Okay, me and my buddy are currently feuding.  Each one of us think we have the better article.  Read both articles, decide which one is better, more entertaining, and such.  Then post a comment picking anonymous 1 or anonymous 2

Chicago Bears 2008 Preview
-ANONYMOUS 1
This year's Bears team is much improved over last year's 7-9 squad that disappointed at every turn last season, especially on the defensive end of the ball. 
This offseason proved to be a semi-productive one for the Bears as they added rookie running back Matt Forte who has the ability to be a power back through the middle, as well as a finesse back with a good pop once he hits the open field.  Should Forte stay healthy for the entire year, there is no reason to believe he doesn't have what it takes to run for well over 1000 yards this season.  To add depth behind Forte, the Bears brass added Kevin Jones, looking to come back strong from a knee injury last season, from division rival Detroit Lions, bringing in a solid veteran presence ahead of Adrian Peterson and 3rd down back Garrett Wolfe.
 The impact of these new additions hangs largely on an upgraded offensive line that has seen the addition, and subsequent loss of Chris Williams, a heralded tackle taken in the first round out of Vanderbilt.  To account for this loss, the offensive line has seen a new face in Dan Buenning, a promising young OG from Tampa Bay to bolster the line and free up OT/G John St. Clair to fill the void left by the Williams' injury.  The right side of the line should still be solid with OT John Tait, OG Rob Garza, and C Olin Kreutz, all solidifying the line for their fourth straight year together.
The Bears' receiving core has also seen an unlikely upgrade, even with the loss of Bernard Berrian to the Minnesota Vikings.  The Bears added veterans Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd to replace departed Muhsin Muhammad, as well as drafting Earl Bennett, the SEC career leader in receptions, in the 3rd round of the draft.  While many around the NFL look at Lloyd as a bust as a premier WR, Lloyd showed flashes of what he has to offer earlier this pre-season in a game against the San Francisco 49er's when he caught consecutive difficult passes during a two-minute drill led by Kyle Orton.  Add to the mix Devin Hester, in his second year as an offensive weapon, paired with the emergence of Rashied Davis as a receiving threat, the Bears look to have the potential for a high-powered aerial attack.  Along with the receivers, the Bears boast twin tight end threats in Greg Olsen and Desmond Clark and the possibility of Kellen Davis earning some playing time could mean trouble for opposing defensive coordinators. 
At quarterback, the Bears have finally put Kyle Orton back as starter for the first time since his remarkable 2005 rookie debut.  Orton gives the Bears' offense the best chance to consistently move the ball downfield with the ability to read a defense and make a smart choice based on what's available.  While Orton lacks the premier arm strength backup Rex Grossman displayed, his ability to keep the ball sets him apart from Grossman, and with a playbook that will finally be readily available to him, Orton should have everything he needs to make it as a solid starter in this league.
    As for the defensive side of the ball, the Bears have depth at all positions along the front four, harboring Alex Brown, Mark Anderson, Israel Idonije, and Adewale Ogunleye in a platoon at defensive end, Tommie Harris, Dusty Dvoracek, and Marcus Harrison at defensive tackle.  With so much depth at the line, the Bears should have fresh legs throughout most of the games, helping limit the opposing running game. 
              Completing the front seven, the Bears bring back the same three linebackers, Lance Briggs, Hunter Hillenmeyer, and captain Brian Urlacher, for the 6th straight year.  Adding to the depth at linebacker, the Bears bring back OLB's Jamar Williams, and Nick Roach and MLB Darrell McClover. 
In the secondary, the Bears have arguably the most underrated tandem of cornerbacks in Charles "Peanut" Tillman and Nathan Vasher with nickelback Trumaine McBride and Corey Graham, and at safety, Mike Brown returns, fully rehabbed from a torn ACL last season, alongside Brandon McGowan.  Backing up Brown and McGowan, rookie Craig Steltz and Kevin Payne provide depth and are both capable starters should anything happen to the starters.
With the improvements the Bears brass has made at key positions in the offseason, both through free agency and the draft, the Bears are poised to pull out a season that should take them to the playoffs and possibly beyond.  After seeing the first team offense and defense through the preseason, and now from their first game against the Colts, hopes are rising for the 2008 Chicago Bears season and the potential lying ahead throughout the season. With the 11th toughest schedule in the league this year, and the club the Bears' management has put together, I see this team going 9-7 and squeaking into the playoffs in week 17 with key wins coming at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on September 28, the Minnesota Vikings on October 19, and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on November 16.




