Monday Night Observations

I was annoyed yesterday after losing ATS with the Dolphins when just about everything else on Sunday went perfectly for me. You’d think after the Pats sent me to 2-3 in Circa (I’m virtually drawing dead now) and knocked me out of Survivor, to boot, I’d be enraged. You’d be mistaken.

I think I understand the psychology behind it. When you have a little money, you’re careful not to squander it. You have something to lose. But when you’re broke, you do all sorts of stupid things. When things are going well, you have hope, and the results matter to you. When things go south, you have none, and you can let it go. It’s a lot easier to stomach a soul-crushing pick that knocks you out of playoff contention in Week 17 than one in the Super Bowl. The latter might stay with you forever.

• Justin Fields killed the Pats. His 14 carries for 82 yards came at the worst possible times — often on third and long. He also bought time and made some clutch throws. The Bears haven’t had a great quarterback since Sid Luckman, and that was a different game. But Fields has a chance at least, and that’s something.

• Both David Montgomery (15-62-1) and Khalil Herbert (12-62-0, 2-1-25-0) ran hard and looked good. Herbert’s only 212 pounds, but he runs like a bigger back. A lot of people think he should start, and he might eventually, but it’s not like Montgomery’s a scrub.

• Mac Jones was bad early, threw a pick, got replaced by Bailey Zappe who immediately threw a TD, but then faded badly in the second half with two picks of his own. It’ll be interesting to see what Bill Belichick does going forward, but I wouldn’t expect sunk draft capital to matter much in this case.

• Rhamondre Stevenson (11-39-1, 8-8-59-0) got most of the work and caught eight balls. We’ll see what happens if and when Damien Harris is 100 percent off the hamstring injury, but Stevenson looks like a three-down workhorse for now.

• The Patriots have four skilled receivers and two capable tight ends, but the Zappe/Jones combo in the rain wasn’t up to snuff. In fairness, the Bears got decent pressure a lot of the game.

• It sucks to be out of Survivor for good, but every year there’s a narrowing of focus as the year goes on to the interests that are still live. At least I got to enjoy the misery while it lasted.

• Incidentally, I woke up to the news James Robinson had been traded to the Jets. Recall, I have Travis Etienne everywhere, so maybe that’s also why I’m not annoyed this morning.