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Colts Radio Host Desperately Attacks Bears After Swiping Matt Nagy

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

It’s safe to say Indianapolis Colts radio and the rest of their fans aren’t exactly feeling good these days. Once upon a time, their franchise was considered the cream of the NFL crop. However, the exit of Peyton Manning, injury to Andrew Luck and mismanagement of their roster over the past few years have transformed them into an AFC doormat. Clearly, some people who cover the organization aren’t taking that so well.

Take Kent Sterling of CBS Sports radio in Indianapolis for example. Never afraid to share his, shall we say, “unvarnished” opinion the host took to Twitter in defense of the Colts over what has happened in the recent string of missteps involving their search for a new head coach. It started when Bob Kravitz, a retired hockey player mind you, claimed Indy did not, in fact, offer the job to Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy.

This despite multiple outlets indicating Nagy was their primary target including my own sources. That didn’t deter Sterling who vehemently backed up the statement with a series of tweets. Not that he offered any proof to the effect. Instead, it sounded far more like a man desperately slamming another team for the failures of his own.

Colts Radio host Kent Sterling slams Bears over Nagy situation

Oh, where to begin? Sterling already started handicapped in this argument for two main reasons. First and foremost was the fact that the Colts finished with a worse record in 2017 than the Bears did. So purely from a win-loss standpoint, his statement is not valid. Then there’s the fact that Nagy isn’t the only coach who jilted them. News has since come out that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was ready to take the position but then changed his mind at the last second.

If that job was so coveted why is it the only one still available? Sure the Colts have more money and better draft assets. It’s because they’re a bad team with few good players. He loved saying Andrew Luck and Jacoby Brissett are better than Mitch Trubisky. Both of those men have significant NFL experience. Trubisky was a rookie.

In case he needs a further reminder? The Colts offense finished 31st in the NFL. Their defense was 30th. The Bears offense was 30th and their defense was 10th. So in spite of having a supposedly inferior quarterback, they still finished with a better offensive ranking and the defenses aren’t even comparable. The only viable stake Sterling has in this argument is Luck and even that’s shaky due to his injured shoulder.

Whether he likes it or not, facts are facts. The Colts job has lost a lot of its appeal. That happens in the NFL. Rather than be sour about it, those guys need to accept reality.

Matt Nagy Urging Bears To Watch Possible Roster Cut Carefully

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

Anybody with a lick of common sense knows the Chicago Bears are going to pursue wide receivers hard this off-season. That’s the product of being the 32nd ranked passing offense in the league. Mitch Trubisky had just seven touchdown passes in 12 games. That can’t continue if this team wants to get to the next level. Anybody watching the Super Bowl saw that. So the first order of business is lining up solution.

Among that includes deciding if any of their own targets are worth keeping. The big three names to watch at this point are Cameron Meredith, Kendall Wright, and Dontrelle Inman. All of them have flashes some ability over the past two years. Meredith was the leading receiver in 2016. Wright led the team in 2017. Inman showed he could produce with the Chargers.

After that comes the highly anticipated unrestricted free agency period. It looks like 2018 could be a richer-than-usual year at the position. Most of the big names are well-known at this point. However, it seems the Bears’ new head coach is telling GM Ryan Pace and the front to keep a close watch on one name who could join the fray.

Matt Nagy may have interest in reuniting with Jeremy Maclin in Chicago

It stands to reason that Nagy might reach into his own personal connections in order to find help for the Bears offense. One name that people might not have thought of was Jeremy Maclin. The former Pro Bowler played two years in Kansas City in 2015 and 2016. He posted his most recent 1,000-yard season there. This past season he spent with the Baltimore Ravens. With his 30th birthday approaching though and Baltimore tight on cap space, it’s felt he may get cut. If so, Nagy is ready for a reunion according to a source.

“Nagy has urged the Bears to look at Jeremy Maclin if he’s released.”

Maclin didn’t have a standout year for the Ravens, but then again none of their receivers did. He’s certainly not what one would call the ideal solution for the Bears’ problem, but it’s possible they see him as good enough to avoid overspending in free agency. The source elaborated on the possibility.

“(Allen) Robinson, (Jarvis) Landry, and (Paul) Richardson remain at the front of the list but if Maclin gets released and takes a bargain deal they may just re-sign Wright, and Inman and be done with free agency.”

Meredith is a restricted free agent so the Bears should be able to retain him easily enough. A group of him, Maclin, Wright, and Inman would be something to work with. Then again such a passive approach would almost certainly guarantee they go after a receiver early in the draft. Pace can be unpredictable in these situations. Odds are he may not be happy settling for one older receiver.

Bill Shuey Becomes the Latest Fascinating Hire by the Bears

By
Erik Lambert
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bill shuey

New Chicago Bears head coach Matt Nagy is already proving to be a unique character. That much is true based on the staff he’s been assembling. There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to its construction. Most coaches go one of two ways. They either seek out personal connections they’ve worked with in the past. Or they go after the biggest names. Nagy seems to be conducting a balancing act on both of those fronts. Bill Shuey is a perfect example.

Looking across the staff there are plenty of big names with no ties to Nagy himself. Retaining Vic Fangio is one example, as is the hiring of offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich and offensive line coach Harry Hiestand.  Then all of a sudden it shifts with the bringing in of Brad Childress. He and Nagy worked closely together for five seasons in Kansas City.

There is also Mike Furrey, the new wide receivers coach, whom he knows from his Arena League days. Shuey represents the latest assistant to come in who has close ties to Nagy.

Bill Shuey a forgotten but sneaky good defensive coach

It’s rather surprising that Bill Shuey didn’t stay in the NFL. From 2003 through 2010 he was an assistant with the Philadelphia Eagles. During the last three seasons, he was their linebackers coach, a job at which he did fairly well. Though he never had the chance to coach any star-caliber talent, his groups always contributed to the teams’ success. After that? He disappeared.

He later resurfaced at Widener College, a Division III program where he was named their defensive coordinator. Since then the team has become a defensive powerhouse. This past 2017 season his group gave up single-digit points in five of their 11 games. Three times in four years one of his players was named Defensive Player of the Year in the conference and they fielded three All-Americans this past season.

Shuey has accomplished a lot away from the spotlight. He’s experienced and has proven highly capable everywhere he’s landed since leaving Philadelphia. He certainly doesn’t have the star power some of the other Bears hires do, but this is the latest demonstration of Nagy’s attention to detail. Not only does he have a good memory, he also goes the extra mile to find coaching talent.

Depending on how things go the Bears may have landed a young coach who is ready to make his ascent up the NFL ladder in earnest this time around.

Wheel Of Fortune: The Chicago White Sox Don’t Exist

By
Aldo Soto
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ESPN forgetting the Chicago White Sox won the 2005 World Series was bad, considering that you know, they’re the “worldwide leader in sports,” but “Wheel of Fortune” not even acknowledging the team is from the city when the show is literally in CHICAGO! C’mon, Pat Sajak!

On Tuesday, “Wheel of Fortune,” had a Chicago-themed episode as a part of its Great American Cities week and one of the answers included the five major professional teams from the city. Well, all of them except for the White Sox.

It’s been a rough year for the South Siders in terms of gaining any respect from the media.

Here’s a quick summary of the times the White Sox have been completely forgotten about via the Chicago Tribune.

Over the past two years, ESPN twice had to apologize for forgetting the White Sox from some playoff-related trivia.

— First the network tried to put the Cubs and Indians World Seriesface-off into context, listing all the Chicago and Cavaliers teams that had won titles since 1965, but it left out the 2005 White Sox.

— Then they said last season’s Dodgers and the 1998 Yankees were the only two teams “in the Wild Card Era to win the World Series with 2 losses or fewer.” Not true, the ‘05 White Sox went 11-1 in the postseason.

CBS also slighted the Sox, saying Chicago hadn’t seen a World Series game in 71 years, then corrected themselves to say Wrigley Field.

You could argue that given the format of the answer it would be tough to fit in White Sox, but what’s the point of it if you can’t actually have all five teams.

By the way, it is also bullshit that the first guess wasn’t given credit for the correct answer because the contestant Brad added an “and” after saying Bulls.

