Bad News Bears

[OmahaBear]

So who is gonna be the new coach and oc next year.. ??  The cycle will never be broken.  

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I think of the term over-reaction Monday.  And this is when we all feel it as fans.  I think there is still a chance what you said will be true - but at the same time - it is still one game, a game in which the offense played atrocious for 3 quarters and than finally figured it out in the 4th (or at least partially - sans the fumble at the 1).  Defense played pretty good all game - but had a lapse at the end. 

Awful game - but they have to move on to the next.  In NFL you are never as good as the high you were on and never as bad as the low - they got to keep working.  You knew with a young QB the  Bears would have some stinkers and on the road Caleb with linemen dropping like flies - Caleb had an awful 3 quarters (no other way to describe it - he was inaccurate, indecisive, and was audibling into bad plays). Its a learning lesson for him and the team - lets see how they respond.  

[BearFan PHX]

25 minutes ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

I think of the term over-reaction Monday.  And this is when we all feel it as fans.  I think there is still a chance what you said will be true - but at the same time - it is still one game, a game in which the offense played atrocious for 3 quarters and than finally figured it out in the 4th (or at least partially - sans the fumble at the 1).  Defense played pretty good all game - but had a lapse at the end. 

Awful game - but they have to move on to the next.  In NFL you are never as good as the high you were on and never as bad as the low - they got to keep working.  You knew with a young QB the  Bears would have some stinkers and on the road Caleb with linemen dropping like flies - Caleb had an awful 3 quarters (no other way to describe it - he was inaccurate, indecisive, and was audibling into bad plays). Its a learning lesson for him and the team - lets see how they respond.  

I agree with this, but Flus keeps making basic errors - how many times has he gone for it on 4th and short on his own side of the 50 when it wasnt necessary - early in the game, not down by a lot?

He lost several games we should have won last year in spectacular fashion by poor coaching at the end, and in some ways i think you can hang this one on him too - although its a miracle and to Caleb's credit that we were even winning at all for that hail mary to matter.

I cant say hes the worst coach ever, and I dont think we can fire him right now anyway, but he is definitely a lost opportunity for a good or great coach to give us an edge in winning.

Id like to see someone brought in for the OL. The players have consistently had a tough time knowing their assignments, and it doesnt really make sense as to why unless Morgan is just a horrible teacher.

[Mongo3451]

My biggest complaint from yesterday, is that I don't think Flus has the team ready after bye weeks or the beginning of the season.  They usually respond well after getting smacked in the mouth.  I believe his low key demeanor should amp up sooner on the week to set a better tone.  If we had a Ray Lewis/Olin Kreutz type, we wouldn't have that problem.

[Stinger226]

2 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

My biggest complaint from yesterday, is that I don't think Flus has the team ready after bye weeks or the beginning of the season.  They usually respond well after getting smacked in the mouth.  I believe his low key demeanor should amp up sooner on the week to set a better tone.  If we had a Ray Lewis/Olin Kreutz type, we wouldn't have that problem.

I agree with that, he tries to be positive and avoids a Olin Kruetz moment when sometimes that's what we need. Its always a bad taste when you ponder over a lose and look to who to blame. Everyone contributed to this loss. So what positives come from this?

 The most important positive is CW played very bad and got it together at the end of the game, not once but twice, to give us the lead, that's a very worthy look at him playing well in prime time.  No matter what happens, its about the developement of the QB. That is happens in real time for us. The injuries on the OL did not help our cause but we limped thru it.

[Bears4Ever_34]

I think we'll have a pretty good idea whether Eberflus is staying or going after these next 2 games. If they lose either one, it's highly unlikely this team can eclipse their win total from last season, which almost 100% guarantees he won't/can't be back, given what the expectations were going in to this season.

The answer to the question though is Ben Johnson. Nobody is a close second behind him right now, although it would be hilarious if they hired Kingsbury after they passed on him for the OC job.

[BearFan PHX]

3 hours ago, Mongo3451 said:

My biggest complaint from yesterday, is that I don't think Flus has the team ready after bye weeks or the beginning of the season.  They usually respond well after getting smacked in the mouth.  I believe his low key demeanor should amp up sooner on the week to set a better tone.  If we had a Ray Lewis/Olin Kreutz type, we wouldn't have that problem.

yeah, and that is head coach stuff. Like timeouts, challenges, going for it on 4th and 1, and even the ability to veto trick plays like using Kramer as a ballcarrier.

So Flus is failing in situational fooball AND general motivation and discipline.

I dont think he is a total joke though, hes a pro, I just think he's a bottom 10ish head coach, and we could find someone who is better.

[BearFan PHX]

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

I agree with that, he tries to be positive and avoids a Olin Kruetz moment when sometimes that's what we need. Its always a bad taste when you ponder over a lose and look to who to blame. Everyone contributed to this loss. So what positives come from this?

Yeah he is like a corporate HR coach. Maybe this is a problem that goes all the way to ownership? Maybe they wont hire a guy who has fire? I dunno.

 

1 hour ago, Stinger226 said:

The most important positive is CW played very bad and got it together at the end of the game, not once but twice, to give us the lead, that's a very worthy look at him playing well in prime time.  No matter what happens, its about the developement of the QB. That is happens in real time for us. The injuries on the OL did not help our cause but we limped thru it.

I agree 100% - this is the most important thing this year, and it was great to see a QB who is a winner. He did that with pure strength of will. The great ones can do that, and i think we have one in training.

[BearFan PHX]

25 minutes ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

I think we'll have a pretty good idea whether Eberflus is staying or going after these next 2 games. If they lose either one, it's highly unlikely this team can eclipse their win total from last season, which almost 100% guarantees he won't/can't be back, given what the expectations were going in to this season.

The answer to the question though is Ben Johnson. Nobody is a close second behind him right now, although it would be hilarious if they hired Kingsbury after they passed on him for the OC job.

Kingsbury sure knows how to create an offense to hide shortcomings. Hed have been a great choice for Fields. I think he could have made him look more Daniels-like.

Caleb should be fully dimensional, and Johnson would be exciting for sure.

Im getting old - I keep thinking that 37 is too young for a head coach hahahah I should just shut up and be happy if we get someone that can take our offense to the highest level, even if he looks to me like hes 12 LOL

[DABEARSDABOMB]

8 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

I think we'll have a pretty good idea whether Eberflus is staying or going after these next 2 games. If they lose either one, it's highly unlikely this team can eclipse their win total from last season, which almost 100% guarantees he won't/can't be back, given what the expectations were going in to this season.

The answer to the question though is Ben Johnson. Nobody is a close second behind him right now, although it would be hilarious if they hired Kingsbury after they passed on him for the OC job.

I agree with what you said. This is either a moment where we look back and see how the team responded and learned from this adversity or it becomes a moment that leads to a change at the top and Johnson would seem as good as any candidate. 
 

I will caveat I hope Bears go on to win the next 2 and than spring board further from there and I do hope Stevenson and others on Bears learn from that mistake and it can galvanize the squad. 

[Stinger226]

If we end up having a losing season then he will be gone and deserves to but ever time we lose its(fire the coach,fire the OC). Bear fans seem to want to fire by the end of quarters, not end of games. Its over reaction city all the time. Last time I checked we still have a winning record with a rookie QB. CW contributed to the loss and potenial win but that's what you get with a rookie QB. 

We STILL have one of the better defenses in the league that is credited to Flus. We still have a good culture, that could change if we rack up losses but we arent there yet. 

[OmahaBear]

"if we have a losing season...."   Looking at the schedule I can see them losing the last 8 games..  I would be honestly surprised if they won any of those games besides the Seattle game... No way we have a winning season this year. 

[BearFan PHX]

20 minutes ago, OmahaBear said:

"if we have a losing season...."   Looking at the schedule I can see them losing the last 8 games..  I would be honestly surprised if they won any of those games besides the Seattle game... No way we have a winning season this year. 

I cant say youre wrong. I hope you are, but it's not for certain by any means - it could happen just as you say.

What a punch to the gut.

[Stinger226]

We have a very good defense and a potential all star QB getting better. Now we have a good running game and you guys think we will lose 8 games in a row? We beat Minny and Detroit last yr with a worse roster. Can I say over reaction AGAIN?

[BearFan PHX]

8 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

We have a very good defense and a potential all star QB getting better. Now we have a good running game and you guys think we will lose 8 games in a row? We beat Minny and Detroit last yr with a worse roster. Can I say over reaction AGAIN?

Not predicting that, but it is a possibility. Our offense has done nothing much yet against any defenses other than the worst ones. I believe we have talent on the roster, but we aren't putting it together (yet?).

[adam]

Stevenson should be benched for not only the hail mary, but for his poor play. He was terrible against WAS, got torched by McLaurin for 60+ yards and the Fail Mary. He was the lowest graded player on the team according to PFF at 38.2. The worst part of his game was coverage. The more I watch of him, the more he seems like a backup CB.

For the season, he is the lowest graded defender at 52.1. So he is below replacement level (60.0). Terell Smith is 67.5 and Jaylon Jones is a 71.7. One of those guys needs to be starting. 

[Bears4Ever_34]

4 hours ago, adam said:

Stevenson should be benched for not only the hail mary, but for his poor play. He was terrible against WAS, got torched by McLaurin for 60+ yards and the Fail Mary. He was the lowest graded player on the team according to PFF at 38.2. The worst part of his game was coverage. The more I watch of him, the more he seems like a backup CB.

For the season, he is the lowest graded defender at 52.1. So he is below replacement level (60.0). Terell Smith is 67.5 and Jaylon Jones is a 71.7. One of those guys needs to be starting. 

