1. That’s five times, now. Five times, the Chicago Bears have come back to steal a win from an opponent in the final minute this year. Is it Ben Johnson’s manic energy? Is it Caleb Williams becoming The
Guy? Is it pure luck? All of the above? I don’t care. Because right now, the Bears are in line to win more games than they have since 2018. Ride the wave, baby.
2. What’s the bigger story: that the 9-2 Denver Broncos are tied with the New England Patriots for the best record in the NFL, or the fact that they just beat a Kansas City Chiefs team that is somehow on the outside looking in at the playoff picture? I’m picking the latter. I won’t believe the Chiefs not making the postseason until I see it, but I think we can officially say the Chiefs simply aren’t what they used to be. Even Patrick Mahomes himself hasn’t been as good, especially when it comes to hitting the deep ball. What’s the world coming to?
3. I caught some flak for saying Tetairoa McMillan would have gone before Rome Odunze if the two had been in the same draft. Not to knock Rome, who’s clearly the best receiver on the Bears and developing into a WR1, but McMillan is proving himself a different breed. Think about it: aside from two games—one of which was a franchise-record 448-yard performance—Bryce Young hasn’t topped 200 passing yards a game. And McMillan is still sixth in the league with 748 receiving yards. He’s that dude.
4. I realize I’m adding to this because it’s a big story. But…we’re reading way too much into Shedeur Sanders’ debut. I get that he’s a big, intriguing name because of who his dad is and because, like Bronny James in the NBA, we’ve been following his every move since high school. But the reality is that he’s a fifth-round, third-string rookie quarterback who struggled in his first NFL action. Because of course he did. Because he’s probably not a starting QB in the NFL long-term. Which is fine, because a lot of good QBs aren’t (more on that later). Most of the obsession with everything Shedeur isn’t about football, and we need to be honest with ourselves about that. Let’s just say, I’m not looking forward to the discourse when he struggles in his first start. In the words of Ian Malcolm in The Lost World: Jurassic Park: “Hang on, this is gonna be bad.”
5. As much as I love Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, I am hoping against hope doesn’t go in the top-10 of next year’s draft. Why? So he can avoid Ashton Jeanty’s fate of playing behind a putrid offensive line as a rookie and taking a year’s worth of hits for no reason. That dude is too fun to waste on a team like that.
6. Good for Jacoby Brissett setting the record for the most completions in an NFL game with 47, even though it came in a blowout loss to the 49ers. It’s a reminder that, on any given Sunday, even a backup quarterback is better at his job than the average person is at theirs.
7. RIP Justin Fields’ career as a starting quarterback. It was past time. Now enjoy your Taysom Hill era.
8. I’m really glad Jalen Hurts won that Super Bowl last year because he got exposed. Because he’s been hard to watch this season.
9. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews’ touchdown run off a tush-push look against the Cleveland Browns is why banning that play would be a stupid idea. That level of innovation from Todd Monken is simply too sweet to take away.
10. I, for one, am sad that the Bears will miss Aaron Rodgers, who appears to have broken his wrist just in time for his potential last start against Chicago. It would’ve been fun watching his face as Caleb Williams drove the Bears down the field to set up a game-winning Cairo Santos field goal with four seconds left. That’s how I’m imagining it, anyway.
