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Trading Jonathan Toews Is As Illogical As It Would Be Impossible

By
Brian Foran
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Feb 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews (19) looks on during a Stadium Series hockey game at TCF Bank Stadium. The Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

Like the mythical Phoenix, I hath risen from the ashes of self-imposed exile to once again calm the prevailing winds of stupidity and hyperbole stinking up the city.

At the moment, the Chicago Blackhawks are as mediocre as a professional sports team can get. Even the most tunnel-visioned Blackhawks thumpers would have trouble refuting this reality. In gluttonous terminology, the team that has taken the ice night-in-and-night out for most of the 27 contest played so far in 2017 are the vanilla ice cream/cheese pizza/Goose Island Beer Co. (with exception for a few special releases) of the National Hockey League. Passable as means for calories, but bland and forgettable as shit.

And while this might be considered satisfactory in the eyes of many other cities merely fortunate enough to possess an NHL franchise, us spoiled-brat puck fans in Chicago have spent the betterment of the past decade feasting like overweight mafia dons in a Marty Scorsese film. The blandness just isn’t cutting it for us cake-eaters. It’s like going from Rosangela’s to Dominos or Zombie Dust to Goose IPA. Once you’ve acquired a taste for the good stuff, everything else just pales in comparison.

And just that’s it. We are all spoiled, petulant little shits who have grown accustomed to receiving a Lexus for Christmas each year and now find ourselves up-in-arms when Santa leaves an Audi in our driveways instead.

The consistency and dominance of the Blackhawks has molded us into this impatient and insufferably entitled entity. Almost to the point where winning has become status quo and even the slightest hint of regression sends us into a state of unrelenting panic.

Unrelenting panic that seems to be manifesting with the rallying cry of “trade Jonathan Toews” from its pitchfork-wielding vanguard.

Luckily I’m here to set things straight with a few questions pertaining to how utterly ridiculous the idea of trading arguably the greatest player in franchise history is.

1. What is it you expect to get back that is better than Jonathan Toews?

Toews – in addition to his linemates – is struggling to reach the score sheet and can be much better. A theory I’ve coined the “No Shit, Heisenberg! Principle.” I concocted that one while splitting the atom. He can be better, and he will. His Corsi of 55.1% is the highest it’s been since the 2014-2015 season and his shots on goal ranks within the top-15 of NHL centers. He and his line are essentially what you’d call snake-bitten at the present moment. But with these favorable possession stats, an explosion like the one we experienced in the first couple games of the season can come at any moment. This line is a ticking time bomb, and as the Pittsburgh Penguins learned the hard way, you don’t wanna be around for the boom. That said, what is it irate fans expect to get back for Toews of equal or greater value that will help the Blackhawks win now? Sure, by some miracle you might be able to score a player who will one day hold a higher point potential – someone who excels only in the offensive zone. But how is it you plan to replace the face-offs, the two-way compatibility, the shutdown defense/penalty kill, the locker room presence, and especially good luck finding someone as universally beloved and genuinely good-spirited off the ice. There may exist a total of four or maybe five players across the entire league that fit this complete bill, but guess what? You’re not getting any of them back in a trade for Jonathan Toews.

2. Who the hell can afford Jonathan Toews?

Toews is making $10.5 million per year from now until long after the trigger-happy egos of Kim Jong-Un and Donald Trump render the Earth an uninhabitable apocalyptic wasteland. In other words, you’re more likely to discover the cure to cancer with a set of basic household appliances than a franchise that can accommodate Toews’ albatross contract. Even if there exists a team out there with the financial means to take on $10.5 million through 2022-2023, why the hell would they? If such a team does possess this space, it is likely said team is in rebuild mode. And why would any franchise in the midst of total rebuild take on such a gargantuan and untradeable contract all while forfeiting the U-HAUL’s worth of prospects and picks it would take to lure Toews from Chicago? This idea literally goes against the very principle of what a rebuild is. It’d be like the White Sox perfecting their farm system only to gut it all for a single player in the twilight years of their prime. It’s one thing if we’re talking Connor McDavid here, who remains years from what many consider the prime seasons of a player’s career. But Toews is 29. By the time said team has the developed horses to seriously contend, Toews will be well into his 30’s and a shell of the player he once was and 100 times the financial handcuff he is today. Use logic here. As an aspiring entrepreneur, would you invest $10 million in a business situated on a slowly-eroding sinkhole?

