I find it very interesting how similar both the Bears And the Bills are, yet one team has found success this season while the other ....well, I leave that opinion to you.
The Bears are doing exactly what the Bills were expecting to do this season. That is, win games relying on defense and special teams play. While the Bills special teams play has been the one bright spot this season, the defense has been nothing short of a disappointment. Still, if we analyze both of these teams, players, statisticaly and physically, the resemblance is uncanny.
Let's start with defense.
MLB: Who doesn't know Brian Urlacher and London Fletcher? Both make their presence known when on the field and while Urlacher is a more popular choice for most, statisticly both linebackers are more similar then one might think.
Fletcher:
London has been in the league for 8 years and played a significant role with the Super Bowl Rams (on more than one occassion). As a Bill, London Fletcher has quietly and quickly become the team's lead tackler and heart of the defense. In 124 games Fletcher has mounted 645 tackles, 262 assts, 25.5 sacks, and 6 int.
Urlacher:
Brian has been in the league for just 6 years and has become the heart of the Bears defense. Leading the team in tackles since coming to Chicago in 2000. In just 85 games, Brian has recorded 514 tackles, 155 assts, 32.5 sacks, and 7 ints.
A healthy Takeo should actually tilt the scales when weighing linebacker talent between these two teams, and yet Crowell has done extremely well in his absence. Still the Bears OLBs have done comparable to the Bills OLBs this season.
Up front the Bills usually have veteran Sam Adams, but since last season there has been more rotation with the 3 younger DT's. Oddly enough the Bears also have young DT's extending a pass rush and also balance using a veteran. They rotate Tank Johnson, Tommie Harris, Ian Scott and vet Alfonso Boone.
On the outside the Bears have a monster 5 year veteran in Ogunleye. Ogunleye plays the left side, mostly. The Bills; Schobel on the right end is also a 5 year vet and equally as productive.
In 63 games Ogunleye has recorded 184 tackles, 39 sacks, 0 ints, and 15 pass def. In 76 games, Schobel has mounted 277 tackles, 43.5 sacks, 2 ints and 12 pass def.
On paper the Bills should have the better secondary, but the bears corners have been outstanding this season. Vasser and Tillman have already snaged 11 ints combined. The Bills secondary was a bright spot in the begining of the season but since then the it's become equally as tender as the running D. Yet physically and statistcly the Bills match the Bears D position to position.
Same for the offensive side of the ball. Let's start with the obvious. The QBs and RBs.
Losman and Orton are two peas in a pod. Orton a rookie and Losman just in his first unscathed season, the stats are resoundingly similar.
Losman has thrown for nearly 1200 yards, 7 TDs and 5 ints in 8 games. Orton has played in 12 games this season with nearly 1600 yards, 9 TDs and 13 ints. Both are backed by season veterans. Holcomb in Buffalo and Blake in Chi-town. Losman is obviously more elusive, but both have been sacked 23 times.
The OL for each team is skeptical (under statement of the year).
And the running game for each team is also ironically similar.
Willis has marched for 1030 yards and 4 TDs avg 3.9 ypc. Thomas Jones has run for 6TDs, 1005 yards at 4.3 ypc.
The Bills have Moulds. The Bears have Muhammed, although Evans' style of play is more similar.
TE's are below average for both teams.
Both the Bills and the Bears play in the weakest division in each conference. Outside of their division rivals, the Bears play Cincy, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa, Carolina, Pittsburgh, San Fran, Baltimore, Cleveland and Washington.
Outside of their division foes, the Bills play Cincy, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa, Carolina, Houston, San Diego, Oakland, Denver and Kansas City.
The Bears have beaten Tampa, Carolina, and New Orleans.
The Bills have lost to Tampa, Carolina, and New Orleans.
The Bears are averaging 16.75 pts a game.
The Bills? 15.3
The Bears are 9-3
The Bills are 4-8
Cohesion? Heart? Coaching? Circumstance?
