Normally a 40-7 drubbing of the opposition would be a cause for hearty celebration. Not this one last week against a dreadful Carolina team. The injury to Jayden Daniels on the game’s first play cast a pall over an otherwise stellar outing. Brandon Coleman also entered the League’s Concussion Protocol. Both are probably out this week and next. It’s a mistake to evaluate a team based solely on the Starting 22-players. Teams need to be evaluated by “Position Rooms.” Who is the backup? Who is the backup to the backup? In a sport where the injury rate is touted as being 100% it’s nearly a given that the depth of the position rooms is going to be tested. The biggest takeaway from last week’s game is that Marcus Mariota came into the game and excelled.
It’s a Matter of Perspective
Football results are almost always viewed as a product of one team’s production versus the other team’s performance. Mariota had a great day is one way of looking at it. He can play. The other is that it was against a vastly inferior team. Therefore, his performance carries no weight. This is always the way. Find some spot in the middle where both ends of the argument have some validity. That’s where the truth usually lies.
There were complaints noted on various message boards that Marcus was not as sharp as Jayden normally is. Some astute observation was going on there. IF he were as productive as young Daniels he would not be a QB2. He’d be the star on some team. A drop off in production is a part of the design of a position room. Limiting the drop is the ideal. Ask Miami how they’ve fared without Tua Tagovailoa. Their QB2 didn’t last one game. Honestly, no one knows how good he could be. The drop off from Tua was precipitous. Credit Adam Peters for signing a QB2 with lots of experience. Some of that was being drafted #2 overall, just like Jayden, but then failing to live up to the expectations. There’s something invaluable about a young phenom sharing a position room with someone whose lofty draft status didn’t translate into dreamy success.
So, if your moment gets called, then you deliver for the team…that’s a really powerful thing
Head Coach Dan Quinn
on Marcus Mariota’s performance
Speaking of depth in a position room, this was Daron Payne‘s best game of the year. Phidarian Mathis, Jer’Zhan Newton, and others stepped in to fill the void created by the injury to Jonathan Allen.
Welcome Back, Mr. Sweat
The version of the Bears that came to Landover last year was inferior to this year’s version by miles. They came into that game 0-4. But, they left town with a 40-20 win that felt more lopsided than that. On Halloween the WFT traded Edge Rusher Montez Sweat to Chicago for a Second-Round pick. Sweat was on his walk year. There were doubts Washington could re-sign him. With the dumpster fire that was the 2023 season it was not an unreasonable thought that he would want to go elsewhere. The Second-Round pick turned into Jer’Zhan Newton. He was a player that Peters had placed a First-Round grade upon. Turned out he needed surgery to both feet. A subsequent slow start is not surprising.
I’m just happy being someplace where I’m wanted.
Montez Sweat
on what it means to him to play Washington
Montez Sweat didn’t start slowly at all in Chicago. They immediately gave him a $98 Million four-year extension. Before he arrived at McCaskey Hall the Bears were averaging 27.25 points against. From his arrival until the end of the season the Defense allowed on 17.8 per game. This year is even better at 16.8 points per game. It all turned around when Mr. Sweat was added to the roster. For good measure Montez lead both Washington and Chicago in sacks last year despite playing only a half-season for each.
This week is the proverbial High-Flying Offense against the Stingy Defense. On the other side of the ball the Chicago Offense is averaging 24.6 points per game. They have averaged over 31-points over the last three games. The Bears’ Offense against the Washington Defense favors Chicago. A pattern has emerged where the WFT Defense offers promise by delivering good performances against bad Offenses. Against good Offenses…not so much. The Ravens abused the entire Defense that game. Granted that Chicago’s Offense won’t be as formidable as Baltimore’s. But, this will be the second-best Offense faced this year.
Caleb Williams Returns to the DMV
There was genuine controversy surrounding the #1 pick in the 2024 Draft. Caleb Williams, a local product had won the Heisman Trophy in 2022. His Senior year did not go nearly as well. Naysayers were quick to point out that his coach for his final year was one Kliff Kingsbury. The new Offensive Coordinator for the Burgundy and Gold had seemingly somehow damaged Williams. But, then Williams broke a lot of traditional protocols after his college season ended. The Scouting Combine is a bit of a beauty pageant where the new crop of potential players try to influence those in charge of drafting. Williams went to the combine. But, he refused to take a Physical. He only interviewed with a handful of teams of his own choosing. And, he didn’t have an agent. As Draft Day approached only the Bears, sitting at #1 had a medical makeup on him. It’s not how it’s done, But, it worked out for him and the Bears.
Williams looked lost at first. Now, he’s coming into his own rapidly.
After the Bye
The advantage for teams coming off the Bye week is slight at 54.7% over the last 21-years. That is not a homogeneous spread, however. Some teams excel at it. Facing Andy Reid‘s teams after a Bye Week is a headache waiting to happen. Reid is 21-4 coming off of the Bye. Washington is one of the worst teams in the bunch going 7-14. It’s a coach-centered phenomenon. Chicago’s Matt Eberflus is 1-1. There are no tea leaves available for this week as far as the Bye Week Effect is concerned.
Another Flex
This game was flexed from 1 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. to give more of the national audience a chance to see the top two draft picks. And, for the second time in three weeks CBS will send their top broadcast team to a Washington game. The dream face-off probably won’t happen unless Jayden Daniels takes a “Block” injection for his bruised ribs. Dr. David Chao of Sports Injury Central advised against it on his weekly radio spot. Perhaps we’ll see that anticipated matchup in the playoffs. Or, maybe it happens on Sunday. Stay Tuned.
Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders
Date: Sunday, Oct. 27
Time: 4:25 p.m.
Network: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson
