Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams turned heads across the NFL during the 2025 season. 

Williams led Chicago to its first division title since 2018 and its first playoff win since 2010. The 24-year-old signal-caller engineered one of the most dramatic single-season turnarounds in recent Bears history. 

He finished the season completing 330-of-568 passes for 3,942 yards and 27 touchdowns. Williams’ ability to produce comeback wins placed him among the fastest-rising quarterbacks in the league. 

He performed at his best when the stakes were highest. Few witnessed that firsthand better than Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay. 

The Super Bowl-winning coach saw Williams do something unforgettable in their postseason clash.

Chicago Bears: Sean McVay heaps praise on Caleb Williams

Williams has earned the respect of one of the brightest offensive minds in the league. At the NFL Annual Meeting on Monday, reporters asked McVay about the promising Bears signal-caller. 

The 40-year-old bench boss made his admiration for the Bears QB1 abundantly clear.

“He’s a stud,” McVay said in a clip posted by the NFL on X. “I think even just preparing for him, watching the crunch-time throws, I think he did a great job.

“Ben [Johnson] does an excellent job putting a lot of pressure on defenses, but he’s doing a lot of different things pre-snap. That takes a lot of coordination and challenging parts for the quarterback. The things that are so impressive are when things go off schedule.”

McVay also touched on Williams’ fourth-down touchdown throw in the January NFC Divisional Round game. The Rams eliminated the Bears 20-17 in overtime. Despite the win, McVay could not shake what Williams did in the closing seconds of regulation.

“I couldn’t believe what I witnessed on that fourth down and 4,” McVay added. “It’s one of the most incredible plays I’ve ever seen. It seems like he lights up, and he’s at his best at the most important moments.

“You can tell there’s a belief that his teammates have in him. He’s a great guy, so I wish him the best — except for when he’s playing the Rams.”

Sean McVay’s got nothing but respect for Caleb Williams pic.twitter.com/madMh1OflC

— NFL (@NFL) March 31, 2026

Coming from a Super Bowl-winning coach, that endorsement carries weight. Williams and the Bears are just getting started.

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The Chicago Bears’ season came to a bitter end in the divisional round. After a hard-fought battle against the Los Angeles Rams, the Bears fell short in overtime 20-17. It marked the end of a memorable season for Chicago — one that saw them advance to the divisional round for the first time since the 2010 season.

The Bears booked their spot in the playoffs by clinching the NFC North title. They finished the regular season with an 11-6 record, marking their first division championship since 2018.

Chicago’s defense played a key role in the team’s success in 2025. The defensive line was by no means spectacular, but they got the job done more often than not.

Chicago Bears announce roster move on Tuesday

The Bears front office has been busy tinkering with the roster following their season-ending loss to the Rams. This includes changes on the defensive side of the ball. Chicago announced its latest move on Tuesday.

“The #Bears have signed DL Jamree Kromah to a Reserve/Future contract,” Bears Communications posted on X.

The #Bears have signed DL Jamree Kromah to a Reserve/Future contract.

— Bears Communications (@BearsPR) January 27, 2026

Kromah, who has bounced in and out of the Bears’ practice squad for the past two seasons, is not a game-changer for Chicago’s defensive line. The decision to sign the 25-year-old to a reserve/future contract is more of a low-risk roster-building move for the offseason.

At this point, the Bears are stacking up their roster. They are looking to add depth to multiple positions for their 90-man roster for OTAs (Organized Team Activities) and training camp.

This move has cheap upside for the Bears, who will now want to see if Kromah can excel during the offseason. If he does, the former James Madison Dukes standout could potentially earn himself a spot in the final roster. However, if Kromah fails to impress, the Bears will have an option to cut him loose at minimal cost.

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The Chicago Bears returned to the divisional round for the first time since the 2010 season. On Sunday, the Bears faced the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. Unfortunately for Chicago, it came up short in what turned out to be a thrilling encounter.

The Bears put up a good fight, but in the end, the Rams escaped with a 20-17 road victory in overtime. L.A. will now proceed to the conference championship game to battle the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC title and a spot in the Super Bowl. The Bears, on the other hand, are headed to their offseason after a memorable campaign.

Chicago Bears involved in historic announcement after divisional round loss to Rams

There was no shortage of action in the divisional round thriller between Chicago and L.A. The two teams traded blows in the first half, leaving the score at 10-10 at the break.

The Rams pulled away in the fourth quarter courtesy of running back Kyren Williams’ second rushing touchdown of the game. The Bears answered back, though, with quarterback Caleb Williams producing one of the best touchdown passes of the season with just 18 seconds remaining. Chicago tied the game at 17-17 after the extra point, forcing overtime.

The Rams sealed the win in the extra period with a 42-yard field goal. That marked the end of the line for Chicago and its impressive 2025 run.

On Thursday, a historic announcement was made about the Bears-Rams game. As it turns out, the exciting matchup set a new viewership record for NBC. A whopping 45.4 million viewers tuned in for the primetime matchup, making it the most-watched divisional round game ever.

The Rams and Bears Divisional round thriller brought in some wild viewership numbers pic.twitter.com/H67zvzy1JG

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 22, 2026

There were three other games in the divisional round, including another overtime thriller between the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos. However, the Bears-Rams game reigned supreme in viewership. This isn’t only for the current season, but throughout the history of the divisional round.

This year’s NFL playoffs have produced unprecedented viewership numbers, and more could be on the way in the conference championship round and the Super Bowl.

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Despite being one of the best wide receivers since debuting in 2014, Davante Adams has never been to a Super Bowl.

More News: Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles gives worrying update on Ozzy Trapilo for 2026 season

Adams and the Los Angeles Rams are one win away from him playing in his first career Super Bowl, which he called a “mythical thing.”

“Just having been here so many times and understanding exactly what it takes to get where we’re ultimately trying to go,” Adams said Wednesday, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “It’s obviously exciting to achieve the minor goals along the way that you ultimately need to do to get where you want to be, but yeah, [getting to a Super Bowl] just feels like almost like a mythical thing to me at this point. It’s tough not to think about that one,” Adams said. “A loss like that will last a long time. And we’ve got an opportunity to change that now. Being back in a position where you’re with a great team and in a great situation, you definitely have a greater appreciation for times like this for sure,” he said.

Davante Adams was a non-factor in the Rams’ win over the Chicago Bears, which could affect his confidence

In the Rams’ 20-17 overtime win over the Bears, Adams was a non-factor, posting a pedestrian 24 yards (two receptions) and scoring no touchdowns. Adams’ inability to be a viable option after the Bears locked down Puka Nacua (56 yards on five receptions) may affect his confidence heading into the game against Seattle.

Davante Adams needs to continue being a solid No. 2 option for Rams QB Matthew Stafford

With Puka Nacua being the No. 1 option in head coach Sean McVay’s offense, Adams has provided Stafford with a sturdy second option when Nacua isn’t open, catching for 789 yards (60 receptions) and 14 touchdowns. In the Rams’ two playoff wins, Adams was a non-factor, catching no touchdowns with a total of 96 yards (seven receptions).

The Rams are facing the best passing defense (128.0 yards) in the Seattle Seahawks after the Houston Texans got knocked out (127.5 yards). Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald shut down the San Francisco 49ers’ offense in the Divisional Round, allowing no touchdowns and holding them to 252 total yards, which could happen against another top offensive team (375.5 yards) like the Rams.

Though Matthew Stafford is the likely NFL MVP (4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns) and can navigate a defense like the Seahawks’, Adams’ veteran savvy could help him break free of the Seahawks’ defensive backs and possibly lead the Rams to the Super Bowl.

