How the Chicago Bears losing to the Lions benefits the team
I am not a fan who agrees with or roots for tanking. The Chicago Bears are clearly not tanking or they would not have traded away a second-round pick for Chase Claypool. That is the sign of a general manager looking to build for not only the ‘now’ but also for the ‘future.’ Ryan Poles is looking like he is becoming a strong general manager in the NFL and although he doesn’t deserve credit for drafting Justin Fields (thank you Ryan Pace), he gets credit for helping put a staff in place that is helping to unlock Fields’ potential.
When you watch Fields’ college tape, what we are seeing did not translate. When you watched Lamar Jackson at Louisville, you could tell he’d be using his legs consistently at the next level. Fields was a pocket passer at Ohio State. The thing is, his running ability is opening things up for him and you can tell the game is starting to slow down for him too. This has helped the Chicago Bears offense look like a powerhouse over the last three weeks.
That’s right, only the Dolphins and Cowboys have averaged more points per game over the last three weeks (Philadelphia could change that by playing tonight). The team is averaging 30.3 points per game during that span. Justin Fields had one horrific play versus the Lions, paired with a few issues with calling the game by the referees and a missed extra point — the Chicago Bears found themselves on the backend of a one-point loss.
How the Chicago Bears losing to the Detroit Lions could be a positive
There are some who are ecstatic about this and want them to keep losing. The problem with that is losing can become contagious and even carry over to the 2023 season. Losing to the Lions should not have happened. However, here we are looking at the loss from a somewhat positive perspective.
Had the Chicago Bears won that game, they’d currently be picking 16th in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, with that loss, the team finds itself currently picking sixth. That could be the difference between a superstar player like Jalen Carter or hoping they hit on a wide receiver or offensive lineman later in the draft.
Now, of course, plenty can change over the next few weeks. There are still seven weeks of football to be played. I am not going to cheer on losing (I also need seven wins to hit my bet), but I can appreciate a solid performance that is proving to me this team is headed in the right direction.