The Shawn Mackey Show

  Welcome back to The Shawn Mackey Show ! Season 3, Episode 23 marks episode number 80 of the show, and I've got plenty to talk about. From the Chicago Bears' performance against the Minnesota Vikings to the problems that nearly turned a comfortable lead into a nail-biter, this episode covers the good, the bad, and the things that still drive me crazy about football and life. I love talking sports, but I also want this show to be a place where people can have honest conversations. Whether we're discussing the Bears, football in general, or issues that affect our everyday lives, I want to hear what you think. Disagreement is fine. Taking cheap shots at people just for the sake of it isn't necessary. We have enough of that already. Caleb Williams Shows Accuracy and Composure Before the game, I was asking a question that I thought deserved attention: Was Caleb Williams really healthy enough to play, considering the concern about his hamstring? Was there a risk of aggravati...

  As a Chicago Bears fan, there are losses that hurt, and then there are losses that leave you questioning just about everything. The Bears' performance against the Green Bay Packers was one of those games. On Season 3, Episode 22 of The Shawn Mackey Show , I'm breaking down what went wrong, why I'm concerned about the direction of this team, and why this loss left me with one champ and a whole lot of chumps. Coming into this game, I had reasons to be optimistic about the Bears. Ben Johnson had shown us flashes of brilliance, and there were plenty of reasons to believe the team was moving in the right direction. But after watching this performance against Green Bay, I'm starting to see some familiar warning signs. I'm not ready to compare Johnson to Matt Nagy just yet, but I am beginning to understand why some fans were predicting a regression. Tyson Bagent's Opportunity Didn't Go as Planned With Caleb Williams unavailable, Tyson Bagent had an opportunity to...

  Welcome back to The Shawn Mackey Show ! This bonus episode covers a little bit of everything happening in Chicago sports. With the Chicago Bears preparing to face the Green Bay Packers, Tyson Bagent getting the start, and the White Sox wrapping up an impressive season, I wanted to take some time to recognize a true Chicago football legend: Mike Ditka. I also have a few things to say about the Cubs, Craig Counsell, and the growing reliance on advanced baseball statistics. If you know me, you already know I have some strong opinions on those subjects! Remembering Mike Ditka and His Chicago Bears Legacy When I think about the Chicago Bears, Mike Ditka is one of the first names that comes to mind. He was more than a head coach. He was a symbol of toughness, determination, and the blue-collar attitude that has always been part of Chicago's identity. Ditka was born on October 18, 1939, in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Aliquippa. He came from a working-class background and deve...

  The Bears beat the Jets, and while it wasn't the kind of game that had me jumping out of my chair, there was plenty to like about what I saw. This is Season 3, Episode 20 of The Shawn Mackey Show , and once again, the Bears have found a way to win with a different quarterback. That's three victories this season with three different quarterbacks, and I think that says something about the direction of this football team. Tyson Bagent got the start against the Jets, and I thought he did a pretty good job. He finished 25-of-34 for 268 yards and had one interception. Was it perfect? Absolutely not. But he ran the offense, took what the defense gave him and continued moving the football. And that's what I want from a quarterback. Everybody loves talking about arm strength, but I don't necessarily need a quarterback who can throw the football 60 yards downfield. I need somebody who can run the offense, make the right decisions and keep the chains moving. Bagent did enough to...

  Three weeks into the season, I honestly don't know what to say about the Chicago Bears. For three straight weeks, this team has given me something completely different to talk about. Week one featured an offense that put up 59 points. Week two was a completely different story, with Caleb Williams getting injured and the Bears struggling against Minnesota. Then came Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles. And somehow, the Bears walked away with a 27–7 victory. I'm still speechless. The biggest story coming out of the game has to be Case Keenum. The Bears' third-string quarterback stepped into a situation that nobody expected him to be in and played an outstanding game. Keenum finished 24-of-34 for 247 yards, threw two touchdown passes, and even ran for a touchdown, becoming the oldest quarterback in Bears history to run for a score. That's the kind of performance that changes the conversation. Before the game, I was questioning why Tyson Bagent wasn'...

  If you love offensive fireworks, beautiful passing and high-scoring NFL games, this was definitely not the game for you. In Season 3, Episode 18 of The Shawn Mackey Show , I break down what I can only describe as a debacle of epic proportions — the Chicago Bears’ ugly 9–3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. The weather was miserable. The rain was coming down. The field conditions were awful. But both teams had to deal with the same conditions, so I don't want to use the weather as an excuse. What bothered me most was that the Bears actually led Minnesota in many of the statistical categories. Chicago had 17 first downs to Minnesota’s 11 and moved the ball better in several areas. But none of that mattered because the Bears repeatedly found ways to hurt themselves. The biggest problem was penalties. Chicago committed eight penalties for 58 yards, with seven of those penalties coming in the first half. Drive after drive, the Bears seemed to be putting themselves behind ...