Morrissey Not impressed - as usual
Not impressed with Bears
November 16, 2010
BY RICK MORRISSEYSun-Times Columnist
Several readers chided me Monday for writing about Devin Hester's performance against the Vikings rather than the Bears' overall effort.
They thought I was stubbornly refusing to give the team credit for the victory. There's a very good explanation for that.
I was.
I'm still having a hard time seeing the Bears as a good football team, especially with the soft-as-a-kitten first-half schedule they recently completed and the here-comes-the-falling-anvil set of games ahead.
Maybe it's a genetic thing or maybe I have a chemical imbalance or maybe my eyesight is starting to fail me.
Or maybe I'm right.
When will I be satisfied? When the Bears beat somebody. I don't consider the Vikings to be especially good, not with an aging, battered quarterback and a coach who waddles and quacks like a lame duck.
And even with all that going against them, I thought they were going to beat the Bears on Sunday. That's where my belief level was and is at.
I'm looking for quality victories. I know the argument: Any victory is a quality victory in the NFL, especially in the current watered-down version of the league. It's one of those arguments that doesn't have a lot of meat to it, but one that, ultimately, can't be dismissed. Yes, a team's record is the bottom line.
Mediocre resum1/8©
But I also know what a good team looks like. A good team beats up on the Lions. A good team destroys the Bills. A good team doesn't lose to the Seahawks at home.
If you see a bunch of mediocre movies in a row, it doesn't mean you lower your standards. You don't start to believe Adam Sandler is Daniel Day Lewis. You still know what a good film is.
The six teams the Bears have beaten have a combined record of 15-39. The three teams they've lost to have a combined record of 15-11.
That says a lot more to me than their 6-3 record.
Ask yourself what the ultimate goal is. If it's going to the Super Bowl, this team isn't a contender. If it's taking advantage of a league filled with average teams, then enjoy yourself. There's not a whole lot of excellence among the Bears, but there is opportunism.
And there's nothing wrong with that. They're taking advantage of parity. But, please, let's not mistake it for greatness or even quality.
If the Vikings are dumb enough to kick to Hester, that's their problem. And if the Vikings want to keep running Adrian Peterson into the teeth of one of the top run defenses in the league, hey, it's their funeral. But none of it means the Bears put on an awe-inspiring performance.
They remind me of an unremarkable midlevel executive who rises to the top of the company. Nobody is sure how it happened. But a win is a win, right?
The Bears have no running game and a below-average passing game. On defense, they're excellent against the run but average against the pass. What says ''playoffs'' about that? Answer: a league that grows garden-variety teams.
The Dolphins, the Bears' opponents Thursday night, are reeling after losing their top two quarterbacks in a 29-17 victory over the Titans. So here comes third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen for Miami, and here comes an easier challenge for the visitors from Chicago. That's OK. The Bears don't have to apologize for facing a lesser Miami team. Injuries are part of life in the NFL.
Even if they lose Thursday, they should get to eight victories by beating Detroit and Minnesota on the road.
The hard part looms.
They'll have to deal with the Eagles (6-3), who humiliated the Redskins 59-28 on Monday night), the Patriots (7-2), the Jets (7-2) and the Packers (6-3) at Lambeau Field.
Let's see what they do with that before we automatically put them in the playoffs.
If you've been reading me the last few years, then you know I've been on a crusade to get the McCaskeys to clean house at Halas Hall.
As the Bears collect victories, I fear that the number of people who agree with me is dwindling. There's no doubt we're being quieted as they continue to win. The team is in first place, so what else is there left to say?
Showtime
Well, you can say, ''Show me.''
Show me some stirring victories.
Show me consistent play by the offensive line.
Show me an under-control Jay Cutler week after week.
Show me why the arrow is pointing up for this franchise and why the Bears
should retain the coach and the general manager.
I could end up being wrong. I could end up as a chapter titled ''Told You So'' in Lovie Smith's autobiography, if he ever writes one. I could be forced to watch the Bears' victory parade on Michigan Avenue.
But I don't think I will.
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/morri...ssey16.article
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Well, I hate to say it because I'm also riding on that high, for a change, of beating the Viqueens and finally watching what seemed like a well rounded effort from all three phases last Sunday.
But, you can't argue with Facts are Facts. And this league is very mediocre right now.
But, hell.....we've all been saying this very same thing about the BEARS' since Pre-Season.
They STINK. But, they sure look good against (some) of the lesser teams lately.
I half jokingly said this very same thing yesterday:
Quote:
The hard part looms.
They'll have to deal with the Eagles (6-3), who humiliated the Redskins 59-28 on Monday night), the Patriots (7-2), the Jets (7-2) and the Packers (6-3) at Lambeau Field.
Let's see what they do with that before we automatically put them in the playoffs.
For now, I'll just say "I BELIEVE! BABY!!!!!!" ...... :lol-027:
Tomorrow night ....... Mahi Mahi ~ GRILLED for diner!!!!!
GO BEARS!!!!!!!!!............. :15_8_200v[1]:
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