The Chicago Bears were expected to play a close game in London with the Jacksonville Jaguars. While one team was 3-2 and the other 1-4, it was felt the Jaguars had the more experienced quarterback and a better understanding of how to play in the UK since they do it every year. They were 3-1 in their last four London games and had just taken down the Indianapolis Colts, who beat Chicago a few weeks ago. However, there were signs that the game also had a chance to get ugly.
For one, the Bears were smart enough to leave on Monday, ensuring players got used to the time difference overseas. Jacksonville didn’t leave until late Thursday due to poor scheduling and a delay by Hurricane Melton. Their defense had also been struggling a lot lately. If they failed to show up again, the matchup would swing in Chicago’s favor. Sure enough, the Bears steamrolled them 35-16, and the game didn’t even feel that close. It was a humiliation for the Jaguars.
Nobody summed it up better than Dan Hicken, the longtime sports anchor for Action Sports JAX in Jacksonville, who has covered that team for 27 years. He finally reached a breaking point on Sunday, and cameras caught all of it.
Chicago Bears fans probably understand him more than most.
They, too, felt that level of helplessness over the past decade. It felt like every year, you clung to hope that maybe this time would be different, only to watch your team crash and burn yet again. Yet, it might be worse for Jacksonville. Chicago always had the excuse of quarterback problems. The Jaguars just paid Trevor Lawrence $55 million a year. He is supposedly a franchise quarterback. For the team to still look this bad tells you there is something rotten at the core of the organization.
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It probably won’t be much longer before head coach Doug Pederson, GM Trent Baalke, or both end up getting fired. Jacksonville already traded Roy Robertson-Harris to the Seattle Seahawks this week. It wouldn’t be surprising if others followed. The Chicago Bears seem to have that effect on teams. Getting blown out by the Chiefs, Bills, or Eagles is one thing. Losing like that to the Bears is an extra humiliation. Fans don’t care. If anything, Chicago seems to take a perverse pride in such things.
I don’t remember if the two Khans are even remotely related, but I did work for Sadiq to be mayor of London over Goldsmith and Boris’s cabal. Yes, I want the Jags to leave bubba country and move to London. I prefer Khan over one of the Oligarchs as owner.
@Dr.Sallie: I agree. Consider that this guy is a sportscaster in Jacksonville, FL. Urban population is just under 1 million, per google, 1.6 million in the greater Jacksonville area. Small market, and he’s been there 3 decades without getting promoted to a bigger one.
Contrast with Chicago, 9.6 million in the greater area, the #3 market in the US. So sure, the guy is going to kinda suck. But it’s gonna be a moot point soon, Khan will move the Jags to London as soon as Goodell lets him. Might not be that soon, but it’s gonna happen.
Of course, he is frustrated but he is FOX quality, pathetic. I could hardly make it through his 5-min. stench. He should be fired too.