For those of you who don't know, the Bears haven't failed to win the NFC North since we launched this website. I've also never picked against them in the two years I've been giving my picks. Well it looks like one streak is coming to an end but will I pick against the Bears this week?
In a word...no.
CHICAGO BEARS 20
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 19
Why do I like the Chicago Bears this week?
1. I always like the Chicago Bears.
2. I think the Bears have a sizable mismatch to exploit on the perimeter of their defensive line. With McNabb seemingly unable to scramble like the McNabb of old, Mark Anderson should have at least a pair of sacks and his finest game this season.
3. How can Brian Griese not gain confidence from the way he ended the Minnesota game? The Bears must leave it all on the field on Sunday if they're planning on contending for a postseason birth and that means a heavy dose of the passing game. Two things about Griese: (1) His Wednesday press conferences are terrific. He's affable and funny. (2) When he drops back to pass, I don't close my eyes.
4. Robbie Gould is a hell of a kicker but he's currently ranked 32nd in the league on kickoffs and has only one touchback. The Bears kickoff coverage was terrible last week and I'm hoping Dave Toub will have that fixed Sunday. David Akers has a much bigger leg and he'll be doing his best to avoid Devin Hester by going over his head. If he doesn't get out of the endzone - it's Skunk time.
5. Most of all, I choose not to imagine a scenario where I have to wake up Monday morning and acknowledge that any success this season is a longshot. I'm hoping...truly hoping...the players feel the same way.
Not a lot of great analysis there, I know. You guys take it over and do better.
#2 Pissed Off said . . .This sunday its going to be on the defense to win this game. The offense will struggle to score points against a prideful eagles defense. The eagles offense on the other hand has not been lighting the scoreboard up (minus the detroit lions game) either this year and at times seems tobe stuck in neutral when they enter the redzone.
McNabb cannot scramble like in years past with the knee still recovering so time for that d-line to get pressure from the sides and up the middle to disrupt the timing of the west coast offense. If bears d-line gets pressure like the dallas game I have all the faith in the world bears will walk out of Lincoln Financial 3-4, if they roll over and die then so will the postseason dreams.
Bears 17 - Eagles 13
October 19, 2007
#3 Rancid said . . .It sure would be nice if one of your Bears win predictions actually came true.
What have the Bears done this year that would make one objectively think we can win Sunday?
October 19, 2007
#4 RandomName said . . .Careful PO'd, that post was very Mike-esque
October 19, 2007
#5 Rancid said . . .Does Cedric Benson have heart? Well like a said earlier i believed he showed more of his heart in the vikings game. so yes i think he does just keep him in. stop putting in Wolfe and Peterson and let the man run. but he did drop three passes so that could be a bit of the problem.
The fix? more catching drills and tell him to watch some Walter Payton videos, or better yet some Adrian Peterson #28 and see if he wants to be a forgotten player or remembered like Adrian Peterson surely will be in history. Brown, Payton, Sanders......Peterson. I'm not seeing Benson on that list any time soon unless he can gain some more heart.
October 19, 2007
#6 RandomName said . . .I think this game is about our D vs. Westbrook. If we can contain him, then we should be a clear favorite to win. If our D puts in a repeat performance from last week, we probably won't. Philly isn't all that though. They have struggled to score all season with the exception of the Lions game. That's their only game over 20 points. We've been putting up good offensive numbers with Griese so if the D can revert to form we have a defenite chance to win.
October 19, 2007
#7 Phil from SATX said . . .Oh yeah there's a guy named Emmitt Smith that wasn't that bad either.
October 19, 2007
#8 StartOlsen said . . .You tell Benson that if he drops one more catchable pass, he's benched. That's probably what they told him about the fumbles and he hasn't put it down in two games. Add 100% catching of catchable balls and Mr. Benson is going to start to look like a formidable weapon. If he could get the yards he did against one of the best rush defenses last week (who were also keying against the run) he should view this week as a chance to build momentum.
And I agree with Random to forget about the shuttling in and out so much, especially for Wolfe, who poses absolutely no threat out of the backfield, at least that we can see. (I hate to say waste of a 3rd round pick, but if they're using him this way? Waste.) I read that Ced didn't touch the ball in 20 plays in the first half - I'm going to go back and watch so see what was going on there, because it sounds insane. About the drops, RB coach said Ced was taking his eyes off the ball, that is easily fixable.
The best way to handle what I read is a crazy and continual Eagles blitz is the same game plan RT used well last week - the quick throws and dump-offs that make the line look good and keep Grease unscathed. 5 yards or more a pop, keep the chains moving.
Defense has a lot to prove, every single man on it. That should bode well - no finger pointing is possible, only mirror-looking. Urlacher is about as pissed as he has ever been in his football life. A better scheme with D. Manning at safety will help, EVERYBODY PRACTICED save Vasher, so we got Darwin Walker back, and believe it or not, even having AA back there, with something big to prove, will help. He's NOT the worst safety on the squad, he just is not great in coverage, but he should help against the run. This will be a return to core Bear defense, the defense that you remember. There will be SACKS and TURNOVERS. Defense will come to the rescue for the first time in a while, but the offense will not need rescuing - just taking advantage of the good field position and scoring.
One final thought - I had encouraged depressed Bear fans to watch that last game again - there was plenty to get excited about on offense - but none more than the 2 TIGHT END THREAT (Jeff called in TEA Time?) - it was absolutely awesome in that game, these two guys can give you much more than possession type plays, they made BIG plays, throughout the game. Field position in a hurry. It's enough all by itself to get very excited about. Throw in a better Benson, an Anytime threat, and a little bit of receiver play (hello receivers, are you out there?) - and this looks like an exciting offense.
Bears 31 Eagles 17
DO OR DIE
October 19, 2007
#9 beardown1982 said . . .good post Phil. I hpe you're right.
October 19, 2007
#10 jeff said . . .I'm not so sure that a heavy dose of the passing game is a great idea by any means. Sure, our running game has struggled, but what makes anyone think that if we keep chucking the ball up there 35-40 times a game that we will get on a season saving winning streak? Whether the ground game is dominant or not, the make up of this team is suited for a more balanced offensive attack in my opinion...and I hope we keep it that way this week. I want a big dose of running game, passes to our tight ends, and play action passes to our receivers.
Of course, a lot of that has to do with the defense as well. If our defense steps up and starts playing to its potential, its a lot easier to keep the ball on the ground because you won't be losing by a touchdown or two.
I'm not sure why, but I still believe in this team...even despite all of the obvious flaws we have displayed this season. It would do wonders for the Bears if they not only won on Sunday, but won in a convincing manner where all 3 facets of the team played well. We don't need a win like the one in Green Bay where we certainly owed some of our success to the Packer coaching staff...or even a fluky win a la the Cardinals game last year or what almost happened last week...we need a solid, we kicked your ass all over the field kind of win. Nothing boosts confidence than a dominant performance.
That said, it probably won't happen this week in Philly, one of the harder places to play in the NFL. Still, I think we can find a way to get the W. Not exactly sure how or why, but I'm still a believer.
Bears 24 Eagles 21...Robbie Gould connects on the game winner with no time on the clock.
...and our dominant win will come the following week against the Lions. I hope!
October 19, 2007
#11 Bill said . . .best thing about playing in philly is they're harder on their team than the opposing team...it's actually a shitty home field.
October 19, 2007
#12 Phillip said . . .Benson needs to have the facts of NFL life speeled out. Don't fumble; don't drop passes, etc. But he shows a tendancy to listen.
The D is pissed, as the offense was after Detroit. I suspect they will respond. Westbrook will get over 100 hard earned yards, but overall they will control the game better.
Our offense will be methodical mostly but will take some shots. Devin will be in there a lot more and will drag a corner or safety very deep. So we should get some space over the middle for Greg Clark or Des Olsen (orur two-headed tight end combo.)
The possibilities are there to pull this out. I'm cautiously going to say this can happen:
Bears 24
Eagles 21October 19, 2007
#13 beardown1982 said . . .Phil, as a fellow Phil, I'm inclined to agree with you. However, while I'm sure Urlacher's definitely fired up, I don't know if his back will allow him to show it just yet. I really like what my man Tommie Harris said yesterday:
"We have to show people we’re still the Bears that can run fast and play hard and do everything."
