AZ54

Did you watch Watson in week 1? He didn't look particularly calm in the pocket. I have yet to see anything of his week 2 performance but given his head start in game experience nobody should be surprised that he's ahead of Trubisky at this point. Especially considering he has the benefit of being in the same offense in year two. https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/sports/article/Health-not-translating-into-victories-for-now-0-2-13233941.php Watson, who was making his eighth NFL start after missing the last part of his rookie season with a right knee injury, said he should have thrown the ball away instead of running around looking for a receiver. He found DeAndre Hopkins for a 31-yard completion to the Tennessee 21, but time expired before the Texans could run another play. "I tried to take a shot," Watson said. "We didn't have any timeouts, and they guarded the sideline very well, so my instincts took over and I tried to get the ball and time ran out." this week yet.

I watched the KC game, at least a good portion of it. For those of us who watched him a lot in college, Mahomes is still himself and it will show up sooner or later. For now he is surrounded by talented players who all know the system. The Steelers defense was often horrible in pass coverage with blown assignments or missed tackles and he took full advantage of it. When you watch some of the highlights you see Mahomes was often off-target but his receivers made a good adjustment. Kelce's TD catch was way behind him, there's not many TEs who can make that adjustment. I'll wait to see how Mahomes handles being under pressure an entire game and throwing into tight windows before acknowledging he has truly shed his big-boom big-bust approach. For now there is zero doubt he's a year ahead of Trubisky running this offense and it shows.

I took the time to watch the game again and I'll start my thoughts with the QB. I was a bit harsh on Trubisky in my other post where I said this was his worst game. He had the two picks and early on looked like he was trying to be too perfect or over-analyzing things. Announcers were critical of him for over throwing Jordan Howard in the flat in the first quarter but didn't acknowledge the hand of a defender that he had to throw over to top of. I don't regret at all the chance he took with Robinson when it was a foot short. In time he'll have a better feel for that throw. For the second game in a row he led the offense right down the field for a TD to open the game. What stood out most to me was his poise in the 2nd half after the two INTs. He actually settled down and we saw the line drive on target passes we're used to. He also made several good adjustments in the pocket throughout the game to buy time. When a blitz was not picked up in the 3rd quarter he took the sack with no turnover and let his defense do their thing. Overall in the 3rd quarter the offense's mistakes were from others, the biggest a penalty that took away at 17 yard gain on a strike to Miller. Again we saw another long 4th quarter drive, this time for a TD. It hasn't all come together but I now think there was quite a bit of growth in his game this week over last week. Oline: Kush played a little better this week. There were still some misses and things to work on because a few times they allowed some early pressure on Trubisky. Seattle seemed content to focus on stopping the run and forcing Trubisky to beat them and there were few opportunities for Howard to get through the line untouched. With that the run game struggled inside so Nagy countered them in the 2nd half with a lot of short passes to the flat, or jet sweeps with Gabriel which were effective. RBs: Howard is again a stud. The running wasn't there but his pass catching including that tight window catch on the sideline Kendricks almost got his hands on, yet he was able to turn upfield for a big gain. He finished with 33 yards receiving but just 35 yards rushing. Cohen looked excellent in the return game. His big day will show up sooner or later. WRs: Robinson..glad his left knee is ok after that brutal tackle where the defender was intent on injuring him. These guys know when they have someone locked up like that and he could have eased up after the tackle and still held him in place. There was nothing spectacular but he's clearly Trubisky's favorite target and that's ok while the rest of the offense settles in. There were some bad penalty calls. I saw the "block in the back" on Miller on replay and he really didn't touch the player. I couldn't find the false start on Gabriel either, or they called the wrong number. Miller's route his TD catch was perfect. DBs: I'm not sure what's driving all the negativity regarding the CBs. Prince had Brandon Marshall locked up almost the entire game with several passes defensed. In the 2nd half Wilson took a down-field shot at Lockett and Prince was in perfect position and the play had no chance. Then of course the Pick6. Fuller was in perfect position on Lockett's TD play, and on Dissly in the first half on a 20 yard pass play where he did turn around. Whether or not he looks back is irrelevant IMO because Lockett played it perfectly slowing down just enough to create space for that pass to drop in over the top. Callahan also had a good game. Wilson only completed 61% of his passes, against Trubisky's 73%. While the world is focused on Khalil Mack's play he even acknowledge that his strip sack was the result of outstanding coverage downfield that gave him time to get there. I sense that our DBs are getting in sync with that pass rush and so are closing in earlier on route and not as worried about staying with WRs/TEs 4-5sec as they used to. Dline: We have a good rotation of big men. Nichols played well, he wasn't moved around by their Oline and got in on a few plays himself. He still needs to shed blocks better in the run game but he should learn. RRH, even Bullard all made plays throughout the game. Hicks, Goldman it seems confidence is growing across the board and they are playing off each other well. OLBs: Mack is still not in game shape but he's a game wrecker. Floyd had a very good game IMO although he's still very limited in his pass rush with the club on his hand. Lynch is just a depth piece in the mold of McPhee. He's more of a run stuffer with little pass rush but he did well cleaning up on plays when they were forced his way, and he does seem to be getting into better game shape. ILBs: Welcome to the field Roquan Smith. His closing speed and tackling prociency made a difference on a lot of plays. Trevathan had a good game too and I think it's the flexibility we now have with Smith or Trev in coverage that allows Fangio to let one of them loose. With the Dline and OLB play in front of them the arrow is pointing up from here. https://www.chicagobears.com/video/every-play-from-roquan-smith-s-week-2 Coaching: Nagy has his first win. It's the first big hurdle for any new HC and unlike last week his team closed the game out well in the 4th quarter. His message about staying positive and building on the good things from week 1 worked.

