Baffoe: Definitive Assessments From The Bears' Loss In Preseason Opener

By Tim Baffoe--

(CBS) OK, the wheels of the 2016 Chicago Bears season are officially in motion. Where they will take us, who knows? (Probably to some apocalyptic football wasteland where punters are sold for fuel.)

It's after an important introductory game like Thursday's 22-0 loss to the Denver Broncos in the preseason opener that a thorough autopsy needs to be done. Conclusions must be made, preferably in list form. So what do we know that we know that we know now?

This is a historic Bears team

The Bears were shut out in a preseason game for the first time since 1981. And everyone who set aside time to watch can remember where they were as fleeting hours of their lives ticked away to bear witness.

I like this Hoyer kid

Your team leader in yards per attempt Thursday night was backup quarterback Brian Hoyer, who really showed me something in relief for a typically struggling Jay Cutler.

If the offense didn't work then, it may never

You go up against a ragtag defense like Denver's that also hasn't had time to jell so early on, and you get shut out? The Dowell -- Darrell? Dorian? -- Loggains experiment looks like a failure early on. As I've said over and over: If your offensive coordinator is under 5-foot-7, the points will be of a similar ratio.

"We need to get better," Cutler said. "And that starts with everybody, and it starts with me. We'll take a look at it, the limited number of plays we were in. We'll assess what we did good and bad and try to get better."

"The limited number of plays we were in" is Cutler-ese for "You're asking me about the first preseason game." Speaking of ...

Cutler is in midseason apathetic form

For a savvy vet like him, it's like riding a bike.

So is the turf at Soldier Field

It's so disappointing we were denied a chance to see the Soldier Field turn factor into Olympians being cost medals from stumbles and ACL tears this summer.

I like this Fales kid

David Fales' name is like an old afghan when a chill hits. It shows something about his grit that he's still hanging on since joining the team in what feels like 2002. He went 4-for-8 on Thursday. The Cubs are paying Jason Heyward a billion dollars to hit less than half of that.

Shea McClellin had four tackles

For the New England Patriots. Just sayin'.

John Fox still has feels for his old team, and his heart wasn't in it

Once a Bronco, always a Bronco. There's clearly still an attachment there, and Fox didn't seem to even bring the dogs, let alone call them off.

That's not the face of a man who considers Denver an opponent so much as family. It's something to consider going forward, whether the rest of the way Fox has one eye on Mile High, where he left his heart.

Kevin White has caught everything thrown at him

It's like having two first-round picks this year.

Add sore cerebral cortex to Alshon Jeffery's ailments

BUT…

The Daniel Braverman Era hath commenced

The team's seventh-round pick this year, Braverman is tied for the team lead in catches and for seven yards. He also has two punt returns for zero yards. It's like he's been with the team for years.

One Urlacher jersey

I have my own version of Pokemon Go where while delivering for a restaurant, I tally how many adults I encounter who are wearing a Bears jersey in their homes or in bars for a preseason game. It's usually quite fun trying the catch the rare cosplay Aromashodu in what's usually a bevvy of Paytons and Butki. But Thursday night, I only saw a single Urlacher and nothing else. Bears fans didn't step up, and without passion from the 12th man, the team is already behind the eight-ball. That's an ominous barometer for what's to come this season.

I like this Shaw kid

Not only did Connor Shaw protect the football, he was also the Bears' leading rusher Thursday. Hopefully Fox noticed that he might have a dual threat on his hands when considering the inevitable Cutler benching.

Bears defense pitched a fourth-quarter shutout

Despite all that bad, the dregs of the roster held pat in a pivotal fourth quarter when the Bears couldn't afford any more hemorrhaging if they wanted to mount a comeback. The heart is the most important football muscle and one that can't suffer a strain or pull (besides trading for Gaines Adams), and I heard from people who watched it that the fourth quarter showed lots of it. Maybe as cut time comes around, the coaches should look higher on the depth chart and trim some prima donna fat instead of these stinky little garlic pills that keep the heart of the team pumping.

The next game is a must-win

If you start 0-2 in the preseason, there's little chance of coming back. The team is then demoralized, questioning its existence. The rest of the league sees you as a floating corpse. On the other hand, 1-1 shows resilience and an ability to hang with the big boys. Fox and Co. have serious work between now and next Thursday's Shea McClellin Revenge Game to right this ship, or all the hard work these past two-plus weeks will be for naught.

We shall see. Don't let anyone tell you the preseason doesn't count.

Tim Baffoe is a columnist for CBSChicago.com. Follow Tim on Twitter @TimBaffoe. The views expressed on this page are those of the author, not CBS Local Chicago or our affiliated television and radio stations.

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