AudiBull (Episode 8) Links / iTunes

With Kmart out of the country, the creator of the AudiBULL them song filled in to help me out with the podcast this week. Thanks to Ryan Coe for a job well done, we had a great time recording AudiBULL Episode 8, and we hope you enjoy listening.

If you enjoy the podcast, be sure to follow both of us on twitter: @bullbearsock and @ryeryeryecom



Listen to Episode 8 here:





or download from iTunes

Greatest Show on Grass?

Is this what we are gonna be calling the bears offense soon? Maybe if the last two weeks were an indication of what the Martz offense can do for the bears. Look, it was a great win yesterday against the Jets and the bears did it by leaning on the offense something that is entirely foreign to us Bears fans. The bears are in the driver's seat for a first round bye and have won 7 out of their last 8. Shaping up to be a great season. Positive, negatives and thoughts on yesterday's game below.

The Good

1. O-line. The much maligned O-line looked like studs vs. the Jets. Cutler had all day to complete throws and we saw what happens then with 3 tds in the 3rd quarter. Plus, Forte was the first 100 yd rusher against the Jets this year. A lot of that credit goes to the O-line for blocking up people. If the line can play like this then sky is the limit for this offense.

2. Matt Forte. As mentioned above, Forte is the 1st back to go over 100 yards against the Jets D this year. And only the 2nd back to do it in the last 2 years. Forte had some excellent blocking but he picked up a ton of yards after 1st contact and he looks like the back he was in his rookie year. He is the most dangerous weapon on the bears offense.

3. Jay Cutler/Devin Hester. Ask Jay how easy it is too look good when you usually only have to go half the field for a TD and you have a running game. The bears offense was clicking on all cylinders and Jay showed why he was brought into be the franchise QB. And not enough can be said about Hester and the advantage he gives the bears. The bears have the best average starting field position in the NFL and it is because of #23. Also, he has caught TDs in 2 consecutive games. Can he get the MVP?

The Bad

1. D-line. Did the bears D-line actually play yesterday? It was pretty hard to tell because im pretty sure Mark Dirty Sanchez was pretty much untouched besides some LB blitzes. I dont want to hear that this D-line has problem with their "get-off" on the soldier field grass. Arent there pills for that? Anyway, the bears know they play on turf and that they play in the cold so this just cant be an excuse for no pash rush. I was having flash backs to last season's defense. Not good.

2. Defensive play calling. Alright, I by now understand that Lovie's system doesnt work when you have to rush more than 4. But does that mean the defense just has to give up when its not working? In the 2nd quarter and really until the 4th quarter, it looked like the bears had no idea what to do when their front 4 couldnt get pressure. Finally, in the 4th, we saw urlacher and briggs coming on blitzes which were somewhat effective. Can I ask why it took till then for the blitz to become an option? That adjustment needed to be made a lot earlier given the way Sanchez was carving up the bears.

Random Bear Thoughts

Peanut Tillman has to be winding down his days as a cornerback. I mean we have all seen his inability to cover fast WRs anymore and he has pretty much become a liability in most man to man coverage situations. I personally love Peanut and proudly display his autograph in my room but I think realistically if he is still with the bears his future will be at safety. I mean he says on the field because of his ability to punch out fumbles and putting him at safety would mean he is around the ball more and he can use his size and strength against TEs and backs. It could re-invent his career much the way it did for rod woodson and charles woodson. Either way CB must be an offseason priority for the bears.

Why is the packers game important? Because if the packers win, it would likely mean that the bears get the #3 seed and would play the #6 seed who would be........the Packers. As great it would be to see a Bears-Pack playoff game, they will probably be the most dangerous NFC team in the playoffs.

AudiBull (Episode 7) Links / iTunes

Listen here:

Kmart and had our weekly Bulls discussion on Sunday night. You can listen to our review of last week, and predictions for this week.

Kmart will be out of the country next week, so Ryan Coe (the creator of the BBS theme song) will be filling in! Going to try some new things, and might even take some calls from listeners. (Time/date is still TBD).

Listen to Episode 7 here:





or download from iTunes

Bears v. Vikes - Division clincher?

First off, I have said nothing about last week's debacale vs. the pats because really there is nothing good or constructive to take from the game. Just forget about it and move on. But, tonight with a win the bears have a chance to clinch the NFC North. As impossible as that would have sounded at the beginning of the year, its true.

Key Matchups:

1. Julius Peppers v. Bryant McKinnie. McKinnie used to be a premier LT in the league but he has lost it. He has problems with speed rushers and can be beaten right away off the snap. Pep needs a big game and the bears need to put constant pressure in the backfield on what might be a sloppy night.

2. Matt Forte v. Chad Greenway. Greenway is the vikes leading tackler and will probably be in charge of covering forte in pass coverage. Call me crazy Mike Martz but Forte has been your most explosive weapon on offense all year so get him the ball in space. I like that the bears are running the ball more but Forte showed earlier in the season that he is an excellent and elusive runner on those swing pass and screens. With the weather probably being a factor tonight about we see some more of those and Forte running past Greenway.

Bear's Key:

1. Ability to play in bear football. As this is posting, the forecast in MN is for 20s and snow. Last week the bears looked like a team that plays in dome. The pass rushers didnt know how to deal with the ground and weather and the offensive line was revealed (again) to be a finesse group that couldnt blow people off the line. As it sets up now, it looks like there will be atleast 1 home game in january at Soldier's Field. It might help to figure out how to play outdoors in cold weather before then.

2. Contain the purple jesus. Or Adrian Peterson as most people call him. With the vikings playing their 3rd string QB, we are gonna see a whole lot of AP. I'm not sure the bears can stop but just contain him. Without any big runs by him, it will be very hard for the vikings to move the ball and we will see them punt the ball a whole lot.

Hero of the Day:

Lance Briggs. This is the type of game that Lance can change with his play. The weather will be sloppy and if lance can get a pick or force a fumble that could spell doom for the vikes. Look for him to be all over the place and in on most of the tackles and cause at least 1 turnover on the night.

Prediction

Bears 24, Vikes 14.

Even though the vikes are playing with their 3rd string QB, this is still a division game and these teams dont like each other. It will be a physical game with a lot of punts and defense will probably rule the night. Still, the night will end up with the bears being NFC North winners!

D-Rose is Overrated?! Umm ... No.

Our fantasy league has been active the past few days, as yesterday I posted Big Fil's thoughts on Why the Noah Injury Isn't That Big of a Deal ...

So to spark some emails today, I sent this link. I'm not exactly sure why, but these "Derrick Rose is overrated" articles are fascinating to me. I guess I'm trying to understand the logic, and what makes people continuously say these things ...

Derrick Rose: Perfect Storm of Overrated?

A week ago, Beckley and I parsed the notion of Derrick Rose. Certain readers were angry at the personalities within our schizoid dialogue, particularly the Derrick-hating takes. Some mistook a conversation for an argument. To those, I say, “Here’s your argument.” Not only do I think Rose overrated, I think him the potential Perfect Storm of Overrated. It’s written with no hate in my heart, I love watching D-Rose just as much as you do–which is in part why he’s the P.S.O. With Noah out, I expect the “Rose for MVP” chant to mute as the Bulls slide to a 5th seed. But the chant will reverberate across the future, for reasons listed below:

Big Market: Market size is measurable, influential. The “Second City” might actually be third, but the bronze medal is enormous. If Chicago was a female kangaroo, it could easily fit the Oklahoma City metro area inside Chi-town’s marsupial pouch. Chicago could even jump high, higher than Joakim Noah’s arc. But that wouldn’t be safe–like making bad puns a stone’s throw from comment sections.

Great Aesthetics: This is impossible to measure, fun to describe. I call Derrick “close-range Kobe,” as my girlfriend wonders what I’m screaming in my sleep. Bryant boasts an ability to make thrilling, difficult, long-range jumpers. When Kobe drains double-teamed fadeaways, fans gasp. Then, they exhale the air that inflates Bryant’s legend past the point of fact. It’s because every impossible shot delivers an adrenaline jolt, a Pavlovian fist-pump–and most importantly, a memory. Our brains cling to that moment over one hundred effective Pau hook shots. We recall what surprises, credit the shocking-jock.

