Official 2010-11 NFL Thread

[Balta1701]

There are subtleties in the NFL that can have huge ramifications. The Cardinals have been without Breaston for most of the year, have lost Dansby and some other key defensive pieces, Boldin is gone, and they have substituted one of the better qb's in NFL history for one of the worst in NFL history. Yes, there is a focus on the QB in this league. It is the most important position in all of sports. But you don't just find a talented QB and solve all your problems. Which is what Lost was arguing.

And yet, I'd bet you, if that team still had a (Healthy) Kurt Warner, they're a 10+ win team in that division and take it easily. That's what I'd say.

[SoxFan1]

I didn't say QB wasn't the most important position. Nothing like that. I said there was too much focus on it, at least focus for the wrong reasons. The Colts would be 6-10 every year without Peyton Manning. At the same time Brady misses an entire season and is replaced by a complete nobody (at the time, and to see what I'm getting at look at Cassel's 2009 where he was in a different system, not this year) and they still make the playoffs. Commentators and casual fans gush over the QB and give him credit almost exclusively for things he didn't do when the team wins as if he did everything and blame him for things that were someone else's fault when they lose.

 

Example, last year a Vikings fan was talking s*** about how at first she was jealous that the Vikings missed out on Cutler and she was so glad they had Favre instead. I said, in so many words, that she was retarded. She rebutted with the # of interceptions Cutler had to that point in the year (it was like 20 something). I pointed out to her that she was really coming across like she had never watched football before because Favre was the all-time interceptions leader and once threw 28 in a season (with only 20 TDs, at least Cutler had 27 TDs last year). If the Vikings had gotten Cutler last year, with that offense, he'd have had 30+ TDs and nowhere near 26 interceptions, and they still would've gone deep into the playoffs. Plus their season wouldn't be effectively over right now since he'd only be 27 years old and not 78 or however old Grandpa (literally) Brett is. QBs aren't just interchangeable, we Bears fans all found that out last year the hard way. If we traded for Philip Rivers in the offseason he'd still be playing behind this garbage line, throwing to an average group of WRs, and he'd have growing pains learning Martz's offense. He wouldn't just instantly bring his San Diego stats over with him.

There is no doubt in my mind that with all the same players and Rivers instead of Cutler, we'd be a better team overall. I don't buy the "average group of WR" and Mike Martz growing pains at all. Rivers is an elite quarterback who has impeccable decision making and has basically been league MVP without having Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, and Antonio Gates for extended periods of time. Hell, even Legadu Naannee and Patrick Crayton. Seriously, Seyi Ajirotutu was his #1 WR at one point this season.

[lostfan]

There is no doubt in my mind that with all the same players and Rivers instead of Cutler, we'd be a better team overall. I don't buy the "average group of WR" and Mike Martz growing pains at all. Rivers is an elite quarterback who has impeccable decision making and has basically been league MVP without having Vincent Jackson, Malcolm Floyd, and Antonio Gates for extended periods of time. Hell, even Legadu Naannee and Patrick Crayton. Seriously, Seyi Ajirotutu was his #1 WR at one point this season.

Rivers would have still gotten his ass kicked early in the season and he'd still have Johnny Knox occasionally being lined up on the wrong part of the field and blowing his routes to have the ball sail into some random part of the field.

 

Would we be a better team... I dunno, probably, debatable, but that's not what I said either. He'd have taken some hard lumps just like Cutler did if he'd come onto the team under similar circumstances.

[iamshack]

And yet, I'd bet you, if that team still had a (Healthy) Kurt Warner, they're a 10+ win team in that division and take it easily. That's what I'd say.

Yeah, I disagree. Would they win that division, possibly. But with the same exact team they have now, just changing out Warner for Anderson, they're probably 5-6 instead of 3-8.

[iamshack]

Rivers would have still gotten his ass kicked early in the season and he'd still have Johnny Knox occasionally being lined up on the wrong part of the field and blowing his routes to have the ball sail into some random part of the field.

 

Would we be a better team... I dunno, probably, debatable, but that's not what I said either. He'd have taken some hard lumps just like Cutler did if he'd come onto the team under similar circumstances.

Rivers is the MVP of the league this year. He is just phenomenal in every way (except scrambling). We would have not lost that game to Washington had Phillip Rivers been our quarterback. My guess is we'd be 9-2 with Rivers instead of 8-3 with Cutler.

[chw42]

Rivers is the MVP of the league this year. He is just phenomenal in every way (except scrambling). We would have not lost that game to Washington had Phillip Rivers been our quarterback. My guess is we'd be 9-2 with Rivers instead of 8-3 with Cutler.

 

What about the Seattle game? I feel like this team could definitely be 10-1 right now.

Edited December 1, 2010 by chw42

[iamshack]

What about the Seattle game? I feel like this team could definitely be 10-1 right now.

I don't know, of course you can't say that they could not have won that game, especially since it is Seattle's first win on the road in a noon time slot in like 3 years or something, but they honestly beat us pretty solidly that game. We scored a td on a Devin Hester punt return in the final few minutes to tighten the score up, but they did beat us pretty solidly. Of course, with Rivers, we very well could have won, but who knows.

[DukeNukeEm]

Only on ST do people look at an 8-3 Bears team (especially with those expectations coming into the season) and think ridiculous things like "If we had Philip Rivers we'd be 10-1." What is even the point in that? Calm down. Enjoy winning. Stop b****ing.

[Brian]

Only on ST do people look at an 8-3 Bears team (especially with those expectations coming into the season) and think ridiculous things like "If we had Philip Rivers we'd be 10-1." What is even the point in that? Calm down. Enjoy winning. Stop b****ing.

 

Not to mention, with our O-line, we probably wouldn't be 10-1

[Steve9347]

What about the Seattle game? I feel like this team could definitely be 10-1 right now.

What about the Detroit game?

 

It goes both ways.

[Steve9347]

Only on ST do people look at an 8-3 Bears team (especially with those expectations coming into the season) and think ridiculous things like "If we had Philip Rivers we'd be 10-1." What is even the point in that? Calm down. Enjoy winning. Stop b****ing.

 

[LittleHurt05]

Shaun Hill out with broken middle finger. Drew Stanton to start on Sunday.

 

All the breaks keep going the Bears way this season. (no pun intended)

[iamshack]

Only on ST do people look at an 8-3 Bears team (especially with those expectations coming into the season) and think ridiculous things like "If we had Philip Rivers we'd be 10-1." What is even the point in that? Calm down. Enjoy winning. Stop b****ing.

The point would be more clear if you took the time to read more than the two posts above yours before "chiming in." We were talking about the impact of quarterbacks in the NFL.

 

No one was b****ing at all. Only you.

[Soxbadger]

Wow Celek just destroyed a guy, looked like it was helmet to helmet. Wonder if the league will fine an offensive player.

[lostfan]

Really Bears? Really?

[Balta1701]

The Minnesota Messiah is out.

[lostfan]

The Minnesota Messiah is out.

Fittingly, that pass was an interception.

 

If this injury is serious then it'll be another season that ends on an INT, like the 5th in a row.

[lostfan]

Unimpressed with the Bears D today.

[DukeNukeEm]

Bennett is having himself a game.

[MurcieOne]

great block by Olsen on Forte's TD run.

[MurcieOne]

Unimpressed with the Bears D today.

 

The D line is getting dominated today. Lions running game is putting Stanton in makeable 3rd downs.

[lostfan]

Bennett is having himself a game.

Best WR on the Bears and I don't mean that as a backhanded compliment. He does all the dirty work that doesn't get highlight reels (but lets others get it) and he's the most reliable of anybody else on the roster.

[chw42]

We're getting killed on these screens.

[lostfan]

The D line is getting dominated today. Lions running game is putting Stanton in makeable 3rd downs.

They are still stuck in traffic on I-94 or something.

[lostfan]

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but Olsen's blocking has come a LONG way in the last month.