Week 10: Bears @ 49ers (Thurs, 7:20 PM NFLN, WPWR)

[UMFan83]

Raisin or gooney usually post these, but their mojo obviously isn't helping the Bears, plus it's a short week so we gotta get this started (do we have to?)

 

I can't remember a time in my Bears fanhood where I've been more down about the team. Sure there have been worse teams, but I've never seen a team that has underperformed so significantly before. Part of it is that they just aren't good enough, but some of it is also something else. How are they good enough to beat the Steelers, but bad enough to get destroyed and humiliated by the Bengals and Cardinals.

 

It's been awhile since I've thought about this, but I think you are seeing the impact that Brian Urlacher has on the Bears defense. Yes there are issues (the biggest by far being the lack of pass rush), but having Urlacher out there shouting out audibles, it was a different more confident defense.

 

Anyways onto the game...I guess the Bears could hypothetically beat the 49ers, but I don't see it. I think this team is demoralized and full of turmoil right now. They are playing on the road, cross country on a short week. Several defensive starters are banged up and questionable at best for the game. There are a lot of negatives going for the Bears right now, and should be underdogs to a team that has looked pretty bad after a 3-1 start, losing 3 straight and 4 of 5 (i believe).

 

Despite all the negatives, I will still be rooting and hoping. Like it or not, the Bears have given me more success in recent years than any other team I root for, so if I was there for the Super Bowl season, I'll be there for them when they suck too. Go Bears!

[CubbieBum]

Actually the 49ers have lost four in a row and 5 of 6. Both teams are down but given the 49ers where at home this week and thus the short weekend won't affect them as much I think the 49ers will win. Also, the 49ers have led 4/5's of the time against the Titans and Colts the last two weeks and I think they will probably finally give the ball to Gore instead of acting like Martz is still the OC.

[Cubswin11]

[expletive] the NFL Network

[NCCubFan]

Somebody has created fireloviesmith.com.

[UMFan83]

BTW, for those of you that just can't let go of playoff hopes...think about this. The Bears are 4-4, in order to get a halfway decent shot at a playoff spot, they'll need to finish 10-6. So they need to go 6-2 the rest of the way. They still have to play the Eagles, the Vikings twice, the Ravens, the Packers, among other teams. Do you see 2 losses or less in those 5 gaves? They would have to go 3-2 against those teams and then win the rest of their games (49ers, Lions, Rams)

[Butterscup1679666578]

L

[WrigleyField 22]

BTW, for those of you that just can't let go of playoff hopes...think about this. The Bears are 4-4, in order to get a halfway decent shot at a playoff spot, they'll need to finish 10-6. So they need to go 6-2 the rest of the way. They still have to play the Eagles, the Vikings twice, the Ravens, the Packers, among other teams. Do you see 2 losses or less in those 5 gaves? They would have to go 3-2 against those teams and then win the rest of their games (49ers, Lions, Rams)

Thats why I prefer to think about it like this:

 

In order for there to be any chance for Lovie to get the can the Bears can't do better than 5-12. The Bears play bad teams in the 49ers, Lions, and Rams. What are the chances we can blow two of those games? The rest is simple, but I worry we're just mediocre enough and Cutler is just good enough to will us a nice 7-9 record.

[hawkeyecub]

Thursday night games are starting already? Were they this soon last year? I was thinking they started at Thanksgiving.

[Soul]

I'm not sure I will watch. Maybe Thursday night is a good night for a movie. This team has crushed the football passion right out of me. Thanks Lovie.

[wekse]

i'll be at the bar for trivia...i'll be watching, won't have much choice.

[soapy]

sigh...i'm pretty deflated at this point.

 

i'll be in Miami Beach so i probably won't worry about watching this one. i'll probably end up being glad i didn't.

 

i guess i'll try to come up with something positive...uh...the o-line didn't seem quite as worthless yesterday? i got nothin.

 

edit: if i can just vent for a second; i really freakin' hate it when the colts have a great season in conjunction with a terrible bears season. just makes the whole thing even more painful. of course they eek out another win yesterday to remain perfect.

 

i usually don't have much venom toward the "home" team, but my frustration with the bears really brings out the worst in me.

Edited November 9, 2009 by soapy

[Derwood]

the Bears should mix things up, maybe blitz every 3rd down

 

:banghead:

[tfarks]

Yeah the Bears are not gonna make the playoffs, not with this defense. It's still too early for me to give up on the season though, I'm a Pacers fan and don't follow hockey, what else do I have?

[NCCubFan]

Thursday night games are starting already? Were they this soon last year? I was thinking they started at Thanksgiving.

That was true up until last year (except for the Thursday night opener). Early November Thursday night games started last year.

