Quarter One

• Defense looked noncompetitive on the opening drive. Wide open Jets all over the field.
• Offense moved it well in response, with Trevor Siemian’s accuracy issues the only thing keeping them out of the endzone. When you have Chase Claypool’s size advantage in the end zone, the ball must be elevated. (Siemian also missed throw to Kmet earlier on the drive.)
• Claypool’s integration into the offense is happening slowly, but this quarter showed the advantages of having a receiving threat that can separate from defenders and win 50/50 balls.
• If Velus Jones is only going to run jet sweeps, don’t be surprised when defenses key on it. The Jets knew what play was coming as soon as Jones walked onto the field.
• Very solid quarter for Siemian overall, however. You want your backup quarterback to be a stabilizing force. He’s unlikely to win games but you don’t want him to lose them. Siemian looked the part in the first quarterback.

Quarter Two

• What a catch by Byron Pringle for the touchdown. Blanketed in coverage. Poor throw. But Pringle went and got the football.
• Bears simply can’t get off the field on third downs and the reason is their total lack of pass rush. With the Bears likely to find themselves in the top five or six picks in the draft, it won’t be a reach to seem them look at the edge over wide receiver.
• Jets fumble the field goal attempt, and it leads to a lengthy Benny Hill sketch. The rain is going to be a factor the remainder of the afternoon as a storm is approaching the NYC area. (I know because I just had to turn the lights on in my living room. That’s how dark it’s gotten outside.)
• Siemian trying to sneak the ball off tackle is one of the silliest things you’ll see in an NFL game. After watching Justin Fields over the last month, Siemian looks like he’s operating in slow motion at times.
• Bears let an interception go through their hands and lose Eddie Jackson to a non-contact injury on the same play. Brutal moment. Bears will now play the rest of this game with backups at all over their secondary.
• Joe Davis: “This is a big drive for the Bears.” Is it? Not a single moment of this game feels “big” for the Bears.

Bears down 17-10 at the half. And the difference on offense has been the lack of explosive possibilities. Fields presents a nightmare for opposing for defenses to defend. With Siemian, the game is right in front of them. That’s why the Bears only have 10 points.

Read More …

Return to the swamp,

these New Jersey Meadowlands.

Don’t eat the plankton!

Justin Fields isn’t playing, and the defense has a bit of Mel Tucker in it these days. So…

Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears this Week?

I.

Always.

Like.

THE.

Chicago.

Bears.

A Text with Two Jets Fans

Game Prediction

• Mike White is playing for the Jets. I have no idea if Justin Fields is playing for the Bears. How is a prediction even possible?

New York Jets 20, Chicago Bears 10

Offensive ranks this season:

Pts/game
31. Bears
32. Jets

Pts/drive
31. Bears
32. Jets

Yds/game
31. Bears
32. Jets

Yds/play
31. Bears
32. Jets

1st downs/game
31. Bears
32. Jets

3rd down pct
31. Bears
32. Jets

Avg drive dist
31. Bears
32. Jets

Efficiency
31. Bears
32. Jets

— Paul Hembekides (@PaulHembo) November 17, 2020

Mitch Trubisky enters Sunday’s game in Miami with a ton of momentum. He’s coming off the biggest game of his young career; a game that would be the biggest game of many-a-quarterback’s entire career. Now it’s time to build off of it and become consistent. That’s what we need to see in the next four games, all against the AFC East. And it is very possible that a month from now, Sunday night November 4th, the city of Chicago will know who Trubisky is going to be.

The young quarterback’s last performance was historic but the first three were anything but. The Bears need him to settle somewhere in the middle and prove he can succeed against good defenses. He’ll get that opportunity as he’ll now face four of them in consecutive weeks.

As I wrote last week, what Trubisky did to Tampa was not a fluke. The Bears found his comfort zone and he excelled. Now defenses have tape on that performance and are going to do everything they can to make him uncomfortable.

The bad quarterbacks fold under such situations.

The good ones manage them.

The great ones thrive.

Read More …

Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images (Edited)

The question I’ve been asked most since getting to Chicago: “Do you think Trubisky will be a positive when looking for a new coach?” My answer each time has been a definitive yes because I truly believe it will.

But I decided that, instead of leaning on my gut, to poll my two pals in the league on the question, factoring in all of the potentially-available gigs and their quarterback situation. I’ve grouped the teams into categories.

(I’ll be referring to my friends as AFC GUY & NFC GUY.)

Colts

They get their own category because think of the waters GM Chris Ballard has to navigate. When he’s looking to hire a coach in January he may not be able to tell the candidates whether Andrew Luck, their franchise quarterback, will require an additional surgery sidelining him six months or more. He won’t be able to tell the candidates if they have a franchise quarterback in 2018 or not.

NFC GUY: “Chris is going to have to sell that job. And every potential coach will want to know if they’re considering drafting a quarterback early.”

Bucs / Titans

These are two jobs that, should they come open, will come open with a quarterback in-place. But…do you want them?

• Marcus Mariota has questions to answer regarding his play in 2017. Because he’s been awful. Said AFC GUY: “If he’s not hurt, he’s a problem.”

Read More …

Goal was ten over. I’m nine over. And the pressure is on.

Chicago Bears -1 over Detroit Lions

Explanation coming tomorrow but here’s the brief version: I think the Bears REALLY want to go out on a victory. I think the Lions know massive change is coming and won’t want to play in the Soldier Field conditions Sunday.

New York Jets -3 over Buffalo Bills

One team is playing for the postseason. The other team has quit on their coach. Buffalo will probably win – because that’s what the NFL is these days – but I’m going chalk.

New York Giants -3 over Philadelphia Eagles

Tom Coughlin’s finale home game? Yep, I will take him to go out with a win. And I think Odell Beckham Jr. plays a revenge game.

Season Record: 27-18-3

2-0-1 this week because I was apparently the only person on earth who had the Bears +3 instead of the 4.5 they went off at by kickoff. 7-1-1 over my last nine picks.

No joke. I hate the games this week. Hate the games. Hate the lines. So it’s going to take some luck.

COLTS -4.5 OVER SAINTS

While the football world was declaring the Pats would beat the Colts Sunday night by 100 points as some kind of deflation retribution, Luck kept the Colts neck-and-neck until his moron head coach decided to run one of the stupidest plays every devised for the game of football. Even Chuck Pagano, a terrible head coach, won’t be able to prevent Luck from shredding the Saints defense at home. Indianapolis 34, New Orleans 20.

PATRIOTS UNDER 28.5 VS. NEW YORK JETS

The Jets are the best defense in football and if Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t go through a six-week run of interceptions – as is his history – they are going to be a beast to deal with in the postseason. (A Jets v. Broncos wild card game could go to penalty field goals.) New England is the better team here but I like needing them to score more than four touchdowns. New England 20, New York 17.

RAMS -5.5 OVER BROWNS

Rams are good. Browns are not good. Rams defense is terrific. The last time Josh McCown went into St. Louis as a starting quarterback he was thoroughly embarrassed. Rams have Todd Gurley. Browns have the league’s worst rush defense. I don’t see how this game is close. St. Louis 27, Cleveland 6.

Season Record: 10-6-2