Bears-Vikings Preview – Playoff Outlook Hazy for Chicago
So, I’ve been sleeping on this Bears’ team, I know.
Well, after the Packers game I had no words. JRod emailed me asking, “Dude, what happened out there?†All I could say was, “Finally, this team is playing like I expected them to.â€
With that said, the NFC North is clearly still up for grabs. The Lions are terrible, the Vikings are okay, I guess, the Packers are not that good…well, they might be. No one knows. That means that the Bears control their own destiny at this point. We could sneak a division title if three things happen: beat the Vikings this weekend, beat the Pack at home and grab a win over Jacksonville. But then again, we could flop and play “like I expected them to.”
We need the three wins. To keep the Pack out of it we have to split the series. We can’t split with Minnesota and we have to have at least 9 wins to really sew this thing up.
Sure they could run the table and beat the Saints and the Texans, too. That might be nice but Drew Brees is superhuman and if Matt Schaub is healthy, then those games will be a wash, I can’t see a W in either. The three other Ws I want to see are a bit blurry, too, but not out of reach.
Let’s focus on this upcoming weekend, though. Really that’s the first step, “One game at a time†just like the press conference script says.
Minnesota got a huge win this weekend over Jacksonville, scoring 30 points. The running game had 2 touchdowns, the defense had one and picked up five turnovers. They are rolling, coming into a huge Sunday night game.The Bears’ come off a solid win where they played great “Bears” football – running the ball down people’s throats, getting into the backfield with the front four and creating opportunities on special teams, we didn’t show a juggernaut offense, though, over the sputtering Rams.
Last time, in order to beat them we had to score 48 points. If the Vikes give up some big plays and cough up the ball, then we’ll be fine. If not, I’ll start wondering how many yards Adrian Peterson could possibly get in just 3 quarters, I’ll set the over-under at 130. He has scored 7 touchdowns in 3 career games against the
Bears.
We can’t stop him. He is literally a Viking. A bloodthirsty, charging, horned beast that stops at nothing, consuming men with reckless embarrassment left in his wake. I imagine he doesn’t wear fur or own a goblet but then again I could be wrong. Nelly does, people do.
Goblets and Nelly aside, stopping AP this weekend could be the determining factor in the Bears’ season. At Soldier Field in October AP had 122 yards, 2 TDs and went for over 5 each time he touched the ball. If the Bears can’t create those “wildcard†points, as I call them, through special teams, INTs and turnovers, the offense may not be able to match the running game in the Metrodome. (see note)
NOTE: The Metrodome is a damn deathtrap of a place, I’m beginning to think of the Sox trip to Minnesota at the end of the season this summer. One that seemed it would determine whether or not we would go to the playoffs. We got shelled. I don’t trust that building at all. Could be the same this weekend. We put our playoff fate in the hands of our team that we can’t always trust, against a divisional rival breathing down our neck, in a building that should be burnt down. It’s shaky at best.
Here’s the game plan. Stop the rush. Create third and long and get to Gus. He does not have the mobility that he needs if our front four show up. They have to own the line, bat down balls and create some mayhem, stopping rhythm. As for the offensive side of the ball. We have to convert third downs. Against the Rams, we went 4-12. 3-12 against the Pack, 3-14, against the Titans and 5-15 against the Lions. That’s terrible. You cannot expect to beat a running team if you give them ball back 75% of the time. Sunday night we need sustained drives, chewing some clock, keep the defense rested and we could scrape one out. Again, shaky at best.
Folks, I’m not gonna’ lie. This could be an awesome game or just terrible. The reality is that the NFC North is a mess and the Bears like it that way. It suits our terrible inconsistencies.
The only thing we know for sure about the NFC north is that no one wants to watch the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Not even Lions’ fans. But that’s just science.
So, it’s one game at a time for Lovie and the boys. One game that starts on Sunday night at 7.
Tags: Adrian Peterson, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, NFL
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Kaner,
You’re a good writer – remind me of our avuncular Pat Reussie here at the Strib but not quite so sarcastic. Please come up and write for the St. Paul paper. Always good dog sledding in January just south of town.
Seeing the term primadonna in the same sentence with AP makes me pause – even when he’s denying the comparison. Like screaming at his coach on the sidelines before running out to fumble on 4th and 1. Do you see him becoming another Moss in the coming years?
ElKati
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I think that might be a good thing if AP turns into Moss. Despite the controversey it became clear that Moss just wanted to win, all the time. He didn’t have that chance in Minnesota.
The attitude problems are on the coach, a good coach has to be able to control his players, get them on board and get them to win…If AP doesn’t see that in his future we may see him go the route of a young Randy throwing some fits here and there and becoming a media target. That’s the last thing he needs, give him some room to be a primadonna. He’s a second year running back that has dominated the NFL since he touched the ball.
I don’t see an ego problem, I see a contender. A guy who wants to win and hasn’t gotten that chance in Minnesota…I’d be worried about creating a team around him that can win, so that they can get him nailed down for a few more years, or else someone will scoop him up.
Firey football players seem to rub Minnestoans the wrong way but you guys clearly should have held on to Moss and don’t want to make the same mistakes about AP.
As for the dogsledding, I have poor circulation and get cold easily…there will be no movement to the northerely regions, especially if I actually have to see the Metrodome in person.
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