Finally

[madlithuanian]

Dammit jason! That's my line I use when I'm bashing Smith!

 

Einstein said it best: Instanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

 

[jason]

Wow.

 

Very clever reply. Is it impossible for you to see how a team with guys like Cutler, Hester, Knox, Urlacher, Briggs, and Peppers could make one or two big plays that could turn the tide of a game?

 

They often win in spite of the coaching, in spite of the scheme, and are vastly underutilized.

[balta1701-A]

Very clever reply. Is it impossible for you to see how a team with guys like Cutler, Hester, Knox, Urlacher, Briggs, and Peppers could make one or two big plays that could turn the tide of a game?

 

They often win in spite of the coaching, in spite of the scheme, and are vastly underutilized.

In that case...they're pretty talented.

[LT2_3]

We can eek in, win through...Brady gets hit by a bus and breaks his leg, and we play the Pats in the SB and win. Odds are we lose somewhere in the playoffs. But, this season told us is we're better than most predicted (including myself), but we're not yet there. A good off-season with hopefully a new and better GM could get us over the hump and give it a solid 2-3 year run before losing some defensive stars to age,etc...

 

If we beat the Vikes and the Pack lose to NE next week we win the division. I'd hardly call winning a division with two weeks to play "eeking in".

 

Unfortunately, we played in "Patriot's weather" yesterday. I also think that refs made some bad calls/non-calls. Their first TD should have been a penalty by Gronkowski for hitting Urlacher and evidently either that DB has humongous feet, or Knox's ass is so small that he could sit on a shoe and his ass wouldn't touch the ground.

 

I'm also pretty sure that making the playoffs will keep Angelo around especially since his contract runs through 2013.

[madlithuanian]

I feel we eeked in. Had the Packers been healthy, we'd probably be out. I'm happy we're in, but by no means do I think we kicked ass and took names to get there. We did well more often than not when opportunity presented itself.

 

Weather is weather. Either you let it bother you or you don't. We let it bother us, they didn't. They were stronger mentally. Good teams get the calls...ask Michael Jordan. We were thoroughly undressed. 2 questionable botched calls did not lose this game. We lost it before we took the field.

 

I generally agree about JA. Although there have been rumblings that he will retire regardless. I still do not trust him drafting. I am still not convinced Smith is the man to lead us to the promised land, but I'm waiting to see how this plays out. He could be satisfactory if our coorordinators are truly good. Regardless, he'll still be around. I just hope we do not re-sign him to anything remotely long term barring a strong SB win.

 

 

 

 

If we beat the Vikes and the Pack lose to NE next week we win the division. I'd hardly call winning a division with two weeks to play "eeking in".

 

Unfortunately, we played in "Patriot's weather" yesterday. I also think that refs made some bad calls/non-calls. Their first TD should have been a penalty by Gronkowski for hitting Urlacher and evidently either that DB has humongous feet, or Knox's ass is so small that he could sit on a shoe and his ass wouldn't touch the ground.

 

I'm also pretty sure that making the playoffs will keep Angelo around especially since his contract runs through 2013.

 

[Connorbear]

I feel we eeked in. Had the Packers been healthy, we'd probably be out. I'm happy we're in, but by no means do I think we kicked ass and took names to get there. We did well more often than not when opportunity presented itself.

 

Weather is weather. Either you let it bother you or you don't. We let it bother us, they didn't. They were stronger mentally. Good teams get the calls...ask Michael Jordan. We were thoroughly undressed. 2 questionable botched calls did not lose this game. We lost it before we took the field.

 

I generally agree about JA. Although there have been rumblings that he will retire regardless. I still do not trust him drafting. I am still not convinced Smith is the man to lead us to the promised land, but I'm waiting to see how this plays out. He could be satisfactory if our coorordinators are truly good. Regardless, he'll still be around. I just hope we do not re-sign him to anything remotely long term barring a strong SB win.

Health is part of the game. If the Bears win the division, they will have earned it. The five game winning streak came at the right time.

 

Peace

[madlithuanian]

Agreed! Eeeking can be earned!

 

 

Health is part of the game. If the Bears win the division, they will have earned it. The five game winning streak came at the right time.

 

Peace

 

[Connorbear]

I never said eeked but I would say earned. Eeked, IMHO, would be winning in the final week of the season.

 

Peace

[Boston Boxer]

It did, didn't it!?

 

Stange things can still happen this year...

 

We can eek in, win through...Brady gets hit by a bus and breaks his leg, and we play the Pats in the SB and win. Odds are we lose somewhere in the playoffs. But, this season told us is we're better than most predicted (including myself), but we're not yet there. A good off-season with hopefully a new and better GM could get us over the hump and give it a solid 2-3 year run before losing some defensive stars to age,etc...

 

 

if Brady got hit by a bus, most likely the bus would suffer more.

[madlithuanian]

Don't confuse Brady w/ Rapelessburger!

 

if Brady got hit by a bus, most likely the bus would suffer more.

 

[BearsFan1974]

I don't know about you guys, but eeking in is still in. The playoffs are much more exciting when the Bears are in. This is total sarcasm but we can't win it all if we don't make the playoffs. I don't care how we get in, just get in and go from there.

[BearFan2000]

I don't know about you guys, but eeking in is still in. The playoffs are much more exciting when the Bears are in. This is total sarcasm but we can't win it all if we don't make the playoffs. I don't care how we get in, just get in and go from there.

