Stop Animal Cruelty!

I am all for stopping animal cruelty, but this post is about Michael Vick's inability to bring harm to a certain group large mammals that inhabit the Lake Michigan area... da Bearsss.  Vick may have been a dogkiller, but he's had trouble against the Bears during his career.  This Monday Nighter was no exception. 

Last night's game was, from my perspective, the best game I've watched all year.  It was prime time, my team was involved, it was close, there was a lot of back and forth, excellent plays on both sides, horrible mistakes on both sides, and in the end the Bears came out with a win.  On the Jay Cutler Smirk-O-Meter, I give it a:

This is an excellent rating.

As a Bears fan, I am tickled pink (not in the Penn State way) that they were able to come up with such a huge win under the lights and on the road.  They may have a somewhat ugly style, but I believe the public can recognize that they are a good football team (whatever that  means.)  Am I stating that they are now the class of the NFC?  No.  Am I saying they will beat the Lions at home next week?  I hope so, but we'll have to see on that one.  Am I guaranteeing a playoff berth?  No necessarily, but I am now leaning toward three NFC North teams getting into the playoffs. 

Oh!  Also- a big shout out to DeSean Jackson!  He put up zero points to get Murder Panties a nice win in the MSFL.  What a piece of shit that guy is!  His attitude stinks worse my farts after a full night brats and German beer.  Even better than the Fantasy Football result, was DeSean's huge fumble on a punt that set the Bears up for a score.  Special teams (and average Michael Vick) lost the Eagles that game and I enjoyed every second. 

Unfortunately, the Peppermill High Rollers were not able to overcome the deficit.  Matt Forte's fumbles were huge during the game, and absolutely affected the result of this Fantasy match up.  His first fumble led to an Eagles touchdown which, since I had the Bears D also, was a 5 point swing.  Ugly.  I'm worried that the contract talk is getting to him... I hope I'm wrong, but you can see it start to creep in. 

Last, I'd like to commend the Bears Offensive Line.  They have been awful at times this year.  Just putrid.  However, last night, they allowed ZERO sacks to a stout Philly rush.  That deserves some serious props.  Keep that up fellas!

What a great game... FUCK YEAH!

It's Just Preseason... It's Just Preseason...

I have to remind myself of that fact over and over after last night's 41-13 drubbing the NY Giants put on the Chicago Bears.  I got home from work already having missed part of the game, then debated skipping the gym to watch the Bears.  The first play I saw was Jay Cutler hit Devin Hester on a nice long pass down the sideline.  The next play was a screen pass to Matt Forte who ran for 40+ yards.  Finally, I watched in horror as the Bears stalled and were forced to kick a field goal knotting the game at 3-3.  After this drive, I decided to go to the gym and not worry about the rest of the game.  I had seen a few very positive plays, but was disappointed at the lack of finishing. 

Of course, upon leaving the gym I threw on the AM radio and found that the Bears had been destroyed by Eli Manning and his butt-buddies.  I'm not sure how to feel about all of that.  In general, Jay Cutler looked OK from what I saw, and I can't imagine they played many of the starters in the second half.  Also, the Giants lost Terrell Thomas to a torn ACL, so at least the Bears didn't suffer a significant injury like that.  Last but not least, the Bears went 0-4 last year in the preseason and looked dreadful.  However, during the year they won the NFC North and advanced to the NFC Championship Game. 

Yes, Jay.  I know the feeling.

Do I expect the Bears to be as good as they were last year?  I don't think I do.  I am really not sure what to expect.  I do know their division should be more difficult and their schedule is fairly tough.  I also know they play one game in London.  I've seen terrible teams go 4-0 in preseason only to not win 4 games during the regular season, so it is hard to put stock into meaningless games.  It is nice to see the team you cheer for do well, though...

Here is my hope- that the Bears getting their ass kicked last night provides them with the proper motivation to get better.  I'm not sure why professional athletes need tangible let downs for extra motivation, but I suppose it works that way in the "real world" as well.  If you make a mistake big enough for your boss to get on your case, you'll put in that extra effort to prove that you are not as bad as the current status of the Bears' offensive line. 

The moral of this post is two-fold.  1) I cannot put too much stock into the preseason results.  If the Bears had won 41-13, that would have been cool, but it would not mean they were automatically Super Bowl bound.  Since they lost in a landslide, I cannot condemn them to drafting Andrew Luck, either (though... that's awfully tempting...)