3. No-movement clause

Say it with me now: TOTAL NO-MOVEMENT CLAUSE. Even if the dominoes were to fall in some perfect synchronized form and some desperate, bottom-of-the-barrel-team with a GM clinging to his job and desperate to put asses in the seats in some shithole market were somehow swayed by Stan Bowman into inheriting Toews’ contract, why the hell would Toews agree to waive his no-movement clause to end his prestigious career in a no-win situation? I mean, you don’t live your life in Orange County, California and then choose to retire in Flint, Michigan, after all. The power resides in Toews’ hands. Bowman can waive his magic wand all he wants but it is Toews who possesses the final say in where he plays out the final years of his career. And before you bring up the prospect of a trade with Toews’ hometown of Winnipeg, the one city the Blackhawks captain may consider waiving his no-trade clause for, take a quick gander at the Jets place in the standings and then scurry on over to their CapFriendly page to check out their financials. Like the 2010 Blackhawks, this is a team with a plethora of young, potentially very pricey and very talented mouths to feed in the coming years. The last thing Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff can afford is an added $10.5 million to their books. That is, unless he plans to kiss Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Connor Hellebuyck goodbye in a few years.

4. Is this how you really want it to end?

Embarrassing is the only word I can use to describe how quickly fans turn on beloved players in this city. One day you’re being hallmarked for providing fans with a lifetime of unforgettable memories, immortalized amongst the pantheon of the greats this city has been gifted with and the next you’re Frankenstein’s monster being cornered by angry villagers carrying pitchforks and torches. Jonathan Toews deserves better than being reduced to a hypothetical bullseye for you to focus your animosity toward. He’s done more for you, the hockey fan, and this city than any blogger behind any word template could ever properly convey. Jonathan Toews’ reign is one that should end in ceremony. One that mirrors a prophet ascending into the heavens aboard a chariot of fire. For what he’s done, for what he’s accomplished, he deserves nothing less. If you want to reduce this truly special, once-in-a-lifetime amalgamation of what makes the perfect sports icon and role model into simple salary cap-fodder then you need some serious self-evaluating to do. Jonathan Toews isn’t something you just trade.

 

The Most Frustrating Thing About These Bears Isn’t the Losing

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears

Ask a Chicago Bears fan what the most frustrating thing about this team is and most will give the obvious answer. They’re losers. The Bears are going to finish with their fourth-straight losing season. They haven’t had a winning season in a half decade. People have begun to think that this is the new, permanent reality of Chicago football. Truth be told though this isn’t what’s infuriating fans the most.

It’s that we don’t know for sure who this team actually is. Let’s review for a moment. This is a Bears team that endured the hardest first 11 games of an NFL season since 1925. They beat the currently 9-2 Pittsburgh Steelers with Mike Glennon at QB. A few weeks later they shocked the Ravens (who are 7-5) in Baltimore. Last but not least they took down the now 8-4 Carolina Panthers despite little to no output from their offense.

This isn’t counting the fact they were one dropped touchdown away from knocking off the NFC champion Atlanta Falcons or taking down the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings. There have been glimpses of this being a good team. Then the losses to Green Bay, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, and Philadelphia come roaring back to mind.

Who is this team? Nobody knows. Such a thing makes fans feel helpless.

Ceiling of these Chicago Bears is clouded by coaching problems

The fact of the matter is a team doesn’t beat quality opponents like the Bears have without having some talent. Sure they aren’t a completed project yet. There are holes left to fill. However, the glaring issue at hand is the coaching. Week by week this staff continues to lose credibility and common sense. They’re using close defeats and injuries to mask their own shortcomings.

