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A Chicago Bears Coaching Pitch For Matt Patricia of the Patriots

By
Erik Lambert
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I won’t quit Matt Patricia. Yes, yes it’s not lost on me what the Chicago Bears coaching search is ultimately aiming for. The #1 goal is to find somebody who can make Mitch Trubisky a success. It’s not a coincidence that the first three interviews announced were all offensive specialists. Getting the QB playing up to his potential is top priority, as it is for every team. The easiest way to do that is making the head coach an offensive guy.

Like it or not that’s been the case in Chicago. The only time they’ve had a top 10 offense in the past decade was when Marc Trestman was head coach in 2013. So why am I bothering with this? GM Ryan Pace said it himself in his own words. They aren’t going to paint themselves into a corner with any specific backgrounds. They’re looking for the “best coach.” Period.

To that end they’ve already requested interviews with two defensive coaches in Steve Wilks of Carolina and George Edwards of Minnesota. One would expect that list to expand before too long. Patricia is all but certain to be on it. So here it is. This is the only coaching pitch I’m going to make. After that it’s straight reporting on candidates like the fair, unbiased person one must be.

Let’s start with the elephant in the room.

Matt Patricia actually has a deep offensive background

The immediate counterargument to Patricia is the obvious one. He’s a defensive coordinator and has been a defensive assistant since 2006. Can one really trust he’d be able to do what John Fox has failed at in cultivating Trubisky? It’s a fair argument, but one that Patricia is actually well-positioned to counter.

Before beginning his rise to stardom as a defensive coach, Patricia had a long and fruitful run on the offensive side of the ball. He played center and guard in college at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 2001 he became an offensive assistant for three seasons at Syracuse. That’s what got him noticed by the Patriots, who made him an offensive assistant in 2004 before promoting him to assistant offensive line coach in 2005.

So in truth he has 10 seasons of offensive playing and coaching experience. That includes two in the NFL. To say nothing of the fact he’s been in close proximity to Tom Brady for 14 years now.

He took a two-year hiatus to study engineering

One of the things that makes Patricia unique is he almost went down a different career path. After his first year as a graduate assistant coach in 1996, he decided to join the field of engineering for two years. That was his field of study in college after all. His prowess grew so coveted that he was offered $100,000 at one point to maintain nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. It’s clear he’s a highly intelligent person.

In this regard he shares much in common with Hall of Fame head coach Tom Landry. He too was an engineer by trade in his early life, using it to good effect in World War II. That intelligence and detail-oriented style proved to be ideal for his future exploits on the sideline. Landry was also a defensive specialist with an understanding of offense. If he could do it why can’t Patricia? Word has already filtered out on just how sharp the 43-year old coach is.

Never devoted to a single position group

Another aspect that makes him so attractive? Most coaches tend to find their groove coaching a single position to great success. Ron Rivera was a linebacker specialist. Dan Quinn was defensive line. Bill Belichick was defensive backs. Patricia has gone the full range in his career. He coached defensive line in college then took over the Patriots linebackers from 2006 to 2010.

During that time he got multiple players to the Pro Bowl. Then in 2011 New England chose to switch him to safeties coach. It was an unenviable task. The league had just concluded its lockout that year, leaving no training camp to help him prepare. If that weren’t enough the position was soon beset by several injuries. Despite it all the safeties provided some key plays in helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.

His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. The next year Belichick gave him control of the entire defense, a job Patricia has held ever since.

Consistent excellence as a coordinator

A few things go into identifying a good coach. Is he consistently good at his job? Has he held that job for a long time? Patricia has checked both of those boxes during his run as defensive coordinator. In 2011 they ranked 15th in points allowed. His first year in charge that improved to ninth. Since then the Patriots defense has never finished worse than 10th in the league in that regard.

Last season they were #1 en route to his second Super Bowl championship as a coordinator and this season they were 5th. This despite starting the first month giving up 30+ points per game. What makes Patricia so special in this regard is he’s managed to do it without what any might call Hall of Fame-caliber talent.

