I just like the photo above. A lot.

HOUSTON TEXANS over Cincinnati Bengals

Not to detract from what was a near-miraculous run for the Bengals this year but look at their schedule and you’ll notice something: they did not beat a single decent team all year. Reliant Stadium will be as raucous as its been since that brilliant victory over the Cowboys their first year and I can’t imagine Andy Dalton handling that atmosphere well. (I think Dalton’s year is a bit overrated.) Lots of Foster and Tate and just enough involvement from Andre Johnson. Texans 20, Bengals 16

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS over Detroit Lions

The most exciting and dynamic home offense in the sport against a defense that turned Matt Flynn into a multi-millionaire. I would be surprised if the Saints punt three times in this game. Saints 34, Lions 24

NEW YORK GIANTS over Atlanta Falcons

I think this is the best game of the weekend and I think it comes down to a single factor: can Michael Turner have success against the Giants front on first and second downs? If he can’t Matt Ryan will face the next wave of the New York Sack Exchange: Tuck, Osi, JPP. The run game works for Atlanta. They emphasize protection. Then they exploit huge mismatches with their wide receivers and tight end. Close win for the road dog. Falcons 23, Giants 20

Pittsburgh Steelers over DENVER BRONCOS

The Steelers won’t let Tebow run his silly offense and he’ll have to take shots down the field. He will. That won’t end well. Steelers have a hobbled quarterback, no running back and a deficient offensive line. I don’t care. Steelers 13, Broncos 3

And now the Fantasy Playoffs…

Rules:

• In the comments section below, select an offense, a defense and a special teams unit competing in the wild card round of the playoffs.
• Once you select that unit they are ineligible to you for the remainder of the postseason.

Scoring:

• The scoring is simple. Every point the unit scores is worth a point. Every point the unit allows is a point deducted.
• If your offense scores a touchdown it is worth 6 points. If your offense throws a pick-six it is a minus 6 points. If your offense allows a safety it is -2. There is literally no other way for offense to score or lose points.
• If your defense allows a touchdown it is worth -6 points. If your defense scores a touchdown it is 6 points. If your defense forces a safety it is worth 2 points. There is literally no other way for defense to score or lose points.
• Special teams can score four ways: field goals are worth 3 points, extra points are 1 point, two-point conversions are worth 2 points and touchdowns are worth 6 points. Consequently those points will be deducted if scored against your special teams unit.
• So if your offense scores 18 points, your defense scores -12 and your special teams scores 3 your total points for the week would be 9.

Standings:

• I will eliminate the bottom half of the standings after the wild card round.
• If there is a tie at the halfway point, I will make a dictatorial decision.

The Prize:

• You will be sent six (6) pizzas from Lou Malnati’s courtesy of DaBearsBlog. It is my way of saying thanks for a great a season.

My Entry:

• Offense: Saints
• Defense: Steelers
• Special Teams: Texans

ALL SELECTIONS MUST BE IN BY KICKOFF OF THE FIRST GAME SATURDAY. NO LATE SELECTIONS WILL BE ADMITTED. (I will not be posting anything unless Bears make a surprisingly quick hire at OC or GM.)

David Haugh and Steve Rosenbloom – the  Laurel & Hardy of the Chicago sports media – have weighed in on the decision by Bears ownership to replace Jerry Angelo in the wake of the 2011 post-Cutler injury collapse. I would quote Rosenbloom here but I have too much respect for the work I’ve done to build DaBearsBlog to deface its home page with such vile, inane, unfunny garbage writing. Instead I’ll give you a bit of Haugh:

The choice to essentially keep Smith over Angelo assures the coach significant input into selecting the man who will decide whether to fire him if the Bears miss the playoffs in 2012. We all should be so lucky as to help choose the boss who evaluates us.

This seems to be an opinion permeating the newspapers and airwaves of Chicagoland. There is a belief that keeping Smith and losing Angelo means Lovie has ascended to a new power strata at Halas Hall. I don’t buy it. And I think Smith knows full well that he is coaching for his Bear life next season.

