Category: Bears Wire Podcast

Podcast: Lovie Smith gave Bears fans an amazing gift with the No. 1 pick

Thanks to Lovie Smith, the Bears have the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. We recap the excitement from Week 18 on our new episode.

Who would’ve thought that a Week 18 game with no playoff implications could be so exciting? Especially with the Bears riding a 10-game losing streak into the 2023 offseason.

Thanks to former Texans head coach Lovie Smith, Chicago had plenty to celebrate in the form of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft. With the Bears losing and Houston winning a meaningless game over the Colts, Chicago landed the top selection (along with plenty of leverage).

Despite the popular hot take that the Bears should trade Justin Fields, that’s highly unlikely. Instead, GM Ryan Poles will most likely look to trade down from No. 1 and clean up with a boatload of additional draft capital. And he’ll have no shortage of suitors, as teams are looking for a quarterback.

Not only do the Bears control the NFL draft, they also will have a hold on free agency, as they’re projected to have $118 million in salary cap space (which is far and away the most in the league).

With the Bears wrapping their 2022 season, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) recap the excitement from Week 18, including a shoutout to Lovie Smith and what Chicago should do with the first overall pick on the latest episode of our Bears Wire Podcast.

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Podcast: Bears’ game plan vs. Lions was questionable at best

On the latest episode of our Bears Wire podcast, we’re discussing the embarrassment that was the loss vs. Lions.

The Chicago Bears are coming off a 41-10 blowout by the Detroit Lions, which was easily their worst game of the 2022 season.

The losing streak is nothing new for the Bears, who have now lost nine straight games. But there was something different about this 13th loss, which felt unlike Matt Eberflus’ team.

Quite frankly, it didn’t look like the Bears showed up to play. There was a lack of effort noticeably absent, even for the second-worst team in the NFL. The one thing that we’ve been able to take away from this harsh season is that Eberflus has kept his team from spiraling when others would’ve.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case against Detroit, where the team fell apart after the first quarter. Chicago was outscored 34-0, the defense struggled and the passing game was the worst it’s been.

But perhaps the most egregious thing was that Eberflus kept quarterback Justin Fields in the game when he should’ve been pulled. It’s understandable that Eberflus wanted Fields to get valuable on-field reps. But there became a point when those reps were no longer valuable, when the Bears were getting blown out in the second half.

As the Bears gear up for their regular season finale, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discuss the dumpster fire that was the Lions game and preview Sunday’s matchup against Minnesota on the latest episode of our Bears Wire Podcast.

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Podcast: Should rash of injuries change the Bears’ approach on game days?

With the Bears eliminated from postseason contention and nothing at stake, how should they handle injury risks in these final three games?

The Chicago Bears have been ravaged by injuries in the latter half of the season, which has included the losses of safety Eddie Jackson and receiver Darnell Mooney for the season.

In last Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Bears lost linebacker Jack Sanborn for the season with an ankle injury, and the team’s best offensive linemen (Teven Jenkins and Cody Whitehair) were also sidelined. Jenkins suffered a scary neck injury but did return to Halas Hall this week. Whitehair suffered a knee injury that likely ends his season (and maybe his Bears career, if the team decides to move on from him.)

At one point, even quarterback Justin Fields exited the game, where it was later revealed to be cramping in his hamstring.

But with Chicago eliminated from postseason contention and nothing at stake (aside from a top-three draft pick), should the Bears consider the injury risks in these final three games?

As the Bears gear up for a Christmas Eve contest against the Bills, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discussed how the Bears should handle their rash of injuries and preview Saturday’s matchup against Buffalo on the latest episode of our Bears Wire Podcast.

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Podcast: 6 questions coming out of the Bears’ bye week

On the latest episode of our Bears Wire Podcast, we’re discussing some hot topics coming out of the bye week.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for their final four games of the 2022 NFL season, which starts when they welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to Soldier Field on Sunday.

Chicago is coming off a much-needed (albeit late) bye week, which gave them some time to regroup and get healthy before the final stretch of games. It also happens to be the toughest remaining strength of schedule in the league, which will only help the Bears inch closer to a top draft pick.

As the Bears gear up for a Week 15 game against the Eagles, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discussed some popular topics at the bye week on the latest episode of our Bears Wire Podcast.

From who is the Robin to Justin Fields’ Batman to the potential free agent target that makes the most sense to which NFC North teams presents the biggest challenge in 2023, we’re breaking it down:

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Podcast: The Bears have a clear path to No. 2 overall draft pick

In the latest episode of our Bears Wire Podcast, we’re discussing how Chicago is poised to lock down a top draft pick in the final month.

The Bears are sitting at 3-10 at the bye week, and their season is all but over. Chicago was eliminated from playoff contention last week, but there’s still plenty to watch heading into this final stretch of games.

Namely, the Bears’ draft position, where it feels like they’re all but guaranteed a top-three selection. Chicago currently has the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and the final four games provide a path to maintaining that selection.

The Bears have the toughest remaining strength of schedule. Their final four games are against the Eagles (Week 15), Bills (Week 16), Lions (Week 17) and Vikings (Week 18), who have a combined win percentage of .729.

It’s fair to wonder if there’s another win on their remaining schedule, where they’ve already lost six straight. Perhaps a Detroit team they handled for most of their last matchup. Or maybe Minnesota, who could be resting their starters in the regular-season finale.

With the Bears in the middle of a bye week, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) recap Justin Fields’ return to the lineup against the Packers and discuss how Chicago is poised to lock down a top-two draft pick.

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Podcast: What’s the right plan for Bears QB Justin Fields going forward?

In the latest episode of our podcast, we discuss how the Bears should handle Justin Fields in these final five games.

With the Bears sitting at 3-9, it’s hard not to look to the 2023 offseason with five games left. But quarterback Justin Fields made a lost season worth watching with some spectacular performances. Until he got hurt.

Fields suffered a separated left shoulder in a Week 11 loss to the Falcons, and there’s a debate about whether the Bears should sit Fields for the rest of the season.

I’ll admit, the appeal of getting to watch Fields at some point during these final five games is strong. After all, it was exciting waking up on Sunday mornings knowing we’d get to watch Fields play football. That’s what this season has been all about — Fields’ development, and we watched him blossom into a star before our very eyes.

But the Bears have the second-worst record in the league, and they’re not contending for anything (outside a top-three draft pick). They already won this season because they found their guy in Fields. So why risk further injury to your franchise QB?

With that said, Matt Eberflus (and Fields, himself) made it clear that Fields will play when he’s healthy. That could mean he suits up against Green Bay. It could mean resting him until after the bye. Or it could even mean shutting him down for the season. We simply don’t know.

As the Bears gear up for a Week 13 game against the Packers, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discuss the right way to handle Fields for the remainder of the season and preview Sunday’s matchup against Green Bay.

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Podcast: Bears might have to save Justin Fields from himself

In the latest episode of our podcast, we discuss why the Bears shouldn’t risk further injury to Justin Fields heading into Week 12.

The biggest question heading into the Bears’ Week 12 game is the health of quarterback Justin Fields, who suffered a separated left shoulder that’s left him in a bit of pain.

Fields has been a limited participant in practice this week, although he admitted on Wednesday that he felt pain on pretty much every throw and even on handoffs. While that could change getting closer to the game, it’s safe to say the consensus among fans is Fields shouldn’t play in Sunday’s game against an elite Jets defense.

This season has been all about the development of Fields and the future. This isn’t a team that’s contending; this isn’t a team that can surprise with a late surge. This is a team in the beginning of a rebuild that just found its franchise quarterback in Fields. So there’s literally no reason to risk further injury by playing him the week after his injury.

Fields is someone who exemplifies the meaning of toughness. This is the guy that played through cracked ribs and threw six touchdowns in the College Football Playoff. The same guy who took a beating throughout his rookie season in Chicago. Also the guy who needed to finish last Sunday’s game, even with his shoulder throbbing.

But, it’s worth noting, Fields told reporters Wednesday that he wouldn’t risk further injury — where he would miss more games — just to suit up on Sunday. After all, Sunday’s matchup against the Jets isn’t quite at the level of a trip to the National Championship.