In fact not a single Patriots defender made the Pro Bowl this season. No pass rusher had more than 6.5 sacks. They also lost a number of key names to injuries. The best player Patricia ever had was cornerback Darrelle Revis and that was only for one season. New England won the Super Bowl that year. The man gets results. Part of why that is? He never stops looking for an edge.

Patricia fits Chicago in every sense

At the end of the day what is Bears football to Chicago? It’s tough and hard-nosed. It’s getting after the opponent until they quit or be destroyed. Defense is often the driving force behind that and there are none better these days than Patricia. Chicago is also a town of personality and of facial hair too. Name the last successful coach in this city who didn’t have memorable growth on their face or certain quirks about them?

Patricia has the best beard in the NFL and once wore a Roger Goodell clown shirt getting off an airplane. Clearly this guy isn’t afraid to express his feelings in order to get the player’s attention. He is a good coach. He’s had sustained success, won championships and learned from arguably the best ever. Those other coaches might be best for Trubisky. I believe Patricia would be best for the Bears.

3 Bold Bulls Predictions For The New Year

By
Patrick Mooney
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2017 was a strange year for Chicago’s NBA franchise.

The calendar year opened in the midst of a draining season led by the “Three Alphas”, a year that saw Rajon Rondo benched, Dwanye Wade age three years right before our eyes, and Jimmy Butler treat every teammate like the last pick at recess.

The season ended with the Bulls sneaking into the playoffs, stealing two road games against the Eastern Conference’s #1 seed before the Celtics awoke from their slumber to win four straight and send the Bulls packing.

Two months later, Jimmy Butler was traded, Rondo’s option was declined shortly thereafter and the Bulls bought out Wade’s contract in September.

Then October and November of 2017 provided a 3-20 basketball team.

The Bulls have since won 10 out of 14, including an eight game win streak, which has both inspired optimism and disrupted the organization’s tanking plans.

But we aren’t here to debate the past, we’re here to look forward to what the future holds for Bulls basketball. So, without further ado, here are three Bulls predictions for the 2018 year.

1-Lauri Markkanen will make the All-Rookie Team

The 2017-18 rookie class has produced some promising youngsters, with Markkanen being one of the headliners. He has some stiff competition for All-Rookie team honors, though.

The class is headlined, ironically, by a 2016 draft pick who missed all of last season to an injury. 76ers rookie Ben Simmons has put together the most complete debut season so far, the former #1 pick is likely to be rookie of the year.

Behind Simmons there is Jazz forward Donovan Mitchell leading all rookies in scoring at 18.2 points a game, followed closely by Lakers first round pick Kyle Kuzma at 17.5 ppg. Speaking of the Lakers, Big Baler Brand icon Lonzo Ball has battled the hype to put up a 10-7-7 line thus far. As the #2 overall pick plus his name recognition, Ball might earn a spot on the All-Rookie roster if he can improve that 35% field goal shooting.

#3 overall pick Jayson Tatum has made an immediate impact on the Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics, scoring 14 a game and shooting 47% from deep.

Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is putting up respectable numbers, and he’s also a straight up dunk machine.

That leaves us Lauri, who is currently averaging 14.7 ppg, which is fourth among rookies, and 7.4 rpg while shooting almost 35% from 3-point range. After a scorching first month, teams have locked in a bit more on the Finnish forward and we’ve seen a bit of a decline as a result. However, things could be back on the upswing after he recorded a career high 32 points in a win last week against the Pacers.

Markkanen’s field goal % took a nose dive in December, and by the look of his pure, pretty shooting stroke it should be fair to assume that the law of averages will pull the rookie’s numbers up as the season progresses. Better shooting luck alone should make him a 15+ a game scorer, and with more opportunities in the event that Nikola Mirotic is traded, his numbers could reach Kuzma-Mitchell scoring territory.

At the end of the year, I’m willing to bet Markkanen will join Simmons, Mitchell, Kuzma and Tatum on the All-Rookie Team.

