Bears week 15 MNF at MIN on ABC

[gflore34]

21 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

49ers last 5 games:

-17 points scored in loss to Seattle

-10 points scored in loss to Green Bay

-10 points scored in loss to Buffalo

-38 points scored in win over Chicago

-6 points scored in loss to Los Angeles Rams

One of these things is not like the other.  Did the Bears defense just completely give up last week or is Eberflus a defensive mastermind keeping everything together?

I don't believe so, while I'm not going to say the Bears defense is good, there was, nevertheless, a lack of aggression in the play calling.  Don't know if it'll change, no reason, why they shouldn't be aggressive.

[mul21]

24 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

49ers last 5 games:

-17 points scored in loss to Seattle

-10 points scored in loss to Green Bay

-10 points scored in loss to Buffalo

-38 points scored in win over Chicago

-6 points scored in loss to Los Angeles Rams

One of these things is not like the other.  Did the Bears defense just completely give up last week or is Eberflus a defensive mastermind keeping everything together?

Both.  Felt like a lot of business decisions being made last week and for all his faults, Flus can call a defense and knew what the other team was going to try to do to them.  I also think the rain and field conditions caused a lot of problems for both teams last night that significantly affected the scoring totals.

[jersey cubs fan]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

49ers last 5 games:

-17 points scored in loss to Seattle

-10 points scored in loss to Green Bay

-10 points scored in loss to Buffalo

-38 points scored in win over Chicago

-6 points scored in loss to Los Angeles Rams

One of these things is not like the other.  Did the Bears defense just completely give up last week or is Eberflus a defensive mastermind keeping everything together?

It’s not like this defense never shat the bed with Flus at the helm. But it is probably true he was a better DC and play caller than whatshisname. Also, guys clearly did not try. But the talent quality is razor thin on this defense. They have one lineman. The rest are nobodies. They have highly paid linebackers and multiple DBs, but neither group has materially impactful guys. 
 

 

[Hairyducked Idiot]

As others have said, the defense when perfectly healthy is good but not great.

The defense when missing Brisker and Billings is kinda ok but not really.

Last week we saw a complete surrender. Lots of players visibly did not care and were not particularly trying very hard. The team is pretty checked out.

I really want to see some dynamic and major changes for the whole roster this off-season. This is not a patch job, hope you stay healthy and don't choke so much next year situation.  

 

I hate the term "rebuild" because it implies tanking and taking years off. But I wanna see a very different team next year 

[jersey cubs fan]

27 minutes ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

I really want to see some dynamic and major changes for the whole roster this off-season…Ihate the term "rebuild" because it implies tanking and taking years off. But I wanna see a very different team next year 

The only realistic way for this to be done is replace the front office. 

[mul21]

I don't have access to this but allegedly it says that there were in-house warnings to Poles (from his Tennessee days) about the Nate Davis signing being problematic and he ignored them.  I've been in favor of keeping him but that level of blatant disregard for advisors who clearly knew something makes me think he needs to go.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/13/chicago-bears-ryan-poles-future/

[jersey cubs fan]

20 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I don't have access to this but allegedly it says that there were in-house warnings to Poles (from his Tennessee days) about the Nate Davis signing being problematic and he ignored them.  I've been in favor of keeping him but that level of blatant disregard for advisors who clearly knew something makes me think he needs to go.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/13/chicago-bears-ryan-poles-future/

I read that earlier, below is the relevant section:

The Bears released Davis last month, a few days after what multiple sources said was a squabble with the coaching staff over his role for the Week 10 game against the New England Patriots. After practicing in full that entire week, Davis reported back tightness to the team medical staff on the morning of the game, was declared out and sent home on a day when offensive line depth was an issue.

That was the final straw for Davis, who had been known around the building for more than a year as an “always something” guy and a poor teammate. It didn’t help that Poles signed Davis despite in-house warnings from the coaching staff that he had a reputation for being apathetic and lacking the kind of football passion Poles normally gravitates toward. That miss exemplifies Poles’ struggles to fortify the offensive line. Beyond Wright, it’s hard to pencil in any of the other four current starters as obvious answers for 2025. After Sunday’s loss, the Bears rank in the bottom 10 of the league in rushing and have allowed the most sacks in the NFL.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I hope Williams gets it in his head at this point that there is absolutely nothing to lose, it's time to chuck it.

