Chicago Bears

By Kevin Chroust, Paul Johnson, Chris De Salvo Friday, November 28, 2008 Week 13 Bears Picks Kevin (2-1): Bears 28, Vikings 27. For as much as we rip on the Bears' defense, if you take a look at the rest of the division, you'll see the Bears have allowed the fewest points. Bears: 234, Vikings: 246, Packers: 260, Lions: still being calculated by NASA. Key phrase in that sentence is "the division" since the NFC North is bad, but don't fault the Bears for that. Plus, if you read David Haugh today, you'll know the Bears play better defense under a roof. I'm not sure that isn't complete coincidence, but I'll take it. They're 3-1 against the division right now, and I think they'll squeak one out on the road here with some late fourth-quarter heroics on the part of Kyle Orton. Chris (2-1): Bears 30, Vikings 2...   [read the full post]

By Chris De Salvo Monday, December 1, 2008 The Case of the Expressionless Coach You'd expect more from a professional franchise, wouldn't you? The question is half rhetorical. There were several moments during last night's game where I couldn't react, the most telling of which occurred just after a carefree Gus Frerotte waltzed back three steps, pump-faked (the pants off of Charles Tillman), and slung a perfect pass into the welcoming arms of a former Bear who upstaged his former employer with a record-setting (okay, tying) touchdown. Everyone talks about how it was a fourteen-point swing. Granted, but that's expecting the Bears beguilingly bad coaching staff to have made any remotely wise decisions during the four-down sequence at the Viking's on...   [read the full post]

By Paul Johnson Monday, December 1, 2008 One Foot, 99 Yards, Season Over The Bears proved their true worth last night, a team unable to win a big division game on the road, and a team destined for an 8-8 finish, my worst nightmare. The game was over in the second quarter. Up 7-3 with a first-and-goal at the one-yard line, the Bears had a chance to show that they are legit. I know that the Vikings' defensive line is probably the best in the NFL. But you have four cracks at getting that touchdown. First down, Kyle Orton throws the ball away because Greg Olsen is covered. Fine. Smart play, no problem with that. Second down, Matt Forte gets stuffed. No big deal. You still have another chance. Third down. This is where I lost my mind. Who in the hell is Jason Davis? I know Ron Turner falls...   [read the full post]

By Kevin Chroust Week 7 again was a mixed bag for Fantasy 8-Ball. Warrick Dunn and Braylon Edwards didn't do much, but for those of you that were banking on the Cowboys' offense, I might have helped you out. Same goes for those folks that picked up Le'Ron McClain after he showed the ability to get in the end zone once in a while. So here we go with Week 8, with special emphasis on the injury bug and how you can take full advantage of a big name going down. The good... 1. I've won the last two weeks by picking up and starting Correll Buckhalter (Week 6) and Mewelde Moore (Week 7) to fill in for my running back byes. It has worked very, very well. Buckhalter played for the injured Brian Westbrook and went crazy against the 49ers with 93 rushing yards and a touchdown and an additional 85...   [read the full post]

By Paul Johnson Tuesday, October 21, 2008 Tuesday Afternoon Quarterback: Week 7 It is certainly not an ideal situation, but it’s about damn time somebody gave Bears Hall of Famer Mike Singletary a head coaching job. Taking over a once-proud franchise now in shambles in mid-season isn’t exactly how you draw up your first head coaching gig, but it is progress. The bigger question is: What took so long? I know Samurai Mike took about a decade off to raise his children, but one of the best middle linebackers ever, and arguably one of the smartest football players to ever walk the face of the earth, should have had this opportunity before now. Old cracker retreads like Dom Capers, Dennis Erickson and Tom Callahan get so many chances in both the NFL and in college, w...   [read the full post]

By Kevin Chroust Thursday, October 9, 2008 Fantasy 8-Ball: Week 6 Now that baseball is over in this town, we need to find some new things to do with this blog so our many fans continue reading. I'm going to try to do a fantasy football post each week for those of you who are in a league. Let me know if there's a specific day you'd like to see this posted each week. So here we go: Fantasy finds: Steve Slaton and Matt Forte have been big-time pickups that you've probably already either grabbed or missed out on, but there are still impact players out there to be had... 1. Bobby Engram is healthy. The Seattle wideout wasn't heard from until last week due to a preseason injury, but don't forget he was Matt Hasselbeck's favorite receiver a year ago (94 catches, 1,147 yards, six TDs). H...   [read the full post]

