Is it possible the Bears Defense has become real old real fast?
* The short passing game goes nowhere fast if you are just using one guy to throw to.
* Matt Forte is not running like he used to.
* Defense has shown the league it can't handle running QB's.
* Punter not kicking the "deep" ball consistently.
* Dline needs more pressure. A blitzing defense would have beat that rookie QB.
* Consistent bad talent evaluations have been a trademark of a Lovie regime.
* After Marshall,who?


Not impossible for this team to finish 8-8 or 9-7.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Well, it is December.

Remember Ditka said something like "I don't think this team can win another game?" ...and they didn't?

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I PREDICT

10-6 record, first round loss on the road. Lovie 4-year extension.

This team is OLD with very little young talent. Next few years will be BAD.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Based on what little I saw this past week, I don't see them making past the 1st rd., even w/ a top notch QB/WR combo like Cutler & Marshall.

False;

Jeffrey
Paea
Wright
Conte
Jennings
Hayden (who has not been good but so far they like him)
McClellin
Melton

Cutler and Forte to an extent

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You gotta be shittin me Frank. That's your list of young talent? Super Bowl here we come.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

2 starting safeties, a starting cornerback, 3 DLinemen, and a WR. This is still while Cutler & Marshall are in the prime of career. Its not unthinkable to think they can get to a Super Bowl in the next 3 seasons (this one included)

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Hayden is 29 and Jennings will be this month. Other than Melton I think the jury is still out on the others.

That's not exactly a killer nucleus. As a GB fan, nobody on that list scares me, including Jennings. The Bears will go as far as Cutler, Forte, Marshall, Peppers, and Briggs can carry them. I dont think they can carry them to a Super Bowl.

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

"Starters"....by definition somebody has to start, that doesn't mean they are any good.

How many guys on this team under the age of 25 have pro bowl potential?

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

The beginning of the end for the face of the Bears' franchise? The SCORE/WBBM/Bears Radio Network's ZZ has re-Tweeted a Chicago Tribune story that suggests that Brian Urlacher's hamstring strain could cut short his 2012 season. WOW!

Yes, the season is over. They might find a way to beat AZ and MN to squeak into the playoffs as a wild card but whats the fucking point? A quick 1st round playoff exit? That doesnt interest me in the least. I have no hope for them.

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My Bears depression has fully set in.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

If the Bears don't beat the Cardinals and the bumbling, stumbling Ryan Lindley(?) come December 23rd in Glendale, AZ, forget what Dial Global Radio's Jim Gray asks Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald what he "learned" on the radio network's pregame before "Monday Night Football". These Bears don't deserve to be a playoff team, wildcard or NFC North Champion.

Yep. I just cant get excited about a team that continually shits the bed against decent teams.

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Why do Bears fans always act like the world has ended when the Bears lose? I don't know if they can still win the division without winning out, but there's no reason to think they can't be a wildcard.

Here's my thoughts on the 4 losses:

1. Packers: Lately the Bears play bad there. Bad O-line play and fake FG wins the game for Green Bay.
2. Texans: Cutler gets hurt. They were in it till just about the end of the game.
3. 49ers: Bad game all around. Good for Cutler that he didn't play. The 49ers QB is not Joe Montana, but looked like it.
4. Seattle: Bears had the game in hand, but failed to put the game on ice. Defense couldn't catch Russell Wilson. After losing the coin toss they should have onside kicked.

Here's my thoughts on the next 4 games:

1. Minnesota: They need this game to put the Vikings on ice.
2. Green Bay: If you win this one you may be a 3 seed.
3. Arizona: If you don't win this one you're really pathetic.
4. Detroit: We won't know if this one is important till the end.

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To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Because success to me is gauged in championships. I don't care about anything else.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

So sick of hearing how the defense is old. They really aren't that old, and some of the oldest guys are kicking ass:

Tillman & Briggs: Old, but having crazy good seasons.
Urlacher: Old, lost a step. Still not a liability. He's fine.
Roach: Not old.
Jennings: Not old.
Safeties: Young
Peppers: Old, not playing as consistent, but still demanding a lot of attention.
Izzy: Just fine
Shea/Melton/Paea: Young.


Old is not the issue. Most of the old guys are still really really good.

The best players on the defense are older, and probably don't have more than another year or two in them. They will need to be replaced in time, but it's very irritating to hear shows like the Boers/Bernstein show continue to argue that the team should have young talent waiting on the bench to step in and that's a major mismanagement because they don't have these young studs waiting to play. Most teams don't have starting caliber young talent sitting on their bench, not playing, and that's because they are already starting.

As for the off-season, I don't think anyone is arguing that they shouldn't look to add another young defensive player or two to the mix, but they also need to add 1-2 new offensive lineman, and perhaps another WR/TE. An argument could be made for a young QB in the early rounds as well. Saying all that, I'd be pleased if they were to use of their top 2 picks on the best defensive player on the board.

They are still extremely likely to make the playoffs. The teams outside the playoffs are 6-6, 2 games behind the Bears and they beat Dallas/Minnesota already H2H. It would really take a complete collapse to not make the playoffs. There's a good chance that 9 wins will be enough since Dallas would need to go undefeated to avoid the H2H. If they beat Minnesota this weekend, they are pretty much done as well leaving Washington/Dallas/TB as the remaining teams that could upset.

So why was Angelo fired? He kept leaving the empty coffee pot on the burner at night?

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

He would have still been here had Caleb Hanie been able to win one game.

So Lovie is fired after they miss the playoffs again?

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It might very well be. The Bears won't have CB Tim Jennings Sunday. According to ZZ's Twitter, a shoulder injury will indeed sideline Jennings Sunday in Minnesota.

If the Bears miss the playoffs, I would be very surprised to see Lovie Smith retained. Saying that, I do expect the Bears to make the playoffs.

With the loss @Minn and the assured loss to the Packers, the Bears playoffs hopes will be gone. Hopefully so will Lovie.
A coach that can't beat the elite and can't consistently beat the Packers (his main goal) needs to be working elsewhere.

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RFDC thinks I'm retarded.

It seems like a distant memory since The SCORE's Terry Boers said from his "guy" in Lake Forest that the Bears were in the early stages of a contract extension for HC Lovie Smith. I've got to think that if the Bears end up missing the NFL Playoffs again, Lovie can't return...Can he?

If he does return ,that will tell Bear Nation one thing, Phil Emery is nothing more than a glorified scout. No GM in his second year would not want to put his stamp on a club with his own guy after repeated failures of the current HC.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Phil Emery took the GM job knowing full well that Lovie Smith was his head coach going in.

Chew on this for a moment. What if the Bears make the NFL Playoffs but bellyflop in Round 1? Is that still good enough for Smith to return?

Unfortunately this is the most likely outcome.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest