Bears’ NFC North Mission Begins Impossible for Thomas Brown

New Bears offensive coordinator Thomas Brown chuckled a little when told his biggest accomplishment last year was this week’s play-calling against the Bears opponent, the Green Bay Packers.

However, they lost the match 33-30.

“My goal was to make sure every game was as successful,” Brown said.

Probably with a win at the end, that is. Brown couldn’t properly dunk the ball because conditions were different back then.

The Packers defense switched to 4-3 this year under Jeff Hafley after running a 3-4 defense since 2008.

Brown trusted his players in this losing effort.

“I think these guys did a really good job that day, making plays, locking in, focusing, executing the game plan,” he said. “That’s the goal every time you call the play.”

The truth is that this might have been their best game in terms of points won, but not in terms of executing the game plan.

The Packers took a 30-16 lead into the fourth quarter before Bryce Young and the passing game tied the score.

Brown’s idea to start the game was not to get desperate and scatter the entire field, but to balance the offense with a healthy tendency towards the running game.

There’s no magic formula, or “quick fix,” as he calls it, to get what the Bears need offensively to prevent their 10-game losing streak against the Packers from turning into another 11-game losing streak.

Welcome to the reality of the Bears’ situation in 2024, Thomas Brown. Now that you’ve decided to accept, your mission is to rescue the Bears from this 4-5 mess and three-game losing streak, thereby eliminating the possibility of having to change the coaching staff again. And you have to do it the hard way, by going through the NFC North, where all three teams are in good position to make the playoffs.

The Bears have yet to play a league game and will need a 5-1 or 6-0 league record to advance to the playoffs.

Here’s what it looks like in the NFC North, where the Bears have lost 21 of their last 30 games since Eddie Jackson picked off Aaron Rodgers’ throw in the end zone to win the 2018 NFC North title for Chicago.

SI NFC North Standings

1. Lions, 2. Vikings, 3. Packers, 4. BEARS

THE MYSTERY BY WHICH THOMAS BROWN RECEIVED THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE AN ATTACK.

JAQUAN BRISKER PLACED IN INJURED RESERVE WITH CONCUSSION

BEARS DEFENSE MAINTAINS FOCUS AS THE OFFENSE COMES TOGETHER

JAYLON JOHNSON AND DJ MOORE TAKE THE HIGH ROAD AFTER PACKER INSULTS

Minnesota Vikings

Joe Nelson, Minnesota Vikings at SI

This week: Sunday in Tennessee, noon

What to Watch: Justin Jefferson. The Titans have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they stole the game plan that Jacksonville used to double-team Jefferson and Jordan Addison during the 42 minutes the Vikings had the ball last week. Jefferson was targeted nine times but finished the season with a season-low five receptions for 48 yards. Let’s see if the Vikings can schedule him for more action against Tennessee.

Key to Victory: Stop turning the ball over. Sam Darnold was really accurate and effective until he got into the red zone. He’s been intercepted five times in the last two weeks, three of which came in the end zone. If Darnold hadn’t made critical mistakes in the red zone, the Vikings likely would have outlasted both Indy and Jacksonville and looked like the dominant team that started the season 5-0.

Detroit Lions

John Maakaron, Detroit Lions at SI

This week: Hosts Jacksonville at noon Sunday

What to Watch: Za’Darius Smith will make his Lions debut on Sunday, which will add interest to the clash with the Jaguars. Although expectations have been tempered by the coaching staff, Smith is expected to quickly become a valuable addition to Detroit’s defensive line. Sunday will be the first chance for home fans to see what the team has in store for the 32-year-old attackman.

Key to Victory: The Lions can’t let the Jaguars hang around. With Mac Jones ready to start at center, the Lions have an easy way to win. Still, the Lions can’t afford to let talented weapons like Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas step up. If the Lions can pile up early scores and match them with stops defensively, they have what it takes to win easily.

Green Bay Packers

Bill Huber, Green Bay Packers at SI

This week: Sunday noon in Chicago

What to Watch: Jordan Love picked up where Rodgers left off against their longtime rivals, throwing five touchdown passes and zero interceptions in two games against Chicago last year. Love is the key to everything. He kicked 15 goals but made 10 interceptions in the first half of the season. Can he get back to how he played last year, scoring 18 goals to just one interception in the last eight games?

Key to Victory: Chicago gave up nine sacks in last week’s loss to New England. Green Bay’s defense had one sack each of its last two games and traded for Preston Smith at the deadline. This is the ultimate match of weakness against weakness. Green Bay better win because the Bears have leading playmakers in DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze while struggling offensively during a three-game winning streak.

Chicago Bears

Gene Chamberlain, Chicago Bears at SI

This week: Hosts Green Bay on Sunday, noon

What to Watch: RB D’Andre Swift. He didn’t rush for less than 51 yards in his last six games and averaged 82 and had 20 receptions in his last six games, but it looked like former OC Shane Waldron didn’t trust him enough to take pressure off Caleb Williams and take the game back. Start the action game.

Key to Victory: Williams is given options in the passing game. The Waldron offense often featured two and three receivers, all running somewhere down the field. It wasn’t about the short cross of the field or passing routes in the middle of the field. A rookie QB needs the kind of routes that Keenan Allen could benefit from. It will be up to new OC Thomas Brown to make changes that will allow players to open up or have safety valves ready during the passing attack.

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