BearsFansOnline Podcast // E07: The Best & Worst of Times

[malk]

Who would you take right now...
Mitch or Baker Mayfield
Mitch or Sam Darnold
Mitch or Mahomes
Mitch or Watson

I think the only one I'd take over Mitch is Mayfield, personally. Mahomes is a VERY close next alternative, but to be fair I was smitten with Mahomes. Kinda still am.

Honestly I might take all of them. Mahomes for sure, even on draft day. I would probably have to have a few drinks before hand before I truly decide on the others.

Mayfield, Mahomes, Trubisky, Watson, Darnold for me. But Mayfield is the most scheme dependent and has to overcome being on the Browns!

[Pagan]

It's still too early to tell for me, so I Def stick with the guy that's already a Chicago Bear.
Mitch Trib

[The Marshall Plan]

I love you. And I love these. But Chris lost me at “Rex Grossman”. That’s a huge stretch and a lazy comparison. You did an excellent job though and trying to negate that.

This. 100%.

I always enjoy your podcasts, including this one, but we need to stop over analyzing the heck out of this game and move on. People also say things when they're pissed and disappointed. Biscuit is not Rex Grossman after 1 half of an opening day in Green Bay with a young team in a new system with a new HC.

There were a shit ton of positives that came out of that game, but everybody is focusing on the 1 point loss. I get it, we all wanted that one really bad especially me, but if you go back and look a lot of good things happened.

All of us should still be just as excited for this team and this season after that game as we were before it.

[cblaz11]

Let’s hope I’m wrong...I’ve seen very little out of Mitch to think he’s going to have a better career then Rex Grossman. It’s early, but I still would have expected to see more.

I think we focused on a lot of positives on the show, I’m just concerned that the QB who we are banking on for the next decade isn’t as good as we think he is.

Again, let’s hope I’m wrong..

[UOK]

I’ve seen very little out of Mitch to think he’s going to have a better career then Rex Grossman.

[cblaz11]

It’s not like I’m comparing him to Cade McNown...

[UOK]

It’s not like I’m comparing him to Cade McNown...

Kidding aside, I think there's got to be a better basis of comparison than any Bears QB.

[cblaz11]

My comparison to Rex is more about their personality then anything..and was also a little out of emotion because of our 2nd half collapse. Still, the confidence in Mitch and blind faith when someone questions his ability is a little shocking. I don’t typically over react and I’m normally accused of being a Bears apologist, but I’m concerned. I’m also concerned with the lack of concern with fans.

Still...apparently I’m the wink link on the podcast..you may want to start interviewing candidates before you lose more listeners...lol

[Bearfacts]

Nice Podcast but there are two issues I disagree with.

1) You take both downs if necessary to get that 1st down on the last drive. It's a clock killing strategy plus we had been running the ball well and had several ways to approach it including an RPO or even one shot with that T we opened with.

2) In fact Mitch did turn the ball over but on downs by going 3 and out on so many drives. One way or another the impact was the same. Cutler threw some picks trying to win but here Mitch threw none trying not to lose yet the result was the same.

Just two or three key completions to sustain drives was all it would have taken and if you're gonna scramble on 3rd down then go for the sticks and make them tackle you don't slide and end up 2 yards short. You may even draw a roughing penalty for a late hit.

Mitch played the second half scared and that is one of the biggest reasons we lost. All we needed was one or two big plays downfield and that alters what GB can do. We didn't get them because he didn't even try. That has to change and change now.

[wab]

Still, the confidence in Mitch and blind faith when someone questions his ability is a little shocking. I don’t typically over react and I’m normally accused of being a Bears apologist, but I’m concerned. I’m also concerned with the lack of concern with fans.

I don't see a lot of blind faith. I see either -

A: He's garbage/Rex Grossman/a bust/not worth what the Bears gave up for him/never going to be as good as Mahomes or Watson

or

B: Hey, maybe lets give him more than a bad half of football during a game where the entire team (including coaches) fell apart before we make snap judgments.

[Boris13c]

Still, the confidence in Mitch and blind faith when someone questions his ability is a little shocking. I don’t typically over react and I’m normally accused of being a Bears apologist, but I’m concerned. I’m also concerned with the lack of concern with fans.

I don't see a lot of blind faith. I see either -

A: He's garbage/Rex Grossman/a bust/not worth what the Bears gave up for him/never going to be as good as Mahomes or Watson

or

B: Hey, maybe lets give him more than a bad half of football during a game where the entire team (including coaches) fell apart before we make snap judgments.

I'm with wab on this

second year in the league, first year as full time starter in a new offense with a new coaching staff ... there are going to be issues until they work out all the kinks ... and that second half collapse was not all on Mitch and the offense

my hope is they show that second half against Goon Bay every week as an example of what not to do as they move forward and a reminder to all they are fallible and must work hard to succeed

[G08]

If he just hit that TD to Robinson... this would all be moot.

[Boris13c]

If he just hit that TD to Robinson... this would all be moot.

or if Fuller had caught the gift interception .... or if Rodgers did not return for the second half ... or .... well

as Dandy Don Meredith once said, If ifs and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a Merry Christmas

[Bearfacts]

Personally I believe the article I read about LaCanfora saying the Bears lack faith in him is typical of spread a rumor to seem relevant we often see outta guys who are one step above a blogger. These guys need something to arm themselves with to get read or get in front of a camera so it becomes MSU time. Make Shit Up.

The 2nd half of the GB game only shows what needs to be fixed on the part of both Mitch and the coaching staff. There's plenty of blame to be spread around and many who need to accept it and commit to fixing it and/or themselves. It's way too soon to make any judgements beyond that IMHO.

[malk]

Still, the confidence in Mitch and blind faith when someone questions his ability is a little shocking. I don’t typically over react and I’m normally accused of being a Bears apologist, but I’m concerned. I’m also concerned with the lack of concern with fans.

I don't see a lot of blind faith. I see either -

A: He's garbage/Rex Grossman/a bust/not worth what the Bears gave up for him/never going to be as good as Mahomes or Watson

or

B: Hey, maybe lets give him more than a bad half of football during a game where the entire team (including coaches) fell apart before we make snap judgments.

I don't think that's fair, who has said he's garbage? A few have expressed concerns at this play, which seems fair enough. I think it's also fair to guess/predict that other QBs might end up better than him. Sure it's idle message board speculation but what's wrong with that?

[cblaz11]

My concern isn’t just over the 2nd half of the game...

They kept Mitch bottled up last year..Why? They saw him every day in practice...if he was flashing in practice don’t you think they would have opened up the playbook a little?? We saw nothing out of him this preseason...and now, in his first game of the new season, he struggles. So I’m concerned..

His lack of pocket presence, his inability to spot open receivers, his inability to go through his progressions, and his hesitance to allow his receivers to make plays..are all things we saw last year and now this year.

I feel like I’m bashing him just to make a point..I’m hoping these are coachable and he turns into a top 10 QB, but as of now he hasn’t shown us much other then him being a good leader.

This week..is where we will find out a lot. A lot about our coaches and a lot about him.

[southdakbearfan]

My concern isn’t just over the 2nd half of the game...

They kept Mitch bottled up last year..Why? They saw him every day in practice...if he was flashing in practice don’t you think they would have opened up the playbook a little?? We saw nothing out of him this preseason...and now, in his first game of the new season, he struggles. So I’m concerned..

His lack of pocket presence, his inability to spot open receivers, his inability to go through his progressions, and his hesitance to allow his receivers to make plays..are all things we saw last year and now this year.

I feel like I’m bashing him just to make a point..I’m hoping these are coachable and he turns into a top 10 QB, but as of now he hasn’t shown us much other then him being a good leader.

This week..is where we will find out a lot. A lot about our coaches and a lot about him.

He went through progressions well by the end of the season last year. I think all this hand wringing is way to early.

Remember they had almost no "game" time together with him and the WR's in a new offense. It's going to take a bit.

As far as pocket presence, again, he is young. He bailed a little, but not really that much. Playcalling to facilitate a sequence to the offense would have helped this along with sustaining drives.

