The last three games of the regular season are going to be a little difficult to get jazzed up about. Three bad teams, a coaching staff more concerned with getting healthy and a quarterback playing NOT to lose his job. If you're in fantasy playoffs (as I am) you'll find your concentration Sunday drifting from the Grossman/Rattay showdown pretty easily.
Here's a couple things I'd like to see Sunday.
1. Mark Bradley. Not for nothing but the guy has one catch in three games since his Meadowlands coming out party. Get the ball to the guy out in the flat and let him make a play.
2. Robbie & Brad. They both played their worst game of the season Monday night. This missing field goal and shitty punt thing can stop right there.
3. Balanced Rushing. I love the way Ron and Lovie are using these guys and it's going to pay extreme dividends in the postseason. Neither guy is going to be worn down come January 13th or 14th. And Adrian Peterson earned that touchdown this year on special teams.
4. Smart Rex. No mistakes Sunday because Tampa Bay is the kind of team that can only beat you if they score on defense. Throw a misguided out route and Ronde Barber is taking it the other way.
5. Vasher and Hot Toddy On the Bench. If they're not 100% - sit them. Let them get healthy.
The Bears are not losing Sunday. No shot.
#2 jeff said . . .I refuse to say "No Shot" I will never say no shot. This season has been far to unpredictable and who knows who the Bears might over look. Probably not the Packers and probably not the Lions, so I will reserve my right to be nervous.
December 13, 2006
#3 Noah said . . .has this season been unpredictable? it's been frustrating at times but they've pretty much just won all the time.
December 13, 2006
#4 Still said . . .How about a little He Gone on offense? Just for fun . . .
December 13, 2006
#5 jonathan said . . .Hate to see Rash lose his other job to He Gone, but on the other hand, yes, I'd like to see them try that in the playoffs for fun and profit.
December 13, 2006
#6 jonathan said . . .Agreed -- wait until the playoffs to unleash Hester. The defenses will not know what to do. Don't give them any clues beforehand playing the scrubs these next 3 days...
December 13, 2006
#7 Onside Kicks said . . .oops, that was supposed the be "these next 3 games..."
December 13, 2006
#8 paytonrules said . . .I agree with the majority here with waiting to unlease the "Windy City Flyer" until the playoffs. I hope the Bears don't overlook the Bucs and play a poor game. They can rest their men on defense, but Rex needs to get the offense into a rythym these next three weeks. Monday night was a nice start, but lets keep it going. Chicago still needs wins to secure home-field throughout.
How much playing time will Thomas Jones see Sunday?? It may be a good time to rest him and see what Benson can do for a full game.
Check us out: http://theonsidekick.blogspot.com/
December 14, 2006
#9 Fred said . . .On Sunday I'd like to see a naked Jessica Alba waiting for me.
But hey you can take your Hot Toddy on the bench Jeff. Whatever floats your boat :)
December 14, 2006
#10 jonathan said . . .I have no problem getting jazzed up about the last three games. Bad teams or not, we get 16 regular season games a year thats all. 11-2 or 2-11 I'm jazzed up for them all.
Home field throughout the playoffs is the next Big Bear Step!December 14, 2006
#11 Adam from Pittsburgh said . . .I hear ya Fred, I love all the games. I'll be at their last game on New Year's eve and frankly I don't care if they've wrapped everything up and are benching all their starters -- it's still Packers vs. Bears!!
Speaking of which, if anyone else is going to be at te Green Bay game and wants to hang out, let me know -- jonathan (at sign) kyuss.org. Always great to meet up some new Bears friends at the tailgate party!
December 14, 2006
#12 jeff said . . .It would be interesting to see Grossman in the shotgun with a bunch right and Hester as a flanker. Wide reciever screen; Moose and Desmond in the slot blocking.
I have no doubt that if he was ever placed in the offense there would be no turning back. Save it for the playoffs. Teams would be unprepared for it. The Bears rarely ever spread the defense out.
Now that the carries are just about split between TJ and Benson and Peterson has emerged as a viable option, no one should be injured, and the backfield should be as productive as ever.
I agree with Jeff about special teams. That was a field goal on Monday that Robbie Gould makes all the time. In a dome too? that's a lock. That needs to get fixed.
Let's not kid ourselves here.
The Bears will be playing the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship game.
In January, at Soldier Field, the number one defense against the number one offense. It's going to get fucking uppity. And you best fucking believe my money's on the Bears.
December 14, 2006
#13 Onside Kicks said . . .were you jazzed up about bears/vikings to end the season last year? when they played no one, got blown out and lost the #1 defensive ranking? c'mon...nobody said we're not watching them but it's very hard to cheer loudly for a team that's not all that concerned about winning
December 14, 2006
#14 Pissed Off said . . .I wont get tired or bored with watching the Bears throughout the next three games. I look forward to seeing how the offense develops and will be cheering for Rex to get himself out of the funk he has been bruied in. Go Bears!
Just posted up a list of big-name free agents in 07 -- where do you guys think they will end up, and who could the bears use the most?
Check it out here: http://theonsidekick.blogspot.com/
December 14, 2006
#15 Pissed Off said . . .I hope Thomas Jones plays Sunday, I love how everyone is on the Ced bandwagon but if he had to play a whole game without sharing carries and the workload with TJ, he would be shit. The defenses adjust to TJ and Benson comes in and looks good a few plays every game. He cant block and if he was in every down all game like a Tomlinson or Larry Johnson (just anyone who plays all three downs) we would be calling for more TJ or AP. Its a good balance right now but lets not take carries and plays from TJ to give to CB. If Jones is out this week (listed as questionable) AP will be getting in on every 3rd down cuz Benson cant do it all like TJ.
Also stop with the He Gone shit, I hate that annoying saying, I want to puke every time I hear that shitbrick say it durning Sox games.
December 14, 2006
#16 The naked Jessica Alba Comment said . . .I agree with Onside kicks, I love to watch and cheer every game, even meaningless games like last year at Minnesota, I'm such a Rube that I was at that game week 17 cheering for Orton to complete a pass to Rash who at the time was a cornerback, I was wondering why the hell a CB was playing WR when I didnt know much about Rash. We are only guaranteed 16 times per year to cheer so anything beyond that is a bonus.
Oh I forgot to mention that I got to meet Urlacher and Marcus Robinson on New Years Eve the night befor that game in Minnesota, he stopped by Alarys, a Bears bar in ST. Paul, I got his autograph and 2 pics with him, my shrine is hanging in the basement.
December 14, 2006
#17 Jamie said . . .I'm funny.
December 14, 2006
#18 Pat said . . .can someone please explain why thomas jones is good? i just don't see it at all. a running back should be able to run over a cornerback every time, but thomas jones can't seem to be able to do this. he starts dancing laterally as soon as he gets the ball, doesn't hit the holes hard, and isn't fast enough to outrun anyone. i think it's ridiculous he starts ahead of ced.
December 14, 2006
#19 Coxy said . . .The balanced rushing is huge right now. We're gonna need a lot more miles out of those guys in the next couple months. I hope it's enough to keep CB from bitching. Is there any way we can take TJ's blocking, CB's rushing, and AP's attitude and put them all into one mega back? If we can grow an ear on a mouse...
December 14, 2006
#20 jonathan said . . .I've often thought the same about TJ. I like the guys attitude, but he looks like the Lord of the Dance before he hits holes. I know you sometimes need to give the line time to set their blocks but not every down. When I see Ced hit holes, I am very impressed. I think he has only been tackled backwards once - always gaining an extra 2 yards after contact.
But then again, hes over 1000 yards, and I tripped walking to work yesterday so...
December 14, 2006
#21 jeff said . . .Jeff -- yeah, ok, the Vikings season ender was kinda crappy last year, but only because it was an away game. I was at their last home game against the Falcons, where Rex got back on the field, and boy was it great.
And COLD, holy shit was it cold that day. It was the beer-is-frozen-before-you-get-back-to-your-seat kinda cold. I was waiting for some scene out of Terminator 2 where Michael Vick cranked his arm back to pass, Urlacher lunges and shatters it like glass. It was so cold that might have actually happened. Instead Vick just played like shit and the Bears won big.
December 14, 2006
#22 mikebdot said . . .their seeding was still in question for the falcons games, too. if they win sunday, the last two games will be playing out the string for the postseason. believe me, i'm going to be watching the games because well - i haven't missed one (where i wasn't in ireland) for a decade plus.
December 14, 2006
Anyone else not impressed with our ability to tackle in the open field on short passes against big physical receivers? The Arizona game exposed that weakness. Briggs looked absolutely foolish on one of the touchdowns that was scored by St. Loius. I'm particularly not impressed with Tillman's play in general. On the whole, I suppose it's better than Jeremy Lincoln or Walt Harris (possibly my least favorite Bears players ever), but he just seems to be a douchebag, especially picking up the stupid jump shot thing after an interception (even when we played the Patriots). Oh, why would we line up Hester against Torry Holt? Is that just to get Hester some valuable experience covering a future Hall of Famer?
In any event, Go Bears!
P.S. I'm also a Cedric Benson fan. It seems like every play Thomas Jones trips over the line of scrimmage. Same with Berrian; he can't catch the ball unless nobody is near him and it hits him perfectly in stride. He needs to go GET the ball. Like the pass that could have been picked off but should have been caught (in the 1st quarter I think?). Put in Bradley more often! He Gone would be fun for a few plays, but if they threw a pick it would demoralize the team I think...of course, if they scored or got a big play in front of the home crowd, holy crap would that be loud! I think they could put him in and run a draw play or some other such decoy related play...
December 14, 2006
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.