I’ve already written about the schedular (new word) and spiritual significance of Sunday night’s game in Minnesota (ad nauseam) so I’ll shift today’s focus to actual football.
Here's four things. You guys to fill in the rest.
NO LONG RUNS
In three meetings against the Chicago Bears, Adrian Peterson has seven touchdowns – with 54, 67, 73 and 35 thrown in there. Short yardage rush touchdowns happen but if the Bears want to control the pace of play in the Metrodome, Mike Brown and Kevin Payne must keep AP from exploding through the third level. They do that and they’ll be able to force Sweet Gus to beat them in the red zone.
PRESSURE SWEET GUS IN THE RED ZONE
Gus isn’t going to elude a pass rush and make plays with his legs so it’s imperative that the front four get into the backfield and force him into bad decisions. When they played this team earlier in the season, Gus was being anointed the savior of the offense. That dog don't hunt no more. A lot of pressure on Adewale Ogunleye - who delivered a stat-padding, Yankees third baseman-like performance against a weak opponent a week ago.
THE CAPTAIN
Steve Rosenbloom and David Haugh each wrote about this game somehow being a referendum on Matt Forte’s ability to put the Bears on his back. I just don’t see it. If the Bears expect to simply line up and run up the gut, they’ll find themselves in long yardage situations all afternoon. This game will be about Kyle Orton’s ability to spread the field early and find mismatches in the not-so-good Viking secondary. Use both tight ends. Test their safeties with Hester deep. Hit Davis on the slant. Give Lloyd a couple jump balls.
BRAD MAYNARD, HOW 'BOUT IT?
Maynard simply hasn’t been good punting the ball all season, especially in big situations deep in our own territory. This is the kind of team that will capitalize on short fields and struggle going 80 or 90. I don’t quite know how to evaluate punting stats but I know that Maynard is 4th in total punts, 21st in net average and 31st in overall average. My eyes tell me those stats are probably pretty accurate.
MY ANSWER: I think the Bears are going to deliver their finest performance of the season Sunday night. I'm not sure why but I have the same feeling I had on the Wednesday before the season started.
Chicago Bears 33
Minnesota Vikings 13
#2 Joseph said . . .First! And "Da Bears Suck"
November 28, 2008
#3 Windy City Packer Fan said . . .Second!...and First to tell John he's a Douche!
November 28, 2008
#4 Shady said . . .Third! Just like the Packers after Sunday's games.
I fully anticpate a contest in which we don't score enough points to be victorious...then a scenario in which the Bears outscore the Viqueens...leaving the Packers third.
Then I have to listen to all of those 'I'm a Brett Favre fan first' people say, 'look at the Jets, they have a better record than the Packers. Ted Thompson is an idiot. They never should have let Brett go.'
Well, I'm sorry; I'm somewhat old school. If a guy says he's done, doesn't do sh*t in the off season to prepare himself, only to say, 'Oh, I think I want to come back, because I don't know what to do,' screw that. You committed to not coming back, why should we bend over because you decided not to stay on your property and ride your tractor?
Sorry for the rant, but, I think that some of you may appreciate it.
November 28, 2008
#5 zisk said . . ....Ride your tractor, IN YOUR WRANGLERS...
November 28, 2008
#6 zisk said . . .I agree with WCPF. If there's one thing I hate more than the packers its brett farve.
November 28, 2008
#7 Willie from Chicago said . . .I feel 100% better with brown and payne than anything involving the arch deluxe
November 28, 2008
#8 Willie from Chicago said . . .Guys, say what you want about Brett Favre, but he was one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. I have always hated him, but I respected him when he was with the cheese. Now dont get me wrong, like I said before, I have always and I still hate him.
November 28, 2008
#9 NittyGritty34 said . . .John, dont be an asshole a day after thanksgiving, dont turn into Packfan.
November 28, 2008
#10 Da Coach said . . .Willie, I can see why us Bears fan might have a little bit less than love for Brett, but you have always hated him? Why?
November 28, 2008
#11 Willie from Chicago said . . .Who cares about the Packers or Brett Favre. Move on already!
Jeff your points hit it right on. Contain AP, pressure Gus & control ball on Sun night.
November 28, 2008
#12 BRIANsong said . . .Sorry, I meant to say I hated him when he was with the Packers, my bad. Again, I respect Brett, but he was a Packer, and Ive always hated Packer players, nothing against Brett. I also said he was one of the best quarterbacks to ever play football so it wasnt all negative. I did go a bit overboard, and I apologize.
November 28, 2008
#13 NittyGritty34 said . . .I'd add that we need another big game from Tommie Harris up the middle. When Tommie is right and requiring a double team, this is an entirely different defensive line.
