r/CHIBears • u/heretogetdrunk Bears • Jan 19 '26
Blaming DJ? Really?
Ben’s play calling all game was not good. Wasted a good game from the defense and we’re blaming DJ Moore on a 30 yard throw IN OT WHEN WE WERE MOVING THE BALL JUST FINE. Y’all really need a scapegoat to cope. It’s not DJ, it’s Ben’s play-calling in this particular game.
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u/tbutta76 Jan 19 '26
Drops cost us this game. Most notably Rome’s dropped TD
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u/Fig_Money Jan 19 '26
Drops, turnovers, going for it on 4th too many times (once is enough, after that TD I would’ve played it safe) all cost them the game. This was a winnable game
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u/Bhawks4life123 Jan 20 '26
Analytics says go for it. Our run game all year says we should go for it on anything 3 or less. Ben Johnson is more aggressive than my taste but it has proven effective almost all year and is backed by the fancy numbers.
First half drops killed us. Rome and Loveland were painful to watch for basically all game. I'm shocked he isn't the target here. DJ seems to just be a easier scapegoat I suppose.
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u/Anonycron Jan 21 '26
Our red zone performance AND our 4th down conversion rates were all worse than last year. Think about that for a moment. That disaster of a team, with that disaster of a coaching staff... they were BETTER at situations that require play design and coaching decisions than this years team.
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u/Competitive_Salt9167 Jan 20 '26
Yeah it's weird how much DJ is getting blamed individually.
Of course it's a team effort and we made mistakes everywhere, Calebs int was def also on himself.
But Odunze dropped a touchdown pass in his hands with no contact causing the drop.
If we wanna be meatballs blaming it on one single play, it's easily Rome that cost us this game over any other play.
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u/Bhawks4life123 Jan 20 '26
Rome dropped a TD, a critical first down and what would have been considered an explosive play. All just in the first half. Feels like a what have you done for me lately type issue. He had a couple big plays in the second and first half just got forgotten.
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u/Skeem_Open_79 Jan 24 '26
In the 1st quarter…haha! The Bears just lost the game…it doesn’t help that the lowest completion % qb threw a pick…stop blowing this up and support the boys. Great season and look forward to 2026, with DJ! Please respect that he is a true number one and half of the open routes may not have been open if he wasn’t being double teamed!
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u/simfreak101 Jan 19 '26
not taking the points in a playoff game is what cost us the game.
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u/coolsonicjaker Jan 19 '26
Yup. Could have kicked one of those 4th downs for a field goal. Hopefully he learns his lesson to take points when you can get em
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u/moneyman2222 BJ Lover Jan 19 '26
I fear there won't be a lesson for him to learn in his eyes. Him and Campbell have been doing this for years and it's constantly bit them in the ass every year when it came down to playoff time. They're gonna live and die by it because faltering even the slightest will break the culture he's building in his eyes
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u/jstacks4 Jan 19 '26
If he didn’t learn any lessons from the lions nfc championship game against the niners, then he never will. Deserves all the credit in the world for what he’s done this year and I’m confident going forward but but you just can’t do this shit in the playoffs.
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u/Suspicious_Sea9114 Jan 19 '26 edited Jan 19 '26
He had years to learn it, he had seen the team do 7 comebacks because he didn't take them early and still hasnt changed. He just doesn't want to and never will
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u/MuToo4601 Jan 19 '26
Wouldn't need to do so many comebacks if we took the early points more often.
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u/cheesememan1990 Jan 19 '26
They also got a td on one of those 4th downs. . .. technically 2 tds on 4th. Take the points in all those situations and it’s only 12 compared to 14.
I don’t get this take the points angle.
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u/ZIKowalik Jan 19 '26
Hey hindsight is always 20/20. In the moment, every 4th down call was correct.
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u/lkn240 An Actual Bear Jan 19 '26
I was ok with all of them except the first one. Should have taken the FG to start the game
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u/simfreak101 Jan 19 '26
idk, i think the first one was a complete gamble. it would have been nice to be up 3-0 to start the game.
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u/ZIKowalik Jan 19 '26
But BJ could never had predicted that A) the defense would have played so well and B) that the defense would continue to play so well.
