Only two weeks in, and there have been some very exciting games. It will be interesting to see how the NFC North plays out. I will have a better idea of how good the Packers can be this season after the big game on Sunday Night.
It doesn't look like the Bears are as bad as everyone is predicting.
It used to be any given Sunday any given team can win. That certainly no longer seems to be the case. There are some really horrible teams out there.
It would be great if the star players can stay healthy and the refs can get their stuff together.
Finally, the Washington Redskins have the hottest cheerleaders.
Packers are looking pretty darn good so far; Rodgers is looking better than Favre and adds a new dimension to their offense with his running abilities.... without a QB, the Vikings and Bears will continue to struggle. Unitl the Bears open their wallets and get a real QB, the story will remain the same, as they can''t rely upon the D and special teams to win every game.
Die hard BEARS fan here. My hope every year is the Bears make at least first round playoff. They do that and I am satified. I believe they will do that this year. I do also agree with the QB situation. The bears had opportunities over the last 3-4 years to improve that position and have not. OPEN the purse strings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As far as the Packers goes. I don't like them. I AM GLAD THEY ARE DOING WELL WITHOUT FARVE. They overatered (or he did) the contributions he made to the team. He is still good at throwing INT though. Mybe the should have kept him. It would have made the BEARS life easier.
Any given Sunday is today. Life is good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bryan B
I am so sick of the Bears already. How many years are we going to continue to rely on our defense to score points and hold teams down. Get a f'ing QB that can do something. At least one that doesn't hand the game to the other team. To top it off a qb the Bears don't think can win comes back to torch us in the 2nd half. Watching the offense of the bears is like taking a foul ball off the cup each game.
Well, here is my take on the Bears this year. There are problems on EVERY part of the team.
Here are some examples just from today's game:
The wide receivers cannot catch a ball- 3 dropped passes in OT
the Tight ends cannot hold onto the ball (this is from last week) 2 fumbles
The QB cannot throw the ball- I lost count on how many underthrown passes
The defense cannot stop long drives- evident in the last quarter and OT
The defensive line cannot get to the QB- Griese threw over 65 passes and the Bears did not sack him once!
Gonna be a long year for you Bears fans.
Quote from: Fox Metro Discer on September 21, 2008, 09:52:08 PM
Well, here is my take on the Bears this year. There are problems on EVERY part of the team.
Here are some examples just from today's game:
The wide receivers cannot catch a ball- 3 dropped passes in OT
the Tight ends cannot hold onto the ball (this is from last week) 2 fumbles
The QB cannot throw the ball- I lost count on how many underthrown passes
The defense cannot stop long drives- evident in the last quarter and OT
The defensive line cannot get to the QB- Griese threw over 65 passes and the Bears did not sack him once!
Gonna be a long year for you Bears fans.
For a Packers fan you pay alot of attention to the Bears. Kinda reminds me of the Sox fans who worry all the time about what the Cubs are doing. Glad your interested though! How did the Packers do last night?
Don't ask!
When there's no good football on down here in IL, you kinda hafta watch the Bears.
Try being a Lions fan. :'( :'( :'(
Orton looks much better than he did the last time he started. He has much better pocket presence and much better reactions when under pressure. I doubt he's ever going to be a long ball threat. If all the catchable passes that he threw were actually caught, then I think that game might have had a different outcome. And that interception on the screen that Orton threw was not all his fault. That was a crap designed play. Who designs a play where the QB has to turn his back to the line of scrimmage right before he throws?
For the most part the Bears played a solid 3 quarters of a game. Unfortunately they play for 4 quarters in the NFL! Tillman made a rookie mistake getting that 15 yard unsportsman penalty. The defense should have been able to over come that but if Tillman wouldn't have been getting stupid the TB would have been punting from their own endzone on the next play rather than first and ten from the 23.
They should be 3-0 at this point. Instead they are 1-2. This team COULD have won 10 games but they can't finish them. If they keep this up they will be lucky to win 6. If they figure out how to play the whole game they might win 9. If Orton continues to mature they could make the playoffs...I'm holding my breath but not counting them out. Yet.
The Bears should have Bulger or Anderson on the top of their wish list at this point. I hope they lose every game the rest of the year to get a top draft pick. Maybe this offense will get turned around that way.
Quote from: CEValkyrie on September 24, 2008, 08:21:22 PM
The Bears should have Bulger or Anderson on the top of their wish list at this point. I hope they lose every game the rest of the year to get a top draft pick. Maybe this offense will get turned around that way.
I hope they lose Lovie and Ron Turner too. With the Bears up by ten with six minutes in the game they went into a shell. They dont put the team in position to win. >:(
Quote from: CEValkyrie on September 24, 2008, 08:21:22 PM
The Bears should have Bulger or Anderson on the top of their wish list at this point. I hope they lose every game the rest of the year to get a top draft pick. Maybe this offense will get turned around that way.
You are the master of giving up on pro sports teams. I think you've actually already given up on the Bears for 2010 and 2011. Its easy to wish them to lose all their games when you are a fantasy football fan 1st and a Bears fan 2nd. Getting those early 1st round picks has really paid off for Miami, Detroit, Oakland, St. Louis, etc...bad last year and they are all bad again. This isn't the NBA, there is no player in college football who is going to step in and make the Bears offense good. We need solid personnel decisions for a period of years to build a team. Losing is just a trend that alot of teams can't break out of and I do not wish that to happen to the Bears. The team they have can still compete, they realistically could be 3-0 right now as they had excellent chances to win the last 2 games. I'm not delirious, obviously we aren't a good team right now, but I'd rather spend my Sundays watching a competitive team battle for 8 or 9 wins than just sit there hoping for a good draft pick all year.
For the first time since childhood I had a good feeling/thought in reference to the Lions yesterday with the announcement that Millen has finaly been given the boot! Now if only we can get a good QB (maybe Tebow or Booty?) in the draft next year. OK, maybe we can get a good QB and not destroy him...
Quote from: Dan Michler on September 25, 2008, 05:35:36 AM
Quote from: CEValkyrie on September 24, 2008, 08:21:22 PM
The Bears should have Bulger or Anderson on the top of their wish list at this point. I hope they lose every game the rest of the year to get a top draft pick. Maybe this offense will get turned around that way.
