Hot in Hotlanta: The Bears Roller Coaster Is Back

Bears 31, Falcons 23

First fucking throw. Right to Loveland.

Like a quick, hard jab to start a prizefight, the Bears came out swinging, and for once, I wasn’t sitting there waiting for the offense to wake up.

Then Loveland scored, and my neighbor texted me.

“Your boy scored.”

Yes, he fucking did.

He had Loveland on his fantasy team. I’d spent weeks yelling for the Bears to throw him the ball. We both had something to celebrate.

And after those first two drives, I was looking at the television thinking, Where the fuck was this against Green Bay?

There’s the Offense We’ve Been Waiting For

The Bears were running the ball, spreading it around, and giving Caleb time to throw. The offensive line was doing its job. Swift had room. Loveland was involved from the start.

And give Luther Burden some fucking credit, too. I’ve been going on about Loveland, but Burden deserves his love. Get these young guys involved. Give Caleb options.

Watching it all come together, you could finally see the offense we’ve been waiting for from Ben Johnson.

The Bears got on Atlanta early and kept going. I actually wanted the ball back because I couldn’t wait to see the next drive.

That’s a nice way to spend a Sunday.

Caleb looked as accurate as I’ve seen him. He was finding his guys, getting the ball out, and making throws that had me sitting there smiling instead of screaming at my television.

I loved the emotion, too. The confidence. The moxie. He looked like he was enjoying himself.

At one point, I thought, Holy shit. We actually have a quarterback.

I know it’s one game. Let me have my fucking afternoon.

Dennis Allen Brought the Pressure

I said on the podcast that Dennis Allen was going to have to scheme his ass off to help win this game.

He came ready.

Pressure was coming from everywhere, and Kyler Gordon was right in the middle of it.

Three fucking sacks.

Who saw that coming?

It was great to see Gordon have that kind of game. Allen kept finding ways to bring him, and Atlanta had to deal with it.

The whole team showed up with some piss and vinegar. The defense was getting after it. Special teams were contributing. The offense was moving.

Did somebody play my podcast in the locker room? Did Ben give them a John Tortorella speech like the clip I put in last week’s blog?

Whatever happened, remember it. Write it down somewhere.

There were still things that bothered me. Jaylon Johnson getting beaten deep again was one of them. Penix missed opportunities that could have hurt us. You can’t keep counting on overthrows.

The rookies had their learning moments, too. Muhammad got beaten, and Thieneman had things to clean up. That comes with playing in this league. Learn from it and be ready for the next snap. And Sam Roush? Enough bro.

And realistically, with London and Robinson out there, Atlanta was going to make some plays.

But that first half? The Bears gave us plenty to feel good about.

Roschon Was Running Angry

Roschon Johnson looked like he’d listened to my podcast and decided he was tired of hearing my shit.

The guy was running like he wanted to be Earl Campbell.

He ran hard, and it was encouraging to see him contribute like that. Yes, the later fumble hurt, especially when you’re trying to close out a game.

But there was good football before that, and it counts, too.

If he keeps running that way when Monangai comes back, having Swift, Roschon, and Monangai available could give this offense a hell of a boost.

Keep the running game working, give Caleb time, and suddenly those receivers become a lot harder to deal with.

We saw how good that can look.

Then we got to the fourth quarter.

Ben, We Weren’t Finished

For once, I thought the Bears might let me watch the fourth quarter in peace.

Sit back. Enjoy the game.

Then the starters started coming out.

What the fuck are we doing, Bro?

I understand there’s a Thursday game coming. I also understand Atlanta was still on the field trying to win this one.

The Bears had played with their hair on fire, and suddenly we were easing off the gas. Between that and the fumble, the Falcons had a reason to believe again.

Now I’m watching the clock, watching the score, and wondering why we couldn’t just finish the game.

That part is on Ben.

Tom Brady talked during the broadcast about momentum. You could feel it. The Bears had Atlanta on the ropes for much of the afternoon. By the end, I was waiting for the fucking game to be over.

We won. I’m happy.

I would also enjoy winning without needing to check how much time the other team has left.

Now Do It Again

After Green Bay, I wanted to see how this team would respond.

Caleb gave us accuracy and confidence. Loveland got involved immediately. Burden contributed. The line played well, Swift and Roschon ran hard, and Kyler Gordon had himself a day.

That’s a response.

Now the Patriots come to Chicago on Thursday, then Seattle. We’re going to find out whether the Bears can keep this going against tough defenses.

Yes, it’s a short week. The Patriots have the same problem. Both teams have to get ready.

I want to see that same energy from the opening snap. Keep giving Caleb options. Keep feeding the running game. And keep coaching until the game is over.

Last week, I was furious. This week, those first two drives had me thinking about what this team could still do this season.

That’s how fast these dudes pull me back in.

I’m ready for Thursday.

Ben, just leave the starters in long enough for me to enjoy it.

As of Today, the Chicago Bears are valued at approximately $9.7 billion.

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