Colts @ Bears - Week 4 - Official Game Thread - 10/04, Bears +2.0, 3:25 PM CT, CBS (MOVED from noon)

[Bill]

In my uniformed opinion I just don't see Mack as the same as he was in 2018.  He is still a better than average player but he was just taking blockers and doing what he wanted to.   Wether going around them thru them or taking them with him and not just one or two.  I think his knee is bad and he is just gutting it out.  Maybe time to get fixed or maybe it's something you can't.  I haven't seen a full game but when I have this year and last he is just not the same.  For the investment they have in him I would rather they fix it now if they can than just continue.

 

[adam]

To me, this team all comes down to coaching. The defense is worse because of Pagano. The offense is worse because of Nagy. I have never seen such inept game plans since Trestman and Tice. I was predicting the plays on offense 90% of the time. Patterson in the backfield, plug the A and B gap and have contain on the cutback. Easy. Leno sucks, he can't hold a block for a second. A couple of times he completely whiffed on his block. Foles playing bad exposes Nagy's playcalling. There is no game plan, nothing plays off each other. I also noticed that our receivers were not getting open. That is also related to the scheme. If the defense doesn't know the play, every play should be open at some point in the route, otherwise, it is a bad play design. On every run Monty was hit in the backfield or near the LOS. Our O-Line can't move anyone. They stack the box with 7 or 8 and then we run right into them with 5 or 6 blockers. So there are always two defenders free in the gaps to tackle our runner. It was so frustrating to watch that abortion. 

Our Special Teams is costing us points too. Tabor needs to go, he may be the worst coach on the staff with the worst performance on the field of any unit. Any penalties on ST are unacceptable but multiple? Then you allow Patterson to take a kickoff out of the end zone 7 yards in? 3-4 yards fine, but 7? We started multiple drives inside our 20 because of Patterson or penalties. Patterson also got a penalty for taking his helmet off, which gifted the Colts better field position. Something has to give there. Just take the 25 and be happy with it at this point. Addition by subtraction works.

Pagano has no game plan. How about taking away what the other teams wants to do? Dictate the game. Trey freaking Burton had two first down catches. To me it seems like the defensive players are overcoming Pagano's scheme. They are making individual plays, but the Colts still went 8-19 on 3rd Downs and were the worst team coming into the game on those conversions. The defense gifted them 4x first downs on penalties. Unacceptable. There is no masking coverages, faking blitzes, etc. Also, Khalil Mack is in coverage way too much for me. Do we really want him getting winded chasing a TE across the field, then try to rush the passer on the next play? It is silly. To me it is the wrong fit. Pagano seems to be a 4-3 guy trying to coach a team built for 3-4 players. 

To me this feels like the start of a steep drop off. We have 6 games before the bye. I feel like we will only win one of those and end up 4-6 at the bye. Pace and the entire coaching staff should be on the hot seat at that point. 

I would not mind seeing a new GM and coaching staff next year. I am tired up this mediocre middle we live in. 6-10 to 9-7 with one really good season every 5 years to keep us believing. 

Now that Trubisky is a bust, Pace should be held accountable. If Nagy can't right the ship with another QB, he should be held accountable too. If Pagano's unit doesn't improve, he needs to go. It's that simple. 

[Mongo3451]

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

The team is 3-1. That D is #1 in many categories. This was the first start for Foles, for this team, this season.  (Remember, he is a Super Bowl MVP). No one had a preseason or true off season to really prepare. Looking forward to Thursday night.  Tom Brady and his new team are next.  

So, you are on record defending the defense?

[ASHKUM BEAR]

Anyone else hearing the speculation of the Bears may be looking to trade Trubisky? Since they elevated Tyler Bray from the PS, rumors are starting.  Bears would be best to get something (4-5th)for him before he walks.  

I'd love to see someone like NE take him and see if a different culture can make him a legit QB. 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

15 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

I'd love to see someone like NE take him and see if a different culture can make him a legit QB

This might make some sense.  With Cam being out for COVID it’s hard to say how much longer he’ll be out.  Trubiksy isn’t much different than Cam when it comes to mobility.  Throwing is another story.  Maybe Belichik / Daniels will have better luck(?) 

[adam]

46 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

Anyone else hearing the speculation of the Bears may be looking to trade Trubisky? Since they elevated Tyler Bray from the PS, rumors are starting.  Bears would be best to get something (4-5th)for him before he walks.  

I'd love to see someone like NE take him and see if a different culture can make him a legit QB. 

