Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears this Week?

I.

Always.

Like.

THE.

Chicago.

Bears.

A Must Win?

Heading into tonight’s game, the draft order is as follows: (1) Cardinals, (2) Panthers -> Bears, (3) Bears, (4) Giants, (5) Patriots. This is the complete list of teams with two wins or less and, I believe, they are the only five teams currently competing for the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Cardinals are going to get Kyler Murray back, likely this Sunday, and one would expect his presence to help them win a few more games. The Patriots are not a good football team, but does anyone think Bill Belichick won’t squeeze out a few victories over the second half of the season? And, honestly, the Bears showed good fight against New Orleans and will likely be better on both sides of the ball moving forward. 5-6 wins for them is not out of the question.

No, if the Bears want the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they need it to come from the Carolina Panthers, and that means the Panthers need to finish with a worse record than the house-on-fire New York Giants. The Giants go to Dallas this week as 16-point underdogs, with Tommy Devito as their starting quarterback. If Devito continues to struggle, they’ll turn to #BarkleyTime. Even with their easy schedule on the horizon (Commanders, Patriots, Packers, Rams, etc.) there is a scenario wherein the Giants don’t win another game in 2023.

The clearest path to the top pick for the Bears is via the Panthers. And the Bears need to bury the Panthers tonight at Soldier Field to keep that path unfettered.

Dick Butkus Video of the Week

Quick Hit Movie Reviews

Killers of the Flower Moon is unlike anything Martin Scorsese has ever done, while also fitting perfectly into his remarkable canon. To see an 80-year-old takes these kinds of aesthetic leaps is a testament to the man’s genius. The film of the year, and the most emotionally and intellectually paralyzing final 20-minute passage I can remember.

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Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I always like the Chicago Bears. And I like this match-up.

What’s Next For Mitch Trubisky?

Let’s update last week’s areas of focus.

• The Roll Right, Cross-Body Throw. This was the most prominent “mistake” he made in his debut and he made it differently each time, culminating with the game-ending interception. (All three, interestingly, were throws to Zach Miller on plays that has essentially broken down.) Biscuit has to understand how much steam those throws lose and how quickly NFL defensive backs close on the football. Often the smart play is just tuck it and get a few yards with your legs or throw the ball into the sixteenth row.

Grade: A+. Trubisky had a half dozen opportunities to make throws that were not there but chose instead to fling the ball to the sideline. Solid signs of maturity for a kid making his second professional start.

• The Left Side of the Field. Trubisky did most of his work to the right half of the field which, if you read this blog, was fully expected. But Baltimore defensive coordinator Dean Pees has been DC for Nick Saban (Michigan State, mid-90s) and Bill Belichick (New England, mid-2000s). Those men approach defensive football the same way. They want to take away the thing their opponent does best. Trubisky should have to open up the field Sunday.

Grade: INC. The Bears did very little work on the left side of the field in the passing game because they did very little work in the passing game. They will not be able to run it 50+ times on this Carolina defense so Trubisky’s development will be entirely about how much more of the game is placed on his shoulders. 

• Cadence. The offensive line never looked comfortable Monday night partly due to their being off the snap. They also had a few pre-snap penalties, with Charles Leno clearly not knowing the count on several plays, including the strip sack of Trubisky. Are those on the quarterback? Possibly. Only the players actually know. But it’s now on Trubisky to get this group comfortable and that only happens with time and experience.

Grade: B+. The Bears took 80 offensive snaps in this game and were better pre-snap (zero penalties) and getting off the snap. Remarkably, as Brad Biggs reported, the Bears ran for four yards often on first down, even when facing run looks from Baltimore. That speaks to the toughness of Jordan Howard’s running but also the push from the guys up front.

In Summary

Unless the Bears open the playbook and let the kid do more, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to see Trubisky develop beyond the basic fundamentals of playing the position, which include leadership. On that note…

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DON’T TRADE GREAT PLAYERS BECAUSE THEY DON’T “FIT”

NFL coaches all think what they do is special. They’re wrong. Football is not a complicated game and winning, by and large, still comes down to which team has the better players.

Greg Olsen is a great player. Anybody with eyes knew he was beginning the process of becoming a great player in Chicago. And trading him away because he didn’t fit the system of an offensive coordinator was asinine then and is even more asinine now. If a coach can’t maximize the ability of a great player then the coach isn’t worth keeping around.

You ESPECIALLY don’t trade players for coordinator fits because coordinators are always a good season away from leaving your organization. Players can only leave if you let them (or if they hate you).

BE PATIENT

Who didn’t look at the Panthers receiving corps at the start of the season, following the injury to Kelvin Benjamin, and expect their offense to struggle?

The answer is Panthers GM Dave Gettleman.

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