No Weekend Show this week as I’m under the weather and my voice is dogshit. Thus, we return to an old standby…THE GAME PREVIEW!

Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I always like the Chicago Bears.

Any Football Reasons, Jeff?

Sure. Four:

• Mutiny in Minnesota. Not sure I’ve ever heard stories like the ones coming out of the Vikings game against Green Bay last weekend. The head coach created a defensive approach, taught it to his players and then a corner decided, “Eh, fuck it.” Then they told the press all about it! We knew something was wrong in Minny when Norv jumped ship mid season. I don’t think anyone knew it was this wrong.
• #barkleytime. Yep, I’m making the prediction. Matt Barkley will rebound from the awful performance against Washington and play his way to Bourbonnais.
• What is the fatal flaw of these Bears? Their secondary. What quarterback threatens the secondary less than Bradford? I’m not sure. Bradford wants to dink and dunk his way to glory and that plays right into the hands of Fangio’s defense.
• There was a time when the Vikings rush defense looked like the league’s best. But there was also a time when the Vikings were good. Now they’re a midpack rush defense, facing a juggernaut back 60 or so yards from the Bears rookie record. Jordan Howard dominates.

Football Friday & Saturday (The Future)

Players to watch in the bowl games over the next two days:

• Sun Bowl: Mitch Trubisky, QB, North Carolina. Spent part of this week watching Trubisky tape and will say this: he does everything really, really well. He just flatout looks the part and more specifically the part of Matthew Stafford. The knock on him? Experience.
• Music City Bowl: Derek Barnett, Edge Rusher, Tennessee. By all accounts the second best pass rusher in the draft, with the first expected to be off the board  in the first two selections.
• Orange Bowl: Jake Butt, Tight End, Michigan. My favorite player in college football this season. I watch Butt (haha) and I see a game-changing tight end. And who wouldn’t buy the jersey?
• Peach Bowl: Jonathan Allen, DE, Alabama. I’m convinced Allen is the best player in college football and the best player in the draft. His story is also well worth your time.
• Fiesta Bowl: Mike Williams, WR, Clemson. Many will be watching Deshaun Watson but I think Watson is going to struggle at the next level. Williams, however, is going to be a star. If the Bears don’t bring back Jeffery, he’s a first round consideration.

Game Prediction

As of the time I’m writing this there is a chance Floyd, McPhee and Young will all be sidelined. That leaves the Bears with zero edge pass rush. So…..yea.

Bears 19, Vikings 18 in one of the worst games of the NFL season.