Week 1- Falcons at Bears. No fucking squib kicks, Lovie.

[Internet Apex]

The only thing I have to say that's bad is that the defense still sucks when the other team is in a hurry-up offense and therefore, gave up over 400 total yards. I still think the defense was dominant.

I hope you were trying to channel Fro there, because anybody even remotely concerned about the yardage (especially since Matt Ryan had I think only 123 yards before the score was 30-6 and the defense went full on prevent) is beyond a total dipshit. The points, sacks, and turnovers are all Lovie cares about. Matt Ryan finished with just 6.8 YPA. As a team they only gained 5.9 yards per pass play. Yardage totals don't really mean shit for a Tampa Two defense. They stonewalled them in the red zone, and Charles Tillman dominated Roddy White.

If by "channel" you mean "copy and paste", then yeah.

Sigh. I went over there. God dammit, Fro. Oh well, at least he admits that he actually enjoyed the game. God, next Sunday is too fucking far away. Also, my preseason Melton boner was thoroughly justified today. Every time I see him play I think of John Randle, who was one of a very select few Minnesota Vikings I didn't despise.

That game would have been totally different if the Falcons D could catch two easy picks that Utler just threw into their hands.  Yet another one in the red zone too. 

If you ignore the fact that the red zone near-pick only happened because the DB decided to mount Devin Hester about a second before the ball got there, then sure.

I agree, but I also think if Jay leads Hester by another two feet, he either gets the TD or the flag. Bad throw.

[Brownie]

The Bears are only good because they have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman and Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis and Devin Hester. You take those guys off the team and replace them with John Thierry, Brian Cox and Walt Harris and Rick Mirer and Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Conway and Ryan Wetnight and Rickey Proehl, they're the 1997 Bears.

Defense looked dominant, and the offense will get even better. They were thisclose to it being a 42-6 game. Have they been this dominant since 2006?

[World's #1 Astros Fan]

The Bears are only good because they have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman and Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis and Devin Hester. You take those guys off the team and replace them with John Thierry, Brian Cox and Walt Harris and Rick Mirer and Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Conway and Ryan Wetnight and Rickey Proehl, they're the 1997 Bears.

Defense looked dominant, and the offense will get even better. They were thisclose It's stupid how close it was to it being a 42-6 game. Have they been this dominant since 2006?

Our #1 Wideout'd.

[Internet Apex]

The Bears are only good because they have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman and Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis and Devin Hester. You take those guys off the team and replace them with John Thierry, Brian Cox and Walt Harris and Rick Mirer and Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Conway and Ryan Wetnight and Rickey Proehl, they're the 1997 Bears.

Defense looked dominant, and the offense will get even better. They were thisclose It's stupid how close it was to it being a 42-6 game. Have they been this dominant since 2006?

Our #1 Wideout'd.

+1. I'll never get tired of making fun of that fucking goof.

[SKO]

The Bears are only good because they have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman and Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis and Devin Hester. You take those guys off the team and replace them with John Thierry, Brian Cox and Walt Harris and Rick Mirer and Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Conway and Ryan Wetnight and Rickey Proehl, they're the 1997 Bears.

Defense looked dominant, and the offense will get even better. They were thisclose to it being a 42-6 game. Have they been this dominant since 2006?

None of this matters though because Bill Barnwell looked at the math and the two deflected pass that could have been interceptions and saw the incredibly misleading yardage totals and decided that these teams played the same and Chicago got lucky because of the turnovers and fuck this I don't care and I'm not doing this this year. Go Bears. Just keep winning and pissing everyone off in the process.

[Saul Goodman]

The Bears are only good because they have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman and Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis and Devin Hester. You take those guys off the team and replace them with John Thierry, Brian Cox and Walt Harris and Rick Mirer and Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Conway and Ryan Wetnight and Rickey Proehl, they're the 1997 Bears.

Defense looked dominant, and the offense will get even better. They were thisclose to it being a 42-6 game. Have they been this dominant since 2006?

Go Bears. Just keep winning and pissing everyone off in the process.

THIS

[CT III]

The Bears are only good because they have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman and Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis and Devin Hester. You take those guys off the team and replace them with John Thierry, Brian Cox and Walt Harris and Rick Mirer and Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Conway and Ryan Wetnight and Rickey Proehl, they're the 1997 Bears.

Defense looked dominant, and the offense will get even better. They were thisclose to it being a 42-6 game. Have they been this dominant since 2006?

None of this matters though because Bill Barnwell looked at the math and the two deflected pass that could have been interceptions and saw the incredibly misleading yardage totals and decided that these teams played the same and Chicago got lucky because of the turnovers and fuck this I don't care and I'm not doing this this year. Go Bears. Just keep winning and pissing everyone off in the process.

I need clarification - is this a Deserved Win for Atlanta or not?

[BH]

The Bears are only good because they have Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman and Jay Cutler and Matt Forte and Johnny Knox and Kellen Davis and Devin Hester. You take those guys off the team and replace them with John Thierry, Brian Cox and Walt Harris and Rick Mirer and Rashaan Salaam and Curtis Conway and Ryan Wetnight and Rickey Proehl, they're the 1997 Bears.

Defense looked dominant, and the offense will get even better. They were thisclose to it being a 42-6 game. Have they been this dominant since 2006?

None of this matters though because Bill Barnwell looked at the math and the two deflected pass that could have been interceptions and saw the incredibly misleading yardage totals and decided that these teams played the same and Chicago got lucky because of the turnovers and fuck this I don't care and I'm not doing this this year. Go Bears. Just keep winning and pissing everyone off in the process.

I need clarification - is this a Deserved Win for Atlanta or not?

Let's not lose sight of the real issues - as Fro pointed out, Cutler overthrew 3 balls to receivers.

[Internet Apex]

Is this Bill Barnwell a real person or a blogger?

[CT III]

Is this Bill Barnwell a real person or a blogger?

He writes for Grantland.com, so neither.

[fiveouts]

Is this Bill Barnwell a real person or a blogger?

He portrays himself as an unbiased "stats guy," but (in a more obvious fashion than most) selectively uses statistics to support his own subjective beliefs, like when he felt the need to explain that the Bears aren't especially noteworthy in terms of "percentage of fumbles recovered," and therefore this game was an outlier (I'm not linking to his piece of shit article). He of course forgets to mention that the Bears have been one of the top teams in terms of takeaway damn near every year Lovie's been head coach. Yay for confirmation bias.

[J. Walter Weatherman]

Is this Bill Barnwell a real person or a blogger?

He portrays himself as an unbiased "stats guy," but (in a more obvious fashion than most) selectively uses statistics to support his own subjective beliefs, like when he felt the need to explain that the Bears aren't especially noteworthy in terms of "percentage of fumbles recovered," and therefore this game was an outlier (I'm not linking to his piece of shit article). He of course forgets to mention that the Bears have been one of the top teams in terms of takeaway damn near every year Lovie's been head coach. Yay for confirmation bias.

But just think: had Sean Weatherspoon tackled Forte on his TD reception instead of not tackling him, Forte would have never scored a TD on that particular reception.

And, sure, the Bears' five sacks of Matt Ryan may look nice on paper. But, once you consider the fact that the Falcons only gave up 1.3 sacks per game in 2010, you realize that it's not that impressive at all. Because what's easier than sacking a guy who doesn't get sacked much?

I mean, the Bears were rushing four defensive linemen against the Falcons one QB. 4-on-1? That's hardly a fair fight.

Meanwhile, the sports books actually like Detroit's chances at home against the mighty Chiefs (WHO MADE THE PLAYOFFS LAST SEASON) more than they like the Bears' chances on the road at the Saints (who only won eleven games in 2010).

So much for that vaunted road field advantage, I guess.

No, the deeper you dig into the stats that matter, you more you realize that the 2011 Bears are little more than a mirage.

[Saul Goodman]

Is this Bill Barnwell a real person or a blogger?

He portrays himself as an unbiased "stats guy," but (in a more obvious fashion than most) selectively uses statistics to support his own subjective beliefs, like when he felt the need to explain that the Bears aren't especially noteworthy in terms of "percentage of fumbles recovered," and therefore this game was an outlier (I'm not linking to his piece of shit article). He of course forgets to mention that the Bears have been one of the top teams in terms of takeaway damn near every year Lovie's been head coach. Yay for confirmation bias.

But just think: had Sean Weatherspoon tackled Forte on his TD reception instead of not tackling him, Forte would have never scored a TD on that particular reception.

And, sure, the Bears' five sacks of Matt Ryan may look nice on paper. But, once you consider the fact that the Falcons only gave up 1.3 sacks per game in 2010, you realize that it's not that impressive at all. Because what's easier than sacking a guy who doesn't get sacked much?

I mean, the Bears were rushing four defensive linemen against the Falcons one QB. 4-on-1? That's hardly a fair fight.

Meanwhile, the sports books actually like Detroit's chances at home against the mighty Chiefs (WHO MADE THE PLAYOFFS LAST SEASON) more than they like the Bears' chances on the road at the Saints (who only won eleven games in 2010).

So much for that vaunted road field advantage, I guess.

No, the deeper you dig into the stats that matter, you more you realize that the 2011 Bears are little more than a mirage.

I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter, please.

[Internet Apex]

The Falcons were starting two nubes at center and guard yesterday, which might explain why their line looked like the Bears line usually does. Let's be glad the Bears took advantage and remind ourselves that they won't all be this easy.

[CT III]

The Falcons were starting two nubes at center and guard yesterday, which might explain why their line looked like the Bears line usually does. Let's be glad the Bears took advantage and remind ourselves that they won't all be this easy.

Certainly not against Olin Kreutz.