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Caleb Williams and Colston Loveland both did their part for the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s season-ending loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Williams logged 23-of-42 completed passes for 257 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, adding 40 yards on the ground. Loveland, on the other hand, had four catches for a team-high 56 receiving yards before his early exit.

Loveland left the game in the fourth quarter due to a head injury and was unable to return. The team later announced that Loveland suffered a concussion after hitting his head on the ground during a catch.

Despite Williams, Loveland and the rest of the Bears’ valiant effort, Chicago still suffered a heartbreaking defeat in overtime, 20-17. The Rams are now moving on to the conference championship game to face the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Chicago Bears rookie Colston Loveland’s two-word message for Caleb Williams

Williams took to social media on Tuesday to send his parting message for the 2025 season. The Bears quarterback shared a powerful quote following the team’s season-ending loss.

“Through ups n downs, from holidays n disasters, to love n hate. Sometimes you fall, sometimes you get knocked down. First, ‘GOOD’! Second, get up. Third, prepare. Lastly, go again on the road to glory. -ICE,” Williams posted.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by CALEB WILLIAMS (@ayeeecaleb)

Loveland caught wind of his quarterback’s post. The former Michigan Wolverines star responded with a strong two-word statement for Williams.

“The 1,” Loveland declared.

Loveland emerged as one of Williams’ top targets this season. The Bears’ first-round TE caught 58 passes out of 82 targets for a 70.7% receiving success rate. This resulted in 713 receiving yards and six touchdowns for Loveland in his first NFL season.

More of the same will be expected from this duo in the 2026 season and beyond.

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Caleb Williams had a forgettable performance in the Chicago Bears’ divisional round loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. There were flashes of brilliance from the second-year quarterback throughout the game. However, Williams ultimately failed to lead Chicago to a win at Soldier Field. The former USC Trojans star finished with 23-of-42 completed passes for 257 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. Williams also added 40 yards on the ground on five carries.

Williams threw a miraculous TD pass late in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but the Bears still came up short in the extra period. The Rams held on to escape with a 20-17 victory, booking their spot in the conference championship game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams steps out after divisional round loss

Williams was out and about on Monday night, barely 24 hours after the Bears’ season-ending loss to L.A. The 24-year-old decided to step out and make a public appearance. This came in the form of attending the Chicago Blackhawks’ game against the Winnipeg Jets at United Center.

Williams drew attention as he sat rinkside with Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. The Bears QB was all smiles as he watched the Blackhawks secure a 2-0 win to improve to 20-22-7 on the season.

Crowd FIRED UP to see Caleb Williams on the glass at the #Blackhawks game tonight pic.twitter.com/NktB2ocDcz

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) January 20, 2026

Williams had a memorable second year with the Bears. The former No. 1 overall pick played all 17 games in the regular season, logging 330-of-568 completed passes (58.1%) for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also had 77 carries for 388 yards on the ground and three rushing TDs.

Williams led Chicago to an 11-6 record to clinch the NFC North title for the first time since 2018. They entered the NFL playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

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The season is officially over for Colstone Loveland and the Chicago Bears. Their campaign ended on Sunday with a 20-17 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.

Loveland turned in a strong performance in the game, registering four catches for a team-high 56 yards. It still wasn’t enough, though. The Bears came up short in the extra period, as L.A. secured the win via a 42-yard field goal with 3:19 left.

The Rams are now headed to the conference championship game, where they will face Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks. It’s the end of the line, however, for the Bears and their memorable campaign.

Chicago Bears TE Colston Loveland suffers unfortunate injury against Rams

Loveland was unable to finish Sunday’s game against L.A. The first-round rookie exited late in the fourth quarter due to a head injury. He did not return. Bears head coach Ben Johnson announced after the game that Loveland had been diagnosed with a concussion. The 21-year-old will now be placed under the NFL’s concussion protocol.

Loveland took to social media on Monday to send a one-word message.

“CHICAGO ” posted the former Michigan Wolverines star.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Colston Loveland (@_colstonloveland_)

Loveland kept his message short and sweet, but he sent his love to Chicago after the team’s season-ending defeat.

In his latest Instagram post, Loveland shared some of his favorite photos from his memorable rookie year. The Bears put a lot of stock in the national championship-winning TE, selecting him 10th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Loveland responded with 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns in 16 regular-season games (11 starts).

The Bears expect Loveland to play a significant role in 2026. If his rookie campaign is an indication of what’s to come from the young TE, then the future is certainly bright for Chicago.

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Simone Biles made the trip to Soldier Field on Sunday to support her husband, Jonathan Owens, and the Chicago Bears in their divisional round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. A trip to the conference championship game against the Seattle Seahawks was at stake for both teams.

It was the Rams who secured a hard-fought 20-17 road win. Matthew Stafford led the charge with 20-of-42 completed passes for 258 yards. Kyren Williams took center stage for L.A., registering 87 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 21 carries.

This loss marked the end of the line for the Bears, whose memorable season ended in the divisional round.

Simone Biles’ gameday outfit for Bears-Rams game

Biles took to social media before the contest. She shared a photo of her gameday outfit.

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist wore a bold, statement-making piece for Sunday’s contest. The main piece of her ensemble was an oversized sweater dress/coat made from a textured knit. It contained large graphics that featured Owens. It was an eye-catching outfit that proudly showcased her support for her better half.

Biles paired her coat with pointed-toe black heels.

Simone Biles shows off her outfit for the Bears-Rams game

(via @simonebiles on IG) pic.twitter.com/59JyWXpQsr

— Paolo Songco (@PaoloSongcoNBA) January 19, 2026

Biles and Owens have been married since April 2023. They were already together when Owens joined the Bears as a free agent ahead of the 2024 season.

Owens, who launched his own merch ahead of the Rams game, has completed his second season with the Bears. The 30-year-old safety played all 17 games in the regular season, registering 19 combined tackles (nine solo).

The Bears are now headed to the offseason after Sunday’s heartbreaking loss. The Rams, on the other hand, are moving on to the conference championship game, where they will face Sam Darnold and the Seahawks for the NFC title next Sunday.

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Jonathan Owens played all 17 games for the Chicago Bears during the regular season. The 30-year-old safety registered 19 combined tackles (nine solo) in his second year with the team. He took the field in Chicago’s wild card win over their divisional rivals, the Green Bay Packers, logging one solo tackle in the 31-27 victory.

The Bears are now set to face the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. As the No. 2 seed in the conference, they will host Matthew Stafford and Co. at Soldier Field on Sunday, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.

On Saturday, Owens took to social media to make a personal announcement ahead of Saturday’s game.

Chicago Bears S Jonathan Owens Announces New Merchandise

Owens announced via Instagram that he has dropped new Bears merchandise through a partnership with Amazon. His new collection includes sweatshirts, pullover hoodies and shirts.

“PLAYOFF MERCH IS HERE! I heard your requests and delivered – new drop with custom tees and crewnecks in 3 colors. Shop now on Amazon. BEAR DOWN! #amazonpartner” Owens captioned his post.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jonathan Owens (@jowens)

The items are available for purchase via Amazon. The pieces range from $29.99 to $49.99, and come in multiple designs.

Owens is expected to take the field on Sunday against the Rams. He’s no star, but the 30-year-old will play his part for the special teams as Chicago looks to secure another playoff win.

A win for the Bears will see them go through to the next round, where they will face Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC title. The Seahawks booked their spot in the conference championship game with a dominant 41-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday.

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Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears are set to face the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. The Bears booked their spot in the second round of the NFL playoffs after a 31-27 win over their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, in their wild card matchup. Williams registered 24-of-48 completed passes for 361 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, adding 20 rushing yards on four carries.

