There's no place like home

NFC Divisional Playoff: Bears 35, Seahawks 24

Though Forte fell just short of the goal line here, he led a potent Bears rushing attack that racked up 176 yards.

I tapped my heels three times, but it turns out this is no dream--the Bears really are going to be in the NFC Championship this Sunday, and they really will be playing the game at Soldier Field. It's sort of hard to wrap your mind around. But suddenly it all feels so ... real. One win from reaching the Super Bowl. Two wins away from being Super Bowl champions. So it's official, then: this is an Awesome Fucking Season.

The Bears got to this point by introducing Seattle to the back of their hand on Sunday. I started letting my brain think of little other than the game at about, say, 10 o'clock Saturday night. I was awoken by an uncontrollable sense of anticipation around 8 a.m. Sunday morning. I was boiling over with excitement at noon. ... And the game was basically over at about 1:30. A laugher. The Bears put it in drive and pressed the cruise control button, covering the big 10-point spread despite not really so much caring about the fourth quarter.

In his first playoff game since, like, elementary school, Jay Cutler avoided mistakes and helped the Bears with both his arm and his feet. He wasn't superbly accurate (15-for-28), but he amassed 274 yards, found two different tight ends for passing touchdowns and ran two in himself. It was nice to see that the Bears still had some tricks up their sleeve even in their 17th game of the season: since when do they call a QB draw from six yards out? Since when do they stretch the field using Greg Olsen, who had a beautiful 58-yard touchdown grab on the Bears' third offensive play en route to a career-high 113-yard day? The whole Forte Throwing the Ball to the Other Team Experiment was not good, though. Not good at all. No more of that, please.

The real story was the defense, though. Sure, they gave up some junk points late in the game, but they maintained a shutout till late in the third quarter and looked very much like a championship defense. Not until the game was out of hand did the Seahawks do anything noteworthy on offense. I said the game was basically over at 1:30--in reality, it was over when it started because Peppers, Urlacher and Co. had no intention of doing anything other than metaphorically throwing the Seahawks to the ground and stomping on their chests repeatedly. Quite effective, that metaphorical chest-stomping.

So while the Bears sent the Seahawks packing, the Bears themselves will go Packing. An epic match-up with their biggest rival will determine the NFC's Super Bowl nominee, and the Bears get the advantage of playing on home soil. When I bet on the Bears to exceed Vegas's posted total of eight regular season wins earlier this year, I must admit that I didn't exactly think they'd be playing in their third NFC Championship of my lifetime come late January*. But here we are. Bears vs. Packers. It doesn't get any better than this. Unless ...

Enjoy the week, and see you on Sunday.

*My sister Mandy did, though. She had me put money on the Bears to win it all, and I talked her down from a $20 wager to $10. Sorry about that, Mandy. I hope to feel really guilty in three weeks.

Bears' 2010 luck stretches into 2011

Tyler Thigpen. Drew Stanton. Joe Webb. A schedule that looked difficult prior to the season but turned out to be softer than Puffs Plus when patsies like Carolina and Buffalo helped the Bears crank up the Win Machine 11 times in the regular season.

And now this. An 8-9 team coming to Soldier Field with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line. Really? Is this really happening? Why do I feel like any moment now I'm going to be telling my friends about this dream I had in which the Bears were playing the Seahawks in the second round of the playoffs? ("The Seahawks? And you believed that? Even for a dream, that's weird, dude ...")

Who is the Greek god of football anyway, whom we must thank? Wait, there IS no Greek god of football? That's ridiculous. There's a goddess of water-meadows. There's a god of forethought, for god's sake. There MUST be a god of football. After all, how could it be possible for the Bears to face a team that still hasn't won as many games as it's lost this season without the benevolent assistance of a merciful god of football?

But just to be clear, this isn't to say the Bears aren't a good team. Luck and talent aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, when it comes to sports, talent is best served with a nice hearty side of luck. The Bears have had their share this year, but they've also taken advantage of it.

