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At this point in my life, all I want is to be entertained. Do you want pitching duels, defensive battles, chess games? have it. I? I’m going to score, the more the better. Nor would I say no to a clown who drives a tiny car.
I found the perfect team. The Bears aren’t great, but they’re tough enough, playful enough or stupid enough to know when they’ll be completely overtaken. The Cowboys scored their first four touchdowns on Sunday, and as the ominous sentence goes, it was a dark and stormy night.
But the Bears nearly trailed 28-7, rebounding for 10 straight points in the final minute of the first half, almost before they wiped their eyes. This should not be forgotten. I’ve written more than once that the only thing that matters this season is Justin Fields’ progress as a quarterback. But for a team that is constantly fighting, there is something to be said. Bears are stubborn, for better or worse. For better or worse can also be fun.
Even better is a mini comeback against one of the better teams in the league. Even worse was a 49-29 loss.
Better yet, the Bears ran for more than 235 yards for the third straight game. To make matters worse, offensive coordinator Luke Gacy was still calling when his team trailed by double digits in the fourth quarter.
Better yet, Fields had eight runs for 60 yards and one touchdown. To make matters worse, the Cowboys fired him four times.
The best is 29 points against a team with the second-lowest number of points given up when the NFL enters a game. The worst so far was the Bears’ defense giving up 442 yards total, allowing the Cowboys to go 9-for-11 on the third possession.
But who am I to complain about? If I crave points, I can’t be picky about who offers them. As I mentioned earlier, the Bears are more determined than talented, so it would be unreasonable to expect them to go head-to-head with the talented Cowboys. It’s more realistic to be impressed by the way the Bears keep fighting back. You might think that’s a low bar, but in August, I think the season has the potential to be a mess. The Bears’ 3-5 record proves that.
So entertainment value: Fields’ interception was wiped out by a rough passer late in the first half, leading to a 17-yard touchdown by N’Keal Harry. As if that wasn’t enough, safety Eddie Jackson took Dak Prescott’s pass, leading to a 36-yard field goal from Cairo Santos to end the first half.
“We told the players at halftime, ‘It’s a game,'” coach Matt Eberflux said.
It was — for a while. A 12-yard touchdown run by Khalil Herbert in the third quarter cut the Cowboys’ lead to 28-23. He fumbled on that drive earlier, but replays overturned it. Stimulation and spillover are good.
By leaps and bounds, not so good. Later in the quarter, Fields had a chance to save David Montgomery’s blunder from a total disaster. All he had to do was touch the guy who retrieved the ball, Micah Parsons. Instead, he skipped him. It’s an incredible sport, and if non-contact leapfrog becomes an Olympic sport, Fields might one day have a gold medal around his neck. Parsons ran the ball back for 36 yards and a touchdown, giving the Cowboys a 42-23 lead.
“Just let him down,” Eberflus said. ”When you see this, you have to touch him. we know. It’s part of professional football. ”
touch him? what is that?
“I can’t tell you the last time I dealt with someone,” Fields said.
The Bears surprised the Patriots and many pundits last Monday. I can’t tell you why that 19-point win made more sense than their 20-point loss on Sunday. Every game, Eberflus and his team reveal more about themselves. In the game against the Patriots, we saw the Bears show fearlessness and a certain ruthlessness. These are usually the hallmarks of a Bill Belichick coaching team. Against the Cowboys, we saw the Bears stick to a running game that no longer applies in the NFL.
The downside is that the Bears refuse to make the ball happy when they slump. It goes back to the importance of Fields improving as a passer this season. He doesn’t get better by running or passing the ball. His supporters will point to his 120.0 passing rating on Sunday as proof of excellence. Realists will see him throwing only 151 yards.
All in all, though, not bad.
I know what an embarrassing double-digit loss looks like. This is not one of them. This is entertainment. I’ll take it.
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