Week 4 picks

 

   Last weeks predictions were close in some games but fell short. Teams are starting to struggle due to injuries like the Bucs, Dolphins and 49ers, others like the Rams just find ways to win despite of it. Browns and Jaguars are in for a long season as bad teams, Bengals haven't won a game yet and that was not expected. Panthers turn things around in a big way with their QB switch. The Vikings are legit. The Commanders and Jayden Daniels are on the map now. Chiefs still needing the refs to bail them.

Last week: 3-12 (20%)

Season overall: 11-32 (25%)

Bengals (-4.5) @ Carolina     (O47)

   Andy Dalton and the Panthers looks dominant last week, but the Bengals have to play in win now mode and have the team to do it.

Broncos (+8) @ NY Jets    (O39.5)

   The Jets and Broncos seem to have found their rhythm, Ill take the points.

Saints @ Atlanta (-2.5)    (O41)

   The Saints looks somewhat shell shocked against the Eagles, the Falcons took the champs head on and could have one if not for ref ball.

Steelers (-2) @ Indianapolis    (U40)

   The Colts have shown a poor offense and the Steelers are the best defensive unit in the league.

Vikings (+3) @ Green Bay    (U44.5)

   Good divisional matchup, I'm taking the Vikings points and their defense to make this one close.

Rams (+3) @ Chicago    (U40.5)

   I don't understand how the Rams are underdogs when coming out of a win against the 49ers, if all the Bears should be the underdogs coming off a game they could have or should have won against a bad Colts team.

Jacksonville @ Houston (-6)    (U44.5)

   The Jaguars have a long ways to go to be trusted with a win against good competition.

Eagles (-1) @ Tampa Bay    (O42)

   The Bucs are still too banged up to count on. The Eagles are likely to get A.J. Brown back and they sorely miss him.

Commanders (+.3.5) @ Arizona    (O49)

   Clash of mobile QBs and average defenses, going with the points.

Patriots @ San Francisco (-10)    (U40.5)

   the 49ers need to bounce back and this game is as good as any against a Patriots team that has an Oline problem.

Browns @ Las Vegas (+2.5)    (U36.5)

   I don't know if I wanna trust the Raiders to win it but the Browns are just not good and that is so weird with the roster they have, they really need Nick Chubb back pronto.

Chiefs (-7) @ LA Chargers     (O41.5)

   The Chargers have a banged up Justin Herbert and the Chiefs are getting all the calls.

Bills @ Baltimore (-2.5)    (O46.5)

   I don't know what's wrong with the Ravens, but if they don't pull the win this week, even against a tough Bills team, I might consider thinking the Ravens are in for a rebuild.

Titans (+2.5) @ Miami    (U37)

   This is the Titans chance to point their team in the right direction with a win against a Dolphins team that is missing its QB and no real backup choice.

Seahawks (+3.5) @ Detroit    (U46.5)

   This looks like its going to be a really good game, the Seahawks defense has played very good and the Lions have struggled to be consistent on both sides of the ball.

W3@IND: Crack of light beyond the muddy Oline

    The Bears let a win slip from their grasp, Anthony Richardson made enough bad plays to give the win wrapped in a bow and the Bears didn't want it. The Bears Oline is a problem once more, the coaches need to figure something out because they are close of ruining yet another QB.

   The offense struggled, again, more at running than passing, the Oline will be hard to fix if its a personnel issue, it might be. Want they can try is by making a switch at RB, push DeAndre Swift to backup duties and place Khalil Herbert in changer with Roschon Johnson as a change of pace and 3rd down back, Swift has done too little to consider keep feeding him the ball. Caleb Williams is continuing to make rookie mistakes but he was forced to throw the ball more than 50 times against the Colts which was crazy, but did show progress by doing so and connected with Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet for scores and threw very precise passes in the process, building from this would be great but an existing running attack would be better when talking about throwing so many passes behind an offense that cant run the ball so the defense knows you have to pass and headhunts your QB.

Upside players: Roschon Johnson helped plenty by moving the ball on the grounds with punishing yards, help block and even catching passes.

