AZ54

Stop Saquon and make Eli beat you.

That's why he will get paid to stay in Chicago and Amos won't.

I've watched this play a few times and the more I see it the more I think it's a brilliant play design. That's not my main point of this post. I think this play shows how well the defense is coming together. With Mack on board now for a few months there's a consistency to our pass rush and teams are reacting to that, and him. He's seeing the usual double and sometimes triple teams but teams are also working the quicker passing routes. That was the Lions scheme in our second matchup to negate our pass rush. Now these players and coaches have been together with Mack and are all coming to understand each other. This includes an improving Roquan Smith in the middle. With more consistency in execution among the young defenders Fangio dials up this blitz package knowing Jackson has the speed to get to the outside coverage. You typically expect him to get handed off one of the interior receivers. Fangio, and I think Jackson, also knows this is likely the hot route Stafford wants to hit. You can see Jackson hiding among the traffic before he makes his burst to the outside. Fangio might not be a fan of blitzing much but when you have this much versatile talent then there are many combinations of blitzes and coverages he can call. Floyd, Smith, Trevathan, Jackson can all drop into coverage and do it well. I wasn't the biggest fan of Roquan Smith in the draft but when I saw him blow the coverage on Golladay by reacting a step late to his route I wasn't happy. Then he ran him down and tackled him some 30 yards later and I was impressed. You just don't see that kind of speed often from LBs. As Smith improves we might be seeing the beginning of a new blitz trend for Lord Fangio. On the flip side what Jackson is showing on tape lately is going to make QBs start to focus more on him after the snap. Reading the safety is common anyway but for how long into the play? In the video we can see Stafford looking for the replay because he wants to know where Jackson came from and how he missed that read. These are littles things but they might get a blitzing defender another half step closer to the QB before he recognizes it. It also will make some QBs start to hesitate a bit on throwing the timing routes. I think the best is yet to come on blitzes with this defense.

Not too early to start, I'd rather get some names out there now while the college games are still ongoing. The Suntimes sports writers have been doing a good job covering the back stories of this team and here is what they say about Mizzell, along with Nagy's quote. I don't necessarily agree on Mizzell's advantages on the field but I can't argue too much with a coach who has completely turned around one of the worst offenses in the 2017 NFL season. Below that quote the Suntimes linked to an article about how Nagy wants the Bears to run better. So running better isn't an advantage MIzzell offers and apparently route running/pass catching isn't an advantage Howard offers. https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/bears-lions-five-takaways-observations-analysis-week-12/ The Bears’ use of Mizzell likely will continue, even if it means fewer snaps for starter Jordan Howard. Mizzell has a skill set that Nagy likes for his offense. “We feel like we have some advantages with him in the pass game,” Nagy said. RELATED • Eddie Jackson ‘could be playing some WR,’ but he’s dominating at safety instead • Matt Nagy: Bears must run better, but fan concerns rooted in fantasy football That’s not always the case with the slower Howard. The Bears designed the pick play that resulted in Mizzell’s first career touchdown a day before playing the Lions. Mizzell lined up in the near left slot against former Bears linebacker Christian Jones and cut around receiver Allen Robinson, who turned to Daniel and impeded Jones’ path. The touchdown came a play after Mizzell made a falling catch on a route out of the backfield for an 11-yard gain. Mizzell also ran for seven yards on a run-pass option play to close out the first quarter. Mizzell’s nine snaps against the Lions were the most he has had since being promoted from the practice squad against the Bills on Nov. 4. He had only one play (one carry for a one-yard loss) against the Vikings.

I only saw the second half but I did expect Howard to play a bigger role in this game. Then I read your comment and I thought, yes we should have ran Howard more often. I saw how effective Blount was shaking off tired defenders and expected Howard would be able to do similar damage in the second half. On the other hand I remember years ago when Detroit had a bad pass defense but a good run defense (I think it was the Jauron era or maybe Lovie) and we went there and just tried to run the ball and barely tested their secondary. I think it was because we got off the bus running or something like that. We lost that game. At least Nagy can recognize where his offense has an advantage over a defense and call plays to that effect. In that respect I won't complain too much but at some point we must get the running game going if we're going to make a good run in the playoffs. Nagy has acknowledge that as well a couple weeks ago. Since then we've been without Sims so I'm hoping Nagy will start calling those running plays more often once he gets Shaheen back on the field as an inline blocker.