You are the master of giving up on pro sports teams. I think you've actually already given up on the Bears for 2010 and 2011. Its easy to wish them to lose all their games when you are a fantasy football fan 1st and a Bears fan 2nd. Getting those early 1st round picks has really paid off for Miami, Detroit, Oakland, St. Louis, etc...bad last year and they are all bad again. This isn't the NBA, there is no player in college football who is going to step in and make the Bears offense good. We need solid personnel decisions for a period of years to build a team. Losing is just a trend that alot of teams can't break out of and I do not wish that to happen to the Bears. The team they have can still compete, they realistically could be 3-0 right now as they had excellent chances to win the last 2 games. I'm not delirious, obviously we aren't a good team right now, but I'd rather spend my Sundays watching a competitive team battle for 8 or 9 wins than just sit there hoping for a good draft pick all year.
im a bears fan, but they need to keep a lead when they take it and not get overzealous and blow it. i wont waiste my sundays watching them unless its a night game, i would rather play disc and be happy than get mad at team that could win but doesnt cause they dont put their full effort in to it. seems like when they are in a rut they give up, or when they have a promising lead it goes to their head and they quit playing as hard.
Quote from: Dan Michler on September 25, 2008, 05:35:36 AM
Quote from: CEValkyrie on September 24, 2008, 08:21:22 PM
The Bears should have Bulger or Anderson on the top of their wish list at this point. I hope they lose every game the rest of the year to get a top draft pick. Maybe this offense will get turned around that way.
You are the master of giving up on pro sports teams. I think you've actually already given up on the Bears for 2010 and 2011. Its easy to wish them to lose all their games when you are a fantasy football fan 1st and a Bears fan 2nd. Getting those early 1st round picks has really paid off for Miami, Detroit, Oakland, St. Louis, etc...bad last year and they are all bad again. This isn't the NBA, there is no player in college football who is going to step in and make the Bears offense good. We need solid personnel decisions for a period of years to build a team. Losing is just a trend that alot of teams can't break out of and I do not wish that to happen to the Bears. The team they have can still compete, they realistically could be 3-0 right now as they had excellent chances to win the last 2 games. I'm not delirious, obviously we aren't a good team right now, but I'd rather spend my Sundays watching a competitive team battle for 8 or 9 wins than just sit there hoping for a good draft pick all year.
I am giving up watching boring worthless offensive football year after year. I am so sick of watching the same 3 and out offense with absolutely no weapons. The only difference between the Bears and the teams mentioned above is the defense.
Quote from: JCthrills on September 25, 2008, 06:13:50 AM
For the first time since childhood I had a good feeling/thought in reference to the Lions yesterday with the announcement that Millen has finaly been given the boot! Now if only we can get a good QB (maybe Tebow or Booty?) in the draft next year. OK, maybe we can get a good QB and not destroy him...
Yea I'm stoked about that too, but I don't think the QB position is the root of the problem. Hard to throw well when you are on your back.
I've been watching the Bears since I was probably about 9 or 10. They've had a bad offense almost every year since 1995, so I guess if I had that attitude I wouldn't have watched them in over 10 years. What is the point in bitching after every week that we have a bad offense? Jesus, it hasn't changed in forever and its not changing next week or the next. Obviously the McCaskey's don't seem to care, so I guess we just have to accept it or boycott. I'm going to start calling you Jay Mariotti cuz I think you just love to hate a team you supposedly like :)
Guess what? They will probably have a bad offense again next year! So save yourselves the time and don't pay attention to the draft either cuz as Denny Green noted: they are who we thought they were :)
I agree with Duain, if there is disc golf to play then do that instead, but otherwise I'll stick with watching the Bears and suffering like always.
To paraphrase Lovie. "Well, the Bears are my football team..." I've watched them my whole life. I've cared about watching them since I was probably 6 or 7. I'll keep watching them. Suck or not. I do think that this team has the potential to turn things around this season and make it to the playoffs. I think the Kyle Orton who finishes this season might be a pretty good QB...who may still lack the long pass threat.
I am a Bears Fan as I have said before. What I have found upon reflecting on the season so far is this. Dispite the end game outcomes I have enjoyed watching the games very much. They are competitive, and seem to be working as a team overall. Yes they have shortcommings but no one is perfect.
The Bears have had far worse seasons that were no fun to watch.
So far at the start of everygame this year I say to myself "they are going to win this one" and beleive it. As long as they keep it close and interesting I am happy. If it is a blow out, I will still watch but maybe have a few more beers along the way !
I just wish school teachers made half NFL league minimum. ???
It seems to me that Al Davis is completely nuts. They don't have a chance of winning with him as the owner. Oh they were great in the seventies and eighties, but that franchise hasn't a prayer with him making the decisions.
Quote from: Tom McManus on October 01, 2008, 02:40:14 AM
It seems to me that Al Davis is completely nuts. They don't have a chance of winning with him as the owner. Oh they were great in the seventies and eighties, but that franchise hasn't a prayer with him making the decisions.
You think he's nuts? He seems totally sane to me. Its the rest of the world that is out to get him. ;)
Well, I think if you had said after the pre-season was over that the Bears would be 2-2 after the first 4 games people would have said that you're crazy. It seems to me that the offense keeps getting a little bit better each game. I think these 4 first games were some of the toughest that the Bears are going to see this year. I don't think they're going to go 14-2 but I do think they have a good shot at playing over 500 and making the playoffs. They need to play with the same intensity the second half as they do the first half.
I'm sticking with my preseason prediction of 9-7. The Bears have led at halftime in every game and have played teams with a combined record of 9-6.
Quote from: Dan Michler on October 01, 2008, 05:57:14 PM
I'm sticking with my preseason prediction of 9-7. The Bears have led at halftime in every game and have played teams with a combined record of 9-6.
I think I'm changing my prediction to 10-6. Then they'll lose the first game of postseason after Orton suffers a concussion and Grossman has to QB the second half.
2000 tickets left for the Bears-Lions game this weekend at Ford Field.
Quote from: Bruce Brakel on October 03, 2008, 06:45:56 AM
2000 tickets left for the Bears-Lions game this weekend at Ford Field.
stubhub.com has cheap seats starting at $39 for that game! If I didn't have a nasty cold I would have bought a couple of tickets and been on my way after lunch!
