The Season in Quarters: Chicago Bears
by Dane Noble on Oct 5, 2009 2:00 PM CDT
Email
PrintMany of you know that I have been ever-optimistic when it comes to our 2009 Chicago Bears, constantly chattering for a 12-4 record, with the North title ours to win. Well, with the first quarter of the season down, we stand at 3-1, and if we can keep up that pace, our 12 win season will come true.
I don't point this out because I am making a prediction that gives me a chance to brag on myself, but because 12-4 is what I think will win the division. Let's take a look at the Bears season in quarters:
Q1
@ Green Bay
vs. Pittsburgh
@ Seattle
vs. Detroit
Notes: Ending this quarter 3-1 is a good thing. I think a lot of folks would have been happy with a 2-2 record when they first saw the schedule.
Q2
@ Atlanta
@ Cincinnati
vs. Cleveland
vs. Arizona
Notes: Two straight road games after the Bye, neither of which will be easy. Hosting Arizona will be tough too. Can we end up 3-1 in this quarter, or will we drop 2 games, and have to make one up in a later quarter?
Q3
@ San Francisco
vs. Philadelphia
@ Minnesota
vs. St. Louis
Notes: We will face a couple of tough offenses and defenses, and honestly I don't expect a sweep of Minnesota this year. If we can split with them, that will be the loss in this quarter. San Fran and Philly will each be tough. 3-1 is doable.
Q4
vs. Green Bay
@ Baltimore
vs. Minnesota
@ Detroit
Notes: What a tough quarter of football. It's nice that we will get to host GB and Minny, and those games will determine the North title. It sucks we'll have to travel to Baltimore. 3-1 this quarter will be tough. How healthy will we be at this point?
Tomorrow: The Season in Quarters, Green Bay Packers
61 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
If we keep
coming out, and dogging in the first half, there is no way we win a bunch of these games
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
I'm sceptical
Sorry, but I am.
A rookie QB just absolutely torched our secondary. Imagine what Atlanta and Phoenix will do…
I think 2-2 in the second quarter is realistic with losses at Atlanta and at home to Phoenix.
I think quarter 3 is also going to be tough. I think we’ll come out 2-2 with losses at San Fran and at Minnesota.
We’ll go 4-0 in the 4th, as long as we’re healthier than we are now. We could beat Baltimore, but 3 division games in the last 4 will take it’s toll.
Optimistically, we’ll finish 11-5, realistically, we finish 10-6.
Arizona
can’t protect Kurt Warner and their running game is stalled. The Cardinals have been off all season. I worry about their pass attack against our weak defensive secondary, but their D is suspect too. I would expect a shootout but I think home field advantage, special teams and the pass rush push the Bears over the Cardinals. Strangely, I think it will resemble the Detroit game we just played (strange because Detroit went 0-16 last year and the Cardinals made the Super Bowl).
by Basketball Smurf on Oct 5, 2009 2:26 PM CDT up reply actions
The biggest problem the Cardinals have right now is the O-Line.
They did not even bother trying to run against the Colts after how Beanie and Hightower were ripping apart the Jaguars defense. And the O-Line is acting like a revolving door allowing a 4 man rush to storm right past them and hit Warner.
Besides the Colts game, the Defense looked good shutting down Frank Gore and Maurice Jones-Drew, and if the O-Line can stop ******* around Warner is still one of the best Quarterbacks to have ever played the game in my opinion, and he can still pick people apart.
I’m a big fan of the Cardinals and the Bears, going from what I have seen from the Bears, and what I know the Cardinals can do, it should be a close game.
I think the game @ Cincy will be tougher
they have a better D and better balance.
by Basketball Smurf on Oct 5, 2009 2:26 PM CDT up reply actions
Lets knock that snot out of Benson,
like it’s preseason his rookie year.
Metal sharpens metal.
And this guy right here understands and knows what leadership is all about: The coach, the hall of famer......... Dick Butka! George Ryan
it's Arizona
not Phoenix. And the Cardinals, as they are now, aren’t much of a threat. I think the only games that we wouldn’t be favored to win are the Atlanta game, the Baltimore game and the game in Minny. 12-4 isn’t out of the question. I do agree that 10-6 or 11-5 is more realistic.
I still believe
we beat Atlanta on sheer principle, from last year.
Cincy concerns me more.
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah I hate to say it
but I think the Cincy game might be a tough one to win. Atlanta I hope is a big W after that crap from last year. I still have nightmares.
