I had a few thoughts last night when asked by a bartender how good I think the Chicago Bears are.  I spooned some potato and leek soup into my mouth, sipped an ice cold club soda and tried to put into perspective this bizarre season.  Exciting start, terrible four-game stretch, bye, the emergence of an accomplished football team…etc.  I came to a conclusion: the Bears need to start playing like an NFL powerhouse.

“It has been a long time and just to feel the atmosphere of what it’s like to go through that playoff week again, and not only that but to have the opportunity to have it here in Chicago, I think it’s huge,” Briggs said. “I think that’s really what we’re fighting for is to make everyone come to Chicago and make the Super Bowl come through here.”

Having a trip to the Super Bowl come through Chicago should be the goal now.  Forget about the minor desires of making the postseason and saving the coach’s job.  The Bears have to re-calibrate the expectations of the 2010 machine.  They are in prime position to not only win the NFC North but end the 2010 season with one of the top two records in the conference.  A great team, even a very good team, does not let an opportunity like that slide by on Sunday in Detroit.  A great team handles their business with the delicacy and precision of a world-class assassin.  

Jim McMahon won a Super Bowl and Sid Luckman captivated the city of Chicago and has lingered over the quarterback position for sixty years.  But as we often discuss, Erik Kramer’s 1995 season is the finest ever played by a Bears quarterback.  

There comes a time in the season where we must start rooting against all other quality NFC teams.  That time has come.

The Chicago Bears are coming off their most impressive victory since Sunday January 21, 2007 against the New Orleans Saints – a win that ushered them to their first Super Bowl since the 1985 season.  Dominant on defense, efficient and often assaulting on offense and always reliable on specials, the Bears now head into the Motor City with an opportunity to guarantee themselves a winning season.

Da Picks Contest Standings

Now is not the time for the Chicago Bears to rest upon the laurels of an 8-3 start to the 2010 season.  Brad Biggs knows it.  David Haugh knows it.  It took the Bears only three plus hours on Sunday afternoon to convince a majority of the national football pundits that they are a legitimate contender for not only the NFC North crown but for the whole of the conference.  It would take no more than a dud-of-a-performance in Detroit this Sunday to have those same pundits, and the ones working at the dailies in Chicago, to take a Carl Edwards-eque backflip off the bandwagon.

The 2010 Chicago Bears announced their presence to the NFL yesterday afternoon by soundly defeating the overhyped and overmatched Philadelphia Eagles.  Here are my thoughts.

• Nobody has been more critical of the man than me but Lovie Smith is my NFL Coach of the Year right now.  His turning around this team coming off the bye week is the masterstroke of a wonderful football coach.  And it’s borderline shocking.  Lovie now embarks on the hardest stretch of his career and I’m damn rooting hard for him. 
• Jay Cutler didn’t just play a brilliant football game yesterday.  He also looked like a leader of men and he rightfully went to the mattress for Matt Forte after Forte was shoved to the ground on a throw that would have basically ended the game.  His smiling on the bench afterwards was pretty terrific too.
• Just because it wasn’t intercepted doesn’t excuse Cutler’s crazy slant toss late to Hester.
• The better running quarterback yesterday was Cutler.
• And Matt Forte was the old Matt Forte. 
• My only Lovie knock.  I still don’t understand the rotating players thing.  As soon as Forte got hot, Chester Taylor came in.  Devin Hester looks ready to break one and Danieal Manning comes in.  It just seems like a prearranged plan that takes for granted the flow of the game.  These guys can be productive but it just doesn’t add up.  That’s the definition of a nitpick.
• I can’t think of a better performance by the defensive line as a hole and it is now apparent that Israel Idonije has fully developed into one hell of a defensive end.  The Julius Peppers signing alone might keep Jerry Angelo running the show.  (Pepper is the best free agent signing in Bears history.)
• So what did Corey Graham do?  I still don’t get it.  
• My God is Devin Hester something with the ball in his hands.
• The offensive line still needs work but it may be time for the Bears to take the seven-step drop pages from the playbook and toss them into the fire.  Cutler got sacked on the occasional missed blitz pickup but he was a dead duck on the deep drops.  We have the receiving corps for the short crosses and quick outs.  Stick with them.
• Brad Maynard punted much better but our punt coverage looked a bit lost.  I realized why.  Maynard has been dribbling crappy punts up the field for weeks and they forgot how to do it.
• When Tommie Harris contributes, the Bears are simply a better team.  It was good to see him contribute yesterday.
• Earl Bennett.  Johnny Knox.  Impressive.
• I’m getting eerily close to the conclusion that Chris Williams just stinks.
• I came to that conclusion with Frank Omiyale weeks ago.
• And yet the Bears are still scoring points, moving the ball and winning with the worst left-side of an offensive line in the NFL.  Coaches.  Has to be the coaches.
• I wonder how good this offense will be if we get Martz a couple perimeter blockers.
• Terrific defensive gameplan from Rod Marinelli and wonderful discipline from our safeties…again.  These guys have been the most surprising unit on the team and I was sure they’d get beaten deep a few times yesterday.  The coaches and players did not allow it.

First place.  All by our lonesome.  In December.  And a contender.  Bring on the Lions. 

A rare Sunday night appearance from the Blogfather, I know.  But deal with it.

David Haugh Argues With Himself
David Haugh’s column in today’s Trib is titled “Now is no time to extend Smith’s contract”.  Wow, Dave, really?  Now is also not the time to purchase property in the Gaza Strip or have relations with a Palin daughter.  This is one of those ESPNy type articles that I hate, hate, hate so much.  First of all, no one on earth is talking about extending Lovie Smith’s contract.  Haugh basically invents the premise ONLY TO REFUTE IT.  (You know, like when ESPN’s Mark Schlereth will come on the air and say Phil Rivers is overrated after ESPN’s Trent Dilfer just called him the best player in the sport.)  The Bears are 7-3 but about to embark on their most difficult stretch of the season.  The playoffs are by no means a lock and reaching the playoffs does not guarantee Lovie’s job.  Lovie Smith has had a terrific year to this point but nobody – especially in Chicago – is foolish enough to start talking extensions.  Except, of course, for Haugh.

Mike Mulligan Nails It
In his Sun-Times column, Mike Mulligan writes the following:

Now comes the moment of truth, a chance to prove contender status
Sunday against a Philadelphia Eagles team that has emerged as an ”it”
team after successive victories over the Indianapolis Colts, Washington
Redskins and New York Giants.
(Then later)
The national perspective might be that the Bears are closer to
second-rate than superb, but that hasn’t stopped coach Lovie Smith and
his team from acting as if the Eagles game represents the culmination
of some master plan.

The Bears are playing their best football of the season, dominating on defense and protecting the ball better on sustained drives.  (The movement of Hester to kickoffs seems to have ignited the entire franchise.)  To this point the Bears have had to answer for their success.  Sunday, with a victory, the questions fade.  Sunday, with a victory, the Bears become a contender for the Super Bowl in the NFC,

Thanksgiving Picks Contest 
We’ll be doing a special picks contest tomorrow.  If you pick all three games correctly against the spread, it’ll count for two (2) perfect weeks.  That post will be on the site tonight at some point and you need to have your picks in by kickoff of the first game tomorrow.