Three Takeaways from Bears win over Falcons |
If anyone told you that this team would be 7-9 at the start of the season with a chance to finish 8-9, most would've had mixed thoughts on that. On one hand, this team has already improved by four games with a chance at five, which is all you can ask for from a rebuilding group. On the other hand, some may feel that this season was a missed opportunity as the Bears let several games get away, thus ending their playoff hopes.
Even though the Bears have been eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight season, the number of strides this team has made since week 10 is night and day, which should lead to plenty of confidence heading into next season. The bottom line is this team is playing well on both sides of the ball and is quickly becoming a team that no one wants to face. Here are some takeaways from the win on Sunday:
For any team to succeed, you must play well at home and hope to finish at or around .500 on the road. Well, the Chicago Bears have taken that to heart this season as they finished the season 5-3 at home. Although not the greatest record, this team did start the season 0-3 at home before closing out the year with five straight wins at Soldier Field. The wins are what most teams are going to talk about, but it is the way they won most of those games that stood out as the Bears not only played elite-level defense but also relied on an offense that suddenly knows how to move the ball and score points consistently. Had they done this all season, you're looking at a playoff team and one that is capable of making a deep playoff run at that. With the momentum this team has finished the year with, not only do the Green Bay Packers not want to see them next week, but there are a lot of teams in the NFC that don't want to play this team right now, which is a good thing. Now it is time to bottle up that momentum and save it for next season, as the Bears will be ready to roll in 2024.
After debating whether Justin Fields should be the team's starter beyond this season, those arguments can safely come to rest as that question has been answered. The amount of improvement from Fields this season has been a night and day difference, and you can see that based on his overplay. Sure, adding DJ Moore and some of the other weapons did help, but Fields has put the work in to become a better quarterback and has taken his game to the next level. Even if the passing numbers may not be where you would like them to be, he has done a much better job taking care of the football and has been passing at a much more consistent level. With him running way less this season than he has in the past, consistency in the passing game was crucial, and after a rocky first half of the season, the consistency is finally there. No one has ever doubted Fields and his ability as a passer, but some questioned if he had the consistency to make it in this league. Fields harped on that when the season ended last season, and he made it a point to play with more confidence and consistency this season. Even when things looked bleak early on, Fields never wavered from his belief and took it upon himself to show this team what he can do. Now that he has, and with the offense starting to evolve around him and his strengths, the Bears look like a completely different team and one to keep an eye on for next season.
Not only did the Bears win again as they continue their late season surge, but they won more than just a game on Sunday. With the Arizona Cardinals shocking the world by knocking off Philadelphia and the Panthers falling again to Jacksonville, Carolina has secured the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Why is that significant? Well, Chicago owns that pick from the Panthers as part of the Moore trade, so the Bears will have the No. 1 overall pick for a second straight draft and are officially on the clock. Like last season, there will be tons of debate on what to do with that pick, but even more so this season than last. With Caleb Williams and Drake Maye as potential QB options, the Bears could move on from Fields and draft one of those guys, even if that doesn't seem to be what the players want. Other than that, Marvin Harrison Jr. would be a great WR addition to this team, as would other big-time players. You also have to consider the Bears trading back in the draft and potentially picking up more assets, as this team is in a position to make a ton of noise. Regardless of what they decide to do, this team holds the keys to the entire draft, and everything will fall into place once they make their move. Home Cooking
Justin Fields is the guy
Chicago -- You are now on the clock