Downside players: I really don't know who from the OLine is doing worse.

   The defense had the Colts under control in the first half but started struggling stropping the run in the second half and all went downhill from there. They managed to halt the Colts to 3 scores but the Colts offense was really not playing that well. Needles to say I has a bit disappointed by them last week. Hope they can bounce back from this one.

Upside players: Jack Sanborn can really do his role of punishing run stuffing LB. 

Downside players: I getting a bit concerned about Montez Sweat, I haven't really seen him make plays, maybe there aren't going his way too much but hi is the guy for the defense and not showing up is not good.

   Next the Bears receive the very dangerous Rams and Matthew Stafford who are coming off a very impressive win against the 49ers, even when they have a banged up roster, they manage to pull out improbable wins, needles to say its going to be hell for the Bears to win this one, the defense will have to pressure Stafford more often than not, find answers to slow down the run, still the offense for the Bears are the real challenge and its all up to them to figure out how to start running the ball effectively.

Week 3 picks

   OK I had a good week, 2 tied scores I will just eliminate no win nor loss. The Dolphins are in trouble, I expect Tua to retire for his own good. Holy hell, I expected the Vikings to not suck but didn't expect them to be good, and where did this Cardinals team come from?. I forgot I suspected the Cowboys to be not that good. The NFC South are a bunch of showoffs, Panthers are soooo screwed.  

Last week: 5-8 (38%)

Season: 8-20 (28%)

Chargers  @ Pittsburgh (-2.5)   (U35)

 With Justin Herbert hurt, its going to be tough for the Chargers to beat the Steelers defense.

Eagles @ New Orleans (-3)    (O49.5)

   The Saints look like a better team than the Eagles right now, A.J. Brown is sorely missed.

Giants (+6.5) @ Cleveland    (O38.5)

   The Browns Oline is banged up, the Giants Dline is their strenght and they only lost last week because they didnt have a kicker the whole game, the Browns offense is still a mistery.

Packers (+3) @ Tennessee    (U37)

   The Packers and Titans defenses are good, if Will Levis keeps playing like the last two games, I expect same results.

Texans @ Minnesota (+1.5)   (O46)

   The Vikings are playing very well and I do see them putting up a fight at home against a Texans team that hasn't looked elite yet.

Bears (+1) @ Indianapolis    (U44)

   If there's a game I see the Bears building on is this one, the Colts are a banged up at defense and Anthony Richardson is still looking to be an accurate passer.

Broncos @ Tampa Bay (-6)   (U41)

   This one should be Bucs all the way if not for injuries all over their roster, but I haven't seen enough of the Broncos to believe they can manage a win.

Dolphins @ Seattle (-4.5)    (U42)

The Dolphins will start their backup QB while Seattle is growing as a team game by game.

Panthers @ Las Vegas (-6)    (U40)

   The change at QB by the Panthers might mitigate the mistakes and play a more reserve game plan, still the Raiders have played good enough to beat a bad coached team.

Lions @ Arizona (+3)    (O51.5)

   The Cardinals impressed me last week, they looked so explosive, if they can show that type of game again, the Lions are in trouble, hell the whole NFL is in trouble.

49ers (-6) @ LAR    (U43.5)

   The 49ers got humbled last week, the Rams are hurt especially at WR. 

Ravens (-1) @ Dallas    (O47.5)

   The Cowboys showed who I thought they were, the Ravens need this game to bounce back on track.

Chiefs (-3) @ Atlanta    (O46.5)

   Atlanta showed they can win, still too early to believe they can take the champs.

Jaguars @ Buffalo (-5)    (U45.5)

   The Jaguars look lost, its another game the Bills can take advantage on at home to build on.

Commanders @ Cincinnati (-7.5)    (U47)

   The Commanders are not a good team yet and still are living growing pains, the Bengals will come out angry from last weeks loss.

W2@HOU: Stuck in a time loop

    The Bears couldn't keep from shooting themselves in the foot, leaving Houston with an expected lose but that could have possibly been an upset if Caleb Williams didn't switch on to hero mode, the OLine could have helped him not get pummeled making him switch to hero mode.

