Week 5 Bye Week Open Thread

[adam]

3-2 in 2025, should be 3-1 this year, that Week 1 loss to McCarthy still stings. 

Still feels great to get a win and go into the bye at 2-2. 

 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

Things worked out - nice to win an ugly one going into bye. Lots to clean up but also seeing lots of progress. Should also be quite a bit healthier following the bye week

[Bears4Ever_34]

Can we trade for a RB before the next game? I'll take Devon Achane if MIA looks to blow things up in the near future. They have to do something at that position. This group isn't going to work.

[adam]

9 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Can we trade for a RB before the next game? I'll take Devon Achane if MIA looks to blow things up in the near future. They have to do something at that position. This group isn't going to work.

The bye week is a good week to bring someone in if you are going to do it. There are several trade candidates and a few other guys still on the street. 

[Pixote]

12 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Can we trade for a RB before the next game? I'll take Devon Achane if MIA looks to blow things up in the near future. They have to do something at that position. This group isn't going to work.

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.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

4 hours ago, adam said:

The bye week is a good week to bring someone in if you are going to do it. There are several trade candidates and a few other guys still on the street. 

I have to ask a few questions.  
 

First, besides the early season injury to Johnson why is he not playing?  I’ve seen him with the guardian helmet out playing on special teams so he’s at least good to go there.  And heard the rumor he was in the dog house so what does that mean?   He was much ballyhooed coming out of college because he was less worn out than Bijan Robinson when they both played for Texas.  What happened to that shine?
 

Secondly, so far with just Swift and Monongai running out of the traditional RB set, each is averaging between 3.3 and 3.6 yards respectively. (If you figure in the jet sweeps and screens to WRs then a different result - anyhow). Is that evidence of poor performance of the runners or the scheme?  Remember that the overall stats for Swift when he’s played for Johnson have dipped so is that anything to consider? 

[adam]

50 minutes ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

I have to ask a few questions.  
 

First, besides the early season injury to Johnson why is he not playing?  I’ve seen him with the guardian helmet out playing on special teams so he’s at least good to go there.  And heard the rumor he was in the dog house so what does that mean?   He was much ballyhooed coming out of college because he was less worn out than Bijan Robinson when they both played for Texas.  What happened to that shine?
 

Secondly, so far with just Swift and Monongai running out of the traditional RB set, each is averaging between 3.3 and 3.6 yards respectively. (If you figure in the jet sweeps and screens to WRs then a different result - anyhow). Is that evidence of poor performance of the runners or the scheme?  Remember that the overall stats for Swift when he’s played for Johnson have dipped so is that anything to consider? 

I can only assume that he is either struggling with the playbook or pass pro.

Jamaal Williams, Gus Edwards, and Donte Foreman are all available. None of those guys are going to wow you, but all have shown enough in this league to at least give them a shot. They can't be worse than what Swift has shown so far.

Hell, Khalil Herbert was just signed and now released by the Colts. We all know Herbert is at least serviceable. Herbert's career YPC is 4.8 and he could be used on special teams. Don't know why the team stopped using him last year, then traded him to CIN. 

[adam]

These are the 5 games leading up to the next Divisional game against MIN in Week 11.

Week 6 at WAS (WAS is 2-2 heading into a road game against LAC, very well could return home 2-3 before playing the Bears).
Week 7 vs NO (NO is 0-4, plays NYG, then NE at home before playing the Bears, could easily be 0-6 by then).
Week 8 at BAL (BAL is coming out of their bye, gonna be a tough game, Madubuike out for season though).
Week 9 at CIN (Burrow on IR, they play NYJ the week prior at home, have 3 straight home games with the Bears being the 3rd).
Week 10 vs NYG (Nabers on IR, play SF at home the week prior)

3-2 seems likely, with 4-1 very possible depending on the health of WAS and/or BAL. I think NO and NYG should be wins, leaving the other 3 games as toss ups with CIN being the most likely win, then WAS depending on Daniels and McLaurin's health. Lamar and Daniels kinda scare me because the Bears really don't have a fast spy that can keep up with those QBs if they slip the pressure. 

So 5-4 or 6-3 heading into MIN. 
 

MIN has CLE, PHI, LAC, DET, and BAL before CHI. I could easily see them 4-5 or 5-4 going into that game.
GB has CIN, ARZ, PIT, CAR, then PHI in those same weeks. After tying DAL, it would seem like 3-2 is the most likely outcome for their games, maybe 4-1, so 5-3-1 or 6-2-1.
DET has the lightest schedule, CIN, KC, TB, MIN, WAS, 1 loss, maybe 2, so 7-2 or 6-3

[AZ54]

Hippolyte would be great as a spy except he has fast feet and slow eyes.   If he ever gets TJ Edward’s level of reading and reacting he’ll be really good for us.  

[adam]

1 hour ago, AZ54 said:

Hippolyte would be great as a spy except he has fast feet and slow eyes.   If he ever gets TJ Edward’s level of reading and reacting he’ll be really good for us.  

Yeah, he definitely has the physical traits.

[AZ54]

Electric!

 

[Bears4Ever_34]

The Bengals game has officially become a "you better win this" type of game after seeing how atrocious they've been the past two weeks. They look like a team dead in the water, and they know it now.

[adam]

4 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

The Bengals game has officially become a "you better win this" type of game after seeing how atrocious they've been the past two weeks. They look like a team dead in the water, and they know it now.

Yeah, they have fallen off even more than I thought they did. BAL did not look good either. Next 5, all are winnable. 

[adam]

The Bears have to take care of business in the next 5 weeks before they hit the gauntlet of games starting in MIN in Week 11. The next 5 teams combine for a record of 6-14, then the last 8 combine for a current record of 20-10-2, 19-7-2 without CLE. If you hope for 4-1 in the next 5, then they need 4-4 to hit 10 wins, MIN, CLE, GB, and SF, PIT, or DET.

Week 6 at WAS 2-2 (#10 OFF EPA/P)
Week 7 vs NO 0-4
Week 8 at BAL 1-3 (#7 OFF EPA/P)
Week 9 at CIN 2-2
Week 10 vs NYG 1-3
--------------------
Weel 11 at MIN 2-2 (#1 DEF for EPA/P)
Week 12 vs PIT 3-1
Week 13 at PHI 4-0 (FRI Game on the road ugh, short week+road, feels like the DET game in Week 2, #4 DEF EPA/P)
Week 14 at GB 2-1-1 (GB gets one day of extra rest playing on THU while Bears play on FRI, #4 OFF EPA/P)
Week 15 vs CLE 1-3 (#12 DEF EPA/P)
Week 16 vs GB 2-1-1 (SAT Game, short week, GB has to travel back from SUN afternoon game in DEN, helps Bears, #4 OFF EPA/P)
Week 17 at SF 3-1 (SF plays MNF in Week 16 in IND, short week plus travel back home helps Bears, #9 DEF EPA/P)
Week 18 vs DET 3-1 (could easily be resting their starters for this one, in CHI in January lol for Goff, #3 OFF EPA/P, #5 DEF EPA/P)

2 games left vs an Elite offense only (GBx2)
4 games left vs an Elite defense (MIN, PHI, CLE, SF, 3 on the road)
1 game left vs a team with an elite offense and defense (DET)
 

The Bears are 22nd on offense and 20th on defense for EPA/P. Rushing game on offense is the biggest liability with the run defense the 2nd biggest issue. Pass Defense the biggest strength followed by Pass Offense.