CHGO Digest: Thomas Brown's lack of aggression dooms Bears against Lions

Good morning.

“I mean, I wasn’t surprised.”

That’s what Bears tight end Cole Kmet told reporters when asked about the split crowd at Soldier Field on Sunday. Kmet credited the Lions’ great year, adding another twist of the knife from the born and raised Bears fan. “If I’m a Bears fan, I get it. It’s cold, and we’re not doing too well right now.”

Good call, Cole. Kmet did his part to keep the Bears afloat on Sunday, hauling in his first touchdown since Week 6 in London, but it wasn’t enough. Not even close.

It’s a tough hole to climb out of when you’re down 20-0 less than 18 minutes into the game. It’s even tougher when your defense is unable to force a punt until the fourth quarter.

Caleb Williams bounced back after production had dipped since Thomas Brown took over as interim head coach, posting 334 yards and two touchdowns, including a laser through the secondary down the right sideline to Keenan Allen for 45 yards.

However, only one quarterback had a more productive day: Jared Goff, who threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns. So much for the idea that Goff can’t play in the cold. I suppose he can when playing a Bears defense averaging 34 points against since firing Matt Eberflus.

With an overtaken Soldier Field crowd, chants of “Jared Goff” could be heard ringing throughout the stadium during various points in Sunday’s action.

If you’re chairman George McCaskey or team president Kevin Warren, that just can’t happen. Bears fans should’ve rivaled the loud visitors from Detroit with a “Ben Johnson” chant of their own.

— Patrick Norton

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Thomas Brown defends lack of aggression, cites game’s flow

I thought Thomas Brown said he’d preach aggression in his five-week stint as interim head coach. Isn’t Brown the one who said, “Football is a violent game and it rewards those that play violently”?

That’s what made his decision-making throughout Sunday’s game so disappointing. When staring at an insurmountable deficit, one cannot look across the field to the other sideline at Dan Campbell and become passive. It’s when Campbell’s Lions “bite your kneecaps”, as the Lions’ head coach put in his introductory press conference back in 2021.

Campbell’s a bit of a wild man and it’s bitten him in the behind before, but as Brown’s chance to become the permanent head coach of the Bears slips further away with each passing result, it’s odd watching the interim coach fall into the same overly-conservative tendencies that ultimately doomed Matt Eberflus.

On 4th & 7 from the DET 12 with seven minutes left in the third quarter and the Bears down 20, Brown had an opportunity to showcase his aggressive spirit. Instead, Brown pulled his offense off the field and took the three points with a chip shot field goal.

That turned a three-possession game into a… three-possession game. When asked why Brown opted to kick even with the Bears eliminated from playoff contention and with the stakes essentially non-existent, Brown said, “I think it it’s about understanding the flow of the game, making smart decisions. And just going for it, just to say you’re going to go for it, to me, is bad coaching.”

Shockingly, the decision to cut Detroit’s lead from 20 to 17 didn’t pay off. Caleb Williams was visibly upset with the decision while walking to the sideline, too. However, Williams said the diplomatic thing after the game, telling reporters he wasn’t frustrated with the decision, but that the offense couldn’t convert on the previous 3rd & 11.

Then, with 10 minutes left in the game, Chicago was faced with another 4th & 7, but this time down 17 and all the way back on their own 31-yard line. About 36 yards outside of Cairo Santos’ field goal range (we’ll get to this in a second), Brown had to keep his offense on the field.

Williams converted on a 10-yard gain to Keenan Allen. First down. How did that drive end? About a minute later, Williams was walloped for a nine-yard loss on 3rd & 11, bringing up 4th & 20 from the Lions’ 37. That’s a 55-yard field goal. Three points would’ve cut it from three scores to two. Regardless, this couldn’t be an empty possession with time working against the Bears.

What did Brown elect to do? Drain 40 seconds off the game clock, take a delay of game and set up a Tory Taylor punt a little better. Brown confirmed that 55 yards kicking toward the south endzone, where Lions kicker Jake Bates pushed a 65-yard attempt just right to end the first half, was not within Santos’ range.

It’s just not a winning formula. Brown is right. You do have to understand the “flow of the game” and you can’t just blindly go for it on every fourth down just because you’re out of the playoff picture.

So, explain to me how “4th & 7 at the opponent’s 12-yard line down 20 in the third quarter” or “4th & 20 at the opponent’s 37-yard line down 17 with 10 minutes left” isn’t within the flow of the game.

The Bears coached scared, and against a 13-2 division leader, it was never going to be enough.

Instead, Chicago falls to 0-5 within the NFC North this year with one more shot against the Green Bay Packers in Week 18.

🏈 For Keenan Allen, the next two weeks are about one thing: “putting good stuff on tape.” Can you blame him?

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