Damn straight. I didn't actually hear him say it, so I'm wondering if he emphasized "have" as much as I hope he did.
I feel like Olsen and Hester are really going to shine in this one, with at LEAST one TD each. Olsen's what us Arkansans refer to as a "hoss," and Hester... well, we all know about Hester.
I also think that Griese will probably give up one on a stupid play, but the D will save the day with a turnover forced by pressure from Urlacher. He won't sack, but he'll force a bad throw.
Finally, I think Moose and will run one back later in the game but the Iggles will bring it back for some good yardage on the return, with a surprise bomb out to one of their WRs for their only TD of the game. We won't get another TD after that, but the D'll put enough pressure on to only allow one more score, an Iggles FG.
Monsters: 21
Igloos: 10October 19, 2007
#14 jeff said . . .I think that is quite an overstatement Jeff...but to each his own.
October 19, 2007
#15 Phil from SATX said . . .actually the numbers play it out pretty well. their best team was the 04 team, 7-1 at home (the team was 13-3) but over the last two seasons, they've been 4-4 and 5-3 at home. not great by any standards. this team also lost two nfc championship games in their home stadium. the fans in philly are passionate, without question, but they're notorious for getting on their own players harder than the opponent.
October 19, 2007
#16 Fiji said . . .I really think RT is getting into a groove, and the same game plan he used at Vikings with some tweaking to try to cut down on the loss plays and amplify the things that are working. Maybe one Hester bomb per quarter - is that too much? Figure out which side of the line Benson is having success on, and pound it. Run, tight end catch, RB catch, run, RB catch, tight end catch, Hester in there, BB catches a ball, touchdown. Rinse, repeat. Easy as that. This should be a very difficult offense to defend against because they have a run threat, a potential West Coast short pass style, and a deep threat (maybe not as good as it should b/c of BG's arm but we have the speed to stretch the field - get a touchdown or how about pass interference? That was a major part of our success last year, no big interference calls this year). What do you pick to stop? Most would say running game, but BG's success with the short pass loosened them up quick.
The D's job is well-defined, if not easy - stop Westbrook, watch out for the speedy receiver, sack the old QB.
Dave Toub has some 'splainin to do, coverage was sub-par and ultimately cost us the game. Fix it - this should be an elite coverage unit.
All 3 phases come together in a nasty stadium. We kick their ass. We have a great Monday. Do it.
October 19, 2007
#17 Al in WI said . . .In a word...yermommahasabignutsackhanginfromherback.
October 19, 2007
#18 Pissed Off said . . .The 2007 Chicago Bears have played exactly two good halfs of football games. First half against the Chiefs, and second against Green Bay. The rest has been average or worse.
As I said yesterday, I have no idea what to expect from them this week, or any other week.
This should be a game for Cedric Benson to finally step up and do something. The eagles have a weak run d, and are good at blitzing and attacking the quarterback. If we pass heavily, Griese will get killed and throw a couple more dumb picks. We have to run the ball, early and often, and stay with it.
This is the defining game for the coaching staff as well. I grew up with Mike Ditka as our coach. I believe that a coaches job is to motivate his players. Lovie Smith admited his players didn't play with heart last sunday. Well it's his damn job to drop the Mr. Rodgers routine and do something about it!
I will not be picking the game. I have battered bear syndrome. I have believed in this team each week only to be slapped upside the head with another abysmal preformance. So it will take at least a couple of good preformances for me to believe once more.October 19, 2007
#19 Pissed Off said . . .Somebody fast better keep a body on "white lights" or else we're going to be seeing a repeat of the Williamson catch from last week. Curtis already has several bomb TD catches this year and theres no question it will be attempted probably more than once on Sunday. Its obvious that our secondary is porous so I'm not sure how they are going to defend the deep ball after seeing last weeks game.
