Bears Week 14 at 49ers, 3:25 on FOX

[Outshined_One]

1 hour ago, jersey cubs fan said:

At 49ers or home vs Seattle later in season? My guess is if they are competent next couple weeks they might be a slight home favorite over Seattle. 

I'd give the slight edge to the 49ers as being more winnable due to their injury situation, but it's close.  I'm unsure how the Bears' D is going to look post-Eberflus, and Seattle has enough firepower in the passing game to make life miserable, even if they're on the road.

1 hour ago, Brian707 said:

Week 18 at GB might also be winnable. GB might lock up the 6 seed by then with no chance of improvement/ or dropping down to 7 seed. They might be resting people.

Concur, but I get the feeling they'll be in the thick of the division race down to the wire.

[BigSlick]

How much would I savor a week 18 win vs. the Packers if they have nothing to play for and rest people? Well, it would at least break the most shameful streak they have going. And would start Williams off for 2025 with a big win. So it's something. 

[gflore34]

Hate to say this but, I hope the Lions win the Super Bowl, might make it easier for the Bears to hire away Ben Johnson.  I know the last time the Bears hired a hot shot OC was Nagy and we know how that turned out.  Johnson is probably more legit, he's not working with Mahomes and Reid, not that Goff is terrible, he's not Mahomes.  A legit, good HC in Ben Johnson + Caleb means the Lions, Vikings and Packers better beat the Bears now while they still can.  Then again, who am I kidding?  The Bears will probably  somehow horsefeathers it up.

Edited December 3, 2024 by gflore34

[Brian707]

Lions winning the SB, means they can't talk to Ben Johnson until mid February. But just get this horsefeathers right for once.

The Bears always make the wrong decision, at least over the last post Lovie hires. 

[Tryptamine]

29 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

Hate to say this but, I hope the Lions win the Super Bowl, might make it easier for the Bears to hire away Ben Johnson.  I know the last time the Bears hired a hot shot OC was Nagy and we know how that turned out.  Johnson is probably more legit, he's not working with Mahomes and Reid, not that Goff is terrible, he's not Mahomes.  A legit, good HC in Ben Johnson + Caleb means the Lions, Vikings and Packers better beat the Bears now while they still can.  Then again, who am I kidding?  The Bears will probably  somehow horsefeathers it up.

At least Ben Johnson actually calls the plays. Nagy was carried by Reid who did all the play calling. 

[gflore34]

Just now, Tryptamine said:

At least Ben Johnson actually calls the plays. Nagy was carried by Reid who did all the play calling. 

And he had Mahomes as his QB think that makes a bit of a difference.  In terms of a potential good coach Johnson >>>> Nagy.

[BigSlick]

49 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

Hate to say this but, I hope the Lions win the Super Bowl, might make it easier for the Bears to hire away Ben Johnson.  I know the last time the Bears hired a hot shot OC was Nagy and we know how that turned out.  Johnson is probably more legit, he's not working with Mahomes and Reid, not that Goff is terrible, he's not Mahomes.  A legit, good HC in Ben Johnson + Caleb means the Lions, Vikings and Packers better beat the Bears now while they still can.  Then again, who am I kidding?  The Bears will probably  somehow horsefeathers it up.

The Bears's cycle over the past 20+ years isn't sustained badness, its periods of intense competitiveness followed by long stretches of mediocrity and badness. We get a tantalizing season or two of being contenders before disappearing for the next 5-6 years, only to repeat the process over and over again. 

[gflore34]

14 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

The Bears's cycle over the past 20+ years isn't sustained badness, its periods of intense competitiveness followed by long stretches of mediocrity and badness. We get a tantalizing season or two of being contenders before disappearing for the next 5-6 years, only to repeat the process over and over again. 

Beyond terrible coaching the constant has been bad, flawed QB's, Caleb has shown he's different.  Maybe, that'll help break the cycle.

[Wilson A2000]

1 hour ago, Brian707 said:

Lions winning the SB, means they can't talk to Ben Johnson until mid February. But just get this horsefeathers right for once.

The Bears always make the wrong decision, at least over the last post Lovie hires. 

If the Lions get the #1 seed, can’t they talk during the Lions’ bye week?

[CubinNY]

Who is Joe Brady? I saw a blurb that says he's the odds-on favorite. 

[gflore34]

8 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

Who is Joe Brady? I saw a blurb that says he's the odds-on favorite. 

OC from Buffalo

[Brian707]

14 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

Who is Joe Brady? I saw a blurb that says he's the odds-on favorite. 

I worry Josh Allen makes any offensive coach look good. See Brian Daboll

[Brian707]

32 minutes ago, Wilson A2000 said:

If the Lions get the #1 seed, can’t they talk during the Lions’ bye week?

Good point, not sure how that works

[Tryptamine]

Joe Brady's supposed big selling point is he has apparently taught Allen to limit turnovers, not that Caleb has an issue with this at all anyway. He's also turned the Buffalo running game around. Frankly he's not particularly exciting to me.

[gflore34]

2 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

I worry Josh Allen makes any offensive coach look good. See Brian Daboll

Me to, just get Johnson from the Lions, who gives a horsefeathers if you have to potentially wait until Februray.  My guess is he has already pretty good idea of the Bears roster.

[mul21]

7 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

I worry Josh Allen makes any offensive coach look good. See Brian Daboll

He got Ken Dorsey fired last season and Dorsey seems to be doing okay in Cleveland with all their disfunction.

[WrigleyField 22]

Bradys rise pre-dates Allen. But he also kind of rose and then fell before re-rising his profile with Allen this year.

 

In terms of taking a spin at the OC wheel, he's fine, I think.  Johnson is obviously the more exciting one, but I don't know how much that really means at the end of the day.

[CubinNY]

A little fawning, but a good article on Brown and his history

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5964645/2024/12/03/bears-interim-coach-thomas-brown-matt-eberflus/

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Getting a cheap win over a packers team with nothing to play for would be a funny way to break the streak.

But how great would it be to knock them out 

[Hairyducked Idiot]

4 hours ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

I said it several times in the offseason that although I pretty much never want to pay a RB top of the market deals I felt that we were well positioned to make a splash with Saquon and be fine with the cap for the duration of the deal. That would have just been huge for Caleb and the offense. Instead we pay slightly less for way worse. 

 

 

Now that we have a QB in place and we're as happy as you can be with the rest of the offense (you should never be happy in the NFL, always assume holes are going to create themselves), I wouldn't hate making another medium-sized investment into RB this offseason.    Better than investing in defense.

[Tryptamine]

15 minutes ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

Now that we have a QB in place and we're as happy as you can be with the rest of the offense (you should never be happy in the NFL, always assume holes are going to create themselves), I wouldn't hate making another medium-sized investment into RB this offseason.    Better than investing in defense.

As long as it's not like mock draft who had the Bears taking Ashton Jeanty in the first. Dude is incredible, but man would I be pissed if they used a borderline top 10 pick on a RB.

[gflore34]

42 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

As long as it's not like mock draft who had the Bears taking Ashton Jeanty in the first. Dude is incredible, but man would I be pissed if they used a borderline top 10 pick on a RB.

It's got to be OL or DL with the first rounder, I think even Poles is aware of this need. Maybe look at a RB with their third rounder?  They got two second rounders to further spend on the OL or DL which ever one they didn't grab in the first.

[Tryptamine]

Just now, gflore34 said:

It's got to be OL or DL with the first rounder, I think even Poles is aware of this need. Maybe look at a RB with their third rounder?  They got two second rounders to further spend on the OL or DL which ever one they didn't grab in the first.

2 of the first 3 picks absolutely must be EDGE and oline. What they do with the 3rd could be another from DL, Safety or even more Oline

[cwood218]

This crazy talk over a few of the last couple of posts about a RB is nonsense. Fix the offensive line and the RB situation takes care of itself. Maybe spend a third or fourth round pick every 2-3 years at most. Of course the occasional fifth to seven round pick at RB is fine also. Add some quality CHEAP free agent's at RB if or when available, but no real salary cap space or high draft pick capital ever!!!

Running backs don't really matter .... It's the O-Line stupid.

NOTE: that last line is not a dig at those who may disagree with me, It's just a joking reference to 90's politics.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I could talk to myself into Jeanty. It wouldn't be my first, second or third choice. But I could talk myself into it.

I think the most likely scenario is that we take a DE.  It's a great draft for them and it's one of our biggest holes. I hate it because defense is stupid, but I can't argue that it doesn't make sense.

I would gladly take an OL, but it's a bit awkard.  There's no Alt in this draft and we wouldn't be picking high enough to get him if there were.  If we're drafting 11-16ish, then we may be choosing between taking a second-tier tackle who isn't a clear day 1 upgrade over Jones, or taking an iOL way higher than most teams would consider an iOL in this draft.

Drafting a non-edge defender in the first round would make me very sad.  Defense is stupid.

So maybe, for whatever reason, none of the line options make sense when it's our turn to pick.  The good ones got taken before us and what's left would be too much of a reach.   Then I want to be the team that takes the 2024 version of Brock Bowers: An unquestionably elite offensive talent at a position you wouldn't normally want to draft in the top half of the first round.   I don't think there's a TE to fit that description in this draft, but Jeanty could be that guy if we're picking in the 11-16 range.

The we can go iOL with our 2 second round picks.  Poles will light our third-round pick on fire like he does every year.  We don't have a fourth-round pick (unless Russell Wilson gets hurt soon).  Then with whatevers left on day 3 the defense can have some guys I guess.