The league makes little sense through three weeks. Let’s discuss.

• Can’t imagine how popular Dave Canales is right now in that Panthers locker room. He made one of the most difficult decisions for a young coach to make and changed the fortunes of the 2024 Panthers. Andy Dalton isn’t the future, they know that, but players want to win, and those players knew why they weren’t winning.
• Brian Callahan can say anything he wants, but there is no way the Titans locker room isn’t frustrated with Will Levis losing them games. And he is overtly losing them games with some of the worst decision making we’ve seen at the position. Could Mason Rudolph be any worse?
• Week 3 Saints is why you don’t overrate anything that happens in the NFL before Halloween. The league’s two-week juggernaut looked like what many of us expected in 2024.
• The Niners just aren’t the same team when they don’t have their stars. Good roster. Good coaching. But McCaffrey, Deebo, Trent are what make them a uniquely difficult matchup. Without all three of those guys, they become somewhat ordinary.
• Miami can’t compete with these quarterbacks.
• How can the Steelers even be considering going back to Russell Wilson? Fields fits that structure perfectly.
• Baltimore at Dallas was a microcosm of those two organizations currently. The latter never show up for a big game. The former can’t hold a lead anymore. Is either a title contender? I don’t think so.
• Josh Allen is going to be the runaway MVP if he stays healthy.

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Again, there just isn’t much to cover right now when it comes to the Chicago Bears. So, let’s take a look around the league and see what’s cooking elsewhere.

• The Jets are committing a cardinal sin in the NFL. This is a wide-open league, and they might have the best defense going. They also have talent at the skill positions. But they are throwing 2022 away by starting Zach Wilson, a player who simply isn’t up to the ability level of his teammates. This divide boiled over in their locker room Sunday. It will continue.
• There was so much talk about the Minnesota victory over Buffalo, but it was one of the most ridiculous, fluky wins you’ll ever see. It required an all-time circus catch on fourth-and-forever and the opposing quarterback to fumble a snap while trying to ice the clock. But winning changes the narrative and the narrative became “Vikings are contenders.” After the Cowboys embarrassed them in Minneapolis, one assumes that narrative will change. (And as Cousin Sal pointed out on the Bill Simmons pod, the Vikings are 8-2 with a NEGATIVE point differential. Not good.)
• I give Brian Daboll a ton of credit for getting the Giants to 7-3. But they’re going to be 7-4 after Thursday, with a difficult stretch of games ahead to finish the season. The playoffs are by no means a certainty. With teams now selling out to stop Saquon Barkley, these final six regular season games are effectively an audition for Daniel Jones. If he’s going to be a starting QB in the league next year, he’s going to need to earn that in the coming weeks.
• Why is anyone surprise by the decline of the Los Angeles Rams? Their organizational model is completely unsustainable. Is it possible to give up all your draft picks and over-max your cap to win a singular title? Yes. They proved that. But without a young, star QB there is no way that model keeps you in contention over a multi-year period. The question facing the Rams now is how long will it take for them to get back above water?
• What a terrific slate of Thanksgiving games for once! So much drama!
  • Bills at Lions could be a shootout, with the Lions a win away from making a contention argument and the Bills a loss away from a playoff run entirely on the road.
  • There are not many regular season performances that have me saying, “That looks like a championship team.” But Dallas did that Sunday. The Cowboys of recent vintage would stumble with the Giants on Thanksgiving and spoil the credit they’ve accrued. I don’t think this team will.
  • Who are the Patriots? Who are the Vikings? I couldn’t answer either question, but I think this game Thursday night should move us closer to answers. If the Pats win, they’re going to be in a playoff race for the remainder of the season. If the Vikings win, the NFC North is done and dusted, and it’ll be about seeding for them moving forward.

It is a fascinating season. And the Bears will face contenders just about every week the rest of the way.

BIGGS ON TRUBISKY TOUCHDOWN

It was a terrific play by Trubisky but the rookie QB actually made it more difficult than it needed to be. I noticed this live and Brad Biggs made the sixth of his ten things:

6. Dion Sims’ 27-yard touchdown came on a nice play by Mitch Trubisky, who was getting hit as he delivered the ball and didn’t see the touchdown. Sims was uncovered off the line of scrimmage. The Ravens had some pre-snap confusion and that allowed Sims to release from the line and head downfield with no one on him. Strong safety Tony Jefferson was late arriving and it was a really good play for the Bears. It’s nice to see Sims making some plays downfield and after some dropped passes in previous weeks, he needs to step up with plays like that. Trubisky said he took a while to get to Sims because it wasn’t his first read. I’m interested to see this again on the All-22 tape, but live I thought Sims was open immediately and if that’s the case, the quarterback needs to sense that immediately. Especially in this case as the Bears were facing third-and-7 and the goal was to move the chains and avoid having to attempt a field goal.

It’s all about experience. But it doesn’t necessarily help the rookie’s development when he’s only dropping back to pass on obvious passing downs, twenty times a game.

Jahns on That Very Topic

In the new AJ After Dark piece in the Sun-Times, three things to note.

• Adam emphasizes this offensive approach is coming from Fox, not Loggains. Independently, I have confirmed that. Because this is not the way Loggains wants to use Trubisky.
• Jahns argues the Bears need to let the kid do more.
• Quotes from Bears players re: Trubisky should get every fan excited. Here’s a passage from the piece:

Coach John Fox’s game plan — not offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains’ — became more apparent with every handoff.

Fox wanted Trubisky to manage his first start on the road. Trubisky, though, did one better — he managed to win it.

When the Bears finally needed Trubisky to be special, he was. On the move, he delivered an 18-yard completion to receiver Kendall Wright over the middle on a third-and-11 play from the Ravens’ 41-yard line in overtime.

Being on the road in overtime — Trubisky called it a “hostile environment” — didn’t overwhelm him. It was a big-time throw from Trubisky after his role was purposely kept small in regulation.

“At the end of the game, we were all dead tired,” guard Kyle Long said. “Mitch is the one picking us up, making sure we get the gusto to finish.”

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A Note on Mike Glennon

Despite the belief of many, I never had a dislike for Mike Glennon the person. I simply had no faith in Mike Glennon, NFL quarterback. And I am not in the business of sucking up to the Chicago Bears organization around here. They got their Glennon evaluation horribly wrong and I said that from the moment they inked the deal. Said it when many others were rushing to give them the benefit of the doubt. But I’m elated to never write about him again.

Tweet of Monday

4. As scout-team QB, Trubisky didn’t just want to help the #Bears starting defense on some reps, he wanted to beat them. And did at times.

— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) October 2, 2017

There were several players in the defensive meeting rooms comparing what they saw from Trubisky in practice to what they were seeing from Glennon in games. They were incredulous at times. Didn’t add up. That’s how you lose a locker room.

Read all of Adam Jahns’ thoughts on the decision to start Trubisky HERE.

Around the League Thoughts

Watched a lot of football Sunday. Some thoughts:

• Pats have allowed 42, 20, 33, 33 in four games. How did Belichick let this defense get so downright awful? Couldn’t they use Chandler Jones? Or Akiem Hicks? In the same way front offices are hurting the careers of Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, it’s remarkable how Tom Brady has bailed out Belichick’s evaluative missteps. Pats should probably have one win at this point.
• There was a point during Houston v. Tennessee where I thought the NFL was changing before my eyes. Watson and Mariota were essentially playing a college game and damn was it exciting. Then Mariota got hurt. Why? Because the style they were playing is not sustainable in this league.
• George Godsey and Bill O’Brien called a masterpiece for Deshaun Watson, catering the offensive game plan to what he does well. What I loved is how they used Watson’s running ability primarily down around the goal line, not out in the open field. Shorter runs in smaller spaces will limit the explosion in the hits he takes.
• In a year it was thought the Jets would go 0-16 and draft their quarterback of the future, it’s a bit ironic that the Giants may scoop them and find Eli’s replacement.
• I know why the Giants offense stinks. But why can’t they cover anybody?
• Nick Folk can’t be the Bucs kicker next weekend. He almost single-footedly cost Tampa an easy win Sunday, leaving a touchdown of easy kicks on the table with dead shanks. If I were Tampa, I’d call the Niners and offer a mid-round draft pick for Robbie Gould. Bucs can win the NFC South. Why risk that with a shaky kicker?
• Dallas can’t play defense.
• Baltimore can’t play offense.
• Not sure there’s ever been less athleticism on display at the quarterback position than Carson Palmer v. Brian Hoyer.

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Around the League We Go!

(1) Rex Ryan has many flaws as a head coach but he’d never lost his locker room until this season. His defense has quit on him and that side of the roster is going to see massive turnaround this off-season. Rex took the best collection of pass rushers in the sport and neutered them.

(2) Odell Beckham Jr. is an asshole but I love the people criticizing Tom Coughlin for not benching him. Coughlin is coaching for his playoff life and you want him to bench his best player? There’s a time to seize the moral high ground. Sunday wasn’t it.

(3) When faced with the prospect of a playoff spot, the Bucs & Bears faded. But I’d be surprised if both teams aren’t fighting for playoff berths a year from now. They both need very specific personnel upgrades.

(4) Does any player so consistently and obviously kill his coaches more than Aaron Rodgers? It seems to happen every week now. “We don’t have a clear cut direction”? The week after the head coach takes over the play calling?

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(1) Giants have lost 3 games this season (Cowboys, Falcons, Jets) due to egregious mismanagement. I love Tom Coughlin but barring a substantial run over the next two months he can’t be their head coach in 2016.

(2) Spend a few minutes and read some of the love poems the national writers wrote about Dan Quinn in September. Atlanta has fallen off a cliff. Peter King was the leader of the QuinnLove Movement.

