BearFan PHX

I never liked "hoping the other teams fumbles and we squeak out a win" - I got addicted to football watching the 1985 Bears, and they didn't hope to get a table scrap from another team's mistakes, they went out and took the game. In dominant fashion. With a couple exceptions, like Brian Urlacher's performance against the Cardinals ("we let them off the hook"), this team hasn't dictated to anyone in decades. Now, at long last, we are a real team. Of course we aren't the only real team in the league, there are maybe 4 or 5 of them. But we have the possibility of defeating, on our own terms, any team in the league, and the window is just opening, we are early on that path. This is extremely fun to watch. I hope we go on a tear, and destroy the league for years to come. It's about time we had a dynasty in Chicago Football.

amen on both points. need does play a role of course, and I did project the Bears would take an inside linebacker, but for sure, Pace has done a good job of filling niches with free agents etc so that he doesnt have to take a particular position, but allowing it to fall to him that way if it does. From the squad to the staff, Pace has done a great job for us, and I think we can all really thank Ernie Accorsi, who changed the trajectory of this franchise in a month a few years ago. Once you get things going the right way, you attract better coaches and free agents. This isnt going to be a one year wonder. Pace has opened a window for us that doesnt show signs of closing any time soon.

Trestman had some good route concepts, and got guys open with them his first year, but he had lots of other problems, and lost the team early. Nagy is the polar opposite.

yup, this was supposed to be Trubisky's learning year, but then we signed Mack, and the window opened, and here we are at the end of the year, and Trubisky has learned a lot. He has more to go, but he might be ready to take the next step and lead this team deep into the playoffs. The fact is that there is no team we can't beat. We would be a decent matchup for anyone, so yeah, we are legit super bowl contenders. Finally.

good point!

this will hurt us though. I like McManis, but there is now a chink in the armor.

YES

i dont think anyone thinks Trubisky played well tonight. The question is will he continue to grow? I am all on board with Trubisky. I see progress and more good than bad. But to be good you gotta do 15 things right. I see him doing 13 or 14 things right, and the results are still not great. At this point, right now. But I remember when he was doing 7 things right. I think hes getting close. I also applaud Nagy for how he isnt a "dont make any mistakes first" kind of guy. Hes trying to teach mitch to be an assassin, not Trent Dilfer. He wants him confident and aggressive, and he knows the path there will be rocky. I believe in his heart of hearts Nagy thought this would be a growing year. I dont think he imagined we'd be as far along as we are this year, especially before we signed Mack. But the window opened early. Everyone knows the formula is to get a young QB and surround him with talent. Well if you do that, then the young QB will be the weakest link, for a while, until he gets it. He gets a lot, but he's just not fully cooked yet, and that's OK. Nagy knows it's OK, and Trubisky knows it's OK. That's all that matters. But god help our opponents when the light comes fully on for Mitch, because scoring 40+ points a week is very possible with just some more even play by Trubisky. Soon.

Oh an you know what else? AMAZING PASS PROTECTION tonight. Between Khalil Mack and Aaron Donald, who won tonight?

The Bears are for real. We can confidently say that we could beat any team in this league. I'm not saying we can't be beat, I'm just saying there is no reason to think we can't beat any opponent in any game. That makes us legit Super Bowl contenders. Right now. And all that while Trubisky is still learning, still rough, and tonight, threw 3 interceptions. Imagine who we are going to be when he gets better. Scary. I saw a lot of open receivers tonight too. And Daniels had an amazing game. Smith is really coming on too. And the team is young, and everyone is under contract for a while. Meanwhile Rogers is ageing and his organization is about to take a couple years off. How sweet it is. Than you Pace, Nagy, Fangio, Hiestand, and anyone else I don't know enough to know is killin' it. GO BEARS

This is the biggest game for the Bears in more than ten years. Im not saying that the win or loss is, but the TEST. We have an opportunity to take a major step up this weekend. If we lose, we're fine, still ascending, still learning. But if we win, we've planted a major flag in the ground, and clawed our way up to the next level. We havent had a team that could make that claim in LONG time. Even Lovie's superbowl team wasnt that good. It sure will be amazing to watch.

If you saw Daniel in a park throwing, youd think he was a god. If you put him today, knowing what he knows now, on a college team, he'd be incredibly successful. This is true for almost every backup in the league. The pros are incredibly competitive. the speed of the game is just almost impossible to keep up with. To be successful the ball needs to come out so fast, to the right place, and be delivered with strength and accuracy into tiny windows. Playing NFL QB is so hard that there arent even enough good ones for every team to even have one. There are probably only 5 good ones, and another 5 that could make a case that they should be one of the 5. That's why you pay a guy like Chase, and he's worth it, even at that level of performance, and why you stay with a guy like Trubisky while he learns. If Nagy and Pace think Chase is the right guy, thats good enough for me.

I think Lovie might be available...

good logic

you are right. I dunno if we are ready to do that yet. It'll all come down to pass rush I think. But if we can beat them, then we are as real as any team in the league.

regarding Massie, I think it depends on who is available in free agency, and what Hiestand thinks about it. I wouldnt be surprised if we resigned him, and I wouldnt be surprised if we went with someone else, depending on what is available. The pass protection has been pretty good, but the run blocking hasnt been very good at all.

we wont have draft picks, but we are at that "Add a piece or two with free agency to push you over the top" scenario. wow that happened fast. We have cap money, we will spend some on the OL, whether it's Massie or someone else, there are dollars to fill that position. we might look in the secondary, at another OLB/Pass Rusher, and possibly a running back, although I expect that in the draft, with picks we get from trading howard. if not, then we get the new rb in 2020. The roster is in great shape, and draft picks notwithstanding, we are in great shape for free agency too.

also, this team is markedly better every couple of weeks. by the time we meet the Rams, who knows what we can be. The window is open, and looks to stay open for several years at least. Pace and Nagy are doing a fantastic job, and that goes for getting talent and coaches, putting them into a winning structure, and creating a culture.

agree

Packers traded for Favre and then drafted Rogers, with time to sit and learn from Favre. They don't have a magic crystal ball. I don't think they are going to continue to be good after Rogers is done. Screw em.

I think Howard is an excellent back, and the run blocking has been the culprit. I also agree that for the money Howard will deserve on his second contract, we probably won't keep him, and given that, a trade next year is likely, especially missing draft picks as we are. But the fault here is with the blocking first and foremost.

I'd be OK with it. I gotta say I really trust coach Nagy.

I wonder if, having won 3 of 3 divisional games, and how well Chase played after he got some rhythm, whether Trubisky might sit another week. It might not be a bad idea. Then get him a full week of practice before the Rams?

yup! one of the things that really sticks out to me is that we are scoring 35+ points regularly, even as the offense is inconsistent and immature. When they get their rhythm together it's gonna be really scary. This is awesome.

we used to hope to get some breaks, keep the opponents off the field, limit turnovers etc. nothing since 85 has been about kicking ass, taking initiative and dictating. now we are reaching for that, and its damned good to see.