Biography
After playing at Glenbard West and Iowa, Matt Bowen spent seven seasons in the NFL as a strong safety with the Rams, Packers, Redskins and Bills, including playing for Lovie Smith and Mike Martz in St. Louis. When he's not writing for the Tribune, you can find his work at nationalfootballpost.com.
Matt Bowen
Scouting the Bears
Steelers could rattle Tebow with 5-man rush
January 7, 2012
The Steelers defense can generate pressure and take away the hot reads from Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow in Sunday's wild-card matchup with its zone blitz concepts. By rushing five and dropping six into coverage, the Steelers can force Tebow to make a quick decision with the football against edge pressure.
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Overhaul will affect players too
January 3, 2012
Bears players should be a little nervous right now.
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Bears should exploit Vikings secondary
December 31, 2011
Josh McCown and the Bears can target a below-average Vikings secondary Sunday with play action in plus territory. Sell the run fake and work the top of the vertical route tree to test the technique of the free safety in the middle of the field. On a "Dino" double post, McCown will have two options working away from the defender's leverage.
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For some Bears, future on line Sunday
December 29, 2011
The Week 17 throwaway game. Empty seats and low TV ratings.
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Packers will target Urlacher
December 24, 2011
The Packers will create matchups against both zone and man coverage inside the red zone with their ability to align players out of position in their multiple personnel groupings. Working against the Bears' Cover-2 defense, quarterback Aaron Rodgers will target speed down the middle of the field and get the matchup he wants against middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.
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Motivation must come from within
December 22, 2011
During an NFL losing streak, the secretaries won't even smile when you walk into the facility.
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Tillman on the spot
December 17, 2011
The Seahawks and quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will challenge the technique of the Bears' Cover-2 defense Sunday at Soldier Field in plus territory. That's the ideal field position from which to take a shot at the end zone with a vertical route scheme built to beat the two-deep shell.
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Denver's altitude could leave Bears gasping
December 10, 2011
"I can't breathe."
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Bears must stay at home to contain option
December 10, 2011
The Broncos will test the discipline, technique and eyes of the Bears' defenders Sunday running the triple-option offense with quarterback Tim Tebow. It's an unusual scheme in the NFL that many of Lovie Smith's players haven't seen since college or even high school. It requires assignment responsibility to play the dive, the quarterback and the pitch against this formation.
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Barber key to Bears attack
December 3, 2011
Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz can feature the downhill two-back running game with Marion Barber on Sunday against the Chiefs off the big back's production last Sunday in Oakland. A base power scheme that focuses on running the ball off tackle will move the sticks and set up manageable down-and-distance situations for quarterback Caleb Hanie.
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'Sucker' route gives Hanie options
November 26, 2011
With Jay Cutler out of the lineup Sunday in Oakland, the Bears might adapt their play-calling and design a game plan around Matt Forte. However, the passing concepts and targets won't change for backup quarterback Caleb Hanie. The Bears will use inside breaking schemes to challenge the leverage of the Raiders' defensive backs.
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Bears' Graham could be critical on 'nickel smoke'
November 19, 2011
During the Bears' four-game winning streak Lovie Smith's unit has leaned heavily on the zone blitz to generate pressure on the quarterback. That is rush five, drop six into coverage and cause confusion in the protection count. Sunday, against Norv Turner's offense, the Bears can continue to apply pressure with the "nickel smoke" for sub nickel back Corey Graham and force Chargers' quarterback Philip Rivers to unload the ball.
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Bears' success in a word: Solid
November 18, 2011
Forget game plans or X's and O's with the Bears right now.
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Bennett a threat to Lions
November 12, 2011
Mike Martz wants routes to break back to the middle of the field when the Bears need a play to move the sticks. Short, compact throws for Jay Cutler with three- to five-step protection schemes. With Earl Bennett back in the lineup, the Bears can target him Sunday against the Lions in crucial game situations (third downs, red zone, two-minute drill).
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Rookie Conte can expect to be picked on
November 6, 2011
Play deep, rookie.
