Six thoughts on the schedule (in honor of #6)...
1. I don't want to hear all this talk about how easy the Bears schedule is. Of course it'll look easy on paper when two of their games are against 0-16 teams. The fact is that all four teams that played in the conference championship games will play the Bears in 2009.
2. The hardest stretch of games is Arizona, @ San Francisco, Philadelphia, @ Minnesota. If the Bears don't hit this stretch at 5-2 or 4-3, the playoffs will be pipe dream.
3. I hate, hate, hate, hate opening on Sunday night. It's like waking up on Christmas morning and not getting to open any presents until everybody else you know has opened theirs. Not to mention the Bears play late afternoon games in weeks two and three. Maybe I'll move to the west coast.
4. I don't like the bye early in the season but it will give the Bears two weeks to prepare for a very tough road contest in Atlanta.
5. Jay Cutler opens against our biggest rival on the road and then faces the league's best defense the following week. That's called baptism by fire. If he starts 2-0, there may be some premature statue building outside Halas Hall.
6. 4-2 in the division. 2-2 against the AFC North. 3-1 against the NFC West. Split with the Falcons and Eagles. 10-6.
#2 SOCALBEARSFAN said . . .UNO!!!!!!!
April 15, 2009
#3 MikeBrownhadaPosse said . . .I plan to represent at the Thurs nite game in SF. I agree with you Jeff in your "easy Schedule" analysis. Four damn good playoff teams from last year will make things interesting for the Bears. My only wish would be to see Warner and Ryan freezing thier asses off in December. Can't wait intil Sept. Let's get it on!!!
Bear down Bears!!April 15, 2009
#4 MattIsMyForte said . . .Didn't we just play the Falcons at Atlanta last season? Isn't that a little unusual?
April 15, 2009
#5 BearsTransplant said . . .Unlike your last "5 moves you'd make" I agree with all but one of these.
I like the idea of being able to enjoy the first day of the regular season by watching all of the other games without stress, much like I feel on a bye week. It is like icing on the cake to know that I can give my undevided attention to Da Bears game that night.
Not to mention, I won't have to be docked in at the 710 Beach club in Pacific Beach at 9:30am on a Sunday morning. My liver and I are still fighting over what I did to it last season.
April 15, 2009
#6 Justin said . . .We might not win, but I'm going to be amped up all weekend for that Sunday night opener. NFL loves the ratings. Beat the Pack!
April 15, 2009
#7 Foxtrot Tango Packers said . . .Why does everyone think we're gonna lose to the steelers...I have us winning that game on the momentum of our crushing victory over the packers in primetime.
15-1 (You heard it first here)
We will lose to Atlanta but beat them in the NFC championship game in the bitter cold in January.
April 15, 2009
#8 O-Line wins games said . . .Braylon Edwards is up for trade... anybody?
April 15, 2009
#9 Foxtrot Tango Packers said . . .Giants will get Edwards for a 1st and 3rd.
April 15, 2009
#10 Vizzini said . . .Justin, i'm with you that we can beat the Steelers'.
but i also think we beat the Falcons... i dont care how good they "look" we almost beat them with rashied davis and KO. with #6, and Hester, or Olsen, or Clark, or even the TBD receiver... we win, hands down.
Division games are always the scare for me, i dont care if the Lions are 0-64 over 4 seasons, they were beating us last year, we came back to win. it starts in the division.
but, we WILL beat the Steelers', take that to the bank.April 15, 2009
#11 BDG said . . .Did anyone notice the freebie the league pulled with the queens and packers schedule? They both play playoff teams for a last game so it should be an easy win for them. Where the Bears have to play the Lions, who will most likely still be playing to regain pride from last season.
April 15, 2009
#12 Foxtrot Tango Packers said . . .Foxtrot we also almost got crushed by ATL. till a late comeback that nobody could predict.I think we can beat Pitt. too I would rather play them a couple weeks later when fast Willie has a better chance to be banged up but Pitt is not some power house that will come in and walk over us. We should be competitive in EVERY game this year. It's just a matter of which one's we can hold on too. Lot's of if's with us still.
The thing that worries me that Jeff mentioned is if we start 2-0 Cutler will be god like setting him up for huge expectations and if we start 0-2 it will be called a horrible trade for Chicago and he will try to make up for itApril 15, 2009
#13 Who's Laughing Now said . . .i still say we beat ATL and PIT
but i definitely am a dreamer when it comes to Chicago's record... which surely will be 16-0 ;)
April 15, 2009
#14 Who's Laughing Now said . . .I live in Co Springs and pick up the Denver sports station. The guys there have talked about nothing but Cutler for months now. This afternoon the smartest guy on the show says, "I believe Cutler will soon become one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the league and take the Bears to MORE THAN ONE SUPER BOWL." I did a triple fist pump and nearly drove off the road thinking about ... more ... than ... one ... super bowl.