As the Bears gear up for a Week 12 game against the Jets, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discuss the right way to handle Fields’ injury and preview Sunday’s matchup against New York.

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Podcast: Justin Fields, Bears must learn how to finish games

While the Bears offense has been able to put up points, the one thing they haven’t been able to do is to close out games.

The Bears offense has improved drastically since the mini-bye week, where offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has adapted his scheme to fit his players’ strengths. Most notably, quarterback Justin Fields.

After averaging 15.5 points in the first six games, Chicago has averaged 31 points in the last month. They’ve scored 29-plus points in four consecutive games (33, 29, 32 and 30).

While they’ve been able to put up points, the one thing they haven’t been able to do is to close out games.

There have been several times this season where the Bears offense hasn’t been able to mount a comeback drive late in the fourth quarter. It was evident again last Sunday against the Lions, when Chicago stalled in their own end with a little more than a minute left. Fields completed 1-of-4 passes and took two sacks on that drive, which, after a failed fourth down conversion, stalled at Chicago’s 32-yard line.

But it also happened in Week 9 against the Dolphins, Week 5 against the Vikings and Week 4 against the Giants, where the common denominator is the Bears had opportunities to win or tie the game.

It’s been a point of emphasis for this offense — finishing games — where the reason is simple, lack of execution. For an offense looking to continue to improve, closing out games is the next step.

As the Bears gear up for a Week 11 game against the Falcons, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discuss the next step for Chicago’s offense and preview Sunday’s matchup against Atlanta.

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Podcast: How the Bears unlocked Justin Fields’ full potential

The Bears have unlocked something special in Justin Fields, and we discuss on the latest episode of our podcast.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields is quickly developing into one of the NFL’s most exciting players, as evidenced by his record-setting performance against the Dolphins, where he rushed for 178 yards (most ever by a quarterback in the regular season).

But it’s taken some time for Fields to get to this point. Lest we forget the first six games of the season, where there were legitimate concerns about his development.

Then the mini-bye week happened, which allowed the Bears unlock Fields’ full potential. We’ve seen a more confident and comfortable Fields over the last three weeks, made possible by Luke Getsy leaning on what Fields does well, particularly his mobility.

We saw the beginning of that in Chicago’s win over the Patriots, where there were more designed QB runs and Fields was able to use his elite athleticism to wear them down.

While Fields has been impressing with his unique running ability, he’s also improved in the passing game, even if the stats don’t necessarily show it. He’s more decisive and confident throwing the ball, and it certainly helps that he has another weapon in Chase Claypool.

As the Bears gear up for a Week 10 game against the Lions, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discuss Fields’ record-setting performance and how the Bears have unlocked something special.

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Bears Wire Podcast: Ryan Poles shows us he’s all-in on Justin Fields

On this week’s Bears Wire podcast, we discuss how Ryan Poles’ moves at the trade deadline show he’s prioritizing Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears were quite active ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline, where they dealt two defensive stars in linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive end Robert Quinn.

But it was the acquisition of receiver Chase Claypool, for a 2023 second-round pick, that spoke volumes about the direction general manager Ryan Poles is taking.

The Claypool move showed that Poles is shifting his focus from prioritizing offense over defense, which is something fretting and new for Bears fans. For so long, this organization has prided itself on defense. Not that there’s anything wrong with that — there have been some dominating defenses and Hall of Famers a part of that history.

But in this modern NFL, the focus has shifted to offense, and it seems so has Poles’ priorities.

The addition of Claypool provides quarterback Justin Fields with a playmaker at receiver, during a season where wideouts (not named Darnell Mooney) have been underwhelming.

It also provides Fields and Claypool nine games to develop chemistry before heading into an important 2023 offseason, and it should help open up what’s been a non-existent passing game through the first half of the season.

Poles doesn’t make this move if he doesn’t have belief in Fields as this team’s franchise quarterback, which has certainly been helped by Fields’ impressive outings over the last couple of games.

As the Bears gear up for a Week 9 game against the Dolphins, host Ryan O’Leary (@RyanO_Leary) and myself (@AlyssaBarbieri) discuss Poles’ moves at the trade deadline and preview the matchup against Miami.

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