Ten things to remember about a great '10 season

I hope we'll have 10 more memories to discuss about the Bears' postseason, but no matter what happens in the playoffs, I'll always have fond memories of the 2010 season. Here's my Top 10 list:

10. Forte's big year

His 4.5 yards per carry easily eclipsed the 3.9 of his rookie season, and while he fumbled twice as a receiver, he never lost a fumble when handling the ball as a running back. On top of that, his receiving average rivaled that of guys like Devin Hester and Lance Moore. He is the only Bear other than Walter Payton to rack up 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season.

9. The Bears were 6-2 on the road, their best mark away from home since 2006

Bodes well should they have to head to Atlanta for the NFC Championship game. Only the Steelers had a better road record.

8. Forte's big day against Detroit ... as a receiver

In Mike Martz's first game as offensive coordinator, Matt Forte caught seven passes out of the backfield for a team-high 151 yards and two touchdowns; he had no receiving touchdowns in 2009. It was clear right from the start that we'd be seeing a different Bears offense in 2010.

7. D.J. Moore's pick six against Washington

Israel Idonije batted it in the air, Moore snatched it and took it to the house. We'll choose to ignore the fact that DeAngelo Hall had a pick six of his own and three more interceptions in the Redskins win.

6. The defense posts a rare shutout ... on the road

Sure, it was Tyler Thigpen, and yes, Brandon Marshall didn't play the second half. But holding any NFL team scoreless for 60 minutes is quite an accomplishment; there were only five shutouts in the NFL this season.

5. The Calvin Johnson Call

It's scary to think about how different the Bears season might have been without the benefit of the crazy call that gave the Bears their first win. It was a gut-wrenching feeling when Johnson went up and hauled in a pass to give the Lions the lead with under a minute to play, which made it all the more glorious when referee Gene Steratore overturned the call--and potentially turned around the Bears' season.

4. Cutler's three pass TDs and 117 yards ... in the third quarter

In Week 16 against the Jets, Jay Cutler was 6-for-7 for 117 yards and three TDs in the third quarter alone; there were ten games this season in which Cutler didn't throw for three touchdowns. Knox grabbed two of 'em and Hester another, and the amazing quarter helped lead the Bears to a huge 38-34 victory.

3. Bears beat Detroit a second time, netting me a Vegas victory

As you know, I won $22 from Vegas after betting that the Bears would win nine or more games this season. It was a not-as-comfortable-as-it-should-have-been 24-20 victory in Detroit that officially turned my betting slip into a winner.

2. Hester's record-breaking punt return at TCF Bank Stadium

You've seen it before, but you know you want to watch it again:

1. Favre meets his end

In a season in which the Bears earned a playoff bye, they also forced Brett Favre to wave bye-bye to football for good. It was not only the best Bears moment of the year, but quite possibly their best moment since they earned a trip to the Super Bowl four years ago. Hopefully we can replace that moment with some even better ones these next few weeks.

After Peterson and Favre get subtracted, Bears add a win and claim division

'Twas five days before Christmas, they were playing outdoors,

But not a Viking was stirring, not even Ol' #4,

Hester and Cutler got the Bears a big win,

And everyone hoped Favre would never be seen again

Merry Christmas to Bears fans! Wow, Santa! I mean, all I expected was maybe a new hat or a video game, but all THIS?!

Let's see what's in my stocking ... whoa, three touchdowns from Jay Cutler? That's nice. That's really nice. Wait, what's this one sort of hidden at the bottom? Wow, five turnovers! This is fantastic!

Okay I wanna open this little one over here under the tree. Oh my gosh. No way. Devin Hester's record-breaking punt return for a touchdown? Santa, you're really gettin' after it this year. Can I open this one over here now? Oh come on. This is too much. Brett Favre decided to play at the last minute but then the Bears f--king steamrolled him and he laid on the turf seemingly lifeless before coming out of possibly his last game ever with a head injury? F--king SWEET, Santa! THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED! It's like you had access to the Christmas list IN MY BRAIN. That image where Favre is apparently comatose on the turf with several Bears peering down at his decrepit body will literally get me through the next 7-8 months of my life. By that I mean anything, literally anything terrible could happen to me but I will still wake up each morning with a huge grin on my face because I will have mental access to that image. That play was a Christmas miracle.

