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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Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I always like the Chicago Bears. But I EXTRA like the Chicago Bears this week!!!

Four Thoughts on Trubisky’s First Start

• It’s difficult to imagine how nervous this kid is going to be. First start. Monday Night Football. At home in front of a crowd that is desperate for him to be great. Dowell Loggains has to ease Trubisky into this game and then turn him loose. It is the most important game of Loggains’ time in Chicago.
• Since it’s his first start, don’t be surprised if the Bears constantly roll him out to the right side, eliminate half the field and “flood” options to that side – someone in the flat, someone deep and someone running an intermediate route. This will give Tru five quick options: over the top, middle, flat, toss it OB, run.
• When Trubisky doesn’t understand what he’s seeing after the snap – and it will happen – his instincts are going to be to run with the football. Bears have to coach that out of him. Throwing the football into the fourth row will be better for Trubisky long-term than taking a hit to gain five yards on second down. If he sees daylight on the other hand…
• Two positions are going to benefit from Trubisky starting: wide receivers and offensive tackles. The wides will now have a few extra seconds to find holes in the secondary due to Tru’s mobility. The tackles can now slide the edge rushers up the field without fear, knowing the QB won’t be afraid to take a few steps up into the pocket and deliver the ball down the field.

Monty Hall, Dead at 96

Many people who attend New York University study serious things. I did not. I did a lot of work on game shows. Yes, at the Department of Cinema Studies you could actually write thesis papers on game shows and Bob Fosse and re-use papers you and Noah Brier wrote on “ALF & American Television”.

Monty Hall was a great game show host. Here are my top ten game show hosts of all-time. I like to think very few people could even make a list like this.

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