Here’s my idea for how the NFL could make tonight’s awful Thursday night football game interesting. Losing team fires their coach on the spot. We all know Norv and Romeo are not coming back next season so why not create some brilliant television drama. Good idea, right?

A few notes on the Picks Contest:

• Just because Crown has a dominant record does not mean this contest is over. Far from it. Remember there will be bonuses for the next seven weeks and you’ll have 10+ chances to eliminate poor weeks.
• If you do not see your name below it is because you have been ruled ineligible due to either: (a) only having made one selection until this point or (b) having chosen the same team twice.
• If you have any questions or would like to dispute your standing (I do make mistakes) simply send me an email: jeff@dabearsblog.com

The Standings (with teams used):

Crown 8-0 (SF, Chi, Stl, NO, TB, Ind, Det)

MikeV in OR 4-0 (Chi, NO, GB, Dal)

Chris Odom 2-0 (NO, Min)

MonkeyNuts 6-1 (NE, Ind, Was, NYG, Cin, Dal, Den)

Viva 6-1 (Car, Pit, Buf, SD, Atl, Dal, Oak, Det)

Bearfanincb 5-1 (Phi, Cin, Buf, Den, NE, Atl, NO)

Sirwiz 4-1 (NYJ, Chi, Stl, GB, Den)

BobbyDouglass 4-1 (Atl, SD, Chi, Sea, Bal, Min)

OsosFan 3-1 (Jax, TB, Min, Stl)

505Bears! 3-1 (Atl, Cin, NO, NE)Perno 2-1 (TB, Mia, GB)

Artoo 6-2 (NE, Hou, Chi, Cin, GB, Atl, Ind, NYG)

I Bleed Navy + Orange 6-2 (Phi, Ind, Chi, Cin, SF, Atl, GB, NE)

Blogfader 5-2 (NE, Ind, Chi, SF, Cin, Dal, Was)

Ben in norcal 5-2 (Den, Cin, Hou, NE, Chi, NO, SD)

Enderwiggin 5-2 (TB, Bal, Ind, NYG, Chi, Hou, NYJ, Cle)

evantonio 4-2 (Jax, Buf, Cin, Bal, Hou, NYJ, Cle)

TheFifth 4-2 (Sea, SF, Chi, GB, Ind, SD)

jmcyclone 4-2 (NE, Buf, SF, Ari, Chi, Bal, Pit)

Bears-4-Ever 5-3 (NO, SF, Chi, Sea, Atl, Bal, GB, NYG)

#76 Mongo Murph 4-4 (Buf, Was, Det, Cin, Chi, Stl, NYJ, NO)

AlbertinTuscon 3-3 (NO, NE, Stl, GB, Min, Car)

Santa Claus Gave us a QB 2-2 (Min, Cin, Chi, NYG)

ChiRy 2-2 (Chi, Oak, TB, Atl)

PombeGeek 2-2 (GB, Min, Dal, Det)

Bearsssssssssssss 1-1 (SF, NYG)

Nagurski 1-1 (Buf, Sea)

Slsmth54 1-1 (Sea, Was)

Bigboar3 1-1 (ATL, Mia)

BearDown85 3-4 (Car, Bal, Ind, Chi, Ind, Stl, Sea)

FQD1911 3-4 (Ari, Car, Min, Oak, Chi, NO, Phi)

lindemrm 3-4 (Det, Ind, Min, SF, GB, NYG, SD)

DYLbear23 2-3 (Buf, Oak, Cin, NO, Ind)

JohnnyWad 3-5 (SF, Bal, NYJ, NYG, Ind, Oak, Chi)

MB30SD 3-5 (TB, NO, Chi, Atl, Was, Hou, Buf, Ind)

Shady 3-5 (Min, Ind, Stl, SD, Cin, Sea, Car, Dal)

Tobijohn 3-5 (Car, Oak, Ind, Atl, Chi, Ari, GB, Det)

Doc Nitty 34 3-5 (KC, Sea, Ind, Oak, Cin, Phi, Hou, NYG)

IrishSweetness 2-4 (Phi, Was, Cin, Chi, Min, Stl)

reprisal 2-4 (KC, Hou, Sea, Chi, Cin, Cle)

SC Dave 2-4 (Buf, Det, NE, TB, Stl, NO)

BigHurtNYC 2-5 (Car, Sea, NYJ, Den, Ari, Buf, Dal)

4ever85 (AKA Butch DeadLift) 2-5 (Det, Ind, Ari, Chi, Was, Oak, Ten)

CanadaBear 2-5 (KC, Hou, SF, Oak, GB, NYG, Atl)

NewBearinTown 1-2 (Cle, Dal, NYJ)

Michael L 1-4 (Hou, Jax, Den, SF, TB)

McFlipside 0-3 (Buf, Atl, Pit)

MikeBrownHadaPosse 0-4 (Det, Mia, Bal, Ind)

MattySouthside 0-4 (Det, Ind, Ari, Bal)

___________________________________________

TONIGHT’S PICKS CONTEST BONUS

• I would like Matt Cassel’s completion percentage. You must be within a single (1) point. Meaning if you select 50.5 you will be awarded a correct week for everything from 49.5 to 51.5.

My guess is 58.5%.

DaBearsBlog – myself and Noah – are traveling to Nashville this weekend Bears vs. Titans and staying at the swanky hotel seen above. We are arriving with a mission: good food, great drink and the world’s best Honky-Tonkin’. We’ll be focused and driven. Will the Bears? I think so.

WHY DO I LIKE THE CHICAGO BEARS THIS WEEK?

• I always like the Chicago Bears.
• I was completely wrong about the Bears last Sunday against the Panthers. They were flat and lifeless. But I think a day or two of watching that tape will humble all 53 men on the roster and provide Lovie Smith with the kind of motivational tools a head coach often requires to inspire a good team mid-season.
• It is Music City! And no football organization is responsible for sweeter music.

PERTINENT STATISTICS

Matt Hasselbeck’s last four starts against Chicago:

• 2010 Postseason: 24-46, 258 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
• 2010: 25-40, 242 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
• 2007: 30-44, 337 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
• 2006 Postseason: 18-33, 195 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Chris Johnson’s only game against a Lovie Smith defense:

• 2008: 14 carries, 8 yards, 0 confidence

Rankings for the Tennessee Titans:

• Titans have the league’s worst defense in terms of total yardage AND points, although Buffalo allows slightly more PPG.
• Titans are 24th in yards per game on offense and 18th in points per game. They again they have also scored points like this:

ANALYSIS 

• Tennessee has only eleven sacks on the season (even after attaining the Phil Emery-desired Kamerion Wimbley) so this should be a game the Bears are able to give Jay Cutler a decent enough pocket to look down the field. If they do I expect him to get the ball to Brandon Marshall and Earl Bennett with relative ease.
• Tennessee is also among the league’s worst run stopping defenses. Lovie Smith is Mr. Off the Bus Running and he can’t be pleased with the way Tice/Cutler maneuvered away from Matt Forte Sunday. I expect the Double Deuce to have a big afternoon.
• Tennessee have receivers of quality and  we’ve seen Matt Hasselbeck turn trash into trophies against the Bears. (Cough, Mike Williams, Cough) Nate Washington, Kendall Wright and Kenny Britt can each play and will be rough for the Bears to handle on the outside.
• I don’t know if Jared Cook’s trade demands will influence his play on-field but he could prove a tricky match-up for the center of the Bears defense, especially if Brian Urlacher is limited in space.
• Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. If the Bears can pressure Hasselbeck consistently they will win the game. He lacks the mobility to extend plays and beat the Bears with improvisation. They need that consistency to develop opposite Julius Peppers on the outside from either Izzy, Woot or (I’d prefer) a more-involved Shea McClellin.

THRIVE/SURVIVE

• Thrive: Devin Hester. The criticism of him has now left the receiver world and engulfed the return game. I think he hears it and breaks one against Tennessee.
• Survive: Me, Noah. We have a poor track record at Bears games together and we need to break the streak. (Our last three as a pair: 2006 blowout loss at home to Joey Harrington, the blizzard blowout loss to New England, the 40-sack debacle in the Meadowlands.)

CHRIS JOHNSON & RUNNING BACKS GETTING PAID

I found myself in the middle of the Matt Forte contract debate this summer, with former Bears Jason McKie and Desmond Clark both taking an opportunity to jab my opinions on the Twitter machine. My points were simple: (1) Forte was, in fact, a great running back but…(2) great running backs are no longer worth the cap space they once were.

Look at the teams with HUGE money tied up in the running back position. Carolina has two such backs, one win and neither back has performed even moderately well this season. (The team is desperately trying to deal DeAngelo Williams.) Steven Jackson signed for more than double what Forte signed and has been on the field for about half the snaps since he put pen to paper. Trent Richardson warranted a top five selection in the draft and has not looked the part. Adrian Peterson, as I’ve written many times, is the exception because he is capable of scoring on every single play from scrimmage and may very well be one of the greatest running backs to ever live.

