Tonight it shall not be only Bears fans rooting for the boys from Chicago.  We’ll also be joined by these little guys above.

I love this game. I love games that allow us as fans to accurately evaluate what kind of football team we have by simply watching them play the opponent. Some will call this a must win for the Bears. They’re wrong. Next week, at home, facing the Detroit Lions, is a must win. This is the kind of game where, should the Bears win it, the whole of the football universe will stand and take notice.

So I say what the hell…win the damn game. I’ll be on the Twitter tonight if I’m not pissed off.

As we all try to endure the horror that is a Monday when the Bears play Monday Night Football, I can’t help but think the Bears have much to prove tonight as they square off with the Eagles at the Linc.

1. Can they avoid the false starts and terrible mistakes that doomed them on the road in Detroit. Philadelphia won’t be quite as rowdy but it’ll be rowdy nevertheless.  A flagfest will kill the mood of many fans (especially me).
2. Can the Bears protect their quarterback from a pair of hungry defensive ends in Jason Babin and Trent Cole?  We are all starting to believe this offensive line is finding their rhythm but giving Cutler the time to throw tonight will prove it.
3. The Bears defense is forever susceptible to the cutback run and McCoy might be the best cutback runner in the sport currently.  Was two weeks enough preparation time for LoveRod?
4. If the game ends up of the shootout variety, is Cutler ready to win one of those affairs on the road?
5. Will the defensive line amp up the pressure on a night they’ll need to?  Will Chris Conte keep the game in front of him?
6. Will the Bears win a major game in primetime and thrust themselves heartily into the contenders conversation?

Congrats to NewBearinTown for getting the Sunday puzzle correct and earning the point for the picks contest.  Ufficio and BossBear90 had perfect Sundays.  IrishSweetness, EnderWiggin and tobijohn need the Bears tonight.  

The Commenter Perfect Weeks:, New Bear in Town (3), FQD1911 (2), SC Dave (2), BigDaddy (2), BossBear90 (2), Ufficio (2), Michael L (1), greenbayman (1), tobijohn (1), Sacramento’s #1 Bears Fan (1), ben in norcal (1), CanadaBear (1), #76 Mongo Murph (1), Shady (1), TheFifth (1), DYLbears23 (1)

SPECIAL SUNDAY CONTEST!

The first person to explain, in the comments, why I’ve chosen the four images above for today’s thread will receive credit for one (1) perfect week of picking games.

On this week’s show. Philadelphia Daily News Eagles beat writer Paul Domowitch discusses the mood surrounding the ballclub after the Cowboys rout and what put Richard Dent over the top for this year’s Hall of Fame class. Former Bears safety Cameron Worrell dissects the inability of Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo to stabilize the safety position. And the Reverend calls Jeff Pearlman’s Sweetness what it is: boring.

There were no perfects from the comments section this week – one of the most difficult gambling Sundays in recent memory.

Lines This Week

FALCONS -7 Colts / SAINTS -8.5 Bucs / TEXANS -11 Browns / BILLS -1 Jets / CHIEFS -5 Dolphins / 49ers – 3.5 REDSKINS / COWBOYS -11 Seahawks / RAIDERS -8.5 Broncos / TITANS -3 Bengals / CARDINALS -4.5 Rams / Packers -6 CHARGERS / PATRIOTS -8.5 Giants / STEELERS -3 Ravens / EAGLES -8 Bears

The Brothers:  Jon (15-8-1), Jeff (14-9-1), Chris (13-10-1)

The Commenter Perfect Weeks: FQD1911 (2), New Bear in Town (2), SC Dave (2), BigDaddy (2), DYLbears23 (1), BossBear90 (1), Michael L (1), greenbayman (1), tobijohn (1), Sacramento’s #1 Bears Fan (1), ben in norcal (1), CanadaBear (1), #76 Mongo Murph (1), Shady (1), Ufficio (1), TheFifth (1)

NOTE: Ya’ll will be without me for the next few days as I attend funeral services for my best friend’s aunt in New Jersey.  Even if you don’t normally give the show a full listen, give this one a go.  The interviews are quite good.

