I don't like waking up on Tuesday and knowing we have a game in two days. I'm not over the game from two days ago yet. For those of you who'd like to put the mustard on that shit sandwich, check out Steve Rosenbloom's blog on the Trib's website. He basically condemns the coaching staff for the same reasons we've been condemning them: common sense.
Looking ahead there are two ways to approach Thursday night's game with the Washington Redskins. I let the two sides make their arguments.
THE COCK-EYED OPTIMIST
Look...we only get sixteen games a year. That's all NFL teams are entitled to. I love the Chicago Bears and - no matter what their record - sixteen times a year I'm going to cheer my head off for them. Even in this somewhat wasted season, losing can't take away the thrills of the final drive in Philadelphia. Losing can't take away beating the Packers at Lambeau. Losing can't erase the feeling of seeing Bernard Berrian make the biggest Bears catch in an awful long time. Losing can't deny Devin Hester's place in the history of this franchise.
And let's not forget what's happening around the NFC. The sixth playoff spot is still there to be taken and the Bears are only one game behind the three teams at 6-6...with one of those teams still on the Bears schedule. Would the Bears have any shot were they to make the playoffs? No. But would I do anything for them to get that seventeenth game? You bet your ass.
THE NEGATIVE NELLY
I'm over this team. I'm over this coaching staff. And I'm tired.
How many times will the 2007 Chicago Bears fail to the win the game that would make them a relevant presence in their conference? I know they're going to win Thursday night because it would give them another chance next week against the Minnesota Vikings. So my note to the Chicago Bears is this: please lose. Play hard, be in the game but lose. Don't dangle the carrot in front of my face just to yank it away. I don't have it in me anymore.
And while we're on the subject, I'd like Rex Grossman to throw five interceptions or five touchdowns. I don't want middle ground from him either. I'm just tired of guessing what this team's going to be each Sunday.
My game prediction will arrive on a rare Wednesday tomorrow.
#2 JB said . . .first
can't believe there's a game in two days.
i'm tired of this team but they're still the bears so i can't root against them ever...
December 4, 2007
#3 AfroCelt said . . .echo the sentiments of 5 picks or 5 TD's...a definitive answer would be nice...but it won't happen. whatever the case, answering some questions for next year by utilizing the last 4 games of the season seems to me like a good idea. if nothing else, i'd love to beat the pack again.
December 4, 2007
#4 jeff said . . .I got the thursday night game up here in GB, but I won't be able to see the bears this thursday....guess its internet radio for me.
December 4, 2007
#5 Da Coach said . . .afro, nfl.com basically airs the entire game...you'll miss a few plays but believe me, you'll get almost everything. i was shocked last week.
December 4, 2007
#6 BRIANsong said . . .I lean towards the negative nelly side of things, sun's game was the last straw for me. I still cannot even stomach to watch the game over and it was only made worse yesterday.
My boss (giants fan) comes into the office and about mid morning says to me "wow I am surprised your not rubbing the bears win into me" I said what do you mean he proceeds to tell me he turned off the game because of the horrible play of Eli Manning and assumed they had lost. He was quite pleased & utterly SHOCKED when I informed him the giants won on the final 2 drives of the game.
Damn you Chicago Bears damn your inconsistent play & damn you giving me hope only to snatch it away from me.
December 4, 2007
#7 Pissed Off said . . .We had no business losing Sunday. But we had no business beating Philly or Denver. The Bears just aren't that good.
December 4, 2007
#8 PolygonHell said . . .Just plain pissed off and disgusted with this team. Just win THE game for God's sake. Can you string together two in a row? Stop dangling the "W" in front of my face.
December 4, 2007
#9 Phil from SATX said . . .Given the teams the Bears have lost to this year and the fact that most of them are also battling for a playoff spot, they're going to need a LOT of help to get into the playoffs at 9 and 7.
I think they need to go out and try and find answers, I think that means playing hard, playing to win and evaluating the talent they have.
I watched the Bears through much of the 90's and early 2000's, I guess it's beaten me down and after the initial frustration of the game it just washes off my back.
I think the coaching staff has been somewhat unfairly hammered this year. I have my problems with some of the playcalling and the very heavy emphasis on Defense and the Running game, but they're not the first superbowl looser to underperform, and I've yet to see a piece in the media that explanis the phenomenon adequately.
Mike Holmgren once said that he investigated it very seriously after the Seattle superbowl loss and that in almost all cases injuries were a significant contributor. I wonder if in these days of the Salary cap that being a contender just means you lack depth and simply can't recover from significant injuries.
I am not looking forwards to the offseason and the long wait with no football and minimal news, so I guess I'll make the most of it and enjoy the games that are left, win or loose.
Of course I'm a perenial optimist when it comes to the Bears by the time next season rolls around I'll have convinced myself they'll go 16 and 0 and win the Superbowl again.
December 4, 2007
#10 Phil from SATX said . . .Rosenbloom is saying THE EXACT SAME SHIT WE ARE here. Doesn't mean he's stealing from us, just means it should be obvious what's happening to this team. Although we've remarked on all those same exact things here, he puts it together in a very compelling (and ultimately sickening) way.
These coaches cannot game coach their way out of a paper bag. I am SICK OF THEM.
SICK OF THEM.
SICK OF THEM.
Bears, ignore your stupid fucking coaches and do whatever the hell you want. Rex, pretend your headset is out and call whatever the hell you want. Brian Urlacher, totally ignore Nepotism Peter Principled Babich and call whatever you want. I wish Moose and Berrian could voluntarily refuse to go in so Bradley and someone else could have a chance. Greg Olsen, demand that you be given the ball and threaten to beat the shit out of someone if they don't! You're bigger than them!
Take the matter into your own hands, Bears. You're better than your coaches and you deserve better than this.
STOP ALLOWING THE COACHES TO LOSE GAMES YOU SHOULD WIN BY THEIR HORRIBLE DECISIONS! TAKE CHARGE!
BTW, best part of the Ravens game last night was watching the defense scream at the coaches after the idiotic timeout that cost them the game. WE NEED SOME OF THAT!
December 4, 2007
#11 Al in WI said . . .Just one more thought -
Have you ever in your life heard more stupid things come out of a coach's mouth than that has come out of Lovie's this year?
And we thought saying "Rex is our quarterback" over and over again was stupid last year.
At least he's more creative this year. He ramps up the stupidity after every single loss.
"Eventually they're going to stop that"?
How can we trust a coach who says such stupid, laughable things? How can we trust a coach who allows such stupid, laughable decisions to be made on the field? How can the Bears trust him? Rex obviously doesn't trust RT (despite the stupid shit Haugh says - don't read him today if you want to remain calm), and I'm sure Urlacher doesn't trust Babich OR Lovie.
I don't hear other losing coaches saying shit like that. In fact, the one thing most losing coaches do is take responsiblity for their decisions. Lovie tries to justify them with the stupidest shit imaginable. My trust is gone.
December 4, 2007
#12 Max said . . .Win the fucking game, and use the next 10 days to game plan a way to stop Peterson of the Queens. I have a suggestion: 46 Defense.
December 4, 2007
#13 Rancid said . . .. . . why??? God damn it, i hate life. I hate it so much. i got class thursday night which im pretty sure is gonna be a review for a final. . . and im gonna have to find a place where the game is on at because of stupid NFL network. i hate life.
we quit. Our offense had 1 FUCKING YARD in the fourth quarter before that last drive. and managed 3 field goals after our first TD despite good field position.
Our D capitalized on some dumb mistakes, but seriously, one interception was thrown right to Urlacher. The other was underthrown to Peanut (good play by both, but it was thrown right to them) and one of those damn fumbles was Eli being Eli.
When it came down to it, our D couldnt make a damn stop. Ward has 154 yards rushing??? WTF???
i hate life. i hope we kill the skins, but right now, i hate life
December 4, 2007
#14 Chalupa said . . .I used to get NFL Network. Then Time Warner bought out our cable company and we lost it. I don't know who to be pissed at, the NFL or Time Warner. I hate listening to games.
December 4, 2007
#15 Phil from SATX said . . .Hey, where's that Mike butt munch today? Probably too busy taking a cock up the ass and in the mouth while getting a hand job. What a fucking asshole. Never once has he been right about the Bears. Next he'll tell us Bernard Berrian will go to the fudge-Packers in the offseason. I hate fucking faggots who try to talk football.
Bears will beat Washington on Thursday. I GUARANTEE it.
December 4, 2007
#16 Pissed Off said . . .Charles Peanut Tillman has single-handedly won at least game for us (Packers with two hellacious punchouts for fumbles) and done his best to help us win others - that interception which should have sealed the win against the Giants was VERY difficult, the kind of catch that Berrian SHOULD have made but didn't. He had an interception and a blocked punt in the Broncos game that was instrumental in the win.
By the way, Berrian just jumped to tied for 9th in the league in Passes Not Caught - 7 more to add to his season total.
December 4, 2007
#17 Phil from SATX said . . .Guess I'll brag a little bit even though I'm up in North Dakota I get the NFL Network with Midcontinent Communications. I have to pay an extra $3.50 per month for it but big deal, I get some other channels when I pick up that package too plus I really only need it for a month or two, so $7 per year, I'll take it. I guess I'm fortunate.
December 4, 2007
#18 Al in WI said . . .Rancid, just get DirecTV already - you'll love it. It's probably cheaper than your cable too. Who knows when Time Warner will get NFL Network, although I admit it is hilarious to hear them with their radio commercials trying to sell that they are looking out for the best interests of their customers - in this town they are well hated for their greed and former abuse of their monopoly status (much harder to abuse it now that there's good alternatives).
