Another early line up.... Car @ Chi
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o/u 31
wow - reminds me of lines the year the Baltimore Ravens won the superbowl.
I like the Panthers
wow - reminds me of lines the year the Baltimore Ravens won the superbowl.
I like the Panthers
Chi's totals have frequently been in the low 30's this year. Not overly surprised at that. When these two teams played earlier this year in Chicago (Week 11), Bears won 13-3.
almost every bears game this year has been about the same
they are either catching 3 or getting 3 with the total around 32
figured with alot of people on carolina today and with carolin futures the line would open at -2.5
first game chi was getting 3.....
LETS GO BEARS
they are either catching 3 or getting 3 with the total around 32
figured with alot of people on carolina today and with carolin futures the line would open at -2.5
first game chi was getting 3.....
LETS GO BEARS
I love the Bears in this game! Carolina will not be able to run the ball on the Bears' defense. That puts all the pressure on Delhomme and Smith. I think Lovie will find a way to contain Smith. We already saw what happened the first time these two teams met in Chicago. The pressure was on Delhomme and Smith in that game. Delhomme got sacked 8 times! Take the Bears to the bank!
RTL
RTL
Yeah, if the line is roughly the same as the game against the Giants game, it represents MUCH less value for the Panters next weekend.
smith did have a big day vs chi rec and yardage wise.....but that was it....the bears shut down everybody else and sacked jake 8 times and forced 2 or 3 picks and shut down the run
hope to see the same type of game, 20-3 chicago
hope to see the same type of game, 20-3 chicago
Very interesting - earlier in the year made one of my bigger plays of the season on Bears +3 when Carolina was a 3 point fave going into Chicago...
I felt at that time wrong team was favored and should have been Chicago -3...
Now playoff time is Chicago -3 w/ Grossman giving the offense some more hope.
Was on Carolina today - but i think will be hard to go against the Bears giving 3 next weekend. Will ultimately come over to turnovers - both very solid defenses. Over under of 31 and we have seen so many bears o/u of 33 or less this year go under. Under may be the best play in that game. I think Bears come to play though and probably find a way to win.
I felt at that time wrong team was favored and should have been Chicago -3...
Now playoff time is Chicago -3 w/ Grossman giving the offense some more hope.
Was on Carolina today - but i think will be hard to go against the Bears giving 3 next weekend. Will ultimately come over to turnovers - both very solid defenses. Over under of 31 and we have seen so many bears o/u of 33 or less this year go under. Under may be the best play in that game. I think Bears come to play though and probably find a way to win.
Just my 2 cents, but the under in this game is my favorite line out of all the lines that are up for next weekend's game. I doubt this game will reach 20.
one would think the under is a great play.....yet at only 31 not much has to happen for the over to occur....like turnovers....it all comes down to where they occur...in scoring range, 31 may be toast.....to prevent scores, under is golden
gjn23 said:
Exactly right. A few turnovers could throw the under down the drain. And with QBs like Grossman and Delhomme you have to be worried about mistakes. I just think both teams will try to establish the run and every point will be hard to come by in this game. Hope I'm right. We'll see...
Gotta go with Carolina here. Playoff experienced team vs. Rex Grossman. C'mon. Playoffs are a different animal than the regular season and although I like this Bears team, CAROLINA will win-the points are a bonus.
Chicago 13, Carolina 3
Chicago 13, Carolina 3
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer
November 20, 2005
CHICAGO (AP) -- Nathan Vasher didn't set a record this time -- he set the tone.
One week after returning a missed field goal a record 108 yards, Vasher intercepted two passes, and the North-leading Bears stamped themselves as a contender in the NFC on Sunday with a 13-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers, Chicago's sixth straight win.
"I'm playing as well as anybody," Vasher said. "Our defense is playing as good as -- if not better -- than anybody."
The NFC South-leading Panthers (7-3) saw their six-game win streak end. After scoring at least 20 points in every game, they managed 238 yards against the NFL's No. 1 defense, and quarterback Jake Delhomme was sacked eight times.