As Henry Abbott points out, Rose specializes in the thrilling, shifty, contact-avoiding layup. It’s memorable for all the reasons Kobe’s long-distance bombs are. By the time Derrick’s shot ricochets off glass, our brains have already tricked us into over-loving his trickery. How can we blame that brain? How could any human being turn that flying contortion into points? D-Rose as “number one point guard” is a lie, inspired by an optical illusion.

Well, after I posted that link, Kmart (BBS writer and AudiBULL host) read the article and posted what I thought was an awesome response. Here it is:

I hate reading how "overrated" Derrick Rose is. It's one of the dumbest arguments ever. I think he's perfectly rated. I think most Bulls fans would peg him as 3rd-5th best PG right now chasing Paul and D-Will and somewhere with Rondo and Westbrook. What about that makes him overrated?

If it's about being deemed in the discussion for MVP, then based on his numbers alone, he at least deserves to be in the discussion. If you also measure how much he means to the team, the Bulls would likely be 5 games under .500 without him. Without Rose the Bulls are a 35-40 win team. With him they're a 50-60 win team. (Also, we're not sliding to a 5 seed without Noah, hate to burst that dude's bubble but the East is terrible.)

He's 22 and in his 3rd year and probably has the highest ceiling of any PG in the league. All he does is win (Simeon, Memphis, now Bulls) and he's done nothing but prove his ability to make his weaknesses, strengths in a ridiculously quick period of time. The 2 big knocks on him last season were that he's terrible defensively and he can't shoot. He went out and got much much better at both of those things, and now he's overrated? How? People are running out of shit to complain about, so this year it's "he doesn't draw enough fouls." While this is true, who wants to bet it's the only thing he works on all off-season? He came out and mentioned that he needs to work on this. He's said all his life on the playground he's been avoiding contact/fouls because they don't call them on the playground. Makes sense, and to piggy back on what Dan said... who can do what he does in the lane? And why is that a knock on him?

I appreciate reading things like this, but it's the Colin Cowherd/Skip Bayless make dumb arguments just to make them. HPBasketball, JonesontheNBA, Hollinger, and this guy all love to call Rose overrated, but I'm curious if they were starting a franchise and got to pick 1 player to build around... how many names would they call before Derricks? 4? 5? 8 tops?

It's arguing just to argue. Nationally Rose is perfectly ranked. Bulls fans are allowed to overrate him by a smidge because they get to watch him every night and every city ever overrates anything their home teams/players do/does... also we got to watch Jordan every night, so I think we're pretty familiar with what greatness looks like.

Why the Noah Injury Isn't That Big of a Deal ...

[Editor's Note: As most BBS readers are aware, Kmart Dan and I are in a very competitive fantasy basketball league with a lot of smart people. Our league commissioner, Big Fil, is a huge Bulls fan and a very knowledgeable NBA fan. Today on the league message boards, he posted some great thoughts on the announcement of Noah's surgery.]


Noah is going to be out 8-10 weeks, which sucks, but is it really that big of a deal? I don't think so, and dare I say in some ways, it could actually be beneficial.

1. The Bulls are getting the 4 seed with or without Noah -

They have already opened up a 5 game lead in the central, despite not having Boozer for the majority of the season, and playing the leagues hardest schedule. Only the Lakers have a bigger lead in their division (6 games) of any division leading team. Could we have possibly gotten the 3 seed? Probably not, but even if they could, does the 3 or 4 seed really matter? Celtics, Heat, Magic, who cares?! You're gonna have to play 2 of them regardless.

2. Taj Gibson -

He will be asked to play a lot more minutes. A young player's confidence is extremely important to their development. Now that Taj will be asked to play major minutes, he will get the necessary experience needed, so when playoff time comes around he'll have the reps needed when he is called upon.

3. Boozer and Rose -

This gives them some serious time to gel, as they will have to work together and get their pick-and-roll game down. It's clear that they are the Bulls' 2 best players now, and they have to find that chemistry to make them as effective as Boozer and D-Will were in Utah. Noah wasn't necessarily blocking that, but now this HAS to happen, and Thibs knows it.

4. Noah will come back with 25+ games left in the season -

There will be some chemistry issues, no doubt, and Noah will need to work himself back into game shape, but with almost 2 full months left in the season, he will still have plenty of time to get acclimated back into the team. He'll be fully rested, and like everyone says: you want to be playing your best late in the year.

