This Week's Enemy Fan Forums: The Chicago Bears

Bears Week!

Viking Stat Box: Offense
316.4 Total Yards/Game (27th in NFL)
197.1 Passing Yards/Game (29th in NFL)
119.3 Rushing Yards/Game (11th in NFL)
18.7 Points/Game (26th in NFL)

Viking Stat Box: Defense
326.3 Total Yards/Game (9th in NFL)
213.6 Passing Yards/Game (4th in NFL)
112.8 Rushing Yards/Game (16th in NFL)
22.1 Points/Game (13th in NFL)

Random thoughts/observations:

* I hate the bye week

This Week

Off to Chicago this weekend to play Da Bears. It's going to be cold. It's Soldier Field, where we haven't won since 2007. We lead the all time regular season series (54-49-2). The Bears have been shellacked in their last two outings, though those games were against New England and Green Bay, respectively. I fully expect them to put forth a strong effort Sunday, if for nothing else than pride's sake. Coming out of the bye week, the Vikings will hopefully be prepared to stretch their winning streak to 3 games - it sure would be nice. The Bears are 15th in the NFL in total offensive yards/game (12th in passing, 24th in rushing) and score an average of 21.6 points per game (22nd). Their defense is 26th in yards allowed/game (28th in passing, 15th in rushing) and give up an average of 30.8 points per game (32nd). It will be a test for our defense, regardless of their struggles, as they do have some explosive players on offense, though Jay Cutler is prone to making mistakes. Ted and the offense could make hay against this defense, but I'm not yet 100% confident that they will - last game not withstanding, the offense has been poor. I give us about a 50% chance of winning this ball game. I'm cautiously optimistic, but I really hope we beat the Bears a$$.

Key Players to Contain - Bears Offense

* Matt Forte (HB): What can I say about this guy. He is simply amazing, doing most everything extremely well on a football field. He is the key (among a lot of really good weapons) to the Bears offense, and should be our main focus on defense this week. If we can keep him quiet, it will go a long way towards winning.

* Brandon Marshall/Alshon Jeffery (WR): These two are both exceptional receivers, and will be a big test for our young cornerbacks. As I recall, Xavier did a fantastic job against Marshall at the Metrodome last season. Time to step up again.

* Martellus Bennett (TE): The man I like to call Marty is a matchup nightmare. Bigger than defensive backs, faster than linebackers. He'll be someone to pay close attention to when the Bears get into the redzone (my solution, keep them out of the redzone).

Key Players to Neutralize - Bears Defense

* Jeremiah (Jay) Ratliff (DT): Every Bears game I have seen this year, Ratliff has jumped out as a disrupter in the middle of their defensive line. He is getting up there in age, but can still get it done.

* Willie Young (DE): The former Lion started the year out as a situational pass rusher, but is now a starter, due to Lamarr Houston's injury. With already seven sacks this season, he is making a name for himself.

* Jared Allen (DE): You didn't think I wasn't going to talk about this old cowboy, did you? The production is way down, with only 1.5 sacks this season. Still, against the Vikings, you know he is going to be trying SO hard to get to Teddy. And if he does, God help us, he is going to run thirty yards away from the play and tie the sh*t out of that imaginary calf.

This Week's TV Maps

506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2014&wk=11

Looks like all of Minnesota and Wisconsin will be getting this game. I'm excited to see the Eagles-Pecker game in the late slot on FOX (Fly Eagles, Fly).


Here are the enemy fan forums for this week:

Chi City Sports

www.chicitysports.com/forum/forumdisplay.php/5-Chicago-Bears-Forum

Da Bears

www.dabears.com/forums/chicago-bears.9/

Football's Future

www.footballsfuture.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=11

Bears Fans Online

www.bearsfansonline.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=2409fb662f0b85a6ee92528e237e320a

What they're saying:

We have names on defense.

Names are different than impact players.

