We all know Mitch didn't "win" the job. He just didn't have enough of an opportunity to lose it. Coming out of camp, it's really the only question hanging over this team. What do you think?
I think week 4. Assuming we're sitting at 1-2 with an offense resembling last year's output, the pressure will be too high on Nagy to not make the move to Foles.
I think if Mitch blows through the first quarter of the season....Foles is starting week 5. But if the Bears are 3-1 or something like that and Mitch is playing poorly....Nagy may stick with him. I'm pretty optimistic on the Bears schedule. L W W W W W L W W W L W L W W W
12 wins? Wow. I don't see where the offense is coming from. O-line is not improved. Running game is not improved. Nagy still calls plays (how much you want to bet we see at least one play on Sunday with both QBs on the field at the same time). And QB still sucks. Even Foles doesn't inspire hope. We're not winning 12 games unless this offense is at the very least average, which I see as an impossibility.
Bears have won 12 games without offense before and I think this years group will be better, though not by a ton, than last year. We honestly don't know if scheme and coaching alone will change the oline….and while Nagy is a frustrating playcaller at times his system is effective when ran correctly. QB1 definitely sucks....QB2 is slightly better. TE is upgraded. WR is solid. RB can be solid. There are ingredients there to make a decent offense. There are a ton of winnable games on the schedule. If Mack and Quinn play and are healthy sunday I like our chances a lot to start the season with a win....I'm leaning towards loss right now because of their presence on the injury list.
I think we were 21st in yardage offense in 2018 (29th last year), and it took a historically great defense to get us to 12 wins. It would be a monumental achievement for the offense to be middle of the pack this year and no doubt that would be good enough to get us at least 10 wins, assuming the D is top 5. But I don't see it happening. The last couple years the offense started out very slowly the first couple games, which was blamed on the starters not playing the preseason. Well, nobody played the preseason this year, so you have to assume that disadvantage is neutralized. I think we're going to see a lot of sloppy offense across the league for the first few weeks (not to mention a host of injuries), which hopefully works to our advantage. It may also give Mitch more of a pass than he deserves. If I didn't have so little faith in him, I'd like our chances this Sunday.
Offense was 29th in points scored last year...defense was 4th in points surrendered and they won 8 games. If the Offense moved up in the 16 to 20 range and the defense simply stood pat...that can't translate to 3 or 4 more wins? Offense was 29th at 17.5 points per game....it takes around 4 points or so to move them up to middle of the pack. That's 64 points on the entire season....9 touchdowns. I agree...I think we will see some really sloppy football to start the season. Bad tackles and timing that is off. I worry about the Bears o-line because they seem to be bad communicators to me and no game action at all could amplify that. It's not like that had a crappy coach the past couple seasons...but maybe Juan Castillo can help them. I hope. I have almost no faith in Mitch. There's about 1% of me that is hopeful he can somehow surprise all of us. But I also know this team can win games in spite of Mitch.
Thats exactly how i see it. Gone by week 4. The Bears should go 3-0 to start the season. If they lose a game they really should win in Atlanta to drop to 1-2 i think Mitch will get the hook. Maybe he lasts another week but Nagy can't afford to wait too long on this, if he does the playoffs could easily be gone by midseason. People are under actual pressure to win this season, the stubborn faith in Mitch thing is over. Hell imo Foles would already have the job if it had been a normal offseason with normal prep. I guess so but it would need everything to work out as well as it realistically could and i just dont buy that happening. Its far more likely to me that it goes the other way. Having looked at the 53 it really struck me how thin this team is. RB, WR, CB, S, MLB, DE....the Bears are literally one key injury away from being totally screwed at any one of those positions. I can hear the ghosts of former posters telling me every team has that problem, but actually no. Many many teams around the league have two good WR's, or a good 1-2 punch at RB, or 2(even 3) good CB's etc. Thats not the Bears, which of course is exactly what happens when you spend multiple draft picks on individual players year after year after year. The Bears are a couple key injuries away(particularly on D) from being a 5 win team. Pray for health.
