I’m still feeling the after-effects of attending Sunday’s Bears’ win in the flesh. And though I’m fully thawed out and functional, taking a flight to Las Vegas less than 24 hours after the conclusion of that game has thrown my body clock for a loop. But a quick glance at the standings should put me in a good spot to get my day started.
Hello, beautiful:
Yo! The Bears and Patriots have the same record. OK, so do the Texans … but look at the Bears and Patriots. And while I understand New England plays its regular season as a primer for postseason action, the fact that the Pats and Bears have the same record tells you everything you need to know about this particular season. Any thing at any time can happen anywhere. So even though that’s true about every season, I can understand where it would be difficult for most Bears fans to feel that way coming into this season. But now that we’re here, we’re living in the moment and it’s fabulous.
How about those fans!?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrODtYcHjon/
Sunday’s game was my first December experience at Soldier Field and was my first game at the stadium this late in the calendar year since attending the Prep Bowl (which pits the winners of the Chicago Catholic League and Public Leagues against each other) in 2003. As for the vibe surrounding the game, it was more positive than I expected. Or I probably should have expected more. I’m as guilty of it as anyone, but there are times that we (as a society) live in a social media echo chamber and receive only a small sample of what’s going on from an opinion standpoint. There was plenty of doubt regarding the Bears’ chances on social media, and because of that, I thought there was a chance it would carry over into game day. That turned out not to be the case. In fact, there was a real feeling of optimism – which obviously lifted my spirits. It was a fun environment (winning helps!) that I would like to experience again.
But seriously, who gets the game ball(s) for the city and fans? I’ll gladly accept on behalf of both, if necessary.
No team had a more impressive win than the Bears on Sunday, writes NFL.com’s Adam Schein. Holding one of the league’s most potent offenses to six points will elevate your status, but that’s just part of the story. Heck, six points is just the tip of the iceberg. Zero touchdowns. Three field goal attempts. Two red zone trips. No first-downs via penalties. The Bears did so much right that their dominance is undeniable. I’m still in awe.
There was a sense of “boy, the Bears should be up by a lot more” throughout the game, which was tied to their dominance of possession. The Bears had the ball for 36:49, limiting the Rams to 23:11. You can’t score if you don’t have the ball. Unless you’re Eddie Jackson, of course.
Somewhere in a draft folder is something I wanted to get to regarding the Bears’ dominance of time of possession. Because while their offense has had some quick-strike games, the Bears have really owned time of possession. It’s a combination of a bunch of factors including a defense that takes the ball away and limits opponents’ possession time by forcing three and outs, while also having an offense that completes an increased number of passes and moves the chains. There’s probably more to dig into here now that we have a bigger sample of games to dive into.
The answer to this question is no:
This is a headline at Deadspin attached to a post you might be interested in reading: “It Only Took Four Bears To Make Jared Goff Look Like A Chump”
In addition to their “Santa’s Sleigh” shenanigans, the Bears almost pulled off some more trickery when they tried to do a hockey-style line change and send their offense onto the field with the punt team coming off at the same time. Unfortunately, Bobby Massie came into contact with an official, who took a tumble, and essentially blew the play dead before it could get started. Head Coach Matt Nagy was heated in the moment, but has since issued an apology. “I talked to those guys. I apologized to them,” Nagy said, via Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune. “I told them that they did the right thing and we need to coach that play better so our guys don’t do that.”
What a moment for the coach, eh? Accountability is so refreshing.
Did he say it with a wink?
All is fair in love, war, and goal line offense play designs:
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