Final Thoughts on Chicago Sports

Super Bowl Week: The Storm before the Biggest Storm

The Bears have landed in Miami, and all the hype of Super Bowl week is about to start.  These last two weeks, I've been devouring every digital bit of Bears news and analysis that I can find on the Internet and TV.  It's kind of sick, really, but that's why I get paid the big bucks.  Or not. 

In comparing Super Bowl week to NFC Championship week, though, there's one thing different about my personal mindset.  This time, I don't care about the Bears being underdogs.  Last week, the Bears weren't underdogs, but damn near everybody picked the Saints to beat them.  I took it personally.  I've had better moments.  Why should I care that 18 of 21 "experts" picked the Saints over the Bears?  It should make the victory even sweeter, but in reality a victory is a victory and that's all that matters.  The people weren't picking against the Bears as a slight to the organization or the fans.  They simply thought the Saints were going to exploit the recently lax Bears defense.  The Bears proved their worth on the field, and the scoreboard doesn't lie.

Besides, Vegas doesn't lie.  This week, the Bears ARE facing a team that even a die hard Bears fan will admit is going to be tough to beat.  The Colts are seven point favorites.  I would have thought 5, but whatever.  The Colts aren't unbeatable, though.  If Grossman plays his game, and the defense can put pressure on Manning, the Bears can win.  But I'll get in to that later. 

Going back to the original topic: respect.  I think that by Friday we're going to see the same sort of prediction ratios in favor of the Bears as we saw last week.  And that's OK.  I think the players saw the news last week, and they heard what was being said.  I don't want to say they used it as motivation, but I really think they used it as motivation.  If the Bears happen to notice that Paul Zimmerman thinks this game will be no contest?  That's fine.  If they see Peter King ranks the Bears the 4th best team in the NFL, behind playoff losers San Diego and New England, that's cool, too.  There I go again. 

I really don't care.  I really don't care.  I really don't care. 

If I keep saying it, I'll believe it.  BEAR DOWN!!!!!

Cubs Sign Cliff Floyd

The Cubs signed Cliff Floyd today to an incentive-laced deal that is worth anywhere from $3 to $17.5 million.   Interesting.

I've always kind of liked Cliff Floyd.  He was a local kid that actually played baseball against one of my friends in high school.  I think he played football, too, at tight end or something.  So from a personal standpoint, that's kind of neat.

It's a good signing for the money, too.  If he bombs out and plays like Cliff Floyd circa 2006, it'll only cost the Cubs one year, $3 million.  Peanuts for MLB in 2007.  If he manages to play every day, that means he's producing like Cliff Floyd circa 2005 and he'll be worth every penny of the $17.5 million he'll get over the next two years.

The thing that bugs me, though, is this move forces a logical platoon between Floyd and Matt Murton.  With Floyd being the lefty, this means Murton is set to sit for two-thirds of the games.  I think Murton has a real shot to be a really good player in this league, but my only fear is we won't find this out while he's wearing a Cubs uniform.  I don't think he's going to be a hall of famer or nothing, but I do think he's capable of putting up a string of decent, marginal all-star type of seasons.  .300/.380/.480 with 25-30 HRs or so.  This signing stunts that potential growth.  Unless Jacque Jones is traded, Murton being yanked into and out of the lineup will be reality. 

Of course, maybe now that Floyd is in the fold, Jones WILL be traded before opening day.  As much as I'm not a fan of Jones, I'm not sure if I like that move either.  Jones is consistent, and Floyd might be washed up.  If the Cubs trade Jones and Floyd IS indeed washed up, we're looking at a black hole at one of the outfield positions.  Plus, we still don't know who of this quartet is going to be the starting Center Fielder.  Right now it looks like Soriano, but it may be Jones, it may be someone who has yet to surface.  I heard even Theriot might get a shot.  I like Theriot, but starting him in Center doesn't exactly give me the warm fuzzies either.

Interesting move.  Let's see how it plays out. 

