Bears Drop Final Two at Home, But Finish Strong Over Packers
January 5, 2025, 8:18 PM CST
When I decided after the Seattle game to just recap the final three games in one article, I fully expected to be covering three uninspiring losses.
Alas, they shocked everyone and finally did something that they haven't done since 2018. They beat the Packers.
Since I'd rather not focus on the bad and instead want to get to the good, I'll just briefly recap the final two home games. Their final Sunday home game came on December 22nd against the Lions, with the Bears losing 34-17. Caleb had some flashes, as we've seen all season, including a nice dime to Keenan Allen late in the first half. But the defense was poor and the second half offense couldn't get anything going. They had a chance to make up for it just four days later when they hosted the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in their final home game. Unfortunately for the people who watched, it was the worst NFL game of the year as the final score was 6-3. The offense was stagnant (though Caleb had a really nice touchdown pass to Rome Odunze called back thanks to holding), but the Bears briefly took the lead in the third after Kyler Gordon forced a fumble and brought it back to the endzone. He was never ruled down, but replay showed he was touched and the hope quickly faded. Neither team could score again after that, and in fact, nobody scored in the second half. It really seemed like the Bears had no hope heading into Lambeau, a place they hadn't won at since 2015.
The Packers decided to start the game with their starters in, though it was pretty well known that at some point they would pull them. The Bears offense was horrid, as their first two drives resulted in -11 total yards. Somehow, they were winning after the first quarter though thanks to a perfectly executed fakeout on a punt return that Josh Blackwell took to the house. Green Bay kicked a field goal, but on their ensuing drive Jaylon Johnson punched out a ball that Jonathan Owens recovered, giving the Bears excellent field position. The offense finally got going and capitalized with a D'Andre Swift touchdown to take a 14-3 lead. Though Green Bay would go on two scoring drives, the Bears still held a 14-13 lead at halftime.
The offense mainly stuck to screens throughout the game, but the defense held up against Green Bay backup QB Malik Willis, helping the Bears hold onto the lead despite a struggle from the offense to get into the endzone. Finally, all these screens worked as DJ Moore housed one from 32 yards out early in the fourth to extend the Chicago lead to 21-13. Green Bay would go on another touchdown drive not long after, but failed the two-point try and the Bears remained ahead 21-19.
After the Packers touchdown, the Bears got the ball looking to just work the clock and run this one out. After reaching the two minute warning, all they needed was one more first down. But, a Gerald Everett holding would set them back, and a DJ Moore fumble immediately after gave Green Bay the ball with just a few yards to go to get into field goal range. The Packers did just that and got the go-ahead field goal, but not before some boneheaded clock management from Matt LaFleur gave the Bears life. Caleb Williams had a chance to finish the year off strong and lead a game-winning drive against the Packers.
The Bears started their drive at their own 20 yard line and one timeout to get into field goal range. Caleb Williams was sacked on the first play, but the defender dragged him down by the horse-collar and the ball moved to the 35 yard line. Caleb connected with Rome Odunze on the sideline with an excellent toe tap catch to get the ball to midfield and stop the clock. After Green Bay pressured Caleb on the next play, he was forced to step up and scramble for four yards, and the Bears had to call their final timeout. He was almost sacked on the next play, but he just barely got rid of it. On 3rd and 6, Caleb found DJ at the Green Bay 34, but and illegal shift brought them back five yards. Caleb looked DJ's way again, and found him in the middle of the field at the Packers 33 to get within field goal range. They hustled to the line to clock it, and they got the snap off with two seconds to go. Cairo Santos came out for the 51 yard try, and a chance at redemption.
Bears fans everywhere held their breath, as we know what happened the last time we played the Packers. The Packers elected not to use their final timeout to ice Santos, and as the kick went up, it looked like it might go just left. The kick stayed on line though, barely squeezing in, and for the first time since I began this page, the Bears defeated the Packers, snapping an eleven game losing streak against them.
With the win, the Bears finish the season at 5-12 and hold the 10th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It also gives a huge boost of momentum headed into next year, as the team really needed that one after all the heartbreak from this season. For now though, it is time to find a Head Coach.
Image Credit: Bears Wire
Bears Drop Eighth Straight in Loss to Vikings
December 16, 2024, 11:23 PM CST
The Bears nightmare season continues, as they lost their 8th straight game in a season that they're just trying to get over with.
Having been eliminated from playoff contention yesterday, the Bears really have nothing to play for at this point outside of trying to spoil other teams' chances at seeding or postseason play. But it seems like most of the team has quit, which clearly showed tonight as they got killed by the Vikings. Minnesota went up 10-0 in the first quarter and had a 13-0 lead at halftime, which meant it was yet another scoreless half for the Bears.
The Bears generated some offense in the second half, with two Cairo Santos field goals and a Keenan Allen touchdown, but there was no coming back tonight. They had a situation where they got to the goal line and scored, but the play came back because Doug Kramer failed to report as eligible as a fullback. That negated a D'Andre Swift touchdown and the Bears eventually settled for three.
Next week doesn't promise any hope as the Bears return to Soldier Field to take on the Lions, who are also fighting for the top spot. Perhaps Ben Johnson is auditioning for his future team, as he is at the top of my list of candidates who I want coaching the Bears next year.
Image Credit: Yardbarker
Brown Head Coach Debut Spoiled in Blowout Loss to Niners
December 8, 2024, 7:03 PM CST
Another week, another loss for the Bears. Despite making a head coaching change after last week, the Bears could not improve and dropped their seventh consecutive game with a 38-13 loss to the 49ers. Finishing 4-13 does not seem out of the realm of possibilities, especially with how hard of a schedule we have coming up.
Thomas Brown's first game as Interim Head Coach was underwhelming to say the least. The Bears defense immediately allowed a touchdown drive not even three minutes in, setting the tone for what what be an awful first half. The Bears offense could only muster four total yards in the first half, while the 49ers took a 24-0 lead going into the break. Coming out of halftime though, the Bears were able to put together a long touchdown drive capped off by Rome Odunze's second touchdown of the year on an incredible toe tap play. The Bears failed the two-point conversion attempt though, and they just couldn't get back in it. Odunze would later catch another touchdown, but by then it was far too late.
Unless they run the table and look good, I think the Bears will go with an external candidate such as Ben Johnson to be their next permanent Head Coach. I'll have something on that later this week. But for now, the Bears have officially secured another losing season and are on the verge of elimination from playoff contention.
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Decisions Loom as Bears Botch Comeback Bid vs Lions
November 28, 2024, 5:14 PM CST
Major, franchise-altering decisions are coming this weekend for the Chicago Bears.
After another blunder by Matt Eberflus, the end seems to be coming for the Bears third year Head Coach. After rallying from down 16-0 at half and 23-7 to start the fourth, the Bears had an opportunity to at least tie the game down 23-20 late. However, after Caleb Williams was sacked (Larry Borom completely left his man unblocked) with 30 seconds left, the Bears ran the ball down to six seconds despite having a timeout in their back pocket. Caleb had to go deep to Rome Odunze to try and win it, and the ball hit the ground with no time left. The game ended in the Bears sixth straight loss, and one more guarantees them another losing season.
Caleb Williams dominated the second half of this game. After going 5/15 in the first half, Williams snapped in the second half, going 15/24 for 222 passing yards and 3 touchdowns, as well as throwing zero interceptions (granted he did get lucky on a few throws). Two of his touchdowns were to Keenan Allen, and he hit DJ Moore on a deep ball for his third TD. Unfortunately, his effort once again went to waste because of his Head Coach.
The Bears next game won't be until December 8th against the 49ers. This would give them a great opportunity to install an interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. This weekend could be huge if the Bears decide to fire Matt Eberflus and give someone like Thomas Brown an opportunity to salvage something out of the season. It could help keep this team's confidence up and give an opportunity to see if a guy like Brown could be the permanent Head Coach from 2025 on.
Image Credit: ABC 7 Chicago
Keys To The Game: Detroit Lions
November 28, 2024, 11:08 AM CST
It's a short turnaround for this game as the Bears have traveled to Detroit and are preparing to take on the Lions at 11:30 AM Central Time. Detroit has only lost one game all season, and is currently riding a nine-game winning streak while the Bears come in at 4-7 on a five-game skid. It's going to be really hard to win and I'm not quite seeing a path to victory, but if there is a path it's going to take these three keys for it to happen.
1. Continue To Let Caleb Rip It
Since Thomas Brown took over as OC a couple weeks ago, Caleb Williams has been unlocked both in the pass and run games. He's been encouraged to rip the ball as well as run it when in trouble. Detroit has a really good defense, but this style has worked against Minnesota and Green Bay, who are also two really good defenses. Caleb has to continue to rip it today if we want any chance of keeping up with Detroit's high-powered offense.
2. Defense Step Up
Speaking of Detroit's high-powered offense, the Bears defense has to step up today. They've been allowing way too many points and yards in recent weeks, especially since Andrew Billings went down for the year. They have to bring pressure on Jared Goff, force turnovers, and stop the double-headed monster of a run game that is David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. If not, this could get out of hand really quick.
3. Hope History Is On Your Side
The Lions have lost eight straight Thanksgiving games, with their last win on turkey day coming in 2016 against the Vikings. In that time, the Bears have played in three of those games, winning all three with different QBs starting in each game. If there's some kind of curse on Detroit where they can't win on Thanksgiving, the Bears have to hope that remains today.
Score Prediction: Bears 28, Lions 41
I think the Lions are set up to finally break their Thanksgiving losing skid against the Bears. It won't necessarily be easy, but they'll put up a lot of points on the struggling Chicago defense, and though Caleb Williams will try and keep us in the game, it will be to no avail in the end. Who knows though, maybe the Bears can pull off the upset.
Image Credit: Sports Illustrated
Bears Comeback Falls Short in Overtime Loss to Vikings
November 24, 2024, 7:20 PM CST
Well, the Bears found another heart-breaking way to lose. This team just cannot lose games in a normal fashion. The Bears fell to 4-7 after their 30-27 overtime loss to the Vikings, who move to 9-2 on the season.
For the first time all season, the Bears scored first thanks to a Roschon Johnson rushing touchdown. It was very close to not being that way, but Jonathan Owens forced a fumble to give the Bears the ball. The Bears didn't stay ahead for long, though, as Minnesota would score touchdowns on their next two possessions to take a 14-7 lead. The Bears had another field goal blocked in that timespan, a similar situation to what happened last week. They were able to get a field goal before half to go down by only four at the break.
The Vikings took over coming out of the break, scoring 10 points in the third quarter to go up 24-10 heading into the 4th. The touchdown came after DeAndre Carter accidentally touched the ball on a punt, giving Minnesota excellent field position. Caleb Williams finally got a touchdown pass in the fourth, his first since Week 6 in London, connecting with DJ Moore for a 10 yard score. After failing on the two-point conversion, the Vikings went on a long drive to wind the clock down all the way past the two minute warning, kicking a field goal to take a 27-16 lead. After a big return from Carter to make up for his mishap, Caleb Williams led the Bears on an eight play drive, connecting with Keenan Allen in the endzone with 22 seconds to play for what seemed to be a statpad touchdown. After converting the two-point try, the Bears attempted an onside kick, which they recovered after the Vikings special teams couldn't secure the ball. With no timeouts, the Bears had to get into field goal range quickly, and a perfect Caleb Williams ball to DJ Moore did exactly that. Cairo Santos hit the 48 yard field goal as time expired to send the Bears into their first overtime game since 2020.
The Bears won the coin toss and elected to receive in OT with a chance to win the game. However, a Caleb Williams sack on second down, and then a delay of game penalty, killed the drive immediately and forced a punt. Minnesota went down field in ten plays to get into field goal range, and ended the Bears comeback with a walkoff 29 yard kick.
The Bears will next play on Thursday, when they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions on Thanksgiving. Chicago is 10.5-point underdogs, a line I have never seen in an NFL game, at least since I've been fully paying attention to the league. Who knows, maybe the Bears could shock the world and hand Detroit their first loss since Week 2.
Image Credit: Chicago Bears
Keys To The Game: Minnesota Vikings
November 24, 2024, 11:35 AM CST
The Bears conclude their three game homestand today as they host the 8-2 Minnesota Vikings. The Bears are also looking to snap a four game skid, which has included two heartbreaking losses including last week's loss to the Packers on the blocked Cairo Santos field goal try. This one is going to be even tougher to get a win out of, considering how good the Vikings have been despite poor preseason expectations. Here are my three keys to a Bears upset win over the Vikings.
1. Continue Building on Offense
In Thomas Brown's first game as Bears Offensive Coordinator, the team looked much improved and scored two touchdowns while also moving the ball well on offense. Minnesota is a very blitz heavy team, especially under Brian Flores' scheme. They made Justin Fields' life hard last year, and Caleb Williams needs to make sure to avoid the same mistakes and continue to get the ball out quick like he did last week. If he can do that, the Bears will have a shot at winning this game.
2. Get DJ Moore Into Space
DJ Moore hadn't been used properly under Shane Waldron, but he caught seven passes for 62 yards in Thomas Brown's debut as Bears OC. A lot of that was because the Bears were able to get Moore into space and allowed him to create plays. That needs to continue today, and if they can do that, it will help the offense move the ball and continue to get opportunities to get into the endzone.
3. Stop Aaron Jones
Since Aaron Jones came into the league with the Packers, he's pretty much been unstoppable against the Bears. Without Andrew Billings, the run defense has been bad, and it could continue that way today if the Bears don't find a way to stop him. I would be surprised if Minnesota doesn't gameplan their offense around Jones, so the Bears need to limit him if they want any chance at stopping the Minnesota offense.
Score Prediction: Bears 24, Vikings 27
I think the Bears will have a chance to win this game, but I ultimately think they'll lose in the end. Caleb will play well, but I think the defense is going to crack and let the Vikings stay ahead. It's going to be tough to stop Minnesota today, which is what the Bears need to do if they ultimately want to win the game.
Image Credit: Chicago Sun-Times
Bears Suffer Heartbreaking 20-19 Loss to Packers
November 17, 2024, 4:49 PM CST
Even when they do just about everything right, the Bears are still cursed.