   The offense wasn't functional once more with personnel choices that have Bears fandom in shambles, did all these FA players that got signed this year had a closure in their contract that stated that they were going to get a minimum of 80% of the snaps of each game or something? I feel like all these players were brought in because they know how to play Shane Waldron's playbook instead of him molding to what the team has to offer as a whole. There is no existence of a running attack which makes the offense look all one dimensional which puts a lot on Williams's plate as a rookie, it's just plain bad, again, need changes ASAP.

Upside players: D.J. Moore is still good.

Downside players: The whole offense had a bad game but Darnell Wright had an awful one to forget. 

   The defense is legit good, too bad it has to clean up for the poor offensive performance, for now the Bears are still the same ol Bears. They play the bend but don't break game very well, if the offense can just show life, this defense can win this team some games.

Upside players: Kyler Gordon is playing like a top slot corner which is not an easy thing to do. PROTECT ANDREW BILLINGS AT ALL COST.

Downside players: The Dline is very good at run stopping but the QB pressure, especially from the EDGE position, was missed in this game.

   Next up the Bears go to Indy, the Colts are a bit banged up and Anthony Richardson is contained TNT, until he calibrates his arm accuracy, I believe the Bears can take on this offense. The Bears offense has a chance to establish an identity against this Colts defense that will be missing some key players, this is the game where I expect the offense to show a pulse.

Week 2 picks

    Started not good but not bad to my standards, hitting 3 games last week, the half point differentials where brutal . Speaking of brutal, as for unexpected surprises of last, the Panthers weren't supposed to look THAT BAD, the Browns officially have problems at QB and the Giants are who I thought they were. The Bengals are still in offseason mode and the Falcons are still falconing for some reason. Lets move on.

Last week: 3-12 (20%)

Saints @ Dallas (-6.5)    (O47)

   The Saints are looking like a good team by beating up on the poor Panthers, they go to Dallas banged up to take on a devastating Cowboys Dline and a well as a recently well payed Dak Prescott, its hard playing at the AT&T stadium, the Saints are going to show their true colors in this one.

   Colts @ Green Bay (+2.5)    (U41.5)

    Anthony Richardson made huge splash plays with his arm and pummeled defenders with his legs, I expect him to take more care of himself if he wants to continue putting up the good stat numbers. The Packers going without Jordan Love should hinder them but Matt LaFleur is a good coach and still has a good defensive core, its anyone's game but I am going with the home team (jinx),

Chargers (-4.5) @ Carolina    (U38.5)

   The Panthers need to show a pulls to make me believe in their team again, Bryce Young looked terrible. The Chargers are tuning down the pass and relying more with the run game just like Jim Harbaugh did in Michigan, if its sustainable while having Justin Herbert in case of emergency, its going to be hard for them not to win games.

Browns @ Jacksonville (-3)    (U31.5)

   Looks like the Browns wont be much of a threat offensively until Nick Chubb comes back from injury, Deshaun Watson is looking like another bust for the organization, its sad but also karma. The Jaguars are a solid team and have a shot to take this game by taking care of the ball.

Raiders @ Baltimore (-8)    (O41.5)

   I do believe Lamar Jackson will play better than he did last week, its the only thing the Ravens need to be elite. The Raiders are the same team from last year, solid defense wit not an ideal arm at QB to lead the offense.

Jets (-4) @ Tennessee    (O41)

   I expected more from the Jets, this game might be what they need to get it going. The Titans are not a bad team but if they make Will Levis keep playing hero ball and failing at it, they are not going to go far.

Giants @ Washington (-1.5)    (U43)

   Someone has to win right? There hope in the new, so I would expect Jayden Daniels and the Commanders to get better as a team and get this win.

Bucs (+7.5) @ Detroit    (U51.5)

   Not saying the Bucs are going to win but with the Lions a bit banged up, Baker Mayfield and his receiving core have enough to keep this team on Detroit's heels.

Seahawks @ New England (+3)    (U38.5.)

   The patriots played a solid game against the Bengals, I would expect this to continue against average teams like Seattle. The Seahawks still need to polish some stuff offensively, but defensively they have something going.