2-Mirotic and Robin Lopez only have 15 games remaining as Bulls

The NBA trade deadline is a little over a month away, and the Bulls have two legitimate trade pieces that should have a lot of teams interested.

Since returning from a broken face on December 8th, Mirotic is averaging over 18 and 7 on 50.3% shooting and 46.6% shooting from 3, all of which would be career highs. The 29 year old Lopez not only brings size and a great locker room presence to the table, he is also averaging a career high in scoring at 12.9 a game.

It remains to be seen what these two players would yield in return if traded, or if a team would take both of them in a single trade given their salaries. But given the Bulls desire to rebuild through the draft, it would be a surprise to see Mirotic and Lopez still in Chicago after the February 8th trade deadline.

3-The Bulls will have a top 3 pick

The Bulls recent run of success has them currently slotted to draft 7th in this years draft, only one game in the loss column from the 10th slot. Given their current trajectory and Zach Lavine’s upcoming return, the Bulls seem more likely to be drafting outside of the top 10 than inside the top 5.

However, given the likelihood that the Bulls will be trading Mirotic and Lopez within a month, coupled with the odds that they will be taking things extremely cautious with Lavine and his ACL recovery, a long stretch of losing is likely in the Bulls near future.

Let’s not forget this team started out 3-20… the Bulls aren’t going to play a better month of basketball than they did in December. Don’t count on this team winning more than 15 games the rest of the way, and then keep your fingers crossed that the ping pong balls bounce in the Bulls favor come lottery time.

Jordan Lynch Writes Email To Faculty At Mt. Carmel, Says He Will Carry On Frank Lenti’s Legacy

By
Sports Mockery
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"#5 Jordan Lynch, now the head coach, dropping back to pass for Mt. Carmel..." (photo: Mt. Carmel.Org)

The new head football coach at Mt. Carmel, former Heisman trophy candidate Jordan Lynch, penned an email to the high school’s faculty and staff to introduce himself.

Pretty routine … says he will carry on Frank Lenti’s legacy and he signed it “Head Football Coach” as expected. According to rumors, confirmed by sources that have spoken to us, there was turmoil surrounding the replacement.

The details aren’t exactly clear but the school said Lenti was retiring and he denied it in a recent statement. There were also past references made to the media, by Lenti, about possibly being “kicked out.”

Image result for frank lenti mt. carmel
Frank Lenti, Mt. Carmel High School (photo via Chicago Sun-Times)

Here is the email written by Lynch:

Greetings! I wanted to take a few minutes to introduce myself to the Mt. Carmel faculty and staff. My name is Jordan Lynch, ’09 graduate, and I am the new football coach here at Mt. Carmel. I am extremely excited and proud to represent such a great institution as head football coach and I will do my best to represent you and this institution in a first- class manner. Frank Lenti was not only my coach, but also a very dear friend of mine that I learned so much about football and life throughout my years at Mt. Carmel and beyond in my professional career. The lessons that I learned from him I use on a day to day basis and will bring in during my time spent at Mt. Carmel. I will carry on his legacy through my coaching at Mt. Carmel. I want you to know that we want you to be involved with the program. You have an open invitation to stop by the football offices and meet me and the coaching staff at any time. Please feel free to give a call at 773-xxx-xx37 or send an email to ******@**hs.org. GO CARAVAN!

Jordan Lynch

Head Football Coach

Replacing a legend isn’t easy, expect all eyes to be on Lynch as the Caravan take the field this fall. He’s expected to bring pro-level experience and new excitement to a team that won 11 state championships with Lenti. We’ll see if that translates into wins on the field.

Good luck Coach.

Brian Urlacher Gets Hall of Fame Endorsement From Unlikely Source

By
Erik Lambert
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brian urlacher

News has come down that Brian Urlacher is just one step away from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The greatest Chicago Bears defender of the new millennium is close to becoming the unprecedented 28th person to achieve that honor. There’s no doubt in the minds of Bears fans that he should be a slam dunk induction. The trademark of a Hall of Famer is can one talk about an era of football without mentioning their name?

Nobody can talk about the 2000s decade without Urlacher coming up. He was the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year and got the Bears to the Super Bowl the next season. Yet some critics aren’t willing to give him a pass. Why? Most of it has to do with the steep class he’s going against in 2018. Namely the presence of fellow middle linebacker Ray Lewis.

As great as Urlacher was, Lewis was greater. He went to more Pro Bowls, made more tackles and has two rings to Urlacher’s zero. A lot of people can’t envision the voters putting two middle linebackers into Canton the same year. If that’s the case than Lewis would have to be the obvious choice.

There is at least one person though that thinks that is unacceptable. Bears fans might not believe it too.

Brian Urlacher Hall of Fame push gets huge Aaron Rodgers endorsement

It turns out that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, of all people, is one of the biggest Urlacher fans. He’s praised the linebacker at every opportunity in the past. This time he made sure to give the best possible pitch to the voters that they must put his former rival in Canton where he belongs.

“Brian Urlacher should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He is one of my favorites if not my favorite player … because he is hyper-competitive. He is a tough human and he does it the right way. He plays with a lot of passion, lot of grit and a lot of class. I always enjoyed our battles.

What he did at the middle linebacker position revolutionized the game. Before him there hadn’t been a 6-4 guy that could run down the middle like that and run sideline to sideline and take the middle of the field away in their Tampa-2 scheme and come up and hit and tackle and run and sack and blitz and intercept. To me, it shouldn’t be a difficult decision for those voters to put him in the first opportunity they can.”

Rodgers and Urlacher had some memorable battles in the five seasons they went head-to-head. This includes a back-and-forth struggle in 2010 where they met three times including the NFC championship game. Never was the Bears-Packers rivalry better when those two were matching wits at the line of scrimmage.

Truth be told the Bears defense hasn’t been the same against the Packers since Urlacher left. In the five seasons Rodgers faced the Bears when Urlacher played, the Packers scored 30 or more points twice. In the five seasons since he retired? They’ve done it six times. If there was any stat that showcases what #54 meant to Chicago, that’s a big one.

A Fascinating Wrinkle Remains In Chicago Bears Coaching Search

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears coaching search

John Fox is out. Fans now eagerly await the Chicago Bears coaching search to get going. Already reports have surfaced about interview requests. Early indications are that GM Ryan Pace has a direction in mind. Josh McDaniels? Pat Shurmur? John DeFilippo? All are offensive gurus with strong backgrounds at quarterback. It’s clear Mitch Trubisky is the driving force behind this search.

There’s of course nothing wrong with that. The Bears have too long a history of failing to devote their efforts properly towards that position. At the same time it leaves them open to a serious danger. Remember that they tried to do the same thing in 2013 when Marc Trestman was hired. Unfortunately that resulted in the utter collapse of the defense to easily the worst unit in franchise history.

The lingering fear with this search is if the Bears go the offensive route again, will this good defense be ruined? It’s why so many people are nervous regarding the fate of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. This unit is his baby and he’s done great work with it. The problem is he’s a free agent in 2018. Could that mean he’s gone?

Not necessarily.

Candidates in Chicago Bears coaching search angling to keep Fangio

Word is that Fangio’s exploits haven’t fallen on deaf ears. According to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM and ESPN, he’s hearing that several top candidates for the Bears job are highly interested in keeping the veteran coordinator in place.

Make no mistake. This is the dream scenario for Bears fans. A quality offensive head coach comes in to fix that side of the ball while Fangio gains full autonomy on defense. Thus one problem gets solved without creating another. The problem is there’s just no way to tell if they can pull it off. It’s not that the Bears aren’t willing to bring Fangio back. Word is they’ve tried a number of times to extend his contract. So far no success.

