The Chicago Bears: Are They Really A Contender?
Chicago, the time to prove the skeptics wrong is now.
Entering the most important stretch of the 2010 season, the Chicago Bears (7-3) appear to be a formidable opponent in the race for the NFC championship title. But does their winning record really indicate a strong team capable of going all the way? Many skeptics say no.
According to an article on foxsports.com
"The Bears [..] realize what they're in for, that the schedule is about to take a tough turn after they won three straight against weak competition."
"Weak competition" is right. In fact, it is one of the main reasons behind the skepticism surrounding the Bears.
The Bears' seven victories are as follows:
Wk 1: Detroit Lions (2-9)
Wk 2: Dallas Cowboys (3-8)
Wk 3: Green Bay Packers (7-3)
Wk 5: Carolina Panthers (1-9)
Wk 8: Buffalo Bills (2-8)
Wk 9: Minnesota Vikings (3-7)
Wk 10: Miami Dolphins (5-5)
WIth only two of the teams at .500 or above, reason for skepticism becomes quite clear. A few of the teams will not make the playoffs this year, and the rest need a miracle to even begin to think about a playoff berth.
One Bears victory, however, does stand out, and that is the 20-17 upset of the Packers. But, take into account that in the beginning of the season, Green Bay was at its worst. Devastated by injury after injury, the Packers were a mess, and the Bears took advantage of it. Now, it is all coming together in Green Bay, and they are playing like the championship caliber team that was predicted at the beginning of the season. Defeating the Packers again will be a tougher challenge than before, and may bring more credibility to the Bears' winning record. But that is in the future. Chicago's next, and best, chance to bring validation to their 7-3 record against a legitimate playoff contender is this week, when the Bears take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field.
The Eagles (7-3) are on a hot streak, orchestrated by one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, Michael Vick. Winning 4 of their last 5 games, and having a current 3 game win streak, the Eagles seem unstoppable. Michael Vick, who is known for his agility and ability to use his legs, has also been a dominant force using his arm, completing 62.8% of his passes for 1,608 yards 11 touchdowns and no interceptions. Wide reciever Jeremy Maclin is the target of a large portion of the Eagles' passes, with 47 receptions for 705 yards and 7 touchdowns this season.
Chicago's next best chance to validate their record will be in two weeks, when the Bear's take on the Patriots. The Patriots, (9-2) are once again predicted to be a Super Bowl bound team, led by quarterback Tom Brady. Brady has completed 66.3% of his passes for 2,703 yards with 23 touchdowns. He boasts a quarterback rating of 105.8, second only to Michael Vick.
But if the Bears are going to silence the skeptics, this week is the week to do it. They need to step up their game, and graduate from defeating mediochre opponents to defeating real playoff contenders, and the Eagles are certainly real playoff contenders.
Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who needs to be at his best in order to defeat Philadelphia, is aware of the great task at hand.
"Every game is important," the Bears quarterback said Wednesday. "I'm looking at it as a team thing. I'm not really worried about my stats or where I am in your guys' eyes. We're worried about winning games, and this week, it's Philadelphia" (foxsports.com).
