THE IMPERMANENCE OF THE QUARTERBACK - Bears x Vikings

The Rise of Caleb, the Fall of J.J., the Kyler Conundrum, and the Unreasonable Demands of a Bear

Cicero Bear has lost his mind. Again. Last week, Cicero demanded CONQUEST. Not improvement. Not competitiveness. Not a respectable 10-win season.

CONQUEST.

Then the Bears responded by scoring 59 POINTS in Week 1. FIFTY-NINE. And it could have been more. Which, naturally, has made the situation considerably worse.

Because Cicero is now convinced that the Chicago Bears have discovered an ancient offensive power hidden beneath Soldier Field, somewhere between the original sod and a forgotten Chicago parking ticket.

The Bears scored points with the enthusiasm of a teenager who just discovered the unlimited breadsticks a 1980’s Pizza Hut buffet.

And now Minnesota is coming to Soldier Field. Cicero has prepared himself. He has meditated. He has stretched. He has consumed a medically irresponsible quantity of Gene & Jude's hot dogs. He has consulted the Des Plaines River. The river spoke. It said: "MORE."

Cicero agrees.

LAST WEEK WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING

It was only Week 1. A reasonable person would understand that. A reasonable person would say: "Let's not get carried away." Cicero Bear is not a reasonable person. He is a grizzly bear from the Cook County Forest Preserves who teaches yoga to football fans.

There will be no temperance. There will be no moderation. There will be no "small sample size" discussion. The Bears scored 59 points. Therefore, according to Cicero mathematics: THE BEARS SHOULD SCORE 59 POINTS EVERY WEEK.

Anything under 50 requires a congressional investigation. Anything under 40 is considered a defensive struggle. Cicero has established these rules. They are final.

THE QUARTERBACKS OF IMPERMANENCE

Now we arrive at the philosophical heart of Sunday's game. For years, Bears fans watched the NFC North and wondered what it might feel like to have certainty at quarterback. Green Bay had its succession plans. Detroit found Jared Goff. Minnesota always found somebody good enough.

Chicago? Chicago wandered. There were experiments. There were temporary solutions. There were promising beginnings followed by Sundays that required prolonged staring into the middle distance. But now the division's quarterback landscape has begun to shift. McCarthy's development has been disrupted by injury and inconsistency. Minnesota turned to Kyler Murray. Then Murray was sidelined by injury. Now Carson Wentz is starting, with McCarthy waiting behind him. The Vikings are adapting on the fly.

Chicago is doing something very different. Chicago is building. Caleb Williams has arrived at the point where the question is no longer simply whether he can become the Bears' quarterback of the future. The question is what the Bears can become with him in the now. That distinction matters. And Cicero finds it hilarious that, after years of watching quarterback uncertainty elsewhere in the division, the tables may finally be turning. The Bears are no longer searching for an answer at the position. They are building an offense around one.

Karma has excellent timing. Namaste.

CALEB HAS ENTERED THE CONVERSATION

Last year, Caleb was a promising miracle-worker in the clutch. Now? Cicero has upgraded him to: EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT FOR THE OPPOSITION. Week 1 produced four touchdown passes and 334 total yards. The Bears scored 59. The offense looked explosive. And somehow the most disturbing part for the rest of the NFC North is that this may not even be the finished product.

Cicero watched the game. He saw missed opportunities. He saw drives that could have produced even more. He saw penalties, turnovers, and plays that left points on the field.

And Cicero reached the only reasonable conclusion. THE BEARS LEFT POINTS ON THE FIELD. Fifty-nine was therefore not the ceiling and still the scoreboard was the warning shot.

THE FLORES PROBLEM

Brian Flores knows Chicago. He knows Caleb. He knows pressure can disrupt the Bears. Last season, Minnesota blitzed Williams heavily and rallied from a 17-0 deficit to defeat Chicago 27-24. Cicero remembers. Oh yes. Cicero remembers.

But there is a difference between remembering something and being haunted by it. Caleb should not be haunted. He should be educated. That is growth, evolution. That is what happens when a young quarterback gets another year of experience and another year in Ben Johnson's system.

Last year: "Can Caleb handle this?"

This year: "How are you going to stop him?"

Cicero calls it: THE GREAT BEAR AWAKENING.

WHAT MUST THE BEARS NOT SCREW UP?

1. DO NOT BECOME COMFORTABLE.

You scored 59. Congratulations. Now do it again. You may need to with the current state of the Bears defense.

2. PROTECT CALEB.

Brian Flores will attempt to turn the pocket into a haunted escape room. Do not allow this.

3. RUN THE FOOTBALL.

If Minnesota wants to blitz, make them pay. If they want to crowd the line, make them pay. If they want to sit in coverage, make them pay.

Cicero believes strongly in the concept of making people pay. Metaphorically. With football.

4. REMEMBER THE MISSION.

Cicero demanded CONQUEST last week. He has not withdrawn the demand.

CICERO'S MEDITATION FOR MINNESOTA

Close your eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Imagine the Vikings arriving at Soldier Field. Imagine the noise. Imagine the pressure. Imagine Brian Flores staring across the field at an offense that just scored 59 points.

Now imagine Caleb Williams standing in the pocket. Still. Focused. Confident. The offense moving. The crowd roaring. The Bears scoring. Again. And again (need to get Loveland and Burden more involved please).

Cicero opens his eyes. He has achieved enlightenment. Unfortunately, enlightenment has made him extremely aggressive about offensive efficiency.

THE ORACLE SPEAKS

Cicero has consulted the sacred football texts. He has consulted the Des Plaines River. He has consulted the Gene & Jude's mustard ratio. He has consulted absolutely nobody qualified to make this prediction. The message is clear. THE CONQUEST CONTINUES.

The Bears will refuse to allow one explosive Week 1 to become a pleasant memory.

BEARS 62. VIKINGS 3

Cicero briefly considered predicting a shut out. He decided to show mercy.

BEAR DOWN. NAMASTE.