Football Friday

I'll post some poetry later, probably football related but for now I'm just pumped for this weekend's epic battle between the Bears and Packers. They tell me that the American Football Conference (whatever the tell that is) is also having it's championship game. That one appears to be Pittsburgh vs. New York Jets. I despise every sports team from New York so I'm not unbiased in this prediction but let's just say this Pittsburgh's defense is better than the Jets and Mark Sanchez isn't on the same planet as Ben Roethlisberger as a quarterback. Unless Pittsburgh's offensive line screws this up I suspect the Steelers will take that game by 7 points or more.

The Bears and Packers essentially invented the game of football. Technically, it was a Bear, one George Halas, who founded the National Football League. A tweet has been going around this week noting that the Bears and Packers are playing each other for the Halas Trophy, the winner gets to play for the Lombardi Trophy. Even this little tweet recognizes that for real football fans, the real championship game is the NFC game. No way something named after Lombardi could be considered more important than something named after George Halas.

Listening to the national media this week, one would wonder why the Bears will even bother to show up and play against the Packers this weekend on their own field off the shores of Lake Michigan. But, somehow I am reminded that the Bears beat the Packers in the only game that mattered for the Bears between the two of them this year and shut Rodgers and company down to 10 points on Lambeau field a mere 3 weeks ago in a game that meant nothing to the Bears. And, by the way, the Chicago Bears won the division that the Packers still inhabit.

Aaron Rodgers is good. But so far this year, the Bears defense has managed to hold him pretty damn well. It looks to me like the Bears defense is actually playing as well as it has all year. The big surprise to me is that Tommie Harris is suddenly playing like the young, healthy Tommie Harris. If Tommie keeps that up the Bears 4 man pass rush with Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije is the best in the league. And, oh by the way, we still have Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs playing linebacker. I don't see the Packers scoring 20 points in this game.

The Bears offense is the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL and given the way the line was backing up until the bye week, it's not hard to understand why. But, this line has found itself. The Packers defense is very good but they do not stop the run very well. In fact, last I checked they were 18th in the NFL in run defense. When the Bears are able to run the ball, they score points because defenses are then forced to back off the pass rush enough that Jay Cutler becomes a real threat.

Jay Cutler has a ridiculous arm. I expect at least one touchdown pass of more than 40 yards in this game. I expect Matt Forte to run for more than 100 yards. I see the Bears crossing that magic 20 point threshold.

Bears win this game 21-17. Lookout Dallas, here comes the President and his team!