In a must-win setting, the Chicago Bears did what they went into Detroit to do. However, the Vikings spoiled the Bears preseason hopes by clinching a berth with a field goal in the last 0:03 seconds of the game. Now instead of the Bears playing to get to the Super Bowl, their division rival, Minnesota, will have a rematch against the Packers in Green Bay next weekend.

The Bears had a 17 point lead in the 2nd quarter and almost squandered it, had the Lions not coughed up the ball 4 times. The score at the end was 26-24 and it showed exactly how close the game actually was. Matthew Stafford threw a touchdown to end the 1st half and another to start the 2nd half, bringing the score to 20-17 in the 3rd quarter. But the Bears capitalized with 2 more field goals off of turnovers and great field position to end the game, and season, on a high note. Tim Jennings solidified his spot in this first Pro Bowl with his 9th interception of the year and Charles Tillman continued his elite play by stopping Calvin Johnson Jr.s journey to 2,000 receiving yards on the season. Probably not the kind they wanted, but a win nonetheless. The offensive line had a good day as it opened running lanes and allowed for Jay Cutler to step up in the pocket. Yet, the offenses ability to not score touchdowns in the red zone made this game closer than it should have been.

They started the season 7-1 but soon wasted it by going 2-5 in the 2nd half of the season, only for their playoff fate to no longer be decided by the players wearing orange and blue. With key offensive cogs in place, the Bears could never find an offensive identity in Mike Tice’s first year as offensive coordinator.

Now with a whole offseason to discover themselves and make coaching and roster evaluations, general manager Phil Emery has many decisions to make in his second year with the team. Players like Henry Melton, Johnny Knox, Brian Urlacher, and Jay Cutler; have contract details that need to be worked out, whether it be the end of one or needing an extension. Also, many media outlets and fans have been calling for the job of Lovie Smith and whether he should be allowed back for another season, or fired due to missing the playoffs for the 5th time in 6 years. Not only these things, but Phil Emery has to decide an early direction to go in for the 2013 NFL Draft in 4 months and what positions he needs to look for.

What directions I feel are best for the team will be discussed throughout the week as the Bears season might be over, but there is plenty of football to be discussed.

On Sunday, the Bears will not only be fighting for a playoff spot but also for pride. To some, coach Lovie Smith is on the hot seat whether the Bears win or lose. If they win the rest is out of there hands as they need the Green Bay Packers to beat the Minnesota Vikings. After starting 7-1 with a lax schedule, the Bears have seen the better teams of the NFL in the last stretch as they have went 2-5. However, if everything goes to plan on Sunday afternoon, Monday morning the Bears will be practicing for their first wildcard game of the 2013 Playoffs. They are in a situation where the Lions want to help Calvin Johnson break the 2,000 yard receiving mark but also I nasty Lions defense that will want to play spoiler after a disappointing season. Not only that but Bears players and fans have to have faith in the Packers ability to win in Minnesota against possible playoff-bound Vikings.

Calvin Johnson needs 104 yards to have 2,000 but the last time he went up against Charles Tillman he didn’t gain more than 40. Yet, the pulled hamstring of Chris Conte has thrust second-year undrafted safety, Anthony Walters, into the starting role. It will be Walters job to negate Johnsons ability to blow past defenders. On the other side of the ball, the Bears have undrafted rookie tackle/guard James Brown starting at left guard and hope he can bring the attitude that Chilo Rachal did but also the skill they need. He will be tested against Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh and will need Chris Spencer and Roberto Garza to help him in that area. Meanwhile, as long as Jay Cutler gets the necessary protection, he has to rebound from his poor play in Arizona. If the Bears do get into the playoffs, they need everyone on offense to be contributing  and touching the ball, Mike Tice needs to insure that this happens or the Bears will be one-and-done.

