Your very late NFL Season Preview: Playoffs

Ed, you play in an extremely weak conference and division, so I got you going to the playoffs, which is pretty obvious. However, I don't trust Rex Grossman to throw me out of a paper bag. He's not going to improve because his real problem is mechanics, he's sloppy, and he doesn't take the time to get better. He's always had a good arm, but he's a gun slinger, and not a winner. Also, add to the fact that you lost probably your best and most reliable offensive weapon in Thomas Jones. I know Benson is there, and if you love fumbles - that's great.

In addition to that, everyone in your conference and division got better, last year my high school team could have gone to the Superbowl from the NFC. Eagles get Donovan back, and if you remember correctly, he torched you guys after your "awesome" year 5 years ago, and I think he'll do it again.

Lastly, your defense is hugely overrated. Check the last 8 games of the year and playoffs, and tell me how you did save for the turnovers. If you're a defense that can't line up and stop anyone, that's going to be the downfall, getting turnovers is important, but not when you're getting smacked in the mouth. Lovie Smith always looks clueless on the sidelines.

Most important of all, Bears fans are completely delusional. They aren't the "class" of anything except that extremely shitty division.

You make some interesting poiints but many are invalid. First off, making an argument about two teams that competed five years ago is rediculous. The teasms are not the same. Last time I checked, McNabb has missed significant time 3 of the last 4 years. And that "terrific year" was a fluck and i siad it at the time. I was adamint about the fact that I wanted Juaron fired fter that season.

Now lets talk the over rated thing. Yes, the last five games of hte regular season we did not play well. However, you name me any team that can lose two probowlers up the middle such as Tommie Harris and Mike Brown and not take a serious hit. We had many injuires in the secondary and on our tackle position. And we still managed to be one of hte best defenses. Now, if you are allowed to assume that McNabb will be healthy, I should be allowed to assume that both Brown and Harris will be and my scenario is more likely to happen in all honesty. We have greater depth as a team and we have one more year together playing as a team. So that argument is a bad one.

Now your first point. Yes, Grossman is a little shaky. His mechanics have in proved and outside of the fumbles in the last game, he has had a solid pre season. He is one year older and as a result one year wiser. To say that he is not a winner is preposterous though. He won in high school, he won in college and he has won as a starter in the pros. Tell me how that is not a winner? He got them to the super bowl in his first year starting. He made key throws when it mattered despite his many short comings at times. Yes, we are in a bad confereence, but you know what, so is every other team in that conference. We have gotten stronger on Offense with the addition of Hester and Greg Olson. Losing Jones is a bad thing, but I do believe that Bensen will more then make up for it. He is a solid back who reminds me a lot of Rickey Williams. And who exactly in this conference got better? Not really anyone from what I can tell. NO made some moves, but not enough to make much of a differnece. I wouldnt be suprised to see the Saints actually take a step back and be 8 and 8 this year. I still believe that the bears are the peak and everyone is looking up. I will admit I am biased. But I am removing tha from the equation as best as I can and am looking at hte facts and not trying to nit pick the flaws. We are not perfect, but we are still better then everyone else in the conference.

Any other questions I will be more then willing to adress.

You lost Tommie Harris last year, but you lost Tank Johnson this year.

The loss of Mike Brown and Tommie Harris was quite a blow to the defense, and I really feel that was the difference. Since then, the numbers and product of the defense fell dramatically, even though the wins kept on coming.

Here's the thing: I really don't trust Grossman. I don't like him, and I never will - I don't think he's a legitimate starter in the NFL. His wins are completely overblown, as are the wins of one Ben Roethlisberger (although, I feel he's more suited). I don't think he's gotten any better, and watching the games in the pre-season, it seems like he's completely content in being where he's at. They won in spite of him last year, and while it's a no doubter that he can "lead" a team into the playoffs, there's absolutely no reason that kind of thing shouldn't come back and bite him in the playoffs. In fact, the problems could be seen against the Seahaws which were not very good last year.

I'm not sure the addition of one tight end is going to be the offensive jolt the team needs, and Hester was there last year. You're going to see people zero in on him more, and those touchdowns on kickoffs will be few and far in between.

Also, even though Lovie Smith led the team to a Superbowl, I'm as unsold on him as I am on Grossman - and the two may be forever linked to me. This is a guy who is clearly terrible on gameday. He made no adjustments in any of the games that were team related. I don't trust him to make the required adjustments for his team to win, if they are not clearly better on both sides of the ball.

I cant argue with some of your points. Some I can though. Yes we lost Tommie last year, and for a stretch Tank also. And yes tank is gone this year also, but he was replaced with Darvis Walker who is a better fit and a better D-tackle then Tank was. I wish Tank the best, but we will be fine with out him.

If you dont like Grossman, there is nothing I can do to change your mind. He has made strides this preseason. But he hasnt been great. Granted he wasnt great last year either in preseason. But out of hte gate he was amazing. He does have a gunslinger attitude, but so does brett Favre and he is hte patron saint of football depending on who you talk too. I am not asking him to be great all the time. If he can get to the point where he is conssitant and good we will have a scarey dangerous team. That might be a lot to ask, and I admit that I am drinking hte koolaid, but I think he can get to consistant.

WE play in a conference where there are a lot of teams that run the cover two. The biggest weapon to the cover 2 is a TE that can get down field. And if you talk to any of hte great QBs, they all have had a very good TE as a safty valve. Jay Novachek, and I am drawing a blank on the guy from SF. Anyway, that will provide more options and mismatches for our offense. And yes we had Hester on our team last year, but he was a DB and he has been moved into an Offensive role in order to give him more oppurtunities to make plays. Even as a decoy he will make LBs move up biting on fake end arounds. It will create space for hte others.

I agree with the assessment that Lovie was out coached in the super bowl. However, Tony Dungy is not exactly reknown for his ability to coach either. He is a players guy that everyone loves and would give everything they can in order not to disappoint him. And some of the adjustment issues can be blamed on the coordinators. Nota big Turner fan but lets see what he can do. And also people, this is hte first year that Grossman has been in the same offensive scheme and been healthy for the entire year.

You can have your doubts, but I think you are short changing the Bears a bit. yes, it is a week conference, but I think the bears by far have the least amount of chinks in their armor compared to many of hte other teams out there.

I think Hester will do well to move to the offensive side of the ball, players with his type of skills usually go to that side because they are playmakers there.

I'll say this much, a TE is a great weapon to have for a savvy QB. However, you also need a savvy tight end. I think we're jumping the gun on Olsen, who was only marginally good in college, to make an immediate and large impact in the pros as a rookie. Also, the need for a savvy QB is needed - I'm not sure that anyone would apply that label to Rex Grossman.

They have roped him in a little the last couple of years, but you could see at crucial times him almost always making the bad mistake. I wouldn't say that he improved in the off season. I watched the pre season games, and I didn't see anything that told me he did throwing drills or mechanics drills. He couldn't even get the snap sometimes.

I've watched him closely over last year to see what was actually wrong with him, and it boggles me that they haven't fixed this yet, as it is the biggest no-no ever. He continually throws off his back foot, whether he has pressure on him or not. Also, he likes to shotput, and push the ball, instead of throwing it. He'll continue to have issues throwing the ball because of his mechanics - and I'm no Sean Salisbury.

I see the comparison between him and Favre, except that his arm strength is much lower, but he thinks it's not. He only knows one way to play - the way he played in Florida. His players were so much better there, that it didn't matter. In the pro's though, he hasn't adjusted his game. I'll tell you, I'd be far higher on the Bears if they were to get a QB that can manage the offense instead of implode it. No one flashy, but no one erratic either.

I actually believe the Bears will lose to the Eagles in the playoffs, just like they did 5 years ago, or whenever that was. I decided to take a shot on New Orleans, because, well, just like pre-season polls, this means nothing. I agree 100% on Cedric Benson - see above. I think we were writing that at the same time.

Have to be honest, it was very hard not to. Still in the back of my mind, If eel they'll win.