adam

I don't think you take anything off the table, especially when drafting a QB. We already have 2x solid O-Linemen in Whitehair and Daniels. Mustipher actually looks pretty good and Bars is an upgrade over Coward. If you draft a guy and bring in an FA, you are pretty solid on the O-Line going into 2021. If a QB is there at 11-12, and he has a first round grade, you take him. Remember where Mahomes and Watson were selected. All those teams in the top 10 had to a chance to pick either of them but passed. Cleveland drafted Garrett 1st, passed on Mahomes and Watson, then drafted Mayfield #1 the following year. They could've went Mahomes in 2017, Quentin Nelson in 2018 instead of Garrett/Mayfield, then drafted Chubb instead of Ward at #4. No one talks about that.

Yeah, it shows that they have only been winning against the bad teams and losing against the good teams. That is how you end up at 13-14. On the flip side, they have played the toughest schedule per DVOA this year (2.1% ahead of #2 CAR, which is a lot) and had the 6th toughest in 2019. In 2018, at 12-4, they played against the 2nd easiest DVOA schedule. So this team is very schedule dependent and that has played out this year to a T. So I expect a few more wins against the likes of HOU, JAX, and DET with losses from MIN and GB to end at 7-9.

I will say this again, Pace and Nagy are like those guys who think they are the smartest guys in the room and they know better than everyone else, but are actually idiots who have no clue what they are doing, but too stupid to see it. A random simulator could've drafted better than Pace has since he arrived. Everyone praised him for Jackson, but look how he has played after he got paid, mediocre at best, not like a top 5 Safety. He has whiffed time and time again on QBs, and some other terrible free agents (Quinn, Sims, etc). Trubisky is gone, there is no way he signs back with this team after being "blind-sided" by the benching. Also, he is still a one-read QB. Those INTs into triple coverage show he is going with the pre-snap read regardless of the coverage. He still even runs out of bounds of a sack instead of launching it into the stands for an incompletion. Every QB knows to do this except him apparently. I don't believe there is any dead money if you trade them as the new team takes on the entire contract, but I am sure some teams would want the Bears to retain some salary. So much for player leadership, where was Danny T, Mack, Fuller, Jackson, Smith, all the leaders on the defense. How do you let that happen? That was one of the most embarrassing games I have seen in a long time.

The HC is responsible for instilling that pride and motivating the team. He clearly is not a good motivator of men. He rode Fangio's coattails to 12-4 in 2018 and is now 13-14 without him. Do you know the Bears have only won 2 games against teams with winning records since the start of 2019 (TB this year and MIN last year when they rested all their starters in Week 17). Also, 11 of the 13 wins have been by 7 pts or less.

One bright side to that loss, we gained some ground on a top 10 pick. The Bears are now 1 game out of the #8 pick and 1.5 games out of the #7 pick with 5 games to play. I don't expect the Chargers to keep losing, Carolina looks like a strong team, Washington is playing better with Smith at QB, Atlanta just blew the doors off the Raiders, Houston is playing some good ball and Denver was playing decent when they had an actual QB play. Those teams will all have more wins than the Bears by the end of the year. I think the only game the Bears win is against Jacksonville and end up at 6-10. That should be good enough for pick 8-10, which should be in reach of a QB. 1. NYJ 0-11 2. JAX 1-10 3. CIN 2-8-1 4. DAL 3-8 5. LAC 3-8 6. PHI 3-7-1 ----------- 7. CAR 4-8 8. WAS 4-7 9. DET 4-7 10. ATL 4-7 11. HOU 4-7 12. DEN 4-7 13. CHI 5-6 14. MIN 5-6 15. NE 5-6 16. SF 5-6 Looking at the teams to guarantee to be ahead of the Bears, the Jets and the Jags are going QB. Then the others would be PHI and WAS possibly. Carolina has Bridgewater, Chargers have Herbert, Bengals have Burrow. So the Bears will for sure get no better than the #3 QB in the draft. If there is no one worthy of that pick in the top 10, go OLine.

Oh, I agree. A win would be shocking, in GB in prime time. I just feel bad for Trubisky. After how bad Foles played for so many weeks, he probably should've been starting again a few weeks ago, but then got hurt. So now he gets his chance in the most pivotal game of the season. A win and the playoffs are a reality at 6-5 and the division is still in reach (w/ tie breaker), and a loss and the season is over. With a loss, they would be a game away from a top 7 pick at 5-6 (7 teams have 4 wins).

Shaheen got one too. Shaheen now has 3 TDs on the season on only 7 receptions.