Bears are always one key injury away from total destruction. Goldman being out this season makes it harder. But when your GM consistently trades away draft picks...how do you ever build solid young depth? But because the defense is as good as it is, or what I expect it to be, I honestly see worst case scenario as 6 wins. Just bad enough that Pace will probably be tempted to trade up in next years draft and surrender some more picks for a QB that we will be talking about being a bust. The circle of fucking ineptitude goes round. I woke up today optimistic and you pricks pissed all over it. Fuckers.
Believe it or not, so am I. Granted they're tied for the 12th or 13th hardest schedule, but Lions, Giants, Falcons, Colts, Bucs, and Panthers are all winnable games. The next 6 games is where it gets tough with the Saints, Rams, Titans, Packers, Vikes and the Lions. Winning 5 or all of the first 6 games, plus 2-3 of the second series of six sets you up at 7-9 wins with 4 games to go. Jax, Houston, GB, and Minny. I can actually see as early as week 2. Strategically speaking, the Lions are the perfect opponent for Mitch to look like an NFL QB against. Matt Patricia runs a more predictable defense than a Lovie Smith "3rd down special" where he faked a blitz with Briggs/Urlacher at the LOS and by the time they dropped back to where they were supposed to be, a receiver (usually Greg Jennings) is behind them on a simple quick slant gaining 20+. Patricia prefers straight man coverage, and has a rookie (granted top 3 draft pick), Justin Coleman, and Desmond Trufant at CB. The DLine is solid but there is NO depth there either (Julian Okwara, a 6'2, 240 lb edge from ND is listed as their 3rd DE on their depth chart after Flowers and Hand. Hand is presently listed as questionable for Sunday with a groin injury. Mitch can play against man coverage. ARob and Miller should shred the DBs so even if Nagy goes all pass-happy I actually like their chances. Now, Mitch processing simple cover 2/cover 3/cover 4 zone coverages? Yeah, not going to make excuses for it because he blows. That's where Nick Foles excels; quick passes to attack small holes in zone and let WRs get their YAC. The only two match ups I don't like this weekend are their TE Hockenson versus Noquan/Gipson/Ejax and Charles Leno versus Trey Flowers. Jaylon Johnson versus Marvin Jones is probably what Stafford is going to attack (and could be bad for the bears), so we're going to find out pretty quick if this kid can adapt to NFL speed.
Lions D doesn't concern me. And I do think Nagy will go all pass-happy for the reasons you mention and with Monty being hurt. I'm expecting Johnson to have a long day. A rookie CB in his first game with zero preseason reps against a solid veteran QB/WR combo. Hopefully, the d-line minus Goldman and possibly Quinn is able to generate consistent pressure on Stafford to take some pressure of Johnson.
I'm not optimistic on this team, but given that Mitch gets the start, and the competition isn't that tough (relatively speaking, and as far as we know yet) and they're all noon games...I can see us muddying through to 500 at least. And even then, Mitch is mediocre, not actively terrible like Glennon. It's harder to pull someone keeping the ball safe, etc. even if we do have Foles on the bench. But I don't think there's anyway though he can last past Week 5, and Tom Brady in prime time. Under the bright lights, Mitch shits the bed on National Television on TNF. My money is on no later than Week 6.
This is why even if Mitch lights it up for the first few weeks of the season I still won't buy in. Mitch can do anything he wants but he won't be a legit QB until he can perform well in prime time...something he's never done.
He did have a great game against the Cowboys last year on TNF. But yeah, "prime time" meaning an important game against a quality opponent, he's never done that.
I really have no idea what to make of this Bears team or any team outside of KC this season. With shortened offseason, limited media coverage as no preseason games what can ya bank on? I would think if ever there was a season for a repeat champ this would be it. That offense offense looks even better and the defense is getting better. Who is going to challenge them? It wouldnt surprise me one bit if the Bears won 3 games or 12. Defense should be legit but the offense. Who the hell knows. They would need a huge improvement to be decent. I’m taking a wait and see approach. If Nagy goes all pass happy tomorrow then we will have our answer.
I hope like hell he's found some self-confidence since last season. A huge part of being a professional athlete is being able to withstand the pressure of big games.