Part of this is because nobody knows for sure what Fangio wants. Does he want to stay? Does he want to leave? It’s possible he didn’t want to sign an extension until he knew who the next coach might be. On the other hand prior rumors hint he may want to return to the west coast.

History says it will take a respected name for Fangio to stay

One interesting thing to note is Fangio’s statements regarding his enjoyment working with Jim Harbaugh. For those who forget, they actually started together at Stanford in 2010. Then Fangio followed the head coach to San Francisco in 2011. So what was it about Harbaugh that drew such interest from the coordinator? Namely he was an offensive guy but took a deep interest and appreciation of the defense.

Therein may lay the secret to keeping Fangio. The Bears must find an offensive coach who displays a proper appreciation for what’s done on defense and doesn’t just pass the buck to somebody else. That’s the exact problem that developed with Trestman. It was obvious he had no concept of defense. It would explain why the Bears failed to keep Rod Marinelli back in 2013.

Maybe they can avoid that same situation this time around.

This Bears Coaching Candidate Earned a Comparison Ryan Pace Can’t Ignore

By
Erik Lambert
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matt nagy

The Chicago Bears coaching candidate list figures to be extensive this off-season. GM Ryan Pace has proven himself a methodical man interested in details. He’s not afraid to dig deep into unexplored areas to find talent. Don’t forget more than half his 2017 draft class came from smaller schools. It’s not crazy to think he might go outside the box for the next Bears coach.

Then again his hiring of John Fox back in 2015 proved he wasn’t afraid to take the obvious name either. So in essence there is just no way to tell what Pace will do. Based on his comments during the recent Bears press conference though, one thing is clear. In all likelihood his search will be geared around finding somebody who can make Mitch Trubisky a success.

So logic dictates he’ll put a heavy emphasis on coaches who are quarterback specialists. That much is apparent in their early interview requests. Already Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and Vikings offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur are on the agenda. One name though that has become red hot of late might actually be the perfect fit.

Bears coaching candidate John DeFilippo earns two big comparisons

How often is it that the quarterbacks coach of an offense is getting more attention for head coaching jobs than the offensive coordinator? That seems to be the case though in Philadelphia. John DeFilippo is being universally praised for his work with Carson Wentz this season. Wentz was an MVP favorite prior to tearing his ACL. DeFilippo, who has a long history of molding young QBs (Mark Sanchez and Derek Carr), earned much of the credit.

It would seem the Bears have taken notice. They’ve acted quickly in setting up an interview with him as the Eagles enjoy their bye week in the playoffs.

DeFilippo is highly respected in coaching circles. Many see him as the next great young coach in the NFL. A few weeks ago former NFL player and current analyst Brian Baldinger called him “another Sean McVay.” That is to say a young coach who is ready to take over his own team despite not being the most experienced. In fact DeFilippo has only been an offensive coordinator for one season. That has many concerned about whether he’s ready.

Truth be told it’s unconventional but history shows it’s not impossible. Andy Reid was never a coordinator in his career. He turned out well. There is plenty of faith that DeFilippo will be the same way.

McVay isn’t the only comparison he’s earned though

One of the key factors driving the Bears coaching search as stated already is Pace’s desire to build around Trubisky. No doubt he’s trying to follow the New Orleans Saints model he knows so well from his time there. One of the key factors that led to so much success for the organization was the pairing of quarterback Drew Brees and head coach Sean Payton.

Payton is one of the top offensive minds in the league and someone Pace respects. So it might be fascinating to hear that DeFilippo is said to have some notable similarities.

Detailed? Motivator? Cares about the personal life of his players? Those are all hallmarks of a good head coach. Indeed DeFilippo does seem to have a similar personality to Payton. Whether he’s the same level of offensive genius remains to be seen. At the same time his impact on quarterbacks is his biggest selling point.

If he could work the same magic on Trubisky as he did for Wentz, then the Bears would be in business moving forward.

