Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?
I always like the Chicago Bears.
And 2021 is almost at its conclusion. Why harbor negative feelings?
Bears Need to Keep Game Close
This is the part of the game preview where I try to find an overarching theme for the contest. But Sunday is one tough tamale.
The Bears are too banged up on defense to find relevance there. (What even is this defense without Mack, Roquan and Hicks?)
Without Justin Fields playing – and he shouldn’t play until he’s 100% healthy – there’s little relevant happening on the offensive side of the ball. You want to get excited about Larry Borom and Darnell Mooney? That’s fine. But those two guys are going to be part of the program next season. Their next “important” game is in September.
So, what is worth watching? The score. The Bears have to keep this game close and competitive because if they don’t Soldier Field is going to a nightmare. The fans have had enough of the coach and they want blood. If the score gets out of hand in the second half, the only audible things on the telecast are going to be “Fire Nagy” chants. And those chants will be leading everyone’s game stories.
The Bears need to stay in this game and have a plausible chance to win in the fourth quarter. Will they?
Top 10 Sondheim Songs (From the Stage)
There will be plenty of time for me to write thoroughly about what Stephen Sondheim’s life and career means to me. But the world is currently flooded with those types of remembrances. As time moves along, and there’s distance from his passing, I will spend some more time with this difficult topic. For now, I’m sharing ten songs that display his genius in this form I love – musical theatre. They are ranked because I like ranking things. But the rankings are meaningless.
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(10) Someone in a Tree, Pacific Overtures
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(09) Comedy Tonight, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
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(08) Losing My Mind, Follies
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(07) Getting Married Today, Company
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(06) One Hand One Heart, West Side Story (Lyrics only)
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(05) A Little Priest, Sweeney Todd
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(04) Everybody’s Got the Right, Assassins
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(03) I’m Still Here, Follies
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(02) Barcelona, Company
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(01) Finishing the Hat, Sunday in the Park with George
Honorable Mention: With So Little to Be Sure Of (Anyone Can Whistle), Everybody Says Don’t (Anyone Can Whistle), No More (Into the Woods), Happiness (Passion), Another National Anthem (Assassins), Being Alive (Company), Franklin Shepherd Inc. (Merrily We Roll Along), Send in the Clowns (A Little Night Music), Every Day a Little Death (A Little Night Music), Chrysanthemum Tea (Pacific Overtures).
Tweet of the Week
Ummm my son is on the cover of @AARP makes me feel proud. And a bit old. pic.twitter.com/Bi7Dt05ntj
— Lea Thompson (@LeaKThompson) December 1, 2021
Relevant Stats, or the Cardinals are Good.
- Cardinals are +8 in turnover differential. Bears are -4. If there’s going to be an upset on the lakefront, the Bears have to win the turnover battle and flip these numbers.
- Even with Kyler Murray missing multiple games, the Cardinals still lead the league in passer rating at 108.
- Side note: when you look at the bottom of this statistical table, it’s amazing how stacked with rookies it is. Four of the bottom five have been largely quarterbacked by rookies. Mac Jones being above 100 is a testament to both the player, and the coaching staff.
- Arizona is allowing just 204 yards per game through the air, while sacking opposing quarterbacks 28 times. This is one of the best pass defenses in the league.
HughesReviews: The House of Gucci
Gucci challenges Many Saints of Newark for the Worst Film of the Year award. It is insufferably incoherent, despicably acted, exhaustingly boring and – perhaps worst of all – obnoxiously long. But A.O. Scott in the New York Times summed up the entire experience rather brilliantly.
“But for all that abundance, something is missing. A lot of things, really, but mostly a strong idea and a credible reason for existing.”
Game Prediction
A win in this game, believe it or not, would breathe some life into the tail-end of this season. (It would at least make Bears/Packers more fun next week.) But this is a very good Arizona defense and the Bears have been a disaster offensively against anything resembling a good defense. This feels like the official conclusion of the Matt Nagy era in Chicago, with the “Fire Nagy” chants overwhelming the lakefront by about 2:28 PM CT.
Arizona Cardinals 29, Chicago Bears 13