Vasher's first pick led to a 3-yard touchdown reception for former Panther Muhsin Muhammad, and the second resulted in a 33-yard field goal by Robbie Gould in the first quarter. The second-year pro has six interceptions.
Adewale Ogunleye tied a career-high with three sacks, and Alex Brown added two and forced two fumbles for the Bears (7-3).
Muhammad had six receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown against his former team but dropped several passes. Justin Gage caught seven balls for 81 yards.
Thomas Jones ran for 87 yards on 25 attempts after missing last week's 17-9 victory over San Francisco with sore ribs. Kyle Orton was 15-of-26 for 136 yards, a touchdown and interception.
Fred Miller started at right tackle for the Bears after missing last week's game with a broken jaw -- the result of a punch to the face from center Olin Kreutz during an altercation at an FBI shooting range in the Chicago area on Nov. 7. The FBI launched an internal investigation into the incident.
"We've already put it behind us, you know," said Miller, whose jaw was starting to swell. "You guys still want to write about it and care about it. We had to go our there and win a ball game, no matter what. This is what we need to do to ultimately achieve goals of where we want to go."
Kreutz said he and Miller are still embarrassed and added there's "not a right or wrong guy in that whole situation. We're just both idiots."
Carolina's Steve Smith, the NFL's leader with 937 yards receiving entering the game, caught 14 passes for 169 yards. But others struggled: Delhomme was 22-of-38 for 235 yards and two interceptions, and the Panthers managed only 55 yards rushing.
"Certainly they are good; there's no doubt," Delhomme said. "We put ourselves in a hole early. I had a couple picks early on, we went down 10-0. We just never got anything going."
None of the Bears' previous five wins were against teams with winning records, and the only blowout was a 28-3 victory over Minnesota on Oct. 16.
One week after winds whipped through Soldier Field at up to 47 mph, wreaking havoc on the passing and kicking games, there was just a light breeze. Yet, the Panthers turned it over on their first possession.
On third down, Vasher intercepted Delhomme at the Chicago 46 and was knocked out of bounds at the 8. After having a pass batted at the line on second down, Orton found Muhammad about a step behind the goal line for a 3-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.
Vasher's second interception came with about 6:40 left in the quarter; this time, he intercepted Delhomme at the 40 and returned it to the 18.
"There is no need to be all out of whack when you are trying to play the ball," Vasher said. "I'm doing what the coaching staff asks me to do, I'm having the right progressions and the right reads. It just looks easy, I guess. Football is one of those things either you can or you can't. I obviously can."
At the moment, the Bears are playing like a team that can.
Free safety Chris Harris showed it early in the fourth quarter when he sprinted to his left, lunged, and broke up a pass intended for Ricky Proehl in the end zone on third down. The Panthers settled for a field goal.
Ogunleye and Alex Brown showed it by breaking through the line.
"The thing about Alex is his total might not be (high), but he causes a lot of holding penalties," strong safety Mike Brown said of Alex Brown, who has three sacks. "He causes a lot of pressure. It good to see him get the sacks off it."
Notes
Carolina lost starting middle linebacker Dan Morgan to a sprained left ankle about five minutes into the game. Morgan, the team leader with 74 tackles, was helped off the field after a run by the Bears' Thomas Jones. ... Several Panthers, including Smith, hugged Muhammad after the game and posed for pictures. ... After fumbling three punts against San Francisco, the Bears' Bobby Wade returned three for three yards.
Chicago 13, Carolina 3
Preview - Box Score - Recap
By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer
November 20, 2005
CHICAGO (AP) -- Nathan Vasher didn't set a record this time -- he set the tone.
One week after returning a missed field goal a record 108 yards, Vasher intercepted two passes, and the North-leading Bears stamped themselves as a contender in the NFC on Sunday with a 13-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers, Chicago's sixth straight win.
"I'm playing as well as anybody," Vasher said. "Our defense is playing as good as -- if not better -- than anybody."
The NFC South-leading Panthers (7-3) saw their six-game win streak end. After scoring at least 20 points in every game, they managed 238 yards against the NFL's No. 1 defense, and quarterback Jake Delhomme was sacked eight times.
