“It’s the hope that kills you” — Sir Peter Ustinov … additionally Ted Lasso
If there’s one prevailing storyline early on this NFL season it’s that rumors of the Bears’ return had been tremendously exaggerated. If a slim loss to the Vikings on Monday Evening Soccer wasn’t sufficient to interrupt followers in Chicago, what occurred in Week 2 actually was. A recreation that was supposed to suggest turning the web page and getting again on observe rapidly gave option to one of the vital abysmal performances of this younger season, with the Lions blowing the doorways off the Bears en path to a 52-21 win.
There’s no disgrace to shedding to a staff nearly as good as Detroit. There is disgrace in shedding like that when it is a time to lock in and make a press release that you simply’re not the Bears of previous. Very similar to their opening recreation in opposition to the Vikings nothing went proper as quickly because the offense moved off their opening script. Chicago’s eight-play, 74-yard TD drive on their first possession was essentially the most sustained offensive success that they had all afternoon, and whereas the Lions saved exhibiting extra of the identical — the Bears did this.
- 3 performs, 8 yards — PUNT
- 6 performs, 32 yards — FUMBLE
- 4 performs, 9 yards — TURNOVER ON DOWNS
- 4 performs, -8 yards — INTERCEPTION
By the point the Bears scored once more they had been already in a gap, placing them squarely in desperation mode. They wanted a famous person efficiency from Caleb Williams, and sadly as soon as extra the quarterback got here up quick. Williams was litigated for a lot of the week after the loss to Minnesota, and that merely isn’t going away any time quickly. There have been actually shiny moments from the QB, but in addition a number of the most head-scratching performs possible — like when Williams “full vibes” mode on his interception, scrambling and throwing to a large open area with no receiver near the ball.
The worst doable situation is changing into a actuality: That Ben Johnson and Williams are just too mismatched as a coach and QB to have success collectively. Having these two collaborate is akin to watching a well-known classical conductor attempt to have a proficient jazz pianist play Rachmaninoff’s second concerto. One is attempting to orchestrate a thought-about and exacting plan, whereas the opposite isn’t snug till he goes off script and has the liberty to create for himself.
It’s merely not working. Williams doesn’t have the mechanics or timing to hit the beats of Johnson’s offense on the subject of placing the ball in stride to receivers in short-windows in an effort to achieve yards by way of YAC. As a substitute it’s turning nearly all of passing performs into checkdowns. In the event you take away the three 20+ yard passes to Rome Odunze the rest of Williams’ recreation resulted in 4.4 yards-per-attempt on 27 passes. One thing may be very, very fallacious on offense when Tyson Bagent can take the sphere and instantly look higher in three passing makes an attempt than Williams has for almost all of the sport.
Bagent will not be an amazing QB. He’s not remotely on the identical degree as Caleb Williams. Nevertheless, he matches the system a lot, a lot better as a result of he can execute the straightforward issues the staff is searching for. It’s not solely dissimilar to Jared Goff changing into Johnson’s protege in Detroit. You don’t have to be an out-of-this-world expertise in case you can merely run the Johnson system.
Up thus far we’ve centered on the offense, which is pure as a result of that’s the place the celebs are. The protection the Bears confirmed on Sunday was as ugly as a bowling shirt on clearance in a Goodwill.
Jared Goff had the identical variety of incompletions in opposition to the Bears as he did touchdowns, at 5 a chunk. The Lions threw passes to eight totally different receivers, with Amon-Ra St. Brown being functionally unstoppable, Jameson Williams catching huge passes, and everybody else contributing. It was embarassing in opposition to a staff that managed zero sacks, and solely 4 QB hits all afternoon.
Chicago couldn’t cease the move. They couldn’t cease the run. They couldn’t maintain the road. Linebackers couldn’t deal with their assignments. Then finish end result was Detroit racking up 511 yards of offense, whereas the Bears helped by beating themselves — giving up 5 penalties for 80 yards.
I don’t know the place this staff goes from right here. The Vikings are Lions are strong groups, and there’s no disgrace shedding to them — however shedding like this to each of them isn’t acceptable to followers, and it rattling certain isn’t acceptable to Ben Johnson. It’s too early to make a change at QB, and it could be a PR catastrophe for Chicago. I don’t know if Williams has the make-up to deal with a benching properly, and assume there’s a really actual likelihood he would regress even additional and evaporate.
Now the Bears sit up for a 3 week stand in opposition to the Cowboys, Raiders, and Commanders. Except they will put issues collectively this might very simply be an 0-5 begin to the season. If that occurs then there’s no different selection however taking a look at making an enormous change, and that would imply a brand new QB.