By Paul Johnson Tuesday, October 7, 2008 Thanks, Roy Williams, For Making Me Look So Damn Good I posted a blog about Lions asshole receiver Roy Williams, but many of you may not have seen it since it was Saturday evening. Do yourself a favor and check it out, because Mr. Williams made me look so good during the Bears' annihilation of the Lions Sunday afternoon. Sure, he wound up with seven catches (one shy of his season total heading into the game), but he had several drops, had a pass bounce off of him and into the hands of Charles Tillman (which he promptly returned for a pick six and made me cry I was laughing so hard) and drew the ire of Brian Billick on Fox for his antics on the sideline. I loved him throwing his gloves off on the sideline and sitting on the bench, only t...   [read the full post]

By Kevin Chroust Monday, September 29, 2008 If Bears can get to 4-2, playoffs a realistic possibility If you came here today looking for some sort of complete 180 on my Bears outlook for the year, you're going to have to wait a few weeks. But considering they got through the toughest four-game stretch on their schedule with two wins, I'm becoming more confident I'll be flip-flopping the Bears into the playoffs if they can knock off the Lions and Falcons in their first two games of October. It was an fairly ugly second half last night for the Bears, but they were finally able to hold a fourth-quarter lead with a goal-line stand that, if the Bears end up going 10-6 and making the playoffs, we might be looking back to as one of the key moments of the season. Had they blown...   [read the full post]

By Paul Johnson Monday, September 22, 2008 Chicago Bears: Dumbest Team In The NFL I've been to somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 Bears games in my lifetime, and a more frustrating loss than yesterday's overtime debacle against Tampa Bay is hard to come by. This team is not good enough to make any mistake...

By Chris De Salvo Monday, September 22, 2008 Peanut Allergy This could another one of those seasons. The NFC North has the potential to make some noise before it's all said and done, but its teams are hardly among the league's elite. Despite an enticing reality that leaves the door wide open, the Bears have shown us how to shut it on themselves over the past two weeks. If the loss to the Panthers was a gut-wrenching breaker, yesterday's overtime defeat was a befuddling display of meager composure. Ask Charles Tillman. I bet he felt about the size of "peanut" after behaving like a seventh grader wrongly reacting to childish taunts from Tampa Bay receiver Michael Clayton. Clayton is not sorry for Tillman. Why should he be? He baited a tenured veteran in a tight spot, a...   [read the full post]

By Kevin Chroust Monday, September 22, 2008 Tillman can rot, D needs to get in shape Just when I finally started buying into Charles Tillman as some sort of extremely valuable takeaway artist, the man goes and picks up the dumbest personal foul in recent Bears' history. And as much as it may have changed the outcome of the Bears' Week 3 game, the bigger problem to address is fourth-quarter defense. The Bears have blown double-digit leads in the final 15 minutes in consecutive weeks, and while some people might be finding positives in how this team could very easily be 3-0, I'm having a tough time believing the defense is in any kind of shape to play 60 minutes of football. The run defense was great Sunday, but run defense doesn't do you much good when you're winnin...   [read the full post]

By Paul Johnson Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Week 2 Tuesday (Night) Quarterback For a team that stunned the world Week 1 by winning in Indianapolis, the Bears quickly reverted to the form I predicted prior to the season in giving one away at Carolina Sunday. Even early on, up 17-3, it looked like the Bears wo...

By Paul Johnson Thursday, September 11, 2008 Human Turnstile Comes Back To Bears One of the main problems with the Bears' running game, other than erstwhile drunk Cedric Benson, was offensive tackle Fred Miller, or as I affectionately call him, The Human Turnstile. The reason for the name is quite simple. Like a Wal-Mart greeter, Miller allowed players he was supposed to be blocking a clear path to Bears quarterbacks. And now, he's back from retirement to back up John Tait and John St. Clair until (hopefully) first-round pick Chris Williams returns. That comes on the heels of a largely unnoticed trade for Buccaneers lineman Dan Buenning last week. Buenning was inactive Sunday but should be playing once he gets the playbook down. I will agree that St. Clair lar...   [read the full post]

By Kevin Chroust Monday, September 8, 2008 Enjoy, but don't expect too much Bears fans, celebrate this win. Be happy the Bears trounced Peyton Manning and his Super Bowl-contenting Colts. Congratulate Matt Forte on a very solid NFL debut, and thank Kyle Orton for not screwing up or putting the defense in te...

By Paul Johnson Bears GM Jerry Angelo got about as fired up as he has ever gotten Sunday when he lambasted the media for their criticism of the Bears over first-round draft pick Chris Williams' back injury. But before he goes off on the media for letting the Bears have it for essentially drafting damaged goo...