November 28, 2008
#14 NittyGritty34 said . . .Oh Willie. My bad. For some reason I got you confused with WCPF and I couldn't understand why you hated him. But alas, you're willie from Chicago- Bears Fan- of course you hate him. As do we all. But whatever, last I heard he didn't play for the Vikequeens, so who gives a fuck this week.
Starting to get a little bit amped up for the game. I don't share Jeff's optimism, but I am excited to see it play out. Here's to hoping I'm wrong.
Die Queens Die!
November 28, 2008
#15 Willie from Chicago said . . .I'm also starting to believe that WCPF is a really a closet Bears Fan. It's okay to admit it Willie. What's not to love about Da Bears. You may be banished from Packer land forever, but you'll always have a home in the Windy City, where you live, and where I wish I lived.
November 28, 2008
#16 Al In WI said . . .Brad Maynard needs to step up, he has given the other team great field position this whole season. Our defense cant stop teams all the time with half a field to work with.
November 28, 2008
#17 Willie from Chicago said . . .I really think this game is a referendum on Kyle Orton. If we are going to win this game, it is going have to be because of him.
Orton has had a bit more of an up and down season then most people on here are willing to admit. And lately he has been more down then he has been up. His last good game was against the Vikings right before the bye. Almost a month ago, and has followed that by 2.5 mediocre games.
He seems to have fallen back into the inaccurate game manager mode from 2005. If that continues this week in a big game for the divisional lead I really think it will bring the whole qb debate for 2009 back to the forefront. And it will make his great run of games in October seem like just a hot streak that was oh too brief.
On the flip side if he can put up a big game on the road like that he can vault this team into the playoffs and himself as the quarterback of the long term.November 28, 2008
#18 Willie from Chicago said . . .NittyGritty, its easy to admit what? that i hate Brett Favre? I already said i did, but dont anymore since he isnt wearing a Packer uniform anymore.
November 28, 2008
#19 BRIANsong said . . .I dont live in Chicago anymore, I now live in south florida, I moved at about the age of 8.
November 28, 2008
#20 Joseph said . . .Al? Are you serious? Kyle Orton played great last week before the team put the game in the tank. He played with a limp against the Packers because the team was so afraid to let Rex play. He got hurt after throwing only 14 passes in the Lions game.
November 28, 2008
#21 Windy City Packer Fan said . . .This Bears team either starts strong and fizzles in the second half or vice versa.
Bottom line is if we can't go into a hostile environment and beat a team like the TurdQeens, then how the hell are we gonna get past the first round of the playoffs?
November 28, 2008
#22 Al In WI said . . .NittyGritty...'you may be a closet Bears fan,' that's a good one; however, let me explain my place in this situation. I am a tried and true Packers fan, however, in the big scheme of things, I recognize the greatness of the NFL, and what the founding franchises represent to this league. Hell, I sometimes still refer to the other conference (AFC) as the 'AFL,' and talk about them as an inferior league. I was not around during that time, but I am well aware of the superiority of the NFC (L), and continue to cheer for the NFC as a whole, much in the same way I cheer for the Big Ten during the bowl season, even though I (obviously) only attended one Big Ten school.
Trust me, I don't want to see the Bears become a franchise such as the Lyings or the Raiders...Chicago people deserve better than that. That's why I continue to say...raise the funds...buy the team from the McCaskey's, become a publicly owned franchise...let the NFC North have 1/2 of the ownership be us...the ones who live and die week in and week out with our teams....
November 29, 2008
#23 Willie from Chicago said . . .Brian watch the games. He was off to a poor start versus the Lions based on what he showed us he could do prior to the bye week. He missed open recievers and we were down by ten points to a team that is currently 0-12.
If he wasn't healthy enough to play versus Green Bay then he shouldn't have taken the field. He struggled in that game throughout. With 10 mins to go in the fourth quarter he had yet to cross 100 yards passing.
And his "great game," against Rams was well below the standard he set for himself in October. He missed just as many open guys that game as Grossman did versus the Titans. And again he was playing a horrible team. Honestly, he could easily have had 2 or 3 interceptions. He finished the game under 150 yards passing. Remember something called Shaun Hill lit up the Rams the week before.
He has not been sharp at all, and I don't by the lame excuse of the ankle bothering him. I just saw Tony Romo torch Seattle with a broken finger on this throwing hand. A far more serious injury for a quarterback.
This has nothing to do with Grossman by the way which I assume you are hinting at. Grossman is not part of the team's plans anymore, and Orton is the quarterback of this team for 2008 without question. I'm not making any arguement about benching him.
But I'm not yet on the bandwagon for the longterm based on what I've seen in recent weeks. And the fact that this offseason there will be an unusual amount of quality qb's on the market. McNabb, Warner, & Cassel, to name just a few.
Kyle started the year slowly and then was making massive improvements on an almost weekly basis during his run where he actually was great. Now that has stalled. And to win this game, he is going to have to be great. As in 70% 250+ 2 or 3 tds and no picks.
If Orton can do that he'll validate his early season play. If not legit questions are going to be raised.November 29, 2008
#24 JP said . . .Guys, this game is for the division, the winner will make the playoffs.
November 29, 2008
#25 BRIANsong said . . .I agree the key is to stop AP. I'll take my chances with Gussy any day. This game is huge! Since I live in Minnesota it's gonna be super sweet if the Bears win, super tough if they lose. Here's to a 34-14 trouncing of the ViQueens.
November 29, 2008
#26 Shady said . . .Al, seriously, you're no longer viable.
Romo missed a month of games. A month. Kyle missed one week.
And this wasn't "an ankle excuse." HE WAS ACTUALLY LIMPING ALL OVER THE FIELD TO THE POINT WHERE EVERY PAPER IN THE CITY ASKED ON MONDAY WHY HE WAS PLAYING.
And any, any, any fan who wants Donovan McNabb is just dumb. Pure dumb.
November 29, 2008
#27 zmac said . . .A few things I'll be looking for on Sunday:
Offense:
Can Kyle Orton run the hurry-up offense? I'm sure the Bears will implement this at some point because of how effective it was last game. The hurry up not only gives Orton more control over the play-calling (no offense Ron) but it wears the Williams brothers out which is key to getting Forte going. If you can wear out those fatties in the middle, suddenly this defense becomes much less formidable. The trick is going to be getting off to a fast start and taking the crowd out of the game so Kyle audible into the correct play at the line.
TEA TIME! Been a while since we've heard that right? But Minny has had serious trouble containing opposing teams tight ends. Per PWF.com: Tight ends have killed the Vikings this season. It was Buccaneers TE Jerramy Stevens, who caught a team-high six passes for 84 yards, with several crucial grabs, including a 31-yarder to the 1-yard line that set up a touchdown. In Week Nine, Texans TE Owen Daniels caught a game-high 11 passes for 133 yards, finding the soft spots in the Vikings’ zones. Bears TEs Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark combined to catch nine passes for 133 yards and a TD in Week Seven. And Saints TE Billy Miller and Mark Campbell, neither of whom is considered a great receiver, combined for seven catches for 100 yards in Week Five. LB Chad Greenway was credited with 16 tackles against the Bucs but he often struggled to defend Stevens, and SS Darren Sharper sometimes was late to help, too. Daniels told PFW that he thinks the Vikings were so concerned with WR Andre Johnson in the Texans game that it allowed him to get some open looks. “They play a lot of cover-2,” Daniels said, “so I actually ended up getting behind Chad and in front of Sharper a couple of times and ran some routes man to man on those guys also. I still had to get open, but that’s the way they were playing.”
Defense:Can the Bears stay in their gaps? The scary thing about Minny's AP is that he can cutback at full speed. When the Bears become too aggressive and over-pursue, it leaves the cutback lane open because someone left their gap. Gap control defense is the key to slowing AP down, because the Bears probably aren't going to stop him, so thy have to hope to contain him by limiting the big plays from 4 or 5 to 1 or 2. Last time these teams got together, the Bears defense was successful against the run when they penetrated the line, got off of blocks, and stayed in their gaps. This isn't easy to accomplish, but it's pretty much the only way to prevent AP from having a big day.
Can Tommie Harris and the rest of the D-Line build off their pass rush performance in St. Louis? No matter how good your CBs might be, if you give a NFL WR enough time, they're going to get open. It will be unacceptable to watch a man named GUS be made to look like an elite QB because the defense simply can't put pressure on him. Send a CB blitz, send Mike Brown or D. Manning in after the man, do whatever you have to do to make the QB hear footsteps and force the ball into coverage. If the Bears continue to make Gus look like a pro-bowler, you can forget about the PLAYOFFS?!
November 29, 2008
#28 animal said . . .#25: Why is Donovann McNabb such a bad idea? (the bears wouldnt pay to get him here anyway, but I dont get why its "stupid").
The key to this game is STOP THE RUN, STOP THE RUN, STOP THE RUN. Hold Ap under 75 yard and you got a win... hell hold him under 100 and you probably win. This team has proven then can stop good running backs (Addai, Johnson/White...) they need to prove they can stop AP.November 29, 2008
#29 shonbear said . . .I predict this team goes all Tennesse game on us and totally sells out to stop AP, letting Gus throw the open short throws all day long. Gus will pad stats and look good, we will get frustrated, but the strategy will keep us in it.
