The Chicago Bears
 

Will not represent the NFC in the Superbowl this season. I bet $500 sullies on it. Why? Oh I don't even know where to start:

-Rex Grossman
-Terribly weak schedule (when they played strong teams, they lost. They beat Seattle, but in light of recent occurances, can one really call Seattle a strong team? I don't)
-They finish their season against 3 of the weakest teams in the entire league. They will likely bench starters in the final 2 games once HOF is wrapped up. They will go into the playoffs cold.
-The "Don't want to play the Bears at Soldier Field in January" BS is a complete myth. Don't agree? Tell me the last time the Bears have won a playoff game at home. I'll wait. *silence*
-Rex Grossman

The Bears are possibly the biggest frauds at 11-2 that this league has seen in a long time. Another Soldier Field playoff game embarrassment is on the horizon, and it's not that I'm excited to see it.

The Saints are your NFC SB rep.

Wow. Ok, I will bet but you have to give me Vegas odds. Also, I only have about $150.

One word:

Tuna.

Not if they have to play NO again.

Adjustments can be made.

True.

But they didn't do a very good job adjusting the first time they played

Tell me the last time New Orleans has won a playoff game on the road.

Please share with the class your answer.

Your argument is a fraud.

Ok. You win. The Saints have never won a playoff game on the road.

So what? That really doesn't make my argument a fraud. The Bears losing playoff games at Soldier Field wasn't the foundation of my argument anyway.

The Saints have something the Bears don't have: an offense. The #1 ranked offense in the NFC, as a matter of fact. And when you've played teams with a respectable offense, you've lost.

I'm telling you right now, sure as shit sticks to a blanket and stinks, the Bears will not advance to the Superbowl in February of 2007.

One could also argue that the Bears have something the Saints don't have and that is defense, Bears 2nd in pts/g compared to New Orleans 17th pts/g.

When it comes to offense the Bears have 31 offensive touchdowns and the Saints have 39 offensive touchdowns and the Bears have 26 fg compared to Saints 19.

An interesting stat:

The Bears' opponents have had a collective 109 penalties for an astounding 884 yards. That is simply insane, and the Bears actually lead the league in that unique stat.

So suffice it to say that I'm adding this to my platform. The Bears' opponents have a propensity to shoot themselves in their own feet, and they beat themselves more than the Bears beat them.

I'd go farther to say that in the playoffs, teams typically get much more disciplined and penalties are far fewer. I don't think teams will be making such critical mental errors when a Championship run is on the line.

REACH! REACH!

...

Or it could be that other teams are overwhelmed by our speed and talent and compensate in...other...ways...

But yeah, spin it the way you would like.

It's not like teams can't move the ball against the Bears defense. It's just the Bears are well-coached to try and strip the ball on almost every tackle they make.

Avoid turnovers against them, and they won't win.

Reach as it may well be, but come on, even Bears fans can't look that stat in the eye and not say to themselves "well that's interesting".

I mean come on, for whatever reason (maybe its some sick power Bears players have -- although I doubt it) opposing teams just lack discipline against the Bears.

I contend that won't happen in the playoffs, and I contend that the Saints most definitely won't, as they actually are 2nd best in the NFC with only 69 team penalties.

http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/01/21/04...12_215X215.jpg

The Bears are the lesser of 3 evils that actually have a shot, so I hope they represent the NFC as this year's Super Bowl loser.

Actually I take that back.

The Pats had about 6 of them and still came out with a win.

Personally, I think a Bears/NO matchup would be sweet.

Who holds the home field tie breaker if New Orleans and Chicago both finish 12-4 somehow?

I love this argument. Rex will be blitzed like crazy and outmatched by our opponents...thus he will turn the ball over and we will lose.

Oh, by the way, that Bears D...Just don't turn the ball over against them...Don't mind that they're one of the best in the game...

Two sides of the same mouth.

If we avoid turnovers, no NFC team comes within 2 touchdowns bucko. Period. If they avoid turnovers, MAYBE they squeak one out.

I will say that the Bears' turnover ratio is sick. Pure sick. And naturally, if they can manage to maintain that in the playoffs, I will look like an ass.

But again, I contend that they won't be gifted by other teams' sloppiness in the playoffs like they have been in the regular season. When opposing teams minimize penalties and hang on to the football, the Bears lose the upper hand.