The remainder of the Bears schedule has presumably better teams than the first seven games. What that means well, it really doesnt mean anything. More perspective on that in a moment.
Coaches and players arent the least bit interested in discussing whether or not the Bears have played anybodyi.e., goodon the way to their way to the 6-1 start. Why should they be?
Using one prism for perspective, the Bears have beaten only one team currently above .500.
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Using a different onethe Lovie Smith glass-half-full modelfour of the seven teams the Bears have faced have been .500 or better: Indianapolis, Green Bay, Dallas and Detroit.
Dallas and Detroit are 3-4 right now but heres the catch: that includes the losses to the Bears. Meaning, part of the reason those two are sub-.500 is because they played and lost to the Bears.
I think you have to forget that winning record part, Smith said. Because we had a 1-5 Carolina team come in here and play pretty good football.
I think you look across the league, if youre a true pro you dont get into those things. To be truthful, I know who we play this week Tennessee. But beyond that and I know whos coming up. But the order, we cant look at that. We just know that this week going on the road in a tough environment we need to play better ball, which well do.
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The 85 lesson
Smiths Bears have had to endure endless comparisons with the 1985 Bears anytime their defense is very good. So its only reasonable that the 85ers help this group out on schedule perspectives.
The Super Bowl XX winners had six games against teams with winning records in 1985: New England, Washington, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami and the Jets. They were 5-1 against those teams.
The 2012 Bears are on course to have seven games against teams with winning records, including one more with Green Bay.
While the angst is running amok in BearNation, and lest there be any idea of, Yeah, but those 85 guys at least crushed the mopes on their schedule.
The 85 team needed come-from-behind wins to escape with two wins over Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first five weeks of the season. Those would be the 2-14 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jim McMahons legendary Thursday night rescue from a 17-9 third-quarter hole was against division rival Minnesota. The 7-9 Minnesota Vikings.
As they were on final approach to the Super Bowl, the week after losing in Miami on Monday night, the Bears were tied 3-3 at halftime, at home, with the Indianapolis Colts. The 5-11 Indianapolis Colts.
The 2012 Bears arent the 1985 Bears. For that matter, the 1986 Bears werent the 1985 Bears. Schedule analyses should wait until more of it has played out.