appeared in all four preseason games, racking up three sacks and 11 combined tackles, before the team released him in its final round of roster cuts.  Sam played his college football at the University of Missouri and was named SEC co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2013.  Unfortunately Sam has had to deal with the attention that had come with being the first openly gay player in the NFL.  I believe Sam's draft position fell because teams didn't want to deal with the media circus that would follow.  Teams don't want distractions and the attention would be a distraction.  Maybe someone talks a chance and picks him up so he'll have another chance to make a roster.

Harvin Trade a Factor in Loss

Seattle Seahawks receiver Doug Baldwin said the shocking Percy Harvin trade Friday had an impact on the team's slow start Sunday that led to the 28-26 loss to the St. Louis Rams.

"Obviously the shock of the transaction and what took place there made for a bit of an emotional roller coaster," Baldwin said. "When something that drastic happens, right before we get on the bus [to go to the airport for the trip], there is going to be an emotional impact. I felt we handled it to the best of our ability, but I think it might have been a factor in some way."

The Seahawks fell behind, 21-3, and trailed 21-6 at halftime before coming back and making it close in the second half.

"There's obviously a lot of things that went on this week that affected the team in numerous ways," Baldwin said in the locker room after the game. "As a competitor, you don't want to admit those things. But as a human, it is human nature. It took us a little while to get on track. I'm just proud we responded the way we did and fought until the very end."

Story from ESPN.com

Marshall Calls Out Cutler

Frustration boiled over inside the Chicago Bearslocker room Sunday, just minutes after the team fell 27-14 at Soldier Field to the Miami Dolphins. Yelling could be heard from outside the double doors, and a source said receiverBrandon Marshall called out quarterback Jay Cutler.

The source said there "are some very selfish individuals in the locker room."

Marshall, meanwhile, didn't deny there was friction in the aftermath of the game.

"We lost, there should be a lot of frustration," Marshall said. "You should hear frustration. We're 3-4. Yeah, this means everything to a lot of guys in this locker room. This means a lot."

While it was believed Marshall also yelled at kicker Robbie Gould, the receiver declined to answer when specifically asked.

"OK, were you in here?" Marshall asked. "Were you in this locker room? This is a team matter. That has nothing to do with you. There's a lot of guys this means a lot to. We're 3-4. We need to play better. That's unacceptable. That's unacceptable. Unacceptable; shouldn't have lost today, shouldn't be 3-4. [The] offense [has] got to play better. It's as simple as that."

Complete story from ESPNChicago

Brady's Back

It's been a rough year for Tom Brady.  The first five games were some of his worst ever.  The loyal fans in New England were ready to pull him and turn it over to Jimmy Garoppolo.  The past two weeks Brady has proven that he's not done.  Against the Bengals he had 292 yards and 2 touchdowns and 361 yards with 4 touchdowns against the Bills.  New England has the Jets tonight and they're missing a couple of starting defensive backs so it could be another big night.  If Patriots fans will be patient Brady will get the offense straight and it could turn out to be another big year.