MNF: Bears v Vikings

Could we be looking at the upset of the season? Go Bears!!!

Not sure what would give you that impression, was it the Bears giving up the most yards in a half (319), while having the fewest yards (4) in a half ever last week? It’s going to be a white out at the Bank, and I’ll be there losing my voice! Letssssss go!

Vikings -6.5 is a bargain.

If this was in Chicago I’d maybe entertain a Bears cover…but no way do I think the Bears are slowing down the Vikings offense at home.

Minnesota 34, Chicago 20

I get to say it. Trap game

JEREMY wrote:

I get to say it. Trap game

I’m going to wait for BassPundit’s psychological breakdown of the trap game potential, 60% of the time he’s right every time!

Bears big upset. That’s the kind of games the likes throw away fast

It would be a upset, but I don’t think its going to happen. Then again, from week to week you never know what team is going to show up with these 2 teams. The difference is that Minnesota has been finding ways to win and the bears been finding ways to lose.

If I were the Bears coaching staff, I would be targeting next week’s game at home vs. the Lions for the upset of the season. Coming into MN after the show the Vikes put on for their fans last week, the Vikes team is hot and fan base are going to be charged up on Monday night. Your squad has a much better shot at winning at home vs. that beat-up Lions D. That is the smart strategic move.

I thought the Bears should have thrown the final game of the season in 2018/19 when they played the Vikes at home. Instead, they won a meaningless game and got beat the following week at home in the first round of the playoffs by the Eagles.

If Da Bears are smart, they will be playing this week to win next week versus a more vulnerable team in front of their fans. That means plugging in their 2nd and 3rd stringers as if they were starters this week and sprinkling in the starters with individual pitch counts per player, much like how the Vikes have been handling Aaron Jones the past couple of games.

Why not play to win every week?

Save the “lose for a better draft pick” garbage.

blank wrote:

Why not play to win every week?

Save the “lose for a better draft pick” garbage.

Right, any team I cheer for I hate the talk of tanking or planning to lose. Just seems dumb, these guys are pros and their jobs are on the line players and coaches included.

That analysis makes absolutely no sense. They need to rest starters this week to try and win the next? Why can’t they try and win both weeks?

The only thing the Bears are playing for is pride and to impact other teams seasons. I’ll bet the Bears would love to beat the Vikes and Lions and see neither get the 1 seed. I don’t think they win either game but to hypothesize they aren’t going to try is absurd.

blank wrote:

Why not play to win every week?

Save the “lose for a better draft pick” garbage.

It’s called using leverage to your advantage. Playing smarter means you can play harder when you are in the most advetageous position or at the most critical moment. Strategy 101. If you fail to think that way as the Bears did in 18/19 it has real costs. You can only get away from bad fundamentals in strategy for so long. Especially against superior teams or peers.

Winning in NFL Football is a marathon not a sprint.

Matt Moen wrote:

That analysis makes absolutely no sense. They need to rest starters this week to try and win the next? Why can’t they try and win both weeks?

The only thing the Bears are playing for is pride and to impact other teams seasons. I’ll bet the Bears would love to beat the Vikes and Lions and see neither get the 1 seed. I don’t think they win either game but to hypothesize they aren’t going to try is absurd.

Let the man cook Matt! I love your strategery BP, it only doesn’t make sense to people who refuse to look at things in the 4th or even 5th dimension. Keep on keeping on man!

These sports threads are getting pretty good. Got Gim dropping bombs on Packer fans and BP puffin the whole thing.

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Let me put it in BP’s % where I see things sitting right now.

The Bears have a 10 to 15% chance of beating the Vikes

And the Bears have 35% to 40% chance of beating the Lions at home

If they give their all in a losing attempt to beat the Vikes, then the % fall to 20 to 25% to beat the Lions. If they beat the Vikes they fall to 25 to 35% to beat the Lions. Really laying it on the line against the Vikes is wasting valuable ammunition. Throwing good money after bad. It’s strategic stupidity. You come to MN, go through the motions, and live to fight on the day when the odds are more favorable to your squad. The Lions are more vulnerable than the Vikings right now. It’s obvious.If they are smart they will lean into where their chances are best. That is my argument and it is sound.

The Vikes are going to remember what happened last game and go pedal to the metal. No way are they going to want to let the Bad News Bears hang around again and risk another disaster. Also, anyone who thinks the Vikes won’t want to use this game to send a message is crazy. No team is ever going to admit to doing this and there’s absolutely no team that wouldn’t want to do it given the situation.

What will really suck is when the Bills beat the Lions Sunday then the Vikes fall to the Bears.

Bass Pundit wrote:

Let me put it in BP’s % where I see things sitting right now.

The Bears have a 10 to 15% chance of beating the Vikes

And the Bears have 35% to 40% chance of beating the Lions at home

If they give their all in a losing attempt to beat the Vikes, then the % fall to 20 to 25% to beat the Lions. If they beat the Vikes they fall to 25 to 35% to beat the Lions. Really laying it on the line against the Vikes is wasting valuable ammunition. Throwing good money after bad. It’s strategic stupidity. You come to MN, go through the motions, and live to fight on the day when the odds are more favorable to your squad. The Lions are more vulnerable than the Vikings right now. It’s obvious.If they are smart they will lean into where their chances are best. That is my argument and it is sound.

Does this logic only work for bad teams or can it work for good teams too? Since the Vikings have 85-90% chance to beat the Bears, if they don’t give it their all and their percentage drops to only 75-80% against the Bears, but increases their odds by giving their all against Seattle next week which will be much closer odds, wouldn’t that be a strategically smart move?

You’re right, Werm. I can only think in 3 dimensions cuz I’m a total rube.

I’ll defer all future NFL strategy discussions to BP.

Could it be a trap game – yes, any time you play a division rival like the Bears, it evens the odds despite the records of the team’s playing. And I’m a Vikings FATALIST – But I think the Vikings will be OK in this one. Yes, we almost lost in Chicago, but we NEVER play good at Soldier Field and the Bears are even more of a broken team than a couple weeks ago when we played them. Their eyes are on the draft, next season with another new coach, and their next new (and probably doomed) start.

I predict it will be closer than we’d all like, as usual, but the Vikes should win. 24-10.

All I know is this interim HC for Chicago better have a fancy Italian pocket watch with him, because if he botches anything game clock related, he won’t be able to walk outside after dark ever again.

I see that the game is going to be a white out to include the helmets. Interesting look with the all white uni’s.

Does this logic only work for bad teams or can it work for good teams too?

This is dictated by the situation the good team is in. What is it that they have to play for? If they are playing for anything meaningful at all as far as playoff standings go, it’s either pedal to the medal or as close as possible without taking too much tread off your player’s tires. They need to have their players able to give their best in the most meaningful games. This is why fighting to get the #1 Seed in the Conference is a hill worth dying on if a team is in the race for it. I think the Lions are in real trouble. They had a fight to the death last week vs. the Pack. This week, it is a fight to the death vs. Bills. That is back-to-back games against tough competition while short-handed on Defense. The Vikes can’t afford to overlook the Bears, but they can’t afford to run A Jones or their defensive starters, who have been playing a lot of minutes the last few weeks, into the ground either. The Eagles are in a similar position to the Vikes. This is a balancing act that the coaches have to manage. The best coaching staff at managing it all wins the right to go to the Super Bowl. The Packers coaching staff has their hands full this week up in Seattle trying to avoid a losing streak, but the stakes are not as high as the Lions, Eagles, and Vikes. The Pack would like to win but don’t have to this week, so they are playing with house money against a team fighting for its playoff life. The situation is an important component of the strategy.

I don’t think much of Dan Campbell as a strategist. His agressiveness works for him until it blows up in his face

This site has survived threads about Covid, vaccines, elections, CEO assassinations, and more, yet this one has got to be the biggest surprise of a thread that “got weird.”

buckybadger wrote:

and CatnMuskie is right……these guys are playing for future big paydays….and in some cases A job next year……or week!!!!

BTW – I’m 100% against the White-out thing. We’ve done it twice now, both losses. One of them was against Daniel Jones and the Giants. I get that it’s about money and selling more merch, but focus on the game and not your cool new unis.

This is why Vikes fans can’t have nice things…

There is another game that starts at 7:30 on Monday. It’s the Falcons at Raiders in case anyone wants to watch Kirko again.

KOC just needs to keep Sammy boy in the right head space. I heard buck and aikman are calling the game, that’s a real bummer.