Bears can be ordinary and still make playoffs in weak NFC
Despite a disappointing loss at home to a mediocre opponent Sunday, a defeat that further exposed their offensive line as a weakness, the Bears still have an excellent chance to make the playoffs, just like almost every team in the conference.
Every team in the NFC has at least two losses. The Bears (4-2) are tied for the best record with four other teams, all of which have, at times, looked as beatable as the Bears did on Sunday.
This isn't parity; it's mediocrity. There aren't any great teams; there might not even be any really good teams. And the Bears are just as mediocre as anyone else.
There are seven NFC teams with two losses, but that includes the Arizona Cardinals (3-2), who have been outscored by 50 points, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2), who have been outscored by 30.
It's possible that six teams from the AFC the Steelers, Ravens, Jets, Patriots, Colts and Titans are better than the best team from the NFC.
That doesn't mean that one or more dominant teams won't emerge from the NFC by the end of the season, but none of the preseason favorites have given any indication that they're capable of living up to expectations.
The defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints, who averaged 32 points per game in 2009, are averaging less than 22. They should get their top two running backs, Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush, back in the next couple of weeks, but the Saints weren't playing well earlier in the year when both of them were healthy.
The Cowboys were a popular pick to play for the Super Bowl in their home stadium but, at 1-4, they're on the verge of elimination and could be out of the running by Thanksgiving. They're in the cellar of the NFC East, which could be the top division in the conference.
The Eagles and Giants are tied at 4-2, but Philly could be without its best player, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, for a couple of weeks or more after he suffered a severe concussion Sunday. The Giants have been impressive lately, winning three straight, but they lost to the Colts by 24 and the Titans by 19.
The Packers (3-3) and Vikings (2-3) both were popular Super Bowl picks but have struggled in the early going. Even better for the Bears is that their two toughest division foes play each other Sunday night. The loser will have some catching up to do, especially if the Bears can cobble together an offensive line capable of helping them defeat the Redskins at Soldier Field on Sunday.
But, even if they lose to the Redskins and then defeat the winless Bills in Toronto after their off-week, the Bears would be 5-3 and, at worst, tied for the lead in the NFC North.
The Packers have lost three of their last four games, including back-to-back overtime defeats. They have been hit harder by injuries to key players than any team in the NFL, and their upcoming schedule is a killer. After hosting the Vikings, they play on the road against the Jets (5-1), at home against the Cowboys and then at Minnesota and at Atlanta (4-2).
The Vikings don't have the same Brett Favre at quarterback that they did last year, when he put up career numbers and didn't have tendinitis in his throwing elbow and off-the-field distractions. After Sunday night in Green Bay they head right back on the road to face the Patriots (4-1).
In the NFC, it might not take much more than an ordinary performance to get to the playoffs, and the Bears are capable of that.
Ÿ Follow Bob LeGere's Bears reports via Twitter@BobLeGere. Check out his blog, Bear Essentials, at DailyHerald.com
NFC Logjam
Bears 4-2
New York Giants 4-2
Philadelphia Eagles 4-2
Atlanta Falcons 4-2
New Orleans Saints 4-2
Tampa Bay Bucs 3-2
Arizona Cardinals 3-2
Seattle Seahawks 3-2
Green Bay Packers 3-3
Washington Redskins 3-3
St. Louis Rams 3-3
Minnesota Vikings 2-3