Deja Vu

I usually wait until I have finished my writing to come up with some sort of "creative" title, but after watching Sunday's game, I didn't need to think too hard. I was all excited coming into Sunday because I was able to record a local channel that was showing the game so I could go paintballing. A few minutes into the third quarter the station changed channels to the Packers/Buccaneers game because they deemed the game over. I've been doing a lot of research and reading a number of articles about the Bears and why they are performing the way the are. But the worst thing I've read thus far, is Lovie Smith saying that he doesn't have answers for why we're playing the way we are. This is unsettling to me because well, Lovie, you're the head coach! If you can't tell whats wrong with your team, how are we supposed to know?! It's exhausting as a fan to keep hoping that eventually Lovie can put together the pieces to the puzzle and ultimately take us back to the playoffs. To make matters worse, there is almost a zero percent chance we're going to see any major personnel changes in the near future. Lovie has two years left on his contract and it sounds like the McCaskey family has no intention on buying out his ridiculously inflated contract. There are so many questions revolving around this team, it should make any fan sick. I'm also not going to forgive Ron Turner for only running Matt Forte 5 times. Once he saw the Cardinals walk down the field and score on back-to-back opening possessions he absolutely should have slowed down the pace of the game and kept the Cardinals offense off the field. I mean 5 times! Is that a joke! There are 5 quarterbacks who rushed 5 or more times on Sunday and this is supposed to be a team that "gets off the bus running"?

I could go on all day ripping into the team I have followed since I understood how the game is played, but I'm probably the only "journalist" who thinks this team still has a chance. But amazingly they still do. The key stat to look at is the Bears are 1-1 in the division. Four of the remaining eight games are divisional games, and lets be honest, the Packers just lost to the Bucs and the Lions are looking to have only one win more than they did last year. If Lovie can focus his attention on just two games for the rest of the season, it has to be against the Vikings. We play in Minnesota in 3 weeks and then once more at home in week 16. By that time the Vikings will probably have already locked up a playoff spot, and shouldn't be risking any of their starters. Call me crazy but if Cutler and Greg Olsen pick up where they left off Sunday, and Forte continues to take those screen passes for big gains, watch out.

The Bears have not performed well on national television so far this season with losses to the Packers and Falcons, but if this team wants to make a statement, why not shut down Frank Gore and the 49ers. Its tough to go on the road, on short rest, after getting man-handled for the second time in three weeks but now is the time to get it together.