Pixote

Who the hell said that Hanie is not NFL worthy? That is unbievable that anyone would say that when the kid has not been given a chance to do anything except play a few snaps last preseason. I tell you what, he looked darn good to me, and I do not care if he was playing against 2nd or 3rd stringers. I am hoping he gets some time to show what he can do this year against 1st stringers. You can not say he is not NFL worthy after one year of being the #3. You can not dismiss him just because he was an UDFA. He may not be the answer to our QB situation, but do not completely dismiss him without giving him a chance to develop.

I liked Rivera a lot and did not like seeing him leave. However, I suspect the Chargers reached the playoffs not because of Rivera and their 25th ranked defense, but their 11th ranked offense, an extremely weak division, and QB Rivers throwing over 4000 yds.

So your saying we are only one WR away from having an effective WR corps? To be honest, I would have to agree with most articles we read on the net saying we not only do not have a legitimate #1 WR but have only marginal #2s. Most of our WRs, if not all, at this point in their careers would be considered no more than #3s on most teams, if that.

Noots, I just want to take a minute to thank you for including us in the list of sites you share your write ups with. Your work on these articles I am sure takes up quite a bit of your time. I think I speak for everyone here when I say that your articles are without a doubt some of the best on the net and very insightful. Now if we can just talk JA into giving you the HC job we might just have us another shot at the Super Bowl.

I was listening to the score on the way to pick up some meds and they were saying they would not be surprised to see Eric Mangini signed by the Bears. Now, they did not elaborate, just that it would not surprise them if Lovie went after him. It was not said but I assume as a possible DC. I am like most, Lovie wanted to sign Marinelli as DC when he first came to the Bears and now that he is available I would not be surprised if he came to the Bears. Yes, Detroit sucked, but it was pretty hard for him to build a decent defense in Detroit with a GM that only wanted to draft WRs, LOL.

Great job everyone! The winners for 2008 are: Pick'ems Contest Season Pools bowlingtwig takes 1st place, BearFan2000 2nd place, Madlithuanian 3rd place in the main pool! BearFan2000 wins the 2008 Margin Pool bowlingtwig wins the Survivor (had the longest streak of correct entries of the 3 players w/ 1 loss) In summary, bowlingtwig wins a total of $75.00, BearFan2000 gets $50.00 and Madlithuanian wins $10.00. Please send me an email with the email address you want me to send your gift certificates! j.w.sheridan@comcast.net Great job everyone! I can not begin to tell all of you how much I appreciate your supporting the contests I run annually. It means a lot to me and I am grateful for your participation!

sprout and Alaskan Grizzly take the honors for week 17 in our Pick'ems contest!! Congratulations!

I am not against bring in a UFA QB or even drafting on high in the draft. I do think Orton would be a good backup. I am not as confident he will be an elite starter. I do also think Hanie has a bright future but I am not sure when he will get a legitimate chance to start. Now if you are talking trading picks for a starting QB the only thing I have to say is "Rick Mieir" Besides, until we can get WRs who can gain separation and "catch" the ball, will we ever have a passing game to compliment Forte and our running game? How much can we expect from any QB with the WRs we currently have and the OL we have giving him protection? How much is this vacancy of Offensive talent on our team handcuffing Turner?

I agree. I am not sure if we would replace Babich. If a DC became available that fits into Lovie's defensive philosophy then I could see a possible change. However, would it really make a big difference if the same Cover 2 defense would be run? How much of the problem with our defense is the DC and how much is the scheme we are running? Until we solidify the personnel on the "O" I am not sure if we can properly evaluate Turner. Lovie has too much contract left to see him fired, IMHO.

Logic would say that TBB beats Oakland. However, reason would also say that the Bucs have been playing very poorly as of late. They have lost their last 3 games. Their defense has not played well. They lost their running game when they lost Graham for the season. In the meantime everyone says how great Houston is playing. However, the same team that everyone says TBB will kill just beat Houston last week 27 to 16. So is Houston & TBB as good as many are giving credit? I feel they are both good teams but both have shown to ber very vulnerable & capable of choking.

If we lose this game because of our inability to stop Andre Johnson it will not be because of Mike Brown's absence, it will because our CBs fail to cover or because they are asked to cover for too long do to no pass rush. Mike Brown's play has slipped considerably so I am not even sure he will be missed as much as usual in the run defense. I like Mike Brown and he is one of my favorite players but in reality he is not the player he was in the past.

Tillman & Graham need to be sharp and we need pressure on the QB. Mike Brown has never been a top cover Safety. His strength has been against the run. We have replacements who can stop the run. I use to think his leadership on the field was vital. After last week when it appears none of our Team Captains & Veterans stepped up in the first half and kicked some ass, I am not so sure he will be missed in that area either. I do not think M Brown's absence from the line-up changes the Texan's game plan at all.

