Tuesday, October 2, 2007

My Take - Week 5

Greetings, G-Force.

In the South, we say, "Off yur ass! On yur feet!" This week, Lambeau will follow these sentiments.

Packers 4-0. Bears 1-3. This Sunday, throw the records in the trash. When these two teams battle, records are rubbish. The fans must make a difference. G-Force must rise to heightened levels...in unison!

I equate this weeks importance to that of the MNF thriller vs. the 49ers in '96 and the thrashing of the Cowboys in '97. Lambeau has waited a decade for this game. Sunday signals the opportunity to takeover reign. In '96, the Packers faced the 49ers in a game that pointed towards home field advantage in the '96 playoffs. In '97, the Packers squared off in a battle with the Cowboys that mentally compared to a Super Bowl. This game is more than the Chicago visiting Green Bay. This contest is going to be played under the lights of majesty. Sunday is about taking back what is rightfully ours - the NFC North Crown. If we want it back, we've got to win it back. This battle is about finalizing the Bears season as Road Kill. For two years, the Bears have planted their flag in the hearts of the NFC North. The Bears have walked into Lambeau and came away victorious three years in a row. This Sunday is about punishing revenge. On Sunday, the Packers regain command and ownership of the NFC North.

I imagine a beautiful night on Sunday. An October crispness to the air. It's Fall. It's Football Season. Al Michaels and John Madden providing analysis. It's Lambeau under the lights. The greatest rivalry in all of sports. Once again, we will witness a vintage Brett Favre performance against the Bears. After all, our strength is their weakness. The Bears secondary is beat up as Vasher, Tillman, Brown, Paine and Archuleta are all dinged up.


WAIT!

Not so fast...

This is the Bears at the Packers. Definitely not a smooth victory. In this rivalry, there are no surprises. We know each others strengths. We know each others weaknesses. In recent years, Bernard Berrian has been getting deep on the Packer defense. To Lovie Smith's credit, he has attacked the depth of the Packers' secondary. Smith has achieved great results. He's going to attack J-Bush this weekend. He's going to go after him deep. Frankly, it would not surprise me to see J-Bush be both goat and hero at one point. I can see him getting beat deep. I can also see him grabbing an interception.

This much is for certain - Griese will take his shots deep. The Bears believe that Berrian can create mismatches. J-Bush will be put to the task. Benson will pound away with little success which puts the ball in Griese's hands...advantage - Green Bay.

The Bears get the ball first. The Packers avoid Hester at all costs. Squib kick. Right away, the Bears attack the Packers deep. Benson's stopped at the line. G-Force rises. Bears punt.

Then, it's Favre. Surgical in his approach. Classic #4. Favre to Driver for 10. Favre to Donald Lee over the middle for 14. Favre to James Jones for 6. Favre to Franks for 5 more. Favre to Jennings for 8. The Bears try to counter with the Blitz. The Packers guess right! Over the top of the defense, Favre to Wynn on the screen into the open field...

The Packers strike first.

The Bears battle. In true Bear fashion, they short change the Packers. 4 yards here. 5 yards there. Picking up third and short. The Bears put points on the board.

Favre plays safe. 3rd and long. The Packers play the field position game. Dump the ball. Not forcing anything. Then, we punt the ball out of bounds. Hester will not beat us.

Our defensive front 4 wins the line of scrimmage. Jenkins, Jolly, Pickett, Kampman dominate run downs. Corey Williams and KGB find Griese on pass downs. Hawk, who played his best game of the year last week until the face mask penalty, makes his first play of the season. The defense is flying around the field. Nintendo Nick elevates the crowd. Chuckie has a bounce in his step. The Rastas are hair weaving, face smiling as the Bear offense is stuck in their tracks. Road Kill.

Favre goes back to work. Displaying his entire arsenal in front of the National Audience. The quick hitters to Driver. Like a kid on Christmas, enjoying his new toys he connects with Jennings and Jones multiple times. Morency on the screen. Wynn in the flat. Hall as the safety valve. Each play, it's about positive yards. The Bears bring the pressure. The Packers are in max protect. Single coverage to the outside. The slant to Jennings. 6 points for Green Bay.

In the end, the Packers are the more physical team. The Packers are forcing turnovers. The Packers win the field position battle. The Packers are the better team. Green Bay 27. Chicago 16.

G-Force, this week will take patience. It will not be easy. It'll be frustrating at times. We're anxious. We've been salivating for this one since New Year's Day. Moreover, we've waited 10 years for this one. Pump up the volume. Get "off yur ass! On yur feet!"

I look forward to your thoughts. Please share.

Go Pack Go!

In Favre We Trust,

Talkin' S-Mac.

Shout it with me:
BEARS STILL SUCK! BEARS STILL SUCK! BEARS STILL SUCK!






7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bears still suck!! Bears still suck!!

Anonymous said...

Bears won't touch 16 points - you give Greise too much credit.
Packers win going away 34-10 - Green and Yellow get the best of the Bear this go round...but McKenna's still gay.

Talkin' S-Mac said...

For some reason the blog won't let me post this, so
here it is.