(3) Carolina should put Charles Tillman on the shelf until the postseason. Let him get healthy. And then let me root harder for a non-Bears team than I ever have before.

(4) Atlanta was the first paper tiger to fall. The second? Minnesota. That team has feasted on poor opponents. They may still make the playoffs but they might be the 10th best team in the conference when they do.

(5) If I were running all of the franchises, these jobs would join Miami and Tennessee on the market this January:

• Cleveland. Too much change can be a bad thing but I have no idea what Mike Pettine brings to an organization.
• New York Giants. Have a press conference. Put Tom Coughlin in the ring of honor. And then get thirty years younger at the head coaching spot.
• New Orleans. It’s over. Move on.
• San Diego. And don’t be surprised if John Fox brings Mike McCoy to take over the Bears offense should Adam Gase find a head coaching gig.
• Detroit. I’m not sure why Jim Cadwell is still the coach. Once he admitted to not playing for the Hail Mary, I wouldn’t have let him back into his office.
• St. Louis. I’ve been a fan of Jeff Fisher for a long time but that team is far too talented to get blown out each and every week. Fisher doesn’t have it anymore.

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A Note from 26Shirts.com

First off, thanks to Jeff at DaBearsBlog.com for providing me with a little bandwidth to help explain what the heck that little block ad on the right-hand side of this website is all about…

Back in November 2013, I had an idea. I wanted to sell 26 t-shirts.

No, not one t-shirt to 26 individual customers. 26 unique sports designs over the course of a year. I’d sell a shirt for two weeks at a time, then once that two week period was over, the design would be retired. (That’s where the name comes from, 52 divided by 2.) This is limited edition-ness is part of the concept behind 26shirts.com.

“Ok,” you’re probably thinking, “another limited edition t-shirt website out here on the web. Big deal.”

Wait! Don’t walk (or click, or scroll) away! There’s more!

This isn’t your typical t-shirt website. What makes 26shirts.com different is that we are, as far as I’ve been able to research, the only sports merchandise company based on the “give back” model. For each shirt we sell, we donate $8 to a local family or foundation that can use the money.

We’re not a t-shirt website that helps people, we’re a website that helps people by selling t-shirts.

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NEXT FOUR BEARS GAMES…

…are absolutely brutal. But they also allow this front office and coaching to evaluate young players in valuable positions.

• The Chargers are not good but they love to throw the ball and will throw for a zillion yards against this secondary.
• The Rams & Broncos defenses will be the best defenses the Bears face all season.
• The Packers are the Packers.

The Bears can play well for the next month and find themselves 2-9.

ONE THOUGHT ON JAY CUTLER

Interestingly his leadership is never questioned when he plays well. The reason? It was always bullshit. Jay’s problem is not personality. It is interceptions.

AROUND THE LEAGUE!

(1) Who have the Packers beaten this season that impresses you? The best team they’ve beaten is St. Louis and on that day Nick Foles kept throwing the ball to them. The NFC does not have a great team.

(2) Why don’t the Lions have 8-8 in them? Since 2001, here are the Lions win totals: 2, 3, 5, 6, 5, 3, 7, 0, 2, 6, 10, 4, 7, 11 and currently 1. While the whole league tends to spend most of their time in the 7-9 win range the Lions have only been in there twice in 14 years. They either make the playoffs or they’re awful. No middle ground.

(3) Todd Gurley is averaging more than 6 yards per carry. No other back in the top in the league in rushing averages over 5.

(4) Great late Monday night Tweet from Sam Farmer: “@LATimesfarmer: Luck is like a radio signal that keeps going in and out. We’ve got Luck. We’ve got Luck. Nope, we lost him again. Now, he’s back.” Colts owner Jim Irsay better act quickly or he will lose his star QB.

(5) Backup quarterbacks in the NFC are now 0-7 in games they’ve started. And people wonder why the starters get the money they get?

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The benefit of the Bears bye week? I get to see more football than any other Sunday of the season. Here are a bunch of thoughts from around the league.

(1) Text from my buddy, a Bills fan, during the Yahoo! streaming of Buffalo vs. Jacksonville: “If this is the future of the NFL, they need to rethink it.” Stream was choppy and inconsistent across the country. Football on television is the perfect sports commodity. If NFL wants to adapt to a world moving beyond the traditional cable packages they’ll need to partner with existing streaming systems.

(2) Don’t want to hear the Eagles complain about dropped passes. Crap players drop passes. Philadelphia HAD good players. They got rid of them all. Now they have crap ones.

(3) Watching the NFC East & AFC South makes one thing clear: we will be having the old “should we reseed the playoffs” debate again in a few months.

(4) Shocked to see a gentlemen like Greg Hardy behave poorly on the sideline. It’s almost like he’s the type of man to throw his girlfriend on a futon stacked with guns while she cried and begged for her life. Almost.

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