Tag: The Morning After

The Morning After…the sky has fallen in New England, and the credits are rolling

It’s time for a reality check the morning after the Patriots’ 31-17 loss to the Dolphins.

No one expected things to go this way.

Sure, there were skeptics that believed the New England Patriots would ultimately crash and burn at the end of their 2023 run. But here we are, just eight games into the season, and it’s already over.

This team vehicle driven by coach Bill Belichick wasn’t even halfway down the track, and it has already flipped on its side, watching as the rest of the AFC East competitors wave goodbye in the smokey rearview.

It’s a weird place to be in for a franchise with six Super Bowl banners hanging from Gillette Stadium, but that’s exactly where the Patriots find themselves after Sunday’s 31-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Here are some leftover notes from the game:

The Morning After…Patriots offense looks improved, but it’s far too late

The Patriots showed an offensive pulse against the Raiders, but it could be too late.

The New England Patriots fell to 1-5 after a 21-17 loss at the hands of Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

Coming off two disgusting losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints by a tally of 72-3, the Patriots offense finally got into the end zone against the Raiders—not once but twice.

The two touchdowns came on the legs of both running backs Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott.

The Patriots offense looked better, but it had some self-inflicted wounds, like an interception thrown by Mac Jones earlier in the game and the 10 team penalties throughout. They also gave up a sack for a safety to close out the game.

Although the game felt better than the last two weeks offensively, the team might be finding offensive success too late, as they are now 1-5 on the season. Only three teams have come back from a 1-5 start, and this team doesn’t have the talent to overcome that.

Let’s get into some leftover notes from Sunday’s game.

The Morning After…the Bears’ frustrating Week 6 loss vs. Vikings

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Sunday’s disappointing loss vs. the Vikings.

The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Minnesota Vikings, 19-13, on Sunday. It marked their 15th loss in the last 16 games dating back to last season.

Chicago’s defense had its best outing of the season, holding a top-five Minnesota offense to under 20 points. Meanwhile, the Bears offense stumbled following two impressive outings. Not to mention, quarterback Justin Fields reportedly suffered a dislocated thumb in his throwing hand that knocked him out of the game — and for how long remains to be seen.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s disappointing defeat to Minnesota, including the defense’s dominant effort and the offense’s frustrating outing. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 6 contest.

The Bears’ Week 6 loss vs. Vikings

The Morning After…the Bears’ impressive Week 5 win vs. Commanders

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Thursday’s exciting prime-time win over the Commanders.

The Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Commanders, 40-20, on Thursday Night Football. It snapped a franchise-worst 14-game losing streak that almost reached a full calendar yet.

The Bears had a dominant first half performance, where they held a 27-3 lead. But unlike the previous week, where they choked away a huge lead, Chicago was able to close it out in the second half (even though there was a scare in the third quarter).

Quarterback Justin Fields and receiver DJ Moore stole the show in prime time, where Fields found Moore eight times for 230 yards — second most in franchise history — and three touchdowns.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s exciting win over Washington, including the exciting duo of Fields and Moore and getting a win for Dick Butkus, who passed away before the game. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 5 contest.

The Bears’ Week 5 win vs. Commanders

The Morning After…the Bears’ disheartening Week 4 loss vs. Broncos

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Sunday’s demoralizing loss to the Broncos.

The Chicago Bears suffered a heartbreaking 31-28 defeat to the Denver Broncos, which dropped them to 0-4 and they’ve now lost 14 consecutive games dating back to 2022.

The Bears continue to remind us that things can always get worse. Chicago had a 28-7 lead in the third quarter — and they still found a way to lose. Even with Justin Fields’ perfect first half, where he completed a franchise-record 16 consecutive completions and looked like the confident quarterback we’ve been missing.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s brutal loss to Denver, where the coaches found a way to waste Fields’ career game in what should’ve been closer to a blowout win than the three-point loss. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 4 game.

The Bears’ Week 4 loss vs. Broncos

The Morning After…the Bears’ mortifying Week 3 loss vs. Chiefs

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Sunday’s demoralizing loss to the Chiefs.

The Chicago Bears were blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs, 41-10, in a game that was lost within the first five minutes. Simply put: It was a complete disaster.

The Bears have now lost 13 consecutive games dating back to last season (where Matt Eberflus is 3-17 in his tenure), and they’re staring down a 0-3 start with the Denver Broncos on deck. Things feel like they’re spiraling out of control through the first three weeks, and it’s clear that there needs to be accountability within the organization.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s embarrassing loss to Kansas City, including an ineffective offense, brutal defense and a coaching staff that needs to be held accountable. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 3 game.

The Bears’ Week 3 loss vs. Chiefs

The Morning After…the Bears’ deflating Week 2 loss vs. Bucs

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Sunday’s brutal loss to the Bucs.

The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 27-17, in a game where things were a little better than the season opener but things were still a complete disaster.

The Bears have now lost 12 consecutive games dating back to last season, and they’re staring down a 0-2 start with the Kansas City Chiefs on the horizon. Things feel like they’re spiraling out of control through the first two weeks, and jobs could very well be on the line.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s brutal loss to Tampa Bay, including the coaches, offensive and defensive struggles and more. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 2 game.

The Bears’ Week 2 loss vs. Bucs

The Morning After…the Bears’ brutal Week 1 loss vs. Packers

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Sunday’s season opener against the Packers.

The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Green Bay Packers, 38-20, in a game where the Bears were outcoached, outplayed and downright embarrassed in front of the entire country.

Different quarterback, same result. The Bears lost their ninth straight game to the Packers, and it was just a brutal effort from start to finish. While the game was still within reach at halftime, things quickly spiraled out of control into madness as Green Bay outscored Chicago 28-14 in the second half.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s brutal loss to Green Bay, including the coaches, offensive and defensive struggles and more. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 1 opener.

The Bears’ Week 1 loss vs. Packers

The Morning After…the Bears’ preseason finale vs. Bills

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Saturday’s preseason finale vs. Bills.

The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Buffalo Bills, 24-21, in a game where Bears starters saw limited action in the first quarter.

It wasn’t exactly a dress rehearsal, and it was quite evident that both starting units had limited preseason reps. Both units were unimpressive, but the Bears escaped relatively unscathed.

The game also provided one last opportunity for players to make an impression, where undrafted rookie phenom Tyson Bagent put an exclamation mark on his case for the backup quarterback job.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s loss to Indianapolis, including the starters’ performance and the QB2 battle. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the preseason finale.

The Bears’ Week 3 preseason loss vs. Bills

The Morning After…the Bears’ preseason loss vs. Colts

Our Bears Wire staff share their thoughts about Saturday’s preseason loss vs. Colts, where it was all about Tyson Bagent and the QB2 battle.

The Chicago Bears were defeated by the Indianapolis Colts, 24-17, in a game where Bears starters didn’t play. That allowed more opportunities for players further down the depth chart to impress, including one rookie in particular.

The biggest storyline to come out of this game is undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent, who made a strong case to unseat P.J. Walker for the backup QB job. Bagent has impressed all summer, especially during his one series against the Colts in the second quarter. He orchestrated a 17-play, 92-yard scoring drive, completing 7-of-8 passes for 61 yards and a 2-yard rushing touchdown.

There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s loss to Indianapolis, especially the sudden QB2 controversy. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 2 preseason outing.

The Bears’ Week 2 preseason loss vs. Colts