Offseason rants: Trading the 1st overall pick

   What is on Ryan Poles mind? At the end of the day it's all on him to decide how to improve the Chicago Bears, he has a vast quantity of assets to do so with enough salary cap and the all coveted 1st overall pick of the 2024 draft which isn't even the teams pick, he has good options on the table where if he makes the right moves he can get the Bears organization to take a big jump in competition, or wiff completley which would be so Bears at this point.

   Poles first decision was to stick with Matt Eberflus as his coach for next season which is a big one, he most likely has gone all in with this decision, if Eberflus fails as a coach so does Poles as a GM and would mean both losing their jobs. This first step for the 2024 season is a similar one the Bears organization has opted before, keeping the HC and letting QBs or GMs go or vice versa but never a clean sweep on all three positions. The firing on Luke Getsy and most of the offensive personnel was a no brainer. To change this sequence,  I believe this move is a two year gig at least to get it right which would give time for the new offensive side of the staff to gel, with a new QB or the one that is already in the building. Things would have to get very ugly to cut everything short and start doing the same old thing once more, which obviously would not be ideal.

   Now for the QB position, it's not an easy decision to take for a GM when having to choose between a raw but talented locker room leader at QB and the 1st overall pick to grab a high profile franchise potential QB while being on a short leash to get positive results fast. Justin Fields does not have the numbers to make a case for himself to stay as the Bears QB, he got nowhere with Getsy with no clear progression as a QB, it was obvious in many games that Getsy wasn't a good play caller and didnt have a well placed game plan more often than not, even with Fields struggling with his own stuff, Getsy just made it worse and help little to nothing on Fields development. So the question now is if Fields showed enough raw talent and poise to convince Poles and Eberflus to believe he just needs a real OC and some more help on offense to make the big leap many Bears fans believe he can take. I'm a Fields believer but I would be lying if I said I don't see the benefits of going QB with the 1st pick, because that is what you do when you can, you pick a QB until you hit on the right one. I don't want to be wrong, I have followed this team enough to know how much a good QB would mean to this team, I do believe Fields can be better and be that QB. Opting to pick up Fields 5th year would cement the QB decision, not picking it up doesn't say otherwise but does tell that drafting one is a real possibility.

   Poles has managed in his two drafts as the Bears GM to have 10+ picks on each draft which is always good to have, more chances of hitting on late bloomers, but it hasn't really gone that way exactly. Poles is very likely having good results drafting with his high picks on round 1 and 2, but after those rounds he has been very average. Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker, Darnell Wright and Gervon Dexter have been good to great picks and all selected on the first 2 rounds, Poles late round hits include Braxton Jones and maybe Roschon Johnson and Terrell Smith that are still wait and see, but the others are situational players at best. These results are at best good results but this tells me two things,

1. Poles needs more chances to hit on players and the Bears are still a tad behind at the homegrown development department resulted from some of the trade ups from the Ryan Pace era, Bears would benefit of staying in course and really continue building through the draft.

2. The Bears need to get the right coaches in the building because you can draft 20 players but if you can't coach them up you will never have a really good draft, more of Poles picks could be better picks if there was a better game plan in place for these players.

   My first point is what makes me think that the best option for Poles is to trade back and add more picks to this years draft where he "only" has 6 picks, even if 2 of those are first rounders. I'm really waiting and expecting Ian Cunningham to get signed as a GM on some other team which would give Poles one more pick this year. Even if Cunningham is an important presence for Poles in the decision making of bulding up this team, he is deemed to leave sooner rather than later. Other way Poles gets more draft ammo? Trading Fields, for nothing less than a first rounder or 2 seconds, anything less than that wont help fight off my depresion fast enough.

   So with all of this said, if Poles ends thinking as I do and decides to trade back, who could be a REAL trade partner for the 1st pick if the Bears decide to give it away to another team for a chance of a franchise QB, 

Which teams are QB hungry?