The Bears will be hosting the Rams at Soldier Field on Sunday. Williams will go against a Rams defense led by the likes of two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jared Verse, who had a few things to say about the Chicago QB ahead of their divisional round matchup.

The Bears finished the regular season with an 11-6 record to clinch the NFC North title. They entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the conference behind the 14-3 Seattle Seahawks.

Chicago’s success in the regular season was thanks in large part to Williams’ strong play. In 17 games, the 24-year-old logged 330-of-568 completed passes (58.1%) for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The second-year QB added 388 yards on the ground for three rushing TDs.

Los Angeles Rams Star Jared Verse Sends Message on Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams

Verse, the reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, has a ton of respect for Williams. When asked to share his thoughts on the Bears star, Verse had a strong message.

“We don’t ever rush scared,” Verse said, via Nate Atkins of The Athletic. “Don’t ever do that because if you do that, he’s a quarterback at the end of the day. He’s a Heisman winner. He’ll just stand back there all day and dot us up.”

The Rams’ defense ranked 19th in the NFL during the regular season for passing yards allowed (3,684), allowing 26 touchdowns. Verse registered 7.5 sacks and 27 QB hits. The first-round LB also logged one pass defended, three forced fumbles, 58 combined tackles (35 solo) and 11 tackles for loss.

The Bears will host the Rams on Sunday, with kickoff from Soldier Field scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast by NBC.

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After the Chicago Bears took care of business by defeating the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round (31-27), they will turn their focus to the Los Angeles Rams to try to advance to their first Conference Championship game since 2010.

More News: Draymond Green Doesn’t Hold Back About Bears QB Caleb Williams

Facing the likely MVP in quarterback Matthew Stafford and two great wide receivers, Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, who Bears’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said, “It’s going to take an exceptional effort on our part to give ourselves a chance,” when talking to the Chicago Sun-Times about game planning for the two wideouts.

“You come away from there thoroughly impressed,” Allen said of Nacua. “He runs as fast as he needs to to get the job done. He’s big, he’s physical. He catches everything that’s remotely close to him and he’s tremendous with the run after the catch. I just think he does everything that you want a receiver to be able to do.”

The Chicago Bears and Dennis Allen will have their work cut out for them in containing Puka Nacua and Davante Adams

Allen and the Bears will have their work cut out for them when facing the third-best offense this postseason (411.0 yards) and Stafford (304 yards), who is 57 yards behind Caleb Williams (361 yards) and has just one interception to Williams two. The Bears, sadly, have not performed well when protecting against the pass (second-worst, 322.0 yards), which will need to turn around if they’re to advance.

Nacua is coming off his second 1,000+ yard season in his career (1,715 yards), while Adams proved to be a solid second option for Stafford to turn to (789 yards). Forcing the Rams to run the ball, which has proven to be their weakness so far (fifth, 116.0 yards), should be Allen’s game plan to shut down the Rams’ offense.

The Bears and the Rams will meet on Sunday, Jan. 18, and play at 6:30 Eastern on NBC Peacock.

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Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears were able to pull off one of the most stunning comeback playoff victories last week against the Green Bay Packers. While that moment felt sweet and put the team back on the map as a true contender, they don’t have much time to celebrate.

This coming weekend, the Bears will play host to likely NFL MVP Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. That game will be played on Sunday night at Soldier Field.

Going up against the Rams will be a much more difficult task than beating the Packers. Los Angeles is much more healthy than Green Bay was and Stafford has been playing the best football of his career. Chicago will need to bring its best in order to move on to the NFC Championship Game.

Ahead of this week’s showdown, former NFL quarterback Alex Smith spoke out with a strong warning for the Bears.

“Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay might hang 50 on the Bears,” Smith said.

Truth be told, Smith’s prediction could end up being accurate. If Chicago doesn’t come ready on the defensive side of the football, Stafford is more than capable of putting up big numbers. Add in the fact that he’s throwing to both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and the job gets even more difficult for the Bears.

On the other hand, Williams and the offense will need to step up as well. Ben Johnson will need to bring his best in order to keep up with the Rams on the scoreboard.

It will be interesting to see how Chicago looks this week. Playing Los Angeles is both a tough task and a great opportunity. Should the Bears find a way to pull off a win, they’ll have just one more game between them and the Super Bowl.

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The Chicago Bears handled their Week 13 matchup by beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-15, and a bit of outside help pushed them even further. After the Los Angeles Rams dropped a 31-28 decision to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Chicago moved into the top spot in the NFC playoff race.

Both teams sit at 9-3, but the Bears own the tiebreaker thanks to a stronger conference record at 6-2 compared to the Rams’ 4-3 mark, according to Sam Phelan of Roundtable.

Panthers upset the Rams!

And your Chicago #Bears will head into December as the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture!

— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) November 30, 2025

Head coach Ben Johnson has completely transformed the Bears in his first season. Chicago went 5-12 in 2024 and hadn’t reached the postseason since 2020, but Johnson’s arrival has reshaped the team’s identity. Now sitting atop the NFC, the Bears have finally given their fanbase a reason to celebrate again.

With the Bears matching the Rams’ record, they hold the top seed heading into the playoffs. Still, the tiebreaker won’t matter if Chicago doesn’t secure the NFC North. The Bears currently lead the division but face a crucial test next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, who trail closely at 8-3-1. The Packers come in off a 31-24 Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions.

Bears on top of the NFC 

The Bears and Rams have comparable remaining schedules, with both teams playing mostly against NFC opponents. Chicago has four of its final five games within the conference, while Los Angeles faces NFC teams in all five of its remaining contests.

The Bears will take on the Packers on December 7, the Browns on December 14, face the Packers again on December 20, play the 49ers on December 28, and close out the regular season against the Lions (date TBD).

The Rams’ remaining schedule includes the Cardinals on December 7, the Lions on December 14, the Seahawks on December 18, the Falcons on December 29, and a final matchup with the Cardinals (date TBD).

The final matchups against the Lions and Cardinals currently lack scheduled dates, since both games remain subject to potential change.

The biggest advantage for the Bears is that they hold their own destiny in their hands. Winning their remaining games or matching the Rams’ results would secure the NFC’s top seed. That spot also comes with a first-round playoff bye, allowing the team extra time to rest and prepare.

For now, the Bears’ attention is squarely on the Packers.

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Chicago Bears run game finally comes to life

After a long week of criticism, the Chicago Bears run game finally came to life in Sunday’s 24-18 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field. After amassing just 218 yards and 3 yards per carry over the first three weeks of the season, the Bears ran for 131 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. D’Andre Swift led the Bears’ backfield, rushing 16 times for 93 yards and a touchdown, good for an impressive 5.8 yards per carry.

Swift’s key run came in the 4th quarter when he took a handoff up the middle and broke free for a 36-yard touchdown. The play was made possible by an excellent block made by tight end Cole Kmet. Kmet took out Rams’ linebacker Michael Hoecht, allowing Swift to hurdle over him and find plenty of room to run from there.

.@DAndreSwift breaks free for a 36 yd TD!

: #LARvsCHI on FOX pic.twitter.com/GneMI2LP2i

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 29, 2024

Showing his dual-threat ability, Swift also added seven receptions for 72 yards, leading the Bears in receiving. Swift really excelled when he was running between the tackles. In fact, 53 of his 93 yards came on inside runs where he averaged 7.6 yards per carry, per NFL Next Gen Stats. Coming into this game Swift had 37 rushes for 68 yards, averaging an abysmal 1.8 yards per carry. You can see why this performance brought a huge sigh of relief to Bears fans.

Fellow running back Roschon Johnson also made an impact with a key goal line touchdown near the end of the first half. Johnson, who was expected to get an extended look at running back this week, handled some of the key 3rd down runs in the second half, powering his way to 26 yards on seven carries.

He also took the only goal line carry for the Bears, even after offensive coordinator Shane Waldron stated this week that running back Khalil Herbert was the short yardage and goal line back going forward. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to Bears fans since the coaching staff hasn’t been consistent in their plans up until this point.

This was a game where the Bears run game desperately needed a breakthrough. After totaling just 63 yards last week against a poor Colts run defense, the offensive line and coaching staff really took it in the teeth all week. Waldron had some truly awful play calls a week ago, but was much better this week.

The same can be said about the offensive line, who opened up some big holes for Swift in this game. While they can still be better and more consistent, this was a step forward. Not only did the Bears have their highest time of possession (28:58) of the season, they also executed an impressive 14-play, 74-yard drive that ended in a Caleb Williams touchdown pass.

The Bears run game took some huge steps forward in this game. Hopefully they can build on this in the coming weeks with the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars on the schedule next. The improvement of the ground attack will also help Caleb Williams, who will benefit from play-action when defenses actually fear the Bears’ running game. After a rough week of discouragement, the Bears offered us some hope in this victory.

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The Chicago Bears need an elite pass rusher on their defense. They could be in a prime position to trade for one of the league’s scariest defensive linemen at the trade deadline in Aaron Donald.

The Bears’ defensive line was one of the worst in the NFL last season. General manager Ryan Poles hasn’t added enough help at the defensive end position. He drafted three defensive tackles, but the Bears’ pass rush is expected to be a major flaw on the team this season.

The Chicago Bears could trade for an elite pass rusher

However, if the Bears start off the season hot, they could be in a position to be buyers at the trade deadline. The Los Angeles Rams are expected to struggle this season, and they could pawn off one of their best players. Dan Graziano with ESPN wrote that the Rams might be willing to send Donald to a contender to rebuild their roster:

“But what if the Rams have another lousy season and decide the best bet is to trade away more veterans and rebuild? This is certainly not out of the realm of possibility. There are a lot of questions about the Rams after they followed their Super Bowl title season up with a 5-12 campaign.

If they are bad again and decide to sell at the trade deadline, could Donald go somewhere and be the missing piece to a contender’s Super Bowl run, the way Von Miller was for the Rams two years ago? If healthy, Donald could be the biggest trade deadline pickup in league history — if the Rams decide to see what they can get for him and if he’s willing to leave. Yes, a lot of ifs on this one, but keep an eye on it.”

We’ve seen this a couple of times in recent years. As mentioned above, Von Miller was traded to the Rams. The Miami Dolphins traded for Bradley Chubb last year.

Would the Bears trade for Aaron Donald?

It’s hard to imagine general manager Ryan Poles trading a significant draft piece, even if the team is trending toward making the playoffs this season. The price would have to be something around what they got for Robert Quinn last year. That will not likely be acceptable for the three-time defensive player of the year.

Donald is under contract through next season. But retirement rumors have hovered around the 32-year-old defensive tackle.

The Bears need help at the defensive end, and Poles will likely look for a long-term solution at that position after drafting three interior defensive linemen. However, Donald’s position shouldn’t get in the way of the Bears picking up the phone for a trade. A player with 103 sacks in nine seasons would be an improvement over any defensive player on the Bears roster, much less a defensive line dependent on rookies.

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Follow me on Twitter at @JordanSig, and follow us @ChiCitySports23. You can also reach out to Jordan Sigler via email at jordanmsigler@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Chicago sports, click here! Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Blackhawks.

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Week 12 has come and gone, and I break down the biggest overreactions from another week of NFL football.

Overreaction: The Raiders can let Josh Jacobs walk.

The one-time NFL Pro Bowl running back is in the final year of his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders, who made this a “prove it” year for Jacobs if he wanted an extension with the Silver and Black. Amid a sad season, the Raiders Jacobs has been one of the few bright spots this year for Las Vegas. Jacobs is leading the NFL in rushing with 1159 yards and has the longest run of any running back this season with an 86-yard sprint that sealed the Raiders’ overtime win on Sunday.

Jacobs set a franchise record of 303 total yards and set a Raiders record of 229 rushing yards in Sunday’s OT thriller. Jacob’s record-setting afternoon was the best rushing performance by a Raiders running back in 25 years. The previous record holder was Napoleon Kaufman who has not played since 2,000

Jacobs is sure to have another Pro Bowl bid this year with his stellar performance and will be coveted by several teams in the offseason who are looking for a running back of his caliber. The Bills, Rams, Falcons, Ravens, and others would be in the mix as suiters for Jacobs as well as other teams looking to improve their backfield.

Not an Overreaction: Ravens need to hit the panic button

Before jumping too far off the deep end, the Ravens do not need to hit the panic button on Lamar Jackson, but the rest of the team needs a wake-up call. Trevor Lawrence carved up the Ravens’ defense like Thanksgiving turkey on the Jaguars’ final drive Sunday. Scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion and forcing the Ravens to take a 67-yard field goal to win that Justin Tucker missed as time expired. Not only was this the best drive of Lawrence’s career but it was another glaring example of the Ravens letting games slip away in the clutch.

Jackson scored a touchdown with 2:02 left on the clock and put Baltimore up 27-20. The Jaguars needed to go 75 yards with no timeouts against a Ravens defense that is number 2 in the NFL in 3rd down defense, allowing a 32.56% conversion percentage. However, Lawrence and the Jags did the improbable and made the Ravens’ defense look like swiss cheese.

This is the 4th game the Ravens have lost this season and the 3rd game where the Ravens have held the lead late and failed to hold onto it in the final minutes. This is where they need to hit the panic button and need to find a fix fast or it can end another sour ending to a promising season in Baltimore.

Not an Overreaction: The Cardinals season is over.

Arizona has been a swirl of headlines all season long and the losses are starting to pile up. Losing Hopkins for the first six games has proved to be a much larger impact on the Cardinals’ season than originally thought. Then losing Hollywood Brown to injured reserve and then losing Zach Ertz to IR as well took away Kyler Murray’s biggest weapons for most of the season.

The Cardinals are 4-8 in a division that is a runaway for the 49ers right now and the Seahawks are two games ahead of the Cardinals for second place and the playoff bubble. Even if they were to finish the season undefeated they would be 8-8, not good enough to sneak in when the entire NFC East could make the playoffs.

So who is to blame for the Cards’ lackluster season? The Cardinals had one of the tougher schedules in the NFL, but missing key offensive pieces have left them limited to focus on Murray’s ability to create with his feet more often than not to finish games. This could have led to the development of Murray’s hamstring injury.

Will Kliff Kingsbury return as head coach of the cardinals? Who will be the scapegoat for this underachieving Arizona squad that had such a promising 11-6 season a year ago where they started a blistering 7-0 to start 2021?

Not an Overreaction: Pickett to Pickens will be a generational duo for Pittsburg.

Though the Steelers are a lowly 4-7 the optimism surrounding Pittsburg’s’ young quarterback and wide receiver is enough to have fans excited for next season already. Kenny Pickett was taken with the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL draft and was the first quarterback taken in the draft and the only one to go in the first round. George Pickens was taken in the second round at pick 52 and was the 11th receiver taken at that time.

Before Pickett was made the starting in Pittsburg, Pickens struggled to produce. Averaging just 1.5 catches per game and 21 yards per game. Pickett took over the starting role from Mitchell Trubisky in week four and Pickens immediately had an impact having his best game of the season with 6 catches for 102 yards. Pickens more than doubled his first three-week averages and showed real promise as an NFL receiver. Pickens already has a highlight reel catch of the year contender and the sky is the limit as far as a ceiling for his talent.

