As awesome as Jalen Carter has been for the Eagles, the Bears arguably did the right thing by drafting Darnell Wright instead.

It was hard not to watch Jalen Carter throw Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive players around Monday night and wonder what could have been for the Chicago Bears.

After all, Carter-to-the-Bears seemed like a match made in heaven for draft experts and fans heading into the 2023 NFL Draft — until it suddenly wasn’t due to Carter’s revealed involvement in a fatal car crash in January, the PR nightmare that followed and the former Bulldog’s uninspiring Pro Day workout.

The Bears told the world what they thought by actively trading out of a chance to draft Carter with the ninth overall pick and instead taking Tennessee tackle Darnell Wright with the 10th pick, allowing the Philadelphia Eagles to scoot up quite possibly the best player in last year’s draft.

Carter has played every bit to that label so far, while Wright has had promising ups and predictable downs for a struggling Bears offense. Meanwhile, Chicago’s defense could badly use a dominant presence up front like Carter, who already grades out as one of the league’s best interior defenders.

Did the Bears make a mistake going with Wright over Carter?

Not necessarily.

If you were going pure “best player available” in a vacuum, Carter should’ve been the pick 15 times out of 10. But the character questions were enough to make you wonder if the Bears had the right locker room culture to keep Carter out of trouble. (Recent events may have proven those fears correct.)

The Eagles, on the other hand, boosted not just a Super Bowl roster with strong veteran leadership but also several of Carter’s old Georgia teammates to aid in a more comfortable NFL transition. They were a much more natural fit for Carter as a person, even more than the Bears were for Carter as a player.

Additionally, let’s lose sight of the most important question the Bears had to answer going into this season: is Justin Fields the guy or not?

The Bears had no stability at right tackle last year, which wasn’t going to fly in 2023 if you wanted to see Fields possibly take a leap as a passer. Even if you weren’t sure how Wright would start the year, you’d figure he – like Braxton Jones in 2022 – would get better with time. Wright’s early reps have done nothing to dampen those expectations.

Plus, even if Fields isn’t the Bears’ quarterback next year, putting a new quarterback in a situation where you could have Wright, D.J. Moore, and potentially Marvin Harrison Jr. or a tackle like Joe Alt or Olu Fashanu possibly taking over for Jones on the left side is a situation you can build around.

While Carter would’ve been awesome in a Bears uniform and probably would’ve changed the complexion of this defense, he might have only taken this unit from “worst in the league” to “bad” on his own.

Additionally, while Carter would fit in any defense, it’s likely the 4-3 scheme the Bears would’ve drafted him for will be obsolete once Matt Ebeflus is fired at the end of this season (as he should be). The complexion of the defensive scheme could very well change entirely by next season, as could the entire defensive line rotation, but the right tackle position isn’t going anywhere.

Let’s be honest: some of this rationale is just pure coping. It would’ve been awesome to see Carter ply his game-wrecking trade as a member of the Chicago Bears. Goodness knows it would’ve made this defense more bearable to watch (pun intended).

But it was probably more important to give Fields the baseline supporting cast he needed – the jury’s still out on that, maybe – and find out what he is, even if it meant letting the defense suffer another year, than roll the dice on a player you were worried about possibly becoming another powder keg in a volatile situation.

No blame to you if you keep wondering “what if” every time this defense gives up another third-down conversion because they can’t rush the passer, though.

Ryan Poles has made a lot of mistakes in his season-plus of work as the Bears’ general manager. But even if Wright-over-Carter ends up being one of them, you can at least understand why he did it.

The incoherent ramblings of a belligerent Bears fan.

I was all set to have a nice afternoon. I had already accepted a loss. There was no way this Chicago Bears team was going to go into Arrowhead Stadium and win. I knew it wasn’t going to be close, so I was all set to have tweets throughout the game with Taylor Swift references to generally annoy everybody on X and just take it all in stride.

The problem was that it was pretty clear early on that this wasn’t even going to be fun to watch, it was just going to be flat embarrassing. There isn’t one positive that can be taken from that game. You could isolate a few decent performances here or there, but it’s irrelevant when the team plays as a group like this.

I know we are only three games in, but I think it’s time to call the Matt Eberflus error, I mean, era, worse than Marc Trestman’s. Do you realize over the last 6 regular season games dating back to last season, the Bears have averaged losing each game by over three touchdowns? 21.5 point differential per game! They aren’t even competing!

I snapped at halftime of this game and just vented on social media.

I still stand by the frustration I spewed out here. Firing Luke Getsy right now won’t do a damn thing. The Bears never fire anyone in season anyway, this season is lost, so what’s the difference? If you want to fire Getsy and promote a position coach, go ahead, but it won’t make a damn bit of difference.

Justin Fields will never be the guy here. There’s just no way it’s going to happen. And that really bums me out. I think in the history of failed quarterbacks in Chicago, this one hurts the most. I had the most faith that this was going to work out, and it just didn’t.

Could Fields have success elsewhere? I hope so. Let’s see who still believes they can make something out of him. Could it be the New York Jets this year? Let’s find out. Could it be a team this offseason? If Trey Lance got a 4th, Justin Fields should be able to get a 3rd, I would think. Maybe even a 2nd, who knows. But let’s give Fields a chance elsewhere.

At the end of the year, blow out this entire coaching staff, there’s no point in keeping any of them. Ryan Poles is going to be the big question mark. Matt Eberflus wasn’t really his hire and Justin Fields wasn’t his quarterback. Will those two facts be enough to allow him to draft a QB and hire a new coach this season? Maybe. But if Kevin Warren wants to clean house and have a new GM, new head coach and new quarterback all in line for 2024, this is going to line up for him to do so.

But what has Poles done that’s impressed you? His process of getting the Bears plenty of cap space was sound, he’s gotten some draft capital which is nice, especially after Ryan Pace, but the evaluation process has to be questioned. He paid Cole Kmet and he’s underperformed. He paid Tremaine Edmunds and he’s certainly not off to a good start. He said he would build up the trenches and there hasn’t been much progress in two years there. Even the smaller deals like PJ Walker, Alex Leatherwood and Justin Jones have been poor. And let’s not even start on Velus Jones. There’s reason for concern.

Finally, my comment about Caleb Williams. If the Bears have the first overall pick, do I expect Caleb Williams to return to USC? No, I don’t. But when you see the historic mess that the Bears have been, especially around the QB position, if I was Caleb, I would at least give pause and I would have my reps contact the Bears and try to pull a serious power move and be involved in the head coach decision. He could have that kind of power and just the threat of returning back to school for $12 million in NIL money could certainly have the Bears play ball with his team.

Look, if Kevin Warren is competent, and we won’t find out this year, and he’s fully in charge of football operations and he can bring in his guys, perhaps the Bears can fix this. That’s the optimism for 2024, a new regime could have two top five picks and another pile of money to utilize in free agency. It could be done if Warren can finally put the right people in place.

But it’s beyond brutal that it’s still September, we aren’t even 20% the way through this season, and it’s already time to pivot to 2024. Life as a Bears fan is, well, in a word, awful.

Quick Hits

Today it’s going to be a numbers game:

• 1 is the total number of sacks on the year this defense has generated
• 2 is the total number of interceptions the defense has on the year, both against Blaine Gabbert in mop-up time
• 3 is the total number of times in 3 games that the Bears’ opponent scored first
• 4 is the total number of catches Chase Claypool has on FOURTEEN targets
• 5 is the total number of touchdowns the new and improved offense has scored in three games, it’s also the total number of touchdowns the Chiefs scored in 3 quarters
• 6 is the total first downs the offense generated through 3 quarters against the Chiefs before the Chiefs pulled most of their key players
• 7 is the total number of touchdowns opposing running backs have scored on the Bears in just three games this season
• 8 is the number of first-round picks the Bears have used to try and get the QB position right over the last 30 years
• 9 is the total number of times the opposing quarterback has been hit by Bears’ defenders this season
• 10 is the number on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is an absolute dumpster fire and 1 is everything is copesetic on the 2023 Chicago Bears

Spoiler, there’s a lot more down than up.

This is such a tough team to write about.

I’ve been writing for this website about the Chicago Bears for over 10 years, and I’ve been able to write about a winning team just a couple of times.

It’s exhausting, it’s emotionally draining and it’s beyond frustrating.

But here we go again.

It’s so hard to write this column after games like this. But somehow, it seems like I’ve written more after blowout losses than blowout wins. This time, it was the Kansas City Chiefs who took Chicago to the woodshed.

Stock up

Ja’Tyre Carter, OT - Say what you want, but Carter is improving and he played well on Sunday. I know it’s weird to write about this offensive line, but they are playing well. They have moments, plus they’ve played some good DLs, but it is better.

Darnell Wright, OT - Speaking of OL, their first-round pick is playing well. Can you find clips of him being pushed around by Chris Jones? Sure, but what OL doesn’t lose to Jones once in a while, let alone in their third career start? Wright is playing well and he’s only going to get better with more reps as the season goes on.

T.J. Edwards, LB - The free agent LB acquisition played very well Sunday. I know, the unit gave up 41 points, but Edwards was solid. He was credited with two tackles for loss and 17 combined tackles.

Stock down

Where do I even start?

Matt Eberflus, coach - This mess starts with him. How this squad continues to look so lost and so unprepared, is ridiculous. It doesn’t matter how the summer went, it doesn’t matter how the practices feel, when the games go like this. It’s inexcusable. Oh and he’s supposed to be a defensive coach with a solid scheme, but it’s worse than last year’s unit.

