Come To Think Of It: Black Friday May Lead To Black & Blue Sunday For Bears

Today may be what they call “Black Friday”, the busiest shopping day of the year. But for the Chicago Bears team, the only shopping they should be doing is to stock up on some Advil, because they may be pretty beat up come Sunday night.

It used to be the Bears doing the beatdowns. But this Minnesota Vikings team is really good. If it’s not the Bears bodies that will be hurting after this game, it may be their ego.

Look, I’m a die-hard Bears fan but even I’m not sure I want the Bears to upset the heavily favorited Vikes. For one thing, it would lead to more of the false optimism that may result in justification for another year of Lovie Smith as head coach and Jerry as GM.

For another thing, it will mask the problems that need to be addressed on this team.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, a win for the Bears this Sunday is not likely. Brett Favre is not throwing interceptions, so the Vikings will not beat themselves. He was nearly perfect last week against the Seahawks.

Even if you stop Favre’s passing, can you stop Adrian Peterson’s rushing? They haven’t before, and he is still the same prolific runner as always, though he has an ankle (as Wanny would say). Peterson is listed as “probable” on the injury report.

Then there is the Minnesota defense, led by the hated but equally awesome Jared Allen. Allen said this about Jay Cutler after he signed with the Bears: “Twice a year I’m going to peel the back of his head off the turf.”

Allen goes up against Orlando Pace this week, and let’s face it, he is not playing like a hall of famer these days.

And if that nightmare wasn’t enough, you have the “Williams Wall.”

So the Bears, who have lost five of six, play on the road against a 9-1 Vikings team? Against a defense that held Seattle to just four yards rushing last week?

As Dick Enberg would say, “Oh, my!”

They call it the “black and blue” division for a reason, come to think of it.   

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Come to Think of it: Josh McDaniels “Swears” Denver Broncos Just Trying To Win

Hey, the Denver Broncos finally ended their run of futility, and all the reports focus on only one thing.

The win snapping Denver’s four-game slide? No. Brian Dawkins’ inspired play? Nope, that’s not it either.

Instead, a swear word uttered by coach Josh McDaniels that was accidentally broadcast by the NFL Network during the game Thursday night took center stage.

It had been 38 days since the Broncos had won a game, yet all the talk is about McDaniels’ penchant for the F-word.

Meanwhile, there was a football game played last night, a 26-6 victory over the Giants, who are in the midst of a serious slide of their own.

Elvis Dumervil had two more sacks, raising his NFL-leading total to 14, the second one leading to a fumble. But both teams share one common theme: They have stalled since starting out undefeated.

Denver won its first six games before losing four in a row, and the Giants have lost five of six since starting the season 5-0. So much for the concept of momentum.

But, it was Denver’s inability to score in the red zone (hey, this is Kyle Orton and not Jay Cutler QBing the team, right? Just checking) that led to the NFL Network’s embarrassing mistake.

Coming out of a commercial break, the NFL Network showed a clip of McDaniels yelling at his players on the sideline, saying, “All we’re trying to do is win a [expletive] game!”

The vulgarity was clearly audible to viewers, and announcer Bob Papa immediately apologized on air. But he certainly doesn’t need to apologize to me, and I suspect most football fans could care less about swearing.

This is football, after all, a tough game played by tough men, and things get said in the heat of battle. Isn’t the game what it’s all about anyway?

So McDaniels swore last night? Tough [expletive], I say, come to think of it.

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Come To Think of It: Chicago Bears Key To Victory is To Pressure Donovan McNabb

The biggest difference between last week’s tilt against the 49ers and this week’s contest versus the Philadelphia Eagles is the quarterback play.

No, not Jay Cutler, although better ball protection for the Bears offense is a key. I’m talking about the difference between Alex Smith and Donovan McNabb.

For good QBs with time to throw the ball have picked apart the Bears defense. And McNabb is a much better QB than Smith at this point.

To avoid another Carson Palmer debacle, the Bears need to generate pressure on  McNabb. With one less weapon to go to (Brian Westbrook is out with an injury), the defense needs to force bad decisions and off-balance throws from the Eagles QB.

That won’t be easy.

Still, these teams seem strikingly similar. They both are desperate, coming off of two game losing streaks. Both have had trouble running the ball.

Despite 450 passing yards and two scores while tying his own franchise record with 35 completions, McNabb was unable to rally his team to victory against the Chargers last week.