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Bears can turn back 'flood' in red zone
November 5, 2011
Open up Andy Reid's playbook and you will find multiple inside breaking routes that work back to the middle of the field. That makes for short, compact throws for quarterback Michael Vick that challenge the discipline of zone coverage. On Monday night, the Bears will see Reid's "Hi-Lo" concepts inside the red zone to target their Cover-2 defense.
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Conte should get shots at Freeman
October 22, 2011
The Bears showed a mix of zone and man blitz concepts Sunday night in their victory over the Vikings, using the linebackers and secondary to pressure Donovan McNabb. On Sunday in London, Lovie Smith's defense can continue to bring extra rushers with rookie safety Chris Conte taking a run at Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman.
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Harsh words between players and coaches nothing new
October 20, 2011
"Do it again."
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Going deep shouldn't be too big a stretch
October 15, 2011
The Bears can generate opportunities in the passing game by moving the pocket and targeting the Vikings with a three-level route scheme. The OVS concept (outside vertical stretch) is a Cover-3 beater when Jay Cutler has targets that break outside of the numbers.
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Bears safeties justifiably pay price
October 13, 2011
A post route.
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Bears' safeties will have their hands full Monday
October 9, 2011
There is a moment when the panic sets in. A false step, slight hesitation or a bad angle to the ball.
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Lions' '4 Verticals' a problem for Bears
October 8, 2011
Calvin Johnson is the top red-zone weapon in the NFL because of his size, strength and ability to go get the football at the point of attack. Monday night, the Lions will work to get Johnson open inside the 20-yard line by targeting the Bears' Cover-2 defense with four vertical route concepts.
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Nickel package with 5-man rush effective
October 1, 2011
With Cam Newton making his fourth pro start Sunday at Soldier Field, the Bears can use pre-snap disguise to bring pressure out of their nickel package and confuse the rookie at the line of scrimmage. Rush five, drop six into coverage and take away Newton's top target inside of the numbers: the tight end position.
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Dual vertical patterns test free safety
September 24, 2011
One thing the Packers picked up on tape from the Bears' loss to the Saints was the route designed to test the top of Lovie Smith's Cover-2 scheme. Run two vertical patterns at the free safety and hit the deep post down the middle. It's a classic Cover-2 beater.
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Bears brace for Saints' exotic blitzes
September 17, 2011
The Saints under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will use multiple looks Sunday in New Orleans to manipulate the Bears' protection schemes and pressure quarterback Jay Cutler. Mike Martz's offense should expect unique blitz packages from the Saints that are scripted to produce turnovers and free hits on the quarterback.
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Ryan and Jones will be working on Wright
September 10, 2011
The Falcons and quarterback Matt Ryan will challenge the Bears' Cover-2 in crucial situations Sunday, targeting the secondary using the flat-7 (corner) combo. Atlanta will move Ryan out of the pocket using sprint action and work free safety Major Wright (FS) down the field. It's the same concept the Falcons used to beat the Ravens in 2010.
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Briggs' timing couldn't be worse
September 2, 2011
It will start in the team meeting room. That awkward feeling players have when an underlying story exists in the locker room.
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Time for rookies to let it all hang out
August 31, 2011
I was covered in my own vomit midway through the third quarter.
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Wright can be blitzing force
August 26, 2011
The Bears can incorporate free safety Major Wright into the game plan Saturday night against the Titans by sending zone pressure from the open (weak) side of the formation. They would show coverage and roll into the blitz front at the snap.
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Webb facing tough matchup with Giants' Pierre-Paul
August 21, 2011
Bears left tackle J'Marcus Webb had issues in the exhibition opener against Bills linebacker Shawne Merriman. Merriman took advantage of poor technique from Webb, using speed and power to get to the quarterback.
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Soldier Field grass has been unstable for long time
August 11, 2011
Three pairs of cleats. A speed bottom, a baseball style cleat and the old school seven-studs. That's what I packed in my bag for trips to Soldier Field to play the Bears during my NFL career.