Bears-Panthers Playoff Preview: Ignorance is Bliss
You know how you always feel like fans from other cities are ignorant goomba’s, living in a dream world where their pathetic teams are bursting with promise and potential? What’s that? You don’t? Well, I always feel that way and you should too. Because it’s true. But a friend of mine, one of these goomba’s from another city, actually lifted my spirits on Monday.
After watching the Carolina Panthers dominate the New York Giants, I started to get nervous. Watching post-game wrap-up shows did not help as every analyst in the world lauded the efforts of the playoff-experienced Panthers and began picking them to knock off the young Bears on Sunday.
Monday morning at work was like a kick to the groin. Reading playoff previews and listening to co-workers made the Panthers sound invincible. Trust me people: don’t bother thinking about the Super Bowl quarterback Jake Delhomme, the Panthers D, or the best wide receiver in the league, Steve Smith, who lit up the Bears in week 11. Those thoughts only made me nauseous.
So I tried to think about the positive or, at least, throw in some Bear-ness for a change of pace. But all that came to mind was Rex Grossman’s inexperience and its similarities to the greenness of the quarterbacks in Jacksonville, New York, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. They all lost their first playoff game last weekend.
My mind mudslid to memories of the 2001 playoffs when a 13-3 Bears team was beaten into submission by a been there, done that Eagles squad. We were the toasts of the town that year, too, but didn’t know what the playoffs really meant. Man, these are similar situations.
At least the Bears are well rested, I thought. They haven’t played a meaningful game since Christmas. Wait, that’s three weeks from game day! Come Sunday we could be less sure of ourselves than Kyle Orton deciding what to do with his throat hair.
Then I ran into my friend, the Washington fan. We’ll call him Bob. Talking about the Redskins-Seahawks game on Saturday, Bob predicted the final score: 89-4. I agreed: “Yeah, Redskins don’t have a chance.” He said, “What?” I said, “You think Seattle’s going to win 89-4, right?” “Hell, no! You thought I was talking about the Seahawks? Hell no! We’re gonna kill them.” Wow. If there was an antidote for my pessimism, it was Bob’s blind confidence.
What game had this guy watched on Saturday? The Redskins benefited from bad calls by the refs, only mustered 120 yards total offense, are headed to Seattle to play the best team in the NFC, and Bob was telling me about an impending ‘Skins blowout? I love you, Bob, but you’re crazy, man.
So there you have it. Now I know the Bears have a chance. If Redskins fans can be this over-confident, I can at least be a little less neurotic. Thanks for keeping things in perspective, Bob. You beautiful moron.
Bear 21, Panthers 13
After watching the Carolina Panthers dominate the New York Giants, I started to get nervous. Watching post-game wrap-up shows did not help as every analyst in the world lauded the efforts of the playoff-experienced Panthers and began picking them to knock off the young Bears on Sunday.
Monday morning at work was like a kick to the groin. Reading playoff previews and listening to co-workers made the Panthers sound invincible. Trust me people: don’t bother thinking about the Super Bowl quarterback Jake Delhomme, the Panthers D, or the best wide receiver in the league, Steve Smith, who lit up the Bears in week 11. Those thoughts only made me nauseous.
So I tried to think about the positive or, at least, throw in some Bear-ness for a change of pace. But all that came to mind was Rex Grossman’s inexperience and its similarities to the greenness of the quarterbacks in Jacksonville, New York, Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. They all lost their first playoff game last weekend.
My mind mudslid to memories of the 2001 playoffs when a 13-3 Bears team was beaten into submission by a been there, done that Eagles squad. We were the toasts of the town that year, too, but didn’t know what the playoffs really meant. Man, these are similar situations.
At least the Bears are well rested, I thought. They haven’t played a meaningful game since Christmas. Wait, that’s three weeks from game day! Come Sunday we could be less sure of ourselves than Kyle Orton deciding what to do with his throat hair.
Then I ran into my friend, the Washington fan. We’ll call him Bob. Talking about the Redskins-Seahawks game on Saturday, Bob predicted the final score: 89-4. I agreed: “Yeah, Redskins don’t have a chance.” He said, “What?” I said, “You think Seattle’s going to win 89-4, right?” “Hell, no! You thought I was talking about the Seahawks? Hell no! We’re gonna kill them.” Wow. If there was an antidote for my pessimism, it was Bob’s blind confidence.
What game had this guy watched on Saturday? The Redskins benefited from bad calls by the refs, only mustered 120 yards total offense, are headed to Seattle to play the best team in the NFC, and Bob was telling me about an impending ‘Skins blowout? I love you, Bob, but you’re crazy, man.
So there you have it. Now I know the Bears have a chance. If Redskins fans can be this over-confident, I can at least be a little less neurotic. Thanks for keeping things in perspective, Bob. You beautiful moron.
Bear 21, Panthers 13
posted by David Stassen at 7:42 PM
