Game 12 - Bears/Giants

I'm still in shock - the Bears got beat after dominating much of the game. At 5-7, they're done. Last one out, please hit the lights. This loss hurt more than usual, just given how well they played in the beginning of the game.

The defense didn't play poorly. They didn't make a stop when they needed to, but, AGAIN, they spent way too much time on the field. The Bears had way too many 3-and-outs in the second half. Grossman's attempted heroics aside on that last drive, it should never have come down to the last drive.

While it has become fashionable in a sense, and I'm such a contrarian that I can't imagine doing something fashionable, I can't find blame with anyone other than Ron Turner and the coaching staff. Yes, it hurt that the Bears running game couldn't be counted on late in the game to eat up the clock and get 1 or 2 first downs. But at some point, the guy who's calling plays has to be held accountable for what's happened this season.

Breaks my heart to say it, but all would have been forgiven if Hester made that catch. Suddenly, it's a whole different ballgame. He can't be held responsible, though, since the Bears had outstanding field position because the Giants wouldn't kick to him.

Please tell me that no one is still talking playoffs. Yet, maybe a bad season only sets the table for the Bears to get back to the big game next year. It looks like we know where we're weak (offensive line, defensive depth, running back) and where we're strong (um, quarterback, special teams).

Rex Grossman's proving himself to be a better football player than anyone gave him credit for (me included) at the beginning of the season. Couldn't be happier for the guy or happier that I was wrong about him.

Bears/Boys - Game 3

Football Night in America on NBC and the Bears drop game 3 to the Cowboys by a score of 34-10.

There's not much good to say here. The play of our TEs was encouraging. We didn't miss any field goals or extra points. Benson scored a TD.

Rather than write a 10,000 word post on all the horrible things Grossman did, I'll make it really simple: everyone's got him figured out. Those great games last year? He sneaked up on people. Now defenses know: he doesn't step up, you can pressure him, and when you do he loses his vision and telegraphs passes. Or throws them into triple coverage. And yes, the offensive line shares some blame for the sacks, but the Bears had a hand on Romo easily a half a dozen times that he got away from. Rex has had something like 25 runs in his professional career - a staggering 22 of them have been taking a knee. He won't run and teams know that.

And folks, when the offense was doing its job (check out the first half time-of-possession), the Bears D shut down arguably the best offense in the league. This loss rests squarely on the shoulders of the offense. By the way, has anyone seen Cedric Benson? Last I saw him, he was scoring. I still don't understand how he goes missing in games.

So now we're off to Detroit next week. We're banged up and need a gut-check.

I think T.O. just caught another pass.

Bears/Chiefs - Game 2

So KC rolled into town this past weekend, and the Bears sent them home still winless. Final: Bears 20-10.

Highs and Lows:

Highs: From the get-go, Lance Briggs was playing out of his head. He was in on seemingly every play. The defense as a whole played strong, with the exception of a Chiefs drive right before the half that resulted in points. There was a lot of crisp hitting; again, these guys already look like they're in mid-season form. Walker and Manning stepped up in starting roles, with no noticeable drop off from the injuries of Week 1. The offense started out OK. The first half wasn't spectacular, but it also wasn't plagued by poor quarterback play (more on that in a minute). Benson ran the ball with some authority and finished with a 100-yard game. And Devin Hester, let's not forget him. What can you say about this guy? He's probably the most electrifying player in the league. And lastly, we got in the "win" column.

Lows: Well, I mentioned that drive before the half. Not pretty. Turnovers continue to be a problem. The only offensive points scored so far this year are to a reserve offensive lineman. Not good. And Grossman? When he's bad, he's horrid. Those two picks were just beyond awful. And the timing of his implosion - hanging on to a lead late in a game, when you should be trying to grind out the clock as much as possible - couldn't have come at a worse time (well, unless you consider that pick against Indy when they were only down by 5 points in a game they should have been getting blown out of because of how crappy the offense was playing. Not that I'm bitter.). What else? Oh, yeah, hopefully we get Maynard back from injury this week - watching Gould punt made me a little nervous. That's our second most valuable offensive player.

Most Valuable Bears? I'd say Hester, Briggs, and Benson. Most Likely To Get Run Out Of Town If He Keeps Turning The Ball Over? Tough call.