Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?
I.
Always.
Like.
THE.
Chicago.
Bears.
An 18-Week Sidney Lumet Syllabus
This season, I’m trying something different. Instead of using this space to randomly comment on culture, there will be a recurring theme: the work of Sidney Lumet. Lumet is one of America’s most prolific cinematic artists, and yet is dramatically underrepresented by the critical and academic communities. My long-term mission is to remedy that injustice, and I’ll be using this space to work through concepts, notes, etc.
There’s a poetry to this decision, as well. Lumet was born in 1924, making this his centennial. As my book on Lumet is still years from reaching the desk of a publisher, I’m thrilled to celebrate his 100th birthday right here on this little old blog Noah and I started two decades ago.
Below you’ll find the syllabus. Why am I publishing this? Because if you’re interested in taking a “class” on Lumet, this is your opportunity. There are fourteen films listed and each of them is rentable on one platform or another for a few bucks. If you want a thorough appreciation of a great filmmaker, and also to understand what we do in the Cinema Studies world, I welcome you to watch the films each week and follow along. And any questions you might have along the way, simply email me: jeff@dabearsblog.com.
Week 2: Lumet and The Group Theater
Week 3: Early Television Aesthetics and 12 Angry Men
Week 4: Stage Adaptations
Week 5: The Pawnbroker and Post-War Memory
Week 6: Fail Safe and the Cold War
Week 7: The Sean Connery Collaborations, or Lumet Abroad
Week 8: Serpico, Prince of the City, and the Police
Week 9: Dog Day Afternoon
Week 10: Network and Auteur Theory
Week 11: New York City in The Wiz
Week 12: The Verdict
Week 13: Garbo Talks in the Middle of Ronald Reagan
Week 14: Sins of the Father: Daniel, Running on Empty, and Family Business
Week 15: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and Post-9/11 New York
Week 16: The Legacy of Lumet’s Seminal Book, Making Movies
Week 17: Final Thoughts and Bibliography
Three Thoughts on the Titans
- Tennessee had arguably the strangest offseason is the NFL. They fired their well-respected coach and looked poised to enter a rebuilding period. They did not. Instead, they were one of the most active teams in free agency, bringing in a collection of expensive veterans and role players. After all of those moves, the Titans still find themselves, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the longest odds to win the NFC South at 10-1. (For comparison, the Colts are the third favorite at about 3.5-1.)
- Will Levis’s home/away splits are worthy of consideration here, as he was unsurprisingly a far weaker player on the road during his rookie campaign.
- At home, during his rookie season, he threw five touchdowns and only one interception, with a rating of 93.5. (Better than I presumed the numbers would be.)
- On the road, a TD/INT of 3/3 and a rating of only 76.5.
- How much turnover do the Titans have on defense? Here’s our old buddy Jim Wyatt, now with Titans.com:
Jim: Well, it’s not going to be what the team had last year, I can promise you that. The personnel has changed dramatically, with newness across the board, from cornerbacks L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzine to safety Quandre Diggs to linebackers Kenneth Murray and Ernest Jones to defensive linemen T’Vondre Sweat and Sebastian Joseph-Day. And, did I mention the team has a new defensive coordinator? It’s Dennard Wilson, of course. So, it’s pretty much a new defense, with returners like Jeffery Simmons, Harold Landry, Arden Key, Amani Hooker and Roger McCreary getting used to new faces around them. But I’m not going to sit here and promise you a top 10 defense. These guys have to all get on the same page. New doesn’t always = better. We’ll start finding out more about this defense in eight days.
So, what’s the big takeaway here? The Titans are a team that could be a lot of things in 2024. But I don’t see how anyone can be sure, as the calendar turns to September, what they will be.
Five (Offensive) Bears I’m Watching in the Opener
We know very little about how this Bears offense is going to operate; the team has shown us nothing all summer. So, there are five guys I’ll be fascinated to finally see line up and play.
(1) D’Andre Swift. Is this going to be his backfield, or will he be part of a committee? Preseason usage suggests the former, with Swift’s home run ability in the passing attack leaning towards three-down availability.
(2) Keenan Allen. The Bears paid DJ Moore, and Caleb has serious chemistry with Rome Odunze. So how does Allen fit in? I think we’ll see Allen heavily involved in the early months of the campaign.
(3) Gerald Everett. Last year I unsuccessfully predicted Robert Tonyan would lead the Bears in receiving touchdowns. (Was he on the team?) Everett seems to fit a similar role, a big-bodied target useful in a crowded end zone.
(4) Tyler Scott. There are only so many targets to go around, but Scott adds a speed dimension (somewhat) missing from the rest of the receiving corps.
(5) Velus Jones Jr. If Jones is active Sunday, it’s a big deal. It means the Bears intend to keep him in their gameday plans all season.
Around the League Bet of the Week
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NEW YORK GIANTS +1 over Minnesota Vikings
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When I saw this line, I had one thought: are there people who will wager their hard-earned money on Sam Darnold to win road games? I understand how desperate Brian Daboll is to fend off Bill Belichick, lurking in the shadows of the Meadowlands. I understand that Daniel Jones has had an absolute nightmare of a summer, but what kind of season will the Giants have if they open with a loss to Darnold in their own building?
I’m not betting on Big Blue because I believe in Big Blue. I don’t. But I’m not sure I see another win on their schedule before Halloween.
Actual Bear Video of the Week
Game Prediction
The Bears are good. They know they are good. And they are also tired of losing. This will be an inspired home performance, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and the first statement of many in 2024. And hey, I picked the team to win 11 and an 11-win team isn’t losing this game.
Chicago Bears 27, Tennessee Titans 13
