If you were to relay to a non-football fan that one of the teams was playing for something, and the other wasn’t, he would have quipped, “Oh, so that team in white is obviously playing for something.” Bears came out like the Fox zombies – oddly disinterested and disjointed. They completely nullified their home crowd.
These were the stats by halftime:
Lions 237 yds; 19:12 TOP; 13 points
Bears 69 yds; 10:48 TOP; 0 points
Abject failure. At least the defense was holding them to mostly FGs despite the Bears’ O just giving it right back. So yes, while the defense faltered, not nearly as much as the offense. In fact the O didn’t wake up til late in the game while the D did the heavy lifting.
This is unacceptable. Poles hired Ben Johnson so that the new engine to the Bears would be the offense. He drafted Loveland instead of a pass rusher, doubled down with Burden [“overdrafted” Trapilo], and oh yeah, used the #1 overall on Caleb and another top #10 for good measure on Rome.
Meanwhile the defense is being held together with bailing wire, the ghosts of Dayo, Shemar, Gordon and ailing underperformers.
This is why BJ’s decision to punt it on 4rth and 4ish late in the 4rth was so baffling. Did he not see the game? They asked BJ why he decided to punt. He responded:
“Because we had three timeouts and thought we were going to get the ball back.”
How can such a sharp mind use that logic? ESPECIALLY when his other trait is aggressiveness. Needless to say, he came to regret that decision.
We expect the defense to struggle while the offense carries the game; it shouldn’t be the other way around.
Ben Johnson said as much in his post-presser:
“I was not pleased with the offense today,”
He added: “We can’t dig ourselves in a hole like that. I was disappointed with the offense as a whole. I let those guys know that. And we’ll be better for it.”
Naturally, the BounceBack Bears, well, bounced back, but it was too little too late.
And that’s twice in a row now resulting in two [totally different types of] defeats.
It’s like continually hitting on 16 in Black Jack. Eventually the laws of averages bust you out with a vengeance.
The NFC playoff seeding and wild-card matchups are now set:
Luckily for the Bears, hitting on 16 didn’t cost them much this time. Nick Sirianni in his infinite wisdom decided to “rest” Hurts, then proceeded to lose to the terrible Commandos, thus locking the Bears as the #2 Seed to face the Packers this Saturday.
Overtime:
Congrats to Caleb Williams for becoming the Bears all-time leading season passer.
Like I wrote in the game thread, I really didn’t give a crap about him hitting 4K. It’d be nice, like receiving Cheesecake Factory gift cards, but nothing mindblowing. I would’ve been more impressed if it happened in 16 games.
Before this 17th game:
’25 Caleb YPG=233.1 ’18 Bisquit YPG=230.2
3 more yds per game than Trubisky isn’t exactly anything to write home about. Still, it’s not nothing, so golf clap.
Speaking of which, congrats to Myles Garrett for breaking the season sack record
Congrats to Loveland too. This may have been his breakout game, but outside from one tough drop, he’s been a 3rd/4rth down conversion machine. Brady even referred to him as “Baby Gronk,” and coming from him, that’s saying something. It’s even more remarkable because TEs notoriously progress slowly, so such ROI so soon should end any ‘shoulda drafted a HB’ or ‘Tyler Warren’ protests.
It looks like his back gave out when he went up for it at :02
He’s been dealing with a back injury. Tough to see, but DJ didn’t just say “f*ck it” https://t.co/szBTQ5VM1l
I hope to gawd his back and not his will gave out. I don’t really put this INT on Caleb. He threw it to a spot like in that Pack game, except this time DJ flopped, literally.
DJ wasn’t the only Bear to flop though. Many fans also noticed JJ looking slow and soft. These are vital vets getting PAID; they need to show the hell up in the crunch.
Factoid:
In a truly surreal season, the Bears won the NFCN despite going 2-4 in the division.
So this game I decided to try something a lil different. Instead of commenting I decided to take notes as the game went along which includes facts, stats and observations. So this is basically a game log. I’ll share more crazy stuff about the game perhaps manana.
Bears’ O entered game 26th in redzone efficiency [converting a TD only 47.8% of time]
Bailed out twice
Bengals penalty [PI] on 3rd and 10, extended drive that resulted in Bear TD
Bengals [HB Brown] Dropped easy pass that would’ve gone for big yards
[2nd QTR]
– Bears have a negative penalty yd differential in every game
– Bears have 16 false starts this season
-Since bye Bears have rushed for 137 yds designed runs per game. 2nd in the NFL
-21% explosive run plays
– Offsides Bengals. Santos Missed 47 yarder which Turned into Zaccheaus TD
– Misdirection run game dominant
-Bengals Ineligible man made 3rd 2 into 2nd 7 3rd and 2 false start now 3rd and 7 Brisker/CJ blitz, HB took Brisker, CJ sack Bengals keep shooting themselves in the foot
-12/11 play TD drives
–Caleb failed to see an easy check down [84]. Turned into 3rd and 14.
–Billings smart. Didn’t quit on play. Even got some yds after recovery. Sign of good coaching.
-Agree with Archuleta Caleb must make decisions faster. Don’t know if he has to keep reminding us of this every other play.
-Caleb seems to be running more this game
-Deadball 15 yd penalty next to redzone
-Caleb’s inaccuracy INJed Kmet [2nd QTR 4:18]. Instead of YAC, he’s in the blue tent.
-Only scrambled 3 times since bye. Cost of easy checkdowns -Getting off spot, scrambled 4 times in this game already, -Ball placement just a smidgen off
-5 min drive. 7ypc going into Half! Three 10+ play drives
Monangai 16car, 99yds, 6.2 per
-3rd and 3 goal line terrible. 6 Olinemen No chance Needed to get Caleb on run Settled for FG, saved a TO for Bengals; still 1:29 left for Flacco
-Awful KO coverage again. Bengals return ball to 45
–Flacco more accurate than Williams Lethal. Perfect ball placement to Higgins twice CB there, just a finger off
-Beautiful Rome blocking on Brittain Brown TD scamper Oline sealed off backside too on 2nd lvl Brown finishes
The #Bears OL has been getting a lot of praise for clearing the way for 283 rushing yards vs the #Bengals, and rightfully so, but check out WR Rome Odunze (#15), TE Durham Smythe (#81), and rookie TE Colston Loveland (#84) on the left side opening the hole on Brittain Brown's TD. pic.twitter.com/wqyiHK95zD
-Good TO by BJ to reset D in redzone. Edmunds INT! Man that was ticky-tack application of rule. Fingertip brushes Edmunds negates awesome TD run back
That’s Edmunds’ 4th INT this season, which is tied for the most amongst all LBs. Since Edmunds entered the league in 2018, he leads all LBs with 14 interceptions. https://t.co/yPrfG5avTY
-Bengals’ Redzone D allows a score 70% of time [30th] 30 secs to score TD on terrible Bears’ D.
–Archuleta “I don’t think I’ve seen a D collapse in the last 2 mins like that ever’ Bengals outscore Bears 15-0 in 49 secs
-8 lead changes – 2 in last 58 secs Bengals with 15 missed tackles [16 officially] 4 different players threw passes for Bears
Idk what was smoother about this Bears touchdown: Ben Johnson’s playcall or Caleb Williams’ perfect ball spin after he scored pic.twitter.com/RgGejwumGu
6. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan The comparisons to Pat Surtain II – the Denver Broncos cornerback and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year – are lofty but not outlandish. The 6-2, 194-pounder puts together the size, fluidity and instincts to handle any coverage assignment. Johnson isn’t a true burner and saw his 2024 season go sideways due to a toe injury, but he otherwise projects as a sticky corner who should have excellent ball production.
13. Mike Green, DE/OLB, Marshall The Football Bowl Subdivision leader in sacks (17 in 2024) employs a far more physical approach than one might expect from a 6-3, 251-pound edge rusher. He risks stalling out if he doesn’t continue to fill out his frame, but his relentless style and elasticity as a rusher should position him to make plenty of plays in the backfield.
22. Donovan Ezeiruaku, DE/OLB, Boston College After notching 16 ½ sacks last season, Ezeiruaku already seems to have a master’s degree in pass-rushing, as he has a full toolkit of moves he is prepared to wield at just the right moment. His 6-3, 248-pound build still will likely result in him being erased by bigger blockers, particularly in the run game, but he compensates for it by leveraging his length, agility and smarts.
25. Shavon Revel Jr., CB, East Carolina If not for a torn anterior cruciate ligament suffered in September, he might be firmly entrenched as a first-rounder, as the 6-2, 194-pounder marries an ultra-competitive demeanor at the line of scrimmage with impressive recovery speed and improving ball skills. His health outlook will no doubt loom large in his evaluation, but if he can find the right fit with a defensive coordinator patient enough to bring him along – his style of play might make him prone to early penalties, and there will be a significant leap in quality of competition – he could be a highly productive starter.
28. Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado Despite operating in a spotlight that might blind other passers, Sanders somehow managed to exceed outsized expectations by establishing himself as a precise and poised distributor. How he handles pressure at the next level could be one of the biggest determining factors in the trajectory of his career, but he could be a more than capable starter for an offense that asks him to conduct more often than create.
30. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri At a time when other receivers shined, his 2024 season ended up quite turbulent, with the dynamic slot target averaging just 11.1 yards per game. Expanding his route tree in the pros could be the key to whether he remains primarily a threat on quick hitters underneath or becomes a more well-rounded target capable of threatening defenses downfield, though he likely will require a heavy dose of schemed touches early on.
36. Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina At 6-3 and 220 pounds with the speed of a cornerback, he seems perfectly suited to match up with tight ends and bigger receivers. Emmanwori is a bit wild when working downhill against the run and may lack the fluidity to handle work in the slot, but his excellent ball skills and physical tools should prove plenty alluring to many teams.
37. Landon Jackson, DE, Arkansas The LSU transfer is the kind of player any offensive tackle hates to see lining up across from him, as the 6-6, 264-pounder boasts daunting length, an impressive arsenal of pass-rush moves and a never-say-die mentality. Jackson might be too big for his own good, however, as his rigidity severely limits him in several phases of the game.
38. Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi Test the 6-1, 195-pound cover man at your own peril, as Amos can close in on any throw in his area in a hurry. He’s better suited for zone work than man coverage right now, but he could become a significant asset in press looks if he improves his ability to recover.
39. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State Once he gets to the corner, watch out. The 5-10, 202-pounder can’t always fight his way through to daylight on inside runs, but Henderson has the burst to break long gains whenever he’s given a crease. Already a comfortable pass protector and reliable receiver, he should be a three-down option from Day 1.
40. Azareye’h Thomas, CB, Florida State The Senior Bowl standout has given evaluators reason to go back and take a closer look at one of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for the Seminoles. The 6-2, 197-pounder has a strong claim to be the premier pest of this defensive class, as he regularly smothers receivers at the line of scrimmage with his length and hyperphysical approach. He might not generate a ton of plays on the ball and won’t be a fit for every scheme, but any team looking for an in-your-face coverage presence has to give him strong consideration.
41. Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M The 6-4, 257-pounder can be a load for any lineman to handle, as he embraces contact with active hands, a high-energy approach and plenty of knowhow. Though his hustle and expansive set of pass-rush moves could take him a good distance, he might not have the upside of other edge rushers in the class given his mostly unremarkable physical traits.
43. Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa Johnson single-handedly invigorated Iowa’s long dormant offense with his smooth running style, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. The 6-0, 225-pounder is patient yet decisive in his approach, snaking around would-be tacklers to find the open field. His limited comfort level in the passing game – particularly in protection – could box him in somewhat during the early portion of his career.
45. Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA The walk-on who became an All-American is more than just a feel-good story. Schwesinger’s rapid recognition skills often enable him to find his way to the ball carrier faster than blockers can reach him, though he does have trouble disengaging opponents when they do beat him to the spot.
46. Mason Taylor, TE, LSU The son of Hall of Famer Jason Taylor has made a name for himself on the other side of the ball, proving to be a fluid pass catcher comfortable operating both in space and in traffic. He’s not as dynamic as this year’s top tier tight ends and is more likely to be a complementary piece than a go-to target, but he can still be a highly effective weapon for the right offense.
47. Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU He hasn’t enjoyed the widespread recognition of some other edge rushers in this draft class, but he deserves a higher profile. The 6-4, 250-pounder is extremely explosive, with the speed-to-power move to jolt offensive linemen when he’s not simply dipping past them.
48. Jayden Higgins, WR, Iowa State The appeal of trotting out a 6-4, 214-pound wideout doesn’t require explanation. Higgins poses a major problem in the red zone and contested-catch scenarios, though he might be relegated to a big slot role until he refines his game a little further.
49. JT Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State His impact at the next level is likely to be measured more in pressures than sacks, but his disruption still comes in handy. The 6-5, 269-pound Tuimoloau lacks diversity as an edge rusher who relies almost entirely on his ability to push back opposing linemen, but his one trick is plenty good.
50. Aireontae Ersery, OT, Minnesota At 6-6 and 331 pounds, Ersery is nimble enough to corral speedy edge threats yet strong enough to lock down anyone who tries to engage him. Things can get dicey when he has to recover or face a counter move, but his tools are worth developing.