DeMarcus Walker, DE - One of the few offseason additions on the DL and Walker has shown nothing. His box score stat Sunday was one QB hit. I don’t want to put him in Al-Quadin Muhammad territory, but it sure is trending that way.

Reader’s choice - There’s so much bad here, you just go ahead and sound off in the comments. I’m sick of thinking about this game for one more minute.

Each week, we’ll feature a new Chicagoland animal rescue partner with whom we’ll team up. Whatever the amount, all donations (both time and money) are welcome. This week’s featured rescue is Alive Rescue which has been serving the Chicago community since 2008.

Despite the NFL regular season heading into Week 4, the Chicago Bears are still looking for their first win of 2023. It's been a rough start to the year, but that hasn't stopped us from doing great things within the Chicago-area community. This week, our fourth featured rescue is Alive Rescue. As always, here's a breakdown of how Touchdown For Tails will work.

Each week, we will be featuring a new rescue. Within that week, you'll have a few options to "bet" on. Now, when I say bet, what I really mean is how much you're willing to donate to the featured animal rescue organization of the week. Here's how it'll work.

1. A Chicago Bears win = $25 donation
2. Three-to-five Prop Bets: Hitting on the prop = $10 donation. Missing on the prop= $5

Ultimately, what I would like to do is make the Bears winning on the field as rewarding to our featured rescues as possible! Those of you who donate nine (or more) times throughout the season will be entered into a drawing at the end of the season to win a Chicago Bears Nike "Game" Jersey. The player and sizing will be of your choice. For each Chicago Bears win, I will personally donate $25. I will also choose one prop bet (brought to you by Draft Kings) that I will also "bet" on.

The ultimate goal of this is to get Bears fans more involved with the community around them. Football season is already the best time of year, so why not make it a little better by helping become a solution to a growing problem around the country? Every single dollar donated on a weekly basis will go directly to that featured rescue.

Week 1 "Things to bet on" (Brought to you by DraftKings)

Game: Chicago Bears (+3) over Denver Broncos (-3) ($25 donation if the Bears win)

Non-Bettors "Bets":

1. Darnell Mooney to be the Bears' Leading Receiver ($10 donation if you win. $5 if you lose)
2. Yannick Ngakoue to have one or more sacks ($10 donation if you win. $5 if you lose)

Prop Bets:

1. Bears total team points (21.5): Over (-102)/Under (-118)
2. Bears total team touchdowns (2.5): Over (+110)/Under (-150)
3. Bears to score first: Yes (+280)/No (-390)

Touchdown For Tails Week 4 Rescue of the Week: Alive Rescue

Contact: https://www.aliverescue.org/contact

Website: https://www.aliverescue.org/

Where To Donate: https://www.aliverescue.org/donate

Where to Adopt: https://www.aliverescue.org/adopt

Alive Rescue is very involved within the Chicago community. The group was founded in 2008, and in May of 2013, they opened their first location, "The Little Barn." They have nine different programs, including a parvo prevention project, Rockin' Seniors, and Paws for Hope. Their primary objective is pulling animals from high-risk situations (including shelters) and providing them a second chance for adoption. Between 2015 through 2020, they saved a whopping 1,196 animals—all of this despite troubles caused by the pandemic and multiple location challenges.

Their mission statement says it all:

"ALIVE Rescue is an animal rescue that protects the lives and the welfare of animals. We believe every animal has the right to a well-balanced, socialized, and fulfilled life. We take on the responsibility to save, rehabilitate, and place abandoned, abused, and stray animals.

We provide medical, behavioral, and physical support for animals despite their age, health, and/or breed. ALIVE Rescue promotes sustainable living and caregiving within our communities by building awareness, appreciation, and respect for all animals and the environment."

Alive Rescue has taken in dogs, cats, and even rabbits throughout the years. They currently have many animals available for adoption and are in the process of building a new sanctuary at their newest location. For more information, please visit their website.

Featured Pets of The Week (Find Adoptable Pets at: https://www.aliverescue.org/adopt)

DARRA (11-Year-Old Female)

Darra is a large 11-year-old German Shepherd Dog (85 lbs). Darra was initially rescued when she was about a year old (2013) and has made the move from Chicago to Dallas! Darra will develop a strong bond with her humans and focus most of her attention on them. She loves going on walks and chasing squirrels in the backyard. She walks well on a leash and obeys simple commands. While Darra is tolerant of young kids, she would be better suited in a home with older children. Darra loves attention and will constantly ask for pets!

LUMI (3-Year-Old Female)

Meet Lumi, a curious, energetic little lady. She loves exploring her surroundings, hopping around the house, and snacking on her favorite treats (cilantro, lettuce, and parsley). She's sweet-natured and enjoys it when you pet her nose.

Lumi can be a bit skittish when you first meet her - especially when she's in her pen. But once you gain her trust, she's very loving. She'll even play with you and sniff your face if you lie down near her.

We think Lumi will be happiest with a family who has experience with rabbits and understands not to invade her space. She'd thrive in a quiet home that has space for her to run around. We can't wait to see this friendly, adorable girl find her forever home!

BETTIE (2-Year-Old Female)

Bettie is an adventurous, playful, friendly, and curious kitty on the prowl for her forever home. Bettie is the sweetest cat in town and loves being around people and receiving attention. Bettie also has her introspective moments and likes to look out the window and watch the world.

Bettie would prefer to be around her humans rather than be left alone. Bettie is also a great accountability buddy, and she knows when it's not time to work and isn't afraid to use her influencer powers to get you to close your laptop and play with her.

Bettie loves to play and always has time for a laser pointer game. While she enjoys napping, she also loves to zoom around the house in spurts of energy (which is very entertaining!).

An ideal home for Bettie would be with someone who can give her lots of attention and cuddles. She has specifically requested someone who is home often and would like to play with her and has lots of comfy places for her to nap in.

More Resources For How To Get Involved

As a country, we have a homeless animal crisis on our hands that only seems to be getting worse by the day. Stray animals are found every day. With the volatility of the job market, more families are losing their homes and can no longer care for their pets. The list of reasons contributing to this issue runs long. That's where we can all come in. Whether you want to volunteer, foster, or simply donate, it all makes a difference. For our family, getting involved with animal rescue has been a rewarding experience. While we might not always have the time to foster or volunteer our time, there are many ways to make an impact. Below are three links to check out if this is something you or your family might be interested in doing.

1. Benefits of adopting a shelter dog
2. Why volunteering at shelters or rescues makes a difference
3. 10 reasons to foster a pet

Editor: We wanted this series to coincide with the Bears' improved 2023 season, but the team hasn't cooperated. But that doesn't mean we all can't chip in and help Aaron raise awareness for this cause!

The week the Dolphins dropped 70

Last week in this space, I suggested that if the Bears were headed toward another tough season, that it might be nice to follow another team that would provide slightly more enjoyment. I said my choice was Mike McDaniel and the Miami Dolphins, who proceeded to go out on Sunday and drop 70 on the Denver Broncos. This column is dedicated to them.

1. Scoring Play: (Shotgun) T. Tagovailoa pass deep middle to T. Hill for 54 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill before last season from the Kansas City Chiefs for five draft picks - a 1st, 2nd, and 4th rounder from the 2022 draft and a 4th and 6th from the 2023 draft. The Dolphins had to then sign Hill to a massive deal worth $120 million over four years. More than a few questioned the sanity of a deal like that. Could Hill really survive without Patrick Mahomes? Could his new quarterback get the speedster the ball?

So far, the answer is a resounding yes. Hill recorded his fourth 1st Team All Pro honor last year and is well on his way to a fifth. That would tie him with Terrell Owens for third all time and put him in excellent position to be a Hall of Fame wide receiver. Cheetah provides speed, yes, but he’s so much more than just a speedster. The Dolphins peppered Hill with 170 targets last year, exactly 10 per game. So far this year, Tua has targeted him 35 times through 3 games.

2. Scoring Play: (Shotgun) D. Achane left end for 8 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Achane is only the second player in NFL history with at least 200 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs, and 2 receiving touchdowns (Billy Cannon). Impressive start for the rookie.

3. Scoring Play: T. Tagovailoa pass short middle to D. Achane for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Tua Tagovailoa is known for getting the ball out quick and being accurate. Pretty good combination, but the book on him was that maybe he didn’t have a big enough arm to really pressure defenses. Well... that hasn’t really played out with this offense.

Tua has recorded the lowest amount of time to throw early in the season (not surprising) but he has the 3rd highest “aDOT” or Average Depth of Target. That really shouldn’t be possible, but he’s reading out the defense quickly, diagnosing where to go with the ball, and delivering it confidently to his fast playmakers.

4. Scoring Play: R. Mostert up the middle for 20 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Raheem Mostert spent his first two seasons bouncing around the league, including two games with the Chicago Bears, before landing in San Francisco in 2016. When the Shanahan regime took over, McDaniel got a chance to work with him in San Francisco’s run game. By 2019, Mostert played in every game, logging 137 carries at 5.6 yards per carry. Injuries robbed Mostert of half of 2020 and most of 2021 before McDaniel signed him in free agency with the Dolphins as one of his first moves. The speedy back has averaged over 5 yards per carry on his 222 career carries in Miami so far.

5. Scoring Play: (Shotgun) R. Mostert left guard for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. According to NFL Communications, “Achane and Mostert are the second pair of teammates in NFL history to each score four touchdowns in the same game, joining Kansas City’s Derrick Blaylock and Priest Holmes (four touchdowns each) on October 24, 2004.” Yes, this team put up 70, but their running backs scored 8 touchdowns.

