Bears Should Not Have Won, But Who Cares?

In a game that was almost as ugly as it was cold, the Bears pulled it off against the Pack to keep their playoff dreams alive. I was at the game and it was UGLY. The Packers outplayed the Bears in almost every phase of the game, and the only reason the Bears won was a blocked field goal in the 4th quarter. Thank god Forte decided to play hard all of a sudden late in the game to propel the Bears to the victory. Oh and as usual Maynard and Gould looked excellent when they were called upon.

Basically the Bears now need one of the following to happen in order to make the playoffs:

For Division Title:

Bears Win; AND
Vikings Loss

For Wild Card:

Bears Win; AND
Bucs Loss; AND
Dallas Loss

If the Bears can beat the Texans they have a very good shot at the division and even a slim chance at the wild card.

There are two big question marks from last night's game (and most of the season). Kyle Orton and Ron Turner. Orton had another terrible game. 2 more picks runs his total interceptions in the last 4 games to 8. 8! The guy was supposed to be a low-risk quarterback. I don't know how it looked on TV, but it was like he just wasn't seeing DBs in his passing lanes, even though they were right there in front of his face. I'm not saying the Bears should shell out 80 bazillion dollars for Matt Cassel, but this situation needs to be fixed immediately. Orton seems to be the kind of leader this offense needs and respects, but the turnovers have got to stop. It's like he has a case of the "Grossman"s without the touchdowns (I'm not saying bring back Rex, I'm just saying).

The other question is Ron Turner. I heard an interesting point last night. If we all think back to the mid-90s when Erik Kramer had 4000 yards passing and the Bears had a record-setting offense (for the Bears at least), guess who was calling the plays? Ron Turner. This guy can obviously call plays and is well-respected around the league, but something just isn't right. Why wasn't he hitting Forte on passes out of the backfield? It was clearly a hole in the Packers defense. In his and Orton's defense, the wide receivers on this team suck. I'm not sure they are even trying to get open. Something on this offense needs to change for next year, because the talent is there.

All in all, it's a good day to be a Bears fan. Bring on the Texans.

Will He Stay or Will He Go?

Is Kyle Orton somehow playing for his job the next two weeks? While the Bears playoff hopes may be dwindling, it appears the great Neckbeard has something more to play for. Word around the City this week has been that the Bears may not extend Orton as next year's starter. Just a month ago this kind of talk would be blasphemy, but now it seems to be pretty serious. He has been less than stellar the last few weeks, but I think Orton is our best option.

In years past, this kind of talk would have been ludicrous. With our usual stifling defense, Orton's performance this year would have netted us 11, 12, maybe even 13 wins and a definite playoff berth. Look at what happened with the Sex Cannon a couple years ago? If anything, the Bears defense is costing Orton his job. Orton should definitely be renewed. He is young, talented and poised.

But what are the other options? Matt Cassel? Donovan McNabb? Cassel is just as unproven as Orton and McNabb is old. Both of those guys are fine, but is either really a better option than Neckbeard? I don't think so. Either way Neckbeard can help his own cause by playing well the next two weeks. A win against the Packers can put all the doubts to rest.