I apologize for the lack of posting last week. I have no excuses.

However, good news for all.  I’ve made the Fantasy Football finals for the first time ever.  And not only that, but I made it in both of my (main) leagues!  So that’s exciting.  And already, Heath Miller got me 0 points.  So off to a great start for the finals.

So the Kyle Orton era begins anew.  Now here’s the thing about this.  I hear a lot of people saying “Wow, Kyle Orton proved that he’s not a good QB after all.”  I don’t honestly think that Kyle Orton is going to be a great or even a good quarterback in this league, but I don’t think Monday night’s game proved a thing.  I just had this innate feeling watching the game that Orton was playing with his hands cuffed.  He seemed relatively comfortable in the pocket, but he didn’t seem comfortable with the play calling.  Maybe it’s because I’ve grown so tired with this coaching staff, but it was just a feeling I got.

It’s making me feel all the more like Chicago is a place where Quarterbacks die.  I’m also starting to wonder just how good Rex Grossman actually is.  I’ve heard people say “He would be so good on a different team.”  I don’t know how true that is, as the major thing the Bears don’t have this season is an offensive line, but that same line was really solid last year, and we really discovered Grossman’s inconsistency.  I don’t think he’s a bad quarterback, I also don’t think he’s great, but I’m starting to wonder if he really would thrive on a team that actually new how to run an offense.  Watching how much Orton was put in a position to fail, I’m starting to realize how much Grossman has put in that same position.  And it’s not just Orton, the whole offense is put in a position to fail by our coaching staff.  The absolute pinnacle example of the whole season was when the Bears were first down and ten at our own 3 yard line, against the #1 rushing defense in the league, and they handed it off to 5 foot 6 Garret Wolfe up the middle.  Unbelievable.

Well at least now we can officially start looking toward next year, and I have to tell you, if Lovie doesn’t have a massive change in offensive philosophy, he needs to be fired.  We not only need a lot of offensive players to be even decent, but we need a complete change in philosophy.  Playing to not lose offense ain’t gonna work anymore.  And I can almost call it now, because this would be classic Bears, but I would not be surprised if the Bear made some big trades to get Donavan McNabb and Michael Turner, and maybe picked up 1 offensive lineman, and then ran the exact same sort of offense they run now, and we would still suck.  I would love to have McNabb, but to be honest, I would like to have him two seasons from now, when we have a brand new offensive line that’s running on all cylinders (and perhaps a new coaching staff doing the same).

Even though our defense was not good this year, I have to say that I see a lot of hope on the defensive side.  Injuries did kill us, and exchanging Chris Harris for Archuleta was a terrible mistake, but the defense (when healthy) is actually not too bad.  And I actually kind of like Babich’s gameplans a lot of the time, and MOST of the big plays we’ve allowed this year are thanks to not having that shutdown safety (let’s face it Archuleta and Danieal Manning can’t tackle anyone).  But if you look position by position, we have an injury riddled but talented Defensive Line, 3 really solid DE’s, possibly the best LB trio in the league (assuming we can get Briggs to stay), and 2 very talented corners.  I really do have faith that this defensive unit can bounce back and be solid next year.  I really do think that.

So that being said, the Bears need to spend every single draft pick on offensive players.  First two rounds should be offensive linemen, unless there is a RB or WR that’s just unpassable at whatever pick we have (which I’m kind of hoping we lose out for).  I’ll try to break more of this down later, it’s depressing to think about now, because Detroit, Minnesota, and Green Bay are all far better than they were, so our brief window of being the NFC North kings is already over.

Anyway, onto the picks.

Week 14 Record:  11-5
Last Week Record:  10-6
Season Record:  144-80

Pittsburgh @ St. Louis

I actually did make this pick before Thursday night, and I was thinking that Pittsburgh had had a short week, had just gotten whipped up, and would be playing inside.  The least they could have done is pass a few more times to Heath Miller.  Honestly.

Dallas @ Carolina

Dallas has been looking very beatable as of late, but they can seal up home field, and you gotta think that’ll put a spark underneath them.  And was Jessica Simpson at that Dallas game last week?  I couldn’t tell, they never showed her.

Oakland @ Jacksonville

Okay, I’m a believer.  Jacksonville is a heck of a team, and Fred Taylor was officially my best Fantasy Football free agent acquisition possibly ever.  To be honest, Jacksonville could really play spoiler in the playoffs to Indy or New England.  Everyone’s overlooking them, and they are really solid pretty much all around.  They should at least make things real interesting in the playoffs.

Kansas City @ Detroit

Detroit has made a crater after falling back to Earth and I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t win another game.

Houston @ Indianapolis

Indy has looked like the most beatable team they’ve ever been, and yet they keep winning. But Houston makes this close I bet.

Philadelphia @ New Orleans

New Orleans came back around a little late this year, but I so want to see them in the playoffs rather than Minnesota.  Philly’s scrappy though, and that Westbrook falling at the one makes it hard to dislike Philly.  Of course, I didn’t have him in fantasy, so it didn’t hurt me, but if anyone is mad at Westbrook for doing that because it ruined their fantasy team, they need to re-evaluate playing fantasy football.

NY Giants @ Buffalo

How on Earth are the Giants 9-5?  Honestly, they’re like slightly better than the Bears.  Buffalo is a year away from being really solid.  So yeah, Buffalo is the pick.

Green Bay @ Chicago

Lovie – do not play to win this game!  Play to see what we have for next year!  I could give a shit less about sweeping the season series with the Packers.  Play the guys who haven’t had a chance!  Do it!

Cleveland @ Cincinnati

I love that Cleveland is good this year.  LOVE it.  And how did Derrek Anderson not make the pro bowl?  Rothlisberger over Anderson?  Come on!  Oh yeah, and Cincy blows.
Atlanta @ Arizona

Atlanta is a ways from being good, and Arizona really isn’t far off.  They may actually finally be the sleeper team everyone’s been picking them to be for the last 4 years.

Tampa Bay @ San Francisco

At the beginning of the season, I think most people, including me, would have thought this would have been San Fran facing a bad Tampa team to make the playoffs.  Crazy.

NY Jets @ Tennessee

This will probably be yet another ugly win for Tennessee.  Honestly, every win they’ve had has been hideous it seems.

Miami @ New England

I would love Miami to win this game, but I kind of want New England to not lose until the super bowl.  The only problem with that is that I’m probably going to have to root for Dallas or Green Bay.  Ugh.  And just for the record, if I hear any of you Boston fans bitch about sports at all for like the next three years, I get one free punch in the face.  Honestly, shut up with the whining.  You have absolutely nothing to complain about, in any sport.

Baltimore @ Seattle

Baltimore really really sucks by the way.  They’re one of the only teams that makes me glad to be a Bears fan.

Washington @ Minnesota

All I have to say is Go Washington.  And by the way, Minnesota’s rushing defense is phenomenal, and we all know Adrian Peterson is phenomenal.  That’s really it.  Beyond that, they don’t have much, and everyone seems to be overlooking this.  But I guess they’re winning so everything looks good when you win.

Denver @ San Diego

It’s sad how little I care about this game.

Go Football, and go 2008 Bears!