🏈 Week 12 Official Game Thread 🏈 PIT @ CHI, Nov 23rd, 12PM CST, CBS, CHI -2.5

[Bears4Ever_34]

Whoever the trainer is in Chicago needs to not have a job anymore. Completely unacceptable to have so many players missing time with soft tissue injuries. 

If Gordon and Johnson can't play, I have no idea what Dennis Allen can do to salvage the defense in this game. They won't have enough bodies to be in Dime, and playing Dime against a team that runs a lot of 2 and 3 TE sets is usually not a good strategy anyways... I think they might have to borrow a page out of Brian Flores' playbook and start run blitzing on early downs with their DB's to account for the lack of quality LB'ers.

If the Bears are going to win this game, they might have to score 40+ again, like in CIN.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, adam said:

Edmunds, Edwards, and Sewell are all out for Sunday. Another entire position group gone. This is gonna be ugly. It is not like the D-Line can pick up the slack or the secondary can cover up the LB weaknesses. TEs and RBs are going to have a field day against Hyppolite and Practice Squad LB. Not good.

Explains the signing of Reeves-Maybin earlier this week.  Probably see more of DeMarco Jackson (who already has seen the field a few times this year) and Ruben Hyppolite who I'm personally excited to see play.  I recall some of his college games. He's a solid player (at least while at Maryland).  

[Alaskan Grizzly]

3 hours ago, AZ54 said:

I don't think anyone is out there saying this Bears team is a finished product.  It's just year 1 of this coaching staff and turnaround.  I don't know any Bears fan that think we're a Superbowl contender.  Everyone I talk to is just happy that we now have a roster that no longer quits in close games and that our offense keeps getting better each week.    I'm still not accustomed to all the chunk plays we get each game but 3rd and 10-15 is no longer the death sentence it has been for many years.  

Well that is unless you think the team will be drafting 32nd overall next year.   😉

I get what you're saying, and you’re right. I agree this isn’t anywhere close to a finished product. The real test now is whether Johnson can coach well enough—and instill enough of that winning mindset—to carry the team through each game week after week, regardless of the score.

It reminds me of Dan Campbell’s early years in Detroit. Even though the team still looked and played like the “same old Lions,” you could sense them getting better because Campbell simply willed it into existence. The question is: does Johnson have that same kind of moxie?

I guess we’ll see. So far, it’s been relatively “easy” by comparison. (IMHO)