The Green Bay Packers have a worse offensive line then the Bears do for once, as they benched the usually reliable Jeff Saturday just to be able to run the ball better. Jared Allen hasn’t had as good a year as he did last year but he should still be feared by the Packers offensive linemen. With the help of an underrated linebacking corps and young secondary led by the veteran Antoine Winfield, the Packers could easily be stuck as the 3rd seed. Adrian Peterson ran for 200+ yards last time the teams met and if Christian Ponder has one of his better passing days the Packers might have a showdown on their hands.

The NFC Norths top two teams will be on the road against talented teams and both are in must-win mode, the Bears more so than the Packers, both games will determine the a good portion of landscape for the NFC side of the playoffs.

Predictions: 

Bears: 17 Lions: 14

Packers: 24 Vikings: 17

Sunday December 16th, 2012 at Soldier Field

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

By The Numbers

The 1-4 skid the Bears has have been on has been nothing short of depressing to Bears fans across the world. When the Packers come into Chicago they will be coming off a their last 5 games with a 4-1 record. This game has major implications for the Bears going forward if they expect to get into the playoffs and at least try to make some noise.  The Packers offense is not at the very top of the league unlike last season which could be the result of an improved defense that had plenty of room to improve after last season. The Bears rank at the very bottom in in the league when it comes to offense and their defense is taking a injury blow every week it seems. The Bears offense is predicated on Jay Cutler and and Brandon Marshall, which the Packers successfully shut down in week 2 of the season. However, both teams have had their ups and downs and injury woes. Green Bay has 16 players that will either on Injured Reserve or have been out for multiple weeks. Almost half of that 16 were at one point this season staring for the Packers. The Bears have 10 players officially out for the game, 8 of those players had played a significant amount of minutes this season. Those players include Shea McClellin, Brian Urlacher, Tim Jennings, Robbie Gould, and Henry Melton. Maybe I should have changed the title the “Battle of the Back-up defenses”.

Beyond the Numbers

As any NFL fan might know, the Packers seemingly revamped defense throttled the Bears seemingly revamped offense and a lot of trash talking from both teams preceded the thrashing. It seems like déja-vu as not only the outspoken Brandon Marshall but also defensive star Lance Briggs have mentioned the awful taste they are anxious to get out their mouths since the last meeting. They speak for the whole team as they try to increase the tension and make the Packers try to do more than necessary and screw up. Last time this happened the Packers responded by doing exactly what Jay Cutler thought they couldn’t. But this game is different, yeah every Packers game is important to Lovie Smith and his Bears but this is a must-win if they want to win the division and secure a playoff spot as the Pack already holds one tiebreaker by having a better record.Chicago doesn’t have to make it convincing they just have to win, they are 4-2 in all games at home this season and need to act like it.

Special Note: With a hobbled Urlacher and still clicking offense the Bears held Green Bay to 23 points, 7 coming off a fake field goal.

My Prediction: Bears 17 Packer 14

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears at Soldier Field 12:00 ct Dec. 2, 2012.

The Seahawks will come in to Soldier Field with a big disadvantage this Sunday against the Bears. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and company are unenthusiastic about being 1-5 away from CenturyLink Field. The Chicago Bears, on the other, hand, boast a near perfect record at home by being 5-1. To win, the Seahawks will have to be able to calm the crowd and show why they are ranked 8th in rushing yards this season. The Bears will have to use a similar formula to last week and at least try to establish the run before opening up the whole playbook. However, don’t be fooled, this game has “trap” written all over it.

By The Numbers

Seattle has one of the best defenses in the league, ranking 3rd in passing yards allowed and 12th in rushing yards allowed. Since week 5 the Seahawks have yet to give up fewer than 80 yards, allowing 100+ on 3 separate occasions. This should be a sign to the Bears to not shy away from handing the ball off and run as powerful as they did when Minnesota came to Chicago. If the Bears allow Marshawn Lynch and others to run for 100+ yards, Russell Wilson, although has thrown all of his interceptions on the road but if he is given time and utilizes the play action he can easily get into the red-zone where he is highly efficient. Offensively, the Jay Cutler must be given a clean pocket at least 65% of his dropbacks if Mike Tice wants his quarterback to stay hot and mistake-free. With Chris Spencer and Lance Louis out, the latter being placed on Injured Reserve, Edwin Williams and Gabe Carimi will come in and start with both not being exclusively guards. Keep in mind, that Johnathan Scott had a decent outing in his first start for the Bears but will be challenged with guys like Bruce Irvin, Chris Clemons, and Bobby Wagner coming to play. Devin Hester will not be active for the game so Eric Weems will see the playing field more than usual as well. The offense will need an all around good effort to combat a feisty Seahawks defense.