NFC Championship Game: The Bears are Goin' to Miami

The Bears are goin' to Miami after dominating the New Orleans Saints today in the NFC Championship Game.  What a feeling.  I was just a kid the last time the Bears made it to the Super Bowl, and I didn't really understand what it meant.  Oh sure, I was excited as hell the last time, and I danced the Super Bowl Shuffle damn near daily.  But I had really only been watching football for a year or two, and I didn't really understand what it was like to watch a team lose the majority of their games for twenty years, and finally make it to the Super Bowl.  That's why this is so special. 

Super Bowl XLI - Bears vs. Colts. 

I have Game program that a family friend got me from Super Bowl XX.  For years, I would leaf through that magazine and look at the game recaps and MVP portraits from the first 19 Super Bowls.  All the winners, all the losers were there.  Win or lose, the 2006 Bears are a new addition to that magazine.  Some little kid in Bufu, Iowa, is going to be scanning a list of Super Bowl winners and losers and he forever will see the Bears in 2006.  Nobody remembers division winners.  Nobody remembers Championship Game losers.  Everybody remembers Super Bowl participants.  And I think that's cool.

Time for a recap of today's game.  I like giving grades because it forces me to think of every aspect of the game, so I'm going with that.  And since this IS the NFC Championship Game, I'm going to give grades to New Orleans, too.

QB - Grossman: B.  Brees:  D.  Grossman's numbers weren't exactly pretty, but I'll tell you what was:  Zero.  No, that wasn't his QB rating this time, it was the number of turnovers the Bears offense had today.  Yes, his completion percentage was pretty lousy for two and a half quarters, but from there on out he was perfect.  The key really was the zero turnovers.  Hold the ball, make a few plays, let the runners and the defense do the rest.

Brees, on the other hand, made some great throws but he threw a pick and coughed it up twice. That's a negative in my book.

RB - Bears: A.  Saints: C-.  Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson were awesome.  Jones especially. 196 combined yards on the ground?  Holy Mackerel!  A moment from Bears Post Game Live on NBC stands out.  Lovie Smith was being interviewed, and Jeff Joniak started talking about the running game.  "46 carries," Lovie said with a smile.  Thanks to those 46 carries, the Bears absolutely dominated the time of possession, 35:00 to 25:00.  You can't win holding the ball for only 25 minutes.

In contrast to the Bears 46 carries, the Saints had 12.  I don't know what Sean Payton was thinking with that.  McAllister was a complete non-factor.  Brees did have that excellent 88-yard TD catch in which he faked Danielle Manning out of his socks, but other than that he was held in check.

WR - Bears: B.  Saints: C.  Both teams had a few drops, both had a few big catches.  But the Bears made the key plays when they needed to, the Saints didn't.  What really separates the Bears wideouts from the Saints is the blocking down field.  Moose and Berrian both sprung huge runs with key blocks. 

OL - Bears: A.  Saints: D.  The Bears had nearly 200 yards on the ground and no sacks allowed, the Saints gave up several sacks and Brees was under pressure all night.  No contest.

DL - Bears: A.  Saints: F.  See what I wrote above about the offensive lines and flip it.  What a great find, that Mark Anderson was.  He was on Brees' ass like hemorrhoids.  And Adewale Ogunleye had that huge sack/forced fumble as well.  Oh, and Idonije and Ian Scott looked good.  Then Alfonso Boone was in on the game-changing safety.  Just a great team effort.  Grossman's jersey was clean.

LB - Bears: A.  Saints: F.  On any given play, Brian Urlacher can be stuffing the run, delivering ferocious hits over the middle, covering Reggie Bush on the corner, or going long on a deep post with the burners.  Ditto Briggs.  And Hunter Hillenmeyer doesn't get much love but he's pretty damn good himself.  He was in on that big safety as well. 

The Saints gave up 200 yards on the ground. 

Secondary: Bears: B-.  Saints: C.  If Danielle Manning and Chris Harris didn't give up that huge bomb to Bush, this grade would have been higher.  Still, that was the only really long play given up all day.  And Nathan Vasher made two huge plays, the pick and the fumble recovery.  The Saints Fred Thomas got burned himself a few times.

