Preseason games are snoozers.  But much more so when the starters don’t play, which seemingly will be the case tonight in Cleveland.

On the one hand I would hate to see any injuries.  On the other hand, this will do nothing to quiet the worry the both the Bears offense and defense is in complete disarray.

10 days until the real thing starts!

Yesterday, in a Chicago Tribune article I saw in the paper but can’t find online to link, several sources said they’re confident the Bears offense will get it in gear for the regular season opener.

Contrast that with Mike Mulligan’s article in the Sun Times today, in which he says that “stuck in neutral might be an improvement” for the team.

I’m hoping the former opinion ends up being true.  I really, really hope that Martz has withheld 90% of his playbook and when he opens it up, the offense will “get” it, which they haven’t done in the preseason.

I won’t even start on the defense this morning.

Just an early Tuesday morning diatribe while floating in the wake of an ugly Bears loss, during which the team looked disinterested in playing even average football.

For those of you that were at home as I was, Fox 32’s Lou Canellis interviewed legendary Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher before the game.  As most of us know, after beginning his career as a darling of the NFL and Bears fans, reaping many benefits from this, Urlacher has become somewhat sour over the last three years.

Canellis pointed out that Urlacher has taken a lot of criticism the last few years, after being injured multiple times, not as effective as he had been in 2006 and before, and muscled his way into receiving a large contract extension (his second such large extension) prior to the 2008 season.  How did Urlacher feel about this, Cannellis asked?

“I could care less” [what the fans think], Urlacher said.

OK, Brian, here’s my perspective.  You reaped the benefits adorned on you by the fans, earning you somewhere around $65 or $70 million dollars in your career before a single endorsement is considered, and those were also ample.  Sure, you are extremely talented, but if not for fans shelling out their money, your kind of talent would not have secured you generational wealth to the degree that if you manage it properly, no Urlacher will ever have to hold a normal job again.

I realize you have a right to your opinions and feelings, and if I were in your position I’d probably be sick of 11 years of constant scrutiny too.  But what you said is a slap in the face to someone like me.  In my opinion, you owe it to the fans, who have given you this wealth, to be slightly more politically correct publicly.

I am the last fan to put athletes on a pedestal.  I have never looked at any athlete as a hero or role model, outside of Brian Piccolo and Walter Payton.  So I don’t expect them to be shining examples of good guys for the most part, unfortunately.  But in my opinion, highly paid athletes do owe it to their fans to at least be respectful to the smallest degree for what we have given them.  They don’t have to be nice, they don’t have to be good guys.  But they shouldn’t be an ass to the fans, either.

Unfortunately, I have to say the fact that Urlacher “could care less” what the fans think of him, this brings me one small step closer to writing professional sports off.  Each time I spend my limited money to see a product like was trotted out on Saturday, and their players slap their fans in the face as Urlacher’s comments did, I am honestly coming closer to the day when I truck my immense collection of Bears memorabilia to a field somewhere, have a nice bonfire, and never look back.

Thanks, Brian.  I will never wear your jersey again and will see to it that as many others as possible never do either.

For all NFL teams, the third preseason game is the dress rehearsal for the season, the most important event until real play begins.

And the Chicago Bears looked atrocious.  I can’t remember the Bears looking worse in the third preseason game in all my years watching them.  Worse than Wanny bad, worse than Jauron/Shoop bad.  Bad.

What are your thoughts?  Maybe someone can tell me whether we should feel worse about the offensive failures or the defensive failures.

Regardless, I have far from a warm feeling with two weeks left until the season opener.

In 2005 it became a Lovie Smith tradition to start a rookie safety.  That year, Chris Harris broke into the starting lineup.  In 2006, it was Danieal Manning, then Kevin Payne the next year (the plan anyway, until his injury), and Al Afalava in 2009.  It’s looking like sooner rather than later, Major Wright will be the next edition.

Rookie or not, I’m just finally looking for stability at the position.  How I long for Mike Brown and Tony Parrish, Shaun Gayle and Mark Carrier, or Dave Duerson and Gary Fencik.

