- Seattle tries to run it outside and Lance Briggs stuffs Alexander for a 1 yard loss. This will bring out Josh Brown for a 38 yard field goal attempt. This is a tough kick, but he hits it, and Seattle opens the second half with a 50 yard drive for a field goal and now trails 21-17.
- The Bears get a first down on an illegal contact penalty, but Grant Wistrom ankle tackles Rex on the next play for a sack. Jones slips on a draw on 2nd and 16 (they re-sodded the field for this game, and there have been people slipping all over the place the whole game). The Bears now face 3rd and long.
- Rex is sacked for the 3rd time today as the pocket collapses on him. Rocky Bernard picks up the coverage sack.
- The Bears take an awful 15 yard penalty on the ensuing punt for Dante Wesley interfering with the returner. Seattle is going to set up in Bear territory. Remember what I said earlier about the Bears being undisciplined?
- Mack Strong mitigates things somewhat with a false start.
- Hasselbeck throws a 3 step slant to Deion Branch for an 11 yard gain on 2nd and 15. That sets up a huge 3rd and 4.
- Hasselbeck comes up big with a 20 yard flag route to Branch. 1st and 10 on the Bear 25.
- I'm beginning to think the Hawks have too many good wide receivers for the Bears secondary to account for.
- Alexander carries for 11 yards and another first down.
- Ron Rivera watches his head coaching prospects slipping away in the Bear press box.
- Hunter Hillenmeyer makes a phenomenal play to break up what would have been a TD pass to Hammerhands Stevens.
- Hammerhands drops what would have been a a sure first down pass.
- Seattle runs a ballsy draw on 3rd and 10, and Alexander takes it 15 yards for a touchdown. Seattle leads for the first time today, 24-21.
- Devin Hester fields the kickoff at the 20, and takes it to about the 37 yard line.
- The Bears come out throwing and Rex hits Des Clark over the middle for 12 yards and a first down.
- But, it's negated by an illegal substitution penalty. So it's 1st and 15 now.
- Grossman hits a wide open Berrian for a big 21 yard gain, and the Bears are in Seattle territory. Kelly Jennings has been victimized all day long.
- Grossman pump fakes and looks deep for Muhammad but it's just out of his reach and off his fingers. Muhammad does draw an illegal contact penalty though, 5 yards and another Bears first down. The Bears are now well within Robbie Gould's range to tie the game.
- Berrian catches a pass a yard short of a first down, but gets a fortuitous spot, and the Bears have 1st and 10 inside the Seattle 20.
- A swing pass to Gabe Reid sets up 3rd and 5 for the Bears.
- The Bears are 0 for their last 6 on 3rd downs. Make it 0 for 7 as a pass to Rashied Davis goes nowhere.
- Robbie Gould will attempt a 30 yard field goal to tie the game.
- A rare defensive illegal procedure penalty, on Leroy Hill, gives the Bears a first down. A huge, huge mistake.
- Apparently the flag was thrown on Hill for trying to force a false start by the offense. I never knew that was against the rules, but OK.
- The Bears will have first and goal when the 4th quarter begins.
- A first down handoff to Jones goes nowhere, and a false start penalty drives the Bears back to the 14.
- Grossman swings it out to Jones, bringing up 3rd and goal from the 10.
- 0 for 7 on the last 7 3rd downs.
- Rex throws a short pass behind Muhammad, it bounces off of Muhammad's hands and right to the vagrant the Seahawks have playing corner. He is presented with a can of beans on the sideline.
- Hasselbeck returns the favor by rolling out and throwing it right to Ricky Manning of the Bears. Way to bring the other team back from the dead Matt. Now the Bears will start all over from the Seahawks 35.
- We're at commercial now, so let's throw a bone to last night's very entertaining game.
SAINTS 27, EAGLES 24
After sitting thru 3 quarters of the Bears and Seahawks looking inept, it becomes more clear than ever that the real NFC Championship game was last night in NOLA, and the Saints won it. Both teams looked like they had the league's top 2 offenses, and it was one of the more entertaining games this year. In the end, it was the Saints' ability to control the ball and keep the Eagles offense off the field that decided the game. Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush combined for 195 rushing yards and 2 TDs on 33 carries.
It was a great game to watch. So many offensive players on both teams looked like stars, and it wasn't all because the opposing defenses were bad. Deuce McAllister is one of the league's most underrated backs, and Brian Westbrook is too. They are both top 5 in my opinion.
- Meanwhile, the Bears play keystone kops after getting the gift from Hasselbeck. Berrian drops what should have been a catch putting the Bears inside the 10, and the Bears have to punt it away.
- Seattle gets the ball in a precarious spot, their own five yard line.
- We get a shot of Grant Wistrom, who now looks like Johnnycakes from the Sopranos.
- Stevens catches a nine yard pass on 2nd and 10, and we'll have a very big 3rd and 1.
- Alexander has worn the Bears out in short yardage today.
- The Seahawks bungle the play, Hasselbeck is forced to roll out and is sacked by Adewale Ogunleye. It looked like when you call an audible in Madden and have no idea what you just audibled into.