The Ryan Pace Bears Press Conference Produced Several Revelations

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

The end-of-season Ryan Pace press conference was clearly a tense one for the Chicago Bears media. It’s hard to find optimism after a third-straight losing season and hearing a third head coach got fired since 2013. Nonetheless the GM, to his credit, didn’t back down from the aggressive questioning. He took the shots and reiterated his commitment to make the organization a winner.

Most might expect the conference itself was merely a prelude to events that will follow. In truth the 60-minute venture had quite a few revelations regarding Pace himself as well as his highly-anticipated search for a John Fox replacement. There were several small nuggets but a few highlights that stood out the most.

Ryan Pace contract extended through 2021

Team president Ted Phillips made it clear the Bears are still committed to the vision that Pace set when he took over in 2015. That is to build the roster through the draft, keep flexibility and eye sustained success. To that end it was announced that the team would be extending his contract through the 2021 season. It adds two years to his current deal. Some may be shocked by that, but shouldn’t.

Any coach they decide to target as a replacement for Fox must known they’re coming into a stable situation. That won’t be possible if they see a GM with only two years left on his deal. This extension was a vote of confidence but also a shrewd business move.

The next head coach will be his choice

Say this for Pace. He’s big on teamwork. One of the big questions going into the off-season was whether or not he would have say on the next coach or if that might be taken away by George McCaskey and Phillips. Pace stated that the search would be a collaborative effort of all three men and the rest of the organization. However the final say on the hire would fall to him. This means Pace will no doubt seek out a coach whom he believes fits his vision best for where the Bears want to go.

Mitch Trubisky will have input on the hire

Though he didn’t commit fully, Pace did hint that quarterback Mitch Trubisky might have some sway in who the next coach will be. That may come to shock some people. Quarterbacks are players. They shouldn’t have any business in this right? Wrong. Understand that few relationships are more important in football than the QB and the head coach. If it’s toxic (Eli Manning and Ben McAdoo) then it’s not going to work. The Bears have to make sure the next coach has chemistry with Trubisky, offensive background or not.

Control of the 53-man roster remains his

One of the more overlooked keys to the upcoming coaching search will settle on command of the 53-man roster. Many candidates in the past have often sought out opportunities where they have such control. Names like Jim Harbaugh and Josh McDaniels are rumored to desire such considerations. If so then Chicago isn’t going to be the place for them.

Pace will continue to welcome a collaborative effort from the coaching staff towards building the best team possible. In the end though the decisions on personnel will remain with him. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing given some of his strong draft performances the past two years. Nonetheless certain coaches won’t like that.

Chicagoland Native Makes Catch Of The Year To Win Citrus Bowl For Notre Dame

By
Marc-Louis Paprzyca
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Former Providence Catholic standout wide receiver Miles Boykin made the catch of the college football season today. The catch sealed a Notre Dame comeback victory in the Citrus Bowl to defeat the LSU Tigers.

With about 1:30 left on the clock, Ian Book threw a pass that looked to be headed out of bounds. Instead Boykin reached out and made a one-handed grab that caught everyone by surprise. He then scampered to the end zone. The result, a 55 yard game winning touchdown.

In my opinion, this is the best catch of the college football season and even better than Odell Beckham’s famous catch. He caught it, kept his feet and ran for the touchdown. Go Irish!

Follow @Pappy_Hour on Twitter.

Prince Amukamara Sees a Little Tom Brady in Mitch Trubisky

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky

Normally defensive backs aren’t the experts one goes to for advice on quarterbacks. However, Prince Amukamara is a special case. He’s had a chance to work with and against some really good ones during his career. Eli Manning was his teammate for five seasons in New York. During that time he played against the likes of Tony Romo. In Jacksonville he went against Marcus Mariota and he challenged Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford with the Bears.

Suffice to say he knows what the good ones look like. So hearing his opinion on Mitch Trubisky after the conclusion of the rookie’s first year is worth it. In that sense Amukamara chose to make a comparison. One that is certain to generate a ton of buzz, so it must be made clear the choice was not an across-the-board comparison. Merely a sharing of similar traits.

Still the veteran corner made a bold choice regardless.

