NEWSLETTER
Sunday was an emotionally charged day for all the right reasons. Wins by the Cubs and Bears were punctuated by the celebration of a fantasy baseball championship while in good company made it a good day. So … now what?
• Wow! I can’t believe how lucky the Cowboys got and how good the Bears are:
The Falcons had a 99.9% win probability against the Cowboys and lost.
The Falcons had a 99.6% win probability against the Bears and lost.
Back to back weeks. pic.twitter.com/RoBag3lnHU
— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) September 27, 2020
• I’m still not over what we witnessed yesterday. The worst-case scenario played out early. We saw a key player get injured. Witnessed touchdowns get taken off the board despite a lack of what I would consider conclusive evidence. And yet, it all started with QB1 getting pulled.
• This is what it looked like, too:
Nick Foles entering the game for the @ChicagoBears today like pic.twitter.com/mB4jb0f0jI
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 27, 2020
• Clearly, this guy knows how to work a room:
Nick Foles leadership was on full display yesterday. pic.twitter.com/bN4rYerVlE
— Bears Film Room (@BearsFilmRoom) September 28, 2020
• And his playmaking ability was jaw-dropping:
I’m still not over the Nick Foles thing. Takes a lickin’, but keeps on tickin’! What a finish! pic.twitter.com/jFefmz46xX
— Bleacher Nation Bears (@BN_Bears) September 28, 2020
• To get off a throw with that much mustard and accuracy in that moment is nothing short of impressive.
• Foles is feeling the love:
https://twitter.com/LG_Blount/status/1310322830630744065?s=20
• The imperfect Bears are 3-0. And much like I refuse to apologize for a 2-0 start, I’ll gladly take three wins in three games. Was it pretty? No. Will things get tougher in the coming weeks? Yes. But we all figured the early slate of games provided an opportunity for Chicago to stack wins and build confidence. The Bears are doing just that right now. Sure, they have loads of work to do in order to look as good as their record says they are at the moment. But a 3-0 start is far better than the alternative (Michael: And, hey, you bank wins when you can. They don’t count any less than commanding wins retrospectively).
• And other than the wins themselves, the Bears have shown some real resilience. They didn’t just start comebacks, they finished them, and that may ultimately be one of the most important takeaways from the first three weeks.
• Say what you want about these guys, but there’s no denying that they are history-makers:
The @ChicagoBears are the first team in NFL history to win 2 games in a single season where they were trailing by at least 16 points entering the 4th quarter.
They've done it twice in their first 3 games (Week 1 vs Lions & Today). H/T @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/Xh4sYjMpkC
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 27, 2020
• In addition to crediting the players, kudos should go to Matt Nagy and his staff. Last year’s Bears winning 8 games with an inept offense was a credit to the players’ ability to rally around each other and Nagy’s ability to keep what could have been a sinking ship afloat. Things will get more challenging from here as the team likely makes a switch at quarterback, but I think the Bears are in a good place right now with Nagy in charge.
• If you believe the Bears’ wild ride to start the season is aging you, just know you are not alone:
“Wins are hard to come by, let alone wins like this. This one was a little more extreme than Week 1. When I signed up here, I didn't know I was going to be aging and get some gray hairs."
– Bears safety Tashaun Gipson(Via Bears YouTube)
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) September 28, 2020
• This single play made my phone buzz with replies and text messages in a way I’ve never experienced:
Here’s the detail from the gamebook of the Bears’ strip-sack. A lot going on pic.twitter.com/3gslMXrxTz
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) September 28, 2020
• PAY THIS MAN HIS MONEY:
Allen Robinson had No. 1-receiver type game for the #Bears. He made four catches on five targets for 54 yards and his 37-yard touchdown catch (great individual play) in the fourth quarter. It all came after his first "touchdown catch" in the 3Q. Finished with 10-123-1.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) September 28, 2020
• The hot seat under Dan Quinn is likely to be quite uncomfortable today:
The Falcons are the first team EVER to lose back-to-back games despite leading by 15+ points in the 4th quarter in both. pic.twitter.com/bnwDMP5voE
— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) September 27, 2020
• The headline from SB Nation’s The Falcoholic: “Nuke the 2020 Falcons from orbit, it’s the only way to be sure.”
• Meanwhile, in Chicago:
Front page news: “Nick of Time” #Bears pic.twitter.com/jqzCkzlDh7
— Michele Steele (@ESPNMichele) September 28, 2020
• I’m not quite ready to do playoff watch just yet, but I’m getting there after reading this tweet:
From 1990 through 2019, teams that started 3-0 went on to make the playoffs 74% of the time. It jumps to 82% for 4-0 teams. And that was before they added the 7th playoff spot this season. The Bears have flaws, but they're probably in if they manage to go 6-7 the rest of the way.
— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) September 28, 2020
• ¿Quien puso el mal de ojo en estos hombres?
It’s been a tough 2020 season for the last six No. 2 NFL draft picks:
2015: Marcus Mariota (on IR)
2016: Carson Wentz (NFL-high 6 INT)
2017: Mitch Trubisky (benched)
2018: Saquon Barkley (torn ACL)
2019: Nick Bosa (torn ACL)
2020: Chase Young (groin injury, left Sunday’s game)— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 28, 2020
• What if I told you Mitchell Trubisky (71.8) finished with a higher passer rating than Matt Ryan (67.7) on Sunday?
• For your listening pleasure:
https://twitter.com/TheAthleticCHI/status/1310568692892270605?s=20
• The Lions won their first game of the year on Sunday by beating a trendy Cardinals team on its home turf. Hopefully, that gets Detroit on enough of a roll to take them out of the Trevor Lawrence sweepstakes.
• Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Vikings dropped to 0-3 as they were defeated by the Titans on Sunday. Stephen Gostkowski made six field goals, including a 55-yard game-winner with 1:48 left in regulation. Gostkowski, who missed four kicks in Week 1, says going sock-less has sparked his in-season turnaround. No, seriously.
• And what is slowly becoming a tradition unlike any other, Sean Payton got way-too-cute in a primetime game and his decision-making led to his team’s defeat. Because while Taysom Hill’s gadgetry is fun when it works, taking the ball out of the hands of Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara is highly questionable. More so in a tied game. The Packers beat the Saints on Sunday, to remain in a first-place tie with the Bears. Thanks for nothing, Saints.