[Old Style]

BTW, for those of you that just can't let go of playoff hopes...think about this. The Bears are 4-4, in order to get a halfway decent shot at a playoff spot, they'll need to finish 10-6. So they need to go 6-2 the rest of the way. They still have to play the Eagles, the Vikings twice, the Ravens, the Packers, among other teams. Do you see 2 losses or less in those 5 gaves? They would have to go 3-2 against those teams and then win the rest of their games (49ers, Lions, Rams)

Thats why I prefer to think about it like this:

 

In order for there to be any chance for Lovie to get the can the Bears can't do better than 5-12. The Bears play bad teams in the 49ers, Lions, and Rams. What are the chances we can blow two of those games? The rest is simple, but I worry we're just mediocre enough and Cutler is just good enough to will us a nice 7-9 record.

I will bet you eleventy billion dollars that the Bears do not go 5-12 this year.

[NCCubFan]

BTW, for those of you that just can't let go of playoff hopes...think about this. The Bears are 4-4, in order to get a halfway decent shot at a playoff spot, they'll need to finish 10-6. So they need to go 6-2 the rest of the way. They still have to play the Eagles, the Vikings twice, the Ravens, the Packers, among other teams. Do you see 2 losses or less in those 5 gaves? They would have to go 3-2 against those teams and then win the rest of their games (49ers, Lions, Rams)

Thats why I prefer to think about it like this:

 

In order for there to be any chance for Lovie to get the can the Bears can't do better than 5-12. The Bears play bad teams in the 49ers, Lions, and Rams. What are the chances we can blow two of those games? The rest is simple, but I worry we're just mediocre enough and Cutler is just good enough to will us a nice 7-9 record.

I will bet you eleventy billion dollars that the Bears do not go 5-12 this year.

Yeah, hard to make the playoffs with a 5-11 regular season record. :D

[Soul]

I'm thinking 6-10 now, with remaining wins against DET and STL.

 

All the other games look like sure beatdowns now with this bunch.

[bukie]

I'm thinking 6-10 now, with remaining wins against DET and STL.

 

All the other games look like sure beatdowns now with this bunch.

I think the home date with the Packers looks winnable also. Which means if they can somehow pull out a win this Thursday, there's a decent possibility of 8-8.

[WrigleyField 22]

BTW, for those of you that just can't let go of playoff hopes...think about this. The Bears are 4-4, in order to get a halfway decent shot at a playoff spot, they'll need to finish 10-6. So they need to go 6-2 the rest of the way. They still have to play the Eagles, the Vikings twice, the Ravens, the Packers, among other teams. Do you see 2 losses or less in those 5 gaves? They would have to go 3-2 against those teams and then win the rest of their games (49ers, Lions, Rams)

Thats why I prefer to think about it like this:

 

In order for there to be any chance for Lovie to get the can the Bears can't do better than 5-12. The Bears play bad teams in the 49ers, Lions, and Rams. What are the chances we can blow two of those games? The rest is simple, but I worry we're just mediocre enough and Cutler is just good enough to will us a nice 7-9 record.

I will bet you eleventy billion dollars that the Bears do not go 5-12 this year.

haha whoops...

 

Uh I was counting 1.5 losses for Cincy and Arizona.

[Sosa21MVP]

Yeah the Bears are not gonna make the playoffs, not with this defense. It's still too early for me to give up on the season though, I'm a Pacers fan and don't follow hockey, what else do I have?

 

Pacers at least have some upside this season. :good:

[Soul]

I also agree with UMFan, the loss of Urlacher has been huge. It's one of those things where you can cover for it for a little while, but eventually not having a player of his calibre right in the middle of all the action is going to hurt you.

 

I think we can all agree that Brian isn't the freakish player that he used to be, but he still meant an awful lot to that defense and it really, really shows that he's not in there.

 

It's just one more thing that has served to slay us this season. There are other things obviously, but that's among them.

[BigbadB1679666149]

The defense is beyond pathetic. The offensive line sucks just as bad. It will still be fun watching Cutler rack up tons of yards and touchdown catches on the offensive side of things, but this team is officially out of the playoff picture.

 

And barring a miracle recovery by the several injured defenders, I predict Alex Smith puts a beat down on the Bears on Thursday night.

[Banedon]

Whoa....Garrett Wolfe has a lacerated kidney. He's out 2-4 weeks.

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2009/11/09/bears-running-back-wolfe-has-lacerated-kidney/

[Soul]

Yeah, this is a catstrophic season for the Bears on so many levels. It throws all the plans into limbo, now you've got coaches who should be fired but won't, holes that need to be filled but can't (too few draft picks until 2011).

 

This is just a disaster, plain and simple. Trainwreck at Halas Hall.

[JonJayCutler]

This is a 7-9 or 8-8 football team right now. That said, I don't think the 49ers are that much better, but they'll probably win a close one just because they're at home. Looks like they have a slight advantage over us everywhere except for QB and special teams. Alex Smith is a wretched quarterback, but I have no doubt in my mind our defense will make him look like the QB the 49ers thought they were getting with the first pick in the draft.