I don’t know who the Bears pissed off to draw the schedule they’ve drawn.  They were put up as sacrificial lambs for the first Monday Night Football game in Detroit since the Ford invented the assembly line.  They were sent over an ocean to play the Tampa Bay Bucs.  Now they’re playing an electric Philadelphia in primetime.  Have you ever met people from Philadelphia?  They are loud in church.  You give them a day to slam Yuenglings it’ll just be a good thing Frank Omiyale will be jumping the snap count from the bench.

WHY DO I LIKE THE CHICAGO BEARS THIS WEEK?

• I always like the Chicago Bears.
• I am a firm believer in the “let down game”.  Rarely do you see a football team as well prepared and motivated as the Eagles were Sunday night against the Cowboys.  Their coaches had two weeks to prepare and it showed.  They simply can’t have that much gas in the tank for the Bears.  If they do, the Bears better have on their running shoes.
• The Bears have two track record things going for them here: (1) they have historically played Vick as well as any defense in the league due primarily to the speed inside the body of the guy wearing #54 and (2) Andy Reid wants to throw the ball deep and Lovie has not let him, forcing Vick to sit in the pocket and execute the underneath routes that have not been his strong suit (Sunday night not withstanding).
• Until I see it, I don’t think the Eagles can stop a team from consistently running the ball and I think the Bears can run it as well as any team around.  And while I respect the speed and talent of Lesean McCoy immensely, I think the Bears defense has recommitted to stopping the run of late and will continue that trend Monday night.
• I like the matchup of Andy Reid’s in-game decision making, a rookie punter and Devin Hester.  I like that matchup a lot.
• If we were all waiting to evaluate the new Bears safeties, we won’t have to wait much longer.  The Eagles love to hit their speed receivers (Jackson, Maclin) in stride on the slant pattern and it will be imperative for both of these safeties to take smart angles and make sure tackles.  Conte should never stop muttering to himself one word: backpedal.  If he keeps the game in front of him, the Bears will be in a good position to force an explosive offense off the field.
• The greatest mismatch on the field Monday night will be J’Marcus Webb vs. Trent Cole on the perimeter and it will be imperative for Martz & Tice to continue their approach of sliding protecting help his way.  Cole and Jason Babin have the ability to wreck the game, especially if the Eagles are playing from ahead.
• Jason Peters returning to the left tackle position for the Eagles provided Mudd’s boys a boost Sunday night but that is where I expect the Bears to bring extra pressure in an effort to chase Michael Vick to his right.  Julius Peppers has been good this year but he’s not had a dominant whistle-to-whistle performance since Week One.  Someone has to spend Monday night in the backfield.  I think it’ll be Orange Julius.
• It’s fascinating to go this deep into the preview and not mention Jay Cutler.  Cutler has been somewhat relegated to an offensive afterthought by the sturdy, MVP season being had by Matt Forte.  Even with a consistent running game against the Eagles, I think this one is going to come down to which quarterback makes the big third down toss late.  And I think it’s going to be Cutler.

Chicago Bears 30, Philadelphia Eagles 27 (OT)

Note: There will be no Thursday column this week as I attend the funeral of my best friend’s aunt in New Jersey.  We shall return Friday with the Weekend Show featuring interviews with Philadelphia Daily News beat writer Paul Domowitch and former Bears safety Cameron Worrell.

The Philadelphia Eagles are coming off one of the most dominant performances of the 2011 season, playing at a speed the Dallas Cowboys seemed readily unprepared for.  The Detroit Lions unceremoniously and quite sadly (for me, at least) ended the Tim Tebow era in Denver and rebounded soundly from their back-to-back losses at home.  Both the Eagles and Lions share the tavern floor with a group of second-tier contenders in the conference – Giants, 49ers, Bears, Saints, Falcons – as they vie for the attention of the bartender up in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Attention will be paid these next two weeks.  The Bears meet the Eagles under the primetime spotlight of Monday Night Football and the Lions late Sunday afternoon as the now national game of the week on FOX.  Win both and the Bears will be considered the number one contender to the NFC Championship crown.  Split em and the Bears will see their playoff fate determined by how they performance against the AFC West.  Lose both, fall to 4-5, and the Bears will need to a lot of games as the hungry fans and rabid members begin their droning call for the heads of Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo.