John Fox is of course at the head of all this. His lackadaisical approach and baffling game management reached new heights over the past month. He challenged a play that resulted in the ball actually going over to the other team . Then he chose to try blocking a 24-yard field goal with no time left on the clock rather than allow a touchdown so as to give his offense 90 seconds to respond.

Loggains disaster isn’t helping his case either

Dragging him down further is the ongoing nightmare on offense. Dowell Loggains is supposed to be a quarterback specialist. Yet his management of rookie Mitch Trubisky most of this season is almost vomit-inducing. Through eight starts the #2 overall pick is completing just 54.9% of his passes for 1,237 yards and five touchdowns with four interceptions. He’s also been sacked 21 times in those eight games.

Loggains shows a constant inability to mold the offense around what Trubisky does best. They don’t utilize the zone-read hardly at all and rarely throw slants, both of which he’s gotten good production from. Instead it feels like the coordinator is trying to mash Trubisky into a more traditional system. This without adequate wide receivers to make it work.

Never mind the fact he continues to keep big play threats like Tarik Cohen and Adam Shaheen on the sideline in favor of guys like Dion Sims and Bennie Cunningham. Week by week it becomes clear he’s unequal to his task.

Until the Bears bring in a staff that gets this roster to play with more discipline and urgency, there’s just no way to know for sure how good (or bad) it is.

New Proof Surfaces That John Fox May Have Genuinely Lost His Mind

By
Erik Lambert
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Credit: Chicago Tribune

It’s clearer than ever than John Fox is finished as an NFL head coach. He continues to defend himself, believing if not for injuries this team would be challenging for a playoff spot. Anyone with eyes can see he’s delusional. These Chicago Bears have some talent but they have no drive, no direction and no discipline. All of that falls at his feet.

After another dispiriting loss, this time to the one-win San Francisco 49ers, Fox’s fate following the season became even more inevitable. If anything questions are being directed towards GM Ryan Pace now. Most notably why he’s allowing this farce to continue when it’s so clear that Fox has completely checked out.

So how did it all come to this? What happened to the Fox who turned around Carolina and Denver so rapidly in years past? Truth be told one could argue he was never that good of a coach. Peyton Manning just helped make an average run look a lot better. In fact some new information has just come out that better explains how unequal the man is to the task.

John Fox has no attention to detail and no common sense

Jimmy John said one of the key responsibilities of a head coach is to make sure he knows the name of everybody in the organization. The only way a team wins if they all think they’re doing something important. They’re “looking to get stroked.” If they feel needed, they work, coach and play harder. This seems to be a lesson that Fox has long since forgotten.

Ask yourself this question. Would you play hard for a coach who didn’t even bother to learn what your actual name is? This really was a problem that surfaced in 2015 when he called Jay Cutler “Jake.” Fox is supposedly a players coach yet he doesn’t seem to take a big interest in those players.

It only gets worse from there. One of the most mind-numbing sequences of the 49ers loss came at the end. With over a minute still to play the 49ers prepared to run another play. Conventional wisdom was clear. The Bears should’ve let them score the touchdown. Though it would’ve given up the lead it also would’ve preserved enough time on the clock for Mitch Trubisky and the offense to respond.

Instead the defense tackled the runner short of the end zone. San Francisco took a knee on the next play and kicked a chip shot 24-yard field goal for the lead. When asked to explain his reasoning, Fox chose to go full meathead.

So let’s get this straight. Fox felt his team had a better shot of blocking a 24-yard field goal rather than giving his offense the ball with over a minute to play? That is…that is next level stupid right there. If there wasn’t conclusive proof before that Fox has lost all connection to reality, this seals it. Why the Bears continue to let him run the show is just as insane, if not more so.

Constant Losing Is Now Putting Ryan Pace’s Job Security In Peril

By
Erik Lambert
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ryan pace

First of all this must be prefaced with a clear statement. Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace was handed what’s tantamount to a 20-year old car when he took over the roster. It was old, beat up and lacking any features that a new car could be rebuilt around. Years of bad drafting was the root cause. Most GMs never have to face that challenge. They typically inherit at least one or two building blocks.

