Panthers 20, Bears 17: Back To Reality

If you had told me before the season started that the Bears would come out of Week 2 with a 1-1 record, I would have said I'll take it any way I can get it.

But not like this.

The Bears were in total control of Sunday's game against the Panthers ever since Brandon Lloyd corraled a blocked punt and took it in for an easy touchdown. But they let Carolina turn the momentum in the second half and eventually steal a win.

Although it was Greg Olsen's SECOND fumble of the day that led to the touchdown that got the Panthers back in the game, and although the Bears consistently backed themselves up with penalties, I really blame Kyle Orton for this loss. He was not able to spread the defense by hitting receivers downfield, completing only one pass longer than 15 yards (on something like nine attempts, as is the best of my recollection from the constant Fox graphics chronicling Orton's ineptitude).

As a result, the Bears lost the field position battle. (The penalties did not help that cause, but considering that Carolina had 10 flags of its own for 65 yards, versus the Bears' 12 for 86, that element of the game was essentially a wash.) And that was the game: The key touchdown, bringing Carolina to within 17-13, was on a drive of a mere 26 yards, after Olsen's fumble.

For the record, the other scoring drives the Bears gave up were 4 yards (FG), 52 yards (FG) and 55 yards (go-ahead touchdown) as the Panthers only managed 216 yards all day long -- not exactly a defensive breakdown for Urlacher and the boys.

The play-calling was questionable, too, especially at the end. I will never understand why Lovie Smith and/or Ron Turner called that swingout pass on 3rd-and-1 with two minutes left and the Bears needing only another 20 yards to kick a game-tying field goal. This is football: If you can't move the line a yard and let your quarterback fall forward for a new set of downs, you're in the wrong game.

On the bright side, Lloyd had a good day with his touchdown and six catches on offense, one of them a jumping, twisting number reminiscent of what he used to do in Champaign to haul in Kurt Kittner's free-flying cannon shots. Kevin Payne continues to impress in the safety spot.

Overall, though, this was a disappointing day. The Bears didn't have to win this game to have a winning season, but giving away a victory you could have had is a major ingredient of a 7-9 campaign.

My Picks

Of course what you REALLY want to know is how I did in my inaugural week of NFL picks. First, some ground rules: I'm tracking my record against the spread. For my overall record I'm only tracking the Lock and High Five picks -- the Wild Card is a pick for which I refuse to accept accountability.

Naturally, I kicked ass on the Wild Card pick, not only covering but also winning it straight-up with the Bills' upset of the Jaguars. Not so much for the lock pick, where I got killed. Fucking Raiders. Do they actually like Lane Kiffin or something?

I did, however, hit with the Cardinals, Giants, Redskins and Browns to post a respectable 4-2 record. If you can do that all season and throw in a winning wild card every now and then, you will be able to make some money.