Cue all the “teams that start 0-2 hardly ever make the NFL playoffs” reminders.
The Bears are in that unenviable (and all-too-familiar) position after a demoralizing 29-14 loss to Philadelphia on Monday night. Unfortunately, the things we loved were overshadowed by what we hated.
Love: That the Bears defense looked nastier, at least at first. Even though they had only two sacks, they punished Philadelphia quarterback Carson Wentz on several occasions. Cam Newton, he is not. Too bad even that bright light faded in the second half, though when your offense turns the ball over three times after halftime and several starters leave with injuries, you earn a little sympathy.
Hate: That the Bears didn’t go for it on fourth-and-2 at the Eagles’ 40-yard line in the first half. If you’re going to build confidence, sometimes you need to have a little faith.
Love: That ESPN announcer Sean McDonough wasn’t afraid to take a shot at Bears management when Connor Barth clanked a 31-yard field goal off the left upright. That’s closer than an extra point. “You get what you pay for,” McDonough said. The crowd even chanted Robbie Gould’s name following that miss.
While we’re on the subject of kickers, Bears coach John Fox chose to ice the Eagles’ Caleb Sturgis by calling a timeout before a 53-yard field goal at the end of the half. The strategy backfired, as Sturgis missed the “warmup” attempt but hit the second try, giving Philadelphia a 9-7 lead at halftime.
Love: That Eddie Royal looked effective. Twice he took short passes (the offense didn’t have time to do much else) and broke tackles that turned potential losses into first downs. He also turned in the team’s most dynamic play with a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown. More of that, please.
Hate: That Bears first-round draft pick Leonard Floyd was practically invisible. The only time we heard the rookie linebacker’s name was when he was called for a penalty that gave the Eagles a do-over on fourth-and-goal. Philadelphia punched it on the next play. Ugh.
Hate: That Jay Cutler threw a costly interception late in the third quarter, setting up a Philadelphia touchdown. This after he lost a fumble to cut short a promising drive earlier in the half.
Hate even more: That Cutler suffered a hand injury and left the game after throwing the aforementioned interception. As frustrating as watching Cutler play can be, handing the keys to backup QB Brian Hoyer could be a recipe for an even bigger disaster.
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