Though the Bears aren’t done yet, they’re chances of erasing a 14-0 deficit have just gotten a lot longer.
With starting quarterback Jay Cutler out due to a knee injury (FOX’s Chris Myers said moments ago that Cutler doesn’t know when the injury specifically happened), Todd Collins has taken a crack at sparking the offense, and he has failed.
Next up? Caleb Hanie.
The situation highlights the failure of the Bears to sign a proven veteran to back up Cutler. Sure, plenty of other teams also didn’t have a quality No. 2, but none of them are currently down two scores in the NFC title game and desperately in need of a spark.
With Mike Martz running the offense in Chicago, the smart move would have been to sign Marc Bulger after he was cut by the Rams. Our theory in the offseason was that G.M. Jerry Angelo didn’t want Bulger to become the most popular man in Chicago if Cutler and the Bears had started off 1-3 instead of 3-1.
In Angelo’s defense, he also surely never envisioned needing Bulger in the NFC title game, since no one would have reasonably expected the Bears to get this far.
So it’ll be Hanie the rest of the way. As FOX’s Joe Buck pointed out at the start of the fourth quarter, the decision to use the No. 3 quarterback before the fourth quarter means that neither Cutler nor Collins may return.
UPDATE: And, of course, Hanie has sparked the Bears to a touchdown, cutting the Green Bay lead in half.
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If something happens to Haney, I hope Hester can throw.
Don’t call it a comeback!
Also, can you imagine if Chicago miraculously wins this game, yet Cutler can’t play the Super Bowl? Could they sign Bulger in the next 2 weeks?
Ordering my Caleb Hanie Fathead now!!! Go Bears!!!!
Phillip Rivers played with a torn ACL in the afc championship game. Big ben has been playing with a foot fracture. Cutler cant play with a banged up knee in the biggest game of the season. He will never be elite
Cutler is going to get killed in the papers…if i was him i would be asking for crutches even if he does not need it
Good job Jerry Angelo….cut Todd Collins tomorrow.
im pulling for the bears now just because i want cutler to look bad
jets/steelers just became the world’s biggest bears fan
Pakcers should take a cheap shot on Caleb and put him out of the game like the cheap shot artist Bears took on Rodgers.
Flipping losers.
From Wikipedia:
On January 23, 2011, Hanie entered the NFC Championship Game due to a bruised ego to Jay Cutler and second-string quarterback Todd Collins’ ineffectiveness. He drove the Bears to their first touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter.
Hanie went on to lead the Bears to the Super Bowl.
.
AMISH POWER!!! cakeb will lead them to butter churning vitstory!!!
Rodgers is seeing birdies
See what a good defense does to a hot QB? Rogers isn’t looking like the best thing since sliced bread is he? Well if you think he looks bad, just wait until the Steelers get their hands on Sanchez!
Hainie leads the Bears to the Super Bowl. Bench Cutler, start Hanie??
If the NFL was serious about ejecting players for intentional helmet to helmet hits, Peppers would be in the showers right now.
Looks like the Pack should be able to finish this; think he will sign autographs for all packer fans remaining at stadium after his interviews?
“UPDATE: And, of course, Hanie has sparked the Bears to a touchdown, cutting the Green Bay lead in half.”
Bwahahaha!
I’m just sayin, Rodgers hasn’t been the same since that big hit by Peppers.
What kind of RULE is this that if you play ur 3rd string QB before the 4th quarter your 1st and 2nd can no longer play? Who made up that rule? BASEBALL?
If the bears score a TD to go 13-14 very late in the game… they should go for two. Who wants to get to OT with the new rule with the third string QB vs. Rogers?
It would be a gutsy, and correct play.
mr. hanie throws an int to give GB the win
call in mr. ziffel
.
Caleb is acting like the packers have declareed there will be no harvest this season…
never make the amish think that
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peppers was about to hit aaro rodgers shoulder till he turned in the last miliseconds….
the helmet to helmet p[enalties are just plain stupid
That’s a really BAD moustache!
Holy crap, that’s NOT intentional grounding.
A clarification, if I may be allowed. Rivers’ ACL wasn’t just torn in the 2008 Championship Game in New England, it was totally gone.
Caleb best QB on the field today!
I think the way Hanie is playing is making the argument that the O-line is to blame for Cutler’s woes look like BS. The problem is as much Cutler as it is the O-line.
I can’t believe Cutler quit like that!!! What an effing loser!
Todd Collins should forfeit his $2 million annual salary to Caleb Hanie. Collins did not want to compete.
From Caleb to Sam Shields.
From Sam Shields to the Super Bowl.
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WOW Caleb a NOBODY had the win and some coach called a timeout to take away that MASSIVE hole the RB had for a first down HOLY omg…………..
You Packers are going to choke big in the SB…..Big Ben is No Caleb Hanie…..
At least Haine wants to play–unlike the wimp Culter.
Are the Pack the weakest team to ever represent the NFC??? I think so…
Cue the music…
Yes the bears really really really really suck..yes the beeears still suck!
which effing idiot called the bears 2nd timeout? martz the braindead old overated loser everywhere? guaranteed. bears may have tied this game if the old sideline joke didnt again stick his nose in! todays nfl madden game for you.
btw – why wasnt collins cut after the carolina game?
Really, the Bears should have topped the Ravens offer of 1-yr, $3.8M that could become $5.8M with incentives to sign Marc Bulger? Did you just get back from 2006?
Congrats GB. A lot in NE fans will be rooting for you in the SB.
If a “franchise” QB can stand on the sideline he should be playing in the second half of the NFC championship game
Jay Cutler walked out on his team in the biggest game of his career. If I’m in the Bears front office this should not sit well. If you can stand on the sidelines you should be able to stand in the pocket for your team.
caleb might be the next matt casel…. looks good for being thrown in!!!
Hanie was outstanding – I know the two picks suck, but he was on fire. Packers didn’t win that game – they survived.
Will the real Jay Cutler please stand up? Thank you.
I guess this is the last sport to knock off the list. The Refs did an awful lot to determine the outcome in this game. I stopped watching MLB because of the strike in ’94.. stopped watching the NBA because the refs determined the winners and now the NBA. An int, really? A hold on Taylor, really? A non hold against Peppers as Rodgers runs for many yards, really?
Bare min the refs to scoring chances away from the Bears that ended as a one score game. Goodbye NFL.. your games are fixed. Time to give the WWF a go if they are still around because at least it is not a secret the outcomes are fixed.
@footballpen
Really? THIS is the game that pushed you over the edge about the officiating? Weirdo.
Cutlers knee injury was diagnoised as a case of MPH…..just like when he was in Denver
emperorzero -
If the Packers didn’t win, who’s going to the Super Bowl? I don’t think they let “survivors” into the big game, it’s usually reserved for the “winners” of the game.
IF the Vikings were smart, they would trade for Hanie right now.
footballpen -
Excuses already? How unsurprising.
Who’s the brain surgeon that made Collin’s #2 and Hanie #3
@joetoronto – There wasn’t a receiver or a defender within 15 yards of that pass, and Hanie was in the pocket. It WAS most certainly pass interference. Get over it. The better team won.
Hanie is alot better than Chad Henne.
@sullijo1 i think the real cutler took a seat!!!
This means Obamao won’t be coming here to watch the Super Bowl. Thanks Jay, we owe you one in D/FW! You rule!
Hanie didn’t embarrass himself the way the rest of the Bears QBs did.
footballpen says:
Bare min the refs to scoring chances away from the Bears that ended as a one score game. Goodbye NFL.. your games are fixed. Time to give the WWF a go if they are still around because at least it is not a secret the outcomes are fixed.
…and yet another conspiracy theorist crawls out of the woodwork. You aren’t a Vikings fan by chance, are you?
So the question of the day is why didn’t the Bears start Hanie sooner? The Bears offense played with more enthusiasm with Hanie at quarterback. Something that is difficult to generate with a lackadaisical quarterback as the driver.
And what was that 3rd down play Martz called that essentially killed the Bears final drive? Sometimes Mike Martz seems to out smart himself?
“We have met the enemy
And he is us.”
Pogo
dhoier says: Jan 23, 2011 7:03 PM
@joetoronto – There wasn’t a receiver or a defender within 15 yards of that pass, and Hanie was in the pocket. It WAS most certainly pass interference. Get over it. The better team won.
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FYI, I was a neutral observer yesterday and I made comments with no bias whatsoever.
And no, that shouldn’t have been P.I.
*Intentional grounding*