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Raiders Bears Preview

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Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr
Oakland Raiders QB Derek Carr

If only the Bears could have walked away at half time against the Seahawks last weekend in Seattle, but no… the NFL requires the teams to play 60 minutes which turned a 6 – 0 deficit at half into a 26 – 0 beat down. Even with their 0 – 3 record, there is a lot of Chicago faithful that believe the Bears season actually starts this week.

Playing the Packers, Cardinals and Seahawks in back-to-back-to-back weeks was a rough way to start the 2015 season for a team on the decline but now the schedule lightens up… or does it?

The Raiders come to town and boast a 2 – 1 record, a record they haven’t had since 2002, and are the best team in the state of California. That’s right, the Raiders are the BEST team in the Golden State and are only going to get better as the season progresses.

Led by quarterback Derek Carr and wide receiver Amari Cooper, the Raiders young nucleus of players have shined bright early on in the season. Latavius Murray looks to crack the 100 yard mark 2 weeks in a row after his 26 carries, 139 yard performance against the Cleveland Browns.

Oakland Raiders DE Khalil Mack
Oakland Raiders DE Khalil Mack

On the defensive side of the ball the Raiders have a nice mix of young and old talent as 2nd year DE Khalil Mack anchors a strong defensive line. Ex-49er Aldon Smith will see the field more as he gets acclimated to Jack Del Rio’s team. Old and reliable, Charles Woodson still roams the secondary as a centerfielder and made the game clinching interception last week in Cleveland.

I could continue talking about the Raiders but everyone knows that this game comes down to one thing, the starting quarterback for the Bears.

Last week the Bears offense totaled 146 yards and Clausen only threw for 63 of those yards, which is 11 less than what Matt Forte totaled on the ground. If Clausen is the starter for the game on Sunday, the Raiders will win their 3rd consecutive game, which hasn’t happened since 2011 and the Bears will fall to 0 – 4, which hasn’t happened in 15 seasons.

Chicago Bears OC Adam Gase and HC John Fox
Bears OC Adam Gase and HC John Fox

Though it is doubtful, if Cutler can play, the Bears have a chance to make this an entertaining game. Both Cutler and Alshon Jeffery practiced on a limited basis this week and have an outside shot of suiting up but fans most likely will see both of them in street clothes again this Sunday.

Expect the Bears to try and pound the ball again this week to keep Carr and company off the field. Adam Gase might allow Clausen to test the young corners of Oakland but don’t anticipate to see an aerial show by Mr. Spaghetti Arm. The Bears are in a transition year with an injured quarterback and no expectations, maybe Dave Fales is the answer.

Raiders Bears Notes & Predictions

Key Matchup: Healthy Jimmy Clausen vs. Questionable Jay Cutler

Key Injuries: QB Jay Cutler (Doubtful), WR Alshon Jeffery (Questionable)

Fact: First time the Raiders have been favored on the road in 3 years

Fantasy Spotlight: WR Amari Cooper

Spread: Raiders -3

Prediction: Raiders 24, Bears 13

@WesEvans24

Seahawks Bears Preview

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Seattle Seahawks HC Pete Carroll
Seattle Seahawks HC Pete Carroll

Not all 0 – 2 teams are created equal.

Don’t be fooled by your co-workers comments about the Seattle Seahawks being beatable this Sunday because they are winless too. The Seahawks are a better team in every aspect and are hungry for their first win of the season.

Seattle is one of the toughest places to play in the NFL as the Seahawks look to win for the 27th time in 29 home games this Sunday against the depleted Bears. The Seahawks will also welcome the last member of the L.O.B., which will bolster an already stacked defense with Kam Chancellor ending his holdout.

The Seahawks acquired Jimmy Graham in the offseason from the Saints to help Russell Wilson and a no-name receiving core. Many experts expected Graham to have a great season due to the lack of options at the receiver position, but through 2 games Graham has 7 reception for 67 yards and 1 touchdown. Graham was only targeted 2 times against the Packers last week and voiced his displeasure via the media stating that he’s “pissed off… He hates what’s happening in Seattle.”

