2023-24 NFL Season Thread

[bmags]

Here’s the good news with Eberflus and Poles:

To me the big reason I was ok with moving on from Poles in September was it looked like he made an all time bad decision at head coach - and a really curious one.

Now? Eberflus looks like he did do a good job developing a very young roster into a team that is competitive and improving.

There is no need for a “culture change”. They are generally on the right track.

So he didn’t completely screw up his hire. He made sense. But he’s mid. And, as ever, the offense isn’t good enough.

But I would really only move on, if I’m poles, if I had good intel I could land a top guy. 
 

Otherwise, how friggen hilarious would it be for Eberflus to stay and bring on Josh McDaniels as OC for their new QB development. 

[Kyyle23]

Bmags I don’t find that funny even a little bit and actually that’s mean

[bmags]

1 minute ago, Kyyle23 said:

Bmags I don’t find that funny even a little bit and actually that’s mean

It would be funny for Eberflus

[Kyyle23]

Just now, bmags said:

It would be funny for Eberflus

If I were a HC and felt my seat was even slightly warm, McDaniels would NOT be a part of my staff lol

[caulfield12]

There's this hot OC on the open market right now...last name Ferentz.

That still could be better than McDaniels.

[The Beast]

21 hours ago, Tony said:

They may finish with 7 wins and still have 3 losses on their record where they had an over 90% win percentage in the 2nd half of those games. I said in the offseason I expected this team to be right in the hunt or make the wild card round, as there is usually a “worst to first” team in the NFL each season…and that’s exactly what should have happened. 
 

So yes, the staff needs to change. I’m a fan of what Poles has done these last two years as a whole, but he missed on the HC. 

Who would be your ideal choice for HC if Poles stays and Eberflus gets whacked on Black Monday?

12 hours ago, bmags said:

Here’s the good news with Eberflus and Poles:

To me the big reason I was ok with moving on from Poles in September was it looked like he made an all time bad decision at head coach - and a really curious one.

Now? Eberflus looks like he did do a good job developing a very young roster into a team that is competitive and improving.

There is no need for a “culture change”. They are generally on the right track.

So he didn’t completely screw up his hire. He made sense. But he’s mid. And, as ever, the offense isn’t good enough.

But I would really only move on, if I’m poles, if I had good intel I could land a top guy. 
 

Otherwise, how friggen hilarious would it be for Eberflus to stay and bring on Josh McDaniels as OC for their new QB development. 

Would you be in the camp of keeping Poles and Eberflus and hiring a new OC? Or would you hire an offensive minded HC and let Eberflus go?

[bmags]

10 minutes ago, The Beast said:

Who would be your ideal choice for HC if Poles stays and Eberflus gets whacked on Black Monday?

Would you be in the camp of keeping Poles and Eberflus and hiring a new OC? Or would you hire an offensive minded HC and let Eberflus go?

I would rather bring in a new coach but just want to know names they could get first. 
 

I do think he’s done a good enough job the back half of this year that with maybe 8 jobs open we could end up worse off.

 Basically I need to know the actual names. They’ve improved enough I can’t say “generic other coach” is definitely better.

[Chisoxfn]

1 hour ago, bmags said:

I would rather bring in a new coach but just want to know names they could get first. 
 

I do think he’s done a good enough job the back half of this year that with maybe 8 jobs open we could end up worse off.

 Basically I need to know the actual names. They’ve improved enough I can’t say “generic other coach” is definitely better.

This - I think Flus could be one of those good lockeroom coaches who may not be the X’s and O’s Expert but does a lot else right as the actual manager. With that said I have no hurt feelings if they hit reset but I give him some credit for the youth on defense developing and for the team trending up. Players too and Poles as well. If they stick with Fields - than I am pretty square in the stick with Flus for another year camp. If they take a qb - than as much as I think Flus has earned the next year I just don’t like the idea of not resetting the coaching clock either the qb.

But I hate the idea of starting back from square one too. 

[Chisoxfn]

So my ideal season would have had Fields stepping up and being a top 7 QB. I am on record as saying he isn’t that and he hasn’t shown anything to me to say there is 50 percent chance he becomes it. 
 

Quite frankly he is so poor in the middle of the field and on regular timing plays that I suspect he won’t be more than a 12-20 ranked qb but I admit there might be a 5 percent chance he puts it together and maximizes his physical tools which are top 7. 
 

But with what he has shown this year, or what he hasn’t shown, I am squarely in the draft a qb camp. I probably say screw it and draft the guy at 1 but I also get that these assessments are total crapshoots so I am kind of intrigued by the Commanders. 
 