- Devin Hester takes a rolling punt and runs it down the sidelines for a TD, but there are flags on the play.
- Hope you like illegal block from behind penalties, because the Bears just got one. No touchdown for Hester.
- The new NFL Films Diet Pepsi commercials make me long for a This Is Our Country commercial.
- The Bears have the ball back, and are turning to Cedric Benson to be their savior. He carries for a first down, catches a dump off pass, and carries to set up 3rd and 2.
- On 3rd and 2 Thomas Jones picks up 10 on a toss, and the Bears have first down at the Seattle 35.
- On 2nd down Benson makes something out of nothing on a swing pass, breaking thru 2 tackles, and turning a 3rd and long into a 3rd and 2 from Seattle's 26.
- The Bears give to Benson up the middle but he's going to be short. The Bears are all pointing that it's a first down but it's a good half a yard short.
- So, what do you do here with 5:56 to play. Do you trot out Gould for a game-tying midrange field goal, or do you go for the first down?
- Actually, never mind, it's a first down after all.
- The Bears piss away the first 2 plays after that. Benson runs into a pile, then Rex throws the next ball away setting up 3rd and 10.
- They decide to try and get Robbie Gould a couple more yards, handing off to Jones for 2 yards. It's a 41 yard try for Gould.
- The kick snakes inside the upright and we're tied at 24 with 4 1/2 minutes to play. The 24-24 score presents an opportune time to hype the season premiere of 24 tonight.
- Seattle starts what is probably the deciding drive of the game with a 12 yard Alexander run outside.
- Alexander's stuffed on the next play and it will be 2nd and 11 from the Seahawk 45.
- Branch lays out for a nice catch on a slant. No magic spot for the Seahawks though, and it's 3rd and 1.
- Alexander is stopped on 3rd and 1, the Seahawks will let it run down to the 2 minute warning, and they have a decision to make. I think they should go for it. Even if they don't make it, Rex will fuck up.
- They're going for it.
- Alexander is stopped by Lance Briggs. The Bears will get first down at the 45 yard line with 1:59 left.
- Rex throws it right off Bryce Fisher's hand. The Bears better hope they don't turn it over.
- A dump off to Jones gets 3 yards and out of bounds. 3rd and 7 from the 50.
- Rex throws it off Rocky Bernard this time, the ball hangs in the air, and Thomas Jones makes a game-saving play to knock it away from Bernard and save an INT.
- Maynard punts it out of the end zone. I don't think they wanted that.
- Seattle will start at its own 20 with 1:38 left.
- Hasselbeck goes deep for Branch but Nathan Vasher has him covered.
- Alexander gashes the Bears for a 14 yard run and Seattle uses its first timeout with 1:24 left.
- They keep it on the ground and get another 10 yards out of Alexander. They carry again and get nothing, so they call timeout with 54 seconds left.
- Hasselbeck escapes the pass rush and dumps to Stevens, who makes a heady play to get out of bounds. 3rd and 1 from the Bear 47.
- This time Alexander gets it with a 3 yard carry. The clock keeps running. Hasselbeck spikes the next snap and it'll be 2nd and 10 with 35 seconds left.
- Hasselbeck throws deep into the Cover 2 to Branch, and is fortunate not to have it picked off by Chris Harris.
- Hasselbeck has time but nobody open. Tank Johnson sacks him, and we will go to OT.
- They replay the infamous "We want the ball and we are going to score" Hasselbeck had against the Packers. I can see Rex doing something like that.
- He won't get a chance though, because the Seahawks win the toss.
- While we're doing nothing, let's preview the late game.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (13-4)
AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (14-2)
3:30 PM CST
CHARGERS OFFENSE (4TH OVERALL, 2ND RUSH, 16TH PASS)
VS. PATRIOTS DEFENSE (6TH OVERALL, 5TH R, 12TH P)
Everyone knows LT has been a monster this year. The Chargers automatically seem to run for 150 yards, at least, every week. The Patriots run defense hasn't been impermeable of late either. Tennessee , Jacksonville, Miami, and Chicago have all run for over 130 yards against the Pats in recent weeks. New England's been much stronger against the pass of late, but San Diego's a running team, with the best running back there is right now.
ADVANTAGE- CHARGERS
PATRIOTS O (11TH OVERALL, 12TH RUSH, 12TH PASS)
VS. CHARGERS D (10TH OVERALL, 7TH R, 13TH P)
San Diego has shown they can be impossible to run on at times. Just 4 weeks ago they held Larry Johnson and the Chiefs to 90 yards rushing. Sometimes though, you can run on them. What nobody has been able to do lately is throw against them. With the exception of a throwout last game against Arizona nobody's gone over 200 passing yards against them in recent memory. The Chargers are way more athletic on defense than the Patriots are on offense, but the Pats somehow find ways to get it done. This is a push.
ADVANTAGE- EVEN
VARIOUS AND SUNDRY
It's the playoffs, and it's the Patriots, so you know who wins any intangibles category.
ADVANTAGE- PATRIOTS
HERE'S YOUR FORECAST
A Manning/Brady AFC Championship game is too good to not want to happen.
PATRIOTS 20, CHARGERS 17
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