[UMFan83]

44 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I don't have access to this but allegedly it says that there were in-house warnings to Poles (from his Tennessee days) about the Nate Davis signing being problematic and he ignored them.  I've been in favor of keeping him but that level of blatant disregard for advisors who clearly knew something makes me think he needs to go.

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/13/chicago-bears-ryan-poles-future/

Here is the article in full:

https://archive.ph/xbZWJ

Very long and detailed report on whats going on at Halas Hall.  Definitely pretty negative in tone but Dan Wiederer does try to balance it out a little by pointing out the positives that are out there.  The anonymous quotes throughout the article make it seem like other teams view the Bears and their FO/ownership as a complete joke though, which I totally get.

The other interesting thing was the evaluation and hiring of Eberflus.  Sounds like people were really perplexed at why Poles hired Eberflus, and the article even states that the Colts were looking to fire Eberflus as DC if he wasn't hired by the Bears and likely would have had to have taken a positional coach role somewhere.  Eberflus was just a really bad hire and it was clear he was a bad hire last year. But Poles kept him around and that ultimately might be the decision that seals his fate in Chicago as it really illuminated many of the other mistakes that Poles has made.  A coaching change may have bought him some time and ultimately allowed the Bears to overcome some of the shortcomings of Poles' roster.

Edited December 13, 2024 by UMFan83

[We Got The Whole 9]

Those murmurs about Davis were known since right after the signing. We definitely talked about it here.

[BigbadB]

With Warren saying he's going to be involved with the next coaching hire, you could almost gather that the writing is on the wall that Poles is as good as gone. The players didn't look like they were playing any harder for Brown last week than they were for Flus. 

Then, a guy like Ben Johnson comes right out and says that there would need to be some stability in upper management before he would even consider coming to Chicago. You simply can't give Poles an extension given his full body of work in Chicago, so for stability's sake he has to go if you want to go big with someone like Johnson. 

And it has to really bug someone like Warren to hear and feel the mocking of the entire organization, as that reflects on him, too. So you can't stay the course with Poles and hire from the second tier of head coach offerings because then really are guilty of wash, rinse, repeat. But this time you are doing it with way too good of a QB to waste his entire rookie contract trying to put the wrong puzzle pieces in place.

I'm guessing the decision is already made, but the announcement won't happen until season's end.

[Brian707]

14 hours ago, Hairyducked Idiot said:

I hope Williams gets it in his head at this point that there is absolutely nothing to lose, it's time to chuck it.

I'm hoping Monday they go down big and it's basically garbage time by mid 2nd quarter.  Williams throws for 400+ yards

[Soul]

This is gonna suuuuuck.  42-10 Vikings.  This team is done competing.  After last week I can’t even say they are mailing it in.

Edited December 14, 2024 by Soul

[UMFan83]

Thought this was in interesting look back at the Sweat trade. The main piece is from Barnwell but I can’t share it because he apparently blocked me at some point. 

 

[gflore34]

57 minutes ago, UMFan83 said:

Thought this was in interesting look back at the Sweat trade. The main piece is from Barnwell but I can’t share it because he apparently blocked me at some point. 

 

No defense of Poles though the Sweat trade was fine, problem is he's been playing hurt all season, getting double teamed because no else is a threat.  When you're literally the only guy to worry about it's easy for teams to make you ineffective.

 

[Hairyducked Idiot]

We overpaid for sweat but it's about 30th on my list of things to gripe at Poles about 

[raw]

On 12/13/2024 at 1:09 PM, UMFan83 said:

49ers last 5 games:

-17 points scored in loss to Seattle

-10 points scored in loss to Green Bay

-10 points scored in loss to Buffalo

-38 points scored in win over Chicago

-6 points scored in loss to Los Angeles Rams

One of these things is not like the other.  Did the Bears defense just completely give up last week or is Eberflus a defensive mastermind keeping everything together?

Honestly, I'm kind of throwing out last week's game as a bunch of nothing. I know they had extra time to prepare, but it was Kyle Shanahan, a 2x Superbowl HC after going as an OC that many fans are willing to give up a first round pick to trade for vs a group of coaches who basically failed their way upward to positions they had no experience with. That's an understandably tough game to start with on the road, and they didn't really get the extra time to prepare for because of the botched firing and players being off until the Monday after Thanksgiving. 