2) I'm extremely glad I went to the gym instead of watching the entirety of the second game of the preseason.  It was a better decision than watching the Bears get their dicks stomped in a meaningless game.  I win! 

I may end up looking like the other Jay Cutler.

Last but not least, what is up with the Bay Area/California fans these days?  Bryan Stow is still in the hospital from the beating he took at Dodger Stadium, and now fools are getting shot at The Stick?  Guess who is not going to the O.Co Coliseum when the Bears visit the Raiders this year?  This fucking guy.  I'll watch the game on TV... wait- what's that?  The game will be Silver-And-Blacked out?  Fucking hell.  The Raiders are like a deadly virus that spreads making everything worse. 

"We've got to find that monkey!"

Terrell Pryor will fit right in down in Oakland. 

It's Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack...

Oh, NFL... how I've missed you. While September does bring back the school year and add quite a bit of work to my 8-5 life, Sundays are the sanctuary that get me through the chilling Northern California winter (high 40s/low 50s- BRRRRRRRRRR!)

Just a normal December day in CA.

It is odd that I played basketball, have always loved baseball, but may enjoy watching NFL football the most out of all the sports.  What can I say?  The league knows what it is doing and runs quite the savvy business.  Hell, even when the Bears are out of it, I'm VERY interested.  Can I say the same for baseball when the Cubs are out of the race?  Given this year as a great example, I cannot say my interest is very strong.  If baseball had a lockout today, I probably wouldn't miss it until February- after the Super Bowl. 

What are some issues I'm most looking forward to seeing this NFL season?  Well, I'll tell you:

- Tim Tebow's situation - Kyle Orton will always hold a special place in my heart for going 9-3 for the Bears in 2001 and then letting Sexy Rexy take over and lose in the playoffs.  And while I think it is obvious that Orton is the better QB on the Broncos' roster, Tim Tebow logically should start for the Denver Elways.  Find out what kind of a QB they have in Tebow.  Upping Tebow's playing time will help draw attendance.  And in the end, what is the difference between 2-14 with Tebow and 5-11 with Orton?  Maybe the #1 draft pick?

- Which team will be bad enough to draft Andrew Luck? - I don't remember hype like this for a #1 draft pick since Reggie Bush (who was drafted second!!!)  I know people who cheer for the Niners, Redskins, and Broncos who have all mentioned they want that #1 pick.  Tank a season for a virtual guarantee of 10 years of quality at the QB position?  Sure, why not?  I'm sure there are other teams, even ones that just drafted a QB that will take Luck with no hesitation if they fall to the worst record in the league.  The Lions, Vikings, Titans, Jags, and Bengals all stand a chance to grab that #1 pick and press their Luck. 

"No whammy, no whammy... STOP!  Ah shit!  The Bengals!"

- Jay Cutler's reaction to criticism - No player has ever been called out in such a public fashion as Cutler was for not playing most of the 2nd Half of the NFC Championship game.  The social media age has made it all too easy for players to talk shit about one another and give media cycles an unlimited buffet of fodder.  Jay has worked hard in the offseason to get in great shape and work on his footwork.  Hell, maybe he even matured a little through the NFC Championship debacle (doubtful.)  Year 3 with the Bears will be interesting, that is certain. 

Work hard.  Play hard.

- Jim Harbaugh coaches in SF - The guy was a former NFL QB.  Then coached at San Diego University and led them to an undefeated season.  He earned the job at Stanford and took them to an Orange Bowl victory.  What can this guy do in the NFL?  I think we are all curious, especially with the Niners owning a roster that does not look strong on paper.  I think Harbaugh's influence could gain them an extra 3 wins from what this roster could do otherwise.  Prediction- 5-11 and just missing the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. 

- Sexy Rexy - Almost every bullet point has to do with Ex-Bear or current Bear QBs!  It is hilarious how bias I am!  Rex Grossman declared that the Redskins will "win the NFC East."  When you are done laughing (again), come back and join me...

... I'll wait...

Are you back?  Ok.  I love the enthusiasm by the Sex Cannon, but let's keep it real.  The 'Skins don't have a great shot at winning the division this year.  The Eagles are loaded, the Giants are solid, and the Cowboys are nuisances.  If they pull to 6-10, they should have a post-season party where everyone gets pizza and trophies.  Asking Grossman how the season is going to shake out is a dumb question- what is he going to say?  That the 'Skins are sinking like the Titanic and everyone is going down with the ship?  Of course not.  He has no right answer, so he aimed high and it was hilarious. 

