November 18, 2012; Denver, CO, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Phillip Rivers (17) during the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Chargers are on the clock.  Hopefully, you’ve been following along every step of the way, but if you need to quickly catch up, here is where we are at the moment.  Even though the Titans just grabbed top Guard prospect Chance Warmack, there are still a lot of top prospects available including one of the top tackles, another top flight guard, a top WR prospect and virtually their choice of pass rushers or linebackers.

It seems like most teams around the top of draft are changing regimes.  GM AJ Smith and head coach Norv Turner have finally been ousted and new head coach Mike McCoy will try to build around Phillip Rivers.  Do they replace guard Louis Vazquez or add a left tackle?  Do they add a weapon on the outside for Rivers?  Do they re-load the defense?  Do they take the Manti Te’o plunge?  (more…)

The Bears kick off their preseason schedule on Saturday night when they visit the San Diego Chargers.  Thanks to Friend of the Program Sam Solarz and his Madden 11 expertise, we already know how the game is going to turn out.

It started off well with a Charles Tillman pick-6!

And it looks like Devin Aromashodu will have a nice game.  Who says the Bears can’t pass protect after seeing this 46-yard bomb?!?!

But at the end of the day, it’s just too much Phillip Rivers as the Bears fell to the Chargers 34-10.

For complete summary and stat leaders, follow the jump.

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August 12-15 @ Chargers

The Bears will head to San Diego to face former teammate Nathan Vasher, who just signed a deal to rejoin former DC Bears Ron Rivera and the Chargers.  Jay Cutler should get a warm welcome from his former AFC West rivals and his buddy Phillip Rivers.  It will be weird to be in San Diego and not see LT donning the lightening bolts.

August 19-22 Raiders

Julius Peppers will make his Soldier Field debut against the Silver and Black as the Raiders roll into town.  The big question for me is whether he’ll be chasing down Donovan McNabb Jamarcus Russell or someone else for the enigmatic Raiders.  This is another team that Cutler knows well from his Broncos days, so it should be interesting.

August 26 – 29 Cardinals

The Cardinals roll into Soldier Field for the all-important 3rd preseason game.   Without Kurt Warner or Anquan Boldin, the Arizona offense will definitely take on a new look and all of this while the defense suffered losses of their own.  I think it will be a down year for the Cards and no better place to start it than right here at Soldier Field.  The starters play into the third quarter, so this is a great one to go to Soldier Field to check out.

September 2 – 5 @ Browns

For some unknown reason, the Bears have some longstanding tradition of playing the Browns in the preseason. Why?  Beats me, but they’ll face off with the new-look Browns to close out the practice schedule.  This is a throwaway game that will feature Jerry Angelo’s busts, I mean draft picks, battling for the last few spots on the roster.

There are rumors circulating that the NFL will release the full schedule on April 13th, so stay tuned.

The Divisional Round of the playoffs features four re-matches from earlier this season.

Baltimore at Tennessee

Last meeting: The Titans edged the Ravens 13-10 when the teams met back in October.  Rookie QB Joe Flacco’s second interception proved costly late in the 4th quarter as he tried to lead the Ravens back after Kerry Collins took the Titans on the decisive drive with aTD hookup to Alge Crumper with under 2 minutes left.

Breakdown: The Ravens looked really impressive in their defeat of the Dolphins.  The Titans are rested and enter the game with only center Kevin Mawae as a major question mark to play.  As much hype as the Ravens’ defense gets, their offense is actually averaging slightly more yards per game than the Titans.  Coupled with the formidable run defense and opportunistic Ed Reed in the secondary, the Ravens look like the team to beat, yet the Titans enter as a 3 point favorite.  Something just doesn’t seem right.  Everything points to Baltimore, but Tennessee is favored.

Key matchup: Titans rushing attack vs Ravens rush defense.

Prediction: One team has the momentum and the stats while the other is favored.  When it’s too good to be true, it probably is.

Titans 16-13

Arizona at Carolina

Last meeting: Carolina comes back to beat the visiting team which holds double-digit second half lead.  Sound familiar Bears fans?  Carolina did the same to the Cardinals back in October to defeat Arizona 27-23.   Anquan Boldin tallied two touchdowns while rookie running back Tim Hightower added another.  On Carolina’s side, it was Steve Smith’s 65-yard touchdown reception that did the Cards in.

Breakdown: Arizona surprised many (though not this observer) with their opening round win over Atlanta.  The biggest surprise had to be the Cardinals defense, especially the run defense that kept Michael Turner in check.  That defense will need to step up again this week against the Panthers robust running attack that ranked 3rd in the NFL behind the likes of DeAngelo Williams and rookie Jonathan Stewart.

Key matchup: Arizona rush defense vs Carolina rushing offense.

Prediction: Carolina is 8-0 at home and they’re rested and ready.  Arizona’s run defense was a one week wonder and without Anquan Boldin, not enough offense to keep up with Carolina.

Panthers 31-24

Philadelphia at New York

Last meeting:These two NFC East team split the season series, with the visitor winning each contest.  The Eagles won 20-14 at the Meadowlands in December, while the G-Men beat the Eagles 36-31 in Philly back in November.  In the Eagles win, Westbrook was on the key for the Eagles as he accounted for over 200 total yards and two TD’s.  In the Giants win, Brandon Jacobs tallied 126 rushing yards with 2 TD’s of his own.

Breakdown: Philly pulled off the upset over the Vikings last weekend thanks in large part to the big play.  The pick-6 from the defense and Westrbook’s huge screen pass touchdown sunk the Vikes.  They’ve been on a roll since the benching of McNabb and definitely come in with the momentum.  The Defending Champs from NY have looked mortal in recent weeks.  In each victory, the winner held the opposing rusher well below his normal average.   

Key matchup: Which rusher will outshine which rush defense? 

Prediction: The Giants might be the champs, but the Eagles come in hot.

Eagles 23-21

 San Diego at Pittsburgh

Last meeting:The Steelers outlasted the Chargers 11-10 when the teams last met in November.  This was another controversial game involving the Chargers, though only the gamblers were affected by this questionable call by the officials.   

Breakdown:The Chargers pulled off the upset last week against the Colts thanks to the big effort by the little running back that could, Darren Sproles, who capably filled the shoes for the injured Ladanian Tomlinson.  Pittsburgh faces injury concerns of their own, as QB Ben Roethlisberger recovers from a concussion suffered December 28^thversus the Cleveland Browns.  I expect the Steelers D to beat up the undersized Sproles and keep him in check.

Key matchup: Chargers passing offense vs Pittsburgh pass defense. 

Prediction:  Pittsburgh comes in with the #1 ranked defense. Defense wins championships. 

 Steelers 19-13

Since the Beloved Bears will be enjoying the playoffs from the same vantage point as your truly, I figured I’d write about teams with something to play for this weekend.  It’s rare to see Wild Card Weekend where all of the home teams are underdogs, but it says something about the quality of some of the division winners and the Wild Card teams.

Philadelphia at Minnesota

Donovan McNabb leads the Eagles into Minnesota to battle the Vikings after an unlikely series of events capped by the Bears loss to the Texans and Tampa Bay’s loss to Oakland.  Philly ranks among the top ten in the league in both offense and defense.  Their balance should be a huge asset along with McNabb’s playoff experience.  On the other sideline, Tarvaris Jackson’s lack of experience and Adrian Peterson’s recent bout of fumblitis seem to bring the Vikings into the game outmatched.  The good news for Viking fans is that unless they sell the remaining 3100 playoff tickets, they may not have to watch their team get beat on local TV.

