It seems like Bert Bell, the commissioner who coined the phrase “On any given Sunday” to represent NFL parity, didn’t anticipate a situation like this: the Denver Broncos, who have yet to win a game and are still recovering from a devastating 50-point loss, are actually favored to win against the Chicago Bears, who also can’t seem to break free from their losing streak. This type of unpredictability is disheartening. On this particular Sunday, one might hope that the NFL would consider revoking the game.
Of course, the league won’t cancel the game, as it might encourage people to find alternative ways to entertain themselves, like watching traffic. However, Week 4 seems to be a lackluster and disappointing affair. The winless Minnesota Vikings will be facing off against the winless Carolina Panthers, and that’s just the beginning. The Broncos and Bears share the same 0-3 record, but they stand out as extraordinary failures. Denver recently suffered a historically embarrassing 70-20 loss in Miami, while Chicago found themselves trailing the Kansas City Chiefs 41-0 before managing to score 10 late points.
To highlight the magnitude of both teams’ incompetence, no other game in NFL history has seen two teams allow a combined total of over 111 points in a single week. Denver and Chicago share the dishonor of jointly setting this record of abysmal performance. It’s unfortunate that they can’t even excel at being miserable.
“Look… we really need a win,” expressed Denver Coach Sean Payton, and oddly enough, even though it was an obvious statement, it carried the weight of a sermon.
In the span of just three weeks, both Denver and Chicago have lost their sense of purpose. The Broncos play as if they’re awaiting their ultimate judgment from Payton, and now their new head coach has even more reason to phase out the majority of the team at the end of the season. The Bears, on the other hand, seem to lack leadership from their head coach, and it’s possible that Matt Eberflus may not hold that title for much longer.
When September arrived, both Denver and Chicago had valid reasons to anticipate competitive and progressive seasons. The Bears had finished the previous season with a dismal 3-14 record and secured the No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, which they traded to Carolina in exchange for a sensible combination of players and assets, kickstarting a promising offseason of roster improvement. With Aaron Rodgers leaving Green Bay and the Vikings unlikely to replicate their previous success, it was reasonable to believe that Chicago could potentially double their win tally. Payton arrived in Denver with the goal of revitalizing Russell Wilson’s stardom, fostering an offense that could complement a playoff-caliber defense, and providing the much-needed leadership and structure for a team that underperformed with a 5-12 record. Improvement was expected, the question was whether the Broncos would progress gradually or instantly contend for the playoffs.
However, on this particular Sunday, these teams are facing each other in an attempt to challenge the preconceived notion that they are already beyond redemption. Relief is often a greater reward of victory than competitors would like to acknowledge, but this matchup presents a unique and thought-provoking dilemma: the objective is not to achieve success, but rather to escape failure. If you win, you’re still a poorly performing team. If you lose, you’re not even worthy of the criticized grass found stuck to the players’ cleats at Soldier Field.
Typically, drawing conclusions from a mere three-game sample size is considered insufficient. However, even the most rational and composed individuals can’t help but cast doubt when looking at the performances of Chicago and Denver.
The Bears have suffered defeat in every game by a margin of at least ten points. Their offense has the unfortunate distinction of averaging the league’s lowest 15.7 points and 250 yards per game, placing them near the bottom in offensive rankings. Their defense is equally dreadful. Opponents have outscored them 106-47, leading to a point differential of -59, which is even worse than Denver’s -53, despite the Broncos’ abysmal performance in their previous game. Prior to their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned suddenly, and ESPN later reported that it was due to an allegation of “inappropriate activity” that had caught the attention of the Chicago Human Resources department. And this is only the start of their troubles.
Since last season, Eberflus has experienced a losing streak of 13 games. After an initial 2-1 record at the beginning of his tenure, Eberflus has since lost 16 out of 17 games. Even Hue Jackson, the coach from Grambling State University who had a dismal .205 winning percentage in the NFL, is probably sitting in his office sympathizing with Eberflus. The most troubling aspect of it all is that Justin Fields, a young and talented quarterback, is in danger of joining the long list of quarterbacks who were once promising but ultimately failed to thrive in the challenging environment of Chicago.
Two weeks ago, when attempting to explain why he felt “robotic” on the field, Fields made reference to the coaching staff. He was trying to delve into the challenges that quarterbacks face when trying to strike a balance between instinctive play and rehearsed tactics. However, his comments were perceived as an attack on the coaching staff, leading Fields to address the media again to clarify his intent. Then, in the game against the Chiefs, he only managed to throw for 99 yards. So far in his third season, Fields has completed only 58 percent of his passes, thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, and has a passer rating of 67.7, which is tied with Ryan Tannehill for the fourth-lowest among qualified quarterbacks.