April 15, 2009
#15 Sarcastiholic said . . .I still think it's crazy to do any predicting before we see how the Bears fix safety and WR. Depending on if and how they fix those positions, it could be a really, really good season. I know this is not going to happen but I would sign Lucas and move Tillman to safety. And I know this is not a popular thought, but I still say Cutler + Plaxico = Super Bowl Win.
April 15, 2009
#16 Phantom One said . . .10 - 6 is totally possible with this schedule but the group of late division games could be the deal breaker.
Here's hoping that the D Line can develop a pass rush again.
April 15, 2009
#17 Phantom One said . . .Jeff -
Appreciate the schedule talk, but we need to get back on task. You said a few posts ago that your mission is to ensure JA does not wait to get an impact WR (while you took credit for the Cutler trade). That is a spectacular mission. Get back to it. This stuff is tripe.
JA,
If you are reading - we now know da team will have increased revenue as a result of the 5 Prime Time games this year, and we know that you will have some more dough at your disposal to get one of the following done. Here are some WR options to chew on:
1. Sign Matt Jones.
2. Trade our 4th round pick and Nate Vasher for Ocho Cinco.
3. Trade our 2nd rounder and Nate Vasher for Braylon Edwards.
4. Sign Torry Holt.
5. Sign Joe Jerivicious.Give JC someone who is 6'3" + to line up opposite GO in the red zone that can win the jump ball.
Whatever you do, don't let yourself go into the draft in need of a WR - rookies are almost always unproductive in their first year.
April 15, 2009
#18 Foxtrot Tango Packers said . . .JA -
Strike everything I just said. The Cards have said that Anquan Boldin is on the trading block.
Who needs our 2011 first round pick and Nathan Vasher anyway?
April 15, 2009
#19 Phantom One said . . .or our 2012 1st rounder. Boldin is a much safer bet than Ocho.
April 15, 2009
#20 big ten speed said . . .roger that
April 16, 2009
#21 Shady said . . .The Bears need another receiver, because while Hester has worked out alright, we know nothing about Bennet and we know Davis isn't starting material.
However, I don't think the Bears necessarily need a big receiver for the red zone. Forte is excellent, and while Olsen hasn't done very well on fades and jump balls in the end zone, they keep trying and I think he'll grow into it. So there are red zone receiving options right now.
Plus there is the always-trusty Jason McKie FB dive. :D
April 16, 2009
#22 jeff said . . .Boldin is available?
Jeff, get it done.
A disgruntled WR meets a disgruntled QB in a Chicago offense that has been waiting decades for their arrival.
It's perfect. Plus the team that's already in vogue in the NFL just got that much hotter.
Cha-Ching!
April 16, 2009
#23 MattIsMyForte said . . .shady, if the bears were creative, they could do it.
pull a ditka.
send the remainder of our draft to arizona and throw in next year's deuce if they want it.
April 16, 2009
#24 Phantom One said . . .Pull a Ditka=EPIC
April 16, 2009
#25 Phantom One said . . .Big 10 -
A big guy with good ups who can separate will make every 3rd and short, and every 4th and goal that much easier. Match-ups will be easier to recognize and exploit at the line.
JA -
Trade for Boldin now.
April 16, 2009
#26 larryhorse958 said . . .My gut tells me that the Giants are going to be all over this, and they will take the same position Angelo took in terms of getting the deal for Cutler done: "be in it to win it."
I agree that when the bidding begins, we need to pull a Ditka. Go so far over the top that other teams will question our sanity. (But was it really insane to go pull out all the stops for Ricky - everyone thought he was the next Sweetness.)
JA - It's time to call Virginia.
April 16, 2009
#27 Martin Baier said . . .I'm confused over the excitement of Jay Cutler and his infinitely better stats than KO or Grossman, and the conservative final W/L picks from the folks that write the blogs here and those who pick at the mighty Trib and Sun Times, et al. Are you telling me that with JC, we are only ONE WIN better than last year? Seriously? There were at least three losses last year winnable by either a more competent O or a defense that made one less mistake. Help me out here, please?
12-4 or 13-3, I haven't decided yet.
Bear Down
April 16, 2009
This is your best writing yet!
May 19, 2011
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