Dont look for Matt Forte under the Bears Christmas tree. The franchise running back told ESPNChicago.com that realistically, playoffs would be the only thing I would have my mind set on."
Forte suffered a left knee sprain against the Kansas City Chiefs, an injury that typically as a 2-6 week range for recovery. He is receiving therapy but the reality is that the return is more likely toward the long side.
Duly noted
Seattle quarterbacks have been sacked 41 times this season, 33 of them suffered by Tavaris Jackson. Only Arizona, Miami, Minnesota and St. Louis, all with losing records, have given up as many or more. The Bears have allowed 38 and nearly one-fifth (7) of those came in the Kansas City debacle
Few teams have been consistently as good as the bears against the run. But cracks are beginning to show. The defense allowed 100 rushing yards in just one of the five wins that pushed them to 7-3 but has given up 73, 113 and 124 in the last three games, and the three losses were to teams (Oakland, Kansas City, Denver) that were willing to stick to the run even without dramatic success. Oakland ran 27 times, Kansas City 37 and Denver 34.
The Bears controlled Willis McGahee in Denver (17 carries, 34 yards), held off Dexter McCluster of Kansas City (9 carries, 61 yards) and shut down Michael Bush in Oakland (24 carries, 69 yards).
But no back in the NFL has been more effective over the last six games than Seattles Marshawn Lynch, who has 706 rushing yards and has scored seven touchdowns (six rushing) over those six games.
Tim Tebow, bumblebee
When you switch over from the Bears game to Denver-at-New England, consider what youre watching.
The trashing of Tim Tebow is trending down pretty much just sour-grape grumping that the Denver Broncos leader isnt really an NFL quarterback. Never mind the six straight wins and seven in his last eight starts.
NFL
Tebow is just your basic bumblebee. A bumblebee by all laws of biology and physics cannot fly. Cannot. But it does give a very convincing imitation of it, wouldnt you say?
You know Tebow. Poor technique, not a particularly accurate passer, limited in so many areasnot really an NFL quarterback. Pretty good imitation, though, wouldnt you say?
And so
There was going to be no way the 7-3 Bears could lose all three remaining games to AFC West teams. But they did, even to a Kansas City Chiefs team that fired its coach after the following game. The Bears cant pass very well, havent run the ball anything consistently close to what they did with Matt Forte, and in a disturbing pattern that typically defines losers, have found ways to lose.
The Seattle Seahawks have been the opposite, winning four of their last five. But while the Bears were playing Oakland and Denver with a virtual rookie quarterback, the Seahawks were playing the woeful Rams twice plus Redskins and Eaglesopponents with a combined 13-37 record, counting the Rams twice.
The Bears are not the Rams. This will be the third time the Seahawks are playing in Chicago in the last 14 months and they arrived Friday to mitigate the effects of travel across time zones. It wont be enough.
Bears 16 Seahawks 13