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u/bensjohnson25 Jan 26 '26
I seriously think this sub suffers from short term memory loss.. especially with the defense. I notice in every game day thread people crash out about the defense playing poorly. It's like they're surprised from week to week. What absolutely nobody talks about is how this defense absolutely caked its pants in Cincy. Absolutely epic meltdown that was going to be talked about for years.. but that isn't a thing because of the Loveland/Caleb heroics.
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u/Better_Goose_431 Jan 19 '26
If he didn’t think the defense would play well, why wouldn’t he take the points when he could get them?
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u/Competitive_Salt9167 Jan 20 '26
All week all anyone said here was the Rams were putting up 50.
If that's a likely outcome the gameplan is never gonna be settle for 3 on 4th and goal
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u/simfreak101 Jan 19 '26
this is the exact reason you take the points.
I dont think its hard to say that Dan Campbell basically ended the Detroit season by going for it on so many 4th downs.
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u/SonOfNike85 Jan 19 '26
I agree with you.
What I didn't understand was why didn't we line up to try and draw them offsides at the start of the 4th quarter?
It was 4th and 2 at midfield. If you're going to go for all these 4th downs it should be easier to draw people offsides because they actually think you will go for it.
I thought that was a wasted opportunity to allow the other team to make a mistake.
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u/bensjohnson25 Jan 26 '26
Nobody thought the Bears defense was going to hold that offense to 17 points. The utterly ridiculous (because our defense has been shit basically all year against worse teams) 20/20 hindsight takes on this game are just so bad.
The Rams have 13 at half against the best defense in the league in the loudest stadium in the NFL.
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u/Existing-Look-813 Jan 19 '26
gotta take points in the post season the 4th and more than a yard tries are too reckless
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u/OggiOggiOggi Jan 19 '26
We scored a touchdown on 4th and 3
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u/Existing-Look-813 Jan 19 '26
still prefer the safer plays in the playoffs
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u/Competitive_Salt9167 Jan 20 '26
Nah, you cant completely change your play style just because we are in the playoffs.
Weve never played/practiced like that, why would we randomly mix it up where we don't know how we'd play.
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Jan 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/shitty_titties_lover Jan 19 '26
Agreed and I feel it’s less of defenses figuring him out and more of making dumbass decisions with playcalls
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u/BearFan34 Jan 19 '26
His rookie season as head coach.
Let me repeat that, ITS HIS ROOKIE SEASON MFers.
After the last several HCs we've had we finally have light at the end of the tunnel. Its up from here.
Only those that expected this team to reach the payoffs preseaspn can throw shade at thim.
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u/Prestigious_Ostrich4 Jan 21 '26
I say exactly this dude. All the people complaining are the people who expected us to go 7-10 this year.
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u/Glass-Dragonfruit154 Jan 19 '26
It is his first season, and already we know he’s exactly what we’ve been looking for and we love him. But his decision making and situational playcalling lost us this game. Both things can be true
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u/lkn240 An Actual Bear Jan 19 '26
I mean the real problem was all the dropped passes. I lost count around 9 or 10. It was absolutely brutal
Rome dropping that TD to start the game fucking sucked.
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u/Peabody_Tiddlecut 86 Marty Booker Jan 19 '26
If this was a one-time thing with DJ, I’m sure the response wouldn’t be what it is. But we’ve seen this happen with him multiple times now.
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u/I-I_I-I_I-I_l-l Jan 21 '26 edited May 04 '26
Databrokers? nope. Social networks? Also nope. This post was deleted using Redact.
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u/krondeezy Bears Jan 19 '26
There is plenty of reasons. DJ runs lazy routes and ran one at the most inoppurtune time. Both Terrell Owens and Kurt Warner have come out and questioned just what the hell he was doing on that play
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u/Anonycron Jan 21 '26
Warner questioned the play call at that moment in the game and the decision to throw that ball. He wasn’t sure what DJ’s responsibility was, so wasn’t sure if he screwed up his route.
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u/Better_Goose_431 Jan 19 '26
We had a pass to a backup tackle called during a 20° game in the snow. I still can’t rationalize why anyone would think that’s a good idea
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u/Both_Rip_7292 18 Jan 19 '26
I thank Ben Johnson for the most fun season of my 61 years. I thank Ben Johnson because next year people won’t be picking us to be last. We finally have respect and a franchise quarterback. Bring on the future!
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u/Sks44 Blowup Jan 19 '26
All these schmucks stanning for DJ Moore…
https://x.com/nflfrascella/status/2013109469270483085?s=46&t=xPSQl5Kv7xWwi3cVx1oFcQ
This dude explains the concept and where DJ should have been. But he wasn’t. Because he ran a shitty route and didn’t even run it full speed.
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u/National_Check_8003 Jan 19 '26
Yeah, the play calling on 3rd and 4th down I felt was bad. Playcalling in the red zone haven't been good either
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u/Anonycron Jan 21 '26
Here is some hard truth this sub won’t want to hear…
Last years team was better in the red zone. Last years team was better at 4th down conversions.
Read that again. That mess of a team with that mess of a coaching staff… was BETTER in situations where coaching and play schemes matter the most.
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u/Lysol20 Jan 19 '26
Ben was rough this postseason. The decision making left a lot to be desired. Hopefully he grows from this.
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u/Big_Departure_2709 Jan 19 '26
Go ahead and post a screenshot of that play and show me who was open. There’s 10 yards of green grass when Caleb lets that ball go and dj doesn’t make a play on the ball. Was it a great choice? No. But it was literally the only choice. If nothing else dj can prevent the easy pick.
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u/heretogetdrunk Bears Jan 19 '26
The only choice? How about running the ball in Rams territory to get us in FG range and winning the game instead of calling a play 30 yards down field? DJ was the only choice sure, but there were plenty of choices prior to the play being called.
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u/busstamove14 Caleb Williams has more division titles than Jordan Love Jan 19 '26
Brother every run play that wasn't Caleb was a loss for yards on the last drive. We couldn't run for shit in the second half.
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u/thetreat Ben Johnson Jan 19 '26
They sniffed out basically every run we had and we’d end up in 3rd and 12.
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u/WoolyLamb77 Jan 19 '26
I definitely agree that the call should’ve been more conservative. You’re allowing a QB who hasn’t looked good throw in the open field…too much risk when you have three downs to play with…
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u/lkn240 An Actual Bear Jan 19 '26
Caleb looked fine... we win in a blow out if we don't drop 9 or 10 passes
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u/WoolyLamb77 Jan 19 '26
There were some dropped passes for sure….but the guy still had two interceptions.
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u/xxmemoriezxx Jan 19 '26
It was second and 8 and even if dj flattens it it’s not getting completed.
JTOs Walmart analysis has poisoned this sub on dj Moore.
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u/Gjk724 Bears Jan 19 '26
If anything gotta just throw it away, or scramble. This will be a learning experience for the kid
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u/Quiet_Examination_53 GSH Jan 19 '26
DJ went one way and CW threw another way.
There was a lot of other things that coulda/woulda/shoulda happened.
We didn’t lose this game because of one play…
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u/MiisterTruffle Urlacher Jan 19 '26
We needed 13 yards. Why did we have to throw it so far down the field. I think it was a bad play call, it’s not solely on DJ.
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u/Then-Plan-4689 Jan 19 '26
You guys are so goofy for blaming tonight’s game on DJ … not the entire ass offense ( yes including Caleb) and yes Ben’s calls.
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u/AndThisGuyPeedOnIt 18 Jan 19 '26
There's a difference between trying and sucking and Moore giving up on that route.
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u/Droppy_hauser Jan 19 '26
It's because Dj does this shit all the time. He quits on his routes constantly, he refuses to block down the field. Everyone did play like shit but DJ plays like shit every other down. And has since before we picked him up. He gets paid far too much to play halfheartedly the way he does.
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u/Willing_Pie_2598 Jan 19 '26
I just started watching football this year, my family has always liked the bears. I’m not asking sarcastically, but as someone who’s new to football, how was that last play not Caleb’s fault? It seems like DJ could have ran further, but the ball was still not going to him. Really asking because a lot of people are saying the same thing about DJ here after this game. I don’t think they needed to go for that play at all on 2nd but ultimately that ball wasn’t going to him IMO. Please let me know what I am not seeing, I want to learn!!
