Dan Wiederer at the Chicago Tribune on wide receiver Brandon Marshall:
“The eighth-year receiver already has topped 1,000 yards for the seventh consecutive season and is headed to his fifth Pro Bowl next month. One place Marshall never has been, however: the NFL postseason. For the Bears to punch a ticket into this year’s playoffs, they will need Marshall to be on top of his game. He has been most weeks since joining the Bears, having registered 212 catches, 2,729 yards and 22 touchdowns in the last two seasons. With six catches Sunday, he will reach 100 for the fifth time in his career.”
I have stated repeatedly that the Bears making the playoffs isn’t very important because there’s no way that they (or the Packers) will do any real damage once they get there. But there are reasons why seeing them do it would be sweet. I would dearly love to see Marshall rewarded. He arrived followed by a boat load of trouble and many (myself included) assumed that past history was going to be an indication of future results. But, with some exceptions, Marshall has been a wonderful example of what a team player should be. He’s done it not just with words but with actions toward teammates like Alshon Jeffery.
Running back Matt Forte also deserves something more than a trip straight back to his living room. And it would be really nice to see Devin Hester break the return record as a Bear. So there’s much to play for today beyond what is logically an academic pursuit of a division title.