The Injury Bug Bites, Fans Impressive Performance, Behind the QB Chaos, We Missed Watching Fields, and Other Bears Bullets

We’ve just about had our fill of post-Thanksgiving leftovers. Tomorrow? Something new. Maybe this Quad Cities Pizza recipe from our friend Jim will hit the spot. Today? OK, give me whatever piece of white meat is available and what’s left of that delicious mac and cheese.

  • The Monday after Thanksgiving is always the worst Monday of the year. Even the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday has some perks. But the Monday after Thanksgiving is a slog every year without fail. Throw in an ugly Bears game and the numerous injuries that came along with the defeat … will you just let me press fast forward through the day? PLEASE!?
  • Few things muck up what would’ve otherwise been a flawless Tank Win like the injury bug taking chunks out of the squad. Receiver Darnell Mooney’s ankle injury was a serious one and could require season-ending surgery. Safety Eddie Jackson’s foot injury was serious enough to keep him from returning to the game. Right tackle Riley Reiff went down with a right shoulder injury. And as The Athletic’s gang of reporters point out, offensive lineman Larry Borom (who replaced Reiff) missed some time in the fourth quarter due to an undisclosed injury of his own. Receiver Chase Claypool also saw time in the medical tent after being seen limping in the fourth quarter. It was bad news for the Bears all around the injury front. Talk about adding injury to insult.
  • Because there were no limits to the chaos at MetLife Stadium, the Bears had to have insanity surround their quarterback situation. Alex Shapiro (NBCS Chicago) takes us through the whirlwind of events that had our heads spinning trying to keep up with the news. Chicago’s football team really went from Justin Fields briefly doing light on-field workouts to Fields being inactive, then jumping to Trevor Siemian starting in Fields’ place, only for Siemian to come up with an oblique issue that put Nathan Peterman in a spot to start, which never happened because Siemian mustered it up to start and play the whole game. Frankly, it all reminded me of how valuable Fields is to this team. Not just in terms of production or enjoyability from a fan-watching standpoint. But also when it comes to stability and peace of mind. I’ll never take that for granted after yesterday’s ridiculousness.
  • Cam Ellis (670 The Score) is right. The best performance to come from Sunday came from anyone who gutted out to watch the entire Fieldsless Bears-Jets game. You’re the real MVPs.
  • OK, fine, what I really missed most was the watchability and production. After starting 8-for-11 for 127 yards, 1 TD (0 INTs), and a 141.1 rating in the first half, Siemian finished with a 14-for-25, 179-yard, 1 TD-1 INT, 75.2-rating game attached to his name in the box score. Which means Siemian’s second-half line was: 6 of 14 (42.5%), 52 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, 23.5 passer rating. Ick.
  • It’s almost as if football talkers with large platforms and blue checkmarks should be careful what they wish for out of quarterback play. Because even though Fields doesn’t do thing the way that traditional QBs do it out of the pocket, we saw Siemian do that stuff. And the result was a grating, boring game-watching experience. I think this tweet sums it up best:
  • Not that you needed the reminder, but here it is anyway: Fields is the reason this offense works. He is also the reason this Bears thing is any sort of interesting.
  • Here is a comp that’s been on my mind. In recent years, I’ve become disenchanted with a bunch of the baseball conversations because if a player doesn’t look like this, play like that, or have these baseline numbers then they’re bad. Some of that chatter has seeped into football discussion, primarily at quarterback. Baseball is a beautiful game because you don’t need to be a hulking behemoth or put up eye-popping stats to be an impact player. And quarterbacking is beautiful (to me) because you don’t always need to put up 400-yard passing games to be effective or entertaining. So I’m going to do what I can to push back against silly talk from simple minds who want football quarterbacks to all look the same. Who wants that anyway?
  • I remember seeing this on my screen and thinking about how much I was missing Fields:
  • And then I saw this tweet in-game and immediately said to myself where ya been, dude?
  • My Bears offseason shopping list is as long as my Christmas shopping list. Maybe GM Ryan Poles will want to exchange notes? Perhaps we can give each other some ideas? My DMs are open.
  • Can you believe I made it this long before expressing my disgust for having to spend nearly three hours watching a defense cough up 466 yards of offense to a Mike White-led offense? And it’s not just because I had White and his 31.6 fantasy points on my bench yesterday. I can excuse Ohio State product Garrett Wilson going off for 5 catches, 95 yards, and 2 TDs. But allowing 158 ground yards to the Jets made it all the more painful.
  • Lance Briggs is as disappointed with the defensive showing as I am:
  • Tweets that make you go hmmm:
  • There is a joke to be made about fallen chosen ones and their relationships with older women, but I’m not going to make it. Mostly out of respect to Anakin, who is more potent with the Youngling Slayer 3000 than Zach Wilson is with a football:
  • Can we pretend this game never happened?
  • Oh, boy. Here we go:
  • Jordan Love certainly showed that he could sling it on Sunday night during his cameo against the Eagles on SNF. But I don’t want to install him as the third future Hall of Fame Packers quarterback to muck up our lives based on a handful of snaps in a game that was mostly in hand. He hit some open throws against soft zones, but the final-drive misfires when the game could’ve possibly swung were as telling as the early successes against defenses in a prevent state of mind. Love is still a developing quarterback. A toolsy one who plays for a franchise we expect to develop him into a star because our brains have been broken to believe that they get all the good luck. But it doesn’t have to be that way, friends.
  • A baseball transaction! The White Sox have struck a deal with starting pitcher Mike Clevinger, a familiar face for fans who watched him pitch in Cleveland while he was in the AL Central a few years ago:
  • It always ties back to Steve Larmer, doesn’t it?
  • Some sage advice from our friends at BN Bulls:
  • 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.

    more bears news

    Rome Odunze Has a Visit With the Bears Coming Soon

    If you aren't already familiar with Rome Odunze's name or game, your time will come. The University of Washington wide receiver is one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. At this point of the year, I've officially...

