Bears Are Broken, and So Are the Fans

I don't even know why I am watching Bears' games anymore -- I am too tired of the same old, same old to be angry. I am apathetic -- and that's before we factor in that the last two games were excruciatingly boring.

Bears fans have a right to be angry -- this year's team was expected to be much better than four wins. Some fans had them penciled in for the playoffs. Yours truly expected at least as many wins as in 2023 -- that would be seven -- and up to 10. A lot of us fans were expecting to see growth compared to last year, even if the team fell short of the playoffs.

Instead, we saw a cascade of coaching disasters that led to former head coach Matt Eberflus being fired shortly after he had fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. And yet we've continued to see the same sort of game mismanagement under interim head coach Thomas Brown.

The only positive sign of growth has been the overall development of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams -- and even he has had self-inflicted problems.

For Bears fans of a certain age, it's the same movie -- it's always the same movie. Younger fans are just beginning to understand that.

It's easy to suggest that the McCaskey family should sell the team -- after all, isn't McCaskey ownership the common denominator here? The one constant through line? Aren't the McCaskeys the ones who hire the coaches and front office personnel who eventually fail after failing to properly evaluate on-field talent?

Yes, they are. But they aren't going to sell anytime soon, and there's no guarantee a new owner would be an improvement. No, we fans have to continue to hold out hope that the Bears get the next head-coaching hire right -- and that they get the next general-manager hire correct should they and team president Kevin Warren send current GM Ryan Poles packing at the season's end.

I've already expended too much energy identifying problems -- I don't know if I can even muster the energy for solutions. Is 70-something Pete Carroll, the former Seahawks head coach, the answer at head coach? What about current Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is the "hot" candidate? What about former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who had some success in Nashville before flaming out and wouldn't be a first-time HC?

There I go again, using effort and energy to care about the Bears. I don't know why I should -- some of the players clearly already have their minds in the Caribbean, even if their bodies are in Chicago.

I guess I still watch out of fandom obligation because there are only 17 games. And so I can write about the team here, as well. But I've mentally checked out on caring for this team.

It's frustrating to see how fast it all fell apart following the Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders. A mentally tough team with a coach willing to hold himself accountable would've been able to recover from that. Instead, Eberflus continued to make baffling late-game decisions, continued to mismanage the clock, and continued to avoid responsibility.

That said, the players need to take accountability, too -- if Eberflus was the problem, why did the defense regress and the offense continue to struggle? The eye test suggests the players hadn't recovered from the Hail Mary when the team played Arizona on the road and were fully checked out against the Patriots. Sure, Eberflus was still in charge then, but the players can't blame all of their subpar effort on him. And what is the excuse for the dud against San Francisco after Eberflus was launched?

Next season there will be a new coach to learn about, another year of Williams to watch, and curiosity about the direction of the team. Will it finally take a step towards the postseason or are we back in rebuilding mode again?

Answering those questions will pique my interest. Until then, Sunday afternoons are reserved for naps.

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