lspain1
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http://blogs.chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports_whatsgoinon/
September 21, 2007
We pick 'em
Adam Caldarelli
It's football night in America, people. Top billing goes to everyone's current love interest Tony Romo, with the role of the comedic foil played by national whipping boy Rex Grossman.
It's very simple: A high-powered offense, first in the league in scoring, against a Bears defense that's allowed just 24 points in two games. Throw in Al Michaels, John Madden, bus fumes, a bunch of Mr. Beef wrappers and it sounds like a party to me.
Romo has gone off in two games; Rex has not. Remember, however, that Eli Manning and the Giants put up 35 points on the Boys in Week 1, so, hey, anything is possible. It really is. So hang in there, Rexy, reach for the stars and make your dreams comes true.
Really, though, the Bears defense will be the difference. It usually is.
The edge goes to the Bears because they're at home, a three point edge, which is what those shaddy Vegas types say. It'll be 20-17. Just don't ask me how the Bears score those two touchdowns. Devin Hester and Nathan Vasher?
The rest of our picks:
Amanda Kaschube: Bears have done a good job of shutting down a team’s star running back each week. LaDainian Tomlinson (25 yards) and Larry Johnson (55 yards)? Take a seat. This week the defense will focus on Marion Barber, who has 3 rushing TDs on 154 yards in two games this season. Urlacher, Harris, Briggs and friends have allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league (24). Fancy. Now that I have thoroughly impressed with my stats, watch this Try not to cringe when Copeland Bryan shows his thigh at the end. As for the game…I think Good Rex make an appearance alongside a Good Bears defense. Bears 17-13.
George Knue: Logic says the Bears win. The Cowboys have a great offense and the Bears have a great defense -- and in those cases I like the defense. Especially since the teams the Cowboys beat -- Miami and the Giants -- don't have a lot on the defensive side. Plus, the Cowboys have the No. 26 defense in the league -- and even though the Bears offense so far stinks, you'd have to think that is good news for the Monsters of the Midway. And the Bears are at home. But this one feels bad. The Bears seem to have lost their mojo since last season -- maybe because Rex Grossman has lost his mojo since the first half of the 2006 season. And the homefield advantage may not mean much since Bears fans seem to spend a lot of time booing Grossman, wrongly I feel. And Dallas seems to have a lot of momentum. Hate to say it ... but Dallas 21-13.
Ryan Jaster: Dallas gets a chance to prove it's worthy of the hype as the early "expert" pick in the NFC, and I see no reason to expect anything but a Cowboys victory in this showdown. Of course, I thought the same thing in my first visit to Soldier Field in the 1996 "Monday Night Football" season opener Bears 22, Defending Super Bowl Champs 6. My colleague Rahula Strohl said Wednesday that "either the Cowboys are the cure for what ails Rex or Rex is the cure for what ails the Cowboys." I'm going with the latter. Cowboys 31, Bears 17.
Rahula Strohl: My internets have been down all day, so I'm late to the game and get to read everybody else's picks first. Is that unfair? Don't know, don't care. Also don't understand why a Dallas defense that gave up 35 points to Eli Manning and the staggeringly dysfunctional Giants is getting the nod over Cedric Benson. That's right, I said Cedric Benson. Not Rex. Also, Devin Hester is not the only Bears special teamer. Kick coverage dropped three returns inside the 20 last week, the punting game did well and what the hey, let's make it three blocked field goals in as many games. Oh, and the defense finally scores. Bears 27, Cowboys 9
And what everyone else is saying:
The Tribune's Terry Bannon likes the Cowboys by a point.
Over at ESPN we'll start with the Sunday Countdown crew. No stunner here: Ditka likes the Bears, Keyshawn and Emmitt the Cowboys and Tom Jackson's taking the Broncos.
Their other nine experts and a computer, swing 6-3 in favor of the Bears.
At Sportsline, Clark Judge rules in favor of the Bears. "It's time the Bears started acting like Monsters of the Midway," he writes. "Amen," the great Chicagoland area chorus replies.
Meanwhile, Pete Prisco, ever the downer, says Cowboys, 21-10.
Yahoo sports, their people go 3-2 in favor of Dallas.
The sporting News' Vinnie Iyer says he's going with "the Bears' black-and-blue physical style over the Cowboys' finesse." 20-17.
Mike Tanier at Foxsports.com warns everyone that if the Cowboys win, the Tony Romo saturation will only increase. Yikes.
September 21, 2007
We pick 'em
Adam Caldarelli
It's football night in America, people. Top billing goes to everyone's current love interest Tony Romo, with the role of the comedic foil played by national whipping boy Rex Grossman.
It's very simple: A high-powered offense, first in the league in scoring, against a Bears defense that's allowed just 24 points in two games. Throw in Al Michaels, John Madden, bus fumes, a bunch of Mr. Beef wrappers and it sounds like a party to me.
Romo has gone off in two games; Rex has not. Remember, however, that Eli Manning and the Giants put up 35 points on the Boys in Week 1, so, hey, anything is possible. It really is. So hang in there, Rexy, reach for the stars and make your dreams comes true.
Really, though, the Bears defense will be the difference. It usually is.
The edge goes to the Bears because they're at home, a three point edge, which is what those shaddy Vegas types say. It'll be 20-17. Just don't ask me how the Bears score those two touchdowns. Devin Hester and Nathan Vasher?
The rest of our picks:
Amanda Kaschube: Bears have done a good job of shutting down a team’s star running back each week. LaDainian Tomlinson (25 yards) and Larry Johnson (55 yards)? Take a seat. This week the defense will focus on Marion Barber, who has 3 rushing TDs on 154 yards in two games this season. Urlacher, Harris, Briggs and friends have allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league (24). Fancy. Now that I have thoroughly impressed with my stats, watch this Try not to cringe when Copeland Bryan shows his thigh at the end. As for the game…I think Good Rex make an appearance alongside a Good Bears defense. Bears 17-13.
George Knue: Logic says the Bears win. The Cowboys have a great offense and the Bears have a great defense -- and in those cases I like the defense. Especially since the teams the Cowboys beat -- Miami and the Giants -- don't have a lot on the defensive side. Plus, the Cowboys have the No. 26 defense in the league -- and even though the Bears offense so far stinks, you'd have to think that is good news for the Monsters of the Midway. And the Bears are at home. But this one feels bad. The Bears seem to have lost their mojo since last season -- maybe because Rex Grossman has lost his mojo since the first half of the 2006 season. And the homefield advantage may not mean much since Bears fans seem to spend a lot of time booing Grossman, wrongly I feel. And Dallas seems to have a lot of momentum. Hate to say it ... but Dallas 21-13.
Ryan Jaster: Dallas gets a chance to prove it's worthy of the hype as the early "expert" pick in the NFC, and I see no reason to expect anything but a Cowboys victory in this showdown. Of course, I thought the same thing in my first visit to Soldier Field in the 1996 "Monday Night Football" season opener Bears 22, Defending Super Bowl Champs 6. My colleague Rahula Strohl said Wednesday that "either the Cowboys are the cure for what ails Rex or Rex is the cure for what ails the Cowboys." I'm going with the latter. Cowboys 31, Bears 17.
Rahula Strohl: My internets have been down all day, so I'm late to the game and get to read everybody else's picks first. Is that unfair? Don't know, don't care. Also don't understand why a Dallas defense that gave up 35 points to Eli Manning and the staggeringly dysfunctional Giants is getting the nod over Cedric Benson. That's right, I said Cedric Benson. Not Rex. Also, Devin Hester is not the only Bears special teamer. Kick coverage dropped three returns inside the 20 last week, the punting game did well and what the hey, let's make it three blocked field goals in as many games. Oh, and the defense finally scores. Bears 27, Cowboys 9
And what everyone else is saying:
The Tribune's Terry Bannon likes the Cowboys by a point.
The Bears haven't shown they can move ball with any consistency, and that doesn't get it done against playoff-caliber team like Dallas.
Sports Illustrated's unhappy traveler, coffee nerd, colonoscopy victim and loving father, Peter King, picks the Bears, 26-20 and stranger still makes no mention of his man-crush Romo. Though he does drop some purple prose on us.
The throaty mob, emboldened by a long day of Old Style-chugging in the Soldier Field parking lots, will come to scream for the scalp of Rex Grossman. But Rex will leave the field in triumph -- after the obligatory Andrea Kremer postgame interrogation -- and live to fight another day.
Whoa.
Over at ESPN we'll start with the Sunday Countdown crew. No stunner here: Ditka likes the Bears, Keyshawn and Emmitt the Cowboys and Tom Jackson's taking the Broncos.
Their other nine experts and a computer, swing 6-3 in favor of the Bears.
At Sportsline, Clark Judge rules in favor of the Bears. "It's time the Bears started acting like Monsters of the Midway," he writes. "Amen," the great Chicagoland area chorus replies.
Meanwhile, Pete Prisco, ever the downer, says Cowboys, 21-10.
What will decide this game is the Bears offense against the Dallas defense. Something says the Cowboys defense gets the best of it.
Most of their other so-called experts like the Cowboys, too.
Yahoo sports, their people go 3-2 in favor of Dallas.
The sporting News' Vinnie Iyer says he's going with "the Bears' black-and-blue physical style over the Cowboys' finesse." 20-17.
Mike Tanier at Foxsports.com warns everyone that if the Cowboys win, the Tony Romo saturation will only increase. Yikes.
The Cowboys offense is good enough to put up 24 points against the Bears defense. Can the Bears score 24 points? Only if Hester does his cape-and-phone booth routine yet again. Look for the Cowboys to emerge from Soldier Field with a 3-0 record, then brace for Tony Romo's picture on every magazine cover.
That's reason enough to root for the Bears.
