I’m taking the holiday weekend off to recharge my batteries for the big, big, big season to come. This post should keep y’all busy til Tuesday.

Each year I like to make a boat load of NFL predictions for the season to come and then evaluate them at year’s end. I figure this: if I make fifty predictions and twenty-five receive a + (as opposed to a – ) when evaluated, I’m doing fine. I think I’ve averaged about 55 – 60% accuracy over the last three years.

There will be 19 Bears-related predictions & one prediction for each of the other 31 teams.

1. I will undoubtedly write a column pushing Brandon Marshall as MVP by November. The rest of the NFL will be realizing Jay Cutler is good (we realized last year) but it will be Marshall responsible for the Bears receiving corps being the most improved single unit in the sport.
2. Jay Cutler will eclipse Erik Kramer’s single-season yardage mark of 3,838.
3. The Bears signature flaw of the 2012 season will not be their offensive line. It will be their defensive line’s inability to generate consistent pressure with the front four.
4. Justin Blackmon will look like a man among boys for the Jacksonville Jaguars and beat both Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin (does everyone have to call him RGIII?) for rookie of the year.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers have a down year and go 8-8. (Their quarterback? Still a rapist.)
6. In a conference with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, Joe Flacco will start the Pro Bowl for the AFC. (Are they playing that again this year?) Flacco will still whine about how he’s treated by the fierce Baltimore media. (Do they still have a newspaper?)
7. Eagles, everybody’s preseason darling, fail to make the postseason. Someone explain to me how a columnist can write pick the Eagles with the “if Vick stays healthy” caveat. Has he ever stayed healthy? No.
8. Giants, everybody’s forgotten world champion, win the NFC East. They have a motivated, contract-year Osi Umenyiora. Look for a dozen sacks.
9. The Vikings will open 1-0 and win 2 more games the rest of the season, securing them the first overall pick in the draft and USC quarterback Matt Barkley.
10. J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS will not be as bad on offense as they were in preseason. Not great, by any means, but they’ll win games and be battling for the postseason in December.
11. Mark Anderson will have a productive season in Buffalo opposite Mario Williams. I think the Buffalo defensive line will keep them in games all season.
12. Luke Keuchly won’t have big statistics but the Panthers linebacker will be the defensive rookie of the year. I loved two players in this draft. Keuchly and Blackmon.
13. Tim Jennings will have four interceptions.
14. Brian Urlacher will miss four games this season but none in January and February.
15. I’m going to refer to Robbie Gould as Bob Gould this year.
16. Andy Dalton will come back to the earth for the Cincinnati Bengals but they have a wonderful coaching staff and will make the postseason.
17. For some reason I absolutely love the Kansas City Chiefs to beat out the Denver Broncos for the AFC West title. Nobody really talks about how much talent the Chiefs lost to IR in the first five weeks of the 2011 season. They will be back and motivated. Chiefs!
18. Antonio Gates will challenge Gronk as the best statistical tight end in the AFC. I think he’s been struggling with his health for three years and finally has his body in the correct shape.
19. Tom Brady’s protection issues will be a major reason the Patriots are playing on the first weekend of the playoffs and opposed to their patented bye week.
20. The Houston Texans will win the AFC South between Halloween and Thanksgiving.
21. “Say something about the Miami Dolphins, Jeff”. Okay. Done.
22. The Bears will win 11-12 games.
23. Brandon Weeden is going to look like a very silly draft pick to the Cleveland Browns by mid-season when they turn back to Colt McCoy. Or Seneca Wallace. Or Bernie Kosar. Or whoever.
24. How many NFL coaches are (1) in their second year with a team (2) have a track record of failing as a head coach (3) left a major college with a puddle of corruption/sanctions and (4) just turned to a fourth-round rookie as his starting QB? Matt Flynn will see the field this year.
25. The Bears will win the NFC North.
26. San Francisco will wait til Houston wins the AFC South and win the NFC West the following week.
27. I wish I could tell you something interesting about the St. Louis Rams. But all I have to say is I think Sam Bradford is going to have a HUGE comeback season.
28. The Bears will win my heart.
29. Andrew Luck will have a better year than Robert Griffin, Jake Locker and Ryan Timothy Tannehill combined. (Side note, re: Hard Knocks: People should stop telling me how attractive Tannehill’s wife is. Looks like a bird. That southern debutante thing don’t float my boat.)
30. Mike Zimmer’s work with the Bengals defense this year will earn him a head coaching job in 2013.
31. Pierre Garcon will be injured seriously this year. Two reasons I think this: Griffin will leave him hanging over the middle often and he’ll take some big hits on predictable bubble screens.
32. I’d take the over on Devin Hester returning 2.5 kicks for touchdowns this year if Vegas has set that line.
33. Kendall Wright will be Jake Locker’s most reliable target. Not Kenny Britt.
34. I take the under on Dez Bryant breaking 1.5 of his Cowboys-initiated Dez Bryant Rules. (I think he will go to a strip club at some point. It seems these fellas can’t stay away.)
35. Packers will be really good. Fuck em.
36. Lions will not. Yeehaw. And the best thing about the Lions defense? They’ll talk and act very, very tough while stopping no one from moving the ball and scoring.
37. I’ll say one additional thing about each of those teams: I don’t think either will win a Super Bowl without finding a run game to complement the big-strike passing. And I don’t see either finding that on their current roster.
38. I buy the hype: Eric Decker is going to have a monster year catching Peyton Manning passes.
39. I heard Matthew Berry waxing poetic about Carson Palmer the other day on ESPN. And while I couldn’t hear everything he said because I was dry heaving due to the sound of his voice, I know he’s high on Palmer. If Palmer has a great year I will take a -2. He’s been shot for years.
40. I wasn’t going to write anything about the Cardinals and see who noticed. But I’ll write something about the Cardinals. They are going to be a miserable, miserable team and the Vikings’ true competitor for Matt Barkley. (Side note: Has anyone come up with a Suck for Luck thing for Barkley yet? How about Blow for the Tro? Can we make Blow for the Tro happen? Get it done, kids!)
41. Falcons good. Uninspiring, tedious but good.
42. Saints better. Even without half their coaching staff and a few post-prime defenders I just don’t see how the Saints offense misses a beat because Sean Payton is not there. That system is in good hands with Drew Brees.
43. Greg Schiano will feel right at home in Tampa. The former Rutgers head coach knows what its like to not have a very good quarterback. (Side note: Hey Greg! Mike Teel! He’s out there! I just Googled Teel and he’s the quarterbacks coach at Wagner College. He can’t be happy there.) One of my only hopes for the 2012 NFL season is that Schiano brings the ridiculous “choppin wood” sentiment to the pros.
44. Bears will score 27.6 points per game.
45. Bears will allow 16.2 points per game.
46. Brandon Marshall will have 12 touchdown catches.
47. J’Marcus Webb will not be benched at left tackle this season. Take that!
48. AFC Playoff Six: Texans, Ravens, Patriots, Chiefs, Broncos, Bengals
49. NFC Playoff Six: Bears, Niners, Giants, Saints, Packers, Falcons
50. I think the Bears will play in the last NFL game of the season.

Make five preseason predictions of your own below. I’ll put the ones I like the best in a column and post it on Tuesday.

I’m leaving this one sit on the site all day as I work on tomorrow’s prediction column. Lovie Smith has admitted the roster decisions have essentially been made so don’t expect to see anything of note happen on the football field tonght. Even still, here’s a few things.

• The only conceivably interesting competition might be for the third running back position, as neither Matt Forte nor Michael Bush will be involved much tonight. Can Armando Allen seize the opportunity to start and usurp Lorenzo Booker – a player whose return prowess has placed him in the spotlight?
• I’d like to see Ryan Quigley have another decent night punting the ball. The Bears were scavenging the waiver wire for a punter this week but I think they’d be making an error by letting Quigley go until they’re sure Adam Podlesh can stay on the field.
• McCown. With word leaking of Brad Biggs that the Bears might consider keeping only two quarterbacks, one wonders if McCown might think he’s playing for a roster spot tonight. My opinion? The Bears are insane to carry two quarterbacks. If McCown were on the roster when Cutler went down last season the Bears would have been in the playoffs.
• I wouldn’t mind seeing Corey Wootton make a single play. Just one. Throw us a bone.

I’ll leave it you guys. Even though I will be watching, convince me to watch. Give me a reason to turn tonight’s game on.

I’m up in the mountains of Woodstock, NY so today will be an abbreviated post. We will have an uber-meaningless fourth preseason game preview column tomorrow and will post my pile of predictions for the 2012 NFL season on Friday.

Tee Shirts

Production has begun and will be completed by tomorrow afternoon. All shirts will be on the road to you by Friday morning. We will be making a second round of shirts available for sale some time after the start of the season (most likely October).

Adios, Mr. Morrissey

I read Rick Morrissey’s inane, worthless diatribe in the Sun-Times this morning out of boredom if nothing else. And I am now fully comfortable with my decision for 2012: I will no longer cite or reflect upon anything written by a Chicago columnist during the 2012 season. I will stick to the folks I respect on the fringe of the Bears coverage: my friends Roy and Adam Oestmann. They are talented individuals with opinions I respect. I can’t say the same about Morrissey, Haugh…etc.

That Does Not Go For the Actual Reporters…

…and Potash does not profile work in the Sun-Times on fullback Tyler Clutts – a player it is quite hard not to root for. I think the Bears would be making a possibly devastating mistake if they believe Evan Rodriguez is capable of anchoring the power run game they’re trying to implement with Matt Forte and the acquisition of Michael Bush. Clutts is the best blocking back on this current roster. He should make this team.

Ask yourself a single question: Is there any sport in the vast world of athletics wherein preseason games/matches are dissected with the rigorous attention paid to the NFL’s August exhibitions?

Spring training baseball games are glorified picnics. There is more drama between corrupt AAU “handlers” and assistant college coaches in a Bronx high school gymnasium than in a Knicks v. Heat game in late October at the Garden. The NHL has a meaningless regular season so there’s an almost sub-meaninglessness quality to that which happens prior.

Then there’s the English Premier League – soccer’s preeminent collection of clubs. They handle their preseason a bit differently. These clubs (top to bottom) spread out across the globe to play friendly matches with sides in America, Mexico, Brazil, Malaysia…etc. Why do they do this? Sure, you could argue it’s to find their form for the season to come. But that’s a difficult stance to take when a third of the roster doesn’t make the trip and the big stars are substituted out of the match as soon as the manager can do so without drawing the wrath of the paying public.

The truth? Money! They play these matches for money. That paper shit that allows you to buy things like milk and Playstation games and prostitutes. (Well you normally wouldn’t buy a prostitute. You sorta rent.) Manchester United knows they can sell-out massive buildings around the globe and stock their coffers with money. So they do. The supporters treat these matches as nothing more than exhibitions of talent. The media, even that harshest of harsh British sport press, barely rate the events for coverage. The matches in their entirety – results AND individual performances – carry zero meaning.

But not so with the NFL. NFL preseason games are aired on national television. They are top stories on sports’ pages in New York, Chicago, DC…etc. Even though 95% of what happens in the summer months does NOT correlate to the fall and winter, fans still respond to the exhibition action with emotional bursts as irrational as they are illogical. (When I asked on Twitter who might be a surprise cut for the Bears Saturday, someone actually wrote they hoped Charles Tillman would be shown the door. Because he had a poor road game against a two-time Super Bowl winning QB…in August.)

And it’s our fault! All of us. We love the NFL and nobody knows that better than the NFL. They charge us regular season prices for preseason contests because they know we’ll pay. The networks charge advertisers healthily for preseason ad space because we’ve proven we’ll watch. There were at least forty or fifty thousand people at MetLife Stadium Friday night. Why would Giants owner John Mara ever want to lose that essentially bonus revenue?

Preseason football is about one thing and one thing only: money. If you asked coaches and general managers across the league, they’d tell you they could learn exactly what they learn from preseason games in padded scrimmages against the same opponent. We, the fans, don’t need to be part of the process. But we are because we’re the checkbook. If the NFL thinks it can get an extra dollar out of us you better believe it will.

And I’m to blame as much as anyone. For all my “meaningless game” rants and raves, I spent Friday night at MetLife  and spent a fortune on $10 Bud Light drafts. I’ve also written a preview, posted a game thread and provided a recap for all three of these meaningless games and seen traffic skyrocket during those times. I am not going to turn down an opportunity to grow my readership by ignoring games I’d like to ignore. (Even I don’t have that much integrity.)

But neither are Brad Biggs or Sean Jensen or David Haugh. The newspapers know the NFL sells and not one of them has ever enlisted a writer to call this whole preseason into question. Neither are ESPN or NBC. They want your eyes on the TV screens. We’re all making money and we’re going to treat every moment of the NFL preseason like its important because we know fans would rather hear about fake football than real baseball.

The fans are being scammed. And we don’t seem to care. It’s the American way. And nothing is more American these days than the National Football League.

