Is Week One the New Preseason Week 4?

[MDB111™]

First, Bears looked terrible. Almost looked worse than last season.

But did the removal of the final preseason game create a Week one debacle for many teams?

I'd argue 20 of the teams looked pretty incompetent in week one.

And it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't " scenario with playing your starters in preseason. Play them and hurt them and you're an idiot. Sit them and they suck week one and you're an idiot. 16of 22 Bears starters barely played during preseason. And it showed.

So maybe, just maybe, the Bears are one of many teams that got the preseason wrong and need the real time games as practice?

Sort of really hard to believe that's the team and that's the product they worked for this offseason because it was trash.

Is there still any hope? Or are most of you out or on the way out?

I'm out on the coaches. I don't believe that the players believe in the system and some of them are literally loafing out there. Coaches gotta go.

 

[Frigidus]

It probably is a major factor for the surprisingly poor play by some of the better teams, but I don't expect a major turnaround on our end. Rustiness isn't why Moore was only targeted 2 times, it isn't why we had no pass rush, it isn't why we tried converting 3rd and short with 2 attempted sneaks despite our interior line being our offense's most glaring weakness.

Would love it if this was some weird anomaly, but I highly doubt it.

 

[MDB111™]

It probably is a major factor for the surprisingly poor play by some of the better teams, but I don't expect a major turnaround on our end. Rustiness isn't why Moore was only targeted 2 times, it isn't why we had no pass rush, it isn't why we tried converting 3rd and short with 2 attempted sneaks despite our interior line being our offense's most glaring weakness.

Would love it if this was some weird anomaly, but I highly doubt it.

It was an anomaly across the league though. Bengals and Burrow looked terrible. Id argue there were only 3-4 QBs who looked midseason form.

 

[mecha]

with one less week of preseason, that means teams have to prune the scrub players that aren't making the team in less time. I've been saying this for awhile now with the bullshit 17 game format, it has had a negative impact on the league as a whole. it's total shit.

 

[Penny Traitor]

Week One does seem to favor the defenses, but I think the OP is onto something about a correlation between less preseason reps and more offenses coming slow out of the gate.

 

[MDB111™]

with one less week of preseason, that means teams have to prune the scrub players that aren't making the team in less time. I've been saying this for awhile now with the bullshit 17 game format, it has had a negative impact on the league as a whole. it's total shit.

It made for a crazy Vegas day I am sure. I do think something had to change. The preseason started being a joke years ago. You take away one game and now the joke bleeds into the regular season? And I'm not saying the coaches are using week one like a practice game but it sure looked like it for many teams.

Also,notice how many more preseason joint practices there were/are? Colts spent several days with the Bears this offseason.

 

[sevvy]

When you have a young team that isn't very good and doesn't know how to win, maybe play them in preseason a bit more.

 

[VickAshley✅️verified]

First, Bears looked terrible. Almost looked worse than last season.

But did the removal of the final preseason game create a Week one debacle for many teams?

I'd argue 20 of the teams looked pretty incompetent in week one.

And it's a "damned if you do, damned if you don't " scenario with playing your starters in preseason. Play them and hurt them and you're an idiot. Sit them and they suck week one and you're an idiot. 16of 22 Bears starters barely played during preseason. And it showed.

So maybe, just maybe, the Bears are one of many teams that got the preseason wrong and need the real time games as practice?

Sort of really hard to believe that's the team and that's the product they worked for this offseason because it was trash.

Is there still any hope? Or are most of you out or on the way out?

I'm out on the coaches. I don't believe that the players believe in the system and some of them are literally loafing out there. Coaches gotta go.

Literally

 

[onebud34]

It is the 4th preseason game

 

[SugarWalls]

I do love all the non reactions from preseason but the offense did look exactly how it did in preseason so there’s that.

 

[Dumpster Fire]

Yeah, anyone drawing a lot of optimism off of those long screen pass TDs from preseason game one probably needed to pump the brakes quite a bit. Then Justin sat for game two for some reason. Then the offense looked mediocre at best in game three. It is baffling how the team can come out so flat in week one vs our biggest rival, while the Packers looked ready to play. I hate being a Bears fan most of the time. Always bet on the Pack until the Bears start proving otherwise. Why go into Bears/Packers predicting a Bears win at this point? The tenth time is the charm?

 

[MDB111™]

Yeah, anyone drawing a lot of optimism off of those long screen pass TDs from preseason game one probably needed to pump the brakes quite a bit. Then Justin sat for game two for some reason. Then the offense looked mediocre at best in game three. It is baffling how the team can come out so flat in week one vs our biggest rival, while the Packers looked ready to play. I hate being a Bears fan most of the time. Always bet on the Pack until the Bears start proving otherwise. Why go into Bears/Packers predicting a Bears win at this point? The tenth time is the charm?

I genuinely thought the Bears had turned a corner with the Packers. It's pretty clear that Lafleur is the better coach and had his team way more prepared.

Lions/Packers
Vikings











Bears

 

[Anytime23]

Bad coaching. Bad drafting. A Chicago tradition unlike any other.

 

[sevvy]

I do love all the non reactions from preseason but the offense did look exactly how it did in preseason so there’s that.

Surely no team would be dumb enough to show their hand in the preseason. It's just vanilla, no gameplan, meaningless football.

Week 1 offense looking exactly like the preseason offense...

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

Week One does seem to favor the defenses, but I think the OP is onto something about a correlation between less preseason reps and more offenses coming slow out of the gate.

Didn’t help the bears defense lol

 

[greg23]

It was an anomaly across the league though. Bengals and Burrow looked terrible. Id argue there were only 3-4 QBs who looked midseason form.

I'd argue that Fields was one who looked in mid season form

 

[hyatt151]

I'd argue that Fields was one who looked in mid season form

what, no MVP ?

 

[greg23]

what, no MVP ?

Running backs don't win those awards anymore

 

[Anytime23]

Iron sharpens iron? Mark Potash was right!

 

[DrGonzo]

I had the same thought. The Bears brain trust skipped preseason and decided not to play their staters meaningfully until week one. I bet they don't do that again next year.