Trubisky played poorly. This is the first time I think the pressure of being the QB got to him as he focused too much on getting the details right. Which means he's thinking too much, a bit late on where he should be on his reads, and just not throwing the ball as naturally as he's capable of. Mistakes by others on offense set them back in the 3rd quarter but that late drive was outstanding. We are seeing pieces of what this offense can be, it's going to take awhile for it all to come together.

Inactives today: No FB today, and Bilal Nichols might get his first NFL action. Michael Burton FB Inactive Rashaad Coward OT Inactive Kylie Fitts LB Inactive DeAndre Houston-Carson DB Inactive Isaiah Irving LB Inactive Nick Williams DT Inactive Javon Wims WR Inactive

If he throws when he saw it as part of his progressions then it's an INT. If he sees it first and throws it on time it's an easy TD.

Tomorrow!

He couldn't get his act together well enough to attend their training camp. At this point in his life Josh Gordon needs to focus fully on his mental health and take care of himself.

IF this time is different it has to show up in this game.

Before the league changed the rules to make it harder to play defense it was easier to win games with a very good D and an average QB. Because of the high failure rate teams didn't value QBs back then as much as they do today. In today's NFL you either have a good QB or you are looking for one. There isn't much middle ground anymore, certainly not as much as when Trent Dilfer won a Superbowl. That's one part of it. I think what's in fashion in the draft is another and teams have to understand what other teams are likely to do. Five years ago RB weren't being draft much in the first round so you could still find a good talent in the 2nd/3rd Rds. Now drafting RBs early is the latest trend and if you want a good one you better not wait that long. It's the same with QBs. It's like Free Agency because the price of an elite RB just went way up this year. Steelers could have had LeVeon Bell signed two years ago for far less guaranteed than what he'll end up with next year. QB salaries too are through the roof when a guy like JimmyG gets a max type deal for 5 games. Like it or not (most are in the not category) Trubisky was the QB Pace wanted among the top 3 that year an he wasn't going to take the risk of losing him. Mahomes cost KC two first Rd picks. Wentz cost the Eagles two 1st Rd picks.

Hmm, that does sound better than Kwiatkoski has earned less reps this upcoming game. Like most arguments the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Maybe but I've never been to an NFL game where I didn't see a QB miss wide open receivers. I don't attend many games but still it's always been that way. Even if I watch a bit of All 22 film I can find the same. Which Aaron Rodgers are we asking this about? The veteran in his 14th season in the same offense, or the guy who completed 53% of his passes in mop up duty at the end of a blowout loss against the Ravens in his second season? That Aaron Rodgers had 15 attempts with 8 completions, 0 TDs, 1 INT, and 3 sacks. In the Fox era that was an entire game's worth of attempts. There is 1 play with Rodgers in the video below. Tell me if this pocket presence looks remotely like the QB we see 13 years later. I don't know where Trubisky will end up among QBs in his career but a lot of what is being said about him this early in his career is over the top, especially for a QB in a brand new system in his second year. Most rookie QBs are drafted with a relatively new coaching regime in place so there is usually some stability in the offense for two or three seasons. Whether we like it or not it takes years for a QB to grow into the role. It wasn't that long ago Bears fans wanted to sign Josh McCown for a couple years to be the starter. The same Josh McCown who was coaching high school football when we called him. McCown improved toward the end of his career no doubt and he's still on an NFL roster today and widely recognized as one of the best backup QBs in the league. Drew Brees, IMO, is a reasonable comp for Trubisky at this point in his career. Not because of what he has become but because of what he was in his second season and nobody knew what he'd become. 2002 Chargers 16 games, under 61% comp, 3284yds, 17 TDs, 16 INTs. It wasn't until his 4th season where Brees opened eyes around the league with a 65% comp, 27 TDs, 7 INTs but only 3150 yds. Ben Roethlisberger TDs/season in his first four years: 17, 17, 18, 32. Perhaps Carson Wentz in the last 4 games of his rookie season in this offense is a more fair comparison. Yards: 314, 170, 152, 245 Comp%: 69, 52, 54, 63 TDs: 1, 0, 1, 2 INTs: 1, 1, 1, 0 Certainly at this point, the end of the 2016 season, all Eagles fans felt he'd be in the running for league MVP by the middle of the next season. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WentCa00/gamelog/2016/ I know stats are for dummies and there is enough NFL history that you can find whatever stats you want to support your argument. My argument is that with just 13 starts in the NFL absolutely nobody knows what Trubisky will be in year 4. After just 1 road game in year 2 it's way too early to write him off. He's not Cade McNown or Rex Grossman because we already know he has the work ethic and desire to succeed. I think he ends up somewhere between an Andy Dalton type as his floor, and top 5 QB as his ceiling. Either way, at this point I think he deserves our patience and support as he learns his craft, especially in this new offense.

I think Trubisky finds some open space to throw this week and it show on the final score. However, Jordan Howard is the star of the game. The D, featuring a young Roquan Smith chasing Russell Wilson all over the field makes up for last week's shortcomings and the Bears win 24-20.

If we flipped the 1st and 2nd half performances and we had come back to almost win the game everyone here is optimistic.

Let's just hope the coaches agree.

It's a valid point about getting a bit more playing time for the offense to get in sync. I think the issue isn't so much Trubisky knowing the offense as much as it is reading the defense and knowing where to go with the ball in that coverage. In the preseason he just isn't likely to get good looks at much variety of coverages. Apparently Green Bay used a lot of zone and we prepared all week for mostly man coverage. If we are going to legitimately challenge for a playoff spot this season history says we have to win this next game.

It was frustrating watching Kwiatkoski chasing helplessly after Packers' receivers play after play. Seattle's Oline has issues and we should be able to get pressure early and often on Wilson which means he'll be scrambling. Smith's speed is a must have.

After taking day to catch up on some games and performances around the league I have a sense where the Bears fit in. I see all the angst about our loss, mine included, but I don't think a single new Head Coach won their first game including the one who has won a Superbowl, John Gruden. All these teams are in different states of repair but among this group we didn't fare so poorly. There is a learning curve for all new HCs and their teams. We need to keep that perspective as over-reaction Monday fades into the distance. After looking around and seeing the Raiders, Lions, and Cardinals play. The Giants have plenty of star power and didn't look so good either. Overall after looking at the landscape I'm ok with where we are at after what I saw in week 1. If we had put up the dumpster fire that Detroit just did I'd be much more concerned. They had serious issues on defense, offense, and special teams. If Detroit continues that soft zone coverage with their LBs (including Christian Jones) Trubisky will throw for 400 yards against them with 200 being from the RBs. Patricia will get that fixed but in Week 1 he couldn't have made things any easier for Darnold. Looking at the 2017 QB class including JimmyG, Trubisky's performance falls in the middle of the road, which wasn't too good overall. Only Mahomes put up good numbers. He'll be compared to Trubisky all year long but Mahomes has a 12 month head start in this offense. Plus, unlike Mahomes, it's not just Trubisky learning the offense, it's everyone. I'll be looking for some signs of growth over the next few games. DeShaun Watson isn't moving around as well as he did last year. Hopefully the coaches didn't rush him back too quickly. Among these 4 QBs he struggled the most, which was unexpected. I still see the Bears glass half full and feel this roster can compete well with most teams in the league. Nagy needs to show he's up to the task.