Stevenson has reverted back to the first half of his rookie season when he was god awful. Jaylon Johnson is the best CB in football. The Bears have to have a reliable #2 capable of taking advantage of the opportunities that will inevitably come their way because nobody is throwing at Johnson, and Stevenson has done a horrible job so far this season proving he can be that guy.

[adam]

2 hours ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Stevenson has reverted back to the first half of his rookie season when he was god awful. Jaylon Johnson is the best CB in football. The Bears have to have a reliable #2 capable of taking advantage of the opportunities that will inevitably come their way because nobody is throwing at Johnson, and Stevenson has done a horrible job so far this season proving he can be that guy.

Also, if you look at it holistically, if you had an employee that was underperforming AND showing discipline problems, they would be punished, fired, etc. They always talk about football being a business and that these guys are "professionals". Well they need to start acting like it. 

[ASHKUM BEAR]

So Nate Davis was told he was going to be active today backing up Bates and he woke up with an injury.  There has to be a way to void that contract when he is intentionally not fulfilling it. 

[BearFan PHX]

29 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

So Nate Davis was told he was going to be active today backing up Bates and he woke up with an injury.  There has to be a way to void that contract when he is intentionally not fulfilling it. 

Nate Davis is a pussy. He stole millions from us. And you know who's fault that is... Poles.

Poles has done a lot of good things, but he's missed a lot too. Especially on Eberflus. I am not at all convinced we wouldn't be better off with Ian Cunningham.

I wish I could find my post on Poles when he decided to stay with Eberflus in January. I predicted all of this. Not saying I said it WOULD happen, not claiming a crystal ball, but I said IF we were bad, then this would be what we thought of him and his decisions. Basically said winning this year would make 2022 and 2023 go away, and Claypool, Velus etc. But that if Eberflus presided over a collapse, people wouldnt just be calling for Fuls' head, but Poles' too. And bringing the losses last year into the pattern if not the whole thing, fair or not. And I think that's where we are now, or soon will be.

Maybe the Bears will fire Waldron this week. Or add someone to Morgan's position. Something incremental like that.

[Bears4Ever_34]

The information about Nate Davis was readily available online about Vrabel's disdain for his practice habits. The memo apparently didn't get to Poles. That was a mistake waiting to happen, and I called it out immediately the day he was signed. I'd love to know just how much background research Poles actually does on the players he signs or trades for, because Claypool and Davis were two pretty obvious poor character guys, and he pulled the trigger anyway.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I would have said Poles was pretty much for sure safe - the way this is trending that is no longer true. 
 

Flus is gone - and a week ago I said he would be here all season, now I am less sure. I am positive Waldron will be fired though - there is no way someone can’t take the fall for what is going on with the offense. 
 

If it were me I would fire Flus and Waldron and bring in Lovie as a pure interim head coach…but I’m nuts like that. But at very least they have to fire Waldron after this past week. 
 

I also would not play Caleb until their tackles are back - good grief that was ugly. I had a bad feeling they were going to loose but wow.

At this point, I’m wondering if they have another win in them. 

[DABEARSDABOMB]

1 hour ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

So Nate Davis was told he was going to be active today backing up Bates and he woke up with an injury.  There has to be a way to void that contract when he is intentionally not fulfilling it. 

He should be cut immediately - him and Waldron gone. Send some messages. 

[Bears4Ever_34]

9 minutes ago, DABEARSDABOMB said:

I would have said Poles was pretty much for sure safe - the way this is trending that is no longer true. 
 

Flus is gone - and a week ago I said he would be here all season, now I am less sure. I am positive Waldron will be fired though - there is no way someone can’t take the fall for what is going on with the offense. 
 

If it were me I would fire Flus and Waldron and bring in Lovie as a pure interim head coach…but I’m nuts like that. But at very least they have to fire Waldron after this past week. 
 

I also would not play Caleb until their tackles are back - good grief that was ugly. I had a bad feeling they were going to loose but wow.

At this point, I’m wondering if they have another win in them. 

Totally agree about not playing Caleb until the OL gets healthier or Matt Eberflus and Waldron are fired. His HC seems to be on a mission to get his quarterback killed at the end of games. This is twice in two weeks they've allowed him to take hits in garbage time.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

12 minutes ago, Bears4Ever_34 said:

Totally agree about not playing Caleb until the OL gets healthier or Matt Eberflus and Waldron are fired. His HC seems to be on a mission to get his quarterback killed at the end of games. This is twice in two weeks they've allowed him to take hits in garbage time.

That crazy thing is - at this point I can’t see any scenario Bears win more than 6-7 games. That was probably the low in my mind entering the season and now I can’t see anything better than that…hell I don’t even see how 6 is possible given their schedule. I guess only bright side is they should have a high pick to take an olinemen and now both 2nd rounders will be good too. 
 

I still think Caleb will be fine - but would be nice to see him get out of this funk and start taking steps forward vs back.