Hoge: Why 'Worthless' Week 17 Means Everything Now
By Adam Hoge--
It was a game that meant nothing for the Bears. Now, it could mean everything.
When the Bears traveled to Green Bay in Week 17, everything was on the line for the Packers who had to win to get into the playoffs. Nothing was on the line for the Bears who clinched the No. 2 seed before kickoff.
There was really no point in playing the starters, unless of course the Bears adamantly wanted the Packers out of the playoffs.
But Lovie Smith's approach fell somewhere in the middle. He played all of his starters for the entire game, but he showed Green Bay nothing. The Bears lost 10-3, but none of the players were particularly bummed about it, especially the defense.
It was a meaningless game, right? Wrong.
What Week 17 provided was a 60-minute full contact scrimmage in a playoff-like environment against an opponent that was in a do-or-die situation.
The Bears barely got to page 2 of the playbook, while the Packers were forced to empty theirs out. Meanwhile, the Bears' starters were on the field for every play getting real repetitions against their future NFC Championship opponent.
Football coaches always preach about the importance of reps, but they also admit that you can't simulate game speed. Preseason games provide an opportunity to get game reps in, but they don't compare to the regular season. Not only was Week 17 part of the regular season, it was essentially a playoff game for the Packers. And for the Bears, Week 17 was the most important practice of the season.
Sure, the Packers have tweaked their playbook since the regular season finale. They've added some looks and taken some away, but the Bears not only have a majority of what the Packers have to offer on tape, they faced it in-person on the field in a hostile road environment.
Meanwhile, the Packers may as well throw out their Week 17 tape because the Bears showed them nothing. In fact, it appeared Mike Martz went out of his way to make the offense look like the pass-happy disaster it was early in the season. The defense didn't blitz, shift or disguise anything.
When the Bears host the Packers Sunday at Soldier Field, it's very possible the more talented team will be on the road sideline. But it's also very likely the more prepared team will be on the home sideline. This is a game that will likely come down to coaching and at least right now, Lovie Smith has the upper hand.
For more from Adam Hoge, you can follow him on Twitter @AdamHoge670.