Let’s take a spin round the remainder of the NFL to see the opposite winners and losers from the week.
Daniel Jones is having his Sam Darnold second. By way of two weeks the Colts’ QB has been taking part in as effectively as any quarterback within the NFL and has taken the Colts to a 2-0 document in opposition to groups we assumed could be strong in 2025. Clearly we all know know the Dolphins are a dumpster hearth, however the Broncos are a high-tier staff with an elite protection that ought to have dismantled Jones.
As a substitute he threw for over 300 yards, threw for a TD, and ran in one other one — with out an interception. Clearly it helps when you may have a operating again like Jonathan Taylor who can completely go off, however Jones remains to be an enormous issue on this staff’s success proper now. The important thing has been his potential to unfold the ball across the area with out locking in on a single receiver. On Sunday he accomplished passes to seven totally different receivers, which ensured that there was no apparent participant the protection might zone in on.
Is that this sustainable long-term? In all probability not. Realistically this might very properly be a one-year-wonder efficiency from Jones, much like what Sam Darnold achieved a yr in the past. That mentioned, more odd issues have occurred within the NFL and maybe the previous Prime 10 choose can have a Baker Mayfield like turnaround to his profession.
Jaguars followers are serving to themselves to copium from an all-you-can-eat buffet. Sure, the move interference name on Travis Hunter helped resolve the sport and it was a rubbish name — however win or lose it essentially doesn’t change the truth that issues nonetheless aren’t clicking for Trevor Lawrence.
At this level each single excuse has been made for the previous No. 1 general choose and he’s nonetheless the identical man he’s been for his whole NFL profession. He’ll make some good performs, he’ll make some unhealthy ones, however there may be completely nothing particular or clutch about Lawrence as a quarterback.
The Bengals protection is atrocious. Joe Burrow was injured, so Jake Browning was beneath heart for Cincinnati. Every part was aligned for an enormous recreation, and Lawrence nonetheless threw two essential interceptions and didn’t do sufficient with the ball in his palms. It’s simply not working, and regardless of what number of adjustments the Jaguars make it’s nonetheless not working. Ignoring your head coach once you make a foul play isn’t the reply.
The vibes are unhealthy in Jacksonville, and they need to be unhealthy.
Winner: Drake Maye and the Patriots
It shouldn’t shock anybody that Drake Maye is on the suitable trajectory to turn into an elite NFL quarterback. Maye was my favourite quarterback within the 2024 NFL Draft, and he’s rapidly rising as a tremendous expertise. On Sunday he was the image of effectivity, finishing 19-of-23 passes for 230 yards, a landing and one other on the bottom.
The Patriots nonetheless lack top-tier weapons, notably within the passing recreation — and lean slightly too closely on their operating backs to generate constructive yardage. Regardless of this they’re hovering on offense and put away the Dolphins, whom nothing goes proper for. In two video games Maye is finishing 71 % of his passes, thrown for over 500 yards, with 4 whole touchdowns and only one turnover.
It’s now Drake Maye’s staff in New England, absolutely. He’s purchased in, Mike Vrabel trusts him, and the staff is placing in strong performances. It’s solely a matter of time earlier than they take one other step.
It’s not typically you get to be a winner of the week after shedding 41-17, however right here we’re. This was at all times going to be an unsightly season in Cleveland whereas they attempt to clear up their quarterback scenario, however they probably didn’t anticipate the Jaguars to be fairly this unhealthy.
They’re now rapidly hurtling in direction of having two Prime 10 picks within the NFL Draft in 2026, which might enable this staff to utterly reinvent itself within the post-Deshaun Watson period. It’s a significant boon for them, and each week the place they and the Jaguars fail brings them nearer to the fact.
Properly, that crashed again to earth pretty rapidly. Rodgers went from being a standout star in Week 1 of the season to the most important cause the Steelers misplaced to the Seahawks in Week 2. That ought to have been a parallel recreation each each groups, equally proficient and each with an opportunity to win — and ultimately Pittsburgh by no means stood an opportunity due to the interceptions that Rodgers threw when the sport actually mattered.
With 4:17 left within the third quarter Rodgers kicked off the collapse with an finish zone interception. Whereas it didn’t immediately flip the sport, from that second ahead the wind was gone from the offense’s sails. The Seahawks would go on to attain 17 factors, whereas Pittsburgh managed only a single area objective.
This was a far cry from Rodgers’ dominance in Week 1.
Loser: All of us who stayed as much as watch Sunday Evening Soccer
Congrats to the Falcons, however that recreation sucked. There was a lot good soccer on Sunday afternoon, after which we received that. A lot for ready all day for Sunday night time.