6. Scoring Play: R. Mostert up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. The Dolphins are just the second team in NFL history to have over 700 yards of total offense. With 350 yards rushing and 376 yards passing, the Dolphins put up one of the most effective balanced attacks you’ll ever see. Tua was near perfect finishing 23/26 for 309 with 4 TDs, Achane went over 200 yards rushing, Hill over 150 yards receiving, and Mostert over 140 yards from scrimmage. A fantasy football dream for anyone lucky enough to roster any of these guys.

7. Scoring Play: (Shotgun) T. Tagovailoa pass short left to R. Mostert for 19 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Mike McDaniel was Kyle Shanahan’s running game guru. If you’re familiar with the Shanahan system, it’s famous for making unheralded backs into stars. Putting star players in the system can take it to the next level. Much of that genius was propelled by McDaniel, embracing his role with the team.

This excellent article from Sky Sports explains: “It’s why Shanahan deems him indispensable and it’s why McDaniel is poised to follow in his footsteps as one of the NFL’s most creative offensive play-callers in years to come.” It’s also why every run in the Dolphins system has pass concepts and counters off of it. He’s not just drawing individual plays up on the board, it’s a system.

8. Scoring Play: T. Tagovailoa pass short middle to D. Achane for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. This thing was just cool. One of those easy plays that’s going to make the rounds for awhile. No-look pass!

9. Scoring Play: (Shotgun) M. White pass deep right to R. Chosen for 68 yards, TOUCHDOWN. You guys remember Robby Chosen... you just might remember him as Robby Anderson, who gave us an all-timer with “what is that Bear doing?”

If there really is any pushback on McDaniel running up the score in this one, I will point to the second to last TD being Mike White to Robby Chosen as evidence to the contrary. You have to be able to stop a team but you particularly can’t complain about it when they’re running their backups out there.

10. Scoring Play: D. Achane left tackle for 67 yards, TOUCHDOWN. The rookie running back Achane recorded a stunning 4.32 second 40 yard dash. The Texas A&M product has explosive play ability and was one of those “perfect fit” reviews from basically every draft analyst as soon as the pick was announced. Achane gives McDaniel yet another speed threat on his track team. Running the ball late in the game and they break off yet another explosive run for a TD. This play was the fastest a player has recorded though the first three weeks at 21.93 mph.

The Dolphins are fast, obviously, but they have showed that in spades so far this year. In fact, the Dolphins have the five fastest speeds on record for 2023 so far with Mostert posting one and Hill and Achane pitching in two each. Jaylen Waddle, who missed this scoring buffet, recorded the 12th fastest time so far this year in Week 1.

All told, 10 TDs, 70 points, 3 behind the league record set by the Chicago Bears in the 1940 NFL Championship game (while pitching a shutout). The Chicago Bears will need to score 23 points this weekend to reach 70 on the season.

The last day of analysis of the Chiefs debacle before we turn our eyes towards Denver

WE WANT YOU!

Would you like to show your Chicago Bears spirit to the world? I’m starting a feature where Windy City Gridiron readers can share pictures of themselves and their families and friends in Bears attire. Simply email a picture to me at the following address: denmasterken at aol dot com. The pictures need to be clear, and full resolution (i.e. full size from your phone if that’s how you take them). Include any description information you like along with the photo!

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

Bears not putting stock in Broncos giving up 70 points - Chicago Sun-Times - Wisely, the Bears know not to equate what the Dolphins did to the Broncos — winning 70-20 — to what their own offense has in store for Denver on Sunday at Soldier Field.

Bears try to recalibrate expectations after blowout loss to Chiefs, 0-3 start - Chicago Sun-Times - “Next we’ve got Denver and then after that we’ve got the Commanders, and we’ve gotta find a way to win those two and not be 0-5,” wide receiver DJ Moore said. “That’s the whole message.”

Mike Martz: Time for Bears to bench QB Justin Fields - Chicago Sun-Times - Former Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz has never been shy about weighing in on quarterback Justin Fields.

Bears-Chiefs podcast: Yet another new low? - Chicago Sun-Times - A perfectly terrible way to end a perfectly terrible week.

Matt Eberflus feels like the Bears' offense is close to a breakthrough - Despite the Bears' offensive struggles through the first three weeks of the 2023 season, coach Matt Eberflus feels like the offense is close to a breakthrough.

10 quick thoughts: Most depressing Bears loss ever? Are you new here? - CHGO - Good morning, Chicago. She might be able to do it with bad guys, but turns out Taylor Swift cannot make bad teams good for a weekend. It's the only thing she has in common with Matt Eberflus. Let's get into it ... Most depressing loss ever? Greg Braggs Jr. suggested as much to me during

Why Matt Eberflus feels Justin Fields is ‘close’ despite lack of evidence – NBC Sports Chicago - Justin Fields and the 2023 Bears have been an abject disaster through three games. But despite all the evidence to the contrary, Matt Eberflus believes a...

Bears snap count: Why did Justin Fields return after hit to head? – NBC Sports Chicago - Justin Fields and Tyrique Stevenson both left Sunday's game after hits to the head before re-entering shortly thereafter. What went into the decision for them...

Bears’ loss vs. Chiefs leaves locker room searching for answers they won’t find – NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears had no answers after a 41-10 drubbing at the hands of the Chiefs. There were no catchy lines, fiery pep talks, or easily identifiable solutions --...

Eberflus: Fields, Bears are 'close' to breakthrough - 670 - Despite Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ prolonged struggles in an 0-3 start, coach Matt Eberflus believes Fields and the team are on the verge of a breakthrough.

Matt Eberflus says Bears are ‘real close’ to breakthrough after 0-3 start - Chicago Sun-Times - He was vague when it came to the defense defaulting and quarterback Justin Fields faltering and presented a scenario in which everything’s mostly going the way it should behind the scenes even though every Sunday brings a fresh reckoning that reveals the opposite.

Bears QB Justin Fields’ pocket full of kryptonite - Chicago Sun-Times - The stats back up what the eye test has shown since last year: Bears quarterback Justin Fields is one of the worst pocket passers in the NFL.

Why Matt Eberflus feels Justin Fields is ‘close’ despite lack of evidence – NBC Sports Chicago - Justin Fields and the 2023 Bears have been an abject disaster through three games. But despite all the evidence to the contrary, Matt Eberflus believes a...

Bears report card: Grading Justin Fields, offense, defense vs. Chiefs – NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears hoped they could tap into something in Kansas City to snap their losing streak. Instead, they put together a pitiful performance that should require...

Schmitz: Something Has To Change in Chicago, But What? - Da Bears Blog - Eventually, we may point back at September 24th, 2023 and see the day the Chicago Bears’ fortunes changed for the better.

Eberflus: Fields, Bears are ‘close’ to breakthrough - 670 - Despite Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ prolonged struggles in an 0-3 start, coach Matt Eberflus believes Fields and the team are on the verge of a breakthrough.

Haugh: Bears’ culture a bigger problem than on-field issues - 670 - On the Audacy original podcast Take The North, hosts David Haugh and Dan Wiederer questioned if the Bears’ culture is more of an issue than their on-field problems.

DJ Moore: ‘Things have got to get changed’ for 0-3 Bears - 670 - Bears receiver DJ Moore is holding onto optimism amid the team’s woeful 0-3 start, but he knows the problems have to be addressed – and quickly.

Emma: Bears lacking solutions, hope as losing streak hits 13 - 670 - The Bears were embarrassed by the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in a 41-10 loss Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium, and Chicago is now riding a 13-game losing streak dating back to the middle of last season.

KNOW THINE ENEMY

Denver Broncos: Sean Payton says there will be no firings after loss to Miami Dolphins - Mile High Report - Sean Payton met with the media today and told reporters that he would not be firing defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Colts sign Chris Lammons to practice squad after three-game suspension - NBC Sports - Chris Lammons is back in the NFL after a three-game suspension, and back with the Colts.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Bears Podcast: Well, you can hope in one hand and crap in the other... - Windy City Gridiron - Jeff & Lester are back to discuss the latest mess from the Chicago Bears and where this franchise can go from here on a new Bear & Balanced.

2024 NFL Draft: Breaking down top QBs in loaded class - Windy City Gridiron - WCG’s lead draft analyst shares his scouting reports for the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

10 Bears Takes: This disastrous start might just be the beginning - Windy City Gridiron - The Chicago Bears continue their worst-case scenario start after a blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. With an (0-3) start now a reality, what else can go wrong? We’ll dive into a tumultuous week at Halas Hall and more in Week 3’s 10 Bears Takes.

Wiltfong: Inside the snap counts, stats, and more - Windy City Gridiron - Here are all the snap counts for the Chicago Bears, a spotlight on some of their individual statistics, and a few team stats from their 41 to 10 beatdown in K.C.

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THE RULES

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Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, Making Monsters with Taylor Doll, Bear Bones from Dr. Mason West and Danny Meehan, Bear & Balanced from Jeff and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., and T Formation Conversation from Lester; EJ also co-hosts The Bootleg Football Podcast with Brett Kollmann; and Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert is another fun one.

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Jeff & Lester are back to discuss the latest mess from the Chicago Bears and where this franchise can go from here on a new Bear & Balanced.

One of my favorite movie lines is, "Well, you can wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled first!"

If we substitute "hope" for "wish," that encapsulates our Chicago Bears fandom.

Every offseason, there's hope.