Vasher's first pick led to a 3-yard touchdown reception for former Panther Muhsin Muhammad, and the second resulted in a 33-yard field goal by Robbie Gould in the first quarter. The second-year pro has six interceptions.
Adewale Ogunleye tied a career-high with three sacks, and Alex Brown added two and forced two fumbles for the Bears (7-3).
Muhammad had six receptions for 49 yards and a touchdown against his former team but dropped several passes. Justin Gage caught seven balls for 81 yards.
Thomas Jones ran for 87 yards on 25 attempts after missing last week's 17-9 victory over San Francisco with sore ribs. Kyle Orton was 15-of-26 for 136 yards, a touchdown and interception.
Fred Miller started at right tackle for the Bears after missing last week's game with a broken jaw -- the result of a punch to the face from center Olin Kreutz during an altercation at an FBI shooting range in the Chicago area on Nov. 7. The FBI launched an internal investigation into the incident.
"We've already put it behind us, you know," said Miller, whose jaw was starting to swell. "You guys still want to write about it and care about it. We had to go our there and win a ball game, no matter what. This is what we need to do to ultimately achieve goals of where we want to go."
Kreutz said he and Miller are still embarrassed and added there's "not a right or wrong guy in that whole situation. We're just both idiots."
Carolina's Steve Smith, the NFL's leader with 937 yards receiving entering the game, caught 14 passes for 169 yards. But others struggled: Delhomme was 22-of-38 for 235 yards and two interceptions, and the Panthers managed only 55 yards rushing.
"Certainly they are good; there's no doubt," Delhomme said. "We put ourselves in a hole early. I had a couple picks early on, we went down 10-0. We just never got anything going."
None of the Bears' previous five wins were against teams with winning records, and the only blowout was a 28-3 victory over Minnesota on Oct. 16.
One week after winds whipped through Soldier Field at up to 47 mph, wreaking havoc on the passing and kicking games, there was just a light breeze. Yet, the Panthers turned it over on their first possession.
On third down, Vasher intercepted Delhomme at the Chicago 46 and was knocked out of bounds at the 8. After having a pass batted at the line on second down, Orton found Muhammad about a step behind the goal line for a 3-yard touchdown and 7-0 lead.
Vasher's second interception came with about 6:40 left in the quarter; this time, he intercepted Delhomme at the 40 and returned it to the 18.
"There is no need to be all out of whack when you are trying to play the ball," Vasher said. "I'm doing what the coaching staff asks me to do, I'm having the right progressions and the right reads. It just looks easy, I guess. Football is one of those things either you can or you can't. I obviously can."
At the moment, the Bears are playing like a team that can.
Free safety Chris Harris showed it early in the fourth quarter when he sprinted to his left, lunged, and broke up a pass intended for Ricky Proehl in the end zone on third down. The Panthers settled for a field goal.
Ogunleye and Alex Brown showed it by breaking through the line.
"The thing about Alex is his total might not be (high), but he causes a lot of holding penalties," strong safety Mike Brown said of Alex Brown, who has three sacks. "He causes a lot of pressure. It good to see him get the sacks off it."
Notes
Carolina lost starting middle linebacker Dan Morgan to a sprained left ankle about five minutes into the game. Morgan, the team leader with 74 tackles, was helped off the field after a run by the Bears' Thomas Jones. ... Several Panthers, including Smith, hugged Muhammad after the game and posed for pictures. ... After fumbling three punts against San Francisco, the Bears' Bobby Wade returned three for three yards.
This isn't the 2001 team, that had the ball bounce their way through the whole season.....this is a team who earned it and believe they are the better team, in every matchup.........As a Bears fan.....Carolina was the one team I didn't want the Bears to see again in the Playoffs......but they play the game not me........you say Rex Grossman, like he'll lose the game.....How many yards and tds did Brunell have this weekend? Bears relied on their D thru the season and will only step it up this weekend, their philosophy is not only to stop the opponent but to score pts.....17-21 pts is all the Bears need to come away with the win
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im wrong on carolina no matter what way i bet them for 2 years--and I semi like 'em but wont play game ... 13-10 someone
Offensive 'Lina ready for ground 2
January 9, 2006
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A lot of things are said to be buried in the Meadowlands. The Carolina Panthers rediscovered their identity there.