What's that? There's one more present but you have to go get out of the garage cuz it's so big? Oh man, is this going to be what I think it is? Holy crap, IT IS. An NFC North title after just 14 games. I can't believe it. This is ... man, I'm all choked up ... this is the best Christmas EVER. Where did you get this? Back in August, I didn't even think they made these any more! You and baby Jesus really did it up right this year, Santa.

For much of the season, the Bears and Packers jostled back and forth,

But 'twas a Monday night victory gave the Bears the NFC North,

Could it be like '85, could it be like '06?

Might we see a Super Bowl Shuffle remix?

Cutler's playing well, Devin Hester's ridiculous,

In the backfield, Bears defenders are ubiquitous,

The season's not over, for the two seed's still in sight,

But either way the Bears are in the playoffs, so all is right

Bears play ugly, let underdog Seahawks escape with win

The Bears were the worst third down team in the NFL heading into the game. They must have addressed this in practice last week because they really committed to continuing this trend of complete suckitude. I mean hey, if you're leading the league in something, you might as well keep it up, right? They were 0-for-12 on Sunday to bring their third down conversion percentage to 17 percent on the season. For comparison's sake, the Falcons have converted on 43 percent of their third downs this season. You should really convert at least one of twelve attempts just by accident. A lucky tip, a QB scramble ... something. But no. The Bears may as well have punted on third down every drive just to ultimately give themselves more time at the end of the game.

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One of the reasons I was most excited about the Chester Taylor signing in the offseason is his blocking ability. He was often in the backfield for the Vikings on third-and-long because he can pick up the blitz. But Taylor was rarely in there even on those passing downs against Seattle. Another element Taylor brings to the table is the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Third-and-six? Check it down to Taylor and see if he can pick up the necessary yardage. But no, Taylor caught just one pass the entire game and was targeted only one other time. Why'd they get this guy?

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I'm going to sound a bit hypocritical here, but hear me out: The Seahawks shouldn't have been kicking to Devin Hester in the fourth quarter. I said earlier that the praise and fear of him has been overblown since his punt return against the Packers. But if you're up 10 late in the fourth, don't give him a chance to bring the Bears back. Field position didn't matter in that situation--if the Bears end up with 10 more yards because you punt it out of bounds, so what? They still need 10 points in two minutes. But if you punt it to him, THAT might happen. Which was about the only thing that could have really hurt the Seahawks at that juncture.

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I don't know if the Bears' playoff chances can survive this offensive line. Heck, I don't know if Jay Cutler can survive this offensive line. The Bears have allowed 27 sacks this season, seven more than any other team, and Cutler has been dropped 14 times in his last two games. The coaching staff has continued to tweak the line as they seek the right combination--Chris Williams was moved from left tackle to left guard last week, for example--but they sure as hell ain't found it yet. That has to improve, or the Bears won't.

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Give Cutler this: he spread the ball around. Seven different receivers caught at least one pass. But Cutler spread the ball around so much that most of his passes landed on the turf (after bouncing off a defender's hands, in many cases). It was a pretty horrific performance all-around, which is why his QB rating ended up below 70.

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I hope Briggs is back next week. My feeling on this defense is that they're pretty good, but that they need all hands on deck in order to be so. No Urlacher? Done. Missing Briggs? Bad. If Peppers were to miss a game? /Shudder. There's not a real big margin of error here.

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On the bright side, there must be some serious panicking going on north of the border after the Packers lost a home game to Miami. A team that was supposed to dominate the NFC, the Packers find themselves just 3-3 and still a game back of the Bears. Let's end this on a high note:

An NFC North battle in NFC North weather

After a loss to the previously winless Bucs in Week 9, the Packers were 4-4 and staring down a so-so season. But after four straight wins, they're 8-4 and currently in position to make the playoffs (anyone else rooting for a Packers-Vikings match-up?). Given their newfound hope for a successful 2009 campaign, the Bears have a chance to produce what would perhaps be the brightest spot of their season by doing damage to the Pack's playoff hopes and winning a rivalry game.