Lovie Smith was kept as head coach for 2012 for one reason and one reason only: the Bears ownership and CEO Ted Phillips truly believe the Bears can pick up where they left off at 7-3 and compete for the Super Bowl next season. They believe the assembled defensive talent is championship-ready and they love the staff in place to coach that talent. If the Bears were to make a change at the head coach position, overhauling the entirety of his staff, there would simply be too many game day questions to convince fans the Bears were contenders in 2012.

Jerry Angelo was fired for the exact same reason. The Bears know the current talent assembled, when healthy, can compete for at-worst a wild card berth in the playoffs. They know that a few savvy off-season moves can strengthen that unit for a run at an NFC North title and perhaps a Super Bowl. But the organization must be concerned with more than a one-year run for a title. They must be concerned for the time when Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Charles Tillman and Julius Peppers are no longer elite players. They must be concerned with the lack of talent/depth at wide receiver and lack of edge-blocking along the offensive line. Any GM can write a check to Dwayne Bowe or Vincent Jackson or Stevie Johnson and the Bears know that. But they want to return to strengthening the depth and future of the roster through the draft and the draft is where Jerry Angelo had received his most stinging criticisms. He has struggling evaluating high-profile picks. He failed at executing trades in an embarrassing fashion. This was the perfect opportunity to make the big front office switch.

Is it crazy to force the new GM to stick with Lovie Smith at head coach for 2012? Of course not. And don’t believe the Tribune buffoons when they try and argue prospective candidates will be wary of the situation. A new GM will come to one of the banner franchises in the league with a quarterback, running back and short-term (1-3 years) defense in place. He will have final say on all football decisions made throughout the free agency and draft periods. He will then have a pressure-free season to evaluate each and every coach and player employed by the Chicago Bears. If he’s not happy with the work of Lovie Smith, he’ll fire Lovie Smith. (What Jerry Angelo would have done to Dick Jauron if Jauron had not led the Bears to a thrilling 13-3 season in 2001.)

You don’t clean house with an organization just for the sake of cleaning house. Not when you were 7-3 before losing your starting quarterback and 7-4 before losing your star running back for the season. Not when you were scoring thirty-plus points a week during a five-game win streak with those players healthy and only saw a precipitous decline due to the unprofessional play of a guy called Caleb. Keeping Lovie Smith as the head coach tells the fans, “We believe the success of 2010 and 7-3 will continue this coming year.” Replacing Jerry Angelo says, “We believe we need a new man to cement the foundation of the roster in the years beyond 2012.”

This move is not about next season. It is about the decade that follows. Lovie Smith will need at least seventeen games next season to be part of that future.

NOTE: CONGRATS TO UFFICIO, CHAMPION OF THE PICKS CONTEST. PLEASE EMAIL ME AND WE’LL SET YOU UP WITH YOUR PRIZES.

When an NFL franchise fires their General Manager, it is usually because that franchise has a dearth of talent on their roster. (See: Rams, St. Louis) That is simply not the case with this current crop of Chicago Bears. The Bears have their quarterback. They have an All-Pro running back. They have a group of brilliant (if aging) defenders and the most electric return man in the history of the sport. The man who accepts this position at Halas Hall may only be a few savvy moves from cementing his legacy in year one.

And it is a legacy that can last. Being the GM of the Bears is not like being the GM anywhere else in the league. In Dallas, Washington, New York and Pittsburgh – four of the league’s banner franchises – the top billing goes to the owner. The GM serves the desires of that owner, in some cases is the owner, and builds a roster according to an organizational blueprint. In Chicago, the largest single-team market in the country, the GM is the top of the football chain (unless that is changing with the arrival of George McCaskey). Super Bowl success with the Bears won’t just lead to a long-term contract extension. It’ll lead to a steakhouse on State Street with your name on it.