About halfway through the game I commented to my son how much white space Nagy had on his play sheet. And he did have just a single sheet with plays on both sides. In contrast McCarthy was walking around with at least 2 sheets, maybe 3, and they were full on both sides. I expect that white space gets filled in more and more each week. Obviously there's a difference in QBs but in the end what we saw was one team learning a new offense and another where their QB has been doing the same thing for 14 years. That defense threw a ton of looks at Trubisky and the offense. I hate losing but it's great to get that on film for everyone and it will help over the next couple weeks. Tru had happy feet (as he described it) a few times and added his own butt fumble in the process. He also created a lot on his own and that communication with his new WRs about where to go when plays breakdown is a work in progress. Overall I felt he stayed composed as he searched through his options but he's still on the ground floor of this offense looking up. Jordan Howard was fantastic. The work he's done to improve his hands has payed off in a big way. He looked natural receiving the ball even when it required him to quickly turn his hips after the catch. A little bit better run blocking, and really a couple third down conversions and he's easily at 100 yds rushing. As it was he finished with 15 carries for 82yds, 5 rec for 25yds. Tarik Cohen (Tyreek Cone according to the announcers) played well too but still looks like he's finding his way on all these different plays he has on his plate. Oline: They were just average today. Green Bay has a stout front but there were too many simple mistakes that need to be corrected. WRs: We need a lot more from this group going forward. Early on it was good as scheme got some guys open. Later they weren't winning the 1on1 matchups. Whether that was fatigue because they haven't played many snaps or something else, it needs to be better for Mitch to have a chance. TEs: I expected more from Trey Burton. If he wants to sell the pass interference call then he needs to run into the LB while going for the ball and not pull up. Dline: Very good early on. Looked tired later on. Again, it seems lack of reps in game situations hurt but really Green Bay's starters had very few reps in the preseason too so no excuses. Overall we were very stout against the run and Goldman and Hicks made some excellent plays. I think that continues all season long. Pass rush was good at times. RRH looks better than Bullard although I have to go back and watch the game again. Regardless I think we see RRH take over as the starter as the season goes along. Does anyone know what holding is because the officials never threw the flag no matter how many shoulder pads were being pulled, arms fully around players waists. OLB: Mack is absolutely worth the price we paid. If he's in game shape we very likely win this one. I'm not going to worry about that because we got him for the future and that is definitely going to make a difference in a lot of games. Did anyone else notice him diving to stop Cobb at the goal line on that game winning TD pass? Yes, he sprinted all way down the field on that play. Floyd looked good too and showed more power on his bull rushes. I can't wait to see him without the club because I think that really hinders much of what he wants to do with his hands on rushes. Lynch might be ok as a run stopper but that's it. ILBs: Kwiatkoski's days as a starter are numbered. Hopefully close to 0. We really needed Roquan's speed in this game, Trevathan played well and I'm glad he returned from that nearly back-breaking hit. DBs: Some good plays and not so good. I don't know what his injury was but I feel it affected him after he returned. Whatever it was we just couldn't or wouldn't cover the inside slants they kept running once Rodgers returned. Going into this I was hoping first and foremost not to have any serious injuries and it appears we did not. I expected the offense would stumble a bit at times as we did but also thought we might see a few more big plays. They just didn't materialize in the 2nd half. Next up is Seattle on MNF.

There are some details in a few plays that are really going to frustrate the players when they watch the film. Sometimes it was easy missed blocks (Whitehair, Long) and of course the most obvious is Sims coming back behind the 1st down marker for that catch. There are quite a few people picking the Packers to go to the Superbowl. If that's the standard then we've made a lot of progress but don't mistake that for meaning we've arrived. I think the talent gap is largely closed. Now it's a question of getting the offense in sync and of course we need to get Roquan and Mack out there together.

This is the first time in years I haven't had to think "if this one player" plays well we can win. We have multiple options on both sides of the ball for game changing plays. I see the offense and Nagy working to take advantage of their weakness and in experience at ILB. Let's start with Cohen and Howard in the backfield with Cohen motioning out to the slot. Run a play action fake off that.

He arrived at camp this year at 318lbs. Let's see what he can do in the pass rush. One thing missing in years past was depth. We've got it this year and hopefully a better quality rotation across the defensive front keeps everyone in a better position to make plays.

I've been asking for this for some time so of course I'm glad it's done. The money is about where I expected they'd end up. It always seems like 15-20% more than the value of the player but that's the price for the early deal versus letting them hit FA. People forget Goldman is only 24 years so he's just entering his prime playing years when this deal starts. Certainly Goldman has room to improve as a player but with this coaching staff and now stability across the Dline we should see that. I've seen some comments aorund the web that Goldman isn't that good and he's not worth it. I'll trust Fangio on this one because he's squarely in Goldman's corner.

I can't predict because there are too many unknowns on our side of the ball. On D it starts with Roquan and now Mack. How much of an impact will they have the game? On offense we saw nothing of Cohen in the preseason so we have no idea how he will be used, especially in conjuction with Gabriel stretching the field. I think we match up far better than anyone gives us credit for. One thing I'm curious to see is our hurry up offense. Between Nagy and Helfrich we know that is part our arsenal. If we get the offense rolling early expect to see that in the first half.

I've got much higher hopes than that for Trubisky.