In honor of the aforementioned god of forethought, let's think a bit more about this upcoming game. We'd be wise to remember that nothing is guaranteed in the NFL playoffs, as the Saints could attest. In fact, the Bears already lost to the Seahawks earlier this season, 23-20, in what turned out to be one of just two road wins for Seattle all year. Plus, if you weren't aware, this will also be Cutler's playoff debut. But there's good news. Here are a few of the very fixable things that went wrong on October 17:

• Cutler got sacked six times. While the offensive line still has its share of problems (the Packers got him six times in Week 17 as well), it has definitely improved since then. Cutler was sacked five times combined against New England, Minnesota and the Jets.
• As was common early in the season, the play calling was extremely unbalanced: 45 passes and 14 runs. Seattle's run defense is below average and the Bears committed to the run game in the second half of the season. Expect a very different offensive approach Sunday compared to what we saw in Week 6.
• The Bears were a horrific, pathetic 0-for-12 on third down and still lost by just three. Such an extreme lack of success on third down would be hard to replicate even if the Bears tried.
• Lance Briggs missed the game, but he'll be on the field Sunday.

While we certainly can't take anything for granted, the Bears will have the clear talent advantage this weekend and face a team that was 2-6 on the road this season. In their last three road games, the Seahawks lost by 15, 19 and 23. So while the Falcons worked hard to secure the #1 seed, they now face the red-hot Packers while the Bears get quite possibly the worst team ever to have made the playoffs.

Lastly, I am required by law to provide a prediction remix, wherein we find that I may or may not have analogized the Seahawks to an unhygienic, rather freakish girl who embarrasses herself in a beauty pageant by injuring herself after falling off the stage. I was just kidding, Seahawks! You took that seriously? Noooo, I was totally kidding. Toooootally kidding.

Prediction: The Seahawks are forced to rely on the pass while the Bears' balanced attack enables them to pull away. Bears by 13.

Wild Card Weekend Preview: NFC

#5 Saints (11-5) @ #4 Seahawks (7-9)

Saturday, 3:30 CST

Storylines:

-So we do in fact have to let the Seahawks play in the playoffs just because they won their division? That's official? Okay, fine, just checking.

-The Seahawks as a playoff team are like the smelly girl from down the street whom we have to let participate in the town beauty pageant because, well, I mean she got all her paperwork in on time, so what can we really do? Yes, I know the neighbors say she doesn't brush her teeth because she says "toothbrushes feel prickly" and yes, I know her talent portion is likely to be that weird, disturbing dance she can sometimes be seen practicing on her front lawn with her pet mouse, but dammit I'm not gonna be the one to tell her parents she can't participate.

What to watch for: Will it be Charlie Whitehurst or Matt Hasselbeck behind center? In a 34-19 loss earlier this season, Hasselbeck had a very good game but a balanced Saints team still beat the Seahawks easily. With that in mind, does it really f--king matter who starts at quarterback? Unless Pete Carroll decides to start himself, no, no it does not.

X Factor: Turnovers. I can't see how it's possible for the Seahawks to win this game unless they somehow dominate the turnover battle.

Prediction: The girl from down the street falls off the stage and sustains life-threatening injuries. (i.e. Saints win easy.)

#6 Packers (10-6) @ #3 Eagles (10-6)

Sunday, 3:30 CST

Storylines:

-These two met up in Philly way back in Week 1, back during the Kevin Kolb Experiment. Vick came in after Kolb got hurt and made it close, but the Packers won 27-20.

-Both teams lost in the first round last season. The last time they faced each other in the playoffs was the '03-'04 season when Donovan McNabb led the Eagles to victory after converting a late 4th-and-26 to send it into overtime. (Yes, I had to look that up.)

What to watch for: Both Mike McCarthy and Andy Reid suck at time management, but which will make the terrible decision that cripples his team at a critical time? Will McCarthy go for two after a game-tying touchdown? Will Reid call a timeout before the game starts? Will either of them, late in the game, opt to punt from the red zone?

X factor: Special teams. The Packers' kickoff and punt return averages suck, whereas the Eagles of course have DeSean Jackson. Jackson only has the one touchdown against the Giants, but he has a solid return average and could help the Eagles win the field position battle.

Prediction: I don't know, I don't know ... I DON'T KNOW, OK?? I guess I'll go with the Packers. If it comes down to the end of the game and one defense has to step up and make a play, I like the Packers' D to make that play. The Eagles' offensive line scares me. Rooting for the Eagles, picking the Packers. Now lay off.

NFL Visions, Part 1

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

Oakland Raiders, 5-4

I thought they'd have a turnaround season heading into the year, then gave up on them quickly after losses to Arizona and San Fran left them at 2-4. But then they curbstomped the Broncos and Seahawks and pulled out an overtime victory over KC to pull to within a half-game of the Chiefs. Maybe Al Davis isn't crazy after all? ... No, Al Davis is crazy.

