Week 14: Jaguars (4-8) at Bears (6-6) Noon CBS

[UMFan83]

Figured I'd get this started. A perfect day would be a Bears win and a Vikings loss to Detroit, but that's not going to happen. I was worried about this game because of the Jags talent level, which is not matching their performance this year, but they looked awful last night.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Jags are really bad, but it would be very Bear-like to lose this game and virtually end the season.

[jersey cubs fan]

The Bears are 6.5 point home favorites. Jacksonville is pretty bad and should be on the verge of shutting down for the season. If they can't win this one they are going to finish below .500.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Last season, meaningless wins by the Bears dropped them in the draft and out of reach for Ryan Clady, who is already a beast of a NFL left tackle. GO JAGS!

[cubweiser03]

I cant believe how bad the jags have been playing either. I feel better about sunday.

[Soul]

We've been beating the bad teams this year, so I would expect the Bears to pull this one out. But I also won't be thinking it means anything, just as the Rams win didn't mean anything (beyond it just being a win, of course).

[kujay]

Backs against the wall, at home, hopefully we'll get a good performance and a full house (no no-shows).

[YearofDaCubs]

I don't know why but I feel we will lose this one.

[Soul]

I feel like we can stop their run game if we don't have to worry about the pass too much. And if we can run the ball as well, I think it's a solid matchup for the Bears to take the victory at home.

 

Their rushing defense is ranked 20th right now, that's not so good. Forte should be able to get some room to run.

 

Passing O, 17th. Rushing O, 17th. That's pretty blah, I don't think there's anything in there that creates a real matchup problem, at least on a high level.

[jersey cubs fan]

I don't know why but I feel we will lose this one.

 

If Sunday was the symbolic end of the season, than this loss would be the real end. No coming back from that loss, but I don't think it will happen.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Really, all I need is for Jones-Drew to have a monster day. Come on Bears, make it be.

[manbearcub]

Unless the Lions pull off the stunner (not going to happen) I wouldnt mind the Jags winning.

[rawaction]

Bears should be favored in every game from here on out. They don't necessarily need to win out, but there's really no reason they can't. A legit playoff team would win out w/ 3 at home against teams w/ non-winning records and a road game against an inferior team.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

Even if they win out, they are not a legit playoff team. It does no good for this team to back into the playoffs. No good whatsoever.

[OleMissCub]

I envy you Bears fans. It'd be nice to be in a crappy division this year. :?

 

With 6 wins you guys are still in the thick of it. The Saints' 6 wins means they are virtually eliminated.

[rawaction]

Even if they win out, they are not a legit playoff team. It does no good for this team to back into the playoffs. No good whatsoever.

 

If they win out, they'd be 10-6, which would make the playoffs in almost every single year. I'm not expecting them to win out anyway, but still they should be able to if they are even an average team, because 2 of the 4 teams are below average and the other 2 are not as good.

 

Also, I think if the Bears get in, they could beat Atlanta, Tampa or Carolina since they would have to come into Chicago. Could have won all 3 in the regular season. Throw in the weather and what would presumably be a hot Bears team, one win is a possibility in the playoffs, which would make it NOT a waste.

[jersey cubs fan]

Even if they win out, they are not a legit playoff team. It does no good for this team to back into the playoffs. No good whatsoever.

 

This makes no sense. If they win out they go 10-6, beating multiple 2007 playoff teams along the way. How is that not legit? The Giants played like crap for a good portion of last year and barely got into the playoffs before winning the SB. Not that I think the Bears can do that, but they would be every bit the legit playoff team if they went 10-6.

[Guest]

Even if they win out, they are not a legit playoff team. It does no good for this team to back into the playoffs. No good whatsoever.

 

Winning out is not backing into the playoffs.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

This team is not good. Bottom line. Beating 3 subpar teams and 1 good team doesn't change anything. We really suck.

[jersey cubs fan]

This team is not good. Bottom line. Beating 3 subpar teams and 1 good team doesn't change anything. We really suck.

 

You can't suck and go 10-6. This team isn't great by any stretch. But teams that go 10-6 in the NFL are absolutely legit playoff teams and going 4-0 down the stretch is in no way shape or form "backing into" the playoffs.

[UMFan83]

This team is not good. Bottom line. Beating 3 subpar teams and 1 good team doesn't change anything. We really suck.

 

You can't suck and go 10-6. This team isn't great by any stretch. But teams that go 10-6 in the NFL are absolutely legit playoff teams and going 4-0 down the stretch is in no way shape or form "backing into" the playoffs.

 

You can't suck, but you can be mediocre and be 10-6. See 2007 Cleveland Browns.

