By Brad Biggs
If there is a consistent theme to Ron Turner's news conferences -- on Wednesdays or after games -- it's that the Bears are perpetually serving as their own worst enemy, short-circuiting drives with a host of errors and mistakes.
Penalties are a big part of that. Six of the team's season-high 13 penalties in Sunday's loss to the Packers were on the offensive line. Four of them were false starts, a surprising figure for a home game.
The Bears have been called for 22 false starts this season, which ties for the second-most in the NFL. Offensive tackle Chris Williams leads the team with five of the false starts, and the right tackle-turned-left tackle has a team-high eight penalties.
If there is a consistent theme to Ron Turner's news conferences -- on Wednesdays or after games -- it's that the Bears are perpetually serving as their own worst enemy, short-circuiting drives with a host of errors and mistakes.
Penalties are a big part of that. Six of the team's season-high 13 penalties in Sunday's loss to the Packers were on the offensive line. Four of them were false starts, a surprising figure for a home game.
The Bears have been called for 22 false starts this season, which ties for the second-most in the NFL. Offensive tackle Chris Williams leads the team with five of the false starts, and the right tackle-turned-left tackle has a team-high eight penalties.
The Bears have 91 penalties, sixth-most in the league, for
761 yards. Averaging seven penalties per game, they are on pace for
112, which would tie for the second-most in the Lovie Smith era. They
are on pace to have 937 penalty yards, which also would be the
second-most under Smith. The team had 124 penalties for 956 yards in
2004.
The offensive line is responsible for 27 of the 91 penalties (29.7 percent).
Here is a look at how the Bears' penalties break down through 13 games:
Penalties by players
Chris Williams, 8 penalties, 65 yards (5 false starts, 1 unnecessary roughness, 1 facemask, 1 illegal use of hands to the face)
Frank Omiyale, 6 penalties, 38 yards (4 false starts, 2 holding)
Alex Brown, 5 penalties, 43 yards (2 offside, 1 unnecessary roughness, 1 facemask, 1 neutral zone infraction)
Tommie Harris, 5 penalties, 35 yards (1 unnecessary roughness, 4 offside)
Orlando Pace, 5 penalties, 35 yards (2 holding, 3 false start)
Jay Cutler, 4 penalties, 45 yards (1 unsportsmanlike conduct, 1 illegal crackback, 1 intentional grounding, 1 delay of game)
Al Afalava 4 penalties, 34 yards (1 holding, 1 offside, 1 pass interference, 1 unnecessary roughness)
Corey Graham, 4 penalties, 40 yards (2 illegal block above the waist, 2 holding)
Olin Kreutz, 4 penalties, 22 yards (2 false start, 2 holding)
Anthony Adams, 3 penalties, 25 yards (1 facemask, 1 offside, 1 neutral zone infraction)
Zack Bowman, 3 penalties, 32 yards (2 pass interference, 1 illegal block above the waist)
Devin Hester, 3 penalties, 20 yards (1 holding, 2 false start)
Adewale Ogunleye, 3 penalties, 10 yards (3 offside)
Nick Roach, 3 penalties, 59 yards (1 facemask, 2 pass interference)
Charles Tillman, 3 penalties, 25 yards (1 holding, 1 offside, 1 facemask)
Mark Anderson, 2 penalties, 20 yards (1 unnecessary roughness, 1 offside)
Earl Bennett, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 offside, 1 pass interference)
Rashied Davis, 2 penalties, 18 yards (2 holding)
Roberto Garza, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 false start, 1 holding)
Jason McKie, 2 penalties, 20 yards (2 holding)
Greg Olsen, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 offensive pass interference, 1 false start)
Adrian Peterson, 2 penalties, 20 yards (1 illegal block above the waist, 1 holding)
Jamar Williams, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 holding, 1 running into the kicker)
Team, 2 penalties, 10 yards (1 12 men on the field, 1 false start)
Josh Beekman, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 false start)
Kellen Davis, 1 penalty, 10 yards, (1 holding)
Israel Idonije, 1 penalty, 15 yards (1 facemask)
Johnny Knox, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 false start)
Pat Mannelly, 1 penalty, 15 yards (1 unnecessary roughness)
Brad Maynard, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 delay of game)
Darrell McClover, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 ineligible man downfield)
Kevin Payne, 1 penalty, 15 yards (1 unnecessary roughness)
Kevin Shaffer, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 false start)
Garrett Wolfe, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 ineligible man downfield)
Nine penalties vs. the Bears have been declined or superseded. That includes four defensive offside calls, two vs. Alex Brown, one vs. Danieal Manning and one vs. the team.
