Bears Get More Good Tank News

The New York Giants continue to show little ability to play the tanking game with the DeVito Family running things.

Two could play horribly at that game on Monday night, however.

Former Illinois QB Tommy DeVito wouldn't let Saquon Barkley give it away and led an upset of the Green Bay Packers Monday night that might have helped the Bears in their impossible dream of climbing back into the playoff chase, but definitely helped them in their current draft positioning.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans seemed poised to climb into the fourth spot ahead of the Bears and Washington Commanders for Round 1, if the Giants failed to lose. Losing by two touchdowns to Miami late was a good way to ensure this.

However, on a true Monday night of tanking madness, the Titans somehow rescued tank defeat from the jaws of success and posted a better score, 28-27, to drop all the way to ninth in draft order.

The Giants' win dropped them to 5-8, or improved them to 5-8 depending on whether you don't want to see either DeVito or Daniel Jones bumbling next year. This record meant a tie with the Bears in the draft standings. There are six teams tied now at 5-8 for that fifth spot but the Bears, by virtue of their soft schedule, remain No. 5 for now.

TANKING WATCH AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS

The 1-5 draft spacing should allow the Bears to get what they need, whether it's a quarterback and receiver, quarterback and offensive lineman, quarterback and pass rusher or a quarterback and trading away a pass rusher so another good team can have a generational defensive tackle talent.

Dropping all the way to ninth the way the Titans did with their win, or even to 10th where the Justin Herbert-less Chargers now reside, could have put all plans into jeopardy.

The really important slot for the Bears remains the draft's top spot. Fortunately they could be really in deep to the DeVito family here but aren't, because Tommy didn't lose when he had the chance to beat the Patriots two weeks ago.

Carolina's loss Sunday definitely didn't hurt Bears chances for the draft's top spot.

However, the real key here was Mitchell Trubisky's ability to lose to both the Cardinals and Patriots inside the space of five days. It showed Trubisky might still have some fondness for his former team as those Steeler losses to league refuse all but locked up the No. 1 pick for the Bears.

In one week Trubisky pushed both of those tanking contenders back away from the Panthers, who are the Bears' surrogates. If only he could have been as effective in the 2020 playoffs against the Saints.

With four games left, it would now take a couple wins by Carolina to ruin all the draft day intrigue for the Bears at No. 1.

The Panthers close the season at home with Atlanta and Green Bay, at Jacksonville and home with Tampa Bay. So two wins might be a very tall order for a team in total disarray. Ryan Poles apparently chose his trading partner well last year.

But as Tommy DeVito and The Titans proved Monday night, nothing is ever a sure thing in the Tanking Football League until Roger Goodell has called your name from the podium as being on the clock.

Tank Watch 2024 is a backward, semi-humorous and tongue-in-cheek look at the Bizarro World of the NFL draft.

.@dan_bernstein doesn't want a strong finish by the Bears to keep them from aiming higher at the head coaching position.

"I just don't want the embrace of the mid to keep them from looking at bigger and better," Bernstein says.

Listen on @BernsyHolmes: https://t.co/2I9IEOd8pw pic.twitter.com/gVhotwfVfU
— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) December 11, 2023

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven