It's been easy for Chicago Bears fans to hang their heads after such a crushing loss to the Green Bay Packers. After all, the tail end of that game felt oh, so familiar. It was a movie we had seen several times over the years.
But, at the same time, once you get past all of the emotion, there are many positives to take away from this loss. No one expected Chicago to be this improved, this quickly under Ben Johnson. Yet, they're right in the thick of the NFC playoff picture.
After the dust settled from the loss, FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd talked about this Bears team on his latest episode of The Herd. And, he made some very valid points that Chicago fans are going to want to hear.
"That's the best loss by any team in the NFL. Chicago's legit. They dominated the second half," Cowherd started.
Colin Cowherd made it easy for Bears fans to not lose an ounce of hope after a brutal loss to Green Bay
Cowherd is often criticized for his hot takes and flip-flopping, but he does make some intelligent and obvious points. It may be difficult for Bears fans to put the emotion aside, so let's hear Cowherd do precisely that.
"Of course Matt LaFleur and Green Bay looks more polished in making big plays late to seal the win..." he went on. "This is what Green Bay's been doing for three decades. But for [the] Bears, this is a whole new ball game. This was new territory. The country was watching, and they dominated the second half."
A fair point. Green Bay has, indeed, been doing this for a long time. Everyone would have expected the Packers to win this game. But no one expected the Bears to respond the way they did in the second half.
"The truth is, go look at those last two Chicago drives ... they have a 17-play, eight and a half minute drive...
"Nobody is doing that against the Packers!"
He's got that right. The Packers' defense has been one of the NFL's elite units this season. They're sound all over the board, and Jeff Hafley is a future NFL head coach for a reason.
"Then they follow it up with 60 yards in three minutes," he pointed out. "So they can score quick, they can move the ball fast, they can beat you up, they can go 18 plays..."
This is called perspective. Cowherd offered us all some perspective.
Yes, the game ended in a loss. Yes, it stung ... badly.
But the Bears' response in the second half was something fans have not seen in years. It had been a long time since Chicago was able to clap back in a road game against Green Bay. So, take this loss with a grain of salt. Take it with some perspective.
The Bears get another shot, very soon, coming up with Week 16.
With a win on their home field, Chicago can flip opinions right back to where they were ahead of the loss at Lambeau.
Read more: Ben Johnson makes admission Bears fans never wanted to hear after Packers loss
Not only that, but this Bears team has already proven they will be a problem for years to come. The league has officially been put on notice. Chicago is only going to get better from here on out, under Johnson's leadership.
This is only the beginning.