David Peters (3-4)
Bears 35 Cowboys 17
Marty Wessels (2-5)
Bears 23 Cowboys 21
Aiden Wyatt (4-3)
32-26 Cowboys
Cole Gross (3-4)
Bears 21 Cowboys 17
Brian Decker (4-3)
Bears 28 Cowboys 17
Austin Keeney (3-4)
Cowboys 27 Bears 7
Steven Lambrecht (3-4)
Bears 24 Cowboys 22
Cael Wyatt (3-4)
35-21 Cowboys
Nick Stokes (2-5)
Cowboys 24 bears 13
Matthias Schwartzkopf (3-4)
Cowboys 31 Bears 17
The Chicago Bears are through seven games and are coming off an impressive win over the New England Patriots. Ryan Poles made it clear that this was going to be rebuilt by trading a few key pieces that helped the Bears last season. Also, Ryan Poles did not go out and spend a ton of money this past off-season to make the team better. Made low-risk and hopefully high-reward signings that could help now and for the future. The Bears are lacking a lot of talent on both sides of the football. One of the main reasons why they are sitting at 3-4. I am going go to give a letter grade on both sides of the ball and reasons for it and how it can be better,
Starting with Bears quarterback Justin Fields and the offense. There have been signs where we the fans think that the offense will take another step but it has been one step forward and two steps back. The only bright spot so far through seven games is that the running game has been very good. David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert combined are averaging 5.8 yards per carry. One of the biggest disappointments has been the Bears wide receiver group. Feel like it has been a miracle round of who is going to catch the ball. Production is one of the worst in the league. Fields go to target Darnell Mooney has shown flashes but not to what everyone thought he was going to do.
Now onto the offense line. They say if you do not have an offensive line you won’t have an offense. This group has been on the struggle bus. The frustrating part is that it took the Bears coaching staff to come to the realization that Sam Mustipher is not going to cut it at the center spot a bit too late. Only to have Lucas Patrick go down with an injury against the Patriots. At times that’s what has been some of Fields struggles is having a center that can not do the job the way it needs to be done.
Overall, I would give the offense a C. We just need to see more from everyone. Justin can not be running for his life to be successful. Has he been good? No. Has he been bad? No. He has taken strides but he needs help to take the step we all want him to take.
To the defensive side of the ball. It’s a similar story such as the offense. It has been up and down with a bit more in consistency. The back end of the defense has been the best part on that side of the ball. Yes, they gave up a ton of yards to the Vikings but have since made some subtle changes and got on the right track. Eddie Jackson is back to his old self and the two rookies Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker have proven they belong in the NFL.
The rush defense has made some strides in the last few weeks considering what they gave up against the Packers. Not a lot of popular names on the front but have done a solid job. What remains the weakest part of the defense is that they are not getting much pressure on the quarterback. This only becomes more magnified with the trade of Robert Quinn to the Eagles.
Side note, the second-half adjustments have been excellent from defense coordinator Allan Williams.
Overall I would give the defense a B. Over the past few weeks and being able to make adjustments when needed has been a sight for sore eyes. They have to get the pass rush better and do so without Quinn.
We all know the Bears chances of making a run into the playoffs are slim. They can make this season feel like a positive if they continue to develop the key players that will be here in the future.
David Peters (1-1)
Bears 24-7
Marty Wessels (0-2)
Bears 17-14
Aiden Wyatt (1-1)
Bears 17-10
Cole Gross (1-1)
Bears 20-17
Brian Decker (1-1)
Bears 17-14
Austin Keeney (1-1)
Texans 16-13
Steven Lambrecht (1-1)
Bears 22-10
Cael Wyatt (0-1)
27-17 Packers
Nick Stokes (1-1)
Bears 20-7
Riley Cole (0-1)
No Pick
Matthias Schwartzkopf (2-0)
Bears 20-14
Tough tough loss at Green Bay.. sick of losing to those guys. Anyway, Nick Stokes back for another Bears mailbag answering questions from Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Q: Why didn’t we use Montgomery more. He was tearing Green Bay a new one when he got the ball.
A: The Bears offense had 41 total plays. Montgomery got 15 carries, Herbert got 4, and Fields had 8. That’s 27 plays right there. I don’t think there was a way to really get him more carries. If they gave him the ball on 1st and 2nd down every drive. People would be complaining about running the first 2 downs.
Q: Why didn’t Fields throw the ball to Equanimeous when he was wide open?
A: The way the Quarterback progression works didn’t have his eyes going there. Great QBs still see that and make the play. I don’t think Fields misses that throw again. Via the press conference Equanimeous said that ” it was the first time they ever repped that play even in practice “. With how rough this offense is Fields needs to hit those throws. If this continues to happen, it might be time to sound the alarm.
Q: Is Kyler Gordon bad ?
A: No he is not. He’s a rookie, growing pains are going to happen. He does need to work on not biting so hard on the run. His 2nd career game he had to go against Aaron Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers probably knows the defense better that Gordon does. I cant wait to see how much Gordon improves by the next time we play Green Bay.
Some dork, meaning Matthias forgot to post last weeks picks! So here we are this week, let’s check out how everyone picks this weeks game against the Packers.
David Peters (1-0)
Bears 28-24
Marty Wessels (0-1)
Bears 27-17
Aiden Wyatt (0-1)
Packers 28-23
Cole Gross (1-0)
Bears 21-20
Brian Decker (1-0)
Bears 24-23
Austin Keeney (0-1)
Packers 31-16
Steven Lambrecht (1-0)
Packers 29-24
Cael Wyatt (0-1)
27-17 Packers
Nick Stokes (1-0)
Bears 24-17
Riley Cole (0-0)
Bears 16-14
Matthias Schwartzkopf (1-0)
Packers 17-14
Nick Stokes is back for another Bears mailbag. Answering questions from Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Q: What is your predictions for week 2?
A: 24-17 Bears in a stunner. The Packers are not where they usually are. If there ever was a time to steal one from the Packers, this would be the week. David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, and Jon Runyan are all questionable.
Q: What were your 2 biggest surprises from week 1?
A: My number one biggest surprise was seeing Jenkins and Patrick rotate every two series. Hopefully, they let Jenkins develop and get all the reps at RG moving forward. My second biggest surprise was seeing the rookie out of Miami of Ohio, Dominique Robinson, with 1.5 sacks against Trent Williams the undisputed best LT in the game.
Q: How do you think the receiving core is going to be this year? Mooney is the one, but do you think they cycle through the number two receiver and the slot receiver with the other guys?
A: I think the receiving core is going to be around the middle of the pack this year. I think the pass-catching options are: (1) Mooney, (2) Kmet, (3) Equanimeous, (4) Pringle, and (5)Pettis. I’m hoping that once Velus Jones Jr. gets healthy that he slides into the slot. Equanimeous, Pringle, and Pettis, I believe are all going to be cycled around and whoever does the best gets the edge the following week. Hears to hoping one of those three pops off and can lock in the third WR spot.
Q: Was last weeks win a fluke? What would you say are the three biggest strengths and the three biggest weaknesses of this team?
A: I wouldn’t say a fluke, San Frans roster is a lot better than ours, but the QB and the coaches are not better than ours. Last Sunday was a classic game of, “the better-coached team pulled out the win.” I’m in the group that won’t trust Trey Lance till he proves otherwise. The team’s first biggest strength is Matt Eberflus and his staff. The second biggest strength is the secondary; Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, Jaylon Johnson, and Kyler Gordon are a very strong group. The third biggest strength would be Justin Fields ability to create dynamic plays with his arms or his legs. He still needs a lot of work but his flashes are what helped us win last Sunday.
The three biggest weaknesses are as follows: The first is the defensive line depth, we got a nice group in Robert Quinn, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Trevis Gipson, and Dominique Robinson, but the interior is scarce not much depth at all. Second, the limited number of playmakers on offense that we have. In the words of my leader, coach Flus,” WE ARE NEVER GOING TO PUT A CEILING ON A PLAYER”. With that, if Mooney gets hurt who becomes the one? Equanimeous? Pringle? Pettis? Jones Jr?” none of those guys are ones. Maybe one day they will develop into one. The third biggest weakness would be the amount of experience our O Line has, I think this unit has a chance to do good things, but they’re basically starting two rookies in Braxton Jones and Tevin Jenkins(Jenkins is a second-year player but barely played last year).
Q: Are the Bears actually ” back ” or did they just get lucky?
A: They were always ” back “. Both teams played in the rain. No excuses Bears were the better-coached team Sunday.
Q: After the Bears smoke the Packers, what WR should they target to give them a real chance at making a run?
A: Unfortunately there are not a lot of options out there right now. A trade doesn’t seem likely, because if they are making a run, you don’t want to trade away good players. I wouldn’t mind them kicking the tires on Will Fuller and/or Odell Beckham Jr. (as long as he’s not going to be a head case). Antonio Brown is enjoying his rap career, he’s not playing again. Willie Snead could be a sleeper to help the WR room. Hopefully, when Velus Jones Jr. gets healthy you see this WR room take a big step forward.
Q: Is Justin Fields fully vegan? Why did he decide to go plant-based?