Allen and Briggs are done.
Jennings has been terrible this season.
Houston was okay on his best day.

The 4 biggest pay checks on defense have been brutal.

What do we do this season? And in the future?

It's the players on the field. The team has 1 player I'd consider a leader as a non-Bears fan and that's Marshall. He was the only guy that seemed to care last night. Sure Trestman isn't a great coach by any means but this was a competitive team last season. The organization holds no accountability from it's players. I can't believe there are no veterans on the team that say anything, or the QB. I have a hard time believing a guy like Peyton Manning, Brady, or Rodgers would allow this. sh*t they could probably put the front office on the hot seats if they wanted to. Good organizations don't let it get this bad in the first place.

This is like Jim Hendry in his final years with the Cubs. Team had some good players, but way too many holes. So they tried to plug them up with chewing gum off the FA market instead of building a team the right way. Look at the Seahawks, they see a problem (Percy Harvin) and they fix it. Bears don't do sh*t and that's why GB steam rolls them year after year.

Will they keep the pattern of the past 3 weeks and make Minnesota look like world beaters this Sunday?

I mean besides the lack of action taken by the FO in regards to the Bears being the only team to ever give up back to back 50 point games (the other team doesn't count because I'd never even heard of them before this train wreck). This organization is certainly doing it's best rudderless ship impersonation that I've ever seen.

The Bears do have another thing going against them Sunday.....the game is at home.

I don't subcribe to the whole "I'll never root against my team" stuff. It's meatball nonsense. Playing a little better and getting to 7-9 and having another mid round draft pick and a possible stay of execution for the coaching staff doesn't help the Bears in the long term. The best thing that can happen for this team is to lose out and get the best pick they can and a whole new fresh start.

Bears 13
Vikings 20

Bears 7
vikqueens 2

Offense is good for at least 1 touchdown a game.

Vikings: 35
Bears: 14

Vikes 41-20. Coaches will never tank cause they are working to keep their jobs but the players have given up and maybe, in the end, it's a good thing.

Vikings 24
Bears 21

heads explode
nobody is fired

bears release Dixon

I hope to see an airplane fly overhead and drop a load of toilet paper rolls and marshmallows on the field..
Vikes 24
Jeffersons 17

24-13 Vikings. I'm only tuning in to see what Soldier Field will be like when the Vikings take command of this game. It's gonna get real ugly. The whole city is livid right now from what Ive been reading.

Vikings 24
Cutler 7 for the Vikings

Bears 10

Vikings are on their 3rd QB on the season, don't have AP, and are still better than the Bears.

24-20 Vikings

If Cutler can not fumble or throw any interceptions, and be a driving force behind a victory, this win goes to Trestman. Or Emery. Or anyone that is to blame for Cutler's sh*tty play according to Despbro.

This game is tailor-made for the Bears. Vikes can't pass, and Forte should run wild.

Bears 23
Vikes 13

It is hard for me to root against the Bears but I really want to. I have that feeling that the Vikings play like sh*t and we blow them out. Then everyone thinks we are fine again. I hope I am wrong.

27-21 Bears win.

You guys know how it works.... The Bears are going to go on a run just long enough to get your hopes up, only to miss out on the post season.

To make matters worse, The Bears will win and everyone will tune in to the green bay and detroit games, Both green bay and detroit will look dead in the water the first 3 quarters, and they will both come back for wins.... most likely on spectacularly lucky plays.

The football gods are really putting the screws to bears fans this year.

They'll win this one and enough games for 7-9, 8-8, or 9-7. Not enough to make the playoffs, but enough to keep this storied suck fest of mediocrity going for many years to come.

Enough b*tching about the past, there's plenty of hand wringing and worrying about the present and future.
This is a team we should beat hands down on paper. How the Bears can win:
No TO's from Cutler or the other O weapons(I point out Cutler b/c he's tied w/Bortles at the top of QB TO's).
Forte has to have a HUGE game
The D needs to have learned how to stop the read option, and at least be in the general area of WR's, even Teddy B can hit an open Vike WR/TE.
ST's needs to limit penalties, and limit the amount of KO returns CWilliams takes, b/c he's apparently never met a ball to deep he didn't want to return to the 10.