Then comes disappointment.

Every few years, there's a firing.

Hope returns, but eventually, disappointment does too.

And the cycle repeats.

It's getting harder and harder to maintain some balance when talking about a Bears team that has lost a franchise record thirteen consecutive games, so when you tune in to tonight's show, it may not be as balanced as usual.

Sunday's loss wasn't a shocker, but I really thought this team would come together after such a challenging week and play better. I'm just looking for a pulse from this team. And by team, I'm including the coaching staff in that as well. But there's plenty of blame for the crappy product on the field, so let's trace it all the way to the top.

Kevin Warren has been team president for less than a year, and I hope (there's that word again) that he has full authority to shape this franchise how he sees fit. I have doubts, as there are rumors that he's just the guy to get the stadium deal finalized.

I hope (sigh) that's not true, and Warren is the number one football decision-maker in the organization. He may not be the right man to turn this franchise around, but he needs to sink or swim on his own. If he rides with general manager Ryan Poles, then so be it, but that needs to be his call. We've seen what a mess this franchise has been previously, so it's best the family stays as far away as possible and trust their president to run the show.

Check out Jeff and me on Bear & Balanced here, or come hang out with us live on 2nd City Gridiron at 6:00 p.m. (CT).

Here's our usual bullet point outline of Bear & Balanced.

• Intro: We'll both share some general thoughts about the game.
• Trench Tribute: This is our weekly pick for lineman of the game.
• Sweet Tweets: We're both active on social media — so be sure you're all following us at @gridironborn & @wiltfongjr — and we highlight one Twitter interaction/Tweet each week.
• Caught up in a numbers game: This segment has us featuring one number/statistic that we found interesting from the game.
• The Fields Report: We talk about quarterback Justin Fields before we take our commercial break.
• The 3 Bears: You all know the story of the Three Bears, so in this porridge-themed portion of the show, we give our picks for the Bear that was hot, the Bear that was cold, and the Bear that was just right in the game against the Chiefs.

You can also listen to the podcast version here or download it wherever you get your pods:

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WCG’s lead draft analyst shares his scouting reports for the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Like it or not, there’s now a serious discussion around whether the Chicago Bears should select a quarterback in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.

After an 0-3 start to the 2023 season, momentum in Chicago is at an all-time low. While there are several reasons one could point to in order to determine why the franchise is spiraling out of control, one of them has to be the play of quarterback Justin Fields.

Fields finished 2022 with the second-most rushing yards by a quarterback in a single NFL season. The hope in Chicagoland was that, after adding DJ Moore and investing in more talent around him, the QB1 would take that next step and lead the Bears into playoff contention.

Fast forward to today, and the Bears are one of only a small handful of 0-3 teams.

You can make a lot of excuses and say the coaching staff and execution on both sides of the ball — especially in the trenches — is pitiful, but to a certain point, you can’t excuse Fields of his poor play. It’s Year 3 for him; he should simply be much better than he is right now.

Luckily for the Bears, they’re currently on pace to hold two top-5 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Much will change between now and the draft itself, but with their being 0-3 and the Panthers also being winless, Chicago will likely be swimming in draft capital when it’s all said and done.

It’s also lucky that many have tabbed the 2024 quarterback draft class as one of the deepest in recent memory. Because it’s looking like a realistic possibility at this stage, I’ve decided to share my analysis on all of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft for all of my fellow miserable Bears fans out there.

Caleb Williams, USC

When you think about top quarterbacks to enter the draft over the last decade, Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow are the two signal-callers who come to mind. While I’m not sure he’s quite on that level yet, Caleb Williams might very well be the next name to enter that conversation.

Williams is my QB1 in the 2023 draft and my top prospect overall. The reigning Heisman winner has incredible arm talent with the ability to hit any throw from any angle. His elastic arm and creativity has seen him draw comparisons to Patrick Mahomes, and while that’s a massive comparison to make for any QB, their playing styles are strikingly similar. I’d argue Williams is the much better athlete of the two, having been rumored to run a 40-yard dash in the 4.5 range.

Not only is Williams athletic with a big arm, but the natural sense of accuracy with him is impressive. He hits his targets in stride regularly and delivers him balls with ideal timing. He reads the whole field pretty well, and while the knock on him is a lack of pocket presence and a lot of time to work with — which are valid to some degree — there are certainly instances of him delivering dimes under pressure and climbing the pocket under pressure. I’d be shocked if he didn’t end up the No. 1 pick in this draft.

Drake Maye, North Carolina

There’s a lot to like with Drake Maye, and though Bears fans might be turned off by a North Carolina quarterback wearing No. 10, I can assure you he’s definitely a better prospect than Mitch Trubisky was coming out.

Maye has good size at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds and pairs a very strong arm with that well-built frame. His throws have very good velocity behind them, and he throws with good touch on a pretty consistent basis. He offers nice pocket awareness with agility in and out of structure, and he’s capable of delivering absolute darts regardless of his platform or footwork.

That’s not to say Maye’s footwork is a nonfactor, as his mechanics in his lower half and insistence on throwing across his body will need to be coached up. He was also just 65th in the nation with a 62.9 passing grade by PFF last year, and he’s thrown some really questionable balls this season. That said, the upside with Maye is very high due to his arm strength, timing and athleticism. He seems like he’ll be a top-5 pick when it’s all said and done.

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

The Bears like players from Chicago. J.J. McCarthy grew up in the Chicago suburbs. It just makes sense.

I’ll boast until the day I die that I saw McCarthy torch up my high school when he was a sophomore starting on varsity in 2018. It was then and there I could tell he had NFL upside, and he’s carried that potential into the chance to be a first-round pick in 2024. He’s a strong-armed quarterback with impressive elasticity throwing on the move. Capable of hitting targets in tight windows, he pairs that arm talent with several instances of elite ball placement.

McCarthy is a top-notch athleticism with very good breakaway speed in space and creativity out of structure, but he’s at his best in the pocket. He’s looked really good in terms of his pocket presence in 2023; his subtle movement and ability to sense pressure has gotten much better to start the year off. His decision-making will definitely need improving, as he trusts his arm too much at times, and he’s a skinny quarterback being barely over 200 pounds. He’s not a finished product, but McCarthy has the tools that NFL teams often fall in love with.

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado

If you’re looking for a quarterback who’s outwardly good at the things Justin Fields is bad at, then Shedeur Sanders is your guy.

Sanders dominated at Jackson State prior to transferring to Colorado with his dad, Buffaloes head coach Deion. The quarterback offers nice velocity behind his throws and can hit targets vertically, but it’s the mental things that makes Sanders a top prospect in this draft. He’s a poised quarterback who doesn’t panic under pressure and knows how to keep his eyes scanning and feet moving to evade incoming defenders. He’s also a good decision-maker who can read the field and make smart decisions with the ball.

The question with Sanders is just how high his ceiling is. He isn’t a tremendous athlete and doesn’t have the speed or agility needed to consistently make plays with his legs. His follow-through was a bit inconsistent at Jackson State, and though it seems to have gotten a bit better at Colorado, his footwork could still use work. That said, Sanders seems like a high-floor passer who’s surely wowed teams to kick the year off. If he declares for the 2024 draft, he seems like a first-round pick.

Quinn Ewers, Texas

Texas has taken that next step as a program in 2023, and a lot of that can be accredited to Quinn Ewers.

The No. 1 prospect in the 2021 high school recruiting class, Ewers is a tough QB with a playmaking mentality. He has an above-average arm with the strength to stretch the field and good elasticity, showcasing the ability to deliver sidearm throws to hit targets from difficult angles. He thrives throwing across the middle of the field, as he has the ability to exploit soft spots in zone coverage well. Ewers has good mechanics with a quick, compact release and ideal footwork, too.

Ewers is light at 195 pounds, and he has a tendency to hit throws into double coverage too often. The inconsistency as a decision-maker and as a deep-ball thrower isn’t quite there for him to project as a blue-chip prospect yet, but his arm, toughness, mechanics and experience on the big stage should be enticing enough for an NFL team to take a shot on him in Round 1.

Bo Nix, Oregon

If your only exposure to Bo Nix is what you saw of him starting as a freshman for Auburn in 2019, you will be amazed to find out the quarterback he’s turned into.

Nix has a massive collegiate resume with 5 years of starting experience from his combined time at Auburn and Oregon, but it’s been over his last two seasons with the Ducks that have him firmly on NFL radar. He has a strong arm with deep-ball touch that has improved tremendously over the years, and he’s also an above-average athlete with the escapability needed to avoid pressure and even pick up yards with his feet if necessary. His natural sense of touch is impressive, and the consistency in his accuracy has gotten way better in recent years.

Since he turns 24 years old in February, Nix an older quarterback prospect who doesn’t have as much freedom to sit and develop, which he arguably needs to do. His processing needs to speed up, as does his consistent poise under pressure. I don’t have Nix as a first-rounder for these reasons, but I do see him as a Day 2 pick who could very well become a starter in the NFL.

Michael Penix Jr., Washington

Much like the aforementioned Nix, if your only exposure of Penix was his time at Indiana, you’d be pressure to see what he’s turned into at Washington.

The lefty QB has turned into arguably the best deep-ball thrower in college football. His sense of touch has improved tremendously over the years, to the point where he’s able to hit receivers in stride vertically on a regular basis. He’s capable of making full-field reads and reading stack and hi-lo concepts easily. His arm strength has improved a lot over the years, and while I’ve previously tweeted Penix doesn’t have elite arm strength, I’ll admit that I’ve gone through and watched more of his tape; his arm is more than good enough to play and thrive in the NFL.

Penix grades as a better passer than Nix for me, but I have a slightly lower grade on the Huskies star because of factors off the field. Penix has had four season-ending injuries in college, including two ACL tears. That, combined with his also being an older prospect and not having great athleticism, scares the hell out of me. I can’t take that risk to draft Penix in Round 1, but he’s definitely worth taking a flier on in Rounds 2-3.

The others

I’d limit the “expected starter” term to the quarterback I’ve listed above, but there are a few quarterbacks I think offer intriguing potential a bit farther down the draft.

The following quarterbacks are talents I have Day 3 grades on but have tools to potentially outplay their draft status.

• Riley Leonard, Duke
• Jordan Travis, Florida State
• Cameron Ward, Washington State
• Jayden Daniels, LSU
• Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

In addition, the following are some solid college quarterbacks I think are purely backups at the next level, but I would still feel confident selecting on Day 3 as insurance options.

• Michael Pratt, Tulane
• Sam Hartman, Notre Dame
• Austin Reed, Western Kentucky

The Chicago Bears continue their worst-case scenario start after a blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. With an (0-3) start now a reality, what else can go wrong? We’ll dive into a tumultuous week at Halas Hall and more in Week 3’s 10 Bears Takes.

Somehow, the Chicago Bears’ blowout loss on the road to the Kansas City Chiefs doesn’t even feel like the worst news of the week, does it? To say things were tumultuous at Halas Hall this week would be an understatement. Not only did the Bears come into Week 3 as an (0-2) team with not much going right, but things got even worse.

The week started with putting starting left tackle Braxton Jones on Injured Reserve with a neck injury. Quarterback Justin Fields then called out coaching as a reason why he felt he was playing “robotic.” Things then took a dark turn when former defensive coordinator Alan Williams—Who had not been with the team since Week 1— Abruptly resigned shortly after some ugly rumors made their way around social media. This all happened on a Wednesday afternoon.

Then came Sunday. Many figured that this game would go one of two ways. Either Chicago would come out motivated and keep the game close, or things would get ugly in a blowout loss. Well, if you voted on the latter, you’re one of the only true winners in what has been a memorable Week 3 for this team. Considering nothing is going right, and things appear to be spiraling, what now? The only good news is that the Bears will head back home in Week 4 to face a Denver Broncos game who gave up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.

1. I’m not sure we’ve reached Marc Trestman levels of dysfunction yet, but we’re getting close, and it’s only Week 3.

Week 3’s lead-up to Sunday’s game might have been one of the biggest circuses we’ve seen around this team in a while. When you really think about it, that’s saying something. For as much as some fans hated former head coach John Fox, there were not many dramatic moments. Even with Matt Nagy, disappointment and fights over quarterback Mitchell Trubisky were much more of a thing than what we saw this week.

It was a relatively quiet Monday and Tuesday. Many people’s eyes were on the health of safety Eddie Jackson. Then, Wednesday happened. It started with the announcement that left tackle Braxton Jones would be placed on Injured Reserve. Considering he had played every snap since coming into the league last season, it came as a surprise to most. Somehow, that storyline would be the most tame of the day.

Shortly after that announcement, quarterback Justin Fields met with the media. It was one of his more “open” sessions since coming in his rookie year. He talked about how he had been playing “robotic.” It’s been no secret that the third-year quarterback has struggled to open up the season, especially with what he’s seeing downfield. He proceeded to explain why he thought he was playing that way and mentioned coaching as a potential factor. Of course, it caught many off-guard, and by the time he was able to meet with the media again (after practice), the flames had already been stoked.

If that wasn’t “fun” enough, rumors started to surface about (now) former defensive coordinator Alan Williams. While I won’t get into the specifics of the rumors, it was jarring, to say the least. Williams had been away with the team for over a week at that point, and head coach Matt Eberflus was not forthcoming with any sort of update. About an hour after the rumors surfaced, Williams submitted his resignation. To put it simply, this has been a weird situation with many unanswered questions.

On Thursday, multiple defensive players admitted that Eberflus had yet to address Williams’ situation with the team. A few hours later, reports started to surface that Eberflus did address the team. Between the headlines Fields’ comments created and the ongoing Williams situation, that was not a great way to head into Arrowhead to face the defending Super Bowl champions.

Here’s the thing. Eberflus can’t control Williams’ actions. He also can only control so much in Fields’ development. With that being said, this team has taken a considerable step back from last season, and the circus surrounding them does this entire organization no favors. Couple that with a 41-10 blowout loss and his team appearing to have given up on the field following this week, and the heat is only cranking up more with this nightmare start to the 2023 season.

2. At some point soon, you’d have to assume there’s going to be another shakeup on the coaching staff, right?

Sure, Williams resigned, and it appears that Eberflus will continue to call the defense, but what about the rest of this team? In my opinion, they have played like the worst team in the league through three weeks, and their point differential shows. Despite the Denver Broncos losing by a whopping 50 points on Sunday, the Bears still have the worst margin in the league. They’ve led a single time this season. Just think about that for a second.

Defensively, they are awful. They are one of two teams to give up 100-plus points through three games. They are a league-worst on third down, too. Offensively, their third-year quarterback has taken a sizable step back. Their offensive line remains a mess, and that prized acquisition—D.J. Moore— has not been a focal point of this struggling offense.

The Bears aren’t known as an organization that fires coaches mid-season, but you’d have to believe that offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s job is in question. The film reviews are bad enough, but when you have former players and knowledgeable analysts calling out the fundamentals of Getsy’s offensive concepts, it’s getting bad. Organizations never want to overreact and overcorrect early in a season, but a shakeup is needed. I wouldn’t be shocked to see a move made if things don’t improve soon.

3. Quarterback Justin Fields talked about playing with a “F-it” mentality, and Sunday’s performance was not one he’d like to repeat. We’re quickly closing in on the Bears having yet another starting quarterback for the 2024 season, and I’m not sure Fields should share much of the blame.

I’m not sure what I expected from the offense on Sunday, but what they produced was somehow the worst we’ve seen through three games in 2023. Fields finished the game 11-of-22 for 99 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception. He did add 47 rushing yards but was sacked three times and hit hard many more. Simply put, this isn’t working.

The lack of designed runs is damning. The lack of confidence that the play calling is showing in their young quarterback is blinding.

All in all, it equates to something similar to what we saw with Nagy and Trubisky back in 2019 and 2020. Despite having 14 more games to get things “figured out,” it feels like we have 14 more games before this is “over.” That’s not a great feeling to have, and maybe I’m off in those feelings, but this is not trending in the right direction. Not even a hint of “good” so far and that’s troubling.

Assuming that this is trending toward another shakeup, I can’t help but feel like the Bears’ culpability in Fields’ failures is much bigger than Fields’ fault in this situation. His rookie year was not ideal. He came into a broken offense with a regime that was on the fringe of being fired. Then, he gets another new offensive system but without any hint of a supporting cast around him in Year 2. While I understand what general manager Ryan Poles was trying to do, the lasting damage to Fields’ development is evident. Despite the vast talent upgrades on the offensive depth chart, the offense is still a mess.

I do believe that some quarterbacks are meant to be great regardless of their situations. I’m also not trying to absolve Fields of any blame. But when you consider how bad of a situation he’s been in since being drafted, it’s not hard to see why this hasn’t worked out.

4. The injuries are mounting for a team that lacks quality depth—just another symptom of what has been a miserable start to the season.

Currently, the Bears have Teven Jenkins, Kyler Gordon, and Jones as starting players on Injured Reserve. Jackson missed Sunday’s game, as well. Tremaine Edmunds, Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and fill-in nickel Josh Blackwell all left the game due to injury.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that this is not a roster that can continue to lose starting-caliber players at the pace it has. Couple that with the vast amount of injuries they saw through training camp and the preseason, and it’s not a good sign in general. I’m not sure we are at a finger-pointing stage yet, but it’s a trend that goes back to most of last season. Either way, it’s hard to see how this is a remotely good sign for a young team that desperately needs development from their young core of players. If this continues, this could be yet another roadblock when trying to evaluate this roster at the end of the season.

Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images

5. At some point soon, general manager Ryan Poles is going to need to start answering for his roster building. Despite spending a ton of resources during the off-season, there don’t appear to be many cornerstone pieces on this roster.

Last year’s objective was clear, and there’s no reason to question that. Poles’ ability to tear down quickly and efficiently should be lauded. His ability to build this roster back up should be questioned though. If we just focus on his two drafts, this year’s free agency acquisitions, and how he has built this roster, it’s been a mixed bag.

First, let’s start with Poles’ roster construction. Despite being a former offensive lineman, his choices on the offensive line haven’t yielded positive results. As a whole, Darnell Wright has played well for a rookie. Jones was a good story as a rookie but in his first two games (prior to going on injured reserve), did not yield many improvements. The acquisition of Nate Davis deserves an incomplete so far. All in all, this group has been bad under Poles’ watch, though. He didn’t take many chances in free agency, and it has shown.

On the defensive line, things are a mess. He opted not to chase big-name options in free agency but was somehow willing to give Larry Ogunjobi over $13 million a year last off-season (before a failed physical). Justin Jones has been a non-factor, and the draft picks of Gervon Dexter Sr., Zacch Pickens, and Dominique Robinson have produced little results so far. Albeit, the first two have played in just three games. Andrew Billings has been his best find so far, and it’s not even close.

