It’s hard to win a game when the defense gives up 52 points.
Lemon pepper, garlic parmesan, and original hot. These are the flavors I chose for the 50-piece wing combo from the local Wingstop. Little did I know I was going to watch Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions deliver another 50-piece to Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears.
The Bears deferred and kicked off to the Lions to start the game. Comically, Cairo Santos kicks the ball out of bounds for an illegal procedure. For those who recall the meltdown last week, this is what he was supposed to do on the Bears’ final kickoff to save the 2-minute warning timeout. Well, six days too late, Cairo!
In hindsight, it was nothing short of a sign of what was to come. The Lions marched down the field with ease. Within the game’s first two plays, they were in the red zone, and Jahmyr Gibbs ran outside left for the score. The Lions owned the edge the entire game.
The Bears opened their first possession with two touches for D’Andre Swift, one of them a direct snap. They have trouble with the third-down snap, but ultimately convert. This was shortly followed by a false start, and it is clear this offensive line is still a work in progress.
Williams throws a screen to DJ Moore, and quick out to Monangai. The Bears mix it up with medium and short passes, and a 20-yard rushing gain by Swift. They find themselves in 3rd and nine at the Detroit 28-yard line. Playmaker Rome Odunze takes a pass short left to the endzone. Odunze, the lone bright spot on this Bears team, has become the clear WR1 on this team, and when the offense finds themselves in a clutch moment, he always seems to deliver. He is playing at an all-pro level while waiting for his teammates to catch up.
Goff on the move (photo AP)
Goff had plenty of time to deliver complete passes to his receivers. Amon Ra St. Brown finished the game with 115 yards and three touchdowns. Goff finished with 334 yards, five touchdowns, and a quarterback rating of 156. He was doing whatever he wanted.
The Bears had no shot at containing the Lions’ rushing attack. They did not contain the edge, and they did not pressure the quarterback. One may question what they did do. They were running around like Tony Snell. Sorry Tony.
Penalties remained an issue for the Bears, flagged a total of 10 times, killing any momentum they gained.
Swift had a fumble lost, and it leads me to wonder if the Bears are going to bolster the running back room. The Ben Johnson offense has worked best with a committee of running backs, yet there seems to be only a single contributor.
The Bears’ offense had a turnover on downs multiple times, but the one that stood out was the failed 3rd and 1 and 4th and 1. Two plays to gain one yard, yet even that was unattainable. Hey Coach, where is that offensive innovation you were hired for? One yard!
Caleb Williams showed improvement from Week 1 yet managed to turn the ball over on a pass that should have been thrown out of bounds. Overall, it’s hard to win a game when the defense gives up 52 points.
The Lions took advantage of a depleted Bears secondary, and things may not be getting better with Jaylon Johnson re-aggravating a groin injury during the game and being ruled out indefinitely.
The Dallas Cowboys are coming to Chicago this week (Sunday, 4:25 PM Eastern, FOX, Bears -1.5), and the Bears will have their hands full with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens catching and Dak Prescott throwing. Chicago is not only looking for the team’s first win, but for a competitive, energetic, and highly motivated team to show up on Sunday afternoon.