49ers (-4.5) @ Minnesota    (O46.5)

   The Vikings looked good against a bad team, but I do believe they will be a solid team this year, but not enough to take on an elite team like the 49ers even without Christian McCaffrey, the 49ers look like they can make any RB work in their system.

Rams (PK) @ Arizona    (O48)

   The Rams are a good team, its going to hurt them not having Puka Nacua but they still have enough weapons to go against anyone. The Cardinals still need for Kyler Murray to play a clean game to have a chance and that is as sure as a coin toss.

Steelers (-2.5) @ Denver    (U36.5)

   This is going to be a defensive struggle, I'm going with T.J. Watt and Chris Boswell giving the Steelers another win.

Bengals @ Kansas City (-6.5)    (O48)

   Joe Burrow might wake from his slumber against elite competition, but until they show some life, they aren't beating the reigning champions.

Bears @ Houston (-6)    (U45)

   Its still a wait and see when and if Caleb Williams snap out of his rookie status. C.J. Stroud and the Texans are too good to make the same mistakes the Titans did.

Falcons @ Philadelphia (-5.5)    (O46)

   What the hell Falcons, you're better that that right? I need to see a shootout here if I expect to believe this team is legit, win would be a statement which I think its a bit too much.

W1vsTitans: Familiar product, different outcome

    So the Bears won an ugly one, that is never a bad thing especially when it's a new team offensively and it's the start of the season. Down 17-3 at the half, they managed to shut down Will Levis and the Titans offense to 0 second half points. The defense and special teams came out of this game with 4 turnovers, 2 of them resulting in returned TDs. The Bears offense on the other hands was sloppy as hell adding 3 FGs to the scoreboard, 2 of them starting the drive on the opponent's field due to a kick return and a turnover by the defense. So basically same old Bears, at least until now. Still, as they say, it's better to be lucky than good, a win is a win, it's up to them if they take advantage and build from it by getting better each game they play, get as many ugly wins as you can as long as they find ways to be a better team from each one.

   The offense as stated struggles badly, there were plays to be made but botched it by not blocking good enough, not throwing with accuracy or players not being in the same page. Cole Kmet not being in the field often is something I didn't like,  Tyler Scott and Khalil Herbert not getting situational plays was not ideal, not using Roshon Johnson and Marcedes Lewis for short gains I didn't understand, so basically Im frustrated with the game plan and I hope it changes next week. Caleb Williams threw like a rookie, I need half a season to really worry, too early to tell with him. MY GOD POLES GET A CENTER.

Upside players: D.J. Moore likes football and it shows. It's good to see the Bears seem to have a dependable returner in DeAndre Carter. Cairo Santos keeps earning every penny.

Downside players: I'm already worried Coleman Shelton isn't good, he just may be not good enough, I would be considering reshuffling the interior OL sooner rather than later. As mentioned, Williams needs to take each snap as a learning experience. Velus Jones Jr. is not doing himself any favors playing like he did.

  The defense had a solid to average first half and an ideal second half. I expect for the sophomore's to give fans even better games hopefully. I really liked that Kevin Byard was nowhere no be found on the TV screen, meaning he was doing his job nicely. PROTECT BILLINGS AT ALL COST.

Upside players: Darrell Taylor and DeMarcus Walker where pleasant surprises, where real catalysts to the Bears turnaround.

Downside players: Austin Booker got the welcome to the NFL treatment very quickly, being a liability in the run game, more opportunities will come, take the lesson and move on.

   Next is a trip to Houston to take on C.J. Stroud and the Texans, it's going to be a tough one, they are coming off a great win against a stingy Colts team. The Bears would do wonders by keeping the score close with a continued good defensive performance and give Williams and OC Shane Waldron a chance to clean things up on the offensive side of the ball as much as possible.

Week 1 picks

    I'm totally off this year, almost forgot to make my picks, cant let the opportunity of being completely wrong slip up. Week one is possibly the best chance to get picks right using the handicap because no one really knows what's up with the teams, so points are just off starting the season. Lets see what we got for the openers for this 2024 season.