Special Teams:  Bears:  A. Saints: D.  Brad Maynard consistently pinned the Saints inside the 20 all day, and he, too, was a huge factor in that safety.  Robbie Gould was perfect on his field goals and while his kickoffs weren't pretty, they were effective.  Hester didn't bobble the ball once, though didn't do much else with it either.  As for the Saints, I didn't really understand when Sean Payton had their kickoff specialist attempt that long field goal in the third.  In those conditions, he should have a) went for it, b) punted, or at the very least, c) have their normal kicker give it a shot.  Carney's pretty good.  There's a reason that other guy is limited to kickoffs only.  But I guess that's a coaching problem more than a Special Teams problem.  Speaking of...

Coaching:  Bears: A-.  Saints: D.  How in the world does Deuce McAllister only touch the ball six times?  And that Field Goal attempt?  Oh, and are you reconsidering not practicing in the cold?  Lovie out-coached Payton.  Lovie's choices raised an eyebrow once or twice, like going for it on fourth down on the two in the first quarter of a 0-0 game, and the end of the first half where he couldn't decide if they were going to attempt a drive or run out the clock.  But for the most part, Lovie and his staff made all the right moves all day.  They knew how to play to the elements, and they didn't overextend themselves.

All in all, a great win and a great, great day to be a Bears fan.  Exhausting, too.  I'm drained.  The second game of the day, where the Peyton Manning and the Colts finally overcame the Patriots, despite technically being a more thrilling game, was a major buzzkill.  I just couldn't get into it.  They were just playing football, whereas my Bears had me hanging on the edge of my seat and/or screaming at the top of my lungs all day.  Nevertheless, the Colts won and it's going to be a GREAT f--kin Super Bowl. 

Finally, I leave you with this.  ESPN's "expert" predictions for today's game.  All that red looks like a bouquet of roses to me.  I wonder if Peter King will put the Bears in the top five this week?  And Gene Wojciechowski already ate his crow.  Nice. 

The NFC Championship Game: Saints vs. Bears, Uncharted Territory

Anyone that thinks they know what's going to happen this Sunday is crazy.  The Saints are making their first appearance in the NFC Title game in franchise history.  The Chicago Bears, of course, have appeared in two such games but the last of which occurred when Devin Hester was just six years old.  So you can throw history out the window.  Or can you?

The Saints rival the Arizona Cardinals as the worst franchise in NFL history (at least performance-wise).  Last week was just their second playoff win in team history.  I think this is one critical fact that the mainstream media is overlooking as they scribble "New Orleans" down when giving predictions for this week's game.  Before they saved the city, they were known for Archie Manning, bags on their heads, and a handful of wild card appearances (including a loss to the Bears in 1991).  They're the "Ain'ts."  They've never been within 1000 miles of the Super Bowl, except of course when it took place in their home, the Superdome.

On top of that, they've got a rookie coach making a rookie mistake.  It's going to be awfully cold this Sunday in Chicago.  Yet when given the rare opportunity to practice in lousy weather this week in New Orleans, he took a pass and practiced indoors.  Pretty gutsy.  His logic seems sound, or at least it will till he steps off the plane this Saturday. 

The Bears, as you know, have been "reeling."  They reeled all the way to a 14-3 record this season.  So I totally understand why every prognosticator at ESPN has picked the 11-6 Saints to beat the Bears this week.  On the road, in the cold.  Only Clayton is giving the Bears a shot. 

Let's take a step back a second.  Let's look at this from a pure football perspective.  The Saints strength has been their top-ranked offense this season, and they've got a deadly one-two combo in McAllister-Bush, some speedy receivers and of course, Drew Brees, probably the best QB in the league this year.  So let me tell you why they're not going to score two touchdowns this week.

1.  Reggie Bush will be ineffective against the Bears.  Yes, he's incredibly talented and super fast.  But the high majority of his plays come off sweeps and screens, and that plays right into the Bears hands.  Urlacher and Briggs were born to run down immensely talented runners on the outside.  It's their bread and butter.  Ask Michael Vick.