A: Yes Justin Fields is fully vegan. It started off back in quarantine, Justin and his family tried the challenge of eating plant-based for one full month. After a few weeks Justin’s family gave up, but he did not. Realizing this is the best his body ever felt. Saying “It is changed the way I feel and the way I perform dramatically. I just feel so much lighter and faster. Football as a sport is so hard on your body so I just want to do anything I can to have the longest career possible”. Justin’s favorite meal is a falafel burger, saying ” it doesn’t taste different to me personally” Per Hailey Welch at the beat.
Q: What do the Bears have to do this week to limit Rodgers?
A: GET PRESSURE AND LOCK UP RECEIVERS! Rodgers knows all the defensive schemes out there. If you give him all day to dissect a defense he will, and it will get ugly. Get pressure, make him feel uncomfortable, and make him get the ball out quickly. Our secondary is better than Green Bays WRs, but Rodgers will find the mistakes if you give him time. This is Trevis Gipson’s breakout game, watch!
Q: Prediction for this upcoming Sunday Night game?
A: 24-17 Bears, look for Mooney and Kmet to have bounce-back games. Montgomery is going to score this week, I feel it in my bones. Trevis Gipson is ready for his breakout game. Fields is going to have minimum of 5 ” wow ” plays. Bear Down!
Over 8 years of coaching Division II college football, I have broken down and graded a lot of film. Grading this weeks Bears film was definitely interesting after years of watching NFL football to enjoy the game without being overly “coachy”. The good, the bad, and in-between, here are your week 1 grades for the 2022 Chicago Bears.
From a coaching standpoint, Matt Eberflus’s first game as Head Coach was certainly interesting. The defense came to play and the HITS philosophy was on display early. The problems early in the game were with the play calling on offense. Conservative play calling and a lack of creativity left horror flashbacks of Matt Nagy calling plays in Chicago. After an impressive preseason utilizing play action and rollouts to help play to Justin Fields’ strengths, he was routinely dropping straight back to pass in the first half. Even the run game failed to get going due to overly predictable bland play calling. The redemption however, came in the second half. For the first time in what felt like years, the Bears made adjustments at halftime. Improved play calling and a more creative gameplan put the Bears in position to comeback in the second half and come up with a win. The Bears were very disciplined, avoided penalties (0 in the second half), and played strong situational football.
Grade: B
It was a very up-and-down performance for Justin Fields in his first performance in this new offense. Justin missed a handful of reads, repeatedly giving up on plays too early or forcing throws with easier throws open. It was far from all negative, however. Fields was excellent on the move and once he found his rhythm he made the plays needed to win the game. Fields was accurate and consistently hit open receivers in key moments, even when plays broke down and he was forced on the move. Expect improvement with better weather and in-season game planning.
Grade C+
This was not one of David Montgomery’s better games. I had hoped reviewing the film would leave me with a more positive feeling than his stat line from the game. Unfortunately, too often he was quick to cut back instead of pressing the play side aiming point. Several opportunities for solid gains turned into negative plays or small gains because Montgomery was looking for bigger plays instead of playing disciplined and making the plays the scheme and blocking gave him. Khalil Herbert, however, did an excellent job of being patient with his cuts. Herbert consistently was patient pressing his aiming point and making quick decisive cuts, moving one gap and pressing vertical.
Grade C+
Despite leaving the game without a reception, I felt fairly positive about this group after watching the film. Griffin & Kmet did a good job of blocking both at the point of attack and cutting off gaps backside. While I had hoped Kmet would make a few receptions, he did still have a very positive impact on the passing game staying in on protection. Blasingame & Tonges were both productive in the game. Blasingame was used more in the traditional fullback role but was also used as a wing at times to help in protection. Tonges was used more as the third tight end and played mostly in a wing or H-Back type role.
Grade B
Initially, I expected to watch the first half and see a lack of separation or open receivers. However, there were multiple times Mooney or other receivers were open, but Fields had either given up on the play or forced it into coverage despite open targets. After going the entire first half without a reception, this group came out and made plays when called upon in the second half and finished the game without a drop. EQ & Pringle both showed out as excellent blockers in the run game and EQ had a sealing block to send Dante Pettis into the endzone on a broken play. This group finished with two touchdowns and left reasons for positivity. Darnell Mooney only getting one reception in the game would be concerning if it wasn’t for the relationship he and Fields have developed throughout the off season. He was open multiple times in the game but pressure & bad reads left him uninvolved, but I would expect better production in the future.