Jaguars @ Miami (-3.5)    (O49.5)

   I expect both offenses to go in all cylinders, especially the Dolphins to just stack points on this game.

Steelers @ Atlanta (-4)    (O42.5)

   This is it Falcons, you have a high octane offense at home going against a very good defense with a questionable offense, there's no excuses not to hit the ground running.

Cardinals @ Buffalo (-6.5)    (U46)

   I don't expect the Cardinals to be good, I don't expect the Bills to be great. There for the maths add up to the Bills winning.

Titans @ Chicago (-4)    (U43.5)

   Young QBs going at it against some stout defenses, I expect the Bears defense to continue where they left off and get their offense as much chances possible to get it done.

Vikings (-1) @ NY Giants    (U42)

   This is going to be a sloppy game, I just don't see how the Giants win without a stellar performance from their defense on every game, so I'm going with the Vikings until I see the Giants pulse.

Panthers @ New Orleans (-3.5)    (O41.5)

   I don't think the Panthers will be pushovers this season, still I think its going to take some games for them to adjust.

Patriots @ Bengals (-7.5)    (O41)

   The Patriots might be a pesky defense to go against, but the Bengals should run over this team, just too much offense.

Texans (-3) @ Indianapolis    (O49)

   This should be a good game, going with the Texans just because of where they got last year, but I am a believer in Anthony Richardson.

Broncos @ Seattle (-6.5)    (O42)

   Its still hard to win in Seattle and they have a good team. The Broncos have a good roster, problems has been the solution at QB, its a wait and see how it pans out with Bo Nix.

Raiders @ LA Chargers (-3)    (O40.5)

   The Raiders are going to struggle a lot this year. The Chargers should be a better led team this year.

Cowboys @ Cleveland (-2)    (U42)

   I expect offensive struggles, there's something that bothers me about the Cowboys, I believe they are not going to be as good as last year. The Browns are so good on paper if it weren't for the doubt of not knowing if they have the right QB, I can so relate.

Commanders @ Tampa Bay (-3.5)    (U42)

   Jayden Daniles is going to get tested against a tough Bucs DL. A seasoned and healthier Baker Mayfield might be too much.

Rams (+4.5) @ Detroit     (U53)

   I have much respect for Mathew Stafford and Shean McVay, they can compete with anyone with this team. The Lions have plunged the holes they had in defense but if they play all their rookie corners, they will most probably pass thought some tough growing pains against this team.

Jets (+4) @ San Francisco    (O43.5)

   It all depends if Aaron Rodgers stays on the field, the Jests are loaded and should go toe to toe against the niners.

Offseason Rants: Predicting the 2024 Bears season record

   Unfortunately, I almost got the record right last year, my pessimism had them one game lower as my floor. Ryan Poles shows a better team this year at least on paper, a new promising QB to keep us on our toes and see if he can give this team the chance of being in the mix with the big boys of the league.

Week 1: vs Titans

   It's a good team to start against when having a Bears roster so full of new faces on offense, it's good to go against a team that is basically in the same scenario. The Titans defense is not too shabby but it can be a good starting experience for Caleb Williams to go against as his first pro game. The Bears defense will go against a Titans offense that has talented players, but Will Levis is still in the process of showing if he is the right QB. Both QBs will have to show good poise to give their team the best chance of winning, but I consider Chicago's defense to be better and help finish this game.

Probable outcome: Bears win.

Week 2: @ Houston

   Tough matchup against a good team at their home, a young team on top of that, so their arrow probably is pointing up as the season progresses. If C.J. Stroud continues where he left off last year, it's not gonna look good for the Bears.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 3: @ Indianapolis

   I didn't realize the Bears get almost the whole AFC south division in one go, all of them before the half of the season. Anyway, the Colts led by Anthony Richardson, who is coming back from injury, are no easy foe. Solid on the offensive side of the ball and the defense has a promising DL. It could definitely go either way, but I will be optimistic and think that Williams will help get this one in the bag.

Probable outcome: Bears win.

