Windy City Gridiron
All good things must come to an end.
But even if they do, there are good things to glean from those things that come to an end. At least that will be my stances after the Chicago Bears’ 5 game winning streak came to a halt at a frigid Lambeau Field. A game that saw the Green Bay Packers defend their frozen tundra and take home a 28-21 win, stamped by a game sealing interception in the endzone by Keisean Nixon.
It was a slow start for the Bears offense and Caleb Williams, which seems to be a theme over the last few weeks, but after a first half that saw the Bears dominated in just about every facet on the offensive side of the ball, the Bears came out in the second half on offense and put up 18 points, 235 yards and 15 first downs while controlling the ball for over 20 of the 30 second half minutes.
And before we get into it, no, DJ Moore was not open on that throw!
This was a game I felt like past Bears teams would roll over and die after they come out of the locker room for the second half. I normally text one of my buddies during the game and he said as much: “This feels like a game we’re going to lose 35-10, with a late garbage time touchdown coming in our favor.”
But it wasn’t. A sentiment I’ve been echoing all season long was on display; “This team is different.”
On the road, against a Superbowl ready defense the Bears responded, tying the game at 21 all in the 4th Quarter with a fantastically designed 1-yard touchdown (ran out of 13 personnel!) to rookie Tight End Colston Loveland. The play was originally supposed to go to Theo Benedet who motioned across the formation but had his legs cut out from under him. Caleb Williams keeps his composure and moves on to his next read lofting a touch pass over the heads of Packers defenders was an easy touchdown.
He also accounted for one of the most improbable touchdowns I’ve seen a Bears quarterback pull off.
A throw that per NFL Next Gen stats has just a 16.9% probability of being completed. It showcased all those elite abilities we’ve grown to expect from Williams. Creativity, poise, accuracy on the run, arm strength, and that clutch gene.
The loss obviously snaps the Bears 5 game win streak. But gives the Bears a shot to close out the season with year another 4 game win streak with a slate of games that includes 3 home games of the last 4 remaining on the schedule.
Anyways, that’s looking a bit ahead, it’s time to look at some metrics, notes and dive into some play review!
(Totals and averages are all before week 14: Season totals are underlined, Season averages in Italics)
C/A: 230/396 (58.1%) | 19.2/33 (58.1%) | 17/36 (47.2%)
Yards: 2722 | 226.8 | 186
Touchdowns:...