Usually you can't help but hate all utility companies - but I will tell you I've been extremely satisfied with DirecTV (and of course the NFL Sunday Ticket) since about 1995. You won't regret it. And no I don't work for them. I'm sure others here who have it will agree.
December 4, 2007
#19 Al in WI said . . .Good call Phil, DirectTV is the way to go. Not only do you get NFL Net with your basic deal. You get the option of Sunday Ticket allowing you to see all the games. It's spendy but not if you think about how much you'd be spending at a bar every week, it pays for itself.
I've moved around some and had several cable services, and all told DTV is the best.December 4, 2007
#20 Portuguese_Bear said . . .Something to consider: Last season in 16 starts Rex Grossman was sacked 20 times.
This season in 7 games he's been sacked 25 times, and pounded a bunch more.December 4, 2007
#21 Al in WI said . . .Trust me, Jeff. We´ll lose! We lose to a bad shape Giants, right? So...it´s easy!
2008 come quickly!December 4, 2007
#22 jdawg said . . .RE Berrian: I understand what people are saying when they argue for dumping him. His dropped passes materially changed the direction of this season early on.
However, he is still head and shoulders above any other reciever on this team, and one of only a couple legit threats on this offense. If it's possible, the Bears should bring him back unless he is demanding TO money. And in that situation they should place the transition tag on him and force another team to give up draft picks for him.December 5, 2007
#23 Shady McBears Fan said . . .what are the dollar numbers associated with the transition tag? If they're franchise tag numbers let him walk.
And if he's thinking top 10 receiver numbers Olin needs to give him some Fred Miller love.
Wasn't there a moment in the game where Grossman got sacked and the replayed what Berrian was doing to get open and the stadium started booing?
December 5, 2007
#24 Shady said . . .The Bears have several Free-Agents-to-be in 2008:
Grossman
Briggs
Berrian
R. Davis
J. Gilmore
R. Brown
B. Ayanbadejo
B. McGowanInt he past, the Bears have typically re-signed their FAs, but this year could be tricky. I don't know enough about their cap space to predict an exact number to retain, but my guess would tell me they could only afford to bring back 3 or 4 at most.
If they sign Briggs, Berrian and Grossman, I don't see much space to bring in a guy like RB Michael Turner or OT Alan Faneca. Briggs is going to ask for top dollar because he deserves it, and BB will ask for the same but I'm not sure he does. My guess is Briggs will be back if the Bears agree to really doll out the cash like many other teams would for Lance. As much as he deserves it, it worries me that a high percentage of our cap space will be invested in our defense, more specifically, our linebackers.
At some point Angelo must focus his attention to the offense, a unit which has been neglected for many, many years. I'd like to see Briggs back in uniform and "retire a happy Bear", but if it means mortgaging Halas hall to bring him back, I'm not sure we couldn't use that money more productively on the offense. Emotionally I'm ready to split with Lance after what we went through during the off-season. Berrian will definitely not receive top dollar in Chicago, at least that's what history says. The Bears have not and will not overpay a WR. A LB maybe, but not a WR which makes me believe the bears will draft an OT and WR with their early picks in the draft.
Unlike recent years, I expect Jerry Angelo to turn to FA for defense and the draft for offense. Who knows though, with so many positions needing attention almost anything could happen. This off-season will be where Jerry Angelo earns his paycheck. Hopefully he will employ some creativity in dealing with the team needs, but creativity has certainly NOT been a trend for this team this year.
December 5, 2007
#25 Megan said . . .Is it just me, or were there a lot of similarities between Sunday's Bears game and the Monday Night Ravens game?
Like the Bears, the underdog Ravens dominated the majority of the game. There was also a feeling of tragic inevitability that the Giants and Patriots would eventually score if given enough chances. There were also a few more than questionable coaching moves which may have cost both teams the game. There were a couple other reasons I was thinking about at work, but none are coming to mind now.
Anyone agree, or no?
December 5, 2007
#26 Shady said . . .Is it over yet? Wake me when it is. I'll watch the game on Thursday with a pillow in front of my face. Kinda like when I was a kid watching a horror movie.
December 5, 2007
Yeah it's not going to be a pretty game. Both of these teams have negative turnover ratios.
Bears: -6 Redskins: -9
The Bears also have run-stopper Anthony Adams (the bigger/better AA) listed as OUT for the game. Clinton Portis and the Redskins are going to play with tons of emotion which could spell trouble for the Bears. Willis McGahee ran like an inspired man Monday night, and CP could very well do the same Thursday.
But I'm taking the BEARS to WIN. Adrian Peterson will have a good game of his own, which will be critical. Critical because AP's good running attack will set up Grossman's outstanding (PA) passing game. They know what they have in AP, but somebody please tell me what Grossman (Orton?) is all about. Besides, HOF Joe Gibbs will probably find another way to blow the game. Not to mention the Bears have been dancing the Win-Loss Cha-Cha all season long.
Win-Loss-Win-Loss-Win-Hey!
Win-Loss-Win-Loss-Win-Hey!
December 5, 2007
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