Chicago Bears: 2010 Season and a Little Luck Of The Irish
Published by Dave Frieze on January 11, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
How perfect has the season unfolded for the Chicago Bears? They may have easily just completed the luckiest 16-game schedule in recent memory. This is a team that has a chance, remote chance, to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
They have won games in a myriad of ways….wins resulting from terrible calls and even worse rules; wins resulting from a generous road schedule; wins against teams when they were at their low points during the season.
A brief summary of the Bears‘ victories:
Week 1: (Bears victory 19-14) I was sitting in a “watering hole” in Chicago and hardly a cheer was heard from this robbery of a Bears victory. No one will forget the Calvin Johnson touchdown as time expired to give the Detroit Lions the victory. Calvin caught the ball, both feet down, landed on his tookus, rolled over, and then placed the ball on the ground to help himself to stand up to celebrate. Play was ruled a non-catch over a bizarre interpretation of an end zone catch. Trust me, this rule will be changed and be called the “Calvin Johnson” rule forever. Also, Matt Stafford went out of the game in the second quarter.
Week 2: (Bears victory 27-20) The Dallas Cowboys started the season with an abysmal record of 1-7, resulting in the firing of Wade Phillips. The Bears caught a break catching the ‘Boys early as they played much better under Jason Garrett.
Week 3: (Bears victory 20-17) A wild win for the Bears. A lost Green Bay Packers‘ fumble with a minute left lost the game for the Packers. Where is the luck you ask? Jay Cutler had a pass picked off late in the fourth quarter, but was overturned by an awful call for a helmet-to-helmet penalty. AND…the Packers had a FRANCHISE record of 18 penalties.
Week 5: (Bears victory 23-6) A road victory over the Carolina Panthers (2-14), a team led by Jimmy Clausen that might have struggled against any CFL team this year.
Week 9: (Bears victory 22-19) Another road victory over a woeful team. The Buffalo Bills (4-12) were slightly better than Carolina this year.
Week 10: (Bears victory 27-13) A solid home victory for the Bears over the Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre threw 3 picks in the second half.
Week 11: (Bears victory 16-0) Another extremely easy road victory for the Bears. The Miami Dolphins began their official “mailing in the season” with this exact game. After this pathetic showing by Chad Henne, the Dolphins lost 5 of their last 7 games, including losses to the lowly Bills, Lions, and Cleveland Browns.
Week 12: (Bears victory 31-26) Tough opponent that the Bears were fortunate to have at home. The legendary, messy Soldier Field assisted in containing Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagless high-flying offense this year.
Week 13: (Bears victory 24-20) This is a line from Sports Illustrated: “The Chicago Bears made some breaks and might’ve gotten one in a win over the Detroit Lions. Again. Jay Cutler threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Brandon Manumaleuna one play after a questionable call midway through the fourth quarter, lifting the Bears to a 24-20 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.” The flag football penalty called by referee Ed Hochuli on Ndamukong Suh for unnecessary roughness after he hit Cutler’s shoulder pads changed the game.
Week 15: (Bears victory 40-14) The Bears catch Minnesota during an absolutely bizarre two weeks for the Vikings. After the dome collapse, the Minnesota organization is turned into chaos, playing in Detroit one week and then playing the Bears at the University of Minnesota in arctic-like conditions (sounds like a Bears home game doesn’t it?). To make matters worse, a “doubtful” Favre decides to play during the coin toss and then is ultimately knocked out of game early, leading to a Bears drubbing.
Week 16: (Bears victory 38-34) Solid game by Cutler, but a late INT in the fourth quarter by Mark Sanchez gift wraps the Bears victory.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention the first team in history to win a playoff game with a losing record (Seattle Seahawks), play…Duh Bears…oh how I love the south-side Irish luck.
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