Go Bears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! poor Detroit.....
i almost got tired of playing the bears fight song at work yesterday
almost
da bears !
The men in Pittsburgh will be hoisting the franchise's 6th, yes 6th Title come February.
Pitt 35
Cowgirls 31
Quote from: pdga#7648 on October 10, 2008, 02:05:12 PM
The men in Pittsburgh will be hoisting the franchise's 6th, yes 6th Title come February.
Pitt 35
Cowgirls 31
Maybe they can win #6 fair and square. #5 was a joke. The worst officiating in the history of the NFL. Seattle was robbed of a title.
a few calls were piss poor I agree. But Ben would have scored from the 1 on 3rd or 4th down. And you can't take away Parkers record setting 75 yard run for a TD, or the trick play Randle El to Ward. Seattle only scored 10, not enuff to win a Super Bowl. So they were not ROBBED. Didn't play well enuff to win, only 10 points.
But YES TERRIBLE officiating, I agree. But a win is a win, no matter how you look at it, and the trophy is still in the Pittsburgh trophy case, 4 ever.
Quote from: Stretch on October 05, 2008, 08:10:23 PM
Go Bears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! poor Detroit.....
You could resurrect that post every time the Lions and Bears play. At half time Kira came by and said, "Oh, doesn't look good for the Bears," and I said, "The Lions are only good for half a game. The Bears have this won."
Meanwhile, it's nice to see that Rex Grossman is still atrocious.
While I'd like to bash Rex, I can't. I could bash his salary but that's another story. If Rex is a back up QB then he did what backup QBs need to do which is to come in with hardly any practice and not lose the game. You don't expect your backup QB to win the game for you. When your starter goes down other players or even the rest of the team needs to step up and get the win.
Having said that, it's going to be a loooooong four weeks if Kyle can't suck it up, take a needle and get back on the field.
Rex isn't getting paid a backup QB salary but he is the backup and he didn't screw it up. Atta boy!!! ;D
I am not a Rex fan by any stretch. But he is a good backup. After teams have had time to prepare for him he will get worse.
I feel bad for Kyle. He was probably due to get a new contract after Aaron Rodgers got his. That will more than likely be put on hold now. I heard it was a high ankle sprain not sure if that is true or not. If it is it will be a while before he is back. High ankle sprains do not like to heal quickly. Not sure how it effects a QB but WR and RB usually sit out a long time with them. Maybe at QB you can just wrap it up and deal with it.
I'm pretty bummed about Orton. The guy had proven everybody wrong this year and lifted a Bears offense, without any big name weapons, to something pretty decent. He has a 90.8 QB rating this year and 10 TD passes, both 10th best in the NFL. And significantly better than Derek Anderson or Marc Bulger who have been mentioned as guys we should have gone after (both have alot more weapons than Orton). I definitely did not think Orton would be this good, but I believe he is the real deal now and if we can get him back healthy we can compete for the NFC title. Hell, Comincioli hasn't even posted since Sept. 25th about how disgusting the Bears are! Orton must have done something right.
I have zero confidence in Rex.
I have no idea how the Bears are 5-3 right now. Take away the squib and that's 6-2. They've been in every game. They are still pretty disgusting to watch. I expected a better performance coming off a bye but I guess a win is a win.
Quote from: CEValkyrie on November 03, 2008, 10:46:55 AM
I have no idea how the Bears are 5-3 right now.
The Bears have a very solid ground game with Forte, a solid run defense, and an efficient QB. That is how we are 5-3.
I don't know if this is an appropriate place or not for this BUT ... my father-in-law (which still seems weird to say even after 1 year of marriage) has 2 Packer / Bear tickets that he's looking to get rid of for next weekend.
He has put me in charge of getting rid of them. What are the worth? I don't know - I've been to a few Packers games in previous years but I was always told "this might be Favre's last season".
Anyway - Sec 124, Row 54.
Offers? Ideas? Suggestions for this unique opportunity? I don't check this thread often so feel free to PM me.
Ter
That's a pretty good view from over there :) I think the last game that I went to was one section down in 120, row 54 is pretty close to the end of the section, but the view is still great (although it's like where is it NOT great?) It's fairly close to the TV broadcast booths (as long as I don't have the stadium flipped around in my head).
Don't know how to recommend moving them. I wouldn't be able to come up with the money anyway :P
i think you should start a new thread
that way u can gauge the views
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJKSEdUnu8w&feature=related
da bears shall conquer the cheese heads
What a game, complete domination just as expected. ;D
Quote from: airspuds on November 16, 2008, 09:38:28 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJKSEdUnu8w&feature=related
da bears shall conquer the cheese heads
You know Spuds, if it wasn't for your post, the Bears probably would have won the game. Or in Spuds speak:
bears football
spuds oops
Maybe the Bears conquered the cheese heads but the Packers sure gave them an ass whooping. Here's hoping for a just return when the Pack comes to Chicago. I'm going to go lay down in the fetal position in the corner by the fire place until I forget this ever happened! ;D
By just return I assume you mean another can o'whoopass being opened upon the Bears in December?
oops
I'm glad that I do not bet on football.
Quote from: discpro99 on November 16, 2008, 01:09:29 PM
What a game, complete domination just as expected. ;D
90-80-6 ;D
OR
698-508-42
662-518-36
;D
How do Wisconsinites keep bears out of their back yards ? ....................................... just put up some goalposts
Chicago police reported that some individual attempted to "egg" Head Coach Lovie Smith's house last night.
The Chicago Police Report stated:
An empty egg carton was recovered at the scene. Two eggs hit Mr. Smith's house, 3 eggs went over his house and hit his neighbor's back door, 2 eggs hit the houses of each of his next-door neighbors, and the remaining 3 eggs were found broken on the ground near the carton from where the individual threw them. Looking at what was hit, police officials say they are considering Kyle Orton as the cheif suspect based upon the accuracy of the throws.
Hey the Packers won, won big time. Strange things happen north of the Cheddar Curtain.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_re_us/decaying_corpse
I hope that's not what happens when I go to Brown Deer in a couple weeks. ;D
Quote from: deucemeister on November 17, 2008, 08:08:56 AM
Chicago police reported that some individual attempted to "egg" Head Coach Lovie Smith's house last night.
