Good post 84, I think no matter what team you support you will always hold that hope that the next year will be YOUR year. You have that feeling that you know something the other guys don't and if it pans out then going into work the following Monday is all the sweeter! I really think the Bears have a great opportunity this year as long as they stay healthy, who know what they could acheive? Before 2006 who predicted them going to the Super Bowl? Not me anyway, even with Bear tinted glasses! Here's to sweeping the division and humbling all those cocky Vikes fans, GO BEARS!!!
In fact, the Vikings did so well drafting WRs in the last several years, they felt it was necessary to sign a free agent WR from the Bears. Now that's pathetic.
How did that work out? Well, the Vikings pass offense went from 28th in the league in 2007 to 25th last year. Wow. That 6 year, $42 million contract to Berrian really paid off didn't it!
Oh, you mean the same Jay Cutler that you called a franchise QB and wanted the Vikings to pick up? That Jay Cutler? Well LOL he is a Bear and your team is stuck with Parsley, Sage Rosenfels and Thyme or Travisty Jackson.
And actually I hope the Vikes do pick up Favre. He is so old he played Pop Warner football with Methusaleh! But picking him up will remove any excuses for a Vikings collapse in 2009. Good luck with that.
This is great, a post is started about how Viking and Packer fans jump all over our boards criticizing the Bears and how much better their teams are and all of a sudden there they are.
I am so sick of the "Bears WR suck comment". How the hell do you know that? Because they are unproven? The only WR you can say that sucks on our team is Rashied Davis because he really does. Other than that, besides Hester, none of the others have seen significant playing time or even seen the field. When was the last time a WR won a Super Bowl by himself? How many Super Bowl wins do Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Marshall, Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Andre Johnson, Steve Smith, Marques Colston, Chad Johnson, or any Colts WR have? The Colts obviously have one when they beat the Bears and I think Terrell Owens has one when he was on the 49ers but he was playing second fiddle to some guy named Jerry Rice. A top WR is overrated, nice to have, but not necessarily needed. It is a guy who touches the ball 5-8 times a game. QB and RB are much more important when it comes to skill positions. You all must understand that because Berrian is your #1 and if you seriously think he belongs in the conversation with the guys I mentioned above you are more dilusional than I thought. Vikes_fan4ever says this:
Most don't think the WHOLE team sucks just the WRs. So basically we have a good team but our WR's are a question mark. So that means it will be a tight race in the NFC just like last year because we improved 2 of our biggest perceived weaknesses in the O-Line and QB. The WR's can be argued one way or the other because they are all basically unproven and have NEVER had a Pro Bowl QB throwing them the ball. I had said this multiple times before when this ridiculous argument comes up everytime a Packer or Viking fan pops into the Bears board. All 3 teams have flaws, the one that is able to overcome those flaws and succeed is going to be the one to win the division. It is that simple. I personally think all 3 teams are good. This is also based on everyone staying healthy as well. Anybody in the NFC can go to the Super Bowl. The Arizona Cardinals went last year, enough said.
He is a Viking he is attending all the training camps.Didn't he miss the Vikings rookie training camp because of dehydration and most recently the rookie symposium because he was "sick"?
averagejoem, excuse my ignorance but this is driving me crazy. Who is the dude to the right of Mean Joe and Pesci? Kinda looks like Theo Fluery. I'm sure I'll be embarrassed with the answer but I gotta know.
Not alot to be excited about there. can't blame us for being excited about the most versitile player in the draft. Most of us wanted him and we got him. Do you think we were foolish for cheering for AD? Don't think so.
I guess i just don't get your logic.That's incorrect. Percy Harvin is not the most versatile player in the draft. That would go to Pat White, who is now a dolphin. White just wants to be a QB more than anything, but he's done everything Harvin has and thensome.
I too love how I started this post about the some of the Queens fans who think we "have no WR's" and "our D is old, and Urlacher is bad"......
-Harvin is unproven as well....so in that case...he SUCKS as well
-Cutler is a better QB then ANYTHING the Vikings will have this year, and lets not forget how many Vikings fans were screaming for their team to pick him up!!!!
I think starting this post, and then all the Vikings fans coming over here talking more c.rap showed what I was talking about.
Vikings winning percentage since 2000: 50% Bears winning percentage since 2000: 51%
Vikings record under Childress: 24/24 (1 NFC North crown) Bears record under Lovie Smith: 45/35 (2 NFC North crowns, 1 conference championship, 1 SB appearance)
Not alot to be excited about here either.... With all those awsome Viking 1'st round picks since 2000 and the Bears poor record with 1'st round selections the Bears managed to post a better record and have been to the SB during this time frame. Can't blame us for being excited about acquiring the most gifted 26-yr old probowl QB available in the off-season to fill a void that has exhisted since Jim McMahon wore a Bear Uni....
I actually thought the Bears defense struggled because of how hard they've been leaned on the last handful of years. That's a lot of stress. I didn't know they were as young as they are.
I can't speak of the rookies because I don't follow college football like I used to and you just don't know how they'll pan out.
I'm huge on Cutler. I think he'll make a noticeable difference.