So that should’ve gotten him some leeway. Except this is the NFL. Teams are expected to make progress from year to year. When losses start to pile up, people start to question whether the guys in charge are equal to the task. Pace is in danger of overseeing the worst three-year stretch of Bears football since the schedule moved to 16 games in 1978.

People have showered the blame on the coaching of John Fox and his staff. That’s fair. For the most part its been atrocious, especially on offense. There’s no urgency, no creativity and too often no common sense. That shouldn’t fall on Pace’s shoulders right? Except yes it should.

Ryan Pace hired Fox and perhaps even worse? He kept him

There are two organizational decisions that a GM will be judged by. Who he got for a franchise quarterback and who he chose for head coach. The jury is still out on Mitch Trubisky, but the odds continue tipping in the wrong direction. Much of that is because his choice of Fox as coach was clearly the wrong one.

Not only did he hire an older coach who was turning 60, somebody likely not up to the task of a full rebuild. He ignored the glaring warning sign of the fact that Denver fired the man despite going 12-4 his final year with the team. That should’ve been a red flag. Pace though, at the urging of team advisor Ernie Accorsi accepted the hire.

Fox was known for quick turnarounds and there was some hope after the team went 6-10 their first year. Then the wheels started to come off. Injuries mounted. Coaching quality diminished. As a result the team finished 3-13. At that point Pace had a window. Fox had not delivered on the quick turnaround. Everybody knew a change at quarterback was coming. He could’ve ended it there. Instead he blinked.

Has the drafting been that good?

Thus far the biggest argument in favor of Pace has been his drafting. Through three off-seasons he’s added a number of quality names to the roster including Eddie Goldman, Leonard Floyd, Cody Whitehair, Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen and Eddie Jackson. The problem is only one of those names could be considered a blue chip, Pro Bowl talent. That’s Howard.

To this point Pace has made 20 picks. The poor coaching has made it difficult to determine how good a number of them were. Still to have one Pro Bowl player emerge thus far? That’s troubling. Worse still two of his first round picks have developed injury problems. Kevin White has suffered multiple issues from leg to back breaks. Leonard Floyd dropped out of 2016 with repeat concussions and then this year with a knee injury.

Health issues are impossible for a GM to predict but facts are facts. Pace’s drafts haven’t produced enough. Will better coaching change that? No doubt it’s the hope he’s clinging to at this moment.

His free agent misfires far outweigh his hits

Let’s paint a picture here. Of the 10 highest-paid players currently on the Bears roster, seven of them were free agents brought in by Pace. The names are as follows:

  • Mike Glennon
  • Akiem Hicks
  • Josh Sitton
  • Pernell McPhee
  • Danny Trevathan
  • Dion Sims
  • Bobby Massie

Among those names only two could be considered relative hits at this point. Akiem Hicks has been outstanding on defense since he arrived last year. Josh Sitton went to the Pro Bowl. Danny Trevathan has played well but to date has missed nine games between injuries and suspensions. After that the list gets ugly.

Mike Glennon was a disaster in his brief four-game stint, turning it over eight times. Pernell McPhee has suffered from constant knee issues, something that Pace surely knew was a risk when he gave the outside linebacker over $7 million a year. Dion Sims failed to live up to his billing as a blocker and is an even worse pass catcher. Bobby Massie hasn’t been terrible but he hasn’t been good either.

This isn’t even counting guys like Markus Wheaton, Marcus Cooper, and Quintin Demps. All of whom got solid pay days from Pace and given practically nothing back in return. For a man that is formerly a pro scout, that’s a bad look.

Truth be told he’s acting too much like Phil Emery

One of the things that eventually condemned former GM Phil Emery was his inability to stockpile draft picks. He rarely worked the phone on draft day unless it was to move up for a player. When he did move down it was always later in the draft when the returns would be minimal. The Bears ended up with six picks in each of their first two drafts. For a man who said he intended to build through the draft, it’s hard to do that without more picks.

