Updated Chicago Bears Win/Loss Predictions for Second Half of the Season

Dec. 23, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Chicago Bears fans in the grandstands against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron

Well that didn’t go like I thought it would at all.  The offense has looked better than I expected and the Bears actually have a better record than the mark I predicted, but the complete and total collapse of the defense definitely caught me by surprise.

Going forward, I like where the Bears are headed.  The Cutler injury and the defensive struggles postpone my predicted win streak, but I still think it’ll happen.  The offense keeps getting better each and every week and I expect the defense to pull it together eventually.  Keep an eye out for close games against the Cowboys, Eagles and Packers.

DeCon

The Cutler injury is HUGE.  That said, with a bye week, I think the Bears can rebound.  The way I see it, Cutler is tough as nails and either he is back in 3 weeks or it will be much longer.  Obviously McCown is a nice backup, but he is a back-up for a reason and if Cutler isn’t back in 3 weeks as I predict, my 10-6 final record goes out the window.

The second half of the schedule is not filled with world beaters, except those named Green Bay.  I fully expect the Bears to get trounced this week @ GB, but to beat the Packers in week 17 because I suspect the Packers will be resting their starters having the division locked up.  This means for the Bears to make the playoffs, the game versus Detroit is absolutely, positively the biggest game in the second half.  I can see both teams finishing 10-6 and if Detroit beats us in game 2, they will have the tie breaker.  Also, this assumes Mel Tucker unlocks the mystery of our missng pass rush.  Jay Ratliff anyone?

If the D can get back to form somewhat and Cutler misses only 3 or 4 games, the Bears can be that team that gets hot at the right time, makes the playoffs and then we shall see what happens.  As they say in the poker world, all you need is a chip and a chair.  Let’s hope the chair isn’t pulled out from us in the next few weeks.

@BearsSTH

I know everyone is down because Jay Cutler is out for at least a month but let me remind you this is a team game and a season isn’t lost because of one player. If we learned anything from the Redskins game, Josh McCown can sling it. The playbook didn’t change with McCown took over. I’d be overly concerned if Trestman went vanilla.

The Bears’ success is dependant on the offensive line and if they can keep McCown clean as they have with Cutler, they’ll be in good shape because they still do have Brandon Marshall, Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett. If McCown can stay upright, make smart decisions and is careful with the ball, he’ll get the ball to the playmakers.

They only game I see them losing is against the Packers with Cutler out… but even still, the Bears will have had two weeks to prepare and will be rested. I don’t know if they’ll win every game they have left but I wouldn’t be surprised if they finished the season 6-3 and in the mix for a playoff berth.

Lije

Teams have lost starting quarterbacks before and still end up doing well. Look at the 1998 Broncos, for example. They went 4-0 with Bubby Brister calling signals instead of John Elway. Why was he able to have so much success? Shannon Sharpe, Terrell Davis, Rod Smith. The Broncos had weapons and so do the Bears. The ‘98 Broncos offense was like a lamborghini. While John Elway was a great driver, all Bubby Brister need to do was not mess up. The Bears offense is more like a Subaru; not flashy, but capable of getting the job done. Josh McCown just needs to manage this good offense well. Maybe the injury to Cutler is a blessing in disguise. With the ball in McCown’s hands, Forte has to step up his game. If he steps up his game, the running game is solid. If the running game is solid, the Bears control the clock. If the Bears control the clock, the putrid defense has time on the sidelines. This If you Give a Mouse a Cookie/Directv commercial logic may not be completely correct, but it is definitely positive. What I’m saying is, I think the offense will manage fine. The defense, on the other hand, may need a miracle. I think that throughout the rest of the season, the Bears offense will keep them in games, but the defense will struggle. I see a 5-4 finish at best.