Good morning, Chicago!

And welcome to Moral Victory Monday?

A few CHGO Bears audience members were angry we used that term after the Bears’ 29-22 loss to the Vikings on Sunday. And I get it. No one should be happy the NFL’s charter franchise is settling for style points 37 years after their only Super Bowl title.

At the same time, think about how we were feeling during the first half! Kirk Cousins completed his first 17 passes, Justin Jefferson could not be stopped and it looked like Minnesota might hang a 50 burger on our beloved Bears.

But they didn’t. Following a strong touchdown near the end of the first half, Justin Fields and the rest of the Bears came out swinging in the second. An 18-point deficit was turned into a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, all on the road playing in front of one of the most hostile crowds in the league.

If we’re going to be angry about anything, it’s that Ihmir Smith-Marsette robbed us of one great Fields highlight and possibly a second.

The first came when he took a needless blocking penalty on an electric scramble by QB1 that would’ve ended going for six. The second came on a game-ending fumble that stopped a push to tie the game.

Would Fields have done it? We can’t say for certain. The Bears settled for two field goals on the two previous drives and time was dwindling.

But the Bears had a chance, which is more than you can say for the offense in many parts of this season so far. Fields had a great second half, completing 12-of-13 passes for 135 yards and rushing five times for 36 yards. He looked comfortable, not overmatched.

As I remarked on Twitter, the second half was exactly what I want to see from the Bears this season: A competitive contest in which Fields shows he’s capable of being the answer.

That the team didn’t pack it in after the early indignities is also a good sign to me.

And let’s be honest: While we all want the Bears to win, losing a few close games this year won’t hurt in the long run. If we’ve learned anything over the first five games, it’s that Fields and this team need a major talent infusion. Want our own version of Justin Jefferson? He’ll be easier to get the higher the Bears pick in the draft.

This won’t be a pretty season. It already hasn’t been. We’ve been upset after wins (Houston) and encouraged after losses (Minnesota). Throw in the win over San Francisco and the flattening losses to Green Bay and New York and we’ve already experienced every emotion possible.

But we’ll be OK as long as Fields keeps making a stronger case for becoming a solution.

Kevin Kaduk
CHGO Head of Content

More from the game

• Watch the postgame replay on YouTube
• Nicholas Moreano’s report from Minneapolis
• Mark Carman’s game grades (CHGO members)
• Instant reactions from the CHGO Bears staff

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Join us at our next tailgate!

Tickets for 11/6 vs Miami, 11/13 vs Detroit and 12/4 vs. Green Bay are now on sale!

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The Week Ahead

• The Blackhawks season begins on Wednesday with our CHGO Blackhawks crew in Denver for Wednesday’s opener against the Avalanche. The tank for Connor Bedard is off to a great start: The club went 1-5 in the preseason, was outscored 22-6 and was shutout three times.

• The Bulls finish up their preseason schedule when they host the Bucks on Tuesday. The big news from this last weekend’s games was Billy Donovan moving Patrick Williams to a reserve role. Here’s why Will Gottlieb thinks that could be a good thing.

• The Red Stars travel west next Sunday for their playoff match against San Diego Wave FC, but the fallout over the NWSL report continues. Sandra Herrera and Claire Watkins talked about it all on the latest CHGO Red Stars pod.

• The Fire season came to an end on Sunday with a 1-1 draw against New England. The club finished 12th out of 14 teams in the Eastern Conference.