Another Bears season is over, and thankfully, it is over. We fans had high hopes after last year's surge to finish 7 and 10 and the drafting of generational quarterback Caleb Williams.
Unfortunately, the Bears regressed this year. I had them going 11 and 6 instead of 5 - 12. My prediction record of 7 and 10 is also worse than last year.
This year they started off strong and were 4 - 2 at the bye week. Then a series of unfortunate events occurred. Not being properly prepared for the Hail May from the Commanders. Getting pants by the Cardinals and the Patriots. Losing to the Packers, Vikings, and Lions down to the wire.
At that point, they were (4 - 8) not mathematically out of it but needed some help. Instead, they lost to the 49ers, who have been terrible this year.
Even at 4 and 9 they still had a chance because other NFC divisions were not doing well. Then Washington won a game they should have won and the Hail Mary came back to haunt them, except they had already dug their own hole.
Two things can be true at the same time. It became obvious they were playing to lose and get a high draft pick and their coaching sucked. Not using times outs. Not getting closer for field goal attempts. Players are trying to extend plays and fumble instead of going down to fight again.
Our pretty solid defense also seemed to regress but really was just protecting itself for next year (and their next team).
The lone bright spot of this season is the win against Green Bay in the last game of the season. It looked like they were gonna win again when they hit a field goal with 54 seconds left on the clock. Game winning drives were not a part of the Bears equation since the Trubisky years.
But somehow they managed to get decent field position on the kickoff and move within field goal range and Santos got payback for the illegally blocked field goal from Week 8.
I've always said that if the NFL were fixed, the teams from New York, California, Chicago and a few other markets would always make the playoffs.
As a long time Bears fan, I've seen the Packers beat the Bears on the last game of the season many times, even when there was nothing to play for. But times have changed and I suspect with a playoff spot secured, the Green Bay coaches were trying to just get though the game with the slim hope of improving their seeding.
This game reminded me of the last game of the 2000 season. The Bears kicked a last second field goal which kept the Lions out of the playoffs. The next season they went 13 -3 and earned the second Bye in the playoffs, only to lose to the Eagles.
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