Commanders are at 3 - hungry owner - does he want Williams so badly Bears could get an absolute haul, move down 2 spots and basically take the 2nd qb while getting a ton of extra draft capital and a player. Part of me says don’t get cute, but so many drafts in last decade has the best qb not been the first one. 
 

Odds are at 3 - if Washington stays there - you are getting 2nd best qb with Arizona grabbing MHJ at 2. 

[Dick Allen]

I have wanted the Bears to get rid of Eberflus for quite a while, but when he took over the defense, they got much better. Fields is almost exactly the same as last year. There are flashes of a HOFer, followed by flashbacks of previous Bears QBs. It's really a tough call. I read where Fields would only get you a 2nd or 3rd rounder in a trade. I think if you did that, you would look ripped off one day. It's a tough call. The trade they made last year turns out to be masterful. 

 

I think I would keep Eberflus and get a new OC with some flexibility. 

[Kyyle23]

The three epic collapses, a coordinator and coach getting “let go” with very little explanation, and just a general awful connection with media and fans have me firing Flus.  It’s just not a tenable situation for me anymore, they have failed in so many different ways it’s hard for me to see Flus coming out on top at some point 

[The Beast]

The losses to Denver, Detroit and Cleveland were brutal as was the lack of preparation for Green Bay at the start of the year. I am writing off year one of the Eberflus coaching career but I can’t write off the historic losses or the coaching character issues they have had. I am glad the team’s defense improved, but I think we can attribute that to Sweat.

I see a mixed bag with Fields and on offense. I really don’t like the Getsy offense and would like to see another play caller come in. I also don’t always like what I see with Fields and missed throws, but I don’t like what he’s had to do with Getsy’s scheme. I wish they would trust Fields more and push the ball to the middle of the field instead of the sidelines. I fear that Williams is just like Fields and I would prefer they build around Fields.

Having said that, I wonder if they will trade around with the number one pick and still remain high in the draft, like @Chisoxfnsuggested. I like the concept of trading for future assets and acquiring more talent at the top of the draft. I also remain open to trading for fewer assets and remaining in the top 3 to draft a QB, then also building in the trenches on the offensive line. There still is work to be done across the roster that could not be done in one offseason.

If they choose to get a new head coach and go for someone high profile like Harbaugh, I would be open to that, just to force change in an organization that needs it. I would also be open to continuity with Eberflus and a new OC. If they found a new HC that was more like Lovie Smith, I would say to bring that person in. I’m just not sure who that OC or who that new HC would be or if one more year of Eberflus would be good for the Bears with moving forward as an organization.

[WhiteSox2023]

6 hours ago, The Beast said:

The losses to Denver, Detroit and Cleveland were brutal as was the lack of preparation for Green Bay at the start of the year. I am writing off year one of the Eberflus coaching career but I can’t write off the historic losses or the coaching character issues they have had. I am glad the team’s defense improved, but I think we can attribute that to Sweat.

I see a mixed bag with Fields and on offense. I really don’t like the Getsy offense and would like to see another play caller come in. I also don’t always like what I see with Fields and missed throws, but I don’t like what he’s had to do with Getsy’s scheme. I wish they would trust Fields more and push the ball to the middle of the field instead of the sidelines. I fear that Williams is just like Fields and I would prefer they build around Fields.

Having said that, I wonder if they will trade around with the number one pick and still remain high in the draft, like @Chisoxfnsuggested. I like the concept of trading for future assets and acquiring more talent at the top of the draft. I also remain open to trading for fewer assets and remaining in the top 3 to draft a QB, then also building in the trenches on the offensive line. There still is work to be done across the roster that could not be done in one offseason.

If they choose to get a new head coach and go for someone high profile like Harbaugh, I would be open to that, just to force change in an organization that needs it. I would also be open to continuity with Eberflus and a new OC. If they found a new HC that was more like Lovie Smith, I would say to bring that person in. I’m just not sure who that OC or who that new HC would be or if one more year of Eberflus would be good for the Bears with moving forward as an organization.

Has a team with the #1 overall pick ever traded down to take a QB, rather than take the best option at #1?

