While I was watching the Packers game last Monday, a friend commented that he couldn't believe Mike Brown was finally going to make it to Christmas healthy.
Uh, not so fast.
The Bears placed Brown on IR earlier this week, ending his season and probably his Bears tenure. He'll be a free agent after the season.
As has been a running theme in the comment section here over the last two years, it sure would be great to have Chris Harris back, huh? Without Brown, Craig Steltz, whose play Monday night left a lot to be desired, will get the start at safety.
So...
- What will Brown's legacy in Chicago be? Will he be remembered more for his leadership or durability? What was your favorite Brown memory? The touchdown in 2006's raucous Arizona game? Don't forget the back-to-back interceptions returned for touchdowns against the 49ers and Browns in 2001, either.
More importantly:
What happens on Sunday? Feel free to input your predictions right up until game time. Will the Vikings blow it just like the Twins did? Can the Bears go into Houston and beat an up-and-coming Texans club? Can anyone on the Bears stop Mario Williams? When the dust settles, will the Bears be a division champ? I need to know these things.
Mike Brown's legacy is of one that has an injury list longer than Kerry Wood's or Mark Prior's. Why isn't it treated with the same disgust?
I hear that Mike Brown could be going into coaching. I think as a secondary coach that's a good idea, but I don't want him coaching a team. Part of coaching players is teaching them how to stay healthy and Brown obviously cannot even do that for himself. He's the little engine that almost could.
I don't recall him saying anything royally stupid like most athletes do so I don't begrudge him for anything except missing the Super Bowl where the Bears could have sorely needed him.
Then like an idiot, Jerry Angelo trades Chris Harris. Yeah, like Mike Brown's backup never sees any action during the regular season. It is said that on normal football teams the most important player is the backup QB. If you have a great one, you'll be fine in the event of a tragedy. With the Bears over reliance on defense that position is Mike Brown's backup and Angelo dumped the only good one we had.
The Cover 2 needs to go away after this season anyway. If Mike Brown retires it'll be a good time to make a switch.
At this point, I think the right thing for Brown to do would be to play next year for nothing considering he's been getting paid to play about 6 games per year over his career.
Since you so cavalierly request idiotic speculation on a "need to know" basis, Ricky Ticky,the Bears will be eligible both ways. the Giants will win 37-18, Dallas will lose by the same score, and Tampa Bay will fall 3-0. Now you know. Boldly predict where no man has gone before.
On the other issue, I would not yet count Mike Brown out of a Bear uniform. He will come back stronger than ever and as a free agent should get a great salary boost in spite of his injury history. I also tin he will be reasonable in his money demands, unlike the Briggs, Urlacher, Hester greed mongers because he has more character than those three combined.
I look for the bears to win, seeing as though they have everything to play for and the texans have little to play for other than a .500 record. The bears offense, as bad as it has been lately, will be much better in the controlled conditions of Reliant Stadium than it was in the cold of soldier field. Let's not kid ourselves, the bears are as affected by the cold as opposing teams, especially on offense. Ill say the offense produces just enough and the defense comes up with a big stand late. Bears 24-20.
Unfortunately, I don't see the bears making the playoffs. The wildcard is not an option because the bucs are not going to lose at home to an oakland club traveling cross-country for a meaningless game. I also don't like what I am hearing from the giants about the effort they are going to put forth against the vikings. Say the giants play their starters for a half, keep our hopes up, but let it go in the second half and the vikings win 31-17.
As far as mike brown, I love the kid. He has been a special player for a long time and I will miss watching him when he leaves. I still think that if we had brown in 05 and 06, things would have ended very differently. For example, does mike brown blow the coverage in the super bowl that danieal manning blew? No. My favorite memory of him was the interception return tds in overtime in 2001. That was such a fun year and mike brown had a lot to do with it.
I continue to vacillate about my preferences, insofar as the outcome of this season is concerned. I've been up and down on the Bears since training camp, (mostly down) and I officially deleted them from my, "must see" list after the Atlanta and Tampa debacles.
There was no Godly excuse for either of those pathetic performances, and a GM with even one testicle would have begun swinging his axe in the aftermath.
Alas, the McCaskey's have neutered Angelo.
As far as the final week is concerned, I wish that the Vikings had a 3:00 start on Sunday. This way the Bears wouldn't be inclined to watch the scoreboard, and would have no excuses for failing to take care of their own business, which is beating the Texans. I imagine hearing that the Vikings are blowing out the Giants late in the third quarter would have an understandably negative effect on their morale, and thus, the outcome of their own scrum with Houston.
Then again, they can thank themselves for being in this position to begin with. Perhaps they really aren't good enough to play in the post season, but that does not excuse the fact that this year the Central division was theirs for the taking. The Bears aren't worth a single tear that's been shed over the milk they've already spilled on the field, and there's no sense in crying over any more of it.
BTW ... due to the fact that I believe the game in Minneapolis will have a direct effect on outcome of the game in Houston, I wouldn't get within a mile of placing a bet on the Bears; regardless of the spread.
They have failed to convince me that they can play with any pride or passion when the division is on the line, so I certainly wouldn't wager any money on them knowing there's a possibility that, for all intents and purposes, their season might be already over with before the forth quarter even begins.
Only a sucker would bet on these guys. Nevertheless, I still wish them well.
Go Bears!
Truth be known, Mike Brown is the glue that holds the 'D' together. Unless you watch hours of game film, you can't see the importance this man brings to the table. Oh, the next few games may be a tell tale sign, especially if the next man misses a few key tackles, but if we can get ten games out of the man next year, we'll be ten games better off. That's how I feel, and I'm standing to it.
Go Bears!!!
Personally, I'm fed up with this guy. Always injured. Never plays a full year. When are we gonna spend some real $$$ on a PAIR of good cornerbacks/safeties? when are we gonna get a defensive coordinator that doesn't have his head up his Ar$e? Boy I wish the days of Buddy Ball was still in place. 46 defense, guys flying at people, and hitting the bejeebers out of the opposing QB. And quit portraying Matt Forte as the next Walter Payton. He couldn't hold Walters jockstrap. Lets hope he's better than Neal Anderson or Anthony Thomas.
Whatever Glue holds Mike Brown together...should be recalled.
There are a few people who should be done with the Bears
You get hurt in football. Until Mike Brown misses less than half a season... You glue him back together and put him on the field.
Good one Culz...
Larry I appreciate your post about Forte. I feel badly for any back coming to Chicago for that purpose, but you are right to make that statement. Walter Payton is to the Bears what Jordan is to the Bulls. Any comparisons to those guys should be kept until at least 3 consecutive seasons of awe inspired dominance.
Buddy Ryan and the 46! The shuffling Crew! Those were the days! Glory Days!