Chicago Bears Edged Out by Detroit Lions: A Mostly Unbiased View
Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Marquess Wilson (10) looks to get around Detroit Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis (31) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
It can be hard being a fan of an NFL team. The rollercoaster ride from week to week can be exhausting. One week your team looks like they could take on anybody, but just a week later they could be taken apart by a team that you don’t think they should have any trouble defeating. It’s never as good or bad as it seems, and certain problems will persist throughout a season while others can be worked through. That’s why we here at BGO have decided to bring you “Bear and Balanced: A Mostly Unbiased View of your Chicago Bears”. I can find the silver lining to any cloud, but also find areas of concern in the most convincing victory. Each week I’ll try to bring you the facts from the game from an unbiased standpoint to help you, the fans, get a better feel for where the season is going.
This has been a rough season. When I presented the idea for this article to Boomer, I didn’t think I would have to sift through so much bad to find the positive. I thought I would spend most of the season pointing out the flaws of the Chicago Bears and curbing your expectations, but it is what it is. Another week and another loss, albeit a close one. But a loss is a loss and, as the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. That having been said, there were a couple of bright spots in this game and more positive to take away from it than there’s been in weeks. The simple fact that the Chicago Bears gave the division-leading Detroit Lions a run for their money should give you at least a shred of hope for the future.
Jimmy Clausen actually looked decent. I’m not saying he’s the quarterback of the future or anything, but he did better than many of us would’ve expected when the Chicago Bears added him to the roster late in the offseason. His numbers weren’t staggering by any means (23/39 for 181 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT), but he didn’t have any glaring mistakes and the players around him didn’t do much to help. I counted a total of 7 dropped passes and Ndamukong Suh was in the backfield all day. Speaking of Suh, I think his dominance in this outing is a clear example of why Kyle Long’s trip to the Pro Bowl is well deserved, but I digress. I think Clausen played well enough that the Chicago Bears should seriously consider resigning him this offseason. I think he could be a quality backup at the very least, or maybe even a decent seat warmer for whoever the Bears draft this May.
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