Giants say: Bring on da Bears!
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by user Ethanmets06
as reported by KSN CEO Ethan Kwassman
After eight weeks of football and half of season gone by, the NFL couldn't of asked for a better matchup on Sunday Night Football at Giants Stadium between the two-best teams in the NFC in the Chicago Bears (7-1) and the New York Giants (6-2). No, the Bears aren't the Big Bad Bears from the 80s and the Giants aren't playing with three of four key players this season in the game in LB LaVar Arrington (strained Achilles), WR Amani Toomer (ACL tear), and DE Michael Strahan (sprained right foot) and DE Osi Umeniyiora (strained hamstring). Of the four, only Umeniyiora is guaranteed to play anytime soon.
For a football team that has the best total offense and #1 defense in the NFL, it has not come as easy as it seems for the Chicago Bears. Even before the Bears 31-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins last Sunday, there were games this season that made you wonder if Bears young QB Rex Grossman was ready for the big show. Go back to that Monday Night Meltdown of the NFL worst's Arizona Cardinals[ on Oct. 16 versus the Chicago Bears. The Bears trailed 23-3 late in that game, before the Bears rallied to win 24-3 and keep their undefeated streak alive at that time. Before the Bears rallied to win, [Rex Grossman]] had 6 turnovers, was intercepted four times, and fumbled the football twice against a Cardinals defense that wasn't very good. Not to mention, Grossman was intercepted three times, had four turnovers, and fumbled twice against a (2-6) Miami Dolphins team.
I'm not taken anything away from what the Bears have done this season. You still have to win the games the schedule gives you. However, I think the Chicago Bears are overated. Look at their 7 wins this season and their records: Green Bay Packers (3-5), Detroit Lions (2-6), Minnesota Vikings (4-4), Seattle Seahawks (5-3), Buffalo Bills (3-5), Arizona Cardinals (1-7), and San Francisco 49ers, or should I say Santa Clara 49ers (3-5). Combined Record: (23-41). Enough said. And should I add to that the only credible team of the 7 mentioned, the Seattle Seahawks were playing without RB Shaun Alexander. On the other side of the ball, opponents of Big Blue for the Giants' first eight games have a combined record of (33-31).
The Chicago Bears are throwing out several weapons unto the football field on Sunday night. LB Brian Urlacher, who hopes to play with a sprained toe is still one of the best at making the big play on scrimmages in the NFL, and was also NFL Defensive Player of the year last season. QB Rex Grossman has been patterned with his outings from spectacular to awful. Last week, he could be characterized as awful. How will he play this week? RB Thomas Jones is not quite the Giants' RB Tiki Barber, but does have over 600 yards rushing this season. WR Muhsin Muhammed is a deep-pocket threat this season for Grossman with already 30+ catches this season. WR Bernand Berrian has been the Bears deepest threat and has averaged more than 15 yards per catch this season. He might not play Sunday because of his injury to his ribs. If he plays, the Giants may not have the depth to cover him. As for the Giants, they are without their version of Bears S Mike Brown (like the Bears), in DE Michael Strahan. With Umenyiora out also, the Giants will have to rely on the surprise DE Fred Robbins who's come out of nowhere, (including an interception returned for a TD a couple of weeks ago), as well as rookie sensation Defensive End Mathias Kiwanuka who's filled in nicely on the weak side for Umenyiora, when he's been out.
From here, the Chicago Bears have two tough road games @ the possibly momentum-riding New York Jets (4-4), and the always tough team to play in Foxborough in the New England Patriots (6-2). The Giants go on to play the other second-place right now in the NFC, the New Orleans Saints (6-2), and then @ a very tough Jacksonville Jaguars team, who are (5-3). The NFC run for Superbowl 41 begins this Sunday night. Jeff Barrett will preview the Bears-Giants game on Saturday night.