So after how bad the Bears have played in the last month, with the Cards loss this week against NE, the Bears could slide back into the playoff picture as the #7 seed with a win tonight AND would then be only one game back in the Division w/ the tie breaker against GB AND only a half game back from TB as the #6 seed w/ the tie breaker as well.

I second the bag of dicks,lol. BTW, Mike Freaking Glennon has the 1-9 Jaguars in the lead against the Browns in the 3rd Quarter with 2 TDs and is on pace for a 300-yd passing game w/o Chark.

Backup QB us the least of my worries. On offense, obviously O-Line and the starting QB, and on defense Skrine, Quinn, and the Safeties being in position to make some plays which hasn't been there all year.

The COVID cap crunch is going to cause a lot of cap heavy teams to trade/cut players they don't necessarily want to lose. It is going to be an offseason like no other. So there may be a market for players with big cap hits where other teams can get them for peanuts. Like the Colts, they will have the 3rd highest cap space at $76M, that would be easy to take on someone like Mack or Fuller but then only give up a 4th or 5th round pick. The Jags and Jets have over $80M available. The Pats also have a ton of cap space. So I can see those teams picking up one or two elite guys even with big cap hits. My hope is they restructure Fuller, Mack, and Hicks to ease the burden on the 2021 cap, then make space with Massie, Leno, Graham, Skrine. Quinn's contract is a hot mess. He is unmoveable, so the only option is to restructure his for a couple of million to cut his cap hit from $14.7M down to something like $10M. Mack is at $26.6M, but a restructure can bring that down under $20M. Same with Fuller, he is at $20M, but they can get him to $15M. Hick is at $12M, and they can get him under $10M. Those 4 restructures can save the team close to $20M without pushing too much to later years. However, I see no way they can afford A-Rob, which sucks. There just is no cap space unless they get rid of Quinn somehow. Then you have to figure out QB, Trubisky is off the books, you don't have $20M for a new starting QB. Foles is making $6.66M, so that is not starter money. I don't know how they are squeezing a starting QB salary into this cap.

This would be a really good game for Quinn to show up. I still fear they will just slide Adams to the slot and abuse Skrine all game. Adams is the only guy I worry about. Without him, the entire offense is mediocre at best. However, on offense, we are just terrible at pretty much everything and GB has a decent defense similar to CAR. If we get into a shootout, we lose. This will have to be a black and blue division slugfest for us to have a chance. Weather should be fun, 33 degrees with 10 mph winds.

5-5 Bears at 7-3 Packers. The Packers just lost to Indy while the Bears won the bye week. I don't have a good feeling about this one. The offense is beyond repair. I expect it to be a 2-3 score deficit, Packers 31-17. The defense has to defend against too many short fields and Skrine gets exposed time and time again. Rinse and repeat.

Thru the early games today, here is the current Draft Order. The Bears are literally in no man's land at #16. They also will be the only team in the NFL with exactly a .500 record thru Week 11. So depending on how things go, the Bears are only 1.5 games away from a top 10 pick and a game out of the last wild card spot. Not only that, if they somehow beat the Packers next week, they would only be a game back in the division. So next week the season is literally on the line in so many different ways. A win and the Bears actually put themselves in a pretty good spot for a playoff berth. Mainly because the two teams the Bears are chasing play each other twice (ARZ/LAR). Either those teams both win 1 and lose 1 or one team wins both and the other loses both. A win against GB would also setup for a potential Division Championship Game in Week 17. With a loss though the Bears would be at least two games out with 5 to play and would drop to a pick somewhere between 12-14. 1. NYJ 0-10 2. JAX 1-9 3. CIN 2-7-1 4. HOU 3-7 5. ATL 3-7 6. DAL 3-7 7. WAS 3-7 8. NYG 3-7 9. LAC 3-7 ----------- 10. CAR 4-7 11. SF 4-6 12. DET 4-6 13. NE 4-6 14. DEN 4-6 15. MIN 4-6 ----------- 16. CHI 5-5 ----------- 17. MIA 6-4 18. BAL 6-4 =========== 19. PHI 3-6-1* 20. ARZ 6-4 21. LAR 6-3 22. LVR 6-3 23. CLE 7-3 24. TEN 7-3 25. TB 7-3 26. GB 7-3* 27. IND 7-3* 28. BUF 7-3* 29. SEA 7-3* 30. KC 8-1* 31. NO 8-2* 32. PIT 10-0*

Hilarious that the Bears actually won Week 11 with all 3 other NFCN teams losing and the Cards. If the Rams lose, it would be a clean sweep half game gain on a bye week against all the closest teams.