Like I said, it sucks that Noah is out 8-10 weeks, because he makes watching Bulls games so much fun. I think he had a legit chance to make the All-Star team, which would have been great for his confidence, but ultimately its really not that big of a deal.

Click-a-Bull (AudiBULL; Love-a-Bulls; Noah/Rodman; Rose v Lakers Highlights)

The Bulls are looking to extend their winning streak to 7 games tonight against the Raptors, so you would think everything is great here at BBS. But with Rose nursing a sore right hip and elbow, a sprained right wrist and a turned left ankle, along with Noah possibly having ligament damage in his right thumb, things are far from great.

But supposedly Rose and Noah are both playing tonight, so maybe things aren't so bad after all. Short-term let's hope for a continued winning streak, and long-term ... let's hope that our two best, young players aren't badly injured.

It's tough not to love these Bulls

There was sobbing throughout Northeast Ohio and plenty of whining in New York City when LeBron James decided to take his talents to South Beach. Meanwhile, in Chicago, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah shrugged and went back to the gym.

With all due respect to the skills of LeBron and Chris Bosh and the recruiting savvy of Dwyane Wade, Rose and Noah weren't begging anyone to join them, which is part of what makes this the most irresistible Bulls team since Michael and Scottie left town.

"My thing was, no one person can make a decision for a group," Rose said last week. "Guys knew if they came, we'd have welcomed them. But ... "

Rose stopped. His answer wasn't meant to be insulting. He already thought his team worthy, and after Bulls management redirected its free-agent efforts and signed Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver, Rose believed his boys could rumble with anybody. Nothing has changed his mind, especially now that Chicago has won six straight and begun to fully incorporate Boozer into the lineup since his debut Dec. 1.

This isn't the first time in the post-Jordan era that Chicago has put together an appealing cast. Remember, the Baby Bulls swept defending champ Miami in the 2007 playoffs, and Rose had a coming-out party in that seven-game classic against the champion Celtics in 2009. But those teams, to a great degree, were hoping and praying; the first group was too inexperienced and the latter too perimeter-oriented. Don't get me wrong, this season's team isn't a finished product in terms of personnel -- acquiring a proven shooter is an absolute necessity -- but if you've been watching the Bulls as long as some of us (the entire 44 years of the franchise for me), there's something irresistible about this group.

It's OK, finally, to fall in love with the Bulls again, starting with the fact Rose and Noah didn't spend all summer begging for help; it's indicative of a tough-mindedness that ought to immediately endear this squad to Chicago. Not trading Noah -- in fact, doing just the opposite and signing him to a long-term deal -- already has proved to be the right move, if for no other reason than Noah's value to the Bulls is so much greater than his statistical contribution, even his prolific rebounding.

Joakim Noah and Dennis Rodman are kindred spirits

Joakim Noah(notes) is a terriffic defender, one of the league's top rebounders, and a limited offensive player. Those skills (or lack thereof) put him in the company of another former Bulls great, Dennis Rodman.

The Worm was a controversial figure during his playing days, but no one who watched him can deny that the man was as good a rebounder and defender as anyone in his era. Noah recognizes these facts, thankfully, and appreciates Rodman's career. Noah told Jonathan Santiago of SLAM Online that the two recently had the opportunity to meet:

According to Noah, he met the two-time All-Star at an unspecified night club and told him how big of a fan he was. Rodman, likewise, returned mutual admiration.

"I just saw him in the club and I just showed him love and he showed me love," Noah responded. " It was cool, you know?" The current Bulls power forward spoke reverently of his predecessor:

"I've nothing but good things to say about that guy. You know, I'm a big fan of his. I feel like, you know, somebody whose basketball skills are so underrated just because of all the other things. Just because he was kind of out there, in people's eyes, people kind of forget how much he affected the game. I mean, he was a champion you know? I think people kind of forget that. The guy was the definition of hustle and affecting the game without scoring. He scored a little bit, but not really. I mean the guy just affected the game so much with his defense and his rebounding. And he kind of made that cool, to me anyways."