What the position also comes with is pressure. More pressure than any other football job in the country. The Bears are stalked by two major newspapers and both of those newspapers employ a few jerks who will spend their lonely evenings mocking every third-round pick fail of your tenure (while casually ignoring anything positive you do). The fans are educated but overwhelmingly irrational. They don’t expect you to field twenty-two great starters. They expect you to field twenty-two great starters with twenty-two great backups ready to step in should the time come. They also seem to want every single free agent available. (I recommend the taker of this job stay off Twitter.)

The next three weeks will be pivotal as Ted Phillips conducts his search for the right man. The right man to lead the Chicago Bears for the next decade. He must not only be a talented evaluator of talent but a man with thick skin. Because no matter what he does, outside of yearly trips to the Super Bowl, the rocks will come-a-flying.

Is today the day George McCaskey officially seized control of the Chicago Bears? Is today the day we finally have an answer to the question, “Where does the buck stop at Halas Hall?” Across the Twitter world George McCaskey stories are starting to spread. That he had lunch with Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz and discussed “change”. That a Halas Hall photographer commented he’s “got a bit of the old man in him.” His legend is growing faster than Arthur in the wake of his, and it was his, firing of GM Jerry Angelo. There is a George running the show at Halas and all seems right in the world.

At this afternoon’s press conference, McCaskey must take to the throne. We can not be forced to sit through a Ted Phillips show and hear about search committees. I hate making pop culture reference in my sports writing but Phillips reminds me of when Kramer starts going to work for old man Leland. He wears nice suits and talks a good game but ultimately his briefcase is full of crackers.  (As a matter of fact, I’m going to start calling him Crackers.)

Though some won’t consider it such, the firing of Jerry Angelo was a bold stroke by the new man at the top. While we’re likely to hear phrases like “fresh set of eyes” and “new direction” this afternoon, this decision came to something far simpler: Caleb Hanie. The promising Bears season was derailed because Hanie was an inadequate replacement for Jay Cutler. I and many other believed the Hanie tidal wave would not leave bodies in its wake. We were wrong. If Cutler plays out the season, the Bears would be preparing for a visit to the Meadowlands Sunday. Jerry Angelo would be touting his work with this roster. But Johnny Knox fell down. Cutler chased a corner. Caleb Hanie showed up. And Angelo’s out of a job. That’s how tenuous life is in the NFL.

This afternoon’s press conference is as much about George McCaskey as it is about Jerry Angelo. GMC has an opportunity provide the Bears faithful with something they’ve not had in many, many years: an owner. A real, true-to-life owner. It is time for him to find his spotlight.

From the Tribune:

A public that has largely been calling for sweeping changes at Halas Hall has gotten its wish: Jerry Angelo will not return as general manager of the Chicago Bears for a 12th season, multiple NFL sources told the Chicago Tribune on Tuesday.

Whether Angelo, who had a contract through 2013, retired or was released is not yet known. But he will not be back, bringing much more into question for the franchise.

The team has yet to make an announcement. Check back at chicagotribune.com for more on this breaking story.

I will have a full commentary up tonight.

Dear Ya’ll,

I have been unhappy with a great deal that’s taken place over the last year on DaBearsBlog. I do not care for the new layout, which manages to strip our site of all its personality. I do not particularly care for the new commenter experience, which makes it very difficult to follow a particular conversational thread. (There are also some post creation issues that baffle me but I won’t bore you with the minutiae of Word Press.) I do not like that so many readers have inundated both my email box (jeff@dabearsblog.com) and the ChicagoNow email box with complaints about a site that prided itself for years on its simplicity.

