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What Should The Marlins Do With Christian Yelich?

By
Emmet McClain
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The Marlins continued their fire sale today when they shipped outfielder Marcel Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals. Briefly after the trade went down, the Marlins spoke about how Christian Yelich, their last bonafide asset, is the type of player they wish to build around.

Fast forward a few hours, and it sound like the Marlins are willing to spare Yelich of a horrible fate.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that Christian Yelich DEFINITELY wants to go. This was evidenced a few days ago shortly after Miami dealt Giancarlo Stanton to the Yankees.

I don’t blame Yelich for wanting to leave at all. No one wants to be stuck playing for what looks to be a 100 loss team. Especially a player of Yelich’s caliber. He would be stuck in baseball Hell for the next 4 years if the Marlins truly do attempt to build around him.

I wrote shortly after the Stanton trade on how Yelich could be traded, and how the White Sox fit the bill for his services. He is young, controllable, and most importantly, a great baseball player. Unfortunately, the biggest factor here is his control as he is signed for cheap through 2021. It is because of this that the Marlins would ask for a package similar to what the White Sox got for Jose Quintana, which is why earlier I figured the White Sox wouldn’t get involved. But with it becoming more and more clear that Yelich will be dealt, the White Sox might actually insert themselves into the conversation. They definitely have the prospects to get a deal done, and could get pretty creative depending on how interested they are.

Possible Package?

I don’t want to go out and say “so and so ++ would get Yelich to the White Sox”, But if talks between the two clubs do pick up, I’d expect that the White Sox would have to send at least three players, but more than likely four. Blake Rutherford and Dylan Cease would almost certainly have to go to Miami just to get talks started. From there the White Sox might have to throw in someone like Carson Fulmer and/or a lottery ticket. The point is, the price will be steep for any club to obtain Yelich from Miami. But if Miami asks for one of either Michael Kopech, Eloy Jimenez, or Luis Robert, I politely say no thank you, and hang up the phone.

Potential Lineup

For the sake of this article, let’s say the White Sox do get Yelich before the 2018 season starts. A lineup would look something like this:

CF- Christian Yelich

2B- Yoan Moncada

1B- Jose Abreu

RF- Avisail Garcia

C- Welington Castillo

LF- Nicky Delmonico

SS- Tim Anderson

DH- Matt Davidson

3B- Yolmer Sanchez

All things considered, this is a pretty solid lineup. While the White Sox do make sense for Yelich, we have to remember that he is going to be very expensive, and there are going to be a plethora of teams to compete with in getting him. Rick Hahn knows he will eventually have to trade some young talent of his own, but that is more likely to happen later on. It is because of this that I still say the White Sox more than likely won’t be the team that trades for him, but since they do have the prospects to deal and he does fit their timeline, it isn’t completely out of the question.

Bears Mailbag – Wait, Could John Fox Still Save His Job?

By
Dhruv Koul
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(Gary Landers / AP) Bears coach John Fox celebrates with free safety Eddie Jackson after an INT against the Bengals on Dec. 10, 2017.

The Chicago Bears are coming off their best and most complete game in years. Their beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals, who were supposed to be fighting for their playoff lives at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, was the type of game we’d been waiting the entire John Fox era to see. And best of all, the players responsible for the overwhelming victory were the Bears’ building blocks for the future.

Mitch Trubisky delivered the signature game of his entirely too young career. Jordan Howard ran wild over yet another AFC North opponent, while becoming the only Bear in franchise history to rush for 1,000+ yards in their first two seasons. Tarik Cohen wreaked havoc all over the field. Eddie Jackson picked up two more takeaways on his birthday. Adam Shaheen took the next step in his quest to become a legitimate “Baby Gronk”. It was terrific to see, and it served as vindication, of sorts, for general manager Ryan Pace.

The Bears travel to Ford Field this Saturday to take on the Detroit Lions, who are also fighting for their playoff lives. It’ll be fun to see if Trubisky & Co. can build on their impressive victory last week and hopefully deliver a knockout blow to their NFC North foes.

And with that, we reach into this week’s Bears Mailbag. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions!

Q via Facebook: If the Bears somehow win out against the Lions, Browns, and Vikings and blow them out like the Bengals, could that be a case for John Fox to keep his job? — Stephen H.

I get where this is coming from, but I don’t think there’s any way that Fox keeps his job next year. That victory against the Bengals, while great and a sign of what this team *could* be if coached properly, is too little and too late. The Bears have lost too many inexcusable games this year for a win like this to matter much. The Packers w/ Brett Hundley and the 49ers losses at home are too much to overcome.

Remember, the Bears usually lay an egg coming off a win. Yes, they did beat the Ravens and Panthers in consecutive weeks this year, but the consistency just hasn’t been there for this team. And that falls squarely on John Fox’s shoulders. If anything, if the Bears do win out and win handily, it’ll raise more questions as to where this was all year. Remember, right now Fox is desperate and willing to try anything — we saw that in the way he allowed Dowell Loggains to continue calling plays aggressively even when the game was mostly decided. If Fox were to come back next year, there’s no doubt he’d revert to his conservative ways. That’s just woven into his personality fabric. The Bears need a fresh start.

I will say this, though: I always thought Loggains was a better play caller than he’d shown all year. He finally called a terrific game against the Bengals, and it was clear that the shackles had finally been lifted. I hope to see him continue calling plays like this in the remaining three games. I still think he can be a successful offensive coordinator in this league; it probably just won’t be with the Bears.

Sometimes it’s fun to play the what-if game. Here is my combined ranking based on how I liked them coming out of college:

  1. Carson Wentz
  2. Mitch Trubisky
  3. Jared Goff
  4. Patrick Mahomes
  5. Deshaun Watson
  6. Dak Prescott
  7. Deshone Kizer
  8. Paxton Lynch

Since their short time in the NFL, some of the guys have moved up and down, but the top three haven’t changed for me. If I had to start a franchise today, I’d take Wentz. His experience playing in a pro-style offense in college certainly helped his transition quite a bit, and with an adjustment in his supporting cast, he’s a deserving MVP candidate in his second year. That’s not by accident. His leadership and talent are off the charts. The Eagles seem to be set for a long time; wishing him a speedy recovery from his torn ACL.

I’ll say this, though: I think Trubisky absolutely has what it takes to be on Wentz’s level, and I’m thrilled that he’s a Bear. People raved about Deshaun Watson taking the league by storm earlier this season before he tore his ACL and think Chicago made a mistake by not taking him (without accounting for any contextual factors of course). People have no idea how any of these guys will be playing in three years, which is when it’s actually fair to make a judgment call. Besides, don’t look now, but Trubisky is quietly coming into his own despite a “limited” environment. I’m just hoping he stays healthy.

The Bears’ two biggest needs this offseason are: EDGE rusher and wide receiver. The good thing is that receiver is expected to have a ton of talent available in free agency this offseason. Not accounting for any franchise tags or re-signings, here is the list of potential free agents the Bears could choose from:

  • Josh Gordon
  • Jarvis Landry
  • Davante Adams
  • Paul Richardson
  • Allen Robinson
  • Sammy Watkins
  • Terrelle Pryor

That’s a terrific list, and Gordon is the best name on this list. It’ll be interesting to see if Ryan Pace takes a chance on him. I would expect very aggressive attempts at luring in one of Adams, Landry, and Richardson. Robinson is also intriguing, but he’s coming off a torn ACL. He might be in line for a one-year, “prove it” type deal. You can also expect that the Bears will target a receiver in the draft; but where they do depends on whom they land in free agency.

This team really isn’t that far off in terms of talent. The Bears will be bringing in a new coaching staff next year to align with the way the game will be played in 2018, not 1998. That will be a big boost in it of itself.

The assumption is that Trubisky will continue to develop the way he’s expected to, and Ryan Pace has another offseason of talent acquisition coming up where he’ll bring in a few new starters and some depth. But assuming he hits on the coaching staff, this team should be contending next year. The NFC is very competitive and it might not be until 2019 when the Bears make the playoffs again. But if Chicago isn’t playing meaningful football in late December next year, my guess is that will be the end of the Ryan Pace era.

I wouldn’t say the Bears don’t need a top 10 pick. They can always use more potential game-changing, franchise talent. Every team can. But they don’t need a quarterback, so that potentially makes them an attractive trading partner if they are indeed looking to trade down and acquire more picks. Teams that trade into the Top 10 generally do so with a quarterback in mind.