After losing seven straight games to Green Bay earlier in the decade, the Bears have now won seven of the last eleven games, including the last two at Soldier Field. This Sunday's game is bound to be a heated affair despite the forecast calling for a high of 37 and snow.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Pressure Rodgers ... or else. Rodgers has the fourth-best QB rating in the league and is fifth in passing yards. And this despite having been sacked eight more times than any other QB. He's been sacked at least once in all but one game, and at least twice in nine games! The Bears are in the bottom half of the league in sacks, but they should be able to produce some pressure against the Pack. And they'd better, if they don't want to get torched.

Running between the tackles. Because of the weather, we may be in for a game similar to what we saw between Pittsburgh and Cleveland last night--keeping it simple, pounding the ball. That doesn't bode all that well for the Bears given Forte's struggles, but Ryan Grant hasn't made a ton of noise this year either. Getting the running game going might be a requirement to win this game.

Hester and Briggs. Both are questionable due a calf injury (Hester) and a sprained left knee (Briggs). It seems highly unlikely that the Bears can win this game even at full strength. If their best defensive player and one of their key offensive weapons are out, the Bears will be guaranteed a .500 or worse season when the game's over.

Where'd he come from?

QB Aaron Rodgers, California
RB Ryan Grant, Notre Dame
WR Donald Driver, Alcorn State
LB A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
CB Charles Woodson, Michigan

Hard to bear

Week 7: Bengals 45, Bears 10


Two weeks ago, the Bears were The Team that Was Overcoming Injuries and Finding Ways to Win Games. Today, they're football's version of the Titanic.

Such is life in the NFL. With only 16 games on the schedule, every game can cause a rather seismic shift in the standings. We knew we'd know a lot more about the Bears after back-to-back road games against good teams. It turns out that ignorance was bliss.

There is literally not one statistic that Bears fans can look to in order to feel better about Sunday's performance. Um, Devin Hester had over 100 yards receiving? (Yeah, but he had a fumble, too.) Uh, Johnny Knox had a nice day returning kicks? (He sure had a lot of opportunities.)

Yeah, it was ugly. The season will turn into a complete brownout if they can't beat a terrible Cleveland team this Sunday. Either the Packers or Vikings will lose since they'll be playing one another. So let's forget about the bungled game against the Bengals and know that we should be feeling at least a little better one week from today.

Bear Down!

Week 3: Bears 25, Seahawks 19


Jerry Angelo traded for Jay Cutler for one reason: he thought his arm could turn potential L's into W's. And sure enough, for the second straight week, Cutler orchestrated a fourth quarter comeback victory.

There's a word for what Cutler and the Bears displayed against the Seahawks on Sunday: moxie. They trailed 13-0. They were on the road in one of the toughest venues in the NFL. They lost Hunter Hillenmeyer for much of the game. But they outscored Seattle 25-9 in the final three quarters to move to 2-1 on the season.

Cutler threw an interception early in the game, but found Greg Olsen, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester on separate occasions to finish with three touchdowns and a QB rating of 126.4. Four different receivers caught at least four passes as Cutler spread the wealth en route to a 21/27, 247-yard performance. And it didn't hurt that for the second straight week, the Bears saw the opposing kicker miss two makeable field goals.

Early on, it looked like the the only good thing to come out of the game would be the fact that the Bears were a day closer to playing the Lions next Sunday (congrats to Detroit on their first win since December of '07, but make no mistake: they beat a terrible team that will likely see a coaching change before Halloween, though what they really need is a change in ownership). In the first quarter, the Bears had no tackling, as they allowed Julius Jones to sprint down the sideline for a 39-yard touchdown. They had no pressure, as they allowed Seneca Wallace to get comfortable in the pocket and look like a real quarterback. They had no holes for Matt Forte, as the running game once again failed to gain any traction.

Actually, the Bears never did fix that last problem. Can we now officially worry about the running game? Forte had 66 yards on 21 carries, an average of 3.1 yards. After averaging over 75 yards per game last year, Forte is averaging just 50 per game this season. More worrisome is the fact that Seattle came into yesterday's contest ranked 31st in the league in run defense, but the Bears had virtually no success on the ground ... again. Cutler and the receivers have beared down and put up a fight with a might so fearlessly through three games, but the Bears will need to introduce some balance at some point if they want to keep winning football games.

But the defense and the passing game were enough for them to chalk up a win yesterday, as Cutler hooked up with Devin Hester for the game-winning TD with under two minutes to go. It is believed to be the first tackle Hester has broken as a wide receiver, and he had a great day overall with five total catches for 76 yards. Cutler has now had three opportunities in three games to lead game-winning drives, and twice he's succeeded. No doubt Jerry Angelo is patting himself on the back, and rightfully so.

But this is all incidental. The fact is, we all knew the Seahawks were going to lose the moment they came out of the locker room wearing those hideous uniforms that remind you of your grandma's kitchen. Who was responsible for the Uniforms Gone Wild? Why would they wear those? Why oh why oh why would they wear those?

Earlier in the day, it looked like the Bears would have a chance to tie the Vikings atop the division, but Brett Favre waved his evil, magic wand and pulled off a miraculous last-second victory over the Niners. But the Bears have not only survived the first three weeks of the season--they've posted victories against two tough teams, and will now be rewarded with a home game against the Lions and a guarantee that either the Packers or Vikings will lose--they'll do battle next Monday night.

I must mention that I was in Washington, D.C. for yesterday's game, and I was able to catch the action at one of the greatest places on Earth. Beth Dennis tipped me off to the Billy Goat Tavern in downtown D.C., and it was an absolute blast for reasons including, but not limited to:

1) There were no fewer than 30 jersey-wearing, Bears-obsessed fans on hand.

2) I had a delicious cheezborger.

3) Free shots for all after any Bears score. We'd all get our shots, hoist them in the air and say "Daaaaaaa Bears," and then slug them back.

4) Bartender Mike gave me two of my beers for free. Not sure why, but I wasn't going to ask questions.

5) "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" was blasted over the speakers after every score.

Yeah, it was freakin' awesome. Thank you, Beth, and thank you, Billy Goat Tavern!

Side note: People who live in the nation's capital have no idea where anything is. Three separate people (whom I first confirmed lived in the area) did not know which way east was, and no one could tell me how to get to my destinations without the help of a fancy phone's map function. Keep in mind that each time I asked, I was within one mile of my destination. They couldn't even tell me where the street was, or which direction it might be. This, my directionally challenged friends, is why you are taxed without representation.

A predilection for prediction

While Sports Illustrated picked the Bears to win the NFC North and go to the Super Bowl, ESPN has no such love for da Bears. Just one of their 16 experts picked them to win the division, and just two others picked them to grab a Wild Card spot.

Minnesota and Green Bay share ESPN's adoration pretty equally, and while I don't fault them too much for respecting their respective rosters, the Bears' near-complete absence from their predictions seems a bit odd.

SI seems too hot on the Bears, ESPN too cold. No doubt my prediction will be juuuuust right.

The Bears finished 9-7 last year, and choked in the season's final game against the Texans with a playoff spot on the line. The Vikes won the division with a 10-6 record while the Packers went 6-10 and pulled up the rear in what essentially turned out to be a three-team division and will be once again in 2009.

Minnesota

The Vikings return the core of last year's 6th ranked defense, including the "Williams Wall" of Pat and Kevin Williams, who still have not served their respective four-game suspensions. In fact, it looks unlikely that the legal proceedings will be completed during the 2009 season.

Ranked 25th in passing last year, the Vikings have gotten stronger at the QB position with the addition of some guy named Brett Favre. Like the Bears, they lack a true #1 wide receiver with Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice and Bobby Wade running routes for the 40-year-old vermin.

They do, however, have the best running back in the league in Adrian Peterson. But therein lies the problem: Will Favre be able to handle playing second fiddle to the running back all season? Can the primo primadonna of sports take the back seat? Not to mention there have already been stories about Favre not fitting in in the locker room. Things could get interesting when Favre--the QB with the most interceptions of all time--puts the ball in the hands of the defense a few too many times down the stretch. You'll recall that his Jets went 1-4 in their final five games last year, with Favre throwing nine interceptions during that stretch.