Cleveland Browns, 3-5

I'm not saying they're great, I'm just saying things are looking up. With their top two quarterbacks hurt, they turned to rookie Colt McCoy and he's led them to wins over the Saints and Patriots. And the games weren't even close. How crazy is that? Plus they get Jacksonville and Carolina after a match-up with the Jets.

Rookies

-Jahvid Best has slowed of late, but he's been solid for the Lions and had 88 all-purpose yar

ds against a good Jets defense on Sunday.

-Ndamukong Suh has 6.5 sacks and was the October Rookie of the Month.

-Dez Bryant has a lot of competition at the receiver position on the Cowboys, but he h

as over 400 yards and four touchdowns.

-Mike Williams has done even better for the Bucs with over 500 yards and five TDs.

-As noted above, Colt McCoy has defeated the Saints and Patriots in back-to-back games.

-Sam Bradford has had a relatively incredible first eight games, at least when you consi

der that he's a rookie QB. He's on pace for over 3,200 yards and 22 TDs, the latter being more t

han Schaub, Sanchez, Favre, Henne, McNabb, Cutler ... the list goes on. Matt Ryan's rookie season is considered one of the best ever, and he threw 16 TDs that year. Bradford has also shown incredible poise for a rookie--he has a 101.1 QB rating and zero interceptions on third down.

New York Giants, 6-2

All of a sudden they can't be stopped: they've reeled off five straight wins and are tied (with five other teams) for the best record in the NFL. They've scored at least 28 points in each of their last four games.

THINGS ARE LOOKING DOWN

Houston Texans, 4-4

If you want a quick score, you're better off playing the Texans than dating Kim Kardashian. (Burned!) But seriously, only three teams give up more points than they do, and their horrendous defense suddenly has them at .500 and tied for last in the AFC South. Okay, granted, they're only a game behind the Colts and Titans, but the Texans' porous secondary has the arrow pointing down in Houston.

Minnesota Vikings, 3-5

Favre finally broke into his bag of magic tricks on Sunday, leading his team back from 14 points down to beat the Cardinals. However, they still find themselves at 3-5, 2.5 back of the Pack. Their next two weeks should go a long way toward determining the final trajectory of their season--they visit the Bears and then have their second match-up against the Packers.

Seattle Seahawks, 4-4

Like the Texans, they're still at least treading water. But they've been outscored 74-10 the last two weeks and suffered their worst home loss since 2002 on Sunday. Suffice to say, things are not looking up. In fact, they kind of look like what you'd find in a diaper.

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:

Bears Soldier on with first of back-to-back home games

The Bears played a Seneca Wallaced-led Seahawks team in Week 3 last year and escaped with a 25-19 victory. They're facing each other once again because they both finished third in their respective divisions last season. While last year's matchup was played at the very loud Qwest Field, Seattle will come to Chicago this time. The Bears have just one set of back-to-back home games this season, and this is it.

The Seahawks are coming off their bye and will have had plenty of time to prepare. On top of that, Jay Cutler is coming off of his concussion. But while the Bears probably aren't catching Seattle at the right time, they're at least catching them in the right place:

Seattle in home games this season: 2-0, combined score of 58-26

Seattle in road games this season: 0-2, combined score of 51-17

KEYS TO THE GAME

Can Cutler rebound? Concussions are no longer treated like minor scrapes in the NFL, and with good reason. Some believe Cutler got concussed (great word) somewhat early in the Giants game, which is what led to his indecision and all around terrible play. If that's the case, Bears fans need to hope he's fully healed and ready to execute the game plan against Seattle.

Kick returns. Seattle has the best average in the league at 37.8 yards per return (for comparison's sake, Cleveland averages 16.2). Leon Washington also returned two kickoffs for touchdowns against Seattle. Danieal Manning is having success, too--his 28.7 average is good for sixth in the NFL. If one team's coverage unit can hold the other team in check, it will go a long way toward winning the field position battle.

