Twelve Thoughts About The Bears’ Adorable Yet Ugly Losing Spree Against The Saints
During the Bears-Saints game in the Caesar’s Superdome, Dhruv Koul discusses his feelings, ideas, and observations during the game. See him at @DhruvKoul on Twitter to carry on the discussion.
brand-new orleans For the Chicago Bears, October was quite the month. They suffered heartbreaking football losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos. They defeated the Las Vegas Raiders and the Washington Commanders handily. The Los Angeles Chargers then thoroughly outclassed them last Sunday night during prime time.
They lost quarterback Justin Fields to an injury in the midst of all of that. This time, they sacked the coach in charge of the running backs. However, only yesterday, they signed DE Montez Sweat to a massive extension after trading for him.
Matt Eberflus will use the last nine games of this season as his final evaluation inputs; the first one comes on Sunday in New Orleans.
Ultimately, the Bears played a fun but extremely ugly football game, competing admirably for the first half before totally imploding with four turnovers in the second half.
Below are the feelings, ideas, and insights I had while playing the game. Join me on Twitter at @DhruvKoul to carry on the discussion!
Reflections and Views
1. Tyson Bagent exudes confidence in a big way. He doesn’t mind running it on his own, testing the windows, or tossing it around. This aided the Bears in their opening drive, as he trusted Cole Kmet to go 1-1 against Tyrann Mathieu and score a touchdown (a fantastic catch by Kmet). They were hurt on the second drive as he fired VERY late to Kmet once more and was picked off. Although Bagent is entertaining, his potential in the NFL is obvious. A good one nevertheless!
2. Tyrique Stevenson, in my opinion, will excel as a CB in this league. Really, I do. But man, every quarterback is sending a weekly tuition cheque to the Bears secondary, which includes Jaylon Johnson.
3. With around 13 minutes left in the second quarter, the Bears lead the Saints 14–7 in New Orleans thanks to two touchdowns from Cole Kmet today. Bagent made a stunning comeback. And some real chunk plays open today are being schemed by Luke Getsy. Great YAC. It’s been a lot of fun to observe.
A crucial play during that drive was when Matt Eberflus listened to his team and challenged Bagent for a first down in the red zone on third and 12. Flus has made some excellent game management decisions today.
4. In his first Bears game, Montez Sweat is pushing the pocket. Undoubtedly, he is having an effect on the DL. The problem is that Jack Sanborn is the only player who appears to be getting the ball out quickly, and most of those plays are occurring far too far downfield. Derek Carr is doing this. An intense match for the defence.
5. Following a superb drive by Tyson Bagent, who skillfully used his legs to keep New Orleans totally off-balance, Cairo Santos missed a 40-yard field goal attempt to the right upright. 14–14 is the halftime score. But really, didn’t that bring us back to 2018? Santos’s first season-long miss.
6. I know this is turning into a Bagent piece, but this guy is so much fun. In New Orleans, he’s reading the pitch with a cool, collected elegance that already befits a veteran. With this guy, the Bears have discovered SOMETHING. It’s something, but we have no idea what it is. We’re tied at 17 at the end of the third quarter after a long, amazing drive ends in a field goal.
7. Luke Getsy was having a great day when, after demonstrating throughout the day that his quarterback was capable of the job, he called a screen on third and 6 from his own 15. And with that, the Saints surge ahead 24–17 as they swiftly advance down the pitch. This coaching staff plays a game of “Not to lose,” which is usually a losing strategy. traditional defensive HC mentality. For a while, it was enjoyable.
8. Darnell Mooney may have made a significant gain if Bagent had led him enough on that slant. Crushing an INT from Marcus Maye in Bears land—if it had gotten through, it would have been an interesting scenario.
However, for whatever reason, the Saints are stuffed on a Derek Carr quarterback sneak at the Bears’ 17 on fourth and 1. Not Taysom Hill, then?
In any case, the Bears were lucky.
9. Bagent immediately returned it. choice three.
Still, the Bears manage to get another stop. Paydirt is 98 yards away. Will Bagent succeed this time?
10. No way! The Bears’ postseason aspirations, which were already on life support, are all but gone after another NFC defeat. Thought-provoking game, the Bears simply lost their minds over the “T” in the “HITS” principle today. 2–7 and getting nearer a coaching switch.
11. Concluding observation: Well, it’s time to move on from the Velus Jones Jr. experience.
12. The Bears’ Super Bowl basically takes place at Soldier Field this Thursday night when the Carolina Panthers visit. The Panthers have every motivation to defeat the Bears since they owe them their first-round selection. Not a tank this season, even though the playoffs are unlikely. Allowing them to enter Soldier Field and leave with a heart-stopping victory would be so Bears. Is that not what will occur?
Bears 13, Panthers 10, early forecast
