All right, here we go. Season two, episode number fifteen of The Shawn Mackey Show.

That’s right, ladies and gentlemen—I’m going to pat myself on the back because no one else will. Let me get this out of the way right now: in this recap of the Bears versus the Giants, I’m giving the Bears the Boo’s Game all the way around. What a terrible, terrible game. The Bears got absolutely nothing accomplished with any kind of consistency in the first half, and for most of the second half too. Yes, they finally got it together offensively late in the fourth quarter and sealed the victory, but overall? What a disaster.

I didn’t make a single post on Facebook. I didn’t yell at the TV. I’m growing, people. I’m growing. But this was another game where Caleb Williams missed a few throws, and he had to scramble more than he should have. He was given ample time in the pocket at the snap, but he held onto the ball too long, waiting for something to develop that just wasn’t there.

I don’t know if this kid can see the field properly or what’s going on, but he’d take the snap, stand in that pocket for two and a half to three seconds, and then the block would slip, the edge rusher would keep fighting, and boom—Caleb would have to scramble. Either he’s not seeing the field or these terrible defenses the Bears are playing are somehow covering that well. Let that sink in. I don’t think Caleb is seeing the field, or he sees it and can’t pull the trigger, so he scrambles unnecessarily.

People are calling him the “Avoid the Sack Master.” Great. I love that about him. But he’s missing reads. As a quarterback, you’re taught to look, look, look and go boom, boom, boom through your progressions. The great quarterbacks know their defense inside and out because they live in the film room. Back in the day, dudes had to get off-season jobs and still found time to study film. Now players are making millions—this is their job 24/7. If you want to be great, you have to do more than what your employer sees. You have to know the defensive alignments, know your progressions, and be decisive. Good quarterbacks watch enough film that they know exactly where to go before the ball is even snapped.

Now, let’s get into this game. The Bears offense and defense actually started out strong. Everything seemed solid early on. The Bears scored first with about 5:46 left in the first quarter, taking a 7–0 lead. The Giants tied it early in the second quarter to make it 7–7. Offensively, the Bears just couldn’t get anything going consistently. Defensively, they were holding the run game in check but were giving up about 8.1 yards per pass play to Jaxon Dart.

The game stayed tied until the final seconds of the first half, when the Bears held the Giants to a field goal, giving New York a 10–7 halftime lead. Coming into the third quarter, there were a few bright spots in the first half: Austin Booker showed promise with a nice stunt for no gain, C.J. Gardner-Johnson picked up his second sack as a Bear, and DeAndre Swift had a strong half, racking up most of his 80 rushing yards early on. The Bears held the Giants to only 23 rushing yards in the first half—but that changed quickly in the second half.

The Bears’ secondary, once again, was up to its old tricks—giving up huge plays. Tyrique Stevenson, before his injury, gave up three catches for 85 yards to Darius Slayton. When your defensive backs lead your team in tackles—as Stevenson and Gardner-Johnson did—that usually means one thing: your front seven isn’t doing its job. As a former defensive coach, I want my linemen and linebackers leading the team in tackles. That means you’re shutting things down at the line of scrimmage.

Caleb Williams still struggled with holding the ball too long. Olamide Zaccheaus didn’t help, dropping four passes—including one in the end zone. Caleb kept looking for the big play instead of making quick, decisive throws. But his scrambling did lead to the go-ahead touchdown late in the game.

The Bears ultimately pulled out the win, 24–20, with two late fourth-quarter drives from Caleb Williams: one for 91 yards and another for 53 yards. Give credit where it’s due—he came through when it mattered.

There were bright spots: Rome Odunze had a strong game with six receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown. Luther Burden III came up big on the final drive. Colston Loveland had some clutch catches late, including a great grab on a rollout throw.

On the downside, Zaccheaus had four drops, the receiving corps had eight total, and Tyrique Stevenson gave up too many big plays. I expect changes in the receiving room moving forward.

Now for the new segment: Forgotten NFL Legends. Some of these guys are legends for what they did on the field, some for what they did off it, and some for the combination of both. For the first installment, we’re highlighting Chicago Bears legend Danny Fortman.

Danny Fortman was drafted by George Halas in the ninth and final round of the very first NFL Draft in 1936. He was only 19 years old. Nobody even noticed he was drafted. At 19, most kids are deciding whether to get a job, go to college, or learn a trade. Danny Fortman had to choose between medical school and professional football—at a time when the NFL barely paid anything.

George Halas convinced him to do both. Halas even paid his medical school tuition. Fortman practiced medicine during the week and played football on weekends. He became one of the best players in the NFL. By 1940, he was the Bears’ captain and the heart and soul of their running game. Chicago won back-to-back championships in 1940 and 1941.

In the legendary 73–0 championship win over Washington—the most lopsided game in NFL history—Fortman played a key role. His teammates called him the perfect football player.

By 1943, he tried to walk away to focus on medicine, but Halas pulled him back again. Fortman worked at a hospital in Pittsburgh during the week, flew to Chicago on weekends, suited up, and helped lead the Bears to another championship. Five days later, he retired to begin his medical career.

He went on to become a surgeon, chief of staff at a California hospital, and team physician for the Los Angeles Rams from 1947 to 1963.

Danny Fortman—a forgotten NFL legend, both a doctor and a champion.

That’s it for me. I’m out. Peace.