Since his NFL debut, Pickett has had a tough time getting acclimated to the NFL in his first eight games. Pickett has won three games in his first eight starts but is dealing with a Steelers passing attack that is last in the NFL in yards per pass with an average of 5.6. Once Pickett and Pickens put together the deep ball they are going to be exciting to watch.

The post NFL Overreaction Tuesday, Week 12:Raiders can let Josh Jacobs walk, Ravens hit the panic button, Pickett to Pickens is going to be generational, Cardinals season is over appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Allen Robinson has been a disappointment for the Los Angeles Rams through 4 weeks

The Chicago Bears were ripped apart by the media when they let WR Allen Robinson walk in free agency. In his time with Chicago Robinson was a driving force in the Bears’ aerial attack and overall was an elite receiver. However, the two sides were not able to reach a deal when it was time for Robinson to hit free agency. The Bears acknowledged Robinson’s talent but at the end of the day, they felt he did not deserve top wide receiver money.

Because Chicago and Allen Robinson were unable to make a deal, Robinson signed a 3-year $46.5 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Everybody in the football media world blasted the Bears and predicted that with time Chicago would see what a mistake it was to let Robinson walk. So far through 4 weeks of play in the NFL, the Bears must be feeling pretty good about letting Robinson go.

In 4 games Robinson has been a ghost for Los Angeles. He has 95 yards through the air on just 9 catches and 1 touchdown. Most recently in a week 4 game against the Rams dreaded rival the 49ers, the Rams passing game floundered. Quarterback Matt Stafford finished the game with under 200 passing yards and Allen Robinson had two catches for 7 yards. In other words if Robinson never played in this game no one would have noticed and Rams fans are starting to sound off on Robinsons early season struggles.

Rams fans sound off on Allen Robinson

Allen Robinson couldn’t get open if his store hours was 24 hours! https://t.co/lCU54rnRZ3

— DGFOF (@DGFOF1) October 4, 2022

Trading Robert Woods for a 6th round pick and signing Allen Robinson might be the biggest mistake of the offseason.

— Blaine Grisak (@bgrisakDTR) October 4, 2022

Like honestly Allen Robinson feels like one of the most disappointing free agent acquisitions we’ve gotten in the mcvay era. Dude is never open!!!!!!

— Keiyon Monroe (@ramsfanatic81) October 4, 2022

The Bears decision of letting Robinson walk is looking better and better

Everybody was sure that when Robinson signed with the super bowl champs this offseason that his true potential would be unlocked and his career would take off from there. The truth is, Allen Robinson hasn’t been the same for awhile now. In 2021 things snowballed for him. With Mitch Trubisky no longer a member of the Bears Robinson’s effectiveness just went down the toilet. Robinson suffered a hamstring injury in a game against Pittsburgh which essentially rendered him useless for the remainder of the 2021 season.

Everybody talks about Robinson’s two years of 1100+ receiving yards with the Bears but no one talks about that it took a combined 305 targets for Robinson to even crack these numbers. Allen Robinson does not thrive when he is not the center focus of a team’s passing attack. With Cooper Kupp being the main focus of the Rams aerial attack, Robinson just won’t have the volume of targets to put up the numbers he put up in years past. Strap in Rams fans, you are only beginning the rollercoaster ride that is Allen Robinson.

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The Chicago Bears looked disciplined in the preseason

The Chicago Bears finished their preseason on a positive note Saturday. They escaped Cleveland with a 21-20 win to cap off an undefeated preseason. Undefeated preseasons don’t mean much (as Mike Martz would tell any football fan about the 2008 Detroit Lions), but the subtle way the Bears are playing is impressive.

Former head coach Matt Nagy didn’t seem to control his locker room well when he was with the Bears. The team looked unprepared for games and undisciplined during them. First-year head coach Matt Eberflus has said he emphasizes details and discipline in his system. One area of measurement already looks better.

The Bears didn’t commit a lot of penalties in their three preseason games. They had 13 penalties throughout all of the preseason. So about four penalties per game. The total number of penalty yards for the Bears was 118, which is 39.33 yards per preseason game on average.

Contrast that to last season. The Chicago Bears averaged 6.2 penalties a game last season and 5.7 in 2020.  In 2021, the Bears averaged 53.8 penalty yards per game. They were ranked 23rd for the most penalties and 22nd for the most penalty yards last season.

The Chicago Bears’ preseason numbers would put them in elite territory

By comparing the Bears’ preseason penalty statistics to last year’s numbers, the Bears would project themselves to be one of the least penalized teams in the NFL this season. The Bears’ preseason numbers in 2022 were at 4.3 penalties per game. In the 2021 regular season, the Green Bay Packers were the least penalized team at 4.1, the Los Angeles Rams at 4.3, and the Cincinnati Bengals at 4.4 per game.

The Bears’ penalty yards per game would put them fourth, right behind where the Packers were last season at 39.1 penalty yards per game. The New York Giants would be right behind them as they were just under 40 yards per game.

The Giants were an outlier of the teams mentioned in this post, as the other teams had fantastic seasons and made the playoffs. The Rams and Bengals made the Super Bowl. It doesn’t necessarily mean that because the Bears curb their appetite for penalties, they will be a playoff team this year.

However, not committing penalties will swing close games in their favor. Regardless of whether or not they can make the playoffs this season, if Eberflus can continue to build a strong foundation in the locker room where the team buys into fundamentals, the Chicago Bears will have a better chance of future success when they add more talent. Not committing stupid penalties and giving the opposition more turf is what championship-caliber teams do.

ESPN gave the Bears a hard time on prime time tv when the Bears played the Seattle Seahawks in Week Two of the preseason. But they applauded that the Chicago Bears looked more fundamentally sound than their opponent. Records in the preseason don’t matter, but praising a team for their discipline is about the highest praise Eberflus and a group buying into his system can get before the season.

The post This Chicago Bears stat no one talks about looks improved appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Odell Beckham Jr. is looking for an NFL team to play for this season

The Chicago Bears could use a wide receiver right now and Odell Beckham Jr. is still available. Recent injuries to wide receivers Velus Jones Jr., Byron Pringle, and N’Keal Harry could have the team looking for more help before the season.

The Bears were already in need of better talent at wide receiver heading into the training camp. Pro Football Focus ranked the team as having the worst wide receivers in the NFL. Second-year quarterback Justin Fields gave hints that the roster wasn’t great at that position.

Fields had mentioned Beckham specifically as an elite player in an interview with Scott Polacek with Bleacher Report earlier this May. “We don’t have an Odell [Beckham Jr.] or a Cooper Kupp on our team,” Fields said in the interview. Beckham is currently a free agent.

Odell Beckham Jr. could be the elite WR the Bears need

Beckham has the intangibles to make the Bears’ offense better this season. After finally being freed from the leash of the Carolina Panthers’ should-be backup quarterback, Baker Mayfield, the three-time Pro Bowl athlete had major success with the Los Angeles Rams.

Odell Beckham Jr. would have been a serious Super Bowl MVP candidate if not for the ACL injury he sustained before the game. When healthy, he brings an exemplary skill-set that would make Fields life a little easier when releasing the ball downfield. It’s the type of move that would elevate the wide receiver corps to what it had before Allen Robinson left for the Rams.

Fields’ comments earlier in May are important. Fields specifically named Beckham because he holds him in high regard as an elite wide receiver. Pairing Fields with Beckham could give the Bears the benefit of having a quarterback working with someone he respects and feels comfortable learning from on the field. This could pay off for the team’s success this season and in Fields career later on.

Odell Beckham Jr. and other WR free agents have deep injury histories

The potential drawback to Beckham is the same one that’s going to be found with most of the best wide receivers left in free agency. Injuries. Beckham is still rehabbing his ACL and it’s unclear when he’ll be 100 percent. The Bears have it but whether general manager Ryan Poles wants to fork over the cash needed for his services this season is doubtful.

