If McBride continues to improve, and Innman is a quick study I think you'll see improvements by the last 3-4 games.
I hope so. I would be really pleased to see that improvement. I don't expect miracles this season, but I would like to see steady improvement. Then with some added roster talent, the team can build on that next season right out of the chute.
miracles and improvement are 2 different things . You won't see what Dak did last year or what Watson is doing this year, the experience and talent just aren't there for Trubs, but you will start to see better play w/more games if he has better players around him.
I like most everything about this team except for the lack of any serous wide receiver threat. The scrubs we have playing receiver are forced to compete with top tier DBs and there really isn't any competition in those one on one battles. These guys can't get separation because they're just not as talented as the DBs they're going up against. It's that simple. Everything else on this team has looked really good this year. The defense has been electric. The running game, despite grinding it out into 7-8 man fronts is routinely successful. The offensive line has been successful int he run game. Mitch has shown promise as, at the very least, a good decision maker. I think the coaches are doing strong work in developing players and putting them in the best possible situations.
Really happy with the team as a whole this year.
I want to say we're almost there in terms of having the complete team, BUT that's not always how it works in the NFL. A prematurely flipped coaching staff, changes in scheme, injuries, unforeseen issues, lack of by-in, lost players in FA, poor draft choices, superior off season moves by opponents (divisional and otherwise), can really flip that 'almost.'
Finding the right balance in the NFL is, it seems, a really tough job. There are always teams that appear close and then that fall away. Take Tampa Bay this year. Projected as being a competitive team and now they look like trash. Same with Miami... Hell, look at Denver's trash.
I don't have as much confidence in Pace as I once did. I hope he can make smart decisions this offseason to bolster our weakneses and maintain our strengths.
Those are all really good points JABF. We'll see what this offense looks like after the bye. I'm hoping to see some sort of progression.
McBride at least showed a little bit last Sunday, and if Innman can get up to speed in two weeks thats another WR that should be someone def's have to think about besides Wright. W/out Miller Sims and Shaheen are going to have to step up. And they'll have to two weeks to work out any issues they've been having.
Howard needs to spend the next 2 weeks on the jugs machine working on catching less then perfect passes, it's his one real skill lacking besides the missing 2nd gear. But unlike that catching is something he can improve on.
He can improve on the second gear thing too...but not during the season.
I like most everything about this team except for the lack of any serous wide receiver threat. The scrubs we have playing receiver are forced to compete with top tier DBs and there really isn't any competition in those one on one battles. These guys can't get separation because they're just not as talented as the DBs they're going up against. It's that simple. Everything else on this team has looked really good this year. The defense has been electric. The running game, despite grinding it out into 7-8 man fronts is routinely successful. The offensive line has been successful int he run game. Mitch has shown promise as, at the very least, a good decision maker. I think the coaches are doing strong work in developing players and putting them in the best possible situations.
Really happy with the team as a whole this year.
I want to say we're almost there in terms of having the complete team, BUT that's not always how it works in the NFL. A prematurely flipped coaching staff, changes in scheme, injuries, unforeseen issues, lack of by-in, lost players in FA, poor draft choices, superior off season moves by opponents (divisional and otherwise), can really flip that 'almost.'
Finding the right balance in the NFL is, it seems, a really tough job. There are always teams that appear close and then that fall away. Take Tampa Bay this year. Projected as being a competitive team and now they look like trash. Same with Miami... Hell, look at Denver's trash.
I don't have as much confidence in Pace as I once did. I hope he can make smart decisions this offseason to bolster our weakneses and maintain our strengths.
There is a lot of different ways this can play out. I admit that. The coaching staff change could be the most significant factor. I have a feeling that if the team comes out of this bye week looking like it is a team on the way up this 2nd half of the season, then Fox is going to be back for the final year of his contract. If that happens will Fangio stay that last year? Will they bring in a new OC? I'm not worried so much about Pace next year bringing in the needed talent, so much as I worry about the coaching thing. If the offense has a solid OC, and Fangio is still the DC, then we could be pretty darned good next year.
I like most everything about this team except for the lack of any serous wide receiver threat. The scrubs we have playing receiver are forced to compete with top tier DBs and there really isn't any competition in those one on one battles. These guys can't get separation because they're just not as talented as the DBs they're going up against. It's that simple. Everything else on this team has looked really good this year. The defense has been electric. The running game, despite grinding it out into 7-8 man fronts is routinely successful. The offensive line has been successful int he run game. Mitch has shown promise as, at the very least, a good decision maker. I think the coaches are doing strong work in developing players and putting them in the best possible situations.
Really happy with the team as a whole this year.
I want to say we're almost there in terms of having the complete team, BUT that's not always how it works in the NFL. A prematurely flipped coaching staff, changes in scheme, injuries, unforeseen issues, lack of by-in, lost players in FA, poor draft choices, superior off season moves by opponents (divisional and otherwise), can really flip that 'almost.'
Finding the right balance in the NFL is, it seems, a really tough job. There are always teams that appear close and then that fall away. Take Tampa Bay this year. Projected as being a competitive team and now they look like trash. Same with Miami... Hell, look at Denver's trash.
I don't have as much confidence in Pace as I once did. I hope he can make smart decisions this offseason to bolster our weakneses and maintain our strengths.
There is a lot of different ways this can play out. I admit that. The coaching staff change could be the most significant factor. I have a feeling that if the team comes out of this bye week looking like it is a team on the way up this 2nd half of the season, then Fox is going to be back for the final year of his contract. If that happens will Fangio stay that last year? Will they bring in a new OC? I'm not worried so much about Pace next year bringing in the needed talent, so much as I worry about the coaching thing. If the offense has a solid OC, and Fangio is still the DC, then we could be pretty darned good next year.
When I read "prematurely flipped coaching staff", I thought it was code for "delayed flipped coaching staff"
There is a lot of different ways this can play out. I admit that. The coaching staff change could be the most significant factor. I have a feeling that if the team comes out of this bye week looking like it is a team on the way up this 2nd half of the season, then Fox is going to be back for the final year of his contract. If that happens will Fangio stay that last year? Will they bring in a new OC? I'm not worried so much about Pace next year bringing in the needed talent, so much as I worry about the coaching thing. If the offense has a solid OC, and Fangio is still the DC, then we could be pretty darned good next year.
When I read "prematurely flipped coaching staff", I thought it was code for "delayed flipped coaching staff"
I remember when Trestman was fired and people were saying the rebuild was, at a minimum, going to take three years and many were in the 4-5 year time frame. Now, in year three, those expectations have somehow dramatically changed. I don't get it.
We have a new QB who has shown good decision making skills and athleticism. We have a solid defense filled with youth and depth (very few players on the D are old with the exception of Freeman - who's gone, Young - who's on his way out, and...). We have a good corp of OL that can be improved on but that gives us a solid floor and most of whom are young (with the notable exception of Sitton). We have Jordan Howard who's an excellent running back who's shown an ability to carry the load in difficult times. We have a positive culture in the building filled with players who are excited to play ball and who show no signs of quit.
None of those things were true 3 years ago.
I think the rebuild is right on schedule in that regard. Wins wise, we have 8 games left to see where we are at.
I think Adam Hoge in His 10 Bears Things (http://wgnradio.com/2017/11/01/hoges-10-bears-things-10-important-questions-for-the-second-half-of-the-season/) asserted this well in his 2nd bullet point i
"[Fox] inherited a mess — a locker room that needed a culture overhaul. While there’s a long list of in-game decisions that are worth questioning, Fox has undoubtedly improved the culture and helped restore a physical brand of football in Chicago. No one can question the players’ heart or effort, which was a major problem under Marc Trestman when he lost the locker room. There’s no question these players enjoy playing for Fox."
I remember when Trestman was fired and people were saying the rebuild was, at a minimum, going to take three years and many were in the 4-5 year time frame. Now, in year three, those expectations have somehow dramatically changed. I don't get it.
We have a new QB who has shown good decision making skills and athleticism. We have a solid defense filled with youth and depth (very few players on the D are old with the exception of Freeman - who's gone, Young - who's on his way out, and...). We have a good corp of OL that can be improved on but that gives us a solid floor and most of whom are young (with the notable exception of Sitton). We have Jordan Howard who's an excellent running back who's shown an ability to carry the load in difficult times. We have a positive culture in the building filled with players who are excited to play ball and who show no signs of quit.
None of those things were true 3 years ago.
I think the rebuild is right on schedule in that regard. Wins wise, we have 8 games left to see where we are at.
I think Adam Hoge in His 10 Bears Things (http://wgnradio.com/2017/11/01/hoges-10-bears-things-10-important-questions-for-the-second-half-of-the-season/) asserted this well in his 2nd bullet point i
"[Fox] inherited a mess — a locker room that needed a culture overhaul. While there’s a long list of in-game decisions that are worth questioning, Fox has undoubtedly improved the culture and helped restore a physical brand of football in Chicago. No one can question the players’ heart or effort, which was a major problem under Marc Trestman when he lost the locker room. There’s no question these players enjoy playing for Fox."
Exactly Bell, my expectations over the last 3 years were never more then what they should have been. Same w/this year. This team was an absolute disaster w/year after year of constant churn b/c of how bad the players were or didn't fit what they wanted to do, on the field or in the locker room.
Year 3 and they finally have a good young qb, a vet capable of helping that young qb A really good starting OL, and some solid depth/youth A couple really good RB's(Howard/Cohen) They need WR's and another TE now(depending on if Shaheen steps up or not)
On Def they have great starters at all levels of the field and really good depth. All they really need is some OLB's, another vet imo and one drafted, maybe a ilb also in the mid rounds to develop and maybe a real high quality 5 tech, although Unrien has been better then I would have expected.
The team desperately needs a kicker. I know people won't like it, but there's a good chance that Fox is back next year if the 2nd half of the season finishes strong(4-5 wins). I always figured, even though I didn't like the hire, was that Fox was brought in to build a strong base and lockerroom for this team to build off of. I could also see where he's accomplished that goal and now it's time to find a new HC, Fang might be gone this offseason and Loggains is definitely needing to be replaced so it's possible a new staff is brought in, but it could work against what they built in that lockerroom.
I remember when Trestman was fired and people were saying the rebuild was, at a minimum, going to take three years and many were in the 4-5 year time frame. Now, in year three, those expectations have somehow dramatically changed. I don't get it.
We have a new QB who has shown good decision making skills and athleticism. We have a solid defense filled with youth and depth (very few players on the D are old with the exception of Freeman - who's gone, Young - who's on his way out, and...). We have a good corp of OL that can be improved on but that gives us a solid floor and most of whom are young (with the notable exception of Sitton). We have Jordan Howard who's an excellent running back who's shown an ability to carry the load in difficult times. We have a positive culture in the building filled with players who are excited to play ball and who show no signs of quit.
None of those things were true 3 years ago.
I think the rebuild is right on schedule in that regard. Wins wise, we have 8 games left to see where we are at.
I think Adam Hoge in His 10 Bears Things (http://wgnradio.com/2017/11/01/hoges-10-bears-things-10-important-questions-for-the-second-half-of-the-season/) asserted this well in his 2nd bullet point i
"[Fox] inherited a mess — a locker room that needed a culture overhaul. While there’s a long list of in-game decisions that are worth questioning, Fox has undoubtedly improved the culture and helped restore a physical brand of football in Chicago. No one can question the players’ heart or effort, which was a major problem under Marc Trestman when he lost the locker room. There’s no question these players enjoy playing for Fox."
Exactly Bell, my expectations over the last 3 years were never more then what they should have been. Same w/this year. This team was an absolute disaster w/year after year of constant churn b/c of how bad the players were or didn't fit what they wanted to do, on the field or in the locker room.
Year 3 and they finally have a good young qb, a vet capable of helping that young qb A really good starting OL, and some solid depth/youth A couple really good RB's(Howard/Cohen) They need WR's and another TE now(depending on if Shaheben steps up or not)
On Def they have great starters at all levels of the field and really good depth. All they really need is some OLB's, another vet imo and one drafted, maybe a ilb also in the mid rounds to develop and maybe a real high quality 5 tech, although Unrien has been better then I would have expected.
The team desperately needs a kicker. I know people won't like it, but there's a good chance that Fox is back next year if the 2nd half of the season finishes strong(4-5 wins). I always figured, even though I didn't like the hire, was that Fox was brought in to build a strong base and lockerroom for this team to build off of. I could also see where he's accomplished that goal and now it's time to find a new HC, Fang might be gone this offseason and Loggains is definitely needing to be replaced so it's possible a new staff is brought in, but it could work against what they built in that lockerroom.
I agree with you, Ric. I think the losing has just wore us fans down a bit. It has done that for me. But when I step back and collect my thoughts a bit, I remember the fact that we all knew this team was in a serious rebuilding mode after Emery/Trestman. And I also remind myself that all teams, even the best teams, do make a percentage of mistakes along the way. It's reality. And Pace, like any GM, isn't going to be perfect, and he has made some mistakes. But I remind myself that he has also done some really good things too.
I'm thinking Fox may be back too. If the team does continue to improve this second half of the season, then I don't expect Pace will blow up the coaching staff at the end of the season. I think he will give Fox the last year of his contract to prove himself. In that last year he will have a team with enough roster talent that we can see what he can do with a solid team (solid talent).
I'm just going to sit back and watch it all unfold. What ever happens, I just want to see the team improve game by game and come back next season a playoff caliber team. If they do that with or without Fox, that's fine. I just want to win.