NEWSLETTER
If JJ Abrams was writing the 2020 Bears season the same way he wrote The Rise of Skywalker, then this exact scene would play out:
#DaBears pic.twitter.com/dRJwtkufWn
— Ryan Davis, Spooky Scary (@RyanQDavis) October 18, 2020
We’ve decoded the intel from the NFL’s official box score and it confirms that, somehow, the Chicago Bears won again. This time by a 23-16 score against the Carolina Panthers. The victory improves them to 5-1, joining the Seattle Seahawks as one of two NFC teams with five wins.
Dark science? Devil magic? Other secrets only the Sith knew? Perhaps. Nevertheless, the record is what the record is — 5 and 1.
The defense balled out again. And at this rate, I’m going to run out of superlatives by the time the Week 11 bye rolls around. The pass-rush was marvelous, picking up another four sacks, six QB Hits, and countless moments of duress for Teddy Bridgewater. Elsewhere, the “D” picked up six tackles-for-loss and forced three turnovers. Those numbers could’ve been even better had it not been for some questionable officiating, but we can address that at a later time. Because in this moment, Chicago’s defense deserves to be showered with riches. I love this group and I’m not afraid to admit it.
As for the offense … yikes.
Matt Nagy’s group gained just 261 total yards, averaged only 4.1 yards per play, and committed numerous mistakes that made me want to throw my television out the window. FOX broadcasters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma made a handful of basketball comps while watching this game, which was fitting because I felt like I was watching a streaky bunch of 3-point shooters who were aiming at the wrong rim. Even in the moments when Nick Foles was hot, the streak didn’t last long.
In the end, was annoying, infuriating, and downright painful to watch. That was as maddening as a win gets.
There’s so much to dissect from this game, and we’ll get to it in short order. In the meantime, I’m off to see if the Dark side of the Force is a pathway to scoring more offensive touchdowns — which is an ability some Bears fans consider to be unnatural after watching this group for six weeks.