Beyond The Numbers

Brandon Marshall v. The Seahawk Secondary: Brandon Marshall has shown that sometimes double, triple, and even quadruple coverage doesn’t mean jack-squat to someone who wants to win and is 6’4 230 lbs. But, when the opposing team has 3 guys standing 6’3 or 6’4 that will be given the task to cover on every down, Mike Tice, Jeremy Bates, and Jay Cutler must be weary of the secondary at all times. Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner are not a force to be taken lightly. They along with Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas are the reason not only the front 7, but the whole defense isn’t a squad that should be reckoned with. The Seahawks have beat the Bears in the two teams last two meetings. The Bears will fight to losing a third time.

My Prediction:

Seahawks: 14 Bears: 21

The Bears had an good game overall when the Vikings came into Soldier Field on Sunday. The game started off a little reminiscent of the Tennessee game. The Bears jumped out to a 28-3 lead before the first half was over and they had help from a blocked kick on special teams and turnovers caused by the defense.

Offense

The return of Jay Cutler made a big difference as the star QB completed 15 of 17 passes in the first half. With a season-ending ACL tear for Lance Louis and Chris Spencer’s inability to stay on the field long enough, the offense did slow down and failed to score a touchdown in the second half. The Bears did manage to rush for over 100 yards again this season as Michael Bush kept running hard even after Matt Forte hurt his ankle. Bush also managed to score two touchdowns when he was given the ball at the 1-yard line. Brandon Marshall was targeted 17 times as he remains the offenses “go-to-guy” but Earl Bennett caught all 4 of his targets for 45 yards and both tight ends made key plays when thrown to. Kellen Davis reeled in a ball at the 1-yard line to set up a Michael Bush touchdown and Matt Spaeth caught a zip-lined ball going out the side of the end-zone that words can not describe. Also, Evan Rodriguez kept a drive going with his first catch of his NFL career for 11 yards.

Defense

The defense only allowed 10 points and 258 total yards as they bounced back from the Trouncing at Candlestick. Especially the young safety tandem of Chris Conte and Major Wright. Conte had an interception and a few pass breakups and Wright was solid in run support. The Bears forced 2 Adrian Peterson fumbles, one being in the first half as he was successfully controlled by the front line and another being in the second half as the Bears were a little lax in a near blowout. The defense did, however, suffer its share of injuries just like the offense. Charles Tillman left the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury but was later revealed to be a chipped bone, but never fear , sources say Tillman will not be sidelined by the injury. Lance Briggs, on the other hand, was seen walking out of Soldier Field in a boot and it is safe to say he is at least questionable for the game against Seattle. Christian Ponder was sacked twice as he was under pressure on most snaps in which he dropped back to pass. Julius Peppers provided some pressure and a good distraction as other lineman capitalized and also blocked a field goal attempt.

Special Teams

Devin Hester was lost early in the game due to a concussion and as with the Bears, he is not expected to play next Sunday. Eric Weems did what he was brought in to do with decent work on returns and even managed to catch a pass on offense. Podlesh has appeared to come out of his slump while Robbie Gould is in one.

