Last week was chaos for the Bears. And it really wasn’t much better for you. But one of the things I find beautiful about the NFL is that every Sunday is an opportunity to erase everything and start over. I will apply this line of thinking to life and enter this week with a new mindset. Let’s go get it!
Tremaine Edmonds didn’t have a game under his belt as a member of the Chicago Bears before he was named one of the team’s captains. I imagine it’s a perspective like this that makes him an ideal leader for this team moving forward:
“You can’t let one game define you, and this game certainly won’t define us. … They’re not losses, they’re lessons. We can learn lessons from this, and we can learn from it and get better.”
Edmunds is exactly who I want to send this message from the Bears sideline. A two-time Pro Bowl linebacker who reached the postseason in each of his final four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Edmunds’ career got off to a rocky start as the team lost 47-3 in their season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. So, if anyone knows that one loss doesn’t have to be more than one loss, it’s Edmonds. Well, the Bills went 10-6. But for what it’s worth, this team has won 4 of its last 7 games after starting 3-7. In other words, there is a glimmer of hope (but you may have to squint to see it after last week’s game against the Packers).
On the other side of the ball, one player I hope moves on quickly from last week is quarterback Justin Fields. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy can do his part in getting Fields through a dismal fourth quarter by fulfilling a simple request from the QB1 — open things up. Fields told reporters (via AP) this week that he felt he was “too conservative” during the Bears’ Week 1 loss and wants to give playmakers like DJ Moore and Chase Claypool more opportunities on the field. For his part, Fields will need to speed up his processing (all while not playing too fast at the same time). It’s a tough needle to thread, but I’m here to see if Fields can do it.
Oof. Watching this hurts me:
For all the flaws of the old system, it feels as if Fields has been quicker to pull the trigger, more decisive, and has had more power to his passes in 2021 than he did last week. I hope this new crew doesn’t (1) coach the aggressive nature out of Fields’ game and (2) doesn’t screw up his mechanics letting some steam out of the heater. Again, Week 1 is just one game. But the video above represents a disturbing trend. For what it’s worth, trends don’t last forever. Hopefully this is just a blip on the radar.
ICYMI: Cornerback Kyler Gordon is out for Sunday’s game against the Bucs (as well as the next three games) after going on IR. The Bears announced that Gordon underwent successful surgery on his broken hand and is eligible to return in Week 6 against the Vikings. The team hopes that the stay in IR will be minimal.
Meanwhile, don’t expect rookie Tyreek Stevenson to take Gordon’s spot in the slot. “Tyrique is a good corner out there, especially being a rookie like this,” head coach Matt Eberflus said, via Sean Hammond of Shaw Media. “We don’t like moving him too much, and he’s been productive out there.”
I thought DBB’s Geoff Hughes nailed this sentiment:
ICYMI: Nate Davis is out for Sunday’s Bears game as he deals with the death of someone close to him. We wish Davis, his family and friends peace and guidance during these difficult times.
Jaquan Brisker on Matt Eberflus taking over defensive play calls Alan Williams (via Josh Schrock of NBCS Chicago): “Nothing ever changes. Everybody’s just doing their job. We’re all playing as one. Coach Flus has been calling plays for a long time. It’s his defense. It’s going to be Smooth process.” As concerned as I am about having to sit and watch this defense later today, I find some comfort in Eberflus having called plays in the past.
Grass talk. There’s some good stuff in Chris Emma’s “Tailgater” column at Marquee, including this nugget from Bears’ long-time starter Patrick Scales that comes on the heels of Aaron Rodgers’ season-ending Achilles injury at MetLife Stadium:
“Grass is better. We’ve been fighting for that for a long time. So, we want teams to change it. (MetLIfe Stadium) is an outdoor stadium, so we wish their field was grass, and we’re pushing for that. It’s better for our bodies. We recover better.” “It’s better in every way.”
It’s as if the Bears are in a good position to discuss grassy matters. First, because Soldier Field was traditionally a big pile of shit (but it’s gotten better since Coach Flus suggested switching to a different range). Second, the Bears saw two players suffer season-ending injuries at MetLife Stadium last year, with Eddie Jackson *and* Darnell Mooney suffering injuries. When the Bears get their new stadium, they better have real grass. Otherwise, they risk a fate similar to what MetLife Stadium has dealt with over the years.
I’ll be curious to see what the grass at Raymond James Stadium looks like less than 24 hours after Alabama’s win over South Florida.
Speaking of college football, this throw from North Carolina State’s Drake May caught my attention:
To be clear, I’m not actively watching this class of draft-eligible quarterbacks yet. I still think Justin Fields can prove he’s the man. However, it doesn’t hurt to monitor what’s happening collectively.
I don’t think Bears fans can handle that if it’s Fields not like that the man And If the best QB is available when the team selects in next April’s draft is the signal caller who played his college ball at North Carolina State. This may be too much for this fan base to handle. Let’s just hope Fields pulls it together and takes the third-year jump we’re all rooting for
Here are Marvin Harrison Jr.’s weekly highlights. This week’s victims are members of Western Kentucky High School:
check it out: The Athletic has two of the top 5 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft
We love it when college teams get tough. Honestly, the Bears could learn a lesson about play design and execution from this Oregon State play:
Another soul-crushing loss that makes the Cubs look like a team that spent a lot of energy coming out of 10 games under .500. And because David Ross is in the running with the guys who got him to this point, I’m not sure the Cubs’ fate will change in the final weeks of the season. Could things get better? certainly. But this team seems to be holding on for dear life.
In the meantime, we’ll end on a good note with a huge amount of news from the Blackhawks camp:
