THROUGH THE HALFWAY POINT…

…here’s some of what we might know about the Chicago Bears.

• Jeremy Langford might be a better fit for a John Fox team than Matt Forte for one reason: short-yardage. Forte is one of the best all around backs in Bears history but his primary weakness has been the ability to get that one yard when the Bears need it, especially around the goal line. Langford runs like a taller Maurice Jones-Drew.
• If Jay Cutler is the Bears quarterback in 2016, the Bears might have no problem being playoff contenders in 2016.
• Eddie Goldman, Adrian Amos and Pernell McPhee are players. Jarvis Jenkins, Lamarr Houston (late development) and Tracy Porter might be capable of contribution. Every other position on the defensive side of the ball is up for debate moving forward.
• Alshon Jeffery might be capable of being a number one receiver. (Will the Bears pay him like one?)
• Phil Emery might have stolen the Bears a left tackle at the tail end of the 2014 draft. But the next eight games will go a long way towards that determination.

THE GAME POEM

This is a poem by Jim Moore that appeared on the walls of NYC subway cars for a while. It’s brilliant. Not sure what it has to do with this game but I’m also not sure I care.

I remember my mother toward the end,
folding the tablecloth after dinner
so carefully,
as if it were the flag
of a country that no longer existed,
but once had ruled the world.

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Rumor is I made a few picks last week. I have no recollection of this but it has been brought to my attention by several associates. (I was not disappointed in the Rams pick. That game could have gone either way. But I just didn’t think the Packers would lose back-to-back games or that the Bears defense could hold the Charger offense to 12 points.) This week, a rebound…and a theme! Road dogs!

BUFFALO BILLS +3 AT NEW YORK JETS

Here’s why I like the Bills to win outright tonight:

• When Buffalo’s had their starting quarterback and star wide receiver, they’ve been a different team. Both will be looking to make their 2015 statement in front of a national audience tonight and thrust their team into the playoff race.
• Jets defense has hit a wall. The Patriots got them for 30, the Raiders got them for 34 and last week the Jags offense managed 23 and – most importantly – kept the game close throughout.
• I know the coaching staffs are entirely different (including a swap) but the combined score of the Bills/Jets games in 2014 were 81-26.

CHICAGO BEARS +7 AT ST. LOUIS RAMS

St. Louis will be in the 20s. The Bears should be in the 20s. Points just seem too many for a team quarterbacked by Nick Foles.

DETROIT LIONS +11 AT GREEN BAY PACKERS

This has all the makings of a back door cover, especially against a defense that just allowed the Broncos and Panthers – two struggling offenses – 29 and 37 respectively. I’ll take the points.

Season Record: 13-12-2

Where I am.

THE GAME POEM

Near the sea of La Jolla, lived a fella called Strand.

He loved to watch the surfers, cup of coffee in his hand.

He dreamed of The Day when he’d own his own board.

And ride off with The Girl in a ’67 Ford.

The Day never came.

The Girl never went.

And the years of his life were nothing, but spent.

FOUR QUICK THOUGHTS ON SAN DIEGO

• Loss of Keenan Allen for can not be understated. Allen is one of the best receivers in the game and has been the third most targeted. Chargers still have weapons but their passing attack might look similar to Chicago’s without Jeffery for the remainder of the season.
• Eric Weddle is supposedly returning to the starting lineup after missing a few games with a groin injury. I’ve always thought Weddle overrated but he HAS been San Diego’s best defender for half a decade. His 2015 has been all-but wasted, to the point of his being mentioned as trade bait at the non-existent deadline. Can Weddle have a major impact Monday night?
• Melvin Gordon has been a disappointment – which is a shock, I know, for a running back from Wisconsin. (Why is it that none of these guys translate to the professional game?) San Diego is one of the worst rushing teams in the game and when you watch Gordon on tape, there’s nothing there. He’s just a guy. And he certainly doesn’t look like he warranted first-round selection. His offensive coordinator believes he needs to “dig deep”.
• Danny Woodhead’s total touches through 8 games: 16, 13, 8, 12, 9, 12, 16, 5. He’s got four touchdowns. And with Allen injured, expect the Chargers to be reliant on Woodhead’s screen presence as they get settled into the passing game.

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Can’t complain about my picks a week ago. Saints flew by their number. Packers never approached theirs. And the Bears / Vikings game was a coin flip. 2-1. Four games over .500 on the season. This week…

ST. LOUIS +3 AT MINNESOTA

One team I think is very good. The other team is the Minnesota Vikings. And if Teddy Bridgewater struggled against the Bears defense, what is he going to do against one of the best defenses in the sport?

GREEN BAY -3 AT CAROLINA

No comment. Well one comment. Where are all the people who argued the Packers wouldn’t miss Jordy Nelson? They seem awfully quiet to me. The Packers are consistently credited for having magnificent drafts and an unending basket of talent. But it’s never been true. They have an all world quarterback. But even he misses his best and most reliable weapon.

CHICAGO & SAN DIEGO OVER 49 PTS

Season Record: 13-9-2

NEXT FOUR BEARS GAMES…

…are absolutely brutal. But they also allow this front office and coaching to evaluate young players in valuable positions.

• The Chargers are not good but they love to throw the ball and will throw for a zillion yards against this secondary.
• The Rams & Broncos defenses will be the best defenses the Bears face all season.
• The Packers are the Packers.

The Bears can play well for the next month and find themselves 2-9.

ONE THOUGHT ON JAY CUTLER

Interestingly his leadership is never questioned when he plays well. The reason? It was always bullshit. Jay’s problem is not personality. It is interceptions.

AROUND THE LEAGUE!

(1) Who have the Packers beaten this season that impresses you? The best team they’ve beaten is St. Louis and on that day Nick Foles kept throwing the ball to them. The NFC does not have a great team.

(2) Why don’t the Lions have 8-8 in them? Since 2001, here are the Lions win totals: 2, 3, 5, 6, 5, 3, 7, 0, 2, 6, 10, 4, 7, 11 and currently 1. While the whole league tends to spend most of their time in the 7-9 win range the Lions have only been in there twice in 14 years. They either make the playoffs or they’re awful. No middle ground.

(3) Todd Gurley is averaging more than 6 yards per carry. No other back in the top in the league in rushing averages over 5.

(4) Great late Monday night Tweet from Sam Farmer: “@LATimesfarmer: Luck is like a radio signal that keeps going in and out. We’ve got Luck. We’ve got Luck. Nope, we lost him again. Now, he’s back.” Colts owner Jim Irsay better act quickly or he will lose his star QB.

(5) Backup quarterbacks in the NFC are now 0-7 in games they’ve started. And people wonder why the starters get the money they get?

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Predictably boring. And for the fourth straight game the Bears were essentially dead even with their opponent, got a wonderful performance from their quarterback and the game was decided at the death. Rapid fire…

• Feel bad for Jeremy Langford. If he catches the ball, Bears can do no worse than overtime and knowing Cutler’s season, they probably win in regulation. Other than that moment Langford looks like a real back with a great burst through the hole.
• Tom Brady aside, Jay Cutler is the best fourth quarter QB in the sport right now. (Brady is the best everything.)
• If the Bears faced a better quarterback yesterday Mike Wallace might have had a career game. How wide open does Teddy Bridgewater need him to be?
• So how is Pernell McPhee’s sack on Bridgewater NOT a penalty? Isn’t that 100% always called now? He could have broken his leg.
• Fact that McPhee continues to produce with no help is astounding. How good is this guy gonna be when the opponent has to block someone else too?
• I think Alshon Jeffery is going to get his money.

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