You can't believe everything you read on the internet, that's how World War One got started.
The
fastest way to go from exclaiming to swearing in under 11 seconds
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions
Ain't that the truth.
You can't believe everything you read on the internet, that's how World War One got started.
More than any other game
I wish Urlacher could play against the Bengals. If I recall, he really, really didn’t like Benson. I’d like to see him get a shot at him.
"The time has come to get deeply into Football. It is the only thing we have left that ain't fixed." - HST
LMAO!
I don’t point this out because I am making a prediction that gives me a chance to brag on myself
-------
"Newbie, if the next two words out of your mouth aren't 'See ya' then the third word will be 'Oh my god. My crotch. You've punched me in my crotch." - Dr. Percival Ulysses Cox
by David Taylor on Oct 5, 2009 2:26 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Now who would do something like that.... hmmmmm.
You can't believe everything you read on the internet, that's how World War One got started.
That picture looks like it's from a Madden game.
Like pizza? Me too.
Check out my pizza review site.
agreed
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 3:56 PM CDT up reply actions
Its cause the sky was looking soo magnanamous, I would know I was there
sitting in the uptops. Still a great see, good view, and no I dont care how the outside of the stadium looks just how the team on the field looks.
Phil: " Whose baby is that?
Alan: "Check his collar or something." - The Hangover
I was thinking that too
That ball hit deep! Way back! You can put it on the boooaaaard...YES!
Long drive into deep right center field! This ball is OUTTA HEEERRRREE!
R.I.P. Harry Kalas 4-13-09
the only reason i know it's not
is the pink gloves
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
Underrate aspect of the Bears...
…they have a quarterback, but they also have a pass rush.
Wale, Alex Brown, and the gang are helping compensate for the shaky situations in the linebacking corps and the secondary. The group has already registered 14 sacks in 4 games, and a large part of it is due to Rod Marinelli’s coaching.
If they can get healthier at linebacker, they’ll be in great shape.
I think we go 11-5
L @ ATL
W @ CIN
W vs CLE
W vs ARI
W @ SF
L vs PHI
L @ MIN
W vs STL
W vs GB
L @ BAL
W vs MIN
W @ DET
Switch a W and L
with somebody, we have to beat the Falcons
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 4:28 PM CDT up reply actions
Seriously
i don’t know if I wanted to beat a non-divisional rival more. Most poisonous way to lose a game ever.
by Basketball Smurf on Oct 5, 2009 8:41 PM CDT up reply actions
I don't know why...
I was sick at the end of the Atlanta game too, but really, we had no business being ahead with 11 seconds left. They killed us all game and should have been up by 20 at that point.
It sucked losing, but we shouldn’t have even been in it.
Lightning doesn't strike twice. We will kick the snot out of the Dirty Birds this year. Guranteed!!
After the game last year? Every Bear past and Present is gonna have their eye on this one. This is THE redemption game imo.
by Chitownproduct on Oct 6, 2009 9:26 AM CDT up reply actions
It was not until the 2nd half that Lovie began winning the chessmatch between him and Rookie Mathew Stafford
I’d be as thrilled as any if we go 12-4 and win the division… but accomplishing so much only to lose in the playoffs or dare i say super bowl because we get exploited by superior wrs in 1-1 man coverage will be tragic.
The Calvin Johnsons, Greg Jennings, and Bernard Berrians are too plentiful a kryptonite in the NFL for me to drink the Kool-Aide just yet.
hey
maybe another sub par AFC team gets that far and we won’t have to worry about it.
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions
Yeah, a tough stretch is ahead.
But even without a division title, a wild card is not out of reach.
I don't mean to be the one to drop a turd in the punchbowl, but...
…we haven’t beaten anyone with a winning record yet.
I’ll feel better when we show we can win against winning teams.
Until then, I am a skeptic also.
Wiltfongjr and others know I am a Bears fan all the way, but I’m not giddy about the season yet.
"Chance favors the prepared mind." - Pasteur
that is kind of unfair
how many winning teams could you say that about? Plus we beat the Steelers who are a good team, even if they are only 2-2.
by Basketball Smurf on Oct 5, 2009 8:42 PM CDT up reply actions
even if it is only for 3 quarters
:)
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 8:50 PM CDT up reply actions
example
Patriots are 2-1 with victories against the Ravens and Atlanta. The Ravens and Atlanta both have winning records.
As for the Steelers, they are not the same team they were last year, for sure.
"Chance favors the prepared mind." - Pasteur
I don't know...
They looked like the Steelers Sunday night. And look at their losses. Bengals @ Cincy, whom beat the packers @ limbo and the other loss (by the steelers) was to the almighty Bears @ Chi. I believe the Steelers are a very good team and will surely be a factor as the season continues.
Regardless, I think if the Bears take down Atlanta in their house… The NFL will officially be put on notice.
But even if we haven't beaten anyone with a winning record yet...
…we’ve still beaten people we should have beaten (Detroit), as well as people we shouldn’t have (Pittsburgh).
Let's start with the home games.
The Browns, Cardinals, Eagles, Rams, Packers, and Vikings.
The Browns and Rams are by far the easiest of the bunch. The Vikings, as I previously mentioned, could be cooling off near the tail end of the stretch. Aaron Rodgers has been sacked a frightening 20 times in the past 4 games, and might not be the same quarterback that beat the Bears on the game-winning drive in Lambeau if it keeps up. However, the Eagles will likely have a healthy McNabb and Arizona’s offense will test the secondary mightily, so assume 4-2 the rest of the way at home.
Out of the road games, the Lions, regardless of their environment, are very beatable. That leaves the task of getting two wins out of Atlanta, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Minnesota, and Baltimore. The Falcons are resurgent, but there have been questions on defense. By far, Baltimore, Minnesota, and San Francisco look like the most dangerous foes of the group. That leaves the Bengals. Even though they’ve been dangerous this year, their reputation precedes them. So 10 is certainly not unreasonable. Also, bear in mind that it’s not uncommon to see WC teams with 9-10 wins.
I love it AP fumble for a TD!!
I dont like the Pack but I hate the m#$% F@$%# Vikings. The worst, and theor fans are alos a bunch of tools. They deserve each other. I hope they pound Favre into the turf over and over..
as long as GB loses
i’m all for it
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 8:57 PM CDT up reply actions
why are we rooting against the pack??
we can handle them, we need the vikings to go down. Read the game threads at the norseman and you will hate the vikings more than the pack , I guarantee it. And I say that knowing my brother is an obnoxious Packer fan..
I can't
i was raised to despise the packers… like the israelis and palestinians…
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 9:11 PM CDT up reply actions
I agree with you on this...
I think once the “Favre Mystique” is broken by a loss, then there will be a snowball effect with Favre throwing picks, old injuries popping up, etc.
Like you, I hate the Vikings more as well. I see the Packers more as bitter rivals, but I’ve always had respect for them (except for the Forret Gregg coaching years) where I’ve never respected the Vikings. They’ve never been a likeable team, nor have they had likeable players and the fans are jerks too.
a bunch
of you are going to be sorely dissapointed tonight then
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 9:50 PM CDT up reply actions
bears offense
I understand the concerns with the defense, but does anyone else feel that the offense is still underperforming and only beginning to come together? I feel like this offense is only going to get better…
We look better than last year
and so does our Defense, that’s really all that matters. 9-7, and we are better this year… should be a good sign of things to come
"I'm sorry Josh, I'm with Chicago now, you need to stop calling me" -JerBear50 as Jay Cutler
by BearNecessities on Oct 5, 2009 9:32 PM CDT up reply actions
The first game vs Minnesota...
Will determine a lot. Of course that’s assuming we manage to go at least 4-2 by the time we get to ’em. After that game it should be smooth sailing. The Ravens will be tough though. Even if they lose that game it still adds up to 12 wins.
The game against the Vikings will be tough after seeing how well Favre and the Defense played last night.
But the Packers O-Line made me optimistic that the Bears can beat them next time they play each other.
It's certainly good for Chicago that they're not getting Minnesota until week 12.
If his performance in the last quarter of the Jets season is any indication, they’ll be getting the Vikings at a time when they could be in danger of a slump, which would go a long, long way towards positively impacting the Bears’ place in the division.
12 will be tough
3 games are (or should be) gimmes: Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit. Those should take the team to 6 wins.
So where do the other 6 come from? We are probably underdogs in at least 3 road games, @ Atlanta, Minnesota, Baltimore. If those go according to plan, we’d have to win every other game on the schedule to go 12-4, including a tough home game vs. Philly, and a tough road game @ San Fran.
I think it will be 10-6, 11-5 at best, but hope I’m wrong and you’re right.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Community Guidelines
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