I guess Pat did say, “don’t add anything,” but what’s up with these unnecessary technicalities?

So yeah, people get to make jokes about the White Sox being ignored, but let’s not forget that Brad got absolutely screwed here. Fuck off, Wheel of Fortune. Be better Pat Sajak.

Also, you know you wanted to watch it again. Shoutout, Julian from Indiana.

Kris Dunn Could Be Back As Soon As Friday

By
Patrick Mooney
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When Kris Dunn took a scary, face-first fall onto the United Center hardwood on January 17th, both the team’s medical staff and coaching staff tried to play it cool, telling us it was all good. Initially, it was reported that he just messed up a few teeth.

It took less than a day for the team to report that actually, he did indeed suffer a concussion. Even then the team was staying optimistic, issuing a quick statement saying he’d be out indefinitely but oh don’t worry it’s nothing too serious.

Well, it’s been hard to stay calm and collected about the point guard of the future’s health when we all saw this happen:

I know basketball and football aren’t in the same stratosphere in terms of contact, but with all of the news that has come out in recent years about the effects concussions have had on former and current NFL players, no concussion should be taken likely.

That’s why, after 3 weeks of silence, today’s news was so relieving.

It’s awesome that he is back on the court, no doubt, but he has yet to climb the final hurdle(s) of concussion protocol. The Bulls next game is this Friday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dunn’s former team. He still hasn’t been cleared to suit up for the contest.

The Bulls have struggled mightily without Dunn, losing seven straight after winning their first game he was sidelined against a lowly Atlanta Hawks squad. During that stretch, Lauri Markannen has missed three games due to the birth of his child (he is set to return Friday) and the team’s leading scorer Nikola Mirotic was traded. The Bulls record is now the sixth worst in the NBA, just two games better than the league’s worst team.

While Dunn’s absence has greatly aided the team’s tanking efforts, Friday would be an awesome time to see him, Lavine and Markkanen all on the court together for the first time this season. With players like Robin Lopez still on the trading block, the Bulls shouldn’t have to worry about winning too many games down the stretch, they’ve put themselves in a pretty good #tank spot.

However, of the few wins the Bulls will get the rest of the way, none would be sweeter than winning the team’s only national tv appearance this Friday against Tom Thibedeau and Jimmy Butler. Seeing Dunn run the point with Lavine and Marrkanen by his side will make that game a must watch.

Bears Angling to Give Vic Fangio Another Intriguing Project

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears defense

The Chicago Bears defense is starting to become something serious again. It finished in the top 10 for the first time since 2012. That’s exceptional progress considering where it was back in 2014. Arguably the worst in franchise history. Much of that credit goes to coordinator Vic Fangio. His tireless work and ability to develop players have paid huge dividends. Unfortunately, he may have a big challenge coming up.

Free agency is always a tricky time of year. For the Bears, it may get especially interesting at the cornerback position. Four of their key players at that spot is set to come out of contract. They include three starters in Kyle Fuller, Prince Amukamara, and Bryce Callahan along with special teams ace Sherrick McManis.

Odds are they’ll bring back at least a couple of those guys this off-season. That said there’s a chance one or two could hit the market. That would put corner higher on their list of position needs to fill. Given the QB-stacked NFC they need as many as they can get. Recent word is they may already be planning alternatives.

David Amerson could thrive on Chicago Bears defense under Fangio

The Oakland Raiders made waves early this off-season by choosing to cut cornerback David Amerson. The 26-year old former second round pick spent three seasons with the team as a starter after being cut by Washington. A foot injury limited him to six games in 2017. With the arrival of a new coaching staff, it’s clear his standing had sunk considerably. Now he’s back on the market and the Bears are hot on the trail.

Amerson would make for an intriguing addition. He’s still young but already has five seasons of starting experience. He has length and athleticism, playing an aggressive style that would fit what the Bears do. Fangio is notorious for taking in veteran defensive backs who floundered elsewhere and making them effective. Prior to this past season, it looked like Amerson was emerging as a top corner. Between 2015 and 2016 he had six interceptions and a defensive touchdown for the Raiders.

