Are You Ready for Some Football

[Sava]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

Just as a bit of trivia, do you know who was #2 in scoring defense last season? It was a shock for me, so be sure you are sitting down... the Indianapolis Colts. How strange is that?

And Pittsburgh was 3rd, just 0.7 points per game worse than the Colts. The Colts also had an easier schedule than Pittsburgh (based upon opponents' winning percentages). The difference between the rankings is only 11 points.

I'm not quite sure what point you were trying to make with that trivia question.

[MJW]

I think the Bear's stats are inflated from playing in the jank NFC and division.

[SlowwHand]

It's the jank division with Detroit, Minnesota and Green Bay.

[Ned]

I have been watching SB analysis on a number of networks for almost two weeks now. Until this, http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playof...en&id=2749216, not one mention of phenom Mark Anderson, who has the potential of dominating the game the way Dent did in '86. It's all been Manning this and Manning that and a little about Brian Urlacher. But no real analysis of how the Bears could stop Manning by sacking him using their outstanding rookie, who, as the article notes, set an NFL rookie record for sacks for players drafted in his position and lead all rookies this year in sacks.

Has anyone else noted just how shallow the analysis has been on any network you choose? We hear 90% of the discussion about Manning, the Colts and their coach Dungy. The other discussion is about Rex Grossman and whether he is the Worst QB to ever be in the SB, without noting that when Rex is good, he is very good and could win the game by himself. Rex, after all, has the second best record in football among active QB's with 20 starts, and the best record in Bears' history. He also has the best QB rating this postseason.

As I have noted in weeks prior, there seems to be a lot of groupthink among the sportscasters and know-it-alls who seem to actually know very little about the Bears and could care less.

[Ned]

BTW, Dr. Z never mentioned Anderson in his analyis. In a position-by-position analysis, the gave the Bears the edge, then picked Indy to win 34-24, essentially saying that his analysis was not worth the read.

[-Jrabbit]

I've been avoiding the anal-ysis. It's just a bunch of guys hyping their own careers, trying to sound like they have a clue.

Virtually everyone will pick the Colts; that's expected. They are the champs of the stronger conference, and they beat the Bears 41-10 in '04 -- when the Bears had a rookie coach, Craig Krenzel at QB, and Urlacher injured. Their defense has been much improved during the playoffs. It's an easy choice. And that's what passes for analysis during SB Hype Week.

Fortunately, the game will be played on the field.

[Sava]

Originally posted by Ned

The other discussion is about Rex Grossman and whether he is the Worst QB to ever be in the SB

Try this one on for size:

The Colts defense might be the worst defense in SB history. Especially the run defense.

[Jaguar]

Yes, they are the worst defense in Super Bowl history, and furthermore, no other team is even close.

Fortunate, then, that they get to play Rex Grossman.

[joncha]

Rex Grossman, Super Bowl MVP

[Ned]

-j, being champs of the stronger conference is hardly analysis at all. Assume that the AFC is 3 points better than the NFC. The NFC champ's point differential in all games played should be around 3 points better. But, the Bears point differential is about 7 points better than the Colts', and no one is suggesting that the AFC is 7 points better than the NFC.

The better analysis would look at common opponents, assuming there were enough of them. I know the Bears played NE in NE and lost while Indy won. That indicates that Indy is better than the Bears. But that was also a BAD REX game. The Bears should have won that game easily if Rex hadn't turned the ball over to NE 5 times.

If Grossman simply doesn't turn the ball over, the game is even. If he has a big day, the Bears should win easily. If he has a bad day, Indy should win big.

I predict that Grossman will work on not making turnovers, which means the game will be close. Both sides will pound the ball on the ground until or unless the other side gets up by 10 or more.

[Ming]

When it come to analysis... it's just one man's opinion.

If it was so easy to be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sure of what was going to happen, sports bookies wouldn't exist

I look forward to actually watching what's going to happen on the field...

[-Jrabbit]

Originally posted by Ned
-j, being champs of the stronger conference is hardly analysis at all.

Uh, dude, that wasn't my analysis. That paragraph was an example of the pseudo-analysis the pundits spout.

[Donegeal]

GOD DAMMIT!!!!

Why can't it be SUNDAY already?!?!?!?!

[rah]

I'd settle for it to be Friday night.

[Ned]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit


Uh, dude, that wasn't my analysis. That paragraph was an example of the pseudo-analysis the pundits spout.

Sorry.

But one wonders how the LV line is set other than by such simple-mindedness as this. The AFC is stronger therefor the AFC champion is stronger than the NFC champion. That sounds logical on its surface, but it is not.

One compares Manning to Grossman. Both can be good and both can be bad. It is just that we tend to ignore the bad Manning while we tend to ignore the good Rex.

Chicago is a stronger team across the board, but Manning is a very good QB. This levels the teams. It should be a good game.