Studs & Duds in Chicago

[Pokerbrat2000]

The jet sweeps just need to stop.

YES!

Especially in the red zone, when the defense is closer to the LOS and not having to defend as much turf. That reverse to Reed, in that situation, against THAT defense, was one of the stupidest calls that I have seen MLF make in awhile.

 

[tynimiller]

I respectfully disagree. I know you mean this as a compliment though, in a backwards type way. Let me show you why this game was not usual if I may?

In games that Watson has been targeted (8 contests in ‘24) he averaged 3.85 targets per game. Yesterday he had 4 targets, so, in fact, he was not targeted more than normal. However he caught 4/4 and it’s only the 2nd game in 2024 (Tennessee 2/2) where Watson was 100% reception rate. Here it was on a bigger sample though as maybe you suggested. So this is his best performance in 2024 by a mile.

They weren’t just ordinary either. A couple of catches he made were nothing short of fantastic, like highlight reel stuff. Then to top it off he set his career high in yardage, which is a really important mark for a WR. We (fans) beat him up when he’s down, me included. I just want to make sure he’s properly recognized. Without Christian Watson yesterday elevating his game?
we lose this one.

What I loved was in the past he would kinda more normal 50/50 go for the snag. Often Defenders would steal it away. This was different. He just wasn’t going to be stopped on Sunday. Double coverage and all he was playing peak ball.

Nah, what I'm getting at is folks are saying he was different today - he really wasn't other than making some big plays. Folks have been statline watching far too much and not just watching him isolated in All22 film. Watson is a massive team mentality type guy and truthfully there have been times it seems we've been funneling offense almost forcing it to Reed and there for a while wicks even.

Sure he caught all his targets, but catch % purely also doesn't factor in the throw, merely the target - had he dropped or not caught is the better way of wording that bomb down right side or the one he dove on - I'd argue his game from a coach's perspective of the type of play you got wouldn't have changed much at all. BUT many would view his line as being 4 targets 2 catches and only like 50 yards as an eh day....missing the day he had entirely IMO.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Rumor has it that in the off season, the Bears are going to give the Jets 3 1st round picks for Rodgers. They feel that they are just a HOF QB away from a Super Bowl

 

[OldSchool101]

We gotta get Wicks back to normal.
If he can elevate his game down the stretch? We’d have Reed, Watson, Doubs, Kraft and now Jacobs getting more involved in the Passing game. With Wicks redeeming himself we could get back to what we all expected coming into 2024.
Yea we gotta finish better. But we have nit played our best game at all in 2024. We got a game coming up that’s going to light someone’s Asz on fire

 

[tynimiller]

We gotta get Wicks back to normal.
If he can elevate his game down the stretch? We’d have Reed, Watson, Doubs, Kraft and now Jacobs getting more involved in the Passing game. With Wicks redeeming himself we could get back to what we all expected coming into 2024.
Yea we gotta finish better. But we have nit played our best game at all in 2024. We got a game coming up that’s going to light someone’s Asz on fire

Right now this team's ceiling and floor of what could show up on Sundays has quite the gap between them. That's what makes the Lions so so scary...they're floor and ceiling is not that crazy far apart this year.

I still argue our ceiling can can hang with ANYONE...but dangit if we also have proven fully capable of being mid-tier most days.

 

[OldSchool101]

- I'd argue his game from a coach's perspective of the type of play you got wouldn't have changed much at all. BUT many would view his line as being 4 targets 2 catches and only like 50 yards as an eh day....missing the day he had entirely IMO.

oh I think I gotcha. I know I never just look at one aspect I think that would be pretty naive or you’d have to be a complete idiot! lol
I totally agree with that full impact part. That said, these “stat-line” types of games are huge. His impact is certainly felt beyond a raw reception stat line. This reemphasized that he’s a big play machine. I mean you look at that game. That last drive he had a 60 yard play and nothing easy about it. Yet he had 90 yards on the other 3 plays. He just refreshed some DC’s worst fears.
Ignore Watson = Ignite Watson

Defenses can’t allow a player to put up 37.5 yards a play unless that D wants a short career.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

We gotta get Wicks back to normal.
If he can elevate his game down the stretch? We’d have Reed, Watson, Doubs, Kraft and now Jacobs getting more involved in the Passing game. With Wicks redeeming himself we could get back to what we all expected coming into 2024.
Yea we gotta finish better. But we have nit played our best game at all in 2024. We got a game coming up that’s going to light someone’s Asz on fire

I actually forgot about Wicks yesterday. I see from the box score, he had 1 target.

Was actually surprised to see that Love only threw the ball 17 times.

Besides the Int., he was pretty efficient. 13 of 17 for 261 yards.

 

[Half Empty]

And I'm not going to crucify Love over one INT. He did come back with some great throws and grit. Like he said in his presser - he left everything he had out on the field yesterday. What more can you ask for in a player?

For what he's making, I don't think it's too much more to ask that he doesn't overthrow a wide open receiver.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Duds: Monday Bears and Matt Eberflus, crying to the NFL that the Packers cheated.

In my opinion, Brooks didn't line up over their long snapper. If they want to complain about something, they should complain that LVN gave Brooks a shove, which is illegal and LVN admitted to/bragged about doing after the game.

Nothing will happen, but it is fun watching a Bear cry.

https://fox4kc.com/sports/sports-illustrated/a460cde5/matt-eberflus-says-bears-will-send-complaint-to-nfl-over-packers-move-on-blocked-fg/

 

[OldSchool101]

I actually forgot about Wicks yesterday. I see from the box score, he had 1 target.

Was actually surprised to see that Love only threw the ball 17 times.

Besides the Int., he was pretty efficient. 13 of 17 for 261 yards.

He put too much on the pass to Kraft, but even that in itself was evidence he’s healed up. Imo Love is still getting his bearings, he had to use a disproportionate amount of upper body to zing passes until recently. Now that his legs are underneath him again, that pass had way too much torque on it. It reminded me alot of Favre. If you recall his first few drives almost always had overthrows. Then once he settled in he was more accurate. In Favre’s case I think it was more initial nerves and he’d calm down.

But yes, Loves accuracy was markedly better on most throws. Thats one really good positive we can take away from this game. Could’ve easily been 27,30 or 34 points against a pretty good D (missing a couple DB’s) and on the Road.

 

[GBkrzygrl]

What’s crazy is we are able to do much of the heavy lifting on Offense (putting ourselves in scoring position). For whatever reason we often cant put the finishing touches on drives.

One thing we seem to be missing is using our TE in the Endzone. We used to be good at utilizing them better to finish drives. Kinda use your more physical players. Quarless, Richard Rodgers, Marcedes, Tonyan. Just TE seemed more involved down there. Also the FB like John Kuhn was always good at getting that tough 2 yards.

The plays with 3rd n 1 etc. I love when Tuckers comes in motion for a direct snap and just bullies for 2 yards. Hard to stop a 258lb RB with a direct snap. Mix it up but have a few designed plays that aren’t so predictable

I don't remember them using Kraft at all.

 

[mradtke66]

He put too much on the pass to Kraft, but even that in itself was evidence he’s healed up.

I don't think it was necessarily too much on the throw. He has a bad habit of letting his mechanics breakdown when he doesn't need to. It tends to lead to accuracy problems like this. If he sets his feet and does it by the book, the pass hits Kraft perfectly.

Favre and Rodgers got away with not setting their feet (most of the time, anyway) because they had god-tier arms. Love doesn't. He needs to significantly smarter about when and where he chooses to throw off-platform.

 

[OldSchool101]

I don't think it was necessarily too much on the throw. He has a bad habit of letting his mechanics breakdown when he doesn't need to. It tends to lead to accuracy problems like this. If he sets his feet and does it by the book, the pass hits Kraft perfectly.

Favre and Rodgers got away with not setting their feet (most of the time, anyway) because they had god-tier arms. Love doesn't. He needs to significantly smarter about when and where he chooses to throw off-platform.

True. Someone that is caused by his having to rely on upper body strength when his leg was weak. I think that set him backwards to your point. He regressed in his mechanics. Hopefully that should begin to clear up week to week

 

[Magooch]

Duds: Monday Bears and Matt Eberflus, crying to the NFL that the Packers cheated.

In my opinion, Brooks didn't line up over their long snapper. If they want to complain about something, they should complain that LVN gave Brooks a shove, which is illegal and LVN admitted to/bragged about doing after the game.

Nothing will happen, but it is fun watching a Bear cry.

https://fox4kc.com/sports/sports-illustrated/a460cde5/matt-eberflus-says-bears-will-send-complaint-to-nfl-over-packers-move-on-blocked-fg/

Honestly, upon re-watching it almost makes me wonder if they weren't kind of "fishing" for a penalty in the first place. Maybe I'm over-thinking it, but it looks like...as soon as the ball is snapped, the long snapper immediately plants both hands on the ground (before contact) instead of going "up". He doesn't lift his head or hands immediately, and it almost looks like the LG is trying to "direct" Brooks more away from the gap and towards the center...almost like the hope is to have the defense blow up the LS and draw a penalty. Perhaps that's a little bit conspiratorial but it wouldn't be terribly surprising to me either.

Anyhow here's a good shot of the defense being lined up right on the long snapper...

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[Pokerbrat2000]

Honestly, upon re-watching it almost makes me wonder if they weren't kind of "fishing" for a penalty in the first place. Maybe I'm over-thinking it, but it looks like...as soon as the ball is snapped, the long snapper immediately plants both hands on the ground (before contact) instead of going "up". He doesn't lift his head or hands immediately, and it almost looks like the LG is trying to "direct" Brooks more away from the gap and towards the center...almost like the hope is to have the defense blow up the LS and draw a penalty. Perhaps that's a little bit conspiratorial but it wouldn't be terribly surprising to me either.

Anyhow here's a good shot of the defense being lined up right on the long snapper...

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Yup... nobody was lined up over the LS as the Bears are claiming and there are 2 refs watching!

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