At the time this was written, the Bears (8-6) sit 1/2 game behind the Vikings (8-5) for the lead in the NFC North, with the Vikes owning the tie-breaker should they finish with the same record. I would like to point out the two teams' remaining schedule:
| | Week 15 | Week 16 | Week 17 |
| Bears | W vs. Saints (7-7) | vs. Packers (5-8) | @ Texans (6-7) |
| Vikings | @ Cardinals (8-5) | vs. Falcons (8-5) | vs. Giants (11-2) |
To win, the Bears would need to finish either 3-0 or 2-1 (2-0 or 1-1 at this point) with the Vikings finishing 1-2 or 0-3 respectively, and looking at this schedule it's quite a real possibility.
Going through week by week of each team, after a win against New Orleans this week, Green Bay comes to town for the final Monday Night Football of the season. Courtesy of watching SportsCenter today, in the last 9 home games where the kickoff temperature was below freezing (28°F last night), the Bears are 9-0, winning by an average 12 points per game. After a 37-3 shellacking at Lambeau in Week 11, Chicago will no doubt be looking for revenge. I have loved Matt Forte ever since he christened the new Lucas Oil Stadium with 123 rush yards over the Colts in Week 1, and I'm looking forward to a big game from him.
In the season finale, the Bears travel to Houston and the indoor Reliant Stadium to take on the Texans. Houston is 24th against the run, and 18th against the pass, so I'm not quite sold either way on if Kyle Orton and/or Forte will have good (or bad), although I really don't see anything atrocious happening. On the Houston O v. Chicago D side, the 264 passing yards per game does bother me a bit, but the debacle Week 10 game against the Titans where the Bears secondary allowed a past-his-prime Kerry Collins to complete 73% of his passes for 289 yds and 2 TDs, I'm feeling much more confident, allowing an average of 194 passing yards per game since then, picking off 9 passes in those 5 games.
At the very worst, it's a 1-1 finish for a 9-7 2008 campaign, but if I was putting money on it, I would say 10-6 was in the future.
The Vikes, on the other hand, based on schedule, are a disaster waiting to happen. Let's take a look at their Week 15 opponent, the Ariizona Cardinals. I'll give you the fact that they Athave already clinched the NFC West and a probable #3 seed in the playoffs. But consider this: the Vikings rank #2 in the NFL against the run. The Cardinals run the ball 33% of the time. Thus: the Vikes Run D and the "Williams Wall" becomes a non-factor. Prediction: Kurt Warner solidifies his MVP canidacy with 325+ yards as the Cards roll the Vikings covering the mere -3 spread.
On to Week 16: the Atlanta Falcons. Two words: Matt Ryan. Four more words: Rookie of the Year. Yes, I'm dogging my beloved Matt Forte, but when you pretty much take an entire franchise on your shoulders, you have my respect. Oh yeah, you also have the #2 rusher in the NFL: Michael Turner. He would be a 1000-yard rusher by this week, and through 14 weeks, Turner has 14 rushing TDs. Fighting for their playoff lives, I see another loss, as well as against the spread [not released yet], and the Vikings falling to 8-7.
In the season finale for Minnesota against the New York Tackle Football Giants, even though the NYTFBG would in all likelihood have their playoff decided by now, I still see the Giants with the edge. The 3-headed monster of tEarth, Wind and Fire (aka: Brandon Jacobs, Derrick Ward, and Ahmad Bradshaw) is enough to make even the Steelers squeamish. Add in last year Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and the unbelieveably potent Giants D, and you have the recipe for a Vikes loss.
Again, realistically you are looking at a (at best) a 9-7 record for Adrian Peterson and the Vikings, and if you made me put money on it I would say 8-8.
So there you have it. Bears 10-6, Vikes 8-8, and I give you the 2008 NFC North Division Champs, the Chicago Bears.
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