I"m really surprised Bray is getting called up. I expected or was hoping that Trubisky could at least be the backup for the game. That would indicate the injury was less severe. Nagy is adamant that Trubisky won't take a snap this week. Now I'm thinking he could miss a couple games.

Let's take it from the top where I said... "looking for someone who should be available on the 3rd day" (This is Rd 4-7) "keeping Jordan Howard for another year makes sense but adding him to the mix with Cohen and Howard gives us one more dynamic weapon" and then I recently added... "I said it before but the fact Mizzell is on the active roster tells me they are searching for something else in their 3rd RB. " As to your first point we can't guarantee anyone taken in the draft. That's a non-starter for discussion at any pick. Your second point... I said... "With RBs being in more demand lately, the good 3rd RB is often taken in Rd 2." RBs have clearly moved up in terms of draft value in recent years. Here's just the last 3 years data showing the recent increase in RB draft position. I'll stand by my assertion that talented RBs that used to be available in Rd 3 are more likely to be drafted in Rd 2 next year, if not that then likely before we pick late in Rd 3. RBs in Rd 1 -- 3 in 2018, 2 in 2017, 1 in 2016 RBs in Rd 2 -- 4 in 2018, 2 in 2017, 1 in 2016 You absolutely were all over Cohen but that doesn't change the narrative of the media widely criticizing Pace for drafting him in Rd 4. Nor does it change Pace's draft history where when he really likes a player he goes and drafts them even if it's a bit early as compared to conventional draft wisdom. There's a good list of players he moved up to draft, or drafted earlier than the media expected, and I might not get them all right: Trubisky, Shaheen, AMiller, Whitehair, Floyd, Kwit, Cohen. I absolutely feel that if he sees a BPA RB sitting there in Rd 3 who fits Nagy's scheme he'll draft him. I don't think that is the most likely scenario for our 2019 draft because around that point in the draft RB grades tend to flatten out. What is our dire position of need? Filling the RT position this offseason has to be at the top of the list because Massie is a FA. Beyond that? We're talking dire needs, not just needs.

I'd be all in on that deal. With RBs being in more demand lately, the good 3rd RB is often taken in Rd 2. If not, then likely before we pick late in the 3rd Rd. Then again everyone said Pace was crazy for taking Cohen in Rd 4. If he really likes someone, at any position, he will just go get 'em.

We are dangerous. Even without the consistency we have so many ways to beat a team today. We can either put of 40 or 50pts or hold the opponent to 13pts with multiple turnovers. Week to week is always a crap shoot, even this week with such a short turn around. However it is very clear we are getting better each month.

There is this thing called recency bias. I listen to "analysts' talk up this game like it was the highest scoring game ever but I believe the Bears once put up 63pts on a team in the playoffs. Somewhere in their own graphic there was a higher combined score from 1966 (or something way back when). How that could possibly occur when the rules weren't as slanted towards the offense and these modern-day gurus weren't even born yet is beyond me. History aside everyone is ignoring the bad defenses we just watched. It's normal people like to celebrate offense. As a Bears fan I like good defense. There were some clear issues that I saw with both QBs (Goff and Mahomes) when they were under pressure. We will get our chance to match up against the Rams soon and I'm very curious to see this one play out. I believe we can compete against them. For now I view the Saints as the clear best team in the NFL and with Brees at the helm they won't likely have the issues Goff and Mahomes displayed last night when the game gets tight. If we are deserving of being in the top 5 it will show up the next 3 weeks. Power Ranking Def yds/gm DVOA Ranking 1) Saints 16th 24th 2) Rams 21st 16th 3) Chiefs 30th 26th 4) Steelers 6th 13th 5) Patriots 24th 17th 6) Chargers 14th 11th 7) Bears 3rd 1st 8) Texans 7th 3rd 9) Panthers 13th 25th 10) Vikings 5th 5th

I said it before but the fact Mizzell is on the active roster tells me they are searching for something else in their 3rd RB. They are serious enough about it to keep 4 RBs on the game day active rosters several weeks in a row. He's even had a couple carries that normally I would expect to go to Cunningham (zero yards of course). As the season goes along I won't be surprised if they switch Mizzell and Nall just to see what Nall can offer. IIRC Nagy was part of the recruiting process to bring Nall here as a UDFA. I also remember having Knile Davis on the team prior to the season. That may have been just to help with reps in camp. I just don't see Nagy as content as you are with the RB roster so I think someone is added to this group this offseason. It could be a low dollar vet FA too to replace Cunningham. As for the other positions I'd be looking at drafting OT, OG, and a Safety. The Saints have it right with maintaining a solid interior Oline in front of Brees. I want Trubisky to have the same even if someone goes down. Whether it is RB, WR, or TE, I think Nagy will want to add at least one more fast player to the roster. Of those 3 categories I can see us most likely to do nothing at WR with Wims replacing White and we keep Bellamy. That might upset some folks but IMO Bellamy has done well for us this year. Having a good move-TE is so critical to Nagy's scheme that someone sitting there in Rd 3 could be too good to pass up. Unless Shaheen starts lighting it up I'll put this 2nd on the needs list. Sims will be gone but it's unclear how much they like Braunecker or Brown. If there is a good receiving TE talent sitting there in the 3rd or 4th Rd I can see us drafting him. That leaves RB where it seems clear Nagy prefers the athleticism and scheme versatility Cohen provides over Howard.

For those of us who enjoy the draft process it is nearly time for college conference playoffs, and then we move into the bowl season. I like having a few players to watch as these big games happen. I still think we will be looking to add someone to the RB group this offseason so I'm looking for someone who should be available on the 3rd day but also who fits the profile of what we're looking for. Anthony Miller has proven to be worth a 2nd Rd pick. Could we go back to Memphis to draft a RB? Henderson is not a work horse type of RB so keeping Jordan Howard for another year makes sense but adding him to the mix with Cohen and Howard gives us one more dynamic weapon and he can handle go routes and has the hands to make catches deep downfield. Can he handle KRs?

Post-game Nagy said something about Robinson's route timing being off from Trubisky. Clearly there is something there with Robinson not making the cut. Either it's on ARob for not finding his way inside or Trubisky for not reading the inside leverage of the DB. Trubisky threw it right where he expected ARob to be so it's not a bad throw. It's just part of everyone learning a new offense.

I agree with your assessment on Trubisky. I remember him getting up and working his right shoulder a bit so I was concerned but the replay showed the hit on his left shoulder. Hopefully it's minor and is something he can loosen up before the game. In the post-game celebration Shaheen didn't look too happy so I'm thinking he'll have some lingering effects from that concussion and won't play this week. I don't think it was a serious concussion either because he wouldn't have been around the disco ball lights and loud music. Hopefully he's back in Week 13 for the Giants game. We need him to get some reps and be ready to go against the Rams in Week 14.

Losing Kerryon Johnson is huge for their offense. Against the Bears last week he was easily their most productive running back. Add in being down another WR and Stafford's options will be very limited. This is an interesting short week since both teams will have played each other 10 days ago. There's not much time for game planning but there are adjustments that can be made. With Mitch being a "reps" guy this is a rare opportunity to see the same defense so quickly, except they will likely have Slay back on the field. It's Nagy's play calling I'm most curious to see versus the last game. You know he'll have a few twists added in but on a short week with both teams coming off physical games the most obvious thing I'd like to see is Howard getting 20 carries versus the 11 he had in the last game. If that doesn't happen and we still put up another 40pts so be it.

A bit? It was pretty classless group on the field for the Vikings with all the late hits and shoves out of bounds. They were clearly trying to bully the Bears but it didn't work. In the past I have liked Harrison Smith but after this game he's off my list of respectable players. That hit on Trubisky was late and clearly leading with the helmet. It should cost him at least $10k and hopefully more.

You do realize when their name is not Trubisky you are supposed to only count the positive plays? Don't even get into the "that should have been an INT" realm either. If this was a Trubisky game there is zero doubt he gets roasted by the national media for all those mistakes. He would have been the guy who was leading the race by far and crashed into the wall with nobody around him. People wouldn't forget how he overthrew a 6'5" Travis Kelce early in the game. It's week 11 why can't he get his timing down on these routes! How he threw a pass at the ankles of a wide open 6'5" Travis Kelce as he crossed the middle for what would have been a big gain late in the game. Or when he threw the ball into the dirt missing an open Kareem Hunt in the right flat near the end of the game. The Pick Six? OMFG when is he ever going to fix his throwing mechanics! Yep, Mitch blew this game. He scored or his turnovers were responsible for nearly as many points for the Rams (21pts) as their offense delivered. At the end of the game, with his team still in it needing just a game tying FG, he fails to step up in the pocket and instead throws one more INT trying to force a ball into deep triple coverage near the endzone. I said back in Week 4 or so, this is Mahomes and with him you live by the big plays and you die by them too. If he does not have elite offensive talent around him you will see more of these high turnover games. If Andy Reid can corral him and bring him back a bit closer to Alex Smith in the future he'll be great. For now I think he's most likely to follow Favre's career (TD leader and INT leader) with the highs and lows, some great seasons and maybe a few not so great. In the meantime, if you can get to him he'll press and make mistakes.

Yes, good deal. I usually don't advocate for trades like this where you give up multiple or even a single high draft pick but in this case Mack is an elite game changing player. Equally important is that he's a high character guy, great in the locker room and on the field on game day. I love seeing him celebrating and congratulating his teammates when they make good plays. For a young rebuilding team looking to find it's way he's a perfect fit.

First INT i agree, not a pass he should have thrown. Second INT I have no clue what happened with Robinson standing still on the route. On the deep passes I said at the beginning of the season I supported him taking those chances so he can learn to make the throws, and when to make the throws. I don't want Trubisky to become like Alex Smith was 3 years into the league and become Captain Checkdown. When we needed a score at the end Trubisky delivered it, and so did Parkey. That was a huge drive. If we can just get Fangio's prevent defense to be more prevent I'd be happy. On a side note: I didn't see much of Bilal Nichols in this game. Maybe I just missed him. Akiem Hicks ...now everyone knows your name and your game. Great win for a young team. This is the kind of game I expected especially from Minnesota with two weeks to prepare. This was their best shot and they came up short. In the next game against them Nagy and Trubisky will be more prepared for what they will see.

https://www.chicagobears.com/news/roster-moves-bears-activate-shaheen-move-sims-to-ir This is good news. I'm surprised they are putting Sims on IR and effectively this is the end of his Bears career. They would rather have Smoke Mizzell in the mix and apparently prefer Brown and Braunecker at TE as well.

Lose and he plays poorly and it will be a bunch of "I told you so" on Monday. If he plays well and we win we're going to need a bigger bus for all the bandwagon media. The most likely outcome is a middle of the road performance because they have a good defense.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/blogs/grizzly-detail/chicago-bears-minnesota-vikings-anthony-barr-andrew-sendejo-500701671.html No word on Shaheen. Team is keeping this one very close to the vest. Sims is ruled out for sure so we really need Shaheen this week. I expect him to come off IR on Sat.

I believe we'll have to overcome some mistakes to win this game. I also think it will be the same for the Vikings. That showed up in Week 1 against GB. I believe the Bears have grown a lot in recent weeks and there is more belief among players they can affect the outcome with a single play. This is all part of becoming a playoff contender and I really look forward to the matchup and seeing how far we've come in this process.

3rd and 2 and Rodgers threw the ball in the dirt. I'd love to see him get the Trubisky treatment. Calling Michael Lombardi!