The streak was set to end today with Cairo Santos stepping up to attempt a 47 yard field goal as time expired to end the Bears 10-game skid to the Packers. Cairo had just reached 1,000 career points earlier in the game as well, so it seemed like it was destined to end in a big win for the Bears.
Until it didn't.
Santos' kick was blocked, and the Packers defeated the Bears to extend the streak to 11 games. This all came after an incredible final drive from Caleb Williams, when he went from 3rd and 19 in his own territory to finding Rome Odunze twice for big yardage, and then connecting with Keenan Allen to put the Bears in the spot they needed to attempt the winning field goal. Caleb played great today, completing 23 out of his 31 passes for 231 yards while also rushing for 70 yards. He didn't throw for any touchdowns, with Roschon Johnson and D'Andre Swift each running for a TD today.
The defense was alright, they had managed to make two redzone stands with an interception by Terell Smith on one, and stopping a Jordan Love run on fourth and goal to get the ball back up 19-14 with a chance to seal it. Christian Watson torched the defense all day though, and especially on the final Green Bay drive after they got the ball back with a long catch to set them up with the chance to take the lead, which is exactly what they did.
The offense was almost as perfect as they could've been. Thomas Brown was getting the ball out of Caleb's hands, and having Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright back was a huge help. But alas, I still have yet to write about a Bears win over the Packers. We really need to beat them in Week 18, and hopefully it would be in a spot that would end their playoff hopes.
Image Credit: Chicago Bears
Game Preview: Bears vs Packers
November 17, 2024, 10:54 AM CST
Switching it up this week from my typical Keys to the Game. The Bears (4-5) today host the Packers (6-3) at Soldier Field in what effectively is their last chance to salvage this season. A loss basically does them in at this point with how competitive the NFC is and how hard their remaining schedule is. But a win could really swing momentum, especially if the Bears offense bounces back under new OC Thomas Brown.
Coming off of three straight losses, the Bears have only managed to score two touchdowns across those three games (both against Washington). Shane Waldron is out, and Thomas Brown is in. Green Bay is coming off of their bye week, but in their last game they lost 24-14 to the Lions. It's been a long time since the Bears beat the Packers, you have to go back to Week 15 of 2018 when the Bears clinched the division with a 24-17 win, eliminating Green Bay from playoff contention that year. Since then, they've lost 10 straight to the team up north, a streak that has to come to an end today.
Caleb Williams will get his first chance to face the Packers today, and his first game against an NFC North opponent in general. Growing up idolizing Aaron Rodgers, Williams has watched first-hand how the Packers have dismantled the Bears in the past, and he should be wanting to flip the script today. It's a chance to start 1-0 against your most hated rivals, and he better take full advantage of it. Matt Eberflus' job is hanging on by a thread, and a blowout loss today could mean the end of his tenure as Bears Head Coach. If they win, he'll buy himself more time. But if Matt LaFleur gets his record against the Bears to 11-0, then Eberflus could very well be gone by this time tomorrow.
My score prediction for this game is Packers 31, Bears 17. I don't think the Bears will have enough to beat Green Bay, and I think the offense could still struggle despite the switch. Would this result be enough to get Matt Eberflus fired? Maybe, depends on how they lose. Either way, it's a massive game for many people in the Bears organization and a must win if we want any chance of keeping our faint playoff hopes alive.
Image Credit: Windy City Gridiron
Fire Flus Chants Ring as Bears Lose 19-3 To Patriots
November 10, 2024, 6:53 PM CST
There's a chance the Bears make history tomorrow morning.
In their over 100 year history, the Chicago Bears have never fired a Head Coach during the season. Matt Eberflus has a good chance to break the trend after yet another display by the Bears against the Patriots, who I had ranked last in my power rankings this week.
The only thing that's for sure is Shane Waldron is definitely done running the offense. While nothing is official, Eberflus saying that changes will be examined at offensive play caller in his postgame press conference says a lot. The Bears have not scored a touchdown in two weeks, but the entire team just looks deflated. The coaching staff has appeared to have lost the locker room. Bears fans were even chanting "Fire Flus" during the fourth quarter of today's game. It's been a disastrous few weeks for the Bears, and it's pretty much cost us the season as we have the hardest remaining schedule in the NFL.
I want to recap the game more than I have, but it was such a boring game that there's no real events to go over. Caleb Williams was sacked nine times, largely thanks to an offensive line missing both tackles and one of their guards after Teven Jenkins got hurt during the game. The defense actually did a solid job, only allowing one touchdown, but the offense had no response. I expect Thomas Brown to be calling plays against Green Bay next week, hopefully with someone else other than Matt Eberflus leading the team. That's the only way I see us even having a chance against the Packers, otherwise, we're in for an embarrassment.
Image Credit: SB Nation