Call it a homer play if you like, but the Bears take this one today.
Bears are probably the least respected 5-3 team in history. There are a lot of legitimate reasons for that, but on the flip side the Vikings are probably the most respected 3-5 team in history.
Vikings had a nice comeback at home against the Cardinals last week. Big deal; Cardinals are at least as much of a mess as the Vikings if not more. The public still acts like this is the same team that went to the NFC Championship game last year. It's not. That defense is unchanged from the last two years with the notable exception that they keep getting older and a little bit worse each year. They are no longer a premier defense. Favre is missing Sydney Rice, who is still out and then he's got a bunch of banged up receivers (Harvin with migraines and Berrian with a hip injury). AP is always capable of winning a game all by himself, but the Bears D has excelled at stopping the run this year.
On the flip side the Bears O has largely been a disaster this season, and Cutler is the wild card here. He will win or lose this game for the Bears.
This is a rivalry game and the Bears have won 8 of the last 9 against the Vikes at Soldier Field (including last year when the Bears were definitely the inferior team). Cutler and AP are where this game is won or lost today, but I'll take the Bears strong D up against the Vikes reeling O and hope that Cutler decides to not throw too many up for grabs and that his receivers remember how to run their routes.
Bears are probably the least respected 5-3 team in history. There are a lot of legitimate reasons for that, but on the flip side the Vikings are probably the most respected 3-5 team in history.
Vikings had a nice comeback at home against the Cardinals last week. Big deal; Cardinals are at least as much of a mess as the Vikings if not more. The public still acts like this is the same team that went to the NFC Championship game last year. It's not. That defense is unchanged from the last two years with the notable exception that they keep getting older and a little bit worse each year. They are no longer a premier defense. Favre is missing Sydney Rice, who is still out and then he's got a bunch of banged up receivers (Harvin with migraines and Berrian with a hip injury). AP is always capable of winning a game all by himself, but the Bears D has excelled at stopping the run this year.
On the flip side the Bears O has largely been a disaster this season, and Cutler is the wild card here. He will win or lose this game for the Bears.
This is a rivalry game and the Bears have won 8 of the last 9 against the Vikes at Soldier Field (including last year when the Bears were definitely the inferior team). Cutler and AP are where this game is won or lost today, but I'll take the Bears strong D up against the Vikes reeling O and hope that Cutler decides to not throw too many up for grabs and that his receivers remember how to run their routes.
