Wild Card Week: Bears vs Packers Saturday 7pm on Prime

[raw]

12 hours ago, Soul said:

WAT.  I read through all that wanting the reasons why you’re picking the Bears, then no prediction?!?

Got burned picking the Bears to beat the Lions, pretty big. Didn't think the LIons would be very motivated. Turns out the Bears were not

[raw]

I (and others) have been equating this season to the 2015 Cubs. Young offense, loaded with talent and looks to be on the way up. New coach, lot of 1st and 2nd year players who are thriving under the new coach. Better than expected in Year 1 of the new regime. 

I just don't know if this is the Pirates game (because that was the wildcard round) or if this is the Cardinals series (biggest rival). Hoping the results are the same, but I never felt "cursed" against the Cardinals in these type of situations, so that's where head vs heart comes into play.

[BigbadB]

12 minutes ago, raw said:

Got burned picking the Bears to beat the Lions, pretty big. Didn't think the LIons would be very motivated. Turns out the Bears were not

Same here. Actually, I'm not really sure Detroit was really that motivated. Chicago just looked that bad on defense. I'm going to go ahead and pick the Bears to win on Saturday night, though. Doubt I'll get ridiculed out of the forum if I'm wrong. LOL. 

They have to continue pressuring Love into making a bad throw. His lollipops are just asking to be picked off. Not necessarily saying to blitz, but figure out a way to get some pressure on him, even with an unexpected blitz here and there.

The drop off from Love to whatever their #3 QB's name is will be significant if they can get to Love early. 

[Brian707]

19 minutes ago, raw said:

I (and others) have been equating this season to the 2015 Cubs. Young offense, loaded with talent and looks to be on the way up. New coach, lot of 1st and 2nd year players who are thriving under the new coach. Better than expected in Year 1 of the new regime. 

I just don't know if this is the Pirates game (because that was the wildcard round) or if this is the Cardinals series (biggest rival). Hoping the results are the same, but I never felt "cursed" against the Cardinals in these type of situations, so that's where head vs heart comes into play.

Caleb=KB(though I hope he doesn't have a injury riddled career like KB)

Joe Thuney=Jon Lester

Rome Odunze=Kyle Schwarber 

Luther Burden=Javy

Not sure who is Rizzo? Swift maybe?

Gardner-Johnson=Chapman

Santos=LaStella

 

 

 

Edited January 8 by Brian707

[Banedon]

Quote

 

Just before he walked away from the podium in what could be his final press conference in Green Bay, Hafley delivered one bold prediction for Saturday's playoff game against the Chicago Bears.

"We are not going to be done, so I will see you guys next week," Hafley said.

 

 

[Brian707]

They do have to clear out there lockers and then have an end of the year press conference.

[PackLandVA]

7 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

They do have to clear out there lockers and then have an end of the year press conference.

Only if they lose to the Packers. 😉

As a "mostly pessimistic fan" about my sports teams, I don't have a lot of confidence that the Packers will prevail Saturday night. Their season just really became derailed with injuries. First, their best non-QB offensive player (this season anyway). Then the anchor on the D-line, followed by a season-ending injury to one of the best players in the league. It's not an excuse, just a reality.

The NFL is a season of attrition, and the best teams each year usually have really good depth and are able to overcome the injury bug. Even if they pull out a victory, I just don't see them making a run like their injury-riddled 2010 season.

[BigSlick]

You’re not the only pessimistic Packers fan I’ve seen and I find it utterly bewildering. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have 35 straight years of top 5 QB play, but it wouldn’t make me pessimistic, I think. 

[Geographyhater8888]

I don’t think the bears will make a deep run and I don’t care either as long as they win on Sunday.. Losing to the horsefeathers packers for the 57th time since 2011 would sour any positive season memories for me.  

Edited January 8 by Geographyhater8888

[jersey cubs fan]

3 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

You’re not the only pessimistic Packers fan I’ve seen and I find it utterly bewildering. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have 35 straight years of top 5 QB play, but it wouldn’t make me pessimistic, I think. 

It’s called Atlanta Braves syndrome 

 

absolute shite organization in the 70s/80s that goes on a heater in the 90s but don’t win enough titles to satisfy so people lose their minds

[PackLandVA]

23 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

It’s called Atlanta Braves syndrome 

 

absolute shite organization in the 70s/80s that goes on a heater in the 90s but don’t win enough titles to satisfy so people lose their minds

This is somewhat accurate!

[mul21]

I'm looking at it like this: if you told me before the season the Bears went 11-6, won the division, beat the Packers once and were playing a home playoff game, I'd have been ecstatic at how well things went. 

Now, expectations have obviously risen with the success in season and another loss to the Packers would be excruciating.  I'm not the least bit confident about them winning Saturday, but there's certainly enough things in their favor that they can pull it off.  I'd honestly rather be playing almost anyone else to make a loss less painful.

[Old Style]

18 hours ago, Brian707 said:

I keep forgetting they played a playoff game in 2020 lol

I have zero recollection of that. WTF?

[Soul]

6 minutes ago, Old Style said:

I have zero recollection of that. WTF?

Hilarious.  Me either.

[Banedon]

I don't get the people picking the Packers.  I mean, I do...history....and the last two games have been close, but the Packers haven't won since Micah went down.  They're a broken team.  Yes, the Bears have lost two in a row, but one was a shootout with the 49ers that came down to the last pass and it just didn't go our way.  And the other was a low stakes game that they tried to get away with a minimal offensive game plan and it didn't work.

Anyway, Bears got this.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I was thinking this over on Monday; does it really matter if the Bears lose this game? Have they ever given me expectations that they should win? For how many years, I've had to learn how to move on with life at the end of the season because of how bad they've been. And, to some extent, I can tell myself "they are ahead of schedule, they have a rising star at QB and HC, they have holes that are fixable".  But I badly want to beat GB

So lets say they beat GB and lose in the divisional round. Still a successful season, no? But is it? Winning has brought a new view for me; I HATE LOSING. I no longer feel like its acceptable. If they lose, will I move on with my life ?_ of course I will. But Ben and Caleb really are teaching me to EXPECT to win. Losing to SF and Detroit bothered me more than it would have in the past. I WANT more from (and for) this team.

 

Beat the living snot out of GB and never look back please.....WIN ALL THE GAMES

[Soul]

12 minutes ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

I was thinking this over on Monday; does it really matter if the Bears lose this game? Have they ever given me expectations that they should win? For how many years, I've had to learn how to move on with life at the end of the season because of how bad they've been. And, to some extent, I can tell myself "they are ahead of schedule, they have a rising star at QB and HC, they have holes that are fixable".  But I badly want to beat GB

So lets say they beat GB and lose in the divisional round. Still a successful season, no? But is it? Winning has brought a new view for me; I HATE LOSING. I no longer feel like its acceptable. If they lose, will I move on with my life ?_ of course I will. But Ben and Caleb really are teaching me to EXPECT to win. Losing to SF and Detroit bothered me more than it would have in the past. I WANT more from (and for) this team.

 

Beat the living snot out of GB and never look back please.....WIN ALL THE GAMES

That's how I've felt about BJ since very early on.  Even when Caleb was really struggling, I felt like BJ would guide the team to success with another QB if it came to that.  The quality of coaching is a quantum leap from what we have consistently seen.  It's obvious to anyone, even outsiders who don't really follow the Bears.

But yeah.  This is a different Bears.  We have the infrastructure in place now to win, and win for more than one season.

[jumbo]

I can't even think straight with everyone calling Ben "BJ"

[minnesotacubsfan]

10 minutes ago, jumbo said:

I can't even think straight with everyone calling Ben "BJ"

yea, I stopped for all the reasons you are hinting at

 

 

[BigSlick]

maybe I set my sights to low but if it was against anyone but the Packers, I even would have been more than satisfied with a one-and-done playoff appearance for this year. This is the first year of Ben Johnson for a team that was 5-12 last year, a total dysfunctional mess, Caleb with a very up-and-down rookie season with a bunch of nimrod coaches, etc. etc. Winning the division and making the playoffs would have been a HUUUUGE win. If they got knocked around by Seattle or LA, ok, whatever, fine. This team has a lot of growing up to do and one half of the ball barely suits up on Sunday. 

But, because its the Packers, we absolutely, positively have to win. And maybe thats for the best for me. It's not good, as a fan, to just feel like you're playing with house money. I may be the only person here, but I watched that San Fran game in complete zen mode - I was happy to see them move offensively and score and it didn't really bother me too much when the defense did bupkis after the first play. They lost and I was serene. It didn't really matter... they had secured their playoff ticket. I was satisfied with that. (This past sunday pissed me off more because they tried and sucked). 

Because its the Packers... we have to win. I can't even really think about what I'll feel if they lose. It unfortunately would tarnish a lot of the good feeling of 2025. Don't even want to think about that. Win. Win. 

[Soul]

3 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

maybe I set my sights to low but if it was against anyone but the Packers, I even would have been more than satisfied with a one-and-done playoff appearance for this year. This is the first year of Ben Johnson for a team that was 5-12 last year, a total dysfunctional mess, Caleb with a very up-and-down rookie season with a bunch of nimrod coaches, etc. etc. Winning the division and making the playoffs would have been a HUUUUGE win. If they got knocked around by Seattle or LA, ok, whatever, fine. This team has a lot of growing up to do and one half of the ball barely suits up on Sunday. 

But, because its the Packers, we absolutely, positively have to win. And maybe thats for the best for me. It's not good, as a fan, to just feel like you're playing with house money. I may be the only person here, but I watched that San Fran game in complete zen mode - I was happy to see them move offensively and score and it didn't really bother me too much when the defense did bupkis after the first play. They lost and I was serene. It didn't really matter... they had secured their playoff ticket. I was satisfied with that. (This past sunday pissed me off more because they tried and sucked). 

Because its the Packers... we have to win. I can't even really think about what I'll feel if they lose. It unfortunately would tarnish a lot of the good feeling of 2025. Don't even want to think about that. Win. Win. 

It's the same need to exorcise the demons that we felt during the 2015 - 2017 Cubs run.

@jumboAgreed, I'll stop using that.  I hadn't thought about it that way, LOL.

[Brian707]

1 hour ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

 

 

Beat the living snot out of GB and never look back please.....WIN ALL THE GAMES

 

[Banedon]

Magary's take on this one:

After The Redeye | Defector

Quote

Packers (-1.5) 24, Bears 20. I want the Bears to win this game nearly as much as Bears fans do. But I know how dark karma works, and I know there will be at least two calls in this game that will make the greater Chicago area demand bloodshed. I know the Packers have a Civil War-level injury list, and I know that the Bears spent the back half of this season evolving from a lucky team into a good one. But I just know that little shitfuck Romeo Doubs will catch a late TD pass that has the color guy openly drooling. I’m already pissed about it.

 

[bukie]

 

[Soul]

One of those loopy rainbows from Love that has INT written all over it yet somehow caught by Doubs.

(or badly underthrown and draws a PI).

Edited January 8 by Soul