It’s a gamble a team with championship aspirations like the Buffalo Bills might be willing to chance. Beckham has the talent to put elite teams over the top as he did with the Rams last season. But he does come with a long list of previous injuries.

Will Fuller and T.Y Hilton are other intriguing free agent options for the Bears at wide receiver. Like Odell Beckham Jr., Fuller and Hilton also are injury prone. The Bears will need to decide as to what to do with that position soon. After the previous week of injuries at training camp, they’re running out of options.

The post Could Odell Beckham Jr. make Bears offense come alive after recent injuries? appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Should the Bears pursue star wide receiver DK Metcalf this offseason?

New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles indulge in this trade scenario and announce his arrival onto the scene of the NFL and immediately make a bold move and trade for Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf.  

The Los Angeles Rams didn’t win the Super Bowl by developing a team through the NFL Draft, on the contrary they preferred to trade away draft picks for established NFL players.  The Rams traded away two first round picks for cornerback Jalen Ramsey as well as two first round picks for 12-year veteran QB Matthew Stafford. 

In turn the Rams won their first Super Bowl.  

This is the blueprint Ryan Poles should immediately follow with the Chicago Bears.  The Bears could trade for DK Metcalf and then use the cap space they opened up from the Khalil Mack trade to sign him to a long-term extension.   Metcalf would immediately elevate the Bears into contention status in the NFC.  Currently the NFC is wide open for the taking with aging QBs Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and the aforementioned Stafford representing the best QBs in the conference.  The best young QBs are all well established in the AFC which means giving Justin Fields a weapon of Metcalf’s caliber would immediately give him a target with which to elevate the Bears’ offense.

Metcalf is one of the best deep threats in the league and with Justin Fields deep ball accuracy, would be a receiver that would open up everything underneath.  The middle of the field would in turn be productive with third year players Darnell Mooney and TE Cole Kmet attacking the heart of zone defenses.  Mooney racked up 1,055 yards and four TDs and Kmet was 12th among TEs with 612 yards in 2021. 

Having the proverbial take the top off the defense receiver in Metcalf would be ideal.  

The Seahawks could add draft picks since they don’t have a QB with which to compete with.  Geno Smith is the starting QB in Seattle, which signals the immediate benefit more draft picks could be used to help Seattle.  But in terms of helping Seattle, the benefit would be more towards the Bears.  The bust rate for first round picks is at 50-percent meaning the Bears would add more value in DK Metcalf than they would likely  lose.  

The Bears would also stand to gain value back from having Fields.  With Fields being the real deal, the Bears will have the opportunity to gain draft pick value back later in the draft and in the not too distant future as teams who need QBs can maneuver up with the Bears to gain position to draft a QB.  The Bears would then stand to gain mid round draft capital to rebuild their offensive line and their defense.  Having a franchise QB is invaluable in terms of adding additional draft picks because once you have that position locked down, you can then trade back to add more draft capital with which to build your team.  

The most important aspect would be the long-term benefit of having a receiver and QB combination that would give the Bears long term stability to compete on an annual basis.  The reality is giving Fields a big weapon in the immediate, would increase the chance the Bears can compete in the NFC North and then give them the chance to push deep into the playoffs in the NFC. 

While trading for DK Metcalf seems like a long shot, the chance to jump to contender status now is better than trying to build up over the next year or two.  The Bears have the firepower on offense in place with a strong running game,  a TE that can serve as a security blanket and red-zone threat as well as a complementary receiver in  Mooney.  The defense as well is already in a position to compete with the added playmakers in the secondary.  Now is the time to make a splash trade and immediately elevate the Bears from pretenders to contenders. 

The post Chicago Bears should make bold move and trade for DK Metcalf appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Chicago Bears fell to the Los Angeles Rams 34-14 Sunday night to kick off the 2021 season. I don’t think the result surprised many Bears fans, but there was definitely more bad than good. The offense looked pretty bas as expected, but the defense looked even worse.

The Rams were able to get the defensive stops they needed, along with make some big splash plays on the way to a 20 point victory.

There’s not a lot to be happy about in Week 1 here, but let’s get to the game:

Good Bears

David Montgomery picked up where he left off at the end of last season. The clear bright spot to this game. Monty finished with 16 carries for 108 yards and a TD, while also contributing one catch for 10 yards. He ran with force all night. He actually had the bulk of his carries and yardage in the first half (10 carries for 80 yards), but the game script and trying to come back took the ball out of his hands. The fact that he was able to go this against a defense that is as good as any, and a front seven that is good as any, bodes well for the rest of this season.

Justin Fields got into the game. It wasn’t a ton, but it was more than most expected. In typical Nagy fashion, the plays that were called for Fields were a bit of a head-scratcher overall, but he did find the end-zone on a 3-yard run that capped off a long 16 play drive. Fields was pretty much limited to handing off the ball, but at least he got in the game. Hopefully, his involvement continues to grow and eventually is starting every game for the Bears. Would have been nice to throw him in when the game was out of reach at the end, but that would make too much sense.

Offensive line play. Ok, it’s not like their play was out of this world, but considering they dealt with some losses on the O-line during the game, there were some major questions about personnel, and Dalton didn’t die, it was a pretty good showing. Also, they were able to open up holes for the RBs throughout the night. Jason Peters and Larry Borom both got hurt, and hopefully they aren’t significant injuries. This will obviously be a topic that will have a lot of eyes on it all season, but the first game was encouraging.

Bad Bears

Matt Nagy is still lost. This guy continues to look like he has no idea what he’s doing and the play calls are horrendous. This tweet was so spot on:

No one:

Matt Nagy drawing up a toss to the left:
pic.twitter.com/aFjpTY7UP9

— DJ (@WhiteSoxDJ) September 13, 2021

It’s the same old story. Dink and dunk throws, hand-offs to WRs, and WR screens. Did you know the Bears didn’t complete one pass over 20 yards last night and that Andy Dalton didn’t even attempt a pass that had over 16 air yards? It’s unreal. For being “Mr. Kansas City offense”, he sure hates opening it up and letting the ball fly. It appears it doesn’t matter who the QB is, this is Nagy’s game plan and he’s not going to change.

The secondary is horrendous. They gave up some massive plays. Kupp had a 56-yard catch and Jefferson had a 67-yard catch. With Kupp it was just completely blown coverage, where the Jefferson catch was due to the secondary not touching him down. We knew the secondary would be an issue, but it might be worse than expected. Now in fairness, the Rams have a very good offense. So it’s not like this secondary was going to shut them down and that wasn’t the expectation, but it was bad. At first glance here after one game, it sure seems like Fuller being gone is going to be a huge issue.

Eddie Jackson needs to get it together. This dude has a massive contract and the huge expectations, and is not living up to either. He was just as much at fault as anyone for not touching Jefferson down on the big catch at the beginning of the game, and he repeatedly missed tackles. Its to the point where it’s like he’s scared to tackle. It’s been an issue and it’s not getting any better.

The Bears were 0 for 4 on 4th downs. 0 for 5 if you want to count Andy Dalton’s fumble that would have been a turnover on downs anyway. These were usually short yardage that would have been perfect for Justin Fields given his skill set, but the real head scratcher came on a 4th and 15 in the 4th quarter. That’s already a tall order, but it makes it even harder to convert when your WR is running a 12 yard out, aka not beyond the sticks. Again, play calling.

Allen Robinson struggled. He had 11 targets, but was only able to haul in 6 of those for 35 yards. He didn’t even run a route over 10 yards. Play calling. Normally I wouldn’t have this in here because he was matched up with Ramsey all night and Nagy calls shitty plays, but this tweet from his agent made everyone’s eyebrows raise up a bit:

16 more games.

