Bear Digest

Expect Bears to Make Screen Shots of One Doubting Website

Analysis: The skeptics rule the day when it comes to the Bears at one website, although ESPN has a simulation with the Bears winning a playoff game.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds gives pursuit to his former teammate, Bills QB Josh Allen in Chicago's preseason win.
Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds gives pursuit to his former teammate, Bills QB Josh Allen in Chicago's preseason win. | Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams let it be known to SI NFL writer Albert Breer that he saves screen shots of media criticism, social or otherwise.

Even though he's been said by GM Ryan Poles to be comfortable in his own skin, the skin apparently isn't thick enough because he wants to remember who his doubters and those of the Bears are.

This being the case, the Bears QB and the full team must have CBS Sports.com analysis bookmarked. There is no bigger group of skeptics of what Chicago is trying to do with this season than the analysts at CBS Sports.com.

While Pro Football Focus today posts the Bears have the eighth-most easy schedule and sees a possible playoff run, PFF's Timo Riske sees a winning combination materializing for the Bears.

"A new-look offense—one filled with weapons—and the eighth-easiest schedule in the NFL may be a recipe for success," Riske wrote.

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The same is true with ESPN.com, where a simulation for the entire NFL season not only found the Bears making the playoffs but also knocking off second-seeded Philadelphia in a major upset.

"Williams is here, and the Bears are back," writer Seth Walder concluded from the simulation.

A similar simulation also found them making it last year with Justin Fields at QB, however.

Meanwhile, Bears detractors at CBS Sports were everywhere. The CBS Sports final standings prediction by six writers has the Bears failing to make the playoffs on all counts, except Ryan Wilson, who has them as the last wild card. Pete Prisco, Will Brinson, John Breech, Jared Dubin and Tyler Sullivan are more infatuated with the Lions and 49ers, and Dubin even has the Cowboys winning the conference.

All five writers who picked the Bears to miss the playoffs have them finishing third in the NFC North.

Prisco's comment in the first CBS power rankings, where the Bears are 17th, probably sums up best how the web site's wirters feel about Chicago.

"The Caleb Williams hype is real, but now comes the tough part of living up to it," Prisco wrote. "The roster is talented, but they might be a year away.

Jeff Kerr probably had the biggest slap in Chicago's collective faces with a ceiling and floor article. In it, he said the Bears would top out at 9-8 and miss the playoffs. The floor was going 6-11 and, of course, missing the playoffs.

"The NFC North is also a very good division," Kerr wrote. "The Bears could be that team that takes a step back to go two steps forward."

Individually, the Bears fared no better with that website as a 53-man All-NFL roster revealed by Cody Benjamin has only cornerback Jaylon Johnson on it from Chicago, and he made it in a tie for the last spot. At least Keenan Allen received an "others receiving votes" at wide receiver but again DJ Moore was snubbed here.

They also received no votes for the division title in a power rankings story by Prisco with division winners named by eight writers.

Twitter: BearsOnSI


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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.