Marshal = Beast
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Alshon Jeffrey = BEASTComment -
I think we saw good play from the offensive line and what not having Urlacher on the field does to the Bears run D.
And Cutler to Marshall is gonna be lots of fun this year, especially with the secondaries in the NFC North.Comment -
Peanut sure looked gassed.Little worried about him for the duration of the season.Comment -
on a BAD RUN-- 1-5 bear down
Crumbling Bears could be yet another Chicago choker
By Gene Chamberlain | CBSSports.com
<time class="storyDate" pubdate="" datetime="2012-12-13T19:15:23Z">December 13, 2012 2:15 pm ET
Chicago Bears WR Brandon Marshall walked into the Halas Hall media room Wednesday carrying a replica of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree, complete with one bulb for a decoration. He played a recording of the song Schroeder played on his piano in "A Charlie Brown Christmas."When the Bears were 7-1, there was talk of a contract extension for Lovie Smith. Now, his job is in jeopardy. (US Presswire)
It provided exactly the wrong therapy for panic-stricken sports fans.
"Metaphorically, our season looks like this tree right now," Marshall said, looking at all three or four branches and a couple needles. "We're standing, bare, and it's ugly, but there's still hope.
"As a kid, it doesn't matter how your Christmas Tree looked, you know? You know, you're still waiting for Christmas Day. You have hopes and dreams that Santa is going to bring you those things you asked for. It's always a possibility. And where we stand today, our goal is to win the NFC championship, beat the Green Bay Packers, win the Super Bowl. All of that can still be under this Christmas Tree. Whenever you're down, you've got to try to create some type of balance, so this is a perfect little thing to keep me going."
At least he was right about one thing: the metaphor. The tree pretty much symbolized the Bears as their playoff chances fall away like dried up needles from a couple tiny branches.
There's more linking the word "choke" and Chicago than the first two letters of each. Sports fans remember Michael Jordan's Bulls and the '85 Bears, but there have been plenty of collapses, too. If Carl Sandburg had penned "Chicago" today, it would have read: "City of the big shoulders and bigger sports collapses."
A few of the biggest:
- The 1969 Cubs, 1984 Cubs, 2003 Cubs and the Cubs in just about any year in the last two millenniums.
- The 1967 White Sox, who somehow have skated free of scrutiny because of the '69 Cubs, but shouldn't because they choked away three straight games to the lowly Kansas City Athletics and Washington Senators to lose the AL flag.
- The 1975 Bulls, who had their first trip to the NBA Finals in hand on Mother's Day and blew a late double-digit lead at home in Game 6 before fading away on the road in Game 7 against Golden State.
- The 1971 Blackhawks, who led Game 7 of the Cup finals 2-0 in the Stadium but collapsed after Jacques Lemaire put one in past Tony Esposito from center ice.
What about the famed choking Boston Red Sox? Hah. What city did they get Bill Buckner from?
The Monsters of the Midway, however, have never had to wear that Chicago choker tag -- until now. When the Bears have this problem, the entire city does. After all, when the Cubs or White Sox collapse, half the city is snickering and saying, "serves them right." But above all else, it's always been a Bears town.
At mid-point this season the Bears were 7-1, and now they're 8-5 and fighting for their playoff lives. Their injuries are mounting. They couldn't even practice Wednesday because there were so many.
The posses are forming in Chicago, looking to burn effigies of Lovie Smith, offensive coordinator Mike Tice, tight end Kellen Davis, Jay Cutler, Devin Hester, just about anyone, including defensive end Julius Peppers. The local sports radio talk shows and Twitterverse reflect a complete state of chaos.
A few weeks ago, the talk was how long Smith's contract extension would be for, and how quickly they could re-up QB Jay Cutler.
And now? Smith got asked Monday about his job security by the media, and Wednesday Cutler was asked about Smith's job security.
Smith's clock management, the way he has burned through four offensive coordinators, his decision to go for a fourth-and-one against Seattle, the way the pass-rush has faded -- these and numerous other aspects of his nine years of coaching are being scrutinized.
“Everyone's playing for their job at this point," Cutler said. "It's not just Lovie. It's myself, it's the offensive line, it's the receivers. At this point of the season, you've got to band together and we've just got to figure out ways to win. That's the most important thing ... just wins."
Cutler has one year left on a deal, Brian Urlacher's contract has a few weeks left on it, and with one year left on his contract Smith sits in a situation many teams consider ideal for letting coaches go. NFL means Not for Long, and in the last five seasons the Bears have been in the playoffs once. If they don't make it this season, they would be the first NFL team to start 7-1 and miss postseason play since the league went to the 12-team playoff format.
Halas Hall could have an entirely group of faces next year if something doesn't change rapidly, starting with Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.
When things went bad for the Baltimore Ravens, coach John Harbaugh earlier this week fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Although the Bears offense has averaged 14.5 points in five games, Smith isn't entertaining such thoughts about Tice. Nor is he panicking, even if the rest of the city seems to be.
"We're an 8-5 team. That's what we are," Smith said. "And that record is better than a lot of teams. If the playoffs started today we would be in the playoffs. So why would we make drastic changes?"
Smith pointed out all the teams who would like to be 8-5 and needing wins for a playoff berth.
"So again, don't feel sorry for the Chicago Bears," he said. "We're in great shape. No, we're not going to get rid of any coaches and we're going to try to keep as many of our players as we possibly can, and we're going to win some football games."
The Washington Redskins don't feel sorry for the Bears. RG3 and the Skins are charging hard for that last wild card position, and if they finish tied at 10-6, the Redskins would go to the playoffs thanks to a better NFC record. So winning Sunday over Green Bay becomes a must for the Bears, whose division title chances even with a victory would still hinge on getting some help.
Tice's remedy for all this pressure is to simply go out and have fun.
"This thing is supposed to be fun," Tice said. "When you don't have fun, you put added burden and added stress on yourself. I don't think that's what we need to do right now."
It's hard to have fun when that gag reflex keeps getting in the way.
Follow Bears reporter Gene Chamberlain on Twitter @CBSBears.
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