Keep the Seahawks one-dimensional. Seattle averages a dismal 79.5 rushing yards per game, a full 20 yards less than the Bears who are themselves just 23rd in the league in that category. That's why they recently traded for Marshawn Lynch. Justin Forsett has been just okay, and guys like Leon Washington and Julius Jones have done next-to-nothing (Jones was shipped out). With receiver Deion Branch (second-most receptions on the team) having just been traded to New England, forcing the Seahawks to rely on the pass should be a winning formula.

NFL Visions, Part 2

THINGS ARE LOOKING BLURRY

Houston Texans, 2-1

Don't get me wrong--they deserve credit for finally beating the Colts and looking like they have the talent to be a serious contender in the AFC. But that pass defense ... They've already allowed over 1,100 yards passing, second-most of any team through three games since 1950. If they let guys make any more successful passes, they'd be Kim Kardashian (Oooh, burned! Actually, I barely even know who she is. Would we say this joke is accurate? Is Kim Kardashian a slut?). Yes, it was impressive that they came from 17 points down to beat the Redskins in Week 2, but it's kind of a problem that they were down by 17 in the first place. This is a good team, but it was a bit premature to anoint them the best team in the AFC (as ESPN's power rankings did after Week 2).

Dallas Cowboys, 1-2

This feels like the definition of blurry to me. We all know they have tons of talent (Romo,

Marion Barber, Miles Austin, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware, Dez Bryant, et al) and they're one holding penalty away from being 2-1. But they are in fact 1-2 and lost to the Bears at home as well as to a Redskins team who turned around and lost to the Rams (a game that turned my fantasy week into a nightmare). Just as it's hard to really pin down how good Romo is, it's tough to know for sure whether the Cowboys are a contender or a pretender.

Seattle Seahawks, 2-1

Murdered the 49ers, got owned by the Broncos and then beat the Chargers. 2-0 at home but 0-1 on the road. They did have two kick returns for touchdowns against the Chargers, a feat they're unlikely to repeat, so that takes a little something away from Sunday's win in my opinion. I still lean toward them being an average team, but suddenly Pete Carroll and his crazy, unimpeded optimism are tied at the top of the NFC West, three full games ahead of the Niners.

DON'T LOOK AT ME I'M HIDEOUS

San Francisco 49ers, 0-3

Hey, we were just talking about them, what great timing! Did you just hear that series of thuds? Don't worry, that was just the sound of thousands of people jumping out of the 49ers bandwagon as if it was on fire. Speaking of fire, they fired offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye after scoring just 38 points in their first three games. They're the only team in the pathetic, pathetic NFC West without a win, meaning they're looking up at the Cardinals, Seahawks and Rams. Looking up at a seahawk or cardinal isn't so bad, but have you ever looked up at a ram? I've learned a few important lessons in my life, and one of them is that you don't want to be looking up at a ram.

Buffalo Bills, 0-3

They've already changed quarterbacks, every fantasy football player who was drooling over C.J. Spiller is livid, and they've kindly allowed the most points in the NFL (tied with the Niners).

Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, both 0-3

There are too many terrible teams and I lack the mental energy to make fun of them all separately, so I'm combining these two. I'll just say that the Browns are awaiting the return of a starting quarterback who is clearly colorblind while the Panthers suddenly have a nonexistent running game and Jimmy Claussen at QB. These teams are bad at football.

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.

Bears head west on a Qwest for win #2

I was watching a pretty cool show on Sunday night, must have been on NFL Network or something. It was all about this new stadium in Arlington, Texas. Seats over 100,000 people, has a ridiculously huge scoreboard, cost over $1 billion. They just went on and on about it, interviewing the guy who paid for it, talking about how much it means to the team that plays there, exploring the ins and outs of the place. Good show, but it went on for too long. The thing was over three hours! And they picked a strange time to film the show, right when a football game was going on. I kept getting distracted by the action on the field, but the producers did a good job of focusing in on the stadium, the stadium, the stadium. It was good stuff, but I sure wish I could have seen that football game ...

Bears vs. Seahawks preview

The Seahawks won just four games last year, but were riddled with injuries. With Julius Jones at tailback, new addition T.J. Houshmandzadeh (he of Madden boycott fame) at wideout, and another legit receiving threat in former Viking Nate Burleson, the offense can put up some points. Additionally, Deion Branch should be ready to go after missing the first to games. The Bears will need to watch the middle of the field as well, as tight end John Carlson leads the team in receptions and yards.