Unearthing a power running game that mirrors the personality of coach John Fox, the Panthers racked up 223 rushing yards Sunday en route to a 23-0 demolition of the New York Giants. The victory punched the Panthers' ticket to Soldier Field, where they'll face the Bears on Sunday (3:30 p.m., Fox-32, 780-AM) in an NFC divisional playoff.
The game will be a rematch of a Nov. 20 meeting at Soldier Field in which the Panthers were bruised and beaten in a 13-3 loss that established the Bears as a Super Bowl contender.
"We went up there and got our butts whupped,'' Panthers middle linebacker Dan Morgan said. "It kind of set them as the team to beat in the NFC.
PANTHERS 23
GIANTS 0
"Our records are clear now. We're 1-0 in the postseason, and we've got to go up there and play them at their place. We'll be ready.''
Fox and the Panthers think they have a different look now on offense, and no one ever has questioned a defense that became the first to post a road shutout in the playoffs since the Rams blanked the Buccaneers 9-0 in 1980. The Panthers did it against one of the NFC's top offenses, limiting Tiki Barber to 41 yards on 13 attempts.
Stephen Davis was the Panthers' starting running back the first time Carolina visited the Bears, although DeShaun Foster picked up 41 yards on nine rushes. The Bears were able to make the Panthers one-dimensional and teed off on quarterback Jake Delhomme, sacking him eight times and intercepting him twice.
Now Carolina is running the ball with conviction. Davis is on injured reserve, but Foster has rushed for 459 yards in the last four games, including 151 against the Giants.
"It was something we haven't done consistently,'' Fox said. "So we went back to the drawing board and worked very hard on that. We're coming on at the right time.''
The Panthers' ground game helped them control the ball for 42 minutes, 45 seconds and limited the Giants and first-time playoff quarterback Eli Manning to 35 snaps. Its linebacking corps decimated by injuries, New York stayed back in a Cover-2, trying to protect against wide receiver Steve Smith (10 receptions for 84 yards). That only made it easier for the Panthers and limited the effectiveness of Pro Bowl ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.
Smith scored on a 22-yard post route to put Carolina ahead 7-0 early in the second quarter. A muffed punt that went off the knee of the Giants' Gibril Wilson set up John Kasay for a 31-yard field goal that made it 10-0 at halftime.
After Manning (10-for-18, 113 yards, three interceptions) was picked off by Ken Lucas midway through the third quarter, Smith scored on a 12-yard reverse, putting Carolina up 17-0 and bringing out the boo birds. Kasay tacked on two field goals that only added to the Giants' misery.
"It is shocking,'' Manning said. "We couldn't do anything. I wish I had a reason why. Now, this is the performance we have to think about throughout the offseason.''
The Panthers, now 7-2 on the road, were largely regarded as the team to beat in the NFC the last time they faced the Bears. Smith went off with 14 catches for 169 yards in that meeting, but never have 169 yards been more meaningless.
"There is no trick about it,'' Smith said of the Bears' defense. "The good thing, if you can take anything out of a loss, is we know how they are. We saw how hard they hit. We know exactly how they play.''
Asked if he was encouraged by his big numbers the first time, Smith shot back, "I have big games every week.''
Fox alluded to the Panthers' need to bring their running game, which was limited to 55 yards on 16 rushes in November. The Bears will get strong safety Mike Brown and strong-side linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer back from injuries, and they're needed as the Bears surrendered an average of 129.5 yards on the ground in the last four games.
"We've got the ground game going a lot better right now,'' said Panthers right tackle Jordan Gross, who was beaten by Adewale Ogunleye for three sacks in the first meeting. "First time we went there, we were really struggling running the ball, and it showed. We passed, I don't know how many times, and they got after us pretty good because we were throwing the ball the whole time.''
...........................................................................................
This entire game comes down to the Panthers running game vs. Bears running defense. They gave up on it early in the last game and Delhomme looked like he didn't want to be there. The Bears can be beat going right at them as they are light, but is Carolina tough enough up front to do it?
January 9, 2006
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A lot of things are said to be buried in the Meadowlands. The Carolina Panthers rediscovered their identity there.
Unearthing a power running game that mirrors the personality of coach John Fox, the Panthers racked up 223 rushing yards Sunday en route to a 23-0 demolition of the New York Giants. The victory punched the Panthers' ticket to Soldier Field, where they'll face the Bears on Sunday (3:30 p.m., Fox-32, 780-AM) in an NFC divisional playoff.
The game will be a rematch of a Nov. 20 meeting at Soldier Field in which the Panthers were bruised and beaten in a 13-3 loss that established the Bears as a Super Bowl contender.
"We went up there and got our butts whupped,'' Panthers middle linebacker Dan Morgan said. "It kind of set them as the team to beat in the NFC.
PANTHERS 23
GIANTS 0
"Our records are clear now. We're 1-0 in the postseason, and we've got to go up there and play them at their place. We'll be ready.''
Fox and the Panthers think they have a different look now on offense, and no one ever has questioned a defense that became the first to post a road shutout in the playoffs since the Rams blanked the Buccaneers 9-0 in 1980. The Panthers did it against one of the NFC's top offenses, limiting Tiki Barber to 41 yards on 13 attempts.
Stephen Davis was the Panthers' starting running back the first time Carolina visited the Bears, although DeShaun Foster picked up 41 yards on nine rushes. The Bears were able to make the Panthers one-dimensional and teed off on quarterback Jake Delhomme, sacking him eight times and intercepting him twice.
Now Carolina is running the ball with conviction. Davis is on injured reserve, but Foster has rushed for 459 yards in the last four games, including 151 against the Giants.
"It was something we haven't done consistently,'' Fox said. "So we went back to the drawing board and worked very hard on that. We're coming on at the right time.''
The Panthers' ground game helped them control the ball for 42 minutes, 45 seconds and limited the Giants and first-time playoff quarterback Eli Manning to 35 snaps. Its linebacking corps decimated by injuries, New York stayed back in a Cover-2, trying to protect against wide receiver Steve Smith (10 receptions for 84 yards). That only made it easier for the Panthers and limited the effectiveness of Pro Bowl ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora.
Smith scored on a 22-yard post route to put Carolina ahead 7-0 early in the second quarter. A muffed punt that went off the knee of the Giants' Gibril Wilson set up John Kasay for a 31-yard field goal that made it 10-0 at halftime.
After Manning (10-for-18, 113 yards, three interceptions) was picked off by Ken Lucas midway through the third quarter, Smith scored on a 12-yard reverse, putting Carolina up 17-0 and bringing out the boo birds. Kasay tacked on two field goals that only added to the Giants' misery.
"It is shocking,'' Manning said. "We couldn't do anything. I wish I had a reason why. Now, this is the performance we have to think about throughout the offseason.''
The Panthers, now 7-2 on the road, were largely regarded as the team to beat in the NFC the last time they faced the Bears. Smith went off with 14 catches for 169 yards in that meeting, but never have 169 yards been more meaningless.
"There is no trick about it,'' Smith said of the Bears' defense. "The good thing, if you can take anything out of a loss, is we know how they are. We saw how hard they hit. We know exactly how they play.''
Asked if he was encouraged by his big numbers the first time, Smith shot back, "I have big games every week.''
Fox alluded to the Panthers' need to bring their running game, which was limited to 55 yards on 16 rushes in November. The Bears will get strong safety Mike Brown and strong-side linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer back from injuries, and they're needed as the Bears surrendered an average of 129.5 yards on the ground in the last four games.
"We've got the ground game going a lot better right now,'' said Panthers right tackle Jordan Gross, who was beaten by Adewale Ogunleye for three sacks in the first meeting. "First time we went there, we were really struggling running the ball, and it showed. We passed, I don't know how many times, and they got after us pretty good because we were throwing the ball the whole time.''
...........................................................................................
This entire game comes down to the Panthers running game vs. Bears running defense. They gave up on it early in the last game and Delhomme looked like he didn't want to be there. The Bears can be beat going right at them as they are light, but is Carolina tough enough up front to do it?