2 - Washington - SHOULD, although I don't see them as a possible trade partner. Sam Howell has that gunslinger in him but has had too many turnovers, not enough wins and even getting benched a few games while the team deciding to trade some defensive starts away shows that maybe the team is not convinced to stick with him. It will all depend on the new regime of coaching that most probably will come next season. They can sit still and draft the QB that drops be it Williams or Maye. If they decide to stick with Howell they could be a trade partner for someone else as the Commanders are very possible on rebuild mode. It would be nice for them trade with the Bears and give the second round pick back they received on the Montez Sweat trade.

3 - New England - YES and is a very possible candidate to trade up, Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe have been benched between them too many times, its obvious at this point that they are not it in New England. There is a possibility that they trade with Washington if they don't really care for a specific QB and if the Commanders really need to load the team right now. Other route the Patriots can go is drafting someone like Michael Penix or Jayden Daniels. 

4 - Arizona - NO, it's not because Kyler Murray is that good but he is definitely an above average QB at least, but what I have read is that his contract makes it very hard for the Cardinal to move from him at least next year. Would they be open to trade down?

5 - LA Chargers - NO, its Justin Herbert's team. I would consider them to stay put and pick whoever they consider a need.

6 - NY Giants - YES, I would consider a possible candidate. They can't fool themselves anymore with Daniel Jones and I believe they already are out in trying to make it work with him. Tommy DeVito is a good story but not the future and Tyrod Taylor is a great backup. They have some established young pieces in their team and could try to solidify the team with one of this years franchise caliber rookie QBs by trading up, but how far up would they be willing to go? They got enough ammo to create a good package of picks, maybe add Dexter Lawrence to the deal.

7 - Tennessee - DOUBTFUL, they started rolling with Will Levis and showed promise, Titans will probably try and build the team around him.

8 - Atlanta - YES, they should do everything possible to upgrade the position as soon as possible. Desmond Ridder has done too little to be regarded a starting caliber QB and Taylor Heinicke should be considered more than a good backup. Their roster will need bodies next year but the offense will still count with their OL, RBs, WR1 and TE1 additional to almost every starter on their defense, having an upgrade at QB to take advantage of these weapons should be important.

10 - NY JETS - DOUBTFUL, they don't have enough ammo of picks so they will roll with Aaron Rodgers until he cant roll anymore.

11 - Minnesota - POSSIBLY, they need a QB but I have no idea what they are going to try to do this offseason with Kirk Cousins hitting Free Agency, they are not loaded of picks and their defense is also diminishing due to players hitting FA, so I would be surprised if they go up the draft board but they are sure to be a QB needy team.

12 - Denver - POSSIBLY they have a similar situation than the Vikings have with the difference that the Broncos have a much better established defense and they are making the QB problem by not wanting Russell Wilson anymore, if they get rid of him then they need a QB and they don't have the ammo of picks to go too high on the draft board to choose the one they would want.

13 - Las Vegas - SHOULD, Aidan O'Connell help win enough games to have the Raiders at the middle of the pack with the help of a good enough defense performance especially from Maxx Crosby. I could see them limiting the pick count for a trade up if they package Crosby or Davante Adams but I believe they will roll with O'Connell and Jimmy Garoppolo one more year before punching the rebuild button.

14 - New Orleans - DOUBTFUL, they are very thin in draft picks and Derek Carr still has some left in the tank, it's not that they can't get better but they can wait.

15 - Indianapolis - NO, they still need to evaluate Anthony Richardson.

16 - Seattle - DOUBTFUL, same situation than the Saints with Geno Smith.

17 - Jacksonville - NO, it's still Trevon Lawrence's team.

18 - Cincinnati - NO, its Joe Burrow's team.

   The other teams are playoff teams and those rarely need QB help, I would only consider the Bucs with Baker Mayfield hitting FA next season but the Bucs are very near of entering a rebuild state.

   In summary, the best candidates are the Patriots, Giants and Falcons. Patriots would be my favorite trade partner to have a shot at still getting Marvin Harrison Jr. If trading with the Giants or Falcons, I would expect the biggest haul of the century, still be able to add Malik Nabers or Romeo Odunze on the trade down and still have the 9th overall to get even more picks depending on how the team looks once the first wave of FA ends before the draft, that sounds like a bright future.