Expect the Eagles to throw the ball a lot Sunday night, with McNabb utilizing tight end Brent Celek (46 receptions, 5 TD) and young wideouts DeSean Jackson (34 receptions, 621 yards, 6 total TD) and Jeremy Maclin (31 receptions, 4 TD), who both have speed to burn and excel at gaining yards after the catch.

If the Bears defense allows McNabb time to throw, he will pick them apart and the Bears will suffer yet another embarrassing defeat on national TV, come to think of it.

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Come to Think of It: Top Ten Chicago Bears Players of All-Time

 

The Bears have a long and storied tradition, steeped in great players, mostly on the defensive side of the ball, though we have perhaps the best running back of all-time.

In fact, the Bears have retired the most uniform numbers of any NFL team.

Meanwhile, I guarantee you that a Chicago sports fan has a more difficult time limiting the best Bears to only 10 than in any other sport. Cubs, Sox, and Bulls are much easier to come up with. The Blackhawks would be a struggle too, but not as challenging as picking the top Bears.

I am sure to have left someone off the list who you, the Bears fan, feels is more worthy than someone I did include. Such is life and debate is what makes this site so great.

Heck, I left 13 HOF’ers off of my list!

So have at it, Bears fans, feel free to tell me where you disagree. But remember, it’s only my opinion. And opinions are like baring your soul to the world: everyone may not like what they see.

So, in no particular order…

 

Sid Luckman

During his 12 seasons with the Bears he led them to four NFL championships. Luckman was the first modern T-formation quarterback and is considered the greatest long range passer of his time. He was the league’s MVP in 1943.

It’s pretty sad that he is the only great QB in Bears history.

Walter Payton

Wow, what can you say about “Sweetness” that hasn’t already been said or written?

Walter held the league’s record for most career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, and many other categories when he retired. In addition to being perhaps the greatest running back, he was simply one of the greatest football players of all-time.

He was extremely strong and durable, which made it even tougher to swallow when a rare liver disease took his life at such a young age.

Dan Hampton

“Danimal” played at a Hall of Fame caliber for 12 seasons, despite having to endure 10 knee surgeries.

During Hampton’s tenure with the Bears (1979-90), the Bears defense ranked No. 1 in the NFL in allowing the fewest rushing yards, the fewest rushing touchdowns, the fewest total yards, the fewest points, and inflicted the most sacks.

Dick Butkus

Butkus was simply one of the meanest, fiercest, toughest competitors to ever play the game of football. He was arguably the greatest linebacker in NFL history.

Butkus recovered 25 fumbles in his career, an NFL record at the time of his retirement. He regularly led the Bears in tackles, interceptions, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries throughout his career.

Gale Sayers

“The Kansas Comet” averaged five yards per carry for his career. One of the most spectacular and elusive runners in football history, knee injuries shortened his great career.

A prolific kick and punt returner, Sayers still holds the NFL’s highest career kickoff return average (30.56) and is tied for most career touchdown returns.

Mike Ditka

“Iron Mike” Ditka may be better known as “Da Coach” of the Super Bowl Bears team of 1985, but he was a Hall of Fame tight end well before that.

Although he was a fierce blocker, Ditka transformed the tight end position to an effective offensive weapon as he appeared in the Pro Bowl every season with the Bears. Ditka was the first tight end elected to the HOF.

Did you know that Ditka’s last name was originally Dyczko?

Bronko Nagurski

Nagurski played a long time ago, back in the leather helmet days, when players often played on both sides of the ball. He was also the biggest running back of his time at 6’2” and 235 lbs.

A standout defensive lineman as well, he is the only player in history to be elected to the Pro Bowl at three different non-kicking positions. He was one of the charter members of the Hall of Fame.

Nagurski was also a professional wrestler during his football career. Did you know that his given first name was Bronislau?

Bulldog Turner

Clyde “Bulldog” Turner was a prolific center and linebacker who played on four championship teams.

While it’s hard to rate players from different eras, Nagurski was an eight time All Pro selection, is a member of the HOF, and the Bears retired his number.  That’s good enough for me.

Red Grange

Another charter member of the HOF, “The Galloping Ghost” was not only a great football player, he started his own league following a dispute with the Bears following his first season. The league lasted only one season and Grange returned to the Bears the next season.