2.  Did I mention the weather?  The forecast isn't unBEARable, but it'll seem like eskimo-land to the Saints from the South.  Other than Colston, their receivers have all had cases of the butterfingers.  And that was in a dome in optimal conditions.  Throw a rock-hard, wind-affected football at them in the snow?  Then have three good-to-great cornerbacks covering them?  You do the math. 

3.  They can't stop the run.  Their best method to stop the run is to light up the scoreboard and force opponents to pass to keep up.  If they ain't scoring, they ain't stopping nobody.  They gave up over 5 yards a carry this year, and Ron Turner knows it.  Look for both Benson AND Jones to exceed 80 yards on the ground. 

4.  Grossman is the man.  There, I said it.  My confidence in Rex has been completely restored after re-watching the Seahawks game last night.  He's not some dumb deer in the headlights.  He's not some giddy little schoolgirl either.  He's a Gunslinger^TM.  And he just learned how to keep it in his holster.  Keep the chains moving, keep Desmond Clark in your sights, and throw deep when Fred Thomas is on Berrian.  Stay angry.  Then practice your TD celebrations. 

5.  Lovie Smith isn't stupid.  He's not going to stick by a faulty gameplan like he did last year against Steve Smith.  He'll adjust if the Saints start making plays. 

Really, how the Bears play Deuce McAllister is the key to this game.  He can pound the middle and move the sticks.  Stop him on first and second down, keep them 3rd and long all day.  Forcing a turnover or two would help as well.  The Saints coughed it up this year more than they took it.  Granted, Grossman alone had more turnovers than the entire Saints team, but still.  The Saints aren't going to be able to pass-rush and/or run-block nearly as well as Julian Peterson and Seattle did last week, and Grossman still carved them up.  Look for a surprisingly easy Bears win, 24-13.  Then prepare for the Colts in Super Bowl XLI.

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS!!!!!

Some thoughts on Bears-Saints

I'm going to do my usual preview tomorrow, but there's a lot going on this week (ya think?) so I'll start it early. 

• The lack of respect given the Bears by the national media amazes me.  Peter King did his Power Rankings Monday and ranked the Bears fifth in the NFL.  Fifth!  After the Chargers, who lost this weekend.  How lame is that?   Not only King, but everyone's acting as though the Saints offense is unstoppable.  They're pretty damn good, no doubt, but they're not unbeatable.  I mean, they lost to the Redskins at home a few weeks ago in a must-win game.  This ain't exactly the '85 Bears we're talking about.  John Clayton seems to be the only one giving the Bears a shot at the moment.  Smart man.  Let's see when everyone's predictions come out Friday.  Not that the Bears are unbeatable, they're obviously very beatable.  I just happen to think this game is extremely even at the moment with no clear favorite is all, and everyone should be acknowledging that accordingly.
• Speaking of the '85 Bears, the Trib is all hemmin' and hawin' about Ditka not openly rooting for the Bears this week.  He's not rooting for the Saints either, as he's chosen to stay out of it.  Who cares?  Trust me, Ditka's rooting for the Bears.  It's just that he's got a national gig on ESPN and has to seem impartial, plus he wants a free bowl of gumbo the next time he visits one of his old haunts in New Orleans.  No big deal.
• One last '85 related note, I promise.  ESPN Radio 1000 wondered aloud if anyone was rooting against the Bears because they wanted Grossman to fail and get dumped.  They didn't think so.  They also wondered if the '85 Bears might be rooting against them Larry Csonka style to preserve their legacy.  I highly, highly doubt it.  That team is among the greatest all-time, this team is among the greatest in 2006.  It's no contest.  People are rooting like hell for these Bears, but they will always remember '85.  Mongo will get free drinks in this town till he dies.
• Did you hear Sean Payton was a "Spare Bear" and is a local kid that played for Ditka, who also coached in New Orleans?  Yeah, me too.  Again, and again, and again.
• I re-watched the Seattle game on NFL Network tonight.  First of all, these recaps on NFL Network rule.  They skip the 30 seconds between plays, cut out some meaningless plays, add post-game interviews "pop-up video" style, show NFL Films footage, including in-game sideline talk.  It's pretty sweet.  It's like a director's commentary on a DVD. 
  
