[Nickelicious]

We haven't even gotten to our first pre-season game in August, yet I am already defending the Bears outlook for the 2009 season. I believe that the Bears will not only win the NFC North division, but also advance into the playoffs, at least to the NFC championship game. With Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler in the pocket, Orlando Pace making a career statement on the O-line, Greg Olsen competing for a Pro Bowl spot, Matt Forte running and catching passes like a Marshall Faulk wannabe and the coaching staff focused on returning to the glory year of the 2007 Super Bowl, I think the Bears will finish better than 8-8 as some have already predicted.

And I am putting my money where my mouth is, as indicated in my betting slip for August 5, 2009. I might add additional funds to these particular wagers (as well as other props) in the coming weeks, but this slip indicates what I think the Bears will accomplish this season. Come what may, I will be here defending the Bears in 2009. (Or cursing their ineptitude, as I did the past two years.)

[rezkoness69]

Wait, wasn't I just arguing with you on another thread while I was defending the bears and you were attacking them?! Yea, I did in the division winners thread. You're either a joke or I convinced you that quick haha. In that thread you say you see the bears being 8-8 AT BEST, now here its FINISH BETTER than 8-8 haha.

[ATB515]

nope that was me. The Bears are going nowhere in 2009

Wait, wasn't I just arguing with you on another thread while I was defending the bears and you were attacking them?! Yea, I did in the division winners thread. You're either a joke or I convinced you that quick haha. In that thread you say you see the bears being 8-8 AT BEST, now here its FINISH BETTER than 8-8 haha.

[Nickelicious]

Wait, wasn't I just arguing with you on another thread while I was defending the bears and you were attacking them?! Yea, I did in the division winners thread. You're either a joke or I convinced you that quick haha. In that thread you say you see the bears being 8-8 AT BEST, now here its FINISH BETTER than 8-8 haha.

No, rezko, I am totally in your camp. In fact, I think the Bears will do better than you predicted, as I have stated with the opening post here and my wallet. I also agreed with you in the "Denver won't win 7 games" thread, saying that Kyle Orton is better than some people think.

The Bears have been pretty average overall the last couple years, but they have gone from 7-9 to 9-7 with Orton at QB, and I think they will improve even more with Cutler behind center. ATB515 thinks 33-year-old Orlando Pace is done, and I think the 7-time Pro Bowler is not. I see other signs for a good year for Chicago, not the least of which is having the easiest schedule in the NFL. Winning builds confidence, confidence creates more wins, Cutler has a good year trying to prove his doubters wrong, Matt Forte continues to improve behind a better line, Greg Olsen... well pretty much what I said in my first post.

[cocknocker]

Man the Bears will get 10 wins this year. As far as the playoffs are concerned, they will only win one of them and then go home to eat sandwiches like the rest of us. Briggs and Urlacher will get it done, homies!

[Nickelicious]

If your right, ck, I'll win most of my props against other teams as noted above. Just hate waitin' 4 months to cash. Oh well, kind of like a Christmas savings account. By the time it rolls around, the money invested is forgotten, but the money rolling into the BR is not!

[Nickelicious]

Jay Cutler looked much better in his second pre-season game than his first, playing in front of Chicago fans for the first time. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 121 yards and a TD for a passer rating of 117.8.

In 25 plays with Cutler and the first-team offense (who all left with 10 minutes left in the second quarter), the Bears scored 17 points. 7 of those 25 plays went for 10 or more yards and the Bears earned 222 yards of offense in three possessions.

And in case you believed Cutler was only concerned with his own stats, he changed a pass play to a run play at the line of scrimmage because he saw something in the defense he didn't like: Matt Forte ran untouched for a 32-yard touchdown through a gaping hole opened by left guard Frank Omiyale.

The Bears defense held strong throughout the game against the Giants, holding them to 259 yards and only 4 first downs on 16 third-down plays.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Now Cutler and the Bears prepare for next Sunday night's game against the Broncos. The nationally televised NBC showdown marks Cutler's return to Denver for the first time since the fallout that led to the Broncos trading him.

