If you were told before the season that the Bears would be one of the seven undefeated teams after Week 3, would you believe have believed it? For me, certainly not. But that is precisely the position we are currently in, as this is our first 3-0 start since 2013.
If the first two games of the year did not serve enough chaos, well, the third week of the season decided to say “hold my beer” and release an avalanche of chaos. Fortunately, it has been in the Bears favor, and I will dig deep into recapping that chaos from last week v.s. the Atlanta Falcons and previewing their upcoming matchup v.s. The Indianapolis Colts this week.
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The Obvious: A Change At QB
The moment we have all been waiting for has finally happened: Trubisky out, Foles in. After a rocky performance while trailing against the Atlanta Falcons last week, Coach Matt Nagy decided to remove starting QB Mitch Trubisky in the third quarter and throw in backup Nick Foles.
Although I was delighted by the move, and it was certainly exciting, I would be lying if I said I was not shocked that Trubisky was already shown the bench. While he did not have a great first half, it certainly could have been worse. But all it took was a poorly-timed interception for Nagy to pull Trubisky out of the game. This, to me, just proved that the coach was looking for any reason to take his starter out of the game, as he claimed that the interception cued him to go with his gut feeling and play Foles.
Nick Foles, Taking A Snap During His Comeback Run v.s. The Atlanta Falcons
(Credit: Pylon Sports)
Well, Foles came in and changed everything. Despite throwing a questionably-called interception in the end zone to Wide Receiver Allen Robinson. Foles excelled and not only put up one of the best and most exciting performances at QB in Bears history, but led the team to (yet another) comeback victory from a 16 point fourth quarter deficit. Thanks to his heroics, Foles has been named to starter for this week v.s. the Indianapolis Colts, marking the potential end of the Trubisky era in Chicago.
Overall, Foles was evidently better than Trubisky right off the bat. He looked much more comfortable, was more willing to throw the ball deeper and in all directions, and the whole offense flowed much more smoothly and efficiently. Now, getting an upgrade from Trubisky to Foles is like getting an upgrade from an iPhone 4 to an iPhone 7. It is not anything to marvel or boast about, but an upgrade is an upgrade and it is certainly noticeable.
Am I sure that Foles will perform as he did v.s. the Falcons every week? Of course not, as he is still a huge question mark and remains one of the league’s biggest mysteries. I also believe that Foles’ leash is not as big as it seems, as it should not come as a complete shock if Trubisky shows up again. But what we saw on Sunday was spectacular, and I am certain, at the very least, that Foles will be able to operate and provide much more efficiency to the offense properly.
Enjoy The Start, But Proceed With Great Caution
Again, the Bears are 3-0, what we saw from Foles was spectacular, and life is excellent for the Monsters Of The Midway. However, we still do not know who the 2020 Chicago Bears genuinely are. We have only performed successfully in 1/4th of all quarters, we still do not know what to fully expect at QB, and we have faced three cupcake opponents to start the year. What is our identity? What will we see from the team once we face tougher opponents? As great as our start is, you still cannot be fooled and believe we are a legit team.
Do not take this for granted: The fact that we are here and feeling this happy must be taken advantage of at all costs. Despite the light slate of opponents, I did not expect us to be here. Enjoy the start and please be happy, as I am also aware of how easy it is to get caught into the hype of Nick Foles from Sunday. I can assure you that I have sent numerous texts and videos of myself chanting his famous nickname; Some of you reading this may be an unfortunate victim of that. But with the entire team, we still need to see consistency through all four quarters and excellence against tougher competition before the Bears can prove that they are a contender in 2020.
The State Of The Opponent: Indianapolis Colts
The Bears want a tougher opponent, so they will get themselves one this Sunday while the Indianapolis Colts stroll into Chicago.
The Colts are not the most challenging opponent; they are 2-1 and coming off a massacre of a victory over the New York Jets, scoring 36 points while giving up 7. To be fair, though, I am sure the Bradley University football team could have beaten the Jets this year. Oh, and for those who do not know, Bradley does not even have a football team, so my point is the Jets are god awful. But regardless, those are impressive numbers against any opponent. As the Colts have had one of their best defensive starts to any season in recent memory.
Colts CB Xavier Rhodes, Catching One Of His Two Interceptions Of Jets QB Sam Darnold
(Credit: 1070 The Fan)
Similarly to the Bears, the Colts have faced an easy slate of opponents to start the year: surprisingly losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars, beating the (somehow) 0-3 Minnesota Vikings, and demolishing the Jets. But unlike the Bears, I thought the Colts would be a legit playoff contender and were my pick to win the AFC South. So far, they appear to have the capabilities of accomplishing that, but I thought they would be doing a little bit better at this point, specifically the offense.
I believed with QB Phillip Rivers now in the picture that the Colts would immediately boast one of the best offenses in the league, but that is not entirely the case. Rivers has done a decent job to start the year, leading the league in completion percentage, but has only thrown three touchdown passes. Rookie Running Back Jonathan Taylor has stepped into the lead role nicely and has shown flashes, but must step up. The Offensive Line, per usual, has remained as solid as ever, but their main flaw though has been the receiving game. Tight End Mo Allie-Cox has become a pleasant surprise so far, but I am specifically looking at Wide Receiver T.Y. Hilton with disappointment.
Whether it may be from looking afar or having him on several Fantasy Football teams previously, I am a fan of Hilton and his game. Heading into the year, I thought he would graciously rebound from an underwhelming, injury-riddled 2019 season. Not only because he received an upgrade at QB, but his Offensive Coordinator, Nick Sirianni, claimed that the offense still runs through Hilton, and he expected a bounceback season, as well. I was ecstatic to hear such news and reassurance; When healthy and at the top of his game, you can make a good argument that Hilton is a low top-10 Wide Reciever in the league. Now three games into the season, Hilton finds himself in another frustrating spot, only catching 10 of his 17 targets for 133 yards. In order for the Colts passing attack to reach new lengths, they must find ways to catapult the production of their top weapon. Sadly for them, they face their most formidable pass defense yet, as the Bears are currently second in passer rating allowed.
The State Of The Bears
I have already talked plenty about the QB position, as that topic has (deservingly) been stuck in the spotlight throughout the week. But the only issue that has been mostly covered up by the QB position has been the season-ending injury of Running Back Tarik Cohen.
Tarik Cohen, Running Before An Unfortunate Injury v.s. the Falcons (Credit: FanSided)
Cohen entered the first game of the year with a fresh contract extension and hopes for a bounceback season. Cohen has not been the player we were hoping for right off the bat, only providing occasional flashy plays. But any hopes of him seeking more came to a staggering end after tearing his ACL while fair catching a punt v.s. the Falcons. Unsurprisingly, Cohen would land on Injured Reserve and have his season immediately come to an end.
Besides the fact that we lost an important piece to our offense, the first thing that came to my mind was that GM Ryan Pace would have his work cut out for him in signing a potential replacement. Most notably, he brought in former Houston Texan Lamar Miller for a visit. But all Pace did (so far) was promote undrafted rookie Artavis Pierce to the active roster. Furthermore, the move (or lack of making a more significant move) signals a vote of confidence in starter David Montgomery.
*Note: This article was made before the signing of Lamar Miller Friday afternoon.
As I previously stated, Monty is capable of becoming a workhouse Running Back in this league as long as he is used properly. He has the rushing chops to get it done on the field, but was mostly limited as a pass-catcher thanks to the presence of Cohen. But with Cohen now gone for the year, Montgomery will get his chance to fully prove that he can become a workhorse until potential changes are made. I am excited about the opportunity for him, but I would prefer if Pace brings in another Running Back to complement our starter. Lamar Miller would be acceptable and has a good resume. Other options could include Spencer Ware, Bilal Powell, Javoris Allen, Isaiah Crowell, etc.
The loss of Cohen undoubtedly hurts the entire offense. It especially sucks given the sudden rise of Nick Foles in the picture. But, as always, you must have that “next man up” mentality, as both Montgomery and Pierce will individually try to prove themselves out on the field.
My Preseason Prediction For This Game: Colts Win
My Pick Now: Bears Win
Final Score: 23 Bears - 14 Colts
Alas, here is a surprising first time where I believe a preseason prediction of a Bears loss has turned into me predicting a Bears win come the week of the game.
As I previously said, the Colts are a good team, but I thought they would look better offensively to this point. I expected the Bears to not be able to win against an efficient and effective Colts offense before the year. While that scenario is still greatly possible, my gut feeling is not the same as it was before-hand.
I expect this to be a low-scoring affair between the two teams, as there would be more damage done defensively than offensively. I do not anticipate Foles putting up a spectacle like he did last week, as we should expect there to be many more faults with him and the entire offense. They have their toughest task yet to take down the Colts highly performing defense.
While the Colts pose as a tough opponent, they certainly are beatable. Hell, if the Jacksoville Jaguars can do it, almost any team can. I am proceeding with caution with the hype and excitement, but I now believe Foles and company will do enough to push past the Colts defense and get themselves their first 4-0 start since my love for the Bears and football began in 2006.
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