It’s time for Chicago Bears fans to R-E-L-A-X

As you all know, Sunday night was historical for both the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers.

Aaron Rodgers came back from injury and delivered yet another historic comeback win, crushing hearts of Chicago fans everywhere. The Chicago Bears were up 20 on Green Bay for the first time in over a decade. While the Bears may have ended up losing 24-23, there are a lot more positives to take out of this game than negatives.

Fans are freaking out like this is the end of the world after one game, which overall, might be the best Chicago team to take the field since the Lovie Smith era. As Aaron Rodgers has once said about the Packers, it’s time for Chicago Bears fans to R-E-L-A-X.

Trust me, i’m as angry and irritated as anyone after blowing that kind of lead to the Packers. But is it really time to be jumping ship and giving up on coaches/players? Absolutely not. There is not one single player/coach to blame for Sunday nights ugly loss. Too many mistakes were made by the team as a whole to win the game.

Think of it like this: The first half showed flashes of how DOMINANT this team can be when everything is meshing together. On the other hand, the second half showed how young this team is and how inexperience can play a factor in their play. The Bears are one of the youngest teams in the league. They’re learning a whole new complex offense with all new coaches and a whole new personnel group.

Did you really expect them to look like Super Bowl contenders week one of a brand new season? It’s silly to think that’s how the team is going to be playing by week 16. There is plenty of time for them to make early mistakes and fix them by the time they actually matter. I’m going to go over a few things I noticed that if Chicago improves on, they’ll be able to close out games and start winning games.

Matt Nagy’s play calling.

Nagy’s play calling was pretty good in the first half. It showed a lot of different formations, and always had someone in motion. Not only does this confuse the defense, it helped the Bears jump out to a 17-0 lead. Something that hasn’t happened in a very long time, as most Chicago fans know. But when the second half came, it kind of had the feel of the Titans – Chiefs playoff game from a year ago. Also resulting in a one point loss. So what’s the problem here?

Like having Kareem Hunt in the backfield in Kansas City, Nagy has a star running back in Jordan Howard. Multiple times not only was the run abandoned, but pass plays were called when it would have been easy yards for Howard. Most notably in the fourth quarter in the red zone at 3rd and 1.

More from Bear Goggles On

• Franchise tag and transition tag windows open for Chicago Bears and NFL
• How the Chicago Bears can control the running back market in 2023
• The Chicago Bears can own the city of Chicago moving forward
• Chicago Bears NFL Combine Preview: Quarterback
• 7 best free agent tackle options for Chicago Bears

Why would you pass the football? Give it to Howard, and by the off chance you don’t get the first down, give it to him again. When Chicago had the lead they were playing far too conservative instead of wanting to step on Green Bays throat. Instead of trying to put more points up, it seemed like they were trying to run clock off. That can’t happen in the future if they want to win games and contend.

Mitch Trubisky still shows flashes of being a franchise quarterback, but also rookie habits. 

Keep in mind Trubisky has only played 13 career NFL games now. It’s okay for him to look raw and to look like a young quarterback. Not many teams are blessed to have a quarterback with the talent of Aaron Rodgers. In the first half Trubisky looked confident, leading the team down the field consistently and putting points on the board.

But in the second half with questionable play calling, Trubisky’s confidence also looked questionable. He looked uncomfortable, and too often was forced to try and scramble and make plays himself.

Not blaming him for doing this, but a combination of everything. Receivers weren’t doing the best job getting open in the second half, and that forced Trubisky to try and scramble. The offense also became somewhat predictable as Howard wasn’t getting many carries. These are things that will improve with more in game action and practice.

Khalil Mack is worth every penny, and brings this defense to new heights. Khalil Mack.

Wow. It wasn’t a dream Chicago fans, the star pass rusher is actually on the team. Immediately making an impact a Chicago defender hasn’t done since the Brian Urlacher Days.

Although he had a historic first half, it looked like the defense disappeared in the second half, right? Wrong.

Not many teams are going to be snapping the ball and throwing in two seconds like Rodgers was on Sunday night. It’s impossible to generate any type of pass rush when the ball is being released that quickly. I don’t care who you have on your team. The main reason this was happening was because Rodgers couldn’t afford to take any more hits, or else his season would have been in jeopardy. Khalil Mack is going to be the player opposing teams gameplay around in the future. Next week against the Seattle Seahawks and their horrid offensive line should be fun to watch, expect Mack to feast again.

Overall, the Chicago Bears are going to be a tough team to play in 2018. No longer are they going to be looked at as an easy win. I expect about eight wins out of this club. If they start rolling earlier than expected, they may even be in play for the Wild Card. But the most important thing to take out of Sunday night is to learn from their mistakes.

Learning from failure is the best way to succeed in the future. Matt Nagy and the coaching staff will recognize all the mistakes that added up to an epic collapse in Green Bay, and they are going to improve things before they take center stage again Monday night against the Seattle Seahawks. Relax Bears fans, and be excited. The season is just getting started.