Week 9 Official Game Thread - CHI @ CIN, Nov 2nd, 12PM CST, CBS, CHI -1.5

[BearFan PHX]

2 minutes ago, adam said:

Caleb is the first player in NFL history with +250 passing yards, +50 rushing yards, and 20+ receiving yards in a game, ever. 

Dominance! LOL

[adam]

14 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

Dominance! LOL

There are a few others he hit too in regards to the TDs and receptions.

[adam]

What may have been missed was Johnson calling a timeout when the Bengals had the ball before they scored the TD. Flus would never have done that.

[BearFan PHX]

17 minutes ago, adam said:

What may have been missed was Johnson calling a timeout when the Bengals had the ball before they scored the TD. Flus would never have done that.

Johnson gets beat sometimes in a rock paper scissors kind of way, but he doesnt make those unforced errors Flus was famous for.

[adam]

12 minutes ago, BearFan PHX said:

Johnson gets beat sometimes in a rock paper scissors kind of way, but he doesnt make those unforced errors Flus was famous for.

Yeah for sure. Still learning, but already light years ahead of Flus, but room to grow.

The officials are still impacting the game though, which makes everything look worse. On the Byard INT, there was no DPI, that happens on almost every play on those routes. Then on the Edmunds INT, so if a player touches a player before they have possession, and that player goes to the ground after, they are down? Doesn't he have to complete the catch first?

[BearFan PHX]

37 minutes ago, adam said:

Yeah for sure. Still learning, but already light years ahead of Flus, but room to grow.

Well even the best coaches get beat on some plays! So perfection is impossible.

But just this: how long has it been since a coach that didnt give up on the run game? Just that alone rocks.

[adam]

The Bears are now 0.5 games out of first place in the Division, that MIN game still bites, the Bears would be in sole possession of first place at 6-2 right now tied for the NFC lead. 

So now at 5-3, they are the only 5-3 team not in a playoff spot, because of the H2H loss against DET. 

The top 3 Wild Card teams are SEA at 5-2, SF at 6-3, and DET at 5-3. 

[adam]

There were so many improbabilities in this game. 

Before the game, if you asked me what I would thought the outcome of the game would be if Odunze had 0 receptions, I would probably tell you at least a 10 point loss.

Then tell me Flacco threw for 470 yards and 4 TDs, and the team allowed a KR for a TD. 

6 TDs by the offense definitely changes things. 

[Bears4Ever_34]

Just checked the stats:

The Bears offense is now 4th in ypg and 6th in scoring after today's game. Almost top 5 in both categories(!)

It's crazy how productive they've been despite the QB rollercoaster. 

[Stinger226]

3 hours ago, jason said:

I love the win and the drama, but just because Loveland had a great play/game doesn’t mean it was a good pick. My comment was a reply to the concept that the selection is somehow proven as the right move. I still think it wasn’t, since the defense has massive holes and Kmet has been woefully underused. 

To be fair you cant judge a pick 8 games into the season when he has had some nagging injuries. I get saying we should have taken someone else but that doesnt mean he is a bad pick until he proves he wasnt worth it. 

[Stinger226]

3 hours ago, adam said:

Today:

Loveland 6 receptions for 118 yards and 2 TDs. 

Tyler Warren 5 receptions for 26 yards. Warren the last 2 games, 10-79, 0 TD. 

 

We got to wait to the end of the year to see how everything turns out. 8 games is a little early to compare picks. Maybe both turn out to be great picks. Its not a sprint more like a  marathon.

[BearFan PHX]

54 minutes ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Just checked the stats:

The Bears offense is now 4th in ypg and 6th in scoring after today's game. Almost top 5 in both categories(!)

It's crazy how productive they've been despite the QB rollercoaster. 

It IS amazing - and we are still so inconsistent - imagine when the discipline kicks in.

[adam]

576 yards on offense are the most by the Bears since 1980. 

[AZ54]

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

To be fair you cant judge a pick 8 games into the season when he has had some nagging injuries. I get saying we should have taken someone else but that doesnt mean he is a bad pick until he proves he wasnt worth it. 

He's not judging a pick with that statement he's judging a draft strategy.  We paid the best OC $13M/yr to be our head coach.  I think there was some deference to Johnson in deciding where to use the first overall pick of his tenure.  For all I know that was part of the negotiation and hiring process.  If that were true I'd be ok with it because I still think Ben was the best HC choice for this team. 

Regardless, at the end of the day Jason wanted a trench player in Rd 1.     

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Flacco thought his arm hurt before today’s game but after 470 yards today…ouch!  Gotta give it to him, he’s one hell of a gritty player. 

[AZ54]

22 minutes ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Flacco thought his arm hurt before today’s game but after 470 yards today…ouch!  Gotta give it to him, he’s one hell of a gritty player. 