AudiBull (Episode 6) Links / iTunes

As we do every Sunday, last night Kmart and I discussed the Bulls in "BBS AudiBULL" (episode 6). In Review-a-BULL, we re-cap the games from last week, then in Predict-a-BULL, we try to predict the Bulls record for the upcoming week.

This week we also discussed Noah's foul issues and the Bulls' need for a shooting guard.

Listen here:





or download from iTunes

Bears v. Tom Brady

I mean really can anyone name someone else on the patriots? They really have Tom Brady and a bunch of role players around him. When you look at their statistics they are just an average team but here they are at 9-2. Their offense is 13th in yards, 11th in passing, 13th in rushing but somehow they rank as the #1 scoring offense in the NFL at 31.6 pt/game. Their defense is average too ranking 19th in the NFL. So, this should be an easy win for the bears right?

Key Matchups

1. Jerod Mayo v. Jay Cutler. Cutler's improved play is really the reason for the offensive improvement since the bye week and I expect him to only be better against the Patriots. The Pats are ranked 31st against the pass and i think we may see the bears call more deep routes this game than the last 4 combined. But, I have the suspicion that Mayo, the Pats best LB, may be doing some spying/shadowing of Jay Culter given Jay's nimble feet of late. Mayo is really the one that drives the Pats defense and if Cutler can recognize what he where is on the field, it can negate his impact and make the Pats defense look pedestrian.

2. Urlacher v. Pats TEs. The Pats have two excellent rookie TEs in Hernandez and Gronkowski and the majority of their plays will involve both TEs. They love to run vertical down the seam and have the speed and hands to do so. Brady will spread the ball around but he definitely look to these guys for big plays down the center of the field. I suspect the bears will be playing a whole lot of cover 2 so Urlacher will have to get a good drop down the middle of the field in order to be in position to break up pass to these TEs.

3. Patriots v. Soldier Field turf. Hey, so the turf is crappy but what do I can when it neutralizes the opponents speed? It certainly worked against the eagles, maybe the fastest NFL team. And now we can hope it hurts the Patriots. Their offense is based around YAC or run after the catch so heres hoping on sunday its just falling after the catch.

Keys for the Bears

1. Tackling. Unfortunately this is probable the worst matchup for the bears defense in the NFL. The Pats are a patient, short passing team which absolutely kills cover 2 defenses. Maybe we will see some more blitzes and man 2 man from the bears but I heavily doubt it. So, in order for the bear's cover 2 to beat brady & co., they must tackle extremely well as the Pats are all about YAC, as stated above. The first guy must stop the ball carrier or at least slow him down.

2. DT pressure. Tom Brady is awesome in the pocket. He isnt very mobile but he slides/moves extremely well in the pocket. This allows him to side step a lot of pressure and step up on any pressure from the outsides. If the DTs can get pressure up the middle then Brady has no where to step up and we could see him take some sacks and it disrupt their passing game.

3. Big plays keep coming. The offense has been great the last couple weeks but not exactly what we expected from them. It has been consistently driving the ball and every once a while a big play will pop. But from the Martz offense, I was expecting a lot more big plays and quick scoring. I think this game will be higher scoring than most because the problems the Pats will present for our defense. With that said and the Pats D not having much of a pass rush, i think its time to start going deep early and often. Yep, this could turn into a disaster of inceptions and turnovers but this offense needs to show that it has that capability in order to be a playoff threat and probably to win this game.

Hero of the Day

Jay Cutler. Its the first time this year I have chosen Jay to have a big game. This probably as big of game in his career that he has played and he really needs to come out and show that he can perform against a good team. I think either he goes off for 3 or 4 tds and probably a int or he throws a real stinker and we start wondering if he can handle the big games/stage.

Prediction

I really want to take the bears. I know im that big of a homer but I just cant bring myself to do it. I wanted to take the Bears 31 to 27 on a last second season defining TD drive by Culter. But, i just cant. I think it will be a close game but Brady in the 4th quarter will hurt the bears and they will fall. Pats 27, Bears 24.

Click-a-Bull (AudiBULL; "King of Stacey"; Rose's 3)

AudiBull (Episode 5) Links / iTunes

------------------------------




Take Over Yourself, or “the King of Stacey”

Derrick Rose was the hero last night. 30 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, and 5 steals. We’re seeing it more and more now. These are numbers Chicago hasn’t seen since Michael Jordan. Every bit of the last fourth quarter play was heroic: his confidence to take the shot, his eyes fixated on the game clock, the lift off the ground, the propulsion of the ball headed towards its date with destiny. Rose is good. The hype, as Stacey King very much wanted us to understand, is real.

