I've been to Cleveland- its rocking is questionable
A week after the worst loss of Lovie Smith’s tenure, the Chicago Bears (3-3) return home to take on the hapless Cleveland Browns (1-6) in a game the Bears cannot afford to lose. With the much of the collective NFC North focus on the brett favre Bowl in Green Bay, the Monsters of Midway need a win to stay in contact with the division leaders and have a shot at a playoff berth.
Why it matters- As you can tell from the brief introduction, the Bears have to win to maintain a legitimate chance of postseason play. Perhaps more importantly, Lovie Smith’s crew need a confidence booster and the terrible Browns provide a sublime opportunity to take out two weeks of pent up aggression on an overmatched opponent. One thing the Bears have severely lacked since the Dallas game in 2007 is a sense of swagger that prompted the run to Super Bowl XLI. Chicago needs a win to realistically keep their playoff hopes alive, but a dominating effort would cure much of what ails the Bears confidence. The Browns are awful- so they should just try to lose out so they can snag the number one pick (read- this game is irrelevant to their season).
Yay Halloween jersey weekend!
History- The Cleveland Browns are the only franchise to leave a city and return as an expansion team. Founded in 1946 by Paul Brown, the Cleveland football team was incredibly successful early- winning eight league championships between 1946 and 1964. During their two decades of dominance, the Browns enjoyed one of the most prolific rushers in NFL history- Jim Brown- calling Cleveland home. However, the river of success ran dry after the NFL-AFL merger. In the four and a half decades of the Super Bowl era, the Browns have not once played on football’s grandest stage. True, the Browns have made the playoffs- twelve times- and won six division titles, but those numbers are slightly deceiving. The last Cleveland team to sit atop an NFL division was the 1989 Browns and their last playoff appearance saw the Brownies blow a 17-point third quarter lead in 2002. Candidly, you have to feel a little for Browns fans. They suffered one of the most heartbreaking games in history- the AFC title game loss to John Elway’s Denver Broncos- known merely as “the drive.” In 1994, the Browns appeared to be back on track. Bill Belichek’s club started the season 3-1 and were a display of dominant football. But then news broke that owner Art Modell was going to move the team to Baltimore and the franchise lost all of its steam. Cleveland missed the playoffs, fired future Hall of Famer Bellichek, and left for the crab cake capitol of the world. Following four seasons of inactivity, the NFL granted Cleveland an expansion franchise- but the city still awaits successful return on their emotional investment. The Browns own a 9-4 advantage in the series with Chicago and have won three of the last four- including a 6-3 barnburner in 2005.
Opposing fans- As I said before, you almost have to feel bad for Cleveland fans. For a city that endured the 1997 baseball collapse to the Marlins, watching two former Indians faceoff in Game One of the current Fall Classic, the Elway drive, Michael Jordan pulverizing the Cavs, and now LeBron James’s impending move to New York, it is hard to pull together enough verbal venom through the pity. But, I am a Chicago fan and my city boasts the only 85 Bears and Michael Jordan as winners, so excuse my emotional insensitivity. Credit Browns fans for showing up. Their team is a perennial AFC doormat and play in one of the worst weather environments in all of football. Yet they pack Cleveland Browns Stadium (creative name, by the way) on a weekly basis to see their team pounded. That said, their team is named for a Crayola color/coach, yet their fan adopted mascot is a bulldog. Excuse me? I guess it’s a northern Ohio thing. But geography does not excuse stupidity. The Bears mascot is a grizzly bear, therefore the Browns mascot should be a brown crayon (or maybe something else that is brown- given their lackluster history). It’s logic. That said, this is the fan base that started a rivalry with the Steelers, only the most successful franchise in NFL history. Good call, folks. I hope you enjoy your beating behind your rubber bulldog masks.
I hope she kept the receipt for her Braylon Edwards jersey
Player to watch- This week, injury prone former All-Pro defensive tackle Tommie Harris said he does not have to prove anything to anyone. Well, that is not exactly true. The former Oklahoma Sooner has been a shell of his former self since suffering a torn hamstring in late 2006 and the Chicago pass rush has suffered as a result. Whether Harris missed last week’s game because of an injury (according to Lovie Smith) or suspension (according to the player) is irrelevant. The Bears have not touched, much less sacked, an opposing quarterback in three weeks and even though the Browns are not very good, giving Derek Anderson time to throw is a recipe for disaster. As I said in my recap last week, the Cover Two is predicated on a solid pass rush and as a defensive tackle Harris is the center of the scheme. If big Tommie has a decent game, look for the Bears to get their record back above .500.
Haven't seen much to celebrate in a while
Outlook- There is literally no excuse for the Bears to lose this game. None. The Browns essentially forfeited their season when they traded talented wide receiver Braylon Edwards to New York three weeks ago. Chicago, on the other hand, has a great deal for which to play. After seeming unprepared and unmotivated consecutive weeks, the Bears must bounce back with a solid effort. Cleveland boasts one of the worst defenses in football and has only a mediocre offensive unit. All things considered, I expect tomorrow’s game to be the perfect prescription for the Bears woes. BEAR DOWN!
Go get 'em Jay!
