The They Lost Thread 2022

Even if they don't rest, I'm just saying it is entirely possible the Bears pull one out. Maybe that's the Vikings, like you say, they are massive pretenders. The Lions have been feisty on their winning streak, but is that really a guaranteed loss? The Bears just took the Eagles to the wire. The injuries aren't helping things, but that doesn't mean magic can't happen. I thought the Eagles would hang 50 honestly. It gives me pause to say the Bills won't hang 50, but the Bills have been in close games, one of the knocks on them is they haven't had a big blowout win yet this year. Maybe the Bears are the "get right" team this week.

You probably know more than me, because I don't watch college at all, I'm going entirely by articles I've read. No one is talking about the possible trade up instead of in oblique terms, so it's just my guess it doesn't happen. But who knows, I also didn't see the Bears trading UP one spot for Trubisky, so whatever. I defer to Pat on this one.

This line is absolute ass, and I'm guessing it will be next year too. Look at the Eagles, deep and strong on both sides in the trenches. That's how you support your QB. And those fucks have a probable top 10 pick as well from their trades! Instead of our guy trading away an almost 1st round pick for Claypool. And the Velus pick. My might thus far is pretty entrenched, though I have liked him otherwise stockpiling picks.

And man, you bring up fucking Suh. BWW brought this up too, that fuck wasn't trying to pull away, he brought his arm DOWN to clothesline him. He's a known dirty player. So you fucks should throw the flag, instead Fields is right up in their face and that ref was talking shit right back to him. Fuck the refs.

 

I just want to quote this here, because it is fantastic, and true.

 

This could be true but the thing is there's often times a QB that no one is talking about at this time of the year that suddenly by the combine is shooting up the charts. And there usually is a GM dumb/desperate enough to jump up and take him. (See Ryan Pace and Trubisky). I'm not opposed to 1 more win but I wouldn't close the door on us getting a massive haul if we do stay at #2.

I don't know how you can justify some of the redzone/FG range play calling the last 2 games other than they're not trying to win the games. If Santos really told Flus he can't hit a 48 yard FG, then maybe you're right about him, but more importantly why the fuck are we not going for it there? I don't care if it's 4th and long. We're 3-10. Throw it into the endzone, a hook and ladder, or have Fields run around until everyone misses him and he makes into the end zone. Even a goddamn draw with Monty up the middle is better than a punt from the opposing 31 yard line.

As for shutting down Fields, it wouldn't surprise me if that happens, and there's plenty of injuries Fields has sustained that easily justify it. I know it's conspiracy-theorist of me but I've suspected that somtimes QB decisions come from above the coaching staff, maybe above the GM. Fields is really the only reason Bears fans remain interested in the season. Shut him down and maybe (actually very likely) nobody shows up to the final 2 home games and lots of gameday revenue is lost. But I do think it's possible and at this point he's not going to show me anything in the next 3 games that he hasn't already shown, so I'm fine with it.

 

Good to see der Flus showing some balls. Fuck Suh. But also fuck the NFL because this isn't boy-named's first dirty play. Outside of Deshaun Watson this year--Suh has led the league in fines for dirty hits/plays going back to when his bitch ass started in Detroit.

Otherwise, I'm not going to overly shit too much on this team because turnover will begin on the roster as soon as black Monday or throughout the weeks after the Superbowl.

I will state concern for Teven Jenkins. At first watching him roll around and they showed the replay, I thought he planted his left leg wrong before he twisted himself down to the ground. Then they said 'neck' and my inner-pessimist jumped right to his pre-draft back issues. The one guy I'd feel okay about going forward for the next 2+ years on the OL and we're playing 'wait and see.' This is why I--and everybody else who was concerned in Pace's last draft--don't want pre-injured players. And maybe I'm being unfair. Maybe the neck isn't connected to his previous back issues. But on that play when I watched a 3rd time, you see the defender put a hand to the face (of course no call from the shitstain refs) and crank his neck 90 degrees.

They're now saying Cody Whitehair has an unspecified knee injury and it could be major. The source is Kap--and full disclosure--I think Kap is a retarded hack who bludgeons his twitter with cringe hot takes in the name of clicks. But every now and again--he gets one right, like Dansby Swanson.

I get it'll never happen, but move Braxton Jones inside to guard where he belongs if he has any future in the NFL as a starter. This kid clearly can't play tackle and I'm sick of bears simps on reddit and ccs making constant excuses for the guy being 'just good enough.' I get aggravated watching teams with a LT that just gives their QB all kinds of protection yet I watch Justin Fields get rag dolled because this kid pisses his pants on a stunt on a 3 step dropback. I don't care how fast Josh Sweat and Hassan Reddick are.

LOL @ Alex Leatherwood. When twitter went nuts that 'Cole Kmet gave up a sack' the announcers actually weren't retarded. Leatherwood for some reason felt the need to help Schoefield (who already had position and hands on his guy) and left a 255 lb TE on one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. There's a reason Vegas cut him and the bears were the only team to come calling.

I get the angst for Velus Jones and I'm there. But I can't help but be really worried that if Poles thought Ebner and Jones were 'playmakers' he had to have in last year's draft, he doesn't have a fucking clue what an NFL playmaker looks like and he came from a superbowl winning organization where he was in the braintrust that drafted many of them.

Eq and Mooney are the only guys I'm bringing back at WR. I don't want St. Brown because he can catch. He's the best run blocking WR in football, so put him at WR 4/5 and don't over complicate.

The only player on the DLine part of the roster that should get an invite to camp next year is Justin Jones.

I really like both Jaylons as CB1 and CB2. Keep Gordon in the nickel spot.

Cairos Santos gets paid too much to botch XPs like he's downed 2 cartons of egg nog on the sidelines. But then again, Blang brings up a great point. 'Devil you know' and all. Before we cut him, have a plan--and not Connor Barth please.

Justin Fields is a goddamned cheat code. I like how he's starting to see wide open guys like Pringle for the scatter-drill TD. I've been critical missing the wide open guy busted over the top.

Luckily for the Bears, the Bills have to win 1 more game to win their division (they and Miami split and Miami has to win out and Buffalo lose out for Miami to win)--so ideally they aren't asleep this weekend.

 

Well that could explain why Whitehair was terrible on Sunday.

Velus Jones had one thing going for him and that was his 40 time and that's why Poles drafted him where he did. Fast 40 time doesn't mean you know how to play the position. I'm leaning towards agreeing with your concern. Unfortunately with the WR FA market so thin, Poles is going to have to get at least 1 if not 2 of them in the draft, guys who can make an immediate contribution. At the latest we will know very early on next season whether this guy is capable of drafting a playmaker.

 

So basically what you are saying, in a nutshell, is Poles might suck.

Over the years how many GMs fell into that rabbit hole? and then on the other hand how many GMs left guys on the board because they didn't have that speed factor but turned into damn good football players based on heart and instinct.

 

Well at this point in the season i totally agree they could be playing far more aggressively in certain situations. What the F do you have to lose.

I still can't believe they punted from the 31. Thats not even worthy of parody.

I never actually put this together but yes Velus & Ebner are the only two skill position players he took on Offense. Holy shit thats concerning. I mean a GM can miss on a pick, especially in the 3rd & 6th rounds, but its the fact they both look so far from being NFL calibre players. Thats what's really worrying.

Absolutely, and this is something that has been exacerbated greatly over the years with more and more focus placed on "measurables". The peak example of this being the underwear olympics which is an orgy of measurables, almost all of which are meaningless. That controlled environment pony show should mean nothing compared to real game film, but if anything almost the opposite is true. TBH its made worse by the league itself who turn the whole thing into a weekend long circus for tv ratings. Add in all the "there to be seen" executives and weekend jolly for assistants of assistants of assistants and is it any wonder people are taking their eyes off the ball?

Reminds me a bit of those annual military parades around the Kremlin you'd see every year by the feared Red Army. All those soldiers, weapons and equipment looked so impressive. Except now much of the equipment is destroyed and many of the soldiers are dead, because its not how you look that matters, its how you play.

 

Our fans are sometimes not far removed from the Bears braintrust, after all George himself is "just a fan". I get it, there's a lot of projection we do as fans to think, "hey maybe he could turn a corner, just give him time!". Leno was never a good tackle, he was "good enough". And as Bill Parcells said (and many others I'm sure), "Don't let good enough, be good enough". For the cornerstone of the offensive line, "good enough" is a recipe for a mediocre team.

He might, it's too early to tell, but blang has a good point that we will know a lot more about Poles next year. His first draft was middling, but he also didn't have a first. His FA moves were questionable. The Claypool trade is looking pretty terrible. That said, his plan right now is a clear rebuild, so this draft and FA will be time to starting turning the corner and hitting on picks.

 

Good(ish) news: Jenkins is out of the hospital. Maybe not as severe as initially feared tho they're not saying yet if he'll play again this season. It would prob be wise if he didn't.

Bad news: Sanborn to IR. That sucks.


The Bears had been luckier than most re injuries as the season went on. That came crashing to a halt the last few games.

 

And I'd be disingenuous if I didn't give him another chance. In Poles' defense--Ryan Pace took Kevin White and Jeremy Langford as his two skill position offensive players year 1 before turning it around with Jordan Howard year 2, and Tarik Cohen and Shaheen year 3 (Anthony Miller and Javon Wims year 4--woof).

The bar isn't that high compared to his predecessor. Find some damn play makers.

Claypool trade doesn't look good. Looks like he just gave away a draft pick for N'Keal Harry too. And now the chatter ongoing is pursuing going-on-31 year old Nuk Hopkins because he and Kyler Murray don't get along for Fields next year. That's a move I'd be furious at. He's already got a stigma against him (every CB accuses him of PEDs), and he is not the same player he was in Houston, which is why Arizona has bought/drafted many after acquiring him, including giving up a 1st round pick for Marquise Brown, getting AJ Green, drafting (then losing) Christian Kirk, now Rondale Moore. Zach Ertz, and Robbie Anderson.

Plus you'd be giving up MORE draft picks and though you have cap space to fit Hopkins' 30 mil next year and 26 mil in 2024, making that move means Mooney and Claypool both probably aren't getting extensions. The bears should be improved next year but a 31 year old Deandre Hopkins doesn't put this team over the top.

 

The Bears have so many holes to fill there is more than likely no combination of players obtained in the offseason that renders that outcome.
If this team wants to move forward with this rebuild he won't be part of the solution he'll just be part of the problem.

 

If this team was 1 aging WR away from being a contender, then I'd be fine going after Hopkins. Otherwise, basically what Tuna said.

 

Yestrday's loss was the worst of the season and it is not remotely close. What we witnessed was players quitting all over the field.

I could rip multiple players but it will take too long so i'll select one. Braxton Jones has no business starting in this league. He should be buried on a depth chart never seeing the field working on his technique and his strength in the hope he turns into something in a year or two. His latest offering was definitely 2sacks(maybe more i missed), multiple pressures, no movement in the run game and at least 2 penalties(1 holding, 1 FS). That is straight up benching worthy production. That he plays every week tells you a lot about this coaching staff and GM. When he's still starting next season it will be Sam Mustipher level confirmation that our former-OL GM has no idea about OL. I mean none.


But the main thing i want to ask is how we reconcile everything that happened yesterday. Blang has stated he thinks they're tanking. A lot of people do and i totally get why, but i just don't buy it, I think they're all just this bad.

There's too many things happen in a game that go against the tanking theory. If you're tanking why make that ridiculous effort to score points at the end of the half. If you're tanking why continue sending out the one guy that can legit score on any play and only guy who gives you any chance to win. The entire football world can see Fields is beaten up to a fucking pulp. Athletically i put him at max 75-80%. There is all the cover in the world for saying we're shutting our QB down, any talk of the league office not liking it is pure BS.

Now, the fact Fields was still out there well after the game was lost is being claimed by some online as proof that two things are happening at the same time. That the Bears are indeed tanking AND they're trying to get Fields experience and dev time. Eberflus basically said the latter part post game when he said this was all benefitting Fields and making him grow. WRONG! That 2nd half there was NOTHING of benefit to Justin Fields. No one was blocking, no one was getting open. On multiple occasions when Fields had to escape the pocket cos no one blocked, he looked downfield and cos no was bothering to scramble drill and get open Fields just quit on the play and lobbed it OB. Everyone quitting. There is NOTHING to learn from these plays except how to give up, which is a terrible terrible habit to have creep into any pro athlete's game.

If they're tanking why so many designed QB runs? Your QB is on the treatment table after every drive and you're still calling QB power for 4-5yard gains?? Are you insane!! Please someone who's in on the tanking theory explain this to me. Surely if they're calling these games while supposedly tanking then you accept that they don't give a shit about the QB right? What case is there that they're trying to protect Fields and aren't just running him into the ground, cos i see none.


What i think is happening is very simple. You've got a coaching staff completely out of their depth who are getting the QB killed to cover up for their own rank incompetence. If Fields wasn't playing this team gets blown out every single week. The game Fields missed they got blown out by the Jets and backup Mike White and all the Jets have done since is lose 5 straight.

This coaching staff is a fucking joke. Eberflus was a two bit salesman who went into the meeting with a dumb slogan pitch and this ownership were just the idiot mark to fall for it. Eberflus is BS. "Get your track shoes, we're gonna be running". K. "I keep count of how many loafs each guy has every game". K. I have the HITS principle! Cool bro, except guys are loafing around every play and there's more quit than fight in this team by an order of magnitude. And no, its not cos its all some clever tanking plan and they're all in on it.

This game felt very Trestman-esque to me. Like end of 1st season Trestman. Remember that game in Philly where if they'd won i think they made the playoffs, but instead they got destroyed like 51-10 and everyone looked out of their depth? If this team was buying what Eberflus is selling it would show up in the effort levels if nothing else. On a 3rd & 18 draw play you wouldn't have everyone loaf cos they think Dominic Robinson has the tackle and they dont need to do anything. Do not be surprised if Trestflus loses the locker room next season, i sure won't be.


That rant felt pretty good. Im off for an afternoon drinking session with the guys, have a good one fellas.

 

I think we have to differentiate between the coaches/GM tanking and the players being in on it. The players are (or at least should be) still playing for their jobs for the coming season. Yesterday and the second half of the Bills game was just poor effort. For most of this season we saw that this team, untalented as they are, was able to compete in nearly every game. Against teams like the Eagles, Vikings, 49ers, even the Cowboys for 3 quarters. The Packers game was entirely winnable until Getsy waved the white flag in the red zone not once but twice (explain that!) But maybe yesterday for the first time, the players just didn't care and gave up. Part of the blame for that has to fall on the coaches.

Both things can be true. The coaching staff can be trying to tank and putting Fields out there for "experience". That doesn't make Flus' logic correct and everything else you said here I agree with.

I mentioned on the game thread that Fields wants the QB rushing yards record. Here's an exact quote from him from before the Bills game "I’m already deep into this year, so I might as well go and get that record,” said Fields. “I think I need 206 (yards). Three games left, that’s about 70 yards a game. We’ll see what happens.” Justin Fields coming for Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record

I really do think Flus and Getsy want to help him get that record, and that explains the first half play calling. As for why they kept him out there in the second half, I don't have an answer nor will I defend it.

Well I'm not ready to go this far. Not that I love Flus, I don't. And the HITS thing is dumb. With Trestman you actually had a competent roster of seasoned veterans who clearly quit on him and the team, led by the QB who shall not be named. Flus has a roster full of players who will be out of the league by 2024 at the latest, particularly the players on the offensive and defensive lines. If you're going to claim that Fields can't be properly evaluated as a passer because of the o-line, WRs, etc (btw Fields is averaging less than 150 yards passing per game this year), then I would say the same has to be true for Flus. You may end up being right about him though, we'll see.

 

Standing ovation. This should get printed and mailed to Halas Hall every day. It is beyond difficult to see Fields getting killed out there for no reason.

Also, very importantly - my favorite thing about Chase Claypool is that we traded maybe the first pick in the second round for a guy with zero catches in that game. Cool. I was baffled by the trade then, and I'm baffled by it now. We could've let the Packers give up draft capital for a useless WR, but we had to one up them and bail them out. Feels too familiar.

 

You know you guys haven’t won one game since the trade? But Fields is 64 yards from the QB rushing record. The thing I wonder is when is a running QB going to win a SB? L Jackson for all his accolades hasn’t even sniffed a SB fart yet.

 

Amen. My take on the "tanking" is that POLES is tanking. You can't remove 3 of your major stars from Defense and expect them to be able to do shit. He accumulated picks. The only thing that doesn't fly with this is his pickup of Claypool, but even that, a WR learning the playbook midseason is not a "win now" move, he felt claypool was better than the draftable/FA WRs coming up. Not sure that's at all true, but it's clearly what he thought. Poles is all about the future.

The coaches? I think they are trying, but very green. I agree 100% the effort yesterday just wasn't there. That is on the coaches as you say, because prior to the Bills game this team was at least competing and being close. It's a lot different to be trying and failing, than whatever we saw yesterday. That said, there is a built in excuse here that Poles has set them up for failure, because it's true. That and injuries which have hit them hard. So I'm not ready to throw in the towel, as blang says most of this roster doesn't belong in the NFL at all. But it's going to be HARD to swing the rudder next year once you've started down this path. I'm concerned about this staff sure, hard not to be when you break the franchise record for consecutive losses.

The players? Not tanking, they just almost completely suck, those that aren't injured now. And that's also on Poles, he's getting to evaluate them pretty well now. The trenches are the worst part of the team, and that will make other players look even worse. Fix the trenches and this team can be at minimum mediocre again. It's just a tall order to replace almost everyone.

 

Steve Young won 3 Super Bowls.

For the record, I've never been a fan of "running" QBs either, and Fields still has a lot to prove on the passing front in the NFL. But there's still potential there.

 

Russell Wilson has in 2014 849 yards.

What he said.

 

You prob remember i lost my shit when that trade happened, but that was specifically over the price. It was an outright fleecing both then and now, but i understood why they were trying to trade for a WR.

What totally baffles me now is the usage. I said i'd be patient about the playbook stuff etc until after the bye and then i wanted to see Claypool seeing alot of targets. Well the bye's well gone and this is what we get, 1 target? ONE fucking target?!! Claypool played 19snaps sunday, roughly about a third of the Bears offensive plays. Thats not a lot, but he is coming back from a knee so ok maybe taking it easy with him. But 1 target?! Why do they never seem to take deep shots to Claypool anymore? Why do the NEVER target him 1 on 1 outside when they get inside the 10? I mean they didn't even give him a WR screen or some quick sideline pass and make the CB take down a much bigger body on his own. Its horrible all the way round. They spent for this guy and Getsy isnt even trying to get him the ball.


Just to clear up a couple other things about Claypool: His one target came on a deep In route, would've been about a 15yard completion, possibly on 3rd down, except he dropped it under pressure from the DB. Now, you wouldn't really say Claypool was open on the play but in truth a route like that i don't really expect him to be because he's not a very good route runner. In that situation Claypool's catch is gonna be contested to some degree, its his job to make that catch anyway. But when i saw him playing for the Steelers i saw quite a lot of this....Claypool not coming down with the contested ball....


Final thing, the play that led to Claypool losing his blob on the sideline.....on that play Fields had to flee the pocket once again, went to his left/weak side and it was the play the defender came flying up as Fields tried to look for a scramble drill deep shot then Fields tried to slip the guy at the last second, failed and got sacked. On that play Claypool was right there near the sideline and it would've been an easy pass for Fields. It would only have been like a 4-5yard completion probably, but he took like a 7yard sack so the net negative on that play was really 11-12yards. Everything after another good escape from pocket pressure was horrible by Fields on that play.

So Claypool got to the sideline and exploded. I get the frustration, but he expressed it poorly and in a way that didnt help anybody. Interestingly, in his post game presser Fields was asked about the outburst and he kinda called Claypool out a little bit for the way he went about it, which ok, i get that, good leadership to hold someone accountable etc etc but i really would've liked Fields to follow up that line by saying he was at fault on the play itself for not getting Claypool the ball. Because he was. Claypool should've got the ball on that play and he obvs knew it so the frustration was justified. Claypool was at fault for the behaviour on his bench but Fields was to blame for the negative play.