Chicago Bears 2009 game-by-game preview
Here’s my game by game analysis of the Bears’ 2009 schedule, which is already the easiest in the league.
Sept. 13 at Green Bay, 7:20 p.m., NBC
How better to open the Jay Cutler era than in Prime Time at Lambeau? In 10 years, we hope to see the stat of how many quarterbacks the Packers have used since Jay Cutler joined the Bears! Huge start the season on the right foot. W
Sept. 20 PITTSBURGH, 3:15 p.m., CBS
The defending champs saunter into Soldier Field for the home opener way too cocky and fail to realize these are not the old Chicago Bears. Roethlisberger? Who needs ’em when you’ve got Cutler? W
Sept. 27 at Seattle, 3:05 p.m., FOX
The Seahawks are always tough at home with the “12thMan” and all that crap, but the last time the Bears rolled into town, their backfield was Benson and Grossman – now we have Forte and Cutler. W
Oct. 4 DETROIT, noon, FOX
This game may have sealed Kyle Orton’s fate in Chicago. Old Neckbeard was having a decent season last year ’til he was injured late in the first half. Even after he came back from his injury, he never regained his early-season form. But hey, now we’ve got Cutler. Big W
Oct. 11 BYE
The bye comes a little early for my taste, especially coming off the Lions game, but it will help the Bears get ready for a couple of back-to-back road games.
Oct. 18 at Atlanta, 7:20 p.m., NBC
The Bears return to the scene of one of the biggest turn-your-guts-inside-out-and-make-you-want-to-pull-your-hair-out-when-you-missed-the-playoffs-by-one-game games in Prime Time. We’ll see if Matt Ryan and Michael Turner are up to the task. Who knows, if the Bears don’t blow this one and we make the playoffs, maybe we don’t get Cutler? This one is tough, but a W is sweet revenge!
Oct. 25 at Cincinnati, noon, FOX
This will be the sweetest of W of them all. Bear defenders will have this one circled on their calendars. Hey Cedric, you think they played rough in pre-season drills? Wait ’til Urlacher and Briggs get a few shots at you in a live game – if you’re not hurt or arrested before then. The Bungles are no match for Cutler! W
Nov. 1 CLEVELAND, noon, CBS
It doesn’t matter which QB the Browns go with – Quinn or Anderson – they won’t be as good as Cutler. Easy W
Nov. 8 ARIZONA, noon, FOX
Sure, the Cards made it all the way to the Super Bowl last year. Great success! But we know all too well in Chicago what happens to the runner-up in the big game. Cards face a major let down because they can’t deal with Cutler. W
Nov. 12 at San Francisco, 7:20 p.m., NFL Network
Former Bear great Hall of Famer Mike Singletary rolls out the red carpet as his Niners host the Bears to open the NFL Network’s Thursday night games. Samurai Mike might have been a Hall of Famer as a player, but the jury is still out on his coaching. Plus, he doesn’t have Cutler. W
Nov. 22 PHILADELPHIA, 7:20 p.m., NBC
McNabb and Westbrook should be hurt by this point in the season as the Eagles look to return to Soldier Field for a prime time affair on Sunday night football. The Bears prevailed last season and with Cutler, forget about it! W
Nov. 29 at Minnesota, noon, FOX
The Bears look to avenge last season’s loss at Minnesota when former Bear Bernard Berrian embarassed his old team with a 99-yard TD. This will be a tough one, but we’ve got Cutler. W
Dec. 6 ST. LOUIS, noon, FOX
The Rams head to Soldier Field to avenge last season’s 27-3 beatdown the Bears put on ’em last season in St. Louis. Now we have Orlando Pace andJay Cutler. Bigger beatdown! Big W
Dec. 13 GREEN BAY, noon, FOX
Last time these two fabled rivals clashed at Soldier Field, the mercury was hovering around zero, as were the Bears playoff chances until Danieal Manning returned a kick for a TD and the Bears edged the Pack in OT on the coldest game ever at Soldier Field. I am still thawing out. And now we have Cutler. W
Dec. 20 at Baltimore, noon, FOX
The Ravens lost a lot on an already aging defense. While they sport another up-and-comer at the quarterback position, Joe Flacco is no Jay Cutler. W
Dec. 28 MINNESOTA, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
The Vikes roll into town to close out the MNF schedule as well as the Bears’ regular season home finale. The Bears prevailed in an uncharacteristic shootout 48-41. Not what you expect from these two normally defensively oriented teams and not what you’ll expect on a cold December night. Now we have Cutler, so we’ll drop 60 on ’em. W
Jan. 3 at Detroit, noon, FOX
The Lions have nowhere to go but up, but it’s a long way up on the heels of an 0-16 mark. The Bears haven’t played their best at Ford Field, but I hardly expect to have to be at our best to beat the Lions. Lions D no match for Cutler. Chalk this one up as an easy W as the Bears send Lions to back-to-back 0-fers!