(White House press pool) considering how they misread the Bears at the start of this season? –Jim Watson, Northport, Mich.
I predicted them for 6-10, but at least no weapons of mass destruction were involved. And a waggle is a play-action bootleg where the quarterback typically rolls in the opposite direction as the back. Though the term can mean different things to different people, so don’t hold me to that.
K.C., the Bears’ third-down conversion rate has improved slightly with Grossman but it’s still pretty brutal. Here’s a thought: Why not avoid putting yourself in third-and-long? –Jerry Cartwright, Chicago
Ah, so simple, yet so profound. Trust me: The coaching staff has had the same thought. More disturbing, actually, is that the Bears are blowing third-and-short yardage situations now. That’s not good.
Who will get the six seed in the NFC? And how do you see the NFC playoffs playing out? Can anyone beat Seattle in front of their home crowd? –Michael Ghilarducci, State College, Penn.
A lot of different seeding scenarios can still happen, but Washington is the most likely candidate for the No. 6 seed in the NFC. As for the playoffs, I see the Bears beating Seattle in the NFC title game, which would answer your third question. And, no, I’m not a homer. Like I said, I picked the Bears to finish 6-10 this year.
What are the Bears going to do with Cedric Benson now that he appears healthy for the playoffs? –James M. Perry, Indianapolis
Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he believed Benson would be ready to play Sunday. Cedric said he isn’t sure he’ll be ready. Stay tuned.
Why did the Bears give up on the first half against the Packers and not use their last timeout and try to go for the end zone? –Walter Brzeski, Chicago
They didn’t have any timeouts. I was a little surprised they didn’t at least try a Hail Mary.
OK, I just threw down $121 green-backs on Ebay for a classic 1985 Ditka Bears sweater. It was supposed to be a gift for a brother-in-law, but I love it! What should I do? Thanks. –Peter, Chicago
Do what I do for my brothers-in-law: Give them a gift certificate to some lame thing like a round of golf or a night of babysitting and then never pay. And keep the Ditka sweater, provided you’ve got a moustache and a pair of Ambervisions to go along with it.
Why do you feel Muhammad has so many dropped balls? I know he catches the majority of them. But it seems for his caliber of a receiver, there are some balls he just shouldn’t drop, especially in the end zone. –Danny, Phoenix
I asked Moose about this very topic today. He said nobody is harder on him than himself. He said he has no excuses and that he just needs to play better. You can read more about the topic in Thursday’s Tribune.
Can you settle a bet between my girlfriend and me? Are the NFL players allowed to date cheerleaders? Thanks a lot, K.C. –name withheld, Chicago
I think a better question would be: Are Carolina’s cheerleaders allowed to date each other? I’m not sure the answer to this, but I can guarantee you this: If there is a rule that prohibits such dating, it’s been broken.
Thanks for your questions. Talk to you next week,
K.C.