  Anyways, I noticed some things that I forgot to comment on in my game recap. 
  • First of all, Grossman was really good.  He had at least 9 or 10 excellent throws into tight coverage downfield for key first downs.  They wouldn't have come close to winning without him.
  • The drive at the end of the first half was especially impressive.  The Seahawks tied the game with 2:30 left in the half.  Grossman picked them apart like a surgeon, and finally the gutsy "fourth and one" call from the 4.  NFL Films caught the whole exchange between Rex, Lovie and his coaches on tape, and Grossman looked uber-confident the whole time.  And when Lovie finally said, "let's do it," Grossman didn't look excited, nervous or nothing.  He looked like a guy collecting his change at a tollbooth and going about his business.  Then Ruben Brown cleared a path for Jones in one of the sweetest 4-yard TDs you'll ever see.
  • The Bears had multiple chances to put Seattle away.  Like when Muhammad forced that pick inside the 10, when Berrian dropped that sure TD, every time Seattle converted a third and long....  Don't ask me why Seattle couldn't convert third and short, but third and long seemed to work for them all day. 
  • NFL Network edited out most of Devin Hester's muffs (except the TD that was brought back.)  That's really starting to concern me.  I don't think he caught anything clean all day.
  • Finally, the refs made a few very favorable calls for the Bears.  Tank had a clear bush-league late-hit on Hasselbeck in the 2nd quarter that was especially glaring.  Oh well.  Pour yourself a hot cup of Starbuck's, Seattle fans, and enjoy the game this Sunday knowing that your team took the eventual Super Bowl Champion Bears down to the wire in the Divisional round. 
  • Did I just say that out loud? 

BEAR DOWN!!!

Bears-Seahawks: Bears Victory puts them one Win from Super Bowl!!!

Hell yeah! The Bears beat the Seahawks today to advance to the NFC Championship Game.  Oh, man, what a relief!  I feel like an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders.  I simply couldn't bear the thought of another one and done.  Not that I'm going to be happy if they lose next week, it's just that losing today would have been a huge kick in the balls that I might not have recovered from.  The pure elation/relief/excitement when Gould's kick went through the uprights sent me into a frenzy.  All throughout today's game, I was like Chris Farley in the Superfans, havin heart attacks.  Then...a scream to the heavens.

Since I lack the ability to focus right now enough to write a coherent article, I'm going to fill out a report card for the Bears:

QB: Rex Grossman gets a B+.  He wasn't at his best, but he wasn't far from it.  When he threw that beautiful "f--k it, I'm throwin it downfield" bomb to Berrian, you couldn't wipe the smile off his face.  Only some shoddy blocking, conservative playcalling and the occasional bout of happy feet kept this from being an A. (Why must he still insist upon running backwards so much?)  Yes, he had the one pick, but that really should be credited to Moose.  Just a great game and exactly what we needed.  When I say "we," I mean "the entire city of Chicago."  Thank you very much.

RB: Jones and Benson get a B.  Nice solid running from start to finish.  Benson is a beast that simply bowls people over and Jones is a nimble little minx.  Nice combo.  No complaints here.

WR: Overall B-.  I'd give Rashied Davis an A, Berrian a B, and Moose a C.  That one interception off Moose's hands was inexcusable.  My Lord.  Desmond Clark was pretty invisible and Bradley was carted off in what's becoming a yearly tradition.

OL: C+.  Run blocking was very solid but the Pass defense was pretty atrocious, in my opinion.  You've got to protect a guy like Grossman a little better than that.

DL:  B.  Decent pressure, decent run stoppage till the fourth.  I don't know if they wore down or what, but Alexander was looking like the 2005 MVP again and not the hampered has-been that he looked like for most of 2006.  (He's not a has-been, he just played one on TV for most of this season.)

LB:  B+.  Urlacher, Briggs and Hillenmeyer came to play and it showed.  A few glaring missed tackles in the fourth but otherwise dyn-o-mite.  Briggs had the play of the game on that fourth and one play.  (You know, the play that Alexander thought he could run 50 yards for a TD if not for a botched snap.)

Secondary:  B+.  No deep plays allowed all day.  They gave up some big third downs of course, but I can live with that if they can stop them from getting the 40-yard TDs.