Despite all of the names added in the trenches, his biggest investments have come at receiver, linebacker, and defensive back. While I’m not knocking the focus of those positions, I can’t help but feel like he has built this roster backward. As of right now, how many “blue chip” players would you say the Bears have? I’d say maybe one in D.J. Moore. Maybe Wright can become one of those. The second question I would ask is, how many of these current players would you pencil in as starters on a playoff-caliber team? Again, you’re talking about a very small minority of players on this roster. The Bears lack talent, but most importantly, they lack top-end talent. So far, Poles has let more blue-chip talent leave than he has acquired. Considering his resources this off-season, that’s a problem.

By no means am I fully advocating for Poles leaving with Eberflus if things don’t improve, but George McCaskey and Kevin Warren better be damn-sure that he’s the guy to not only hire a brand new coaching staff but draft the right quarterback and fix the issues that continue to plague this team. If there are any questions about those core issues, he might not be the guy to proceed with into the next off-season (assuming things continue to trend in this direction).

6. When is it appropriate to start tracking the race for the No. 1 overall pick? Asking for a friend.

I’m having a hard time believing that we’re even at a point where this is an acceptable conversation to have. Yet, here we are. Three weeks into the season wondering if it’s time to dive into tank mode. Sure, this season could still turn around, but outside of relying on pure blind optimism, it’s hard to see how and when this thing would turn around for the Bears.

If anything, this should serve as a tough reminder that “winning the off-season” is only that. Once games start, a lot of things need to go right in order for a team to win regular season games. For the Bears, they are a few losses away from an entire calendar year of going winless. No matter how you cut it, things can still absolutely get worse. Let’s just hope this week doesn’t propel them into a never-ending tailspin.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

7. Speaking of the No. 1 overall pick... If the Bears draft another quarterback in next year’s draft, they better have ALL of their eggs in a basket before they ruin another quarterback.

The history of quarterbacks for the Bears is a bleak one. Considering how long they’ve been a franchise, it’s not a good thing. Even if you want to stay in the modern era, their track record of quarterbacks can only be rivaled by the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets.

This “new era” started with Jay Cutler. Despite acquiring a Pro Bowl quarterback with a sky-high ceiling, they surrounded him with a bad offensive line and zero offensive weapons. The trend continued (except through the Trestman era). Cutler’s two best statistical seasons in Chicago came when they spent resources to surround him with talent. Oh, and don’t forget about the glut of offensive coordinators they went through with him at quarterback.

Despite that cautionary tale, the Bears did little to help Trubisky in his rookie year. Then, they opted to change the coaching staff and try to build their franchise around him. The biggest issue? They made the wrong hire as head coach, and it destroyed his development. I’m not convinced Trubisky would have panned out regardless, but once again, they did him no favors.

We’ve already covered how much they’ve wrong Fields. We’ll have plenty of time to rehash that if things don’t work out by year’s end in Chicago. The signs are there. The track records of what not to do are clear. So, if the Bears end up drafting yet another quarterback in next year’s draft, they must end the cycle.

That means making sure they have a stable head coach and front office in place. If Eberflus isn’t the guy (I don’t think he will be if Fields is gone), make sure to hire a good offensive-minded head coach. They also need to make sure Poles is the guy they are comfortable giving a minimum of two to three years with a new head coach. Once that is figured out, what’s the plan for the offensive line and receiving options? All of those questions need to be answered before they even think about drafting another quarterback. The right blueprint is out there. Having a game-changing quarterback makes all the difference. But having the right situation in place to house that young quarterback is something the Bears have failed to get right far too often in recent memory. That needs to change.

8. The Bears will enter Monday night as one of only five winless teams.

The Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and Cincinnati Bengals are the four other winless teams heading into Monday night. The Bengals could change their fortunes tonight, but as of now, the list of winless teams is short.

Of the five teams, the Bears, Broncos, and Panthers stand out as the “worst” of the group. The Bears will play both the Broncos and Panthers, as well as the Arizona Cardinals (who have surprised so far) this season. That could be a good thing or a bad thing for the Bears. All three of these games are winnable, but with the way Chicago has played, wins cannot be assumed nor expected. The list of winless teams will continue to shrink. Eberflus and Poles better hope that means a few wins are on the horizon for the Bears soon.

9. NFC North Lookaround: The Green Bay Packers pulled off an improbable 17-point comeback, and the Detroit Lions got back on track.

Despite being down 17-0 for the better part of three quarters, Jordan Love led the Packers back, and they beat the New Orleans Saints in Green Bay’s home opener. Although I’m still not sold Love is the answer, or that the Packers are any good, they are a very well-coached team with a young roster that has some untapped talent.

The Lions handled the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday by a score of 20-6. Detroit’s defense shut down Desmond Ridder and rookie running back Bijan Robinson, holding the Atlanta offense to 183 total yards, including just 44 yards on the ground.

The Minnesota Vikings fought hard but lost the battle of the 0-2’s against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Vikings’ defense continues to be an issue, as does Kirk Cousins’ turnover issue. Minnesota’s regression in one-score games has been extreme thus far.

All in all, this is not a strong division, and it would not shock me to see the Lions start to run away with this division over the next month. Green Bay is fighting hard but in all reality, should probably be 1-2 heading into a pivotal Week 4 matchup with the Lions on Thursday Night Football. I’d also bet on the Vikings beating out the Bears for third place in the end.

10. Week 4 look ahead: The (0-3) Denver Broncos who gave up 70 points on Sunday.

Miami’s 70 to 20 victory over the Broncos, I’m sure you heard about it. The Broncos, much like the Bears, have had a vastly disappointing start to the season. Before Week 3, Denver had imploded in the second half. On Sunday, they gave up 726 total yards to go with the 70-point Dolphin effort.

Russell Wilson is playing better, but overall, the Broncos continue to struggle in a similar way to the Bears. This will be a tough-to-watch meeting between two bad teams. Despite the 50-point loss, the Broncos will open up as 2.5-point road favorites. That should tell you everything you need to know about how the majority of the nation views the Bears through the first three games of the season. The Bears will play two games in 11 days, with a Thursday night affair upcoming in Week 5.

Here are all the snap counts for the Chicago Bears, a spotlight on some of their individual statistics, and a few team stats from their 41 to 10 beatdown in K.C.

The Chicago Bears are three games into the 2023 season, and nothing about this franchise is working. Sure, there are a few players who are putting up solid individual statistics, but football is a team sport, and this team has lost a franchise record thirteen consecutive games. Nothing about their play through three games makes me think they'll win again.

Losing to the Kansas City Chiefs was expected.

Heading into the halftime locker room down 34 to 0 was not.

The Dolphins scored 70 points earlier in the day, and if K.C. hadn't pulled Patrick Mahomes midway through the third quarter, they could have come close to that.

The Chiefs had more total yards (456 to 203) and more first downs (31 to 11) while converting 71.4% of their third-down tries. They also dominated the time of possession (36:13 to 23:47) with 75 plays to just 51 for the Bears.

Let's look at the Bears' playing time breakdowns and some individual stats.

OFFENSE

Justin Fields was 11 of 22 passing for 99 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, while rushing 11 times for 47 yards. He was sacked 3 times.

D.J. Moore caught the TD pass, and in all, he had 3 receptions for 41 yards on 6 targets.

Khalil Herbert 7 rushes for 31 yards and had 2 catches for 4 yards with a lost fumble.

Roschon Johnson ran 8 times for 38 yards and caught 2 for 11 yards.

DEFENSE

T.J. Edwards had 16 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.

Rookie corner Terell Smith had 10 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 pass defended.

The Bears intercepted Chief backup QB Blaine Gabbert twice, with Jack Sanborn and Quindell Johnson getting the Bears' first takeaways this season.

Chicago's defense gave up 153 rushing yards and allowed Gabbert and Patrick Mahomes to combine for 303 yards through the air.

SPECIAL TEAMS*

*The above image has players who only played in the third phase.

Cairo Santos hit a 21-yard field goal and his only extra point. He remains perfect on the season.

Trenton Gill punted 5 times for a 45.8-yard average, with 1 punt inside the 20-yard line. He had a net punting average of 35.2 yards due to a touchback and 33 return yards from Montrell Washington, who was fresh up from the practice squad.

Velus Jones Jr. watched 7 kickoffs go into the end zone and had a tackle.

To check out the complete Bears vs. Chiefs box score, I find that ESPN has an easy-to-navigate site, so hit that link if you want to see all the numbers.

All statistics and snap counts are taken directly from the NFL's Game Statistic and Information System, as are the accompanying pictures.

The Bears fall to 0-3 in the most depressing way possible.

The Bears have fallen to 0-3 after a humiliating 41-10 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday.

As a result of their disengaged and uninspired play, I will give them an uninspired game recap in return. They’ve already taken enough time from me, and I refuse to give them the dedication needed to write a good, precise day-after notes article.

If you didn’t watch the Bears on Sunday and rely on these articles to sum up what happened in the game the day before, I apologize for not providing up to standard this week. I also emphasize that it’s probably best you not know what happened. Live in ignorance; I wish I could.

The offense was uninspired. Justin Fields didn’t play well. His decision making was questionable, and his accuracy was subpar. The playcalling was bland and predictable. Chicago’s wide receivers couldn’t get open. The offensive line wasn’t great in pass protection. The ground game wasn’t terrible, but there just generally wasn’t enough offensive firepower to ever get going.

