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Part 1: Forget the hype, just get it done on the field
Aaron Rodgers is gone, out of the way. Davante Adams is already long gone. Christian Watson was ruled out with a hamstring injury.
The Chicago Bears entered their Week 1 divisional battle with the Green Bay Packers underestimating their opponent and believing in their own preseason hype. ‘Justin Fields is gonna breakout this season. DJ Moore was a huge acquisition. This front office has really turned things around.’
But as announcer — and former excellent tight end — Greg Olsen astutely pointed out during the FOX broadcast, you can listen to the offseason hype all you want, but eventually, the real games are gonna start, and you gotta get the job done on the field.
And the Bears did everything but that. They seemed too confident at the outset, overconfident, you might say.
On the flip, Jordan Love and his Packers came out cool, calm and collected. It didn’t take long to realize this game was gonna become a Week 1 nightmare for the Bears.
Part II: What happened to Chicago’s coaching and quarterback?
The Bears spent an arm and a leg to acquire WR1 Moore this offseason, and they started off going to him with a couple of early targets. Makes sense, right? Get him going early, and establish a rhythm with Fields.
Then ultimately, Moore finished with just two targets for 25 yards. A complete and utter fantasy DISASTER. Darnell Mooney, Cole Kmet, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson all garnered more targets. What happened to head coach Matt Eberflus? Where did OC Luke Getsy disappear to in all this?
One thing was overtly clear watching the Bears: Fields was coached to play conservatively. A lot of first, short reads. Get the ball out quick, nothing risky. The problems with that are twofold: (1) Your offense becomes too predictable to the opposing defense, and (2) It stunts Fields’ development by implying that he’s incapable of taking effective shots down the field.
If Fields is going to take the next step up this season, Eberflus and Getsy simply need to let go. Let the kid take shots. Let the kid play his game. Use Moore, Mooney and Chase Claypool in the passing game.
The Bears simply got outclassed by the Packers, from the coaching staff all the way down to special teams.
Part III: How could you quit in the first game of the season?
With plenty of time remaining in the fourth quarter, the Bears were driving. If they scored a touchdown with a two-point conversion, the deficit would have been diminished to a two-score game. You would think the Bears would be showing some juice. Hustle. No-huddle. Get up to the line and get the ball moving.
Instead? They were lollygagging around the field. Posture was terrible. Energy level was non-existent. Coaching was downright awful.
In the first quarter of the first game of a huge division rivalry… the Chicago Bears plain old quit. I’m a Jets fan – I have no skin in this game – but I was DISGUSTED. Olsen and fellow announcer Kevin Burkhardt were bashing the Bears as well. And rightfully so.
What message does that send to your NFC North rivals? You quit with a chance to cut the game to two scores in the fourth? Now, no one is saying the Bears actually would have come back – odds were probably 1 percent or less – but that’s not the point. The point is this: If you’re gonna lose, lose like champions. Create good habits. Showcase a potential winning culture.
Instead, Eberflus, Fields and Moore just packed it in. It was like watching a car wreck in slow motion. Absolutely painful to watch.
In the end, the Packers sent the message they needed to send. Jordan Love is for real. Matt LaFleur can win games without Aaron Rodgers…
And the Green Bay Packers still own the souls of the lowly Chicago Bears.
John Frascella is a published sports author who has been covering the NFL for 19 years. Follow him on Twitter @LegendSports7 for all things NFL, NBA and MLB throughout the year.