October 19, 2007
#20 Phil from SATX said . . .Thats exactly how I feel Al. I wont pick this game but if someone put a gun to my head I dont know how I could put the Bears on a W. I too am about sick of Lovies ho-hum demeanor. I want to see the damn guy yell at someone, grab the facemask and rip someones asshole open already. Jauron was the same way, lets get a fucking coach who motivates his team and yells. Its been what 8 years since we've had a coach that yells, Wanny was the last one and this shit is leaving me wanting him back. Well maybe I wont go that far but I want a coach that screams a little and lights his players up.
October 19, 2007
#21 Kyle said . . .The Bears have had many good halves of football by individual phases, but have had an inability to put them together at the right time. Really it's just about the changing directions of the offense and defense. The offense was extremely poor in the first 3 games while the defense was strong. The defense lost its secondary in the 3rd game.
Since then, the offense has been on the rise while the defense has struggled to adapt to a 2nd and 3rd string secondary. The secondary will continue to suffer until after the bye week when Vasher gets back. This defense is going to have to gut out stops in the next two weeks to get there. Babich has been making some rookie errors in his personnel decisions, but that looks to be cleared up.
Make no mistake about it, the defense is the sole issue holding us back right now. The offense may not be the Bears of Good Rex 2006 or Kramer 1995, but they are beginning to click and put up points and, just as importantly, TOP.
It's time for defensive rookies and first-time starters to overachieve, and for veterans to play like they know how, and play through pain if necessary. Former Pro Bowlers, RISE UP!
October 19, 2007
#22 Action Jackson said . . .We need a bigger dose of Alex Brown. I think everyone fell in love with Mark Anderson last year, and for good reason, but his role needs to return to what it was last year, put him in on obvious pass downs and let Alex play the rest. Mark will be fresher and more effective, and the run defense will improve.
I have faith this team will be fired up and play an inspired game defensively.
Bears 20
Eagles 13October 19, 2007
#23 Phil from SATX said . . .Sweet film, huh?
What does everybody think about it?
October 19, 2007
#24 Phil from SATX said . . .I agree 100% with that, Kyle. Let Alex Brown start the game, and Mark Andersen in on passing downs. In the second half, Mark will get a lot more time because the Bears are going to be up 17-3 by halftime. They had a proven player in Alex Brown but were seduced by Mark Andersen's rush skills and upside. They went too far given his current limitations against the rush.
October 19, 2007
#25 Action Jackson said . . .I guess I was wrong, he's not Swedish. AndersOn.
October 19, 2007
#26 Black Bear said . . .Come on, Carl Weathers?
October 19, 2007
#27 Todd said . . .What do you guys think of planting a hole in the Eagle's defense. Right on their beak. If Lovie uses a few the crossdown pass patterns and adds that up with some good sideways yardage, we'll be good to go.
The Bears must push past the the white chalk, or we're toast.
October 19, 2007
#28 beardown1982 said . . .I agree Black Bear. It's the sidways yardage the Bears have been lacking recently. Nobody really takes that into account anymore, especially Lovie. Rex or Brian need to throw sideways more.
The points will get on the board that way.
October 19, 2007
#29 JL said . . .Jeff,
Damn, I stand corrected. Although, I suppose it's a good thing for the Bears...so am glad I'm an idiot on this one!I wish Marky Mark was covering kicks for the Eagles this weekend like in that movie...
October 19, 2007
#30 Phil from SATX said . . .I'm excited about all this talk about effort and heart and anger from the Bears....but the law of averages will eventually win.
Sorry Bears fans (and that includes me), the fact of the matter is the Bears Defense is 2nd-worse in the NFC in YPG allowed (361.3) and the Eagles Offense is 3rd-best in the NFC in total YPG (352.4).
So yes, the Eagles offense has trouble in the red zone, but don't expect the Bears to shut them down completely. They simply can't gameplan that way. With all the injuries in our secondary and the threat of WRs like Kevin Curtis (thank you PO'd for the mention) the Bears will try to avoid giving up the big play which means lots of underneath stuff to killers like Westbrook.
Look, I love this Bears D but the fact remains that Trumaine McBride is a starting CB for us this week, and while Manning back at FS helps, Arch Deluxe at SS does not.