I’ll be honest: I have very little to say about last night’s game in the Meadowlands. The stadium was half empty. The energy was non-existent. The Giants were even pumping in fake crowd noise at several points in the game. They were clever about how they did it but they still did it.

Here are some of my thoughts from last night:

• It was funny to wake up and see David Haugh writing the same doomsday column he seems to write every year at this point. You’d think he’d learn what everyone should learn: the preseason is nonsense.
• The refs were terrible. They had no moment-to-moment control of the game and there was a feeling of distrust in the stadium. How can the NFL be letting this happen? Why would the most financially successful sports league in the history of the world risk its credibility over what will amount to a few million dollars? If these blow a call that decides a game a Colombian soccer match may break out in the bleachers. (These guys last night were lost on pass interference rules.)
• Whining Bears fans would have had a different opinion of last night if Cutler hit Bennett in the seam for a sure thing 75-yard touchdown. The entire offensive unit was a bit off last night but they’ve got two weeks (sigh) to get things together.
• What exactly were fans expecting from the left tackle position last night? Neither J’Marcus Webb nor Chris Williams are good enough to block the Giants ends. You know why? There are maybe three tackles in the league good enough to do that. These are men who’ve dominated Super Bowls.
• On run defense, the Bears surely miss Urlacher’s sideline-to-sideline pursuit. It is more evident watching them live. Backs have more time to wait for holes to develop without 54 stalking them.
• Brandon Marshall is going to have a monster year. I think estimates have been low to this point.
• You think I’m joking when I talk about injuries in these games? Giants lost another starting corner (Prince, pictured above) and the Bucs lost three starters to serious injuries (Joseph is already announced as out for the year.) If Chris Conte is available on opening day, the Bears will have escaped the preseason by only sustaining an injury to their punter.
• And if Ryan Quigley punts the way he did last night, the Bears will be fine. He was consistent, if unspectacular.
• I’ve said it many times. If the Bears can get a consistent pass rush they’ll be a dominant defense. If they don’t they’ll allow between 17-24 points every week.
• They can score much more than that. There is so much talent on this offense now.
•  Evan Rodriguez was sure in the base offense last night. I think the Bears don’t quite know what to do with him but he didn’t make me forget Tyler Clutts last night at fullback. Bears have some real decisions to make at TE/HB/FB.
• I know the Bears have liked Armando Allen throughout camp but what does Lorenzo Booker have to do to make this team? He’s looked the second best kick returner and the third best back consistently.

Now it begins. The longest two weeks of the football calendar. Nothing happens. Closed practices. Boredom. DBB will begin a series of Around the League NFL previews next week and I’ll be responding to all the cuts and such as they come down.

Just two weeks, kids. Two weeks and these things start being real. To read my preview of this game, CLICK HERE.

I shall be in attendance this evening at the Meadowlands. If you’re interested in my moment-to-moment thoughts from Giants “Don’t Call Me MetLife” Stadium, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@dabearsblog) by CLICKING HERE.

From Giants PR man Pat Hanlon:

Not playing tonite for #Giants vs Bears: 24 Thomas, 31 Bing, 36 Hosley, 44 Bradshaw, 59 Boley, 65 Beatty, 67 Mosley, 73 Rogers, 88 Nicks, 90 Pierre-Paul, 96 Austin and 98 Tracy. 47 Beckum and 99 Canty remain on PUP.

No.

Injuries.

No.

Injuries.

Please.

Please.

Please.

No.

Injuries.

Well, well, well. The Meadowlands. I remember you well. The stadium just outside the windows of my youth. The stadium where Jay Cutler was handed one of the worst beatings I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes. The Bears return to this house of horrors to complete their trio of meaningless contests before embarking on what many of us believe could be a special season in Chicago. (Yes I know there is a fourth preseason game to be played but that game makes college football spring games seem like the Super Bowl.)

Here is what might be of interest to you.

