NFL Week 7 Bears Line: Bears (+3) Vikings (-3), O/U 38

We were on our way to taking two out three bets again last week in Atlanta when disaster struck. We we 11 seconds away from a 20-19 Bears win over the Falcons with the Bears ready to kick off to the Falcons. The Bears tried to squib kick the kickoff, executed it terribly and wound up giving the Falcons one play to get within field goal range. Head coach Lovie Smith told media that he called the squibber because his special teams guys were tired. I don't get it, do the special teams guys exert less effort on a squibber kick than a straight away kick? The Bears special teams unit with a lot of defensive guys on it may have very well been tired, but come on, the Bears had just battled back and taken a one point lead with a 2-minute drive leading to a sensational last second touchdown pass from Kyle Orton. And Lovie Smith doesn't think the Bears kick-off team isn't stoked enough to run down the field, stay in their lanes and make a tackle inside the Falcons 40 yard line? Bad call.

Then with six seconds left the Bears allow the Falcons to complete a 25 yard deep out pass play which puts them in field goal position. There is only one play, one play, that the Falcons can call with 6 seconds left on the clock and them out of timeouts and well out of field goal range---- a deep out. And the Bears inexplicable allow them to complete it. Did the Bears coaches tell their cornerbacks, "It's going to be a deep out, do NOT let them have the deep out. Gi9ve them anything but the deep out."? Apparently not. Poor coaching again.

Atlanta with one second on the clock nails a field goal to win 22-20. This is the third time the Bears have blown a late lead and this was the worst of the the three defensive lapses. Not only that but where was the pressure on rookie Falcon quarterback Matt Ryan. No blitzes, no pressure, no sacks, no anything. Terrible defensive game plan.