— Brandon Parker (@bparker) September 13, 2021

He later went back and said he just meant it was “one game” and the Rams team is “VERY good”. I’d still be willing to bet A-Rob wasn’t too happy with the game plan.

This was the first game so I don’t want to overreact, but it might be a long season. It’s not Nagy’s first game and we know what his offense brings to the table. Hopefully Fields can get out there more, but Nagy isn’t going to change. So we’re going to be stuck with this ridiculous offense for the foreseeable future. At least every other team in the NFC North lost yesterday as well. Like A-Rob’s agent said, 16 more games…

The post Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams Week 1 Quick Hits appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Welp, that was a dumpster fire of a game.

The Chicago Bears fell to 5-2 after a 24 -10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. That score makes the game seem a lot closer than it was, but make no mistake, this was a one-sided game through and through. The offense was horrendous, special teams continuously put the Bears in bad field position, and the defense was getting gashed after getting no support from the offense. To top it off, Leonard Floyd got his revenge with 2 sacks and was clearly hyped about it. You could tell he had a little extra motivation in this game.

There has been a lot of buzz about the Bears record being better than the actual team and that was on full display for a national audience Monday night. This doesn’t look like a contender. Last week in Nagy’s post-game he kept harping on the team being 5-1 and celebrating that and Foles had a firey post-game in which he said “Would you rather lose pretty, or win ugly?”. Well Nick, what about losing ugly?

This is gonna be tough to find some good for this game, but let’s go…

Good Bears

Cole Kmet got involved. Well, got involved for one series and was never seen again. I don’t want his lack of involvement to overshadow the spectacular catch he had along the sidelines in the 1st quarter though. It was a 38 yard pass in which he went up over the defender to get. The Bears need more of this.

The Bears blocked a FG. This was one of the few highlights on the Bears’ side of the ball. In the 4th quarter after a turnover on downs, Roy Robertson-Harris was able to get an arm on the ball and block a 48 yard FG attempt.

Eddie Jackson finally got his TD. It’s been a rough season of turnovers and scores getting overturned for Eddie Jackson, but not this week. He had a scoop and score off of a Robert Quinn forced fumble from 8 yards out. There was a moment of fear when a flag went flying on the play, but it was on the offense and the TD stood.

Bad Bears

Ahh where to start….

The Bears offense is just awful. There are so many things wrong with this offense, it’s the running game, it’s the play calling, it’s the quarterback play, it’s the O-line, it’s the personnel in the game in certain situations. I could go on and on and put 10 individual points in here. The bottom line is that this offense has failed to improve no matter who is on the field. The constant is Nagy and him running this offense. This cannot go on, and Nagy needs to give up play calling immediately. I don’t know who should be doing it, but I know it shouldn’t be Nagy. I’ve seen enough. Adding fuel to the dumpster fire, Brian Griese had quite the in-game story:

Brian Griese just said that Nick Foles told the ESPN crew that sometimes Nagy sends in a play call and Foles already knows it won't work because he won't have enough time after the snap. That's something.

— Jason Lieser (@JasonLieser) October 27, 2020

This was brought up in the post-game with both Nagy and Foles, and both downplayed the comments. Where there’s smoke there’s fire. Brian Griese wouldn’t just make this up. There’s a chance he misunderstood Foles, but it seems like its more likely that Foles said something off-the-cuff and Griese ran with it.

The Bears went back to hibernating in the 3rd quarter. Remember last week when the Bears broke through and finally scored in the 3rd quarter? Well, that was short-lived. The Bears have now scored only once in the 3rd quarter in 7 games…

Cole Kmet disappeared after his two catches. Just like it was good they finally got him involved down-field, it was also bad that he just disappeared. After the game, once again, Nagy said they need to get him more involved and “he’s earned it”. This idiot has been saying this for weeks. YOU call the plays, man. YOU are the one who chooses to get him involved. Who are you talking to? There’s no other coach preventing him from getting on the field.

Running game is still a disaster. Montgomery finished with 14 carries for 48 yards, another terrible game. Probably because Nagy continued to run him up the middle against the best defensive player in the NFL, if not the best player in the NFL period in Aaron Donald. It’s no secret the Rams have a good defense, but even with Aaron Donald, teams have been able to run against them, probably just not up the middle… 5 of the last 6 games the Rams have allowed teams to go over 100 yards on the ground. The only other team? The Washington Football Team.

Ted Ginn Jr. was useless on Special Teams. No idea what Ginn was doing Monday night. He continuously let balls bounce instead of fair catching the ball or attempting to return any punts which allowed Johnny Hekker, who might be the best punter in the game, to pin the Bears deep punt after punt. After the first one or two, I was like “maybe he’s anticipating the ball going into the endzone for a touchback?”. But it happened repeatedly and no adjustment was made. You’d think the coaching staff would say something to Ginn after like the 2nd or 3rd punt, but nope. If Ted Ginn isn’t returning kicks or punts for the Bears, he doesn’t need to be on the team.

This was just an embarrassing game for the Bears all around. It was a game that could finally prove they deserve to be recognized for their 5 wins and they fell completely flat. There needs to be some changes this week or this team is done-for. What Nagy is doing simply is not working and for there to be any improvement, he needs to try something different like letting someone else call the plays on offense. I don’t have high hopes for anything changing for the Bears because Matt Nagy is as stubborn as they come. The Bears will most likely fall in no-mans-land, be an average to below-average team that maybe squeaks into the playoffs, and miss out on a high draft pick/opportunity to get a game-changing quarterback.

The Bears take on the New Orleans Saints this Sunday and it’s a later kickoff. Hopefully that doesn’t mean it’s Fox’s game of the week and this embarrassment isn’t broadcast to homes around the country. Pray that something changes this week up at Halas Hall because without change, it’s going to be another rough one on Sunday…

The post Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams Week 7 Quick Hits appeared first on ChiCitySports.

The Bears gear up for a Monday night showdown in LA taking on the Rams. Join Draft Dr. Phil Ottochian and Shayne “The Smartest Man” Marsaw as they break down the game and are joined by Shawn Sierra from SportsZone Chicago to go in-depth on the 5-1 first place Bears!

Listen to the episode here:

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And watch the replay here:

Phil and Shayne will broadcast LIVE on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Twitter every Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET throughout the 2020 Chicago Bears season. Make sure to check out the live shows as well as our official Chicago Bears message board!

Also, make sure to subscribe to Keepin’ It 100 on Spotify, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, IHeart and every major podcasting platform!

The post Keepin It 100 Podcast – The FIRST PLACE Bears Hit the Monday Night Stage appeared first on ChiCitySports.

Injured or not injured? That is the question surrounding Mitchell Trubisky following the ugly primetime loss to the Rams. With the playoffs all but a pipe dream, the guys debate what the Bears can do from here.

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A Sunday night showdown sees the Bears heading to LA to take on their similarly struggling counterparts in the Rams. What does Chicago need to do to come away with the win? The guys discuss that and Ryan Pace’s draft tendencies.

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The Chicago Bears will find themselves in a unique situation in their regular season finale on the road against the Minnesota Vikings. They will have an opportunity to eliminate their divisional foe with a win and possible clinch the second seed in the NFC Playoffs earning a bye week. All is for naught if the Los Angeles Rams win as Bears head coach Matt Nagy will have multiple decisions to make during the game.

Both the Rams and Bears will be playing their games at 3:25 pm on Sunday, but also will be keeping an eye on one another’s game also.

Los Angeles controls their destiny, but what Chicago does in their game against Minnesota will be contingent with what happens with the Los Angeles. The Rams will be playing the 49ers.

