![[DOOR FLIES OPEN]](https://doorfliesopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/DFO-MC-Patch.png)
With the NFL Playoffs drawing nigh, I wanted to take a real quick look at the Bears–Eagles playoff matchup to see how it shapes up. With the Bears coming off a 5-11 record the previous season, being a home favorite for this game is a great reward for a huge improvement year. As a Bears fan, I am very excited and hopeful about how a dominating defense should combine with home field advantage to bode well for my team. Hopefully something like this is an accurate metaphor for the game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-Yceex2ae8
Anyway, TO THE MATCH UPS:
| Bears | Eagles | BFC Insight | |
| Quarterback | Shane Matthews and Jim Miller | Donovan McNabb | Are two heads better than one? No. Having one signal caller/leader who can step up to carry the team can make the difference in the playoffs |
| Running Back | Anthony Thomas | Duce Staley | The Bears have a tendency to be a little too predictable on the running game, but a lack of talent isn’t their problem. |
| Receivers | Dez White, Marty Booker, David Terrell Fred Baxter | James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, Freddie Mitchell, Chad Lewis | Big plays are key here, as is finding ways to get the tight ends involved for quick gains |
| Defense | Brian Urlacher, Mike Brown, Bryan Robinson, Jerry Azumah, et al | Brian Dawkins, Hugh Douglas, Jeremiah Trotter, Troy Vincent, and more | Defensive scoring may very well be the path to victory for the Bears |
| Special Teams | Paul Edinger, Brad Maynard | David Akers, Sean Landeta | Excellent punters on both sides; the Bears have to overcome unconventional kicker |
| Coaching | Dick Jauron | Andy Reid | Who’s the offensive innovator and who’s hungry enough to win? |
| Intangibles | Home Field, BFC Attendance | Momentum, Confidence | Is Being a Huge Home Favorite good or bad? |
Shit, that was January 2002, when the Bears won the Division and were the NFC #2 seed after a garbage previous season and still got blown the fuck out by the Eagles at Soldier Field. I was at that game, was miserable, and flying to and from wasn’t worth it for that ass-kicking. Not flying back to Chicago for the redux, so let’s hope Trubisky is more capable than Shane Matthews/Jim Miller and Khalil Mack and company can shut down Big Dick Nick where Urlacher and company failed to contain Donovan McNabb in the playoffs. The Eagles are after all the defending champs, so respect is due. But lifting the playoff curse of BFC should help.
So, I guess I’ll stop living in the past and just say Bear Down!
![Mouth Flies Open: DFO Advice Mailbag Door Number Four – [DOOR FLIES OPEN]](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2dd0e43af1b68e7f31193c37b589f4ba7d1c5083972dc2f506b3e9fe26e8ec0c?s=64&d=blank&r=x){kind=avatar}
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.