Bears Week 1 vs Titans: Sunday 9/8 noon on Fox

[Hairyducked Idiot]

3 hours ago, UMFan83 said:

I definitely think the Bears can go 10-7 or 11-6, but I still have my fears/doubts about an Eberflus coached team.  As a reminder, last year this team:

• blew a 28-7 late 3rd quarter lead to the Broncos
• blew a 17-7 4th quarter lead to the Browns
• blew a 26-14 4th quarter lead to the Lions
• needed a final second FG to beat the Vikings after intercepting Dobbs 4 times and allowing 10 points
• needed a late Eddie Piniero FG miss to beat the 3-14 Panthers

I know the team is different, I'm super excited about Caleb and the revamped offense.  There is a positive energy around this team and I'm here for it.  But I still worry that we're going to find ourselves in these situations again this year and not sure how we'll respond.

Also we need to wrap Montez Sweat in bubble wrap because if he gets hurt, yikes.

 

But despite 90% of this post being negative, I still am more on the 10-7/11-6 train.  I just won't be shocked if we're 2 weeks into the second and everything feels a little too familiar.

"Losing games late is on the coaching" is one of those things that football fans take for granted that I don't really see any evidence of. 

I'd blame our historically awful 4thQ QB and our pre-Sweat horrible pass rush for that.

[WrigleyField 22]

12 minutes ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

I don't like making hard predictions on win totals, especially in the NFL, because the nature of the seasons is so swingy.  A bad team can win their division with some close-game luck and staying relatively healthy. A good team can be derailed by the opposite. 

But I think this is an above-average NFL team.  They were bordering on decent last season, on the ascendancy side of the curve as Poles' big first two draft classes get experience, and did it all with an awful performance at the most important position.

I'm trying so hard to look for downside risk I'm missing, but I don't see how we didn't upgrade at QB.  Bryce Young had one of the more disappoitning first seasons for a 10A in recent memory and he put up roughly the same total passing+rushing yards as Fields did in 2023.  And Caleb Williams is a better prospect with a much better surrounding cast.

Even a disappointing version of Williams is just Kyler Murray, and Kyler Murray threw for 3700 yards as a rookie.

The offense is talented, the defense is talented.  Not Super Bowl levels of talented, but better than average. And we invested in an ungodly punter for some reason if that's your jam.

I feel like Bears fans are in one of two camps right now: Deliriously screaming "woo!" (and those guys would have done that anyway. They did it for Kyle Orton for god's sakes) and being scared to say the team is solid because they're trying to manage any potential disappointment.

This is equivalent of a 17-0 prediction.

[Derwood]

No NFL Maps until September 4

[NorthsideAvenger]

7 hours ago, Old Style said:

 

Younger version of Yannick?

[UMFan83]

2 hours ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

being scared to say the team is solid because they're trying to manage any potential disappointment.

There's definitely some of that built into my post earlier.  I mean think about it, we've had maybe 2 fun legitimately good seasons over the past 14 years and in one of those we went 3-5 in the second half of the year and missed the playoffs (2012).  It's really hard to even visualize the Bears being good even when you know the roster is good.

[BigbadB]

On 8/23/2024 at 8:39 PM, NorthsideAvenger said:

Younger version of Yannick?

I'm sure Poles kept checking in on Yannick, but the price probably never got down to where Poles felt like pulling the trigger. I thought Booker, Hardy and Kareem looked pretty good this preseason, so Taylor/Booker on one side and Sweat/Hardy or Kareem on the other side should be pretty solid. 

[Old Style]

 

[jersey cubs fan]

A step above practice squad ability, shows how desperate they are for line help. 
 

With multiple new guys coming in you have to think they will be cutting some people who thought they had jobs lined up. Dominique Robinson came in as a long term project but he hasn’t show anything to think he’s developing into a force to my estimation. I assume he’s near the top of the cut list. 

 

[WrigleyField 22]

Pick swap 6 for 7. I'll take it.

[Irrelevant Dude]

I know nothing about Chris Williams, but he looks like the type of guy they would have been able to sign off the scrap heap after roster cut downs.  Sure, a 6-7 swap isn't much to give up, but why not wait for guys to get released instead of trading draft capital?

[jersey cubs fan]

45 minutes ago, Irrelevant Dude said:

I know nothing about Chris Williams, but he looks like the type of guy they would have been able to sign off the scrap heap after roster cut downs.  Sure, a 6-7 swap isn't much to give up, but why not wait for guys to get released instead of trading draft capital?

To guarantee he comes to you

[Old Style]

2 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

A step above practice squad ability, shows how desperate they are for line help. 
 

