Some interesting things happening in the North these past couple of days.
That Detroit loss to the Bills was as impressive a loss as I remember ever having seen. The Bills racked up 560 total yards (369 in the air, almost 200 on the ground), and scored 48 points. Against most teams, that's a blow-out victory.
But the Lions refused to quit. They fought like wolverines every single snap. Goff threw 59 passes, for 494 yards and 5 TDs (QB rating 118), and came within a touchdown and one more possession of puling it out.
These guys are going to make you work your *** off every single second of every game. Thet believe they're going to win every game right up until the gun goes off. They're going to be a very tough "out" all the way through the layoffs.
I watched the Bears game last night. They look like they've given up to me. Or are firmly in the tank.
I was thinking that's really how bad they are, but I think they're giving up a bit too. I've watched most of their games this year. Half of their team has been there less than 4 years, which means they have never had one single day working under a competent head coach. They just have no idea what they're supposed to be doing differently; they've got no leadership. No sense that they're building towards some sort of improvement. A lot of the time, they're just going through the motions.
Unfortunately, though, that's not true of Caleb Williams. That kid has zero quit in him, and tons of talent. He's a fighter, and he wants to win. If they find him a competent coach, and he gets a year or two experience and a more capable supporting cast, that team is going to be trouble. The days of marking down both Chicago games every season as "W"s are over.