:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66914511/usa-today-8966122.0.1449412990.0.jpg)
Good morning. Welcome to Playoff Crunch 2015.
That may not be perfectly accurate when you're talking about a below-even team, but for a team that was effectively out of the race three games into the season, we'll take a grasp at what we can get. Since winning five of their last eight games and not losing a single one of those games by more than a field goal (albeit winning most of those games by a field goal or less as well...), the Bears have become a team people just don't want to face right now. And that team went into Lambeau Field on Thanksgiving and won a big one over the Packers on Brett Favre night.
The sound of that still doesn't get old, even after the Packers' Hail Mary (or "Fail Mary" with a whole new meaning if you're a Lions fan) victory on Thursday.
But, things go on, and for the Bears, the savoring of Thanksgiving dinner ended this week with preparation for the 49ers, who have... um... been in a bit of turmoil this season. Put bluntly, if you're starting Blaine Gabbert and that's the least worthy thing to talk about with your franchise over a season, yeah, things have gone wrong. Injuries, well, the list goes pretty long and impactful - Colin Kaepernick, down for the year. Reggie Bush has been done for the year. Glenn Dorsey, Carlos Hyde, Garrett Celek, out. You're starting Shaun Draughn at running back; have fun with that.
But, that isn't to say it's an easy game. Gabbert over three games has a passer rating of 91.0 and seems to have picked up at least a minor spark of offense for the Niners, and the Bears defense is still entering play allowing 4.8 yards per rush (while their NY/A Against through the air has dropped to 6.1, 9th in the league - the Bears have played a legitimately okay pass defense this season) - the Bears have allowed 170 and 177 on the ground the last two games, and would have been more if the Rams (94 in week 10) and Packers suddenly hadn't stopped involving Todd Gurley and Eddie Lacy in their gameplans.
That doesn't take away the Bears have played some solid football the last two months, and maybe they can keep it going and finally, maybe, get back to even for the first time this year. Let's go.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GAME 11 - PACKERS RECAP: Quick Recap (Dane) | Notes (SJS) | Snap Counts (Les) | Takeaways (Sam) | Playoff Chances (Dane) | Sackwatch! (Les)
GAME 12 - NINERS PREVIEW: Game Miscellany | Injury Report | Three Key Players | Five Questions With... Us/ Them
Roster: Signed Patrick Scales | PS: Edison Signed, Jones Lost | Kevin White Breathes, Reporters Expect Him To Play
Fantasy: Week 12 Preview (In Case of Applicable Thoughts) | Week 12 Recap | Week 13 Preview
Jim Mora Approved: Playoffs?! | Power Rankings | Ten Thoughts | ... PLAYOFFS?!
Draftwatch: Tight End, Hunter Henry | Defensive End, DeForest Buckner
Matt Forte was nominated for NFL Man of the Year.
Jack wrote about regaining Bear fan swagger. It's a very... readable post. Harry Carey reference aside, go read Jack.
The Bears have bought in to John Fox.
What are your thoughts on Jay Cutler? Stop right there, you're right. Josh on why everybody's right about Jay Cutler.
Gameday procedures: It's a noon game, so we'll be doing the noon procedures. That means, tray tables in the upright and locked position and seatbelts fastened for a first quarter thread showing up at noon, with subsequent quarter threads popping as the game goes on, of course. After the game, we'll have our quick recap and the threads for this evening's action, with Notes following bright and early at 7 AM CT tomorrow morning.
With all the propers out of the way, Bear Down, my friends.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It feels good to be back in the saddle for another WCG Sunday Livestream, having had to take both Thanksgiving off as well as last week's Bears-less Sunday for travel reasons, and because it's always good to talk about a team that just might mean something in December. Oh, and there's taking down the Packers.
Bottom line, there's a lot to talk about, and if you want to talk about it with us, here's how:
- Here. Yes, here, This thread. We're not going far. Just a couple different spots. Like here...
- Over on the Twitch page; it's over here, and...
- Over on our Twitters. I'm over at @SJS_illini; he's over at @SamHouseholder.
We'll be live at 9:30 AM CT. See y'all then.