Guys,

Get some handles. I can tell there's a Trotta in
there, but beyond that, I don't know who's who, or if
you're even related to our circle of readers. I can't
imagine that some of those posts are composed by
friends, cause I don't know anyone who lives such a
pointless life. But then again if I slept in a
racecar bed in my parent's house, I'd probably do that
sort of thing also.

Well anyway, we're 4-0 and success breeds contempt.

In regard to the game, I know that Berrian can get
over the top on us. I question the Bears' ability to
get him the ball in those situations. This difficulty
in connecting deep is hopefully due to our ability to
pressure the QB as much as it is the QB's inneptness.
Still, this aspect of the game presents the home run
threat.

We need to be two scores up. That's the challenge.
That's the motivation for the offense. Put some
distance between the two teams. And I don't think it
is going to be as easy as many are thinking. As the
Packers are a proud franchise, so are the Bears.
They're not making the trip to lay down. That's a
guarantee. They may have their troubles in the
offensive backfield, they may be depleted through
injury on defense, but the leadership on the team
isn't going to allow anyone to forget about the
significance of this game. It's a chance for the
Bears to get a division win and knock off the early
leader.

That said, at this point we're a better football team.
But the point is, it's up to us to beat the Chicago
Bears.

I want to see the offensive line challenged. We have
yet to find a running game. That's fine. We don't
need it on Sunday. We should continue to run the ball
on occasion, but we're going to be passing 70% of the
time again. But our OL needs to have a solid game.
They must see this as a challenge, regardless of who
is playing for the opposition. They need to have a big
game to establish dominance over the Bears, because
when we go to Soldier two days before Christmas, we
will need to run the ball, and our ability to run the
ball confidently in that game begins this Sunday.

A week after playing the Vikes and AP in the dome, it
is hard to imagine Benson getting loose on us at home.
Our defense is built to stop this type of runner on
this type of track. The Bears will struggle mightily
on offense.

I don't know if the Bears have dramatically upgraded
their offensive line since last we met, but they
looked to be a weak spot in the Super Bowl. This
bodes well given our deep rotation of defensive
lineman.

Al, Wood, and Nicky B are thinking about the 5 picks
given up the last time we met. The defense will be
looking for opportunities to jump on the Bears'
offense.

Paging Nick Collins...Nick Collins to the field,
please. I fully expected this young man to have a Pro
Bowl season. I have no idea when he's on the field or
when he's not. When he went out in Minnesota with the
knee, did anyone notice? Come on, Nick, you're better
than that...

I hope Des Bishop suits for this game. I hope Harrell
suits for this game.

This is an important game for a young team. We've got
a core of guys that we've built around. Kampman,
Barnett, Favre, Double D. Guys who know what it means
to play the Bears. We've got a group of young players
who stand to be future cornerstones of our franchise.
Hawk, Bigby, Jennings, Jones, Collins, Harrell. These
guys need to feel the intensity of the rivalry. These
guys need to know that there was a time when no one
walked into Lambeau and beat us. And most of all,
they need to learn how to deliver the kill shot.

Don't be afraid of success, men. Play to your
expectations.

We're up. They're down. We need to grab them by
their throat untill the final whistle blows.

South end zone, open your arms...

-Stack

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Amen to that McKenna, love the takes every week. The Bears Still Suck!!! The G Force is strong in Chi-Town; it’s especially strong at Will's Northwoods.

This weekend I have the privilege to be in attendance. Yes that’s right….I am heading to God's country, to a heaven we call Lambeau. I can't wait, getting chills just thinking about it.

Friday fish fry, whiskey old fashions, basket of cheese curds, and Packer Sunday with a solid & decisive win. Life doesn’t get better than that. 5-0 here we come!!!!

May the G-Force be with you!

http://www.jibjab.com/view/10084

MB

Talkin' S-Mac said...

Mark,

Thanks for your thoughts! Glad the buzz is alive and well at Will's. Patrick has delivered the Will's buzz mightily via text message. I can feel his G-Force thru the message...

And dude, if envy is truly the ugliest of things - I'm not looking at myself in the mirror. Your description of a weekend in Green Bay is fuckin' epic, man!

Bring the vibe.

Bears Still Suck!

mole said...

You southern folk, which includes everything below the WI border, really have no clue what it is like here. Although the rat makes a point in terms of his stadium experience, the people living in this state are not so certain.

Yes it is true. I personally give credit to the 4-0 record, however I just don't see the overwhelming cockiness of past seasons when the Packers have played well. There is no talk of Super Bowl or even playoffs coming from the masses as there typically is.

Is it the maturity of the fans, a lack of confidence, or hesitation in how people really feel about this team? Even at 4-0 people do not know how to feel.

In full disclosure, this comes from the opinion of a Vikings fan. You can call it biased as it is your decision. I am just telling you what I listen to on a daily basis, as there is nothing else to talk about with anyone here unless you own an Artic Cat ZwX5000 snowmobile with steroidal suspension, dual exhaust, turbo-jet-set engine w/ prop backup, and of course neon green custom design graphics.