Thought 1

The Bears are 1-1 through two games. Exactly where everyone thought they’d be. But if they had achieved this record in the conventional manner – beating Buffalo at home and losing to San Fran on the road – the team would currently be shrouded in questions regarding their status as contenders. Instead they endured a media storm of criticism and responded by playing their most complete half of football in the Jay Cutler era. Now they are being showered with praise on the pages of the dailies and on radio airwaves. They should be 1-1 after two games, no question, but how they’ve reached that mark should inspire them through this difficult stretch of the 2014 schedule

Thought 2

I have often stated Charles “Peanut” Tillman is my favorite Chicago Bear of the modern era. And I can’t remember a more difficult-to-watch sequence in my football viewing than Tillman, tears pouring down his cheeks on a Santa Clara sideline, coming to the brutal realization a second consecutive season and perhaps career had been ended by a flukish injury.

Tillman is a great player, an even better man, and his revolutionizing the way defensive football is played in the NFL should land him in the Hall of Fame. (Once he retires this site will spend a great deal of time advocating for his candidacy.)

The NFL is fittingly receiving a great deal of negative attention for its woman beaters and child abusers right now. It is nice to take a few moments to acknowledge one of the men making the league a great place.

Thought 3

When Brandon Marshall says things, it’s probably smart to listen. And per Patrick Finley’s piece in the Sun-Times, Marshall is saying lofty things about Kyle Fuller:

“I told him it’s not about starting, it’s not about making the Pro Bowl,” Marshall said. “For him, he needs to have Hall of Fame on his brain — because that kid can play.”

“He has no fear,” Marshall said. “There’s no wide receiver, there’s no moment that’s bigger than him.

“He has a great skill set. But better yet, his attitude is amazing, and his approach to the game is amazing.”

Those were not just two game-changing interceptions by Fuller Sunday night. They were two instinctive, athletic plays, rarely seen from rookie corners. Will Sunday night be looked at as a changing of the guard at cornerback – the end of the line for a legend and the emergence of the next great Bears star? That will be up to Fuller now.