May 10, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Brittan Golden (82) warms up during the rookie minicamp on Friday. Mandatory Credit: Reid Compton-USA TODAY Sports

I decided to do a countdown to the Chicago Bears season opener on September 8th versus the Cincinnati Bengals.  Thanks to one of my followers on Twitter @Beneiserle, I decided to combine the countdown with a roster preview of sorts.

We’re Brittan Golden days away from kickoff.  Who in the heck is Brittan Golden?  I’m glad you asked.  Golden is a wide receiver who played his college ball at West Texas A&M.  The Bears signed him following the 2012 draft as a free agent.   His claim to fame was returning a blocked punt 22 yards for a touchdown in the 2012 preseason finale vs the Cleveland Browns.  The Bears promptly cut him two days later.  After a brief stint on the Jaguars practice squad late last season, the Bears picked him back up this offseason.   (more…)

Matt Forte and the Bears ran away from the Lions, hanging on to win 24-20. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune)

It was another one of those games that looked on paper like the Bears could not lose.  This is why they play the games.  The Detroit Lions gave a tremendous effort and actually led 17-14 at halftime.  Only after the Bears defense buckled down in the second half were the Bears able to take the lead and eventually outlast the Lions for a 24-20 win.  (more…)

The Chicago Bears – Minnesota Viking rivalry has heated up over the past few seasons and even more so now that Brett Favre has joined the mix.  While the Vikings have bested the Bears, posting a 53-42-2 all-time record, the teams have split the last 22 games, dating back to 1999.  So, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some key offensive players in Sunday’s Bears vs. Vikings game and see how they have fared against each other in the past.

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The Seahawks come to Soldier Field, but they have struggled on the road.  Experts around the interwebs can’t think of a way that the Bears can lose this game.  Well, let’s see what our Madden 11 Simulator thinks.

It seems like the Bears and the Seahawks square off just about every year.  Last season, the Bears made the trek to the Emerald City and brought home a come-from-behind victory.  This year new head coach Pete Carroll brings his band of merry men to Soldier Field.  It starts off well enough in Jay Cutler’s return to action as Robbie Gould gets the Bears on the board with a 41-yard field goal.  The Seahawks bounce back with a short Matt Hasslebeck TD pass to give Seattle a 7-3 first quarter lead.

Matt Forte picks up where he left off in Carolina, busting off a 36-yard TD run to give the Bears a 10-7 lead:

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Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher are ready to maul the Panthers. (photo courtesy of ESPN.com)

This week we will observe one of nature’s great rivalries, Bears (3-1) vs. Panthers(0-4) and break down the key matchups.  It will be a true battle for dominance between a wise old grizzly, Bears QB Todd Collins and a young cub, Panthers QB Jimmy Clausen.  The two will lead their packs into the wild kingdom that is Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC.

The Bears have their reputations on the line as a real contender in the NFC, but will be without their alpha male, QB Jay Cutler (concussion).  The Panthers, after losing their first four games, limp into week 5 and will most likely be without their ferocious WR Steve Smith (injured paw).   They will have to rely on two young kittens, WR David Gettis and WR Brandon LaFell, to protect the Panther’s home den.  Let’s take a look at some key matchups that will help decide this week struggle for NFL survival:

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Forte shows old form in his 89-yard TD run (Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune)

One of the few highlights from Saturday’s preseason loss was Matt Forte’s long touchdown run against the Raiders.   First, take a look at the video from NFL.com here.   Trust me, it will work much better if you watch the video.  Then follow me after the jump.

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• Family Night was on Friday at Soldier Field.  Over 26,000 people attended.  More people are attending Bears practice than Cubs games in case you were wondering if this is a Bears town.
• One of the more significant moves from Friday’s practice was a shuffle on the offensive line, moving Roberto Garza to left guard and Lance Louis to right guard.  If this move sticks, it could be Tice trying to solidify one side of the line, lining the steady Garza next to left tackle Chris Williams.
• After a day off on Saturday, the Bears were back at it in Bourbonnais on Sunday.  Major Wright was back on the practice field for the first time in a few days.
• In case you’re waiting for for your Mike Teel jersey from the Bears Pro Shop, you may want to see if they will cancel your order.  The Bears cut the 4th QB who pulled a hammy shortly after showing up to Bears camp.  They picked up another former Northwestern wide receiver Zeke Markshausen to take his roster spot.
• Apparently Jay Cutler and Greg Olsen had themselves a nifty little practice on Sunday night.
• Add Devin Hester to the list of guys banged up.  He’s got a groin.

OK, you should be all caught up from the weekend.  Now the Bears can start getting prepared for their first pre-season action with a trip to San Diego on Saturday.

If Jay Cutler can cut down on his INT's, he'll be a factor in fantasy leagues.

Jay Cutler – Let’s start at the top, because the fortunes of the Beloved are firmly tied to the right arm of our QB.  JC will likely go overlooked in many fantasy drafts primarily due to his proclivity to throw the ball to the wrong team and because he is learning the ultracomplicated Martzian offense behind an offensive line that had a lot of problems keeping him upright last season.  Personally, I have high hopes for JC and I think he will end up somewhere in the 30-35 TD pass range and have a chance at 4,000 yds passing.  Stats like these would merit a 3rd or 4th round selection in most PPR leagues and maybe even higher, but we know JC will not be considered that high in most leagues, so you have a chance to wait on him if you think I am right.  I will not comment on INTs, because frankly if you lose a point or 2 for INTs, that won’t kill you on a week to week basis, provided JC can avoid the 3+ INT games, which is where the risk comes in.  I think it is a risk worth taking.

Matt Forte – Following an outstanding rookie campaign, Forte broke many owners’ hearts last season, including mine, with a subpar (I am being nice) sophomore season.  Forte’s play last year probably wouldn’t warrant consideration until the 3rd or 4th round, but I believe he will bounce back and give you solid 2nd round production.  I think Forte is good for 1,000+ yds rushing and 8-10 TDs.  The wildcard with Forte is how he will be utilized in the passing game, which could greatly increase his value.

More after the jump…

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