I could never advise taking the Bears, as they are a miserable team, but I see no handicapping angles by which to take the Lions. As I said in Koke's thread yesterday, with the loss of Rogers they are a ZERO dimensional offense. No threat downfield, no rushing threat, and no possession receiver threat.
They also have lost 20 straight road games (I think that's the number), and this may be their only winnable road game the rest of the season, as they still have Minny, KC, and Carolina left. One of their remaining road games escapes me at the moment.
So if there ever is a time to take the Bears, this would be it. But there will probably be far better games to bet on next weekend.
They also have lost 20 straight road games (I think that's the number), and this may be their only winnable road game the rest of the season, as they still have Minny, KC, and Carolina left. One of their remaining road games escapes me at the moment.
So if there ever is a time to take the Bears, this would be it. But there will probably be far better games to bet on next weekend.
LAKE FOREST -- In Kordell Stewart's mind, he lost his starting quarterback job with the Chicago Bears because of injury. According to the coaches, he lost it because his failure to grasp the offense outweighed his athletic ability.
Whichever side you want to believe, the harsh reality is that seven months after the Bears signed the former Pro Bowler from Pittsburgh to a two-year, $5 million contract, the grand experiment has blown up.
"Over my career, I've proven myself," Stewart said. "Whether I have in this offense in five weeks, that's a short period of time."
Chris Chandler is the new starter, and coach Dick Jauron said he will remain the starter even when Stewart's leg injury heals.
Jauron's stance this week was a far cry from his enthusiasm when Stewart arrived in Chicago.
"The anticipation of it all was very high," Stewart said. "Just to be in this situation right now, having to answer these questions and go through all this is tough. I had high expectations. We all had high expectations. To be in this moment in this time right now is disappointing."
Stewart was everything the Bears wanted in a quarterback back in March; agile and indestructible, two traits the Bears lacked at the quarterback position in recent memory.
Bears offensive coordinator John Shoop promised more quarterback movement to take advantage of Stewart's running ability, but that didn't include rollouts on passing plays, something the Green Bay Packers use to keep defenses off Brett Favre.
Shoop used Stewart on designed quarterback draws and options plays, and Stewart, who never missed a game due to injury in eight seasons with the Steelers, took a horrific pounding in six games.
"It was just too much," Stewart said.
Stewart felt the full brunt of that punishment in the fourth quarter in New Orleans, when he tried to get around the left end on a designed run from the 7 but was caught by 6-foot-2, 330-pound tackle Grady Jackson.
"I couldn't even run down the sideline to outrun him and get to the end zone because of how my leg was feeling," Stewart said.
Part of the punishment, though, was Stewart's fault.
His inability to get rid of the ball quickly, the basis of Shoop's passing offense, accounted for, roughly, 14 of the 18 sacks he took in 171 dropbacks.
"It wasn't what I anticipated it to be or what I wanted it to be," Stewart said. "This is where we are, and this is how we have to handle it."
Whether Stewart gets another chance at playing this season depends on Chandler's health and how much faith coaches have in rookie Rex Grossman.
If the Bears lose three more games and the playoffs are mathematically out of reach, Grossman would most likely get a chance to play over both Chandler and Stewart just to gain experience.
"Knowing how, with the packages that I've had when I've been playing, not being able to do it on that high level is frustrating," Kordell said. "When you have a new guy coming to a system and he's trying to run a system after being somewhere for eight years, it's going to take longer than five games to get it done."
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Whichever side you want to believe, the harsh reality is that seven months after the Bears signed the former Pro Bowler from Pittsburgh to a two-year, $5 million contract, the grand experiment has blown up.
"Over my career, I've proven myself," Stewart said. "Whether I have in this offense in five weeks, that's a short period of time."
Chris Chandler is the new starter, and coach Dick Jauron said he will remain the starter even when Stewart's leg injury heals.
Jauron's stance this week was a far cry from his enthusiasm when Stewart arrived in Chicago.
"The anticipation of it all was very high," Stewart said. "Just to be in this situation right now, having to answer these questions and go through all this is tough. I had high expectations. We all had high expectations. To be in this moment in this time right now is disappointing."
Stewart was everything the Bears wanted in a quarterback back in March; agile and indestructible, two traits the Bears lacked at the quarterback position in recent memory.
Bears offensive coordinator John Shoop promised more quarterback movement to take advantage of Stewart's running ability, but that didn't include rollouts on passing plays, something the Green Bay Packers use to keep defenses off Brett Favre.
Shoop used Stewart on designed quarterback draws and options plays, and Stewart, who never missed a game due to injury in eight seasons with the Steelers, took a horrific pounding in six games.
"It was just too much," Stewart said.
Stewart felt the full brunt of that punishment in the fourth quarter in New Orleans, when he tried to get around the left end on a designed run from the 7 but was caught by 6-foot-2, 330-pound tackle Grady Jackson.
"I couldn't even run down the sideline to outrun him and get to the end zone because of how my leg was feeling," Stewart said.
Part of the punishment, though, was Stewart's fault.
His inability to get rid of the ball quickly, the basis of Shoop's passing offense, accounted for, roughly, 14 of the 18 sacks he took in 171 dropbacks.
"It wasn't what I anticipated it to be or what I wanted it to be," Stewart said. "This is where we are, and this is how we have to handle it."
Whether Stewart gets another chance at playing this season depends on Chandler's health and how much faith coaches have in rookie Rex Grossman.
If the Bears lose three more games and the playoffs are mathematically out of reach, Grossman would most likely get a chance to play over both Chandler and Stewart just to gain experience.
"Knowing how, with the packages that I've had when I've been playing, not being able to do it on that high level is frustrating," Kordell said. "When you have a new guy coming to a system and he's trying to run a system after being somewhere for eight years, it's going to take longer than five games to get it done."
http://cf.rrstar.com