Ah, Rashied Davis.  I was so happy for this guy in 2006.  A former arena football player that took his game to the next level and apparently succeeded, making several CLUTCH receptions in the Super Bowl year to win games.

Then in 2007/2008, the memories that stick in my brain are “it’s third-and-eight, there’s Rashied Davis wide open for a 12-yard….THE BALL HIT HIM IN THE HANDS!”  This happened multiple times.

I suspect the “people that put things on him” in his mind are the fans.  It’s always the fan’s fault, right?  Cade McNown, Rex Grossman, Davis, all of their problems were because the average fan making a living wage got upset and expected them to earn their millions.

But according to Davis, apparently him dropping catchable passes was not his fault.  In a Tribune article by Vaughn McClure, Davis says “Then I had the bad year in ‘08, which was not that bad a year. It was my best year here, but I felt like a lot people put a lot of stuff on me like it was all my fault. So I was angry.”

This is a new one.  We’ve seen all kinds of crazy statements from athletes, but saying dropped passes that hit him on the hands weren’t his fault?  Wow.

I hope Davis can return to 2006 form, and he makes the team busts out and becomes the Bear version of Az Hakim.  For his sake and the team’s.  But until he does start catching passes thrown to him again, it would be nice to not hear him blame the dropsies on anyone else.

Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune writes today that after three down seasons, defensive tackle Tommie Harris is returning to form.

I sure hope so.  In my opinion, we can trace Harris’ ascension and descent and draw and exact parallel with the rest of the defense.  When Harris played at a high level-up to the point of his horrific hamstring injury against Minnesota in 2006-the Bear defense was ferocious.  Since then, exposed.

The pressure Harris used to generate was key to Lovie Smith’s system.  And it hasn’t been there since December 2006.  Let’s hope it’s finally back.

Last year the Bears ranked 27th in the NFL in stopping the opposing team on third down.  “No excuse,” says linebacker Lance Briggs in an article by Neil Hayes of the Sun Times.

I’ll say it again, in my opinion it doesn’t matter how awful the offensive line continues to play (although that will get Jay Cutler killed).  Chicago’s downfall since 2007 has been their defense, and if it doesn’t improve, the 2010 season will be over quickly.

The Chicago Bears today signed quarterback Todd Collins to compete for the backup role.  It will be interesting to see how the 82-year old Collins (kidding, I’m the same age as him) does.  Let’s just hope and pray we never see him in the regular season.

I remember when Collins was drafted in 1995, and when he became Buffalo’s starter in 2007.  He didn’t do well.  But he did beat the Bears in 2007 in his first game action in some time.

Good to see the Bears starters fight back from a 10-0 deficit to lead the Raiders 14-13 at halftime.  Highlights were Matt Forte’s 89-yard touchdown run, which showcased both the return of Forte’s speed and fantastic blocking up front, and a fourth-down Jay Cutler touchdown pass to Johnny Knox.  Not to forget the ensuing two-point conversion run by Chester Taylor.

But of course the pass blocking of the starting offensive line (Chris Williams gave up four sacks to journeyman Raider Kamerion Wimbley) was atrocious, as was some of the play of the starting defense.  Same problem as last year: missed tackles at the line of scrimmage turning ordinary plays into huge gainers for the opposition, and blown coverages and opposing receivers sitting right in zone holes for easy catches.  And let’s not forget, this was against the Raiders who haven’t won more than five games since 2002.

I happened to be in Chicago’s Miller’s Pub Saturday afternoon, sitting by the door at the end of the bar.  In walked Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice, towering over the entire restaurant.  I shouted “coach them up, Mike!” and gave him a thumbs-up.  As he turned to me, he mustered the least-annoyed smile he could before moving to his table.  I really like Tice and know he will get everything he can out of his linemen, but clearly it didn’t show last night.

A little to be happy about, a lot to be nervous about.  What do you think?