Grade C+
Despite coming into the game with very low expectations for this group, the O-line played well. Rookie Braxton Jones needs to improve at taking on bullrushes and setting a base, but his feet were good against speed. Jones also had a solid performance in the run game where he was fairly consistent. Cody Whitehair was steady & consistent in the game, & veteran backup center Sam Mustipher did a solid job filling in and giving a steady performance without being a weak link. Tevin Jenkins gave up one pressure early and then settled in well and was solid in protection while being excellent in the run. Lucas Patrick rotated series at right guard and did a good job of reminding everyone why he was the big signing for this group. He was solid at guard while showing enough physicality to remind you why he needs to start at center over Mustipher when ready. For the second year in a row, Larry Borom held his own against Bosa and was solid in protection, was impressive in the run game, and is arguably the best inside zone blocker in this group. This line could develop into a strength of this team by mid-year if this continues.
The edge players were excellent in this game highlighted by rookie Dominique Robinsons’ 1.5 sacks. Quinn, Gipson, Muhammed, and Robinson consistently created edge pressure and kept contain in the run game. The interior D-Line however was a concern to me. Justin Jones failed to make an impact in the game and the running backs were able to consistently find yards inside. New addition Armon Watts was the best player on the interior and was able to have an impact in the second half displaying great physicality against the run. Overall, this group created pressure and limited the 49ers run game. Hopefully, the interior can continue to develop and improve.
Grade B+
It felt evident that Roquan Smith hadn’t practiced much in the new defense or played in the preseason. Roquan seemed to consistently be a step slow in the run game fitting gaps slower than normal and was step behind on several opportunities to make bigger plays in the game. This wasn’t a bad performance for him, but far from elite in comparison to Fred Warner playing on the other team. Matt Adams seemed more comfortable playing the Sam role and was surprisingly a bright spot. Nicholas Morrow was solid but hard to notice at times.
Grade B-
The Bears’ secondary was a huge bright spot on Sunday. Jaylon Johnson finished the game without being targeted once, made a big impact play early creating a takeaway with a Peanut Punch, and was good tackling in the run game. Eddie Jackson flashed his potential again with an excellent interception in the 4th quarter and was great in coverage. Jaquan Brisker had some rookie struggles and was late fitting gaps and missed tackles. But his performance was largely positive. Recovering a fumble early and making big plays in the run game while holding up in coverage, Brisker showed why he’s going to develop into a dynamic playmaker on this unit. Kyler Gordon struggled in coverage at times and was targeted often, despite the struggles Gordon showed promise in a still positive performance. Lastly, Kindle Vildor showed improvement from last year but still is a clear weakness in the secondary.
Grade A-
Cairo Santos struggled in the weather missing two extra points but I don’t expect this to continue. His biggest mistake of the day however was a costly 15-yard penalty for him getting Trent Gill to bring a towel onto the field to press down and flatten the kick spot. Gill however was excellent punting in the game and did a great job of changing field positions. There weren’t any noticeable coverage issues, but Dante Pettis did have a questionable decision to field a punt inside the 10 without a fair catch.
Grade D-
The bears are 1-0 just like everyone thought they would be. Things fell into place for the Bears in the second half and put up 19 unanswered to get the victory.
Justin Fields put up two touchdowns in the second half to lead the charge. The comeback was capped off by an Eddie Jackson interception to set up a Khalil Herbert touchdown run.
The Bears defense held their own forcing two 49ers turnovers on the afternoon and showing a ton of promise along the way. This is going to be a fun team to watch grow this season.
The Bears will now travel to Green Bay to take on the Packers on Sunday Night Football.
The regular season is finally here, and the Bears look to start the season with a win against the 49ers. Although the hype from the national side of things is not there, I expect the Bears to turn some heads. Whether that’s week one or week eight, I don’t know, but I guarantee we will not win just 3 games. With that being said, here are my five bold predictions for this season!
David Montgomery Solidifies Himself As a Top 5 Running Back
I have been on the David train since this dude arrived in Chicago. And I think this is the year he puts himself on the national radar. In the past, David has dealt with a lot of shit. Including Mr. “I didn’t come here to run the I-formation”. And the recent offensive lines the Bears have rolled out. Fortunately for him, I think he doesn’t have to worry anymore now that Luke Getsy is in town. This offense will live and die on the shoulders of David Montgomery. We got to see a glimpse of what this running game will look like against the Browns and boy did David look sharp. Not only did we see David take advantage of his opportunity, but we got to see the much-improved offensive line. Overall expect David to get TONS of opportunities this season which will lead to his best season yet as a pro.
