Mongo3451 Posted December 26, 2018 Report Share Posted December 26, 2018 The big question of the day, in the media, is what do the Bears play for this Sunday? Do we play as if the Rams will lose and we have home field to gain? Do we play to rest nicked up players and hope to win? Rest starters knowing we'll meet again the following week? Or do we play like we want to make a statement and send the Vikings on vacation. Also to note was our preseason, where Nagy was huge on resting players for the upcoming season. The result was one of the least injured teams in the NFL. What is our collective thought on this? I'll start by saying, that we should do all that out takes to eliminate the Vikings now. I have a 4 fold reason why. 1) Vikings are very physical. Two games in a row with them could prove costly. 2) I'd rather face Philly. 3) Keep the routine and momentum going. 4) Make a statement, it's the f'n queens! Plus, I'm still pissed about the dirty hit on Trubisky. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted December 26, 2018 Report Share Posted December 26, 2018 We need to enter the playoffs with positive momentum, hitting on all cylinders. I can't think of a better way of doing that than beating the crap out of the Vikings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASHKUM BEAR Posted December 26, 2018 Report Share Posted December 26, 2018 Eliminate the Queens. Make the statement that they cannot beat us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted December 26, 2018 Report Share Posted December 26, 2018 If we can't beat the Vikings on the road, then can we beat the Rams or Saints on the road? I would rather win and knock them out of the playoffs and go into the playoffs with a win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearFan2000 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 I’m with you all and I believe so is Nagy. We need to keep playing hard and play to win. IMHO as long as we play to our ability no one truly scares me. And I don’t believe the Bears are intimidated by anyone either. We’ve been on a roll and our guys are building the confidence that we will find a way to win. If we lose either this week or in the playoffs I don’t feel it will have been a matter of facing a team we “can’t beat,” but rather we didn’t play to the level we’re capable of. So I say keep doing what we’ve done. Play to win. Focus on one game at a time and focus on beating who’s in front of you. Stay in your routine ad do what got you here. Now’s not the time to get in the habit of letting up or letting off the gas. Finish the season strong and take that with you into the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 Of course I want to win...the Superbowl. To do that we need key players healthy so this cannot be a win at all costs type of game. Players that need less snaps to prepare for the Wildcard game should get the rest. In an ideal world we rattle Cousins (again) and get some big defensive plays early to help build a big lead in the first half. Cousins is under a ton of pressure and there is no way he can ignore the chatter about him not being worth $84mil. We need to get hands on him early and often. Their D is going to play us tough again but I just posted their injury report in the game thread and they have a few key players who cannot practice: Eric Kendricks, Linval Joseph, Mike Remmers, and Xavier Rhodes. They may play but it's unlikely they'll be fully healthy. Trubisky was not very good in the first game agains the Vikings. He'll be looking to turn that around and his new found love of taking what the defense gives him should help him here. Can we take advantage of their defensive injuries? I don't know and we have our own issues with Long and Jackson likely out this game. IMO if we can get Howard going early we win. He'll take the heat off Trubisky on the road. He'll make play action work better. He'll give defenders someone else to worry about running besides Trubisky (see my "What are the Vikings worried about" post in the game thread). He'll make Cohen look that much faster. We have one other ace in the hole and that is Shaheen. Sims went out the week before the first Vikings game and Shaheen, although back, wasn't fully in game shape and he had 0 targets that game. While Shaheen hasn't lit it up in the passing game he's another legit option. More importantly is that Howard has been at his best rushing these last 4 or 5 games since Shaheen has been on the field (after his concussion). It hasn't been mentioned here but I don't think that's pure coincidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted December 27, 2018 Report Share Posted December 27, 2018 Sounds like Kyle Long is back.. https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2018/12/27/kyle-long-chicago-bears-practice-return-healthy-nfl-playoffs/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger226 Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 You have to play to win, we do not know the outcome of the LA game , no matter what the score is at halftime. If we lose to Vikings and then we will be playing them for the 3rd time and they will have momentum going against us the following week. Philly does not know us very well and from a player standpoint is the weakest. RBs hurt, DBs hurt, areas we can exploit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted December 28, 2018 Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 I've always been a "play for draft position"-guy, and hated end of season "Lovie wins." So I am totally in tune with this question and line of reasoning. Having said that, if there is a chance at a bye, you play to win. And if the LAR wins, so be it; we get the #3 seed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo3451 Posted December 28, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2018 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 29, 2018 Report Share Posted December 29, 2018 FN Cute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted December 29, 2018 Report Share Posted December 29, 2018 Win. Any possibility of getting a playoff bye must be attempted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan Grizzly Posted December 29, 2018 Report Share Posted December 29, 2018 oops DP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan Grizzly Posted December 29, 2018 Report Share Posted December 29, 2018 On 12/26/2018 at 8:27 AM, Mongo3451 said: What is our collective thought on this? I'll start by saying, that we should do all that out takes to eliminate the Vikings now. Plus, I'm still pissed about the dirty hit on Trubisky. Thoughts? At the risk of tarnishing my football acumen and since you asked...here’s my hot take. Yes we should play to win. But... at what cost? Some are under the impression that Minnesota plays cheap. You certainly make a case for it in the above statement and we all witnessed what they did to Rodgers last year (slamming him to the ground). So there’s that. Many will make the case in order for our offense to be effective we have to have Trubisky running it (as I’m sure you’re aware I’m not completely sold...not yet). But I digress... There was an article recently written about some observations the Vikings made and were specifically talking to HC Zimmer who said ‘Trubisky is a lot more elusive and fast than I originally thought.’ (Not exactly a quote but something to that effect). Knowing that and being a defensive minded coach I’m almost certain he will game plan for that. He’ll probably set up to defend for the short and intermediate pass game and spy Trubiksy with an LB or NB, who may or may not have it in their mind that if he runs loose their job is to plant him. We know Trubiksy is not as effective long range and is prone to mistakes, especially if rushed. I see a variation of an eight man front with middle zone coverage. Probably disguised blitzes and the like. It’ll be up to Trubisky to analyze those plays and audible out to something more effective. I will say that Trubiksy has gotten better at that; calling alternative plays. Something Cutler was absolutely abhorrent with. You can bet Zimmer will change up the look from the last time they met. Nagy will probably scheme a similar game plan to what they did with SF; play actions, Jordan Howard runs and attempts at short - intermediate passes; despite Zimmers anticipation. Of course there may be a few trick plays on the slate one of which I’m sure will frustrate us. On the other side it’s pretty simple. Their offense is a bit of a hot mess. Zimmer canned OC DeFillipo back at the beginning of this month (his third such move in two years(?)). Now there’s a cat by the name Kevin Stefanski who is running the O. He’s been with the team for 13 years and got his start with the team when Brad Childress was the guy calling the shots. Didn’t Childress once advise the Bears on offensive stuff? Anyhow, I think the key to our D and essentially winning the game will be to do what they’ve been doing the last few weeks. Open the flood gates and get to Cousins fast and often. He’s playing not only to get his team into the playoffs but really a future to stay on the Vikings next year...or anywhere...as a starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted December 30, 2018 Report Share Posted December 30, 2018 Well we don't have a draft position to play for. Play the first half as you would every other game, look at the score board and go from there. If you can keep minny out of the playoffs then full steam ahead. If they are kicking our ass and Rams are winning then rest the starters. Would prefer not to play a division rival in the playoffs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mongo3451 Posted December 30, 2018 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2018 It's game day and the collective thought is that we go kick some Viking ass! Bear down! Thanks for the participation brothers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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