The Chicago Police Report stated:
An empty egg carton was recovered at the scene. Two eggs hit Mr. Smith's house, 3 eggs went over his house and hit his neighbor's back door, 2 eggs hit the houses of each of his next-door neighbors, and the remaining 3 eggs were found broken on the ground near the carton from where the individual threw them. Looking at what was hit, police officials say they are considering Kyle Orton as the cheif suspect based upon the accuracy of the throws.
That sounds more like Grossman. Kyle is the man. He's still injured and I think they are making a mistake letting him play while that injured. However, no QB could have won that game with the way that the rest of the team played. Only brown and urlocher put in decent performances.
Quote from: Jon Brakel on November 17, 2008, 08:41:36 PM
That sounds more like Grossman. Kyle is the man. He's still injured and I think they are making a mistake letting him play while that injured. However, no QB could have won that game with the way that the rest of the team played. Only brown and urlocher put in decent performances.
Yeah but Brown has been just like the rest of the Bears defense lately, just too late to make the difference. There is no way the Bears are going to win any game when the QB has 6+ seconds to find a receiver or when the secondary is putting the hurt on the running back after he gets past the first down marker.
Urlacher is a great athlete, no question, but over rated and too small to play middle LB ( just ask Paris Hilton !!); he got taken out all day long by the Pack OF line; his INT was lucky, as he was beaten badly downfiield and should have been another GB TD. Rodgers was not sacked or hurried once; he was never even touched once the entire game !! How can Lovie be among the highest paid Head coaches in the NFL when the starting QB is among the lowest paid players ?
Quote from: Chainmeister on November 17, 2008, 02:37:46 PM
Hey the Packers won, won big time. Strange things happen north of the Cheddar Curtain.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081117/ap_on_re_us/decaying_corpse
I hope that's not what happens when I go to Brown Deer in a couple weeks. ;D
Well, wierd but not as bad as in Chicago
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-senior-deaths-08-nov08,0,2301984.story
At the risk of hijacking this thread to a subthread of too funky for words, you are right that was very weird. It was in the next town over from where I live. At least there was no apparent foul play. Nobody in a toilet are nobody haunting Norman Bates, "Mother, Mother..." just a sadly daffy old lady. http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skokie/news/1275200,sk-bodiesfound-111308-s1.article
I think they were vampires or something. Why would they all agree to this?
Quote from: Chainmeister on November 18, 2008, 09:07:45 AM
At the risk of hijacking this thread to a subthread of too funky for words, you are right that was very weird. It was in the next town over from where I live. At least there was no apparent foul play. Nobody in a toilet are nobody haunting Norman Bates, "Mother, Mother..." just a sadly daffy old lady. http://www.pioneerlocal.com/skokie/news/1275200,sk-bodiesfound-111308-s1.article
thats crazy. i guess it saves on funeral costs
.....bet it sure smelled interesting in both of those houses; at least you could take a dump in the Evanston home though...
J-E-T-S ..........Brett....Brett....Brett
Unreal what Favre has done. He's restored Thomas Jones career too. 950yds, 9 ru Tds. 2 rec Tds.
This is a must win weekend for the Pack or they go 2 back with 4 to go.
Quote from: CEValkyrie on November 27, 2008, 07:13:12 AM
J-E-T-S ..........Brett....Brett....Brett
Unreal what Favre has done. He's restored Thomas Jones career too. 950yds, 9 ru Tds. 2 rec Tds.
This is a must win weekend for the Pack or they go 2 back with 4 to go.
Happy Thanksgiving to you to Mother F00ker.
Quote from: mirth on November 16, 2008, 08:14:03 PM
By just return I assume you mean another can o'whoopass being opened upon the Bears in December?
Um, no. This time the good guys and our home team won!!!
91-80-6
;D
We still need a small miracle to make the playoffs. Jacobs has been a little banged up, so you know the Giants are going to rest him against the Vikings. That being said, I still like the Giants to win that game as I think their defense will shutdown Peterson. But the hardest part for the Bears is going to be winning in Houston. They are 5-2 at home this year and can put up alot of points in a hurry.
I think the Bears have about a 10% chance of making the playoffs. I don't think Manning will play more than one half of the game. Jacobs probably wont even dress. The only good thing is Ward. He's one hell of a backup running back! We just need to hope the second string of the Giants can beat Minnesota's first string. The wild card is gone too, there's no way Tampa Bay will lose to the Raiders and Philly beat the Cowboys. And no doubt, the Texas game will be a tough one for the Bears to win. If the Bears do get in, Walter would of had to be looking down. ;)
I think its more like a 34.7% chance.
Remember, last year the Giants had their playoff seeding secured and had nothing to play for in the final game against the Patriots. But they played to win that game and nearly did, which got their momentum rolling for that Super Bowl run. I don't think Coach Coughlin will forget that and he's going to get his team ready to go out and beat the Vikings (I agree Jacobs won't play though).
I think the Bears have a better chance. Coughlin will not want to give a game to the Vikings. The last thing he will want to do is hand them a game and then face them a few weeks later. He would rather punish them Sunday and then punish the Bears or whoever he faces down the road.
That being said, I watched a football game last night. I saw a bad team outplay a mediocre team and still lose. Their quarterback did everything he was asked to do but his team still blew the game. The mediocre team could not move the football to save its life. Its defense played very well despite being on the field way too long and despite the bad team's quaterback being very sharp. The mediocre team has a chance to have its behind whupped in a game in January. Most of us locals will cheer to have that happen. It will make us feel like its early Fall all over again. The only difference is the teams playing in the early Fall were much better than mediocre. They just played that way.
The locals can rejoice regardless of happens with the mediocre football team. Why? Because pond hockey is really pucking cool!
If the Bears had a coaching staff they would already be in the Playoffs. The only coach that deserves to stay is the special teams coach. The Bears have some talent at every position but wide receiver. They throw when they should run and run when they should throw. The running play up the middle never works. When the guards and the center pull out Forte gets good yards. The defense rushes 4 men and get burned consistently. If you haven't noticed, when the Bears rush 5 or 6 guys, they make things happen. The coaches can't adjust to the other teams strengths. They never put the Bears in position to win. I would have fired Lovie after that squib kick in Atlanta. Clock management is awful and they never have all their time outs at the end of the game. Good coaches do. Don't get me wrong, Lovie has a pretty good record, but any other coach with some smarts would have done much better with the talent the Bears have had.