But the thing about being a hero is that life is a lot easier when you don’t save people all the time. Rose and his hype train has been powered by the mystique of flair and drama. Who can forget the legendary Bulls/Celtics First Round series two seasons ago? Who can forget his Game 1 performance? Who can ever forget the way in which he performs a reverse layup? With a startling combination of power and pretty, he does so easily the impossible. Why then, must the easy be so impossible?

Rose did not attempt a single free throw against the Rockets. This marks the first time — well, the first time where logged minutes — this has happened this season. There were questionable non-calls that Stacey King very much wanted us to acknowledge, but still: Rose took 28 shots to score 30. Life still isn’t easy for Derrick Rose. The magic shroud that he clings to on every jackknifing reverse layup will wear away eventually, and sooner rather than later if he keeps this up.

Rose’s dramatic tying three saves the day

So who said he can’t make the big one?

Derrick Rose continued to add pages to his scrapbook of thrills Saturday with a straight away 25 footer as the regulation buzzer was sounding to save the Bulls from a third consecutive defeat, and the Bulls led by Rose’s 30 points and Carlos Boozer’s 25 went on to survive the Houston Rockets, 119-116 in overtime in the United Center.

“I think that was the first time I’ve celebrated this whole year after I shot a shot,” a determined Rose said after utterly willing the Bulls to this shaky come from ahead victory. “It felt good knowing that I’m capable of knocking down shots like that.”

It was a crucial and clutch shot, no question, as the Bulls looked like they’d blown a 14-point second half lead after they had to rally from five behind with 36.5 seconds left in what then seemed like an ugly trip back to .500.

But Rose, who’d been especially forceful all game and even in the pregame huddle after introductions was demanding a big game from teammates, got a big boost from Boozer in his first big game as a Bull with two big offensive rebounds and scores which set up Rose’s dramatics. The Bulls also got a littler lucky as both Kyle Lowry and Brad Miller split a pair of free throws in the last 24 seconds before the Bulls got the ball back with 10.7 seconds left trailing 109-106.

Joakim Noah, who had 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks in dragging himself through just under 48 minutes of play, got stuck with the ball on the left wing at the three point circle looking for Rose. As the clock ticked down, the Bulls needed a three and the Houston play was to foul Noah hanging onto the ball with the Bulls experiencing still another miserable free throw shooting game and Noah one of two on the night.

“Derrick is definitely someone who wants the ball in pressure situations,” said Noah. “I think if I hadn’t given him the ball in that situation, he wouldn’t have talked to me for days.”

AudiBull (Episode 5) Links / iTunes

Episode 5 is in the books, and the technical difficulties were minor compared to last week!

PredictaBULL (when Kmart and I predict the Bulls' record for the upcoming week) ...

Monday – OKC
Wednesday - @CLE
Friday – Lakers
Saturday – Twolves

Kmart: 2-2
Jim: 3-1






Listen here:





or download from iTunes

Bears v. Lions, Part Deux

Well, the bears have won 4 straight. Yep thats not a typo and pretty much could be classified as the hottest team in the NFC. Still not a typo. The get the banged up lions team this week and really this game shouldnt be close. But here is what to watch for anyway. Oh, and a shutout to Ryan Coe, who i hear is a big fan.

Key Matchups:

1. Chris Williams v. Ndamukong Suh - Suh has had a phenomenal rookie season and probably will be the defensive rookie of the year if not the overall rookie of the year. Williams is getting better at guard but still is pretty rough and doesnt handle the power rush from a DT very well. Well, I have to suspect that Suh will be lining up over Williams and trying to create havoc. If Williams can hang with Suh on his own that should mean big holes in the run game and a big day for Forte.

2. Megatron(Calvin Johnson) v. Bears corners. I mean Johnson is virtually unstoppable. He is pretty much a freak of nature and arguably the best WR in the NFL even though he has had journeymen QBs throwing to him most of his career. If the bears can just contain him in the redzone, it would be a victory for them. Also, did i mention he is pretty much the Lions only offensive weapon.