   Picture this, as of right now, what Oline is going to protect Caleb Williams in New England or New York? Atlanta is the most complete team that could benefit a young QB, but Atlanta is also the furthest team from the 1rd pick which means that they would have to give more assets to get there. I never thought the Panthers would end up being the worst team at the end of the year, a team with a good defense that loaded up at receiver and had a decent Oline at worst but somehow it didn't work and Bryce Young, a Mahomes compared QB, had little to do on a dysfunctional team. This could very well happen again if the Bears fleece the "right" team and Williams, another Mahomes compared QB, isn't this year's C.J. Stroud who elevated a very average Texans team, you just really don't know which QB your getting or if you have the right personnel in place to make it work, so get the coaches right so you can get the players right.

2023 Bears current state

   There will be no more meaningful Chicago Bears football until September, they finished their season off by losing to the Packers showing they are still not where they need to give Bears fans what was once promised by Lovie Smith when signed as the coach for this team in 2004, since he was released of his duties, it feels like they cant do it and it just makes thing feel worse.

   So how do the Bears look for next season? Ryan Poles has big decisions to make and it start by taking one tomorrow, monday january 8, by firing HC Matt Eberflus and OC Luke Getsy. Getsy is a simple decision, he just didn't make the offense work, simple as that. I honestly waited until this last game to decide if I wanted Eberflus back, this game showed me that he could be good enough to be the coach, but I dont want good enough at the helm of things, I want a coach that not only gets respect from his players and personnel, I want someone that shows in game that he has control of things. Against the Packers on this last game, I didn't see a defense that was missing Jaylon Johnson, I saw a defense that got steamed rolled by lack of pressure and run stuffing which was the thing this defense should have improved on, it wasn't even a bend don't break defense, they were gushed for big gains by air and ground. It's one thing that the defense showed some improvement at the end of the year but what about the offense? What happened to the run game? What happened to Darnell Mooney? who somehow disappeared from this team. Then there is the trickling blame to how much blame does Justin Fields has on all this? Lets see how the team looks like with the players still under contract.

QB - Justin Fields, Tyson Bagent

   Fields processes the field slower that average and struggles to throw passes in rhythm with accuracy and timing which makes him hold the ball for too long which makes him propense of getting sacked, his footwork needs work to get consistent base to help him be more accurate in his throws and get the ball out quicker with more spiral. Cool, everybody knows he has flaws and that this are it, so why is he still so dangerous? Strong arm that places the ball with accuracy in deep throws, hard to bring down and can get outside the pocket and throw on the move with good vision and accuracy, can keep the ball and run with it, he is fast to get downfield and get chunk yards in the ground. I don't know how far he is from Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick or Josh Allen but he has the build and the same skill set and don't believe his is far from being as productive as these guys, I just believe he hasn't gotten placed in the correct situation to be as productive. Obviously I have no problem with the Bears sticking with him and continue to build around him.

   Bagent had his good chunk of live experience and did as well as any other backup the Bears have had the last few years where he can't come up with the win on the game he gets to go in due to the injury of the starting QB, then wins the next start then loses or just goes in decline the other next games he needs to play until the starter comes back. So, the Bears can draft someone with a higher pedigree than Bagent or bring a veteran, until the coaching and planning doesn't get better its going to be the same story.

RB - Khalil Hebert, Roshon Johnson, Travis Homer

   Again, I don't blame the players, I blame the scheme, the play calling and the lack of Oline depth and Center position. Herbert is a good rhythm running back with burst, Johnson started hot with some really angry running until he got concussed and then lighten the running a bit, the Bears would benefit of getting that bowling ball type of running from Johnson, not wishing him injuries though. Homer has been absent and really didn't bring much to this team. They would benefit of bringing some suddenes and speed to the backfield like when they had Tarik Cohen.

WR - D.J. Moore, Tyler Scott, Velus jones Jr.

   Poles his the jackpot with Moore who brought the best of Fields as a passer, but he hast been able to find his field stretcher in Velus and Scott. I don't see Poles resigning any receiver and will have to bring new players, a lot.