I have been saying this since the demotion. We didn't get anything from Floyd leaving (who has 2 sacks in LA btw), so there is no point keeping him on the roster to get nothing for him after the season. Trade him before the deadline, and with so many QB needy teams, there should be some serious interest. I would assume a 4-5th is where they will go, but I will have to look at previous in-season trades for QBs to see what they received. 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, Mongo3451 said:

So, you are on record defending the defense?

Yes...for now.

I truly believe they are one good NT away from having a better run stopping D and helping loosen things up on the edges.  Trevatahan does look a bit sluggish (miss Kwit or even KPL).  Not a huge fan of Johnson ... yet.  But all in all yesterday’s game wasn’t that bad statistically.  The Colts only scored on TD early on; all the rest were FGs.  And they were only able to convert 8 of 19 third down attempts (42%) *nbc Sports. 

[Mongo3451]

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Yes...for now.

I truly believe they are one good NT away from having a better run stopping D and helping loosen things up on the edges.  Trevatahan does look a bit sluggish (miss Kwit or even KPL).  Not a huge fan of Johnson ... yet.  But all in all yesterday’s game wasn’t that bad statistically.  The Colts only scored on TD early on; all the rest were FGs.  And they were only able to convert 8 of 19 third down attempts (42%) *nbc Sports. 

We held them to 19 points, which is a win 82% of the time.  I also saw several game changing opportunities the defense failed to make.  Through 4 games, I've not been impressed.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

6 hours ago, Bill said:

In my uniformed opinion I just don't see Mack as the same as he was in 2018.  He is still a better than average player but he was just taking blockers and doing what he wanted to.   Wether going around them thru them or taking them with him and not just one or two.  I think his knee is bad and he is just gutting it out.  Maybe time to get fixed or maybe it's something you can't.  I haven't seen a full game but when I have this year and last he is just not the same.  For the investment they have in him I would rather they fix it now if they can than just continue.

 

I'm not going to lie - I would trade Mack if I could and take the draft picks. Not denying that Mack isn't a really good player - but his entire career he has failed to really ever be a true difference maker (sans that 1st season with the Bears and even in that season, when push came to shove, he faded down the stretch).  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Yes...for now.

I truly believe they are one good NT away from having a better run stopping D and helping loosen things up on the edges.  Trevatahan does look a bit sluggish (miss Kwit or even KPL).  Not a huge fan of Johnson ... yet.  But all in all yesterday’s game wasn’t that bad statistically.  The Colts only scored on TD early on; all the rest were FGs.  And they were only able to convert 8 of 19 third down attempts (42%) *nbc Sports. 

Johnson is a total stud - for a 2nd round pick. Exceeded all expectations. But largely agree with what you are saying.  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

37 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

We held them to 19 points, which is a win 82% of the time.  I also saw several game changing opportunities the defense failed to make.  Through 4 games, I've not been impressed.

This is the big thing - elite defenses make plays - this defense has been a good defense, but not elite.  Period.  It isn't the biggest problem - but with as much money that is being invested in that side of the ball (Mack/Quinn/Ejax/Fuller/etc) - it is still an issue.  Doesn't help that the offense is just putrid and I actually quietly wouldn't be surprised if Pace just doesn't value Robinson as much as Robinson does & I don't know that it would be the wrong answer (and this is not a knock on Robinson - he's a professional wideout - he just isn't special in any sense of the imagination).  

And of the names I listed - Fuller is about the only guy living up to that contract (although I would recognize that he had a lousy game yesterday against the Colts).  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

2 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Yes...for now.

I truly believe they are one good NT away from having a better run stopping D and helping loosen things up on the edges.  Trevatahan does look a bit sluggish (miss Kwit or even KPL).  Not a huge fan of Johnson ... yet.  But all in all yesterday’s game wasn’t that bad statistically.  The Colts only scored on TD early on; all the rest were FGs.  And they were only able to convert 8 of 19 third down attempts (42%) *nbc Sports. 

Colts still marched down the field a lot more than we would have liked.  I give Defense credit for bending and not breaking - but it still gave up plenty of yards and against one of the most turnover prone QB's in the league the past few years (Rivers).  

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

Colts still marched down the field a lot more than we would have liked.  I give Defense credit for bending and not breaking - but it still gave up plenty of yards and against one of the most turnover prone QB's in the league the past few years (Rivers).  

Sure.  Even Fangio's defenses were known to give up a lot of ground between the 20's.  But once they were pressed into the red zone, most times they would be able to stop them.  I think Mongo asked about why we weren't seeing more blitz packages and I would agree with that.  Fangio has never been a blitz happy d-coordinator unlike Pagano but I can't help think that if they had a true stud of an NT in the middle, it would help absorb some of what's killing the D.  So far most teams are attacking the middle with the run and sending reinforcements to the edges to keep Mack and Quinn at bay.