Seattle Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham
Seattle Seahawks TE Jimmy Graham

Expect the lack of production to change as the Bears gave up 13 TDs to opposing tight ends in 2014, the 2nd in the NFL. Graham should feast on a Bears defense who has given up 39.5 PPG this year and are not showing signs of turning things around anytime soon.

If you have any other Seahawks on your fantasy team, they should be in your line up, especially if those players are Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch or the Seattle defense.

Seattle’s defense? Oh yeah… with spaghetti arm Jimmy Clausen leading the charge, expect the Seahawks to be all over the Bears quarterback and force multiple turnovers. If Jay Cutler was taking the snaps the Bears would have been an 8 point underdog but with Clausen, thing will get ugly quickly and the Seahawks won’t let up.

A steady dose of Matt Forte and Martellus Bennett in the flat will be the Bears offense this Sunday as a vertical passing game will be virtually obsolete. The Packers back up running back, James Starks, was able to rush for 95 yards on 20 attempts so there are lanes for Forte to exploit if the Bears don’t get down by too

Chicago Bears QB Jimmy Clausen
Chicago Bears QB Jimmy Clausen

much early.

At least with Cutler behind center, the Bears were a competent football team that might lose by a touchdown but with Clausen running the show, the Bears are the worst team in the NFL.

Seahawks Bears Notes & Predictions

Key Matchup: Game vs. a Nap

Key Injuries: QB Jay Cutler (Doubtful), WR Alshon Jeffery (Questionable)

Fact: The Seahawks are tied for second in the league with 36 wins from 2012-14

Fantasy Spotlight: TE Jimmy Graham

Spread: Seahawks -14.5

Prediction: Seahawks 38, Bears 13

@WesEvans24

Cardinals Bears Preview

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Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer
Arizona Cardinals QB Carson Palmer

I am confused… did the Bears win or lose last week?

I keep checking the score and the Bears continue to lose the game by the score of 31 – 24 to the Packers. I only ask this question because the tenor around the city seems to be one of joy. I understand the sigh of relief when it wasn’t a blowout but this is the NFL, a loss is a loss and Jay Cutler is Jay Cutler.

Unlike the Bears, the Arizona Cardinals are coming off a season opening win against Drew Brees and the Saints in Glendale, AZ. From start to finish the Cardinals were the better team on both sides of the ball and it was reflected in the final score as they took home the 31 – 19 victory.

The Cardinals are a totally different team with Carson Palmer under center, Arizona started last season 8 – 1 with Palmer but a left knee injury against the Rams derailed any hopes of making the Super Bowl. With a healthy Palmer the Cardinals are looking to take the next step, which starts with the Bears in week 2.

Palmer is surrounded by playmakers who are chomping at the bit to have a real quarterback to lead their offense. The mainstay and Mr. Reliable Larry Fitzgerald has moved inside to the slot where his size, strong hand and route running will cause Alan Ball and others to have a long day in coverage.

Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald
Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald

Speed kills and your auto-generated player in Madden name John Brown has plenty to burn as a 2nd year man out of Pittsburg State. At 5’ 10”, Brown is a shifty receiver who only needs a small lane to make a 5 yard reception an 80 yard touchdown.

The Bears defense won’t be strained (pun intended) due to Andre Ellington’s as he sprained his MCL in the middle of last weeks game. The Cardinals will be forced to start journeyman running back Chris Johnson in the backfield and rookie back David Johnson’s role will increase to fill the void.

The Cardinals defense is a mirror image of their head coach Bruce Arians. They play with an edge and like to attack the offense with their speed and athleticism. Cornerbacks Patrick Peterson and Jerraud Power will make Cutler’s day rough, especially with ball hawking free safety Tyrann Mathieu’s manning center field.

If ALL that was not enough, the Bears had a total of zero sacks and zero quarterback pressures in week 1 verses Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Cardinals were also not sacked last week and Palmer was only hit once all game. This game will come down to Bears and whether or not they can get to Palmer in the backfield. Palmer is not a mobile quarterback by any stretch but he has the ability to side step pressure to create passing lanes down field.

Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte
Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte

Week 1 was the blue print for the Bears offense in 2015, as Matt Forte touched the ball 29 times for 166 total yards and 1 touchdown. HC John Fox and OC Adam Gase know that the offense needs to flow through Forte so Cutler doesn’t self-destruct like in the past. Expect the Bears to attack the Cardinals 3 – 4 defense like they did last week but they will need to score touchdowns instead of field goals if the Bear expect to win on Sunday.

Cardinals Bears Notes & Predictions

Key Matchup: Bears D-Line vs. Cardinals O-Line

Key Injuries: WR Alshon Jeffery (Ques.), LB Pernell McPhee, DT Ego Ferguson (Out)

Fact: Carson Palmer is 14-2 as a starter for the Arizona Cardinals

Fantasy Spotlight: RB Chris Johnson

Spread: Cardinals -2

Prediction: Cardinals 24, Bears 27

@WesEvans24

Packers Bears Preview

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Chicago Bears Head Coach John Fox
Chicago Bears Head Coach John Fox

Has it already been 9 months?

Seriously, it was just yesterday that Teddy Bridgewater and the Minnesota Vikings were finishing off the Bears one last time for a putrid 5 – 11 record. It wasn’t a surprise when the McCaskey’s decided to fire GM Phil Emery and his handpicked head coach Marc Trestman during the offseason.

After the Emery/Trestman debacle, the franchise went new and old school with the hiring of GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox. With only one offseason and draft, Pace/Fox did their best to reshape this team by switching to a 3-4 defense and signing some veteran players to help pull this team out of its current defensive tailspin.

Is it enough for Week 1 of the NFL regular season?

It might have been if the Bears opponent wasn’t one of the NFC favorites to play in the Super Bowl and main rival Green Bay Packers coming to the lakefront. Even with the loss of Jordy Nelson, the Packers are favored by the 2nd largest points spread (7) in week 1 and they are on the road!

Packers WR Jordy Nelson
Packers WR Jordy Nelson

Nelson’s injury kicks open the door for many young players on the Packers roster and second year wide out Davante Adams, who was expected to take a step forward as the Packers third wide receiver, will now be leaned heavily by Aaron Rodgers as the #2.

The tight end position has always been a point of contention with Packer fans but Mike McCarthy believes they have found something with Richard Rodgers. (No relation to Aaron) The 6’ 4”, 260 lbs tight end will be an integral part of the Packers offense and should be a large red zone target due to the injuries at the wide receiver position.

The Packers defense remains largely intact from 2014, the only losses were veteran defenders A.J. Hawk and Tramon Williams. With Matthews, Peppers, Shields, Clinton-Dix, Raji and Hayward in the fold, the Cheese Heads are bound to walk all over the Bears in 2015, just like they did in 2014.

In the two meetings last year, the Packers outscored the Bears 93 – 31 and Aaron Rodgers threw 10 touchdown passes to Jay Cutlers’ 3. To compare Rodgers to Cutler any further would be pointless considering one is a future hall of famer and the other is an overpaid, under achieving bum.

So let’s move on…

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

It might be tough for diehard Bears fans to hear, but the Packers are just a better team from top to bottom. Outside of Robbie Gould and Marty Bennett, the Packers have everything the Bears are trying to build towards… Quarterback, wide receivers, 3-4 defense and a winning culture.

The winning part will have to wait another week or so for the Bears because outside of a cosmic-sized event, the Packers are going to roll to 1 – 0.

 

 

Packers Bears Notes & Predictions

Key Matchup: DC Vic Fangio with Bears players vs. Aaron Rodgers

Key Injuries: WR Alshon Jeffery (Ques.), WR M. Wilson (Ques.), WR Eddie Royal (Ques.)

Fact: Bears have a 92-90-6 lead in 188 regular season matchups

Fantasy Spotlight: Davante Adams

Spread: Packers -7

Prediction: Packers 34, Bears 17

@WesEvans24

 

Bears Fans: Packers Humiliation Bad for Business

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Jermaine Kearse Game Winning TD vs GB
Jermaine Kearse Game Winning TD vs GB

In the wake of “Deflate Gate” and anticipation of the Super Bowl Sunday, it is time to reflect on the NFC Championship game that transpired last Sunday. No matter who you pledge your football allegiance to, that was one of the most improvable come back wins in recent memory.

