Let's get the positives out of the way with first, because there were a few: Darnell Mooney - aside from his polished skillset, I love his attitude. Not at all me-first, doesn't celebrate or draw attention to himself when he makes a big play, unlike so many other WRs. Cairo Santos - he drill it through the uprights the way I like it. Lock him up long term. Sam Mustipher - looks like we found a decent center. Negatives, too many to list, not possible within the confines of space and time. The stat I'm dwelling on today is this: the New York Jets finished with a 2-14 record. They fired their HC/GM and are about to reset at QB. They had 2 wins against teams with winning records. Your Chicago Bears went 8-8, aren't firing anyone, and had 1 win against teams with a winning record. The Jets had twice as many wins compared to us in that category. When we were sitting at 5-7, we all discussed the nightmare scenario: winning enough games to save everyone's jobs, still getting destroyed by the Packers. Well it happened, and even worse the team backslid into the playoffs thanks to a terrible new playoff format that further waters down the NFL product. But Nagy, Pace, and Georgie can all hang their hats on that, and you bet your ass they will. There is a way for this nightmare to get worse. We play the Saints really tight and lose a close one (winning that game would be even worse, for reasons I called out in the game thread). The team and Georgie are all proud, and Nagy/Pace get extensions. Go ahead a laugh. It's possible. Just watch it play out.
The Packers schemed to keep Adams away from Kyle Fuller. The Bears were content to lose Robinson to be being covered by Jaire Alexander. You allowed their defense to take away your best receiver. Coaching matters. Just look at how awful Pagano was. There’s too much talent on this roster to allow teams to outcoach you....but the Bears are consistently out coached. Rumors are swirling that the Bears are gonna make a run at the Chiefs Mike Borgonzi. Take that for what it’s worth. That couldn’t happen until after the Chiefs season is done...so likely February. Mitch is just a limited QB. He limits the playbook. And if you don’t utilize his ability to run...you limit it even more. Sing him if you want....but any hope he can be the answer is gone. No one had a more disappointing season than Eddie Jackson. Massively underperformed. Bears haven’t played on the road in the playoffs in a long time. The last time I can remember is in Minnesota with Steve Walsh under center. We won that game. Went on the following week to get waxed by eventual champion 49ers. My favorite memory of that game was Trace Armstrong destroying the Vikings offensive line...even when the Bears were only rushing 3 in the 2nd half of the game. I don’t care what happens next week. It’s nice to play a playoff game. But all eyes are on what happens this off-season. It’s a gut check time. This franchise is at a critical moment. Dump Pace and let his replacement do the rest. Pagano must go. He has ruined a capable defense. Too much of the same from this franchise year in and year out. Sick of it.
Damn. you're right. No road playoff games since Jan 1995. I remember watching that game. I would've been 10. I don't remember the details of it except that no one expected us to win and we dominated from start to finish. We were at a critical moment 4 years ago today. 3-13 record, should have fired Fox and started with a new HC who was aligned with the GM on the path forward. Pace didn't fire him, then lied to him about the draft, then lied to everyone else, and then took Trubisky. That's how we ended up here. At this critical moment, which the front office will manage to fuckup again.
I just want to say.... I truly appreciate the Bears fans that post here. There are fewer of us than before.....but you guys are good fans that understand the game. Over on another site....there's a group of fans that think ARob didn't play well because Bears coaches and management decided they needed to see how the offense looks without him so they could decide to either sign him or not. Seriously. They think they discovered what happened.
Trubisky himself is basically throwing the coaching staff under the bus: On the failed fourth down: “That was a situation where they had a better call on than we did and they executed better than we did." On not getting the ball to Robinson: “... our offense is at our best — when we’re really doing well and in a rhythm and definitely when we’re finishing down in the red zone — is when 12 (Robinson) is getting his hands on the ball, so we’re going to have to look at that."
I'm turning 30 very soon. I've been talking Bears football with you lot for over half my life, going back to the CBS days. I know the cast has changed since I first started, but I appreciate everyone all the same. Hell, it's probably been the only real constant in my life over that long a period. Insane. Cheers, everyone. I'm hopeful for the offseason. That's all I can do, at this point. It's going to be crushing if people don't get fired, but I'm trying to stay positive about that for now. Edit - I'll add, I agree with all of your guys' posts above. There have been some positives, but strewn among a ton of unacceptable negatives.
I've been a Bears fan for what feels like about a New York minute and I still don't understand a lot about the game but I don’t need to. Just reading here has taught me a lot; mostly that the Bears admin should be reading in here to get a clue. I have huge respect for you guys and the wealth of sports knowledge that you bring. I don't ever feel targeted because of my sports ignorance and I feel accepted even being a female and from a 3rd world country. A big thank you to all of you.
I would just like to add a couple more to blangs positive list. - As a fan of his from early on i am pleased to see any ridiculous talk of replacing Monty put well and truly to bed(asshole walterfootball mocking a 2nd round RB to the Bears this draft). Montgomery had a really good 2nd season imo. 1,070yards rushing on less than 250carries, over 50catches, 10 total TDs. And all of that while being under used and playing half the season behind bargain basement blocking. Oh and he finished t-2nd with Derrick Henry for most broken tackles among RBs this season. Boss. - Its taken a long time for me to come round to old Noquan, and tbh he'll never be a fav player of mine. But he clearly took his game up a level this year and i respect that. If this was a normal year i expect he prob would've got a pro bowl nod as an alternate. The summer talk of party boats, being fat and getting AIDS from a porn star now seem a distant memory. - Also the water team on gamedays were really on form this year. No one was ever standing around waiting for a drink. And word is the toilets at Halas Hall were never once spotted without a urinal puck in them, a credit to the janitor staff. Great job all round people. As for the playoffs, F the playoffs. Yes i'll watch the game next week cos its on, but thats about it. I dont recognise this extra playoff spot, its purely for the money and makes the product in no way better imo. As for the team, shit, i cant even get into that yet. It took me two weeks to come to terms with them ruining our master plan. If they let Pace pick another QB that might do me in, thats all i can say. Go Monty.
You fucking whippersnappers. That means you weren't even ALIVE when the Bears last won it all. This fucking team. I will disagree with you guys on the extra playoff spot, more football is always a good thing. In the NFC it's a joke, but in the AFC in the past an 11 win team wouldn't have made it, and the Colts are deserving. The only joke teams in the playoffs are the Bears and the WFT. There were more games that mattered in Week 17 because of it too, for seeding. I honestly am struggling with being a fan of this team any longer. The "Bears" thing to do at the end of this year will be to fire Pagano....maybe. The positives.....Pace hit quite a bit in this last draft. Kmet, Mooney and Johnson all seem to be valuable pieces. The negatives are too numerous, but the one that probably gets me the most is Robert Quinn. 2 sacks playing opposite Mack. You can put some of this on Pagano, but for a guy making as much as he does, he was an absolute waste of a roster spot. Floyd would have been money better spent, and Floyd was terrible.
No i meant i cant come to terms with young dline being 30, i wasnt talking about me. Im around the same age you are.
Any time I meet someone born in the 90s, my first thought is to count the number of Bulls championships they missed out on, whether they are a basketball fan or not. That sucks D-line, sounds like you wouldn't have remembered much from the first 3-peat.
Not really sure I need to add, so here's a lazed summary: Pace must be fired because there's just no way you can give this guy a 4th quarterback. But kudos on finding Mooney and Kmet. Monty clearly needs a tandem back because he's gotten better at seeing the wide-open fucking lane/cutback but still misses them--and for the love of fucking christ that tandem back is NOT Cordarrelle Patterson. Pay his ass to be a returner or the occasional bubble screen that will only work against those certain 2 or 3 garbage defenses on every year's schedule that all suck worse than you do, Looking at Detroit. Though he's probably a cap casualty--especially if you find a way to keep Arob--and you absolutely fucking do that if presented the choice. I'm exhausted watching Mitch. He's not cut for it, and I'm tired of people trying to defend him. He's played 51 games and he is what he is--the #2 draft pick of 2017 who busted. We've seen enough. I'm especially tired of Charles Leno. Fuck and fire Chuckles. He continually stays committed to stupid. The entire packers game Alexander was on Arob, usually with a blanket of 1-2 other DBs on any given play. Kyle Fuller stayed in 1 spot. And Matt LeFluer fucking knew it. When you made it as easy for Erin as you could when he knows his slot/speed guy is on Danny Trevathan--and your pass rush is perpetually blocked, an ass whipping is what you get. Big drop that should have been another too. I believe Nagy is safe. I hope like fuck I'm wrong but I just don't see him getting canned. I don't think he's got 100% playcalling but I'd not be shocked if he has override ability. Pretty sure he called a few fucking duds. Like the bad 4th down pass call when Mitch sneaking gets you a 1st. I'm in for another train wreck for Sunday. The only way to watch these clowns is with zero expectations and a j, usually with booze.
Lets not forget that Pace *extended* Cohen right before he got hurt this year. So maybe what happened this year is Nagy just replaced Cohen's name with Patterson and figured, eh, an RB is an RB? I saw someone legitimately say that he wasn't a bust, because he will end up as a backup somewhere and might even start somewhere. "He's not a bust, he's just not good". Unbelievable. And loathe as I am to agree with Cowherd, he said Mitch is that guy who will win you some games against garbage teams. That's enough for some ball clubs. It's usually enough for the Chicago Bears. One thing I haven't seen mentioned here, by making the playoffs, the Bears have kicked themselves to at least the #19 overall pick. That's right, the 10-6 Dolphins will pick at #18 because they missed the post-season. I hate tanking, but it does suck that back-dooring into the expanded playoffs means a loss in draft position.
Not much to add that you guys haven't hit on already. I do have to admit it was nice seeing the offense put long drives together against the pack. Usually it's 3 and outs the whole time and a bunch of chances for Rodgers to score. Outside of the whole scoring points thing, the offense did pretty good covering for the D. That never happens. Their only 3 and out resulted in a FG and also had a punt after 1 quick first down. With my bar being so low for a Bears offense, that's kinda impressive. Sad that that's how low the bar is. Coward has had some good games the tail of the season too. The interior oline isn't in shambles as I thought it was a month or two ago. Something to work with there. I still wonder what the hell happened with Ridley. The kid looked like he had potential, a project, but could be something. Never happened though. Hicks has been a disappointment this year too. He had been one of my favorites. His energy and personality just seemed fun. This year he was quiet in terms of making plays. But seemed to be chirping and taking penalties a lot. Definitely an asterisk around this playoff berth. Just like pro bowl Mitch. But fanboys don't see it that way.
His interceptions will at least match the number of playoff wins this season. Somehow Glennon got a nice contract and he's head and shoulders above Mitch, but only literally. No not the only constant, rooting for a sorry assed football franchise would be another. Just sayin' Yes, insane! Finally, a woman that knows her place, now can we get just some sammiches pronto? All this talk is depressing and I get hangry when I'm depressed and angry.
