Week 15 Official Game Thread - CLE @ CHI, 1200 SUN 12/14, FOX, Bears -7.5, O/U 40.5

[adam]

This is now a must-win, mainly because the Bears have to win games they are favored to win at home. With GB playing in DEN and DET playing LAR, there is a chance that both GB and DET lose, and CHI wins, which would reset the division back to the way it was before the loss to GB, making the Week 16 rematch even that much more important. 

CLE's defense is no joke. They are pretty much a top 5 defense across the board. Their offense looks more explosive with Sanders at QB. This is going to be an ugly FG war.

Bears 20-16.

[Bears4Ever_34]

It's interesting because the Bears could win their next two games and still miss the playoffs if they lose to SF and DET. 

Beating CLE or GB + SF and DET guarantees you a playoff spot because you'd win the tiebreaker against the 49'ers if you both finish with 12 wins. With 11, you'd need them to lose to SEA in that last game, which would be so terrifying to have to sit through. Either way, this is quickly becoming the most important game left on the Bears schedule, especially if Detroit beats the Rams this week.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

11 minutes ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

It's interesting because the Bears could win their next two games and still miss the playoffs if they lose to SF and DET. 

Beating CLE or GB + SF and DET guarantees you a playoff spot because you'd win the tiebreaker against the 49'ers if you both finish with 12 wins. With 11, you'd need them to lose to SEA in that last game, which would be so terrifying to have to sit through. Either way, this is quickly becoming the most important game left on the Bears schedule, especially if Detroit beats the Rams this week.

I'm rooting for Rams hard - I think if Rams beat Lions that helps out quite a bit.  Reality is we are in control of the playoff destiny - but the probability/odds are tough. I still think if we win 2 games we should be in, but that is easier said than done.  Have to show up and play strong against Browns....lose this game and the road gets a lot tougher (and it's already tough enough).  

[jason]

Many games of the last 20 years or so have felt like this. A journeyman or worse QB comes in with bad stats and/or receivers, and everyone expects the Bears to dominate. Then that average-to-below average dude starts carving up the Bears’ D. 

I’ll be honest fellas; this game concerns me way more than it should. It should be a win by 14 or more, but I think it’ll be close.

[ChileBear]

2 hours ago, jason said:

Many games of the last 20 years or so have felt like this. A journeyman or worse QB comes in with bad stats and/or receivers, and everyone expects the Bears to dominate. Then that average-to-below average dude starts carving up the Bears’ D. 

I’ll be honest fellas; this game concerns me way more than it should. It should be a win by 14 or more, but I think it’ll be close.

The bigger question is are these our "New Bears" or the same old? We are gonna find out  the rest of the wat this year. My money is on the New Bears showing up and making a statement.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

11 hours ago, ChileBear said:

The bigger question is are these our "New Bears" or the same old? We are gonna find out  the rest of the wat this year. My money is on the New Bears showing up and making a statement.

I’ll be happy if the newer-new Bears show up.  The ones that play four quarters of solid ball. Not this 1/2-come-from-behind-late-in-the-game stuff.  I didn’t want to have to test out my new BP meds this early.  

[ChileBear]

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

I’ll be happy if the newer-new Bears show up.  The ones that play four quarters of solid ball. Not this 1/2-come-from-behind-late-in-the-game stuff.  I didn’t want to have to test out my new BP meds this early.  

Me neither.

[Stinger226]

At 9-4 in his first year as a coach, the old bears are gone. If they went 0-4, it would be disappointing but we already have seen the direction of the new Bears. 

Adam is right, this is going to be a close game but their vaulted defense gave up 29 points to Tennessee, the worst team in the league. 

 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

While perusing recent sports columns, one in particular caught my attention—it ranked all the current NFL quarterbacks, supposedly based on a list from Sportsnaut. I’m not too familiar with them or how reliable their rankings are, but they had Caleb Williams at 19th overall, behind journeyman Jacoby Brissett (18), former fellow overall No. 1 pick Bryce Young (17), and fellow second-year quarterbacks Bo Nix (14) and Drake Maye (2). Below was their reasoning for his ranking specifically.

I was more curious about where current Cleveland starter Shedeur Sanders landed, since there’s been some positive buzz around his recent performances. They ranked him at No. 27 and pointed out that he’s coming off a 364-yard, 3-touchdown game against the Tennessee Titans. It’s worth noting that Tennessee’s defense is ranked in the bottom third of the league overall—roughly in the same territory as our own defense this season so maybe something for us to be concerned with?