You can't flip the numbers that have been built over 6-game sample size overnight. BUT, the Bears D can still play well enough to win even if that means surrendering a couple of scores and probably 100-150 total yards to a guy like Westbrook.
As for the Eagles D, why does everyone think their run D is awful? Is it because of what the pundits are saying on ESPN? Look at the numbers. In the NFC the Eagles have the 4th best rushing D with only 91.2 YPG allowed. If you think numbers lie, look at the fact that the Bears rushing D is second to LAST at 134.2 YPG allowed - worse than the Falcons, Niners, Lions, etc. etc...and I think we would all agree that's a good representation of reality.
THAT SAID, I'm a believer and I think the one thing that can bury stats like the ones I mentioned are TURNOVERS. Oh wait - the Bears have a -7 margin and the Eagles +1....
Benson and Westbrook make fantasy owners proud with 100+ yds and a score each respectively. Both offenses do more than people expect but our D makes enough plays to win
Bears 27
Eagles 24October 19, 2007
#31 topherized said . . .Statistics, schmatistics. Just ask MikeB whether statistics based on a sample size of 6 mean anything. I'll tell you what means something:
1) Lions game injury report: No Briggs, no Tommie Harris, no Nathan Vasher, no Peanut Tillman, starting safety with his hand in a cast. How the hell are we supposed to stop a high scoring offense with 4 of the top 5 most important defenders gone? We didn't, record for the most points in the 4th quarter. Let's just remember that people said the Bears suck for losing to such a crappy team. Not so - this was a near impossible win with the heart of our defense out.
2) GB is a win. Out for the game: Only Vasher. Tillman, TH, Briggs all return. What happens? Win.
3) Vikings game injury report: Still no Vasher, new injury to Darwin Walker, TH at far less than 100%. Granted this is a much shorter list than Lions, but as much discussed, the absence of Vasher coupled with questionable moves by Babich meant a continued ineffective secondary. Absence of Walker hurt inside. Still could have won the game.
4) Eagles game injury report: No Vasher. Don't know the continued health of TH and Urlacher but if TH is well less than 100%, I'd take the combo of Walker and Adams inside, Adams is a wide body who played the run well last week, the only defender not called out. Danieal Manning back at free safety where he belongs, still have problems at one corner position, but overall much better defensive condition than the two previous losses.
Statistics are created by the people you're lining up. When people are out, people who shouldn't be starting are. The numbers don't lie, but trends do, if personnel is changing along the way.
A more healthy D and a better strategy of deployment means much better defense. Coupled with continued improvement on offense, I will say
THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE LOSING ON SUNDAY.
October 19, 2007
#32 jeff said . . .if you're feeling a little down, check out this video... it should pump you up.
Bears 27, Birds 17.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQW7ilAF01A
October 19, 2007
#33 JL said . . .beardown, no worries. i actually didn't know the stats would back it up till you called me out...so i got lucky. it was a hunch. by the way all...no one is picking the bears this week. the bears are winning.
October 19, 2007
#34 RandomName said . . .Phil, Darwin Walker's absence had nothing to do with Adrian Peterson going nutty on us. They ran consistently to the left with Hutchinson mauling Mark Andersen. The NT could've been Tank Johnson and it wouldn't have mattered.
As for statistics, I agree that they're created by the people you line up. And you don't need to list the injury report. It's pretty obvious. The point is, whoever we're lining up right now is playing like shit and you can't ignore what 6 games tell you.
The numbers, the trends, the whatever all point to the fact that the Bears are going to give up yards. Lots of yards. But they can still give up yards and win the game. In time the law of averages will play in the Bears favor and their D will get stronger and end up ranking statistically towards the mean. It's just a matter of getting up off the wrong side of the bell curve for now and it's going to happen gradually, not in one fine day in Philly.
October 19, 2007
#35 topherized said . . .topherized, thanks i needed that.
As long as Devin is working for us i don't mind the use of bionic legs in the NFL.
I couldn't even imagine Adrian Peterson and Hester on the same team.
A moment to jump the gun past Philly here.. how the hell are we gonna stop the second coming of Peterson? In case yah didnt know we meet him again this season on hostile grounds.