"It'll be a lot of fun," Cutler said. "Y'all going? It's a preseason game. Obviously there's going to be a little bit of drama wrapped around it."

[shhhhh22]

The bears looked great tonight. the 1st unit just needed a game to get a feel for whats going on. I will say though the defense did alright, but Brandon Jacobs tore em apart. if this were a reg season game, it would have been ugly. Urlacher got flattened. Hopefully the make some adjustments to defend against the run!!

[head_strong]

I think they have a good chance of making the playoffs after that not so sure.....

[Nickelicious]

The Bears completed a 3-1 preseason, but that only tied them for 1st place in the NFC North since EVERY team finished 3-1. Winning the North will be a challenge with all the excitement going on in Green Bay, Minnesota and Detroit, but I believe the Bears will be up to that challenge.

Chicago came out of the preseason with a fairly healthy roster, except for Kevin Jones, who went down for the season with an ankle injury. Garrett Wolfe will need to step up as a back-up to Matt Forte, but Forte was a workhorse last year as a rookie and figures to be a workhorse again this season.

The Bears kept 11 defensive backs on their 53-man roster, hoping that depth will make up for their weakest defensive area. They will get tested in the first week at Green Bay, since Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' first-team offense scored nine touchdowns on 12 drives in the preseason. The good news is that Charles Tillman was activated after missing the preseason and will be available for the opener.

As for offense, Jay Cutler improved every game in the first 3 games and finished with a 92 QB rating (over 100 in games 2 and 3). He is definitely building chemistry with TE Greg Olsen, who I predict will have over 100 catches this season and make the Pro Bowl (hopefully along with Cutler). Matt Forte played sparingly in the preseason, with just 18 carries and a 4.4 yards-per-carry average. He will be counted on this season in a big way.

The Bears have moved to a 3.5 underdog in the first game at Green Bay, and the Packers have looked good in the preseason, especially on offense. With that hook being added to the field-goal spread, I may be adding more on the Bears before game time next Sunday night!

[Nickelicious]

After a disappointing opening game loss to the Packers, with Cutler looking like Cade McNown and losing Uhrlacher for the season, I thought the Bears might be looking at a very tough season. Then, lo and behold, they engineer a gutsy win against the Super Bowl defending champs with Cutler looking like Cutler and the defensive backfield actually managing to have a good game, led by surprising rookie safety Al Afalava.

Now the Bears face the Seahawks on the road, and they have become a popular betting choice as a small favorite. If Hasselback doesn't play (still up in the air, but McNabb's broken rib kept him out last week and I don't expect Matt to be any better off), I think the Bears have a great chance to pull off this road win and get to 2-1 on the season. In fact, I could see this becoming a statement game for the Bears as they attempt to get into the NFC contender picture.

One thing that worries me is Matt Forte looking like Cedric Benson last week. Of course, that was against the Steelers' D-line, but the Bears have to find better ways to get the ball into Forte's hands with a little more room. He can pound it up the middle, too, but he needs to be given better space to shake loose for more 10-yard gains. Fortunately, Seattle is 26th against the rush, so maybe Forte can have a breakout game against them.

The Bears also have a pleasant surprise in the wide receiver ranks, as rookie Johnny Knox has 152 yards and is the 15th ranked receiver in the NFL. The Bears took a slew of WRs in their draft, hoping one of those lower-round picks would come up golden, and the 5th-rounder from tiny, Division II Abilene Christian has turned up platinum so far. Knox was critical in the Steelers game as he caught Cutler's game-tying TD pass in the 4th quarter.

As for Urhlacher's loss, which was a deeper hit to the locker room than on the field, the Bears will not suffer quite so badly on the field as some might believe. With defensive-minded Lovie Smith influencing their roster, linebacker is one of the Bears deeper positions and the Steelers game showed they will survive.

But we all know this team will only be as good as their overall defense and Jay Cutler. They both stepped up last Sunday, and Cutler in particular answered his critics with a solid game. He showed his ability to stand up to pressure, as the Steelers brought five or more pass rushers 11 times, and Cutler completed passes on 9 of the blitzes for 106 yards with a 137.1 passer rating. If Cutler continues to settle into his role (which is not the gunslinger he was in Denver), the Bears defense continues to improve, and Forte gets his ass into a higher gear with help from the O-line, the Bears can still be a formidable contender in the parity-heavy NFC.

[rezkoness69]

the bears are gonna roll this week, this I guarantee you my friend

[Nickelicious]

the bears are gonna roll this week, this I guarantee you my friend

Thanks for the tip, rezko.

The latest on Hasselback: RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, linebacker Lofa Tatupu and fullback Justin Griffith all were spectators and did not participate in practice. The trio were out of practice for a second straight day on Thursday. All three are question marks for Sunday's game against Chicago.

Hasselbeck has a cracked rib, Tatupu an injured hamstring and Griffith has a sprained knee ligament. Coach Jim Mora says Griffith is most likely to play.

The Bears are fairly injury free, with TE Desmond Clark the one notable exception, but he was out last week too and Kellen Davis filled in very well in his place. According to SBR's Live Odds, the Bears are the most lopsidedly-bet team in the NFL this week at 71% of the action. Sounds like the Seahawks could turn into a VegasDave Philosophy Pick, but I'll take my chances.

[rezkoness69]

yea, I'm not sure if I'm gonna wager on the game (I like to keep my financial business and my beloved Bears separated usually) but I don't think the bears will drop this one in seattle. Actually, I think it'll be the bears best performance of the young season. I think this is the game Forte gets on a roll, and once that happens, oh baby, watch out for dem bears

[oiler]

Thanks for the tip, rezko.

The latest on Hasselback: RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, linebacker Lofa Tatupu and fullback Justin Griffith all were spectators and did not participate in practice. The trio were out of practice for a second straight day on Thursday. All three are question marks for Sunday's game against Chicago.

Hasselbeck has a cracked rib, Tatupu an injured hamstring and Griffith has a sprained knee ligament. Coach Jim Mora says Griffith is most likely to play.

The Bears are fairly injury free, with TE Desmond Clark the one notable exception, but he was out last week too and Kellen Davis filled in very well in his place. According to SBR's Live Odds, the Bears are the most lopsidedly-bet team in the NFL this week at 71% of the action. Sounds like the Seahawks could turn into a VegasDave Philosophy Pick, but I'll take my chances.

seneca wallace will be starting and hes not a confident qb anyways so the bears defense should have there way with him even without urlacher

[Nickelicious]

Well, the Bears could have made their second win of the season easier on themselves if they hadn't fallen behind 13-0 early against Seattle, but they got it done and that's all that counts. Cutler is getting into a fine groove and his supposedly weak WRs are getting the job done, especially with the "Devin Hester Experiment" paying off. Greg Olsen played TE the entire game and caught 5 passes with a TD. He's still building that chemistry with Cutler, which means his Pro Bowl might be delayed by a year, but he is going to be a reliable 3rd-down receiver all season long.

The running game is still struggling, which means run blocking is still struggling too, and Matt Forte has not lived up to expectations so far, at least on the ground. He caught 6 passes against the Seahawks, though, so he has established himself as a versatile weapon.

The Bears defense has been solid but not dominant. The good news is they held off the 'Hawks on the final drive to win the game. The bad news is that MLB Hunter Hillenmeyer (backing up Urlacher) was taken out of the game with a rib injury. Nick Roach filled in well for Hillenmeyer, but we don't need any more long-term injuries to the linebackers (the severity of Hillenmeyer's injury hasn't been determined).

Rookie Johnny Knox caught a touchdown pass and returned 4 kickoffs for 134 yards (with a long of 53), further cementing his value to the Bears.

Chicago will return home to play the Lions before their bye week. Detroit will be no pushover after breaking their losing streak, but the Bears are favored by 12 and should win that game to get to 3-1. After the break, Chicago hits the road to face Atlanta, which will be a pivotal game that can prove the Bears are a contender or demonstrate how much work they still have to do to secure a playoff spot.

