Sunday morning on NFL Today, former Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher predicted that the Chicago Bears would lose the last four games of their season and miss the playoffs. His ominous words, combined with a dastardly snowstorm, were harbingers for the absolute massacre the New England Patriots had in store for us on Sunday afternoon. After watching the Bears collapse like the Metrodome under the pressure of the Pats, you might be tempted to believe Cowher is right.
He's not.
Bill Cowher is wrong about the Bears. At best, he's jockeying for a coaching position in Chicago next season. An outlandish prediction such as this is certain to capture the attention of Bears' Management should it actually turn out to be true. At worst, Cowher has been sitting in a cozy studio too long and has forgotten how the playoffs work.
Even with Sunday's loss, the Bears still have a one game lead in the NFC North over the Packers. In order for the Packers to have a shot at winning the division, they need the Bears to lose at least two of our next three games, while winning all of theirs. Our next three opponents are the Vikings, the Jets, and the Packers. We've already beaten two of those three teams this season. The Packers, on the other hand, have to face the Patriots, the Giants, and us -- all teams they haven't beaten this season.
Assuming Aaron Rodgers is healthy enough to play next week, the Packers will still have a tough time beating the red-hot New England Patriots. The New York Giants are no easy feat either. Ironically, I think the Packers' best chance of winning in the next three weeks is their home game against us -- and if we win one of our two prior games, it won't matter. We've already beaten the Vikings, and the Jets are starting to unravel a bit. I'm pretty sure we'll beat one of those two teams, much to the Oracle Bill Cowher's dismay.
The Bears have had a few devastating losses this season, and in a rather unfortunate twist of fate, our two worst games were played during primetime in the national spotlight. The entire country watched Jay Cutler get mercilessly sacked by the Giants, and turned off their TVs at halftime when the Patriots trounced us 33-0 in a snowstorm. To the casual observer, the Bears aren't a very good team.
But we Bear fans know better. Whether you like us or not, our record this season is a respectable 9-4. We've beaten good teams, including the Eagles (with Vick), the Dolphins, and the Packers. Our offense is evolving under a new system and gets stronger every week. Jay Cutler has shown incredible mobility both in the pocket and on the run. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Julius Peppers have absolutely dominated on defense, tipping balls, causing fumbles, and creating turnovers.
We may not have had a pretty season, but we've had a winning season. I have a hard time believing that we are going to throw it all away by losing the last four games of the year. Bill Cowher may have given up on us, but I haven't lost faith yet.
I still believe.