In 2008, he was named the greatest college football player of all time by ESPN .

Speaking of the four letter, the following is a great quote from a story told by the obnoxious Chris Berman:

“I was interviewing George Halas and I asked him who is the greatest running back you ever saw. And he said, ‘That would be Red Grange.’ And I asked him if Grange was playing today, how many yards do you think he’d gain. And he said, ‘About 750, maybe 800 yards.’ And I said, ‘Well, 800 yards is just okay.’ He sat up in his chair and he said, ‘Son, you must remember one thing. Red Grange is 75 years old.”

Doug Atkins

At 6’8”, Atkins was one of the most feared defensive players ever, being enshrined in the Hall of Fame and as the leader of a devastating Bears defensive unit.

Atkins played 17 seasons in the NFL despite a variety of injuries, and was one of the meanest players ever. He was a starter in the Pro Bowl in eight of his last nine years with the team.

 

Honorable mention:

Mike Singletary

 

George Blanda

Dan Fortmann

Joe Stydahar

Bill George

George Trafton

George Musso

George McAfee

George Connor

Link Lyman

Bill Hewitt

Stan Jones

Ed Healey

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Come To Think Of It: Hey Bears Fans, Is Brian Urlacher a Future HOF’er?

A few relatively short years ago, this would have been an easy question to answer. It would have been an emphatic “Yes!” as Urlacher was generally thought of as one of the best defensive players in the NFL.

But in recent years, he has been criticized as overrated or has been injured. Football is not like baseball and careers are normally a lot shorter. Unlike in baseball, where you have to play 10 years to be eligible for the Hall of Fame, there are NFL players like Gale Sayers, for example, who served less time in the NFL yet made it among the elite.

This is Urlacher’s 10th year in the league, though he is on injured reserve, out for the season following surgery on a dislocated right wrist.

It is widely thought around the league that the Bears base defensive scheme, the Tampa-2, does not play to the strengths of Urlacher, and limits his ability to pile up stats.

The most sacks he has had in a season was his rookie year when he had eight. He does have the fifth most interceptions among linebackers since 2000, but it’s hard to judge a defensive football player by stats alone.

What we do know about Urlacher is that, when healthy, he is an explosive run-stopper and an effective pass-defender. He has great instincts, and power to sustain leverage on blockers and separate to the ball. He has the speed, agility and size to match up well with many interior targets in the passing game.

He is a six-time Pro Bowl player, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2000 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2005.  Urlacher is only the fifth player in NFL history to win both awards.

He holds the Bears record for most tackles in a season. But is he a future HOF’er?

There are those who claim he is overrated. In a 2006 Sports Illustrated poll of 361 NFL players, Urlacher was named as the second most overrated player in the league, behind Terrell Owens. Jealousy perhaps?  

Personally, I do not feel he is the same category of Dick Butkus, but then again, no one is. It’s hard when arguably the greatest linebacker in NFL history is openly critical of you. Just because you may not measure up to his standard does not necessarily mean you are not a great player.

As to being overrated, the one Bears linebacker who I do feel was in this category was Mike Singletary. I know this may rub Bears fans the wrong way, but I think the play of Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael on the inside helped elevate the play of Richard Dent and Singletary.

Yet he made the HOF. Don’t get me wrong, he was a very good player. But he got in mainly on the basis of those piercing eyes and the cracked helmets. Starring on a Super Bowl winning team didn’t hurt his chances either.

So far, Urlacher hasn’t had the luxury of a championship as part of his resume, though he did play in one. I do think he is as good, if not better, than Singletary was.

I’d like to know what you think, Bears fans, come to think of it?

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Come To Think of It: Is a “No Chicago Bears Sunday” Now a Welcome Respite?

It used to be that a Sunday without a Bears game just ruined my day. I mean, the ritual of gathering around the television on Sunday is ingrained in my DNA. But now, I’ll admit that I really dont’ miss them all that much.

Sure, I watched on Thursday night. And yes, we’ve always had the occasional Sunday or Monday night game, so this is nothing new.

And yes, there was a period of time after Da Coach left that I became disillusioned with the team. The Wanny and Jauron years, for the most part, were brutal.

Yet, in the past, it seemed there was always a reason to watch even if the team wasn’t that good. Primarily, our defense. But the way this team plays defense, and that damn Tampa-2 (which has outlived its useful life), it’s just not that fun anymore.

And let’s face it, one of the main reasons for hope this season was the arrival of Jay Cutler. But now, every time he drops back to pass, I cringe at the thought of another interception.

Look, I hate to be so negative, but I can’t readily envision a plan to get us out of the mire, and even if we did have one, I wouldn’t trust Jerry and Lovie to execute it properly.

Hey, I’ll continue to watch and write about the Bears. After all, you just can’t stop being a fan of a team you’ve loved seemingly forever. Being a fan doesn’t involve some switch that one can simply turn on and off at will.

But if this Bears team makes the playoffs this year, I’ll be more surprised than a deer in a lion cage.

It looks like our boys in blue and orange have two more wins, at a minimum. St. Louis and Detroit are both very winnable games, especially the Rams who will drop to 1-8 after playing the Saints today.

Meanwhile, I’ll be fine without a Bears game today. The house will be a lot quieter without the yelling and swearing, come to think of it.

 

 

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Come To Think Of It: Jay Cutler is the Football Equivalent of Fool’s Gold

Look, I’m sick and tired of defending this guy. When the trade happened, I was ecstatic. Denver fans warned us that Jay Cutler couldn’t get it done in the red zone. He was reckless in key situations. He threw too many interceptions.

I figured it was sour grapes. Look at that strong arm, I would say. See all those yards he has thrown for. I screamed about how we finally had our franchise quarterback.

What a fool I was. Jay Cutler is the football equivalent of fool’s gold. This Bears fan has seen enough.

Oh, he looks like the real thing, all shiny and polished. Rocket arm? Check. Youth? Check. Wins? Well, no, but that was largely out of his control. The Denver defense was awful last year.

Oh, but now I know it was all fool’s gold. Five interceptions? Really? Sure, two weren’t his fault, but the others were—and could have had a couple more.

And it’s not like this is the first time. He has now thrown four or more picks in two games of a season that still has a ways to go. Why, at this rate, we may start longing for a sighting.

OK, that won’t ever happen, but you get my point.

All along, while I was watching the evidence before my very eyes, I would make excuses for Cutler. He has a bad offensive line. He doesn’t have the weapons he had in Denver.

And hey, isn’t he tough? Sure, he lost again, but man, he can take a pounding. He gets knocked down, but he gets up again.

Well, now I’m not so sure I want him to get up again. Not that we have any better options at our disposal. Let’s face it, he will be our QB for a long time. That used to excite me. Now it makes me shudder.

You can make all the excuses in the world for the man, and many of them are true. We do have a bad offensive line. We have no running game. Our receivers aren’t great. But hey, he makes bad decisions. He forces the ball into tight situations.

In short, he may have that cannon of an arm, but he has the football brain of Rex Grossman.

He is just not good at playing the quarterback position.

If you think I’m overreacting, here is some news for you: Cutler has nine interceptions in the red zone in the last two seasons, more than twice as many as anyone else .

He leads the NFL in interceptions with 17. He became the first Bears quarterback since Billy Wade in 1962 to have two four-interception games in a season.

I’m not even going to write about the dumb penalties. And don’t you dare tell me how good the defense played. We play well against mediocre quarterbacks like Alex Smith. Against real talent, we stink. Period.

Both teams played ugly, but I’d rather win ugly that lose ugly. As for Cutler? This is not my definition of a franchise quarterback. A franchise-killing quarterback maybe, come to think of it.

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Come to Think of It: The Who to Headline Super Bowl XLIV

SI.com is reporting that, according to a “source,” legendary rock group The Who will be performing the halftime show on Feb. 7 in Miami.

Those of us over the age of 40 may be thrilled that Roger Goodell keeps picking old-timers to headline these shows, but the younger fans may be wondering why they are being forgotten.

Well, for one, Goodell is 50. Acts like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and The Who, while still undeniably great, were in their prime as he was growing up.

It also comes down to money. The demographics of the age group that most appreciates so-called classic rock are said to have the most disposable income.

Um, have they looked at my bank account lately?

Anyway, I am surprised to see that some of the posters on the various sites like Yahoo! are turning this into a racial thing, saying that the halftime show is only aimed at older white people.

Now, I’m sure that a guy like Goodell understands that musical preference transcends race. I loved Jimi Hendrix growing up and never even gave pause to reflect on his skin color. Whites and blacks alike love the Black Eyes Peas, for example, and they are a band mixed in race. My son loves rap. And so on.

Still, some people just want to always stir things up by playing the race card. For me, it doesn’t really matter because I’m there to see a football game. Halftime is when you re-load on food and drinks and mingle with friends. If the halftime show is decent, well, that’s a bonus.

Meanwhile, let’s just be glad they didn’t do a Michael Jackson tribute instead, come to think of it.

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Why the 49ers Will Dominate the Bears’ One Dimensional Offense

I know everyone is focusing on the play of the Bears’ defense. And with good reason, since it hasn’t shown up for two of the past three weeks. Still, with no running game, the real problem is that the San Francisco defense can tee off on Jay Cutler Thursday night.

Defenses don’t have to worry about the Bears’ running game because there isn’t one. Thanks mainly to a horrid offensive line, the Bears’ offense is very one dimensional. So you can expect the Niners to blitz like crazy and put pressure on Cutler all night long.

But this is no gloom and doom scenario necessarily. The Bears can win this game. Really. Here’s why:

• Alex Smith makes mistakes
• After a fast 3-1 start, the Niners have lost four straight, including a 34-27 decision to a struggling Tennessee team on Sunday.
• Niners coach Mike Singletary loves the Bears

OK, so I admit that last bullet, while technically true, does not play into the outcome of the game. “The Bears will always be a team that I love,” Singletary said Tuesday. But you can bet that he’d also love to beat the Bears.

Meanwhile, Smith does make mistakes in key situations. Still, the Bears’ secondary is weak and may not have a fully healthy Charles Tillman. And TE Vernon Davis could be the beneficiary.

Few tight ends are as fast as Davis, who can really wreak havoc on a Cover 2 scheme. He has become Smith’s primary option and is having a tremendous season.

So while the Bears can win, there are also a lot of reasons why they may not. They are on the road, playing just four days after their last game. Lovie Smith & Co. don’t seem to prepare the team properly when they have a full week, so look out.

The Niners defense actually gives up more yards per game than the Bears and are ranked 23rd against the pass. They aren’t great against the run, but that isn’t relevant since the Bears have no running game.

A big question is, can the Bears’ defense stop Frank Gore? They rank 20th versus the run, and Gore is averaging 5.6 yards per attempt. Of course, that number is slightly skewed by the huge game he had in Week Two, when Gore rushed for over 200 yards against Seattle.

Still, Gore is not only a good runner, he is a viable weapon catching the ball. He caught seven passes for 75 yards in his last game.

So when you add it all up, it’s really a match-up of two fairly even teams. Slight edge to the Niners because they’re at home, and should be able to key on stopping Cutler, or forcing him to make poor decisions, as he is prone to do.

It should be a much better game to watch than Sunday’s debacle, come to think of it.

 

 

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Come To Think Of It: Anemic Offense Rears Its Ugly Head For Broncos

I’m a Bears fan, but the Denver Broncos have become my adopted team it seems, as this is the fourth article I’ve written about them since the start of the season. So it’s no sour grapes when I say that the defense I’ve been purporting as the main reason for their success just couldn’t overcome an offense that was weak on Monday night versus the Steelers.

Yes, that defense couldn’t stop the Steelers’ running game. But it was the offense that lost this one for Denver. Hey, I’m the first to admit that Kyle Orton is an efficient QB and that Jay Cutler hasn’t been as good as advertised.

Still, this is about the time last season when Orton went into the tank. Of course, his comeback from an ankle injury was blamed at the time, but I wonder if this is the start of something sinister with regards to Orton.

Three interceptions after throwing only one all year is a red flag. But let’s not let one bad game panic anyone. That running game for Denver tonight didn’t help anything either.

Sure, give credit to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But to show you what a crazy game football is, my Bears beat the Steelers earlier this year despite being a terrible team. Over two of the past three games, the Bears have looked like one of the worst teams in the NFL.

And the one win in that three-game span? To the Rams. ‘Nuff said.

Yet Denver, enjoying a very fine season, loses to the same Pittsburgh team. I told you it’s crazy.

So do you simply chalk this one up to a very good Steelers team and tip your cap, or does the two-game losing streak begin to scare you?

And can Kyle Orton recover and get back to his winning ways? Those are the questions, Denver fans, come to think of it.

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