TE - Cole Kmet

   Kmet once more takes another step forward in his game, he was the most reliable ball catcher in the team, not as explosive as Moore though. I liked the Marcedes Lewis signing to try and help the run game but it wasn't enough, this will be another skill group Poles will need to bring more new players.

OL - Braxton Jones,Teven Jenkins, Cody Whitehair, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, Larry Borom, Doug Kramer Jr., Ja'Tyre Carter

   The starting group was inconsistent due to lack of communication, but did have plenty of moments where they showed the ability of being a dominant unit, it need to get better at Center and have more players to compete and have depth at G and T. Cody Whitehair's and Larry Borom's time is up.

DL  - Montez Sweat, Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker, Gervon Dexter, Zacch Pickens, Dominique Robinson

   There is good talent in this unit, but it needs a bit more to really be sustainable and competitive against today's NFL teams, Poles got it right in bringing Sweat and the price paid was worth it.

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

   This unit will only get better with more time together and the DL getting more help.

CB - Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Johnson, Terrel Smith, Jaylon Jones, Christian Matthews

   I didn't mention resigning anyone because I don't feel anybody brings a strong need to the team, until you get to Jaylon Johnson, who would keep a secondary a very solid unit. It still needs some depth but if Smith can improve like Gordon did, then I wouldn't worry much.

S - Eddie Jackson, Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks, Quindell Johnson

   As I feared, Jackson regressing was a matter of time, I don't trust Brisker to be as impactful if there isn't someone like Jackson that can be counted to cover the back half of the field as he did the years before this one. There will be a strong need to find someone that can replace the skillset Jackson brought in his prime.

ST - Cairo Santos, Trenton Gill

   Santos is worth every penny and more, Gill's punt net yard isnt anything to brag about, competition at the punter spot would be ideal next season. Patrick Scales should play in Chicago until he doesn't want to play anymore.

   I expect Poles to bring new leadership and hit Free agency with commitment to build the last pieces needed to build a competitive playoff team for next year.

W2 & 3 Losses to Bucs and Chiefs: Bring in the clowns

    There is truly not much to say, the Bears are lost and do not have a team ready to compete, they are still trying to find players who can play whatever they are trying to play and showing an embarrassing performance every week.

   The offense wont click until Justin Fields finds his way if it ever happens, he isn't looking confident or comfortable behind an Oline that is missing three starters listed at the beginning of the season and was always missing an upgrade and need at Center, it doesn't matter if WRs get open or if the run game works, if Fields cant get back to what he showed last season and improve upon that, he should get people at the offices fired along with him and that is just NOT what I want.

Upside players: I don't feel anyone deserves to be placed here but Darnell Wright is playing better each game, still is costing the offense some plays. 

Downside players: Obvious players is Chase Claypool, his play and demeanor might just cost him his spot for this next game. Cole Kmet is just too average, needs to up his game. Justin Fields needs to feed D.J. Moore and Darnell Mooney the ball more and they need to catch it, Mooney has disappeared from this team and that is just inexcusable. 

   The strength of this defense was the back seven, it hasn't showed on games, thy are three starting secondary players down, its a mess and all this happens because the Bears cant pressure the QB, they cannot get near him as much as they need to help their backs make plays, the front four are playing decent run defense ill give them that but they cant get themselves out of the field because they are giving the QB too much time costing them 3rd downs resulting in more playing time and exhaustion which results in big running back just blast through them to end games. this is not good for the offense who are in need of more opportunities to fix their own mess.

Upside players: Its all about the rookies and watch how they make plays even if its not in a consistent basis, Gervon Dexter Jr., Tyrique Stevenson and Terrell Smith have shown some flashes. Protect Andrew Billings at all cost.

Downside players: Tremaine Edmunds is not the dominant LB I was hoping to see, he misses tackles and isn't helping get pressure, his coverage is ok but he is still isn't in synch with the other backs. Yannick Ngakoue is leaving the few QB sack opportunities get by him, add that he was brought to bring the speed to the line and it doesn't translate to the need the Bears needed at the EDGE position.

   The Bears have a lineup in front of them of teams that are struggling and have all the opportunity in the world to get back on track this season but they need answers RIGHT NOW against the Broncos. The offense needs the ball and Fields needs to let the ball go or go himself, wight now its not looking good, the secondary is too banged up which could result in less minutes for the offense with the ball, meaning that the offense will have to go toe to toe with the Broncos offense. All of this is to have a chance to win, honestly I just want to see a freaking spark go on in this team something to cheer for, I expected the losses at the beginning of the season, what is killing the vibe is the playing on the field which is just a joke to this point.

Useless predictions: 2023 Week 4 picks

   Missed last week but the one before was horrendous, needed the time out. Nothing really surprising these first weeks other than the Broncos still not good for whatever reason and now the Bears join them as an over rated team (thanks a lot for the unneeded doses of depression) the Cardinals and Rams are not bad as thought to be and Steelers not as good as thought to be. Other than that, everything seems right on schedule with Vikings and Chargers choking, Ravens getting hurt a lot and the favorites for the Super Bowl are still the Chiefs and Eagles. On to next week.

Last week: 1-12-2 (7%)

Season overall: 3-25-2 (10%)

Falcons at Jaguars (-3)    (O42.5)

   First international game of the season where I believe the Jaguars can use to bounce back from their subpar playing. Nothing against the Falcons but they are surviving with a one dimensional offense and strong defense, that is not a sustainable plan for success.

Dolphins (+2.5) at Bills    (O53.5)

   The Bills play sloppy but ooze talent that makes them uncover the sloppiness. The Dolphins are a freaking machine, they just need to protect general Tua at all cost and they will continue to play how they want.

Vikings (-4.5) at Carolina    (U46.5)

   Bryce Young is coming back so Carolina will continue struggling until they can protect him and he can get comfortable playing in the NFL. The Vikings need this game to build up on something for the future.

Commanders at Philadelphia (-9)    (O43)

   Commanders are playing average and their strength is the Dline, the Eagles are a power house and their strength is the OLine, this is already decided.

Bengals at Tennessee (+2.5)    (O41)

   The Bengals have shown to little to believe in them yet, they have all the talent to be a winning team but something is still off. The Titans are a question mark every game, they have enough talent and coaching to pull games off of their ass but just malfunction for no reason. Its anyone's game. 

LA Rams (PK) at Indianapolis    (U45.5)

   I like the Rams, a very young team that is very well coached, while Matt Stafford is protected this team has legit shots of adding on the win column. The Colts are still trying to get Anthony Richardson in sink, that is a hard task if he keeps getting injured.

Buccaneers at New Orleans (-3.5)    (O40)

   Both defenses are stingy, both offenses have good receivers, Carr is more reliable than Baker. If Carr plays I'm with the Saints.

Steelers (-2.5) at Texans    (O42)

   The Texans play hard and rookie C.J. Stroud is looking good, but they are very banged up and while the Steelers offense is struggling mightily, the defense is keeping them in the games.

Ravens at Cleveland (-2)    (O39)

   The Ravens are just to banged up to go against a though Browns defense, only chances the Ravens have is if Deshaun Watson gives them those chances.

Broncos (-3) at Chicago    (U46.5)

   the Broncos have always been good on paper but its unreal how they cant win, they go up against another team coming with high expectations going to this season and they have shown almost nothing to back that up.

Raiders at LA Chargers (-5)    (O48.5)

   Oh boy, Aidan O'Connell is starting for the Raiders, normally a rookie should struggle, this might still be the case even if O'Connell has been praise mightily in the offseason. The Chargers have the offense to burry the Raiders in points, can the defense do enough to be out of reach?

Patriots (+6) at Dallas    (U43.5)

   The Cowboys losing against the Cardinals tell me more about the Cardinals than the Cowboys, they are still a good team and should be just a slip. The Patriots are a solid team and will compete with anyone this season, they just don't have that big weapon make them a real contending candidate.

Cardinals at San Francisco (-14)   (O43.5)

   The Cardinals are not bad, obviously they have a weak roster but they play to their maximum potential, it wont matter against the niners unfortunately. 