Enter Chris Johnson. CJ looked like the most explosive young player in the game. Tennessee gave him an $80+million deal (with a boatload guaranteed) after an extensive hold out. CJ has rewarded them by looking like a player who no longer interested in contact sports; wrapping up the ball AND his body prior to entering the atmosphere of a defender’s planet. CJ’s contract is Jason Bay. It’s ARod. It was the last of a dying breed.

What the Bears (and to a lesser extent the Texans and Seahawks) did was re-set the marketplace for the running back position. And you’ll see that play out as Maurice Jones-Drew and Ray Rice enter the coming off-season.

PREDICTION

I’m going to take a cautious approach. I believe the Bears could easily walk out of Nashville with a 25-30 point victory and charge into the more-difficult second half of the year. But I could also see Matt Hasselbeck playing error free football, moving the chains and keeping the Titans in it all four quarters. I’ll go with the latter.

Chicago Bears 23, Tennessee Titans 16

Tee Shirts Sales Close Today

Orders will take some time. We will be processing them and sending them out by December 1st. (It would have been sooner but we’ve had some storm-related issues.)  To get your shirt (pictured above) simply CLICK HERE. We simply don’t have the manpower to take orders on a rolling basis. So get them in by midnight tonight and you’re all set.

Not Bears But Hysterical: Asante Samuel

Just watch this video. It’s enjoyable.

Brandon Marshall Should Be Mentioned in the MVP Race

I predicted I would writing something like t by midyear and sure enough I am. But just imagine where the Chicago Bears would be today if Brandon Marshall were not on the roster. While the defense has carried the club thus far Marshall has been a revelation at wide receiver.

• Marshall is on pace for 115 catches. The record is 100 for Marty Booker in 2001.

• Marshall is on pace for 1,542 yards. Marcus Robinson had 1400 in 1999.
• Marshall is on pace for 10 touchdowns. Dick Gordon had 13 in 1974 and Ken Kavanaugh had 13 in 1947.

I still think we haven’t seen Marshall’s best. It’s coming. 15 catches, 250 yards and a bunch of touchdowns. Just a matter of time.

The Psychological Importance of 7-1

The Bears lacked urgency on Sunday. They lacked focus. They lacked energy. They delivered a three-quarter dud and a better team, a more dynamic offense, would have beat them by two or three touchdowns. You would hope that performance and their tape study will be a significant wake up call and they’ll play inspired Sunday in Nashville. Because it’s a pivotal game. Why?

Not just because of the schedule. Sure it would be nice to maintain a no less than two-game cushion over the Packers heading into the more difficult second half of their season. But the Bears follow Sunday’s game with a Sunday night contest against Houston and a road trip to San Francisco the following Monday – two terrific teams with two of the league’s three best defenses. The Bears could conceivably play well and lose both those games. They need a win keep the media’s questions on game results and not on the more general contender/pretender nonsense. Because if they lose to Tennessee the media will make Sunday night against Houston a referendum on their entire season. (It won’t be but the media won’t care to let fact get in the way of a good story.)

I Don’t Know Mark Dvorak…

…but he’s about to have a lot more people watch his video.

Groovy.

NASHVILLE TRIP

Hopefully Noah and I will be have no issue getting to Nashville this weekend. I’ve received a few emails from Bears fans who’ll be gathering down and we’re trying to put together a spot for a few drinks on the weekend. Let me know if you’re planning to be there by emailing me. jeff@dabearsblog.

P.S. I did fine in the storm. Both my neighborhood in Queens and my lady’s neighborhood in Manhattan suffered minimal damage. But a lot of my family went through a rough one – especially down the Jersey shore. So thoughts with them.

It took ‘til the very end of the third quarter and the Bears facing a 19-7 deficit that seemed a taller task than beating a hippie in a dirty hair contest. It was then the offensive coordinator (Mike Tice) and the quarterback (Jay Cutler) reached a conclusion they should have reached the second Alshon Jeffery was temporarily lost to a broken hand: Earl Bennett is a damn good receiver.

With under a minute to go in the quarter Cutler hit Bennett for 24 yards on second and twelve and followed the play by hitting Bennett for 11 yards on first and ten.  The Bears had done nothing offensively for three quarters. Suddenly Earl emerged and the Bears went 51 yards on the drive. (They missed a field goal.) On their next two offensive drives the offense, having looked as pathetic as we’d seen them in years, went 38 yards (after a six yard punt) for a touchdown to Kellen Davis and 55 yards for a game-winning field goal.

