The Bears can't afford to fumble their chance to beat up on an NFL patsy.
As we've discussed, it's the year of the blowout in the NFL. We know that Vegas bookies are taking a bath as one creampuff after another gets trounced by double-digit margins. Hard to believe there are still three winless teams (the Rams and Buccaneers at 0-7, the Titans at 0-6). Among the teams with only one victory are the Cleveland Browns, who visit Soldier Field on Sunday. Just what the Bears need: a truly awful opponent.
But the way the Bears were outclassed Sunday, you could argue they have "awful" potential themselves. Lovie Smith has stressed that the 45-10 shellacking in Cincinnati was just one game, and the bookies are expecting a big bounce-back this weekend. How about you?
I'm going with the Bears, 27-10. What say you? Post your prediction here, any time between now and kickoff Sunday.
REMINDER: Be sure to join our live Bears chat during Sunday's game, led with impeccable precision by Adam Jahns. For the Bengals chat we had our biggest day yet as fans felt the need to vent: nearly 500 participants and more than 1,600 comments. It's a great way to celebrate or commiserate with fellow fans while watching the action.
Bears 20-10; (aka Cle +13.5)
Bears 42-21. They will score a lot, but they will also make an inept QB look like an all pro. Should get something from special teams on Sunday.
Lay the points.
Bears 3 - Browns 2
The mystery and intrigue surrounding this game is thick enough to cut with a knife...
Will Tommie Harris show up (after all, he has practiced TWO consecutive days this week!!!!)?
Will Matt Forte find solid footing on home turf or continue to run like he's on eggshells?
Now that Nick Roach has been clipped, will he come out smokin' mad?
Will Cutler rebound from his contract celebration/boozy outing in Cincy to demonstrate why the Bears prematurely extended his contract?
Will Greg Olsen figure out that defenses ARE covering him and he has to do more to get open?
Will Lovie trumpet the success of the Cover 2 following this victory -- even though Derek Anderson might be the worst QB in the league and Cleveland is so inept they have barely figured out how to line up in their basic offensive formation? (As an aside, remember when everyone was clamoring to sign Derek Anderson a couple seasons ago? HA!)
Will any answers to these questions matter? After all, it's only Cleveland!
As has been previously noted: If the Bears could play the Lions, Chiefs, Titans, Browns, and Bucs every week, they could have a helluva season.
Unfortunately, it appears as though the Bears might belong in the team photo with the rest of these cellar dwellers. Time will tell.
a battle between two 1 win teams....2 of my faves...how lovely
I don't think this game looks like two one win teams goin at it, tho....There is urgency on both sides, but the Bears are gutless from the top down...."and they go from there"(Villano, 2009)
Browns 20
Bears 17
On a totally different subject:
I just took a good look at The Ricketts family.
Tom bears a strong resemblance to Michael McCaskey, and they all dress like him too.
This can't bode well for Cub fans.
So they beat the Browns. So what? They're still going to end up 7-9 this season. Look at the schedule. Tell me I am wrong. I wish they were able to go 10-6, but look at the schedule. I see 7-9, maybe 8-8 at best with some luck...thats it. See you next year. Da Bears!
Cleveland is really bad so they should win this game even if they don't play very well.
SHOULD win this game.
I am not going to watch this time around since the Bears owe me a Sunday afternoon after last weeks steaming pile of Lovie.
Bears 27 Browns 10.
Mark Villano says "Tom bears a strong resemblance to Michael McCaskey, and they all dress like him too.
This can't bode well for Cub fans."
Not only does Tom Ricketts resemble Michael McCaskey, he sounds like him as well.
Can't ya' just smell another faceless, stuffed-shirt, corporate entity managing the Lovable Losers? Ah, stay thirsty my northsider friends.
I'll take what's offered 8.5 miles south.
Bears - 23
Browns - 19
********************
The real question is what will happen if the Bears lose this game.....the answer is nothing......
Mike Mulligan will write a story about how, with just a few tweaks to the offense and/or defense, all will be well.....
David Haugh over at the Trib will write a story about how Lovie deserves to keep his job forever, he's just a victim of circumstance.....
Neil Hayes will write a column about how mysterious all this is, and how he just can't put a finger on why the Bears have flopped for the last two and a half years, it can't be Angelo or Lovie's fault, there must be some other reason....
Brad Biggs will dutifully quote Lovie on how they "just need to play better and minimize the mistakes" and how the Bears "have plenty of talent to get the job done".....
