AZ54

That was some serious butt kicking we did. Missing our two of our top three, then all top three WR for the second half and we still put up 24pts on their turf. I"m glad to have Kyle Long back. What a difference he makes inside. Even our 2nd string D was bringing it late in the game. We have lots of injuries to sort out so hopefully all goes well but I can't see Miller returning this year.

Sounds like Kyle Long is back.. https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2018/12/27/kyle-long-chicago-bears-practice-return-healthy-nfl-playoffs/

Of course I want to win...the Superbowl. To do that we need key players healthy so this cannot be a win at all costs type of game. Players that need less snaps to prepare for the Wildcard game should get the rest. In an ideal world we rattle Cousins (again) and get some big defensive plays early to help build a big lead in the first half. Cousins is under a ton of pressure and there is no way he can ignore the chatter about him not being worth $84mil. We need to get hands on him early and often. Their D is going to play us tough again but I just posted their injury report in the game thread and they have a few key players who cannot practice: Eric Kendricks, Linval Joseph, Mike Remmers, and Xavier Rhodes. They may play but it's unlikely they'll be fully healthy. Trubisky was not very good in the first game agains the Vikings. He'll be looking to turn that around and his new found love of taking what the defense gives him should help him here. Can we take advantage of their defensive injuries? I don't know and we have our own issues with Long and Jackson likely out this game. IMO if we can get Howard going early we win. He'll take the heat off Trubisky on the road. He'll make play action work better. He'll give defenders someone else to worry about running besides Trubisky (see my "What are the Vikings worried about" post in the game thread). He'll make Cohen look that much faster. We have one other ace in the hole and that is Shaheen. Sims went out the week before the first Vikings game and Shaheen, although back, wasn't fully in game shape and he had 0 targets that game. While Shaheen hasn't lit it up in the passing game he's another legit option. More importantly is that Howard has been at his best rushing these last 4 or 5 games since Shaheen has been on the field (after his concussion). It hasn't been mentioned here but I don't think that's pure coincidence.

...and their injury report for this week. For some reason the Bears site didn't list our injuries. https://www.vikings.com/team/injury-report/ Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status Anthony Barr LB Shoulder FP (-) C.J. Ham FB Elbow DNP (-) Linval Joseph DT Knee DNP (-) Eric Kendricks LB Hamstring DNP (-) David Morgan TE Knee FP (-) Mike Remmers G Low Back DNP (-) Xavier Rhodes CB Groin DNP (-) Marcus Sherels CB Foot DNP

What are the Vikings concerned about? https://www.vikings.com/news/notebook-vikings-defense-now-well-aware-of-trubisky-s-elusiveness EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings learned the hard way about Mitchell Trubisky’s athleticism in Week 11 at Soldier Field. The Bears quarterback had 10 total rushes for 43 yards in Chicago’s 25-20 win. Most of his damage came in the first half when he had 37 yards on six attempts, and picked up three first downs on the ground. Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer was among those who were a bit taken aback by Trubisky’s ability to elude defenders. “I probably didn’t know he was as fast as he was, running,” Zimmer said. “He had some really good runs on us. We had to adjust during the course of the ball game.” Vikings defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was also a bit surprised. “I thought he was fast … seeing him pull away from linebackers and shaking guys in the secondary,” Rchardson said. “We knew he wasn’t slow.” Trubisky ranks fifth among NFL quarterbacks with 405 rushing yards, and he also has three rushing touchdowns on the season. But those 10 rushing attempts in Week 11 were a career-high for Trubisky, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. The Vikings saw Trubisky in Week 5 of the 2017 season, when the quarterback has made his first NFL start. Minnesota defensive tackle Linval Joseph was quick to point out Trubisky’s growth on the ground since then. “In year one, when he first played against us, that was his first career start,” Joseph said. “Since his first game, and this will now be his third career game against us, he’s picking it up. “He’s done a really good job of reading where he could run,” Joseph added. “We just have to stop him.” The Vikings know that containing Trubisky could give Minnesota’s offense a few extra possessions Sunday at home. If that happens, it could mean the difference between the Vikings getting into the playoffs or not this season. “Just got to get to him, but you can’t change who you are,” Richardson said. “Little things here and there as far as game planning wise, but you still have to go out there and rush him. “You’ve got to win your gap. If you win your gap, he’s got to go on to the next one,” Richardson added. “Hopefully he doesn’t make it.” Added Joseph: “Their quarterback can really run. Really, you just have to do your job and not give him that big play. He’s a very good quarterback and he can run … we can’t let that be the game this time around.”

With 5:45 left in the game and the Bears protecting a 14-9 lead Trubisky took over the offense at the Chicago 14. Against a SF defense that was playing well at home he led the Bears on a game clinching drive that would have killed the clock. Until Robinson fumbled. That drive included forcing SF to burn their last timeouts by running the ball when everyone knew they'd run the ball with about 3:30 left in the game. Prior to this Trubisky had scrambled for a first down and took a big late hit. This led to the sideline fight that resulted in the Bears having only two WRs in the game. With offsetting penalties Trubisky was back to 3rd and 5 at the Chicago 31yd line. He hit a quick pass for 4 yds. Then Nagy, with confidence in his young QB, called for a QB sneak. Remember when everyone said he couldn't handle snaps under center? Trubisky runs for 2 yards netting another 1st down. Now with less than 4min left in the game the next two plays are runs designed to run down the clock or make SF burn timeouts. SF chooses to use timeouts. With a 3rd and 4 Trubisky hit AR12 for 6 yds and a first down. Now with 3:14 left in the game, and SF with no timeouts remaining, the Bears need one more first down to win the game in victory formation. Nagy appropriately calls two Jordan Howard run plays for 8 yds taking the clock to the 2min warning. On the next play Trubisky hits AR12 for what should be the game winning first down and he then fumbles. Reporters subsequently change the narrative to the defense wins the game and, just like that, history erases what should have been one of Trubisky's best drives in his young career. Certainly one of the best on the road in a critical game clinching situation.

I still can't get over the NFL giving the 49ers a free timeout and time to get their FG unit on the field. First off the 49ers clocked the ball so that was 4th down. If they are going to do that crap they should make them run on their offense run off the field and the FG unit run onto the field while the clock is running. We won and that matters most and I always take 'em however I can get 'em. The team overall looked out of sorts early on. When Robinson went out early on the offense seemed to just fall apart. I'm not sure exactly when he returned but it was noticeable once he was back on the field. Ball control will be a big topic of discussion this week in practice. Far too many fumbles. Trubisky was ok. Then he was bad. Then Nagy yelled at him and he was good again. Maybe even really good because he did exactly what you want from your franchise QB with the last 4 min in the game until Robinson gave up the football. He finished 25/29 for 246yards. Khalil Mack may not win DPOY award but he is the best DPOY because he's everywhere. On one play he ran 20 yards downfield to tackle a wide receiver. Say whatever you want about Aaron Donald but he does not defend sideline-to-sideline and downfield (regardless of where he lines up) like Mack does.

Love it and best wishes for Andrew.

I'm not that worried about keeping this team together. We still have reasonable amount of cap space to work with in FA and some options to get more. We won't be top tier FA targets but we may be able to grab that 2nd tier who aren't commanding what they think they are worth and prefer a 1yr deal with a winning team. When you get to the 3rd tier we can compete with the winning teams now, and that's especially true because our "window" just opened. Whereas Pittsburgh is likely to lose Big Ben this offseason. If you are a 4th WR looking for a place to call home for a year or two which would you choose? Plus we have the mad scientist in Nagy cooking up all sorts of wacky plays and then partying afterward in Club Dub. If you are a 3rd tier defensive player like a DB you absolutely know that Khalil Mack will give you opportunities for INTs and passes defensed like few other teams. Better stats can lead to a better next contract if on a 1yr deal, and you might pickup a nice ring in the process. We can easily re-sign Amos, or Callahan, or RRH, or Floyd, or Coward, or Bullard in the near term. I don't think we can sign them all in the next two years. I was an advocate for extending Amos this past offseason like we did with Goldman but I suspect he'll get at least 1-2 mil/yr more now. He's a good player who I'd like to keep but tell me how many big highlight plays he's had this season? Plus I think he's peaked so we will be paying for the same performance for years. Instead I now prefer to gamble on Floyd's upside because he's still not as good as I think he'll become in another year or two. I also think Callahan, even with his injury issues, is a better target to keep around. Anyway whatever or whoever Pace decides are the key players he can keep them around and the one or two on the outside we have to find a replacement for. I think we'll be able to do that via draft or FA. What I'm worried about more is the front office losing talent as other teams start seeing all these late round gems, and even UDFAs, Pace is finding (Jackson, Cohen, Nichols, RRH). That won't go un-noticed and others will want in on his system and success. Two years ago he was to be fired for his draft and was at least laughed at by many for his small school signings. Now? There may be one or two guys in his scouting units that are really key to this success and losing one or both could change our good fortune. Not to mention that Pace went out and got Nagy. While we know he "hired" Fox everyone in the league knows that was much more recommended for him as a young GM. I think Pace will correct any issues if we lose front office personnel but that might not come on his first replacement hire, or in their first year working in a new role. None of this chatter has hit the streets yet but wait as we see more GMs losing their jobs like is rumored to be happening in AZ. OTOH if he can somehow string together another strong draft in day 2/3 this year and find a few players who can contribute or grow into a starting role down the road then we are going to be in a really good position with depth.

Kyle Long practiced today. We'll see what tomorrow brings and if he's able to string together a couple days of work that's a very good sign. https://twitter.com/kfishbain/status/1076192177317994497

I hadn't thought about it but it's entirely possible there is some type of custom orthotic inside to help his foot injury.

Kyle Long with new cleats? Yes sir! https://twitter.com/danwiederer/status/1075520213003714565

Trubisky an alternate Pro Bowl QB? That's going to upset a few people. I'm a Trubisky fan but I don't see the consistent performance to warrant this although he certainly has put together a few Pro Bowl worthy games. He is 3rd or 4th best in the NFC in TD% but other than that he's middle of the pack but trending upward.