Brady-less, the NFL, Pats, face challenges
-ANONYMOUS 2

Lightning struck New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in a bad way.  Only midway through the first game of the season in the first quarter, Brady was struck in the knee, and at that very moment, the landscape of the NFL changed for this season.  Not only that, but the aura the Patriots carried around vanished.

Brady suffered a torn ACL and MCL.  If he had torn his PCL too, he would have a long road back to recovery.  Former quarterback Daunte Culpepper suffeed a similar injury in 2004 and never made it back to the upper echelon of the NFL.  As of right now, he is retired, although the Patriots may give him a ring to hook up Culpepper with his old pal from their days with the Minnesota Vikings, All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss.  Together, they dominated the then-NFC Central (now North), along with the Favrre-led Green Bay Packers.  It only makes sense for the Patriots to renew their magic if they want a chance to get to the Super Bowl.

With quarterback Matt Cassel, a guy who hasn't started a game since his last game as a senior in high school, the Patriots are looking at a wild card berth at best.

With Brady out, what does this mean for the NFL and the Patriots?

For the NFL, it means a loss of ratings and a chunk of advertising sales.  With a Week 9 primetime game of the Indianapolis Colts vs Patriots in the Colts' new stadium missing one of the two biggest stars in Brady, the annual hot matchup of Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady suddenly looks boring.  If I owned a compnay, I would pay top dollar to advertise my company during this game.  Manning vs Cassel?  I wouldn't pay so much.  After all, who's going to watch that game, despite the hot rivalry these two teams have.

Had it been Manning who suffered the injury instead of Brady, it would be a less deal.  I do not wish injury upon anybody, but it's not hard to admit that most people watch a Patriots game just for their aura, for their greatness, for their dominance, and much more.  They are the blueprint of a perfect team, despite losing the Super Bowl to the New York Giants in Glendale, Arizona. 

Speaking of the Super Bowl, there has a been a trend in recent years with the losing team missing the playoffs the following season, with the exception of the Seattle Seahawks.  They say its a curse.  If its really a curse, then it sure as hell struck Tom Brady and his New England Patriots.  A Matt Cassel-led Patriots team is a wild card team at best.

Speaking of the wild card...

Brett Favre is the wild card in all of this.

How so?

Well, all off-season long, we listened to the Favre-Packers drama and storyline.  Favre wants back in the NFL, wouldn't bulge on playing for a non-competitive team.  As we all know how the story ended, Favre gave up, was traded to the New York Jets, in the same division as the Patriots.  The Jets suddenly look the favorites to win AFC East.  A Week 2 matchup of Brady vs Favre was an interesting match-up.  Look at it this way, though.  If Favre had decided to stay retired, the Jets wouldn't have given up a draft pick for him, or his rights.  However, with Brady out, and knowing full well that Favre has the itch to play, the Patriots could have emerged as a big player for the Favre "sweepstakes".  Week 5 could have seen Favre ready to start for the team following a bye, against San Francisco 49ers.  Easy game for the grey-haired gunslinger to get into the mix of things, against a team he's played many times when he was in the NFC.  A Brett Favre-led Patriots would have kept the Patriots in the hunt for the Super Bowl.  Don't forget he tried to lobby Moss into Green Bay for the past two seasons.  With Moss in New England, the invitiation to Foxborough, Massachusetts is certainly enticing.

It's funny how the NFL works.  I'll miss Tom Brady, but with him being gone for the rest of this season, the AFC is wide open, and suddenly the NFC looks much more powerful than the AFC.  It sure changes everything.

Only 16 more weeks to enjoy all the 32 favorite teams.