raw

Root for GB to win on Thanksgiving. Then hopefully either the semi-hot Cowboys or the likely favored Rams can beat the Lions and put them at 6 losses, which at worst case likely puts the Lions/Bears Week 18 matchup as a win and in game. But also root for GB, because the Bears have 2 shots at them and only 1 vs Detroit.

It was his 2nd HC job (HC of the Raiders from 2012-14). It's going to take a while for that 3rd opportunity.

No, was Andrew Mukuba. He needs surgery for a fractured ankle and will be out for the (regular) season. Just announced a bit ago. Blankenship has a thigh/quad injury. Unsure of his status, but him not coming back in a division game that was slipping away from them doesn't bode well to play in 4 days.

Like I said in the other thread, the Eagles haven't been a big "come out firing on all cylinders to avenge a loss" team. The team has some issues and some malcontented players, which won't be any better coming off a division loss and blown lead on a short week. The Bears CAN win this game. I'm not going to say they will win this game, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. I would put money on the Bears +7 if I was a betting man, as I think they keep it close at worst. That being said, the Eagles are a MUCH tougher matchup to face with no LBs. Barkley's obviously a better runner than either Pittsburgh guy. He's also a really good receiver, and Hurts is a really good runner....all will put pressure on a practice squad LB group, who don't really have a whole lot of time to prepare for what they will see from the Eagles. Of note, the Eagles safety position may look like the Bears LB position on Friday. They have 3 on the roster, both left midway thru yesterday, one left the stadium in a walking boot. They have a couple practice squad guys, and I'd imagine we may see at least 1 of them get a bunch of snaps this week. Also not likely to have Lane Johnson and are 13-26 all-time when he's been injured.

I agree with the Philly assessment. And I was looking at their history under Sirianni and they aren't really a "get right game" type of team. When they lose, they tend to spiral a little bit. 2025- back-to-back losses earlier this year. 2nd loss was on a short week @ NYG 2024- they lost 2 of 3 games early, that win in between was 15-12 and they were held scoreless until the 4th quarter. Lost 3 games this season. After the other, they beat the Cooper Rush Cowboys. 2023- famously lost 6 of their last 7 (including playoffs) to end the season, and completely fell apart. 2022- they lost back-to-back here as well. After their only other loss this year, they eked out a 17-16 win vs Jeff Saturday's Colts. I don't think Sirianni is a strong locker room guy. It's just not that big of a deal because they are the most talented team in the league. But this is the best time to be getting them. Short week, Lane Johnson is supposedly out 4-6 weeks (not put on IR though). And they are 13-26 all time without Lane, Their OL overall hasn't been as strong run blocking and going from best RT in the league to replacement level guy is a big deal.

If you look at the sideline angle of the last play, Nahshon jumps that route and probably has a pick 6 if Brisker doesn't tip that pass. I wish somebody (any one or all of) on the O-line would get a game ball. They've been so good the last 9 weeks.

I don't think he will start forcing throws. That's just not his game. He sees the field too well. The completion % will come up if he starts taking checkdowns more. But that's also not his game. If the comp % can get up 64%, he may be the best QB in the league with his mobility and propensity to make the big play. And he's not as far off as you may think. If you take into account the drops, he's already at 62.5%. Obviously, drops happen to all QBs but drops are not counted on play's like Rome's today where he got the ball knocked out on the sidelines or many of the contested catches he has NOT made this year. This offense is real close. Caleb is real close. Both are really good as is, but the next step is something we have never seen in this city, and it's on the cusp of happening.

He was excellent. https://x.com/ilannfl/status/1992708484128022531?s=20

Put the ball in harm's way a little today with some inaccuracies, but he now has 152 throw streak without throwing an INT, after 255 straight last year. I know there were concerns that he was holding onto the ball and being ultra-conservative, but I think this year has just proven that he just doesn't put the ball where it shouldn't be. The streak was 117 coming into today, and IDK the stats for today, but those 117 featured ZERO (0) interceptable passes. So he isn't even relying on luck and the ball hitting DBs in the hands....until today with a couple of his overthrows.

Theo Benedet is out. Ozzy Trapilo is your starting LT

I just gave statistical reasons of why 30 points isn't very doable, but I'll take your word over the 3x being against defenses worst than the Bears, and 1 of those time scoring nearly half of those points on D. But I think you overrate the LB position. Especially for this game. To exploit bad LBs, you either need to be able to run the ball well (the Steelers don't) or be able to exploit them in coverage with your RBs and TEs. The Steelers do carry 4 TEs and use 3 of them a ton, but 2 of those TEs (Friermuth, Jonnu) are glorified WRs. You aren't going to cover them with LBs anyway. The other is Darnell Washington who is a glorified offensive tackle. Not going to run free at the 2nd level. The RBs could give the Bears some trouble, but as long as they come up and tackle, they'll be fine in this particular game.

Steelers have scored 30 only 3x this season. Week 1 vs the Jets, and both times vs the disgusting Bengals defense, including last Sunday. But they needed 2 defensive TDs to get to 30 last week. Steelers have 4 games over 300 yards of total offense. Again, 2 vs the Bengals. Only 1 game all season above the 373 yards the Bears offense averages per game, and you guessed it, it was vs the Bengals. No other game has been within 30 yards of the Bears average output per game. Not that the Bears defense is good by any means, but the Steelers offense is pretty bad. They are 22nd in passing and 29th in rushing offense. They've been missing the CBs all year. Essentially the only losses this week are Edmunds and Sewell, the 5th lowest graded LB per PFF. This isn't the game to worry about the injuries. But going forward, no Edmunds will be a killer. The Bears offense is going to have to do what they do and win the game.

They were never going to bring a guy back from injury for him to play 2 games in 5 days coming off said injury. Bring him and Gordon back vs Philly, you get them a game before a huge GB game, and you also give them 2 extra days of rest for that game with the Friday game this week.

Just FYI, the 2024 Chiefs went 11-0 in 1 score games last year. Game 1- Ravens had the game-tying TD called overturned on the last play of regulation. Game 2- Chiefs win on walkoff FG vs Bengals Game 3- Chiefs stop Falcons on 4th & 1 from the 13, win by 5 Game 4- scored GW TD vs Chargers w/ 6:04 left Game 7- Raiders w/ a late score to make it a 1 score game Game 8- Bucs score w/ 30 seconds left to send to OT. Never get the ball in OT. Game 9- Chiefs blocked Broncos GW FG at the buzzer Game 11- GW FG vs Carolina at buzzer Game 12- Raiders fumbled on 3rd & 3 on KC 32 Game 13- GW FG vs Chargers at buzzer Game 14- 8 point win over Texans, no late scores or threats. The talk all year was about how they were struggling and weren't the same juggernaut, but they still went 15-2 and went to the SB. Not saying the Bears are the Chiefs, but the record is the record.

Not to come off as a Caleb apologist, but I honestly do not care about the deep ball issues. I don't think the ones to Rome the last couple weeks were bad balls. I thought Rome slowed a little on Sunday. The one to DJ there was a guy in his face and he had to throw it like a split second before he wanted to. Deep passes have a TON of factors. You have to have protection, you have to anticipate a guy coming open deep when it's not a clear blown coverage, and you have to gauge the WR's speed...which sometimes include breaks out of double moves or a stop and go. Plus, it's obviously more difficult to complete a pass the further the ball is thrown down the field. If Caleb doesn't hit many 40-50 yarders, does it really matter if he's as good as he is in the 20-30 yard range?

9 drops the last 2 weeks. He also had 4 throwaways Sunday due to the insane number of blitzes against him. I don't believe those drops include a couple off of Rome's fingertips (he should have had a TD Sunday, and I think he needs to get to the deep pass early as well). His completion percentage is always going to be lower as a big play hunter. Ben is scheming big plays up as well. To me, the footwork is coming along much better than it was early this year. I don't see him ever getting to 70% of whatever Ben wanted, but Caleb at 64-65% completion probably will have an argument for best QB in the league. That's about where Mahomes is, and this scheme combined with Caleb's propensity to make big plays, plays into the ability to throw for 4500+ when it all clicks.

He made the 54 and the game-winner. That's all I can ask. Ben was very conservative of NOT going for makeable 4th downs, after going for everything the week before due to the wind.

I don't think the Steelers are super blitz heavy. Vikings blitzed 78% of the snaps yesterday. Nobody has ever blitzed that much in league history. I also feel like Ben has adjusted to Caleb. I don't think he's even calling much short stuff, unless it's a designed screen, at this point. He knows Caleb isn't going to throw it quick and short and is playing to Caleb's strength of pushing the ball down the field in that 15-25 yard window.

Yeah, but my point is none of those games you can say the Bears SHOULD have lost based on how the games went for most of the 60 minutes, except maybe the Giants game, and even then the Bears did knock out their QB to give themselves a chance.

I wonder how much different the narratives would be if things out of the Bears' control had gone differently all year. The Bears are "lucky", eking games out, avoiding losses instead of winning. Week 1- phantom holding call on Darnell Wright. Took away a 1st & 10 from the 12 and made it 1st & 20 from the 34. Missed a 50 yard FG. If they score a TD there, it's 24-6 if they get into the endzone there. vs Commanders- had the phantom PI call on Loveland, went from 1st & 10 at the 21 to 1st & 20 at the 42. Got a 48-yard FG instead of a potential TD. 6-0 game went to 13-0 six plays later, could have been 17-0 vs a team that doesn't have the passing game to come back down 3 scores vs Cincy- had the Edmunds pick 6 that was called back. And granted, he was touched, but he was touched before he actually made the catch. That would have been a 21 point lead and a potential laugher. vs Ravens- non-PI call on Hopkins grabbing Wright's facemask while pushing off. Ravens would have punted the ball away up 1 score with plenty of time on the clock for Caleb who has shown the propensity to come thru in those situations obviously. Instead, Ravens go down, score a TD and put that game out of reach. Yesterday- the non-facemask call on Homer (which why are you giving Homer the ball anyway?). That would have made it 1st & 10, again from the 21. A TD makes that a 17-3 game instead of 13-3. You could even include the end of half sequence vs Detroit where the half ended, only for them to call the teams back and allow Detroit to score. Would have been a 1 score game w/ the Bears getting the ball to start the 2nd. Probably still lose, but maybe a closer game. And that's not including the stupid fumbled snaps, the bad drops, the legit penalties the Bears have self-inflicted to take away scores or turn potential 7s into 3s. This team isn't great, but I don't think we all give them credit for how close they are to being such. Maybe they need another full offseason of Ben/Caleb and reinforcements at certain roster spots, but there's a possibility that they fix the discipline, physical and mental errors; the officiating evens out a bit (already has for the most part); and Johnson, Edwards and Gordon coming back is enough to make this a team that can make a 24 Commanders level run in the playoffs.

Well he better not take 4 weeks to get ready because they have a 3 week window to activate him or lose him to IR for the season. Granted, they could activate him on Day 21 and still sit him, but I imagine he may be ready to go as soon as next week and worst case would be Green Bay. But I'm guessing we'll get him back for AJ Brown and Philly on Black Friday. Also, he's been posting workout stills (pictures) on his Instagram. So he may not be in bad of shape as you'd think. They could also mitigate that by limiting his snap count. I imagine that's what they'll do with Kyler now that they have CJGJ.

So there's a couple interesting positions for the Bears going forward. LB and safety. Safety will be a huge need simply for the fact they have 4 + Gardner-Johnson on the roster, and all of them are FAs at the end of the year. Do you re-sign Byard at his age? Won't be cheap, but will be short-term. Do you sign Brisker? May have to overpay because of age + 4 year starter, but he's a concussion away from maybe his career being over. I'd probably bring back Byard on a 2-year deal and bring back 1 of the reserves (Hicks or Owens). Sign a FA safety to potentially start/compete with the reserve you bring back. And then draft safety probably by the 4th round. LB is interesting because we thought this would be this offseason would be the one where they cut Edmunds, who had been a disappointment up til this year. He's young enough to re-sign but I wouldn't unless you can clear a bunch of cap by doing it, but you can convert some salary to signing bonus and still do that. Edwards was signed to an extension this past offseason, so he doesn't have a good "out" in his deal until after 2026. But you probably have to keep both around because Sewell, Hyppollite, and others haven't really taken that step to show they can handle the position full time. That being said, I will contend that DT is just as big a need as Edge. What are you getting from DT right now? Dexter is OK, he'll get sacks, but he's not getting quick pressure. Billings is a run defender, who's a FA. Jarrett has been a non-factor all year. Chris Williams is a 48th player on the 53 man roster. They could really use a dynamic guy that can get in the backfield and wreak havoc on an offense. They at least have capable bodies at DE with Sweat, Booker, Dayo and Turner (who was moved to DE) under contract for next year. Ideally, I'd like to use the 1st on an Edge and spend decent FA money on an interior DT, but there's just no young DTs that are going to be on the market. So I won't complain if they do the opposite.

Of course it's possible, but I don't think it's likely. McCarthy has exactly 1 game over 158 yards passing in his short career and it was last week and over 1/2 of that came on the opening drive or in garbage time. Was also easily the worst game of his life (I think he's lost like 4 games since middle school so safe assumption).

I think you should feel bad if you go 0-5 vs the Lions, Eagles and Packers. I didn't say anything about pissed off and angry, I said disappointed. Doesn't mean you swear off football forever or even get upset, but the hopes are up, as they should be.

While 9-8 would ultimately be a nice outcome......how can you not be disappointed when you are 6-3 right now and playing 2 struggling teams. There's no way around a 3-5 end of the season being a bit of a letdown, especially when you consider 2 of the best chances for the 3 are coming up. Less than 3 point dogs on the road (toss up), early favorite at home next week. If you win these next 2, then that's a 1-5 end of season....including likely Packers and Lions sweeps. This game is really big IMO. You can't make the playoffs, even with 10 wins, if you don't get at least 2 in the division and probably the SF game. If you lose this game, you are very possibly looking at 1-5 or 0-6 in the division....again. 10-7 with 1-5 in the division isn't going to be good enough and would turn a promising season dark.