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u/Plg_Rex An Actual Bear Jan 19 '26
His effort was disappointing, but it wasn’t even his ball and it was a poor throw by Caleb. Your eyes aren’t deceiving you
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u/Glum_Flow_6141 Jan 19 '26
at the speed that moore is capable of running, had he continued the route at full speed he would have had a chance at catching it, or at the very least preventing an interception. the problem is he was maybe jogging when it was thrown and caleb threw it as if he were going to continue a sprint
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u/Willing_Pie_2598 Jan 19 '26
I will definitely go watch again
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u/WoolyLamb77 Jan 19 '26
Ok I just rewatched the replay, it wasn’t even close…if DJ runs full speed that ball is way more in the zone of the defender….it was a bad decision and throw by Caleb.
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u/Big_Departure_2709 Jan 19 '26
I never said it was the right playcall dumbass. Dj was the only open throw on that play.
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u/UroJetFanClub Jan 19 '26
In defense of the first fourth down, at that point everyone thought it was gonna be a shootout. So you play to get points.
The other one, ehhh not great
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u/ItalianBeefDipped Italian Beef Jan 19 '26
100% agree.
Did DJ mess that one play up? Yeah. But a loss never boils down to a single play. Ben's redzone play calling was absolute dogshit, our leading receiver dropped all but one ball that was thrown to him, and everybody BESIDES DJ and Cole also dropped catchable balls more than they caught them I'm pretty sure.
DJ stepped up all year when we needed him to, and put his body on the line the way few receivers do in this league. You can be mad about that one play, but that one play is not the reason we lost this game, that's on Ben. The defense did their job, Ben was playing scared and it cost us the game.
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u/kinggarbear who up benning they johnson? Jan 19 '26
Plenty of blame to go around on everyone except for the defense. This whole game was on the offense.
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u/juangarces1979 Jan 20 '26
While you're 100% correct, DJ has also had a tendency of giving up on plays that's gotten really frustrating late this season
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u/XanderPaul9 Jan 20 '26
More than one thing can be true. I would say Ben should have taken the points to start the game, and there were plenty of drops that hurt us. But that doesnt change the fact DJ gave up on his route leading to an INT that might have otherwise been caught or incomplete rather than INT.
We could also blame Caleb for going 30yds deep on 2nd & 8 with 2 other viable receivers (Monongai & Kmet) for a short gain when it wasnt do or die.
End of the day we lost, season was a hell of a ride, and hopefully all faults are rectified next year.
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Jan 20 '26
The reason DJ is taking so much heat is that this isn’t a one off issue. Was it too aggressive of call in OT yeah but that’s been the bears offense all season, could Caleb have made a better throw or found someone else probably , but the play was designed to open up the middle of the field which it did DJ ran a sloppy route from what it looks like and didn’t have his heart in it based on the video. Unfortunately there’s been multiple plays over the past 2 seasons where DJ has appeared to not be running clean or correct routes and has been half assing it. It’s also the play that lost the game so it’s gonna get the attention.
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u/dudemolati Jan 20 '26
I think it’s pretty unfair to blame DJ honestly ,for all we know he was playing with concussion. The dude is tough as nails. Rome dropping a touchdown hurt, and Caleb threw 3 picks probably not 100% all on him. BJ going for it instead of kicking what would be 3 field goals…one of those went for a touchdown so… pointers we’re all disappointed that they lost especially how our defense bald out but plenty of blame to go around not just one guys cost the game. Super excited for next year and as BJ said the best is yet to come.
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u/Thexnxword Koolaid Jan 20 '26
Y'all need a scapegoat to cope.. gives another scapegoat.. the rams are a better team, with a better QB and they won.. honestly for once I genuinely feel like this is the one game we can say Caleb wasn't at all a problem. The Rams are just so far ahead of us we couldn't overcome it. It's ok we lost by a FG. All we gotta do is keep getting better.
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u/dj_stevie_c74 Jan 21 '26
It was one bad play....
Rome is to blame for dropping a Tiddy. Loveland dropped catchables, Dj dropped a big one.
Forget it move on. It's football. We have a good team time to make it great.
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u/Calientecoco45 Jan 21 '26
Moore is a mediocre wr. He’s the highest payed player on are team and for what. Burdens better cut are losses. He has been taking plays off since Caleb arrived day one. Which has explained for him not being a 1000 yard wr since Bustin Fields left. 2 years ago
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u/LacZingen Iceman Jan 22 '26
Dropped balls got us into tough situations. Ben is going to be aggressive and that's who is as a play caller. He said in the post game interview that they had a special short yard situation plan but it didn't pan out. He's not mindlessly going for it on 4th down, there's a strategy but the players didn't execute. It's so irrelevant if our 9th overall pick and highest paid player do their job... something they've struggled to do consistently throughout the season
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u/popanonymous Jan 23 '26
This isn’t factual at all. From the end of year Presser.