Prince Amukamara certainly had nerve dropping the Brady bomb

Now of course the joke was made, but nonetheless it’s a fascinating comparison. The thing that has always stuck out about Brady is his infectious enthusiasm for the game and maniacal pursuit of victory. Trubisky has come across the same way during interviews and press conferences. He doesn’t care about the stats or the accolades. If the Bears don’t win, he doesn’t have any reason to feel good.

In many ways that’s what makes Brady great. He won’t settle for anything less than victory each and every week. When the quarterbacks sets that standard, the rest of the team will eventually follow. Showing ones enthusiasm on the field is another way to do that. Mitch interacts with his teammates in many different ways. He’ll celebrate with them in success and give them firm speeches when things aren’t going well.

That’s what a leader has to do. Of course nobody is expecting him to be Brady. That wouldn’t be fair. To know that he shares some traits is enough. Trubisky is going to carve his own path in the NFL. If it’s even half as successful as Brady’s, then Bears fans will be overjoyed beyond measure. In the meantime one must take Amukamara’s words carefully. Trubisky loves football and loves to win. That is a good thing.

Bears 2017 Season Awards

By
Dhruv Koul
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(Nuccio DiNuzzo / Chicago Tribune) Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks (96) and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd (94) celebrate after Floyd stopped Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) on a third down during the first half.

The Chicago Bears ended their 2017 season, and the John Fox era, yesterday with a 5-11 record. And this morning, John Fox was fired after a three year run as Bears head coach.

This offseason will be a wild ride, and coverage will begin later this afternoon, starting with Ryan Pace’s season-ending press conference after ousting Fox.

But in the meantime, we bid adieu to the 2017 season by handing out some year-end awards. Not all recipients are “winners”, but say congrats nonetheless! 250 days until Bears football returns.

Most Valuable Player:  Akiem Hicks

The fact that Akiem Hicks was named just a fourth alternate for the Pro Bowl is embarrassing. The league and its players and fans should be embarrassed. Yes, it’s a popularity contest and has nothing to do with merit. And yes, winning teams generally win popularity contests. But come on. Hicks might be the best interior defensive lineman (who plays defensive end, btw) in the league outside of Aaron Donald.

Well, we do our best to make up for it by giving Hicks the MVP award. He was invaluable to the defense as a run-stopping and pass-rushing force, and to the team as a veteran leader. Ryan Pace gave him a contract extension early in the year, and he rewarded the Bears with an All-Pro level season. The Bears are lucky to have him.

Honorable mention:  Jordan Howard, Kyle Fuller

Least Valuable Player:  Marcus Cooper

Mike Glennon was Chicago’s worst investment of the year, but he did still have the Bears in position to beat the Falcons in the final seconds of Week 1, and he did beat the Steelers (though he didn’t have much to do with it). Then he was benched after Week 4 and never took another snap all season.

Marcus Cooper, on the other hand … yikes. Dumb mistakes, poor coverage, penalties, more dumb mistakes, you name it. I can’t think of a single positive play that Cooper contributed all year. And of course, there was this gem.

Dishonorable mention(s):  Mike Glennon, Markus Wheaton, Quintin Demps, Connor Barth

Offensive Player of the Year:  Jordan Howard

Not much went right for the Bears on offense this year. But Jordan Howard carried the Bears’ offense on the ground. He willed Chicago to wins over the Steelers and Ravens, and persistently pounded the rock like a good soldier despite Dowell Loggains and John Fox’s insistence on running him into eight and nine man fronts. He became the first Bears running back to rush for over 1,000 yards in his first two season. Congratulations to Jordan on that achievement while playing for a franchise whose running back history is fabled.

A true draft steal, Howard will prove even more dangerous in future years as Mitch Trubisky makes strides and forces opposing defenses to respect the passing game.

Honorable mention(s):  Kendall Wright, Tarik Cohen, Charles Leno

Defensive Player of the Year:  Akiem Hicks

Though the Bears had many defenders who had very good seasons, Hicks was named our MVP. It stands to reason that he’d be the defensive player of the year as well.

