Week 3: Bears @ Minnesota - Sunday, Sept. 24th, 12 pm CST

[da bears]

Schlereth picked against the bears again

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/features/talent

 

Did he pick against them on tv too? I just wondered if he said anything specific about why he made this pick...

 

Mike and Mike called him out on this asking "If you picked the Packers, Lions, and Vikings all over the Bears, you must think the Bears are the worst team in the NFCN, right?" I've never seen anyone back-pedal so fast. It was obvious he had no answer and was just throwing out random cliche's hoping that one would stick.

 

He's an idiot. I hope he keeps picking against them. He obviously has some beef against the Bears. Whatever, I didnt hear it but it so unds like he just embarrassed himself.

[hawkeyecub]

The Sporting News[/url]"]UPSET OF THE WEEK

 

Minnesota over Chicago. As impressive as the way the Bears demolished the lowly Packers and Lions was, I've been more impressed with the way Brad Childress' Cardiac Vikes edged out two 2005 playoff teams, the Redskins and Panthers. With a conservative offense and a much-improved defense, Minnesota should be in several low-scoring and close games this season.

 

This game will be won by the big bodies up front, where the Vikings have the surprising edge. Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson and Matt Birk will help keep the Bears' strong front four and Brian Urlacher off Chester Taylor. Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will have some success butting heads with Olin Kreutz.

 

Don't expect too much in the passing game, but I think Brad Johnson will have enough protection down the stretch to lead another game-winning field-goal drive at home. Vikings 19, Bears 16.

 

What I find interesting is while the Vikings have seemingly improved while playing two teams who, at the moment aren't much better than the Packers and Lions. The Bears have "only" played two lowly teams and haven't shown any improvement over 2005 at all.

 

That's just wrong.

 

The Packers and Redskins are far better than the Packers. The Packers at best are maybe the 30th best team in the league. The Lions are a 6-10, maybe 7-9 team. The Seahawks game was a bit of a fluke and the Seahawks haven't shown that they're clicking now either.

 

I just can't wait until Sunday so I don't have to keep telling people that playing at Washington and Carolina at home is much tougher than at Green Bay and Detroit at home. Use some common sense people.

Still, the Bears are the better team and with no hesitation I would bet on them going farther than the Vikings and being the favorites for the North.

[Soul]

I was a little scared with Dr. Z taking the Bears, but I like that so many others are picking against them still.

 

exactly, it's a comfort.

 

...and a commentary.

 

 

On the amazing lack of credibility among NFL "experts"

[Banedon]

That's just wrong.

 

The Packers and Redskins are far better than the Packers. The Packers at best are maybe the 30th best team in the league. The Lions are a 6-10, maybe 7-9 team. The Seahawks game was a bit of a fluke and the Seahawks haven't shown that they're clicking now either.

 

I just can't wait until Sunday so I don't have to keep telling people that playing at Washington and Carolina at home is much tougher than at Green Bay and Detroit at home. Use some common sense people.

Still, the Bears are the better team and with no hesitation I would bet on them going farther than the Vikings and being the favorites for the North.

 

I guess we'll find out when the Packers play the Packers! :D

[sweetpeteman]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

[gflore34]

The Sporting News[/url]"]UPSET OF THE WEEK

 

Minnesota over Chicago. As impressive as the way the Bears demolished the lowly Packers and Lions was, I've been more impressed with the way Brad Childress' Cardiac Vikes edged out two 2005 playoff teams, the Redskins and Panthers. With a conservative offense and a much-improved defense, Minnesota should be in several low-scoring and close games this season.

 

This game will be won by the big bodies up front, where the Vikings have the surprising edge. Bryant McKinnie, Steve Hutchinson and Matt Birk will help keep the Bears' strong front four and Brian Urlacher off Chester Taylor. Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will have some success butting heads with Olin Kreutz.

 

Don't expect too much in the passing game, but I think Brad Johnson will have enough protection down the stretch to lead another game-winning field-goal drive at home. Vikings 19, Bears 16.

 

What I find interesting is while the Vikings have seemingly improved while playing two teams who, at the moment aren't much better than the Packers and Lions. The Bears have "only" played two lowly teams and haven't shown any improvement over 2005 at all.

 

That's just wrong.

 

The Packers and Redskins are far better than the Packers. The Packers at best are maybe the 30th best team in the league. The Lions are a 6-10, maybe 7-9 team. The Seahawks game was a bit of a fluke and the Seahawks haven't shown that they're clicking now either.

 

I just can't wait until Sunday so I don't have to keep telling people that playing at Washington and Carolina at home is much tougher than at Green Bay and Detroit at home. Use some common sense people.

Still, the Bears are the better team and with no hesitation I would bet on them going farther than the Vikings and being the favorites for the North.

 

Sure, when Steve Smith and Clinton Portis return the Panthers and Redskins are far better than Lions and Packers however, currently, they're not too good.

[David]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

 

Someone who gets it.

 

I honestly think the Bears should handle the Vikings relatively easily.