Why? There are probably fifteen X’s and O’s reasons the Bears suddenly blocked the Panthers up front and were able to move the ball through the air. But I think the answer is a simple one and it wears number 80. And unfortunately it’s impossible to praise Bennett as a wide receiver without criticizing Devin Hester. Because everything Bennett does well, everything he brings to the field and to the position, all the obvious chemistry he shares with the quarterback, Hester lacks.

Hester is the greatest kick returner in the history of football and Panthers coach Ron Rivera showed him more respect than I’ve ever seen by giving the Bears the ball on the 35-40 to start drives in order to avoid having Mr. Ridiculous skunk his special teams units. And as a wide receiver he does bring two distinct skills: deep, field-stretching speed and elusiveness. He is a package player. Let him test the back end of the opposing secondary once or twice an afternoon. Throw him a few bubble screens on second-and-short and see if he can make a few defenders miss. Hester is the perfect pint of Guinness. He doesn’t need to be a $300 bottle of Merlot. The Merlot ain’t better than the Guinness. It’s an entirely different species of booze.

How long are the Bears going to wait for Hester become a great route runner? (It ain’t happening.) How long are they going to wait for Hester to grasp the offense mentally? (Nope, not happening.) How long are they going to wait for Hester to look and play like an accomplished wide receiver? (It seems forever.)

They don’t have to wait because of Earl Bennett’s presence. Sunday in Nashville, a few miles from the Vanderbilt campus where Earl and Cutler first met, Lovie and Tice must line Bennett up opposite Brandon Marshall. Then they must leave him there until Alshon Jeffery returns. According to Michael Wright, Hester played 44 of 56 offensive snaps Sunday while Bennett played 35. That number should be flipped. And then some. Now is not the time for stubbornness. Now is the time for prudence. And to save this offense from drifting out to sea, the Bears must play their best offensive players. That means Bennett. Not Hester.

I don’t think the Bears have won a game quite like this since the infamous “who we thought they were” game in Arizona, 2006. They were outplayed overwhelmingly from the line of scrimmage, out-coached dramatically and made the types of mistakes that should lead to a 41-10 loss. Yet here they are at 6-1 and I’m starting to get those 2006 “team of destiny” vibes. (That team was “destined” to give Peyton Manning his first ring, however.)

Many thoughts….

• I thought Mike Tice was just awful. This should have been an afternoon the Bears wore out Matt Forte with 30-35 carries and treated him like the workhorse running back he’s capable of being. Tice is a great personality but he’s got a lot of work to do as a coordinator.
• And it’s not JUST the move away from running but the types of runs and passes he calls. The runs are predictable, trap-type runs that often seem designed to gain 3 yards. And are there any easy passes in the playbook? Why is Cutler constantly entrenched in the pocket for what seems like an hour?
• Two drops from Brandon Marshall. One first down drop from Devin Hester. A horrendous, game changing drop from Matt Spaeth.
• On a pivotal third down, Mike Tolbert jukes Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher – two of the best tacklers in the history of the Chicago Bears. At that point I was willing to concede the ballgame.
• And then there was Cutler. Many of us wanted to see Cutler, in the two-minute drill, lead the Bears to a victory. He was magnificent on that final drive and I don’t think it’s a coincidence the Bears offense started to find its rhythm when they started involving Earl Bennett.
• A ho-hum 7 for 118 afternoon against the Bears for Steve Smith. What if he doesn’t fall down? What if Cam Newton doesn’t force him to attempt a circus catch in the end zone after he shredded the Bears secondary? We all have to accept that Lovie Smith’s defenses can’t stop Steve Smith and never will.
• Nice to see Greg Olsen whiff on Shea McClellin. Just like old times.
• I think it’s time the Bears give McClellin double the snaps. I like Izzy and Woot as players but McClellin looks like a potential star.
• Nice to see Julius Peppers manhandle Jordan Gross repeatedly.
• Horrible mismanagement of the clock at the end of the first half by Lovie Smith.
• Chris Conte had his first clunker of the 2012 season. He was nowhere to be found in the passing game. But I like his intensity at times. I like that he’s not afraid to drop his should a pop a guy. And I think he got jobbed on the personal foul call.
• So did Israel Idonije. What does a defensive end do in that position? He’s being blocked to the ground and has access to the quarterback’s legs. Is he not supposed to attempt the sack? Is that what this league has become?
• Show me the game preview ANYWHERE predicting Greg Hardy would channel Warren Sapp and be unblockable Sunday. Seriously? Greg Hardy?
• I’ll have to watch the All-22 to know for sure but I don’t think the offensive played as poorly as their numbers. I’d blame Tice, Cutler, the scheme and coverage down field equally. But I’ll look later today.
• I thought Adam Podlesh may have had his best game as a Bear.
• Major Wright’s hit on Cam Newton, forcing the fumble TD, was textbook. He put the shoulder pad on the ball.
• Nick Roach did a very nice job covering Greg Olsen.
• Great toss and even better catch by Kellen Davis in the end zone. Any chance we’ll see that two weeks in a row?
• Another false start from Roberto Garza! Anybody found out the record for false starts from a center yet? He’s got to be on pace.

