Your First Place NFC North, Chicago Bears

[ASHKUM BEAR]

You wouldn't think the Bears were a first place team, but that is what the standings say.  Sitting on top with GB and Minn.  Gives the team a reason to cobtinue to show up. 

[AZ54]

13 minutes ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

You wouldn't think the Bears were a first place team, but that is what the standings say.  Sitting on top with GB and Minn.  Gives the team a reason to cobtinue to show up. 

We haven't won a division game and GB/Minn have both won a division game so we're in 3rd place.  Still a better spot to be in that I was expecting especially with quite a few starters still out.  

[adam]

Currently the last wild card team, lol, unless SF wins tonight. 

[adam]

Still the last Wild Card team. If DAL wins, it would be a tiebreaker. Still pretty funny.

Game balls for Roquan and Herbert. 

Hopefully Patrick can start at center next weekend, so Jenkins can also play the entire game at RG. Need to get Johnson back and Velus needs to play at some point. Barely played in the preseason and has yet to play in the regular season after 3 weeks. Not a good look so far.

Right now Brisker and Jones look like great picks. Gordon needs to improve quickly, getting burned a lot. Velus has yet to play one snap. Gill has looked good too. So a mixed draft so far unless Gordon improves and Velus plays and looks decent. Ebner has been ok, but he needs to take a knee on some KO returns. 

 

 

[BearFan PHX]

If the Bears win on Sunday, which is entirely possible, they will just have to beat the Vikings the next week to set the record for the worst ever NFL team to go 4-1.

[Mongo3451]

I replayed our 17 pass attempts to break down the ugly.  We had 8 completions, so I had only 9 to critique.  Take away 2 quick sacks that Mustipher and Patrick gave up and that left me with 7 off target throws out of 17 for a disastrous 41%.  I wanted badly to be able to blame the OL more, but simply couldn't.  

One thing I enjoyed reviewing was Khalil Herbert.  Not only did he have a good game, he is legit good.  I'll be totally damned if he doesn't remind me of Emmitt Smith with his running style.  The way he glides combined with his balance and vision really impressed me.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

1 hour ago, Mongo3451 said:

The way he glides combined with his balance and vision really impressed me

That’s one thing I’ve noticed too.  Distinct difference between he and Montgomery’s running styles.  Not sure why or how but Herbert seems to have better vision for the openings.  When he finds them he takes off and (as you say) glides straight ahead with little contact.  He’s really got a fluid running style. Montgomery’s is more choppy and East/West and seems to get more direct contact.  And honestly with these lower extremity injuries piling up, can’t see him lasting a whole lot longer. 

[AZ54]

On 9/26/2022 at 5:11 AM, adam said:

Still the last Wild Card team. If DAL wins, it would be a tiebreaker. Still pretty funny.

Game balls for Roquan and Herbert. 

Hopefully Patrick can start at center next weekend, so Jenkins can also play the entire game at RG. Need to get Johnson back and Velus needs to play at some point. Barely played in the preseason and has yet to play in the regular season after 3 weeks. Not a good look so far.

Right now Brisker and Jones look like great picks. Gordon needs to improve quickly, getting burned a lot. Velus has yet to play one snap. Gill has looked good too. So a mixed draft so far unless Gordon improves and Velus plays and looks decent. Ebner has been ok, but he needs to take a knee on some KO returns. 

 

 

Brisker has had his share of mistakes too and Gordon has the more difficult job by far.  I still think both have a good future.   

[AZ54]

1 hour ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

That’s one thing I’ve noticed too.  Distinct difference between he and Montgomery’s running styles.  Not sure why or how but Herbert seems to have better vision for the openings.  When he finds them he takes off and (as you say) glides straight ahead with little contact.  He’s really got a fluid running style. Montgomery’s is more choppy and East/West and seems to get more direct contact.  And honestly with these lower extremity injuries piling up, can’t see him lasting a whole lot longer. 

Montgomery is the better back in tight spaces.  Herbert makes better decisions for daylight at the 2nd or 3rd level where too often Montgomery seems to be looking for another cut.  Compare their runs against GB and you can see how Herbert gains less than Montgomery on similar plays with tight spaces/blocking, a lot less on many runs.   Then you switch to plays where the Oline gives them a good initial crease and Herbert is in and out of there, while Montgomery is making another cut.  There is nothing wrong with having two backs who have complimentary styles.   Ebner is still finding his way and had some poor runs, poor decisions.  