 

I agree, once you are in anything can happen. Personally eaking in to me is more like when you get a wildcard spot with lots of help. That's not the position we are in right now. We are 1.5 games up on the Packers for the NFC north. We are in control of our playoff destiny. Win to stay ahead of the Packers and we take the division.

 

week 15- I don't see the Packers beating the Pats this coming weekend and we have the vikings

week 16 - Don't see the Packers beating the Giants and we host the struggling Jets

week 17 - The showdown at GB at best I see them coming in at 9-6 and us being either 10-5 or 11-4 where a loss to GB still takes the division.

 

 

Where GB blew it was against the Lions they put themselves behind the 8 ball with that loss. They need to win and need us to lose in order to win the division there are otherwise they need some help to get into the playoffs.

[madlithuanian]

The semantics of "eeking"! Just saying...we didn't eek it in in 2006 nor in 1985...

 

And yes...I want us in and we'll see what happens! Life is honestly much better when the Bears are competitive!

 

 

 

I agree, once you are in anything can happen. Personally eaking in to me is more like when you get a wildcard spot with lots of help. That's not the position we are in right now. We are 1.5 games up on the Packers for the NFC north. We are in control of our playoff destiny. Win to stay ahead of the Packers and we take the division.

 

week 15- I don't see the Packers beating the Pats this coming weekend and we have the vikings

week 16 - Don't see the Packers beating the Giants and we host the struggling Jets

week 17 - The showdown at GB at best I see them coming in at 9-6 and us being either 10-5 or 11-4 where a loss to GB still takes the division.

 

 

Where GB blew it was against the Lions they put themselves behind the 8 ball with that loss. They need to win and need us to lose in order to win the division there are otherwise they need some help to get into the playoffs.

 

[AZ54]

I can't say what expectations others had for this team but mine were pretty average. Given the talent level we had to start the year especially at Oline and running a new offense I never thought we'd get to 9-3, now 9-4. I figured to get that many wins so quickly we'd need Tommie Harris to return to his Pro Bowl form, instead he's the backup DT and nobody outside of Bears fans can name any of our other Dlinemen except Peppers. I thought at the beginning of the season we were a 9 win team, 10 wins max if all went as well as possible. Of course I could still be right but I think we'll finish with 11 wins.

 

I was as upset at the effort against the Patriots as everyone else but overall to this point the team has exceeded my expectations. Despite that disappointing loss I think this has been the best year of coaching we've seen from Lovie and his staff because they are getting more out of players like Webb, Toeaina, Melton, DJ Moore, Jennings, and they've somehow made a safety team of DManning and Chris Harris play well for the most part.

 

Consider a few teams said to have better talent than the Bears: Vikings, Packers, Colts, we're holding our own. I don't care about the injuries to the Packers we beat them early in the year. Besides, how many starting combinations have we had on our Oline? QB concussed? Yeah, we had that.

 

 

[Daventry]

I can't say what expectations others had for this team but mine were pretty average. Given the talent level we had to start the year especially at Oline and running a new offense I never thought we'd get to 9-3, now 9-4. I figured to get that many wins so quickly we'd need Tommie Harris to return to his Pro Bowl form, instead he's the backup DT and nobody outside of Bears fans can name any of our other Dlinemen except Peppers. I thought at the beginning of the season we were a 9 win team, 10 wins max if all went as well as possible. Of course I could still be right but I think we'll finish with 11 wins.

 

I was as upset at the effort against the Patriots as everyone else but overall to this point the team has exceeded my expectations. Despite that disappointing loss I think this has been the best year of coaching we've seen from Lovie and his staff because they are getting more out of players like Webb, Toeaina, Melton, DJ Moore, Jennings, and they've somehow made a safety team of DManning and Chris Harris play well for the most part.

 

Consider a few teams said to have better talent than the Bears: Vikings, Packers, Colts, we're holding our own. I don't care about the injuries to the Packers we beat them early in the year. Besides, how many starting combinations have we had on our Oline? QB concussed? Yeah, we had that.

 

 

The Bears have exceeded my expectations by far this year and I believe that is directly due to Martz, Tice, and Marinelli taking up the Lovie slack. We now have a team that, with 1-2 O linesman and another year of experience in the O system could well be Super Bowl bound. I don't think we are quite there yet but we are on the way, we have a great D and a potential HOF QB in Cutler. I am praying for this year, but also thinking of just how good we can be next year with a draft focussed on O Line and D Tackle....

[madlithuanian]

I'm pretty much in full agreement with your assessment.

 

I won't go as far as thinking Cutler could be a HoF'er...he's playing FAR from it and honestly hasn't shown enough to even think it. Pro Bowl...quite possibly. But he needs to mature a bit more and play smarter still. But this year is certainly an improvement, and if he keeps improving, we can start thinking loftier...

 

Yeah...OL, OL, OL....and more OL.

 

The Bears have exceeded my expectations by far this year and I believe that is directly due to Martz, Tice, and Marinelli taking up the Lovie slack. We now have a team that, with 1-2 O linesman and another year of experience in the O system could well be Super Bowl bound. I don't think we are quite there yet but we are on the way, we have a great D and a potential HOF QB in Cutler. I am praying for this year, but also thinking of just how good we can be next year with a draft focussed on O Line and D Tackle....