In Minnesota,

The quarterback plot persists.

Can Fields be so-so?

So-so would be great.

But it feels so far away.

Just like contention.

Four Things I Think Will Happen:

• Minnesota has scored 23 and 28 points in their two home games. Chicago has scored 10 and 12 in their two road games. What evidence do we have that these trends won’t hold?
• Justin Fields will have a quarterback rating in the 70s. Why? Because quarterback ratings vs. Minnesota this season reflect a defense that handles opposing QBs far better at home. Home in BOLD.
  • Andy Dalton: 108.6.
  • Jared Goff: 79.
  • Jalen Hurts: 108.7.
  • Aaron Rodgers: 67.6.
• Kirk Cousins has his best game of the season. Cousins has been up-and-down because he hasn’t had a consistent run game and he’s a play-action quarterback. But run games miraculously find their way against this Bears defense and one would expect Minnesota’s to be no different.
• It would also be surprising if the Vikings don’t line up Justin Jefferson in the slot and pick on Kyler Gordon. If they do, Gordon is in for his worst nightmare of the young campaign.

Minnesota Vikings 27, Chicago Bears 13

Last week was ugly, so…

Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?

I.

Always.

Like.

THE.

Chicago.

Bears.

Stat of the Week

Mitch Trubisky. Baker Mayfield. Marcus Mariota. Daniel Jones. These are (were) the four quarterbacks of the teams ranked directly above the Chicago Bears in passing yards per game. The Bears are currently throwing for 97.5 yards per game, more than 40 yards per game fewer than the 31st ranked team.

Last year, the New Orleans Saints were last in this statistic. They threw for 187.4 yards per game.

If these numbers don’t dramatically improve for the Bears, this could the worst passing attack in modern football history.

From Twitter on Monday

I put the following commentary on Twitter Monday, but I wanted to repost it here. It should help towards understanding how I’m going to be writing about the 2022 Bears, and their quarterback, moving forward. 

There was always going to be a contingent of Bears fans who started panicking once the team started losing ugly – an inevitability. These were the “Justin Fields will own the division” and “11 wins are possible” crowd. True believers; nothing wrong with it.

For the first year of a new program, there are definitive positives on the field. (I’ll have a piece about some of them tomorrow.) And you hope that over the next 13 games we simply continue adding to this list, building excitement / momentum for 2023.

But you have to understand that the Bears are far closer to the worst team in the league than the best. We could be looking at a group picking in the top 3 next spring. But two picks in the top 35 might be EXACTLY what this roster needs. (That’s where these fancy WRs are.)

I’m going to stay macro for the remainder of the season and cease the micro stuff. It’s not going to make me a particularly fun follow on game days but that’s where I’m at emotionally/mentally with this team and I feel it’s the smartest way to engage them.

Top “5” Folks from Minnesota (in video form)

This was NOT an easy list to compile. But I’m happy with my choices. And for all you Bob Dylan fans, I apologize. But I would rather listen to my cats scratch the couch cushions than an 11-minute Dylan mumble. So, I guess I don’t really apologize. I do apologize to the Judy Garland fans, though.

____________________

5. Mitch Hedberg

____________________

4. Terry Gilliam

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ON THIS EPISODE:

• Two beautiful songs from Tom Petty. “Southern Accents” sung by Johnny Cash and “Walls” from the film, She’s the One. (Is the latter a great song? I don’t know. But it reminds me of one of the greatest bars in the history of the planet and makes me happy. RIP Tom. RIP McHale’s.)
• Jeff discusses Mitch Trubisky and…hope.
• Reverend Dave tells you how he almost died once because he’s a fucking idiot.

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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