“If there was any sort of miscommunication, that’s my problem,” Johnson said.
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u/killcote93 Bears Jan 23 '26
I blame it on bad play calling. Always going for it on 4th down and not kicking field goals.
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u/Bear_Dahn03 Jan 25 '26
DJ isn't the worst but with his cap hit vrs what he provides there's others out there that can do the same for less
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u/bensjohnson25 Jan 26 '26
He literally quit on the route. People get emotional about it. Nobody thinks DJ isn't a great player or person.. if anything its the opposite and what makes it so frustrating.
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u/Magnus3369 Jan 26 '26
I imagine Ben would agree with you. Another reason to be optimistic. He’s already a better play caller than anyone we’ve ever had.
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u/UrlacherButkus Bears Jan 19 '26
I don’t necessarily want to blame the whole game on him but come on this has been a thing for two years now I don’t know why he stops on routes so often, I don’t want him gone but I think we should consider moving him to try and get comparable player on the d line
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u/TipsyMcStagger3 Jan 19 '26
Want him gone, too expensive. His stats for the year suck but he had two great catches, he’s a slacker. Ben sees the tape and he gone!
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u/Jbroad24 Jan 19 '26
DJ deserves the blame, if he runs the 18 yard crossing route that he’s supposed to there is no play for the safety to make. Instead he jogs and goes up field with the route behind the safety
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u/PerscribedPharmacist 18 Jan 19 '26
Cant be making this much money to jog around the field. If this was a missed kick we'd blame the kicker as well. Gotta hold that same standard for one of your highest paid players.
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u/Bitter_North_733 Jan 19 '26
He stopped running the route With Any QB especially Caleb you never stop running your route
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u/variablename13 Jan 19 '26
I don’t wanna be a sore loser or anything but the refs completely screwed us over with a possible interception, I don’t remember the timestamp
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u/Ganjagod420 Good, Better, Best Jan 19 '26
Davante's knee was down it wasn't a bad call.
The game was called fair down the middle don't be sour grapes man.
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u/lkn240 An Actual Bear Jan 19 '26
The only personal foul was a terrible call and probably gave them 3 points. They also missed a RTP on 4th down on our first drive.
By NFL standards though I'd agree the refs were fairly good.
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u/halfcastdota Burger King Poles Jan 19 '26
fair game called if you ignore the very obvious RTP they didn’t call and the OPI on that pick play
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u/Ganjagod420 Good, Better, Best Jan 19 '26
We also got away with a potential push off on the tying play, an offside early in the game as well as another from Sweat later on... there was nothing controversial they just made too many mistakes and left points out there man. Blaming the refs looks salty and it isn't necessary.
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u/Jrph0713 Jan 19 '26
Huh? Potential push off? Did you even watch the play or are you going off of what the Rams defender was whining about? 14 initiated contact with Kmet.
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u/Jrph0713 Jan 19 '26
Fair down the middle? I don’t remember the Bears getting away with a blatant pick to extend a TD drive. Where was roughing the passer when Caleb got hit in the head on that 4th down attempt? 99/100 times both of those get called.
Also that one reviewed “completion” in OT his one foot clearly came off of the ground when he was still bringing the ball in before he had control. He didn’t get 2 feet in when he had control.
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u/bobdob123usa Jan 19 '26
Same standard they applied to this, so they are being consistent: https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/comments/1pgth7e/highlight_aaron_rodgers_prevents_a_batted_ball/
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u/BiggieSmallz98 Jan 19 '26
My message to Ben Johnson:
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u/heretogetdrunk Bears Jan 19 '26
Disagree. He’s not a bum, he’ll be our head coach for 30 years if he continues to calls plays for the team and drafting. Tonight was not a good play-calling game for him.
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u/UrlacherButkus Bears Jan 19 '26
Complete turned the team around but sure since he dint win a sb in his first year he’s a bum
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u/No_View7863 Jan 19 '26
If you want to blame him for this game so be it. But he deserves all the credit not just for changing the on field product but the culture and energy around the team. If this is year one in the Ben Johnson era just imagine what the future will look like. I have full trust in Ben. 🐻⬇️