Week 9: Bears @ Bengals noon on CBS

[WrigleyField 22]

13 minutes ago, jersey cubs fan said:

That’s a hell of a freaking catch 

 

also a reminder that without him getting injured and clock stopping in final minute bears probably lose 

Lots of little luck (including penalty luck) variance finally went Bears way after seemingly tons of bad variance past several weeks. 

 

I'll take it! 

[WrigleyField 22]

Just now, mul21 said:

I guess you're the expert.

It doesn't take an expert man. Any casual Sunday watcher of football can watch that and see no OPI. 

[jersey cubs fan]

1 minute ago, mul21 said:

I guess you're the expert.

It’s not just me 

 

if you poll the football viewing world people would overwhelmingly agree that it was not OPI 

[mul21]

1 minute ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

It doesn't take an expert man. Any casual Sunday watcher of football can watch that and see no OPI. 

 

Just now, jersey cubs fan said:

It’s not just me 

 

if you poll the football viewing world people would overwhelmingly agree that it was not OPI 

That was way more OPI than the garbage call against Loveland a couple weeks ago.

[gflore34]

Just now, mul21 said:

 

That was way more OPI than the garbage call against Loveland a couple weeks ago.

Hell yeah it was, Loveland was just standing while two Saints defenders collided, he touched no one.  Read somewhere, in a around-about-way the NFL acknowledged to the Bears it was a bad call.

[minnesotacubsfan]

I rearely see OPI so its hard for me to say Higgins committed that. However, it the Loveland call was absolute BS also.

 

 

[bukie]

 

[champaignchris]

3 hours ago, Banedon said:

 

Darnell Wright was absolutely erasing people in the run game yesterday. 

[gflore34]

7 minutes ago, champaignchris said:

Darnell Wright was absolutely erasing people in the run game yesterday. 

Run blocking, as a whole the line did very well, Benedet has some PB issues.  Run game, he's a monster,  PB he's going to need some help.

[gflore34]

20 minutes ago, bukie said:

 

And this is happening while things have yet to click for Caleb.

[Bertz]

21 minutes ago, bukie said:

 

A little more (some good, some brake pushing)

 

 

 

[WrigleyField 22]

33 minutes ago, mul21 said:

 

That was way more OPI than the garbage call against Loveland a couple weeks ago.

And neither were close to OPI. You can't set OPI standard on an obvious bad call. 

[BigSlick]

Bears O-line has become truly monstrous in the running game and Ben Johnson really knows how to mix it up. 

As soon as Caleb has the confidence to repeatedly hit the top of his drop and deliver the ball, the offense is truly legit. At the moment his main play is "hit the top of the drop, hesitate, run around for a bit, and either run for 10 yards or deliver a 50-50 ball somewhere" which you know, works ok some of the time. It would be less maddening if he could just throw the goddamn ball. 

Then of course when it matters he hits a perfect 5 step drop, delivers a pitch perfect ball on a 25 yard post.

Edited November 3, 2025 by BigSlick

[gflore34]

3 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

Bears O-line has become truly monstrous in the running game and Ben Johnson really knows how to mix it up. 

As soon as Caleb has the confidence to repeatedly hit the top of his drop and deliver the ball, the offense is truly legit. At the moment his main play is "hit the top of the drop, hesitate, run around for a bit, and either run for 10 yards or deliver a 50-50 ball somewhere" which you know, works ok some of the time. It would be less maddening if he could just throw the goddamn ball. 

Then of course when it matters he hits a perfect 5 step drop, delivers a pitch perfect ball on a 25 yard post.

It's work in progress for Caleb he's breaking bad habits and learning to trust the process.  I'd guess the first read is there 60% or more of the time, it'll come.

[Soul]

1 hour ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

Lots of little luck (including penalty luck) variance finally went Bears way after seemingly tons of bad variance past several weeks. 

 

I'll take it! 

"Luck" evens out.  I'm sure it's just because I'm a Bears fan, but it seems like nobody calls "luck" when the Chiefs get it, or the Packers, or the Steelers, etc. etc.

And the thing is, you have to be in position for a so-called bit of luck to affect the outcome.  So yeah, it's not like I think there's no such thing, but for it to matter a team has to hang in there and take advantage.

[SpongeWorthy]

 

55 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

Bears O-line has become truly monstrous in the running game and Ben Johnson really knows how to mix it up. 

As soon as Caleb has the confidence to repeatedly hit the top of his drop and deliver the ball, the offense is truly legit. At the moment his main play is "hit the top of the drop, hesitate, run around for a bit, and either run for 10 yards or deliver a 50-50 ball somewhere" which you know, works ok some of the time. It would be less maddening if he could just throw the goddamn ball. 

Then of course when it matters he hits a perfect 5 step drop, delivers a pitch perfect ball on a 25 yard post.