With multiple new guys coming in you have to think they will be cutting some people who thought they had jobs lined up. Dominique Robinson came in as a long term project but he hasn’t show anything to think he’s developing into a force to my estimation. I assume he’s near the top of the cut list. 

 

He’s got a history with Flus in Indy so maybe we are getting a steal. 

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Not every move needs to be analyzed.  Some things are just perfunctory roster filling that every team does.  It's not good or bad.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I suppose I have to pretend this is about the conditional pick the Bears are owed, but Wilson has all but formally won the QB competition (not that there ever was one) in Pittsburgh, playing five snaps with the starters then dipping in the final preseason game.

 

[BigbadB]

15 hours ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

I suppose I have to pretend this is about the conditional pick the Bears are owed, but Wilson has all but formally won the QB competition (not that there ever was one) in Pittsburgh, playing five snaps with the starters then dipping in the final preseason game.

 

George Pickens, Van Jefferson and Calvin Austin III doesn't seem like that good of a receiver group in Pitt. I know they are trying to trade for Aiyuk, but if they don't do something to improve that receiver room, it won't matter who they have QBing. Why have they waited this long to address the position? 

 

[BigbadB]

21 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

With multiple new guys coming in you have to think they will be cutting some people who thought they had jobs lined up. Dominique Robinson came in as a long term project but he hasn’t show anything to think he’s developing into a force to my estimation. I assume he’s near the top of the cut list. 

 

Seemed to have some promise that first year. He hasn't done anything since. I'm surprised he wasn't among the very first cuts. I also completely forgot about Jacob Martin, although with an injury that forced him to miss the entire preseason, he may be the main guy they are bringing in Taylor to replace. Booker and Hardy to me are better than Robinson, though. 

[jumbo]

On 8/23/2024 at 2:26 PM, jersey cubs fan said:

Mediocre pass rushing depth. Sad to see the 666 truncated but it’s a cost worth paying. 

I believe Seattle got the Bears pick and Cleveland got the Miami pick based on some unsubstantiated Twitter folks. Seems obvious that the Bears wouldn't trade the Pittsburgh pick

We are now down to:

1, 2 (Carolina), 2, 3, 5, 6 (Pittsburgh Conditional), 7 (Cleveland)

[jersey cubs fan]

Maybe Robinson will still have a job? 
 

from the athletic:

Eberflus expects Taylor to rotate with his defensive ends opposite Montez Sweat. DeMarcus Walker has the versatility to bounce inside, and Dominique Robinsonhas impressed the coaches with his improvement this summer, while rookie Austin Booker has flashed often.

[jumbo]

Roster Prediction (no notes):

QB - 2 - Caleb, Bagent

RB - 5 - Swift, Herbert, Roschon, Homer, FB

WR - 6 - DJ, Keenan, Rome, Scott, Velus, Carter or Pettis

TE - 3 - Cole, Everett, Marcedes

OL - 10 - Jones, Jenkins, Shelton, Davis, Wright, Amegadgjie, Pryor, Bates, __G__, Curhan or Borom

Offense = 26

DL - 8 - Sweat, Billings, Dexter, Walker, Darrell, Booker, Williams, Pickens

LB - 5 - TJ, Edmunds, Sanborn, Amen, Sewell

CB - 7 - Johnson, Kyler, Tyrique, TSmith, Blackwell, JJones, Stroman

S - 4 - Byard, Brisker, Hicks, Owens 

Defense = 24

ST - 3 - Cairo, Taylor, LS

 

I know I didn't make bold predictions about a few of these. You guys can fillin the blanks for me, ha

[BigbadB]

I wouldn't mind seeing one of Moore or Colbert beat out Hicks for the backup safety gig, but maybe they like Hicks on ST better? 

 

 

 

[Brian707]

Still 2 weeks until kickoff horsefeathers!  Start the season on Labor day weekend like they did briefly in the 90s

[Tank]

I'm not even a Bears fan and I'm excited for this game. 

[David]

 

New DWC hype video just dropped

Edited August 26, 2024 by David

[Soul]

I’m excited but also trying to control it.  The team is still run by Everflub so players have to overcome his ineptitude in addition to the other team.  I’m not expecting great play calling for example.  I doubt the in game tactics will be suddenly awesome.

[David]

3 hours ago, Soul said:

I’m excited but also trying to control it.  The team is still run by Everflub so players have to overcome his ineptitude in addition to the other team.  I’m not expecting great play calling for example.  I doubt the in game tactics will be suddenly awesome.

The defense, even before Sweat arrived, was doing better once he took over playcalling, and obviously finished very strongly.  They did slay a few bum QBs, FWIW, but that happens in the NFL.