Three Takeaways from Bears' rivalry loss to Packers |
The Chicago Bears have played a lot of good games this season and a ton of very bad games this season. Sunday fell into the category of a bad game, but not quite a horrible game, as the Bears fell to the Green Bay Packers 17-9 to end the season.
For the most part, the Chicago defense did more than enough to keep the Bears in the game despite giving up a ton of yards. However, the bend, but not break mentality worked in their favor as the Packers only scored on three of their six possessions. The same couldn't be said about the Bears offense as they had one of their worst showings in over a month. They struggled to run the ball, and apart from the first two drives of the game, they struggled to move the ball. That saw them convert on three field goals in the game, but we all know to beat the Packers or anyone consistently, you need more than nine points, which the Bears offense put up. Here are some takeaways from the game on Sunday:
You hear it all of the time about Aaron Rodgers and the Packers owning the Bears for the better part of 30 years, but why not put Packers head coach Matt LaFleur into that conversation? LaFleur has been impressive since taking over for Mike McCarthy five seasons ago, making the playoffs four times with three divisional titles and winning at least nine games in four of those five seasons. With the win on Sunday, he is also a perfect 10-0 against the Bears as a head coach, with Justin Fields falling to 0-6 all-time against the Packers. Say what you will about the Packers and this rivalry, but the bottom line is this isn't a rivalry anymore, as the Packers have dominated this rivalry since the 1990s. No matter who the coach, QB, or players are, the Bears can't beat this team, and that doesn't bode well for the future. When you look at the Bears being one of the youngest teams in the NFL, you immediately notice the Packers are even younger and are the youngest team in the NFL. That doesn't bode well for a team trying to get to the Packers level, as the NFC North will continue to go through Green Bay once again.
Sticking with part of the first takeaway, there is a lot to like about the Bears season and just where this team could be headed. Sure, missing the playoffs isn't ideal, but to improve this team by four wins says a lot about the work Matt Eberflus and his staff put in this season, which could go a long way to building a strong base. Not to mention, they have the third youngest team in the NFL, and the Bears are set up for short-term success and long-term success with some of the moves they made. You saw some of those pieces in DJ Moore and Montez Sweat wreak havoc all season, but the youth movement from many of the Bears younger players stood out this season. That was especially important in the secondary, where guys like Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, and Jaquon Brisker combined to lead the NFL in interceptions this season with 28. That is only the beginning for this group, as the Bears have invested a ton of stock into this defense to get it back on track, and it appears they have gotten back on track. Now, it will be up to the offense to follow and take their next steps to grow.
If you thought holding the No. 1 pick last season would be filled with question marks, wait until this season as the Bears again have the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. However, unlike last season, where it was almost a given that the Bears were going to trade that pick away, this season is much more up in the air as to whether or not the Bears will keep that pick. Should they keep that pick, the forgone conclusion is that they will be drafting Caleb Williams, No. 1, and thus moving on from Fields as their QB. While that is a popular opinion with many fans, it may not be the best option as the Bears current roster is designed around the strenght of Fields. Trading him could set this team back another year, which isn't what anyone wants. Trading the No. 1 pick seems like the perfect situation for Chicago, but it could mean missing out on Marvin Harrison Jr, depending on where they trade down to. If that is the case, Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze would be other first-round WR options, but this is one of the deepest drafts regarding finding WR talent. Either way, the next two months should give us a better picture of what this team wants to do. Keeping the No. 1 pick shows that this team is building for a better future with different pieces while trading it away puts the trust in Fields and what he has done to improve his game. Domination
Youth Movement
All Eyes on the No. 1 Pick
