2009 Chicago Bears: What Went Wrong? (And How to Fix It)

There’s five weeks of football still to play, yet the Bears are already finished. After suffering four losses in a row (on top of going 1-6 in the last seven weeks), the Chicago Bears can officially begin their off-season.

But what do they fix?

First, you must figure out what went wrong. Then work from there.

Here’s some suggestions for the Chicago Bears…

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Bears Violate NFL Media Rules, Smith at Fault

It was a  very peculiar site today at Halas Hall. Reporters filed in to the cramped interview room and awaited either a player or coach, much like any other Media Wednesday in Lake Forest.

Minutes, and eventually hours went by without a single player to come or leave the media room. As scheduled, media members then filed into the Halas Hall locker rooms to talk with other players, but found a vacant setting.

Finally, the reporters were informed that Bears coach Lovie Smith prevented any of his team members from speaking with the media, violating NFL rules.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was scheduled to meet with the media at 12 p.m. on Wednesday followed by a 45-minute open locker-room media session. Neither Cutler nor any player appeared in the locker room or at the podium.

Furthermore, during a (not live) television interview by Jeff Joniak with Smith on Tuesday night, according to Joniak, Smith went “ballistic,” asking crew members to turn of the cameras, and to stop the interview immediately.

Joniak says, “he went ballistic after I politely asked him off the record ‘what’s wrong with the team.'”

Media members are filing a complaint to the NFL according to a source because, by rule, no staff on any team can prevent players or coaches from attending to the media. At least one player or coach is required to meet with the media during scheduled times.

It seems to me that this latest hitch in a disappointing season could be another reason for Lovie Smith to be let go following the 2009 NFL season.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

What Are the Bears’ Chances of Making the Playoffs?

Chicago’s chance at a playoff birth is truly in their hands

After two straight disappointing losses for the Bears and with the heart of their schedule coming up, it appears their chances of playoff glory are slimming.

But really when you sit back and think about it, are the playoffs slipping away?

Well, yes. But then again, not quite.

When you sit down and break down the remainder of the Bears’ schedule, our destiny of playoff glory truly lies in our hands. I’ll take a look at the remainder of the Bears’ schedule and give a brief breakdown of every game, and determine what kind of chance the Bears really have of making the postseason.

 

Week Eight: Cleveland

It’s the perfect “bounce-back” game after getting bounced around in Cincinnati. Chicago is expected to win, so when you think about it, a win wouldn’t be of much significance. But a loss could be devastating.

So what does a win over Cleveland really mean? More than you might think. It would bring us to 4-3, and—pending the result of the Green Bay-Minnesota game—could put us back into the division hunt. If Minnesota wins, Green Bay would fall to 5-3, Minnesota advances to 7-1, and we would pick up a game in the wild-card.

If Green Bay wins, they’ll go to 6-2, which makes them even with Minnesota and we would sit two games behind in the NFC North. But at this point, it’s the wild-card I’m concerned about, because the division is getting out of reach.

Chances of a Bears win: 95 percent

 

Week Nine: Arizona

This, in my opinion, will be Chicago’s biggest test all season. Will Charles Tillman and those defensive backs be able to keep up with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin? I suspect not.

And with the way our offensive line has been playing, the likes of Darnell Dockett and that Arizona defensive line will be in Cutler’s face all day long. The run game will in fact not be cured (surprise, surprise), even after Forte runs wild on Cleveland. Arizona’s constant pressure will keep the run game in check.

And even if Cutler decides to throw, he’s going to have to contend with the Arizona secondary…this game is not going to be pretty, my friends. But if by some miracle Chicago wins, I’m marking it down as a playoff berth. 

Chances of a Bears win: 30 percent

 

Week 10: @ San Francisco

This game truly is a toss-up. Mike Singletary will get an opportunity to coach against the very team he played for, the same team that wouldn’t offer him a coaching gig so he instead went to San Francisco.

Uh oh! You think Samurai Mike wants to make a statement? I think so. But when it comes down to it, there’s one key to victory, and that’s stop Frank Gore (if he’s back in time). Or get ahead early. San Francisco has no wins this season when trailing by 17 or more points. This could finally be the week that Matt Forte gets going.

Chances of a Bears win: 55 percent

 

Week 11: Philadelphia

I’m not sure what to think about this Eagles team. They’ve shown flashes of returning to the team they were last season, but when you sit back and think about it they haven’t beaten any team of importance. They’ve beaten Carolina, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Washington, but had brutal losses to Oakland and that 48-22 drubbing against New Orleans.

My assessment is they’re really not that good. And by the way, Chicago owns Philadelphia lately. Keep McNabb and Westbrook (if he’s playing) in check, and I think we see the Bears get a narrow victory.

Chances of a Bears win: 65 percent

 

Week 12: @ Minnesota

Here we go. Let me just make it plain and simple. Jared Allen and the Williams wall against our battered offensive line? And this one is in Minnesota? Enough said.

Chances of a Bears win: 20 percent

 

Week 13: St. Louis

You get a potential 0-16 team that plays in a dome come into your house when the weather forecasts will probably be something in the neighborhood of 15 degrees with a chance of snow…smells like a formula for a Bears blowout.

Much like the Cleveland game, if the Bears find a way to lose Lovie Smith MUST be fired.

Chances of a Bears win: 99 perecent

 

Week 14: Green Bay

This game is extremely interesting to me. According to my predictions, by the time we play this game Chicago will be 7-5 and Green Bay will be 8-4. It’s obvious that playoffs are on the line for both teams.

I think this game will be just as close, if not closer to than their Week One meeting. I can’t recall a time when Lovie Smith’s Bears lost twice in a season to the Packers (excluding those few bad years in 2003 and 2004), and I don’t think it’s about to change.

Chances of a Bears win: 70 percent

 

Week 15: @ Baltimore

It just doesn’t get easy, does it? After going to Minnesota, home against St. Louis and Green Bay, and now on the road to Baltimore, it’s evident that the “NFL’s easiest schedule” certainly is not that easy. Much like the Minnesota game, I’m going to keep this simple; defense, defense, defense. And I see Baltimore’s defense being better today.

Chances of a Bears win: 35 percent

 

Week 16: Minnesota

Now I said we only have a 20 percent chance of beating the Vikings in Minnesota, but the football gods are speaking to me, and they tell me the Bears may win this game.

Don’t get too amped up, I said may win. Here’s why: Much like Green Bay, Lovie Smith has never been swept by the Vikings. And by this time, the Bears should be 8-6 and the Vikings 11-3. By all accounts, they should have sealed the NFC North title by then and would strictly be playing for bragging rights… just how the Bears want them.

A domed team comes into a frozen Soldier Field (at night too, when it’s even colder), Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson may in fact be benched to be saved until January. If Chicago has any dreams of playoffs, they MUST beat the Vikings at least once, and I sense that this is that one. I just can’t see them going into the Metrodome beating the Vikings in midseason form, whereas a Vikings team coming into a cold Chicago with a division title locked up?

Chances of a Bears win: 51 percent

 

Week 17: @ Detroit

How about this for drama? Chicago battles back from a 3-3 start get to 9-6 and travel to Detroit where a win means a wild-card berth and a loss means going home for another January. Sound familiar? Maybe not precisely, but close enough to last season.

I really do think the Bears’ playoff chances will come down to the Week 17 matchup in Detroit. 10-6 should be enough to snag a wild-card berth, as Atlanta, Dallas, San Francisco, Arizona, and Green Bay all seem vulnerable. But can the Bears pull it off?

Let alone, can they pull off a 9-6 record up to Week 17?

Let’s say they do, and this game determines the Bears’ playoff chances. First off, Detroit is a better football team. According to my predictions, they should be sitting at 4-11 by Week 17. In their first meeting, Chicago won 48-24 in what looked to be a close game early until Jonny Knox and Matt Forte came alive. But that was in Soldier Field, and remember Calvin Johnson wasn’t around in the second half and Matthew Stafford was playing hurt.

But let’s be serious; Detroit’s pass rush won’t be able to get to Cutler even with our horrid offensive line. Cutler will be able to throw all over Detroit and make this another high-scoring contest. I say high-scoring because if Detroit can put up 24 points in under three quarters with Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford, they’ll be in this game. But don’t be fooled: if it means knocking a division rival out of the playoffs, Detroit will play with passion.

Chances of a Bears win: 70 percent

 

The Final Verdict

With the team we’ve been seeing lately, I say the best possible record out of the Bears this season is 10-6. Realistically? I’m going with 9-7. As much as I’d love to say it (and I sort of did), I can’t really see the Bears beating Minnesota at all (hence the 51 percent chance of winning. It’s in our favor, but the favorite doesn’t always win).

Will 9-7 be enough for a wild-card slot? No.

Will 10-6? Yes.

That’s the difference, my friends. One game. One game between watching the Bears in the NFL playoffs, or not.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

10 Things We learned About The NFL In October

Several teams are looking for the light as we enter the “dog days” of the NFL Season.

As the remaining autumn leaves take their final descent to the ground, we begin to get a little clearer picture of how the NFL will look in February. Teams such as the Titans, Lions, Redskins and Chiefs are already making plans for next season, whereas the Colts, Vikings, Saints, Broncos are beginning to make post-season plans.

Here’s 10 things we learned about the NFL season in October.

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Top 10 Coolest Looking NFL Uniforms (And 5 Bad Ones)

Let’s face it, we’ve all seen those uniforms that make us all gasp simultaneously. And then there are those uniforms that just make you sit back and take a second look. I’m personally fascinated by the whole look of an NFL jersey and who comes up with these awesome (and not so awesome) designs. Whoever created the jerseys from my top 10, kudos. So here it is, the top 10 NFL jerseys.

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10 Things We Learned About the NFL in September

September is oftentimes a funny month for the NFL. Teams we think won’t do so hot end up getting on hot streaks (I’m talking about you Denver and Cincinnati). Or perhaps the teams we expect to be great end up disappointing us all (looking right at Pittsburgh and Tennessee).

September is also when rookie magic is made (what’s up Mark Sanchez?), and old veterans come around for one last hoo-rah (and you thought Brett Favre was finished!).

Here’s a quick re-cap of the month that was in the NFL, and what we’ve learned so far.

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Looking Ahead to the Future: Previewing the 2009 NFL Season

With the NFL season just under a week away, I find myself somewhere between anxiety and madness. Countless hours of my summer have been spent reviewing teams’ rosters, schedules, off-season acquisitions or departures, and all for the unlikely quest of predicting who will win Super Bowl XLIV.

Taking into consideration new additions, players coming back from injury, MVP caliber performances, schedule strengths, and last year’s performance, I’ll break each team down to find out who’ll be the last standing in Miami.

I’ll go division-by-division breaking down who’s the best (and worst), then go to each conference declaring the winner, and then of course, prediction the two contenders for Super Bowl glory. Without further adew, here’s my predictions for the 2009 NFL Season.

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Attention, Brandon Marshall: NFL Needs Receivers, Not Guys Who Can’t Get a Grip

I would really hate to be a Denver Bronco fan right now.

First, your premier quarterback throws a hissy fit because new Head Coach Josh McDaniels threatens to trade him, and now Brandon Marshall. Marshall decides he also wants out of Denver, so how does he deal with it? Well, pretty much the same way his good pal Jay Cutler decided to deal with it: throw a temper tantrum.

Now, Cutler’s reason to be traded held more water than Marshall’s reasoning. McDaniels wanted to trade for his former prodigy when he was an offensive coordinator in New England quarterback Matt Cassel, therefore setting off franchise quarterback Jay Cutler which ultimately sent him on a one-way ticket to Chicago.

Marshall wants to be traded for no reason.

