It seems the Bears have gone from defensive media darling to quarterback controversy overnight and somehow without losing. Why? Because people are starting to realize that this defense is good enough to beat any team in football and with a quarterback that hits open receivers, could make a cinderella run at the Super Bowl.
The truth is we won't know if Kyle can play until Kyle is put in a situation where he HAS to play. I almost want to see the Bears down a touchdown heading into the fourth quarter Sunday so we can make an accurate evaluation.
What's my verdict? I don't know. How can anyone know? In the meantime, I'll take the victories.
93-77-2 on the season and charging forward...
CHICAGO +5.5 OVER PITTSBURGH
I like Pittsburgh in this game, to tell you the truth. I tend to like very well-coached teams in must-win games. But I'm not sure good coaching can make up for the deficiencies on the Steeler offensive line, which will be exploited by the Bears front four - the best in the business. I keep writing that Kyle Orton is going to have to make a play for the Bears to pull out the win. He hasn't and they have. So what do I know? Either way, this is a fieldgoal game in the hardest stadium on Earth to kick field goals.
TAMPA BAY +5.5 OVER CAROLINA
Carolina will beat any team in football when they get running performances like they got from Deshaun Foster last week. Unfortunately, the Bucs are one of about four teams (and three likely NFC playoff teams with Chicago and Dallas) that won't allow you to beat them on the ground. Carolina probably wins a close one.
CINCINATTI -12.5 OVER CLEVELAND
If this line were 19.5, I'd still take it. I don't like Charlie Frye on the road. I don't like the Browns receivers sans Bray Bray. I don't like the Browns secondary. Bengals win this by halftime.
KANSAS CITY +3 OVER DALLAS
There's rumblings about the loser of this game being out of the playoff hunt. Moreso for KC with a brutal schedule looming. This pick comes down to who I trust more in a big game: Bledsoe/Jones/Glenn or Green/Johnson/Gonzalez. For me, it's the latter and Kansas City keeps their playoff hopes alive with an upset.
DENVER -14 OVER BALTIMORE
The fickle power rankings have been dropping Denver all over the map. Relax. Denver is still pretty damn good and losing at Kansas City in December is okay. No one besides the Chiefs has won there since like 1931. The Ravens might have reached that point when you just clean house and start from scratch.
GREEN BAY -5.5 OVER DETROIT
Mike Greenberg of ESPN says just look at the schedule and pick against the Jets and Lions. I made the mistake of believing in the Lions last week and I won't do it again. The Packers are good enough to win this by a touchdown.
INDIANAPOLIS -7.5 OVER JACKSONVILLE
Without a healthy Fred Taylor and with David Garrard, I really don't see this being close.
ST. LOUIS +7 OVER MINNESOTA
Alright, it's a heart pick. I'm starting to scoreboard watch a little bit.
NEW ENGLAND -3 OVER BUFFALO
My pick: New England wins out and starts becoming "team you don't want to play in the playoffs"
PHILADELPHIA +7 OVER NEW YORK GIANTS
Andy Reid is too damn proud a football coach and that defense is too talented to let two teams walk over them in their own building, in consecutive weeks. If the Eagles limit their turnovers, they'll stay in this game.
OAKLAND -3 OVER NEW YORK JETS
Lamont Jordan: 27 carries, 139 yards, 2 touchdowns. Good call, Terry Bradway.
MIAMI +13 OVER SAN DIEGO
Stop making the Chargers huge favorites! They'll win because of something they do in the fourth quarter.
SAN FRANCISCO +16 OVER SEATTLE
Could the Seattle Seahawks stop making claims that Monday night was a statement game. Yeah it was, if the statement was "We can beat every team quarterbacked by a Rutgers guy 10 times out of 10."
HOUSTON +7 OVER TENNESEE
The Texans are pretty good against the spread these days. I like them here, too, and maybe to get a win.
WASHINGTON -3.5 OVER ARIZONA
The Redskins win and they can get to 7-6. They have to be thinking win out and they won't be screwing around with the Cardinals.
ATLANTA -10 OVER NEW ORLEANS
Never, never, never, never pick the Haslett Saints in December. Mark my words.
#2 Reverend Dave said . . .I am concerned about the way this issue is impacting the team. "It's not just my fault" from both Moose and Orton. Clearly, there is something between those two that looks to be counter-productive. I am shocked by this as it seemed as if Moose brought leadership to the team. I realize that Moose thought he was coming to Chicago to catch balls from Grossman but Moose is starting to look like a bit of a whiny fuck.
December 8, 2005
#3 moose juice said . . .I dont know if i agree with that assessment necessarily. KO has been tossing more blame than balls at his receivers the last couple weeks. Granted they let him down some in the Carolina game, he was making the passes they just couldnt catch, moose most notably. But in the last two games while there have been some bobbles its his atrocious passing thats the source of the problem but in postgame interviews he continually has been quick to mention drops first and his poor play second. moose is doing no more than responding to that. And considering how frustrating being a receiver with the Bears must be, specially after Moose's year last year, I think its his professionalism and leadership thats limited his whining to that comment after 12 weeks.
December 8, 2005
#4 jeff said . . .Point taken. But I can't help but get the feeling that Moose feels very cheated and is lobbying publicly for the return of the QB he thought we would be coupled with. If Rex gets in, and we start losing but Moose is getting 100 yards a game...now that would be the icing on the controversy.
December 8, 2005
#5 jeff said . . .Muhsin Muhammad is a great receiver at the end of his career. He does not want to spend his last seasons being overthrown by an inexperience quarterback.
Also, take into consideration that he and Rex Grossman got extremely close this off-season.
I don't think this is impacting the team at all. You really think the defense cares who the quarterback is? They just look like they have a lot of fun.
December 8, 2005
#6 moose juice said . . .You forget that we're winning while allowing 10 points a game!
If Moose is gaining 100 yards a game, we're probably doing pretty damn good for ourselves on offense.
December 8, 2005
#7 Army Bear said . . .It's entirely possible for a reciever to get huge yards and still the team score no more points than they are today. No excuse for Moose to be public about his discontent.
I say, give them what they want. Put Grossman in. This was his job after all. If they start to lose with Grossman at the helm, I don't want to hear it.
December 9, 2005
#8 kelemwork said . . .I personally say, it was Rex's job before injury. Now, I don't think it's right that a starter lose his job due to injury. He proved in the preseason that he was qualified to be the starter. I don't care how much more experiance Kyle has now. The fact remains, either put Rex in and see how he does now before we are in deep trouble in the playoffs, or take the cuffs off Kyle and see what he can do.
Either way, I want to see what our QB's can do for us.
December 10, 2005
Baby it is good
January 14, 2007
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