There were at least two potential turnovers yesterday that the Bears should've had; Smiths INT in the endzone and Mack's INT at the Colts' end of the field.  But...here we are.   

[Bill]

So Chiefs and Pats score only nine points in first half.  Guess their offenses also suck?

[adam]

3 minutes ago, Bill said:

So Chiefs and Pats score only nine points in first half.  Guess their offenses also suck?

Both defenses are underrated allowing about 20 per game, but yeah, zero TDs? The Bears allow one and score one TD and lose. The games still come down to one or two plays. If Mack intercepts the ball that hit him in the hands, we are already in the RZ. If Miller doesn't allow a ball to sail through his hands, there might be more points there. I just don't understand how professional athletes can drop a ball they have played with their entire lives so easily. 

Indy was a trap game. They knew Foles very well, Burton there to fill the team in on Nagy specifics, Pagano recently there, etc, etc. It was a bad matchup all the way around. I thought the Indy defense was snuffing plays a little too easily. Then we still have the penalty issue. The officials refuse to call holding on Mack and/or call a penalty on a Bear but not the other team for the same type of play. How can a player dive at Foles knees and not get a penalty because they said the OLineman pushed him into him, but Edwards gets a penalty for hitting Ryan in the head when Ryan was tackled into Edwards? I have no issues with missed calls when they are even, but we have been on the short end every game so far. 

[Bill]

17 minutes ago, adam said:

. I just don't understand how professional athletes can drop a ball they have played with their entire lives so easily. 

I was a mailman for over 35 years and I still trip over cracks.

[adam]

17 hours ago, Bill said:

I was a mailman for over 35 years and I still trip over cracks.

That's funny Bill. 

Back to the game. So to play devil's advocate, the Colts came into the game as the #1 DVOA team in the league, and left 4th. So actually played a decent game against a very underrated opponent. Now we get to face TB on short rest who are now #1 in DVOA. So in back to back weeks, we will have faced to #1 most efficient team entering the game.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

43 minutes ago, adam said:

So in back to back weeks, we will have faced to #1 most efficient team entering the game.

Yikes...that doesn’t bode well.

Question: did Atlanta look better / worse against GB that when they played the Bears?  One would think they played better against Chicago because they were at home, but then they didn’t have Julio Jones available.  Of course they did last night and barely scored 16 pts.  Just trying to get a gauge of how good GB really is this year.

For what it’s worth Matt Ryan is a shell of his former self. He has no zip left in his passes.  He and the Falcons are done for this year.  

[adam]

13 minutes ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Yikes...that doesn’t bode well.

Question: did Atlanta look better / worse against GB that when they played the Bears?  One would think they played better against Chicago because they were at home, but then they didn’t have Julio Jones available.  Of course they did last night and barely scored 16 pts.  Just trying to get a gauge of how good GB really is this year.

For what it’s worth Matt Ryan is a shell of his former self. He has no zip left in his passes.  He and the Falcons are done for this year.  

Atlanta looked better than they did against us in the 4th quarter, but not as good as they looked in the first 3 quarters against us. 

GB is not as good as they look. They are not playing like SEA or KC. They had the luxury of playing with a lead and had a 3 score lead at half. Even then, they still allowed two second half TDs and ATL made it a 2-score game with 13 mins left, but then their defense folded again and allowed a late FG that basically put the game out of reach.

GB has played two common opponents in DET and ATL, and two different opponents (MIN/NO) vs (NYG/IND). IND is the best team out of those 4 and NYG is the worst, so it makes sense that the Bears beat NYG and lost to IND. GB beat NO by 7, which was the closest competition they have had. 

The best part is GB finally got the short stick for the bye weeks. They have a bye this week, which will make things interesting later in the year when they have to play 12 straight weeks.

 

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, adam said:

The best part is GB finally got the short stick for the bye weeks. They have a bye this week, which will make things interesting later in the year when they have to play 12 straight weeks.

So what you're saying is 'there's a chance"?  LOL.

I did see Rodgers briefly hobbled during last night's game.  I can't imagine him  being able to continuously bounce back as he gets older.  

[adam]

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

So what you're saying is 'there's a chance"?  LOL.

I did see Rodgers briefly hobbled during last night's game.  I can't imagine him  being able to continuously bounce back as he gets older.  

Yeah, he rolled his ankle or knee a little bit, and you are right. 12 straight games is no joke, especially considering the preseason just ended (4 games). I could see GB really sputtering to the finish line this year.