I look at it as just binary, not odds. Either the Bears make it or they don't. They need to do their job and count on the Vikings to choke. Either it happens and we get one more Bears game this season or it doesn't and we see how fast Lovie and his crew get fired.
Well, poop.
Makes me wonder how the Bears beat the Lions. What a poor performance. Can't see anything changing next year if all the coaches come back. Thank goodness the Hawks are back!
Quote from: Jon Brakel on December 28, 2008, 05:19:12 PM
Well, poop.
I came home from playing disc golf, where I beat Kelsey by one throw in fierce winter conditions, and thought, "Oh, I forgot the Bears were playing some time today." I got home ten minutes after the game was over. Winning by one beats losing by seven, any day! ;D
this is not a taunt towards Bears fans - but I do find it surprising that the Wild Card spot actually opened up for the Bears to take if they had won. They needed Tampa and Dallas to both lose, and they both did. That was very unexpected. The funny thing was earlier in the week I was watching some Bears Extra/Preview/whatever show. It had the radio color analyst on there (I don't know his name and I don't need to because he drives me nuts). He was talking about "don't even bring up the wild card. The Bears don't have a chance to win the wild card because Tampa is going to beat Oakland, end of story. It's not going to happen." whoops.
Was anyone else sick and tired of Fox flashing the scores of the other games in progress with the "this is how the Bears will get to the postseason if..." screen? With the Bears down, the screen should have just said "In order for the Bears to get into the playoffs, the Bears need to win." and left it at that until a point where they led again.
Was it Eric kasillius (sp?) from ESPN that predicted before the season that the Lions would win the division? lol. (I looked up the name, it's Erik Kuselias). Perhaps it was Scott Van Pelt. Either way, one of the radio guys on the nationwide ESPN broadcast said the 2008 Detroit Lions was his prediction to win the division. Too bad they went 0-16... they had a chance until like... the 5th week even!
I figured if the Bears did manage to make the playoffs they weren't going to win their first playoff game playing the way that they've been playing this year so I just watched the last game like any other Bears game...hoping for a good show. I think Manning is a great athlete but if the Bears secondary wasn't so banged up I think the Bears win that game. Of course it is the 16th week so you have to win banged up. Tillman gets the man of the week award for manning up and playing the game. He looked like he was in a lot of pain. But getting back to Manning...if he doesn't cough up that return ball and blow his coverage on the deep TD pass then I think the Bears would have won this game. But I'll give up this game if it means that they'll find room to start Manning. I think if he has some more experience he could really deliver for the Bears.
I still don't think that they need to get rid of Lovie. But I agree with what Tom Waddle said on Sunday that Lovie needs some new faces on the coaching staff and he doesn't need anymore yes men. I think they need a new defensive line coach, defensive coordinator, receiver coach, and offensive coordinator.
Quote from: Bruce Brakel on December 29, 2008, 11:12:31 AM
Quote from: Jon Brakel on December 28, 2008, 05:19:12 PM
Well, poop.
I came home from playing disc golf, where I beat Kelsey by one throw in fierce winter conditions, and thought, "Oh, I forgot the Bears were playing some time today." I got home ten minutes after the game was over. Winning by one beats losing by seven, any day! ;D
This does not apply to Jon who is still on injured reserve. However, playing
always beats watching. Regardless of the score on the TV, and even if Kelsey had massacred you, you still won. If I was not in the kitchen all day cooking potato pancakes for a family invasion I surely would have been in Gurnee dodging puddles rather than having one eye on the stovetop and the other on the football game.
Bears
The Bears were brutal to watch all year. I thought they'd have a chance to compete in a bad division and they did. I did not expect them to make the playoffs and it was a bonus to see them compete.
It is so frustrating season after season saying QB and WR is a position that needs to be filled and nothing is done about it. Not only did we not do anything at the WR position we let Berrian go and that is the team that kept us out of the playofffs. Booker & Hester was the answer! We could have used 1000 Yds & 7 TD's. Our WR core is one of the worst in the league. RB/FB/TE's had 1551 rec yds and 11 TD's. The WR core had 1685 yds & 9 TD's. Moss, Boldin, Fitzgerald, TO, Calvin Johnson & Jennings had as many or more TD's. What a joke! At least the RB & TE positions are pretty good.
We've leaned on the defense year after year. This year they weren't good enough. We were a squib kick away from being in the playoffs.
Packers
LAF (Life after Favre) I hope this is a trend that continues. A friend of mine was at the game yesterday and the fire McCarthy chants were loud.
Patriots/SD
I can't believe an 8-8 SD team is going to the playoffs and the 11-5 Pats are going to be watching at home.
Detroit
0-16
Dolphins
What a turnaround lead by Ronnie & Ricky. nearly 1500 yds and 14 TD's.
ATL
Another huge turnaround lead by N. Chicago boy Turner. 1491 yds & 16 TD's. Wow!
Miami was 250 to 1 to make the superbowl and Atl was 200 to 1. Both are still alive.
The playoffs should be fun.
Coaches.
Along witht he 3 that got chopped today Marvin Lewis has to go. Wade Phillips is going to get canned and I have a feeling Herm Edwards is gone too.
I thought that Kyle made good progress this year. He just doesn't have receivers to throw to. There's a reason his go to receiver is Loyd. Hester could be a weapon in a field of good receivers.
I don't want to get into the Favre thing again, but I find it wierd that Comincioli mentions Ronnie and Ricky in the Dolphins turnaround and says nothing about Chad Pennington who had 3600 yards (9th most in the NFL) with just 7 interceptions this year. I'm pretty sure he had more to do with the Dolphin turnaround than Ricky Williams' 650 yards, 4 TD's and 4.1 per carry. Ronnie Brown had a solid 920 yards this year, but was inconsistent down the stretch. Pennington should be in the top 5 in MVP voting this year as he was the true leader of that team.
It was amazing to see the Bucs, Jets, Broncos, and Cowboys all completely fall apart to miss the playoffs which seemed to be a given for all of those teams not very long ago. The Cowboys should fire Philips, but they won't. Jerry Jones loves how that guy just does whatever he wants without putting up a fight.