[rezkoness69]

i like your post nick. The ground game is starting to worry me, Forte looks like he's constantly tired, or worn out. I think the huge work load he had last year is starting to be a problem, and without Kevin Jones he's being asked to carry the load again. I think Peterson should get more carries, he's a great football player. The defense has played well, with the secondary playing better than expected. THe line is kind of inconsistent, but Lovie has not been afraid to bring the heat with the LBs, I think he's doing a great job thus far calling the plays.

Is it just me or are the bears the best fied goal defensive team in the league. I've always believed the bears to have the best special teams in the league, and I think they have since Lovie took over. I just found out I'm going to the game in Cincy in a couple weeks, can't wait

[Nickelicious]

The Bears turned a 21-21 halftime tie into a 48-24 rout of the Detroit Lions, running their record to 3-1 as expected. Jay Cutler had his third straight game with a 100+ QB rating, the first Bears QB to do that since 1970. Matt Forte reversed his underwhelming performances in the first 3 weeks with a 121-yard effort, averaging over 10 yards per carry. Rookie WR Johnny Knox caught 5 more passes and turned the game in the Bears favor with a 102-yard TD kickoff return to open the 2nd half.

There were plenty of other heroes in the Bears win on Sunday, but the bottom line is the Bears are where I expected them to be as they go into their bye week. I was hoping they would be 4-0, but I knew they might lose to any one of their first 3 opponents.

Either the Vikings or the Packers are going to lose on MNF, which will either leapfrog the Bears into a tie for first place in the NFC North or help them put ground between them and Green Bay, a likely contender for the playoffs. In any case, with Dallas, Arizona and Carolina looking weaker than expected, the Bears are in a solid position to continue pushing for a playoff spot. I should add that the NFC North is looking like the strongest division in the NFC right now, if not the entire NFL.

The Bears have suffered a few injuries, but beyond Urlacher there aren't any that are devastating. Devin Hester (shoulder) and Johnny Knox (sprained knee) should both be fine after a week of rest during the bye. As long as Jay Cutler and Matt Forte stay healthy, this offense appears ready to hang with New Orleans and the Giants as the best in the NFC (well, nobody can really hang with New Orleans, but still). The Bears special teams has to be considered an integral part of this prolific offense, as they may be the best special teams from top to bottom in the NFL.

After the bye, Chicago faces a well-rested Atlanta team on the road, then moves on to play Cincinnati and Cleveland. I would be surprised if the Bears aren't at least 6-2 after November 1, and 7-1 is entirely possible. Looming in the future is a showdown with the Vikings (on the road) on Thanksgiving weekend, which will give one team or the other a leg up on the division crown.

[shhhhh22]

The Bears turned a 21-21 halftime tie into a 48-24 rout of the Detroit Lions, running their record to 3-1 as expected. Jay Cutler had his third straight game with a 100+ QB rating, the first Bears QB to do that since 1970. Matt Forte reversed his underwhelming performances in the first 3 weeks with a 121-yard effort, averaging over 10 yards per carry. Rookie WR Johnny Knox caught 5 more passes and turned the game in the Bears favor with a 102-yard TD kickoff return to open the 2nd half. There were plenty of other heroes in the Bears win on Sunday, but the bottom line is the Bears are where I expected them to be as they go into their bye week. I was hoping they would be 4-0, but I knew they might lose to any one of their first 3 opponents. Either the Vikings or the Packers are going to lose on MNF, which will either leapfrog the Bears into a tie for first place in the NFC North or help them put ground between them and Green Bay, a likely contender for the playoffs. In any case, with Dallas, Arizona and Carolina looking weaker than expected, the Bears are in a solid position to continue pushing for a playoff spot. I should add that the NFC North is looking like the strongest division in the NFC right now, if not the entire NFL. The Bears have suffered a few injuries, but beyond Urlacher there aren't any that are devastating. Devin Hester (shoulder) and Johnny Knox (sprained knee) should both be fine after a week of rest during the bye. As long as Jay Cutler and Matt Forte stay healthy, this offense appears ready to hang with New Orleans and the Giants as the best in the NFC (well, nobody can really hang with New Orleans, but still). The Bears special teams has to be considered an integral part of this prolific offense, as they may be the best special teams from top to bottom in the NFL. After the bye, Chicago faces a well-rested Atlanta team on the road, then moves on to play Cincinnati and Cleveland. I would be surprised if the Bears aren't at least 6-2 after November 1, and 7-1 is entirely possible. Looming in the future is a showdown with the Vikings (on the road) on Thanksgiving weekend, which will give one team or the other a leg up on the division crown.