I believe Mason Rudolph has already announced he’s returning to Oklahoma State, so if all of the remaining QBs declare, my guess is four, and potentially five, quarterbacks could be taken in the first round of the draft if teams are desperate enough. They are, in my current order, Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen.

Chicago is expected to pick eighth overall based on current standings, so I’ll use that as my assumption. I’ll also assume that the 49ers bring Jimmy Garoppolo back, as they should. So then, the teams ahead of the Bears that could be looking at quarterbacks are the Browns, Giants, and Broncos. So three of the top five QBs could potentially be gone, leaving two more.

Teams after the Bears pick that could be looking at QBs are the Jets (who pick ninth, so they wouldn’t trade), Cardinals, Washington, Dolphins, Bills, and Chargers. I would particularly keep my eye on the Cardinals and Washington. The Cardinals desperately need a franchise QB, and Washington will need one too assuming Kirk Cousins is on his way out.

I’ve written in previous Bears Mailbags that Vic Fangio is unlikely to remain in Chicago no matter what. He seems to want to return to San Francisco under Kyle Shanahan, so I would expect him gone.

The only receiver I think that is worth drafting in the Top 10 is Calvin Ridley. We’ll see how Ryan Pace’s board shakes out as we approach scouting season, but if I had to guess, I would think the Bears take the best EDGE rusher available. Keep your eye on either Bradley Chubb or Clelin Ferrell.

As for the next head coach, there are so many ways the Bears could go. I expect them to pursue the best coach available, period, regardless of their affiliation to offense or defense. David Shaw is my favorite candidate, but it might be hard to pry him away from Stanford. Keep your eye on Matt Patricia, though. He has the makings of being a dynamite head coach.

Behold and Weep At John Fox’s First Ever Head Coach Rating

By
Erik Lambert
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john fox

Honestly the quarterbacks have taken most of the heat for a long time. No job in the NFL is more heavily scrutinized. After all it’s the only stat that has its own rating named after it:  the quarterback rating. There isn’t any running back rating, edge rusher rating or safety rating. Just the quarterbacks. Well it’s high time that changed and it seems one industrious website is making an effort to do that with their Head Coach Rating system. John Fox, along with the other 31 coaches, have become subject to it.

The problem with a head coach rating is it’s not driven by stats, not in the same sense as quarterbacks. So it could prove difficult to determine an accurate, believable number to rate one. Well the folks at headcoachranking.com found a way, and it is laid out in a simple but detailed process.

“HCR (“Head Coach Rating”) is a proprietary algorithm utilizing rigorous qualitative judgments that considers a head coach’s performance in 5 key areas – areas we feel strongly influence the outcome of any game. The 5 factors we review, analyze and grade are:

1. Play-Calling

2. Personnel Utilization

3. Game Planning

4. In-game Adjustments

5. Clock Management”

Once all the numbers are crunched, each head coach is given a grade from 0-10 to determine their overall effectiveness. Based on their latest results through week 14 of this season, it seems Bears fans have had a legitimate gripe about Fox all year long.

Head Coach Rankings through week 14 isn’t a good John Fox look

Fox ranked 27th overall in the league when all five categories were compiled. It also can’t be a good look for him that his two primary disciples, Adam Gase and Jack Del Rio, rank 26th and 29th respectively. Fox was tied for 24th in play calling, 23rd in personnel, 23rd in game planning, 29th in in-game adjustments and (somehow) 21st in clock management.

All in all he’s bad at some things and really bad at the rest. If Bears fans were looking for some sort of numerical validation that Fox is not what this team needs, this is it. Imagination and personal opinion are left out. The hard data makes it clear. Fox is terrible. Somebody should send this to Ryan Pace and the McCaskey family as a reminder of what their first job should be come January.

We All Missed an Awesome Mitch Trubisky Leadership Moment vs. Bengals

By
Erik Lambert
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mitch trubisky leadership

People have remained so focused on the physical talent and the accuracy of late. Many Chicago Bears fans haven’t stopped to ask a more searching question. Where does the Mitch Trubisky leadership situation stand? Everybody knows the responsibilities that come with playing quarterback in the NFL. It’s not only about playing the toughest, most important position in the entire sport. These men are required by their elevated position to be the ones who set the example for others.

Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers are all great individual talents. Yet what makes them special is their ability to elevate those around them through motivation and expectation. One of the biggest criticisms of previous Bears quarterback Jay Cutler was his inability to get his teammates to follow him.

Or more precisely “all” of his teammates. This was a hurdle that would be presented to Trubisky upon arrival. Could get the entire locker room behind him? Based on recent comments by coaches and players, he is having tons of success at this. A major key is his tireless work ethic and unselfish attitude. He’ll do whatever it takes for his boys.

He proved that on Sunday against the Bengals, and almost everybody missed it.

Mitch Trubisky leadership shined after Danny Trevathan got hurt

Late in the fourth quarter it was apparent the Bears were wrapping up their biggest win in a long time. With a score of 33-7 it was the first true blowout this team has had since 2015 when they clobbered the Rams 37-13. However, fans were dealt a scare when star linebacker Danny Trevathan went down with what appeared to be a back injury.

Thankfully he was able to walk off under his own power. The injury was not deemed significant later on, though he didn’t finish the game. It’s what happened after the play though that revealed the type of leader and teammate Trubisky is. Without any prompt the rookie went along the sideline to check on Trevathan.

Want to know what Bears players gush about Trubisky? It’s little things like that. These may be grown men who are built to be alphas. At the same time they’re still human beings. It’s nice to know that others care when you get hurt or not. When the quarterback takes the time to come check on you? That has to be a good feeling.

For fans the fate of Trubisky will be decided on the field. For the locker room though, random acts of kindness like that will pay off huge in the long run.

Cubs Continue To Hunt Pitching On Final Day Of Winter Meetings

By
Sean Sears
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The Cubs came into the Winter Meetings needing to add at least two arms to the team, and while their signings so far have been solid, the Cubs still want more. Signing Brandon Morrow was has the potential to be an excellent move, along with agreeing to a deal with Drew Smyly, who is recovering from Tommy John and likely won’t return until late 2018 at the earliest.

But the Cubs at addressed a need with the Morrow signing, who currently stands the best chance at becoming the Cubs closer for 2018. However, the Cubs still need to add another starter, and it wouldn’t hurt to find another late-innings guy for the bullpen. Alex Cobb seemed like a done deal weeks ago for the Cubs, but the 30-year-old veteran comes into the final day of the Winter Meetings still without a deal.

Reports have surfaced that teams like the Rangers and Yankees are also interested in Cobb, but the Cubs have always remained the likely favorites to add the ground ball pitcher. However, despite their high interest in Cobb, the Cubs continue to pop up in random conversations involving guys like Danny Duffy or Danny Salazar.

Reports of Cobb’s four-year, $80 mil demands were shot down by Cobb’s team yesterday, which could have something to do with guys like Yu Darvish and Jake Arrieta still not signing. Which means, despite how much the Cubs would love to walk away from the meetings with another starter under their belt, Cobb could hold out and wait for either of Darvish or Arrieta to set the market.

Lets Make A Deal

Of course, the Cubs would be the team that sets the market and signs Yu Darvish, who’s team they did meet with earlier this week. But what seems more likely is a trade, with a Cubs engaged with a few times, but have the most interest in Rays starter Chris Archer.

The Cubs and Rays were engaged in serious talks yesterday, according to a former scout with ties to both teams scouts, with the Cubs focusing heavily on Archer. The question has, and will remain to be, how much the Cubs want to give up for a starter like Archer. They should be able to strike a deal if they feel it’s right, but so far that hasn’t been the case.

The thought around the league is that the Rays asking price, while likely come down soon, is still to rich for the blood of the Cubs front office. Other options are the aforementioned Duffy and Salazar, with the Indians righty looking like a more promising add, but both come with serious injury risk.

There is also another option involving the Padres, who reportedly are interested in adding a young shortstop, and might consider moving closer Brad Hand in a deal involving one.

The Cubs moving Addison Russell or Javier Baez for just Brad Hand is not going to happened, but the Padres do have some talented young arms. Guys like Anderson Espinoza and Mackenzie Gore are in the Padres farm system, while either are unlikely to move, it could mean the Padres would be open to including starters Cal Quantrill or Chris Paddack.

The point is, while free agency options are somewhat limited, the Cubs are getting creative with how they are finding starters. The consensus seems to be that the Cubs would like to sign a starter, preferable Alex Cobb. But, if Cobb moves on to another team, the Cubs are working out options to make sure they can add the pitching they need to compete in 2018, even if it costs major league talent.

Report: The Cubs Talked To Indians About SP Danny Salazar

By
Sean Sears
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As we approach the final day of the Winter Meetings, the Cubs continue their quest to find another starter. And while it’s obvious Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer plan on adding another starter, whether or not they are looking to add an arm for the front of back of their rotation remains to be seen. However, rumors have linked the Cubs to a few starters, including Chris Archer, Danny Duffy, and now the Cleveland Indians Danny Salazar.

Levine also includes that the Indians are looking for left-handed hitter, which is a bit confusing as looking at their roster you would assume they would want to add a right-handed hitter. We also know the Indians checked in on Javier Baez at some point during the Winter Meetings.

For what it’s worth, the talks between the Indians and Cubs never got serious about Baez, but what’s important to take away from this is that both clubs are engaged. The Cubs have reportedly been talking to everyone, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, holding talks with most of the free agent starters on the market along with clubs on the trade market.

How Does Salazar Fit On The Cubs

Salazar has had trouble staying healthy the last few seasons, but the 27-year-old is a strikeout machine when healthy with a career 10.51 K/9. The hard-throwing righty has stuff that consistently hits in the upper 90’s and has even touched triple-digits a few times.

However, what troubles me about this move is that the Indians are likely trying to make a deal involving Kyle Schwarber, and if that’s the case I’m not sure I’m in love with a deal like this. Salazar’s potential is front-end rotation stuff, but with the injury history plus his somewhat down 2017 campaign, a straight swap of Schwarber for Salazar doesn’t intrigue me.

If the Cubs were able to make a deal like this work with Ian Happ as the key piece, I’d be all for it. But the moment we bring Schwarber into the conversation is when I start to hate this deal. But, adding a talented, controllable arm like Salazar to the Cubs rotation is enticing.

With three more years of control via arbitration, a healthy Salazar instantly becomes an excellent top of the rotation arm, and a guy that helps the Cubs stay constant contenders in the next three years. That being said, the Cubs have been rumored to make a deal with the Indians since before either club turned their franchises around.

At this point, I wouldn’t expect anything quiet yet, as the Cubs seem to be content with just weighing options for starters. As long as Alex Cobb remains on option, it feels like the Cubs will avoid moving parts for a starter, but if Cobb does end up signing with the Yankees or Rangers, expect the Cubs to start making some calls. With the Indians being one of the first calls made.

 

UPDATE – 12:32 pm

A source informed Sports Mockery earlier today that the talks between the Cubs and Indians are involving Danny Salazar and Ian Happ, with Jason Kipnis coming into the conversation as a salary dump. The 23-year-old switch-hitting Happ would give the Indians a bat with some pop that can play all three outfield spots and fill in at 2nd base if Kipnis is sent with Salazar to Chicago.

 

Rumor: Biggest Ryan Pace Miscalculation May Not Have Been His Fault

By
Erik Lambert
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dak prescott

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace has his share of critics. All of them have their reasons for not liking him, often different. For some it’s his selection of Kevin White back in 2015 they still can’t get over. For others it’s his awful 2017 free agent class featuring Mike Glennon and Markus Wheaton. However, there is another small grudge held against him until recently. One that turns out may not have been his call.

The 2016 draft class was perhaps the best of his tenure so far. Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, and Jordan Howard spearheaded a strong crop of players for the Bears to build around. Still, it wasn’t a pick Pace made that has people upset about that draft. It’s more the pick that he didn’t make. One specific pick as it turns out.

By far the biggest steal of that draft was the Dallas Cowboys plucking Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott in the fourth round. He would go on to supplant Tony Romo as starter and lead the team to a 13-3 record. He finished with 23 touchdown passes and just four interceptions in a Pro Bowl year.

Is it possible he was almost a Bear?

Ryan Pace may have had eyes for Prescott but was steered away

The first two years of Pace’s tenure were marred by near-QB misses. He tried to trade up in 2015 for Marcus Mariota then again in 2016 for Carson Wentz. Meanwhile he had multiple shots to take Prescott including three different times in the fourth round alone. How in the world could Pace have justified not pulling the trigger?

Most felt it was simply a mis-evaluation on his part. As it turns out, another reason may have gotten in the way. A source informed me of this in a recent conversation.

“Pace wanted Dak Prescott. Fox wanted Cutler.”

It’s no secret that Pace was anxious to get his own quarterback just based on the attempts for Mariota and Wentz. So there’s no reason to think he was out for some reason on Prescott, especially after the strong Senior Bowl and pre-draft the quarterback had. It seems it was the complete opposite in fact.

“Pace was all in on Prescott. Scouted him at all his games and was very excited to know he’d be in position to land him. Prescott met Pace a few times with Pace telling him he’s going be a star and would draft him if he gets the chance.”

Obviously that didn’t happen with Fox vetoing the idea in favor of sticking with the veteran Cutler. One can understand. Why draft a QB when the one already in place is coming off his most efficient season as a Bear. The story by itself makes sense but could it have really gone that way? Well actually yes if we recall the other vital piece of the puzzle that Chris Mortensen broke back in April.

Pace’s Trubisky deception on Fox makes far more sense now

Mortensen revealed that Fox actually had no idea that Mitch Trubisky was going to be the Bears’ selection at #2 overall until right before it happened. It was later hinted that Pace was merely trying to maintain complete secrecy and Fox had a tendency to get too chummy with people. However, nothing about that ever felt quite right.

This new information would suddenly shed some light on that. What makes more sense? Pace just doesn’t want Fox to know to keep it a secret from the press? Or maybe Pace didn’t want Fox to know so the coach can’t stop it from happening like with Prescott? Those parameters are far easier to believe. Struggles between a coach and GM on personnel is nothing new in the NFL.

Either way Pace ended up getting his quarterback. Now he may be looking to solve his other problem at head coach.

Notorious Bears Hater Heath Evans Gets Ultimate Dose of Karma

By
Erik Lambert
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heath evans

If there is a public enemy that Chicago Bears fans have developed a proper hatred for in the past year, it’s Heath Evans. It seems rather random too. Evan is a former NFL fullback who played his career in New England and New Orleans. Never once did he play for the Bears or even the Packers, Vikings or Lions. So it’s difficult to understand where the hatred originates from, both his for the Bears and the fans for him.

Well in truth it started back in April during the NFL draft. Evans was part of the NFL Network crew helping to cover the events. He was on hand to see the Bears go after their future by selecting Mitch Trubisky with the #2 overall pick. Evans could’ve easily questioned the selection. That would’ve been fine, but instead he chose to do this.

That didn’t put him on anybody’s good side. From there Evans seemed to take a personal delight in antagonizing Bears fans. At every opportunity he belittled the progress Trubisky was making, even going so far as to say he heard from the Bears coaching staff that the rookie wasn’t looking good in practice. A statement that was refuted by actual players not long after.

From that point forward Chicago came to despise Evans. They wondered how he could hold such a job when spouting off so much nonsense. Well the good news is they and their team won’t have to hear it anymore.

Heath Evans forced to leave NFL job due to sexual harassment

It turns out Bears fans are the only enemies Heath has made in recent months. Seems the wave of sexual harassment claims that have swept across every profession in the country from cinema to politics has reached the sporting world. Turns out Mr. Evans has been a very naughty boy indeed.

So in addition to being a Grade A tool on the air, he seems to mirror that same style away from the cameras too. It’s rather sad. Men like him are so used to being the alpha dog when they were playing. They don’t realize that the media world surrounding football isn’t the same as the game itself. It isn’t just a man’s world where the risks of sexual harassment are remote due simply to the lack of women involved.

Seems without that protection the true colors of Heath Evans have come forth. Poetic justice.

Former Bears Head Coach Warns Team Is About to Make Huge Mistake

By
Erik Lambert
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dave wannstedt

Dave Wannstedt has never lost his affections for the Chicago Bears franchise. After all they gave him his big break in the NFL as a head coach back in 1993. He ended up running the franchise for the rest of the decade. Unfortunately one of his lone regrets was not being able to win more often for the McCaskey family. To this day he remains one of their biggest supporters.

Now a member of the media, he’s kept a close eye on the Bears this past year. Like everybody else he’s seen what has happened with the team from the losing to the injuries and so on. He should know all about that since the majority of his coaching years were marred by similar problems. So he at least understands the frustration.

At the same time he also knows the risk the franchise is set to take in the next three weeks. One that could alter the outlook of the entire franchise. Wannstedt, unlike most, believe that it would be unwise to do anything so rash.

Dave Wannstedt warns against ousting John Fox and Vic Fangio

It’s hard to understand where his logic is coming from. Then again like many NFL people Wannstedt is undoubtedly a John Fox fan. The Bears head coach has a long list of connections around the league. No doubt he’d have lots of people sticking up for him as his hold on the job continues to slip away. Wannstedt appeared to use the latest Bears’ runaway victory in Cincinnati as a chance to warn against the idea of firing him.

He said as much during a talk with Mully And Hanley on 670 The Score.

His reasoning for this is a bit unusual. Blowing out the Bengals was nice, but it ultimately meant nothing. There is no escaping the .289 winning percentage (second-worst in team history) or the 3-13 record against the NFC North or the 1-5 record against the Packers. There are far more reasons to have Fox fired than kept around at this point.

Then again there may be a hidden agenda for Wanndstedt. He, like many, might be less interested in the loss of Fox than the possible exit of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Fangio is by far the most respected coach on the team among fans. His players love him for his detailed teaching style and mad scientist disposition when it comes to creating defense. It’s hard to argue with the results. Despite missing half the starters on their defensive roster in Cincinnati, the Bears held the Bengals to just seven points. Much of that was thanks to the crafty scheming of Fangio.

Losing him would be unfortunate since the defense looks like it’s on the cusp of something special. Sadly, despite Wannstedt’s warning, it may not be the Bears’ decision. Rumor has persisted the past few weeks that Fangio intends to leave with his contract expiring. So even if the Bears chose to keep Fox around, that doesn’t mean Fangio stays.

So while his heart may be in a good place, the fact is Wannstedt can’t let one win overshadow all that’s happened before it.

Fans Don’t See How Significant the Bears Win in Cincinnati Was

By
Erik Lambert
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bears win

The Chicago Bears win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday was a welcome relief from weeks of depression. Most people felt that this December was going to be a death march to the finish with nothing more than watching a team go through the motions. Instead fans were treated to an early Christmas present as their beloveds absolutely demolished a playoff hopeful in their own building 33-7.

The Bears moved to 3-0 against the AFC North this season, a baffling record given they’re 1-9 against the rest of the teams they’ve played. Either way it was one of those games that sort of came from nowhere. After the disheartening loss to San Francisco, most felt the desperate Bengals were going to roll over a listless and depleted team.

Instead the Bears seemed to have run out of craps to give and just went on the attack all afternoon. Cincinnati’s defense had no answer for their balanced, and shockingly creative offensive attack. Even worse an offense featuring Pro Bowlers like A.J. Green and Andy Dalton were shut down by a defense missing almost half its original starters.

Yet people still aren’t quite seeing the big picture of what that win represents.

Mitch Trubisky performance caught the eye of prospective coaches

Much of it has to do with the young Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky. For the first time this season the #2 overall pick was the one who took charge of the game. From the opening snap he was in full command of the offense. Chicago marched up and down the field all game long. Trubisky was at the center of it, delivering impressive throw after impressive throw.

He finished the day with 271 yards, a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown. It was his best performance of the season. Cold weather? Road environment? No playoff prospects? None of that deterred him from doing what he did and the timing couldn’t be better. Everybody knows the Bears are likely to be in the market for a new head coach come January.

One thing that attracts the best candidates, more than lots of money, is the opportunity to have a quality quarterback in place. Especially a young one. Trubisky already has a reputation as a leader and tireless worker. Now he’s starting to put it on film, and that will open doors for the Bears to almost any candidate they may wish.

Road win in Cincy is usually a sign of things to come

Now for the superstitious fringe of Bears fandom there’s an extra nugget to take home. In the history of the two franchises, Chicago has played in Cincinnati a total of five times. They’ve won three of those games. Each of those wins could be called a harbinger of future success. In 1986 they stomped the Bengals 44-7 and would make the playoffs four of the next five years. In 2001 they shut them out 24-0. That year they won the division and a few seasons later began their climb to the Super Bowl.

Will that trend of future good fortune continue?

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