[ramentaschen]

OK, its way too early at this stage to glean any useful information about Trubisky's "growth" at this point BUT let's say Mitch & Co. go 5-11 again this year or even 6-10 with no real overall improvement from last year.

What would your plan be going forward for next year knowing that you are not getting an early draft pick OR have $$$ to spend in free agency?

[Mikefive]

My concern isn’t just over the 2nd half of the game...

They kept Mitch bottled up last year..Why? They saw him every day in practice...if he was flashing in practice don’t you think they would have opened up the playbook a little?? We saw nothing out of him this preseason...and now, in his first game of the new season, he struggles. So I’m concerned..

His lack of pocket presence, his inability to spot open receivers, his inability to go through his progressions, and his hesitance to allow his receivers to make plays..are all things we saw last year and now this year.

I feel like I’m bashing him just to make a point..I’m hoping these are coachable and he turns into a top 10 QB, but as of now he hasn’t shown us much other then him being a good leader.

This week..is where we will find out a lot. A lot about our coaches and a lot about him.

He went through progressions well by the end of the season last year. I think all this hand wringing is way to early.

Remember they had almost no "game" time together with him and the WR's in a new offense. It's going to take a bit.

As far as pocket presence, again, he is young. He bailed a little, but not really that much. Playcalling to facilitate a sequence to the offense would have helped this along with sustaining drives.

I tend to agree here.

It's far more useful to look at Trubisky's resume than his draft status. The guy had 13 starts in college. How many did Watson and Mahomes have? 3-4x as many. Biscuit is just a really inexperienced guy. It's foolish to think... He was the #2 pick in the draft, therefore have high expectations in a short amount of time. And then add in that those two guys are in the same offense with much of the same receiving corps heading into year 2. And even Nagy said it takes 3 years to learn the complete offense.

It's going to take a while. That's just how it is. Is he a bust? Could be. But I wouldn't be hanging my hat on that judgement until the tail end of 2019.

[EricTighe]

If it takes three years to learn that offense then change the damn offense. I doubt it though. Andy Reid had Alex Smith and he learned it in one year. Mahomes in his second season and running it for the first time looks pretty good so far. Same offense they run in Philly. So to say it takes three years is hog wash.

Mitch did fine. Nagy screwed up. Once up by that margin we should have force fed the ball to Howard. Especially since the Packers were only running 2 Defensive lineman on the field. I go back to third and one. Man to bring our goal line offense right there and challenge the Puckers to stop us would have deflated that defense.

After watching the Chargers running there two RB scheme the last two weeks. I would love for us to incorporate that a little more.

I believe as Nagy grows so will Biscuit. Yawl talk about Biscuit being raw. Nagy was a O- Coordinator for 6 games. ANdy reid still had veto rights over him. There are going to be plenty of arm chair moments.

Trust the process!

[mmmc_35]

I don't trust the progress, and think a show me philosophy is Betsy.

Everyone knows it's early. plenty legit of excuses. Yet there should be some concern. For both Nagy and Mitch. It's okay to be realistic .

[EricTighe]

I am being realistic in saying there will be plenty of arm chair moments. But at least we have something to be excited about.

AND A TOP 3 DEFENSE.

[Bearfacts]

The media loves to find slants they can use to troll viewers with.

Instead of Mahomes and Watson maybe we should be looking at Wentz and Mariota in their very first years as NFL starters and until Mitch has four games in (bye week) he's still in his first 16 games albeit in two very different offenses.

I'm not saying some things don't concern me and that he needs to show more improvement next week than he showed on Monday especially in his accuracy but I also remind myself that Nagy is a rookie HC too and he's also making rookie errors.

Let's get these four games in and see where we stand. AZ is a winnable game and TB can be winnable at home. Even if we lose one of the two we're still sitting at .500 after the first quarter season and have a bye to work some stuff out.

After that it's gonna be those next 8 games that will make or break this season. How we come out of that three game stretch of NFCN games in mid November will tell us a lot. Can we take two from Detroit and beat Minny at home?