Here’s the truth: In December, nobody is going to remember how the Bears beat the Panthers and nobody is going to care. They played horrendously Sunday and found a way to win. They are 6-1. And they’ve yet to play a great game offensively.

Note: I’m in NYC which may be impacted greatly by Hurricane Sandy. Let’s wait and see but if I go powerless tomorrow I’ll leave it to y’all to hold down the blog fort.

I will have a column in the morning.

Above is my favorite NFL photograph, maybe ever.

Three final thoughts:

• My favorite line from Cam Worrell this week was “if the Bears make the Panthers one-dimensional and stop the run, it will be a turnover fest.” I agree. Look for the Bears to confuse Cam Newton both before and after the snap. Newton is a second-year player in a new system and has never been vaunted for his intelligence under center. (That’s not a shot. It’s a scouting report truth.)
• Win or lose, I really don’t want to see Steve Smith with on of those 11 catch, 175 yard performances. I’m just tired of it.
• I expect the Bears to test Cutler’s physical well-being early and if he’s not 100% they will put this game on their backs and short passing game. That could mean heavy YAC for Brandon Marshall and should mean another huge game against the Panthers for Matt Forte.

Bear down.

Picks Contest Note.

I will be posting the standings once again next week.

Picks Contest Prize.

You’ll be invited as special guest of DaBearsBlog to this year’s Round One Draft Party on Thursday night, April 25th at Cortland’s Garage in Bucktown. The prize includes:

• Accommodation for draft night at The Willows Hotel, Lakeview. To see the hotel, CLICK HERE. I’ll also be in the hotel and will gladly take you for a drink at the local spot Monsignor Murphy’s if you so choose.
• DaBearsBlog will cover the open bar for you and a +1 at the event.
• Two automatic entries into the ticket contest giveaway that evening. (We’ll announce the particular game and details once the schedule is released next spring.)
• A pair of 2012 DaBearsBlog tee-shirts.

*Sadly we’ve removed the Lou Malnati’s gift card for now due to some issues that have arisen. I am working on them and will have either the Malnati’s card restored or something in its place.

(Home team in CAPS)

New England -7 ST. LOUIS

TENNESSEE -3.5 Indianapolis

San Diego -3 CLEVELAND

PHILADELPHIA -3 Atlanta

DETROIT -2.5 Seattle

NEW YORK JETS -2 Miami

CHICAGO -7.5 Carolina

PITTSBURGH -4.5 Washington

KANSAS CITY -1.5 Oakland

PACKERS -14.5 Jaguars

New York Giants -2 DALLAS

DENVER -6 New Orleans

I rebounded last week with the horrible-to-watch Dallas Cowboys. And I am staying in that division and taking the WASHINGTON REDSKINS in Pittsburgh. I simply do not believe the Steelers are very good and I loved everything I saw from Bob Griffin in the Meadowlands Sunday. Steelers will be able to throw it on the ‘Skins awful pass defense but Bob keeps it close.

This week you can hear Cameron Worrell ON:

• Peanut Tillman, The Player & Charles Tillman, The Man
• The influence of Rod Marinelli on Lovie’s defensive looks both pre-snap and after snap.
• Why Steve Smith has tormented the Chicago Bears for the duration of Lovie’s tenure.
• The difficulty of facing a player as versatile as Cam Newton.
• Much, much more…

I need to give folks a chance to catch the mighty Crown. So tonight’s bonus is simple.

1. Someone must explain why I chose the above photo. And do it by kickoff.
2. Since apparently there’s a Jeff Jinx, let’s run with it. I want the total yards, rushing and receiving, for Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin from scrimmage. You must be within two yards. Thus if you guess 200 you will be given one correct week for anything between 198-202.

My guess: 168.

If Minnesota wins, all bets are off. No bonuses on games with anti-Bears results.

Here is the only great moment in Greg Schiano’s tenure with Rutgers. Maybe he’ll see this and be inspired to beat Minnesota tonight.