You think they would learn. Pundits (and odds-makers) went into the 2017 season convinced, it seems, of 2 things above all else:
1. There is no way Mitchell Trubisky will be a legitimate starting QB in the NFL.
2. NFL games are predictable (especially when we think a team should be losing, but they’re not).
The Chicago Bears have won their last pair of games in impressive fashion, besting the Ravens on the road and whipping the Panthers with a great defensive effort. Their opponents on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints, are in midst of a surprise 4-game winning streak…but gave up 38 points 2 weeks ago and had to work hard to beat the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers last Sunday.
Yet the Bears are almost 10-point underdogs in the Superdome, probably because Drew Brees is considered a legend while Trubisky is thought of as a flash-in-the-pan.
Who: Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints
When: Sunday, October 29th, 1 PM EST
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Lines: Chicago (+9) at NO (-9) / O/U Total: (47.5)
ESPN is calling the Bears’ 2-game winning streak “magical,” which is another word for “fluke.” But there’s nothing spurious about how the Chicago defense is playing. The media is focused on their turnover-grabbing and spectacular scores on interception returns, but the Panthers didn’t have a RB gain 50 yards last Sunday.
Trubisky only attempted 7 passes, but he didn’t need to do more than that. John Fox is the type of head coach who isn’t interested in passing just for style points – see the brief Tim Tebow era in Denver. NFL pundits think running more than you pass is a “cheap” way to win, but that’s a modern myth.
Will the Saints use their running backs to pull away? The great duo of Ingram and Kamara piled up hundreds last weekend, but it’s far from a sure thing all the time, given New Orleans’ pass-first scheme and a tough defensive opponent on Sunday.
Take the Bears and (+9) points. The QB-obsessed media forgets that there are 21 other players on the field at a given time, and the Chicago defense is legitimate.