Seriously, how many of you would just shit yourself to see the Bears do to AP what they did to Johnson and Lendale?? I for one would.November 29, 2008
#30 Joseph said . . .I think the most important thing is to have long sustained drives, get those first downs and keep our defense and their offense off the field as much as possible. Get an early lead more than two tds and run forte run our AP and KJ whatever, whoever, just get first downs, get those third down conversions.
Above all, dont let ron turner think he is going to get those big plays and waste downs going three and out. going three and out is putting the ball in the hands of maynard and AP again, both not working for us very well.
November 29, 2008
#31 BRIANsong said . . .Jason Mckie was carted of the field yesterday during practice with a groin injury and is questionable for Sundays game against the TurdQueens.
Can they please include Kellen Davis in a series or two on offense this year! The guy is a freak of nature! God these coaches are so fucking stupid! Davis obviously presents a mismatch against EVERYBODY...play the kid.
November 29, 2008
#32 Phil from SATX said . . .Because Donovan McNabb isn't any good and hasn't been for awhile. Ask the people who see him play each week - Philly fans - and they despise the guy. He throws every ball into the ground, makes poor decisions and is now becoming notorious for losing his composure late in close games, sometimes leading to vomit.
November 29, 2008
#33 minnie mad dog said . . .Hello and belated Happy Thanksgiving to all - coming to you from the tail end of our epic road trip - now just outside of Las Cruces NM, not all that far from Brian U's hometown in Lovington (still a sacred place regardless of this year).
What an interesting experience it was, watching (actually reading) last Sunday's game from the Blackberry while driving into the California smog. It was a lot more satisfying than you might think, waiting for the plays to roll across.
Been reading some, not writing, on this trip. Jeff you've been capturing the whole pre- and post- reaction to that game perfectly. But everything changed when the Pack took the same Big Dump against the Saints that we had taken against the Pack one week prior.
All of a sudden, hope was restored. Clearly the Pack was not nearly as good as we had made them look, and while us playing well against the Rams was still close to meaningless, at least we are coming off a game in which we played WELL.
Regarding Vasher being out, sadly I agree that this may help us (sadly because Vash has always been my boy). And Joseph (I think that was you) can't agree with you more about McKee being out (yay!) And LET'S WORK IN SOME KELLEN DAVIS, SHALL WE COACHES? Can we all agree that Jason has got to go? He simply doesn't help in there, yet he must be in on what, 70% of offensive plays?
I agree with whoever said we have to go back to selling out against the run regardless of what it opens us up to. Keep it close, let's score more than them. Let's hope RT does another good job, let's hope Kyle is mostly healed (and Al, I would have to venture that most QB's at any level would trade a hurt pinky for a bum ankle - yes Kyle DOES get a pass for his recent play b/c of said ankle), I don't even need to hope that Matt Forte will play well, it's a greatly appreciated GIVEN.
I'll be back by mid-day tomorrow, in time to get pumped watching the Rams game on DVR and then settling in for an ASS WHOOPING of the 'Queens!
SILENCE THE ROLLERDOME!!!!!!
November 29, 2008
#34 Luke said . . .Users of this blog site seem to come and go. Now we have a bunch of Cheese heads using the site which makes sense since they don't have a decent site of their own. (Check it out if you don't believe me.)
One thing never changes. A few serious Bears fans have good things to say. Shady's (#26) comment is the best analysis of the game tomorrow I have seen anywhere, period. Well done, Shade!!!
I still miss Afro-Celt (from Cheese land). He used to use the site a lot and - like Shady - really had good, thoughtful things to say.
My gut feel is that Orton is getting better, more mobile, but even last week was far from 100%. He needs to be effective for us to win this. I was hoping the 2 fat Williams boys would be tossed by by the league now, but sadly not until next week. We are not goingt to beat this team running the ball with them in there. Also, 2 tight end setup is a killer for Queens. I just hope we have both that can really go.
Again, Thanks Shady.
November 30, 2008
#35 The Knight of Ownage said . . .I think if Devin returns a single kick this year, it will be tomorrow
November 30, 2008
***JASON MCKIE WATCH***
After unspectacular, and at times poor performance throughout the season, Da Team, may be looking to change the starting FB. Jason McKie's drop last Sunday against STL was not a game changer, but had it happened this Sunday night...let's not go there. Sunday could be the audition for another Jason, Jason Davis, who replaced Vasher's spot on the 53-man. Lookout for who starts at FB Sunday Night, and listen for Jason Davis's name.November 30, 2008
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