I am going to ask that all of the "eye test" people take a step back and gain a little perspective. When you took a new job at a company, were you better in the first year you worked there, or the third? Hell, the first year you were still trying to figure out where the bathrooms were. Stop with all of this instant proficiency crap. There is NO WAY in holy HELL that an offense should be able to grasp an entirely new system in the first year. NO WAY. If that were true, teams would be changing coaches every year, trying to find the right one.

WAB is right. Bears fans have no idea how to handle success.

Just chill out.

I disagree. Both can be true. I am happy they are winning and doing well. The team is progressing. However watching this team do you really think they are an upper echelon team? I say no. Luckily the schedule and the rest of the NFL has helped the Bears record.

You can realize this is far from a finished product and yet be happy with the production.

You're missing the point.... I'm delighted with this year and like I said, I think Trubs will be awesome given a bit more time and experience.

BUT. The O hasn't been particularly good at times this year and that's exactly why I'm not dissapointed to be 8-4 and looking good to make the playoffs. But it's also exactly why I'm not expecting to win out or make it past the first or second game of the playoffs.

Let's be honest- the Pack and the Vikings in particular aren't as good as they were expected to be this year, that's why I agreed with mmmc.


Exactly!

So I have been really sick with the flu for the last 48 hours, and I had to miss a corporate event at Soldier Field last night. Who were the Bears players that showed up you ask? Anthony Miller and Roquan Smith. DAMMIT! Fucking flu.

Bears fans don't know how to handle success because we've had so little of it! Anyone else vividly remember jumping up and down week 17 against Green Bay thinking we're going to the playoffs, we're going to the playoffs!!?

I do.

Anyone remember what happened next?

How about 2010 where we had a shot to rip the Packer's heart out week 17 and knock them out of the playoffs? Instead we don't game plan, they win and proceed to knock us out of the NFC Championship game en route to them winning a Super Bowl.

I mean come on now. I'm glad we're 8-4, but losses like this bullshit to the NYG screams "same old Bears" to me and gives me no reason to think we are a lock for this division. Hell, if the NFC North comes down to week 17 against the Vikings I practically expect them to lose.

Maybe it's a new era -- feels like it is to an extent -- but they have to fucking SHOW ME first before they get any sense of unbridled confidence from me. Those days are over.

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"I don't care about numbers, I care about letters" -- Matt Nagy

It is a new beginning, just a beginning. So the old shit still creeps in and raises doubt in my eyes. nagy will get it turned around and seasons like this year, will be the "old Bears" and there will be fonder memories.

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"I don't care about numbers, I care about letters" -- Matt Nagy

Nothing significant to report here except that Knuckles was one of only three to get the winner right, yet barely made it into the top half because he didn't foresee the high scoring:
86 BearButtseks
114 Richie (glad to see you back)
158 Mr.Irrelevant
182 MoFugger
194 wab
200 Nanky
254 WagonForce
278 GSH / UOK
312 Middleguard / Mikefive
338 Pagan
366 Knuckles
392 The Marshall Plan
434 G08 / mmmc_35
438 HurricaneBear
450 Boris13c
494 Bears Whiskey Nut
566 mohner
578 southdakbearfan
674 Bearfanuk
746 malk
842 AZ_Bearfan
866 Ormazd
992 Atkins&Rebel
1274 EricTighe
Duplicate predictions:
494 Otis Day
866 Umbali

EricTighe, hang in there. Nanky, you also have to make predictions for the next 4 games to stay eligible for my awards.

BWN = Bearly Winning Now

Muaahahahaha

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"I don't care about numbers, I care about letters" -- Matt Nagy