Special Teams:  A-.  Hester bobbled two balls but had yet another game-breaking play that was called back for a penalty.  Maynard hit some, missed some.  And Gould looked pretty nervous before his two kicks, making me even more nervous, but he nailed them both, including the 49-yarder to win the game.  How's a brother gonna complain about that?

Coaching:  B.  Pretty conservative at times, balls to the wall at others.  (That fourth and 1 from the 6 was the shit.)  An effective mix for the playoffs, and a hundred times better than some of the other coaches this weekend.

Speaking of, I'm sure some people my poo-poo the Bears for not covering and barely beating a clearly inferior team at home.  Screw that!  Did you see Baltimore and San Diego this weekend?  Those were clearly the top two teams coming into the playoffs this year and both were one and done.  And how about the rest of the QBs this weekend?  Only Drew Brees outperformed Grossman, the rest were either adequate game managers or even worse losers.  I'm feeling pretty good right now.

Too early to think about the Saints.  I'm just thinking about today.  Bears Win! Bears Win! Bears Win!  Let's finish them off and head to the Big One. 

BEAR DOWN!!!!

UPDATE:  Check out this article from Gene Wojciechowski at ESPN.com.  Bears Softest of Final Four.  He has some valid points, but it's excessively negative for a national publication.  (He's even worse than Mariotti!)  He makes it sound like the Bears barely deserve their playoff spot and the rest of the teams in the playoffs are the second coming of the Steel Curtain.  Um, did you not see that THE TOP TWO SEEDS IN THE AFC LOST this weekend?  Did you notice the holy Saints failed to cover at home as well?  This is the NFL, man, parity rules.  Nothing comes easy. 

This isn't the first time this guy has been unnecessarily fair towards the men in navy and orange this year, and I have a theory as to why he's such a sourpuss.  He's a Chicagoan and a Bears fan.  He was here in 1985, and he doesn't think today's Bears compare to that legendary team.  Well no shit, Gene.  I don't care that they're not as good as 1985.  That was then, this is now.  I enjoyed the Bears championship then, and if they happen to "luck" their way through the next two rounds, I'll enjoy this year's championship just as much.  Jeez.  This is the best day to be a Bears fan in at least 19 years.  Let us enjoy it for a few hours before you piss in our wheaties.

Bears - Seahawks: Almost There

It's been a long two weeks waiting for the Bears first playoff game against Seattle, but it's finally upon us.  I've already touched on the main aspect of this game, and that of course is Sexy Rexy.  No need to comment further on that, as it is what it is.   But what else is there?

Well, there's the defense.  Over the the last four weeks of the regular season, including two meaningless games, the Bears defense wasn't good at all.  In fact, on the eve of week 11, the Bears ranked first in points allowed, first in yards allowed, and at or near the top of most every other defensive category.  Since then, it's been a free fall.  They gave up an average of 27 points and 365 yards per game to finish the season fifth in yards allowed, third in points allowed.  Still great overall, but that was a long way to drop in four games. 

Am I worried?  Hell yeah, I'm worried.  Find me a Bears fan that isn't.  (Though Grossman is a large factor in that city-wide anxiety as well.)  October was a LONG TIME AGO, and it's been that long since we've seen a consistently dominant effort on defense.  Of course, that's also the last time Mike Brown suited up, and Tommie Harris took a knee not long thereafter.  Not to mention Vasher, Tillman, and Johnsons Todd and Tank spending time in streetclothes (or jail) as well.  But it ain't the same D, and they're still going to be without two of their top four defenders this Sunday.  Not good.

Luckily, the Seattle Seahawks coming into Soldier Field this Sunday aren't the same Seattle Seahawks that represented the NFC in the Super Bowl last February.  Matt Hasselbeck is banged up and seems to have lost his accuracy, Shaun Alexander is still shaking off the Madden, they still haven't gotten over losing their top lineman, and their secondary is in shambles (see The Loan Officer.)  So I like the Bears chances this week.

The point spread seems a little ridiculous, though, as the Bears are favored by 8.5.  Honestly, I think they'll cover.  The forecast is snowy and cold, aka. "Bear Weather."  You know, whoever made up the term "Bear Weather" didn't have Lovie's svelte speedsters in mind.  Frankly, this team ain't built for the white shit.  Look at last year's game at Pittsburgh, and of course the playoff game against Carolina.  Slippery footing is not good for a team that relies on speed so much.  You know, now that I'm thinking about it, (as if I've been thinking of anything else the last six weeks), the Bears might be better off with Ian Scott in the lineup this week than Tommie Harris.  Scott's more of a classic run stuffer with a wide body while Harris is among the lightest tackles in football.  Then again, Tommie Harris is Tommie Harris and I remember the game he had last time the Bears played the 'Hawks.

Prediction time!  I actually the Bears are going to make this one look surprisingly easy.  If Turner opens it up and lets Sexy Rexy attack the weak Seattle secondary, this could turn into a blowout really fast.  So long as Rex's head is screwed on straight, of course, but that goes without saying.  (Or saying 10,000 times if you've been keeping up with the news in Chicago lately.)  I'll say Bears 27, Seahawks 17, in a game not as close as the final score would lead you to believe. 

BEAR DOWN!!!!!!

Bears Playoffs: Bring on Seattle!

Seattle won Saturday night on a botched FG snap by Tony Romo, and the Giants couldn't get past Philly today meaning the Bears' first round opponent is set:  The Seattle Seahawks.

As we all remember, the Bears whipped Seattle's butts back in October.  See my recap from the first meeting.  Man, that seems like eons ago.  Phrases like "no weaknesses," "perfect," "lethal", and "Miami."  It's just ridiculous to review these words after the last two months.  This is not the same team.  Oh, sure, they may look an awfully lot like that team, but no sir,  they're not the same team.  Harris and Brown are gone, and well, you know the rest.

I'm not going to offer up my prediction today, but I stand by my statement from the other day.  The Bears can win by 40 or they can lose by 40.  It all depends on Mr. Grossman.  Seattle doesn't scare me.  In fact, I'm going to be one of those guys that quotes himself.  I wrote this about Seattle the other day:

Let's be clear, I'm not scared of Seattle either.  But there is the whole "twice in one season" thing, and they might be looking for revenge for that severe ass-whoopin the Bears laid on them in October.  Oh, and they have a healthy team with a premiere running back in Shaun Alexander and veteran QB in Matt Hasselbeck.  It's exactly the type of combo that could give the Bears struggling D fits.  Then again, they were horrendous down the stretch.  Can they even beat Dallas?  We'll see.

Well, we found out that they can beat Dallas.  They didn't look so hot doing it, though, and they should have lost that game.  Not only because of the botched field goal, just they were outplayed in general.  So no, I'm not scared.  (Think I've made that clear, yet?)  But it doesn't matter if I'm scared or not.  What matters is which one of these guys are we going to see:

NFL Playoffs: Who to root for this weekend with the Bears in mind

Thanks to their sparkling 13-3 record this season, the Bears have secured a first-round-bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.  And thanks to the giant turd they dropped in the punch bowl on New Year's Eve, people are dropping off the bandwagon at an alarming rate.  Good.  We don't need those losers anyways.

Grossman admitted he wasn't 100% focused on Sunday night, and he had minds on other things like a) the Playoffs, b) New Year's Eve, and c) that hot chick in the first row of the  South end zone.  I gotta tell ya, Rex is an idiot.  I can understand maybe looking past Green Bay a little bit; after all, it was meaningless.  But don't friggin admit it to the media!  Remember what happened to Cade McNown after he admitted he wasn't prepared for a meaningless game?  Jeez. 

Anyways, with the Bears watching from home this weekend (Bears - they're just like us!), let's look at their upcoming competition.  If the Giants beat Philly, the Bears play New York.  Otherwise, they play the winner of Dallas/Seattle.  Really, each of these teams should be a cakewalk.  All three backed into the playoffs losing (at least) 3 of 4.  Then again, with Sexy Rexy the Bears can win by 40 or lose by 40 to anybody.  Don't ya love it!  Here's how I'd rank the opponents.

