Greetings, Bears fans. It’s been awhile.
I started a new job at the beginning of the month, which is exciting and all that, but not nearly as exciting as the Bears being 8-3 with a (semi) comfortable lead in the NFC North as we head into the final stretch of the regular season!
My last blog post emphasized the importance of the three straight divisional games the Bears have just completed. At the time, I wrote that if the Bears were able to go 2-1 in that stretch, it’d be a huge boon for their chances to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
I thought it’d be hard, but doable. More than anything I thought it’d give us a clear idea of who this team is and what they are capable of achieving in 2018. My exact words:
It’s already clear this Bears team is different from what we’ve gotten used to watching in seasons past. Just how different remains to be seen. Check back with me after Thanksgiving.
Well, it’s after Thanksgiving. I’m 5 lbs heavier and 500% (not a math major) more confident that the Chicago Bears are a damn good football team. Not only good, but extremely fun to watch, in part because you can tell how much the players are enjoying themselves.
Ranking the #Bears’ best celebrations this season through eight wins. From myself and the one and only @PatrickFinley:https://t.co/LUpXdhPvXo
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) November 26, 2018
And why shouldn’t they? Most teams in the NFL are mediocre, some straight up suck, and handful of teams are actually good. The Bears have been mediocre to awful for years now, so this season has been an absolute revelation as a fan, and frankly if you’re not enjoying yourself I’m not sure what could possibly make you happy.
Does that mean the Bears don’t have their flaws? Of course not! I can find things to complain about. I don’t like that the Bears sometimes struggle to close out games, and are outscored in the second half. I wish they had an effective running game.
BUT THEY ARE 8-3, GUYS! At the beginning of the season I figured I’d be pleased with 8-8. Why spend my time bitching about what’s not working when so much about this team is so damn awesome?
I have no idea what’s going to happen the rest of the season. I *expect* the Bears to be at least 10-6 by the season’s end, and in the playoffs, but who knows? Philly fans probably thought last year was just the beginning, and now the Eagles likely won’t even make the playoffs. I’m sure Carolina fans thought they were in store for years of dominance after they went 15-1 and made the Super Bowl in 2015. They’ve managed to make it to one Wild Card game (and lose it) since then.
I’m not saying any of this to dampen the hopes that this Bears team isn’t just good in 2018, but will be good for years to come. That’s something I fully believe. But sports are fickle, and so many things are completely out of a team’s control. In my opinion, that’s all the more reason to celebrate the Bears right now. Being a sports fan often means you’re in store for a lot of heartbreak, so take a minute to savor it when things are going well.