Caleb doesn’t throw enough 50/50 balls for my liking, when he breaks contain and it’s not there he’s happy to throw it away, big reason why his completion percentage isn’t where it should be. Last year he was eating those sacks not realizing sacks are often as big a drive killers as INTs. Now he’s avoiding sacks which is great but he needs to take more shots.
 

Also the receivers need to do a better job in the scramble drill and the next tough ball Rome catches will be the first of the season

Edited November 3, 2025 by SpongeWorthy

[WrigleyField 22]

31 minutes ago, Soul said:

"Luck" evens out.  I'm sure it's just because I'm a Bears fan, but it seems like nobody calls "luck" when the Chiefs get it, or the Packers, or the Steelers, etc. etc.

And the thing is, you have to be in position for a so-called bit of luck to affect the outcome.  So yeah, it's not like I think there's no such thing, but for it to matter a team has to hang in there and take advantage.

Absolutely. Good teams take advantage of opportunity and overcome bad luck. We've seen both now. Just a really good sign (even though there's a lot else to wish for - you see the bones of a hopefully good org) 

[Soul]

49 minutes ago, SpongeWorthy said:

 

Caleb doesn’t throw enough 50/50 balls for my liking, when he breaks contain and it’s not there he’s happy to throw it away, big reason why his completion percentage isn’t where it should be. Last year he was eating those sacks not realizing sacks are often as big a drive killers as INTs. Now he’s avoiding sacks which is great but he needs to take more shots.
 

Also the receivers need to do a better job in the scramble drill and the next tough ball Rome catches will be the first of the season

Nothing kills a QB like INTs.  He was taking sacks last year, now he's throwing it away.  Hopefully the next step is to push it a little more.  But we'd all be freaking out if he was scrambling toward the sideline and unleashing horrible interceptions.  Maybe he's never going to be a 65-70% completion QB, or maybe he's just working it into his game.  I don't really know.  But I'd rather have him not throwing the INTs at this point in his career.

[mul21]

1 hour ago, Soul said:

"Luck" evens out.  I'm sure it's just because I'm a Bears fan, but it seems like nobody calls "luck" when the Chiefs get it, or the Packers, or the Steelers, etc. etc.

And the thing is, you have to be in position for a so-called bit of luck to affect the outcome.  So yeah, it's not like I think there's no such thing, but for it to matter a team has to hang in there and take advantage.

I was 100% certain as a traumatized Bears fan that the DJ TD was going to be a touchback even though there was no evidence it was anything but a TD.

[WrigleyField 22]

9 minutes ago, Soul said:

Nothing kills a QB like INTs.  He was taking sacks last year, now he's throwing it away.  Hopefully the next step is to push it a little more.  But we'd all be freaking out if he was scrambling toward the sideline and unleashing horrible interceptions.  Maybe he's never going to be a 65-70% completion QB, or maybe he's just working it into his game.  I don't really know.  But I'd rather have him not throwing the INTs at this point in his career.

Caleb's sack rate improvement is definitely enough to show that he's capable of making improvements. Sure I'd love if there were 2 or 3 simultaneous improvements, but that was one that even with his prospect hype was a known issue and concern and it's a major improvement not just in comparison to last year. 

 

 

[BigSlick]

18 minutes ago, Soul said:

Nothing kills a QB like INTs.  He was taking sacks last year, now he's throwing it away.  Hopefully the next step is to push it a little more.  But we'd all be freaking out if he was scrambling toward the sideline and unleashing horrible interceptions.  Maybe he's never going to be a 65-70% completion QB, or maybe he's just working it into his game.  I don't really know.  But I'd rather have him not throwing the INTs at this point in his career.

I'm slightly concerned that having a 65-70% completion percentage is the bare minimum for being a star QB in the NFL today.

I don't like that fact, both because I'm unsure if Caleb is capable of it and also I really don't like football where pass completions are that easy (give the defense a chance man) but it may be reality. 

[Soul]

24 minutes ago, mul21 said:

I was 100% certain as a traumatized Bears fan that the DJ TD was going to be a touchback even though there was no evidence it was anything but a TD.

I was thinking the exact same thing, and seeing it just as you did.

Chicago fan PTSD should be in the DSM.

[Soul]

1 hour ago, BigSlick said:

I'm slightly concerned that having a 65-70% completion percentage is the bare minimum for being a star QB in the NFL today.

I don't like that fact, both because I'm unsure if Caleb is capable of it and also I really don't like football where pass completions are that easy (give the defense a chance man) but it may be reality. 

I share your concern, for sure.

[minnesotacubsfan]

4 hours ago, champaignchris said:

Darnell Wright was absolutely erasing people in the run game yesterday. 

Lollllz

 

 

[Bertz]

9 minutes ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

Lollllz

 

 

Okay. I official forgive him for the approximately 75 false starts before the bye