As far as the Pats not getting in at 11-5, the NFL made this happen by increasing the number of divisions to 8. Arizona could have won the NFC West with just 6 wins this year.
I agree with Brett that the Bears desperately need WR's. We've got nobody and its pretty embarrassing. I think we are best off sticking with Orton unless we can get McNabb. No point in getting another mediocre QB to come in and try to do the job. Orton is familiar with the offense now and is still only 26 years old and has shown he can win ballgames. He is never going to be great, but I think we can win with him if we get atleast 2 actual NFL WR's and make some defensive improvements on the line and in the secondary. We need more of a pass rush from the D line.
We'll see what happens, but after seeing the Miami/Atlanta turnarounds, anything is possible from one year to the next in the NFL.
There are reasons Devin Hester wasn't a Wide Receiver in College. Because he isn't one and he never will be one. He has a hard time just reading a play book. The Bears need to get rid of the evaluators on the team. They cant evaluate talent.
Why are the Bears the only team that never bumps the wide receiver off the line of scrimmage? If they would have done that against Texas, the line would of had more time to get to the QB. But Babich never changes things. He can't adjust to other teams strengths. Tillman backpedals after every snap and gives receivers good space to get open. A good receiver will burn you every time, as seen in the Texas game and many more games this year. If Babich stays, it will be a long season next year.
2 good wide receivers, a new defensive coordinator, and someone to replace St. Clair would be a Bears fan dream!
Lovie gets the goat of the year award for the squib kick in Atlanta. That cost the Bears the playoffs! Plain and simple.
The problem if they were to resign Berrian is all the money wrapped up in him. He's not a #1 receiver, yet he got that money. Letting him go wasn't a mistake, not signing a competent receiver was. Why this team has stuck with Rasheed Davis year after year is insane. That guy has been brutal for years, he just can't make catches. He's basically Braylen Edwards, but without the talent and a higher percentage of dropped passes.
I have been wondering the same thing about the Bears CB's not getting a bump on the receivers at the line for a long time. I know they have been saying that because of Tillman's shoulder, he can't, but that's one of the biggest problems with the defense. If they could slow down the receivers and stop those quick slants, the D would be a lot better. You don't even need a good CB to bump the WR, just slow him down a little.
A question about the playcalling, something I've noticed many times this year, Turner likes to call a screen pass, at least 1-2 a game, and he NEVER has any blockers in front of the WR. I saw it Sunday with Hester, He got the ball 2 yards behind the line of scrimmage, with 2 guys running full speed at him, and no one to keep him from getting hit. I don't think Hester will be a great receiver, but he could be a good slot receiver, but the Bears are misusing him. They can't count on him as a possession WR, use him in the same roll as Berrian, and I don't think he'd be that much worse. But using him there, you are taking him out of the KR and PR slots that he's so good at. He has to be one or the other, I don't think he is smart enough to do both.
Dan,
Chad Pennington is an average QB at best in the NFL. He has 23 more yards passing than David Garrard and 1 more TD pass than Orton. If the Bears or Jags would have made it to the playoffs people wouldn't have been talking them up like they have Pennington. There is a reason the dolphins are using the Wildcat formation. Don't forget the 500 yds rec combined from Ricky & Ronnie. The difference from the Bears to the Dolphins is that defense that allowed 19.8 pts.
Pearso
Berrian has put up #1 WR #'s 2 years in a row now on 2 bad offensive passing teams. Tied for 10th in TD's and averaged 20.1 yds per catch (2nd of Receievers with 15 or more catches) this year. Just another bad evaluation of talent by the Bears.
Quote from: CEValkyrie on December 30, 2008, 12:15:26 PM
Dan,
Chad Pennington is an average QB at best in the NFL. He has 23 more yards passing than David Garrard and 1 more TD pass than Orton. If the Bears or Jags would have made it to the playoffs people wouldn't have been talking them up like they have Pennington. There is a reason the dolphins are using the Wildcat formation. Don't forget the 500 yds rec combined from Ricky & Ronnie. The difference from the Bears to the Dolphins is that defense that allowed 19.8 pts.
Thats interesting. Pennington had more passing yards than Brett Favre in far fewer pass attempts. He had 3 less TD passes and 15 fewer interceptions. Yet Brett Favre is responsible for the Jets turnaround, but Pennington is just an average QB? Is this lacking any sort of logic to anybody else? Favre had Thomas Jones and Leon Washington who combined for 1750 yards, 23 TD, and 550 receiving yards. Why aren't they the reason the Jets were better this year? They were clearly better than Ronnie and Ricky in every way you can think of.
"Jane, you ignorant slut!" ;D
I'm not going to suggest which one is Jane. ;)
At least the Bears and Packers seasons were not as devastating to their fans as the Cubs and White Sox seasons. After those two play-off debacles, no one had anything to say for months.
My picks for this weekends play-offs:
Atlanta over Arizona
Indy over San Diego
Miami over Baltimore
Philadelphia over Minnesota
The road team is favored in every game.The Colts and Chargers should be the game of the week depending on which charger team shows up.
I'm taking Atlanta, San Diego, Baltimore, and Philly.
I'm also picking Philly over San Diego in the Super Bowl.
ATLANTA, INDY, BALTIMORE, PHILLY
Quote from: CEValkyrie on December 30, 2008, 12:15:26 PM
.
Pearso
Berrian has put up #1 WR #'s 2 years in a row now on 2 bad offensive passing teams. Tied for 10th in TD's and averaged 20.1 yds per catch (2nd of Receievers with 15 or more catches) this year. Just another bad evaluation of talent by the Bears.
I guess we'll just have to disagree. Berrian may have had a bunch of 20 yard + catches, or a high percentage of yards, but he only had 48 receptions. All that tells me is he's fast and can beat a CB. Big deal, Hester can do that, and if he would have had a QB who could have gotten him the ball in stride, he would have been up there with Berrian, and I think so far Hester hasn't proven a thing other than he could be a decent slot guy. How many times in the last couple of seasons with the Bears did Berrian quit on routes? I'd say he averaged at least 2-3 a game. How many drops did he have? If I'm going to pay a guy #1 money, I want at least 80 catches, and a guy who doesn't quit. Maybe he'll improve, but when the Bears let him go, he wasn't a #1, and didn't deserve the money he got. They just need to find that guy, because right now, they don't even have a #2 on the team.