Pace has unfortunately followed that same blueprint. His first draft, like Emery’s was fairly disastrous save for the second round picks (Alshon Jeffery and Eddie Goldman). He has gone two out of three drafts with six picks or fewer, relying on free agency to pick up the slack. Emery did the same exact thing. Is it any wonder the results are almost identical?

By contrast Rick Spielman, his first year as GM in Minnesota conducted four different trades in his first draft alone. In doing so he acquired three picks for that draft and two picks for the next. Those moves would help them acquire four future Pro Bowlers including Harrison Smith and Xavier Rhodes. It’s not simply about trading down or trading up. The best GMs must be flexible enough to do both within a draft while still maintaining a healthy number of picks.

That’s why Pace had so much success in 2016. As things stand he’ll enter 2018 with six picks again.

Is Pace safe? Losing out might change that

So that brings us back to the big question. Fox is of course gone. Is Pace still safe regardless? A couple weeks ago that wasn’t even a question. Unfortunately things are spiraling out of control fast. The Bears have lost five-straight games now including ones to the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers and previously one-win 49ers. If this keeps up at some point people will get tired of pointing the finger at just the coaches and start moving in on the front office.

Try to imagine how you’d feel if the Bears finished 3-13 for the second-straight season. Can all of that honestly be blamed on coaching? Suffice to say Pace needs a win, and needs it soon.

Read These Angry Tweets Following Latest Bears Disaster

By
Dhruv Koul
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robbie gould
Credit: Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Bears followed up four straight awful, terrible, god-forsaken losses with yet another disaster on Sunday afternoon, losing to the woeful San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Field.

Well actually, they lost to Robbie Gould’s right leg, as the former Bears kicker, and all-time leading scorer, kicked five field goals to give San Francisco a 15-14 victory as time was expiring.

As you can imagine, fans are getting sick and tired of losing these winnable games, especially against atrocious teams. As you can also imagine, the Twitter reaction following Sunday’s loss was gold. We compiled some of the best, angry Tweet replies we got (in no particular order). We completely feel and understand you, fellow fans.

Enjoy, as we look forward to another eventful offseason. Bear Down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite West Coast Bias, Cubs Still In The Conversation For Ohtani

By
Sean Sears
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Well, over the course of one hour Ohtani news attempted to break twitter. With news being spewed all over the internet, Ohtani’s intentions became evidently clear.

First, news broke that only were the Giants and Mariners being considered early favorites, the Yankees were notified they were no longer being considered.

That’s right, Shohei Ohtani straight up said “Nah” to the Yankees.

Twitter quickly exploded as news tumbled out that Ohtani was leaning heavily towards small market teams located on the west coast. Likely due to the Asian cultural affiliated with cities like Seattle and San Francisco.

But just we all started to assume the Cubs were likely the next team to be named as ‘out’ on Ohtani, Mike Berardino from the Pioneer Express tweeted this.

Shortly after Ken Rosenthal gave more clarity on the situation.

So it doesn’t look fantastic for the Cubs chances with Ohtani, they are not quite dead in the water. Looking at the rest of the teams on the list, outside of maybe the Dodgers, they are the best team on paper remaining.

Not surprisingly, but when Sports Mockery asked an industry source the response that “I heard they haven’t been told they are out yet.”

Take that as you will, the good news is that the Cubs are still alive in the Ohtani sweepstakes for now. With things starting to pick up with Ohtani, that also means talks with other Cubs free agent targets are likely going to progress soon as well.

If the Cubs are officially eliminated, expect their attention to swing towards Alex Cobb and the reliever market. But for now, all eyes are on Shohei Ohtani.

 

UPDATE: The Cubs were officially confirmed as one of the seven teams Ohtani plans to meet with in person this week.

Robbie Gould Becomes Latest to Join Ex-Bears Revenge Tour

By
Erik Lambert
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robbie gould

The Chicago Bears certainly have found ways to incite bad feelings in their former players over the years. That’s not entirely their fault. Business is business and at the time most agreed with those decisions. Still the team has become a victim of what one might call an ex-Bears revenge tour over the past couple weeks. A week ago it was Alshon Jeffery posting 52 yards and a touchdown as the Eagles blew them away 31-3. Now it was time for Robbie Gould to get his.

