The Bears are a confounding team.
They look terrible, then kind of good. They look ridiculous, then almost thrilling.
Are they en route to high times or high crimes?
No one can say for sure.
But with a young athlete who might be transforming into a star at the most important position in sports — quarterback — the jury must remain skeptical but hopeful.
Because here’s the shocking thing: The Bears have possibilities.
We didn’t think that at the start of the season. This was a four- to six-victory contraption ready to bore us senseless all fall, with the development of quarterback Justin Fields being the only moving part.
Their 29-22 loss Sunday to the Vikings was as confusing a game as one could concoct, but it was a nice one for Fields. And the Bears could have won.
In fact, they easily could be 4-1 now instead of 2-3. Maybe if things had gone right, they could be 5-0.
No, scratch that. They got wiped out by the Packers because Aaron Rodgers has cast a spell on this franchise thicker than ayahuasca tea.
But the Bears could have won every other game. And they certainly can win Thursday against the Commanders at Soldier Field and be 3-3.
They could be in the hunt in the NFC North.
Yes, that’s the desired parity of the NFL, but it’s also the gift of that same mediocrity.
Only the Chiefs and Bills seem truly elite this season, with their respective quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, being a cut above.
Maybe you think the 5-0 Eagles are untouchable. They’re the only undefeated team in the league, and major props to emerging star Jalen Hurts.
But the Eagles won their opening game against the Lions by three points and their game Sunday against the Cardinals by three points, and those easily could have been losses.
Maybe you would say Tom Brady and the 3-2 Buccaneers are an elite team, but they have lost to the Chiefs and Packers and needed a ref to help them win Sunday against the Falcons. To wit: A last-minute roughing-the-passer call on the Falcons reminded us all that Brady may not be tackled but should be placed gently on a preapproved senior-citizen cushion.
NFL games this season consistently have come down to fourth-quarter play. On Sunday, there were victories by seven, five, seven, two, seven, six, four, three and two points. There were drops, interceptions, missed tackles, penalties, lousy punts, bad luck and stupidity at the end (get out of bounds, Ihmir Smith-Marsette), making every game a crapshoot.
If you think that laundry list is a sign of a lack of talent or proper coaching, you might be right. Indeed, we already have had our first fired head coach of the season in Matt Rhule, the Panthers’ $62 million dud.
Firing Rhule was the 1-4 Panthers’ way of saying all games are winnable these days. Forget that Rhule went from Teddy Bridgewater to Sam Darnold to Baker Mayfield at quarterback and that none was very good. Also, running back Christian McCaffrey was injured a lot. Sucks for you, bud. Bye-bye.
So it goes.
Commanders coach Ron Rivera, the former Super Bowl champion Bear, could be the next coach on the hot seat. If his 1-4 team loses badly to the Bears on Thursday, look out.
Yes, the Bears are sadly lacking at wide receiver, but so are lots of teams. With injuries rampant, quarterbacks never know who’s going to play. Make do with what you’ve got.
The Bills’ Allen threw a 98-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass Sunday to receiver Gabe Davis, and nobody was sure whether Davis could play because of an ankle injury.
Yes, we’re watching Fields’ development. It overwhelms us with uncertainty, with hope but a lingering dread. For him to be the next Mitch Trubisky would mean the Bears have regressed at quarterback for more than a half-decade.
This will be only Fields’ 16th start in the NFL, and maybe that’s his magic number. Maybe it starts clicking for him right now. The game slows down, makes sense. He’s sailing.
It might happen. Everything’s winnable, you know.