Nagy is prepared to play his starters and go for the win which would at the very least knock the Vikings out of the playoffs. It would bring the Philadelphia Eagles to Chicago the following week for a Wildcard Weekend game if they were to beat the Washington Redskins. A Vikings and Rams win would mean that the Bears and Vikings would force a third game next weekend.

BEAR FRONT PODCAST: Previewing Bears vs. Vikings in Week 17

It is likely that if at any moment that the Rams have a commanding lead over the San Francisco 49ers that they would immediately pull their starters. The problem could be that Los Angeles never get control of the game until the very end, forcing the Chicago players to play the full game against a team they could play the following week.

The next decision Nagy must make is how much of a gameplan he wants to show against a team that he could face the following week again. Minnesota will be playing for their season and will rely on their best game plan to ensure a playoff-clinching win. If Nagy finds himself in a situation during the game where he needs one of his go-to plays, does he call a different play avoiding exposure?

In 2010, the Bears found themselves in a similar situation in their season finale in Green Bay against the Packers. They had already locked up the number two seed and had nothing to play for other than to eliminate their division rivals from playoff contention.

The team’s goal was to build a lead with their starters to later pull them and rely on the substitutes to seal the victory. Chicago never took a commanding lead as the game remained tied at three into the fourth quarter. Chicago’s offense struggle as the game progressed as they did not have a true gameplan not expecting to play deep into the game. The Packers won the game and three weeks later defeated the Bears in the NFC Championship game to go to the Super Bowl.

Nagy could find himself in a very similar situation on Sunday depending on what goes on with the Rams. For example, if the Rams were to take a 17- point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but the Bears have a seven-point lead late against the Vikings in their game, Does Nagy pull his starting defense? It will be very intriguing if to see if the Bears head coach can avoid getting caught up in the game and forgetting the bigger ramifications.

Would it be beneficial to Nagy to risk injury to win the game to eliminate a third game between the two and face the Eagles for the first time? Beating a team three times in one season is a tough task, the 1994 Minnesota Vikings beat the Bears twice before losing at home in the playoffs 35-18 in the two teams’ third game.

Chicago could also be in a situation where the Rams take a huge lead early against the 49ers, but the game becomes close late in the game. Nagy seeing the early lead pulls his starters conceding the game to Vikings, but the game remains close towards the end. Would he put his starters back in, increasing the chance of injury due sitting to win the game or remain with his backups and rely on them to win?

Sunday’s slate of late-afternoon games will be as entertaining as ever.

There will be more late-afternoon games than early games which may be the first time that has ever happened. It’s unfortunate for the Bears as they will be focusing on two games instead of one. It will be up to Nagy to make the right choice for his team not just for the outcome of the game, but for their playoff options also.

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The Chicago Bears will look rebound in week 14 when they host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night football following an overtime loss to the New York Giants. With their record at 8-4, Chicago will look to clinch its first winning season Sunday night for the first time since 2012. Although they have twice as many wins than losses this season, it’s the losses that truly demonstrate how good of a team they are.

In their four losses this season, Chicago has lost three of their games to Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Eli Manning. Rodgers and Brady are viewed as the two best quarterbacks of this generation, while Manning has won two Super Bowl titles himself. Between the three quarterbacks, they have combined for eight Super Bowl titles.

Against the Packers in week one, It was a tale of two different halves as the Bears dominated in the first half leading 17-0 at the end of second quarter with Rodgers sidelined. In the second half, it was the Packers who dominated solely due to the career-defining performance by their future hall of fame quarterback scoring 24 points.

Their next loss which took place in week six on the road against the Miami Dolphins one is their only loss this season to not have been at the hands of former Super Bowl-winning quarterback. This loss was similar to that of their first loss as they blew an 11 point second half lead. Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson had a career day scoring touchdowns on plays of 43 and 75 yards in the fourth quarter. The game would come down to literally the last play of overtime as the Dolphins won on a field goal 31-28 as time expired.

The following week they would fall at home against Brady and the New England Patriots by a score of 38-31. Chicago did hold a 17-7 lead midway through the second quarter only 31 points after that point. The Patriots scores were aided by a Cordarrelle Patterson 95 yard kickoff return and a blocked punt returned for touchdowns. Mitchell Trubisky had one of his worse passing games of the season as he struggled with accuracy and was intercepted twice.

In their most recent loss against the Giants, it was the team’s all-around worse game of the season and they still had a chance to win the game late in overtime. New York scored touchdowns on an interception return, a wide receiver pass play, and a breakdown in coverage in a goal-line situation.

The Giants also had the eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year winner and possible All-Pro in rookie running back Saquan Barkley.

A key stat in all of the Bears losses has been their inability to prevent a big scoring play. In all of their losses, they have allowed five scoring plays of 43 yards or longer. In their eight wins, the longest scoring play the team has allowed has been 35 yards. Chicago has also led by seven points or more in all, but one of their games this season.
It is impressive that the Bears have yet to lose a game this year where they were dominated from start to finish. Equally impressive has been their resiliency as all of their losses have been by one possession scores in which their offense had a chance to tie or win the game at the end of regulation.

Chicago has come a long way under first-year head coach Matt Nagy as he has led the team to as many victories as they had the previous two years combined. With four games left, the team can still have its best winning record since the 13 wins put up by the 2001 team. Although the losses are demoralizing, they still deserve to be acknowledged as the Bears losses in 2018 have come in truly unique situations.

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With the big trade that was apparently consummated a day before yesterday-04/13/16-out of respect for Kobe Bryant’s last historic career game with the Los Angeles Lakers, the landscape of how the draft plays out has changed drastically and possibly more drastically still to come.

Most people (probably correctly) assume quarterback is the position they will address with the number one overall pick, and most think Carson Wentz will be that choice, but there are some who sight Jared Goff being a hometown hero swaying the Rams pick his way to enhance interest from a new fan-base.

There are some who already think this is just as much of a public relations move as it was love for their next franchise quarterback. There’s also the fact that this basically buys Fisher three more years at minimum without the media and fan-base calling for his head should things not go well the first year or two.

What this means is there is at least one more team getting a quarterback before the Bears first round pick than previously speculated, and many already had at the very least two going ahead of them in Wentz and Goff.

With up to three possible quarterback needy teams before the Chicago Bears in Cleveland (the previous favorite to land Wentz), the Dallas Cowboys (as the aging and beat up Tony Romo future replacement), and the San Francisco 49ers (with the trade demand by Colin Kaepernick), as well as the Rams being a potential trade partner to move up for one (most thought for Paxton Lynch) before this trade as a possible fourth. This already increased the Bears options of choice.

Those three teams are still possibly looking for the quarterback of their future and in some cases present. There are teams behind them like the New York Jets for example and New Orleans Saints that are pretty good suspects looking to move up for a quarterback themselves. I would also put Denver in that mix if the long anticipated trade for 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick never materializes. With each passing day that seems less likely.

I would not completely discount the Bills despite the emergence of Tyrod Taylor, and possibly New England if they like someone enough to earmark as Tom Brady’s Protege. Maybe Paxton Lynch, or if there’s another trade in the top ten that drops the Browns out before the Bears pick, and team X grabs someone other than a quarterback. Unlikely yes as most teams trade up for quarterbacks, but still possible.

This may put the Bears in prime position for a trade down and a pretty good haul. Especially if there’s a team completely enamored in a prospect and convinced that he can be the franchise quarterback most teams are currently coveting.

This would be the dream scenario the Bears are looking for as they stand to get a good player who may be great down the line, but more likely to just get a floor guy with minimal upside. Either way Bears are likely to get one more prospect drop to them to consider with the 11th overall pick. Stay tuned.

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