The Bears are doing exactly what the Bills were expecting to do this season. That is, win games relying on defense and special teams play. While the Bills special teams play has been the one bright spot this season, the defense has been nothing short of a disappointment. Still, if we analyze both of these teams, players, statisticaly and physically, the resemblance is uncanny.
Let's start with defense.
MLB: Who doesn't know Brian Urlacher and London Fletcher? Both make their presence known when on the field and while Urlacher is a more popular choice for most, statisticly both linebackers are more similar then one might think.
Fletcher:
London has been in the league for 8 years and played a significant role with the Super Bowl Rams (on more than one occassion). As a Bill, London Fletcher has quietly and quickly become the team's lead tackler and heart of the defense. In 124 games Fletcher has mounted 645 tackles, 262 assts, 25.5 sacks, and 6 int.
Urlacher:
Brian has been in the league for just 6 years and has become the heart of the Bears defense. Leading the team in tackles since coming to Chicago in 2000. In just 85 games, Brian has recorded 514 tackles, 155 assts, 32.5 sacks, and 7 ints.
A healthy Takeo should actually tilt the scales when weighing linebacker talent between these two teams, and yet Crowell has done extremely well in his absence. Still the Bears OLBs have done comparable to the Bills OLBs this season.
Up front the Bills usually have veteran Sam Adams, but since last season there has been more rotation with the 3 younger DT's. Oddly enough the Bears also have young DT's extending a pass rush and also balance using a veteran. They rotate Tank Johnson, Tommie Harris, Ian Scott and vet Alfonso Boone.
On the outside the Bears have a monster 5 year veteran in Ogunleye. Ogunleye plays the left side, mostly. The Bills; Schobel on the right end is also a 5 year vet and equally as productive.
In 63 games Ogunleye has recorded 184 tackles, 39 sacks, 0 ints, and 15 pass def. In 76 games, Schobel has mounted 277 tackles, 43.5 sacks, 2 ints and 12 pass def.
On paper the Bills should have the better secondary, but the bears corners have been outstanding this season. Vasser and Tillman have already snaged 11 ints combined. The Bills secondary was a bright spot in the begining of the season but since then the it's become equally as tender as the running D. Yet physically and statistcly the Bills match the Bears D position to position.
Same for the offensive side of the ball. Let's start with the obvious. The QBs and RBs.
Losman and Orton are two peas in a pod. Orton a rookie and Losman just in his first unscathed season, the stats are resoundingly similar.
Losman has thrown for nearly 1200 yards, 7 TDs and 5 ints in 8 games. Orton has played in 12 games this season with nearly 1600 yards, 9 TDs and 13 ints. Both are backed by season veterans. Holcomb in Buffalo and Blake in Chi-town. Losman is obviously more elusive, but both have been sacked 23 times.
The OL for each team is skeptical (under statement of the year).
And the running game for each team is also ironically similar.
Willis has marched for 1030 yards and 4 TDs avg 3.9 ypc. Thomas Jones has run for 6TDs, 1005 yards at 4.3 ypc.
The Bills have Moulds. The Bears have Muhammed, although Evans' style of play is more similar.
TE's are below average for both teams.
Both the Bills and the Bears play in the weakest division in each conference. Outside of their division rivals, the Bears play Cincy, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa, Carolina, Pittsburgh, San Fran, Baltimore, Cleveland and Washington.
Outside of their division foes, the Bills play Cincy, Atlanta, New Orleans, Tampa, Carolina, Houston, San Diego, Oakland, Denver and Kansas City.
The Bears have beaten Tampa, Carolina, and New Orleans.
The Bills have lost to Tampa, Carolina, and New Orleans.
The Bears are averaging 16.75 pts a game.
The Bills? 15.3
The Bears are 9-3
The Bills are 4-8
Cohesion? Heart? Coaching? Circumstance?
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