Mike Martz's offense is known for its complexity. It's also known for getting the quarterback killed, but when it works, it's nearly unstoppable. Either way, Martz seems unconcerned about having his guys prepared to play on short notice. Like, say, the August 7 Hall of Fame game which may or may not go off, depending on when the lockout ends and training camps begin.
Martz told the Associated Press recently that the Bears could play in the game on a day's notice. Seriously.
"If we report to camp and they say, `Tomorrow, you're playing the game,' that'll be plenty."
Devin Hester, who spent the early part of the week lobbying for Santana Moss, was more realistic.
"You don't do game plans for those games, anyway," he said. "It's not like a regular-season game at all. There's not a whole lot of game preparation. You look at personnel, things of that nature, and clean things up execution-wise. The preparation for preseason games, particularly the first one, is not real hard."
And in that sense, Hester (and Martz) is right. Preseason games serve two purposes: to get starters a series or two of work, and to see which fringe players deserve roster spots.
As for what the Bears will try to do in the regular season, Martz says it will resemble much of what we saw during the second half of 2010: a lot of Matt Forte and the running game. Martz credits the o-line for Forte's success, particularly late in the season.
"The biggest issue was the offensive line. When (Roberto) Garza came back (at right guard), it allowed us to run the ball. That whole side got established. The right tackle got his feet on the ground. We've got a great back. We want to mix this in there pretty good. We'll be kind of judicious in the passing game. It's a little bit different feel. Matt's ability as a runner is substantial. The offensive line, the biggest improvement was made in the run blocking which allowed us to do all those things."
As for the constant calls for the Bears to land a big wide receiver, Martz sounded a lot like Lovie Smith on the issue.
"Size doesn't make any difference. It makes absolutely no difference. With Matt as a runner and our ability to run the ball, we get a lot of one-on-one coverage, and you have to have receivers that can beat corners one on one. And generally, the guys that can change direction and run fast - those are the kinds of guys that you're looking for. If he's a big guy that can do all that, that's a rare find. A lot of times, those guys are more 5-10 guys."
This is bad news for Plaxico Burress.