AZ54

We do not have the worst Dline in the NFL. There's no way you can get to top 3 run D without a good Dline. This is after 8 games so at this point it's statistically significant. We do have the worst pass rushing Dline in the NFL, or at least we did. Certainly one helps the other (meaning teams can pass on us so they run less but we're still 19th in rushing attempts against - so middle of the pack. I'll also add that half of those pass D stats have been affected by us missing most of the secondary starters. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2023/opp.htm#all_rushing

True.

Yeah that makes no sense to me. Mostly because Wash had no reason to trade both players. The fact they got rid of Sweat and still came back to unload Young is suspicious with his injury history. We gave up too much for Sweat, a player who has never had double digit sacks. Then again if he had then we’d have had to give up a first round pick. Chase is the better pass rusher but Sweat is the better DE and the stats back it up. 32 tackles to 15. 10 TFL to 6. 6.5 sacks to 5. Jurors Leah the other way with Young in the lead 9 to 5 but Sweat has 6 knock downs to 3. Plus Young has more snaps. The question is will Young improve his run defense over time?

He’s here to rush the QB but he’s also really good at setting the edge. Go back and watch the Bears game. Complete DE.

I agree he stayed composed for the most part for his first road game. We can see the arm strength limitations but OTOH he has enough arm strength to make it in the NFL. Certainly as a career backup QB. Maybe his ceiling is as a fringe starter like JimmyG? I was most disappointed in the defense and all the missed tackles. Everyone wants to blame coaches but players were in position to make those tackles, and the coaches job is to get them in the right spot. They righted the ship in the 2nd half but it was too late. Losing Brisker, who I think had been playing very good lately, was like losing the glue that held things together. With Brisker taking care of business closer to the LOS we can get by with Hicks on the field. There is no safety depth behind him.

https://www.profootballrumors.com/2023/10/teams-calling-vikings-on-danielle-hunter-2 https://www.profootballrumors.com/2023/10/vikings-fear-kirk-cousins-suffered-achilles-injury Hmm.... where to from here for the Vikings and how does this play into the Chase Young sweepstakes?

We’re going to miss Brisker

I forgot to add that there are games to be played tomorrow. If trade talks are really serious teams usually don't want to risk a player getting injured. If talks are luke warm they might reduce snap counts by playing Young less on run downs but leaving him in for obvious passing downs. Wash might hope to increase his value if he gets another sack, or two.

Right now the rumor is the best offer is a 3rd Rd pick. That seems reasonable to me and of course this also depends on what contract we'd have to give him. We have no idea what he'll be asking for but there's zero chance Poles would pull the trigger on that trade without first talking with his agent and settling on broad parameters of a new deal. Pix, for the draft I'm not so sure how the prospects look now but I recall researching the draft at edge a couple months ago and there weren't any can't miss players. Jared Verse is listed as a top 10, maybe top 5, prospect but I just watched an entire game FSU vs. Duke and I didn't even realize he was on the field until my son-in-law (FSU fan) mentioned him. One game does not make or break a player but I'd like to see a top 10 prospect standout in a college game even if the stats aren't big. There are a couple other 1st Rd edge players ranked in the 20s at Draft Network.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/rumor-makes-the-rounds-of-chase-young-to-the-bears

Apparently Mike Florio is reporting trade talks for Young are heating up. I’m looking for links to support that.

Adam must be busy, or still passed out after celebrating a Bears victory, so let's get it rollin'. The Chargers D leaves a lot to be desired. So does their HC Brandon Staley who makes more questionable calls in a game than any HC I can remember. Maybe I only see his bad games. My biggest concern is with Darnell Wright and that bum shoulder. Going against Maxx Crosby with one arm is not good but he's more finesse than strength. Trying to one arm Bosa's or Mack's power won't work one bit. Plus they have all that weakness on tape and a week to prep for it. Our DBs are really playing well. Since starters Gordon and Johnson returned Brisker has returned to his missile seeking ways. The CBs are often locking down receivers well enough to force QBs to hold ball another second. Stevenson still has bad habits of looking at the QB early and getting burned at the inflection point where the receiver cuts or accelerates. If he ever gets his eyes right on the WR first then QB we might have a good one. LBs are playing much better in this scheme. Maybe having CBs who can cover is helping them but I aside from having better players outside them I also think it's time in the system. Dline has improved and our run defense is stout. I saw where Brad Biggs mentioned trading Andrew Billings... that's stupid. Billings has been a stud for us on run downs and he's only making $2.5mil on a 1yr deal. If anything extend him for a year or two cheap. He'll become depth as the rookie DTs grow over the next year or two. Boneheaded trade ideas like this only keep a team in the cellar. Still no pass rush but there is always next year. Oline has been fun to watch lately. I'm not sure I've ever said that about our Oline. Lucas Patrick even looks good at C and I enjoyed his mic'd up video from last week because he brought the energy on the field. These guys need that. Secret Bagent just has to do his thing again and keep it calm and steady. If we win and Bagent plays well I won't be surprised to see Fields get another week of rest so the Bears can see Bagent string together 3 games. Four games of film is the baseline for a defense to know what a QB wants to do, likes to do, and can do, and then scheme against it. Three games gets you pretty close to that. Use the excuse we need Fields healthy for the division games in Wk 11 and 12. Maybe give Fields the Carolina game in Wk 10 to get ready for Detroit. If things aren't going well for Fields later in the season Bagent could get his 4th game in Wk 17.

Nah, I don't follow those things that closely and although Purdy is from my home town he grew up on the southern part of it about 8-10 miles away from where I live.

