jason

Bears 17 Saints 30 The Saints jump on top early, as Kamara is unguardable/unstoppable. Brees picks the zone apart and there is nearly no pressure from the Bears’ front four. Bears are forced to blitz and get torched as a result. One or two huge plays and momentum clearly rests with the Saints going into half. The second half continues with a virtual stalemate because the Saints are just running clock. The Bears score late to make it look closer than it really was, but the Saints are high-giving on the sideline as it happens, because it doesn’t matter.

I think he's just posturing. Probably pissed about the DHop thing. And I think you're right about the draft picks. He'd end up running a lot more in Chicago than he has in Houston.

Two supplemental charts from that article:

That would be more tolerable, but I'm still not a fan. IF this team were closer, as in one or two key pieces from being a contender for the next handful of years, then maybe. But I just don't think this team is built like that. I think there is over $40M of dead cap next year in Foles, Quinn, and Leno. On top of that, the top five cap hits next year are on a defense that couldn't get off the field against GB to save their life. In fact, the defense was confused! Either draft a rookie or get a really young guy. Side note: Deshaun Watson can be added to the poll above. He's unhappy.

The Saints playoff game could very well be his last as a Chicago Bear. If he's a good QB, an NFL QB, wouldn't he want to truly display that for a future employer? Wouldn't he want to have a small piece of film to use to say, "The Chicago scheme severely limited me," and prove his actual abilities? If I'm Trubisky, this is the time to open it up. I'm going for a new contract with a different team, because the time in Chicago is almost certainly over. I'm trying to make a highlight reel to impress GMs who think that not only is Chicago where WRs go to die, but it's also where QBs go to die. If I'm him, on nearly every 50/50 opportunity, I'm throwing it up to give my WR a chance. If I'm him, when there is a read between a check-down and a deeper pass, and all other things are relatively equal, I'm going deeper every time. If I'm on the bootleg and nobody is immediately open, I'm tearing ass downfield trying to show versatility. There have been multiple games this year where he did not run, and should have. What I'm saying is, he really has nothing to lose. If he gets hyper-aggressive and succeeds, he just got a bigger contract and an excuse. If he does it and fails, everyone will still think he is a one-read QB who has accuracy issues downfield.

Intrigued? Maybe. For a 1st and a 3rd? Absolutely not. Stafford is going into his 13th year in the league. The Bears should give up a 1st and a 3rd for a guy who only has a handful of years left, and likely doesn't have the same type of success in Chicago as he did in Detroit? No thanks. The Bears need to get out of the habit of attempting to find sloppy seconds, and actually find their own gem who will stick around for a decade or better. Otherwise that same old "this is how many QBs the Bears have had since the Packers had Farv and Rogers"-graphic gets displayed until we're old and gray.

Great post. I quoted you because that graphic needs to be seen multiple times.

GREAT question.

I didn't see the date. It was a bad idea then, too.

To be fair, Reggie McKenzie got fired at the end of 2018, likely directly related to the Khalil Mack trade. Which is odd, because the tide is turning for many in regards to whether or not the Bears actually got the better on that trade given how infrequently Mack's name pops up with big plays. But back to the point, Ryan Pace is an idiot.

That's hilarious! I hadn't thought of it that way. The Bears could literally hire just about any combination of GM, HC, DC, and QB as they have now, and get similar results to those they have now.

HELL NO. That’s a horrible idea. The Bears need MORE picks, not less. And it’s arguable that a better pro WB May be there when they draft anyway.

Bingo. I called the late Trubisky INT 2-3 plays before it happened. It may have even been on the first play of the drive. As soon as they were behind and needed to stretch the field a bit, the INT was inevitable.

??? I can see Nagy thinking he has figured out some genius play and trying out a water boy because the play is soooo good. ??

Damn right. I hated the Kmet pick. Nice game today, but I hated it. And with Jimmy Graham, it proved not to be necessary.

The crazy part is that it’s 2021 and it’s STILL the same old song and dance. They absolutely have to be fired, and Trubisky needs to go somewhere else.

Just milking the clock is not enough. I thought they were playing OK, not well. Playing well would be exploiting GB weaknesses and getting large chunks here and there. Playing well is not grinding it out and going for it on fourth down 5 times.

Defense jumps in the GB game and Trubisky checks down, like normal. He is almost incapable of throwing downfield, much less throwing accurately downfield.

This is ND vs Bama. The Bears may be able to score by grinding out drives, but it doesn’t matter if GB scores with such ease.

Some sites have Jones listed as a mid-round pick. Apparently the league's GMs aren't sold on him as NFL-capable. I think once the QBs start going off the board, there will be a QB frenzy and the Bears will have trade partners ready to leap. I'm hoping for a trade down into the end of the first round, pick up an extra 2nd and an extra 3rd, and then a Mac Jones selection at the end of the first just to be sure. Round 1 Pick 30 (BUF): Mac Jones, QB, Alabama (B+) Round 2 Pick 20: Rashawn Slater, OG/OT, Northwestern (A) Round 2 Pick 30 (BUF): Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest (A) Round 3 Pick 19: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame (A-) Round 3 Pick 29 (BUF): Phidarian Mathis, DT, Alabama (B+) Round 5 Pick 20: Zaven Collins, DE/OLB, Tulsa (A+) Round 6 Pick 20: Michal Menet, C, Penn State (A-) Round 7 Pick 4: Monty Rice, ILB/OLB, Georgia (A+)

Lawrence is not in range, unless Pace trades up again (I'll kill him). I'd love Jones or Trask. Just say no to Fields.

On the same token, save money on RB. Emmitt Smith will forever be overrated to me because he ran behind the best OL of all time. And I can't remember all the nobodies like Olandis Gary that Denver trotted out for 1,000yd seasons behind their awesome line and blocking schemes in the mid/late 90s.

Just say no to RPO. Run-oriented, play-action pass is what has been working.

Agree. I've been saying that for over a decade. Sure, we'd have hits and misses, but we'd be better than Pace. It seems the Bears have such a difficult time putting together a GM who can evaluate talent, and a HC who can utilize the talent drafted.