Prediction: 9-7

Green Bay

The Packers had the 8th best offense in the league last year, but were done in partly by their 20th ranked defense and mostly by suffering seven losses by four points or less. They made a bold move by moving to the 3-4 defense this season, and return most of the key players on both sides of the ball.

They figure to be able to light up the scoreboard with aaron Rodgers, Donald Driver, Ryan Grant, et al. It remains to be seen whether their new defensive scheme will be an overdue adjustment or a misguided misuse of personnel. Aaron Kampman, formerly a defensive lineman, will now be the fourth linebacker. Force him to cover a speedy tight end (cough Greg Olsen cough) and you might be able to exploit their D.

Prediction: 10-6

Chicago

And now to the Bears. While Brett Favre's return has drawn more attention than the health care debate, the quarterback garnering the second most headlines this summer was Jay Cutler. As time went on, rumors of his prowess became exaggerated, like a senior citizen telling the story of when he singlehandedly won the state championship 60 years earlier: "I heard he once threw three touchdowns in a game ... with his left hand." "I heard he stopped eating anything yellow or green once he was traded to the Bears." "I heard he agreed to build the Olympic Village all by himself if Chicago gets the bid."

The Vanderbilt grad has played just two full seasons in the NFL, and his passer rating ranked 16th of 32 last year. Dan Marino he is not. However, he did throw 25 touchdown passes and finished third in passing yards. Cutler is young, his stock is rising, and given that Bears fans have dealt with a conspicuous lack of talent at this unfamiliar position known as the "quarterback" for the past few decades, fans have every right to be excited.

Plus, when Cutler's not slinging the ball downfield, he'll be handing off to 1,000-yard rusher Matt Forte. And having Adrian Peterson to put in there every so often is just fine with me--Peterson averaged 5.0 yards per carry last year and has averaged 4.1 for his career; Forte averaged 3.9 last year.

But lo, that receiving corps. Greg Olsen should have a great year at tight end, but I can't help but worry about a group of wideouts led by a guy who's never caught a pass in the NFL (Earl Bennett) and return man turned cornerback turned return man turned receiver Devin Hester. The first few games might be a bit of an experiment when it comes to the passing game, and if Aromashodu, Knox, Davis or Iglesias steps up big at some point, they could find themselves in the starting lineup pretty quickly.

Worries aside, the Bears are all but guaranteed to improve upon their 26th ranked offense from a year ago. They should be able to keep opposing defenses on their heels a bit more by staying out of predictable patterns such as always running on first down or always running on third and short (I refer you to Cutler's play action bullet to Desmond Clark on third-and-1 against the Broncos). And the offense should be able to move the sticks even when they can't score points, keeping the defense off the field more than they did last year when they ranked 28th in time of possession.

Speaking of the defense, they get the lion's share of my concern. They ranked in the bottom third of the league last year, and with Tillman coming off back surgery, Kevin "Missed Tackle" Payne at strong safety, and a very similar-looking defensive line as the one that invited opposing quarterbacks to enjoy a sandwich and a cold glass of milk before throwing the ball last year, you can see why I'm concerned.

The Bears had just 28 sacks last year, less than half that of the league leader, Dallas. Ogunleye needs to live up to his contract, Tommie Harris needs to get back into form, and the rest of the line needs to produce more pressure for the Bears to win.

And last, but not necessarily least: special teams. Hester looked more decisive on his preseason punt returns, and while the Bears garnered the advantage of teams kicking away from him last year, they need Hester to prove he's still an explosive threat in the return game this year in order to maintain that advantage.

Robbie Gould and his 90% success rate return this year, and there's no reason to believe he won't continue his solid footwork this season.

All in all, the Bears seem markedly improved on offense, but not to the point that they'll be one of the elite groups in the league. There's certainly room for improvement on defense if Urlacher is in fact significantly healthier than last year and the defensive line can create a little more havoc than they did a year ago, but on paper, they seem pretty similar. And their special teams could improve if Hester runs upfield instead of sideways on punt returns.

Prediction: 10-6, Wild Card berth

Are we sure Zambrano's not still hurt?