Here is a breakdown of all the penalties the Bears have been assessed:
22--False start
18--Offensive holding (includes holding on returns)
13--Defensive offside
7--Unnecessary roughness
6--Facemask
5--Defensive pass interference
4--Illegal block above the waist
2--Offensive pass interference
2--Delay of game
2--Ineligible man downfield
2--Neutral zone infraction
1--Offensive offside
1--Unsportsmanlike conduct
1--Intentional grounding
1--Illegal crackback block
1--Illegal use of hands to the face
1--12 men on the field
1--Defensive holding
1--Running into the kicker
Yards lost by penalties
170--Offensive holding
110--False start
104--Unnecessary roughness
87--Facemask
70--Defensive pass interference
60--Defensive offside
40--Illegal block above the waist
20--Offensive pass interference
15--Unsportsmanlike conduct
15--Illegal crackback block
10--Delay of game
10--Intentional grounding
10--Illegal use of hands to the face
10--Ineligible man downfield
10--Neutral zone infraction
5--Offensive offside
5--12 men on the field
5--Defensive holding
5--Running into the kicker
The offensive line is responsible for 27 of the 91 penalties (29.7 percent).
Here is a look at how the Bears' penalties break down through 13 games:
Penalties by players
Chris Williams, 8 penalties, 65 yards (5 false starts, 1 unnecessary roughness, 1 facemask, 1 illegal use of hands to the face)
Frank Omiyale, 6 penalties, 38 yards (4 false starts, 2 holding)
Alex Brown, 5 penalties, 43 yards (2 offside, 1 unnecessary roughness, 1 facemask, 1 neutral zone infraction)
Tommie Harris, 5 penalties, 35 yards (1 unnecessary roughness, 4 offside)
Orlando Pace, 5 penalties, 35 yards (2 holding, 3 false start)
Jay Cutler, 4 penalties, 45 yards (1 unsportsmanlike conduct, 1 illegal crackback, 1 intentional grounding, 1 delay of game)
Al Afalava 4 penalties, 34 yards (1 holding, 1 offside, 1 pass interference, 1 unnecessary roughness)
Corey Graham, 4 penalties, 40 yards (2 illegal block above the waist, 2 holding)
Olin Kreutz, 4 penalties, 22 yards (2 false start, 2 holding)
Anthony Adams, 3 penalties, 25 yards (1 facemask, 1 offside, 1 neutral zone infraction)
Zack Bowman, 3 penalties, 32 yards (2 pass interference, 1 illegal block above the waist)
Devin Hester, 3 penalties, 20 yards (1 holding, 2 false start)
Adewale Ogunleye, 3 penalties, 10 yards (3 offside)
Nick Roach, 3 penalties, 59 yards (1 facemask, 2 pass interference)
Charles Tillman, 3 penalties, 25 yards (1 holding, 1 offside, 1 facemask)
Mark Anderson, 2 penalties, 20 yards (1 unnecessary roughness, 1 offside)
Earl Bennett, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 offside, 1 pass interference)
Rashied Davis, 2 penalties, 18 yards (2 holding)
Roberto Garza, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 false start, 1 holding)
Jason McKie, 2 penalties, 20 yards (2 holding)
Greg Olsen, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 offensive pass interference, 1 false start)
Adrian Peterson, 2 penalties, 20 yards (1 illegal block above the waist, 1 holding)
Jamar Williams, 2 penalties, 15 yards (1 holding, 1 running into the kicker)
Team, 2 penalties, 10 yards (1 12 men on the field, 1 false start)
Josh Beekman, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 false start)
Kellen Davis, 1 penalty, 10 yards, (1 holding)
Israel Idonije, 1 penalty, 15 yards (1 facemask)
Johnny Knox, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 false start)
Pat Mannelly, 1 penalty, 15 yards (1 unnecessary roughness)
Brad Maynard, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 delay of game)
Darrell McClover, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 ineligible man downfield)
Kevin Payne, 1 penalty, 15 yards (1 unnecessary roughness)
Kevin Shaffer, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 false start)
Garrett Wolfe, 1 penalty, 5 yards (1 ineligible man downfield)
Nine penalties vs. the Bears have been declined or superseded. That includes four defensive offside calls, two vs. Alex Brown, one vs. Danieal Manning and one vs. the team.
Here is a breakdown of all the penalties the Bears have been assessed:
22--False start
18--Offensive holding (includes holding on returns)
13--Defensive offside
7--Unnecessary roughness
6--Facemask
5--Defensive pass interference
4--Illegal block above the waist
2--Offensive pass interference
2--Delay of game
2--Ineligible man downfield
2--Neutral zone infraction
1--Offensive offside
1--Unsportsmanlike conduct
1--Intentional grounding
1--Illegal crackback block
1--Illegal use of hands to the face
1--12 men on the field
1--Defensive holding
1--Running into the kicker
Yards lost by penalties
170--Offensive holding
110--False start
104--Unnecessary roughness
87--Facemask
70--Defensive pass interference
60--Defensive offside
40--Illegal block above the waist
20--Offensive pass interference
15--Unsportsmanlike conduct
15--Illegal crackback block
10--Delay of game
10--Intentional grounding
10--Illegal use of hands to the face
10--Ineligible man downfield
10--Neutral zone infraction
5--Offensive offside
5--12 men on the field
5--Defensive holding
5--Running into the kicker
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Brad, another great job!