With that being said, Bears Nation exhaled as Jermaine Kearse caught a perfectly thrown ball by Russell Wilson for a 35-yard game winning TD against Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers and the Pack were sent home after a 28 – 22 OT loss to the defending champs with nothing to show for it except a Bear-like meltdown.

Yipee… Packers pissed their opportunity to play in the Super Bowl right down their leg.

I understand that Bears fan would rather eat ketchup on their hot dogs then see the Packers win, but THIS type of loss takes away from a tradition that Bears fans are so accustom to seeing from their team… a tradition aptly named, a “Bears Loss.”

Whether it is Marion Barber fumbling while trying to run out the clock or Jay Cutler throwing 4 inceptions against a sub-500 team, a “Bears Loss” was one of the only thing the Bears had going for it that the Packers couldn’t touch.

They have Aaron Rodgers and a ring, you have a 42 – 21 loss in 2013 against a Kellen Clemens-lead Rams team who hasn’t made the playoffs since 2004. This Rams game is one of the many instances where fans were left asking themselves, “How did we lose that game?”

Brandon Bostick misplays SEA onside Kick
Brandon Bostick misplays SEA onside kick

Like AA, steps have to occur to validate whether or not a game can be considered a “Bears loss.” First step: be overcome with an uncontrollable anger that can only be expressed thru social media. Second step: pointing a finger at anything and everything that may have resulted in your team’s loss. Third step: and the most important, realizing your team had everything to do with their own demise and it is time to start preparing for next year.

Check, check and check for Cheese land.

By no means am I suggesting that Bears fans should have been rooting for the Packers to win the game, but they should have been rooting for them not to lose like their ‘The Beloved’.

One of the following situations would be considered a ‘bad loss’ but all of them in one game… now that’s a “Bears Loss.”

  • 2 red zone appearance in the first 8 minutes of the game for only 6 points
  • Fake FG TD pass given up
  • Julius Peppers waving Morgan Burnett to get down after an interception
  • Not capitalizing off of 4 interceptions
  • Brandon Bostick onside kick miscue
  • Successful 2 pt. conversion by Seahawks
Aaron Rodgers and Olivia Munn

The Chicago Bears had cornered the market on ridiculous losses and could puff out their chests as they waltz their way into last place in the NFC North. But the Packers had to 1-up them… again. They couldn’t just lose like everybody else and go home to their decently attractive Olivia Munn-like women… they had to make it an ALL-TIMER which cut into the Bears market share!

Usually a “Bears Loss” in a NFC Championship game would haunt a franchise for years to come, but with Aaron Rodgers at the wheel, I would imagine the Packers will make it to the ‘Ship in the next couple of years.

But if they don’t… I will be referencing this game once Rodgers retires.

@WesEvans24

Packers Seahawks

 

 

Bears vs NFC Playoff Teams

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Bears owner Virginia McCaskey
Bears owner Virginia McCaskey

The McCaskey’s decided to clean house last week again after their Chicago Bears missed the playoffs for the 4th straight year. Ex-Bears GM Phil Emery brought in Marc Trestman 2 years ago to close the gap between the Packers and the Bears. That decision had the reverse effect, by widening the talent gap and costing Emery/Trestman their jobs.

For a synopsis of a possible reboot plan for the Bears, check out Ryan Horvat’s article by clicking here.

The Bears had the opportunity to play against 4 of the 6 teams that made the playoffs for the NFC this year during the regular season… they went 0 – 6.

The Bears are now in a rebuilding mode, but how would this Bears squad fair against this year’s NFC playoff teams?

Bears vs Panthers: The Panthers are a sub .500 playoff team that the Bears would have a shot of beating if they met this year in the playoffs. Even though the Panthers are on a 4 game winning streak and beat the Bears in their week 5 matchup, they would be able to contend with the Panthers. Even with Carolina getting healthy and with Luke Kuechly and co. are returning to form, the Bears should have been able to beat the Panthers if they met in the playoffs.

Panther LB Luke Kuechly
Panther LB Luke Kuechly

Bears vs Cardinals: The Cardinals are the surprise team of 2014, as they were able to replace the 49ers in the playoff picture in the NFC. The Bears would not have been able to play with this team if Carson Palmer was healthy but with Drew Stanton/Ryan Lindley throwing the rock, the Bears could have competed. Although, a Patrick Peterson pick-6 or a Calais Campbell sack fumble of Jay Cutler could throw this Bears team into a downward spiral, the Cardinals are the only other team the Bears “could” beat if they met them in the playoffs.

Bears vs Cowboys: The 2012 Cowboys are the Bears of today, an underachieving franchise with no identity. The 2014 Cowboys decided to assemble one of the best o-lines in the NFL and hand the ball off to DeMarco Murray 25+ times a game to relieve pressure on Tony Romo. Dallas was another team the humiliated the Bears on primetime and I see no reason why they wouldn’t do it again… The Cowboys have the blueprint for the Bears to follow but is it too late to turn this circus around?

Bears vs Lions: The Lions are the Bears but have a way better defense… and can run the ball. The Lions start a questionable QB who makes dumb throws but gets bailed out by the best WR in the game, Calvin Johnson. The Lions are still the Lions and I expect them to reveal themselves this weekend against the Cowboys, but they have the Bears number in 2014 and would make easy work of them if they were to meet again. Not only do the Bears have to worry about the Packers, the Lions have leapfrogged the Bears to become the 2nd best team in the NFC North.

Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers
Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers

Bears vs Packers: When you have the best QB in the game and he rarely turns the ball over, it makes football easy. The Packers were laughing at the end of their last matchup with the Bears and I would expect the laughs to get louder, if they were to meet in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers owns the Bears and Jay Cutler, even with a sore calf, Rodgers would put up 5 TDs. It is disheartening for Bears fans to watch their neighbors to the north have so much success, but what do they expect when their ‘Beloved’ draft and sign the wrong players?

Bears vs Seahawks: This game would be a massacre. The Seahawks are better at every phase of life… the Bears would have their teeth kicked in and lunch money stolen before Jay Cutlers sideline demeanor was questioned by the broadcasters. I personally thank my luck stars this game never happened.

Best case scenario, the Bears could have contented with 2 out of the 6 playoff teams but the reality is they are exactly where they are supposed to be… at home.

@WesEvans24

 

Time for Bears to Start Over ( Again)

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The Bears will once again search for a new Head Coach.
The Bears will once again search for a new Head Coach.

Black Monday escalated rather quickly and before you could even finish your breakfast the Bears had fired General Manager Phil Emery and Head Coach Marc Trestman. The only person who may have been surprised by this move would be Trestman himself.

After Sundays season ending loss to the Vikings, Trestman told reporters he expected to be back next season and in his usual soft, shaky tone made a case why he should be back in control.

“ I don’t have to go into the reasons that I expect to be back, I couldn’t look at it any other way or with any other kind of focus” Trestman said in his last post-game interview as head coach of the Bears, and while it was the right decision it should and will not be the only change we see.

The Bears should have paid attention to the 3:25 slot after their embarrassing loss. The Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions were in a week 17 war for the NFC North crown and a first round BYE in the playoffs. The Bears were playing in a similar matchup just one year ago, week 17. The Bears went from a team on the rise to the embarrassment of the league in the matter of 12 months.

To once again be competitive and taken serious throughout the league, the Bears need to cut ties with the players who are not willing to buy into (yet) another new system and start over. That does not necessarily mean Jay Cutler will be gone however.

While Cutler is clearly not an elite quarterback and will most likely never lead a team to a championship on talent alone, is it worth giving up a top draft pick just to trade him elsewhere? Since the Bears have chosen to go through the rebuilding process, they will want to keep as many picks as possible and does it really matter who’s behind center during a losing season anyway? Not to mention Cutler gives the Bears the best opportunity to win if they are going to attempt to rebuild on the fly. The 2015 quarterback draft class is full of prospects and no proven stars and the Bears most likely wont have a shot at landing Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. I would be very surprised if Cutler was throwing interceptions anywhere else next season and expect him back in Chicago with another new coordinator and head coach.