- MT is coaching for his job. We should see him get the boot after the next blowout loss. It could very well be this Sunday.

- I expect Cutty to have only one TO (or even less)

- Forte will (again) work his ass off

- Jared Allen will get zero sacks

- 50:50 chance the Bears win on Sunday.

The Vikings are one of the worst teams I've seen in recent years. Even as bad as we are right now, we should beat them. I really don't see any scenario that has them winning this coming Sunday. The two Vikings games are automatic wins for us this year. And that's bad because it will hurt our draft position next year. So, even when we win this year - we really lose :-(

I don't buy that the 2 Vikings games are automatic wins. Hell, they are probably saying the same thing about the Bears at this point.

I know the Redskins arent a good team... but the Vikings did put up 26 points on them in the second half.

Our defense is much worse than the Redskins defense.

Yeah. Redskins, Bears, Raiders, Jags, Vikes........we're all just stinky ones floating in the NFL toilet.
Nobody really cares if teams like us win or lose anyway. We are no longer relevant in the NFL.

And what if we do win? Does that really mean anything? It just means that we can't even lose right - and get a top draft pick. If we blow out the Vikes by 50 points, it does nothing for me right now. It's just a win over a team that is crappier than us. It's like trying to determine which turd in the toilet smells better. They're all stinky floaters that need to get flushed.

We're done until September 2015.

Even then, if Jay Cutler is still here, then we're done until September of 2016 (assuming Jay is gone by then). We have GM issues, coaching issues, player issues in addition to Jay Cutler issues. Guys, this doesn't look too good right now.

Minnesota 51

Bears 5

Go, you stupid purple f*cks - win one time when I want you to!

Teddy B has a coming out party of sorts. Cordorelle Patterson plays a big part in the Vike victory. He goes for over 100 receiving yards and has over 50 yds rushing on 2 carries. the vikes use Asiata and the other no name RB to shred the Bears D. The Vikes make enough mistakes to keep the Bears in the game but turnovers as usual play a big part of the Bears Loss.

Vikes - 20

Bears - 13

Bears will probably win a game they need to lose. They need to lose out, at this point, as far as I'm concerned.

Bears 30
Vikings 28

The Bears don't get 50-pointed, but it's another "I don't care" performance from the players.

Vikings 38
Bears 13

I'm in full' "couldn't give two sh*ts" mode. But if I really had to evaluate the game, based on what has happened the last month, I'm not optimistic. With the "everything is awesome" press conference from Trestman, and "we're good to go" statements from "dead man walking" Mel Tucker, I would say that the team is going to come out and lay the same egg they did last week. If Minnesota gets up by more than 10 points in the first quarter, the Bears will fold like a house of cards. I have seen nothing in the last few weeks that tells me that the team has any confidence in the coaching staff, the game plan, or themselves.

Bridgewater has a good game, Asiata runs roughshod over the LB's, Corradelle Patterson returns a punt for a TD, and receives another. The defense is completely lost throughout the game, and the offense resorts to the same plays they have been running all year, THAT EVERY OTHER TEAM IS AWARE OF NOW! If I see that goddamn screen to Jeffery again, I'm gonna hurt someone. Cutler lucks into two TD passes, and Forte runs for another.

Minnesota Viqueens - 38
Chicago Babies - 24

Bears take out their frustration on the hapless vikes and are up 50 to zip at halftime.

I was just scouring twitter to find out if Eben Britton practiced yesterday (he didn't). That's how much I'm worried about Jordan Mills versus Everson Griffen

Rooting for a loss here we need to tank and get the best available pick possible.

I hope: 20-17 MIN
I think: 27-17 CHI

Go Vikes!