The official site for the Bears has an article stating Mike Brown is now on the IR. Mike Brown Goes to IR, Worrell Takes His Roster Spot

The inability of the Bears defense to get off the field in 3rd and long situations bothers me more than anything else. I use to complain that our offense was our defenses worse problem, leaving them on the field too much with poor time of possession. This year, our 3rd down defense has been so pourous that I feel they themselves are their worse enemy. If we are to win this game it will be because we shut them down on 3rd and long. IMHO

Geeat to have you join us! We look forward to you input. I know we will have lots to talk about and discuss. Welcome aboard!

I would say that I am of the philosophy that you build a team from the trenches as a starting point. The Vikings Offensive line is far superior to ours. IMO The Vikings Defensive line is far superior to ours. IMO However, when you get beyond the lines, where are they better? I think Forte behind that line would be adding a lot of yardage to his already impressive total as a Rookie. He does not have the fumbling problem AP has. He is better blocking and picking up blitzes than AP. He is a better pass receiver out of the backfield than AP. He has shown to be more durable than AP. I will take Forte over AP, he is a much better all around player. WRs? I can not say I am impressed with the WRs on either team. As far as I am concerned both teams have below average talent at the position and no depth. TEs? I will take ours over the Vikings. QBs? It is a wash. I would take Orton & Hanie over Gus and Jackson, but that is MHO. Both have question marks at the position that may need to be addressed in the off season. Then we turn to Defense. Our LBs are far superior to the Vikings LBs. Our DBs are far superior as a unit to the Vikings unit. Special teams? We have one of the best in the league, if not the best. The Vikings STs suck. So, IMO, the Bears in total retrospective are a superior team personnel wise. Now coaching, that is a different story and one I will not get into in this post.

I still think St Clair is out of position and would be an excellent LG. I think Williams at LT, St Clair at LG, Kruentz backed up by Beekman. That leaves ROT & ROG. Bruening is an interesting option. However, I would like to see us draft an OG & OT to develop or start on the right side. Otherwise, get some experienced veterans on the FA market. With a solid OL we are 2 WRs away from having a good offense, assuming Orton is the answer at QB. (I still like Hanie )

I agree, but it is more than just Orton. I am more concerned over our defense. If they do not stop their rookie RB and keep their passing game to a minimum (we will never control it completely, they have some darn good WRs) then we are out of luck. Fortunately, they have a limited pass rush so Orton should have some time to throw and they have a QB who likes to throw picks so maybe we get an interception or two. Special teams will play a huge part in this game. Field position will be critical, as always.

Nope, no game on Thursday, Saturday, or Monday. That is the way it usually is the last week of the season. They have all teams play on Sunday so all teams have the same amount of preperation time if they are going to the playoffs.

Even though the SDC vs DEN game is being played on SNF, it is being used as the MNF tiebreaker. Treat it as such, please. I do not want to have to and edit the picksheet after every upload to reflect the game being SNF instead of MNF. It is the last game of the week/reg season and is to be considered the tiebreaker game for total points. Thanks!

I have heard speculation that their HC would never treat this game any differently than the norm. I have also heard key players might be held out, such as Jacobs. What have you guys heard? If they play this game with normal personnel on the field I have no doubt MIN loses. If they pull every player who has as much as a hangnail to prevent further injury, MIN wins.

Watching NFL Total Access this AM Terrell Davis states in a very positive manner that the Bears will lose this Sunday and our season will end. Guess we should just rest our starters and mail this one in.

The final picksheet for the season is ready for use with Week 17 Games. There are no games on Thursday, Saturday, or Monday. All games are on Sunday with the SNF game between San Diego & Denver being used as the tie-breaker game. Picksheets need to be sent in prior to 11 AM Central on Sunday. Try not to wait until the last minute as you never know when you may have an interruption of your electric/ISP service. Good luck with your games this week. Bears Win! MIN Loses to NYG! Bears March to SB XLIII http://www.talkbears.com/Contests/index.htm

LOL, no, if I referred to him with his pants off, then we will start talking kinky..... (I have never met Jason before and if I ever do I would hope he is fully clothed)

I have to believe Detroit will clean house. If they do I would like to see RM brought in as DC, he was Lovies 1st choice when he was hired as our HC but at that time he was refused permission to interview him. There is no guarantee Singletary remains in SF as HC. If not, heck, I would love to see him on the Bears sidelines but I do not think Lovie would hire him. If Ried decides to take a sabatical from coaching, and J Johnson is on the open market, he would be my first choice as DC but again, I doubt Lovie would go for him as he is not a cover 2 guy. There are going to be a lot of experienced talent available for coaching staffs this offseason, I just wonder if Lovie will change any of his coordinators or stay pat. As has been said already, Lovie will be our HC for at least 1 if not 2 more years. The question comes down to coordinators.