But no one at any of the papers will be able to write the story that has to be written - that Lovie and Angelo have to go, they have had plenty of time to prove that they know what they are doing, and it is obvious that they do not.....
Mark Villano says "Tom bears a strong resemblance to Michael McCaskey, and they all dress like him too.
This can't bode well for Cub fans."
Not only does Tom Ricketts resemble Michael McCaskey, he sounds like him as well.
Can't ya' just smell another faceless, stuffed-shirt, corporate entity managing the Lovable Losers? Ah, stay thirsty my northsider friends.
I'll take what's offered 8.5 miles south.
Villano --
When I look at the Ricketts, I think "Daniel Snyder."
It's scary.
Of course, when I looked at Lovie Smith on the sidelines during the Bengals game, I thought "doh!"
After all the caterwalling these past two weeks, I wanted to step back, and take the long view. Every once in a while we all need to stop and smell the garbage.
The reality that dawned on me during this brief, reflective interlude, was that Lovie Smith isn't going anywhere, even if the Bears are completely routed in every single remaining game this season. The same thing goes for Angelo.
The McCaskeys simply won't eat that kind of financial crow if it's being served on the executive side of the buffet's ledger. They'd sooner emulate the Lions for an entire decade than swallow two or three years of a coach's or GM's contract.
There's a dynamic here that runs diametrically opposed to the law of economics as it is usually applied to professional sports franchises.
Under normal circumstances, when highly paid players fail, either individually or collectively, to live up to expectations, the coach gets the axe. In Chicago, the players get the axe and the coach is absolved of any and all responsibility.
Until his contract is about to expire.
Get used to it.
Get used to it.
CUBS win, CUBS win and Indians or (Native Americans) lose.
KLSS, what have you been smoking or drinking? Do actually believe the Bears are going to score in the area of 40 points?
Come back to earth. The Bears may win 24-17 or lose in this fashion as well. You just stated the defense will make the QB look like an all-pro.
KLSS, side bet. You don't post but once on Monday, if the Bears don't score forty points. I will not post at all Monday and Tuesday if they score forty points.
BET? You got me faded man?
Ok, seriously, what else does Lovie & Ron Turner have to do to get fired?Doesn't bad coaching for 3 consecutive seasons sign an automatic ticket out of town? More time with Turner and Cutler is going to go from a ProBowler to a pedestrian QB. When will the Bears organization open their eyes?
I'm going with the Bears 31-20. If the Bears win but by only less than a touchdown, then you might as well consider that as a loss against this team. The "a win is a win" excuse is not going to fly with the Bears fans in this town.
Anon: Here's a question for you:
How will we know whether or not you honor this bet, since, (unlike myself;) you are not a recognized member of the group?
Who said "Caterwalling?" WHat is that?
Bears win 28-17
Stu was right that Cleveland came at the perfect time because they desperately need a bad team to their confidence back up.
RIGHT ON GIG...I am with yuh all the way ! One of the top 4-5 Pro Teams in the country.ha ha one of the 2-3 losing ones now going into 102nd year with out a W/S. And 2010 will not be any better
Bubba's Mom, caterwalling is somewhat of a hillbilly term that discribes a whiny high pitched annoying complaining voice sounding much like a lonesome alley cat on a full moon night.
At the end of last season I had vowed that if something didn't change with the Bears (and I was hoping it would be Lovie's firing) I was not going to be bothered with them. So lo and behold they traded for Cutler and suckered me in for another season,maybe. The last 2 games have been classic Lovie stick to what hasn't been working and blame poor execution instead of admitting the entire world all the way down to Pop Warner league has your scheme's figured out and knows where to attack it. As bad as Cleveland is anything short of a blow out is a loss. I know it's unrealistic to think there will be any house cleaning let alone actually hope for it, so unless Lovie gets a clue and shakes things up and does something like actually make adjustments during the game, I'm done with the Bears until he and Angelo are gone. And to think I almost paid for the NFL package so I could watch the games that aren't nationaly televised down here in NC. No thank you I can watch the Panthers and get my fill of poor football.
Bears won't cover 13, they could lose if they play like last week. D line play should tell the tale.
I like how all the sox fans have to comment on the new cubs owners in this bears blog. Talk about small timers! But I suppose seeing all the attention and plans and the fresh start for the cubs has to grate for sox fans who have little if anything to look forward to. Maybe Ozzie will swear on National TV, that ought to keep everyone happy. I suspect that this caterwalling is because Sox fans now know which team has the worst owners in town, don't blame them for not being happy about it, Reinsdorf would love to move his team to his hometown of phoenix. Only problem is All the snowbirds there are Cubs fans, Sox fans go to Hammond for the winter.
My mistake.
It should have been "caterwauling". I typed it the way that it sounded.
So stop caterwauling already!
Gig:
I was thinking that if the two families merged, the McCaskeys and Ricketts would become, "The McCasketts".
Maybe it's all just a Halloween prank.
Oh really OttoM. Hmmm, surely you jest and I will call you "surely." You don't want to get into it here pal. Phil, Mark and others will have you for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Upon further review:
I wouldn't touch this game if my life depended on it.
Although I want AND expect the Bears to win, they have done nothing to earn my confidence at the betting window. Only a complete fool would wager hard earned cash on any team coached by Lovie & Co.
The Bears should win this game handily, say 41-17, but things seem to be on the downtrend for them.I've been out of touch the last seventeen days and wonder what happened. Let's hope the Browns allow the Bears to regroup and hit their top stride.they are still in the hunt but had best shape up damned fast.
The proper word is 'caterwauling' but 'catterwalling' is the down south slang spelling. Either way, it's nothing we could listen to here, thank goodness.
Bears-38 Cleveland-10
Yeah, I think the Bears score near 40. Anderson stinks, Brady will not get close to his incentives money, the Brownies have no rushing game and Mohamed gets massaquoired. Jay goes ballistic, the 'D' and Specials each score one, and Lovie finally gets off the bus with the Chicago Pass.
Note: My wife just purchased a new Kia FORTE. I just hope it doesn't falter in it's second year!!!
Mark... the McCasketts, maybe it's just a Halloween prank. Classic!
The opposite end of that spectrum would be the 'Rickeys'. It's gonna be just a matter of time before thay have some "splainin' to do".
Look OttoM. I think you Otto go get back to us in another 100 years!!! At least wait to see what Lemony Ricketts ACTUALLY does before you start celebrating. My fault, I guess you have to celebrate something! Please kindly take your celebration on over to the Manhole. And quit hating on Ozzie, he never says anything about you guys when he visits FLORIDA!! Heard they have plenty of MARLINS there. And tell BARTMAN we all said hi. Heard he is a snowbird too. Only kind of Cub in existence that knows absolutely nothing about Bears!!! Tell us the odds of losing for a straight century!
OHHHHHHH OTTO!!! you are so welcome here. Most of these Sox fans have
to punch out on a time clock before they are allowed to post here 'on their own time' not the factory's. What's funnier? Ozzie's complete uneducated cursing and
and unprofessionalism due to lack of exposure to education?.....or the fact that he is approx a career .200 hitter complaining about his teams inability to hit? Ozzie critiquing hitting is like Lovie critiquing his teams passing.
True story from fall of 2005:
Perhaps the only known living White Sox fan... at the time, died and went to the place all wicked people go. The Devil decided to shove him in a room and cranked the heat and humidity up.
The man smiled. When the Evil One asked why the man was smiling he said: "Just like Chicago in Spring"
So the Most Evil One cranked up the heat and humidity more. The man removed his coat, smiled, and said:
"Just like Chicago in Summer"
This time the Destroyer of Beauty cranked the heat and humidity to maximum.
The man removed his bowling league shirt and said
"Just like Chicago in August"
The Devil then got an idea. He shut off the heat and turned on the air conditioning. The room froze in seconds. Ice was everywhere. Polar bears hid in dens because it was so cold. Satan, confident he had finally won, peaked in the man's room only to find the man cheering and partying frantically....
"The White sox won the World Series...The White Sox won the World Series..."
And that is how the White Sox won the world series-coincidentally. Hell has been thawing out ever since.
Upon further review, why not!
Villano, I just took the Bears; -12/over 40 in a round robin with Tenn. under 44 1/2. I have a feeling Lovie's feeling the heat this time. He got hot under the collar this week and he'll leave nothing to chance. What better way to erase last week than with a whoopin'.
Jets-Balt-Indy over. There you go. That's the non Bears card.
C'mon Packers!!!!!!!
Sorry, but I can't get excited about this mess.
One of the sloppiest, poorly played games I've seen in awhile. A comedy of errors.
They didn't beat anybody today. I don't know what the Browns are, but they aren't a professional football team. The Bears would have lost to almost any good team the way they played today, and I didn't see much improvement from last week, other than the final score.
They looked like the Keystone Cops out there today.