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As I’m sure you all could have guessed, I was originally going to spend the space this week talking about the injury that Caleb Williams suffered in the Bears’ loss to the Vikings on Sunday. I was in a really bad place when it happened,but every piece of news that has come out since that horrible moment has been more encouraging than the last. It looks like Caleb has avoided anything too serious. Thank goodness.
Now I know you are all disappointed that after last week’s rant on the White Sox I will not be going back to the well of depression. Funnily enough, while the team remains in second place, their odds to make the playoffs have only gone up since last Thursday. Funny how that works. Luckily, I do not have to write another piece about why us Bears fans can’t have nice things and how everything is terrible. At least not yet.
Instead, I’ve been tossing a couple of ideas around in my head. Maybe I could do winners and losers, but that’s pretty basic. Yes, there were plenty of players that had fantastic weeks, and plenty more who probably wished they stayed home instead of taking the field. I want to credit the Colts for showing some fight by taking the Chiefs to overtime after getting embarrassed in Week 1. I want to laugh at Aaron Rodgers and the absolutely terrible start to his retirement tour he is having. Jayden Daniels suffered another horrific injury yesterday and I feel terrible for the guy. The Saints and Raiders are frisky again! You get the idea.
There are so many different angles to take the column this week, but there is one team that is dominating my head space above all the rest. I haven’t mentioned them yet, but through two weeks of the 2026 season, it’s hard to make a case for a squad that has had a bigger dumpster fire of a start.
I’m talking about the Los Angeles Chargers.
Yes, the Chargers. A team that knows all about going into a season with big expectations and good reasons to have them before it inevitably comes crashing down faster than you can say “Bolt Man.” This year, they may have found a way to outdo themselves yet again. Coming off an 11-6 season that saw Los Angeles make the playoffs last season before losing to eventual AFC champions New England in the first round, there was ample reason to believe that the Chargers could build off of that year, contend for a division title, and finally get Justin Herbert that first playoff victory.
They brought in former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel to be the new offensive coordinator under Jim Harbaugh. They helped out their quarterback by signing Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange to bolster the offensive line. Khalil Mack was re-signed to lead the pass rush. Herbert, while inconsistent at times, has shown he can be otherworldly in flashes. Going into the year, there was no reason to believe this team couldn’t contend for a Super Bowl.
Now, I’m not in the business of telling teams they can’t win a Super Bowl after just two weeks of play, but after those two weeks, this team feels like it's closer to blowing everything up than it is to contending for anything meaningful. The team currently sits at 0-2 with losses to the Cardinals and Raiders after being favored by a touchdown or more in both games. Arizona and Las Vegas were expected to be among the worst teams in the league, and while they certainly do not seem fitting of that title yet, they were definitely not supposed to beat the not-so Super Chargers.
It wasn’t just the way that they lost these games either. The Cardinals thoroughly handled them for all four quarters. Los Angeles imploded with a pair of turnovers late in the fourth quarter to destroy any hopes of coming back against the Raiders. Justin Herbert has not played a down of inspiring football yet. Mack (a captain) basically admitted to tuning out Harbaugh’s speech after the game on Sunday.
It has been an abject disaster that is going to get worse before it gets better. That was supposed to be the “easy” part of the schedule. The team’s next seven games are against the Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans and Ravens, in that order. Based on how the first two weeks have looked, there is a non-zero chance we are looking at a team that could be 0-9 or not much better. With the talent on that roster, that would be more than unacceptable.
If the worst case scenario plays out, Harbaugh is most definitely fired, and Herbert is most likely playing for a new team next year. Don’t get me wrong, he is not blameless in this. Enough time has passed in his career to see that he might not have it in him to step up when the going gets tough, but I think we learn a lot about him over the next few months. Maybe he’ll right the ship. Maybe he’s too focused on playing patty cake with Madison Beer at practice. We’ll find out soon enough.
I guess the reason the plight of the Bolts is sticking with me right now is because I feel like us Bears fans have a lot in common with the Charger faithful. Passionate fan bases who always find a way to go into a season more optimistic than they should be, only for their team to wind up breaking their hearts at some point. There is no bigger curse in this life than rooting for a sports team that perpetually lets you down, but Charger fans are not alone. Stay strong.
I went against a lot of prior strategy last week and I certainly paid for it, resulting in a pretty rough Week 2. I’m hoping with a calmer mind and a bit more clarity after a couple weeks of NFL action will put me back on track. Let’s do this.
FAVORITE FAVORITE
Seattle Seahawks (-7) at Washington Commanders
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’m going to roll with the reigning Super Bowl champs for the second week in a row in this category, not just because they were the only team to come through with a win for me last Sunday, but also because they will be going up against a Commanders team that just lost Jayden Daniels to another awful elbow injury. Those who know me well know that Marcus Mariota is my guy, but in the big 2026, he is well past his prime. I expect the best team in football to handle a team that was reeling even before 5 went down.
The Pick: Seahawks -7
BIG DAWG GOTTA EAT
Los Angeles Chargers at Buffalo Bills (-7.5)
This is where it all comes full circle, baby. I can’t write an entire article bashing the Chargers, tell their fans they are not alone, and then not back them up! This is NFL 101. The Chargers have looked deader than dirt against two teams that picked in the top three of the draft over the first two weeks. The Bills and Josh Allen look like an unstoppable force. This should be a 50-point game. That’s why it’s going to come down to the final two minutes. If I’m wrong here Los Angeles really is going to have one of those years, so be it. But this is my kind of upset.
The Pick: Chargers +7.5
BEAR DOWN
Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5) at Chicago Bears
Nobody knows who is going to start at quarterback for the Bears this week. Caleb Williams hasn’t officially been ruled out, but I seriously doubt he suits up. Tyson Bagent, his backup, is in concussion protocol currently, so he might be out as well. That would leave Case Keenum as the man under center for this Monday night clash. A lot can happen over the next couple of days, but unfortunately for me, I publish on Thursdays. With the information I currently have, I have to go against my guys on this one. Although I don’t think Philly has been that impressive so far, they should be able to take advantage of a second or third string QB. (Or an injured one for that matter.)
The Pick: Eagles -4.5
THIS IS OUR COLTS
Houston Texans (-2.5) at Indianapolis Colts
The Colts put up one heck of a fight against the Chiefs on Sunday night, but just could not get it done in overtime. To be perfectly honest here, I can’t see Houston falling to 0-3 here. The Texans began their season with two of the top teams in the AFC, so the defense that was otherworldly last year has looked pretty tame early on. I think that changes here, and the visitors send the Colts to some uncomfortable decisions at 0-3.
The Pick: Texans -2.5
GAME OF THE WEEK
Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) at Dallas Cowboys
Lamar Jackson. Dak Prescott. Derrick Henry. CeeDee Lamb. The country of Brazil. This game has just a little bit of everything. While there were rumblings late last week that this game could be moved due to poor field conditions in Rio de Janeiro, it looks like everything is good to go. The Dallas offense looked like a well-oiled machine against Washington last week, while the Ravens stumbled against New Orleans after a very impressive opener. This game could go either way, but I think it’s closer than the line indicates. Give me Dallas to keep it close and maybe even steal a victory.
The Pick: Cowboys +3.5
Let’s get back on track. Have a great week everybody.
Cheers.
Last Week’s Record: 1-4
Season Record: 4-6
