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I think the Bears going far depends on their matchup..
If they can get the first round bye.
And maybe get a TB or Seattle at home in round two? Sure they can get to the NFC title game.
Maybe they host it again? Who knows.
What I do know, is there offense is 10x better with Cutler than Campbell...
Am I the only one that pronounces hyperbole "Hyper-bowl" instead of "hy-per-bo-le"?
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I think that is the path they are hoping to get.
1st round bye, followed by TB, followed by ATL (who they matchup best of the heavyweights in the NFC).
they'd want to avoid: NYG, SF, GB, Seattle (Mebane!)
#gmstrong
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Quote:
I think that is the path they are hoping to get.
1st round bye, followed by TB, followed by ATL (who they matchup best of the heavyweights in the NFC).
they'd want to avoid: NYG, SF, GB, Seattle (Mebane!)
+1
The Bears are a very good and yet still very flawed team. After watching them a lot, I've noticed one important variable.....if their defense or special teams don't score, they tend to struggle. Their defense and offense are good enough to cancel/even out any team through 4 quarters, but they need that extra score to make the difference. Teams that are high risk/reward teams will end up losing to the Bears....solid and steady teams will tend to win.
They are the team that wins or loses with takeaways (I know, most other teams do too....but it seems like a bigger factor to the Bears). I'm sure I could find their +/- in wins versus loses but that would be a waste of time.
As of now, they're in the playoffs and that's more that you can say for most of the NFL (including us). Once you get in, anyone can run the table.
Aside from my Chicago bias, I wouldn't pick them to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. I still like the Giants and Patriots (runners up being Atlanta and Cincy - something tells me they'll be the team that gets lucky in the 'offs).
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I know the Falcons are sort of a whipping boy team around here, but I picked them over the Texans (who admittedly need to keep Schaub healthy and that makes me quite nervous).
Honestly, I'm not buying the hype about them opening up their offense to gear more to a long-range passing game. I think they will continue to move the ball and take shots when they are there downfield. Just looking at their team, they seem to be the most complete in the NFC (I don't trust SF, NYG were pretty ordinary until the playoffs, the Packers gamble too much on defense though they are definitely the favorites, etc.)
I was feeling so good about my ATL over HOU pick until about 3 weeks ago. Since then Houston's D has fallen apart and ATL's ability to pull games out in the 4th quarter has dwindled.
I'm going to stick with them as my picks (hey, why not), but right now it sure feels like the best teams in the AFC are the Pats and Broncos. And th
best teams in the NFC are the ummm....well....I don't know.
I'd say 49ers or Packers, but the Giants crushed them but they lost to the Eagles and got pasted by the Bengals. Falcons are hanging on games by the skin of their teeth. The Seahawks and Bears seem like the most likely other teams to make the playoffs and they can play with anybody or lose to anybody.
I don't see a clear NFC favorite right now.
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I think it's funny that for the first part of the season, the NFC was so great and the AFC was so down... now the top 3 teams in the power rankings are from the AFC.. I know the power rankings are a subjective measure but the perception of the conferences sure has changed.
yebat' Putin
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Quote:
Quote:
I think that is the path they are hoping to get.
1st round bye, followed by TB, followed by ATL (who they matchup best of the heavyweights in the NFC).
they'd want to avoid: NYG, SF, GB, Seattle (Mebane!)
+1
The Bears are a very good and yet still very flawed team. After watching them a lot, I've noticed one important variable.....if their defense or special teams don't score, they tend to struggle. Their defense and offense are good enough to cancel/even out any team through 4 quarters, but they need that extra score to make the difference. Teams that are high risk/reward teams will end up losing to the Bears....solid and steady teams will tend to win.
They are the team that wins or loses with takeaways (I know, most other teams do too....but it seems like a bigger factor to the Bears). I'm sure I could find their +/- in wins versus loses but that would be a waste of time.
As of now, they're in the playoffs and that's more that you can say for most of the NFL (including us). Once you get in, anyone can run the table.
Aside from my Chicago bias, I wouldn't pick them to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. I still like the Giants and Patriots (runners up being Atlanta and Cincy - something tells me they'll be the team that gets lucky in the 'offs).