• Dallas:  They've really been struggling lately, and the halo over Romo's head has all but vanished.  He's been solid, just not the robo-QB we saw back in November.  It's the defense that has really been the weak link of late, (38 points to the Lions, at home?!), and I'd rather have Grossman going after the weaker D's.  So the combination of young QB on the road, horrible D, Terrell's drops combined with his reluctance to go over the middle against Urlacher, and Parcells losing interest makes this my most favored matchup.
• New York:  After last year's loss to Carolina, I'm not a big fan of playing these guys again.  It's tough to beat a quality opponent twice in one season.  Plus Tiki Barber's looking to go out with a bang and the Bears didn't exactly contain him the last time they played. That said, Eli Manning blows.  Further, Tom Coughlin is dead-man walking, and they've still got tons of injuries.  So while I wouldn't exactly be worried by a matchup with New York, they're not as favorable as Dallas.  One thing to note, facing the Giants means Philly is gone and my dream would be rendered null and void.  Maybe I DO want them to face New York!
• Seattle:  Let's be clear, I'm not scared of Seattle either.  But there is the whole "twice in one season" thing, and they might be looking for revenge for that severe ass-whoopin the Bears laid on them in October.  Oh, and they have a healthy team with a premiere running back in Shaun Alexander and veteran QB in Matt Hasselbeck.  It's exactly the type of combo that could give the Bears struggling D fits.  Then again, they were horrendous down the stretch.  Can they even beat Dallas?  We'll see.

Prediction time.  I'll say Dallas, Philly, New England and Indy win this weekend.  I wanted to pick KC, but I think Manning will get it done (in the first round at least.)  This would mean Bears-Cowboys next Saturday.  I likey.  See you then.

New Year's Heave: Grossman matches Blutarsky's 0.0

Well, Sexy Rexy finally did it.  He managed to score a perfect 0.0 QB rating last night, matching Bluto Blutarsky's GPA in Animal House.  I didn't think he had it in him. 

Bleh.  What an abomination.  Even worse, Griese came in and he wasn't much better.  Lovie Smith probably feels like Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump after he lost his legs in Vietnam.  "What am I gonna do now, Gump?  What am I gonna do now?" 

I think the Bears have to go with Grossman in the playoffs.  It's pretty much the only choice, sadly.  Griese's competent, I think, but Grossman has more upside.  I don't think Griese can win a shootout, and with the way the defense has been the last few weeks, the offense better be able to score.  For better or for worse, Grossman gives them the best chance to win a shootout.  If he craps himself, though, you've got to have a quick hook.  That's all I'll say.

I don't really have much else on last night's game.  Benson was pretty awesome, Maynard had a nice throw on a fake punt (let HIM start at QB), and...well, that about sums up everything good about last night.  Oh, and Brett Favre walks on water.  At least that's what one would think after listening to Michaels and Madden muse about him for three hours.  Michaels practically had to spit Favre's sausage out of his mouth when Griese threw that TD pass to Bradley. 

Deer, meet Headlights

Enough about last night's disaster.  I had a dream a few nights ago about the Playoffs, and it wasn't pretty.  In my dream, it's Super Bowl Sunday, and I have no knowledge of how the Bears did in the playoffs.  I had recorded both games on my DVR but hadn't had time to watch either one.  (As I told a friend about this, he surmised that I must have been in a coma for three weeks to be able to avoid all the Bears coverage/conversations in Chicago...but I digress.)  Anyways, as I was trying to avoid the outcome of those games I found out that the Eagles were in the Super Bowl.  So I finally asked my Dad how they did, and he said the Bears beat the Cowboys in game one but lost to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game.  It was so real that I was bummed out when I woke up.  One of those "I can't believe the season's over" feelings that I felt in '86, '87, '01 and '05.  Just an ugly malaise that lasts a few weeks. 

Luckily, I haven't gone into a coma and the playoffs haven't happened yet.  But I fear my dream might come true.  Hopefully we get a dose of Good Rex in the playoffs, and the defense stops messing around and gets down to business.  Or else it's going to be a long offseason.