Another week, another last-minute escape to beat an inferior opponent. That’s the current identity for these 2020 Chicago Bears.
But after two weeks, the Bears are 2-0. Two wins, zero losses. That’s all that matters as they try to stack wins now and get good later. There’s no apologizing in the NFL. Here were my two post-game Thoughts Threads on Twitter:
Thread: A few extra thoughts on Giants-Bears…
1. Consider the first two games of 2018:
Heartbreaking loss in Green Bay. Uneven win against Seattle. Two "Who are these Bears?" games to open the season. Chicago went 12-4.
The 2020 Bears are 2-0. Let them figure it out.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 21, 2020
And…
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Thread: Week 2 Giants-Bears Coaches Film Observations…
1. I generally discount throws that require crazy catches from WRs. But the Bears' first 3rd down conversion was awesome execution by Trubisky and Robinson. Great catch, but placed ONLY where A-Rob could get it.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 22, 2020
The Bears travel to Atlanta this week to take on the Falcons. Chicago has had some wacky history in Atlanta. You may recall the 2008 game where Kyle Orton gave the Bears the lead with 11 seconds left, and the Bears still lost on a mind-numbing sequence of events. Or in 2014, the Bears evened their record to 3-3 with a great win in Atlanta and looked on the verge of straightening things out, only to lose to Miami at home the next week and set the course for a total regime change. We’ll see what this week has in store.
Then again, the Falcons are coming off their own horrific loss. They went into Dallas in Week 2 and built leads of 20-0, 29-10, and 39-24 with just over four minutes left. Yep, they lost. How does a team come back from that?
With that, let’s reach into this week’s Bears Mailbag — thanks to everyone who submitted questions. Follow me on Twitter @DhruvKoul to continue the conversation.
Mailbag
I've seen improvement in his decision making (which was severely lacking, in his case). He looks to be more in command and not a deer in headlights. He still has a lot to clean up accuracy and ball-placement wise (starting with his mechanics/footwork). There are flashes.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 22, 2020
Nope. He's not as bad as 2019, which is a start. But that is not enough to warrant a new contract yet. He needs to show much more progress before I even consider franchise tagging him.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
Yes, the Bears are concerned. You can tell by how Chuck Pagano essentially benched Trevathan after a while in Week 2.
Miller's biggest to-do at the moment is to re-acquaint with the details and gain Trubisky's trust again.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
The two INTs really hurt them. Miller's third-down drop hurt them. Santos' missed FG hurt them. That's four killed drives right there. They just have to execute better.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
Honestly, it's easy to see where he's coming from. The last time he was in a contract year, he tore his ACL in Week 1. That has to have him a bit tentative as he waits to get that long-term security. That said, he could've been better on Sunday.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
Seems he is heading to another team after terminating his practice squad contract with the Bears.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
Seems the lack of snaps came as a result of his drops.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
They just have to execute better. There are plays to be made that they aren't finishing yet. Some sloppiness based on the circumstances of the season is to be expected, though.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
They're doing a lot under center already. It's a massive turnaround from 2019. They just have to execute better.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
I don't, but I'm not completely hating what I'm seeing from him in 2020. That's progress, in my eyes.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
Significantly better. They're showing up constantly in personnel groupings (Bears are coming out in 12 and 13 personnel much more often). The receiving production isn't there yet, but that has more to do with Mitch not looking in their direction as much. It will come.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 22, 2020
Every team feeds off the placebo that is momentum, and the Bears are no different. They're also generating their own "push" with no fans in the stands. But as long as the offense is carrying its weight, the defense will be fine. If the defense is fine, the Bears are fine.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 22, 2020
Trubisky needs to target the TEs more in general. Only three targets total in Week 2 — that's not ideal. The good news is Matt Nagy can do a LOT more personnel grouping and formation wise. And the TEs are doing a great job in the running game. Receiving production will come.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 23, 2020
I wouldn't say that. The 2018 defense was historic. Last year's defense was still very good. This year's defense is also good. A drop-off from historic isn't surprising. The defense will be fine.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 22, 2020
At the time, I thought re-signing Trevathan was the correct move. Through two games, it's looking like Trevathan has nothing left — slow and lost in coverage. I want to give it another couple games before I truly write him off, but it isn't looking good.
— Dhruv Koul (@DhruvKoul) September 22, 2020