Mike Singletary is a strange human being. And this is an impeccably strange and awkward interview. But I enjoyed it in that way you enjoy awkward things, like weird hugs.
Mike Singletary on The Rich Eisen Show [VIDEO]
Mike Singletary is a strange human being. And this is an impeccably strange and awkward interview. But I enjoyed it in that way you enjoy awkward things, like weird hugs.
Admittedly, I knew very little of Nicholas Morrow’s time with the Raiders. But this film study video does a nice job breaking down his work in space. If he stays healthy, he’ll be a brilliant complement to Roquan Smith inside.
Players seem to be making the interview rounds these days, and this one is actually from about ten days ago. But I have found Blasingame to be one of the more engaging players on this roster and this interview is worth your time.
DraftKings Sportsbook has updated their odds for the coming season, and this is a good opportunity to see where they project the Chicago Bears and where value can be found.
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Regular Season Wins: o/u 6.5
Why: The Bears won six games last season, with one of the worst coaches in the sport and one of the hardest schedules. Why can’t they win one more this season, with a new staff in place and a significantly easier schedule? There have been some wild predictions on social media (11 wins?!?!?!?) but an 8-9 victory season does not feel like a long shot.
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Buffalo Bills First Loss: at Chicago (+25000)
Why: The Bills are going to win a lot of games, as they’re likely the best team in the league. What if they fly through their schedule and lose to a hungry Bears team with a fired-up crowd on Christmas Eve? This is a bet that allows you to root for a truly likable Bills team all season, until they come to Chicago. So why not bet $5 on it and hope for the $1,255 payday?
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Divisional Finish: Second (+400)
Why: Assuming Aaron Rodgers stays healthy, the Packers are going to waltz to a division title, even if there are some serious questions about their offensive roster. But are we really convinced the Kevin O’Connell/Kirk Cousins partnership is going to work? (I’m not.) Are we really convinced the Lions are going to be better in 2022, even with Jared Goff still playing quarterback? (I’m not.) Nine wins was second in half the divisions in the NFL last season. The Vikings were second in the NFC North with eight. This bet has a higher probability than many think.
Every Sunday in today’s NFL you see defenders get flagged for breathing in the general vicinity of the quarterback.
Meanwhile in 1985 …
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) May 28, 2022
I have watched this video 25 times. I had to share it.
Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer. It launches a period of cold beer in ice-filled coolers, attractive people strutting their tattoo-riddled muscles down the boardwalk, the sweet green fairway grass of golf courses across the north and just general happiness. It is the season of optimism, so this seems like the right moment to look at why a Chicago Bears fan should be optimistic about the months to come.
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(1) Justin Fields is going to be fun to watch.
Is Fields a sure thing to be a franchise quarterback? Of course not. But he brings two things to the position this franchise has lacked for an awful long time: athleticism and charisma. Fields is fun to watch play football and that has not been the case for most of the quarterbacks in the history of the Chicago Bears.
And now he’s the starter. He’ll get an entire summer to be “the guy”. And that’s not a small thing. Fields was neutered in 2021 by a GM and coach that had no interest in playing him; a pair that believed Andy Dalton could win enough games to solidify their standing in the organization. This is not an excuse for his struggles on the field. Those come with being a rookie. But Fields will now exist with the freedom of knowing this is his team. And it should allow his personality to flourish on the field.
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(2) The potential impact of the 2022 draft class.
Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker and Velus Jones Jr. are all expected to start come September and the early word on Gordon and Jones – inside the building – is remarkably positive. (It’s a bit hard for a safety to wow people before pads get involved.)
Off-ball linebackers and running backs – the specialty of the Bears – are important pieces to a championship puzzle. But those positions, and even offensive/defensive linemen, don’t give you much to watch during the summer months. Corners are different. Receivers are VERY different. These are guys that can start to brandish their reputations in camp and create genuine excitement for the coming campaign. Gordon and Jones have that potential.
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(3) A new culture.
Justin Fields has already mentioned it, and it has been the most consistent thing I’ve heard from folks around ownership over the last few months: the culture has shifted.
Give it a name.
Intensity.
Professionalism.
Business-like approach.
There was plenty of excitement about the prospects of the previous regime, a duo that promised to bring Bears football into the modern age with a dynamic offense reminiscent of what’s happening in Kansas City. But when that promise remained unfulfilled, the excitement turned to concern.
This group is only making one promise: they are going to build a team and coach a team that plays hard and plays fast. Ownership is already seeing that. Poles and Flus believe it will be noticeable to the fans soon too. Soon means this summer.
For those concerned about Velus Jones’ age, sometimes it’s worth considering the benefits that comes from age, maturity, etc. The Bears are already experiencing those benefits. From Josh Schrock, NBC Sports Chicago:
Jones, who the Bears drafted in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, believes his age will benefit both him and the Bears early in his NFL career. At rookie minicamp, Jones painted a picture of a mature receiver focused on excelling at his job for the franchise that has faith in him.
“I think he has hunger,” wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said Tuesday during OTAs. “And you hit the nail right on the head: he has maturity. He already has his Master’s degree. So, he’s a smart guy, mature beyond his years, takes his job very seriously. He’s in the meetings taking really good notes. He brought his own little whiteboard, erase board. He’s taking notes and erasing, and he’s drawing plays. So, he takes his job very seriously.
“We’ve thrown him into the fire pretty quick, put him at two positions immediately. Get him to learn it now. Because we want him to learn the whole concept. But specifically, a couple of positions to get him going, so whenever he can … the more he can do, the more obviously he’ll have a chance to play. So, we’re going to throw it all at him and see what he soaks in, and hopefully, he’ll get out there and make some plays for us.”
