Bear Down Baffa

Well, they did it.  Just when I officially conceded the season was over, the Bears went out and won again.  A big one.  On Thanksgiving.  In Prime Time.  During a nationally televised game.  Against the 1st place Packers.  At Lambeau Field.  On Brett Fahrvergnügen Night.  With A-A-Ron Rodgers playing.  And Bart Starr in a golf cart.  And Clay Matthews’s golden hair (and his lack of a neck).  And with this upset, we made Rodgers discount double-check himself, we ruined everyone from Wisconsin’s Thanksgiving, and we put ourselves back in the playoff conversation.  And not that I have factual evidence to support it, but I think Rodgers was pissed at all the love GB was showing Favre.  And how appropriate that we won by 4 when they put Favre’s #4 up on the Lambeau facade, and they put his “#1” up on the big screen.

Favre was asked to wear a long coat to avoid a wardrobe malfunction

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The 2015 Bears are officially in hospice.  The Broncos, coming off 2 straight losses, brought their top ranked defense to town, but left the legendary Peyton Manning at home.  And it turned out to be a wise choice.  In case anyone didn’t hear it the 147 times it was mentioned during the game, Denver’s backup QB (Brock Osweiler) is 6’8”, his parents drove 14 hours to see him, he made his first career start, and it was his 25th birthday.  What you may not know, however, is that he came in having thrown just 54 career passes – over 4,000 fewer than Cutler.  And not only did Osweiler out-play Cutler, but he’s the only AFC QB to beat the Bears this year, knocking us down to 1-4 at home.  And, for all intents and purposes, ruining our chances of making the playoffs.  Happy fricken Thanksgiving.

Denver seemed delighted to play w/o the noodle-armed Manning

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The 2015 Bears are officially open for business!  After losing 10 straight conference games dating back to when Cutler & Trestman beat McCown & Lovie (just 9 days shy of a year ago), including 5 this year, we finally won an NFC game.  We still haven’t scored a 3rd quarter TD, but this was our first convincing win this year for several reasons.  1) The Rams were a top-5 defense.  2) The Rams were top-5 in rushing, led by a top-5 RB who’s a rookie.  3) We were without our best offensive and defensive players.  And 4) we won by 24 points after our first 3 wins were by a total of 6.  And now, despite starting 0-3, we’re 4-5.  And right in the middle of the playoff hunt.  Yes, THOSE playoffs!

We flipped St. Louis – and the NFC playoff picture – upside down

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OK, so I was wrong.  The Bears have already won more than the 2 games I predicted this year.  But in my defense, San Diego just lost their 5th straight, and no one saw that coming.  That gives us 3 wins by an average of just 2 points, each of which has come in our 3 games against AFC West teams (none of whom has a winning record).  By contrast, our 5 losses have come by an average of 13 points, and to teams that are a combined 18-17 against teams not from Chicago.  If we played the AFC West all season, we’d be in pretty good shape.  But since we don’t, we’ve still got 8 more we can lose.  And I think you’ll give it to me if we finish 3-13.

Miller used 1 hand (and 0 eyes) on his game-winning TD catch

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The Vikings went trick-or-treating on Sunday at Soldierz Field, dressed up as an NFL team that eats purple people.  And despite having an extra week to prepare, the Bears, who were also dressed as an NFL team (albeit not as convincingly), hospitably filled their bags with a bounty of endless chances to win the game.  And Minnesota accepted those chances like child ghosts, ghouls and goblins fiending for sugar in your local cul-de-sac.  But what some haven’t yet accepted, and will soon be forced to accept (it’s only a matter of time), is that the Bears were the ones that came up winners on Sunday.  With this loss, we moved up 3 slots on next year’s draft board.  And anytime you’re moving up like Ben Carson, it’s got to be good!

The Vikes took their sacks (of candy) – and the win – home

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