The Bears have played three games. So have the Packers, Vikings and Lions. After those three games, the Bears have the best record in the NFC North.
- Style points don’t matter. The first two months of the season are about accruing wins and positioning yourself for a potential postseason run. The Bears won a football game on a road. This fan base isn’t allowed to use the word “but”. A win is a win is a win.
- Several times during this game I turned to my buddy Maciej and said, “Why do we have Khalil Mack?” It’s all I can think about during these games. He is a force. The Cardinals were using 2-3 players on him per play and he still ended up with two sacks and a crucial forced fumble. Without Mack, the Bears are 0-3 right now.
- Sherrick McManis. Bryce Callahan. Bilal Nichols. The Bears aren’t just good on defense. They’re deep.
- Matt Nagy was lost Sunday. There’s no other way to say it. As a play caller, he had zero feel for the flow of the game and Wilks/Holcomb had the better of him all day long. The Bears have been incoherent on offense through three weeks. There is no discernible system/strategy. The play calls feel random.
- Trubisky has to be better. It’s hard to evaluate his play without access to the game tape but he seems indecisive and uncomfortable. That’s a lethal combination.
- Why do all the team’s deep shots have zero chance? Are these being called? Does Trubisky have the option not to throw them? Very difficult to analyze without that information.
- And stop telling me the Bears are running the Chiefs offense. I watched Chiefs/49ers yesterday. The Chiefs have wide open receivers all over the field. Patrick Mahomes rarely throws a ball into congestion. The Bears never seem to have anyone open. And they never complete a pass to a receiver moving up the field. The receiver’s back is always to the defense, limiting any YAC possibility.
- Enough with the bubble screens! Seriously! Enough! This isn’t the Pac-12. Those plays might work against Kevin Sumlin’s Arizona but they’re not working against a professional defense.
- Eric Kush is a liability on the offensive line. Too many penalties. Bears need to get James Daniels on the field.
- Oh, one thing…
- Good to see Tarik Cohen worked into the game plan.
- Akiem Hicks harassed Cardinals quarterbacks yesterday. No player has benefited more from Mack being in Chicago than Hicks, who absolutely devours any offensive lineman that attempts to single him.
- Trey Burton should be the focal point of this passing attack. There’s more big play potential in the tight end than any other pass catcher on the roster.
- What happened to the RPO? Wasn’t that going to be the bulk of this offense?
- It’s not time to panic about Cody Parkey yet. But with THIS defense and THIS offense, Parkey needs to make just about every kick.
- Kyle Long is playing at an extremely high level through three weeks. And he’s playing hurt.
That’s it. Defense ready to win a championship. Offense needs a lot of work. But the Bears, your 2018 Chicago Bears, are in first place.