My daughter was watching the game with me today.  We got a good laugh as she told my grandkids how she waited on his table at a small Mexican restaurant and he a bit surprised by the fact she wasn't enamored with him being an NFL QB.  Time flies as that was likely 15 years ago.  She remembered that he did leave her a $40 tip on what was likely a $60 tab.  Maybe Mexican food is the secret to his longevity.     

[DABEARSDABOMB]

11 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Feels like an inflection point game for Caleb today. If he doesn't play well, and the team loses, it wouldn't surprise me if we start hearing rumblings of a potential QB change on the horizon.

The Bears can't lose back to back weeks to a Ravens team without Lamar Jackson and an old ass Joe Flacco with the worst defense in football, who, by the way, doesn't have Trey Hendrickson out there today. Can't happen to a team with real playoff aspirations. 

There is zero chance they should be looking at a qb change. Caleb is 1.5 years into his career and half a year into a new system. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

10 hours ago, Pixote said:

It was noted when he was drafted and again this year in preseason that Caleb has problems with his cadence when calling plays. I'm reasonably sure that this is just one of the reasons for our ongoing issues with presnap penalties.

He had barely played from center in college - Ben is having him play from center and forcing him to develop from there - but there wil be growing opportunities.
 

Offense was quite good today which was nice - despite another couple drops from Rome. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

7 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Thank god they got a touchdown out of that. Odunze might be a bust as a top 10 pick. Monangai completely dominated the Bengals defense that entire drive. He's really starting to assert himself as a quality back.

Odunze is not a bust but he’s going through some struggles catching. He also is getting open all over the place - it will come together but it is frustrating. Far from a bust and I expect we will see him bounce back. Jamar Chase had some cases of the drops early in his career too. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

6 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

It really is unbelievable how the Bears routinely get hosed over by the officiating every week. They really had to make something up to break up those two pick sixes.

The officiating was awful. Getting sick of it - so one sided. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

6 hours ago, Pixote said:

Allow a KO return for a TD

Missed FGs

Couldn't cover an onside kick

Geesh....

Special teams is awful. Santos is either hurt or needs to be cut. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

6 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Have to give credit to Caleb Williams for sticking with it all the way to the end. He's still frustrating the hell out of me sometimes with his inability to check the ball out quick when nothing's there, but I'll never question his clutch gene. 

Loveland and Monangai breaking out is a massive deal, but also Rome Odunze might be not great at football. Moving forward, I hope Ben Johnson starts scheming up more plays for DJ Moore again, as well as Burden/Loveland. 

My last takeaway from this game is the Bears don't need to trade for a RB now. Monangai is the real deal. Him and Swift can actually be a lethal combination when they're both out there.

I was glad to see some young players show up today - Loveland had some big plays and Monongai was a beast. Caleb played good - still had some misses - but plenty of good too.

Defense was pretty much trash - Higgins was absurd though and Joe throwing to those wideouts with our secondary is like shooing fish in a barrel. I hope Gordon and JJ will be able to come back and play meaningful football this year. 
 

Special teams - awful everywhere. But finding a way to win and getting TDs in the red zone. Rome - I expect you to pick yourself up and have a big game next week! 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

2 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Just checked the stats:

The Bears offense is now 4th in ypg and 6th in scoring after today's game. Almost top 5 in both categories(!)

It's crazy how productive they've been despite the QB rollercoaster. 

I think of it more of - they are that good and Caleb is certainly a part of it - but he also has a lot more room to grow and take it up another notch - which is real exciting! This team still has lots to work through - but I expect a lot of growth this second half of the season. Not sure they make the playoffs but this team is going to learn and grow a ton this year and a foundation for sustained success will be built. 

[BearFan PHX]

1 hour ago, AZ54 said:

My daughter was watching the game with me today.  We got a good laugh as she told my grandkids how she waited on his table at a small Mexican restaurant and he a bit surprised by the fact she wasn't enamored with him being an NFL QB.  Time flies as that was likely 15 years ago.  She remembered that he did leave her a $40 tip on what was likely a $60 tab.  Maybe Mexican food is the secret to his longevity.     

I met Flacco about three days after he won his superbowl, and spent an afternoon with him on the Letterman show - he was pretty much a jerk. One of the least friendly or kind celebrities (or people) Ive ever met. Your story definitely lines up with that. Huge ego, too cool for everyone around him, not just me!

Contrast with meeting Drew Brees, also on Letterman, a couple days after he won his Superbowl, and he was nicer than most anyone youd meet famous or not.

Just goes to show... you never know. But he does throw a really pretty ball.

[Bears4Ever_34]

12 minutes ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

There is zero chance they should be looking at a qb change. Caleb is 1.5 years into his career and half a year into a new system. 

I think he bought himself more time after today, but I completely disagree with you that there was zero shot had he been awful.

The new system talking point can be drastically overstated by the team with the QB who's struggling. Didn't seem to affect Jayden Daniels or Bo Nix last year, or Drake Maye this year. There's a learning curve, certainly, but come on. The Bears have more offensive talent than most teams in the league. Caleb was the #1 pick. We should hold him to a higher standard than everybody else.