November games key for Bears
If there are any suggestions on how to slow down Brett Favre and the 7-1 Vikings before they run away with the NFC North, Bears defensive end Alex Brown is open to them.
“There’s nothing we can do. ... We can’t go up there and kidnap him,” Brown said with a laugh Monday. “They’re good. They’re really good.
“They’re winning.”
To put it simply, the Bears have to do the same to stay within striking distance.
The day after a lackluster offensive effort against the lowly Browns still resulted in a 24-point victory – thanks to five takeaways – Brown, linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer and coach Lovie Smith focused on the road ahead.
At 4-3, the Bears can’t afford too many more hiccups if they hope to challenge Favre and the Vikings. The defense needs to continue the momentum it gained against the Browns, while the offense needs to figure out how to score touchdowns in the red zone.
The Bears need to establish consistency before they find themselves clawing for a playoff berth. Hillenmeyer explained how Smith encouraged the team to approach the rest of the schedule.
“Lovie pointed out the night before the [Cleveland] game that you don’t make or break your season in September and October. It’s November and December where you really figure out what you’re made of,” Hillenmeyer said.
The Bears have lost four games in November and December each of the last two seasons and subsequently failed to make the playoffs. Doing the same this year would mean a 9-7 season, and the Bears didn’t trade for Jay Cutler to finish with an identical record to a year ago.
But before any postseason talk starts, the Bears have to make it through this November stretch. Next up are the Cardinals, who lead the NFC West at 4-3 but lost to the Panthers at home on Sunday.
“You can’t count on Kurt Warner throwing ... five interceptions,” Hillenmeyer said.
“I never know whether you want a team to win or lose the week before they play you because sometimes a loss is sort of a wake-up call. And we want them coming in as susceptible as they can be because they’re a team with a lot of weapons.”
After the Cardinals, the Bears face Mike Singletary and his surprisingly competitive 49ers (3-4). The Bears haven’t won in San Francisco since 1985. Then Donovan McNabb and the Eagles (5-2) come to town.
The month ends with the first of two showdowns with Minnesota, on the road.
Brown was asked if it would be tough to catch the Vikings.
“They won, what, six in a row, then they lost one? They could lose six in a row,” Brown said. “Doesn’t look likely, but they could.
“Everybody sees Minnesota’s record. We have to do our part, and we play them twice. We can definitely have some say in that.”
