Three Takeaways from Bears win over Packers |
Although the Chicago Bears' 2024 NFL season wasn't what they expected, they did manage to end the season on a high by beating the Green Bay Packers. It was their first win against the Packers in six years, ending an 11-game losing streak and their 10-game regular-season losing streak.
Even though the win essentially means nothing apart from pride, it was still a massive win for Caleb Williams and a huge morale win for this franchise. They are hoping to use this as a momentum builder for the offseason with the hopes of better days ahead. Any time you go 5-12, with most of those losses coming during a 10-game skid, there is a lot of blame to go around. Essentially, the head coach will always shoulder the blame, which is why Matt Eberflus was fired shortly after their Thanksgiving day meltdown. After Thomas Brown was appointed the acting head coach, it took him five games to pick up his first win, and he got the monkey off his back. It will be interesting to see how Chicago handles his situation going forward. As expected, Brown will be getting an official interview to become the next head coach, but with so many qualified candidates, including Ben Johnson, it doesn't seem likely that Brown will be back as the head coach. Perhaps an offensive coordinator should Johnson want to bring him back, but that is a long way from happening, as there are plenty of things to worry about this offseason. Here are some takeaways from the Bears season finale win:
Despite being one of the more accurate kickers in the NFL the past three seasons, Cairo Santos has taken plenty of heat this season, with most of it not falling on him. Looking back to when the Bears lost to the Packers and Vikings in back-to-back games, Santos saw two of his field goals blocked, and both of them came from roughly the same range. As accurate as he can be, he doesn't have the strongest leg in the NFL, and his low kicking trajectory makes his kicks more likely to get blocked. That is especially accurate when he gets to the 45-yard and over range, as he is forced to drive the ball lower to get the distance he needs on that kick. Bears fans know all too well about that, as his game-winning attempt against the Packers earlier this season wound up getting blocked, which was one of the many painful ways this team lost. Sunday gave Santos a chance at redemption, as he had a chance to win the game from 51 yards out. Given the cold weather and how most of Santos' kicks go from that range, you had a feeling that another block or miss was coming, which would sum up the Bears' entire season. Instead, he delivered one of his best kicks of the season to knock off the Packers, as Santos got his revenge in the best way possible. This one's for you, Bears fans 💙 pic.twitter.com/dnmfTSua5X
Although it hasn't been made official yet, it's expected that the Bears will fire Brown at some point on Monday as the infamous Black Monday will take the league by storm. Brown, however, will get an interview to become the full-time HC, and from all accounts, he could be the first one to interview, considering he is already in the building. Apart from that, the list of coaching candidates should be extremely long, as we have already heard 17 candidates linked to the Bears HC position. It is highly unlikely that all 17 will get an interview, but knowing that many candidates have interest shows what they feel about taking this job. This will just be one of the many things to watch for the Bears this offseason, but it could be the most critical decision this team makes. Love these guys 🥹 pic.twitter.com/7DwtXZBCki
Say what you want about the Bears offense this season, but you can say that Williams proved he is a franchise guy. Despite playing behind one of the worst, if not the worst, offensive line in football, Williams went on to put up great numbers, including tossing for 20 touchdowns, six interceptions, and a team record for passing yards by a rookie. Williams also set a rookie record for the most passes thrown without an INT, and his streak was the fourth-longest in NFL history. That shows how good he can be as a quarterback, but there were times when he took too many sacks during that streak, as he didn't want to put the ball up for grabs. One part of Williams' game that was overlooked was his ability to step up in the clutch and put his team in a position to win. Although none of that paid off until Sunday, there were seven times this season when Williams put together a game-tying or game-winning drive in the fourth quarter only to have his team lose the game. Most of that came from defensive breakdowns or special teams errors, as Williams did his part throughout the season. Sunday saw Williams and the Bears finally get rewarded late for a game-ending drive, and of course, it came against the Packers. Even with the season being a complete disappointment overall, anytime the Bears beat the Packers is a good thing for the organization. Getting the win at Lambeau is a massive step in the right direction for Williams and the entire roster. Good night, Chicago 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/pQbcqR2aX0Santos with the sweet revenge
Let the head coaching interviews begin
Williams and the offense finally deliver in the clutch
