Not So Fast Bears Fans – Bumpy Road Ahead

I was thinking about this yesterday as the buzz of the Bears 27-13 victory of the Vikings faded into the sobriety of preparations for the Miami Dolphins on a short week and it was affirmed in Mark Potash’s Sun Times article – what have the Bears really accomplished?  The Bears beat the Vikings and it feels good – really damn good.  Seeing Brett Favre turning into a doddering old man before our eyes is as satisfying as anything I can recall.

The Bears beat another bad team on Sunday.  Sure, it’s a division rival that had high expectations for a deep playoff run, but the fact is, the Vikings aren’t that good.  Here’s what Potash says:

"Knocking the Vikings one step closer to oblivion was significant, but who knows what the Bears really accomplished?At 6-3, they’ve beaten one team that currently has a winning record (the 6-3 Packers at Soldier Field). Their six victories have come against teams that are 12-33. Five of their final seven opponents have winning records. The other two — the 2-7 Lions and 3-6 Vikings — are division rivals that will be difficult to beat on the road."

Some people will call me a hater or not a true fan, but they’re the ones who are missing the boat on this one.  It’s long been said that in the NFL, you are what your record says you are.  That’s true, the Bears are 6-3 and have positioned themselves to host a playoff game if the season ended today.  Among their six wins, they’ve only beaten one team with a winning record so far this year, the 6-3 Green Bay Packers.

The road ahead is very bumpy for our Beloved Bears, but let’s be realistic about what we’re seeing.  The offense is improving steadily and the defense is heading back to elite status, but the road ahead is much more difficult than the road traveled so far.

Even though the Dolphins come into Thursday’s game battered and bruised, they have a winning record.  The Bears can start convincing me that they’re for real with a win on Thursday.