There are still reasons to watch the Bears
Lovie Smith has famously broken the Bears‘ season into quarters. The end is in sight as the Bears get ready to open the 4th quarter of this disappointing season. Nobody could blame you for turning off a blowout and that’s what this season has become – a blowout. The playoffs may be a distant memory, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be watching. Believe it or not, there are still plenty of reasons to keep watching this season:
Second Time Around
Even though it’s Week 14, this marks the first opportunity that the Bears will have to play an opponent for the second time this season. We know that the coaching staff sucks at making adjustments, but I’m really interested to see how Jay Cutler adjusts to a repeat opponent. Can he find things on film that he can exploit? Can he correct for past errors? Heck, can he just stop throwing interceptions?
Measuring Stick
Three of the final four games are against the NFC North and it’s time to see how we really stack up. We already have an idea about how we stack up to the Packers and Vikings, but the one that really scares me is Week 17 in Detroit. It could be a painful wake-up call if we lose to the Lions. At the start of the season, this one seemed like a slam dunk, but I think we’d all agree that this isn’t the case. The Future is Now
Even if Lovie and management refuse to believe it, it’s time to start playing for 2010. Chris Williams got the nod at left tackle for the injured Orlando Pace. Even if Pace heals up, the Bears must keep Williams at LT. Pace is as good as gone next season, so why keep pretending that he’s part of the solution. Some other guys that need to see the field:
- Devin Aromashodu – is he part of the mix as a big, tall target for Cutler or just another
- Jarron Gilbert – It’s December and all we know about this guy is that he can jump out of a swimming pool. Your first pick of the 2009 draft.
- Juaquin Iglesias – another draft bust? With as mediocre as our receivers have been, it doesn’t say much for him that he can’t get on the field.
- Gaines Adams – this guy had better start proving why Jerry Angelo traded a 2nd round pick for him. A second round pick? Seriously??? The guy was inactive last week!
Spoilers
Three of the final four opponents are in the playoff hunt. The Packers are clinging to a Wild Card chase and the Vikings are a shoe-in for the division, while the Ravens are on the outside looking in for a spot to the post-season party. The Beloved can rain on some parades. Wouldn’t it be great to help bump the Pack from a playoff berth? How about costing the Vikings home field advantage?
Save Face
Some Bears fans would have you believe that we should be rooting against the Bears, hoping that as the losses pile up, it could promote change. I say that’s totally wrong. Instead, with each loss, Bronco fans inch closer to the top of the 2010 draft. Just to make the Jay Cutler trade look less horrible, the Bears need wins. I know it sounds stupid, but I never said these would all be good reasons.
Fun Bad
Anyone who listens to The Score’s Boers and Bernstein Show should know the term “fun bad.” It’s when things get so bad, that you have to just laugh. The Bears have been teetering on the brink of fun bad all season. Embrace the badness. Make up a drinking game to dull the pain and have fun with it. Hey, I think I just came up with an idea for a new post. Hmmm. Stay tuned.