Chiefs (-8.5) at NY Jets     (U41.5)

   Its a nightmare for the Jets, Zach Wilson is not looking the part and is bringing down the whole team with him, if the coaching staff cant find a solution fast they will lose the locker room.

Seahawks at NY Giants (+1)    (U47)

   The seahawks need all their starters to have a chance to win, they are too banged up. The Giants need more stable offensive plan to get Daniel Jones going.

Useless predictions: 2023 Week 2 picks

    Well damn I did ok on the spreads but the O/Us killed my predictions, welp that's life. A lot of sloppy games as predicted and many surprise results, just what the fist week of the season is all about. On to next week.

Las week: 2-13 (13%)

Chargers (-2.5) at Tennessee    (O45.5)

   The Titans really struggled against the Saints defense, they might find it easier against the Chargers if Joey Bosa doesn't go, but I'm counting on the Chargers offense to light it up even without Austin Ekeler, still the Chargers could find a way to shoot themselves in the foot like they have done many times under coach Brandon Staley.

Raiders at Buffalo (-7.5)    (O47)

   I believe this week will be a bounce back week for some teams that got the other side of the upset. The Bills should dominate against an average Raiders that still be without Chandler Jones.

Packers at Atlanta (-3)    (U40.5)

   This should be a battle of defenses, the Packers will have to count even more in Jordan Love with Aaron Jones out for this one, the Falcons can control the clock with its high powered run game.

Ravens at Cincinnati (-3)    (U45.5)

   The Ravens didn't wait long to start their annual injury extravaganza, this is the chance the Bengals need to bounce back to playoff form.

Bears (+2.5) at Tampa Bay     (O41)

   Im going homer for just one more game, the Bears need to show some pulse and beat this Bucs team to pave some kind of road to their rebuild, Bucs wont make it easy with they blitz heavy front seven, both missing corner help can make this a crazy sloppy aerial attack.

Chiefs (-3) at Jacksonville    (O50.5)

   The Chiefs are getting back what they missed a lot against Detroit, Chris Jones to man the middle of the defense and Travis Kelce to provide Patrick Mahomes with dependable hands against a solid Jaguars team.

Colts at Houston (EVEN)    (U40)

   Counting on the Texans front 4 to make Anthony Richardson's day a bit to though to handle.

Seahawks at Detroit (-4.5)    (U47)

   OK so the Seahawks aren't all that and they go against Aidan Hutchinson and the Lions on their turf without their two starting tackles, that is not a good combination.

Giants (-4) at Arizona    (U39.5)

   The Giants can be THAT bad right? the Cardinals aren't THAT bad? The Giants need this one more.

49ers (-7) at LA Rams    (O45)

   The Rams had a great game against Seattle, they looked competent, but so did the niners, they looks unstoppable to a Steelers team that showed promise as a solid team. 

Jets (+8.5) at Dallas     (U38.5)

   The Cowboys can beat the New Jersey teams teams back to back, they probably will but the Jets might not get blasted like their cousins. 

Commanders (+4) at Denver    (U38.5)

   I cant believe the Broncos are still stuck in purgatory, the Commanders almost lost to Arizona but its still a wait and see if it was because the Cardinals are not all bad. 

Dolphins (-2.5) at New England    (O46.5)

   The Patriots can be a legit playoff team if they keep it up, unfortunately they are in a stacked division and Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill are looking unstoppable. 

Saints  at Carolina (+3)   (39.5)

   This one might be a close game, the Panthers looked good on defense and the Saints struggled against a good Titans defense.

Browns (-2.5) at Pittsburgh    (U38.5)

   The Browns might be for real finally, the Steelers where embraced at home, need to see it to believe this team isn't in a funk starting this season. 

W1vsGB: This wasn't it

    I was ready for a possible loss that Sunday, the end of the game didn't show possibilities, it showed that it wasn't just one man that owns this franchise, its a team. The Packers are a solid unit but the Bears weren't supposed to look as awful as they did, they failed as players, as coaches, as individuals and as a team, it was purely a soul taking loss, and its back to the drawing board.