But regardless of why he wants to be traded, Marshall is far from classy in his way of asking for one. You see, in the real world (not Brandon’s world), when an athlete wishes to be traded, he calmly asks his coach/manager who begins to shop him around. Not Marshall, who simply acts like an imbecile at practice by batting balls away that were thrown to him, punting balls away from the ball boys rather than politely handing it to them, and publicly commenting on his situation, calling out McDaniels and the Broncos organization.

Because of his actions, the Broncos have in fact suspended Marshall for “conduct detrimental to the team.” In my opinion, a fantastic move McDaniels, way to take control of your club.

You see, for Head Coach Josh McDaniels, he’s publicly commented that “Marshall isn’t going anywhere,” which is a complete 180 degree turn-around from how he handled the Jay Cutler situation. It seems that finally Josh McDaniels is getting an idea of how this whole NFL Head Coach thing works. By suspending Marshall, he’s sent a message that says “I’m still in control, and I can choose whether or not to trade you away or make you sit.”

Nonetheless, it’s a shame what Brandon’s doing to the Broncos. Not only have they lost their star quarterback, but Brandon is still Denver’s top wide receiver. Now that offense is in shambles, and regardless if Brian Dawkins is there or not, that defense doesn’t look too great either.

It’s time for Brandon to stand up and be a man, get back on track, and help Denver win some football games in 2009.

Better 2009 NFL Quarterback: Tom Brady Or Peyton Manning?

Picture this: It’s middle of the first round in your fantasy draft. You’re up next. The guy in front of you just wasted his pick on Brian Westbrook for the fourth year in a row. Now you’re up, and wanted a quarterback in the first round.

Surprisingly, Drew Brees is gone, but look who’s on the board: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Who do you go for? And why?

It’s no denying that both quarterbacks year-in and year-out dominate fantasy leagues with an array of touchdown passes. Despite Brady not playing last season after his injury, and Drew Brees lighting up scoreboards, Manning and Brady still are the NFL’s most consistent scoring machines in the NFL. But who’s better?

Let’s start with Brady. When he went down in week one against the Chiefs, millions of fans and fantasy team owners alike gasped with horror that the NFL’s golden boy would be gone for the season. But this season he returns with virtually the same arsenal he had in his record-setting 50 touchdown season in 2007 (minus Jabar Gaffney).

Randy Moss and Wes Welker return, which should make Brady’s return nice and easy as those were his two biggest targets in 2007. He’ll also have a beefed up offensive line that should keep his streak alive of least-sacked quarterback in the NFL.

As for Manning, he comes into this season without Head Coach Tony Dungy. But don’t let that scare you, if there’s any one player in the NFL that may know his playbook better than his head coach, it’s going to be Peyton Manning.

Manning will also be without Marvin Harrison for the first time in his career, ending the Manning-Harrison touchdown combination that compiled 114 touchdowns between the two, an all-time NFL record.

However, he still has Reggie Wayne who, as of late, is Manning’s main target in the end zone. Manning will also have wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez, who caught four touchdown passes last season, and tight end Dallas Clark who racked up 848 yards and six touchdowns last year.

Despite their proven excellence on the gridiron, both quarterbacks are going to have rough transitions into the 2009 season. Brady will be coming off knee surgery, and throughout the history of the NFL, players coming off surgery have a hard time re-adjusting.

Just look at Brady’s first two preseason starts when he threw flat-footed and was afraid to step up in the pocket. It seems as if he may be afraid of re-injuring his knee, which could result in us seeing a much more conservative Tom Brady.

Harrison’s absence could also be a huge difference for Manning in 2009 as Harrison caught five touchdowns for 636 yards last year. But the biggest difference for Manning will be the new head coach. Anytime a team gets a new coach, regardless of how well they know the playbook, it’s a whole new period of learning.

In the end, I will have to say that Brady is the better pick for 2009. He will adjust and become a bigger presence in the pocket, and still find Moss and Welker deep down field for big aerial strikes. Manning will also have a great season, but nothing like what we’re used to seeing without Marvin Harrison.

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