I am in between you guys on Berrian. I don't think he's put up #1 WR numbers with only 48 catches for 960 yards, but he is a solid #2 and a great deep threat. I wish the Bears still had him as he would be our #1 WR due to our embarrassing WR corp. Devery Henderson was #1 in that yards per catch stat that was thrown out, and I don't think we are arguing that he's a #1 WR.
Saying Hester has the same ability as Berrian at WR is ridiculous. I'll believe that when I see it. Bottom line, the Bears need wide receivers and I don't care if we have to overpay to get them because we will not be winning without them.
Berrian is a solid receiver! There's at least 25 teams who would love to have him. I don't care how much money the Bears pay for a good receiver, it's not my money. Big mistake for letting him go. But that's the history of the Bears. Very frustrating >:(
Quote from: Sr. on December 31, 2008, 01:55:33 PM
Berrian is a solid receiver! There's at least 25 teams who would love to have him. I don't care how much money the Bears pay for a good receiver, it's not my money. Big mistake for letting him go. But that's the history of the Bears. Very frustrating >:(
If this was baseball, you'd have a point, but in a sport with a salary cap, you have to be careful who you put big money into. They already have a ton of money invested in the D, Vasher got it too quickly, Tillman and Harris are always hurt, same with Brown, Ogunleye has a ton of money, and Urlacher and Briggs. 3-4 of those guys are overpaid, maybe all of them, but since they used it on them, they couldn't afford to give a great 3 WR and an ok 2 top WR money. They did make a mistake by not getting anyone else, but not giving Berrian that money wasn't a mistake.
Quote from: Dan Michler on December 30, 2008, 07:25:35 PM
Quote from: CEValkyrie on December 30, 2008, 12:15:26 PM
Dan,
Chad Pennington is an average QB at best in the NFL. He has 23 more yards passing than David Garrard and 1 more TD pass than Orton. If the Bears or Jags would have made it to the playoffs people wouldn't have been talking them up like they have Pennington. There is a reason the dolphins are using the Wildcat formation. Don't forget the 500 yds rec combined from Ricky & Ronnie. The difference from the Bears to the Dolphins is that defense that allowed 19.8 pts.
Thats interesting. Pennington had more passing yards than Brett Favre in far fewer pass attempts. He had 3 less TD passes and 15 fewer interceptions. Yet Brett Favre is responsible for the Jets turnaround, but Pennington is just an average QB? Is this lacking any sort of logic to anybody else? Favre had Thomas Jones and Leon Washington who combined for 1750 yards, 23 TD, and 550 receiving yards. Why aren't they the reason the Jets were better this year? They were clearly better than Ronnie and Ricky in every way you can think of.
When Pennington can take the Dolphins to the playoffs year after year and win a Superbowl i'll give him the respect he deserves. I cannot respect a QB that a team runs an offense that places a RB at QB often.
Let's don't forget Thomas Jones had all of 1 TD in 2007. Old/Bad Arm/Whatver, Farve opens the field for RB's to get down the field and get in the endzone.
The Packers were down 208 yds & 2 Tds on the ground from 2007 to 2008. Maybe some respect of the QB to beat them thru the air?
Pennington tied for 2nd place in MVP voting. Pretty good for an 'average' player.
As far as the Dolphins occasionally using the Wildcat formation, who cares? Its not like it was every other play. I don't know how to counter that argument because it doesnt' make any sense. Pennington still had more yards passing than Favre so I'm not sure if you are trying to make the point that Pennington wasn't used very much or what? It doesn't make any sense.
I admire your ability to still maintain Brett Favre was The Man this year despite huge mountains of evidence pointing the other way. If Kyle Orton had played the exact season Favre did (22nd ranked QB in Yards per Attempt and 22 interceptions), you would be blasting him like no other. You are treating him with kid gloves because of stuff he did 10 years ago.
So far 3 Jets players have come out in the media and given Favre less than full support. Thomas Jones, voted as Team MVP by his teammates (not Brett Favre!!), said he thought Favre should have been pulled due to his poor performance. The guy blew it. He had a fantastic career, but should have stayed retired, and thats the bottom line. He blew it this year by not making the playoffs after starting 8-3 (his huge number of turnovers was the primary reason for the losses late in the season). He blew it last year with 2 interceptions against the Giants at home in the playoffs. And his previous playoff appearance before that was in 2004 when he blew it against the 8-8 Vikings at home again by throwing 4 interceptions. After the early part of this decade the guy has been nothing but overrated. All the numbers support it, but there are so many blind fans, such as yourself, who are in love with his media persona, that you refuse to see the truth. The truth is Brett Favre is an old, broken down, prima donna QB who is an outcast with his new teammates and costs his team games with his exorbitant number of turnovers.
Dan,
Go back and listen to what Thomas Jones is saying today. Thru week 12 the Jets were 8-3 and Favre was playing some good ball. Your prima donna statement is absolutely ridiculous. Anyone that can play that long in that many games without going to the bench is unreal.
Anyway, you are a Favre hater. I wish he was a Bear this year. Even as an old broken down old man he's better than any QB we've had in a long time. 11 games into the season he was on pace for a fantastic year. No one will know how badly he was or was not hurt that last stretch of the year. That is why I respect the guy and wish he was on our team. 10 years ago? He lead a team to a play away from the Superbowl last year. 13-3. Look where they are at. He took a team that had no life whatsoever nearly to the playoffs this year. I'm sure you are a Marino lover.
People are followers. There are many players that I would have put in front of Pennington at the QB position. Start throwing in the RB's like Williams & Turner who are more deserving. Drew Brees would be the MVP hands down if he had a defense like MIA.
Quote from: CEValkyrie on December 29, 2008, 03:09:34 PM
Bears
The Bears were brutal to watch all year. I thought they'd have a chance to compete in a bad division and they did. I did not expect them to make the playoffs and it was a bonus to see them compete.
It is so frustrating season after season saying QB and WR is a position that needs to be filled and nothing is done about it. Not only did we not do anything at the WR position we let Berrian go and that is the team that kept us out of the playofffs. Booker & Hester was the answer! We could have used 1000 Yds & 7 TD's. Our WR core is one of the worst in the league. RB/FB/TE's had 1551 rec yds and 11 TD's. The WR core had 1685 yds & 9 TD's. Moss, Boldin, Fitzgerald, TO, Calvin Johnson & Jennings had as many or more TD's. What a joke! At least the RB & TE positions are pretty good.
We've leaned on the defense year after year. This year they weren't good enough. We were a squib kick away from being in the playoffs.
Packers
LAF (Life after Favre) I hope this is a trend that continues. A friend of mine was at the game yesterday and the fire McCarthy chants were loud.
Patriots/SD
I can't believe an 8-8 SD team is going to the playoffs and the 11-5 Pats are going to be watching at home.
Detroit
0-16
Dolphins
What a turnaround lead by Ronnie & Ricky. nearly 1500 yds and 14 TD's.
ATL
Another huge turnaround lead by N. Chicago boy Turner. 1491 yds & 16 TD's. Wow!
Miami was 250 to 1 to make the superbowl and Atl was 200 to 1. Both are still alive.
The playoffs should be fun.
Coaches.
Along witht he 3 that got chopped today Marvin Lewis has to go. Wade Phillips is going to get canned and I have a feeling Herm Edwards is gone too.
The Chicago Bears continue to be worthless. Hey Bears, you had the worst WR core in the league last year.!!!
You've passed on a 6.5 million/ 1 year contract with TO. He had more TD's last season than the WR core. That was a down year for him!
How about TJ WhoseyourMomma? Over the past three seasons, his numbers rank among the league's best. He ranks first in receptions (294), 11th in yards (3,128), tied for sixth in touchdowns (25) and fourth in first downs (179) since 2006. five-year contract that will pay Houshmandzadeh at least $15 million and as much as $40 million
Pay the $ you worthless bastards. This division is there for the taking and we do nothing in free agency. Go ahead and draft some unknown WR that will do nothing.
There was no way the Bears were gonna sign TO. They couldn't put up with Tank Johnson and Cedric Benson. There is no way they could deal with TO's antics.
I would have signed him for 6.5mil in a heart beat. The Bears do not even have a starting WR on their roster. What damage could he possibly do to this horrible team? Was he going to ruin team chemistry? Who cares? I believe that team chemistry does matter. But not when you suck. I would rather have a decent team that hated each other then a sucky team that likes each other.
Quote from: Tom McManus on October 10, 2008, 02:22:54 PM
Quote from: pdga#7648 on October 10, 2008, 02:05:12 PM
The men in Pittsburgh will be hoisting the franchise's 6th, yes 6th Title come February.
Pitt 35
Cowgirls 31
Maybe they can win #6 fair and square. #5 was a joke. The worst officiating in the history of the NFL. Seattle was robbed of a title.
how was that for fair and square Tom? And did I call it or what?? That post was way before any playoffs started.
Quote from: Mike Clark on March 09, 2009, 09:05:06 AM
There was no way the Bears were gonna sign TO. They couldn't put up with Tank Johnson and Cedric Benson. There is no way they could deal with TO's antics.
I would have signed him for 6.5mil in a heart beat. The Bears do not even have a starting WR on their roster. What damage could he possibly do to this horrible team? Was he going to ruin team chemistry? Who cares? I believe that team chemistry does matter. But not when you suck. I would rather have a decent team that hated each other then a sucky team that likes each other.
Wouldn't it be really funny if the Bears traded for Brandon Marshall. Him and Cutler already have great chemistry and then the bears would have a great #1 reciever. The only problem is is who knows how much more the Bears have to give up and if it would be worth it with overall player vaule and salary cap and everything. But it would be wild in Chicago if the Bears had Cutler and Marshall. Who knows where Marshall is gonna end up, but he wants out and he has good reason too. He still has more time left in his contract before he can become a free agent and with Kyle Orton at QB all the recievers numbers are going to go on one huge diet. Therefore, by the time Marshall is a free agent teams wont have to deal him the money he's worth.
I will be in Chicago for Week #2, as the BEARS LOSE BAD, to the CHAMPION STEELERS!!!!!!!
Quote from: pdga#7648 on June 17, 2009, 10:37:41 AM
Quote from: Tom McManus on October 10, 2008, 02:22:54 PM
Quote from: pdga#7648 on October 10, 2008, 02:05:12 PM
The men in Pittsburgh will be hoisting the franchise's 6th, yes 6th Title come February.
Pitt 35
Cowgirls 31
Maybe they can win #6 fair and square. #5 was a joke. The worst officiating in the history of the NFL. Seattle was robbed of a title.
how was that for fair and square Tom? And did I call it or what?? That post was way before any playoffs started.
The Steelers did win this one fair and square, no doubt about it.
I know you can't just buy Bears tickets in Chicago, but you can in Detroit. The Bears' last regular season game will be indoors at Ford Field, January 3.
I have a buddy that is a season ticket holder for the Bears. He may be moving to Tennessee, and will not be using all of his tickets. Week #2 already spoken for, but next time I talk to him, I will see if he is willing to sell any.
Tickets are 8 rows up, next to the Bears tunnel, so we can spit on them as they go in, LOL. I will try to talk to him before Sterling, and I can let people know more then hopefully???
Quote from: Bruce Brakel on June 25, 2009, 02:34:57 PM
I know you can't just buy Bears tickets in Chicago, but you can in Detroit. The Bears' last regular season game will be indoors at Ford Field, January 3.
You can ALWAYS get tickets to a Bears game in Chicago. You just PAY for it. As pathetic as the Bears were last year, home game tickets were still starting at around $300.
So, are we going? January 3, 2010? I'll put it in my Blackberry if we are going.
We cannot buy individual game tickets yet, but do you want $40 upper level corner end zone tickets and then we move into good seats ten or fifteen minutes after kick-off, or do you want $90 good seats?
Quote from: Bruce Brakel on June 25, 2009, 05:31:10 PM
We cannot buy individual game tickets yet, but do you want $40 upper level corner end zone tickets and then we move into good seats ten or fifteen minutes after kick-off, or do you want $90 good seats?
$90 good seats I think. Once it is time, ask me again.