One of the main criticisms of this Bears team this year has been the “lack” of weapons surrounding Justin Fields. Now, can that argument be made, sure, but I think too many people are sleeping on the development of Cole Kmet. Kmet had a sneaky good season last year as he put up 612 yards. Now yes, he needs to reach the endzone more, but like Montgomery, I think the scheme change will do wonders. Last season Kmet had a target share of 17.7% which ranked 11th among tight ends. With him being the featured tight end, he should have no issue ranking in the top 7 by the end of the season.
The fact that this record which was set in 1995 is still standing is sad. Like many other Bears fans, I think Fields will have a mini breakout season. What that looks like we all wish we knew. But I can say that 2 passing touchdowns a game is very doable. The situation Fields is entering is not as bad as the media makes it out to be. Mooney is a 1,000-yard receiver, Kmet like we just discussed is a very capable TE and the wide receiver depth is there. On the other hand, health could play a part in this. Fields is going to take shots often due to his playstyle and the uncertainty of the O-line. Therefore, missing games are in play. But on the bright side, he won’t be taking 3 step drops while Myles Garrett is going one on one against 40-year-old Jason Peters.
Last season the Chicago Bears won 6 games with a horrible coaching staff, the 3rd hardest schedule, and one of the oldest teams in the league. To say that they can’t win 2-3 more games and sneak into the playoffs is wild to me. Since the day Poles and Eberflus were hired they had a vision for this team. We’ve all heard it, they want to play fast, physical and smart football. And it’s clear based on the roster they have built. For the offense, Luke Getsy has built everything around Justin Fields and his playmakers. Something which was not done last season. The defense has bought into the HITS principle and will feature young, fast, explosive athletes hungry to make plays. Now you may be saying that’s great, but what’s their path to the postseason? Since the recent trend of trading your QB to the AFC has started, the NFC has gotten a lot weaker at that position. As it’s a quarterback league, more often than not the better quarterback comes out on top. And it should be clear based on my thoughts of Justin Fields that he will rise above most of these guys in the NFC.
This prediction kind of ties in with the last. If the Bears do sneak into the playoffs, you have to think Eberflus is in the running for winning the award. Since the narrative on this team is we’re going to win 3 games and be the worst team in the league. Winning 9 games and making the playoffs could give Eberflus a good enough shot at winning the award. With that being said this should be a good year of football. I don’t think Bears fans will be waking up Monday morning thinking what the hell was that. Eberflus will keep this team in many games, even if they don’t result in wins. And let’s all enjoy the breath of fresh air.
Let’s be honest – everyone will already be watching the game on Sunday afternoon. What better way to add some excitement than to sprinkle some action on the game. Let me preface this by saying I’m no expert. I bet on vibes, feelings, and stats when they work to my advantage. With that said, here’s what I see when the 49ers visit Chicago to start the season.
SPREAD: 49ers -7
I’m one of the few people out there who actually thinks the 49ers will be really good with Trey Lance as the starting quarterback. With that said, the guy hasn’t played a lot of football in the last 3 years. If you will remember, he played 1 game in 2020 and started 2 games in 2021. The 49ers have the superior roster, but 7 points in the NFL is a lot for a QB that has a lot to prove. Underdogs typically thrive in the early weeks of the season, so the Bears have some value here. Last point, 75% of the NFL media is convinced the Bears are the worst team in the league. I expect the public to be all over SF. Fade them.
Verdict – Bears +7
O/U: 40
The Bears defense will be a little better than expected. I expect both teams to try and establish the run, which means the clock is moving. Both secondaries and defensive fronts should be solid. Touchdowns in the red zone are no guarantee. This is the lowest total on the board for a reason. It seems like a lot to ask for either team to clear 24 points.
Verdict – Under
PROPS
Trey Lance Rushing Yards: 38.5
The easiest way to get the new guy comfortable will be to get him some designed runs. Kyle Shanahan is a schematic wizard, and Trey ran for 120 combined yards in his two starts last season.
Verdict – Over
David Montgomery Rushing Yards: 54.5
The Bears offensive line is generously described as a question mark. San Fran has a spectaular front seven lead by Nick Bosa and Fred Werner. Combine that with the likely scenario that the Bears are playing from behind and Justin Fields running the ball himself and it feels like an under day for David.
Verdict – Under
Kyle Juszczyk Receiving Yards: 7.5
We can clear this in one play. Remember what I said about Shanahan and scheming the offense? He’ll get the FB a screen pass or something that gets him over the total.
Verdict – Over
Justin Fields Passing Yards: 194.5
This is a low, perhaps disrespectful number. The Bears will likely be throwing and trailing in the game. Let’s give Luke Getsy a chance. 200 yards is not hard for an NFL QB to clear. Hopefully a chunk of these yards can come from broken plays and designed rollouts.
Verdict – Over