Seattle pounded the dreadfully awful St. Louis Rams 28-0 in Week 1, but then faltered in San Francisco with a 23-10 loss. But most importantly: Matt Hasselbeck suffered a broken rib in the loss, and it is "extremely unlikely" that he will play against the Bears.

There's no doubt that the expectations for this game hinge on Hasselbeck's status--if Seneca Wallace gets the start, this becomes a game the Bears have to win. Wallace played eight games in place of Hasselbeck last year, and the team went 3-5. His QB rating of 87 was by no means awful, but with the Bears already favored by the sportsbooks, it would be very disappointing to see them lose with Wallace taking all the snaps.

That said, Qwest Field is no picnic for opposing teams. With their famed "12th man" crowd, communication is often an issue and things can get sticky in the red zone. Though Cutler and his receivers--especially Johnny Knox--appeared to be much more in sync last week, it's certainly not ideal for them to be playing in one of the loudest stadiums in the NFL.

For the Bears, Alex Brown, who had two sacks against Pittsburgh, should be ready to go on Sunday. As I write this, it appears that Desmond Clark and Pisa Tinoisamoa probably won't be rushed back to action this Sunday.

Keys to the Game

Something's gotta give. The Bears are ranked 31st in rush offense, while the Seahawks are ranked 26th in rush defense. Matt Forte had six games last year in which he rushed for more yards than he has in his first two games total (84). But Seattle was gored, literally, by Frank Gore and the Niners last week: 207 yards for the San Francisco star, including TD runs of 79 and 80 yards. The noise at Qwest Field sometimes makes running the ball the safer bet, and the Bears need to get their running game going to keep the Seahawks' pass rush at bay. If Forte is going to get going at some point, this would be a good time to do it.

Penalties. Courtesy of ESPN's Jeff Dickerson, Qwest Field has seen visiting teams commit an average of 2.49 false start penalties per game since 2005. The Bears had 10 penalties for 80 yards against Pittsburgh, and though they pulled out a close victory in that one, it'd be best not to shoot themselves in the foot like that on the road.

Greg Olsen. Everyone was talking about the impeccable chemistry between Cutler and Olsen during the preseason. And while Olsen caught three balls for 41 yards last Sunday, we haven't really seen them get locked in yet. With linebacker Leroy Hill out for Seattle, look for Olsen to have that big game we've been waiting for.

Taking advantage of injuries. While the Bears will be missing some key players on defense, the Seahawks will be missing their left tackle, Sean Locklear, as well as cornerback Josh Wilson. Middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu's status is up in the air as well.

Where'd he come from?

QB Matt Hasselbeck, Boston College
RB Julius Jones, Notre Dame
Lofa Tatupu, USC
TE John Carlson, Notre Dame
P Jon Ryan, Regina (Canada)

Warrick not Done

Wide receiver Peter Warrick was regarded as an extreme disappointment in the NFL. Now he'll be playing with the Bloomington Extreme (click post title for Pantagraph story).

Warrick was drafted fourth overall out of FSU by the Bengals in the 2000 NFL draft, having been the Sugar Bowl MVP and a two-time 1st team All-American. Warrick fizzled out in the NFL, however, and was cut by the Bengals before the 2005 season after being replaced by T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Bengals owner Mike Brown said, "It took dozens of workers 3-and-a-half months to put Housmend ... Hooshmanz ... that guy's name on a jersey. We've got too much invested in him. We have to play him now." (He didn't really say that.)

After a year with the Seahawks, Warrick spent time with the Las Vegas Gladiators of the AFL, and last year played with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL. Warrick, therefore, set a record for biggest drop off in nickname manliness. Alouette, you may be aware, is a children's song about plucking the feathers off a skylark, a small bird. Repeat: he went from a gladiator to a children's song about plucking the feathers off a small bird.

Analysts say this record will likely never be broken, as this is currently the biggest possible drop off in nickname manliness. Former record holders include:

- NBL players who played for the Philadelphia Warriors followed by the Anderson Duffey Packers (that's not a joke ----->)
- players who went from any team at all to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms of the NL
- players who went from the Colt .45s of the NL to any team at all (seriously, naming your team after a semi-automatic pistol? Now that's manly.)

Note: CFL'ers who play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders followed by the Alouettes are in a tie for second behind Warrick.

The Extreme will play their first game Monday, May 4. Given that AFL teams often score in the 50s or higher, Warrick should be an exciting addition to the team.