Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I.

Always.

Like.

THE.

Chicago.

Bears.

Where is Sam Darnold in 2025?

Darnold’s statistical rankings:

• Yards: 6th.
• Touchdowns: T-3rd.
• Completion percentage: T-6th.
• QB Rating: 3rd.

For the life of me, I do not understand why the Minnesota Vikings are even considering moving on from a quarterback that is not only playing exemplary football, but he will also only be 28 years old next season. Some guys take time. Some guys need the right coach, and the right structure around them. But Darnold has been more impressive in 2024 than anything we’ve seen from Jordan Love or Trevor Lawrence. Why are the Vikings so willing to gamble at the position?

Side note: Josh Allen would be my MVP, and his performance, even in a loss last week, should solidify that. But why isn’t Darnold in the conversation?

Who Will Be the Next Bears Coach?

This has been a very busy time for me academically, but I reached out to folks around the team last night for a list of names and that list is unsurprising (to say the least). Here is what I was told.

• Is Kevin Warren making this hire? No. Is he going to be the one who stamps Ryan Poles’ choice? That seems more likely than not. Is that a good thing? No.

• Ben Johnson’s people have made it clear to the Bears that he’s interested. But the process of communication with Johnson will be complicated by the (expected) deep playoff run for the Lions. Would the Bears be okay waiting for Johnson till after a Super Bowl? “Yes,” I was told, unequivocally, if he’s the guy.
• Everyone seems so down on the notion of a defensive head coach. But citing the coaches “to win the last X Super Bowls” is a very silly metric. The NFL is cyclical. Would you really want Joe Brady or Todd Munken over Mike Vrabel or Brian Flores? I know I wouldn’t, and I don’t think the Bears will either.
• Bill Belichick being the North Carolina coach is wild to me. But you know what? They are now must see television for me in September.
• I’ve been tweeted the name Dan Lanning by multiple folks, but I was told the Bears are not going to take a shot on a college coach with zero professional experience. That also includes Lincoln Riley.
• If there is any coach the Bears should NOT be considering, it is Kliff Kingsbury.

Side note: We’ll be doing the DBB pledge NEXT WEEK, to get that business out of the way before the end of the season, allowing me to concentrate on the coaching search. 

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In ole New England

‘Tis lovely this time of year.

Well, at least it was.

It ain’t easy but…

Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I.

Always.

Like.

THE.

Chicago.

Bears.

Three Stats That Matter

• Patriots are only allowing opposing quarterbacks a passer rating of 81.1. (9th) Justin Fields has a rating of 72.7. (32nd)
• Bears are allowing 163 yards per game on the ground. (29th) Patriots average 131.3 per game. (10th)
• In 13 punt return attempts this season, the Patriots rank 7th, averaging 10.9 yards per return. They only have two fair catches. The Bears have 8 return attempts, rank 30th at 4.4 yards per return, and have two game-costing fumbles.

You have to do serious digging to find an advantage for the Bears tonight.

Video of the Week

Four Favorite Things About New England (Eating & Drinking Category)

(4) Crow’s Nest, Gloucester MA

Ever see The Perfect Storm? Well, this is the bar. It’s real and it’s there. And if you’re an adventurous sort, you can sleep upstairs.

____________________

(3) The Black Duck Cafe, Westport CT

Hey, how many bars are actually slowly falling into the water? This one is!

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Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I always like the Chicago Bears.

And with the Bears depleted, and the Vikings unable to stop anyone from throwing the ball, this game could potentially be a fun watch. Right? Isn’t entertainment the ceiling now for the remainder of the 2021 season?

Tweet of the Week

The more I get to know about Justin Fields, it’s clear no coach at this point in his career can “ruin him”. He’s not built that way 🐻⬇️

— 💋K 🐻 (@sleepxpert) December 17, 2021

Go See West Side Story

I’ve hesitated to write fully about West Side Story in an effort to avoid hyperbole. But after two viewings, I’m done with that. This is one of the greatest films ever made. What are my six favorite things about the picture, you ask?

• The custodian and the floodlights in Maria, a number that took my breath away on both viewings.
• Gee, Officer Krupke is a song I’ve skipped whenever watching the original film (and sort of tuned out in the theatre). In Spielberg’s masterpiece, it’s the most ingeniously staged number in movie musical history.
• America. If you’ve seen it, you understand.
• Ariana DeBose. Same note.
• Rachel Zegler’s Maria is a gorgeous creation, but she is never better than in a silent sequence in the film’s first act, attempting to present both herself and her bedroom as being slept in.
• Mike Faist. He’s not going to win the Academy Award, but his Riff absolutely deserves

Game Prediction

Minnesota fields one of the best offenses in the sport and it’s unlikely this dilapidated Bears defense will keep them under 27 points. So, the question is, can the Bears offense match that output?

Yes.

This is Justin Fields’ breakout performance as a passer.

Chicago Bears 30, Minnesota Vikings 27

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

I spent way too much time putting together this video of Alex Trebek saying the word “genre,” so now you have to RT it. Sorry, I don’t make the rules pic.twitter.com/VacI730SJv

— Alex Jacob (@whoisalexjacob) September 13, 2019

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