Tag: Chicago Bears (Page 14 of 49)

      NFL Week 14 COY power rankings

      December 18, 2010 /

      Getting down to the wire, like when talking heads on NFL Network, etc. actually start pontificating about what we’ve been writing all season…..

      1. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots—Now we’ve seen everything. Running the score up against the Bears during a Chicago blizzard, while holding them to one special teams TD? Did this team actually lose to the Browns a month ago?

      2. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles—Won a critical division game in Dallas, and the Eagles can make a statement against the Giants Sunday. What happens may determine if Reid stays right here or drops a few notches, but he’s still brilliant for how he handled the whole QB situation this year.

      3. Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons—He’s running a well-oiled machine, but that doesn’t happen by accident.

      4. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams—Nobody is complaining that his Rams lost to the Saints, but they my get a rematch, in St. Louis, in the playoffs.

      5. Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs—Now the Chargers are breathing down his neck; but hey, he probably feels good that Josh McDaniels is watching games from his couch now.

      6. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants—From the hot seat to the cold seat to the warm seat and back to the cold seat. And now the Giants have shot to take over the NFC East, while at times conjuring up visions of the 2007 team that won it all.

      7. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars—Winning the AFC South when many thought they’d finish last could turn out to be a top storyline this year. But there are still three games left, including a big one this Sunday in Indy.

      8. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers—What a great season this has turned out to be for the Steelers, and look no further than the guy in charge for much of that.

      9. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs—No matter how they finish, the Bucs have well exceeded expectations this season.

      10. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears—Big hiccup at home against New England, and now they get to play OUTDOORS on Monday night in Minneapolis. Yikes.

      Honorable mention: Sean Payton, New Orleans Saints—Did you know the Saints were 10-3? Neither did anyone else, but Mike Smith has reason to worry.

      External Sports, NFL

      Bears to protest playing at TCF Bank Stadium?

      December 16, 2010 /
      MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 15: Workers shovel snow from the stands as TCF Bank Stadium prepares for a potential monday night football game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears on December 15, 2010 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Preparations are due to the collapsed roof at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. (Photo by Hannah Foslien /Getty Images)

      According to AOL Fanhouse, the Bears and Vikings have no desire to create the 1967 “Ice Bowl” when the two teams square off on Monday Night Football and Chicago players may actually protest playing at TCF Bank Stadium.

      Vikings players have expressed concern about the safety of playing at TCF Bank Stadium Monday night. The Bears may take it one step further.

      According to reports, the Bears might file a protest about playing the game at the University of Minnesota’s football field because of safety concerns. The league is planning on the game being played at that venue, although that may change if the venue can’t be properly prepped in time.

      Meanwhile, players are worrying about the frozen turf, which lacks heating coils under the surface like other cold-weather venues.

      Bears safety Chris Harris commented on his Twitter page, saying, “Players have concerns of traction n the impact of falling on surface that could be as hard as asphalt. What if ur head hits it.”

      I can hear the comments now coming from fans about how the players should toughen up and embrace the elements. How the great ones used to have to play on horrible field conditions every week and how there were no heating coils at Lambeau Field in ’67.

      But while I agree the players have become too pampered, I won’t be the one on Monday night trying to play on a sheet of ice so I’m not going to bemoan them for not wanting to do it either. It would be nice to see the Vikings return to their outdoor roots for one game, but if the field isn’t safe then the field isn’t safe. (Whatever “safe” can be classified as.)

      Move the game to another location and call it a day.

      External Sports, NFL

      Patriots prove there’s still a gap between AFC and NFC in dismantling of Bears

      December 12, 2010 /
      CHICAGO - DECEMBER 12: The wind swirls snow as Tom Brady of the New England Patriots calls the signals against the Chicago Bearsat Soldier Field on December 12, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      Here are a six-pack of observations from the Patriots massive 36-7 beatdown of the Bears on Sunday.

      1. The gap between the AFC and NFC is still wide.
      This was only one game on one Sunday between two teams in the NFL. And the NFC still holds the most recent edge over the AFC in the only game that matters. But the Patriots’ victory over the Bears on Sunday still proves that there’s a wide gap between the two conferences. It’s doubtful that anyone was surprised the Patriots beat the Bears, who many believe are highly overrated. But let’s look at the facts. The Bears were one of the hottest teams coming into this game. They were at home. They had just witnessed the Packers lose to the Lions and they had an opportunity to take a two-game lead in the NFC North. They were home underdogs, which is a role they absolutely love. This should have been a much closer game and it wasn’t. It was a massacre – a true murder by numbers. The Pats outgained the Bears 27 to 12 in first downs and 475 to 185 in total yardage. They also forced four turnovers as Tom Brady threw for a season-high 369 yards and two touchdowns. Again, the Bears are only one NFC team and maybe if the Falcons played the Patriots next Sunday, the outcome would be different. But it’s hard to refute after watching this game that there isn’t a talent gap between the top teams in the AFC and the top teams in the NFC.

