Week 10 - Patriots (2-7) at Bears (4-4) - Noon on FOX

[Soul]

I think HC and OC are hampering Caleb’s progress and that simply cannot be allowed to continue.  Too much is at stake.

[BigSlick]

Everything with DJ Moore has made me sad this year (aside from the Panthers game). He was such a bad ass last year, in a team that was simply terrible offensively. Like, he immediately jumped into being one of my favorite players just by how hard he fought every down. Now...that energy doesn't seem to be there. Plus, the types of plays they are giving him just don't seem super conducive to his talents. He can do the wide receiver screen thing and fight for extra yards, but I don't think its his best strength. I like him in the open field, I like him fighting for balls one-on-one, I want him in space with the ball (I generally don't love the end around but he was often pretty nifty with it). I could live never seeing another O route in my entire life. 

Caleb acknowledged in his press conference that something is off with his chemistry with DJ. Hopefully he can find it. The money's spent, the guy's gonna be here for a while, I'd rather he be happy and content. I don't know why we're throwing to a fat, slow Kennan Allen (who bless his heart I know he's trying out there), 10 times a game. This experiment ain't working. Get our Dude the ball. 

[BigSlick]

32 minutes ago, Soul said:

I think HC and OC are hampering Caleb’s progress and that simply cannot be allowed to continue.  Too much is at stake.

What, exactly, do you think they're doing that's hampering him? I think its worthwhile to be specific. I honestly think that Waldron's been O.K. with giving Caleb gameplans that he should be comfortable with. A lot of what I'm seeing that's not working are breakdowns - protection breakdowns, receivers not getting open or doing scramble drills well, or Caleb missing guys. 

One big gripe I'll say that I do have with Waldron is him moving away from certain things that are working too soon - a lot of power run will work and then he inexplicably dials up an off-tackle or toss play that just gets blown up for lost yardage. I want my OC to run stuff until they stop it. 

Edited November 7, 2024 by BigSlick

[gflore34]

9 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

What, exactly, do you think they're doing that's hampering him? I think its worthwhile to be specific. I honestly think that Waldron's been O.K. with giving Caleb gameplans that he should be comfortable with. A lot of what I'm seeing that's not working are breakdowns - protection breakdowns, receivers not getting open or doing scramble drills well, or Caleb missing guys. 

One big gripe I'll say that I do have with Waldron is him moving away from certain things that are working too soon - a lot of power run will work and then he inexplicably dials up an off-tackle or toss play that just gets blown up for lost yardage. I want my OC to run stuff until they stop it. 

This and the hurry-up, Caleb seems to thrive in it, keep going with it until it's defended.

[raw]

It kind of feels like there were set roles planned for each of the WRs before the season started. Keenan was the guy they brought in to make Caleb's transition easier. He was the safety blanket. And I feel like because of that, Waldron is basically making Keenan the primary read on every basic pass play. They call DJ's number primarily only vs clear man coverage looks (particularly to the single wide side). They call Rome's number when they want to take a shot. 

Just a lot feels disjointed. Not using guys the correct way. Keenan's depth of target is the highest of his career. DJ's is the lowest since his 2nd year, I believe. They should be used the exact opposite way. Rome is probably being used fine, but he's still the 3rd/4th read way to much. And I fully believe DJ is unhappy with the pass offense seemingly being run thru Keenan instead of him.

[mul21]

33 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

What, exactly, do you think they're doing that's hampering him? I think its worthwhile to be specific. I honestly think that Waldron's been O.K. with giving Caleb gameplans that he should be comfortable with. A lot of what I'm seeing that's not working are breakdowns - protection breakdowns, receivers not getting open or doing scramble drills well, or Caleb missing guys. 

One big gripe I'll say that I do have with Waldron is him moving away from certain things that are working too soon - a lot of power run will work and then he inexplicably dials up an off-tackle or toss play that just gets blown up for lost yardage. I want my OC to run stuff until they stop it. 

Orlovsky went through a lot of the problems in a breakdown after last week's game.  A lot of route combos that don't make sense together, too many receivers in one area of the field, and some other disjointed stuff.

[raw]

31 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

What, exactly, do you think they're doing that's hampering him? I think its worthwhile to be specific. I honestly think that Waldron's been O.K. with giving Caleb gameplans that he should be comfortable with. A lot of what I'm seeing that's not working are breakdowns - protection breakdowns, receivers not getting open or doing scramble drills well, or Caleb missing guys. 

One big gripe I'll say that I do have with Waldron is him moving away from certain things that are working too soon - a lot of power run will work and then he inexplicably dials up an off-tackle or toss play that just gets blown up for lost yardage. I want my OC to run stuff until they stop it. 

Waldron could be better. And there'd be a lot fewer complaints about him if Caleb was doing a better job of simply throwing the ball accurately more consistently. 

[UMFan83]

17 hours ago, Brian707 said:

Yeah last chance at a W until Seattle day after Christmas 

I'm not saying we'll for sure win many of the games on our gauntlet, but I'm not going to just assume we lose every game.  Not that Eberflus has a great track record of beating good teams but he did beat the Lions last year, almost beat them twice, almost beat the Vikings twice, beat SF (albeit in a Monsoon) in 2022.  If the defense gets healthy (a big if at this point I know) and Caleb and the offense get in sync, I don't see why we can't improve.  

That said things could just continue to go downhill, especially if we don't win or play particularly well this week and the bad vibes continue.  Overall though, while things are pretty glum I'm not completely giving up on this season yet.

[UMFan83]

6 minutes ago, mul21 said:

Orlovsky went through a lot of the problems in a breakdown after last week's game.  A lot of route combos that don't make sense together, too many receivers in one area of the field, and some other disjointed stuff.

Why is it that no matter who the Bears hire to run the offense and no matter who the players are on the field, we are always hearing stories about how broken and poorly planned the offense is?  I suppose its possible that anyone who breaks down film can find things to criticize if they look hard enough and want to tell a certain narrative, especially when the offense isn't producing.  But horsefeathers its like we can never just get out of our own way. 

I would take "hey this offense looks average and here are some things they could do to improve it" but its always something like "wow look at how stupidly the Bears are constructing their offense, they have a TE running go routes and their top WR is just running 5 yards down the field and then spinning around in circles until they get dizzy and fall over"

[jersey cubs fan]

44 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

What, exactly, do you think they're doing that's hampering him? I think its worthwhile to be specific. I honestly think that Waldron's been O.K. with giving Caleb gameplans that he should be comfortable with. A lot of what I'm seeing that's not working are breakdowns - protection breakdowns, receivers not getting open or doing scramble drills well, or Caleb missing guys. 

One big gripe I'll say that I do have with Waldron is him moving away from certain things that are working too soon - a lot of power run will work and then he inexplicably dials up an off-tackle or toss play that just gets blown up for lost yardage. I want my OC to run stuff until they stop it. 

Several goaline play calls that were abysmal. 
multiple games with the two best playmakers on the team completely ignored. 
he needed an old ass 7th string tight end to encourage him to actually coach

zero good first quarters regardless of competition 

he’s a deer in the headlights 

[We Got The Whole 9]

45 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

Everything with DJ Moore has made me sad this year (aside from the Panthers game). He was such a bad ass last year, in a team that was simply terrible offensively. Like, he immediately jumped into being one of my favorite players just by how hard he fought every down. Now...that energy doesn't seem to be there. Plus, the types of plays they are giving him just don't seem super conducive to his talents. He can do the wide receiver screen thing and fight for extra yards, but I don't think its his best strength. I like him in the open field, I like him fighting for balls one-on-one, I want him in space with the ball (I generally don't love the end around but he was often pretty nifty with it). I could live never seeing another O route in my entire life. 

Caleb acknowledged in his press conference that something is off with his chemistry with DJ. Hopefully he can find it. The money's spent, the guy's gonna be here for a while, I'd rather he be happy and content. I don't know why we're throwing to a fat, slow Kennan Allen (who bless his heart I know he's trying out there), 10 times a game. This experiment ain't working. Get our Dude the ball. 

Caleb doesn't look like he has good chemistry with any of em. Like they should have been in the lab since May and it looks like they waited til late July.

[raw]

55 minutes ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Caleb doesn't look like he has good chemistry with any of em. Like they should have been in the lab since May and it looks like they waited til late July.

They worked out together in April, before Caleb was even officially drafted. After they traded for Allen; he, Caleb, and DJ all worked out together. Rome was actually there as well without knowing who he'd be drafted by.

But I know Keenan lives(d) in LA so they maybe worked out more? 

[UMFan83]

 

If this is true the Bears are so hopelessly broken

[Brian707]

Eberflus is signed thru 2026, no way Ginny fires him with 2 years remaining on a deal

[jersey cubs fan]

I guess it increases the chances that Poles goes out the door with him next winter. 
 

but what is the sick podcast and who is Adam rank? 

[mul21]

Maybe they just mean for week 11.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I think it's highly plausible that Eberlfus stays.   No matter how angry everyone is that they've lost two games in a row, it's still two years of rebuilding and a rookie QB.

I won't be sorry if he's fired, but I'm not convinced firing him solves anything, so *shrug*

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Bears fandom and dicourse is more broken than Nagy after the double doink and we haven't even gotten to the bad part of the season yet.

[NorthsideAvenger]

2 hours ago, UMFan83 said:

 

If this is true the Bears are so hopelessly broken

I'm already tuned out on the Bulls, and I am nearly at that point with the Blackhawks and if the Bears are truly going to hang onto Eberflus after this season, I think that might be enough for me to tuned out the Bears. My goodness, there is nothing fun about being a Chicago sports fan. 