Week 4: vs Rams

   I have much respect for Matthew Stafford and the Rams organization, they showed last year that they have a solid team and can go toe to toe with the best in the league. They bring a very powerful offense and a highly promising DL, much like the previous game against the Colts, it could go either way, Staffords experiences and Sean McVay's coaching might be too much.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 5: vs Panthers

   I do expect the Panthers to improve this year, especially their QB Bryce Young, still the OL has a ways to go to see if they can gel. The departure or their star EDGE Brian Burns does make the defense look a bit depleted. It could turn out to be a tough matchup but I expect the Bears to come out on top.

Probable outcome: Bears win.

Week 6: vs Jaguars

   London is feeling like the Jaguars second home. It's been a rocky career for Trevor Lawrence who flashes the potential he showed in college but has struggled mightily to show progress, be it by bad coaching or a depleted roster or both. They have more pieces in place this year with good pass rushers, LBs and a solid duo of safeties. On the offensive side, they have weapons to do damage, it's up to the Oline to give Lawrence time. Another tough game, making the trip to London makes it a bit tougher, maybe enough to drop this one.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 7: BYE

   Much needed rest to reset and come back to play against some beatable opponents in the next weeks.

Week 8: @ Washington

   On paper the Commanders look like one of the easier opponents on this schedule, rookie QB Jayden Daniels will have half a season of experience with Terry McLaurin which will be his go to guy. The DL line is still a force to be reckoned with, focused on the interior part of the line where the Bears look to have questions at. Nevertheless, the Bears should come out of Washington with the win.

Probable outcome: Bears win.

Week 9: @ Arizona

   There's high hopes that the Cardinals can get competitive this year, I'm not one of those believers. Kyle Murray can be special but also I consider him limited, he might already have created some chemistry with rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr, but with what I consider an average defense and lack of offensive weapons and reconstructed OL, I would assume the Bears get the job done in the desert.

Probable outcome: Bears win

Week 10: vs Patriots

   This can be a weird team where they seem to not have enough but manage to do enough to pull a win from out of nowhere. I will be expecting the Bears to be an improved team that will play in structure like the Patriots would, but play it with more high end talent.

Probable outcome: Bears win

Week 11: vs Packers

   Sadly the win streak would end in the worst way. The Packers are building a very solid team, the emergence of good play by Jordan Love makes this team a playoff contender in the league, if this keeps up, the Bears are most probably not ready to handle this level of talent quite yet, they are playing them at home and a win here would speak volumes, but I just don't see it yet.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 12: vs Vikings

 

   Will Sam Darnold really give the Vikings a shot? He does have a good offensive supporting cast behind him and the defense is not what it was but pieces were added to make it look promising. I'm going with the home team this time around, but the Vikings probably will be a feisty team.

Probable outcome: Bears win.

Week 13: @ Detroit

   The Lions are legit, they will probably win this division with the team they were able to assemble, their secondary was their achilles heel and they went all in at the draft to try and fix it and they probably did, they will just need some time to adjust. Their WR room is very slim though, an injury to Amon-Ra St. Brown or Sam LaPorta would really hurt them. The Bears seemed to have the Lions number, but I doubt it continues being the same.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 14: @ San Francisco

   Here's another opponent that has all figured out, only thing that they are missing is how to win the Super Bowl. Just a powerhouse of a team, something the Bears should strive for.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 15: @ Minnesota

   Expecting the Vikings to be no pushovers Im giving them the home game win as a tough divisional rival. Still it shouldn't be an easy win if at all. 

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 16: vs Lions

   Like I said, I dont think the Bears own the Lions anymore, maybe next year.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

Week 17: vs Seahawks

   Good thing this game is not in Seattle. The Seahawks are not a bad team, but they have some holes to figure out on both sides of the ball just as the Bears will need to do this season. I expect Shane Waldron to tip this game to the Bears favor against his old team.

Probable outcome: Bears win.

Week 18: @ Green Bay

   Unless the Packers rest some starters, I don't expect the Bears to pull off a in Green Bay. I wish this was the year the Bears stop being owned by the Packers but it might take one more year.

Probable outcome: Bears lose.

