Chicago Bears will finish 3rd, says the Sporting News
Making a prediction at this point in the game is pointless (except for these guys). No free agency, no OTA's, no training camps, no telling who'll hold out, and no preseason injuries. But the sporting tools at the Sporting News have had their say, and they say Bears, third place, NFC North. Their main reason... Lingering drama surrounding Jay Cutler. Seriously? No team circles the wagons and successfully adopts an us against the world mentality better than the Chicago Bears, and it's that reason why the NFC Title game is a distant memory.
...when a team's offensive star leaves an elimination game under circumstances peculiar enough to stir league-wide ridicule, it's possible that doubt will creep into his teammates' thoughts.
Because 'doubt' has been the predominant theme this off season from his teammates. Is it possible? Yeah, just like it's possible that the writer of the SN prediction will do some homework the next time he decides to write about the Bears. He goes on to say;
However, there may be decline because of an offensive line that allowed a league-high 56 sacks last season, a retooled defensive line and the potential for teammates to question the quarterback's leadership in pressure situations.
I think 99% of those in the know, feel that the Bears offensive line will be better in 2011. Rookie Gabe Carimi is an upgrade, second year pro J'Marcus Webb showed promise and will make a step in play, and there's a possibility a free agent will be brought in. And does cutting Tommie Harris and drafting Stephen Paea really constitute retooling? Then there he goes with the 'potential for teammates to question' B.S., give it a rest. Is there potential? Sure, just like there's potential the SN writer will go on to bat 1.000 with the remainder of his prediction.
First-round pick Gabe Carimi should be in the mix at left tackle with Frank Omiyale or Chris Williams next to him at left guard.
Omiyale is in the left guard mix? State your source please...
The Bears rely heavily on their nickel defense, with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs playing the linebacker spots. It's here where they need rookie J.T. Thomas to step up and bolster depth.
What does a rookie linebacker have to do with the Bears nickle defense? While I have high hopes for Thomas, I think either Nick Roach or Pisa Tinoisamoa will be re-signed and either one of those will be counted on as the primary nickle LB backup.
I can say that I honestly wouldn't be that surprised if the Bears did end up in third. The Packers are the defending Super Bowl champs, the Lions are a team coming up with a lot of good pieces in place, and the Bears were fortunate with injuries last year. But come on SN, you gotta come stronger than this to support your premise.
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This is the kind of complacent crap you get when you pay your writers.
"More cowbell" - Bruce Dickinson; "More bell cow" - Lovie Smith
by Pete Dixon on Jun 29, 2011 3:09 PM CDT reply actions 9 recs
HAHA!
If you go in the bathroom, turn off the lights, and say "Da Coach" 5 times while facing the mirror... Ditka will appear and slap the wussy right out of you.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jun 29, 2011 3:13 PM CDT up reply actions
This might be the best comment I have read on this site since the lockout.
Above all; keep 'em guessing, never let them lose their sense of confusion.
Beautiful Rec for you good sir.
When the world slips you a Jeffrey, stroke a furry wall.
- Aldous Snow
by Ditkavsworld on Jun 29, 2011 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions
This shall be green
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Jun 29, 2011 3:38 PM CDT up reply actions
Well. Damn. Done.
Weekend contributor at Windy City Gridiron
by Steven Schweickert on Jun 29, 2011 5:58 PM CDT up reply actions
bravo
Guns dont kill people. Brian Urlacher kills people.
by Bear Lovin 21 on Jun 29, 2011 6:54 PM CDT up reply actions
lmao! So true!
…wait….(slaps forehead)
in•san•i•ty \in-ˈsa-nə-tē\ noun
1 : The practice of repeating the same action while expecting different results.
by Timothy Hockemeyer on Jun 30, 2011 1:38 AM CDT via mobile up reply actions
haha!
If you go in the bathroom, turn off the lights, and say "Da Coach" 5 times while facing the mirror... Ditka will appear and slap the wussy right out of you.
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jun 30, 2011 10:50 AM CDT up reply actions
And last season they predicted we'd be 7-9 and finish last in the division . How'd that work out for them ?
These guys are a bunch of overpaid , undereducated tools who couldn’t predict a coin flip on a coin with heads on both sides .
" Everyone has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth. " ~
Mike Tyson
by MidWayMonster54 on Jun 29, 2011 3:21 PM CDT reply actions
it's just a typo
He meant third in the league, but he’s still mistaken, because McCaskey is in win-now mode.
Encouraging professional football in Israel
by BearDownIsrael on Jun 29, 2011 3:35 PM CDT via mobile reply actions
Exactly
Richest crop of o lineman in free agency ever+very profitable team+win now mode=we are going to have a better o line than last year. When teams have to play the bears on both sides of the ball, look out. Rarely are your teams problems as clear as this … I think they will be very aggressive in fa.
by Sound_Automatic on Jun 29, 2011 5:49 PM CDT up reply actions
And they said we would finish last last year and what happened?
This ain’t the Bull Crap System (BCS) its the NFL and in the NFL the teams themselves decide their own faith. Get it right you idiotic “experts”!
We will only get better on the O-Line as well as the Offense in general where we have a full season under their belts for Cutler and Comp. as far as the skills positions come and again the O-Line will only be better. Chris Williams nor Omiyale will not be the starter at LG especially when there are top grade LGs available as well as the team stating the interior O-Line will receive the most attention for FA .
As for our Defense our D-Line ain’t being “re-tooled” its being upgraded. Tommie Harris didn’t do jack squat last season and Henry Melton will only be better. Paea has a ton of potential and as long as we bring back AA we will be set at DT with Toeina deserving props too.