The Bears should consider cutting ties with Brandon Marshall, unless they can find a head coach who can control his antics. Marshall called out Cutler after a loss to the Lions earlier in the season and has challenged two people publicly to boxing matches in the last few months. Trestman clearly could not control Marshall, allowing him to fly to New York to do a weekly appearance on Showtime’s “ Inside the NFL” and sign his contract extension on “ the View.” If the Bears want to start fresh they need to get rid of all the off the field drama and antics that were never in the locker room during the glory days of Bears football.

While Marshall is one of the top receivers in the league when healthy and mentally prepared, the Bears need to start building their team from within— through the NFL Draft and with guys who understand the concept of playing “ team football” and don’t concern themselves with outside careers or restaurants ( Lance Briggs) during the season.

Football is the ultimate team sport and for the Bears to succeed they need to add a coaching staff with some experience to preach that. It is time to stop hiring guys with no head coaching experience and pray that they learn on the fly. If that option is not available and the Bears cannot land a former head coach, they should at least consider a coordinator who’s last job was in the United States… Personally I feel Rex Ryan never had any backing in New York and would be a great fit for Chicago.

The past two seasons the Bears have lost their identity and forgotten what kind of football team they are. While the defense came into the year with low expectations everybody expected some improvement. What we witnessed was a total catastrophe and possibly one of the worst defensive units in Chicago Bears history. The offense never clicked and the players clearly checked out a few months ago. For the Bears to be relevant once again and have a shot at competing with the Green Bay Packers they have to once again find their identity and fix their putrid defense that gave up back-to-back fifty point games.

So now begins the future for the Chicago Bears. It will be interesting to see what kind of moves are made throughout the offseason and what kind of team takes the field next August. It is almost surreal that a team that had such high expectations and an offense that was predicted to be tops in the league fell to obscurity so fast -but that is just the way it goes in today’s NFL. Hopefully for the people of Chicago they make the right choices this time and we aren’t talking about this same subject in another two years with another head coach packing his bags.

The Case for Keeping Jay Cutler

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Bears QB Jay Cutler meets with the media
Bears QB Jay Cutler meets with the media

Cutler may have been under fire for the rock star size of his contract, and his less than stellar on field performance, but there are several million good reasons to keep him on the Bears roster, at least through 2016.

The big hero in this deal is Cutler’s agent who negotiated this colossal deal.  Don’t blame Jay, he just signed on the dotted line, but Phil Emery, the soon to be unemployed Chicago GM.

However, when you examine things more closely, it may work out in the long run, if not for Chicago, then some other team.

My information is based on data culled from Spotrac.com.

Cutler’s average annual salary on the $127 million deal is roughly  $18 million per year. The big hit for the Bears is in 2014-2015 with $38 in guaranteed money.

Let’s compare Cutler’s deal with two other marquee NFL QB’s, one younger, one older, who have similar average salaries.

Thirty-four year old Tony Romo’s deal runs out a year before Jay’s. His average salary and guaranteed money ($54 million) are similar to Cutler’s deal.  The difference, however, is that the Cowboys are on the hook for a larger salary cap hit, should he no longer be on the roster in in 2015, 2016, or 2017.

Cutler is guaranteed $16 million in 2016, but should the team cut or trade him, they are only on the hook for $3 million. In 2017, that amount drops to $2 million.

Twenty-six year old Matthew Stafford of the Lions becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2017 season.  How much of a raise will he get above the $22.5 million he’s scheduled to earn in the last two years of his deal? Especially if he leads his team back to the playoffs a few more times.

Tony Romo was the top rated QB in the NFL, for any starter. Stafford’s 85.7 rating is actually below Cutler’s 88.6.

The biggest problem Cutler faced in 2014 was having one of the league’s worst defenses preventing him from running a balanced offense, thus increasing his turnovers. The mediocre offensive line which allowed him to be sacked 38 times didn’t help matters either.

It’s easy to criticize Jay because he’s not a charmer in front of the cameras.  Cutler will never be a pitch man like Peyton Manning or Russell Wilson.  That’s just not his style.  But from what we in the media hear, his teammates see a side of Jay the public does not.

The solution.  Draft a quarterback in the second or third round in 2015 or 2016, and nurture them along. Rebuild that defense that was absolutely pitiful in 2014. Then, re-think things in 2017.  Conversely, when the average salaries of QB’s in the NFL start exceeding $25 or $30 million, the deal might not seem so bad after all.

Bears-Vikings Preview

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Bears Head Coach Marc Trestman
Bears Head Coach Marc Trestman

Goodbye.

It is easy to let the 2014 Bears season go… even for the most diehard fans. Filled with disappointment after disappointment, this season has been one of the worst years by any Chicago team in the past 4+ decades.

The Bears 5 – 10 record isn’t the “worst” they have had in recent memory, but the failure to play up to expectations that THEY created is what makes this year so awful.

Talks of Jay Cutler being an MVP candidate went out the window after his week 1 performance against EJ Manual and the Buffalo Bills. His 18 interceptions and league leading 21 turnovers were also a major factor in waving this year sayonara. The Bears were unable to get out of their own way on and off the field throughout the year, which has them fighting for last place in the NFC North.

Oddly enough, the Vikings happen to be the other team in that fight and it turns out that both teams would actually benefit from losing this game.

The Bears with a loss would have the 7th pick in the upcoming draft while a win would have them fall between 8th and 11th. Even though the Vikings would be tied with the Bears at 6 – 10 if they lost Sunday, they would actually receive a better draft position because the Bears have a better strength of schedule.

Goodbye Marc Trestman.

One of the casualties of this lost season will most likely be the head coach… but Trestman’s focus is still on winning, “We are playing the game as an independent entity and Jay has to go out, as do the rest of us and his teammates go up and play at their best. I don’t look at it as any more than that, we have to play well enough to win.”

thSI6NW3P2
Cutler and Trestman celebrate after a TD

Marc Trestman may appear to be treating this game like the rest but the reality, whether he admits it or not, is that his tenure as the Bears HC is coming to an end.

The most “exciting” part of this game will be the response of Jay Cutler after Trestman benched him for Jimmy Clausen. Clausen ironically got a concussion last game verses Detroit, forcing Trestman to name Cutler the starter again since rookie QB David Fales is nowhere near ready to start a game in the NFL.

It would be SOOOO Bears if Cutler sustained a serious injury going into the offseason and Fales came in to lead the offense to 30+ points for the first time this season. An offseason that will already be filled with speculation of Cutler’s future and if he will be around for the next set of coaches. If Cutler were to get injured on Sunday, it would end any possibility of a trade before next season.

There is no real reason to invest any of your time into watching this Bears game but if you are a masochist, then enjoy this team one last time.

Hello Bulls and Blackhawks.

Key Matchup: Draft pick #7 vs Draft pick #8-11

Key Injuries: WR M. Wilson (Ques.), DE J. Allen (Ques.), DT J. Ratliff (Ques.)

Fact: Bears point allowed = 429, point for = 310

Spread: Vikings -6

Prediction: Vikings 24, Bears 21

@WesEvans24

Bears-Vikings

Weekend Sports Report – 12/23/14

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drunk-reindeerwith Dave Rusch and Steve Leventhal

….Once again, InternetFM and SRN Broadcasting present the Christmas Sports Spectacular version of the show.

(Editor’s note: the producer of the show was cautioned on the use of the words “Christmas” and “Spectacular.” We felt that nothing on this show could ever pass for “spectacular,” and the only reference to Christmas is the use of an old, butchered version of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” with lyrics that reference heavy drinking and Packer Dave, that is at least fifteen years old.  But the Weekend Sports crew kept waving the First Amendment in our faces, so we relented.)

Andy Dorf from Sports Byline Sunday and Bob Terrell, one of Dave’s old drinking buddies (the best we could do on short notice) join us to discuss the Lions-Packers game, as well as the other contests with playoff implications.

Hear interview audio from Mike McCarthy, Aaron Rogers, Marc Trestman, Jim Caldwell of the Lions, Bruce Arians of Arizona, John Harbaugh and Phillip Rivers.

Don’t miss cameos from Hall of Famer Len Dawson and Chris Berman.