This is why it’s fun to be a fan.  The weather has turned cold around the country and the Bears are playing meaningful, exciting football games in the month of November.  The stakes?  Meaningful, exciting football games in the month of December and beyond.

There will be no guessing.  No hypothetical opinions of the Chicago Bears after these next couple of ballgames.  The Bears are will play quality teams in an effort to prove they are a quality.  It will be decided on the field.  And I can’t wait to watch.

Unless the Packers start dropping games they shouldn’t (and anything is possible in this league) the Bears most likely have their eyes fixated upon qualifying for the 2011 postseason as one of the conference’s two wildcards.  If the season ended today, they’d be the third team from the NFC North into the tournament.

There are teams I’m leaving out of this analysis.  (1) Sure there is a very slight chance the Packers won’t win the division but there is zero chance they won’t qualify for the postseason.  (2) The 49ers are going to have the NFC West wrapped up by, well, they already have the NFC West wrapped up.  Do we assume Harbaugh is this good or Singletary was this bad?  (3) The Bucs.  I don’t see it.  Maybe they’ll shock me down the stretch but I can’t take seriously that team I saw in London; the team that lost by 45 to San Francisco.  (4) I watched almost every snap of Bills v. Redskins and the Redskins are done.

I am also not going to analyze the Bears.  We all know what the Bears do well and what they don’t do well.  I have them finishing the season 10-6.  I had them 10-6 before the season.  I have them 10-6 now.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-3)

Schedule: Tampa Bay, @Atlanta, bye, New York Giants, Detroit, @Tennessee, @Minnesota, Atlanta, Carolina

Analysis: I had to put the Saints into this post after their jaw-dropping loss to the St. Louis Rams yesterday.  They didn’t just lose.  They were blown out.  It was the most remarkable result of the season.  Now the Saints only have a half game on the Bucs and Falcons.

Bears Fan Spin: You want this team to win the division, especially considering they are the only team in the NFC South to have beaten the Bears.

DETROIT LIONS (6-2)

Schedule: bye, @Chicago, Carolina, Green Bay,@New Orleans, Minnesota, @Oakland, San Diego, @Green Bay

Analysis: They still have both games with Green Bay remaining though they may have drawn the long straw by pulling the Pack on the final week of the season.  They may only need to beat Matt Flynn to move on.

Bears Fan Spin: The Soldier Field game in two weeks may be a de facto playoff game, especially if the Bears can steal on in Philly Monday night.  Bears fans will also be rooting for the Packers on Thanksgiving Day, mark my words.

NEW YORK GIANTS (5-2)

Schedule: @New England, @San Francisco, Philadelphia, @New Orleans, Green Bay, @Dallas, Washington, @New York Jets, Dallas

Analysis: Look at the schedule they face now.  They could play well and win only three games.

Bears Fan Spin: If the Giants were to win their next two, Bears fans will have to start pulling for them to knock Philly and Dallas to the curb.  But I just don’t see it.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-4)

Schedule: Chicago, Arizona, @New York Giants, New England, @Seattle, @Miami,  New York Jets, @Dallas, Washington

Analysis: They are the sleeping giant of the NFC and when they play the way they played Sunday night they can beat absolutely any team in the league.

Bears Fan Spin: The Bears defense in the Lovie era always plays Michael Vick well and always plays Andy Reid well.  They need an inspired effort Monday night.

ATLANTA FALCONS (4-3)

Schedule: @Indianapolis, New Orleans, Tennessee, Minnesota, @Houston, @Carolina, Jacksonville, @New Orleans, Tampa Bay

Analysis: I think the Falcons are primed for a second half resurgence and their schedule, with some weak opponents at home, should aid them.  I think they beat Tenn, Minn, Jax and Tampa at home.  I think the beat Indy easily on the road.  That means they only need 1 of 4 to get to 10.

Bears Fan Spin: None.

DALLAS COWBOYS (3-4)

Schedule: Seattle, Buffalo, @Washington, Miami, @Arizona, New York Giants, @Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, @New York Giants

Analysis: After last night, I’m not analyzing this team.  What the hell was that in Philly?  I have never seen a team so out-coached in all my years of watching football.

