I know the game was meaningless for the Bears. There's not a huge difference between 5-9 and 6-9. Lovie Smith's job status could have been decided already. Jay Cutler was going to have a poor season either way, right? That being said...
Eff you Minnesota. Seriously. Take that Brett Favre. Hope you enjoy playing the first weekend of the playoffs because you just lost out on the number two seed in the NFC.
Monday night's shocking overtime win over the much ballyhooed Vikings gave Bear fans something to cheer about at the end of this massively disappointing season. Minnesota came out flat as can be while Chicago started quickly, something they have rarely done in 2009. There were a few too many injuries for the Bears, as Charles Tillman, Israel Idonije, Danieal Manning and Johnny Knox all went down at one time or another.
While the win does nothing to alleviate my desire to see Lovie Smith fired, it did give fans hope for next season and beyond.
-The much-maligned Jay Cutler was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 273-yards and four touchdown performance in which he rolled out and picked apart a suspect Vikings secondary. It was the best we've seen from Jay all season and certainly the quarterback I think we're in danger of losing out on without the right offensive coaching staff. Despite my fears, it was beyond sweet to see Jay succeed. I expect a few bad throws each game, but I want those bad throws coupled with at least three touchdowns. His throws make me giddy. And that run where he plowed over safety Madieu Williams? I peed a little. I've staunchly defended Jay all season because I know he can play like he did on Monday night.
-Welcome to the wide receiver party Devin Aromashodu. Can anyone legitimately argue that he's not the best wide receiver on the squad? He's tall, has solid hands, has good speed and a rapport with Jay Cutler. What else does he need? Jay loves a big target, especially after throwing to Brandon Marshall for so long. Aromashodu may have a long way to go, but his 7 catches for 150 yards on Monday could drastically alters the Bears wide-out landscape going into next season. Seeing him burn Antoine Winfield for the game-winning touchdown was superb.
-Chris Williams doesn't completely suck! With a bit of help from the running backs and tight ends, Williams handled Jared Allen all night long, raising expectations for his future at left tackle and for the offensive line. In a year where linemen rotated in and out, William's replacing of Orlando Pace was the best move that came way too late. It's obvious Chris' natural position is on the left side. Now we can keep him there.
-Hunter Hillenmeyer is no Brian Urlacher, be knows how to play the game. His strip of Adrian Peterson in overtime won Chicago the game. (That missed facemask call didn't hurt either.) While Urlacher was definitely missed after being injured in week one, it wasn't the reason the defense suffered. Hillenmeyer's football intelligence and reliability make up for his lack of athleticism and speed.
-The Bears are a better team when Desmond Clark is catching passes. While Greg Olsen is a wide receiver in a tight end's body, Clark is a better blocker and has been the Bears' most consistent receiver over the past four or five years. Injuries kept him out of action a bit this season, but I hope we can see Clark and Olsen in two tight-end sets for a few more years.
See? Look at all the positive things I can say after we actually win! Still, Lovie Smith should be fired. If this win saved his job, I'll be appalled. Check back soon for a preview of the final Bears game of the season!
As always, Happy Jay Cutler Day!