This will be a very interesting year. The top 3 of the division have strengths and weaknesses. I fear if/when Favre comes to MN, he will start very strong but his late season and playoffs will endure average to poor play. I hope I'm wrong. If the Bears defense still struggles, well, no need for more comment on that. GB is a dark horse and I like the way their building with young talented players. They also have a QB. I want the Vikings to win and have confidence in them. I'm huge in the importance of a good QB so that has me worried but we have a good defense and running game so that should carry the Purple to a couple wins when other aspects fail.
Coaching is another wildcard. Childress has game issues, McCarthy took a weird step backwards last year IMO and Lovie... I think he's decent but like all teams I see fans who don't like him. He seems to protect his QBs so if Cutler does have any issues, Lovie's attitude should help. If he calls the D plays, that could be a big ace in the hole.
I look forward to a wild season. Gotta be honest though, if either you or GB do better than us, I won't be rooting for you in the playoffs. My only good luck I'll throw your way is in no injuries, and I mean that sincerely.
I always appreciate your insight. You and Simmon seem to be the only reasonable fans of opposing teams. I think the NFC North is up for grabs this year, there is no clear cut favorite, unlike the NFC West.
As for coaching, I for one am not a Lovie fan, I think he needs to go. His decision to let Ron Rivera go is one of the main reason's our D has not been the same. Ron Rivera is an AMAZING coach and he is truely missed.
I actually thought the Bears defense struggled because of how hard they've been leaned on the last handful of years. That's a lot of stress. I didn't know they were as young as they are. Nice post mstm1- When your drafting focus is on that side of the ball for a number of years and the cap spending is weighted heavily to that side of the ball, I don't think they had much choice. The ball control offense under Kyle Orton and his inability to stretch the field left the protection scheme being bombarded with 8 in the box. This in turn left the offense with alot of 3rd and long, and many 3 and outs, and then left the game to close in the hands of a tired or as you say stressed defense. Jay Cutler with his ability to stretch the field should alleviate the stacked box and that alone should help the running game with likely more 3rd and short yardage and continue drives that would of stalled in 2008. Depending how successful they are in the passing game will in turn dictate to how often the Bears will see the stacked box. This division is anybodies to claim and injuries will often tell the story like they always do. Good Luck to you guys and hold on because this should make for one exciting year in the North. Go Bears
Thanks for the kind words tunafat and DaBearz. tunafat, I couldn't agree more about Cutler. Regarding my Viking compadres, I am in the minority in thinking Cutler will make a big difference and I see a possible bust out year for Forte for the reasons you indicated. I also am in the minority with wanting Favre so I have some QB issues on the line this year. I can only imagine how stoked some/most/all of you are having a QB with those skills at that age on your team. I wish we had an outdoor stadium. Our inter division games ought to be intense. Ifs and buts are worthless but if the refs don't give us a win over Detroit and if NY doesn't play some backups, last year could've ended differently. I guess that's contradictory but anywho, I like the set up of the Vikings and Childress seems to have a good head on his shoulders despite some questionable things so I'm happy with the team and have confidence they'll compete for the division at least.
mstm1- To be honest as bad as we fans perceived the Bears defense to be last season they still ended up as 3rd in the league in yards per run and 8th in the league in yards per pass. So with IF Marinelli can squeeze out any kind of improvement from the line in pass rush it's possible to improve on that passing statistic as well. The total yardage stat will take care of itself if the offense can extend some of those drives that stalled last season. I also can see you guys using Harvin in the return game for an immediate impact for the team giving the Vikings the possibility of a shorter field and improving the special teams unit overnight. It worked well for the Bears in 06 with Devin Hester. The potential exists for him to be a one of a kind game changer in the offense but he is raw and will need plenty work at this level to succeed to those expectations in the offense. How well he takes instruction remains an unknown because of his reported diva complex and the fact he is eligible for the league’s substance abuse program makes him a risk in that aspect as well. What would also concern me as a Vikings fan was the fact that he was too sick to attend the Rookie Symposium something that could of helped with his maturing aspect, but perhaps the thought of getting the straight from Chris Carter one of the former NFL stars at the symposium made him ill. I don't know.
What would also concern me as a Vikings fan was the fact that he was too sick to attend the Rookie Symposium something that could of helped with his maturing aspecthe attended the rooke symposium. he got ill while he was at it. he notified the moderators and that he wasn't feeling well and they informed him that the should go home. when he was feeling better, he called informed them that he was able to return, but they said to rest and that he could attend it next year with the 2010 rookies.
and it is Cris Carter... not Chris Carter. I am honestly not trying to be a (explitive deleted). it is an honest mistake, but that is one of those things that irks me even though I know it shouldn't.
I've had many thoughts on this thread, but I've refrained from speaking my mind, for multiple reasons. Everything else aside, I do have a pressing question on my mind, that has yet to be addressed. I would figure that, with all of the attention paid to what Favre is eating for breakfast and how Michael Jackson's skin will be preserved, someone must have surely thought of this... But, I guess that that is the world we live in. Ah, I ranted about that in part on another thread. I'll try to keep myself from doing so again.
My question is: Is Harvin going to have the same level of responsibility applied to him as the rookies that participated in the entire rookie symposium? What I mean to say is that the NFL had better be sure that the information given during the symposium is published and documented. Should Harvin get himself into any trouble, or any situation of consequence, I would hope that "I wasn't at the rookie symposium" is not considered a valid excuse.
This may be a rather silly question, but it something that I feel could potentially come up. And it's a heck of alot more relevant than nearly every piece of information that is coming across here these days...
