balta1701-A

Seriously, right now, who the Hell cares which back is better? This is a win for exactly the group that needed to win it; the Bears defense. This defense shows up 2 weeks from now, and both running backs will be wearing some pretty rings

Bear down, Chicago Bears! Make every play clear the way to victory! Bear down, Chicago Bears! Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly! We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T formation. Bear down, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you're wearing the crown You're the pride and joy of Illinois. Chicago Bears, bear down!

Excellent work dropping that ball by Manning.

Everyone say "Welcome back" to the Bears defense. It's been a while since they've been around.

Bears...Polish sausage...Bears...

"Unbreak my heart"? are you kidding? That's the song they pick? And they follow that up with what, Avril Lavigne? Ugh, I feel sick just from the soundtrack.

Analysts have memories that only last for a few weeks at most. It's a disease that travels through news rooms, preventing long-term remembering without heavy focusing. Therefore, they can only remember who won coach of the year this year, but there is virtually no memory remaining of who won that award last year.

F*** Hester on offense. Hester's job is to do the best he can without fumbling a kickoff. He had Seattle scared shitless. To the point the Bears started at the 40 repeatedly because Seattle didnt' want Devin having a 1/3 shot at a touchdown, which is not a bad call with the kicker. With the deep threat of Berrian in addition to the 2 possession threats of Moose and Clarke, and the screen threats, even without Bradley, the Bears receiving corps is set. If the Bears defense does its job, give the ball to Benson and Jones to murder the Saints. Honestly, I don't think it matters who gets which carry. if you give the ball to Benson 30 times against this defense, I think he'll be pretty damn close to what happens if you give Jones 30 carries. Jones has more big play potential, but Benson will probably drive for more each individual play. Either way, the Bears running game will work unless their O-Line plays like a team that doesn't deserve to be in the playoffs. The Bears should have every opportunity they want to win the time of possession and running yards matchup. The key to this game to my eyes is still defense. The Saints could be brilliant stopping the Bears offense, but if the bears defense does its job, either stopping Deuce or forcing turnovers, then the Bears play in Feb. End of story

None of the remaining 4 defenses, to my eyes, even including the Belichek coached Pats assuming everyone including Harrison returns healthy, can do what the Bears defense has the ability to do in the next 2 games. The Bears have the playmakers on defense to simply destroy anyone they face. They have done it the whole freaking year. Seriously, go back to that Arizona game and watch what that defense did. It is absolutely remarkable how much they stepped up. It's hard to believe how big of a game Brian Urlacher played. And that is just 1/16. Everyone in Chicago has been correctly concerned about Rex Grossman since October. But if Rex Grossman decides either of the next 2 potential Bears games, then the Bears have a 1/20 or so shot of winning both. Rex is not Peyton, Rex is not Brady. Rex will only rarely single-handedly win a game for the Bears. Grossman could certainly pull off a miracle, but barring that, this game is won and lost by the Bears defense. End of story. This defense has been in the top 5 in Yards per game and Points per game each of the last 2 years, and has earned those rankings. This Bears defense, and to use a Colbertism, their BALLS, will decide this game. If this Bears defense has balls, and I mean really has balls, they will have some fancy rings coming to them 3 weekends from now. The only defense that can challenge them is New England (fewer YPG than the Bears but better PPG in 06) but even with the 16 game stats and the injuries, the Bears have better players than any other defense in these playoffs. If the Bears D plays like that, then in 2 weeks, there's one hell of a riot on Rush street. End of story.

The more I think about it, the more I think this game will be decided by 2 matchups: Urlacher and Briggs Vs. Deuce, and the Bears DB's against NOLA's receivers. The Bears will win this game if they do 1 of 2 things; either keep the Saints offense off the field by stopping the running game, or producing turnovers. I don't think that the Bears DL, without Harris, can totally stop Deuce, unfortunately. They just haven't done it with any RB since Tommy got hurt, and no matter what the Colts have said about defenses coming together at the right time, the Bears haven't shown that their line can hold a good RB to limited yards. That means that the guys who have to prevent running plays from going 9 yards instead of 3 are the LB's. On paper, it's hard to say that the Bears are outmatched when they put Urlacher and Briggs against anyone. But that is the key matchup in the running game to my eyes. If the Saints don't turn the ball over, then those 2 need to stop the running game to get the Bears' offense the ball. End of story. The other way for the Bears to win is the turnover game. If the Bears can generate 3 turnovers, to simply stop New Orleans in its drives and give the offense good field position, I think the Bears win with ease. NOLA has the potential for big plays, and they have the potential to also grind the game out if the Bears can't stop the running game. But the Bears have an excellent set of DB's and linebackers who are good in pass coverage. The Bears could give up 3-4 touchdowns thorugh the air, but if their defense also generates 3-4 turnovers, then Grossman and the running game can win a shootout. Either the Bears stop the run, the Bears generate TO's, or the Saints win the game. That's my evaluation. I don't know what Lovie Smiths' game plan will be, but I would focus my LB's on stopping the running game, but that's me again.

They are picking the saints because the "experts" will always, and I mean always, pick an offensive-oriented team over a defensive oriented team. The offense oriented team is just sexier; big plays, lotta points, not great at slowing the game down, etc. There have been 7 times that a top 5 offense has met a top 5 defense in the Super Bowl; the top 5 defense has won 6 of those 7 matchups. But going into the game, all the stats guys like to focus on the playmakers and ignore how the defense will shut them down. For example, everyone in ESPN focuses on Brees and Colston, but ignores the great numbers Tillman has against a big receiver like Randy Moss (better than almost any other CB againts him IIRC). Offensive stats are just sexier. Like I said over @ Soxtalk, offense wins over sportswriters, defense wins championships. The Bears have a championship caliber defense. Even with the injuries they have the players to just come out and destroy NOLA. It's all up to the Bears defense to do it though. They need to make tackles, get to Brees, and force Turnovers. All of which they can do if they're on their game, and the Saints can do nothing to stop them if the Bears play right. But if the Bears defense doesn't show up, then it comes down to the Saints offense against the Bears offense, and I'll take the Saints offense in that matchup. This game comes down to whether or not the Bears defense has any balls left. If they do, then we're talking football here in 2 weeks. If not, then we're talking about who we'll draft. End of story.

If the Bears draft an LB, it's because Briggs is leaving. Next to Urlacher, a tolerable linebacker is exactly that; tolerable. You don't necessarily need the 2nd best linebacker in the NFL next to the best; that's just a luxury. If Briggs leaves though, then you need depth to play next to Urlacher. If Briggs is resigned, then I could be thrown out there and I'd still wind up looking like a decent LB because 95% of the work would be done by the other 2 guys.

Youtube link. This will make you all feel better, I promise.

My thoughts were exactly, which is why I wonder why people keep bringing up the TE slot. When you have a QB who can get the ball to the TE, and playcalling that puts the TE in position to make plays, this season, the Bears TE has done the job as far as the games I've seen. DB's, LB's, O-Line, and Maybe D-Line, then WR should be priorities in that order, with LB's dropping down the list if Briggs is resigned. TE can wait.

Do people still have problems with Dez Clark after this season?

And on top of that, there are a fair number of pretty darn good running backs looking to be available in the first couple rounds of the draft this year for teams that want to grab one. I really have difficulty thinking that Jones would hold out either. There's not too much benefit for him; sitting out for a year certainly won't increase his value as a FA.

Honestly, unless someone really needs a RB and can't find one in the draft so they get desperate, the Bears are probably better off just hanging on to Jones and letting him walk at the end of his contract next year. The change-of-pace attack seems to have worked pretty well this year, and honestly, having Jones around has probably been a good thing for Benson, in that its allowed him to grow into the league without taking too many blows.

Now the question is...is that statement sarcasm as well?

With the year Clark has had? I doubt that. I think he keeps going defensive depth on the first day, and maybe tosses in an O-Line or a "how is this guy still available" pick on the 2nd day.

They have 1 more game to prove that.

Field position, the Bears have the same advantage they had last week...who the Hell wants to put the ball in Devin Hester's hands? This game though will be decided by turnovers. Specifically, the Bears MUST generate a couple of turnovers. New Orleans's offense moves the ball too well, and the Bears D flexes enough that New Orleans should be able to move the ball some. This defense needs to generate some turnovers. If they do, the Bears take it. If they don't, then it winds up being on Grossman.

So, the Cardinals decided today to name Ken Whisenhunt, Offensive Coordinator for the Steelers, as their new head coach. 1 down...link

You can start comparing Gould to that man in 2 games. Not before then.

Joe Horn went from questionable to doubtful right before the game on Saturday and did not play. He was close, there was at least an outside shot, but he wound up still unable to practice late in the week and missed the game. Groin injury, and no one really knows how long it'll take one of those to heal. But he's really close to coming back. If the Saints get past the Bears I'd guarantee you he'd be super bowl ready, and there's a pretty good shot this weekend, but who knows until Friday or Saturday.

I think today was a perfect example of what I was saying earlier...the Bears have 2 different varieties of cornerbacks, a speedier guy and a more physical guy. Today, I swear I heard Vasher's name called exactly 1 time, on that deep incompletion Hasselbeck thew late in the game. He might have been mentionned elsewhere, but I never heard anything else about him. Why? Because as far as I could tell, the Seahawks barely ever threw anywhere near him. The Seahawks receivers, aside from that TE, seem to me to be more of the speedy, hands type guys. Tillman just doesn't match up well against them. Vasher on the other hand can shut them down, and I think he did today. Next week though, the Bears have to face off against a guy who's 6'4", 230 lbs, in Colston. Fast guy, but also a physical type guy. And I think that's exactly the type of matchup that Tillman is good at. We'll see.