 

I'm not going to make any predictions, but I think I'll be right come Sunday.

[Banedon]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

 

Someone who gets it.

 

I honestly think the Bears should handle the Vikings relatively easily.

 

I'm not going to make any predictions, but I think I'll be right come Sunday.

 

I think the same. But I don't think the Bears will win over the skeptics till they win a non-division game.

[Banedon]

The Football Outsiders[/url]"]Bears at Vikings: According to the official NFL leader boards, the Vikings rank 13th in the league in total offense, the Bears 7th. The NFL ranks the Bears 5th in total defense after two games, the Vikings 7th. Using those figures, this game looks like a dead heat between two 2-0 division rivals.

 

But as you probably know, the official NFL rankings aren't worth the bandwidth it takes to download them. The NFL ranks teams by yards gained and yards allowed. If the Bears roll up a big lead and then slip into their prevent defense and allow easy yards, the official rankings don't care. Similarly, if the Vikings are forced to rely on fourth down conversions and fake field goals to score points, the official rankings don't care. That makes them essentially useless.

 

At Football Outsiders, we use DVOA, a metric that analyzes every offensive, defensive, and special teams play and determines how far above or below average a team is in every possible situation. Later in the year, we'll also adjust for the strength of schedule. For now, the Vikings rank 19th in offensive VOA (that's DVOA without schedule adjustments), 12th in defense, and 22nd in special teams. The Bears are fourth in offense, seventh in defense, and first in special teams.

 

That's more like it. The Vikings are a .500-caliber team on a hot streak. The Bears are a Super Bowl contender rolling through the easy part of their schedule. The Bears will keep rolling this week. And if they can keep passing the ball like they did against the Lions, they'll be rolling in late January.

[David]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

 

Someone who gets it.

 

I honestly think the Bears should handle the Vikings relatively easily.

 

I'm not going to make any predictions, but I think I'll be right come Sunday.

 

I think the same. But I don't think the Bears will win over the skeptics till they win a non-division game.

 

Agreed.

 

If the Bears wipe the floor with Minny this weekend, people will say the same things they're saying now. They'll just say Minnesota wasn't really that good and the Bears still haven't beaten anyone.

 

That's fine. I'm really looking forward to that Sunday Night game with Seattle in week 4.

[Chocolate Milk]

The Football Outsiders[/url]"]Bears at Vikings: According to the official NFL leader boards, the Vikings rank 13th in the league in total offense, the Bears 7th. The NFL ranks the Bears 5th in total defense after two games, the Vikings 7th. Using those figures, this game looks like a dead heat between two 2-0 division rivals.

 

But as you probably know, the official NFL rankings aren't worth the bandwidth it takes to download them. The NFL ranks teams by yards gained and yards allowed. If the Bears roll up a big lead and then slip into their prevent defense and allow easy yards, the official rankings don't care. Similarly, if the Vikings are forced to rely on fourth down conversions and fake field goals to score points, the official rankings don't care. That makes them essentially useless.

 

At Football Outsiders, we use DVOA, a metric that analyzes every offensive, defensive, and special teams play and determines how far above or below average a team is in every possible situation. Later in the year, we'll also adjust for the strength of schedule. For now, the Vikings rank 19th in offensive VOA (that's DVOA without schedule adjustments), 12th in defense, and 22nd in special teams. The Bears are fourth in offense, seventh in defense, and first in special teams.

 

That's more like it. The Vikings are a .500-caliber team on a hot streak. The Bears are a Super Bowl contender rolling through the easy part of their schedule. The Bears will keep rolling this week. And if they can keep passing the ball like they did against the Lions, they'll be rolling in late January.

 

Football Outsiders is a great site.

[David]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

[Chocolate Milk]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

 

Also on the front of:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

[David]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

 

Also on the front of:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

 

I'm so proud... I might even shed a tear... :D

[David]

He's also on the front of http://www.nfl.com

 

Second cover story

[hawkeyecub]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

 

How are the Redskins "a joke so far"? We're two flippin games in! They played a tight game with the Vikings at home and trailed the Cowboys by 7 heading to the 4th quarter at Dallas. That makes them a joke?

 

gflore, Portis played against the Vikings and played most of the game so get that right. As far as the Panthers go, you're basically taking last year's offense substituting Steve Smith for Keyshawn Johnson and adding in DeAngelo Williams who is a stud. Yes they haven't looked good, but maybe the Falcons and Vikings have pretty good defenses?

 

For crying out loud people, the Bears are the favorite and they should be. Leave it at that. It's just stupid when you try to spin that the Panthers and Redskins are on equal ground or not much better than the stinkin Lions and Packers. Use a little common sense.

[Banedon]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

 

How are the Redskins "a joke so far"? We're two flippin games in! They played a tight game with the Vikings at home and trailed the Cowboys by 7 heading to the 4th quarter at Dallas. That makes them a joke?

 

gflore, Portis played against the Vikings and played most of the game so get that right. As far as the Panthers go, you're basically taking last year's offense substituting Steve Smith for Keyshawn Johnson and adding in DeAngelo Williams who is a stud. Yes they haven't looked good, but maybe the Falcons and Vikings have pretty good defenses?

 

For crying out loud people, the Bears are the favorite and they should be. Leave it at that. It's just stupid when you try to spin that the Panthers and Redskins are on equal ground or not much better than the stinkin Lions and Packers. Use a little common sense.

 

Sorry, but the Redskins look terrible. And more specifically, Brunell looks awful. I think Houston beats them this week actually.

[Jehrico]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

 

How are the Redskins "a joke so far"? We're two flippin games in! They played a tight game with the Vikings at home and trailed the Cowboys by 7 heading to the 4th quarter at Dallas. That makes them a joke?

 

gflore, Portis played against the Vikings and played most of the game so get that right. As far as the Panthers go, you're basically taking last year's offense substituting Steve Smith for Keyshawn Johnson and adding in DeAngelo Williams who is a stud. Yes they haven't looked good, but maybe the Falcons and Vikings have pretty good defenses?

 

For crying out loud people, the Bears are the favorite and they should be. Leave it at that. It's just stupid when you try to spin that the Panthers and Redskins are on equal ground or not much better than the stinkin Lions and Packers. Use a little common sense.

The Redskins looked horrible their first two games, and the Bears fans here (along with many others, including the media) think they've taken a huge step backwards this year and are just not that good. No point in getting defensive about a bunch of Bears fans agreeing with the mainstream that the Redskins suck. They have 14 games left to prove everyone wrong. Leave it at that.

[Jehrico]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

 

Also on the front of:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

 

That's not good...

[David]

The Panthers without Steve Smith are at best a .500 team, and the Redskins are a joke so far.

 

How are the Redskins "a joke so far"? We're two flippin games in! They played a tight game with the Vikings at home and trailed the Cowboys by 7 heading to the 4th quarter at Dallas. That makes them a joke?

 

gflore, Portis played against the Vikings and played most of the game so get that right. As far as the Panthers go, you're basically taking last year's offense substituting Steve Smith for Keyshawn Johnson and adding in DeAngelo Williams who is a stud. Yes they haven't looked good, but maybe the Falcons and Vikings have pretty good defenses?

 

For crying out loud people, the Bears are the favorite and they should be. Leave it at that. It's just stupid when you try to spin that the Panthers and Redskins are on equal ground or not much better than the stinkin Lions and Packers. Use a little common sense.

 

The Panthers without Steve Smith are a mediocre football team. The Redskins look weak this season. You talk about the Skins playing a tight game with another mediocre team in the Vikings, but then write off the Lions, who played a tight game with the reigning NFC Champs.

 

I think you're the one who needs to use a little common sense.

[David]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

 

Also on the front of:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

 

That's not good...

 

Hey now, it's the website, not the magazine...

 

Besides, how many times was Michael Jordan on the cover of SI? :)

 

Or basically anyone else that is/was great in pro sports...

[TruffleShuffle]

but, guys, i thought that the lions were goo.......oh, forget it.

 

The Bears are very good, but dude, the Lions do suck. They suck every year. They'll continue to suck every year.

Edited September 21, 2006 by TruffleShuffle

[Jehrico]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

 

Also on the front of:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

 

That's not good...

 

Hey now, it's the website, not the magazine...

 

Besides, how many times was Michael Jordan on the cover of SI? :)

 

Or basically anyone else that is/was great in pro sports...

 

Michael Jordan was sooo great even SI couldn't stop him. :D

 

Anyone can be great and lose in the postseason, only to see someone else covered after the championship is over (see Dee Brown and UNC).

 

Anyone have any stats that say the curse is limited to their worthless magazine and not their website :wink:

[CubColtPacer]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

 

Also on the front of:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

 

That's not good...

 

Hey now, it's the website, not the magazine...

 

Besides, how many times was Michael Jordan on the cover of SI? :)

 

Or basically anyone else that is/was great in pro sports...

 

Michael Jordan was sooo great even SI couldn't stop him. :D

 

Anyone can be great and lose in the postseason, only to see someone else covered after the championship is over (see Dee Brown and UNC).

 

Anyone have any stats that say the curse is limited to their worthless magazine and not their website :wink:

 

Luckily for Bears fans, the SI cover curse has been replaced..now it's the Madden cover curse-what is it, 7 straight bad years in a row?

[UMFan83]

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl

 

Check out who is on CBS Sportsline's NFL front page.

 

Also on the front of:

 

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/

 

That's not good...

 

Hey now, it's the website, not the magazine...

 

Besides, how many times was Michael Jordan on the cover of SI? :)

 

Or basically anyone else that is/was great in pro sports...

 

I almost guarentee you that if Grossman has another great game and the Bears beat the Vikings, the Bears will be on the cover of SI.

 

An individual leading a team into somewhat suprising dominance is exactly what SI loves to showcase. No other big sports stories this week except the baseball stretch run, but they will probably wait until the week after to make a baseball cover in preparation for the playoffs.