The season is over: Bears a "team of destiny" apparently

[ironwasp]

A very strange line from the otherwise very sound Lovie Smith following the end of the Cardinals game last night:

"Sometimes, when you're a team of destiny, things like that happen," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said.

I think week six is a little early to believe you've been touched by fate as the anointed champions, and if they are starting to believe that up there it may well have contributed to a pretty shocking performance.

If I were Smith I think I'd be telling my team: "play like that much more often and we're winning nothing this year", rather than persuading them that it was just some moment of weirdness on the righteous and pre-ordained path to Miami.

Every other contender in the NFL last night will have looked at this game and thought: OK, these guys are human after all, we can beat them.

 

[Hawg 73]

It's a long season. They were d@mn lucky to escape last night with a win! Next time they may not be as lucky.

 

[DefenseRules]

A very strange line from the otherwise very sound Lovie Smith following the end of the Cardinals game last night:

"Sometimes, when you're a team of destiny, things like that happen," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said.

I think week six is a little early to believe you've been touched by fate as the anointed champions, and if they are starting to believe that up there it may well have contributed to a pretty shocking performance.

If I were Smith I think I'd be telling my team: "play like that much more often and we're winning nothing this year", rather than persuading them that it was just some moment of weirdness on the righteous and pre-ordained path to Miami.

Every other contender in the NFL last night will have looked at this game and thought: OK, these guys are human after all, we can beat them.

EXACTLY! They are starting to believe their own hype. They acted like they won the Super Bowl last night. They were very fortunate that they played against a bad team that hasn't figured out how to win.

"play like that much more often and we're winning nothing this year", rather than persuading them that it was just some moment of weirdness on the righteous and pre-ordained path to Miami.

This is EXACTLY what BB would say to the team after a performance like that last night.

 

[Patti37]

Did Lovie watch his QB play last night...4 turnovers and 2 fumbles?

 

[Pats726]

The Chicago media has been winning the Superbowl for weeks...believe all the hype...team of destiny...that was some pitiful showing at the end...from the Cardinals who may be falling even more to the regs, who started teh whole collapse..The other NFL teams waiting saw how normal the Bears are..I think the only destiny is they will NOT win the big one..tyhey are beatable!!

 

[ironwasp]

There are teams that sometimes have a sense of destiny about them. But I can't remember one being called so early in the season and with so little evidence.

If there's a team of destiny in the league right now, it's the Raiders. They appear destined to achieve the near impossible: a winless season. Their best chance of avoiding that comes next week when they play... Arizona.

I think the Cards spend a day in the gloom wondering how they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and then on Thursday they think: "You know what, we damn near beat one team of destiny. This week we go the whole way." Cards by a TD.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Excellent posts.

The Cards did achieve something that I didn't expect them to: they made the game enjoyable for three hours, even if the unravelling at the end was painful to watch. In fact, it put me in such a good mood I even was amused by Joe Theisman (I'm a strange boy).

 

[Bella*chick]

I remember when the Bills were a team of destiny after that unbelievable playoff comeback against the Oilers years ago. The media just loved that one. Unfortunately, the Cowboys failed to get the memo.

All I know is that if it had been the Pats and not the Bears last night, we would have been melting down on this board, saying how badly we sucked. I don't understand how the Bears can seem so thrilled when they pulled that one out against the freakin' Cards, a team that will find any way to lose.

 

[gomezcat]

Team of destiny, my arse. That sounds a lot like arrogance. His team are in for a few nasty surprises this season. You take out a non-block by the Cards' RT leading to the sack and TD, a stupid penalty on Arrington and a kicker who has suddenly become utterly crap (the classic case of the yips), then Chicago would have had their arses kicked. Leinart looked damn composed, accurate, mobile and reminded me of someone...... The Cards' D were also pretty good and aggressive. I felt really sorry for them.

 

[Tunescribe]

Grossman is the Bears' Achilles heel, I've never believed in him as a winning quarterback. Just wait. Belichick will have him seeing apparitions.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

A very strange line from the otherwise very sound Lovie Smith following the end of the Cardinals game last night:

"Sometimes, when you're a team of destiny, things like that happen," Chicago coach Lovie Smith said.

.

Oh pulleeeeeeze. Spot most any (excluding Raiders of course) of the other NFL teams a 20 point second half lead and it's in the books. He's lucky his team was playing the Cards....
IIRC everyone thought the '05 Colts were Destiny's team also and they lost 3 of their last 4 and it was nearly 4 out of 4 but for a goal line stand against these same Cards........
As they say, pride goeth before the fall.. They may be the cream of the NFC but after watching last night's offensive performance (and I mean that both ways, offensive and offensive) they are not SB contenders in my mind.
I know it was one game but 4 picks and 2 fumbles........Remember Rex has never really played more than a few games each year before his annual injury, so maybe he's hitting the wall at game 6......(said only half in jest)

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

At least Lovie didn't thank the Cardinals for being worse offensive play-callers than my mom. If it was a choice between "we're a team of destiny" or "the morons on the other side gave us the game" I think he made the right choice.

Screw that, I wish he had thanked the Cardinals. What are they gonna do about it, run the ball for no gain some more next time they play?

 

[PatsSox363804]

All I know is that if it had been the Pats and not the Bears last night, we would have been melting down on this board, saying how badly we sucked. I don't understand how the Bears can seem so thrilled when they pulled that one out against the freakin' Cards, a team that will find any way to lose.

Bingo. Not to mention the fact that the media (Borges and Felger especially) would be ripping them for falling behind the Cardinals like that. I think if anything that game last night shows that there is no dominant team this season, it's really wide open. Off topic, I don't believe in "curses" but the AZ Cardinals are a freakin cursed franchise, it's really just unbelievable.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

Last night was a fluke and I feel very bad for Green and his team. I enjoyed every minute of the game until the end.
The Cards played very tough and Leinart did well... they should have won.

I can't stand Brian Urlacher...he has no personality and tries to come across as the toughest one man show in the NFL. He should try to grow some hair on his head and he wouldn't look so much like a bonehead. His post game comments were ******ed as well. I would love to see him get injured.

Lovie Smith makes me sick when I look at his smirk. His comments on being destiny will be proven wrong soon enough-SOMEBODY needs to bring their BANDWAGON FANS and "tough" Chicago fans down to earth for a humbling experience. I guess I never got over the 85 Bowl. Many of my friends were supporting the Bears because they were more dominant and predicted to win. I've always supported the underdogs.


What comes around goes around.
After watching their offense-The Bears WILL NOT win a superbowl and I hope their fans (or Ditka) never live to see them win another.

 

[minvardar]

We need to sign Lance Briggs next year. What a beast! 13 tackles and 2 assists.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

Last night was a fluke and I feel very bad for Green and his team. I enjoyed every minute of the game until the end.
The Cards played very tough and Leinart did well... they should have won.

WHAT??? Did you watch the game? Green and his staff are the reason they lost the game, and even though I cheered for the Cardinals fof the first 3 1/2 quarters by the end I was rooting for them to miss the field goal because they didn't deserve to win the game.

Every single series in the 2nd half, until the final drive went like this for Arizona:

1st down: run for short/no yards
2nd down: run for short/no yards
3rd and 8+: Leinart is forced to throw the ball 10+ yards. The guy had no chance.
4th down: punt

Arizona was running down the clock with a quarter left to play. Because they couldn't get a first down they were running down 2 minutes at a time.

And then finally, at the end, they let Leinart throw the ball. He moves them to the 23 in no time, its like 2nd and 3 and even Joe freaking Theisman knows what is going to happen when he says "Don't start running the ball. Keep attacking." They run the ball twice for no yards, settling on a 40 yd field goal when they could have just kept passing, likely getting a first down (Leinart was up to that point unstoppable in the drive) and maybe getting into the end zone. At least they could give themselves an easy 30 yarder or something.

Arizona pulled defeat from the clutches of victory and deserved to lose that game. That's the kind of play calling that should get a guy fired.

*edit* Oh yeah, and while "flukey" the Cardinals allowed the punt return by by punting from their own territory again and again. If they just tried to gain some yards rather than running for no gain repeatedly they could have gotten to midfield and forced some fair catches or touchbacks.

 

[Oswlek]

I can't remember the last time I was so disgusted with the outcome of a football game that I went into without any rooting interest. Chicago was dominated on both sides of the ball. Their defense was outplayed by both Arizona's offense and defense, and their offense played one of the worst games we will witness all year. Only their special teams actually played pretty well, but even that allowed two long KO returns at the end of the game. If I was a Cardinals fan I would be ripsh;t right now, because Chicago deserved to win that game as much as the Jets deserved to win the AFCE last year. Just a few thoughts on that game:

* The officiating was overall very good, but the James fumble never should have happened. He ran into the line and was stopped by two defenders. They stopped his progress completely for a second before a third defender came in and started pushing the pile backwards. Finally a fourth defender came in without any concern about going for the tackle and just two-handed ripped the ball out of James' hands as he was falling down backwards. James was either stopped or moving backwards for more than 3 full seconds. If that isn't halted forward progress, I don't know what is. That was clearly a case of an officiating crew siding with a team that is getting killed in order to make the rest of the game more competitive.

* Me thinks that this was not the real Rex Grossman, but he certainly isn't the one that was throwing 4 TDs a game either. By season's end, no one will be talking about how great the Bears' O is. Footballoutsiders had a few good notes prior to this game about how the Grossman-Berrian connection was largely caused by defenses botching the coverage scheme here.

* Does anyone really think that Steve Smith would have any problem getting open on that secondary right now?

* When are NFL coaches going to realize that a 40 yard FG is not a gimme? Every year on national TV, often times in the playoffs, teams get to the 25 yard line late in the game, and then shut down their offense. Yes, the Bears had gotten a few TOs, but Arizona had just driven from the 18 to the 25 yard line pretty easily. Not only that, but there was a minute left in the game! Way too much time to think that these are going to be the final points scored. If your not inside the 20 at least, keep driving. It really isn't that hard.

* All that said, the biggest bone-head move of the game, and the one that likely cost Arizona the most, was Arrington's taunting penalty after the KO return. Hey, kid, you just got your team out beyond the 40 yard line to start their drive. Get the hell off the field as fast as you can. Don't spike the ball and certainly don't go and get back into the guys face after the refs look the other way when the spiked ball should have brought a flag anyway. Just unbelievably stupid. Mindblowingly so. Easily the dumbest thing I have seen so far this season.

I am now convinced more than ever that Chicago won't even make it to the SB, let alone win it. I realize the faultiness of reading too much into one game, but I was on this train of thought before the game.


Edited to add that I hadn't read the second page so I didn't realize that I was rehashing a few points. Sorry.

 

[ironwasp]

A great post Oswlek. I didn't have the benefit of seeing the game so I have no real insight into how the game was won and lost, I was simply struck by the strange comment from the coach.

But the Chicago legend - the team of destiny - has been built around blow-out defeats of really poor opposition (Detroit, Buffalo, Green Bay), narrow road wins over opponents who with a little more experience and confidence should have won (Minnesota and Arizona) and a blow-out of the previously undefeated Seahawks who were missing their MVP.

So while I too wouldn't read much into any single game, there is a pattern of sorts:

1 - The Bears are formidable at home, where they will be difficult to beat. They may not have to play any road games in the play-offs, which will help.

2 - Half decent offences can score on them. Brad Johnson had a decent day. Leinart a pretty good one.

3 - They are vulnerable on the road and have a three game trip coming up that starts with the Giants takes in the Jets before arriving in NE. I'd like to see tham come to Foxborough undefeated, but I don't see it happening.

My 6-0 record and the manner in which the games were won would tell me that I have a lot to do before arriving back in the Windy City for a parade in mid-February. Not that the footballing gods were smiling one me.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

There are teams that sometimes have a sense of destiny about them. But I can't remember one being called so early in the season and with so little evidence.

If there's a team of destiny in the league right now, it's the Raiders. They appear destined to achieve the near impossible: a winless season. Their best chance of avoiding that comes next week when they play... Arizona.

I think the Cards spend a day in the gloom wondering how they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, and then on Thursday they think: "You know what, we damn near beat one team of destiny. This week we go the whole way." Cards by a TD.

Belichick believes that most battles are won or lost before they begin, based on how well prepared the team is.

Lovie Smith just SHOWED us that his team is no longer a superbowl contender. Period.

Even my wife was saying the other week that 'The Bears have peaked way to early.'

As far as the media and their little 'teams of destiny', look no further than 2003. The Titans were the team of destiny with McNair being Co-MVP, of course it goes without saying that the Dolts were the team of destiny.

Brett Favre was leading the NFC team of destiny, because his father died. Than the Eagles were the team of destiny because they had almost been there before.

Then the Panthers were the team of destiny because they were the new '2001 Patriots', but on steriods.

At the end of the day, this crap never works.

As far as I am concerned, the Bears have already lost the battle for the Vince Lombardi trophy, with this serious gaff by Lovie Smith.

 

[Oswlek]

A great post Oswlek. I didn't have the benefit of seeing the game so I have no real insight into how the game was won and lost, I was simply struck by the strange comment from the coach.

But the Chicago legend - the team of destiny - has been built around blow-out defeats of really poor opposition (Detroit, Buffalo, Green Bay), narrow road wins over opponents who with a little more experience and confidence should have won (Minnesota and Arizona) and a blow-out of the previously undefeated Seahawks who were missing their MVP.

So while I too wouldn't read much into any single game, there is a pattern of sorts:

1 - The Bears are formidable at home, where they will be difficult to beat. They may not have to play any road games in the play-offs, which will help.

2 - Half decent offences can score on them. Brad Johnson had a decent day. Leinart a pretty good one.

3 - They are vulnerable on the road and have a three game trip coming up that starts with the Giants takes in the Jets before arriving in NE. I'd like to see tham come to Foxborough undefeated, but I don't see it happening.

My 6-0 record and the manner in which the games were won would tell me that I have a lot to do before arriving back in the Windy City for a parade in mid-February. Not that the footballing gods were smiling one me.

The Bears are still the best team in the league right now. Their offense was pitiful yesterday, but it isn't that bad. And their D is still a game changing force.

Nonetheless, I think that Carolina and Philly both match up well with Chicago right now to the point that I would be surprised if Chicago beat either of them, home or away. Chicago has a run D to die for, but I still don't believe in their pass D. A team that has a dynamic player at either QB or WR can dominate them. They had no answer for Boldin and I think that Smith and McNabb would give them fits as well. Both Carolina and Philly have defenses that could stop the Bears as well.

I have a feeling that NE will beat them, but only because I trust NE's passing game to improve. As currently constituted, NE would have trouble scoring 10 points on Chicago without some key turnovers.