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Bears Fri Dec 05 2008
Footballic Ramblings: Bears Trudging Through the Season
You could read this and naively believe that the Bears have more than a snowball's chance in Hell at making the playoffs, of course, only to lose in the first-round; or you could resign yourself to the fact that the Bears suck and the Jacksonville Jaguars suck even more and that this game is nothing more than an exercise in futilely getting thru to the end of another season for both teams. As an abject realist --and no fan of the Bears-- Footballic Ramblings, staunchly supports the latter notion, yet the games must be played and someone has to preview them. Onward we trudge. Seriously, the Jaguars are pathetic this season, everyone with a few scattered brain cells knew that J-ville qb, David Garrard, would come back to Earth after his celestial 2007 campaign (18 TDs to 3 INTs) but this has been worse than even cynics expected.
Not helping Garrard's case has been the disappearance of Jacksonville's much-ballyhooed running game. Maurice Jones-Drew has been right on target with his carries, yards and touchdowns are reflective of what he's done the past two seasons, BUT Fred Taylor, where art thou? Taylor, who's made a living by being counted out by teams and scouts and then punishing them with huge yardage totals over the years may finally have lost his mojo. Defensively the Jags are middle-of-the-pack at best after having a fierce defense last season that was most-capable of smacking [insert your favorite team] right in the mouth and then take said team's collective mother out to dinner without even pondering whether to call her back. This season? Wuss-city. The Jags are hemorrhaging rushing yards and their pass defense (so stout last year) is a shadow of it's former self. Meaning? Good News, Bears! Forte and NeckBeard have a field day on offense in the bluster and frigid misery that is Soldier Field in December; while the Chicago D does just enough to keep the lead.
The Bears Are Winning/Losing By Too Many What Else Is On?
According to the always useful 506's NFL schedule map the Bears are the only game in town for the early kickoffs and the Cowboys vs Steelers will be taking prominence in the afternoon game.
Dallas @ Pittsburgh:
A rematch of countless Super Bowls from yesteryear, Pittsburgh and Dallas met in every Super Bowl between 1972 and 1988*, this year's edition matches strength on strength as the 'Boys high-flying, Romo led offense collides with the Steelers defense of doom.
Zeus, the Lord of all Gods and the weather-god, is calling for snow and temps in the mid-20s at kickoff and if that's what Zeus wants than that's what Zeus gets. Count on the Steelers (and Mother Nature) to smother the Cowboys aerial show beneath a layer of ferocious tackling and soft white snow. Watch for Marion Barber to single-handedly keep Dallas in the game and wager your house on Ben Roethlisberger making a critical interception in the 3rd or 4th quarter.
*Empirically and emphatically, not true.
JH / December 8, 2008 9:52 PM
Hey. Why write about the Bears if a) you are not a fan, and b) you are not trying to be an objective journalist? You make it seem as if writing about the Bears is some sort of ignoble duty that has been thrust upon you against your will. If you are going to be Mariotti-like about it, at least go into specifics (as in, at least make it look like you watch the games and care what happens). Also, pay attention to injury reports - Barber was ruled out of the Steelers game by Friday. Lastly, watch your comma usage. Most of them should either be periods, or not in the sentence at all.