The all-time leading scorer in Bears history couldn’t have had it any other way. Going back to Soldier Field, perfect weather conditions and an ultra conservative opposing coach likes keeping games close. Sure enough after an initial Bears surge of 14 points they seemed to sit on the ball the rest of the game. Meanwhile Gould connected on 4-of-4 field goals to narrow the gap to 14-12.

Everyone in the building felt it coming. The 49ers would get the ball back. They’d drive down the field and let Robbie win it.

Robbie Gould couldn’t resist excessive celebration

Almost like a train wreck that everybody sees coming and nobody can stop, that’s what happened. San Francisco drove down the field, drained the clock thanks to some trademark atrocious game management by Fox and set up a chip shot 24-yard field goal for the win. Needless to say Gould put it right down the pipe.

Afterwards he stared towards the Bears sideline and couldn’t resist some fist-pumping.

The loss pushed Chicago to 3-9 on the season. Fox is 0-7 in games where his team is favored across his three years. He’s also 12-32 with four games left, putting him at a .267 winning percentage. If that holds, he will mathematically be the worst Bears head coach in franchise history. Abe Gibron remains atop that list at .268.

11 Thoughts On The Bears’ Hilariously Unacceptable Loss To The 49ers

By
Dhruv Koul
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(John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) scrambles in the first quarter.

This Sunday afternoon matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears wasn’t about records. Coming into the game, the 49ers were 1-10 and the Bears were 3-8. Obviously playoffs aren’t happening. And while I would love to give a shout out and welcome to former Bears legend Robbie Gould for returning to Soldier Field, it wasn’t about him, either. It was about a fascinating duel between two young quarterbacks who will likely be linked throughout their careers: Jimmy Garoppolo and Mitch Trubisky.

By now, we all know the Trubisky story — no need to beat a dead horse. But the Garoppolo story is more fascinating.

Garoppolo burst onto the scene last year when he started in place of the suspended Tom Brady in New England. He made three starts, playing incredibly well before he got hurt versus Miami. But that didn’t stop speculation from starting about when he would replace Brady in New England. However, with the GOAT playing out of his mind upon his return, leading the Patriots to another Super Bowl title, and showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down, Garoppolo suddenly became one of the hottest commodities on the QB market.

The Bears were certainly interested in the Chicago-area native who, by the way, grew up a Bears fan. But when draft-time rolled around, the Patriots weren’t interested in dealing Garoppolo, with many saying Chicago would have had to part with their prized third-overall pick. Such a steep price for a QB who was an impending free agent post-2017? Ryan Pace wasn’t about to let that happen. So the Bears passed on that opportunity and turned that, along with a couple other picks into their quarterback of the future: Trubisky.

Fast forward to this season’s trade deadline, and the Patriots suddenly reversed course, apparently dangling Garoppolo as trade bait. The 49ers, with a new regime and head coach, traded their second-round pick in 2018 (a very high one, mind you), and turned it into a chance to audition Garoppolo on the cheap. If he plays well, San Francisco will have decisions to make in the offseason (sign him long term despite limited experience? Franchise tag?), but the right to make those decisions is what they coveted, so they made the deal.

So on a beautiful Sunday afternoon along the lakefront, Trubisky and Garoppolo (who despite being a Bears fan had never previously attended a game at Soldier Field growing up), took the field on Sunday to get an early glimpse of the potential spouting from both regimes’ decisions. The Bears lost on a Robbie Gould game winning field goal. I loved it.

Here are my thoughts on today’s game and QB matchup:

1) There’s no doubt that Jimmy Garoppolo is more NFL-ready right now. Learning in a Josh McDaniels system behind the greatest QB of all time certainly helped, as did his 3.5 years of overall experience in the NFL as well. None of this is surprising. His ability to see the field is awesome, as are his mechanics. And coming to SF and Kyle Shanahan’s offense certainly bodes well for him. He looks very good.

2) That isn’t to say we should give up on Trubisky. He is still most certainly a work in progress. But he still doesn’t have anybody to throw to, and his coaching staff is a detriment. An anchor. A liability. We need to reserve judgment until next year after Fox is fired and he’s given a real chance.

3) Trubisky has dropped two snaps in two weeks.

It’s most certainly frustrating, but it’s not an alarming problem. It will get better.

4) It’s amazing how little teams respect the Bears’ passing game. Nor should they. The issue of play-calling and personnel and scheming won’t get fixed until next year. Until then, the Bears will continue to run into brick walls. Poor Jordan Howard.

5) Nobody should be surprised by how stupidly and undisciplined the Bears play, though. That Roy-Robertson Harris unnecessary roughness penalty? Wow. Just wow.

6) Tarik Cohen still makes such bad decisions in the return game. But sometimes he breaks them out for touchdowns. He needs to improve his decision making, but that touchdown return exhilarating. Shades of Devin Hester.

7) The defense had an awful game. Just awful. Jimmy G played well, but this defense has been completely awful since the bye week. Danny Trevathan’s return certainly helped keep this game from being a blowout, but there were still way too many wide receivers running free all game. Garoppolo carved them up. Also, Vic Fangio’s defenses have sucked on third-and-long (how???) for years now. He’s certainly the best coach on the Bears, but nowhere close to special as some fans seem to think. There’s a reason Ryan Pace is reportedly not considering him for the head coaching gig.

8) Pretty great game for Kyle Fuller overall. He bounced back after a rough few showings since the bye week. He picked off Garoppolo and showed off some good open field tackling today. Good to see him get back on track a little bit.

9) Bears need more EDGE rushers. This is your weekly reminder: Expect this to be a heavy target in the draft.

10) Bears getting dominated in the trenches has become a weekly thing, unfortunately. Not good. They won’t win a lot of games that way.

11) The Robbie Gould game-winning field goal made so much sense. I was anticipating it, and I’m so happy it happened. So poetic. There is no reason John Fox should still have his job after this loss. A loss, by the way, to the previously ONE WIN, WOEFUL 49ers. But we said the same thing after Green Bay. And after Philadelphia. He may very well finish the year as Bears coach, but count this as another day crossed off on the Fire-Fox Calendar.

Mitch Trubisky Is About to Meet His Boogeyman Again

By
Erik Lambert
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solomon thomas

Perhaps one of the most entertaining bowl games of the 2016 college football season took place between North Carolina and Stanford. In that game it became a personal battle between what ended up being two of the top three draft picks in the 2017 NFL draft. One being Chicago Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky and the other San Francisco 49ers defensive end Solomon Thomas.

Those two are linked in so many ways and it started that day last December. For Thomas it was a signature game. He terrorized the Tarheels offensive line, sacking Trubisky twice and pressuring him constantly. The second sack was the one that ended the game on a failed two-point conversion attempt to tie the game and force overtime.

At the same time Trubisky showed every bit of his game as a top prospect, good and bad. The constant pressure forced him into some bad decisions that led to key turnovers. At the same time he also showed his guts and ability to elevate his play with the game on the line. His last drive to score a touchdown in the final seconds was brilliant. If anything the two players helped each other.

Bears fans may start debating decision to pass on Solomon Thomas

Now they’re set to meet again as Thomas’ 49ers come to Chicago for a battle among the NFL’s worst. Neither player has had the rookie season they hoped for to this point. Thomas has just two sacks this season. Trubisky has four touchdowns, four interceptions and a 70.8 quarterback rating during his seven starts. Both are undoubtedly hoping to have some kind of breakout game.

Both have an opportunity to do so. Trubisky has been sacked eight times in the past three games. Constant issues at wide receiver have forced him to hold the football at times. That will give Thomas opportunities. At the same time San Francisco is 26th in the NFL against the pass. This means even an average passing offense could have a big day against them.

Perhaps the biggest fear is if Thomas duplicates what he did a year ago. It was well-known the Bears were high on him leading up to the draft. Reports indicate the decision was down to either him or a quarterback. Pace decided to go with Trubisky in the end. How many Bears fans will cry out against that decision if Thomas has a big day?

That may be a question nobody wants answered. Given the state of the Bears pass rush and the fact Thomas is a Chicago native would make it sting all the more.

Top NFL Expert Claims This Must Be the Next Bears Head Coach

By
Erik Lambert
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minnesota vikings

The next Chicago Bears head coach has to be a home run. Ryan Pace, presuming he’s kept aboard as expected, has to know this will be his last chance. The roster is young and ascending. Mitch Trubisky is in place. The building blocks are there. All they need is the right coach to bring it all together. Clearly this is a job John Fox has not been up to.

Yes he’s overseen a reparation of the locker room culture. He rebuilt the defense into a respectable unit and the running game into a prominent threat again. However, his failures on offense and the continued inability to win enough games have made it almost impossible to justify keeping him for a fourth season.

Thus with five games left to go the search has already begun for his replacement. Several names inhabit the list from Josh McDaniels to Jim Harbaugh. Thus far no singular candidate has emerged as a true “slam dunk” type. Then again few of the best head coaches were considered such when they got their jobs.

Who do the Bears target? At least one prominent expert already has the man they need in mind.

John DeFilippo is the unheralded name that must be next Bears head coach

Brian Baldinger has been around the game for a long time. He was an offensive lineman for Dallas, Indianapolis and Philadelphia from 1982 to 1993. During that time he came up close with some of the best head coaches in NFL history including Tom Landry, Bill Parcells and Joe Gibbs. Later when he got into broadcasting this afforded him the opportunity to go around the league to meet others over the past 20 years.

This guy has seen some of the best rise to prominence. So it’s safe to say he might have a handle on what to look for. That’s why it was fascinating when he gave his personal recommendation to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

“NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger suggested Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, 39, is a rising star. The Eagles blocked the Jets from hiring him as their offensive coordinator in January. Is he ready for the next step, which is more like a leap?

“That’s the guy,” Baldinger said last week before calling the Bears-Eagles game. “Sharp, sharp, really sharp. Like he’s the smartest guy in the room. He would be unbelievable with a young quarterback. Everywhere he’s been Flip has been good. High energy, nonstop. If you’re looking, he’s head coach material. He’s like McVay.”

DeFilippo didn’t really start to see his stock as a coach soar until this year. Thanks to his efforts, along with Frank Reich and Doug Pederson the Philadelphia Eagles have built a monster in quarterback Carson Wentz. The second-year QB has 28 touchdowns to just five interceptions. The MVP award looks to be in his sights.

DeFilippo has quiet but effective history developing QBs

His expertise didn’t start with Wentz though. DeFilippo has actually found success dating back years at the quarterback position. In 2008 he had got 13 touchdowns and eight interceptions out of JaMarcus Russell in Oakland. A year later after he left? Russell threw just three touchdowns to 11 interceptions. That same year DeFilippo landed in New York with the Jets. Rookie Mark Sanchez struggled at times but excelled in the playoffs, getting all the way to the AFC championship.

He returned to Oakland in 2012. He got 4,000 yards from Carson Palmer that first year but was saddled with Terrelle Pryor the next. His final season in 2014 he got reasonable production from rookie Derek Carr. Perhaps his most unheralded job was as offensive coordinator for Cleveland in 2015. Despite the ongoing Johnny Manziel carnival and laundry list of problems between the coaching staff and front office, he somehow got 4,000 passing yards out of his offense.

If DeFilippo could get positive play out of monumental busts like Russell and Manziel, just imagine what he might be able to do with Trubisky. The best part is he’s reportedly a free agent in 2018. This means he won’t have any contractual ties to the Eagles. Not that they’d be able to block him from taking a head job anyway.

In truth he looks like an exciting candidate on paper. He’s a QB expert who is only 39-years old. He’s gotten quality experience from several teams under coaches like Tom Coughlin and now Pederson. Is he ready for the shot? That’s difficult to say at this point given his limited time as an offensive coordinator. Then again that never stopped Andy Reid.

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