[Freo-1]

Freo - the next three weeks will tell if the Lions are for real. They need to win at home today against Miami because it gets tougher over the next two weeks. 

The odds are against the Bears today but I say it's a must win and Rodgers looked a little dinged up against the Saints. Should be a fun game to watch. I think the Pack will win but will be rooting for the Bears of course!

In complete agreement.  As Bill Parcells was fond of saying, "You are what your record says you are".


Division games are always tough.  On any given week, I can easily see the Bears giving the Packers lots of grief.  Same goes for the Rams/Cardinals game.  The Falcons/Bucs contest is one that I would not want to bet on. 


That's why they have to play the games.    [size=78%] [/size]

[JerryM]

Tough loss for the Saints today, in the best football game I've watched in a very long time.

Key takeaways: We have a ground game!  Jimmy Graham is superhuman. Sean Payton needs to catch up to his team.

[Freo-1]

Tough loss for the Saints today, in the best football game I've watched in a very long time.

Key takeaways: We have a ground game!  Jimmy Graham is superhuman. Sean Payton needs to catch up to his team.

It was.  The QB needs to take care of the ball in that scenario, and not fumble.


The Lions pulled out another close one.  It gets more difficult for them, playing the Cardinals and Pats on the road. 

[JerryM]

The QB needs to take care of the ball in that scenario, and not fumble.

True Dat. 

[JerryM]

[macrojack]

Oakland lost big to the Broncos but they did better than the Bears are doing. 42 - 0 at the half is a severe beatdown.

[thunderbrick]

Oakland lost big to the Broncos but they did better than the Bears are doing. 42 - 0 at the half is a severe beatdown.

That's a severe understatement.   

[cab]

Bad Jay all night....I can imagine the outcry in Chitown tomorrow. Jay better keep his dog inside for a week or so...

[jackman]

That was the worst beating the Bears have received for...oh, about a week. Trestman may want to pack his bags and take Bad Jay with him. Jay has 20 million poorly spent dollars to keep him warm during the upcoming cold months.  Possibly the worst money ever spent in the history of sports.

[steve f]

As a lifelong Bears fan, it's time to clean house. Sorry guys, but you are supposed to actually play the game. The Defense is nonexistent. They made the packers look like a championship team. Detroit might be one. I wonder if Butkus, Hampton, Dent, and other greats even watch this team.
I think I'll pour a bourbon... I need one.

[Pneumonic]

Not sure what the problem(s) is(are) in Bearsland but I can't imagine Cutler is the guy to turn things around. Not sure about Treastman either. That team looks to need a tear down and re-build.

[steve f]

Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith made some huge errors. Trestman inherited them.. It will take at least three years to become competitive again.

Cutler is a mystery, and always has been. He has all the tools, and is a smart guy too. He probably has the strongest arm in the league. But his mindset is just weird. He has all the potential but doesn't live up to it.  Sometimes he has looked great. Then the rest of the time he looks like a back up QB.

Personally I finally gave up on him. The Bears need to draft a QB but in their modern history, the only good one was Jimmy Mac. What the Bears need most is a great GM.

[barrows]

Being a Boulder resident and Broncos fan, I have always been a strong admirer of Jay Cutler's talent level.  I have seen him make passes which perhaps only two other QBs in NFL history would be capable of.  He is also smart.
I was sad to see him leave during the dark days of the couching fiasco here (Josh McD debacle).
But JC continues to make bad decisions, and the rest of the bears organisation has not helped.

I still think all Cutler needs is one really good QB coach, one good Offensive coordinator, and one good supporting cast of teamates to become the QB many expect him to be, one of the best.

[Pneumonic]

I still think all Cutler needs is one really good QB coach, one good Offensive coordinator, and one good supporting cast of teamates to become the QB many expect him to be, one of the best.

Well, Cutler probably is never going to see a better supporting cast than he now has. One of the big pluses of hiring Trestman was that he brought along not only a QB friendly system but a wealth of experience as a top QB coach. Can't speak to the play calling on the Bears team.

[jimdgoulding]

Two teams have me excited.  The Cowboys and I never thought I would be saying that in many moons and the Cardinals.  As you well know, the Cardinals lost their QB for the season.  Damn shame.  I suppose the credit for their playing this season must go to their coach and their very good team speed.  I always thought that when push comes to shove, Romo would flake.  He's rather famous for it, no?  It appears that has changed this season and I wish him well.  He's getting good protection and has good receivers.  I believe it's the last year of the head coach's contract, tho I'm bettin Jones will keep him.

Boy, a couple teams do suck large.  Looks like Chicago needs to go back to the drawing board for next season for one and I think Houston should get em a QB, too. 

Manziel is just warming Cleveland's bench and must want to be traded.  Wonder if something could be worked out with Houston?  Jets' fans must be relieved by Michael Vick's last game performance tho it might be too late for Rex Ryan.

Oh, well, just some Monday morning musings.  Thanks.     

[Chazro]

The Saints/49's game was one of the best games of the year (definitely the best game played yesterday!;)  With the Lions/Dolphins game following as a close 2nd place.  Great games!  Played at the same time, thank God for my remote!  Interesting to note, even though I have a 50" plasma with PIP (picture in picture), I find it to be a distraction and don't use it.  Guess I'm ol' skool and prefer flippin' back and forth!;)  Does anybody have and use this feature?  The only friend I have that uses it is a gamblaholic, the dude has multiple TV's with PIP AND he's using his iPad!!

[mick wolfe]

Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith made some huge errors. Trestman inherited them.. It will take at least three years to become competitive again.

Cutler is a mystery, and always has been. He has all the tools, and is a smart guy too. He probably has the strongest arm in the league. But his mindset is just weird. He has all the potential but doesn't live up to it.  Sometimes he has looked great. Then the rest of the time he looks like a back up QB.

Personally I finally gave up on him. The Bears need to draft a QB but in their modern history, the only good one was Jimmy Mac. What the Bears need most is a great GM.

That's my thought exactly. Nobody has made crappier draft choices at QB than the Bears. And I can go back to Bobby Douglass and Bob Avellini. Jimmy Mac was by far the best, but alas, he could never stay healthy.

[Letitroll98]

Based on the performance tonight, the Eagles look like the odds on favorite in the East again.  Their power ranking was 7 points higher than the next best Cowgirls before the blowout tonight.  I predict it will be even higher tomorrow.  This means the predictors that guide the opening lines have the Eagles a 7 point favorite over Dallas on a neutral field.  And it wasn't that they beat the wounded Panthers, but how they played the game.  A crushing defense, seven sacks, multiple hurries, and deadly sharp on offense.  Sanchez ran the offense like he was made for it.  If he and his teammates hold to this form, the talk about it being ridiculous to consider the Eagles for the Super Bowl will ring very hollow.

[jimdgoulding]

NFC East.  Predictions?

I'm with Let.  Philadelphia and Green Bay have at it coming up.  Gotta take Green Bay at home, but I'm pickin the Eagles over the Pokes for the title in the East.  Can you imagine the rush they'll put on Romo?  Reckon there is fumble looming in there somewhere?  I'm a bit skeptical of Sanchez tho he looked strong and in command last time out and they can run the ball effectively.  So can Dallas, I know, and expect to see a lot of Dez B. in this one, but so, too, will be Philly's coach.  Good luck, Robin.  We know where your heart is.

Later and having looked at the Eagles schedule, it's probably a toss-up.  Dallas is gonna win at least one of their games with Philly I should think plus Philly has to play Green Bay, Seattle and New England.  Haven't checked Dallas' schedule. 

[Letitroll98]

This week I'm only going to talk about a couple of interesting games.

Green Bay is a 5.5 points favorite today, but the predictors have it a one point game, 28-27 Packers.  Take the points.
Kansas City is only a 1.5 point favorite, but I see it 30-23 Chiefs, give the points here.
Tampa Bay has taken over the officially worst team in football title and goes down to Washington 29-19, give the 7.5 points.
Finally Detroit and AZ are pick'ems, or 1 point on either side, when the predictors have it 30-23 Cardinals, take the pick'em or get a point if you can.

An interesting game that I don't want to put out there as a pick because the teams are so eratic.  Chicago is a two point favorite today, but the number say Minnesota by 1.58 points, so I'd look at 21-19 Vikes outright.