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears November 26, 2012 12:00 ct 

Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

By The Numbers

As the Bears defense looked as though it took a step back against the San Francisco 49ers, the Vikings have maintained a Top 15 defense. The Vikes rank 15th and 14th in passing and rushing yards allowed, respectively.  They are also 13th and points allowed this season and all three stats are a big step forward considering where they were last year. While the Bears have allowed back to back 100+ yard games from the Texans and 49ers, the Viking’s Adrian  Peterson has improved over the course of the season after a very dangerous knee injury in January. Peterson has helped Minnesota gain 439 rushing yards over the past two games and 243 against a stout Seattle defense. Both the Seahawks and Detroit Lions ran for 255 yards combined against the Vikings, however. This will be good evidence for Mike Tice and the offense to run the ball, especially if they want to start a run as the season nears its end. Interestingly, the Bears have only rushed for less than 100 yards once this season when playing at home (against the Panthers where they were forced to pass to play catch-up).  Minnesota has also allowed at least 230 yards passing in 3 out of their last 4 games a good sign for Cutler and co. But the Vikings have managed to do the same against the same amount of opponents in the last 4 games.

Beyond The Numbers

This game has to be about the offense, the Bears have done little to prove that they can handle the better teams in the NFL after losing back-to-back games against the Texans and 9ers, the latter game resulting in a thrashing in Candlestick Park. As Mike Tice discussed with reporters, the Bears need to find consistency and they need to find it fast. Four of the last 6 games will be against division opponents and if  Lovie Smith’s crew is serious about winning the division for the 2nd time in 3 years they will need to fix their offensive woes and maintain stability in the defense. Ways to do this solely rest on the shoulders of secondary guys on offense. Earl Bennett needs to consistently find holes in defenses, Devin Hester needs to catch the ball and then make plays when he does and the Tight End problem needs to find a solution.

Special Teams:

Many people want to blame Devin Hester when it comes to not producing on punt and kick returns. On the contrary, the problem lies in the coverage on punts and kicks. Sherrick McManis is a main offender on punt returns when it comes to holding or blocking penalties, sometimes these negate adequate returns from Hester. One could say #23 isn’t being aggressive enough or running sideways too much, but holes have to open up and most times he is staring at 5 or 6 guys lined up trying to stop him before he even travels 5 yards. Just some food for thought.

My Prediction:

Vikings: 14 Bears: 21

Colin Kaepernick had a coming out party on Monday Night, but it came at the expense of the Chicago Bears. Jason Campbell’s 2012 coming out party did not bode well at all. In a game where Campbell played every offensive snap of the game, he did not perform as good as many people thought he would.

Offense

The offense was just as bad Monday Night as it was on Sunday last week, and there were 4 less turnovers in this game. The running game only supplied 85 yards on 28 total carries against a good defense, yes, but a defense that has allowed teams to rush for over 100 on other occasions. Those teams were the Giants and Vikings, who both beat the 49ers, and for a team who proclaimed they would “get off the bus running” that doesn’t bode well. Jason Campbell threw for only 107 yards on 22 attempts and 14 completions. His longest completion was only for 18 yards and that doesn’t bode well for a team that wanted to maintain explosiveness in their playcalling/execution. Jason Campbell only showed how uncomfortable he was in the pocket and his unfamiliarity with the recievers. There were a number of overthrown balls and not many going Brandon Marshall’s way (2 receptions 21 yards 1 TD). The 49ers continued the Bears streak of turnovers with 2 interceptions. It was, in my opinion, the worse offensive performance of the year.

Defense

Colin Kaepernick gashed the defense on several different occasions on Monday Night Football. The defense allowed 355 total yards as the second year quarterback threw for 243 yards and 2 TDs. The top rushing team in the league eclipsed the century mark in yards with 123 and a touchdown. The ball was spread around with 9 different people on offense touching the ball at least once (none of the 9 had less than 5 totals yards). The sliver that one could call bright spot came from 2 sacks both being split. Lance Briggs and Nick Roach had .5 of a sack and so did Corey Wootton and Israel Idonije.

Special Teams

The Bears could not manage to get in good enough field goal range for Robbie Gould and Adam Podlesh ended the game on a high note after being in a punting funk for a good portion of the season. The 49ers lived up to having one of the better special teams units in the league as they contained Devin Hester and his cold streak.

