Most critics and analysts (including this analyst in training) picked the NFC North Champion Chicago Bears to finish below .500 and in third place behind the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. After an 0-4 preseason in which Jay Cutler spent more time on his back than on his feet, how could you blame them? As of Monday night, the Bears are the NFC North Champs. How did they get there? Luck, that's how. Does their team lack talent? Nope. Do they lack skill? In some aspects but what team doesn't. Let's break down their season, shall we?
Game 1-Detroit: 19-14 victory. Charles Johnson caught what would have been the game winning touchdown but a replay showed he didn't "complete the process of a catch." A catch has always been defined to me as two feet on the ground with the player maintaining possession and making a football move. Johnson did all of this but used the ball to push himself back up onto two feet. Apparently, that is the only time a catch isn't a catch. Never again has this call been made this season to my knowledge in any game.
Game 2-Dallas: 27-20 victory. Solid win with Cutler receiving his highest QB rating as a Bear.
Game 3-Green Bay: 20-17 victory. Twelve Green Bay starters on IR including starting running back Ryan Grant. Green Bay committed a team record eighteen penalties. I challenge you to show me a team who doesn't win a game when the opponent commits that many penalties. The Bears would only win on a late FG by Robbie Gould.
Game 4-NY Giants: 17-3 loss. A HEALTHY Giants team sacked Cutler nine times in the first half and would not see him return after Cutler was diagnosed with a concussion.
Game 5-Carolina: 23-6 victory. Cutler out, Collins gets pulled. Defense shines against THIRD STRING ROOKIE quarterback Jimmy Claussen.
Game 6-Seattle: 23-20 loss. HEALTHY Seattle team beats Bears at home. 0 for 12 on third down against a pass defense ranked 31st in the NFL.
Game 7-Washington: 17-14 loss. HEALTHY Redskins team beats Bears at home. D'angelo Hall picks off Cutler four times and Cutler loses fumble at the goal line.
Game 8-Buffalo: 22-19 victory. Bears beat a winless Buffalo team.
This concludes the first half of the season in which the Bears had the 4th easiest schedule in the league.
Game 9-Minnesota: 27-13 victory. Bears outplayed Vikings plain and simple in all three phases. Quality victory
Game 10-Miami: 16-0 victory. Third string quarterback Tyler Thigpen gets his first start since 2008. Brandon Marshall leaves with an injury.
Game 11-Philadelphia: 31-26 victory. Star cornerback Asante Samuel ruled out with an injury. Bears narrowly escape onside kick recovery.
Game 12-Detroit: 24-20 victory. Game winning play set up by another questionable call. This time it was a personal foul penalty on Ndamukong Suh for a tackle made on Cutler. Also, another third string quarterback gets the start for a team that was 2-9 at the time.
Game 13-New England: 36-7 loss. HEALTHY New England team comes to Soldier Field in "Bear Weather" and runs rampant on them.
Game 14-Minnesota: 40-14 victory. Adrian Peterson ruled out. Brett Favre gets the start so the Vikes could have a chance. Nope, he gets knocked out after twenty minutes. Third string QB Joe Webb sees his first action ever in a regular season NFL game. Pro Bowl lineman Steve Hutchinson also ruled out and a rookie takes his place.
The key to the Bears season hasn't been the play of their offense. Matt Forte and Chester Taylor have been average at best. Jay Cutler's rating is below 90. Their line has improved, but is nowhere near good. The defense has been consistent but has faltered against healthy teams. The other reason the Bears have succeeded is their health. They have put their first team out there all year. With the exception of Green Bay, all teams making the playoffs in the NFC are completely healthy. Let's see how they shape up against those teams especially with a quarterback who has never appeared in the postseason. Call me a pessimist or call me wrong, but you can't help but question what would have happened had all these teams been putting their best teams out there. Beat your chest and sing "Bear Down" for your team has beaten depleted team after depleted team. Let the comments begin.
-Joe Tichy
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