Pro football’s Chicago Bears getting worse as we speak by The Gaming Today’s, Ted Sevransky

(Welcome to Teddy’s unique look at the NFL. Teddy watches games
all day on Sunday, typing furiously on his laptop while giving you the key info
that the box scores and game recaps don’t necessarily have. This week: NFC News
and Notes from Week 15)

CHICAGO BEARS

Mike Martz has made a concerted effort to pound the running game
between the tackles on first and second down, keeping struggling backup QB Caleb
Hanie out of bad down and distance situations. That strategy didn’t work today,
despite a steady diet of Marion Barber (the New Bartman) and Kahlil Bell
carries.

Hanie got worse as the game progressed. His tipped pass INT in the
end zone wasn’t a great throw, but it certainly wasn’t an awful one. I can’t say
the same about his second INT (returned for a TD), where Hanie made an awful
throw under duress. His second pick six was even uglier, a throw from a QB
acting like he didn’t care very much.

Now Johnny Knox is hurt too, carted off the field on a stretcher.
Devin Hester has a bad ankle, held without a catch. The Bears continue to lose
valuable offensive weapons on a weekly basis. I’m not convinced they are capable
of scoring enough points to win another game in 2011 – a crushing finish after a
7-3 start. Might be a long, ugly offseason in Chi-town.

NEW YORK GIANTS

Is there a QB in the NFL this side of the big three (Brady, Brees
and Rodgers) who is playing as well as Eli Manning these days? Despite playing
behind a makeshift offensive line, with a banged up receiving corps, Manning has
single handedly kept the G-men in playoff contention this year. His fourth
quarter theatrics have been truly special, guiding the Giants to five come from
behind wins.

But the Giants came out as flat as a pancake in this game, on both
sides of the ball, putting Manning in a big hole before he could start to work
his magic. What happened to Brandon Jacobs? The guy used to be an absolute
monster running the football, but these days he’s tentative, doesn’t break
tackles and can’t seem to hold onto the football – a miserable trifecta. With
Ahmad Bradshaw still ailing, this running game is not a strong complementary
piece to the passing game right now.

At least this team plays with a sense of urgency trailing by
multiple scores in the fourth quarter. New York switched to hurry up mode with
more than 10 minutes remaining on the clock, the appropriate decision at the
time. Of course, none of that mattered after Mario Manningham ran a wrong route
in the end zone, leading to Manning’s third interception and dimming any
comeback chances.

DETROIT LIONS

The Lions came within a yard of losing as double digit favorites
last week despite a +6 turnover margin, something virtually unheard of in
football at any level. The Lions lead the NFL in penalties over the last four
weeks – lots of mental miscues and the refs seem to be targeting Detroit as a
‘dirty’ team these days, never a good thing.

Meanwhile, this offense has declined since their explosive
September. The running game is virtually non-existent these days, repeatedly
unable to pick up first downs in short yardage situations. And for much of the
Oakland game, QB Matthew Stafford, under heavy pressure, struggled to find open
receivers downfield.

But with their season on the line late in the fourth quarter,
Stafford and Calvin Johnson came through big time! Megatron had been silent for
weeks – only one TD catch and no 100 yard games since October. He made up for it
in the fourth quarter.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Will Rex Grossman ever start another NFL game after this season?
The sharp money says no. Grossman killed the ‘Skins early momentum, following a
dropped potential TD pass from the Giants with an ugly “chuck it up for grabs”
interception on Washington’s first offensive play of the next series. That’s
nine straight games with at least one INT for Sexy Rexy and a 12-16 TD-INT ratio
for the full season.

I like the way the Redskins run the football these days, despite
their offensive line injuries. Roy Helu and Evan Royster both get tough yards
between the tackles with their high motor carries. Of course, with Grossman
behind center, even favorable down and distance situations don’t ensure a
positive turnover differential.

The defensive front is doing an excellent job blowing up the line
of scrimmage, creating pressure on most passing downs. Despite all of those
Grossman picks, the ‘Skins have covered 4 of 5, an undervalued commodity down
the stretch.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

The Saints can’t keep one feature running back healthy. They
drafted Mark Ingram out of Alabama with their first round pick last year, but he
hasn’t been healthy enough to play for the last month. If they play outdoors in
January, an every down back and strong ground game is a must.

The passing game is virtually unstoppable in decent weather
conditions, but a postseason trip to Green Bay or even San Francisco is not the
same as winning in the Superdome or like Sunday in the Metrodome.

Drew Brees is really playing at a special level right now. He
didn’t get sacked against Vikings, showing enough mobility in the pocket to
escape Jared Allen’s pressure on more than one occasion. Even under duress,
Brees’ accuracy was truly top notch. That’s why he’s about to break Dan Marino’s
all time most passing yards in a season record over the next two weeks.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The Seahawks have the best defense in the NFL in one key
statistical category – first down runs. Opposing teams have gotten stuffed all
year, giving the Seahawks defense great blitzing opportunities on later downs in
passing situations. The Seahawks held Chicago’s two feature backs to less than
100 yards (under four per carry), despite the Bears looking to run at every
opportunity.

Tavaris Jackson gave up an awful fumble in the end zone for a
Bears TD, but he’s definitely looking like a legitimate NFL starting QB. Jackson
makes quick decisions, tight throws into small windows and has the arm strength
to chuck it up deep for big plays, like the Ben Obomanu 43 yard catch and run to
set up the tying TD in the second half. If I’m Pete Carroll, I don’t go QB
shopping in the offseason.

Whether Seattle makes a late season playoff push or not, keep your
eye on this team in 2012. My hunch is that they might be pretty darn good.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

The secondary is a disaster area. The Vikings lost four
cornerbacks and three safeties to injury since the start of October. Asher Allen
went out in the first half with another concussion issue, making a bad situation
even worse. Minnesota’s back seven torched was by New Orleans.

The offense gained more than 90 yards and scored 60 points in
Minnesota’s last two games heading into this contest. They lost both games. This
week, the offense couldn’t muster up much, despite the return of Adrian Peterson
to the lineup. Christian Ponder didn’t complete his fifth pass until after Brees
threw his fifth TD pass.

At one point in the third quarter, Minnesota had been outgained by
nearly 400 yards. Those are some ugly, ugly stats!

 You can get all of Ted Sevransky’s free NFL articles and winners right here at www.aasiwins.com.