David

I agree. I really hope he has a fantastic game, wins the Super Bowl MVP and shuts everyone up. I think one of his solid 220 yard, 2 TD, 0 INT games would probably take it, unless Hester ran a couple back or one of the defensive guys or RB's had a MONSTER game.

Just poking fun at the people who like to respond that all Major Leaguers are obviously good at baseball because they've made it to the Majors...

Dude, Erstad isn't bad because I say he's bad, he's bad because he isn't very good at baseball. If he hits .280 I'll be stunned, because he's done that twice in the last 6 seasons. If he OPS's .750 I'll be more stunned, because he's also only had an OPS above .700 twice in the last 6 seasons, and one of those 2 was a .702 OPS. I don't think I need to explain why the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards are meaningless crap. Again, do you have anything at all other than your dismissive tone to suggest Erstad isn't terrible? I'm still waiting. Cue somebody completely missing the point and saying that anybody in the Major Leagues must be good at baseball because they're in the Major Leagues.

Forgot to mention, haven't seen if anyone has already posted it, but Ruben Brown will be going to the Pro Bowl. http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=2978

Just an aside, I really wish we could successfuly branch a Bears site off of this one. Unfortunately, I don't think Tim is a Bears fan. It's too bad, though... Probably, the best Bears discussion I find on the internet is in these threads. We tried to get one set up last year. Uber did a bunch of the graphics. A few of us were mods. We just couldn't generate the necessary traffic to get discussion going. I'm probably about as much to blame as anyone for that.

Of course, they've been playing just a little bit different of defenses in the playoffs :D ..but then again, that will also be in the case in the Super Bowl. Manning has had a tough test-the #1 scoring defense at their place, the #2 at his place, and now the #3 on a neutral field. Manning's statistics are pretty deceiving, as he's actually played pretty well throughout the playoffs (so has Grossman btw). It could come to QB's, but it certainly might not. Ok-a different question-how do you think the Bears will try to guard the Colts receivers? Who do you double? Whether this is good or bad, the Bears don't often double cover anyone. They tend to try and just do what they do. It usually works out. We'll see, I suppose, how it works in this game. It didn't work against Steve Smith, but that's probably an extreme example of a receiver that can really take over a game on his own. Another question... How big of a factor is Devin Hester in this game? I think he might, in fact, be a big reason the Bears win the game, if the Bears win. The x-factor, to cite an overused cliche. Coupled with the Colts' lackluster coverage unit, Rex and the Bears should see short fields a lot in this game, and Hester may also run one back on his own.

Case in point - the playoff game against the Seahawks...although his rating in that game was more below average than terrible.

All that proves is how many stupid people there are that follow football. Grossman did more good things this season than any of those QBs did throughout their careers. I would completely disagree with that. The best numbers of all of the QB's on the list so far: Eason: 61.6% completion percentage, 23 TD/8 INT, 3328 yards, 7.5 Y/A, 5 TD's rushing Ferragamo: 59.4% completion percentage, 30 TD/19 INT, 3199 yards, 7.9 Y/A, 1 TD rushing Woodley: I don't want to embarrass him by posting his numbers-let's just say he's the worst QB to ever make a Super Bowl Dilfer: 56.2% completion percentage, 21 TD/11 INT, 2555 yards, 6.6 Y/A, 1 TD rushing Grossman: 54.6% completion percentage, 23 TD/20 INT, 3193 yards, 6.7 Y/A, 0 TD rushing To predict that Grossman will have a better career? Fine. To say that Grossman has done more this season than those QB's did in their entire careers? With the exception of Woodley, absolutely not. Eason and Ferragamo's seasons blow Grossman's out of the water, and Dilfer's is a little better as well. Taking Grossman's season numbers as a whole is very convenient. It's also extremely misleading. I'm not sure there's many QB's where you could take out their 3 worst games, and their numbers would go from this: 262 of 480 (54.6%) 3193 Yards 23 TD 20 INT 73.9 Rating to this: 240 of 412 (58.3%) 2982 Yards 23 TD 10 INT 89.3 Rating And that's not to say you can just throw out those games. It's meant to illustrate that his overall numbers don't really tell you very much in terms of his game to game performance. A few (3) REALLY bad games turned his stats from very good to just below average.

Could that possibly have anything to do with the fact that when the Bears have a big lead, Grossman is already having a good day, and when the Bears are behind (which hasn't been all that often this season), he's been having a bad game? Stats like that are ridiculous. As is the stat that refers to his rating in 4th quarters. He's sat out a good deal of the 4th quarters of his big games. The Bears have also consistently ran the ball and ran out the clock at the ends of games in which they've had leads. I hate these situational stats. They're just as absurd in football as they are in baseball.

For the record, I hardly think that a poll asking for the worst QB to ever make the Super Bowl proves a national media bias against the Bears. For the record, I do. It's a joke to even see Rex's name included with those players. Do you guys even realize how bad those other guys were? Do you? Grossman has more talent in his left foot than these bums.

Thanks for clearing that up.

I can't decide if he wants to downplay the importance of it (Peyton has never wanted to talk about his injuries when he has had them, of course they've never been serious enough for him to miss a single game in his career) or just a little bit of gamesmanship. I think it's the former, but I can't be sure. I wasn't aware that Peyton told Sorgi to "be ready" until I watched the NFL Replay last night. Since he was able to continue in the AFC Championship, I don't think it's a big deal. He pretty much had to continue in the AFC Championship game. But, all during that time, he kept working the thumb to avoid it tightening/swelling up. It is when you quit working it that it tightens up and causes a problem. But, with nothing showing up on x-ray and 2 weeks to heal, he'll probably be fine. Whether he'll still be fine the first time he gets hit hard is another question. X-Rays don't show much in terms of ligaments and tendons though. I'm going off the fact he continued afterwards, and played well. Things can be done to reduce swelling and pain just for the duration of one game. Honestly, if the Bears can't get some pressure on this guy I think we're in trouble. I do think the Bears offense can do a few things, but that defense will need to at least limit the Colts to a dull roar. True... they can numb the pain. But, if he's still in pain for that game, numbing the pain means numbing his whole thumb, on his throwing hand, and quite possibly a decent sized portion of the surrounding area... I can't imagine that's very helpful in terms of throwing a football.

It's unbelievable... Look at the names on that list. It's ridiculous. Yet, some people would still have you think that there is no national media bias against the Bears.

He mentioned that when they got him. I'm thinking that was before they signed Lilly and Marquis though, no? Regardless, there's really no need for three lefties in the BP. I still think one of them is a strong cadidate to get traded, along with Jones. Yes it was before those signings but there is still an open 5th spot on the starter depth chart. I suppose there is. I guess Zambrano, Hill, Lilly and Marquis are pretty much penciled in right now with Prior, Miller, Guzman, Marshall, Cotts, etc. all being candidates to take the fifth spot (or possibly bump Marquis if more than one really impresses). Man I hope Prior is ready. That rotation could be pretty awful with out him. And it could be pretty great with him. Amazing what a difference one guy could make.

I think he did something similar in the 49ers game this year. Could be wrong, though.

Crap, don't know why i had Izzy listed as a DT in that scenario. He'd be back at the ends with Tommie and Dusty back. I'm not sure what Scott's free agent status is (RFA or UFA), but I'd like them to keep him if it's not too costly.

Peterson could be just find as a change of pace back. The reason I'd trade Ogunleye is that he's the oldest D end on the team. It's not that I want to get rid of him, but he hasn't been as good as I'd hoped he'd be, and with Anderson around, Wale seems to be the expendable one on the line. Not to argue whether or not we should keep Wale (I'm sort of on the fence about that), but if they do, the Bears are going to have amazing depth on the line next year w/Dusty and Tommie. Brown, Wale, Anderson at the ends... Tommie, Tank, Dusty Dvoracek, Scott, Idonije, Boone at the tackles... Wow :shock: Then, I'd like to pick up a safety and some offensive line help in the draft. Maybe a tight end. Perhaps a QB (just because) in the later rounds. They need to phase in some young o-linemen over the next few drafts.

Just an aside...some food for thought. Grossman's biggest games (the 100+ rating games) have come against Cover 2 defenses (decent ones and bad ones). He faces the best one in training camp and practice. The only one he really struggled with was Minnesota's, and Minnesota seemed to be blitzing more than the other Cover 2 teams. He's facing a bad Cover 2 in this game. I don't think he'll have a lot of trouble picking it apart.

The Bears win. You sure? I hope the Bears not being able to get 7 in the red zone here doesn't come back to haunt them. :x Is it an NFL Replay re-air? W/all the extra NFL Films goodies and stuff?

Rex will be on B&B on WSCR at 4:30. Just a heads up.

Remember when the Packers were 11.5 pt favorites over the Broncos? I do. :)

Fixed.

Welcome to 3 hours ago. :D

I don't think that's true at all, especially on this board, where fans tend to be more informed than the average fan. From what I've seen, the Bears have the best defense in the league, but a below-average quarterback and an offensive line that isn't always good enough to keep pressure off him - which is when he really struggles. I think the Colts will win because I think they're a bad matchup for the Bears - they're the best passing team in the league, and that's where the Bears can be beat. I hope for the Bears' sake that they don't buy into the "let's just run the ball all game like Jacksonville did" bull. This isn't 1994-95 Nebraska versus Baylor, these are two really good NFL teams playing in the Super Bowl. I'd like for the Super Bowl to be competitive, especially since I won't be able to watch until the second half. I'm not saying that this is the case with you or any of the non-Bears fans on this board, but just with NFL fans in general. The point being missed with the below-average QB generalization is that it's nowhere near the same as your typical below-average QB. Grossman has a pretty good chance to have a great, superstar-level QB game on any given Sunday. It's just that his bad games are so bad that his overall numbers look very pedestrian. That has to be taken into account. It's not like you have Brad Johnson or Trent Dilfer (or Kyle Orton) out there. It's a totally different story. Game managers don't have the types of games he has had fairly often. The well-documented problem is consistency. Yet, the media and a good deal of fans continue to want to portray him as a "manage the game and don't lose it for us" quarterback. The Bears, aside from a couple of games (namely the Jets and Saints games) haven't taken this approach with him at all. As for the comment about the Bears being more susceptible to the pass than the run, I can't agree with that at all. The Bears have been at their best stopping the pass. Their fast, smallish defense is more vulnerable (if they're at all vulnerable) to big running backs. Despite giving up a bunch of yards, they get turnovers and force QBs into mistakes with pressure and a ballhawking secondary and linebacking corps (admittedly, they struggled with this for a few weeks recently), and they just held what many considered to be the top offense in the league this year to two TDs. Just for kicks... DVOA Bears against the pass - #2 (-24.5%) Bears against the run - #5 (-14.7%)

Just to throw it in, since it was brought up in discussing last week's game too, here are the DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average) rankings for both teams. DVOA Total Efficiency Chicago - #4 (24%) Indianapolis - #7 (19.4%) DVOA Offense Chicago - #18 (-3.9%) Indianapolis - #1 (33.8%) DVOA Defense Chicago - #2 (-20.3%) Indianapolis - #27 (11.3%) DVOA Special Teams Chicago - #1 (7.6%) Indianapolis - #26 (-3.1%) Note - Just to clarify, positive percentages are good on offense and special teams, bad on defense. Bears look like a far more balanced team to me. I'm not positive that the Bears will win this game, but I think it's ridiculous for them to be big underdogs. The +220 moneyline on them is looking awfully inviting. I may have to place a wager if it keeps getting higher as people lay money on the Colts. Not that you guys care about my gambling habits. :lol: