Right now Bears look like a 10-6 team
Having battled through the most difficult portion of their schedule with a 4-3 record — the same mark they had last season at this time — the Bears believe they’re poised for a playoff push.
Their first seven opponents have a combined record of 30-23. Their next nine are a combined 33-30, not counting the Monday night game between San Diego and Kansas City.
“We feel good about where we’re at right now,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said late last week before giving his team a four-day break that ends with today’s practice.
“We’re a good football team. It helps to be on a two-game winning streak, but we feel like our best football is ahead of us.
“We have a lot of improvements still to make, but getting a healthy team on the field is a step in the right direction. We can’t wait to see how we compare to a good Philadelphia team.”
Week 9: Bears at EaglesAh, yes, #147;The Dream Team,#148; as backup quarterback Vince Young dubbed the Eagles#146; collection of marquee free agents.Philly#146;s play was nightmarish during a 1-4 start, but Andy Reid#146;s team looked pretty dreamy in Sunday night#146;s lopsided victory over the Dallas Cowboys, their first win at home this season. And now they await the Bears for a Monday night battle.The Bears have the advantage of coming in well rested and almost completely healthy. The Eagles are coming off what was expected to be an emotional division game but turned into a 34-7 rout, as they demonstrated how explosive their offense can be.Too bad the Bears can#146;t play the Cowboys instead.Prediction: Bears lose (4-4)Week 10: Lions at BearsDetroit has had difficulty running the ball without Jahvid Best, and the Lions lost back-to-back games with him on the sidelines with a concussion before bouncing back to destroy the pathetic Broncos.Even without him, quarterback Matthew Stafford has weapons, but the Lions#146; run defense is weak, and so are their special teams. The Bears will take advantage of both.Prediction: Bears win (5-4)Week 11: Chargers at BearsSan Diego quarterback Philip Rivers is having an uncharacteristically mediocre season, but the normally slow-starting Chargers began 4-2. They will be coming off back-to-back games against the Packers and Raiders, but the Raiders game is on a Thursday night, giving them three extra days to prepare for the Bears.Prediction: Bears lose (5-5)Week 12: Bears at RaidersNo one really likes playing the Raiders in The Black Hole, especially now that the Silver and Black are no longer the laughingstock they have been for most of the millennium. But it#146;s going to take some time for new quarterback Carson Palmer to find a rhythm with his receivers.Prediction: Bears win (6-5)Week 13: Chiefs at BearsAfter making huge strides last season with a surprising 10 wins and a playoff appearance, the Chiefs have taken a couple of steps back under head coach Todd Haley, the Bears#146; wide receivers coach from 2001-03. But they#146;re not nearly as bad as they appeared during an 0-3 start. Prediction: Bears win (7-5)Week 14: Bears at BroncosDon#146;t be surprised if by this time quarterback Tim Tebow is playing a different position or holding a clipboard while ex-Bear Kyle Orton is back under center. Too bad for Orton, because this is a bad team going nowhere and in search of an identity. At least they#146;re respectable with Orton at QB.Prediction: Bears win (8-5)Week 15: Seahawks at BearsAnother bad team with quarterback problems that should be no match for the Bears at Soldier Field. If the Bears need any incentive, they can look back to their dismal performance against Seattle in Week 6 last season, when they lost to 23-20 at home. Seahawks are 1-3 on the road and have scored a total of 20 points in the losses.Prediction: Bears win (9-5)Week 16: Bears at PackersChristmas night in Green Bay. What could be worse? As long as the Packers haven#146;t already clinched home field throughout the playoffs, it#146;s a stretch to imagine the Bears matching up with them at Lambeau Field. Packers have won five of the last six meetings, with the Bears averaging 12.6 points in the losses.Prediction: Bears lose (9-6)Week 17: Bears at VikingsBy this time, the Vikings will be a much better team with rookie quarterback Christian Ponder running the offense than they would have been with Donovan McNabb. But that won#146;t change the fact that they#146;re playing for pride, while the Bears are playing for a playoff berth. Bears have won four straight vs. Vikes, averaging 35 points per game. Prediction: Bears win (10-6)ŸThe Bears#146; Nov. 13 game vs. the Lions has been moved from a noon kickoff to a 3:15 start by the league so it can be part of a Fox-TV doubleheader.ŸFollow Bob#146;s Bears reports via Twitter @BobLeGere and check out our Bear Essentials blog at dailyherald.com.FBN9321305Next up for Bears: a Monday night contest against quarterback Michael Vick and the Eagles in Philadelphia.Associated PressFBN