Imagine Losing $100,000 Because Brock Osweiler Beat the Bears and Other Bullets

The NBA opened up shop last night, which means we have four major American professional sports leagues rolling at the same time. That’s neat. I want to be more interested in The Association in 2018, but I’m not there quite yet.

  • If you think that loss was costly for the Bears, MGM Sports Book Director Jeff Stoneback told ESPN’s David Purdum that multiple bets of $100,000+ were made on the Bears to win Sunday’s game. Good luck explaining to your loved ones you lost six figures because Brock Osweiler got the best of a Khalil Mack-led defense.
  • There is a thin line between a reason and an excuse. But I’m still unsure on which side of the fence things are falling on when it comes to the heat factor in the team’s loss to Miami, even as we find ourselves turning the page from the Dolphins game to the upcoming showdown with the Patriots. Bears players and coaches have said all the right things to make a point of not making excuses, which is encouraging. No one likes excuse-makers. I did find this anecdote interesting:
  • There is no doubt the Bears were worn down in the second half. You could see it in the decline in their sharpness and execution. A team that was sharp defensively in four games and has one bad half probably shouldn’t be judged on that bad half. Not every snap, series, or individual game has to turn into a referendum on what the 2018 Bears are and will be. With that in mind, if that sloppy tackling continues, then we’ll have something on our hands. In any case, it’s something we’ll monitor moving forward. Well, that and the weather.
  • Thinking about this again reminds me of how the Bears didn’t fully use their depth to their fullest advantage. Hopefully, this teachable lesson is something the coaching staff picks up on.
  • In an alternate universe (one where the Bears are 5-0, the CTA is never late, and the lotto guy always picks my numbers), we’re talking about this goal line stand as a turning point in the game and possibly the Bears’ season:
  • Playing football in that heat seems like a dangerous way to lose 10+ pounds:
  • Albert Wilson, who won the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week award for his Week 6 efforts against the Bears, was a hot free agent prospect during the offseason. Not only did he have ties to Matt Nagy from their time together in Kansas City, Wilson played his best ball when Nagy took over play-calling duties for Andy Reid. Wilson was a thorn in the Bears’ side when he racked up 155 receiving yards and two touchdowns for the Dolphins in their win. It makes it that much more painful that Wilson was close to signing with the Bears. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke with Wilson after the game, and Wilson (a Florida native) explained the Bears offered him a four-year deal when he only wanted three years. Can’t knock a guy for wanting to play in the Sunshine State and sign a deal that could possibly give him another crack at free agency.
  • Some well-deserved love for Taylor Gabriel, who is really shredding any label that was put on him before the season started:
  • Moving on to Patriots Week, John Mullin of NBC Sports Chicago runs down some of Tom Brady’s finest moments in what is most likely going to be his last game against the Bears. My least favorite memory? Brady’s Patriots putting a 36-7 butt-whipping on December 12, 2010 when he put up 369 passing yards and three touchdowns against the future NFC North champs. It was below freezing and I’m pretty sure there was hope that “Bear Weather” would slow down Brady. For me, that’s when the myth of “Bear Weather” died.
  • Brady is 4-0 against the Bears in his career. But two of the last three times he has faced Chicago, the team has gone on to make it to at least the NFC Championship Game. I brought this up to a friend and asked if he would exchange a loss to the Pats for a guaranteed spot in this season’s NFC Championship. His response: “No comment.” Fair enough.
  • This is what it looks (and sounds) like when you have full command of the offense:
  • Where do you sign up to see those offenses again? How about Sunday at Soldier Field:
  • Will we have another high-scoring affair on our hands when the Patriots and Bears hit the Soldier Field turf? I wouldn’t be opposed to it, especially if it looked like the show Brady and Patrick Mahomes put on last week. Of course, I’d like it more if the home team pulled off a win with a game-winning field goal. Just saying.
  • I love to see Bears players (especially rookies!) reaching out to the community:
  • As a bobblehead collector, I think I want one:
  • I’d be more intrigued about this if the Bears had a first-round pick or were projected to pick in the top-5, but Ohio State defensive lineman Nick Bosa is withdrawing from school in a decision that essentially locks him into a top draft spot by not risking further injury. Smart decision.
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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