198 Comments

Bears at Redskins Game Preview Volume II: The Football Stuff (Mostly)

| September 20th, 2019


Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I always like the Chicago Bears.

And I think they will build off the miracle. (See yesterday’s column.)


Trite, Boring Thoughts on the Washington Football Team

  • Redskins are simply not very good on defense.
    • They are giving up 168 yards per game on the ground through two weeks, better only than the Dolphins – who are not a professional football team. If there were ever a week for the Bears to get their run game going, it has to be Monday night.
    • When one watches Washington tape it’s remarkable how many open receivers they allow. Opponents are completing nearly 79% of their passes against them. 79%!! And they have been brutalized by the deep ball. The Bears can’t take a conservative approach with their passing attack. They have to force the Washington secondary to chase the football because they’ve shown no ability to do so effectively yet.
    • Only the Denver Broncos (0) have fewer sacks than the Redskins (2) so this is not a game Trubisky should spend under duress. This is a week the Bears offensive line needs to put on their backs.
  • Two things positive for the Redskins:
    • While the outcomes have been bad, they have actually been competitive early in both of their games, especially the opener against Philly.
    • Case Keenum looks comfortable running Jay Gruden’s offense and is statistically off to a flying start. I didn’t know much about Terry McLaurin and Trey Quinn but they look like solid, professional pass catchers on the tape.

Great D.C. Movie Scenes, Volume I


Tweet of the Week


Gambling Advice

Survivor Pool

Seattle and New England have taken me far further than I normally go in these damn pool. And I just can’t see a rationale for not taking the Dallas Cowboys, at home, against Miami. I don’t think the Dolphins will lose by 40 every week all year. But I think they will this week.

———

Straight Bet

Think about the list of starting quarterbacks this week: Luke Falk, Mason Rudolph, Teddy Bridgewater, Daniel Jones. The league has already gotten bizarre. And I think there might be a bizarre result this week at Lambeau. The Broncos are eight-point underdogs to the Packers. I’m taking Denver over Green Bay on the moneyline at +310. ($51 to win $209.10)

———

Parlay

On the moneyline, Patriots over Jets / Cowboys over Dolphins / Bucs over Giants / Bills over Bengals. The parlay looks like it’s settling around -105 so bet the $100 and double your money.


Great D.C. Movie Scenes, Volume II


Match-Up of the Week

Mitch Trubisky vs. National Attention

This is the second such “match-up of the week” in three weeks…and that’s not a good thing.

No player, perhaps in the entire NFL, needs a big week more than Trubisky. Carson Wentz played to a passer rating of 121 against Washington. Dak Prescott? 123.5. If Trubisky faces this group and pitches another 78.5, it might be getting near time to ring the alarm bells.

The kid needs one of those nights: 22-27. 310 yards. 2 TDs. 0 INTs. Can he do it?


Game Prediction

Would expect the offense to play better. Not great. Better. And the defense to do what they always do. Chicago Bears 23, Washington Redskins 13.

Tagged: ,