As bad as the offense was, the defense might’ve been even worse. The middle of the field was consistently wide open in coverage, allowing Patrick Mahomes to pick apart the Bears’ defense through the air. He finished 24-for-33 with 272 yards, 3 touchdowns and no interceptions upon getting pulled in the third quarter.

The Bears failed to tackle consistently. Their coverage, as has been the case all year, was passive and vanilla. Calling it vanilla is an insult to vanilla-flavored things, actually — it’s not all that creative of an order, but at least vanilla tastes good. Nothing went right for the Bears on defense against Kansas City.

Jack Sanborn and Quindell Johnson both got interceptions in garbage time. On offense, DJ Moore had a touchdown and a nice one-handed grab. Outside of said garbage time, though, there were no “big plays” the Bears made all game on either side of the field.

That’s all I’m going to say about how the Bears played against the Chiefs this week. Hats off to the Chiefs for getting a big win in front of their home crowd. After how Chicago performed in their first two games, this was a statement game in a major way for Matt Eberflus and the rest of his coaching staff.

The statement: “We suck.”

Bears barbequed by Chiefs in Kansas City

WE WANT YOU!

Would you like to show your Chicago Bears spirit to the world? I’m starting a feature where Windy City Gridiron readers can share pictures of themselves and their families and friends in Bears attire. Simply email a picture to me at the following address: denmasterken at aol dot com. The pictures need to be clear, and full resolution (i.e. full size from your phone if that’s how you take them). Include any description information you like along with the photo!

THE DAILY SPONGIE SPECIAL

BEARRRSSSS

With the Bears, it can always get worse — and Sunday it did - Chicago Sun-Times - After one of the most damaging weeks the franchise has witnessed in years, the team was blown out 41-10 by the defending Super Bowl champs.

QB Justin Fields at center of debacle as Chiefs humiliate Bears 41-10 - Chicago Sun-Times - Fields had a 12.5 passer rating at halftime, while Patrick Mahomes left in the third quarter with a 41-0 lead.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson leaves Chiefs game with hamstring problem - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears were already playing without slot cornerback Kyler Gordon, who broke his hand in the season-opening loss to the rival Packers.

Halftime: Chiefs destroying Bears 34-0 as QB Justin Fields has 40 yards passing, INT - Chicago Sun-Times - The Bears punted on their first three possessions and fumbled on the fourth.

Instant Reactions: Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs issue the Bears a swift kick to the groin - CHGO - Welp, that was as unpleasant as a root canal. A Chicago Bears team in turmoil went down to Kansas City to face the defending Super Bowl champions on Sunday and apart from Taylor Swift showing up to root on Travis Kelce, the script went as we all thought.

Bears observations: Chiefs embarrass Bears in front of Taylor Swift – NBC Sports Chicago - With Taylor Swift in the crowd Sunday in Kansas City, the Chiefs embarrassed the Bears, leaving no doubt about which direction this season is heading.

Bears vs. Chiefs: Best players and poor performances – NBC Sports Chicago - Justin Fields and the Bears were bad bad against the Chiefs in Week 3.

Haugh: Bears are unraveling at 0-3 - 670 - The Bears’ 31-point loss to the Chiefs on Sunday was the kind of humiliation that leaves a mark on a resume and threatens to define a season.

Report: Alan Williams resigned due to inappropriate activity - 670 - Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams’ resignation was the result of “inappropriate activity,” Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Sunday, and the Bears’ human resources department was part of the process that ended with Williams stepping down.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Cowboys stink it up against previously winless Cardinals, losing 28-16 - NBC Sports - Jonathan Gannon got his first win as the Cardinals’ head coach and Joshua Dobbs his first as a starting quarterback.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Curl: Bears hit new low in humiliating loss in front of Taylor Swift - Windy City Gridiron - To say it wasn’t the Bears day is a thing you could say about this game and since there’s nothing good to say, I guess I’ll just say that in an unnecessarily run-on sentence way.

Bears vs. Chiefs Postgame Podcast: Well, that game sucked... - Windy City Gridiron - “Well, that game sucked. Time to do the postgame show.” ~ Jacob, probably

Wiltfong: The latest on the Alan Williams situation - Windy City Gridiron - The latest on the Alan Williams situation involves "inappropriate" workplace activity.

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Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following are not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender-based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

Windy City Gridiron Podcast Channel which includes Bears Banter hosted by Bill Zimmerman, Bears Over Beers featuring Jeff Berckes & EJ Snyder, Making Monsters with Taylor Doll, Bear Bones from Dr. Mason West and Danny Meehan, Bear & Balanced from Jeff and Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., and T Formation Conversation from Lester; EJ also co-hosts The Bootleg Football Podcast with Brett Kollmann; and Steven’s Streaming Twitch Channel from Steven Schweickert is another fun one.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: Jeff Berckes; Dr. Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Taylor Doll; Greg Gabriel; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Dr. Ken Mitchell; Danny Meehan; Jack R Salo; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; T.J. Starman; Dr. Mason West; Bill Zimmerman; 2nd City Gridiron; Like WCG on Facebook; Like 2nd City Gridiron on Facebook.

The Chicago Bears lose another game, and J. Sunderdoom explains why “Sundays Mirror Life” for us Bears fans.

Check out the early line for the week four Bears vs. Broncos game.

Most of the week four NFL odds are out, and the Denver Broncos, a team that just gave up 70 points and 726 total yards of offense, are favored to beat the Chicago Bears by 2.5 points.

This game is in Chicago, and our partners at DraftKings Sportsbook have the winless Bears as the underdog against the winless Broncos.

I can't blame them.

The Bears have looked directionless in all three games, with their latest embarrassment coming in K.C. with a 41 to 10 drubbing.

In what has been a recurring theme this year, the loss isn't the bad part; it is the way they are losing.

Everyone expected the defending champion Chiefs to win today, but the Bears just rolled over and played dead. There's nothing this team can do right. Not one aspect of this team is clicking.

We're not even a quarter of the way into the season, and many of our fans are waiting for the coaching staff to get fired, the third-string quarterback to play, and watching the 2024 draft order.

This is life as a Bears fan.

For those curious, the over/under for the Bears-Broncos game is currently 45.5, with the moneyline for Denver at -148 and for Chicago it's +124.

The WCG crew will make their picks in a few days, but how do you see this game playing out?

To say it wasn’t the Bears day is a thing you could say about this game and since there’s nothing good to say, I guess I’ll just say that in an unnecessarily run-on sentence way.

This game started off with potential. With the Bears facing the reigning champions after two thoroughly disappointing losses and a historically disastrous week at Hallas Hall, expectations could not have been lower. So this was the first realistic chance for the Bears to exceed expectations.

As an added bonus, I’ve already hit my limit of football-induced nausea watching the Packers improbable comeback victory. Nothing can hurt me now.

Update: The Bears exceeded expectations in the wrong direction.

Box Score

Oh dear, Taylor Swift is watching

If the Bears play anything like their first two games, I don’t want to hear the song she writes about their performance. That songstress can weave a devastating yard when she so chooses.

Update: maybe she’ll write a sympathy song for us? Maybe she has some insight into what we can learn from this experience? Because I certainly don’t.

Bears defense looks tired of being embarrassed

The Bears came out fast on their first two plays, with multiple Bears rushing to the ball to stop the first run and Jaylon Johnson swatting the ball out of Justyn Ross’ hands on the Chiefs’ first pass. They failed to pressure Mahomes on 3rd, but brought the Chiefs right back to 3rd down with some good energy and ultimately forced the Chiefs off the field.

Fields gets the Bears out of trouble with a nice pass to Claypool

Kmet even picked up a crucial block on George Karlaftis to let Fields escape pressure and make a 15 yard pass and give Bears some space to work. The rest of the drive went nowhere, but we’re looking for small things to feel good about today. Nice play, Bears!

The Bears defense looks ready to get embarrassed again

They may have ran out of scrappy energy in the first drive. Or maybe, they’re just outmatched by the best quarterback and tight end in the league. Either way, the Bears defense gifted Kansas City their first 1st quarter score of the season. You’re welcome, Matt.

Is the Bears run game finding its legs?

The Bears second drive started with 40 straight yards on the ground between Justin Fields and Khalil Herbert. Of course, it then ended with a sack on 3rd and 6 that took them out of field goal range. It was a good bout of jogging from the young Bears either way. Hopefully it’s something to build on. Maybe we’ll see a successful play action pass next drive!

Is the Bears defense what Clyde Edwards-Helaire needs to revive his career

Maybe the new goal for the Bears should be just uplifting the lives and careers of everyone they play the way actual Bears uplift the spirits of everyone they see?

Update: Isiah Pacheco also looks great against the Bears defense. If the Bears uplift everyone equally, does anyone truly benefit?

Brisker hurt again

The talented young safety has had an injury of some sort every game so far this season. He keeps coming back in, but I’m not enjoying the trend.

Could Greg Olsen be an improvement at OC?

On second and 7 in the Bears third drive, Olsen pointed out the Chiefs were heavily playing the run with a stacked box and suggested that might benefit from play action. Bears ran it for zero yards. I think Olsen may have had a better idea than Getsy. Former Bear great. It could work.

Let Nagy run his silly little plays against the Bears

As soon as Jerrick McKinnon threw the ball back to Mahomes for a surprise 2nd pass I could imagine it. Nagy too excited in Andy Reid’s office. Reid humoring him, “yeah, we can run that,” knowing the whole time he’ll only allow it up 14 to 0 against a hopeless defense.

Bears get another stop!

