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I'm guessing a large part of this is on Fields himself. He ran to save his life last year. He's trying to be a pocket passer to preserve his body of the hits he will take as a runner. But it's kind of funny. Last year it was Fields ran too much and that wasn't sustainable. Fans complained about the lack of pass attempts, saying they should "just let him throw it". There was also a lot made that he needs to stop holding onto the ball and look for the checkdowns after his first reads are not open. Well, he's not running as much and everyone's like, "why isn't he running?" He's had more pass attempts each game than he had in any game last year, "well, Herbert avg 6 ypc, Roschon 8 ypc, why aren't they running the ball more?" Week 1, he checked down almost exclusively, "well why isn't he throwing it down the field?". Week 2, he kept looking to go down the field, "why is he holding onto the ball so long?" Obviously, the answer is a healthy balance of all of this. Sometimes they need to run the ball more with RBs. Sometimes Fields needs to go deep (like typically when guys are open and you're staring at them, Justin). Sometimes Fields needs to check down. Sometimes he needs to take off running. And I know we all want that healthy balance right now and for downfield, checkdown, run, handoff to all be done with 100% perfection and efficiency.....but it's 2 games in. Two games of the team around him actually trying to put a winning product on the field. I think some expectations have been unfair (part of it is the crap from the building saying how much he has improved w/ the playbook). Fields is still throwing to mostly new WRs (DJ, 100 snaps in 22 w/ Claypool, Scott), he has a whole new OL from C to RT. We still see guys flashing in the backfield immediately. We still see receivers running the same route in the same place. We still see them behind the chains due to (almost exclusively Braxton Jones') penalties. This is not to absolve Fields of blame. He's still terrible out there. He shouldn't have to overcome everything being thrown at him, but he has to be able to overcome the basics. See guy open, throw to open guy. See no guy open in 3 seconds, you are now a runner. QB is a tough position, but make the layups. I do think he has shown enough ability to do all these different things, but all at different times. He just has to put it all together, all of the time.

Hey the Bears kept all playoff teams within 1 score last year, except SF (a win), Week 18 Minnesota (tanky mctank game), and Buffalo (which was within 1 score with 4 minutes left). I think the Bears will surprise and be within 1 score at the end of the game......ahem, typo, I mean end of the opening kickoff

Yeah, and it doesn't even matter if he's ever a good pocket passer. He just needs to be adequate there (and I think he was other than the 4 sacks he took for no apparent reason, which is obviously not acceptable), but that's only if he's adding his natural ability to do everything else. You're trying to make him Joe Burrow, without Joe Burrow ability. There were some Bucs that commented after the game they knew what was coming on all of those screen passes. So predictable offense is very fair. And yeah, it's been mentioned by the QB guys (JT O'Sullivan, Tim Jenkins) his drops are too casual, too slow. If he takes quicker drops, he would be more ready to throw quick. He does appear to be thinking too much and focused on getting his feet right. You see this even on the quick screens, they are so mechanical.

I actually agree with every word of this. IDK if they are forcing Fields to be a pocket passer (1 designed run) or if Fields is trying to prove he can do it from the pocket, but it's clear this ain't the horsefeathers they did successfully in the middle of last year.

They have Kevin Warren now. He'd be doing the hire. Maybe he knows what he's doing, after all, he is a "football guy".

I see no reason why Poles should be able to pick another coach and QB, if Fields fails. I know he didn't draft Fields, but he picked him twice. Once when he decided on the Bears job over whatever else he was offered. And again when he decided to keep Fields over drafting a QB with the #1 pick. If Fields fails, it's at least in part because Poles himself threw away an entire year of his development by tanking and hired a defensive meatball coach, who hired all first time offensive coaches who don't know what they are doing.

Claypool will be active. D'Onta Foreman a healthy scratch. Nate Davis officially out, after being called doubtful.

I watched it. There were 3 plays he failed to throw down the field.

Yes, but it's also against everything the Tampa-2 scheme prides itself on. This "scheme" is designed to get pressure with the front 4 only. Of course, you'd think they'd actually put more resources into said area if that is the case.

There's videos of Mooney & DJ celebrating. Mooney, DJ and Nsimba racing to see who has the best get off. I'm going to write this off as much ado about nothing.

Edmunds and Edwards were top 10 LBs last year. In fact, PFF (I know) ranked them both as top 10 guys for this year. https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-linebacker-rankings-2023-nfl-season

Big news! https://x.com/AlyssaBarbieri/status/1702012913806950740?s=20

I'd have no problems with that. But the issue is, you don't have anyone better. You're talking about 2 WRs that were inactive for a reason (ESB, Velus) or a tiny WR like Scott who doesn't have that skillset. If they are going to continue to run 100 screens, then ESB makes sense to block, but that's not the best way to help Justin. Obviously, I don't know the guy personally, but if they think they can motivate him by sitting him, then by all means, do it. But I don't see him as that type. I see it as sitting him = losing him from the outside looking in. And I don't think it's worth losing him this early in the year.

I mean, it's not, but I get it. He still has the same attitude. I read from someone at the game he had a temper tantrum early when he didn't get the ball and his effort was pretty bad after that. But he has too much talent to just toss aside when he's had exactly 1 game while healthy and (supposedly) knowing what he's doing on offense. I'd give it til the deadline or so. If he's still bad and you can move him for anything, do it. Give those reps to Velus, Scott, or St. Brown. If no takers and he's bad. Sit him down. But no reason to move on Week 1.

I'm going to lay off the coaching a bit.....for now. LOL. It's tough to coach guys who aren't out there. Like if I had to pinpoint the worst 2 players on the field Sunday, it was Claypool and Nate Davis. And they missed the most practice of the starters. Obviously, there were other bad performances from people that haven't missed days but it really seemed like these dudes were just thrown together to play this game. Which I guess is on coaching too, but I'll give it a few more games for them.

Well yeah, if Claypool isn't going to get his head out of his ass he is. But Claypool SHOULD be a better option based on skillset and the attention that should be paid to the top 2 guys.

I have watched all the "breakdowns" of unbiased sources. And man, a lot of this just seems like practice issues. Like I know people were freaking out unnecessarily about players missing time in camp, but part of it has some merit. It looked like linemen were failing to correctly pass defenders off to the OL next to them. And obviously, Davis missed a ton of time, Patrick missed a bunch of time, Whitehair missed time and then moved to another position to play next to a C that wasn't really practicing either. Then you had WRs in the wrong place at time or I'm assuming so, because there were guys in the same place. And again, you had Claypool not practicing for a while. I am kinda worried about Fields turning down open passes. I feel like he's feeling the rush and taking his eyes down. JT mentioned his drop seems lazy. I think he's concentrating on footwork a bit too much instead of just playing ball. He just seems kind of robotic. And I think there is something to the overcorrecting. You preach footwork, not taking hits and checking down and you get a QB that is focusing on those things until they become second nature to him. But I do think his pocket presence looked better, FWIW. And not to blame anyone else, but I hope Fields isn't being coddled in the film and in practice and on the sidelines. He needs to know where the ball needs to go, and more importantly when it needs to get there. He needs to play with urgency.

Kmet is a fine player. I'm good with the team paying him, what they did (it's an overpay, but that's how it works). But they have 3 WRs who should be better options in the pass game, and maybe even Scott will be as well. They need to stop with the TE screens. They need to stop with the iso routes 1-on-1 vs a DB, like the endzone back shoulder attempt on the 1st drive. That was all fine and good last year, when you had no WRs, but now that you added talent, Kmet should be used to chip block before running out on a delayed route and/or be a checkdown option unless you create the misdirection stuff for him like many of the TDs last year (this also is in the delayed route category).

I actually agree with every word of this, except the Kmet part. He's whatever. They need to stop using him like he's an actual pass game weapon and not a checkdown option.

Which is fine, but also not the point. The point is, those top 65 picks are more talented than the UDFAs they had last year, who aren't even on 53 man rosters this year. And they kept Justin Jones the same. And upgraded from a 4th rounder who has never lived up to his predraft hype to a former 4th rounder who is coming off a career year in 2022. The interior DL is better than last year. It's just a fact. That doesn't mean it's good, just means what you said is wrong or hyperbole.

The disrespect for the team that crushed.....checks notes.....Indiana St last week!

To only comment on 1 sentence of this....this isn't even the worst DL in the last 10 months. LOL They replaced Armon Watts (former UDFA), Mike Pennel (UDFA), and Angelo Blackson (4th round) with a pair of top 65 picks and a guy who's been a productive NFL player before unlike the 3 they lost.

Tampa defense is good. Tampa offense is bad. Bears defense is bad. Bears offense is bad. I do think there will be a concerted effort to stick to the run game more and to get the ball to playmakers early and often. Kyler Gordon is out for 1/2 the season with a broken hand, while Chase Claypool is fully healthy, so that's fun.

Not if you get off the bus running.

Tim Jenkins posted a video breaking down 11 plays. There was a run play or two, but of the pass plays, there were 2-3 Fields didn't throw to open people down the field. There were a couple Jenkins didn't know what the hell the play was (redzone play Van Ness made). And there was 1 CB blitz where it looks like Fields sees it but the WR doesn't make an adjustment and runs right into coverage, and Fields takes off. There's also a fun video of all of Chase Claypool's missed blocks and lazy routes when he knew he wasn't getting the ball. They probably have to cut their losses with this dude, yikes!