[adam]

15 hours ago, AZ54 said:

Montgomery is the better back in tight spaces.  Herbert makes better decisions for daylight at the 2nd or 3rd level where too often Montgomery seems to be looking for another cut.  Compare their runs against GB and you can see how Herbert gains less than Montgomery on similar plays with tight spaces/blocking, a lot less on many runs.   Then you switch to plays where the Oline gives them a good initial crease and Herbert is in and out of there, while Montgomery is making another cut.  There is nothing wrong with having two backs who have complimentary styles.   Ebner is still finding his way and had some poor runs, poor decisions.  

My biggest issue with Monty is with this juke thing he does when he initially catches a screen or near the LOS on a run. For some reason his first step is almost always a juke even if no one is there. He had a screen pass the other game to the right and there is no one within 5 yards of him. All he has to do is turn around and run. He turns around does his head juke thing to air, the defender just runs right at him and tackles him for a 2 yard gain. I don't mind the juke at full speed with a defender right on you, but it is almost a nervous tick now he does it so much. 

[AZ54]

11 hours ago, adam said:

My biggest issue with Monty is with this juke thing he does when he initially catches a screen or near the LOS on a run. For some reason his first step is almost always a juke even if no one is there. He had a screen pass the other game to the right and there is no one within 5 yards of him. All he has to do is turn around and run. He turns around does his head juke thing to air, the defender just runs right at him and tackles him for a 2 yard gain. I don't mind the juke at full speed with a defender right on you, but it is almost a nervous tick now he does it so much. 

Yes, years of running behind poor blocking, including all the years I watched him at Iowa St., can do that to you.  This year so far our run blocking has been  good and he's also running behind a FB for the first time.  I'm curious to see how he adapts to this and if those bad habits fade away.   His adjustment from SF to GB games was pretty big IMO.   Against SF he routinely went away from the lead blocking and tried to find his own path too quickly without letting the play develop.  A week later he held to the initial path longer and then found his way forward with a lot of success.   

[BearFan PHX]

Im still a BIG David Montgomery believer. I think he is a stud. And that doesnt mean that Herbert isnt a stud in the making too - just need to see more of it.

[adam]

4 hours ago, BearFan PHX said:

Im still a BIG David Montgomery believer. I think he is a stud. And that doesnt mean that Herbert isnt a stud in the making too - just need to see more of it.

I just hope he doesn't want top 5 RB money. Right now the RB salaries go: McCaffrey - $16M AAV - 1st, Mixon $12M AAV - 8th, then a huge drop off to Barkley at $7.8M. 

So $8-10M seems like a fair deal. With the cap space next year, they will have money to front load some contracts. 

I like the 1-2 punch of Monty-Herbert and with the QB position still up in the air, you need at least one position group on offense to be special.

[Alaskan Grizzly]

Meanwhile on defense. And a player who will need “big money” no less…

 

[adam]

11 hours ago, Alaskan Grizzly said:

Meanwhile on defense. And a player who will need “big money” no less…

 

and that is with one of the worst games in his career against GB. Poles probably should've just paid him, but now Smith is going to command even more, especially if he makes All-Pro.

[Mongo3451]

2 hours ago, adam said:

and that is with one of the worst games in his career against GB. Poles probably should've just paid him, but now Smith is going to command even more, especially if he makes All-Pro.

I wouldn't pay him.  We can have for 15-17 mil next year as a franchise tag player.  In the meantime, draft a guy and see if he's a keeper.  Then you can decide whether to franchise him again or trade, with the young guy waiting in the wings.

[adam]

44 minutes ago, Mongo3451 said:

I wouldn't pay him.  We can have for 15-17 mil next year as a franchise tag player.  In the meantime, draft a guy and see if he's a keeper.  Then you can decide whether to franchise him again or trade, with the young guy waiting in the wings.

Poles can also front load a lot of deals so they are cap friendly on the backend. $100M is a lot of money. WR market is bare though, so it will need to be a trade or draft.