[PosterToBeNamedLater]

2 hours ago, jersey cubs fan said:

I guess it increases the chances that Poles goes out the door with him next winter. 
 

but what is the sick podcast and who is Adam rank? 

Rank actually works for NFL network, so he isn't just a random guy with a podcast.  He is a Bears fan, lets it be known on NFL Network, and has that Bears podcast in the link.  

 

[jersey cubs fan]

16 minutes ago, PosterToBeNamedLater said:

Rank actually works for NFL network, so he isn't just a random guy with a podcast.  He is a Bears fan, lets it be known on NFL Network, and has that Bears podcast in the link.  

 

That’s sick, bro. 
 

Anyway. I don’t think anybody who makes decisions is feeding this guy definitive end of season decisions. A lot can happen between now and black Monday. They could accidentally win 4 more games and convince people they are on the rise again, or they could completely fall apart. It is probably true that people in positions of power feel the need to calm the waters right now, before the meat of the schedule even happens. 
 

its kind of interesting to me that nobody I’ve heard of in bears media is talking about Eberflus as if he has job security. 

[PosterToBeNamedLater]

5 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

That’s sick, bro. 
 

Anyway. I don’t think anybody who makes decisions is feeding this guy definitive end of season decisions. A lot can happen between now and black Monday. They could accidentally win 4 more games and convince people they are on the rise again, or they could completely fall apart. It is probably true that people in positions of power feel the need to calm the waters right now, before the meat of the schedule even happens. 
 

its kind of interesting to me that nobody I’ve heard of in bears media is talking about Eberflus as if he has job security. 

I was just answering who he is.  I don't know if the bro thing was directed at me or just making fun of the name of his podcast.  I don't listen to the podcast and don't watch the show he is on.  He just does work for the NFL network so he might have better contacts than a random podcaster.  But he also probably just talked to someone who doesn't know and is just assuming they won't fire him with two years left.

  The story about Eberflus having more years did come out this week from Brad Biggs I think.  I'm not sure if it is actually true or if they are just wondering whether he received a 5 year deal at the time.  I was actually worried he might have gotten a secret extension before this year because they were taking a rookie QB and didn't want him to be a lame duck coach or fire him after 1 year with the new QB like they have.  If I had to bet on it, I would say they don't fire him.

[jersey cubs fan]

16 minutes ago, PosterToBeNamedLater said:

I was just answering who he is.  I don't know if the bro thing was directed at me or just making fun of the name of his podcast.  I don't listen to the podcast and don't watch the show he is on.  He just does work for the NFL network so he might have better contacts than a random podcaster.  But he also probably just talked to someone who doesn't know and is just assuming they won't fire him with two years left.

  The story about Eberflus having more years did come out this week from Brad Biggs I think.  I'm not sure if it is actually true or if they are just wondering whether he received a 5 year deal at the time.  I was actually worried he might have gotten a secret extension before this year because they were taking a rookie QB and didn't want him to be a lame duck coach or fire him after 1 year with the new QB like they have.  If I had to bet on it, I would say they don't fire him.

I was just commenting on the sick podcast title. 

[BigSlick]

1 hour ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

I won't be sorry if he's fired, but I'm not convinced firing him solves anything, so *shrug*

This is where I'm at. I think 90% of the rancor is the feeling that something, anything must be done to make us feel better about the team. Even if its just revenge. Does it help Caleb Williams to fire Eberflus or Waldron right now? Maybe? I would be convinced of it if the team really has quit and needs a kick in the ass to keep competing through the rest of the season. Alternatively, firing him mid-season could also fully lock in the quit of the team, which we've seen with multiple teams over the years. 

IMHO, if I was somehow the general manager/president of the Bears and I was empowered to hire and fire no matter what the contract situation was, I'd be of the mind to let the dude keep coaching and see if he can keep the team together. If it falls apart against the Patriots, ok - clearly its time to go. If he keeps the rickety boat going, let's see what he can do in the gauntlet of NFC North games. If, as we may all expect, the team gets waxed going down the stretch, say goodbye and try to find an upgrade with an offensive minded head coach that fits Williams well. That maybe should have been the move in the 2024 offseason, but we're here. 

Ultimately, I still do think the doomerism from Bears fandom is premature and unnecessary. Even if they just get waxed down the stretch, provided there isn't a devastating injury or total collapse in Caleb's play (and even with his slight dip the last few weeks, I'm still optimistic with his development), the team is on an upward trajectory. 🤷‍♂️

Edited November 7, 2024 by BigSlick

[jersey cubs fan]

I just realized I’m going to “be able” to watch this game at a bar in the Philly area between kids hockey games. 
 

keep an eye out for drunk parent stories in your local paper Monday