Honorable mention(s):  Kyle Fuller, Danny Trevathan, Adrian Amos

Rookie of the Year:  Eddie Jackson

Eddie Jackson took hold of the starting free safety job and never relented. He broke out against the Carolina Panthers, returning two 75+ yard defensive touchdowns, and made plays throughout the season that legitimized Pace’s belief in him when he traded up to nab him in the fourth round.

He played a strong “center field” and formed a surprisingly solid safety tandem with the previously benched Adrian Amos. Given the the Bears’ revolving door at both safety positions for years, and the fact that Chicago finally seems to have a good one in Jackson (and maybe in Amos, too), he gets the award for best rookie. But this draft class, in general, was terrific. Great job by Ryan Pace.

Honorable mention:  Tarik Cohen, Mitch Trubisky

Comeback Player of the Year:  Kyle Fuller

This was a tough one. Danny Trevathan came off a torn patellar tendon in essentially record time and went on to show how important he was to the defense after he missed time following the Saints loss.

But Fuller essentially came back from the dead to lead one of the better Bears cornerback seasons in recent memory. Remember, last year, after getting a knee scope done in training camp, Fuller shockingly sat out the entire year. Vic Fangio even called Fuller out for not playing, and it was assumed that Fuller had played his last snap for the team. But he earned his job back in training camp and preseason, and was a force all season.

Trevathan was expected to return to the team eventually; but Fuller’s status was completely uncertain. Talk about a comeback. And now, he’s going to get paid in the offseason — either by the Bears or by somebody else.

Honorable mention:  Danny Trevathan, Adrian Amos

Best Moment of the Year:  Mitch Trubisky earns his first victory against the Ravens

Mitch Trubisky had many good moments in an uneven yet promising rookie campaign. But his triumph in Baltimore was the best moment of the season. No rookie QB had ever won in Baltimore in the John Harbaugh era, and Trubisky destroyed that “record” in overtime.

The game shouldn’t have even gotten to overtime — that’s how badly the Bears had dominated Joe Flacco and the Ravens. But alas, in OT, Trubisky made the third down throw that validated Pace’s belief in him. Third and long, not yet in field goal range, under pressure immediately, moved in the pocket and kept the eyes downfield, fired off balance and hit Kendall Wright where only Wright could be hit.

A throw that maybe only Aaron Rodgers could also make. Four plays later, Trubisky had his first NFL win.

Honorable Mention(s):  John Fox finally benches Mike Glennon, Jordan Howard’s overtime touchdown run to beat the Steelers, Bears’ demolition of the Bengals on the road

“C’mon, Man!” Moment of the Year: John Fox challenges that 1st and Goal at the 1-yard line should be a touchdown, but instead it results in a touchback and turnover for the offense

We remember this, right? The Bears were 3-5 coming out of their bye week and playing the Brett Hundley led Packers at Soldier Field. Down 10-3, Benny Cunningham took a dump off towards the end zone and was ruled out of bounds near the 1-yard line.

John Fox thought it was a touchdown, and decided to challenge, without giving any regard to the risk of losing the ball to a fumble out through the end zone that was apparent on the replay (unclear if Cunningham was out of bounds beforehand). After review, it was ruled that Cunningham indeed fumbled, causing a touchback and giving the ball to Green Bay at their own 20.

The call never should have been overturned to anything because it was unclear as to whether Cunningham was out of bounds before fumbling. But it was CLEARLY never a touchdown and shouldn’t have been challenged. It was a bad mid-game decision by Fox that was all too common throughout his tenure. This one, though, took the cake.

The Bears never recovered from that play, dropping an ugly decision to the Packers and losing control of their season thereafter.

Dishonorable mention(s):  Marcus Cooper fumbles at the 1-yard line, Robbie Gould kicks game winner for San Francisco at Soldier Field, Mike Glennon’s knee-fumble against the Packers

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