Bears Fan Spin: If you were thinking Rob Ryan might be the next head coach of the Bears, I think he set himself back two or three years last night.

SO WHAT IS THE TRUTH OF ALL THIS NONSENSE?

The Bears play at Philly and then home to Detroit.  If they want to avoid two months of scoreboard watching, they can simply beat these two teams and charge into the postseason.

If you’re scoreboard watching today, here is what you want:

• You want the Miami Dolphins to summon a fight.  Summon some guts.  Find spirit from Anthony Fasano’s comments, denouncing the notion of Suck for Luck, and deliver an inspired effort at Snoopy in the Swamp.
• You want the Buffalo Bills to hammer the nail in Washington’s coffin as the two teams meet in Toronto.  It is a tough situation for the Bills, whose players have taken to Twitter in an open revolt against this non-home home game, but they are the superior team.
• You want Tim Tebow to show up at home against Detroit.  Why?  Because we all know if Tim Tebow shows up, God will not let him lose.
• You want Dallas to kick the shit out of Philadelphia.  The result of that game is not as important as having Philly list half their roster on the Wednesday injury report next week.

Enjoy a nerveless Sunday.

On this weekend’s show I ponder a potential disaster situation for the Bears regarding the Matt Forte contract situation and play a tasteful selection of last year’s hit Weekend Show songs.

Lines This Week

TITANS -9 Colts / TEXANS -9.5 Jags / PANTHERS -3 Vikings / RAVENS -12.5 Cardinals / GIANTS -10 Dolphins / BILLS -6 Redskins / Patriots -3 STEELERS / 49ERS -9 Browns / Bengals -3 SEAHAWKS / EAGLES -3 Cowboys / Saints -13.5 RAMS / Lions -3.5 BRONCOS / Chargers -3.5 CHIEFS

The Brothers:  Jon (14-6-1), Jeff (13-7-1), Chris (12-8-1)

The Commenter Perfect Weeks: FQD1911 (2), New Bear in Town (2), SC Dave (2), BigDaddy (2), DYLbears23 (1), BossBear90 (1), Michael L (1), greenbayman (1), tobijohn (1), Sacramento’s #1 Bears Fan (1), ben in norcal (1), CanadaBear (1), #76 Mongo Murph (1), Shady (1), Ufficio (1), TheFifth (1)

NOTE: Please make sure picks for the contest in separate comments from regular conversation.  It takes too long to comb through debates to find picks.  If you’d like to explain your picks, do that in a separate comment as well.

Chris Harris Tweeted about what a crazy business this NFL is these days.  Robbie Gould reiterated this idea, using the same format.  They want us to somehow believe that Chris Harris was released from the Chicago Bears this morning for financial reasons.  They want us to believe this was a decision made by Jerry Angelo and the suits at Halas Hall and not by Lovie Smith and the men who evaluate play on the football field.

This was not a business decision.  This was a decision forced by the actions and play of Harris on the field.  After a disastrous performance against the Lions (and subsequent benching), Harris acted like a petulant child.  He wanted to take his ball and play elsewhere.  He requested a trade.  But nobody wanted him because the other thirty-one teams could clearly see what the one in Chicago could see: Harris was taking terrible angles in run defense and seemed lost when the football was in the air.

Major Wright took his spot and played an excellent ballgame against the Minnesota Vikings.  But as is the cast with Major, injuries marred a worth effort.  Harris was reinstated into the starting lineup.  How did he treat his second chance in 2011?  He was the weak link, CLEARLY the weak link, in an otherwise sturdy defensive effort.  It didn’t take much of a reach to notice Harris was mailing it in for sixty minutes in London.

The Bears have a free safety now.  His name is Chris Conte.  That leaves them with three plays – Major, Meriweather, Harris – for one position.  Harris was the weak link.  Releasing Chris Harris was not a business decision by the Chicago Bears.  It was a football decision.  Remember in high school when your biology teacher used to allow you to drop your lowest quiz score at the end of the term?  Lovie Smith just dropped his.