So why has DaBearsBlog decided to stay with the ChicagoNow network for 2012? It is a valid question and I think you, the loyal readers, deserve valid answers. Here they are:

• The process of returning to a fully independent web site would require several months of preparation/work and those are not months I could find in my schedule in 2011. If we decide at the end of 2012 to leave the network we’ll be needing to hire designers to remake the look of the site and developers to build a functional home able to handle the increased traffic. I was simply not willing to move to a half-assed site for a substantial period of time.
• ChicagoNow pays me. Real American currency. And if we went back to an independent site I would lose income that I see no real reason to lose. Work, in every field, feels too tenuous at this point to disregard consistent cash.
• We all see the old site through rose colored glasses but we have had far fewer site meltdowns since the move to ChicagoNow than we had as an independent site. And with ChicagoNow there is a full-time staff ready to fix those errors, as opposed to my spending three hours trying to get Noah on the phone.
• I believe in this network’s ability to reach a large number of people in the Chicagoland area. Our site’s traffic numbers are tremendous but they are less-than-stellar around Chicago. It is an area I’ll be aggressively pursuing in the coming year and I believe being part of this network will aid in that pursuit.

So we are staying with the network for another year. Beyond that, who knows? Nothing is writ in cement here currently. If you have issues you’re encountering on a regular basis please continue to contact both myself and the system administrators. Next year the Chicago Bears are going to win the Super Bowl (I’m officially the first to predict that) and it will be a landmark year for all of us. Hopefully by the end of 2012 we’ll all be happy at ChicagoNow. If we’re not…it’s back to the dark alleys of the internet with us.

Sincerely,
Jeff

#5 Tyler Palko’s Hail Mary

I was there and I sincerely believe this was the moment the energy was sapped from the Chicago Bears fan base. As Palko tossed his duck into the sky and Brian Urlacher slapped it perfectly to Dexter McCluster, the Soldier Field faithful were not discouraged or angry. They were just sad. They knew. We knew. So we raised our hands collectively for a Miller Genuine Draft.

#4 A Tale of Two Detroits

Was there a more humiliating debacle than the Bears Monday night embarrassment at Ford Field? Frank Omiyale committing eleven false starts? Chris Harris chasing bees at safety? Jahvid Best running for eighty untouched yards to ice the game? It was pathetic. What followed, however, was triumphant. Lovie Smith used that horror show to send poor performers to the bench and the Bears responded with five straight explosive performances. Those performances reached their peak with the revenge game against the Lions at Soldier Field, featuring about a dozen Matt Stafford interceptions. It was on that day I started to believe this Bears team could win the Super Bowl.

#3 Caleb Hanie’s Performance in the NFC Title Game

Yes I know it was not technically a part of the 2011 season but Hanie’s near-heroics at Soldier Field last January duped the fans, the media and the organization into believing he was a capable NFL starter. He was not. No sir, he was not. The 2011 Chicago Bears might have made the playoffs if Hanie had just been awful against the Packers.

#2 Marion Barber Runs Out of Bounds

Even through all of Caleb Hanie’s Benny Hill-style antics at quarterback the Bears had an opportunity to salvage a wild card slot out of this regular season. Then Marion Barber ran out of bounds and allowed the Denver Broncos (remember when people thought that team was good?) and gave the Broncos an opportunity to hit an almost improbably game-tying 59 yard field goal. It was an insult.

#1 Johnny Knox Falls Down on Bears Season

If you saw Jay Cutler’s sideline reaction after breaking his thumb on a tackle attempt, you know why he attempted to make that tackle. He was angry at Johnny Knox for falling down on a basic slant route. It was a sideline shot that made me proud to see the leader Cutty’s become for this group of Chicago Bears. Less than a few hours later it was revealed that Jay had broken his thumb and his regular season was essentially over. Less than a few weeks later it became apparent the Bears season was broken as well.

I expect this to be our lowest comment total of the season. We shall see. But I’ll be into today’s game against the Vikings. Why? Because there won’t be another Bears game for nine months.

This week is the final battle in Da Bears Blog’s picks contest as Ufficio will try to hold off the surging TracDaddy. What’s at stake? A birdhouse. A photograph. A pile of Rice Crispie treats. Who will win? Who knows…

The Rules for the Finale:

• Both Ufficio and TracDaddy must select THREE (3) DAY games against the spread.
• Tiebreaker #1: Tony Romo’s QB rating against the Giants Sunday night.
• Tiebreaker #2: Total yards receiving for Giants WR Victor Cruz Sunday night.
• Closest wins. We are not playing Price is Right rules.

