Pixote

This could be tough to call. Bears have a week to rest and prepare. BUT: The Bears rank dead last for run defense. Washington ranks #2 in run offense (largely because of Daniels).

I firmly believe Braxton hasn't fully recovered from his injury last year. His performance this year has dropped off significantly. If this were the Braxton from the 2024 before the fracture, there wouldn't be all of this talk about his replacement this year, only who do we draft next year as an upgrade.

I recently came across this statistic (from the LVR game?) in an article on SI.com. Rumor has it that Theo gets the start at LT in week 6. Maybe Swift isn't the problem?

I've read several articles this morning that the Bears had noticed from film of the LVR games there was a key to how to get a jump on the ball being snapped. Here is a paragraph from a fantastic article on the NYTimes.com/Athletic site: The article is excellent, going into depth with the players about the blocked FG. I found it one of the best I've read to enjoy a 'feel good' moment: Bears magic trick: How Josh Blackwell’s blocked field goal saved the day in Vegas If you cannot access the article (some content on the site requires a subscription), there is another article on SI.com: Josh Blackwell's 'out of body experience' and Bears' good, bad and ugly

I have to believe there is an unsigned veteran RB who would, at this point in the season, sign for vet minimum to avoid having to flip burgers or change their baby's diapers. There also has to be some interesting options stashed on the practice squads. Poles and Cunningham need to address this quickly to allow the new RB a couple of weeks to practice with the team.

I'd like to see more of Monangai. He certainly looked better than Swift.

I understand your point. However, if they burned the clock and something happened, and we failed to score, we'd be 1-3 going into the bye. The way things were going, I could see us trying to score with 5 seconds left, Caleb gets sacked, or a WR drops another pass, and we lose the game.

Going into the bye with an ugly loss would have been horrible. Now they can make changes, get healthy, MAYBE pick up a few cheap free agents to replace some deadwood (can always hope).

I'm sure BJ will use the next two weeks to make some serious changes. It was UGLY, but it gets us into the bye with a respectable 2/2 record.

Exactly right on. We also need to consider both teams. Our WR room is stacked with awesome targets for Caleb, all wanting the ball. Rome, DJ, Zacc, Kmet, and now Burden are stepping up. If Warren were on our team, he would not be receiving the same number of targets as he does with Indy. That being said, I wouldn't be at all surprised if by the end of the season, Loveland's stats are better than Warren's.

I was surprised to see LV as the favorites, although being less than 3 points favorite at home is basically saying the game is a toss-up. Can we get some pressure on Geno and stop the run? If yes, I think we can win big, Bears 32 LVR 17 If no, I hope we can pull it out, but it will be tight, w/last-minute FG, Bears 24 LVR 23

Congrats! Hope the Bears give you a present in celebration of your old age. LOL

Did anyone else notice the Bears with a 17-point lead in the 4th quarter get a bit nervous?

I noticed this info posted in an article on NFL.com. Any good news is worth posting after what we've been through the first two weeks. 😉

That was an excellent game to help silence the critics, although I'm sure some will continue their "Bears Hate." I must add: As big a fan as I am of Rome, he has to stop dropping passes that hit him in the hands. and... I must say that I've never seen so many players slamming their helmets into the turf as I did today. (Grin) and... Jerry Jones looked really pissed. I swear I saw him almost say "F**k" before he noticed he was on camera. (Grin, Grin)

I noticed this on NFL.com this morning. It is the most positive news on JJ I have heard to date.

My question: How many practices does Johnson need to run to identify this issue? Since he was hired, how many practices has he put the team through? 20? 30? 40? Shouldn't this have been addressed before we got our asses handed to us by Detroit?

I just saw this on another site, which further supports your point:

Yes, I agree. However, I was also upset that the Poles didn't select Kaleb Johnson in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft when he was still available, before he eventually went to Pittsburgh. I just checked. Kaleb has undoubtedly had a rough start. 2 carries total for two games for -1 yd, and muffed a Kick Return that gave SEA a TD. I'd make a lousy GM. LOL

Touché, my friend.

Another one of my "Senior" moments. You're right. Then we'd have to assume Poles would have signed him regardless of the Thuney acquisition.

I agree, 100%. It seems the schedule makers always deal the Bears a shitty hand. We need to take advantage of the next seven games and get our game in order so that we can finish the remainder of a brutal second-half slate of games strong.

I'm sure you meant Poles initially brought him in as LG, not LT. That being said, I agree. He would have been a solid addition as a LG, his more natural position. I can't blame Poles for grabbing Thuney when he became available. However, that forces Jonah to RG. If Thuney had signed first, would Poles have signed Jonah as a RG at the same price tag, or would he have chosen to take a pass? A question that we will likely never know the answer to.

Thanks, Adam. I love this thread and hope you continue comparing the 2nd-year QBs as the season advances. It will be interesting to see the progress, or regression, of each of them throughout the season.

A voice of reason. Thanks for the post. Long before the season began, BJ was asked about the development of the OL. He said it would take time for them to adapt to his complex blocking schemes, which were called for in many of his plays. When pressed further, he said to expect it to take (if I remember correctly) a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks for the OL to become a cohesive force. I didn't want to believe it would take that long. Ooops. BJ's offense is complex, and he warned us that it would take time for the players to fully digest the schemes to the point of playing at full speed without hesitation to recall their assignments. To just let it rip without hesitation. Even his former players in Detroit came out and said that Bear fans should be patient, as it would take time for the offense to learn his complex system. I didn't want to believe it would take that long. Ooops. BJ warned us that although Caleb was showing improvement, it would take time to correct all of his major flaws and his growth would be a bit of a rollercoaster ride as the season progressed. I didn't want to believe it would take that long. Ooops. We have to remember, back in 2022, Detroit started the season 1-6 in BJ's first year as OC. They finished the year 9-7. It took time for their offensive players to grasp and execute his playbook. As far as defense. D. Allen is put in a hell of a spot. Our CB room is a mess with injuries. Booker will not be back until after the bye. Turner missed time to develop during the summer because of an injury. Garret is playing less than 100%. Allen's defense is very complex and challenging for players to learn. We were told it would take time. It seemed, at times, that it was progressing rapidly, but now the injuries have thrown everything off course. So for me, my primary concern is how DA will turn our D around. I'm disappointed, like many of you. Still, I also blame myself for having unrealistic expectations of the players to adjust to two systems, O & D, that have been described as complex and requiring time for players to fully execute.