Monday, October 16, 2006
Bears on a Roll?
At 5-0 on the season, the Chicago Bears are widely considered the top team in the NFL. How good are they? Chicago ranks fourth in offensive ypg, third in defensive ypg, they’re allowing a league-low 7.2 ppg, their kicker hasn’t missed a field goal and they have one shutout to their credit.
You know what the next logical question has to be, right? The dreaded talk of an undefeated season. Everything is going right for this Bears team. The offense is balanced and lighting the league on fire, the defense is feared in every opposing city and there doesn’t seem to be any controversy in sight surrounding the club.
Indeed, everything is perfect in the Midwest. So why not talk about a perfect season in 2006? Forget the notion of a jinx or superstition, this team is well above those things. It starts with the steady demeanor of Coach Lovie Smith, continues with the tremendous leadership and work ethic of Brian Urlacher, and ends with the intensity and fire that Rex Grossman brings to the table. Don’t bet against the Bears going undefeated.
You may want to write down the noteworthy date of August 25th. That was the last time Chicago lost a game- albeit in preseason. It was a 23-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, who just happen to be this week’s opponents (who gave a woeful organization like the Cardinals a Monday night game anyway?).
Monday night will be win number six on the season and one that will come at the expense of young quarterback Matt Leinart. Making only his second start in the NFL, young Mr. Leinart will be in for a very rocky ride. With Swiss cheese for an offensive line, expect the 2006 first round pick to spend a lot of time getting to know the field intimately.
Amazingly, the following week Chicago has a chance to avenge their other preseason loss, this time playing San Francisco. The 49ers beat the Bears 28-14 on August 11 and so Chicago will already be familiar with their victims for win number seven.
After that, there are only a couple of games on the slate that appear to be challenges. The Bears visit the Giants and Patriots in the month of November, both tough opponents. However, if the Bears continue to get a good ground attack, there’s no reason to think they can’t win both affairs. While New York will probably need the victory very badly in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, New England should be coasting to another division crown by then. We should make mention that the Giants did spoil the ’98 Broncos’ attempt at a perfect season with a home win, so anything can and does happen in the NFL.
Other than those two tough tests, the rest of the 2006 Bears schedule reads like the list of teams picking in the top 10 at the draft next April. Chicago will surely steamroll over Miami, NY (Jets), Detroit, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, etc…
Some will point to games versus the 4-1 Rams and the 3-2 Vikings as potential obstacles to an undefeated season. Why? St. Louis could easily be 1-4 if you look at their suspect wins and Minnesota has already blown one game to Chicago this season.
In summary, let’s not put the ’06 Bears in the same category as the ’85 Bears or ’98 Vikings, teams that went 15-1 and were so close, yet so far away from perfection. Instead, let’s give this club a legitimate shot at shutting up those old farts from the ’72 Dolphins that celebrate each year with champagne when there are no longer threats to their undefeated season. Rather, the celebration would still involve champagne, it would just be Champagne, Illinois, among other places.
You know what the next logical question has to be, right? The dreaded talk of an undefeated season. Everything is going right for this Bears team. The offense is balanced and lighting the league on fire, the defense is feared in every opposing city and there doesn’t seem to be any controversy in sight surrounding the club.
Indeed, everything is perfect in the Midwest. So why not talk about a perfect season in 2006? Forget the notion of a jinx or superstition, this team is well above those things. It starts with the steady demeanor of Coach Lovie Smith, continues with the tremendous leadership and work ethic of Brian Urlacher, and ends with the intensity and fire that Rex Grossman brings to the table. Don’t bet against the Bears going undefeated.
You may want to write down the noteworthy date of August 25th. That was the last time Chicago lost a game- albeit in preseason. It was a 23-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, who just happen to be this week’s opponents (who gave a woeful organization like the Cardinals a Monday night game anyway?).
Monday night will be win number six on the season and one that will come at the expense of young quarterback Matt Leinart. Making only his second start in the NFL, young Mr. Leinart will be in for a very rocky ride. With Swiss cheese for an offensive line, expect the 2006 first round pick to spend a lot of time getting to know the field intimately.
Amazingly, the following week Chicago has a chance to avenge their other preseason loss, this time playing San Francisco. The 49ers beat the Bears 28-14 on August 11 and so Chicago will already be familiar with their victims for win number seven.
After that, there are only a couple of games on the slate that appear to be challenges. The Bears visit the Giants and Patriots in the month of November, both tough opponents. However, if the Bears continue to get a good ground attack, there’s no reason to think they can’t win both affairs. While New York will probably need the victory very badly in order to keep their playoff hopes alive, New England should be coasting to another division crown by then. We should make mention that the Giants did spoil the ’98 Broncos’ attempt at a perfect season with a home win, so anything can and does happen in the NFL.
Other than those two tough tests, the rest of the 2006 Bears schedule reads like the list of teams picking in the top 10 at the draft next April. Chicago will surely steamroll over Miami, NY (Jets), Detroit, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, etc…
Some will point to games versus the 4-1 Rams and the 3-2 Vikings as potential obstacles to an undefeated season. Why? St. Louis could easily be 1-4 if you look at their suspect wins and Minnesota has already blown one game to Chicago this season.
In summary, let’s not put the ’06 Bears in the same category as the ’85 Bears or ’98 Vikings, teams that went 15-1 and were so close, yet so far away from perfection. Instead, let’s give this club a legitimate shot at shutting up those old farts from the ’72 Dolphins that celebrate each year with champagne when there are no longer threats to their undefeated season. Rather, the celebration would still involve champagne, it would just be Champagne, Illinois, among other places.
# posted by Eho @ 4:27 PM 
