I think it will get worse before it gets better. The buccaneers have a much better/stouter run defense than the Colts do so far, 2nd in the league with rush yards allowed (64 yards per game and 2.7 yards per rush.) Nobody they have can disrupt like DeForest Buckner, but a week ahead with a front 7 that includes JPP, Suh, Vea, Gholston, Shaq Barrett, and Lavonte David? You're going to have to get real creative for it to semi-work. Especially if the pocket statue Foles is starting.
I am using Pro Football Reference for my data. You are using a dude on Twitter with less than 500 followers article which by the way totally agrees with my point. Why would you use that article in this argument? It goes against your point that Skrine is a shit DB. I tried going on the site the author used but it’s some pay for fantasy football site. I have to disagree with the 8.2 yards reception stat. Pro Football Focus has 9.2 that’s a big discrepancy. My point is you are overreacting to that 3rd down reception. If your going to go bonkers over that play how can you ignore Fullers errors? They were much more costly to the team. Doesn’t make sense.
Nothing is gonna truly improve for this team, except for small pockets here and there, until ownership changes. That should be obvious to every Bears fan. Every problem with this franchise can be traced back to the family that owns and operates it.
The McCaskey's have said they will never sell. I don't see how Virginia's death will change that. I'm hoping to see ONE Super Bowl win before I die. I don't think that's too much to ask. Somehow this team won the Super Bowl in 85, when I was 1 year old. They could get lucky and accidentally win the Super Bowl again, right? That's all I can possibly hope for.
There have been rumors for years that half the family is willing to sell after Virginia passes and minority owners without control Pat Ryan and Andrew McKenna would salivate at a chance to take over. Pat Ryan has been quoted over the years about how poorly the franchise is ran and the opportunity that exist to make the team a powerhouse. They could certainly catch lightning in a bottle....they had it a couple years ago minus a decent kicker. But pound for pound...when you consider everything....how do you not rank the McCaskeys as the worst owners in major professional sports?
I live in the DC area and I think Dan Snyder is worse than the McCaskeys. He's taken a proud franchise and made it a laughing stock (for example forced team to draft and stick with RG3), built the worst new stadium in the NFL in a terrible location, banned fans from bringing signs to games, allowed a toxic workplace culture in the organization, among many other bad things. The Bidwell's in AZ? The Browns owners? I don't even follow baseball anymore so I can't speak to that. I hate the McCaskeys as much as you do, but I guess it could be worse.
I had to take a day to really process the loss (plus I burned the hell out of my hand so typing wasn't in the cards). My thoughts are similar to most of yours really: * The Colts defense is far better than I was giving them credit for. Yes, they've played cupcakes (including the Bears) but they are a solidly coached unit playing with intensity. I think it was Ev that said they'll end up top 10, I could see it higher than that. * Even though the Colts defense was the best this team has faced, this Offense is completely pathetic. And honestly, seeing the QB swap out and perform roughly the same - how much can we blame on Nagy then? The Dline of the Colts is good, yes, but that Oline performance was horrendous. The WRs get no separation. Where is Cole Kmet? Other rookies have stepped up. * While the defense has problems, the fact that there are fans out there going after the D primarily for the loss is fucking mind blowing. They are in the "good not great" category. Could they have played better, yes, but with this Offense it's unreasonable to expect even the '85 defense to carry this team. Look at this: https://www.espn.com/nfl/matchup?gameId=401220280 - 5 mins less TOP, 28 yards rushing (1.8 ypc!), 4/14 on 3rd down. Brutal. 3 points until the Colts went prevent and gifted a TD (though the TD throw itself was in good coverage and a great play). * Colts Defense or Bears Defense better? Colts by a mile, IMO. Not necessarily talent wise, but Pagano has really been playing soft and still giving up big plays. * Special Teams: I know Peterson is a threat to take it to the house, it is frustrating as hell to be starting at the 15 for no reason. And on the other side, we are never flipping field position on punts. Both the punt itself and the coverage. That missed assignment on the blocked punt was absolutely brutal. This team hasn't been good on special teams since Toub left. * I don't see a good outlook on Thursday. Tampa's defense is good enough to make this offense look pedestrian, and Brady is hitting his stride. It will be ugly and I see the Bears eventually falling behind two scores again and no rally this time. * Thoughts on end of season record? I think 8-8 is what we're on track for. An upset or two from decent teams with good bounces, and losing some games we could win. This team is the definition of mediocre.
Your point is spot on buddy. Its just not good enough. The games last season you mention were just ridiculous. There's no excuse in any circumstance for running the ball less than 10times in a game, you simply cant be that unbalanced. Game flow doesnt even come into it for me. To run the ball sub 10 times means you have both not taken advantage of opportunities to run when they've been there and have also allowed yourself to become too predictable. Although Nagy didnt even have game flow as an excuse in either of those games cos the Bears weren't behind that big that early, he just lost the plot completely. 7 rushes in that Saints game. Still unbelievable.
I really dont wanna talk about this too much cos it'll make them seem less shit than they really are, but by virtue of how horrific other ownerships have been the McFuckskey's aren't the worst. The Bidwell's at least got the team to 1 SB. The Johnsons have been really bad, but even they saw the team play in 1 maybe 2 AFCCG's. Dan Snyder has been worse than that but even he has seen his teams win a couple of division crowns an(i think) a playoff game. The worst has got to be the Fords, hands down. I dont even know about other sports but surely no one has been the epic failures they have been. I just looked it up, its beautiful. Obviously no SB. They haven't won a division title in 25years! Havent won a playoff game in nearly 30!! Just this millennium they have three 3win seasons, two 2win seasons, and of course the holy grail of stink, an 0-16!! If that team was an animal you would've done the humane thing and shot it years ago haha! I've gotta say, looking that up has really made my day. God i love the Lions!
I think you have to take into account what the McCaskey's have on their hands... An NFL charter franchise....once owned by the guy you could call the founder of the league.....in the countries 3rd largest market. The history and everything around it....and they constantly find new ways to fuck it up. Everything from the stadium they play in to the day to day operations is crap. The family once let retarded son Michael McCaskey run the team for years. A guy with no football background was in charge of everything. And when you remove him you promote fucking accountant Ted Phillips to the top seat. Everything about what should be a respected franchise is a just kinda a joke. The worst part about the McCaskey's is I feel most of the time...they aren't even trying. That's what separates them from other owners. They are content to be be who they are.
I think we can get at least 4 more wins, more than that I'm not sure. 2 losses to the Packers Split with Vikings Beat Lions Lose to Saints Lose to Bucs Lose to Rams Beat Carolina Scrap 2 wins against AFC South Puts us at 7-9, out of the running for a high draft pick, as usual.
This made my day as well. I actually sub to r/detroitlions just because their fandom is so beaten down they make the best fun of themselves. No one hates the Detroit Lions more than a Detroit Lions fan. There is something to be said for the changing of fortunes in both the Cubs and Blackhawks after ownership changed. It's not just about willingness to spend money, it's about knowing the sport, and hiring the right people. One thing that really isn't said enough, except by I think pat or ev, one of you bastards is dead on right when it comes to this. Is fuck Ted Phillips. This son of a bitch took over for the inept McCaskey, and has been president for 21 years, with zero championships to show for it. The McCaskeys own the blame in hiring, but most of all the fuckhole accounting "president" Sweaty Teddy. I read that since 1992 (post Ditka) - the Packers have made the playoffs 20 times, Vikings 15, Lions 8, Bears 6. I didn't bother to check if this was right (the Bears are in fact 6 in that timeframe), instead I'll just be outraged that the shithole Lions have had more playoff appearances than the Bears. Granted, the Bears have actually *won* some of those playoffs games, but fucking hell.