If you just look back at Pace's entire draft history, he should be fired. Just looking at the first 3 rounds, where Pace drafted defense, and then picking offensive players within the next 10 picks. Beyond that the player value at the time of the draft would probably warrant a draft down vs a pick. So I just looked at offensive players missed with the drafting of a defensive player or complete offensive bust (Shaheen). 2016 - 1st - Floyd (passed on Laremy Tunsil - OT, Taylor Decker - OT, Ryan Kelly - C) 3rd - Bullard (passed on Joe Thuney - G, Kenyan Drake - RB, Austin Hooper - TE) 2017 - 1st - Trubisky (passed on Mahomes, Watson, Fournette, McCaffrey) + the 3rd Rounder lost in the trade: (missed on Kamara, Kupp, Elflein - C, Feeney - G) 2nd - Shaheen (passed on Mixon) 2018 - 1st - Smith (passed on McGlinchey - OT) 2nd - Miller (passed on Chark - WR, O'Neill - OT) 3rd - Trubisky Trade (missed on Gallup - WR, Orlando Brown Jr - OT) 2019 - 2nd - Miller trade (missed on DK Metcalf - WR) 3rd - Montgomery (passed on Nate Davis - G) 2020 - 2nd - Kmet (passed on Chase Claypool - WR) I know it is easier to draft after the fact, but these players were rated as high if not higher than the player drafted by the Bears. To think our O-Line and offense as a whole could look like this from the Pace era from only the first 3 rounds of picks: Sutton - WR (instead of Daniels) O'Neill - T (instead of Miller) Thuney - G (instead of Bullard) Kelly - C (instead of Floyd) Davis - G (instead of Montgomery) McGlinchey - T (instead of Smith) Trubisky - QB Mixon - RB (instead of Shaheen) Metcalf - WR (instead of Miller) Claypool - WR3/TE (instead of Kmet) Graham - TE Mooney - WR3/4 Whitehair is your Super Sub, since you didn't need Daniels, you pick Sutton. I did not use anything from the Trubisky trade or pick. Take that offense and we ultimately lose Roquan, Miller, Montgomery and Kmet plus the entire O-Line from the current roster. You then can re-sign Kwit or KPL to replace Smith, and all others are already replaced by the new picks. You don't need to sign A-Rob either. So money could be spent on extending some of these guys. That team is unstoppable. Another wild option was replacing McGlinchey with Lamar Jackson, and Trubisky with Ramczyk, both one for one: Sutton - WR (instead of Daniels) O'Neill - T (instead of Miller) Thuney - G (instead of Bullard) Kelly - C (instead of Floyd) Davis - G (instead of Montgomery) Ramczyk - T (instead of Trubisky) Jackson - QB (instead of Smith) Mixon - RB (instead of Shaheen) Metcalf - WR (instead of Miller) Claypool - WR3/TE (instead of Kmet) I know it seems like a lot of moving pieces, but the way this would cascade year over year is actually somewhat realistic.

Hindsight is 20/20. Foles was the logical choice over Newton and Dalton. No one could predict he would turn out this bad. He looks like the Foles in Jacksonville or LA. He is less mobile and has lost arm strength and touch. To me that is the death knell for any QB. He is career backup now and nothing more. Even with Trubisky's inability to read a defense, you can still work with that (cut the field in half, boots, roll-outs, play-action, RPOs) and allow him to make plays when things break down. Foles needs a perfect pocket like he had in Philly to succeed. Without it, he is a tall skinny, tackling dummy.

What a shit show. You have no choice but to go back to Trubisky, but probably should've done it a few weeks back. Foles has not looked the same since that Atlanta game. He literally started to do the same bad habits that everyone picked on Trubisky about. Throwing off his back foot, inaccurate passes, missing wide open players, throwing into double coverage. Foles essentially morphed into Mitch Folbisky with zero mobility. The Bears should just put Foles on IR, and let Trubisky play for a new contract. There is a chance that he learned something in the last two months since he was benched. We will see. It would be great if he came out on fire against GB. We need our team to play angry. Our defense does (outside of Skrine), but our offense is timid.

Skrine has given up more TDs against than the rest of the entire defense has. That is a problem. I am surprised it is not discussed that much. Fuller and Johnson are doing their part, but teams (like the Vikings) figured out all they had to do is send out a formation that prevents Skrine from having help on both sides. Then it is just one move inside or out and the ball is out and Skrine is trailing in coverage. He has actually been a very solid run defender and has made some open field tackles, but if he can prevent a pass, it's like the defense is playing with 10 guys out there.