    Matt Eberflus Opens a Window to the Chicago Bears Draft Plans

    NFL coaches are notoriously tight-lipped. And in his first two seasons as Bears head coach, Matt Eberflus has been no different. But every once in a while you'll catch Eberflus peel back the curtain and provide some insight regarding the...

    What Does a Chicago Bears NFL Draft Trade Down Look Like?

    You'd think we'd be well-versed in trade-back options after months of wondering what kind of haul it would take for the Bears to move off taking quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. But trading...

    D-Line Thoughts, Caleb, GM Seth Rollins, Pack Votes No, and Other Bears Bullets

    Cubs and White Sox opening day is today today. March Madness resumes with the Fighting Illini playing in the Sweet 16 later tonight. SIU, my alma mater, is reportedly hiring a "Coach Nagy" to lead its basketball team. And what...

    Dan Campbell is Happy To See Justin Fields Leave the NFC North

    There was no escaping the mixed emotions from Chicago Bears fans when the Justin Fields trade went down earlier this month. But there were none of that from Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell. Heck, I'd argue there was just...

    Another Pass Rusher Signs Elsewhere: Jadeveon Clowney Lands With the Panthers

    Another day. Another pass rusher signing. And another defensive lineman going to a team that isn't the Chicago Bears. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was the first with the news of Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, ESPN's...

    Malik Nabers Might’ve Run His Way Out of the Chicago Bears Draft Spot

    Today was LSU's Pro Day and Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles was scheduled to be in attendance, per The Athletic's Adam Jahns. Assuming Poles made his flight, he got a good look at the likes of quarterback Jayden Daniels, as...

    Goodell on Bears Stadium Deal, No to Hard Knocks? More Old Friends Go to Steelers, and Other Bears Bullets

    I keep forgetting that I have a Starbucks gift card from Christmas that has gone unused to this point. Maybe I'll remember it next time I go out for coffee. A big shout out to PFF Brad, who made the...

    Ryan Poles Was Pissed Off By RGIII’s Comments About Caleb Williams Situation

    When I saw them pop up, RGIII's comments suggesting Caleb Williams pull an Eli Manning and refuse to play for the Chicago Bears were met with an eye-roll, audible groan, and immediate dismissal before moving onto more pertinent topics. But...

    Bears Stadium Update: Kevin Warren Reiterates Plans to Build in Downtown Chicago

    It sure is starting to sound like Arlington Heights fumbled the bag when it comes to locking in Arlington Park as the future home of a Chicago Bears stadium. While meeting with the media at the NFL owners meetings in...

    Latest News

    Astros vs. Yankees: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    On Friday, Kyle Tucker and the Houston Astros (0-1) face Juan Soto and the New York Yankees (1-0), with first pitch scheduled for 8:10 PM ET at Minute Maid Park.Keep reading to find out all the details on how to...

    Rays vs. Blue Jays: Start Time, Streaming Live, TV Channel, How to Watch

    The Toronto Blue Jays (1-0), led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., visit the Tampa Bay Rays (0-1) at 6:50 PM ET on Friday.Keep scrolling to find out all the details on how to watch Tampa Bay square off against Toronto live.When...

    CRAAAAAAP: Justin Steele Exits the Game with an Injury (UPDATES)

    Yep. That's about as bad as it gets. All those fears and anxieties you felt when Justin Steele took that liner off his knee in spring training came back tonight, only this time it's a soft tissue injury during the...

    Heat vs. Trail Blazers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Portland Trail Blazers (19-54) are heavy underdogs (+14.5) as they attempt to break an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Miami Heat (39-33) at 8:00 PM ET on Friday, March 29, 2024 at FTX Arena. The matchup airs...

    Cavaliers vs. 76ers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Cleveland Cavaliers (44-29) take the court against the Philadelphia 76ers (39-34) as 7.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:30 PM ET on NBCS. The matchup has an over/under of 210 points.Cavaliers vs. 76ers OddsCavaliers odds to win:...

    Knicks vs. Spurs Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The New York Knicks (44-28) are heavily favored (-10) to continue a three-game winning streak when they visit the San Antonio Spurs (17-56) at 8:00 PM ET on Friday, March 29, 2024 at AT&T Center. The contest airs on BSSW....

    Wizards vs. Pistons Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Detroit Pistons (12-61) are 2.5-point underdogs as they attempt to turn around an eight-game losing streak when they visit the Washington Wizards (14-59) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Capital One Arena. The matchup airs at 7:00 PM ET...

    Pacers vs. Lakers Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Los Angeles Lakers (41-32) will attempt to extend a five-game winning streak when they hit the road to play the Indiana Pacers (41-33) on Friday, March 29, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as just 2.5-point underdogs. The game airs at...

    Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Western's top two teams, the Denver Nuggets (51-22) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (50-22), hit the court at Ball Arena on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 9:00 PM ET on ALT. The Nuggets are favored by 6.5 points at home....

    Warriors vs. Hornets Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats and Best Bets – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The Golden State Warriors (38-34) play the Charlotte Hornets (18-54) as double-digit, 11.5-point favorites on Friday, March 29, 2024 at 7:00 PM ET on NBCS. The over/under is set at 218 in the matchup.Warriors vs. Hornets OddsWarriors odds to win:...

    more bears news