.
I'll say it here and now. I GURANTEE the Bears make the playoffs. Gurantee it.
I'm not taking anything away from the Steelers. They found a gem in Big Ben, however, at this time of the season I would take Kyle Orton to lead my team as I said earlier.
The Bears will fall backwards and likely make the playoffs. The only team to really challenge them in their pathetic division is Green Bay and they have a new QB this year.
The Bears will get run out of the playoffs in the first round by whatever wildcard team they play more than likely.
You want Orton - fine - you have him. He IS your QB.
The Bears are also helped by a crazy easy schedule. Houston? St Louis? Detroit twice? Are you kidding me? They could play Naperville Central, Wheaton South and Glenbard East and have a tougher schedule.
My season prediction for the Bears is as follows :
9-7
Sun 9/7 at Indianapolis W 29-13
Sun 9/14 at Carolina L 17-20
Sun 9/21 Tampa Bay L 24-27
Sun 9/28 Philadelphia W 24-20
Sun 10/5 at Detroit W 34-7
Sun 10/12 at Atlanta 1:00 pm - Loss
Sun 10/19 Minnesota 1:00 pm - Win
bye
Sun 11/2 Detroit 1:00 pm -Win
Sun 11/9 Tennessee 1:00 pm -Loss
Sun 11/16 at Green Bay 1:00 pm - Loss
Sun 11/23 at St. Louis 1:00 pm - Win
Sun 11/30 at Minnesota 8:15 pm -Loss
Sun 12/7 Jacksonville 1:00 pm - Loss
Thu 12/11 New Orleans 8:15 pm - Win
Mon 12/22 Green Bay 8:30 pm -Win
Sun 12/28 at Houston 1:00 pm -Win
The Packers will likely go 8-8. That will give the division to the Bears. Minnesota won't have a chance until they get a real QB. They can't run every play and they can't play every game on astro-turf. The Lions? They just hope not to finish 0-15.
The problem for the Steelers is having the toughest schedule in the NFL. Baltimore isn't great but they have good defense and could give them a run. Cinncy will be better once Palmer gets going again.
Pitt Schedule:
Sun 9/7 Houston W 38-17
Sun 9/14 at Cleveland W 10-6
Sun 9/21 at Philadelphia L 6-15
Mon 9/29 Baltimore W 23-20
Sun 10/5 at Jacksonville W 26-21
bye
Sun 10/19 at Cincinnati 1:00 pm - Win
Sun 10/26 NY Giants 4:15 pm - Game of Year - Win in OT
Mon 11/3 at Washington 8:30 pm - Loss
Sun 11/9 Indianapolis 4:15 pm - Win
Sun 11/16 San Diego 4:15 pm - Win
Thu 11/20 Cincinnati 8:15 pm -Win
Sun 11/30 at New England 4:15 pm -Loss
Sun 12/7 Dallas 4:15 pm -Win
Sun 12/14 at Baltimore 1:00 pm -Loss
Sun 12/21 at Tennessee 1:00 pm - Loss
Sun 12/28 Cleveland 1:00 pm -Win
Prediction 10-6 but some of those game could go either way (Giants/Indy/San Diego/Dallas/Tenn/Wash)
Look at that schedule. Its BRUTAL. Giants? Indy? Washington?
Even the teams there without good records are tough games.