Reflections for the week

It is imperative that the Bears at least try to kick-start the offense if they want to compete with the 5 other teams that will occupy a playoff spot and the other 6 in the AFC conference. the Bears are 0-2 so far in the tougher half of their schedule and still have 6 games left. The Defense has maintained great success for 10 straight games but will need the offense in the last stretch of the regular season. As it stands, the Chicago does not boast a top 5 football team and especially not a Super Bowl bound team. Super Bowl caliber, yes, but Super Bowl bound ? Far from it.

The Texans and Bears had a pow wow of a game on Sunday as two defenses faced two of the NFL’s highest scoring offenses. In the end, both teams battled hard for the 8-1 record(tying them for best record in the NFL) but the Texans were the ones who emerged 8-1, thus sinking the Bears to 7-2 after 10 weeks. Let us look at how this game transpired on Sunday night.

Offense

The Bears offense tried to start off hot but with 54 degree weather with 8 mph winds and rain coming down, the bears started off with 2 fumbles and an interception on their first 3 drives. On the first fumble, the Bears first play of the game, Jay Cutler ran left and found an open Kellen Davis for 8 or 9 yards before former Bear, Danieal Manning, hit Davis and forced a fumble that was recovered by Houston. The very next drive, Michael Bush ran between the tackles and picked up 11 yards before Glover Quin forced another turnover for Houston. On the third drive of the game, Jay Cutler threw a strike down the middle for Kellen Davis, but Davis could not get seperation or make a play on the ball so Danieal Manning did. The Bears would put only 3 points on the board before Jay Cutler threw to a seemingly open Brandon Marshall only for Kareem Jackson break on the ball at the last minute. The Bears out gained the Texans in yards and went over 100 rushing yards(115 on 23 attempts) but only had 134 passing yards. The offense would only manage to score 6 points. Jay Cutler suffered a concussion on an unnecessary roughness call on Tim Dobbins and left after the half. He does not look like he will play against the 49ers.

Defense

Chicago’s defense continued to shine this week and doesn’t look like it is slowing down any. The Bears allowed 127 rushing yards total, however, Arian Foster (the league’s leading rusher) was held to 102 yards on 29 carries. The  defense also managed to hold Matt Schaub to only 95 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions (both by Tim Jennings). Andre Johnson only had 4 catches and 35 yards. On the touchdown, Lance Briggs had great coverage on  Foster but Schaub threw the ball where Foster could dive across the pylon for it and where Briggs couldn’t reach it. Other than that, the Bears held a great balanced offense to only 13 points and 215 yards.Tim Jennings increased his league-leading interception total when he recorded his 7th and 8th interceptions. Shea McClellin did suffer a concussion early in the game and is doubtful for Monday night’s game.

Special Teams

The Texans used the “Panther Squib” tactic and refused to kick to Devin Hester. This resulted in good field position for the Bears, but they could not capitalize on it with the amount of turnovers so early on. Robbie “As Good As” Gould was 2 of three, making a 51 yarder missed a 48 yarder wide left.

Houston Texans cornerback Kareem Jackson hits Jay Cutler in the first half during the game at Soldier Field.

Houston Texans at Chicago Bears

Sunday November 11, 2012 at Solider Field

7:30 p.m. ct

By the Numbers

On Sunday, the Bears will go into Soldier Field ranking in the Top 3, in terms of points per game, offensively and defensively (3rd and 2nd, respectively).  The Houston Texans come into Chicago ranked 2nd and 4th in the same category. While the defenses are almost identical when it comes to stopping the run and allowing points, the difference between the two lies on the offensive side of the ball. While the Bears are 25th in yards this season, the Texans are 13 spots ahead with a middle of the pack 13th. The Texans boast a very balanced offense with Arian Foster scoring the most touchdowns this year (11 tds) and leading the NFL in rushing yards(770). So it seems both offenses will have a tough time putting points on the board, especially the Bears considering their slow starts that, even Jay Cutler has admitted, need to get resolved. Chicago’s defense will have its hands full as well, they will have to make Arian Foster a non-factor and try to rattle Matt Schaub. The Bears are one of the best teams in the league when it comes to rushing 4 or less players. They will need to be that team in order to force Matt Schaub into incompletions or turnovers. It won’t be easy, however, based on the fact that Schaub is one of the most accurate quarterbacks when he has a clean pocket but also very deadly when there is pressure.

We all know the Bears have had problems with slow starts, but most times, the cause of those slow starts is poor execution on first down and not establishing the run. The Houston Texans are good against the run with zero allowed touchdowns this  year but they still allow 4.0 ypg. Matt forte is averaging 5.0 ypg and the Bears will have to use him and Michael Bush to tire the Texans front seven out, especially knowing that they are without their star middle linebacker, Brian Cushing. The Texans can exploit the Bears sub-par offensive line with J.J. Watt  or the passing games reliability on Brandon Marshall. This will truly be game where Earl Bennett and Devin Hester have to make an impact.

Beyond the Numbers

Both teams come into this game looking to be 8-1 afterwards and boast the NFL’s second best team, record-wise. There has been plenty of argument around the football world on who is the better team.  The Texans don’t have any glaring weaknesses, but everyone knows of the Bears offensive struggles. Besides the commonality of the defenses sometimes explosive offenses, the two teams have another thing in common; they have both lost to the Packers. While the Bears loss came in Week 2 with a still gelling offense, the Bears defense held the Packers to 1 touchdown and 3 field goals. When the Texans played Green Bay on Sunday Night in week 6, the allowed 6 Aaron Rodgers touchdowns to their 3. Just some food for thought.

My Prediction

Texans: 21 Bears:17

Every team in the National Football League goes into every game hoping for perfection. This comes about by all four phases: Offense, Defense, Special Teams, and fan base. Usually a perfect game is when the Defense pitches a shut out and the Offense is 100% on 3rd down, but since we live in reality the bears came close enough on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

Offense

The offense started off slow again but this time they picked it up quite fast. Jay Cutler was sacked and did lose a fumble for a second week in a row but soon that was a thing in the past as the Bears compiled 28 points in the first quarter. Aside from the sack and sack/fumble, the other dark spot was the illegal hands to the face call on J’Marcus Webb, resulting in a safety. Matt Forte had 12 attempts (3 less than last week) but he proved that sometimes it isn’t about how many touches you get but more about what you do with the ones you do get. He also added 2 receptions for 45 yards ( 47 coming from a screen play towards the end of the 1st half). Brandon Marshall caught all 3 of Cutler’s touchdown passes(a career-high). He also caught 9 out 10 targets for 122 yards. Earl Bennett and Devin Hester combined for 6 catches and 41 yards.

Defense

The Defense added to its league-leading takeaway total with 4 fumble recoveries and 1 interception(returned for a touchdown). It was a rip party, one whose main attendee was Charles “Peanut” Tillman. Tillman forced 4 fumbles(3 were recovered). Urlacher joined in with two of his own takeaways, a forced fumble and a interception return. He finally joined on the fun when Matt Hasselbeck keyed in on Damian Williams running across the middle and Urlacher jumped it when Hasselbeck sensed pressure from Shea McClellan on the left and let it go. The defensive line provided good pressure with Stephen Paea and Israel Idonije splitting a sack and Corey Wootton getting his own. Nate Washington scored a touchdown but Tim Jennings had great coverage  and  Hasselbeck threw a perfect ball for Washington to get it. The safeties were as solid as they have been this season. Aside from an 80-yard touchdown run against the second-team defense, the Bears only allowed 79 rushing yards and 194 passing yards.

Special Teams

On the Titans second punt of the game, Sherrick McManis came sprinting around the edge to block a Brett Kern punt his fellow Northwestern alum, Corey Wootton, picked it up and broke a tackle or two on as he walked 5 yards into the end zone. On the 4th punt Brett Kern punted a 43 yard ball only to be returned 44 yards by Devin Hester before being brought down at the 8 yard line. Matt Forte then proceeded to rush for 5 yards and get a 3 yard push from the offensive line for a touchdown.

Fans

As the game got more and more out of hand you started to realize how many Bears fans were at LP Field that afternoon, and it was truly amazing.