   So, at the end of the season I have the Bears with a 8-9 record, floor would be 6-10, ceiling would be 10-7 possibly getting to the postseason where anything can happen. Obviously my floor would be very disappointing and would mean a lot of work is still needed. An 8 win season doesn't necessarily mean that it was a bad season, as long as Caleb Williams looks to be progressing and games were won because of him, then there is hope and the rebuild can continue its current course.

2024 Chicago Bears roster

   As much as I need this season to start to watch my favorite sport and team to help me vent from certain things in life, I just hope they hit mid expectations and not just add stress in it, but nobody forced me into Bears fandom so all the blame is on me. My wife on the other hand might have something to say about it though.

   In a nut shell I can say with conviction that this 2024 Bears team didn't get worse, I feel pretty confident that it should be better and its debatable that it can be a good enough team to get to the post season, but as always it depends if the right QB is at the helm, history has not been kind to Bears fans old and young, believing and hoping are things in short supply right now, at this stage of my 20 years following this team I just got to see it to start feeling it again.

Here's the 2024 Chicago Bears 53 man roster,

QBs - Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent

   Williams showed he can be flashy by extending plays and hit off platform throw's, that's great but I just want to see him do the simple stuff, you know the three step drop back, see it and rip it in a consistent basis, I know this is not all on him, the Oline, receivers and coaches need to all do their job to make it look simple, preseason Williams didn't show me this, I will have to wait for regular season Williams to see it. Bagent in the other hand looked awesome dismantling 2nd and 3rd stringers with good rhythm and poise, time will tell if that kind of play will happen in games that count by the starters.

 Austin Reed will continue being a teammate via the practice squad, he showed good play in the preseason adding to the belief that the coaching seems to be working for this group.

RBs - D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roshon Johnson, T. Homer, Khari Blasingame, 

   Solid running backs room, I would expect a big run by committee with Herbert getting much of the snaps with Blasingame on 21 personnel, Swift being the option on single back packages and motion him to empty sets, Johnson should be the short yardage and goaline back. I was surprised to see Homer stick, I believed with Velus Jones as a optional back/wideout he would be out. Also, it was surprising that Blasingame got a spot too which really does tell that OC Shane Waldron isn't gonna play a bunch of 13 personnel. 

Ian Wheeler will follow the team but unfortunately will be from IR, he showed dangerous speed running the ball this preseason.

WRs - D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott, V. Jones, D. Carter

   The top spots are no surprise, it was good to see Scott make plays in the preseason and looked like a reliable #4 wideout. The last two spots were where the true battle was being fought, Jones was given a needed boost by making him a dual threat as a WR/RB a la Cordarrelle Patterson, a good showing in his last preseason game won him a spot, Carter will be counted more as a returner than a wideout. 

Spots got open with the injuries to Dante Pettis and Nsimba Webster, who will follow the team via IR. Preseason hero Collin Johnson and newcomer Samori Toure will join the PS.

TEs - Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis

   No surprises here either, Kmet has been awesome so far getting better and better every year, if he can be stable and play how he played last year it would be enough, but if he can still get better it would give Williams one big surefire safety blanket, potentially giving Williams one of the greatest receiving groups of the league, this isn't even counting on if Everett can contribute who has shown to be a good receiver of the football. Lewis comes back to pummel defensive players and open lanes for running backs for one more year. I really hate that they missed on retaining rookie Brenden Bates, I thought he would end up getting Homer´s spot with Velus as the other RB and another receiver like Collin Johnson getting Blasingame´s spot, but as I said, looks like Waldron has other plans. 

Stephen Carlson will join via PS, he showed decent play in preseason games.