Don't worry D.C.- you're in good hands!

So apparently I'm interested in Bears QBs, and that is it.  Truth be told, there are plenty of other interesting story lines.  I'm sure if one wanted to look for them, they could be found in tonight's Charges vs. Seahawks match-up.  I'll leave that for Jaws or Gruden to screw up.  Right now, I'm just happy football is back.

NFL Highs and Lows

Today might be a bunch a rambling, but I'm going to pick some NFL guys who I expect to excel this year and some I people are overrated going into the season.  I'll just pick at random and you can add your picks in the comments.  Alright, let's do this.

Overrated: Josh Freeman

Can me a skeptic (because I am), but I think young Josh Freeman overachieved last year.  Everyone seems to be quite high on him, and after last year, I suppose they should be.  But look at it.  Legarrette "I Will Punch You In The Face" Blount had an unexpectedly positive season as a rookie free agent and the Bucs' best receiver is a dude that has off field problems and could get suspended any minute (Mike Williams.)  On top of that, the Bucs play in a challenging division and should have a more difficult schedule this year. Let's just say I'm not looking to add Josh Freeman to my fantasy roster as I believe he will regress this year.

Underrated: Donovan McNabb

I can't believe I just wrote that.  As much as I'm hoping McNabb stubs his toe in Minnesota, I just have a bad feeling he'll be pretty productive under center in the Metrodome (does anyone know if the roof is fixed?  No chance I'd go to a game there!)  With a savage running game, the pressure should be off McNabb and he will be free to take chances down the field- Brett Favre style.  I'm hoping that productive statistics do not lead to wins in the case of the Vikings, but I have a feeling he'll be pretty decent this year.

Either that, or he'll get run out of town... again.

Overrated: Kevin Kolb

Wow Arizona, that was some big money to give to a guy who barely scraped by with a win against division rival San Francisco last year.  And guess what?  Your roster is worse than the Eagles' roster last year.  Arizona will be better for having Kolb since their best alternative was John Skeletor (Skelton- but Skeletor would be so much cooler), but they will still suck.  Speaking of the NFC West...

Underrated: Steven Jackson

Fantasy geeks have been waiting for the Rams' RB to step up in a major way.  If he's going to take his game to the next level, it must be done this year.  Shockingly, Jackson is actually starting to go toward the back-side of his career (it feels like just yesterday he was drafted) and he should be ready to peak this year.  Sam Bradford has one year under his belt and presents a balanced attack for opposing defenses to deal with.  I feel that Jackson should have a stand out year, if healthy. 

Steven Jackson playing against the Seahawks in 2010.

Overrated: Chad Ochocinco

For those of you expecting 2007 Randy Moss numbers from Ocho- just stop it.  I know we, as humans and football fans, love to come up with trends, predictions, and false prophecies, but Ochocinco is no Randy Moss.  Sure, he's funny and entertaining, but that doesn't mean he's as good as a Hall of Fame WR when combined with this generation's greatest QB in the prime of his career.  Ochocinco is a great addition for the Pats, but just temper your enthusiasm if you think he's about to have the greatest statistical year of any WR ever.  It ain't happenin'. 

Underrated: Jay Cutler

Oh yes- I went there.  I know this is coming from a guy who bleeds GSH orange, but I think Cutler is going to have a good year.  It is all dependent on the Bears' O-Line, but Cutler came into camp in great shape and has been working on his piss-poor footwork from last year.  He knows the Martz offensive scheme now and is ready to gun it.  Similar to my comment on the Rams, the Bears should have a good balance of passing and running to keep opposing defenses honest.  I'm not certain that the Bears make it back to the NFC Championship Game (in fact, it is probably impossible), but statistically, Cutler should have a very good year. 

"♪♫ I'm all outta love, I'm so lost without you... ♪♫"

Overrated: The Cowboys

Uh, because they are.  The Eagles and Giants are still better than the 'Boys.  I could even see the Redskins stealing a game from them.  Tony Romo already got the only ring he's going to get in this career this off-season (a wedding ring.)  It is possible that the coaching change to Jason Garrett helps them slightly- but it is also possible that it blows up in their face.  I'm not high on the Cowboys this year.

---

I'll have some divisional predictions in the next few weeks.  Until then, am I wrong on these?  Who are your picks for over or under rated?