 

They won over:

Bengals (7-9)

Ravens (5-11)

Dolphins (1-15)

Rams (3-13)

Seahawks (10-6)

Ravens (5-11)

Texans (8-8)

Jets (4-12)

Bills (7-9)

49ers (5-11)

 

Winning % of teams they beat: .343 (55-105)

 

Bears have beat:

Colts (8-4)

Eagles (6-5-1)

Lions (0-12)

Vikings (7-5)

Lions (0-12)

Rams (2-10)

 

Winning % of teams they beat: .326 (23.5-48.5)

 

If they won out that would include a 4-8 team, a 6-6 team, a 5-7 team and another 5-7 team.

[pitchcs]

Well, after being embarrassed in Minnesota, I will be back in the cold for this one (2 more night games too...yuck).

 

Bears take this one in a fairly low scoring affair.

[jersey cubs fan]

This team is not good. Bottom line. Beating 3 subpar teams and 1 good team doesn't change anything. We really suck.

 

You can't suck and go 10-6. This team isn't great by any stretch. But teams that go 10-6 in the NFL are absolutely legit playoff teams and going 4-0 down the stretch is in no way shape or form "backing into" the playoffs.

 

You can't suck, but you can be mediocre and be 10-6. See 2007 Cleveland Browns.

 

They won over:

Bengals (7-9)

Ravens (5-11)

Dolphins (1-15)

Rams (3-13)

Seahawks (10-6)

Ravens (5-11)

Texans (8-8)

Jets (4-12)

Bills (7-9)

49ers (5-11)

 

Winning % of teams they beat: .343 (55-105)

 

Bears have beat:

Colts (8-4)

Eagles (6-5-1)

Lions (0-12)

Vikings (7-5)

Lions (0-12)

Rams (2-10)

 

Winning % of teams they beat: .326 (23.5-48.5)

 

If they won out that would include a 4-8 team, a 6-6 team, a 5-7 team and another 5-7 team.

 

I'm not doubting their deficiencies. I'm saying it's absurd to say that a 10-6 Bears team sucks, if they end up 10-6. And winning 4 straight to end the season isn't backing into the playoffs. Take a look at the AFC East teams who have fattened up on incredibly weak divisions. Arizona is going to have the benefit of having nobody in their division, and whoever the heck wins the AFC West will have benefitted as well. The competition is the competition, if the Bears win 10 games they will be a legit playoff team. If they lose some more games and still win because Minnesota falls apart, then that would be backing in. But that's a different story.

[UMFan83]

This team is not good. Bottom line. Beating 3 subpar teams and 1 good team doesn't change anything. We really suck.

 

You can't suck and go 10-6. This team isn't great by any stretch. But teams that go 10-6 in the NFL are absolutely legit playoff teams and going 4-0 down the stretch is in no way shape or form "backing into" the playoffs.

 

You can't suck, but you can be mediocre and be 10-6. See 2007 Cleveland Browns.

 

They won over:

Bengals (7-9)

Ravens (5-11)

Dolphins (1-15)

Rams (3-13)

Seahawks (10-6)

Ravens (5-11)

Texans (8-8)

Jets (4-12)

Bills (7-9)

49ers (5-11)

 

Winning % of teams they beat: .343 (55-105)

 

Bears have beat:

Colts (8-4)

Eagles (6-5-1)

Lions (0-12)

Vikings (7-5)

Lions (0-12)

Rams (2-10)

 

Winning % of teams they beat: .326 (23.5-48.5)

 

If they won out that would include a 4-8 team, a 6-6 team, a 5-7 team and another 5-7 team.

 

I'm not doubting their deficiencies. I'm saying it's absurd to say that a 10-6 Bears team sucks, if they end up 10-6. And winning 4 straight to end the season isn't backing into the playoffs. Take a look at the AFC East teams who have fattened up on incredibly weak divisions. Arizona is going to have the benefit of having nobody in their division, and whoever the heck wins the AFC West will have benefitted as well. The competition is the competition, if the Bears win 10 games they will be a legit playoff team. If they lose some more games and still win because Minnesota falls apart, then that would be backing in. But that's a different story.

 

You're right. Your previous comment just caused me to think about and create a comparison between the 2007 Browns and this years Bears. In the NFC, I can only definitively say that the Giants, Cowboys, Redskins, Panthers, and Buccaneers have better rosters top to bottom than the Bears. There might be a few more (Eagles, Vikings, Packers, Cardinals, Saints are up there).

[UMFan83]

As Dusty Dvoracek's third straight season as a Bear ended on the injured reserve list Monday, one had to wonder how much of a lock he will be to make the roster for a possible fourth. At Halas Hall, coach Lovie Smith spoke optimistically about the defensive tackle being a big part of the future in Chicago, but organizations tire quickly of players who can't get through even one full season healthy. Sunday's torn biceps muscle made Dvoracek 0-for-3.

 

Who sees him suddenly turning his career around on another team next year?