      2. Maybe the Bears aren’t who we thought the were.
      Are the Bears for real? I don’t know. They had a game they’d like to forget but overrated? You know people are going to throw out that term but I’d counter with: What did you expect? If you thought the Bears were overrated coming into this game then you’re not surprised that New England won. If you want overrated, try the New York Jets. That’s overrated. I don’t think a team that beat a red-hot Philadelphia team a couple of weeks ago is overrated. I just think the Patriots are that much better. You had two hot teams face each other and one flexed its dominance while the other one absolutely sh*t themselves. I still happen to think that this Bears team can do some good things. I still think they can win a playoff game at home. Are they legit Super Bowl contenders? Maybe not. But I also don’t think after one embarrassing loss you can vehemently answer “no” to the previous question.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      NFL Week 13 COY power rankings

      December 11, 2010 /

      Four weeks to go….who will stay on this list and who will drop off. Also, who will be the first coach to get fired? Maybe that’s for another list. For now, here are the best coaches/biggest surprises for 2010 thus far….

      1. Todd Haley, Kansas City Chiefs—A two-game lead on the Chargers is nice when you face them in December. Let’s see where this dude sits next week.

      2. Steve Spagnuolo, St. Louis Rams—6-6 looks much better than 5-6, doesn’t it? At least it makes the Packers (8-4) and Bucs (7-5) feel better that they’re currently out of the playoffs based on standings.

      3. Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles—A tough schedule to finish, but that has never scared Big Andy before, and it shouldn’t when Michael Vick is at the helm.

      4. Bill Belichick, New England Patriots—If you put up 39 points on the Steelers and 45 on the Jets, you’re doing something right.

      5. Mike Smith, Atlanta Falcons—The best record in the NFL should be good for something

      6. Lovie Smith, Chicago Bears—9-3, and everyone is STILL waiting for the other shoe to drop.

      7. Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers—Let’s not forget the current AFC North leaders started the first quarter of the season without Big Ben

      8. Tom Coughlin, New York Giants—Since being on the hot seat, Coughlin’s Giants have gone 7-2 and have won the last two games despite not having Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, and more than half of their starting O-line.

      9. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars—Still in the lead for the AFC South in a year when most expected him to be fired

      10. Raheem Morris, Tampa Bay Bucs—Much improved despite having trouble beating some of the better teams

      Honorable mention: Tom Cable, Oakland Raiders—Bonus points for beating the Chargers so soundly in San Diego last Sunday

      External Sports, NFL

      We’ll find out on Sunday if Mike Martz has evolved

      December 9, 2010 /
      CHICAGO - OCTOBER 24: Offensive coordinator Mike Martz of the Chicago Bears watches a play against the Washington Redskins at Soldier Field on October 24, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Redskins defeated the Bears 17-14. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

      It’s been almost nine years since Bill Belichick got the best of Mike Martz in Super Bowl XXXVI. In that game, the Patriots held the explosive Rams in check on third downs (5-of-13) and despite St. Louis’ 427 total yards of offense, they scored just 17 points.

      But some forget that Martz’s Rams did beat Belichick’s Patriots 24-17 earlier that season in Foxboro. And while Belichick has beaten Martz when the latter was the offensive coordinator for the Lions and 49ers, it’s important to note that Martz didn’t have the personnel he now has in Chicago (not that his personnel is that great with the Bears, but it’s better than what he had in Detroit or San Fran).

      This Sunday will mark a rematch of Belichick v. Martz when the Patriots travel to Solider Field to take on the Bears. After New England wiped the floor with the Jets on Sunday, many people expect the Pats to bring the 9-3 Bears back to reality.

      And if Martz gets away from what has helped the Bears be so successful over the past month, then the Patriots will.

      Chicago’s success of late is part great defense, part great Devin Hester, part improved offensive line play and part a near-flawless Jay Cutler. But one of the reasons Cutler has been so good is because Martz isn’t trying to force the ball downfield every play. According to ESPN.com, Cutler has the NFL’s third-best passer rating (106.3) on passes that travel 10 or less yards in the air. On attempts that cover 11 or more yards, Cutler has completed just 41 percent of those passes (41 of 100), which includes six of his 10 interceptions.

      He may deny it, but Martz has an ego the size of Conan O’Brien’s head. He used to buy into the “mad scientist” moniker and he probably still does. But with the Bears’ playoff hopes hanging in the balance over these next four weeks, now isn’t the time to start taking shots downfield in hopes to get the best of Belichick. Because if there’s one thing Belichick does extremely well (besides video tape opponents’ practices…sorry, had to get that one in there since I brought up Super Bowl XXXVI in the intro), it’s patiently waiting for his opponent to show its weakness and then attacking that weakness.

      The Bears can beat the Patriots on Sunday. As previously noted, New England is coming off an emotional victory over a divisional opponent and now has to travel to a non-conference foe’s domain. Even though the Bears are 9-3, it would be human nature if the Patriots suffered a bit of a letdown and again, it’s not like Martz hasn’t beaten Belichick before.

      But Martz must stay within himself and do what’s best for Cutler, who has responded well to excellent playcalling. If Martz makes this game about getting the best of Belichick, he and the Bears may suffer.

      External Sports, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