The Bears defense is pretty good, but they are far from great. They're very good when playing with a lead and forcing teams to really try and get down the field. That's when the turnovers happen and all of their guys are making plays.
They just seem like a team that needs everything going right to do anything. Where even if you look at the Browns, they struggle in all different facets of the game, but still manage to either win, or lose in the last few minutes.
I hear about both teams because I'm like you and are in the Chicago area, and both teams could not have been put together any more different.
Chicago: their best players that they drafted and developed were from more than five years ago. They have relied on the Jay Cutler trade which sent away multiple high draft picks, free agent signings, and the Marshall trade, which sent away two third round picks. They have whiffed on a lot of their draft picks recently.
The Browns were built (and I hate this term) through the draft. very small and low key free agent signings. The fruits of doing that are just starting to show now.
I think the NFC is wide open though. Everyone looks flawed. Atlanta can't be trusted, Green Bay looks very good, but susceptible. Chicago is a mess. Then there are a bunch of 6-6 teams where anyone can emerge in 3 weeks.
You look at the AFC, and it's all big dogs. Patriots, Ravens, Broncos, Texans. Those teams are flawed as well but I think they seem more ready to deal with playoff pressure than the NFC teams. The AFC playoffs are going to be awesome.
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Well ... let's see how my "No Bears" pick looks right about now .......
I said that they would have trouble protecting their QB, and they have allowed 37 sacks through 13 games. (we have allowed 24) They throw for approx 30 fewer yards/game than we do.
They are 10th in the league in rushing, but have the same number of rushing TDs as Trent Richardson does by himself. (and 1 fewer than the Browns as a team)
Their OL is definitely a problem for them.
They will probably make the playoffs, but I have a hard tome seeing them keeping Cutler in one piece once the guns really start firing.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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It's amazing how many people here are down on the Bears. I know it doesn't look great, but I think just one more win down the line and they are probably in. I actually have them winning Sunday in my picks.
Their offensive line is horrible though. It's as bad as everyone says it is, that's not being exaggerated. There are even a few first round picks on that line, so it's not like they aren't focusing on that part of the team, it just hasn't worked out.
I thought Gabe Carimi would be a lot better, and he's not bad but he's no first round pick. The Chris Williams pick from a few years ago, the LT out of Vandy was a horrible pick. Guy was drafted with a bad back.
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Quote:
I think it's funny that for the first part of the season, the NFC was so great and the AFC was so down... now the top 3 teams in the power rankings are from the AFC.. I know the power rankings are a subjective measure but the perception of the conferences sure has changed.
i would still argue that the NFC is much more "up" than the AFC. the question is if the top couple of teams might still preside in the AFC.
the NFC is much, much deeper though. Seattle, Chicago, Washington, Dallas, Tampa, Minnesota - only 2 of those teams are getting into the playoffs.
in the AFC Pitt, Cinci, NYJ, or Browns - one will get in (ok, Bills and Chargers still have a shot too, but longer odds due to overall tiebreakers)
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Gabe Carimi vs. Aldon Smith was about as bad as I've seen in my life.
And I liked Carimi as a RT quite a bit coming out of Wisconsin.
He got DOMINATED.
I think he had 5 or 6 sacks all against Carimi.
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I think the Bears may end up firing Lovie if they don't get into the playoffs somehow. They should win this week against Arizona, and if Minnesota loses to the Texans, they still have a shot, but I think they may be ready for a new voice.
It's not all on him though, he's not the guy picking the players there. He didn't put together than offensive line. They have not played good defense the last few weeks, and if they are that dependent on Brian Urlacher, than I think Lovie does deserve to go.
That's the same thing with Shurmur, when you're an offensive guy and your offense is not good, that's on you.
I think there could be a pretty big number of firings on new year's eve.
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Arizona, with its pass rush, could be a bigger challenge for the Bears than some might think.
Micah 6:8; He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
John 14:19 Jesus said: Because I live, you also will live.
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Quote:
Arizona, with its pass rush, could be a bigger challenge for the Bears than some might think.
Definitely.
On the flip side, how can their defense not get up for playing the crappy QB carousel that is Arizona?
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