Or perhaps it’s just that this season brought challenges to the Detroit offense that Ben didn’t have to deal with while in Detroit. That is a fact. We don’t know how Ben would have fared with those issues while also pointing out, as @curioushusker has done repeatedly, that Ben’s first thing in Chicago was getting a OC that could come close to what Rags was in Detroit.
So, yes Ben played a big role in Detroit’s success, no one doubts that. But this season doesn’t really prove much with regards to Ben as the season, players and in season issues were different. We have no idea how he would have fared in Detroit this year.
But, the point is not provable so it thus becomes a fact to you and many others. Many of whom, not you, are those not in favor of Brad/Dan.
Well then either I have not communicated my feelings well or they are being misinterpreted.
To be clear my Ben take is threefold:
I have always had the opinion that Ben is a good football coach. I think Dan is as well. I also believe that AG is/was.
The second part of this is that I do think there is a Fugazi element to Chicago’s season. I said the same thing about Washington last year and most were skeptical of my claim. @Wrath-SRT and I and a couple others feel like this is the exact profile which reverts to the mean the following year.
Lastly I’m a Bears fan not a Lions fan. The Lions have a myriad of pressing issues which all make for much greater conversation pieces than lamenting the loss of a good offensive coach who had a family altering (for generations) career advancement opportunity.
Somehow that has been seen by some as being bitter. I think part of that is that I push back on some of the hysteria and maybe at times like this that is unwise. Perhaps I should just let those that want to scream into a pillow do precisely that.
But as @nate says the players and their families read this board. You can tell that the way that parts of the fan base turned on the guys bothered Jared, DJ and a few others. And I think if I were in their shoes I would feel the same way tbh.
Well we do agree it’s fixable , and your right Dan is a good coach and maybe could be a good Play caller, he improved the passing game I think. There a lot goes into that run game. But it is how it took away from his normal duties and how that may have effected Shep and other parts of the team.
Yeah, I’ve liked his pass game stuff and would love to remove the overhang of changing OCs often.
But ultimately I’ve come to the conclusion that we need him to have a wider apperature.
KS’s defense falling apart mostly coincided with Dan calling plays. I wonder if his attention to that side of the ball had been helping KS in his DC infancy. But the game management seemed to decline, we seemed less motivated.
So ultimately I’m back on the get Dan back to CEO train.
This is the thing that is misleading everyone almost doubted that back in June. People laughed and joked about Ben being good made fun of Caleb Williams all kinds of stuff. Now it’s no one doubt it. That’s some straight up bull shit right there.
But your right I’m in favor of both still. We don’t need that kind of change but we have some major tweeks that is needed to both Dan and Brad. Dan will figure it out, the guy will try anything that fixes the problem. He admits when it’s not working and moves forward quickly. Brad on the other hand needs to prove he can adjust so far I haven’t seen that from him like I have with Dan but I’m hopeful.
Are you of the belief that the final book is written on Ben as a coach based on year one? I think it’s a great start for him but there are some legit questions on the sustainability going forward. While also thinking he did some great things there, or definitely good things.
Not saying he can’t do it but the league adapts and adjusts to coaches as we’ve seen.
My question on Ben back in June was his ability to lead a whole team, I didn’t know if he could do it as it is tricky. Early returns are positive for certain.
No but Ben is off to a good start and is a good coach just kinda like Dan , but it’s the NFL , you can never go by the past and have to keep working. NFL not for long
That’s the thing I think Dan could be a good Play caller the guy just learns and adjusts. But at what expense to the rest of the team. Dan is the captain of the ship he can’t be stuck in the engine room all the time.
“Everyone” did not. Most perhaps did. I don’t think anyone thought they’d win the division but I think quite a few thought they’d be a tough out and win 9 games.
And that is probably were they would have landed if they only got half of their dosage of miraculous finishes and abundant TOs.
Many here thought they’d win the Bears would be pretty good in 2023 if Fields could play. He could not. Then last year but Caleb needed seasoning and Flus was over his head. There wss a reason Ben chose that spot.
That what I said , he seem to want to work with Caleb for all the how bad he was. Having Caleb for QB might have been why so many were sure he would fail. But I think it was one of the selling points for Ben.
I definitely agree with Caleb being a big reason for Ben choosing that job as it gave him what he didn’t have in Detroit.
Caleb made progress this year, yet, still struggles with accuracy and in many cases the easy throws.
What a great point I have never put together. It does seem like there is a correlation there. I’d have to go back and look at injury timing but could have potentially been a double whammy for KS.