But then again they might be wondering how they will stop the scond coming of Anytime, lol
October 19, 2007
#36 Rancid said . . .that video is awesome... i just wish they would have fit in the super bowl return and the one against the vikes last week (which is my personal favorite).
I dont know exactly how the bears are gonna stop AP again... but i know that they will. This defense has a ton of talent, its just a matter of excution. Besides vasher will hopefully be back by then.
More importantly, the bears need to win tomorrow, and (against all my better instincts) i'm going to expect a dominating game.
go big or go home.
October 19, 2007
#37 Shady McBears Fan said . . .What a waste. I just found out that I'll be attending the Bills/Ravens game this weekend with the uppers at work. I am seriously struggling to think of a crummier game to go to. I've only been to a handful of pro games and to think that now I am going again and this is the one I'm going to. Blahhhh. I just hope I can find a decent sports bar in Buffalo in time to see the Bears game. I haven't missed one in quite a while.
October 20, 2007
#38 jeff said . . .That is the 1st time I've seen that footage of Hester returning that kick at Miami...wow. Just another reason he is truely, RIDICULOUS! While it has been the defensive unit picking up the team in recent years, Devin Hester has done the same as an individual. It's almost a pity not to take full advantage of what he can contribute on offense. The fact the opposition must ALWAYS account for #23 gives Chicago a tremendous opportunity they must capitalize on.
Here's to hoping the NFC is garbage enough that the Bears can still make the playoffs with nine wins.
October 20, 2007
#39 Al in WI said . . .thought being home sick i'd have nothing to do. watching hester's kick return from the superbowl over and over again while losing money on louisville did the trick. great video from inside the wild goose...with just screams....chills
October 20, 2007
#40 Max said . . .It sucks that Jay the joke actually has a good article today:
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/612040,mariottiweb101907b.articleOctober 20, 2007
#41 Coxy said . . .I was going to give a prediction but then PO'ed mentioned Wanny and then i kinda threw up in my mouth.
quick version: Bears 31 Philly 28.
(and no one cares, but the blackhawks could be good this year.)
October 20, 2007
#42 Phil from SATX said . . .On the train to Philly. Look for the Ron Cox jersey in the stands. Bear down. for the
October 20, 2007
#43 PutInDASuperhero said . . .Up in the middle of the night last night watching the HBO NFL show. I'm taking this as a sign - the smartest guy in TV sports, Bob Costas, was the only one picking the Bears.
5 1/2 point line is insulting to the Bears (although understanding given the "trends") - I hope this is the most angry yet disciplined game we've seen out of these guys. I'm also ready for Hester to take it to the next stratosphere.
One final comment to JL, I think we're mostly in agreement, I still say that it's like the butterfly theory, even if the runs didn't come through the center of the line, the mere presence of better players starting would have changed the game in myriad ways and potentially changed the plays leading up to those runs - changed the down/distance, field position, etc. Also the first half with the secondary out of position had to hurt as well. You can't just point to the one play that killed us and isolate it.
On the other hand, you gotta know I'm trying like hell to find reasons for optimism, and having players out/playing hurt is the only thing that makes sense to me. TH and BU gotta come up big today, despite their pain.
ACT LIKE YOU GOT WOKEN UP IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR FREAKING WINTER HIBERNATION BEARS!
RIP THE WINGS OFF SOME BIRDS!
See you all later today, let's celebrate (although win or lose I'm going to try not to celebrate like after the Green Bay win)
October 21, 2007
#44 Decatur Staleys #7 said . . .The Flash, uh I mean Devin Hester(didnt mean divulge his secret identity) should play quarterback and receiver. Just a thought. Go Bears
October 21, 2007
#45 tommy said . . .Knuckle up...an Bear Down!
I smell a bird roasting today
Bears 24
Igloos 17October 21, 2007
#46 Shady McBears Fan said . . .We can win if Ron Turdner (at least I think that's how he should spell it) doesn't lose it. We need at least 27 running plays to win acording to stats. Last week they ran 8 plays left for a total of ZERO gain. All Benson's yards came to the right. The defense has to play like the Monsters of the Midway not Bearwussies. Devin,you did fantastic last week. Please remember to hang onto the ball again this week. Oh yes, as someone above said, let's have some quality TEA time.
Go Bears
October 21, 2007
#47 Shady said . . .It's Sunday. I have beer. I have a T.V. I'm ready for some Bears football.
How fucking good is Tom Brady? Jesus. 10 TDs in 5 quarters? Fuck.
3 Keys to the Bears game:
1. Controlling the line of scrimmage.
2. Turnovers.
3. Time of Possession.
Victory goes to the team who wins these battles in ANY game.
Let's go Lovie, let's go Bears!
October 21, 2007
#48 Shady McBears Fan said . . .I seen on Da Site that Walker is inactive for today's game. Does that mean he's not playing AT ALL? I thought he was going to get some time today against his former team...
October 21, 2007
#49 Shady said . . .Defensive line still looks rather porous handling the run, having trouble creating pressure on D.McNabb. Not a very encouraging start to the game.
Bears 0
Philly 3
October 21, 2007
#50 Portuguese_Bear said . . .What looked like a great 20yd skinny post to Olsen turned into a fumble - rookie mistake? I think so. Ah this shit is depressing. It's still early, right?
Turnover battle: Bears -1
October 21, 2007
#51 Shady said . . .Can we jump right now to the 2008 Draft please?
October 21, 2007
#52 Shady McBear Fan said . . .Lovie is challenging the ruling on the field...
October 21, 2007
#53 said . . .Good job Lovie! Turnover battle is even again.
October 21, 2007
#54 Robbie Gould said . . .Griese just under threw Hester for an open TD. FUCKING SON OF A BITCH! Throw the ball out there and he'll run under it, dammit! Ahh I'm an angry Bear today!
October 21, 2007
#55 Shady McBears Fan said . . .I just missed a chip shot FG. Somebody kick me in the jock strap.
October 21, 2007
#56 Shady said . . .Well it's halftime and the game is looking pretty conservative and pretty sloppy at this point. Let's review Shady's keys to the game:
Controlling the line of scrimmage: The Chicago D-Line is not doing a very good job here, they're attempting arm tackles on Westbrook and not getting pressure on McNabb when they need to. The linebackers need to prove the difference makers on 3rd downs.
The offensive line is not doing a very good job either, although Cedric Benson ran pretty well to begin the game, but they got away from it near the red zone. They need to have a big 2nd half for the Bears D to get some rest and to have any chance of matching what Westbrook + McNabb can do.
Turnovers: This battle is even. Both sides have done a good job of protecting the ball, but Chicago is fortunate to have Olsen's fumble reversed.
Time of Possession: In the Eagles favor.
Chicago 3Philly 9
Look for the scoring to open up in the 2nd half.
October 21, 2007
#57 Divine Hester said . . .Did I really just see a fumbled snap. I think we can start calling the quarterback Griesman at this point. The offense NEEDED a TD there, they were given a gift by the refs.
Still in the game, though.
6-10
October 21, 2007
#58 RandomName said . . .Tommy Harris giving it to his buddy D.McNabb is a thing of beauty...Offense come up with a TD now please...
October 21, 2007
#59 Shady McBears fan said . . .OK stop pretending to throw to Hester and throw the damn ball to Hester, he is going to beat anyone by a step. I'm getting pissed. but at least we got the lead with a field goal
October 21, 2007
#60 mikebdot said . . .ROBBIE GOULD OFF THE LEFT UPRIGHT!
Count it! Devin Hester's impact is enormous.
Bears 12
Eagles 9
October 21, 2007
#61 RandomName said . . ."I'm sick and tired of the Bears D going for the strip as they tackle someone". To say this is a massive understatement of how much I hate our tackling technique. I don't care that Tillman had two strips in one game. No sir. I want to see people tackled before the first down market. That wins football games, not people swiping at the freaking ball.
Maybe they could get Grossman to practice fielding pooch kicks. Then he could throw the ball to the other side of the field to Hester.
Griese almost lost the game just now.
This sucks nuts.
October 21, 2007
#62 Portuguese_Bear said . . .I'm frustrated you guys are frustrated. the 4th quarter is starting to look bleak. I wish griese would throw it to hester he makes plays.
October 21, 2007
#63 RandomName said . . .Another miracle today?
October 21, 2007
#64 Start Olsen said . . .MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSE!!
October 21, 2007
#65 Divine Hester said . . .DEAR GRIESE HATERS
GO FUCK YOURSELF. YOU SHOULD BE BANNED FROM THE BLOG FOR STUPIDITY.
BEAR DOWN!!!!!October 21, 2007
#66 RandomName said . . .wow...old #87 is giving me moosebumbs all over my body...what a great great drive that was!!!
October 21, 2007
#67 mikebdot said . . .WHO HATES GRIESE? I LOVE THE GUY.
October 21, 2007
#68 mikebdot said . . .Wow. That was nice.
October 21, 2007
#69 AK said . . .Why don't we do the 2-minute offense the entire game? You know, like the Colts and Patriots? The most prolific offenses in the league. Shoot, we almost look like a good offense in the 2-minute drill.
October 21, 2007
#70 Shady McBears Fan said . . .Thank Ditka for that win.
October 21, 2007
#71 Green Lantern said . . .Ahh there you guys are! What a 97 yard effort the bears offense gave, Hester, BB and Moose. That should give this offense a ton of confidence into next week. It makes 2 weeks in a row the offense has come up big at the end of the game.
It was great to see the Bears avoiding any turnovers today, even though the defense didn't come up with any takeaways. There were a couple big plays that could have cost the Bears the game, including that snap from Olin that magically turned into a false start.
The Eagles dominated the TOP in the 1st half, but the Bears took back control in the 2nd which helped rest the D and put some points on the board.
The Bear defense didn't play great, but they played well enough to win. They managed to keep the Eagles out of the end zone long enough to give the Offense a chance to win at the end of the game.
It wasn't always pretty, but a win is a win - and this win was big.
October 21, 2007
#72 Jakub said . . .what an enormous, season saving drive. griese was fantastic today....who would have thought the bears could win a game where they forced ZERO turnovers.....got ZERO return yards from hester.....and it was ON THE ROAD
fantastic game, good job by the D to bend but not break, beat detroit next week and we'll rest up during the bye, get people back healthy and go into the second half in the thick of things.
fantastic day.
October 21, 2007
#73 Jakub said . . .Big win, but I have a serious question. Can someone explain to me why we are ok with giving up 7 yards on first down with easy slants the entire game? Why do we give them that. I made all by the last 1:57 very painful.
3 - 4 never felt so good.
October 21, 2007
#74 Jakub said . . .Big win, but I have a serious question. Can someone explain to me why we are ok with giving up 7 yards on first down with easy slants the entire game? Why do we give them that. It made all by the last 1:57 very painful.
3 - 4 never felt so good.
October 21, 2007
#75 Shady McBears Fan said . . .Sorry about the double post. =/
October 21, 2007
#76 Start Olsen said . . .I thought Moose really stepped his game up today. He had a few big catches early on in the game, and obviously at the end of the game as well. Calling the timeout to get Hester lined up right turned out to be big as well.
Even though Hester had no return yards today, his impact was still felt. The Bears started with good field position the entire game, except at the end when they finally got in the endzone (ironically). The good field position allowed the Bears to kick a few FGs that kept them in the game. This guy changes the entire game.
October 21, 2007
#77 Shady McBears Fan said . . .My game ball goes to McBride.
October 21, 2007
Jakub,
I gotta believe it's part of the cover-2 scheme, the 'bend-but-don't-break defense. They gave the underneath stuff all day, but when it came to the red-zone the D really stiffened up.
Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris had good games. Urlacher was all over the field again, sticking it to his critics while Tommie had huge back-2-back sacks in the 2nd half. Give the defense credit for containing Westbrook in the 2nd half. The biggest knock I have with the defense is the secondary, they can't get vasher back fast enough.
Fuck it feels good to win, especially when the season is on the line!!
October 21, 2007
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