Lines this week: 

FALCONS -11 Bucs / 49ers -10.5 RAMS / VIKINGS -1 Bears / Lions -3.5 PACKERS / GIANTS -3 Cowboys / SAINTS -8.5 Panthers / Titans -3 TEXANS / Ravens -2.5 BENGALS / JAGUARS -3.5 Colts / DOLPHINS -2.5 Jets / PATRIOTS -11 Bills / RAIDERS -3 Chargers / BRONCOS -3.5 Chiefs / CARDINALS -3 Seahawks

Next Week is the Fantasy Playoffs…

…and after some prodding it seems we have significant interest in participating. The prize, once again, is delivery of six frozen Lou Malnati’s pizzas to your house or the location of your choosing courtesy of DaBearsBlog. It is my way of thanking you for a great season here on the site.

The rules are simple. Round one will be open to all who wish to participate. You select an offense, defense and special teams unit participating in the wild card round. For every point your offense and special teams score, you get a point. For every point your defense and special teams allow, you lose a point. It is a fantasy league that rewards your knowledge of the game – not the luck of a particular player running in a one-yard touchdown.

Once a unit is used, it is no longer available to you for the remainder of the postseason. Picks will be registered in the comments section of the Weekend Show’s return – next Friday.

Well we’re almost there. This exhausting last month of this frustrating 2011 season is almost at its sad, twisted conclusion. Never have I wanted a Bears regular season to be over more. Never have I been this prepared to start the next offseason. I feel suspended in time, suspended at 7-3, and I’ll be hanging there for the next nine months. But first the Bears travel to Minneapolis…

WHY DO I LIKE THE CHICAGO BEARS THIS WEEK?

• I always like the Chicago Bears. (Except recently.)
• Without Adrian Peterson, who probably won’t even be mildly effective until Week 7 of next season, the Vikings will be handing the ball to Toby Gerhart and that dog don’t hunt. Without a consistent rush attack the Vikes will rely on the arms of either Christian Ponder or Joe Webb (Ugh or Ugher) to hit receivers consistently within the zone. I don’t think either can do it.
• The guy with the most on the line Sunday is Josh McCown and I like the guy with the most on the line in the final week of the season. McCown inspired some confidence inside Halas Hall with his late-game performance at Lambeau Field and knows a solid, preferably victorious, outing might give him an opportunity to make this Bears roster in 2012.
• I think this Pro Bowl crap might inspire the Bears defensively. Some have criticized the three starting defenders (Lach, Briggs, Peanut) headed to Hawaii, especially Tillman, and I think they’ll want to show they belong on their final opportunity to do so. (Note on the Pro Bowl’s selecting of defensive ends: it ain’t all about sack totals. Julius Peppers is better than Jason Babin.)
• Is there a difference between 8-8 and 7-9? Yes. Is there a difference between losing six straight to finish a season and not losing six straight to finish a season? Yes. I think that’s what Lovie is preaching this week. Every player on that roster knows Smith is the head coach next year and they know they have to play hard for him. I don’t expect Bears to go through the motions here.
• Will there be any emotion in the dome Sunday? A week after the Vikings faithful learned they’ve lost their best player not only for the little remaining in 2011 but for possibly the top of 2012? A week after blowing their out-of-nowhere chance to draft Andrew Luck with a meaningless victory over Washington? I’m surprised this game isn’t going to be blacked out in Minneapolis.
• Dane Sanzenbacher will have the first 100-yard receiving game of his career.
• Lovie Smith snapped at reporters when asked about Martz’ future. I like that our head coach has the ability to snap at people and that he’s still emotionally connected at all.
• I’m hoping it is Dave Toub’s last game as Bears special teams coordinator as I’m rooting for him to get one of this year’s head coaching vacancies. I think he’s served this organization well for a long time and deserves the shot to run his own show. That being said I think the Bears have some fun on specials Sunday and put one in the end zone.

Chicago Bears 31, Minnesota Vikings 16