[Chisoxfn]

So I get people questioning the rookie class - but I don’t get the Fields defense:

Meanwhile - in 3 NFL seasons - Justin Fields consistently makes routine throws look difficult.  We talk about his downfield passing attack - yet the Bears rank 27th in downfield passing advanced stats (despite having Moore).  And we can knock Mooney but Fields has consistently missed Mooney down the field.  Point blank - Fields has shown one thing - he is a mediocre to poor NFL passer, a hard working dude, and a stellar physical athlete at the position.  Unfortunately the poor NFL passer hinders everything else and you really can't win consistently without making massive strides.  Oh and by the way - this is the same knock he had coming out of college and why he fell in the draft (as teams worried how Fields couldn't show the progression progress in his final season at OSU).  

Why we as Bears fans like to make excuses for Fields and not hold him accountable is beyond me.  But reality is - this is a guy who outside of a few games has consistently looked like a poor passing NFL QB with elite athleticism.  If it weren't for the elite athleticism he would have been benched a year ago and been talked about like Zach Wilson (who is a historic bust).  Him and Lance are why I would never go early on a small school QB.  

If you listened to Mark Sanchez the last 2 weeks - you could hear it in his announcing.  He toes the line and I get it, its Mark Sanchez, but lets not forget that he knows a heck of a lot more than us.  Sanchez was consistently showing Fields being off rhythm and off timing. And no - I don't think Getsy is a very good OC - but I think a really good QB can make a mediocre OC look good more so than a really bad OC can make a top notch QB look bad. Read that a few times - I think a good OC can absolutely help - but Fields has flat out looked BAD as a passer for 3 years.  I think at best a good OC could make him look decent - is decent really what we are striving for.  And I get it - if I were the Falcons or someone else - I might take a shot and see what could happen and design an entire offense around him, but with the Bears being where they are - they don't have to take a Hail Mary at Fields, they have a ton of options.  

[WhiteSox2023]

8 minutes ago, Chisoxfn said:

So I get people questioning the rookie class - but I don’t get the Fields defense:

Meanwhile - in 3 NFL seasons - Justin Fields consistently makes routine throws look difficult.  We talk about his downfield passing attack - yet the Bears rank 27th in downfield passing advanced stats (despite having Moore).  And we can knock Mooney but Fields has consistently missed Mooney down the field.  Point blank - Fields has shown one thing - he is a mediocre to poor NFL passer, a hard working dude, and a stellar physical athlete at the position.  Unfortunately the poor NFL passer hinders everything else and you really can't win consistently without making massive strides.  Oh and by the way - this is the same knock he had coming out of college and why he fell in the draft (as teams worried how Fields couldn't show the progression progress in his final season at OSU).  

Why we as Bears fans like to make excuses for Fields and not hold him accountable is beyond me.  But reality is - this is a guy who outside of a few games has consistently looked like a poor passing NFL QB with elite athleticism.  If it weren't for the elite athleticism he would have been benched a year ago and been talked about like Zach Wilson (who is a historic bust).  Him and Lance are why I would never go early on a small school QB.  

If you listened to Mark Sanchez the last 2 weeks - you could hear it in his announcing.  He toes the line and I get it, its Mark Sanchez, but lets not forget that he knows a heck of a lot more than us.  Sanchez was consistently showing Fields being off rhythm and off timing. And no - I don't think Getsy is a very good OC - but I think a really good QB can make a mediocre OC look good more so than a really bad OC can make a top notch QB look bad. Read that a few times - I think a good OC can absolutely help - but Fields has flat out looked BAD as a passer for 3 years.  I think at best a good OC could make him look decent - is decent really what we are striving for.  And I get it - if I were the Falcons or someone else - I might take a shot and see what could happen and design an entire offense around him, but with the Bears being where they are - they don't have to take a Hail Mary at Fields, they have a ton of options.  

Agreed.  I want to see an entirely new coaching staff brought in before the draft so they get a say in which QB they want.  And would it be crazy to think that the Falcons would give up a 2nd round pick for Fields?

[Balta1701]

16 minutes ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Agreed.  I want to see an entirely new coaching staff brought in before the draft so they get a say in which QB they want.  And would it be crazy to think that the Falcons would give up a 2nd round pick for Fields?

I don't think that concept is crazy, I do wonder if it would be a conditional 2nd or something like that depending on number of starts. 

[bmags]

1 hour ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Has a team with the #1 overall pick ever traded down to take a QB, rather than take the best option at #1?

San Diego (rights to draft Vick, drafted Tomlinson in first, Brees in second), then sorta again when they had a gun to their head (Eli Manning)

[bmags]

I’m pro drafting Williams but I do think nfl teams should be less confident they are right about which QB is “their guy”.

If Bears did something like swap back with Washington, recoup their 2nd round pick plus a future second, drafted MHJ and then Daniels at their next pick…well that’s very interesting.

But I’d rather just see if you could get Williams / Odunze or Nabers or trade back and get Brian Thomas Jr

[WhiteSox2023]

The way Joe Flacco is playing at age 38 (turning 39 in less than a month) is more than enough reason that Bears fans should not accept Fields’ performance and why the Bears should be picking a new QB with #1.  Fields has had more than enough time to figure it out.  He doesn’t have the awareness in the pocket, the ability to read his receivers, or an accurate enough arm.  I hope we can get a 2nd round pick for him from the Falcons.

Edited December 29, 2023 by WhiteSox2023

[WhiteSox2023]

3 hours ago, bmags said:

I’m pro drafting Williams but I do think nfl teams should be less confident they are right about which QB is “their guy”.

If Bears did something like swap back with Washington, recoup their 2nd round pick plus a future second, drafted MHJ and then Daniels at their next pick…well that’s very interesting.

But I’d rather just see if you could get Williams / Odunze or Nabers or trade back and get Brian Thomas Jr

Unfortunately, the Bears fucked up their chances at Williams and MHJ by winning meaningless games.  That would have been a wet dream draft.

Williams / Odunze

This is the way.

[The Beast]

Let’s add this to the conversation. Just consider it.

[WhiteSox2023]

1 hour ago, The Beast said:

Let’s add this to the conversation. Just consider it.

Nope.  Fields already had ALL the weapons he needed this year in Moore, Mooney, and Kmet, along with three good RBs and a kicker who drained everything and received a 4-year, $16 million extension because of it.  The OL also improved over the course of the season.  Additionally, the defense improved GREATLY in the past few games and Fields still blew close games.  These two Score tools have been worshipping Fields for the past two years so they don’t have enough pride and common sense to get off that train at this point.  They are both blowhards.  I seem to remember in the off-season that everyone was in agreement that this was supposed to finally be the season for Fields to prove himself, and he didn’t.  Look at the stats.  He’s basically the same guy he was last year.  A slightly above average QB.  The Bears need to aspire for more from the QB position.

Edited December 29, 2023 by WhiteSox2023

[Balta1701]

13 hours ago, The Beast said:

The losses to Denver, Detroit and Cleveland were brutal as was the lack of preparation for Green Bay at the start of the year. I am writing off year one of the Eberflus coaching career but I can’t write off the historic losses or the coaching character issues they have had. I am glad the team’s defense improved, but I think we can attribute that to Sweat.

I see a mixed bag with Fields and on offense. I really don’t like the Getsy offense and would like to see another play caller come in. I also don’t always like what I see with Fields and missed throws, but I don’t like what he’s had to do with Getsy’s scheme. I wish they would trust Fields more and push the ball to the middle of the field instead of the sidelines. I fear that Williams is just like Fields and I would prefer they build around Fields.

Having said that, I wonder if they will trade around with the number one pick and still remain high in the draft, like @Chisoxfnsuggested. I like the concept of trading for future assets and acquiring more talent at the top of the draft. I also remain open to trading for fewer assets and remaining in the top 3 to draft a QB, then also building in the trenches on the offensive line. There still is work to be done across the roster that could not be done in one offseason.

If they choose to get a new head coach and go for someone high profile like Harbaugh, I would be open to that, just to force change in an organization that needs it. I would also be open to continuity with Eberflus and a new OC. If they found a new HC that was more like Lovie Smith, I would say to bring that person in. I’m just not sure who that OC or who that new HC would be or if one more year of Eberflus would be good for the Bears with moving forward as an organization.

While I get all of this, I also think I’m scarred by the decision 10 years ago to fire Lovie Smith and then replace him with Mark Trestman. Seemed like it was time to move on, I thought they could get better with a more offensive coach, and they only got worse.

[WhiteSox2023]

2 minutes ago, Balta1701 said:

While I get all of this, I also think I’m scarred by the decision 10 years ago to fire Lovie Smith and then replace him with Mark Trestman. Seemed like it was time to move on, I thought they could get better with a more offensive coach, and they only got worse.

Yeah, it’s kind of like Jerry hiring GMs and managers.  You just have to hope he kicks into picking a good front office.

[Milkman delivers]

10 hours ago, bmags said:

San Diego (rights to draft Vick, drafted Tomlinson in first, Brees in second), then sorta again when they had a gun to their head (Eli Manning)

That’s a crazy good two rounds for San Diego. Wow.