• J’Marcus Webb against a duo of attacking defenders (Tuck, Umenyiora) has been written to death. It’ll be the focal point of the broadcasting team tomorrow evening.
• I wrote a full-length piece on the safeties defending against the explosive big-play Giants offense. If you want to read that piece, CLICK HERE.
• Consistency in the passing game. I didn’t speak to, email with or Tweet @ a single Bears fan left unimpressed by the ease with which Jay Cutler dissected the Redskins defense through the air. They’re hungry for a passing game capable of competing for a title with the best in the business. Cutler doesn’t need to do anything but it’d be nice to see him complete a few through the air, hit five different targets, and continue building the confidence of this newly-exciting unit.
• Middle linebacker. It turns out Brian Urlacher visited Dr. Strangelove during his “personal time”. Now the conspiracy theorists believe Urlacher is destined for extended time on the bench. The question facing the Bears is will Blake Costanzo win the middle ‘backer spot, sending Roach back out to his more natural SLB? (Answer: Probably not.)
• Ryan Quigley. I don’t know much about the mechanics of punting but I’ve seen quite a few in my day. It would seem the hip is – even on the not kicking side – is a somewhat pivotal component. Adam Podlesh’s hip flexor isn’t a season-ender by any means but it’s not inconceivable he’ll miss those initial two games. If Quigley punts well, he’ll earn the job. If he doesn’t, the Bears may have to return to the big-legged but wildly inconsistent Matt Dodge. (I don’t see Brad Maynard returning after the way he left but stranger things have happened in this league.)
• Matt Blanchard v. Josh McCown. Nobody should overreact to what Blanchard achieved against the seventh-team defense of the Washington Redskins. But clearly the kid has ability. Be honest with yourself: If the Bears are down to their third quarterback, would they be in a significantly better position if McCown took to the field? (Everyone would love to see Blanchard moved to the practice squad but one wonders if Phil Emery would risk losing him and the practice squad is a risk.)
• Evan Rodriguez. He’s an intriguing talent but I would be interested if the Temple tight end truly has a role within the Bears base offense. He looks small and a bit weak to me but his pass-catching skill is undeniable.
• Improvement from the fringe: Sanzenbacher, Adams, Collins, Price…etc. If Bears’ championship hopes depend upon any of these guys we’re all just marking time. But depth in this NFL is important as players drop like flies across the league.
• Remember: It’s the third preseason game, yes, but it’s still a preseason game. In 2006 this game was the foundation for Denny Green’s “they are who we thought they were” rant in Arizona. That summer the Bears looked like a team that could neither score nor tackle in their third preseason effort, leading to a cavalcade of negativity from the local media. End result? They won the NFC.

There is very little to be concerned with tomorrow night, outside Webb (perhaps). The truth of this visit to the Meadowlands for the Bears is that only one thing matters: get out in one piece. Losing a couple more starters to injury could be devastating to the early-season campaign. No more damn injuries!

We all understand the major threat posed by the New York Giants. With Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and Jason Pierre-Paul lined up on the edge, the world champions possess the most dynamic and versatile set of 4-3 (or 3-4 for that matter) pass rushers in the NFL. And as the Bears are set to enter into the season with their most glaring weaknesses along the offensive line, there is no doubting the match-up of these two units is Friday night’s main event. DING!

But as should be expected from a group that’s won two of the last five titles, Tom Coughlin’s Giants feature another signature strength. As their running game in the post-Tiki Barber era has been reduced to one of the league’s worst (dead last in 2011), the G-men have turned to Eli Manning’s big play ability to win games. They are among the league’s top teams in every statistical category measuring the ability to throw the ball downfield.

Lovie Smith ought to be hoping Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride dials up a few shots over the top.

A week ago, I would have shrugged off this concept, leaning on my go-to “it’s just another meaningless game” mantra. But the injury suffered by free safety Chris Conte against the Washington Redskins changes that. Conte is the only safety on the Bears roster with the skill set to play the center fielder role. He has great closing speed and exceptional hands. His instincts were a bit rookie-ish in his rookie season (imagine that) but most reports from Bourbonnais seemed to suggest he had found his comfort zone in Lovie’s defense.

Can a combination of Major Wright, Craig Steltz and Anthony Walters handle the workload at safety? If Conte missing the first two weeks of the season can those three individuals defend the NFL’s blossoming golden boy Andrew Luck and current golden boy Aaron Rodgers? The Bears will most likely have an opportunity to test the Conte-less group Friday night in New Jersey. If they fail, Smith and Marinelli will have a great deal of work to do before the whistle blows against the Indianapolis Colts.

To read my immediate recap of Saturday night’s preseason game with the Redskins, CLICK HERE. Here’s a thought and a half from Saturday night…

MELTON THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE

One thing became apparent to me watching the Bears against the Redskins: If Henry Melton takes the next step in his progression, Lovie Smith will have the best defensive line of his tenure with the organization. In 2011 Melton had flashes of brilliance, leading all defensive tackles with 7 sacks, but lacked consistency on a play-to-play basis.

Early Saturday night, one witnessed how powerful this defensive unit can be when there is a significant push from the middle of the defensive line. The cover-2 was never as dynamic, never as powerful, never as exciting to watch as when Warren Sapp was knocking centers on their asses during Tampa’s Super Bowl season. The fear of Sapp turned mediocre talents like Simeon Rice into all-pro defensive ends.

The Bears had that in spurts from from Tommie Harris in the middle of the last decade. But never during the Harris era did the Bears have a defensive end like Julius Peppers. And never during Julius Peppers’ career has he played beside a tackle with Melton’s potential. If it comes together in 2012 for the Bears, the NFC North will be put on alert.

Extra: CHRIS WILLIAMS TO LEFT GUARD?

It has never even been rumored and I don’t understand why. Why isn’t Chris Williams moving back to the left guard position he seemed to thrive at during the 2011 season? Does anyone NOT believe the best alignment for the Bears on the offensive line to start the 2012 campaign would be Webb-Williams-Garza-Louis-Carimi? What has led anyone to believe Chris Spencer, moving to his third different position in three years, is a better option at the left guard? This seems like a no brainer, doesn’t it?

I have stated many times that I believe these preseason games to be meaningless. Let me actually take a step back from that statement now. Late in the fourth quarter I watched Matt Blanchard (QB) and Evan Rodriguez (TE) play their hearts out to earn the Bears a win. These were two terrific efforts and they should not go ignored. (I’ll have more on each as we proceed.)

Let’s go…

• Not to start negative but if Brandon Hardin’s injury is anything near serious, I expect him to receive the Lovie red shirt for 2012. If he can’t participate for the remainder of the preseason I can’t imagine him on the 53-man roster come September 1.
• This Bears receiving corps is going to be terrific. I legitimately can’t wait until the start of the season. (Side note: I think Chris Summers has a nice talent but you can’t put the ball on the ground if you’re trying to crack an NFL roster. I’m hoping the Bears practice squad this kid, though, because I think there’s something there. Longsho, I know.)
• What is Evan Rodriguez? He is NOT a fullback. He is NOT a blocking tight end. Is he just a pass catcher? How would he find his way onto the field? (Side note: I thought he looked very small.)
• Let’s hope Chris Conte is okay.
• Henry Melton is going to have an outstanding season if he brings to the entirety of 2012 what he brought tonight.
• This is an honest opinion: I think Justin Blackmon was the best receiver in this year’s draft but I think Alshon Jeffery is going to have a better career.
• Devin Hester looked like a professional wide receiver. I was shocked too.
• If Mike Tice never calls another endzone fade route to Brandon Marshall I won’t complain.
• Michael Bush. Wow. Like Marion Barber but with tons of ability.
• Yes it took this long for me to get to the left tackle situation. You know why? They both played well. I would be shocked if J’Marcus Webb is not the starting LT against the Indianapolis Colts.
• Matt Toeaina. Positive.
• Chris Spencer. Negative.
• I loved watched Major Wright blitz. If he finishes a few of these he’ll be looking at a big statistical year.
• How about Eric Weems! Not only did he look terrific in the return game but he showed some moves on the outside at wide receiver.
• While most people will read too much into Lorenzo Booker’s return TD, I won’t. What I loved? Seeing Rashied Davis leading his path down the field. Rash is one of the better special teamers of the Lovie era and it’s great to have him back.
• I don’t care what Sam Rosen says. Blake Costanzo is not going to play middle linebacker for the Bears. Did you see him in pass coverage? Not good. Tough player. Definitely an asset. Not going to make folks forget Urlacher.
• Jonathan Wilhite. Negative.
• Nate Collins. Positive. (Watch out for Collins. He is going to be 2012’s Amobi Okoye. He is also pictured above.)
• Did you know Robbie Gould had 57 in that leg? I didn’t.
• I think the Bears are crazy if they let Matt Blanchard leave town in favor of Josh McCown. If this season comes down to McCown or Blanchard, it is over . Done. Dead. So why not allow the kid to get some necessary field time?
• Hey JT Thomas! Where’d you go?

Okay that’s enough for tonight. Bears move on to the Meadowlands Friday night for the meaningless game that means the most. (Just ask a certain former Vikings and Cardinals head coach.)