Gut check game

I had planned on posting a mid-season evaluation of the Bears today, along with my selection of tonight's highly-important game against the 49ers. But annoying distractions like school and work seem to have gotten in the way, so instead, you'll have to settle for this mini-preview today and hopefully something more in-depth tomorrow.

When the NFL schedule was initially released back in April, this game caught a lot of people's attention. Not only because it was a mid-week game, which tends to be noteworthy, but also because of the opponent. San Francisco is coached by Samurai Mike Singletary (he stops 'em cold, part of the defense, big and bold), a Hall-of-Fame player and a legend in Chicago. He's trying to build the Niners the same way as Lovie Smith is trying build the Bears - to be a tough, hard-nosed team. Considering San Fran has lost four straight games and the Bears have been embarrassed two of the past three weeks, it seems to be working great.

Of course some team has to win this game. I'm taking the 49ers for two reasons. One, because they have Frank Gore and the Bears run defense has been dreadful since the bye week. Two, because they are at home and didn't have to fly across the country on a short week. That's the only thing that separates these two teams. Switch the home field and I take the Bears. Sit 'The Inconvenient Truth' and I take the Bears.

So I'll say 27-20 49ers in a game that won't be as ugly as last Sunday was...I promise. The Bears have to show some heart one of these weeks, and I think this is it.