Well you don't get much sunlight and I get overdosed on it so we don't always read things the same way. Sure we were all thinking that. Probably Nagy too. But, I admire Nagy's conviction and he came right out in the press conference afterward and said we'll do it again. So now our opponents know they must prepare for it, or anything else. What remains on the table is Eddie Jackson on offense. We know that was practiced a few times but I"m not sure we'll see that until he's fully healthy.

If he puts up 12-14 sacks in his 5th year he'll command at least $15mil/yr and we won't likely keep him around. There is always the possibility we franchise tag him after the 5th year and then trade him.

Floyd IMO is still ascending. I think with his body type we'll see that for a couple more years as he gains strength. The decision on his 5th year option is due this offseason and with all the things he does well I don't see anyway we can let him go after next season. So we're likely paying him the 5th year option which I believe is worth around $13-15mil. I'd rather see if we can work out a 3 or 4yr extension and since he doesn't have elite sack numbers try to keep him for around $8-10mil/yr. He's a good player but not elite in any category and his injury history mucks up the negotiating waters. If he's here for 4 more years (3 yr extension) he's just 30 when we can get his next contract. That's still young enough to get a big payday. He'd also be opposite Mack and that's a very good thing for Floyd as their strengths play off each other well. It will mean the end of Aaron Lynch/Willie Young type players, FA veterans for which we seem to pay around $4-6mil collectively each season, and we'll be relying more on young players like Irving and Fitts. It might also mean saying goodbye to Amos but I prefer to keep the defensive front together vs.a SS in Amos. In a way I'm glad we'll get to see Bush play for a game or two. It will help make that decision.

If I were Trubisky and Fangio said that to my face I'd be telling him ... you mean don't press my luck like the D did when they went into "prevent" against Miami and the great Brock Osweiller beat us on a couple screen passes? Or do you mean I'm pressing my luck if I give you a 20pt lead in the 4th quarter like the first Packers game that won't be enough? If you are going to have a real team the first thing to do is stop blaming others and focus on how we get better together. Trubisky has his own coaches to help him improve and it isn't Fangio's turf. No matter what a person may think the reality is one game, or one play, it will be their turn under the mistake spotlight. I've only re-watched a few games this year but I guarantee you with Game Pass even a casual fan can find everyone's bad game or two. Even Khalil Mack (see Patriots). Fortunately, under Nagy we don't appear to have this BS going on with the team and the players seem to have each others back. The coaches too are keeping out of the headlines (see Kromer et al). It's not the Trestman era either where there is no accountability because Kevin White has been sitting on the bench for half the season. Things are discussed coach to player like Howard's need to run harder when he hits the hole. Cohen's need to run upfield and stop trying to always go outside. Anthony MIller's need to run his routes correctly...all the time. Eddie Jackson's need to take better angles on tackles. Roquan Smith's need to stop standing there as his coverage responsibility runs right past him. I suspect the players have Nagy's back when fake punts don't work.

Found this on the web.. https://twitter.com/SportsByRick/status/1074414309474754561

Where did Burton go for a few games? I think as this season has gone along teams are playing the Bears differently. The announcers commented on a Packers CB covering Burton. Early on it was Burton and Robinson, then Miller and Cohen started showing up. Allen Robinson has had the most consistent targets among our receiving corps. Shaheen picked up a couple passes in the last game, stuff Sims wasn't doing. Sims had 6 games with zero targets. Another thing to note is the last two games were some of the lower totals for pass attempts with 28 (GB) and 30 (LA). The lowest attempts all year were against Buffalo with 20 but our median is just a bit higher at 31 pass attempts.

Floyd is a great Robin to Mack's Batman. I hope we find a way to keep him around because even if he's not a sack artist he's so versatile that it really helps the D overall. We can, and will draft another sack artist although I think in time Fitts can develop in that role. I thought MT played great and stayed within the offense. When we needed big plays we converted. What he did keeping plays alive when they blitzed was outstanding and that soft pass to Shaheen on the sideline was huge. No matter what was going on Trubisky never got flustered.

I've been saying this team has many ways to win and can overcome someone's bad game. Last week it was Trubisky with the bad game. This week it was Nagy.

I never watched Sayers live but even in his highlights its' clear Sayers was a really rare athlete. Cohen is a great athlete but he's not in Sayers class iMO.

Damn that sounds good!

I didn't know off the top of my head but a quick G-search shows this: https://www.profootballrumors.com/2018/04/fifth-year-option-nfl "For top-10 picks, the amount of each player’s 2019 option has already been determined. The fifth-year salary for a top-10 pick is equal to the transition tender at the player’s position during his fourth season. So, because the transition tag for quarterbacks this year was $20.922MM, we already know that Mariota’s fifth-year option will be worth that amount." If Mariota is seeing $21mil we have to expect Mitch's 5th year will be around $23mil. The Kirk Cousins effect will hit QB salaries this offseason and I think teams will be a bit less exuberant when writing these checks.