Three takeaways from Bears loss to Packers |
It doesn't seem to matter how well or tough the Bears play; they can't buy a win at the moment. Their most recent game against the Green Bay Packers is a prime example of that. The Bears played right with the Packers for four quarters, only to have a blocked field goal prevent them from pulling off an upset.
Throw in the hail Mary from Jayden Daniels four weeks ago, and the Bears are a broken franchise right now as two plays have dramatically altered their season. It would be nice if Chicago could figure out a way to respond to adversity, but even when they do as they did on Sunday, it still doesn't matter right now. Here are some takeaways from Sunday's loss to the Packers:
When you are a good organization, you find ways to win games even when you aren't playing well. On the flip side, when you are a bad organization, you invent new ways to lose, as the wins are tough to come by. The Bears are clearly a poorly run organization right now, and the results are living proof of that. Not only has this team failed to record a winning season since their 12-4 season in 2018, but they have failed to make the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, with a fifth straight season on the horizon. Whether it be this team's lack of an offensive line, inconsistent play at the quarterback position, terrible head coaching hires, or even finding new ways to lose, the Bears organization is in complete turmoil right now. It's hard to believe that this team was once sitting at 4-2 this season and trending in a direction that had them heading toward the postseason. All it took for their promising season to come to a halt was a Hail Mary that the Bears couldn't knock down, as that was the start of their current four-game skid. Now throw in this blocked FG against the Packers, and you have to wonder how many more ways this team can lose.
Sometimes, all it takes to get a player on track is simplifying things, which is what the Bears have done with their offense. After letting go of Shane Waldron and hiring Thomas Brown as their new OC, there were a lot of questions about what this offense would look like. Thomas then came out on Thursday and said they would simplify things on offense to help their rookie quarterback be more consistent. Although it was only one game, the Bears offense does appear to be in a better place as they ended a 26-drive drought with a TD yesterday and had three drives of at least ten plays against the Packers. That wasn't something Waldron could've done, as the offense seemed to be more consistent across the board on Sunday. The biggest takeaway from the game was seeing Caleb Williams' progression; they put forth one of his best performances of the season. Despite not throwing a TD for the fourth straight game, Williams also didn't turn the ball over, completing 21-32 passes for 231 yards. Williams also used his legs more than he has at any point this season, finishing second on the team in rushing with 70 yards. Brown threw in a wrinkle that Waldron never used on Sunday: the option read from the quarterback position. That allowed Williams to either hand the ball off to his back or tuck it and run when he felt he had room. Chicago had a lot of success with those option-read plays, and you have to wonder if that will be used more the rest of the way.
It has been a long time since the Bears beat the Packers, as we are at 2164 days and counting. For those of you who are good at math, it has been nearly six years since the Bears last beat the Packers. Matt LaFleur ran his record to 11-0 against Chicago on Sunday, with Jordan Love improving to 3-0. What was once a rivalry dominated by the Bears has turned into a one-sided rivalry of late, as the Packers have gone 42-9 over the Bears in the last 25 years. Whether it be Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, or now Love, the bottom line is the Packers have owned the Bears for quite a while, and it's getting to the point where the Bears should be paying Green Bay rent until they can figure out a way to win some games.Finding new ways to lose
Simple is better
2164 days and counting