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Jun 29, 2011 3:37 PM CDT reply actions
I predict nobody actually reads the Sporting News.
When the world slips you a Jeffrey, stroke a furry wall.
- Aldous Snow
by Ditkavsworld on Jun 29, 2011 3:39 PM CDT reply actions 1 recs
Second best record in the NFC last year
And suddenly the Lions are going to beat us?
I didn't know Jason Whitlock wrote for the Sporting News
Seriously, that was some lazy-ass journalism. Just read any article by any Bears beat reporter and you would know that over half that article was written on assumption and essentially made up. Every beat reporter I’ve read has said Carimi COULD be in the mix at LT but most likely will end up at RT with Webb moving over to the left side. Guard will be either a FA or Williams.
To pull out the Cutler drama from 6 months ago is such a cop-out. If there is any doubt whatsoever why hasn’t any Bears player at least hinted at it? ALL of them have Cutler’s back, ALL of them. I’m pretty sure if one of them didn’t it would have come out in a dodging the question-type way in an interview but I don’t remember that happening.
Anyone at all who paid attention to the draft knows our D-line has only gotten stronger and that since the team intends to re-sign Adams it will be as good or better than last year.
That article is AWFUL. Total crap.
Jay Cutler is still my quarterback.
by Sam Householder on Jun 29, 2011 4:09 PM CDT reply actions
I love it!!!
Everytime they jump on our bandwagon, the wheels fall off.
Whenever they doubt us and count us out, we do so much better than their predictions.
Go on, doubt us, make your asinine comments about our QB, tell us again the Lac is over-rated and over the hill. Fuel our fire, give us some locker room pinups, make me laugh.
agreed, remember the article before week one last season that referred to the Bears....
as listless with no direction and will probably go 6-10 at best. Keep the MSM trash talking fest going, it seems to help this group. They all seem to enjoy flying under the radar.
White Sox fans need not apply.
by Bears-Cubs Bulls on Jun 29, 2011 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions
unfortunately its going to be hard for us to be under the radar
when we beat Falcons, Saints, and Packers in the first 3 weeks
but we will do it in a way that gives us no credit
remember the Packers beat themselves last year in the first matchup
by Berserker333 on Jun 29, 2011 7:56 PM CDT up reply actions
I predict...
Missed FG or fumble by Julio Jones (ATL), Brees failed fourth quarter drive (NO), Green Bay “underestimates weak” Bears squad (GB).
Weekend contributor at Windy City Gridiron
by Steven Schweickert on Jun 29, 2011 8:03 PM CDT up reply actions
Again with the
“LIONS HAVE THE BEST LINE EVAR SO THEY SHOULD WIN!!!” BS
'Don't believe in you who believe in me and don't believe in me who believes in you, but believe in you who believe in yourself'
The Lions ignored a few glaring needs so don't go pencilling them in as contenders yet
Let see if and when FA starts what they do, that will decide if the Lions are ready to compete this season or not. I still have them a season or two away, now if they make a splash in FA if we get a CBA then all bets are off.
White Sox fans need not apply.
by Bears-Cubs Bulls on Jun 29, 2011 4:41 PM CDT up reply actions
Whatever every major news network in America just wants to rehash an issue that doesn't need rehashing.....
People want to keep bashing on this team because they made every pundit and so-called expert look like a complete jacka** after the Bears made it as far as they did and now with clear improvements in the draft and the possibility of FA improvements they still want to bash this team. It’s just ignorance
Character Assassination
Is the hallmark of Tabloid journalism and Gene Chamberlain has a bright future in that venue.
Basically, facts don’t matter, what the coaches and players say don’t matter, what matters is what a couple of morons say on twitter and what I decide to say. That is what matters.
The sad part about all of this is that there are really people who buy into this kind of crap, Then again I know people who really believe the moon landing in 1969 never happened, the whole thing was filmed in Hollywood.
. "Most football teams are temperamental. That's 90% temper and 10% mental."
--Doug Plank
What's with all this optimism
for the Lions? All they do is find new ways to get to the bottom of the NFC North. Win just 8 games and I’ll see the “up and comingness”
They went 6-10 last year yet everyone is hailing them as if they were the 2007 Patriots
Jay Cutler is our QB, and I for one am proud of that
by Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter on Jun 29, 2011 7:19 PM CDT up reply actions
GREAT!
Last year we’d be last, and went to the NFC Title, if they’re moving up a spot, that means SUPERBOWL :D
Lmao
The Bears rely heavily on their nickel defense, with Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs playing the linebacker spots. It’s here where they need rookie J.T. Thomas to step up and bolster depth.
If J.T. Thomas is backing up Briggs and Lach in nickel packages then something horrible went wrong with either Pisa or Roach.
by Dominique Blanton on Jun 29, 2011 7:57 PM CDT reply actions
You guys really pay attention to this ? Let them talk, talk is cheap, plus they get paid for it, and they know someone will read, Cutler is still a money maker for the national media.
by transylvanian bear on Jun 30, 2011 7:07 AM CDT reply actions
More ignorant BS from the sports media, who for some reason hate Chicago sports teams.
Why do all my socks smell like feet?
by touchdown bears on Jun 30, 2011 10:41 AM CDT reply actions
Thats why I use the Sporting News to whip my ass! Stupid POS magizine! Keep telling us Bear fans of your BS excuse of an article! Bears will repeat as division champs and correct there NFC loss period! Stupid retards didnt even know the Sporting News excisted! By the way go Bears!!!!
by CaliChiBearfanIke on Jul 12, 2011 11:01 PM CDT reply actions

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