Every year there is always some level of conversation about a team that has a good win/loss record not because they are a good team, but just because they got good breaks or very lucky plays.
The Bears are currently accused of this and also of having a very weak schedule up to this point.
I always accuse my own team, the Carolina Panthers, of having such an attribute and believe me, it will come to full fruition by the end of the season. I think the Panthers are in for a real hard defeat at the hands of the 49ers on Monday night.
But this year a lot of people are focusing on the Chicago Bears who despite not really getting a great deal of respect across the board, have a season record of 8-3. Which is really good considering the records of everyone else.
The Bears went into week 12 as a 3 point favorite against the Steelers and I think much of this has to do with the fact that Aaron Rodgers (Pittsburgh QB) is out injured. Well, I can't really comment on how much of an impact his absence had on the game but i think the interception that was thrown in the first quarter that resulted in a Bears TD kind of speaks for itself.
There is a good reason that the Bears aren't getting any respect even though they do have the best record in their division with 8 wins. Its because they will be accused of having not won against anyone "good." This happens every year with some team or another and while I do think the pundits have a point, let's just let Chicago enjoy it for now.
They have won against the Cowboys, Raiders, Commanders, Saints, Bengals, Giants and Vikings, but none of these teams come up with anyone who is talking about good teams or even teams that are expected to make the playoffs. In fact, several of these teams are considered close to the worst teams in the NFL and Chicago barely pulled of wins against a few of them.
When you barely defeat teams that are 2-10 and 2-9 on the year, it doesn't say a great deal about your position at the top of your division. I think the future of the Chicago team as far as the post-season is concerned is going to lie primarily on how they handle Green Bay, a team that is really struggling with consistency this year. Why? Because they have to play them twice before the end of the regular season.
They also have to play the Eagles, the 49ers, and the Lions, who I think are one of the best teams in the entire league but just had a few bad breaks as is customary for Detroit.
Another reason why people are not betting on Chicago is because despite their rather easy schedule up to this point their defense is ranked 27th (out of 32 teams) in the NFL. This is no bueno when for the most part the only teams you have played outside of a few are considered the bottom of the barrel.
Chicago is quite happy with their 4-game winning streak but all of this could come to a screeching halt when they face defending Super Bowl champions in the Philadelphia Eagles next week.
There are 4 teams in the NFC North where Chicago sits at the top for now. As far as Vegas bookmakers are concerned, the two teams below them (Detroit and Green Bay) have significantly better chances of winning the Super Bowl.
I think the next few weeks and the rest of the season for that matter are going to show a lot about the real viability of the Bears. The only "gimme" game they have left this season is against the Cleveland Browns but the rest are going to be tough.
Can they prove everyone wrong and come out on top? I doubt it, but never count anyone out. Things can get a bit weird towards the end of the season.