Eagles 24 – 20

Atlanta at Arizona

The worst to first Falcons head into Arizona in the Bird Bowl.  Everyone is really down on the Cards as they limped to the finish line after clinching the NFC West, losing two out of the last three games.  Cardinal fans should be pumped up for the first home playoff game since they moved to Arizona, but instead, they barely sold out University of Phoenix Stadium earlier today.  When considering this game, I look at the quarterback position.  I like experienced Kurt Warner over Offensive Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan, so I’ll go against the grain and take the Cards to pull the home upset.

Cardinals 28-26

Indianapolis at San Diego

Newly crowned NFL MVP Peyton Manning leads the Colts to San Diego for another playoff matchup with the Chargers.  The Colts won in San Diego earlier this season, winning 23-20 back in November.  San Diego’s Ladanian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates are banged up and I don’t think Phillip Rivers has enough weapons without those two at full strength.  Look for Indy to avenge last year’s home playoff loss against San Diego with a win this weekend.

Colts 31-20

Baltimore at Miami

The most unlikely playoff matchup features another worst to first team in the Miami Dolphins, the AFC East Champs hosting the Baltimore Ravens.  It’s ironic that Miami’s lone victory in the 2007 season was against these same Baltimore Ravens, who finished 5-11 last season.  Both teams had a huge turnaround in ’08.  The Ravens did it with old faithful, the stellar defense and rookie quarterback Joe Flacco.   Meanwhile, the Dolphins matched the greatest single season turnaround in history as the Wildcat offense took the league by storm.  The Ravens beat the Phins back in October, but I like the Dolphins for the same reason as I picked the Falcons – experienced quarterback over rookie.  Look for Miami to pull the upset.

Dolphins 23-22

Did I miss the boat?  Which team did I underestimate?  Post your picks in the Comments section.  We’ll re-visit this next week for the Divisional Round action.

Jerious Norwood scores as the Falcons defeat the Vikings 24-17

Rookie of the Year candidate Matt Ryan led the Atlanta Falcons to a 24-17 victory over the Minnesota Vikingsin the Metrodome to clinch a playoff spot for the Falcons and keep the Bears’ hopes for an NFC North title alive.  The Bears must hold up their end of the bargain and defeat the Green Bay Packers on Monday night to keep their improbable playoff push going.  Here’s my favorite part: Vikings fans will have to root for the hated Packers on Monday night.  Enjoy!

In other good news, San Diego defeated Tampa Bay and Washington outlasted Philadelphia on Sunday.  Coupled with the Dallas loss on Saturday night at the hands of rookie Joe Flacco and Baltimore, the final Wild Card slot is still up for grabs.    Thanks to all the teams looking out for the Beloved Bears.

BEAR DOWN!!!

If the Bears are to make the playoffs, they will need some help.  It turns out that all of the teams that we shoudl be rooting for are underdogs and will need at least one upset to keep hope alive heading into the game on Monday night. 

As winter’s grip tightens on Chicago this weekend, there will be no better place to hunker down and watch the games that will directly impac the Bears’ playoff chances before the Monday night tilt with the hated Pack.

Atlanta at Minnesota – hopefully with half the Williams Wall down, Michael Turner and the Atlanta Falcons can run wild on the Vikings to keep their Wild Card and the Bears’ NFC North hopes alive. 

The odds might be against the Bears, but ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer believes they will overtake the Vikes for the division title:

“I went out on a limb … a very thin limb,” Dilfer said. “But I wanted to be the first to put it out there.  Two reasons: One, I just know the Vikings’ history of sliding toward the end of December.  They have a great opportunity to erase that history, but they have a tough road against the Falcons and Giants.”

Other games that keep the faint Wild Card hopes alive:

Baltimore at Dallas -rookie Joe Flacco leads a resurgent Ravens offense while Ray Lewis continues to anchor the ferocious Ravens defense.  With an injured Marion Barber and Tony Romo nursing a sore back,  Dallas’ offense will have a tough time moving the ball against a stout Ravens Defense.