   Offensively it was bleak, there was too little to be cheerful about but not everything was wrong, they had a pair of good drives but penalties and the freaking execution on screen plays killed any rhythm they could have created and showed all the wrong things about this team. The Oline struggled and that was no surprise against a very staked Packers Dline, rookie Darnell Wright played as many thought a rookie would play, on the other side Braxton Jones just made to many penalties which was one thing last years team limited very well. Cody Whitehair and Nate Davis (with all his personal baggage) played an OK game, Lucas Patrick struggled, he just isn't strong enough to hold the anchor spot against experienced/powerful NTs. Luke Getsy tried to replicate the small sample of success he got calling screen plays with the starters in the preseason, on this game it was a mess and it was because of bad blocking by many but especially by Chase Claypool who had an awful game as a blocker, his bad rep makes it look like he just didn't try. Running backs and receivers didn't have much to show with the Oline struggling and Justin Field under siege most of the game, he never had a clean pocket but when he did have time and some space he just didn't throw it, it was so frustrating to see, one cant help but to think he isn't ready, he looked untrained or coached poorly at least to play in this system with this team, its infuriating to watch him go backwards in development as a QB.

Upside players: D.J. Moore did great once he got the ball, 2 for 2 was just inexplicable. Roschon Johnson can be a spark for this team with his type of play.

Downside players: A bit unfair But Darnell Wright just had to live the NFL experience. Cole Kmet and Claypool really need to step up as blockers. I didn't like Robert Tonyan in the preseason and didn't like him this game. Call me exaggerated or inpatient but this team needs to find a solution to sit Patrick for someone else or shuffle the line, would prefer to see Whitehair at center. Don't have the courage to put Fields here, but need to mention he didn't play well be it in part because of team performance overall and play calling, still he need to find his way to make throws to a better receiving situation with Moore and Mooney.

Defense showed more promise and that is really saying something when they get scored 38 points, the offense was that miserable. The Bears DL was hot or could against the run, or they stuffed them or they would get runs for 5+ yards a carry, so I was convinced the Packers would carve this defense with their run game, it really didn't happen so that's a plus. Looks like what really killed this defense was something basic, they are not coached well, the game plan was not meant for this squads talent, they are not ready to be called a team when they are still not on the same page and they call plays that don't place them in a winning position, case in point, this team cant rush for their lives, so why in all that is holy they didn't call blitzes on 3rd and long situations? Pro football reference has them calling 5 blitzes which puts them tied for the second least team to call blitzes in week one, this coaching staff was convicted that they could rush with only four for I don't know what reason. Its still a wait and see for this defense if they can gel enough to play better than average and for the coaches to get with the program. Alan Williams going through personal stuff is not ideal, if time is what he need its good to see him take it.

Upside players: Andrew Billings must be protected at all cost. 

Downside players: I'm just naming Rasheem Green here because I just don't know what makes him so special to still be on the team, but any edge rusher could be here.

   Bottom line, this teams is a long ways form being ready and I blame the coaches for most of it. One more game is needed to tell us more of this story that is the 2023 Chicago Bears, its just begun, it just started with the protagonist bleeding out and unconscious. The Bucs are a good second chance for the Bears, they are very similar to the Packers with a very good defense and wide receivers although their running game isn't as strong which should benefit the Bears defense. The Bucs are dealing with injuries in the defense and will play without corner Carlton Davis and rookie DL Calijah Kancey, Bears will go without nickel corners Kyler Gordon (IR) and Josh Blackwell, this opens the game to be an aerial assault for both teams which is what we need to see from Fields, the Bears need to challenge rookie corner Zyon McCollum who is no slouch at 6-4 200lbs and ran a 4.33 40, but he hasn't played much, Fields needs to let the ball go and trust his receiver will win. I predicted a loss to the Bucs at the beginning of the season because I presumed this team wasn't ready to win and sadly I was right, its winnable yes but most importantly they need to show they are building something resembling a competitive NFL team.