Still, he suffered from consistency issue. Something that kept him out of the first round of the draft and why he was cut in Washington. Keeping Fuller and Amukamara would be preferable for this cornerback situation. Amerson would make for good depth, perhaps an upgrade over what the Bears hoped they were getting from Marcus Cooper.

In that context, this would be a good move. Perhaps Fangio could make it a great one in time.

Zach LaVine With The Poster Dunk Of The Year

By
Aldo Soto
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Zach LaVine had his best game as a member of the Chicago Bulls and he also showed off his incredible dunking skills against the Sacramento Kings Monday night.

Fans know the explosiveness that LaVine has, but the guard took it to another level in Sacramento. The two-time dunk champion posterized JaKarr Sampson and Bulls announcer Stacey King gave us another classic call.

Here it is, the poster dunk of the year.

The knees look just fine for LaVine, who’s coming off ACL surgery. He finished the game with a season-high 27 points, shooting 9-of-18 and 4-of-8 on 3-point attempts. He has scored at least 20 points in the last three games.

Unfortunately, or fortunately for lottery purposes. the 27-point performance by LaVine wasn’t enough, as the Kings overcame a 21-point deficit and won 104-98, scoring 95 points after the first quarter.

The Bulls are now 18-35, still with the sixth-worst record in the league, but they’re creeping closer to the very bottom. Following the loss, the Bulls are only two games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the worst overall record.

The Bulls could have gained a game on the Dallas Mavericks, but they blew a fourth quarter lead and lost 104-101 to the Los Angeles Clippers, who ended the game on a 13-0 run. The good news there is that the Clippers are getting closer to the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 8 seed in the West. The Clippers are now half a game back of the eighth seed and as you know the Bulls have the Pelicans’ first-round pick, as long as it doesn’t fall in the top-five.

Keep on losing New Orleans! (But not too much)

Back to the Bulls. They’re 1-7 and currently on a seven-game losing streak since Kris Dunn’s concussion. Lauri Markkanen missed all three games of the road trip, but will be back for Friday’s game at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Still no word when Dunn will be back.

So, really aside from Dunn being out, the plan is working for the Bulls and they’re still talking about other moves before the trade deadline.

Robin Lopez Threw A Chair After Getting Ejected

By
Aldo Soto
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We all know that Bobby Portis is an intense player, but there’s just something about Robin Lopez going batshit crazy that makes him seem scarier than crazy eyes. That was on full display Monday night, when Lopez had to be held back from a referee after getting ejected and then walking back to the locker room the center grabbed a chair and threw it down a hallway.

It was a pretty good night for the tank, as the Chicago Bulls lost to the Sacramento Kings 104-98, and losing Lopez in the second quarter certainly played a factor. At the time of his ejection, the Bulls had a 43-27 lead. Eventually, the Bulls blew a 21-point lead after Lopez was tossed out of the game.

To say Lopez went nuts would be an understatement. Take a look for yourself, as the big man wasn’t happy about not getting a few calls and others going against him.

You know it’s bad when Portis is the level-headed one.

However, Lopez wasn’t done.

Hey, it could have been worse. I still remember when Cubs pitcher Kyle Farnsworth injured himself by kicking an electric fan at Wrigley Field.

We’re getting closer to the trade deadline and Lopez’s name has been tossed around in trade discussions. So, good thing the chair took all of the punishment.

Lopez isn’t a flashy player, but you have to respect how he carries himself. Just a great pro all around, who obviously can turn on the intensity when he’s on the court.

There must be something in the air in Sacramento that make Bulls’ centers go insane.

Harry Hiestand Came as Thunderclap To Bears Offense Once Before

By
Erik Lambert
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harry hiestand

People aren’t quite grasping just how big an acquisition Harry Hiestand is. Sure he’s an offensive line coach. Not exactly a glamorous title. Then again great offensive line play tends to create winning teams. Ask the Philadelphia Eagles. People have already assured fans that Hiestand is one of the best in the business. His resume at Notre Dame alone should reinforce that.

