I really want to believe this will be different. I want to believe that new defensive coordinator Eric Washington gets it. That these blitz packages can work when the games count. That the players are actually covering receivers and it’s resulting in takeaways like we saw tonight. If only these games did count.
I want to believe that offensive coordinator Shane Waldron gets it. That the team will run the ball when they only need a yard. That he will put the offense in a position to succeed rather than fail like this team has the last 30 years.
Tyson Bagent and Mark Rypien both played well. Bagent should be the backup. If Rypien stays, whatever. I still think the guy sucks. But if he’s the third-stringer, fine with me. He’s played very well this preseason. But again, “Caleb Hanie Syndrome” is a real thing.
We’ve seen the Bears play like world-beaters during the preseason in the past. I know I’ve said that before and it “bears” repeating.
It all starts for real in just over two weeks against the Titans at home.
Fire Ryan Poles | Fire Ben Johnson 
August 22, 2024 at 11:24 pm
They played their asses off tonight! I think Austin Booker, Velus Jones, Nsimba Webster, and probably Reddy Steward with his two picks and a touchdown get on the active roster.
August 23, 2024 at 5:26 am
Fro Dog, I want to believe this will be different, too, but you’re right to be skeptical. The nature of the preseason is that teams that go 3-0 oftentimes end up winning only a few more games than that in their regular season, while teams that go 0-3 have only a few more losses than that likewise.
If there is anything to be said about Ryan Poles, the guy has a knack for picking good dark horse players, like Jack Sanborn. And, unlike other Bears’ GMs, he actually successfully executed a tank that got the Bears into the position to draft Caleb Williams, after the Panthers were nice enough to tank their draft pick for us. But only time will tell.
The Titans are in rebuild and the game is at home, so Caleb Williams should by any metric have as good a start he could ask for, on top of the team he’s got around him. Honestly, I keep forgetting he’s just a rookie. He feels already like he’s been here for years, and he looks like it, too.
Bear down.
August 24, 2024 at 12:48 pm
Poles is now trading low end draft picks for increased depth on defense, I would love to see some upgrades on the O-line too after the final cut day. I know we advocate for firings on this page most of the time, but it just feels different this time. Like the GM is doing the right thing, and all aspects of the team are being worked in a fresh and new way from the front office all the way down to the practice squad. Don’t prove me wrong, Bears!
September 8, 2024 at 1:19 pm
Same old inept offensive play calling and where’s the vaunted Bears defense !!