Keys for the Bears

1. Work the play action. If you remember back to week 1 of the season, the lions pass rush got to Cutler quite a bit and I dont want to see Jay get hit by Suh more than necessary. By working the play action, it can slow down the pass rush and give Cutler some more time in the pocket. Mostly, the bears have to worried about slowing the push up the middle of the Lions DTs and play action should make them worried about the run first.

2. Don't let up. So, this is a classic trap game for the bears. They have the Patriots next weekend and the Lions are 2-9. But, i think the Lions have played much better than their 2-9 record and will come out for blood after "the catch" in week 1. The bears have to withstand what the lions throw at them in the 1st quarter and then pull away before half. They cant come out flat. I dont think they will but it has be a concern for most fans.

Hero of the Day

Johnny Knox - Johnny has had some big games here in this 4 game winning but I think this week against a weak lions secondary he will have a break out game. Look for atleast a TD and 100+ yards.

Prediction

Bears 31, Lions 13. The bears just keep getting better and better and look for the defense to join the scoring with their 2nd defensive TD of the year. There should be a lot of 3 and out from the lions and I expect this game to be over by halftime. Go Bear!

Click-a-BULL (Fear the Bulls; Boozer Calls Rose 'Amazing'; Boozer Returns)

Monday Musings: Start fearing the Bulls

It’s time to start fearing the Bulls.

It’s still highly unlikely that Chicago will get a No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, since that would require (among other things) the Heat to continue to underperform and the Celtics to check out of the regular season … again. But don’t be surprised if the Bulls finish with 50-something wins, cruise to a division title and scare the heck out of one of the East’s preordained elite in May.

After all, they’re 9-6 and just finished their annual circus road trip with a winning record (4-3) for the first time since 1998. That 9-6 record isn’t spectacular on its own, but put it into context: The Bulls were 6-9 after their big road trip last season and bottomed out at 14-20 before righting themselves, falling apart again and sprinting to an 8-3 finish just to secure a .500 record and the last playoff seed. They were 8-9 after the trip two seasons ago and fell to 21-28 before getting hot, finishing at .500 and losing a seven-game classic to Boston in the first round.

This year’s Chicago team has managed to avoid the annual subpar start despite missing its second-best offensive player (Carlos Boozer) and despite playing what John Hollinger’s power rankings classifies as the league’s toughest schedule. And it is too talented and too well-coached to sink into a midseason funk as it did in each of the last two seasons.

Boozer: Rose is 'amazing'

In the midst of the endless questioning as to when Carlos Boozer will actually make his debut for the Bulls, the veteran power forward had some interesting things to share regarding Derrick Rose. No matter when Boozer returns to the floor, he knows whose team it is.

"It's definitely [Rose's] team," Boozer said. "He's proven that. He's earned that. Worked his butt off. You see how good he is, how great of a season he's had already. [It's] definitely his team."

After spending several months watching Rose every day, Boozer has a new appreciation for just how good the 22-year-old All Star is.

"He's amazing," Boozer said. "I'm really impressed. I knew he was good, and I played against him a couple times. We played against for like a week or two on the 2008 USA team. He was on the select team, the team that we practiced against for a week or two in Vegas. And I was really impressed with how he was playing against [Jason] Kidd, [Deron Williams] and Chris Paul. I knew he was really good, but then you see him every day in practice, you see him in games. The kid has a heart of a champion. He makes play after play after play."

Boozer to make Bulls debut on Wednesday

Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer will make his season debut against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

"I'm playing," Boozer said after pregame warm-ups.

ESPNChicago.com Bulls blog

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Boozer broke his right pinkie on Oct. 2, and his first full day of contact at practice was Monday.

After the Bulls missed on free agents LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh this summer, they turned to Boozer, who signed a five-year deal that could be worth as much as $80 million.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau wanted to make sure the team's biggest acquisition wasn't rushed on the court too quickly, but he was anxious to put the former All-Star in the starting lineup.

The Bulls are coming off their first successful "Circus Trip" since the Michael Jordan era by going 4-3. Wednesday will be their first home game since the trip ended.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is excited to have Boozer in the lineup.

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