That's not to say that this week will be any better, because they coaching talent they face is still going to be great and there will be a better overall team to go along with it. Also, no Dexter tomorrow, so this could be ugly.

[jumbo]

18 hours ago, UMFan83 said:

Thought this was in interesting look back at the Sweat trade. The main piece is from Barnwell but I can’t share it because he apparently blocked me at some point. 

 

I wonder if Michael Gus (who is better than the aggregators who are also on twitter) was saying how bad the trade was when it happened. 

My bet is on "no, he did not"

[jumbo]

1 hour ago, raw said:

Honestly, I'm kind of throwing out last week's game as a bunch of nothing. I know they had extra time to prepare, but it was Kyle Shanahan, a 2x Superbowl HC after going as an OC that many fans are willing to give up a first round pick to trade for vs a group of coaches who basically failed their way upward to positions they had no experience with. That's an understandably tough game to start with on the road, and they didn't really get the extra time to prepare for because of the botched firing and players being off until the Monday after Thanksgiving. 

That's not to say that this week will be any better, because they coaching talent they face is still going to be great and there will be a better overall team to go along with it. Also, no Dexter tomorrow, so this could be ugly.

Eric Washington was hired to be the equivalent of Sean McVay's OC. I can't imagne any other team would have considered him as a DC. He must have been desperate to join Flus as DC in name only - what could have been the upside for him? 

Waldron at least had the upside of discovering what Caleb-Ball is and perhaps being considered for head coaching jobs, though he apparently has the dynamism of a wet towel, ha. 

Anyway, it's hard to imagine the team who hated Flus so much finally got their wish and laid a turd in their first action turning in a more spirited performance, but I hope I'm wrong. 

[gflore34]

9 minutes ago, jumbo said:

I wonder if Michael Gus (who is better than the aggregators who are also on twitter) was saying how bad the trade was when it happened. 

My bet is on "no, he did not"

To me this smacks of let's keep kicking Poles when he's down, there's a whole list of things Poles horsefeathered up.  The Sweat trade isn't one of the things on that list.

[gflore34]

9 minutes ago, jumbo said:

Eric Washington was hired to be the equivalent of Sean McVay's OC. I can't imagne any other team would have considered him as a DC. He must have been desperate to join Flus as DC in name only - what could have been the upside for him? 

Waldron at least had the upside of discovering what Caleb-Ball is and perhaps being considered for head coaching jobs, though he apparently has the dynamism of a wet towel, ha. 

Anyway, it's hard to imagine the team who hated Flus so much finally got their wish and laid a turd in their first action turning in a more spirited performance, but I hope I'm wrong. 

Really, don't care, as long as Caleb gets experience, improves, the outcome of the game is immaterial.  In fact a loss is better for the long term, the only annoying aspect will be listening to the MNF staff cream in their pants over the Bears' defense making Darnold look good.  Darnold is horsefeathers on stick Viking fans, it'll show up in the playoffs against good defenses who have not checked out.

[gflore34]

Why can't the Bears just say horsefeathers it and rush 7 or 8, with tight coverage?  I'm guessing they'll get burned but, I have think 7 or 8 on 5 might win on a few occasions, get to Darnold and force him into mistakes.

[jersey cubs fan]

3 hours ago, gflore34 said:

To me this smacks of let's keep kicking Poles when he's down, there's a whole list of things Poles horsefeathered up.  The Sweat trade isn't one of the things on that list.

The trade, in and of itself, was not the problem. Ignoring pass rush aside from Sweat for three years is the problem. He treated Sweat like a final solution rather than another piece of the puzzle. 

[cl smooth]

a good friend of mine is a vikings fan and we're tempted to go to a vikings bar to watch the game tomorrow night. must be a glutton for punishment. 

[gflore34]

42 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

The trade, in and of itself, was not the problem. Ignoring pass rush aside from Sweat for three years is the problem. He treated Sweat like a final solution rather than another piece of the puzzle. 

Most definitely, yes.  Letting Poles go after the season is OK with me, watching a little bit Carolina and Dallas, Panthers managed to upgrade and improve their OL in one off season, it can be done.  Poles has had multiple seasons and the OL and DL are still problems, I think most any average GM can come in and improve.