San Diego at Tampa Bay – LT and the Chargers still have a shot at the AFC West division title with a win and Bronos loss, so no lack of motivation for the Super Chargers.   Tampa has faltered of late and has their own playoff hopes hanging in the balance. 

Philadelphia at Washington – the Eagles ride a hot Donovan McNabb into DC to take on the fading Redskins.   Can barely remember the McNabb benching a few weeks ago.

BEAR DOWN!!!

I would love to see the San Diego Chargers defeat the New England Patriots and get the AFC trophy, but with a banged up LaDainian Tomlinson and gimpy Phillip Rivers the Chargers may have to hope for another miracle from their back ups Michael Turner and Billy Volek. Although, if you told me the fate of the Chargers season would rest on a touchdown drive led by Volek and Turner I would probably tell you their season would end early. Somehow they managed to manufacture a game-winning drive in the face of the NFL defensive MVP Bob Sanders. Is it even feasible to imagine the same thing could happen to the Patriots? I’m grounded by the reality that the Colts defense was missing several key players and had been over performing down the stretch. The reality is with the amount of injuries on the Indianapolis Colts it should have been no surprise that they were ousted by a team using replacement parts.

Now the Chargers are thrust into the same role the Colts played this past weekend. They go into the AFC championship game banged up and possibly missing pro bowl players that are key to their team. When you take L.T. and Antonio Gates off the field, what do the Chargers have left on offense? Chris Chambers is going to lead this team past the Patriots?

Normally I don’t waste my time writing on the AFC but I make the exception because of how much I despise the Patriots. I despise the way they disregarded the old NFL unspoken rule against running up the score against opponents. I despise the way they managed to horde so much talent on one team much the way basketball teams were for many years and contributed to the drop off of the NBA. I despise that Tony Romo gets criticized for taking his celebrity girlfriend on a trip but there is no accountability for Tom Brady dating supermodels and having children with different women. I despise the way they play the game more like a video game than real football.

I already know what all the Patriots fan are saying, if you don’t like it then find a way to beat us. That’s the part that really disgusts me. Even with their bastardized version of football, no one has been able to find a way to stop them. It’s also the reason why it will never be duplicated. The main reason the Patriots offense has been so good is the matching up of a great receiving corps, mostly due to the horrible trade made with the Oakland Raiders to get Randy Moss. Shame on the Raiders for giving up Moss to the Patriots without making the Patriots give up some talent in return. It was a fluke that probably will never be able to be repeated by any other team. They also have a benefit of a defense made up of some of the best defensive players in the league. Somehow Junior Seau has been an ageless wonder and still manages to contribute. Eventually this team will get too old and too expensive to keep together and balance will be restored to the league.

So should I admire the Patriots for putting this team together? I don’t think so, that still doesn’t excuse the way they humiliated teams for their own ego.

The New York Giants played a great game against the Dallas Cowboys but you have to admit the Cowboys didn’t look like the Cowboys on Sunday. They looked confused and couldn’t get a balance on offense, mostly due to allowing the Giants pass rush to have their way with Tony Romo. Brett Favre has many more years under his belt on knowing how to avoid a pass rush, plus a Packers offense that has shown they can rely on the pass and spread the field. So as far as I’m concerned the Packers already have their place set for the NFC trophy.

That’s possibly what makes the Packers and Patriots match up so compelling. While the Packers have shown they can take over a game with running back Ryan Grant, it wasn’t too long ago they were winning games by passing the entire game, much the way the Patriots have been winning. The possibility of a shoot out Super Bowl will be exciting and fun to watch. If the Giants upset and get into the Super Bowl, the Patriots defense will be able to confuse Eli Manning and take control of the game. Favre is old, but has a lot of wisdom when it comes to playing the game and the Super Bowl.

So you tell me, do Bears fans root for the Patriots to run the table and make NFL history by mocking the league, or do you root for the hated, rival Packers, even though they may be the last saviors of the league by giving the Patriots their own style of pass happy offense and suffocating defense?