Ye of Little Faith...
Notes from the Bears/Steelers matchup...
1st Quarter - Not so good. This looks like a professional team (Pittsburgh) versus a scrappy college team. It seems as if everything the Steelers do is by the book, executed well. And everything the Bears do is a "what if we tried this...", or "wow, you got pretty lucky!"
2nd Quarter - Chili Dawn says that her 4th Phase Sense has kicked in, and that the tide is turning in favor of the Bears. She predicts victory. I'm predicting a nap in the 3rd quarter. Greg Olsen, who I have at tight end in a fantasy league, continues to not live up to the hype, and we vow to not do a Greg Olsen honor chili this season. "No chili for Sasquatch" I believe is how we put it.
Meanwhile, Bears backup tight end Kellen Davis (Des Clark has a broken rib, will be out another 5 or 6 weeks - we love Des) pulls one in through traffic. We go into the half with a tie - and Chili Dawn is feeling smug in her prediction.
Halftime - Time for chili! You'll have to wait until Tuesday, but the recipes next week are very, very good.
3rd Quarter - Very long quarter. 3 and out to start. You don't win games this way. Chili Dawn not worried, even when Anderson fouls away 15 yards, Mendenhall runs for 39, and Big Ben does a Payton leap into the endzone. To both teams' credit, I'm not napping.
4th Quarter - The Steelers are pushing. We could be down by 14. But all of a sudden, Alex Brown is a force to be reckoned with. And Jeff Reed does his best Scott Norwood impersonation (though in mirrored image), and all of a sudden I'm back to my pre-game "we can win this" positivity. It's a schizophrenic life, this post-Urlacher season, at least for me.
Next thing you know, Johnny "on the Spot" Knox is leaping up to catch one in the bread-basket, and I'm preparing my "you were right" speech. But only if Jeff Reed is lame enough to miss yet another...um, wow! By the time the ball is being spotted by Brad Maynard for Robbie Gould's golden foot, I remember why it is never wise to doubt Chili Dawn.
So the 2008 Super Bowl champs are summarily defeated by the soon-to-be 2009 Super Bowl Champs (well, it may take a few more months). Season record 1-1. And if I'm to believe Chili Dawn (and why shouldn't I) Seattle doesn't stand a chance next week!
CHILI DAN