OL - Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Shelton Coleman, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, Kiran Amegadjie, Ryan Bates, Doug Kramer, Bill Murray, M. Pryor

   Williams as the biggest question mark for the potential of this offense is debatable alongside the Oline, can it be good enough to let Williams get confrontable enough to be an NFL QB in time? Jones and Wright have demonstrated to be good enough tackles to go with the best of the league. Same could be said for Jenkins and Davis when healthy which has been a concern in their carreers. With Bates nursing an injury, the biggest question mark is how will veteran Shelton Coleman perform for his rookie QB? No one knows if Bates is the favorite and will get his job back when healthy or be a backup G if Jenkins or Davis get dinged up, so a lot is riding on the inside OL once more which I consider AGAIN to be the make or brake of this offensive core, no QB will perform well if he gets pummeled frequently from interior defenders crashing in. Rookie Amegadjie will have a long road to see the field coming back from his college injury, Pryor should be first in line if a tackle is needed at the beginning of the season. I would assume Kramer got a spot as insurance until Bates gets better. The cut of Ja'Tyre Carter surprised me, I didn't expect Murray to make it, he might be a temporary player as well.

Larry Borom is designated to return from IR when healthy, with him and Bates healthy it might mean Kramer´s spot and move him to the PS, pushing one of Theo "Canadian Eagle" Benedet or Jake Curhan out of the roster.

DL - Montez Sweat, Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, DeMarcus Walker, Zacch Pickens, Austin Booker, David Hardy

   This group can get better as the season progresses, Sweat showed he can be the complete package as a rusher and help on run support, but the potential showed by rookie Booker and Hardy in the preseason was very intriguing, if either can be the answer at the other EDGE position alongside Sweat, it would solidify the whole defensive line as a true threat to many teams, along with the expectation that Dexter will continue to get better in his sophomore season. Billings is as important as the others mentioned as the big run stuffing defender who makes it easier for the others to concentrate on one on ones, you do not want to leave Billings one on one very often. Walker is a reliable and versatile veteran that can make big plays at times. Pickens will be counted on to rotate in the inside, it's a wait and see if he can be a reliable player that can go in to give his teammates a breather.

Jacob Martin is designated to return from IR, but I really don't see him pushing anyone out of this group right now, don't know if he can be placed directly to the PS where he could possibly replace Jamree Kromah or Byron Cowart.

LB - T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jack Sanborn, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Noah Sewell

   It's incredible to think that this group can get better depending if Edmunds feels more confortable with the system this year, it felt that he was still thinking and not just reacting. Edwards and Sanborn are just good headhunters. Ogbongbemiga and Sewell look like good backups but I prefer to see them perform only on special teams.

Micah Baskerville returns to the PS for one more year, made some good plays on preseason games, yet his size still limits him a bit. Carl Jones makes it as well, didn't really see much play from him.

CB - Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Josh Blackwell, Jaylon Jones

   This can end up being a great group of corners, Johnson is getting considered to be one of the best shutdown corners, Stevenson as a number two and Gordon as the nickle played very well last year, both are considered to get even better this year. Smith had a very good performance this preseason as well as veterans Blackwell and Jones, they make this group have solid depth.

Preseason hero Reddy Stewart and Ro Torrence join via the PS.

S - Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard III, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks

   For me Oline is the question mark at offense and on defense is the Safety position, Byard was brought to fill in for departed Eddie Jackson's big shoes, can he do it? Can Brisker keep himself healthy with is hard hitting style of play? Owens and Hicks could replace Brisker if necessary and believe they can do a decent enough job but what worries me is how good and how fast can Byard adapt to this defense? Looks like he has been nursing an injury and hasn't practice much, so this only raises more concern.

Happy to see Tarvarius Moore make it to the PS, liked how he played on this years preseason games.

K - Cairo Santos,  P - Tory Taylor,  LS - Scott Daley

   Team is set on kicker with Santos reliable leg. Taylor has shown he has talent pinning the ball deep with his accurate kicks, this will very much help the teams development if it means giving the offense the ball more often. 

With Patrick Scales designated to return from IR, Daley will take his place until he is back healthy.

   There's not much not to like about this team expect for the need of experience which translates to expectations that many people have for the young players, they have a shot to elevate this team to a contending unit. Still it might be too early to happen if at all, if it doesn't happen is most probably because the QB is not set yet, the talent is there for Williams to have some kind of success or at least get positive growth form this season, evaluations will come and confirm if Ryan Poles has this team truly going in the right direction, as of right now on paper, it does seem so.