ASK THE REPORTER
I would swear officials are letting more contact from defensive backs go in coverage this year. Is that a thing or am I imagining it?
— @bearingthenews
Defensive pass-interference penalties are down marginally this season. In 240 games through Week 16, 201 DPI calls had been enforced and 23 were declined or not marked off because of offsetting penalties.
Last season, in 272 games, DPI was enforced 264 times and 44 calls were not enforced. So the NFL has gone from an average of 1.13 DPI calls per game in 2021 to 0.93 this season. The Kansas City Chiefs have been called for a league-high 14 DPI penalties with two not enforced. The Bears have been called for DPI eight times, about the league average, with one not enforced. The Falcons have not been called for DPI once. Is that a result of officials letting defenders use more physical play downfield or just a blip? That’s hard to say. We’re not talking about a large discrepancy, and an uptick in calls over the next two weeks could bring the numbers closer together.
Why did the play calling feel so simplistic or watered down against the Bills? — @richhalsall24
Anything that was watered down was immediately turning to ice. I saw a decent amount of criticism of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy after the loss to the Bills and I didn’t feel it was warranted. The Bears were without both starting guards and wide receivers Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown. At full strength this hasn’t been a potent offense, with the notable exception of an impressive four-game stretch in the middle of the season. Missing 40% of the offensive line and arguably the top three wide receivers, Getsy had huge issues to deal with. He has been impressive this season in a lot of ways, and I don’t think it’s worthwhile or accurate to pile on him in this situation. Some questions sought comment on defensive coordinator Alan Williams and the struggles on that side of the ball. Maybe it’s not the response folks want, but how can you evaluate Williams, the scheme and the fit when the defense lacks playmakers on all three levels? Sort of a pointless exercise. Let’s see how they coach when the roster is stronger.
If the Bears get the No. 1 pick, do you think the Lions would trade
up for a QB? — @mrbrooks265 One of the bigger surprises during this year’s draft was when the Vikings agreed to trade the 12th pick to the Lions, who moved up to select Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams. He would have been a slamdunk top-10 selection had he not suffered a torn ACL in the national championship game last January. The Lions sent a first-round pick (No. 32), a second-rounder (No. 34) and a third-rounder (No. 66) to the Vikings for the 12th pick and a second-rounder (No. 46).
It was a bit of a stunner because intradivision trades during the draft are uncommon, especially in Round 1. The Vikings gave the Lions the opportunity to draft a playmaker who could be a force in the NFC North for years to come. I bring this up because if the Bears were to trade with the Lions so that Detroit GM Brad Holmes could take a quarterback, that could create issues for Ryan Poles for years to come. The Lions do have extra draft capital. They own the Los Angeles Rams’ firstround pick (No. 7), and their own picks at No. 18. What if a trade up with the Bears for a quarterback turns out to be the move that helps the Lions finally solve the curse of Bobby Layne?