Sunday: Mets 4, Cubs 1


I don't ask that just to be cantankerous. I ask it for two reasons:

1) Zambrano hasn't just struggled in his two starts since coming off the DL, he's been lit up. Seven hits and eight runs in just 4.1 innings against the Nationals on Tuesday, and then 11 hits--including five straight at one point--in just 3.1 innings Sunday against the Mets. In total, he's allowed 18 hits and 12 runs in his last two starts. It looked like batting practice despite it being a cold day (57 degrees at game time) with the wind blowing in.

2) Big Z has an ego and a serious competitive streak. He, more than some players, is the type to fight through pain when perhaps he shouldn't.

If he is in fact feeling any lingering effects from his recent DL stint, the Cubs would be better served with Tom Gorzelanny taking the ball every fifth day. Zambrano isn't fooling anybody on the mound right now.

The Cubs offense, however, was fooled all day by Nelson Figueroa. They managed seven hits, all singles, and scarcely threatened to score after taking a 1-0 lead in the first.

And may I ask, what is with Cubs players swinging on 3-0 counts this year? It's a freakin' epidemic. Milton Bradley must have a clause in his contract requiring him to do so, and Derrek Lee has done so quite a bit this year, including once on Saturday and once on Sunday.

First of all, I'm not a big fan of swinging 3-0 no matter what. As a batter, you've worked hard to get the pitcher into a terrible count, and then you bail him out by swinging at the next pitch? But hey, I realize the pitcher often grooves one right down Broadway on 3-0, and if you can tee one up and drive it hard somewhere, that's understandable. But Bradley is 1-for-14 this year when he swings at a 3-0 pitch, and Derrek Lee flied out on 3-0 each of the last two days. And, yesterday, he did so with two men on and the Cubs' most clutch hitter, Aramis Ramirez, on deck. A potential bases loaded situation vanished when a normally patient hitter took a weak swing at a pitcher's pitch. I can understand Lou giving these guys the green light, but someone needs to tell them the green light doesn't work like a stoplight--you don't have to swing!

The Cubs fell to 3-3 on the homestand and to two games over .500 overall with just one more game to play until September.

News from the South Side


The White Sox appear poised to join the Cubs at the back end of Sportscenter. They're 1-6 on their current 10-game road trip. Ozzie Guillen berated his team with a barrage of expletive-filled Ozzieness after Saturday's performance in which they tallied one hit against Sergio Mitre and the Yankees. Jose Contreras got lit up again and has been demoted to the 'pen. And their supposed savior, Jake Peavy, left his most recent rehab start and will have his elbow examined.

The Sox remain in the hunt in the AL Central, sitting six games back of a mediocre Tigers team and 1.5 games back of the how-do-they-stay-in-the-race-every-single-year Twins. But the reality is, the Sox are two games under .500, and the butt-whooping they've received from the playoff caliber Red Sox and Yankees this week has shown their true colors--a home run-dependent, defensively challenged, pitching poor team in a piss poor division.

News from the East Side


Cutler silenced the boo birds--well, actually, I think the boo birds were pretty resilient. But Cutler did all he could, completing 16 of 21 passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in his return to Denver. Cutler vs. Orton was obviously the main event, but there were some great undercards as well.

Devin Hester brought back visions of 2008 when he backpedaled to the five yard line and fair caught a punt, but then reminded us of 2007 on another punt return with a great cutback move and a 54-yard return to the Denver four, leading to the go-ahead touchdown.

Adrian Peterson opened some eyes by averaging 5.7 yards per carry on 12 attempts, scoring a touchdown along the way. And that chemistry we've been hearing about between Cutler and Greg Olsen was evident as Cutler lasered a couple balls into Olsen's breadbasket (three catches, 47 yards total for Olsen).

Denver helped out the Bears defense quite a bit with some penalties (10 for 86 yards), but all in all it was a good night for Lovie Smith's squad. The Bears were facing the first of four consecutive 3-4 defensive schemes (including Cleveland in the final preseason game this week, then Green Bay and Pittsburgh in the first two regular season games), so they'll be seeing some familiar sights by the time the real games roll around.

Did you know ...

With a 4-1 loss on Sunday, the Pirates have now lost 21 straight games in Milwaukee. Twenty-one straight! That's the longest streak by one team over another at home since 1954 (Indians over the Orioles). I hope the Pirates players at least found some watering holes while in the beer haven known as Milwaukee.