rockin500
11-19-2004, 10:09 AM
Fantasyland the next stop on this Bears ride
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Know what NFL stands for? NFL stands for No Fantasy (too) Large.
Teams can go from worst to first and back to worst faster than you can say Hunter Hillenmeyer. Then there are the Bears, who lose starter after starter to injury and yet only seem to get better. Or as injured safety Mike Brown said after practice Wednesday, "If you would have told me that we could make the playoffs after a 1-5 start, I would have said that you were crazy. But I should have remembered that it was the NFL and anything was possible."
The next thing you know, Philadelphia Eagles wide-mouth Terrell Owens will catch Nicollette Sheridan before Monday Night Football or something. Wait, that did happen already. OK, so why can't the Bears make the playoffs then?
In fact, I've got the script right here ...
Week 11: Nobody has stopped Peyton Manning this season — until now. The victim of some bad deep-dish the night before, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback can only watch the game in his hotel room.
The Bears defense sacks somebody named Jim Sorgi no fewer than six times and picks off three of his passes. Defensive back R.W. McQuarters scores the game-winner on an 84-yard interception return in the final minute.
Or as they say on the team radio broadcast: Back goes Sorgi ... he looks ... he throws ... it's picked off! R-Dub! Run! Yeah! He's! Cut! Yeahh! Gonna! Bears! Yeahhh! Go! Win! Yeahhhh! All! Bears! Yeahhhhh! The! Win! Yeahhhhhh! Way!
Bears 13, Colts 6.
Week 12: In the first game in league history in which the only points are scored on safeties, the Bears bail out another victory in overtime.
On the final play of the game, Dallas Cowboys reserve quarterback Drew Henson throws an off-balance pass from his own end zone. The ball slips out of his hand and strikes the crossbar for an automatic two points.
"How 'bout them Bears?" Bears head coach Lovie Smith, left nearly speechless, says.
Bears 4, Cowboys 2.
Week 13: The season gets curiouser and curiouser every minute. On a day when the Minnesota Vikings outgain them by 432 yards from scrimmage, the Bears score one touchdown on a fumble recovery, another on a blocked field-goal attempt and two more on kickoff returns.
Vikings signal-caller Daunte Culpepper throws for 555 yards to break a 53-year-old league record, but he is sacked six times and coughs up the ball twice.
But the big news is that rookie quarterback Craig Krenzel experiences a break-through game — 11 completions in 23 attempts, 161 yards, one interception — en route to his sixth consecutive victory.
"Ben Roethlisberger who?" Krenzel wants to know.
Bears 38, Vikings 34.
Week 14: The Bears continue to find the darnedest ways to win. This time placekicker Paul Edinger pulls a Chester Marcol, catches his own blocked field-goal attempt and scores from 10 yards out to stun the Jacksonville Jaguars with no time left on the clock.
Needless to say, the team radio broadcasters are beside themselves. Snap ... place-down ... kick ... blocked! Edinger! Run! Yeah! He's! Run! Yeahh! Gonna! It's! Yeahhh! Go! Over! Yeahhhh! All! Bears! Yeahhhhh! The! Win! Yeahhhhhh! Way!
Bears 7, Jaguars 3.
Week 15: The Bears defense is down to five regulars after linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive end Alex Brown are carted off in the first quarter. No matter. Replacements Corey Jenkins and Shurron Pierson combine for 10 tackles, two sacks and one interception.
Krenzel throws the game-winner, a 1-yard pass to Marc Colombo on a tackle-eligible play early in the fourth quarter.
"I can't say that I've ever seen anything like this before," says Smith, who is treated for dizziness afterward.
Bears, 14, Texans 10.
Week 16: Wide receiver David Terrell drops more passes (4) than Krenzel completes (3), but the Bears manage a tie and stay in the North Division race.
Normally automatic Detroit Lions placekicker Jason Hanson can seal the deal in regulation, but his 28-yard field-goal try clangs off both uprights then bounces off the crossbar before it falls harmlessly to the ground in the end zone.
The teams combine for six punts in the overtime.
Bears 3, Lions 3.
Week 17: At 9-5-1, the Bears face a must-win situation against long-time nemesis Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in the regular-season finale. Win and they're in, or lose and they snooze.
Favre throws for 307 yards and four touchdowns, but incredibly, Krenzel is even better. The rookie establishes team records for most completions (35) and passing yards (469) in one game.
Still, the Bears trail by four points with one second on the clock. On fourth-and-26, Krenzel hooks up with Ahmad Merritt, who was re-signed after injuries to Terrell and Bobby Wade the previous week.
Bears 40, Packers 38.
To say the least, the radio team is slightly excited.
Back goes Krenzel ... . he looks ... he's chased out of the pocket ... he throws ... it's caught! Merritt! Touchdown! The! Yeah! Bears! Touchdown! Yeahh! Are! Touchdown! Yeahhh! Goin'! Touchdown! Yeahhhh! To! Touchdown! Yeahhhhh! The! Touchdown! Yeahhhhhh! Playoffs?!
Paul Ladewski can be reached at pladewski@dailysouthtown.com or 708 633-5950.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Know what NFL stands for? NFL stands for No Fantasy (too) Large.
Teams can go from worst to first and back to worst faster than you can say Hunter Hillenmeyer. Then there are the Bears, who lose starter after starter to injury and yet only seem to get better. Or as injured safety Mike Brown said after practice Wednesday, "If you would have told me that we could make the playoffs after a 1-5 start, I would have said that you were crazy. But I should have remembered that it was the NFL and anything was possible."
The next thing you know, Philadelphia Eagles wide-mouth Terrell Owens will catch Nicollette Sheridan before Monday Night Football or something. Wait, that did happen already. OK, so why can't the Bears make the playoffs then?
In fact, I've got the script right here ...
Week 11: Nobody has stopped Peyton Manning this season — until now. The victim of some bad deep-dish the night before, the Indianapolis Colts quarterback can only watch the game in his hotel room.
The Bears defense sacks somebody named Jim Sorgi no fewer than six times and picks off three of his passes. Defensive back R.W. McQuarters scores the game-winner on an 84-yard interception return in the final minute.
Or as they say on the team radio broadcast: Back goes Sorgi ... he looks ... he throws ... it's picked off! R-Dub! Run! Yeah! He's! Cut! Yeahh! Gonna! Bears! Yeahhh! Go! Win! Yeahhhh! All! Bears! Yeahhhhh! The! Win! Yeahhhhhh! Way!
Bears 13, Colts 6.
Week 12: In the first game in league history in which the only points are scored on safeties, the Bears bail out another victory in overtime.
On the final play of the game, Dallas Cowboys reserve quarterback Drew Henson throws an off-balance pass from his own end zone. The ball slips out of his hand and strikes the crossbar for an automatic two points.
"How 'bout them Bears?" Bears head coach Lovie Smith, left nearly speechless, says.
Bears 4, Cowboys 2.
Week 13: The season gets curiouser and curiouser every minute. On a day when the Minnesota Vikings outgain them by 432 yards from scrimmage, the Bears score one touchdown on a fumble recovery, another on a blocked field-goal attempt and two more on kickoff returns.
Vikings signal-caller Daunte Culpepper throws for 555 yards to break a 53-year-old league record, but he is sacked six times and coughs up the ball twice.
But the big news is that rookie quarterback Craig Krenzel experiences a break-through game — 11 completions in 23 attempts, 161 yards, one interception — en route to his sixth consecutive victory.
"Ben Roethlisberger who?" Krenzel wants to know.
Bears 38, Vikings 34.
Week 14: The Bears continue to find the darnedest ways to win. This time placekicker Paul Edinger pulls a Chester Marcol, catches his own blocked field-goal attempt and scores from 10 yards out to stun the Jacksonville Jaguars with no time left on the clock.
Needless to say, the team radio broadcasters are beside themselves. Snap ... place-down ... kick ... blocked! Edinger! Run! Yeah! He's! Run! Yeahh! Gonna! It's! Yeahhh! Go! Over! Yeahhhh! All! Bears! Yeahhhhh! The! Win! Yeahhhhhh! Way!
Bears 7, Jaguars 3.
Week 15: The Bears defense is down to five regulars after linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive end Alex Brown are carted off in the first quarter. No matter. Replacements Corey Jenkins and Shurron Pierson combine for 10 tackles, two sacks and one interception.
Krenzel throws the game-winner, a 1-yard pass to Marc Colombo on a tackle-eligible play early in the fourth quarter.
"I can't say that I've ever seen anything like this before," says Smith, who is treated for dizziness afterward.
Bears, 14, Texans 10.
Week 16: Wide receiver David Terrell drops more passes (4) than Krenzel completes (3), but the Bears manage a tie and stay in the North Division race.
Normally automatic Detroit Lions placekicker Jason Hanson can seal the deal in regulation, but his 28-yard field-goal try clangs off both uprights then bounces off the crossbar before it falls harmlessly to the ground in the end zone.
The teams combine for six punts in the overtime.
Bears 3, Lions 3.
Week 17: At 9-5-1, the Bears face a must-win situation against long-time nemesis Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers in the regular-season finale. Win and they're in, or lose and they snooze.
Favre throws for 307 yards and four touchdowns, but incredibly, Krenzel is even better. The rookie establishes team records for most completions (35) and passing yards (469) in one game.
Still, the Bears trail by four points with one second on the clock. On fourth-and-26, Krenzel hooks up with Ahmad Merritt, who was re-signed after injuries to Terrell and Bobby Wade the previous week.
Bears 40, Packers 38.
To say the least, the radio team is slightly excited.
Back goes Krenzel ... . he looks ... he's chased out of the pocket ... he throws ... it's caught! Merritt! Touchdown! The! Yeah! Bears! Touchdown! Yeahh! Are! Touchdown! Yeahhh! Goin'! Touchdown! Yeahhhh! To! Touchdown! Yeahhhhh! The! Touchdown! Yeahhhhhh! Playoffs?!
Paul Ladewski can be reached at pladewski@dailysouthtown.com or 708 633-5950.