Notes from the game:
I watched every play and yet it was hard to realize how it went from 16-14 with the Bears on their heels to 32-14 and the Bears comfortably ahead with most of the fourth quarter left to play. Maybe I've just seen so many sloppy games I forgot what it looked like for the Bears to take over a game psychologically.
I wish I remember where I saw it so I could give credit where credit is due, but earlier this week I saw preview comment about the game saying that the Saints' real weakness had been games with bad turnover ratios. So one of the Bears best chances was if the Saints had ball-control problems. Sure, predicting a loss for a team if they have a lot of turnovers is like predicting that if it rains people are likely to get wet. But this was apparently a real problem for the Saints this year and 'twas their undoing today.
At long last the Bears coaching staff heard my shouting at the television set and called for passing plays, the kind that would stretch the opposing defense and soften it up for the running game. True, there's the possibility that Grossman starts gunslinging and things turn out poorly, but in that case they lose just as surely as they would with Jones or Benson rushing into the arms of a waiting defense. In other words, the only way the Bears win is if they turn Grossman loose. Lo and behold, the series where the Bears made aggressive passing decisions was the real turning point. So let's give the coaches as much credit as Grossman.
If the Bears play lights out in the Super Bowl, then all the unnecessary gnashing of teeth this year's team has caused me (dating all the way back to early-August) will not have been in vain.
I watched every play and yet it was hard to realize how it went from 16-14 with the Bears on their heels to 32-14 and the Bears comfortably ahead with most of the fourth quarter left to play. Maybe I've just seen so many sloppy games I forgot what it looked like for the Bears to take over a game psychologically.
I wish I remember where I saw it so I could give credit where credit is due, but earlier this week I saw preview comment about the game saying that the Saints' real weakness had been games with bad turnover ratios. So one of the Bears best chances was if the Saints had ball-control problems. Sure, predicting a loss for a team if they have a lot of turnovers is like predicting that if it rains people are likely to get wet. But this was apparently a real problem for the Saints this year and 'twas their undoing today.
At long last the Bears coaching staff heard my shouting at the television set and called for passing plays, the kind that would stretch the opposing defense and soften it up for the running game. True, there's the possibility that Grossman starts gunslinging and things turn out poorly, but in that case they lose just as surely as they would with Jones or Benson rushing into the arms of a waiting defense. In other words, the only way the Bears win is if they turn Grossman loose. Lo and behold, the series where the Bears made aggressive passing decisions was the real turning point. So let's give the coaches as much credit as Grossman.
If the Bears play lights out in the Super Bowl, then all the unnecessary gnashing of teeth this year's team has caused me (dating all the way back to early-August) will not have been in vain.
VIEW 19 of 19 COMMENTS
jtemperance:
Hey good seeing you last night -- thanks again for taking care of the pizzas! Yummy.
apexxx:
ok, so lets say that the Bears let Rivera go (although wouldnt it be easier to just double his salary?) why in the hell would they promote Bob Babich instead of hiring Mike Singletary? the fans would be pissed about Rivera leaving until they saw good old # 50 in charge of Urlacher. Thats the dream i have anyways... I really dont thinnk the Bears are as cheap these days as they used to be. Lovie is gonna get plenty of $$ to make up for him being under paid the last 2 seasons...