I love what Marc Trestman has done to the Bears offense in only nine months. He has turned one of the worst units in the sport into one of the best units in the sport with a combination of creative play-calling and gusto. But Sunday, at Soldier Field, against the Detroit Lions, Trestman delivered the kind of head coaching performance reserved for rookie head coaches. And the Bears lost because of it.

Don’t agree? Of course you don’t! You probably think Jay Cutler was healthy for the duration of Sunday’s contest, despite his inability to walk and complete unwillingness to drift from the pocket for any reason. You probably think the strange decision to take underneath, no-chance-at-first-down throws was just Jay’s ways of throwing off the Lions secondary.

Jay Cutler should not have played a single snap Sunday. Read More …

This was a must win game until the Bears pulled off an upset at Lambeau Field. Now this is merely a game to establish pole position in the NFC North for the final two months of the season. Will the Bears seize this opportunity at home?

I was able to communicate with the Reverend during this game, especially during the second half. It was a train wreck of exhaustion and beer debate. I did not hear his voice but this rant, this tone, is exactly what I expected.

A week ago – yes, it was only  a week ago – every comment, Tweet and email directed my way was about the 2014 offseason. The Bears season was going to be ended unceremoniously at Lambeau Field and Mel Tucker Watch was going to begin. Then Shea “Packer Killer” McClellin was turned loose on Aaron Rodgers. Season reborn? Who knows…

One thing is clear. The winner of Sunday’s showdown between the Bears and Lions will be the clear favorite to win the NFC North. Makes it so much easier to ask the It is age-old question…

Why do I like the Chicago Bears this week?

I always like the Chicago Bears.

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PFF SAYS SHEA PLAYED POORLY

Some guy named Pete who has been anointed over at PFF Tweeted the following:

Shea McClellin: 2nd-worst @PFF grade of any 4-3 DE in Wk 9. But 2 loud sacks, so naturally NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

PFF attempts to qualify the performance of a player over the course of an entire game and thus weighs a run stop on 2nd and 3 in the first quarter equally to a run stop on 3rd and 1 with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. This is essentially what the baseball metrics folks do. They believe players play to their numbers.

But football is a situational sport. If your analytics tell you Shea McClellin played poorly Monday night, you have to acknowledge in the text of that piece the limitations of your analytics.

I responded via Twitter:

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The Bears went for it.

With 7:50 remaining in the game and the Bears leading by four points, Marc Trestman gambled on 4th and inches. He gambled on his offensive line. He gambled on his All-Pro tailback. He gambled that his offense – the best unit of his football team – would have a better chance to finish off the rival Green Bay Packers than his leaky defense and inconsistent specials. He called timeout. He took a breath. Then he gambled.

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My spot with Marty Tirrell and Trent Condon starts a bit after the six-minute mark.

Here’s what I don’t understand.

On both NFL Network and ESPN in the aftermath of the Bears remarkable victory at Lambeau Field Monday night the words “luck” and “asterisk” and “gift” were stated. Why? Because the Green Bay Packers were forced to play with their backup quarterback.

Against the Chicago Bears. And their backup quarterback. Seems silly.

This was a tremendous victory for the Bears. This was an inspiring performance from the Bears. Here are my rapid fire thoughts.

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They happen once a year, at most, these days. Days where I wish I had one of those put on pants and go to an office jobs. Because if I had one of those alarm-goes-off-at-7:01, hate my boss gigs I would at least be able to pass the time on a Monday with the Bears playing the Packers at Lambeau on Monday night.

Instead I’ll walk around. Write a bunch. Listen to way too many national analysts explain why Aaron Rodgers is going to dice up the Bears defense and leave their season at the side of a Green Bay road. I’ll probably jump on with my buddies Trent and Marty in Des Moines and have my first beer when it’s five o’clock somewhere but not five o’clock here.

Bears fans will be nervous but they need to take a valium and relax. Tonight is a fun game if you’re a Bears fan. The pressure is entirely on the other guys. There’s nothing to lose. The upside of a win far surpasses the downside of a loss. And from a fan perspective, the stage is set for a the type of win you’ll remember for years to come.

So get through the day. I know it won’t be easy but, hey, nothing is any more.