He’s already produced multiple high draft choices for the NFL including All-Pro Zack Martin. This coming April could see two more of his pupils, Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey, go in the first round. The man is really good at his job. Problem is Bears fans seem to have taken that for granted, forgetting what he did for the team last time.

Hiestand was hired by the Bears back in 2005 by Lovie Smith. A job he’d hold through 2009 before a switch at offensive coordinator saw him depart elsewhere. It was a huge error by Chicago to lose him because he was easily the best assistant coach on their staff. If fans want to know just how big his impact can be, look at his first season.

Harry Hiestand transformed Bears O-line almost overnight

People think 2017 was the epitome of putrid for Bears offensive football. They should check themselves on that and be reminded of the garbage fire that was the 2004 offense. Four different quarterbacks combined for 2,641 yards passing, nine touchdowns and 16 interceptions. A big part of that problem was the offensive line which gave up a whopping 66 sacks.

Even their traditionally decent running game was sluggish most of the year. As a team, they managed just 3.8 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns despite running it 430 times. They shuffled starters in and out of the lineup up front, partly due to injuries and partly poor performance. It was a jumbled mess. A year later the Bears called on Hiestand to fix it.

He complied. In 2005 the Bears offensive brought back three starters from the previous year. Hiestand though made a couple tweaks to the alignment. The results were immediate. Chicago gave up 31 sacks total, cutting their previous mark by more than half. They also ran the ball far more efficiently, averaging 4.3 yards per carry. The offense went from 32nd to 26th in scoring despite starting a rookie QB in Kyle Orton for 15 games.

That’s real progress and it didn’t come until Hiestand worked his magic. If the Bears continue to invest in the offensive line as well as they have to this point, there’s a chance this offense could do serious damage moving forward.

Bears and Matt Nagy Just Scored Another Big Staff Hire

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

If the Philadelphia Eagles proved anything this year, it’s that stocking up on good players is only half the equation. A stocked up coaching staff is equally important. Their formula involved two keys:  an experienced mind running the defense and loads of offensive coaches with QB backgrounds. It would seem the Chicago Bears and head coach Matt Nagy have taken these lessons to heart. Their moves up to this point reflect as much.

On the defensive side, they were able to retain Vic Fangio. He’s one of the best in the NFL at what he does. His unit just finished in the top 10 this past season. Keeping him around was a no-brainer. The trickier part for Nagy was the construction of his offensive staff. Following the lead of his former colleague, Doug Pederson, he went heavy on the QB specialists.

Mark Helfrich was brought out of the analyst studio after a year off to become offensive coordinator. He was one of the masterminds behind Marcus Mariota’s rise at Oregon. Dave Ragone, a former NFL quarterback himself, was retained as quarterbacks coach. Nagy though knew something more was needed. So he reached out to an old friend.

Bears and Matt Nagy lure Brad Childress out of retirement

Most Bears fans will remember Brad Childress as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He spent five seasons with them, got them to the playoffs twice and reached the NFC championship game in 2009. A decent run of success but hardly what one would call memorable. In that context, this may not look like a credible addition. Truth be told though it’s an excellent move from Mitch Trubisky’s perspective.

People can say a lot of things about Childress. What they can’t say is he doesn’t know how to coach quarterbacks. The man has been doing that job since 1985. His first major stint in the NFL came in 1999 with the Philadelphia Eagles. There as QB coach and then offensive coordinator he turned Donovan McNabb into a start. McNabb had the best season of his career under Childress in 2004 when the Eagles reached the Super Bowl.

A few years later he helped Brett Favre, at 40-years old, deliver the best season of his Hall of Fame career. Favre threw for 4,200 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. As if that weren’t enough, Childress rejoined Andy Reid in Kansas City where he helped Nagy transform Alex Smith into a three-time Pro Bowler. The guy has chops at this stuff.

Having his voice in the room helping with Trubisky can only be a good thing. This offensive staff is only loaded with intelligence. It also strikes a careful balance of youth and experience. Nagy and Helfrich are the young bucks thinking towards new ideas. Now Childress is there to provide them direction on what has or hasn’t worked in the past. It’s a well-constructed and inspired group.

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