After giving up three straight touchdowns, the Bears force Kansas City to settle for a field goal after the Bears gifted them a short field with Khalil Herbert’s fumble. This may be the momentum shift the Bears need for this season, this regime, and perhaps the McCaskey era.

Update: the next Bears drive was two plays, an uncharacteristic DJ Moore drop, then a tipped ball interception. I do not believe the momentum has shifted.

Things you don’t want to hear about your team from announcers:

“This first half couldn’t have gone worse.” “It’s just a flat out disaster.” “You could say it’s a meltdown by Chicago.” “Right now, it’s just spiraling out of control.” “Bears are going to go for it, obviously, down 41.” “Fields doesn’t know what to do right now.” “This is a shared failure to this point: players, coaches, front office.” “Chicago has to find a couple moral victories.” “Obviously it’s been a one-sided game.”

Free idea to anyone who broadcasts football games

If there’s a delay of game penalty, make a graphic of a cool dog coming onto the field to bring the ball back 5 yards. Call it the D.O.G. dog.

Can you lose bad enough to get the 1st overall pick in September?

Taylor can just decide we deserve it, right?

There’s been a huge uptick in 1 yard scrambles from Fields this season

And I’m not sure it’s working for him. Go back to the 60 yard touchdown runs, please.

The Gift of Gabbert

The Chiefs turned to backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert up 41 in the 3rd quarter, and quickly through an interception to Bears star linebacker, Jack Sanborn. This is certainly the momentum shift the Bears need.

Update: Blaine kept giving with another interception thrown to Bears UDFA rookie Quindell Johnson. Nice lifetime memory for the young Bear.

A little movement with designed runs

This certainly falls under the “too little too late” category of accomplishments, but it’s nice to see the ball move in the correct direction for a couple of first downs. At this point, I’m just hoping the Bears aren’t relegated before the game is over.

DJ Moore grabbing Justin Fields to get him off the field is the best thing I’ve seen today

At least our most important offensive players are looking out for each other.

Fields repayed him on the next play with a perfect pass allowing Moore to show off a pretty one-handed grab for something that at some point may be included in a highlight real and seem cool rather than an insufficient attempt at hopebuilding for a desperately deflated franchise.

The Bears are not a phoenix rising from the flames. They didn’t find any magical inspiration from their disastrous start to the season or their tumultuous week. Justin Fields didn’t find any sort of groove playing looser.

This season has already been too long and there are 14 games left.

Talk about the Bears-Chiefs game with us here.

“Well, that game sucked. Time to do the postgame show.” ~ Jacob, probably

Bill Zimmerman is the usual host of our Not Your Average Bears Postgame Show!, but he had a prior commitment this week (or so he says), so Jacob Infante will be filling in as guest host.

The Chicago Bears were absolutely demolished by the Kansas City Chiefs.

They were outclassed in every way imaginable.

I have no idea where this franchise goes from here.

Jacob wants to make this postgame show as interactive as possible, so join us over on YouTube, or drop some questions here in the comment section and we’ll try to get as many answered as possible.

Check out the video version here, or come hang out with us live on 2nd City Gridiron.

2nd City Gridiron is our video home, so hit the link to subscribe and turn those notifications on so you never miss when we go LIVE!

You can also listen to the podcast version here or download it wherever you get your pods:

The WCG Podcast Channel is available anywhere you get your Podcasts, including platforms such as Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Audacy, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Podbean, Audible, TuneIn, and many more!

Full list of inactives for today’s game

The inactive lists are out from both the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs for today’s game, and there aren’t any surprises this week.

Chicago’s Inactives

QB - Tyson Bagent (Emergency third QB)

S - Eddie Jackson

WR - Equanimeous St. Brown

RB - D’Onta Foreman

S - A.J Thomas

DL - Daniel Hardy

Kansas City’s inactives

LB - Nick Bolton

CB - Nic Jones

DE - BJ Thompson

OL - Wanya Morris

T - Lucas Niang

DT - Keondre Coburn

Once we get closer to kickoff, this will be your open thread to talk Bears-Chiefs all game long.

2nd City Gridiron is our video home, so hit the link to subscribe and turn those notifications on so you never miss when we go LIVE!

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter: Jeff Berckes; Dr. Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Taylor Doll; Greg Gabriel; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Danny Meehan; Jack R Salo; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; T.J. Starman; Dr. Mason West; Bill Zimmerman; 2nd City Gridiron; Like WCG on Facebook; Like 2nd City Gridiron on Facebook.

This is now the open thread for today’s game, so if you were looking for the inactives just scroll down.

Keep in mind all open threads are rated WCG-MA, so enter at your own risk!

Join us on our 2nd City Gridiron video channel after the game ends with our new postgame show, Not Your Average Bears Postgame Show! Today’s show will have a guest host as Bill Zimmerman had a previous commitment, so come hang out with Jacob Infante and bring your questions! Once the show wraps, we’ll publish it on our podcast channel.

The latest on the Alan Williams situation involves “inappropriate” workplace activity.

Specifics about the Alan Williams resignation have yet to fully come out, but this morning, two prominent NFL insiders shared what they have learned about the former defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears.

“I’m told it was not criminal activity, but it was inappropriate,” reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “and the Bears’ HR department was involved in the decision for Alan Williams to step aside.”

You can check out Schefter’s soundbyte here from Awful Announcing.

Behaving inappropriately at the workplace, with the HR department involved, would explain why general manager Ryan Poles and the coaching staff have been so vague in their statements about Williams.

However, head coach Matt Eberflus has been more forthright with the players, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Coach ‘Flus went to each position group’s meeting room and discussed Williams’ resignation while shooting down all the “crazy rumors” that popped up on social media. He informed them that he’d be the defensive play caller moving forward while taking questions from the players in an “honest, frank discussion.”

Rap said that Eberflus told him he believes “this will be a galvanizing moment for the Bears.”

That segment can be heard here from Rapoport, along with some Justin FIelds stuff.

The Athletics’ Dianna Russini wrote about the Bears earlier today as well.

Multiple people on the Bears property spotted a forensic vehicle parked outside the facility in the wake of Williams’ resignation. I was told by multiple league sources this is standard practice when a team employee has resigned or has been fired. That employee’s work devices, such as a computer and cell phone, are downloaded out of caution. This is a layer of protection for the Bears against potential future lawsuits involving a former employee, those sources said.

After the week that was, playing a football game against the Chiefs feels like relief.

The Chicago Bears are 0-2. The offense hasn’t looked impressive. Neither has the defense. That on its own would be bad enough.

Then Justin Fields says in a press conference what’s been apparent for a while. Then defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigns from the team after being absent from the team for last week’s game. Then left tackle Braxton Jones goes on IR with a neck injury. Then the Bears have six-figures worth of equipment stolen from them.

By the way, did I mention the Bears still have to face only the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs this week?

It’s been a busy week for the Navy and Orange, in most of the ways that an NFL team prefers it not to happen, especially in Week 3. But if Fields delivered a needed wake-up call to the Bears offense and the defense manages to keep a thus-far-struggling Chiefs offense held down, maybe the Bears can keep it within the spread.

Or maybe they can just take the win and give the fans a little hope, who knows.

Either way. Bear Down, my friends.

Today’s WCG Sunday Livestream welcomes back Sam and with a full week away and a very eventful week since the last game, the rant will be fiery.

Of course, if you want to participate, here’s how you do it:

• The comments in this thread. We read them. We remark on them. We discuss them. Sometimes we laugh.
• Over on the Twitch channel.
• Over on our Twitters (@WCGridiron, @SJS_illini, @SamHouseholder), at BlueSky (@sjsillini, @samhouseholder), carrier pigeon...

We’ll be live at 9:30 AM CT, with a lot to go over, so don’t miss it.

How to bet the Monday Night Football games

When the schedule came out, I think many people assumed Week 3’s Monday Night Football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals would be a bit of a mismatch. Afterall, the Bengals came into the season with hopes of getting back to the Super Bowl, a game they lost to these Rams just two seasons ago. A preseason calf injury robbed Burrow of his preseason and the Bengals sit at 0-2 to start the year.

On the other side, many around the league whispered, somewhat loudly, that the Rams might be looking to tank the year, paying off the credit card from their Super Bowl run and maybe luck into the Caleb Williams sweepstakes. Pairing a young phenom quarterback with Sean McVay could be one of those combinations that stacks trophies and banners in Los Angeles for years to come. Apparently, no one told Matthew Stafford and McVay those plans because the Rams look like they’re ready to compete. They’ve had great production from their young wide receivers, rookie Puca Nacua and third year man Tutu Atwell in Cooper Kupp’s absence.

With Burrow on the mend from a calf injury and the Rams finding a spark on offense, I do think the Rams can go on the road and win this one. However, I think the Bengals know how dangerous it is to fall to 0-3 to start the year, especially in this AFC, and still fight through for a playoff spot. This is an early-season backs to the wall situation where I think they’ll find a way. I think they break out of this offensive slump and escape with a close W.

As for the Philadelphia Eagles traveling down south to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, I think this one is rather straightforward. The Eagles may not be hitting on all cylinders quite yet, but they’re easily one of the most talented teams in the league. The Bucs are off to a great start, but they’ve taken down the Vikings and the Bears. This is one of those games that starts to really help us separate the wheat from the chaff. The Tampa Bay heat can’t help them in a night game either. I’ll take the Eagles to soar while Baker withers under pressure from a talented front four.

Picks: Bengals moneyline, Rams +2.5, Over 43.5

Eagles -5, Under 45.5

(Numbers courtesy of our partners at DraftKings Sportsbooks)