I guess I worded it wrong. With 4 straight losses and a 5th on the horizon, this team is already tanking. I am just saying with the season now gone, you might as well see what you with some of the younger guys by giving them more playing time. If they play good and you win, great, but if you lose, which was probably already a given, then there is no harm in getting some of the younger guys live action to see if they can play.

The only good thing about the bye week is not having to be tortured by that offense. I would take the Jets offense over this. The 5-1 start was fools gold. We should have been 3-3 and now 3-7. I'm really only thinking at most two more wins. We are not beating MIN or GB. The other 3 games are JAX, DET, HOU. I don't think we can beat DET right now either. I think they beat the Jags no matter what, but don't know about HOU with Watson. Just an unbelievable turn of events over the last month. How many losses in a row is needed for a coaching change? We are at 4, with GB next, that seems like 5. How long does this need to go on before something is done?

Lol Mongo. You are correct, the safeties have been out of position a lot or late to cover. I don't know if that is scheme or the players. However, like you have done on the offense, if you go back and watch Skrine on the all-22, there is almost no reason to throw to any other receiver. Just throw it towards Skrine. On Coward, sorry, but he seriously needs to go. There is no way that the team can't find some guy on another team's PS that is better than Coward. This is on Pace.

How many TD's is Skrine going to allow this season? I think he is on pace for 15 TDs allowed. We might want to shade the safeties his way, geez. There is no reason to throw towards anyone else. Throw towards him and it's a TD, sooooo frustrating. On the 2nd TD, it was so obvious where they were going and there is Skrine shading to the inside to allow for an easy out route. Shelley can't be worse. Is Coward still on this team?

Welp this didn't age well. The season is over, at this point the team needs to tank. There is no need for moral wins to end up 8-8 and a high teens pick and missing the playoffs. What a shame too. Nagy needs to go, Pace needs to go. This team has been smoke and mirrors since all those turnovers in 2018. Outside of 3-4 games, the offense has been one of the worst in a long time. In 2018, it was the defense getting turnovers and scores and the kicker. In 2019, it was injuries. This year, they were exposed. We are closer to a 3-7 team than a 5-5 team. Considering that, we should be the underdog in pretty much every remaining game. With only 6 left, I can't see this team winning more than 1 or 2. I really hope they don't win any. That would allow the team to fire Pace, Nagy, and clean house. Bring someone else in and give them a better draft pick to start with. 5-1 is the only way to make the playoffs, that ain't happening.

At 5-4, a win against MIN on MNF is the only way we have a chance at the playoffs. If the Bears lose and go to 5-5, the season is over. However, I think they win and go to 6-4 into the bye. If they do, they still have work to do in the highly competitive NFC. There is a chance that 7 teams win 10 games and the 7th team doesn't make the playoffs. Here is the main competition for the playoffs: 1. New Orleans 7-2, currently 1st in Division, but lost Brees for several weeks. They have the tie breaker against the Bears, only 1 game against teams in the hunt. I project them no worse than 11-5, but expect 12-4 or 13-3. The Brees injury could be huge if he is out extended time. 2. Tampa Bay 7-3, currently 2nd in the Division, the Bears own the tie breaker against them, 2 games against teams in the hunt. They are going 12-4 or 13-3 unless something changes. They seem to be getting better and may take the division over NO. 3. Arizona 6-3, currently 1st in the Division, 3 games against teams in the hunt. A slightly tougher schedule going forward. Looks like they will end up 11-5 or 10-6. 4. LA Rams 6-3, currently 2nd in the Division, 4 games against teams in the hunt, they have the tie breaker against the Bears. They have the toughest path to the playoffs. With 7 games remaining, they are projected to win 3 to 4 more, or go 10-6 or 9-7. 5. Seattle 6-3, currently 3rd in the Division, 2 games against teams in the hunt. They have the easiest schedule of the West teams, which should put them in at 11-5 or 10-6. The Bears have to pass only one of those teams for a playoff spot. The Bears have 2 games against teams in the hunt (both against GB). At 6-4 with 6 games remaining, the Bears will need to win at least 4 games against (GB, DET, HOU, MIN, JAX, GB). That is doable. 11-5 will guarantee a playoff spot. 10-6 will not. A longer shot is the division, but possible, GB still plays IND, TEN, and CHI twice. If we can at least split with them and have them lose to both IND and TEN, that would put them at 11-5 and 4-2 in the Division. If we can sweep MIN and DET and split GB, we would be 5-1 in the Division and win the tie breaker at 11-5. That is the only possible scenario for the Division unless GB loses to a few teams unexpectedly.