Useless predictions: 2023 Week 1 picks

   The NFL betting world starts with a rough one with the Lions upsetting the Chiefs, even I felt a bit sad form Mahomes but Vegas had to love it. Let see what other surprises we get this week with all the team trying to find their footing and showing us who they really are.

Last years record: 26-101 (20%) (spread+O/U)

49ers at Pittsburgh (+2)    (O41.5)

   Both are coming into this season with as solid teams as top contenders, their biggest questions they need to answer is if Kenny Pickett has what it takes and if the niners Oline can keep up. 

Cardinals at Washington (-7)    (U38)

   I expect the Commanders to be decently good with a solid defense and having success as an offense with Sam Howell at the helm. The Cardinals I expect them to be hot garbage even when Kyler Murray returns.

Titans (+3) at New Orleans    (O41.5)

   Both solid teams, the Titans have a good running unit and the Saints a good air group, both with a veteran QB leading them and solid pieces at defense, I will side with the Titans as I expect them to control the game with the run.

   Bucs (+4.5) at Minnesota    (O45.5)

   The Bucs will be what Baker Mayfield makes them be, so really improbable but there are not a bad team. The Vikings still have an offense to go toe to toe with any defense, I don't trust their defense.

Jaguars (-4.5) at Indianapolis    (U46)

   Anthony Richardson will be a very good QB, its going to take time. The Jaguars are finally an NFL team that can compete.

Bengals at Cleveland (+1.5)    (U47)

   The AFC North is loaded, the Browns have a great defense in paper, Joe Burrow might not be healthy enough to go against them through the whole game.

Texans at Baltimore (-9.5)    (O43.5)

   C.J. Stroud has a good team to work with but will take time, the Ravens are still a very good coached team and have Lamar Jackson happy.

Panthers (+3.5) at Atlanta    (U39.5)

   Another good situation for a rookie QB, Bryce Young has enough tools to learn to be a good NFL QB, on the other side I don't expect much from Desmond Ridder even if he has some freakishly talented offensive playmakers.

Packers at Chicago (-1.5)    (O41)

   A new era for this rivalry, right now it looks even in comparison to the last 25+ years before, the Bears have built a better team but still need to answer a lot of questions, the Packers are all eyes on Jordan Love if he can lead them to wins.

Raiders at Denver (-3)       (O43)

   Everybody is down on the Raiders to be one of the bottom of the barrel teams, they don't look all that bad but its a possibility with the questions surrounding Jimmy Garoppolos health, the Broncos upgraded in the preseason but nothing of that matters if Russell Wilson has reached its peak as is now regressing.

Dolphins at LA Chargers (-3)    (O51)

   Everyone has the same opinion that if Tua Tagovailoa stays healthy the Dolphins will go very far, they have the team to do so, having your LT injured doesn't help. The Chargers are a underperforming team, they have all they need to be a good contending team but they just get too much in their own way.

Eagles (-3.5) at New England    (O44.5)

   I get that the Patriots have a solid team but I don't get where this confidence of them beating the Eagles comes from, the Eagles are a powerhouse, every team can stumble and lose but I just done see what the Patriots have to make people think its a sure bet, I believe Mack Jones still need to prove himself he isn't just a field general and can make highlight plays when needed.

Rams at Seattle (-5)    (U46)

   the Rams, even with a good limited draft and some elite players on their roster, are in rebuild more while the Seahawks are one year removed from it although they are still missing some pieces, I'm still expecting the Seahawks to continue where they left of last season.

Cowboys at Giants (+3)    (O45)

   If not that the Cowboys are banged up at theri Oline, I would bet on them to win, they have a decent defense that is ramped up just because of Micah Parsons and the offense is solid. The giants defense can get the job done against anyone, I don't like the offense, they are going to need some nifty play calling from Brian Daboll to make this QB and his average wideouts to make plays and not leave it all to Saquon Barkley.

Bills (-2.5) at NY Jets    (O45.5)

   The Bills are champions of the regular season and still have the team to continue being it, the Jets are scary in paper, its still a wait and see if Aaron Rodgers can still pull BS plays from his hat.