Never said he wasn't a good coach. Go into the way back machine and find my posts about him as a future Bears HC candidate from his days at Stanford. He's had plenty of ego issues in SF and then again at Mich. Maybe that has abated and he's found his calling... https://www.si.com/college/michigan/football/michigan-football-wolverines-jim-harbaugh-contract-warde-manuel-big-ten “I love the relationships that I have at Michigan. Coaches, staff, families, administration, President Santa Ono and especially the players and their families,” said Harbaugh back in January. “My heart is at the University of Michigan. I once heard a wise man say, ‘Don’t try to out-happy, happy.’ Go Blue!" As candidates go I'd like Matt Campbell but I'm also selfish in that I like him staying at Iowa St. I think he gets more out of the talent he has than you'd expect. You see results of good coaching in Purdy, Breece Hall, Montgomery, and a few others in the NFL.

Wow.. We criticize the game plan for all the short passes but Getsy had to take this into account with the play calling. Especially knowing the leading pass rusher was on the other side of the line.

I don't think I know anyone who trusts Jim Harbaugh. I can't imagine Poles would want to deal with a head case like Harbaugh on personnel decisions.

In terms of play style Bagent appears to be more in the type of Brady or Montana. Neither had the great arm strength, both read plays quickly. I'm talking style of play not productivity on the field! I just watched the clip of Wannstedt saying that if Bagent wins this week that the Bears need to listen to offers for Fields. I realize there's a lot of noise out there in media and former players but Wannstedt is still somewhat close to the organization and he's usually pretty objective about the Bears roster. That statement, made on the air surprised me, and tells me that he sees a lot of the details we're talking about here. As I type this I'm listening to Kreutz also being very complimentary of Bagent. He said we don't have a QB controversy yet but there's no way Fields can't feel the heat after that game. This upcoming game will be interesting.

Better arm strength. I watched Purdy all through college so I have a good feel for what he can do and I think Bagent is a tad better in velocity in a game. Combine numbers back that up but it's game tape that matters most to me. This evaluation from Chase is surprisingly good. Rewatching many of these plays, some with unblocked pass rushers in retrospect I'm shocked how easy Bagent made that game look.

At this point we need to see Bagent work more of the field. I hope the first game gives the coaches the confidence to call more plays in the middle/intermediate area and even a deep throw or two. The Chargers have a decent pass rush but they are the physical type of rush for which our OTs are best suited to play against. Chargers are dead last in defense yards/attempt in the NFL and among the worst giving up 40% of 1st downs. (I'm not sure how that last one is calculated - but the Bears 1st down stat is 35% and I know what that looks like in a game). They've also given up more yards on defense than we have yet have played 6 games to our 7. https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2023/opp.htm#all_passing Did-you-know-this: The Bears are top 5 in rushing defense this season (yds/game), and #2 in yards/rush. Of course being bottom 5 in pass defense means teams might prefer to throw vs. run. However, we are just below median for attempts faced per game so teams have not completely abandoned the run against us but less attempts is a factor. Job 1 this offseason was improving the run defense so even though it hasn't always been pretty I'd have to say we've done that so far. Especially when you factor in the injuries in the secondary.

That's why I'm still of the opinion a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Fields doesn't cost us much to retain and see if the light does come on. If Bagent is the guy then he has to beat out Fields and competition should bring out the best in both, whatever that may be. OTOH if I got a Godfather type offer, and if the team is feeling decent about Bagent's chances long term, I'd have to say yes and take my chances on either of the top 2 QBs. There's always far more than we know that they know from the meeting rooms and practices. I keep in mind there are no guarantees in the draft either so we could be stuck at pick 3 and watch those QBs go 1/2 overall. That risk is what drives the sales price up now.

If the "bad QB" didn't come with so many lowlights of WRs wide open waving their hands at Fields then I could find it easier to buy the bad coaching, bad WRs, whatever excuse. That doesn't mean there aren't some things the coaches could do better but....and this may sound odd... I don't want to simply win a few more games because Fields is an elite athlete. I want him to be coached to be a complete QB and that includes passing from the pocket. He has to prove he can be that guy. So yeah put him in the box and force him to show he's that guy. Or we let someone else work their offense around his limitations.

No to Belichick. As a HC yes, as talent evaluator no and I think he'd only accept authority over personnel decisions.

Just checking the water temperature. First off before I get into this.... I do not believe WE are sellers, there is no sign in the front yard. However, that doesn't mean a buyer (other teams) wouldn't try to convince us to become one. Would you trade Fields before the deadline 31 Oct? If so, what compensation would it take to sway you to close the deal? I bring this up because I wouldn't be surprised if the Bears get some teams quietly asking if they'd consider a deal. If someone offered a 1st and more I'd have to listen. Whatever we may think of Bagent if he's middle of the road, which is where Fields might end up as a QB, then we can do a lot with 3 first round picks. They might be 3 top 15 picks. Take another shot on a QB early? If Bagent seems ok build the roster around him for now (2024) and go all-in the next year (2025) if needed to compliment the QB-ready roster. What about the Commanders who he lit up for 4 TDs a couple weeks ago? Toss in Chase Young plus a 1st? Since Chase is essentially a FA after the season that's something positive for us but we still have to pay him and on a complex contract calculation. Is that a better option for them versus losing Chase after the season and having a top 15 pick? The cost to move up and get a top QB from outside the top 10 is usually prohibitive.

I think Jared Goff is still the same QB. Good enough to win with.

Imagine what the Raider fans are saying today about Josh McDaniels. He can't get a running game going with Josh Jacobs. The team struggles to put up points and is now looking to trade Renfrow who used to be quite productive for them. Minus Tom Brady the luster is off the genius coaches. https://raiderswire.usatoday.com/2023/10/22/raiders-30-12-loss-in-chicago-contender-for-most-embarrassing-of-josh-mcdaniels-era/