Totally agree with you my friend! It tough deciding who to root for tomorrow... Minny loses = 3 Way tie as you said... Pack Loses = Bears solidly in second place. I think I'd prefer minny losing. then 3 way tie. AND each team has one loss in division. That would be a huge advantage for the pack to win. esp an away game.

[Nickelicious]

Shhhhh22, my point gift to you is not for agreeing with me on this thread but for your outstanding record in the WNBA, which made me some cash!

As for the MNF game, I agree with you about rooting for Minny to lose. Despite that, I have some dough and some points on Minny to win and cover the -4. I just don't see the Vikings (namely Favre) losing on MNF to the Packers, even though Aaron Rodgers has proven to be a more than capable replacement for the crusty former-retiree from Mississippi. I think Green Bay has a few more problems than most people realize and will have a tough time competing the rest of the season, which means I would be happy to lose my bets (!) and see them beat the Vikings on Monday.

Let's face it, if Favre and Peterson stay healthy and the defense does too, the Vikes are gonna be a major contender for the division title and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The good thing is that the Bears don't face them for 4 weeks, which will give us time to keep getting better in all facets of the game. And the Bears will also get the Vikes at home in mid-December, when the division title will really be on the line.

The NFC North reminds me of the NFC East the past few years, with three good teams competing for two spots in the playoffs. I believe the Bears will be one of the teams that makes it this season.

[shhhhh22]

The NFC North reminds me of the NFC East the past few years, with three good teams competing for two spots in the playoffs. I believe the Bears will be one of the teams that makes it this season.

I think the NFC is VERY segmented now.

NFC East: Giants, Eagles, Cowboys are shit, Redskins not gonna happen
NFC South: Saints, Falcons I'm not convinced about, Panthers not as bad as their record but not good enough, Bucs terrible
NFC West: 49ers, Cardinals lucked into the superbowl last year going no where this year, Seahawks cursed by injuries once agan, Rams the lions of 2009

I truly see the NFC North as the strongest division in the NFC. and could quite easily be able to usher 3 teams into the playoffs.

And thank you Kindly for the points!!

[Nickelicious]

From my blog featured on the SBR Forum home page: http://www.sportsbookreview.com/

Sunday night's NFL game on NBC promises to be a helluva battle as the Chicago Bears visit Atlanta to take on the Falcons. Atlanta returned from their bye week last Sunday and demolished the previously hyped-up 49ers 45-10; an eye-opening return made even more impressive because the Falcons were on the road against a team with 5-game home winning streak. The win kept Atlanta (3-1) in hot pursuit of the undefeated Saints for the NFC South division lead.

Chicago (3-1) is coming off their bye week well rested, but they still have some injury issues with tailback Adrian Peterson (knee) and linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (ribs), who will both likely sit out Sunday night. DL Israel Idonije (knee) returned to practice this week and has a chance to play. The Falcons are still nursing a few of their own injuries, with safety Antoine Harris ruled out for the game and fullback Ovie Mughelli listed as questionable.

Overall, both teams are relatively healthy for this tilt, which will test two highly-rated quarterbacks against two stingy defenses. Chicago and Atlanta rank 5th and 8th, respectively, in total defense in the NFL, though both teams are stronger against the run than against the pass. Bears QB Jay Cutler and Falcons QB Matt Ryan are both playing at the top of their games and rank near the top of the league in pass efficiency, despite Cutler's miserable first half in the Bears opening game in Green Bay.

Atlanta has won 10 of 11 home games at the Georgia Dome, but their one defeat did come at the hands of Jay Cutler and his former team, the Denver Broncos, who beat the Falcons on a 4th-quarter TD pass from Cutler last season. The Falcons were more fortunate when they played the Bears last year, winning 22-20 on a 48-yard field goal as time expired. The Bears have not forgotten that heartbreaking loss, which came after they had taken a one-point lead with only 11 seconds left in the game. "We still talk about it, 11 seconds on the clock and how we lost that game," WR Devin Hester told ESPN. "On this Sunday, we don't want to have that feeling again when we walk off the field." The dramatic victory for the Falcons helped put Matt Ryan, who threw for 301 yards in the game, on the radar as one of the top young QBs in the league.

This season, Ryan has continued his stellar play and has been sacked only twice, so the Falcons O-line is doing a solid job of protecting the engine that makes their offense run. But the Bears new defensive coaching staff made a commitment to more aggressive pursuit this season and they've rung up 14 sacks so far, good for 4th in the league with a game in hand on most teams.

Since Cutler's horrible 3-interception first half against Green Bay, he has a 107.8 passer rating, ranking him right behind Peyton Manning (119) and Eli Manning (110.4). The brash young QB is working mostly from a set formation this season, as 65% of his passes have come from playing under center. The Bears willingness to forgo the shotgun formation is glaring: 30 NFL QBs have thrown more shotgun passes than Cutler.

This should be an exciting game with potential for high scoring (the over/under sits at 45.5 as of this writing). The Bears are 3 to 3.5-point underdogs, which tells us this would be an even match on a neutral field. Both teams are trying to continue their winning ways and get another leg up in the playoff race. A loss won't seal either team's playoff fate, but a win will send the victorious team's confidence soaring.

On my blog I recommended betting on Atlanta in this game, because I think the Falcons will be pumped sky high when they take the home field on Sunday night. Indeed, the public seems to agree with me, as SBR Odds indicates that 64% of the action is going to Atlanta (the second biggest betting fave next to Carolina).

But bottom line, the outcome of this game will be determined by one player on each team. Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan. The defenses on both teams are susceptible to an air attack. The QB that best exploits the opposing team's weakness will end up leading his team to victory.

Right now, I'd put my money on Jay Cutler to be that QB. I think the Bears defense will put a lot of pressure on the pocket, which may not lead to sacks but it may force Ryan into throwing quicker than he'd like, and that could lead to critical mistakes. Cutler is young, but he's still more experienced than Ryan and the Falcons have not been very effective rushing the passer (just 8 sacks all season, 25th in the league). If Cutler connects with his young receivers as he has in the past three games, the Bears have a great chance of winning.

This game provides the Bears with a chance to make a statement on their playoff aspirations and keep the pressure on the Vikings, who will have a tough home game against the Ravens Sunday afternoon (and visit Pittsburgh next week).

[Nickelicious]

My brain was right and my heart was wrong on the Falcons game, but damn the Bears gave that one away with one mistake after another. When Matt Forte, who had fumbled just twice in his previous 478 carries, fumbles twice in a row on the one yard line, you know it just ain't gonna be your day.

My hope is that the Bears can put this one behind them and get ready for an interesting NFC/AFC match-up with the Cincinnati Bengals. Like last week's game against the Falcons, this game features two young QB stars who are trying to establish their Pro Bowl credentials. It also marks the first time Cedric Benson will face his old team after emerging as a successful power back with the Bengals.

The books have the Bears as 1 to 1.5 point underdogs, which essentially is a pick 'em game. Cincinnati (4-2) has a lot riding on this game as they battle the Steelers atop the AFC North Division. The Bears are one of 6 NFC teams with a 3-2 record, so this weekend will see a lot of movement in the playoff chase. There's a big difference between being 4-2 and 3-3, and the Bears surely don't want to fall far behind the Packers and Vikings (who look unstoppable) in the NFC North.

IF the Bears can win this one on the road, they have a great shot at being 5-2 after the Browns visit Chicago the following week. If the Bears can limit their mistakes against Cincinnati, they have a solid shot at recovering from an embarrassing loss to the Falcons and setting their sights on the future.